BEST OF 1997:Buena Vista Social Club "Buena Vista Social Club" (1997)

Buena Vista Social Club [debut]
release date: Sep. 16, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 5 / 5]
producer: Ry Cooder
label: World Circuit Records - nationality: Cuba

*Track highlights: 1. "Chan chan" - 7. "Veinte años" - 9. "Candela" - 10. "Amor de loca juventud"
*should be the entire album.

How I wish the world would have much more of this kind. This is a studio debut album in the sense that it's the first of its kind. The album features various traditional Cuban artists who were brought together by the Cuban musician, Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist, Ry Cooder. Cooder's love and interest for world music was the starting point of the project, which was an idea of releasing music with famous national Cuban artists who were literally unknown - internationally speaking. Luckily, Cooder realised the project of his dreams, which is so unique. Most of the performers were at the heights of their career in the 1940s and 1950s, and it's a mere wonder that they were still able to record this fabulous music for everyone to experience.
The album won international fame, topped the album charts world-wide, and it was nominated and won many prizes in the aftermath of its release. It's quite naturally enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and several of the featuring artists on the album launched a late solo career, e.g. Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, Eliades Ochoa, Rubén González, and Omara Portuondo.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

1997 Favourite releases: 1. Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club - 2. The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole - 3. The Divine Comedy A Short Album About Love

Graham Coxon "Happiness in Magazines" (2004)

Happiness in Magazines
release date: May 17, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Stephen Street
label: Transcopic - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "No Good Time" - 3. "Girl Done Gone" - 4. "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" - 6. "Freakin' Out" - 12. "Ribbons and Leaves"

5th solo album by Blur-guitarist Graham Coxon is an alt. rock and garage rock revival-styled album, which nicely demonstrates the musical direction of one of the major driving forces within Blur. Yes, Coxon wanted it scrappier and raw, whereas Albarn dragged towards a more experimental style within a more contemporary pop universe.
It's not just a rip-off, although I hear clear inspirational sources from Kinks, Velvet Underground, The Who, Neil Young and the like. The album showcases Coxon's writing abilities, his ear for simple pop / rock hooks making this one of those albums that you wish you didn't have to search so hard to find, 'cause it really deserves much more attention.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Men At Work "Two Hearts" (1985)

Two Hearts

release date: April 23, 1985

format: cd

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,82]

producer: Colin Hay & Greg Ham

label: Columbia - nationality: Australia

3rd and final studio album by the Australian band Men At Work following two years after Cargo. The band had taken a short hiatus before returning to planned rehearsals for an upcoming album when tensions within the band resulted in the dismissals of both drummer Jerry Speiser and bassist John Rees before the beginning of the recording sessions. Primary songwriter Colin Hay and multi-instrumentalist Greg Ham added drum programming to several tracks, and they brought in session musicians as stand-ins for Speiser and Rees. Guitarist Ron Strykert is credited as regular band member but he also left the band reduced to a duo before the album was finished, and both Hay and Ham are songwriters and composers of all but one song and they are also in charge of production and mixing of the band's final album.

Musically, they try to make yet another pop / rock album with the use of other stylistic elements - mostly synth pop and pop funk, whereas the new wave from the first two albums is completely gone. Soundwise, the album reveals more orchestrated arrangements with the use of keyboards as replacements for brass and strings.

The album peaked at number #16 on the Australian albums chart list (number #50 in the US) but it didn't produce any single hits. With a bunch of session musicians, Hay and Ham toured as Men At Work with the album, and in the fall of '85 Ham left Hay to continue the band, which officially disbanded in early '86, and Colin Hay began work on his first solo album Looking for Jack (1987).

Two Hearts is easily the band's least favourable album and not a recommended listen.

[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

The Smiths "Hand in Glove" (1983) (single)

Hand in Glove, single
release date: May 13, 1983
format: cd single (2009 remaster)
[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,14]
producer: The Smiths
label: Rhino Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Hand in Glove" - 2. "Handsome Devil" (Live)

Single debut by The Smiths originally released by Rough Trade. The second track is recorded live in Manchester at The Hacienda, 4/2/83. The title track is included on the 1984 debut album, although, in a slightly different version. The single version is also part of the '84 compilation Hatful of Hollow.
The single peaked at number #3 on the UK Indie Chart list but did not make the top 75 of the regular UK Singles Charts, settling outside at number #124. A remixed version of the song was featured on the band's debut album The Smiths. That same year, a cover version recorded by singer Sandie Shaw featuring Smiths members Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce as backing musicians reached number #27 on the UK Singles Chart.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" (2007)

The Good, The Bad & The Queen [debut]
release date: Jan. 22, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Danger Mouse
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 3. "Northern Whale" - 5. "Herculean" - 6. "Behind the Sun" - 8. "Nature Springs" - 12. "The Good, the Bad & the Queen"

Studio album debut by 'super-group' The Good, The Bad & The Queen - a quartet consisting of Blur and Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn on vocals & keyboards, former The Clash and Havana 3 A.M.-founder Paul Simonon on bass & backing vocals, The Verve member Simon Tong on guitar and with The Africa '70-founding member Tony Allen on drums. Albarn is credited as composer of all songs of what has been described as a conceptual album in the sense that all songs refer to various historical events in and around London. This project-band seems like yet another Albarn invention. The band name has never been declared officially, and is only referred to, to make things much easier - very Albarn-like. He invented the four-piece Gorillaz as the first-ever virtual band around 2002 as an outlet for his musical ideas and that brain-child proved to be a very enduring one. Here, Albarn gets together with real-life musicians, but all songs are credited Albarn, and the whole idea of having a band with no name goes hand in hand with his musical spin.
Musically, this is also much in his understanding of music as the band explores some of the same sources of inspiration that have shaped late Blur albums and the so far two studio albums by Gorillaz. It's a huge melting pot of styles and influences where everything seems likely to happen, which makes it incredibly difficult to narrow in. It's art pop and alt. rock in the soft end of the scale with bits of indie pop, some chamber pop and neo-psychedelia also comes to my mind. But what is clearly evident is the characteristic voice of Albarn himself singing in his usual laid-back and slightly blurred indifferent manner.
Critics were generally positive about The Good, The Bad & The Queen and the album rocketed into top-ten of albums chart lists worldwide without much promotion. I recall, however, in late 2006 how rumours circulated about this new "super-band" about to release a whole album in a near future, which of course had the whole industry on its toes. I also recall that my first impression was rather negative. I didn't like this get-together mix and simply rejected it as anything worthwhile after a few spins. My experience with Damon Albarn has made me revisit the album 'cause fact is, I don't think he ever released anything bad or mediocre. And this is neither. It's definitely better than my initial verdict, although, it's not an absolute favourite. Especially the lyrical aspect of the album is way better than I remember. Once you dig into the aspect of having a bunch of London-characters tell various everyday-life details, it begins to make some sense. The music is experimental but also highly original. "Tight" is, however, not a word that comes to my mind. There's a jazzy feel of fusion all over, which at times makes it a looong experience, but it surely has its moments. Overall, I don't think it reaches the level of the two Gorillaz' albums, and my conclusion is that it's a wee bit unfocused debut if ever it would turn out to be an enduring project.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, The Guardian, NME, Spin 4 / 5 stars ]

Everything but the Girl "Everything but the Girl" (1984)

Everything but the Girl (compilation)
release date: 1984
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Robin Millar
label: Sire Records - nationality: England, UK

US edition of the debut album also released in '84 but sometime after Eden. The album appears as a compilation as tracks #1-6 are taken from the debut album, and the remaining 6 tracks are taken from various A and B-side singles.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Smiths

~ ~ ~

The Smiths: formed 1982 in Manchester, UK; disbanded Sep. 1987. Band members: Morrissey (aka Steven Patrick Morrissey, vocals, piano), Johnny Marr (aka John Martin Maher, guitar, keyboards, mandolin, bass, harmonica), Mike Joyce (drums, backing vocals), Andy Rourke (bass, cello). Other band members: Dale Hibbert (played bass in 1982 for a short period before Andy Rourke had contact with the band), Craig Gannon (played bass and rhythm guitar on live tours in 1986/87). After the disbandment in 1987, Morrissey initiated his solo career by releasing his critically acclaimed solo debut Viva Hate (1988). Johnny Marr started a collaboration work, the project Electronic (1988-1999) with Bernard Sumner of New Order, and Marr became a member of The The (1988-94), guitarist of Modest Mouse (2006-09), and The Cribs (2008-11). Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke became part of Sinéad O'Connors backing band for some time (Rourke played on her album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, 1990). Rourke also played bass on Morrissey's first solo tracks. Joyce joined the British britpop, glam rock band Suede for a short time in 1991. Both Rourke and Joyce became studio session musicians working with established and up-coming artists.
[ wikipedia has extensive info on the band ]

My own The Smiths collection of mostly vinyl records (1983-1988)

How should I pick only one of their albums? I can't. They only made 4 original studio albums but managed to influence the musical universe like only very few artists. What is so remarkable about these few albums is how strong they appear, individually. The debut The Smiths (Feb. 1984) had been anticipated due to a couple of singles "Hand in Glove" (May 1983) and especially the brilliant "This Charming Man" (Oct. 1983). I remember buying this the day it arrived in my local town that fall. I didn't know of the band before, 'cause no one had paid them any attention - this was their first ever single hit! This was in the days when New Order and Joy Division (also Manchester bands) were my darlings alongside OMD, The Cure, Dead Kennedys and Elvis Costello. I came in looking for something interesting and the shop owner opened this package from London and just handed me this 12" record cover, which immediately caught my attention. He said, they're said to be the next big thing in England. He put it on the turntable and I was amazed. We agreed that this was really something else... and definitely appealing. Of course, I bought a copy and couldn't wait 'till they released an album. So, yes, I knew the band from the start and I kept buying most of their releases as soon as they landed.

~ ~ ~

Tying Tiffany "Dark Days, White Nights" (2012)

Dark Days, White Nights
release date: Jan. 27, 2012
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "New Colony" - 2. "Dark Day" - 3. "Drownin' " - 5. "She Never Dies" (3 / 5) - 7. "Unleashed"

4th studio album by Tying Tiffany is interesting Italian electropop, electroclash with a nice touch of Crystal Castles, mh-hmm, me like! This is better than her debut album Undercover (2005), which appears as a sketch of something or a demo, but she has made two other albums, Brain for Breakfast (2007) and Peoples Temple (2010) that I haven't heard yet. In fact she's a bit of a mystery, it seems. No one really knows her actual birth name (of course some does, but the press hasn't found it yet) and that she's from Padua in Italy, and her older albums are really hard to get hold on to but I keep looking...

Squeeze "Argybargy" (1980)

Argybargy
release date: Feb. 1980
format: cd (1997 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: John Wood & Squeeze
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" (official video) (Top Of The Pops) - 2. "Another Nail in My Heart" (official video) (Top Of The Pops) - 3. "Separate Beds" - 4. "Misadventure" - 6. "Farfisa Beat" - 6. "If I Didn't Love You" - 9. "Vicky Verky"

3rd studio album by Squeeze and the follow-up to Cool for Cats (Apr. 1979) and now again with John Wood who also produced the '79 album. Since their last album, bassist Harri Kakoulli - who has been with the band since '74 - has left and is here replaced by John Bentley.

The album starts very much in the same vein as the predecessor, although with a noticeable improved production sound, and then the album starts with two of the band's best songs, after which the quality slightly drops. The power pop element has been turned down a little and instead Squeeze takes a stance as a strong singer / songwriter collective, and it also seems as if the band has made a significant decision concerning style, which may be heard more significantly on the following albums. There is no longer doubt as to whether the band just wants to be another alternative to The Jam or Madness 'cause Squeeze stands out much more distinct as a band with its very own sound and with something at heart. As in connection with the '79 album, Argybargy was followed by four singles - although, only with two official UK releases. "Another Nail in My Heart" was first single, which preceded the album and was released in Jan. '80. It peaked at No. #17 on the national chart list. Track #6 followed as a single in March - but this tmie only in the US (without any rankings), then followed "Pulling Mussels (From a Shell)", which 'only' reached a position as number #44 in the UK, although, it's later known as one of the band's absolute signature songs. The final single, "Farfisa Beat" was only released as a single in Denmark and Germany (without rankings here).

The front cover on Argybargy is the first to feature the band members. From left to right, vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter Chris Difford, keyboardist Jools Holland, drummer Gilson Lavis, vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter Glenn Tilbrook, and far right: new bassist John Bentley.

Argybargy is ranked as number two on my list of the band's top-3 albums, only slightly bettered by the successor East Side Story.

[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Smash Hits, Uncut 4,5 / 5, Mojo, Record Collector, Rolling Stone Album Guide 4 / 5 stars ]

Neil Young "American Stars 'n Bars" (1977)

American Stars 'n Bars
release date: Jun. 20, 1977
format: cd (2003 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: David Briggs & Neil Young with Tim Mulligan
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "The Old Country Waltz" - 5. "Bite the Bullet" - 7. "Will to Love" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Like a Hurricane" (5 / 5)

8th studio album by Neil Young is actually a really strange collection of songs, and a bit of a 'weird' release. It contains tracks with Crazy Horse and The Bullets recorded over a period of almost 30 months, which explains the variety of songs, but what makes it strange, is its style. Some songs are pure country and country folk with fiddle and banjo, whereas others are electrified folk rock / blues rock and strong songs, but stylistically far from other tracks. The recordings stretch back to sessions around the Zuma album. Whether or not it's the case, some tracks could be left-overs that didn't make it on that album, or were excluded from Tonight's the Night, and other tracks seem more associated with Young re-connecting with his old friend Stephen Stills - again, explaining the country references. Apparently, five of the tracks on the album were intended for an unreleased album Chrome Dreams, and two tracks for another unreleased album, Homegrown, which included several tracks that were released with Tonight's the Night.
The most memorable track is the giant "Like a Hurricane" - a true modern classic, which is the album's biggest asset. Some of the songs date back to 1974 and feature Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on vocals, some songs are band material and others only feature Neil on harmonica and acoustic guitar. It's really too much of a blend but on the other hand it does contain really fine single tracks. Basically, it's more like a compilation album. My initial feelings about it had me think of it as a minor and negligible work, but it has grown on me after some time. Perhaps, just because the tracks are quite good on their own.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars, Rolling Stone review ]

Cecilia Bartoli - Live

Cecilia Bartoli
"Vivaldi Arias"

[Live in concert]

"Se tu m'ami" (Live)

'My' Cecilia Bartoli albums

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Beto Guedes "A Página do Relâmpago Elétrico" (1977)

A Página do Relâmpago Elétrico [debut]
release date: 1977
format: cd (2002 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]
producer: Ronaldo Bastos

label: EMI - nationality: Brazil

Tracklist: 1. "A Página do Relâmpago Elétrico" - 2. "Maria Solidária" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "Choveu" - 4. "Chapéu de Sol" - 5. "Tanto" - 6. "Lumiar" - 7. "Bandolim" - 8. "Nascente" - 9. "Salve Rainha" - 10. "Belo Horizonte"

Música Popular Brasileira
I don't know much about Beto Guedes. I just love his music and I find it strange how completely unknown he is in the Northern hemisphere...
I stumbled on his music as I was looking for the origin of a beloved song by Milton Nascimento, or so I thought. The song is "Amor de Índio" which appears on A Barca dos Amantes (1986), a fabulous live album by Milton, who is an iconic singer/songwriter of MPB, latin vocal jazz, folk... and contemporary latin, pop folk... or: modern world music. I just love Milton's crispy soulful Brazilian vocal shape of sound... Then I found that this giant song was written by Beto Guedes and composed with Ronaldo Bastos, and I had my difficulties in finding any music at all with the man himself, except on youtube. Guedes took part in the formation with Fernando Brant of the Nascimento and Lô Borges-led music collective "Clube da Esquina" in which Guedes at times sang lead vocal and played guitar before starting an enduring career as solo artist.

Beto has a totally different sound. At first one might think it could be a woman's voice. That's not all of course, Beto has a wonderful lightness that makes it almost ethereal. Also, Beto's MPB seems more inspired by western folk rock standards making his output more in family with Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, in my opinion, however, they are nothing as godlike as Beto.

The album contains compositions, which individually point in various directions, several songs are MPB-styled Brazilian folk, but others are shaped as progressive folk, e.g. "Choveu", "Chapéau de Sol", "Tanto" and "Nascente" - others have stronger beat-structure, but the album's strength is that it doesn't sound too incoherent nor like replicating other artists - it's very much an original sound altogether, and naturally much recommended.

Stiff Little Fingers "Go for It" (1981)

Go for It
release date: Apr. 17, 1981
format: vinyl (CHR 1339) / cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Doug Bennett
label: Chrysalis Records - Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Roots, Radicals, Rockers and Reggae" (5 / 5) (live) - 2. "Just Fade Away" - 3. "Go for It" - 4. "The Only One" - 5. "Hits and Misses" - - B) 1. "Kicking Up a Racket" (4 / 5) - 2. "Safe as Houses" (4 / 5) - 3. "Gate 49" (4 / 5) - 4. "Silver Lining" - *11. "Mr. Fire Coal Man" - *12. "Doesn't Make It All Right" (Bonus track) - *13. "Back to Front" (Bonus track)
*Bonus track on 2004 cd reissue

3rd studio album by Stiff Little Fingers originally released on Chrysalis is the bands last album with producer Doug Bennett, who produced all their previous albums. The first two albums document the simple and raw energy of punk rock with the second album as a more complex and well-produced release, this then shows the band on the border to punk rock. "Roots, Radicals, Rockers and Reggae" is a fantastic song. It's a cover-version of a track originally written and performed by Bunny Wailer (original song titled "Roots, Raddics", from the album Dubd'sco Vol. 1, 1978) but in SLF's completely altered version it comes alive in a new form. Many punk rock bands were highly influenced by reggae, because both genres were for and about the people, the working class, and the lyrical subjects were often the same, however, most punk rock artists incorporating reggae in their music, played rocksteady, ska revival or reggae - this version is a perfect clone of two very different outputs, rarely heard this energetic. The second track, "Just Fade Away" shows SLF in a new shape mixing many styles: pop / rock, new wave and with some punk rock. "The title track is an instrumental, which quickly became the band's theme song - a song that would be played just before the start of any concert. "The Only One" is another fine example of a blend of punk rock and reggae, which comes through on several tracks on this album. "Gate 49" is a different mix using more traditional 1950s American rock & roll.
The cd version includes the great "Mr. Fire Coal Man" another reggae cover of Wailing Souls as well as a fine cover of "Doesn't make It All Right" by The Specials, (also album version on Nobody's Heroes) and it ends with a more than 25 mins. interview with Jake Burns.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine "1992: The Love Album" (1992)

1992: The Love Album
release date: May 4, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Sex Machine (aka Carter USM), Simon Painter
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Is Wrestling Fixed?" (4 / 5) - 3. "The Only Living Boy in New Cross" - 4. "Suppose You Gave a Funeral and Nobody Came" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "England" - 6. "Do Re Me, So Far So Good" - 10. "The Impossible Dream"

3rd studio album release by London based duo Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, or just: Carter USM, consisting of vocalist Jim Bob [aka Jim Morrison] and Fruitbat [aka Leslie Carter] on guitar and tapes. The style is an original alt. dance alt. rock combination with indie rock almost entirely seen in Britain. All tracks are written by Morrison and Carter except the end-track, which is a rearranged version of a 1965 song composed by Mitch Leigh, and with lyrics by Joe Darion (incorporated in the "Man of La Mancha" Broadway musical and later featured in the 1972 film of the same name starring Peter O'Toole).
The album was generally met by positive reviews and it ended up on top of the UK albums chart list, as it also did on NME's top 50 "Albums of the Year" in 1992.
This is, as far as I'm concerned, the duo's clearly best studio album, which was a pretty much overlooked international release. Not only is the music original, the lyrics have a social awareness angle with loads of humour, and they're political working class punk rock-minded anti-governmental.
It's one of the best albums in Britain in 1992.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Sound "Shock of Daylight" (1984)

Shock of Daylight, Mini-album
release date: Apr. 1984
format: vinyl (STAB 1)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,22]
producer: Pat Collier
label: Statik Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) 1. "Golden Soldiers" - 2. "Longest Days" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Counting the Days" (4,5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Winter" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "New Way of Life" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Dreams Then Plans"

Mini-album release by The Sound containing 6 tracks is the band's first release on the independent label Statik after being released from their contract with WEA after the non-commercial success of All Fall Down (1983).

Saybia "These Are the Days" (2004)

These Are the Days
release date: Sep. 14, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Andreas Ahlenius, Saybia
label: EMI-Medley - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Brilliant Sky" - 2. "Bend the Rules" - 3. "I Surrender" (4 / 5) - 4. "Guardian Angel" - 6. "Soul United" - *11. [untitled]
*unlisted song with a running time at 17:22

2nd studio album by Saybia released 2½ years after the acclaimed debut is like that produced by Saybia and Swedish producer Andreas Ahlenius. The album marks a slight change of style by being lesser crafted as a mere rock album - there's a bolder use of acoustic instrumentation with piano, acoustic guitar and strings as opposed to electric guitars and keyboards, although, the first two compositions take off in an orchestrated electrified production.
Following an acclaimed debut, These Are the Days didn't quite meet the expectations, despite also topping the national chart list, and it also appears as pointing in at least two different directions. It starts off with britpop electrified energy and then slows down with singer / songwriter material, and then it all ends with a strong progressive rock anthem, which makes you wonder where they will go after this. Even after years and dozens of full listenings, it really feels very unresolved when it clings out after close to 60 mins.
Saybia still sounds like Coldplay and Keane, but I also hear inspiration from Radiohead and Mew, which isn't entirely something bad - I just end up asking myself what Saybia is all about 'cause I can't decide whether it's the first power track, the beautiful soft pop / rock ballad, "I Surrender", or the post rock-inspired end-composition that marks the true highlight of this album. Not that any particular track necessarily needs to sum up the album's strengths, but it just exemplifies how impossible it is to point to that personal trait of what Saybia is, and I think that's not only the album's biggest weakness but also Saybia's. Having said that, I do think it's a mighty fine collection of worthy pop / rock material, which should not be forgotten and which also stands quite strongly against artists like Keane and Coldplay, imho.
[ Gaffa.dk 4 / 6 stars ]

Modest Mouse "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" (2007)

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
release date: Mar. 20, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Dennis Herring
label: Epic Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "March Into the Sea" - 2. "Dashboard" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "Fire It Up" (4 / 5) - 4. "Florida" (4 / 5) - 5. "Parting of the Sensory" - 6. "Missed the Boat" (live) - 7. "We've Got Everything" (4 / 5) - 10. "Little Motel" - 13. "People as Places as People"

5th studio album by Modest Mouse is the first instance on which the band make use of the producer from their previous album. It has taken the band 3 years since the acclaimed 2004 album, and in the meantime the band is expanded with former The Smiths' guitarist and musical composer, Johnny Marr who joined the band in 2006 now making the band a sextet. Lead vocalist and guitarist Isaac Brock is credited for all lyrics and the music is credited the band, which now consists of Isaac Brock, Jeremiah Green, Eric Judy, Johnny Marr, Tom Peloso, and Joe Plummer.
We Were Dead... is a bit of a conceptual album with all tracks telling different versions of a ship crew that dies in each song. Initially, and for some time, I found the album a bit dull - like almost all albums I have come by with this band feel at a first listen - the music may not catch you [i.e. 'me'] the first couple of times; however, there's nearly almost something that makes me listen again, and then... things / songs pop to the surface - now I find it clearly above average and almost on par with their great 2004 album. It's not just another copy of their well-known compositions as this is their perhaps most mainstream sounding album, and then again: it also contains some truly off-beat songs.
Occasionally, I have tried to find Marr on this, but he doesn't reveal himself too much and mostly just blends in nicely, but you'll hear some well-known riffs here and there. The album (only) reached #47 on the UK album charts list but it went to #1 in the US and in Canada.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]

Everything but the Girl "Eden" (1984)

Eden [debut]
release date: May 1984
format: vinyl / cd (RE)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Robin Millar
label: Blanco y Negro - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Each and Every One" (4 / 5) - 2. "Bittersweet" - 4. "Another Bridge" - 5. "The Spice of Life" (4 / 5) - 8. "Even So" - 10. "Fascination"

Studio debut album by the duo Everything but the Girl consisting of the private partners Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn. The style is close to what Thorn had been playing in Marine Girls only Everyting but the Girl is less indie pop and more jazz-based, and the band took part of the new music scene and a style (primarily based in London) emerging in the aftermath of post-punk, new romantic and early jangle pop including Altered Images, Orange Juice, Sade, Swing Out Sisters, Prefab Sprout, The Blue Nile, The Style Council, Felt, and Aztec Camera. Despite the overall fine compositions, I have always found it interesting but also somewhat anonymous. It's really fine for background noise, conversations, book reading, or it's just the right kind of music for a lazy Sunday.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "Demon Days" (2005)

Demon Days
release date: May 24, 2005
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Gorillaz & Danger Mouse (and others)
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Last Living Souls" - 3. "Kids With Guns" (feat. Neneh Cherry) - 4. "O Green World" - 6. "Feel Good Inc." (feat. De La Soul) (4 / 5) - 12. "DARE" (feat. Shaun Ryder & Rosie Wilson) - 13. "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" (feat. Dennis Hopper)

2nd studio album by Gorillaz pretty much continues in the same style as the debut from 2001. It's an album featuring a bunch of other artists, and the end result is an album pointing in just as many directions as the total number of featuring artists.
It contains a few really fine songs but overall it also feels close to the predecessor, and the hit material lacks somewhat. "Feel Good, Inc." is a great hit single, which went #2 on the national singles hit list, but the second single, "DARE" reached #1 on that list without really being a better composition. I think, the first single simply paved the way for the latter.
Without being great, this is a nice listen.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Modest Mouse "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" (2004)

Good News for People Who Love Bad News
release date: Apr. 6, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]
producer: Dennis Herring
label: Epic Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "Horn Intro" - 2. "The World at Large" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 3. "Float On" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 4. "Ocean Breathes Salty" (4 / 5) - 5. "Dig Your Grave" - 6. "Bury Me With It" (4 / 5) - 7. "Dance Hall" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Bukowski" - 9. "This Devil's Workday" - 10. "The View" - 11. "Satin in a Coffin" - 12. "Interlude (Milo)" - 13. "Blame It on the Tetons" (4 / 5) - 14. "Black Cadillacs" - 15. "One Chance" - 16. "The Good Times Are Killing Me"

4th studio album by Modest Mouse is released nearly 4 years after the band's first studio album on Epic Records and it sees the band's growth from a trio to a quintet. In 2002 the band was expanded with guitarist Dann Gallucci (who played additional guitar parts on 'The Lonesome Crowded West') and multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso joined in 2003, whereas drummer Jeremiah Green was temporarily absent due to a nervous breakdown from 2003-04 and is replaced by Benjamin Weikel on this album.
Good News... is a different album with respect to the band's former albums. It's still alt. rock and indie pop for people with a sense of humor, and for people who require that music sometimes is different from traditional mainstream pop / rock but it's a much more uptempo and positive collection of songs, although, moodiness still plays a major part.
This was actually the first album I heard with the band. I believe the Danish national radio program P3 played the song "Float On" a few hundred times that year, and I for one really loved it. It made me search for and listen to the band's older albums but without being poor or mediocre none of those come really close to this, I think, although The Lonesome Crowded West from 1997 with its apparent musical inspiration from Pixies with a noise rock, alt. rock style albeit less punk rock-minded tone and with a stress on a story-telling mission may be regarded as a blue-print to this.
I simply love to hear and watch the band perform live. You can really hear them try to play and sing out of tune to make that special twist to the overall picture, which is a nice garage rock and authentic sound. The album was nominated Best Alternative Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards, and it's a good place to start if you don't know this band. I also recommend We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007), which is very much in style with this specific album. This is really nice ... with a twist :-)
This album is highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Mojo, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Pogues "Red Roses for Me" (1984)

Red Roses for Me [debut]

release date: Oct. 1984

format: cd (2009 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Stan Brennan

label: Stiff Records / WEA - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Transmetropolitan" (4 / 5) - 2. "The Battle of Brisbane" - 3. "The Auld Triangle" (4 / 5) - 4. "Waxie's Dargle" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "Boys From the County Hell" - 6. "Sea Shanty" - 7. "Dark Streets of London" (4 / 5) - 8. "Streams of Whiskey" (4 / 5) - 9. "Poor Paddy" (4 / 5) - 10. "Dingle Regatta" - 11. "Greenland Whale Fisheries" - 12. "Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go" - 13. "Kitty"

Studio album debut by The Pogues, at this early stage consisting of Shane MacGowan on lead vocals and guitar (only on this album), Jem Finer on banjo, Spider Stacy on tin whistle, James Fearnley on accordion, Cait O'Riordan on bass, and with Andrew Ranken on drums. At this point the band often played traditional celtic folk songs to their own music played in up-tempo arrangements with only a little of the punk rock element they would become more associated with already from the successive album, except from on the traditional "Waxie's Dargle" and on "Streams of Whiskey" which both sounds more like what may be found on Rum Sodomy & The Lash (1985).

The TV music programme, The Tube on Channel 4 used a video of The Pogues playing "Waxie's Dargle", apparently a song that brought the band a considerable amount of fame. Five out the album's thirteen tracks are traditionals, seven songs are written by Shane MacGowan, and the last track is music by The Pogues to a poem written by Irish poet Brendan Behan.

I didn't listen to this before after their third album and didn't appreciate it as much as I have come to. In a way, this is like The Dubliners meet The Pogues. The traditional folk is at center and it only takes a small twist to turn it into something really great.

[ allmusic.com and Sounds hand it 3,5 / 5, Mojo and Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

Squeeze "Cool for Cats" (1979)

Cool for Cats
release date: Apr. 9, 1979
format: cd (1997 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,70]
producer: John Wood & Squeeze
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Slap and Tickle" - 3. "Touching Me Touching You" - 4. "It's Not Cricket" - 5. "It's so Dirty" - 7. "Hop Skip and Jump" - 8. "Up the Junction" (official video) - 10. "Slightly Drunk" - 11. "Goodbye Girl" - 12. "Cool for Cats" (official video) (Top Of The Pops)

2nd studio album by new wave quintet Squeeze - consisting of the two founders and the band's main songwriters: lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and keyboardist Glenn Tilbrook and (other) lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Chris Difford. Here, they have teamed up with bassist Harri Kakoulli, keyboardist (and lead vocalist on track #7) Jools Holland, and with drummer Gilson Lavis they constitute Squeeze.

The album peaked at number #45 in the UK (number #18 in Australia). The song "Goodbye Girl" was chosen as first single and peaked at number #63 (the track was released in a special single edition and a third edition is available on the American version of the album). The second single was the title track, which became one of the band's highest-charting singles reaching number #2 on the UK singles chart. "Up the Juction" was third single, and it also made it all the way to number #2, and the fourth and final single from this album, "Slap and Tickle" reached number #24.

I've always liked Squeeze and Cool for Cats is one of the band's best-known albums with several great songs, but I'm not entirely enthused. There are moves to lots of energetic songs incorporating funk, traditional English beat, and power pop, but it seems the band doesn't quite know whether to pull completely towards the inspiration of the Beatles, Kinks, and The Who, or to follow the contemporary currents alongside Elvis Costello, Madness, and The Jam. Should they be modern and dirty, or should they be more traditional? They seem stuck in a schism that isn't fully resolved. And with the experience concerning the debut Squeeze (1978) in fresh memory with a producer (John Cale) who most probably found a platform for his own ideas, so the indecisions are actually common sense! And Cool for Cats is definitely a much better, more contemporary, and more defining of the band's style and also a much more coherent album than the near famous debut. One thing that already shows the band's strength here are the strong compositions. With the band's 'only' second album, Difford / Tilbrook have already established themselves as a contemporary Lennon / McCartney songwriter duo with evident gifts as songwriters, a position they only strengthen on the following albums.

Cool for Cats is imho, part of the band's top-3 albums, and it lands in third place.

[ allmusic.com, Smash Hits, Uncut 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Paul Weller - Live

Paul Weller
"My Ever Changing Moods"

[Live at Abbey Road Studios]
[track by The Style Council from Café Bleu, 1984]

Paul Weller Live:

"You Do Something to Me" (Live on Later with Jools Holland, 1996) (track from Stanley Road, 1995)
"Brand New Start" (Live on TV) (track released as single 1998)
"Thats Entertainment with Noel Gallagher" (Live at The Royal Albert Hall, 2010) (track from Sound Affects by The Jam,1980)
"English Rose" (Live at The Royal Albert Hall, 2010) (track from All Mod Cons by The Jam, 1978)

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Modest Mouse "The Moon & Antarctica" (2000)

The Moon & Antarctica
release date: Jun. 13, 2000
format: cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: Brian Dec (2004 reproduced by Simon Askew)
label: Epic Records / Sony - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "3rd Planet" - 2. "Gravity Rides Everything" - 3. "Dark Center of the Universe" - 6. "A Different City" - 14. "Life Like Weeds"

3rd studio album by Modest Mouse and the band's first on Epic Records is not much different from the predecessor The Lonesome Crowded West from 1997 released on Up Records, except from being slightly more muddy and / or subdued.
The album was not the first I came across by the band - in fact I only sought it out upon hearing Good News for People Who Love Bad News from 2004, and I have had my trouble in finding the greatness in this acclaimed album. It has it moments, undoubtedly, but it hasn't really found its way to my playlist that often. But I occasionally keep returning. I generally find it like the second coming of the '97 album - only less appealing - and find it hard to hear the three year time span that separate the two albums.
The original album consists of 15 tracks. It was reissued in an expanded and remastered version in 2004 containing 4 bonus tracks taken from a BBC Radio 1 session.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, Melody Maker 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Modest Mouse "Building Nothing Out of Something" (2000)

Building Nothing Out of Something (compilation)
release date: Jan. 18, 2000
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Calvin Johnson
label: Up Records - nationality: USA

Compilation album by Modest Mouse is a collection of primarily A-side and B-side singles and three tracks from the ep Interstate 8 (1996) released from 1996-98 when the band was on contract with Up Records. The album also signals the end with Up as the band later this year released its first studio album for Epic Records.
Stylistically, this falls well with the band's first three studio albums.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Siouxsie and the Banshees "Join Hands" (1979)

Join Hands

release date: Sep. 7, 1979

format: cd (2006 remaster)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Nils Stevenson, Mike Stavrou

label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Regal Zone" - 3. "Placebo Effect" - 5. "Premature Burial" - 6. "Playground Twist" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "The Lords Prayer" - *9. "Love in a Void" (7'' single) (live)

*Bonus track on 2006 remaster

2nd studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees follows 10 months after the debut and it features two new co-producers and a band that stays to the same line-up but who was already a split unit during the recording sessions, and the inevitable split occured as soon as the album had been released.

Compared to The Scream, the album continues the style, but the sound has become darker and more sinister, and it's basically already a gothic rock album, although the term is not yet fully accepted.

The album was received in positive ways and also fared well peaking as number #13 on the British albums chart list. The only song from the album to be issued for single release was "Playground Twist" reaching #28 on singles list - the song was, however, a must in any live concerts from hereon. That single was issued with the non-album composition "Pulled to Bits" (also on the '83 live album Nocturne) as B-side, and that became nearly as iconic for the band.

Personally, the album has never been on my favourites' list but it undoubtedly paved way for many other artists, and it stands as one of the purest and first of the style of gothic rock. Also, songs like "Regal Zone", "Placebo Effect", "Premature Burial" and "The Lord's Prayer" - none of which are great but which all contain an immense sensation of coldness and dark aggressiveness that would stick with the band almost throughout its time, something different but at the same time a quality that charachterizes Siouxsie and the Banshees as an original exponent of change, which also links the band with The Sex Pistols, Killing Joke and early The Clash - bands that inspired to rebel.

Join Hands is not full of strong compositions - it contains one of the band's best known songs - and it still showcases a highly original and vital band struggling in its very existence, which seems ironic given the title of the album 'cause that's exactly what they were incapable of. Internal conflicts within the band prevents the group from performing at a productive level, and the album comes to stand below better end products.

The split of the band happened as the upcoming tour started, when both guitarist John McKay and drummer Kevin Morris decided to leave the band, and Robert Smith saved the tour with his assistance on guitar (for two live concerts) before John McGeoch became new staple guitarist, and Budgie of The Slits joined on drums to finalise a new strong version of the band.

[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, Sounds 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Thin Lizzy "Thin Lizzy" (1971)

Thin Lizzy [debut]
release date: Apr. 30, 1971
format: digital
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,08]
producer: Scott English
label: Decca Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 5. "Look What the Wind Blew In" (3 / 5) - 7. "Return of the Farmer's Son"

Studio debut album by Thin Lizzy, originally a quartet but now a trio formed in Dublin, Ireland consisting of Phil Lynott [Philip Parris Lynott] on vocals, bass guitar and acoustic guitar, Eric Bell on lead guitar and twelve-string guitar, and with Brian Downey on drums and percussion. The style is hard rock and blues rock with some psychedelic rock traits, and in that way touch on the sound of The Jimi Hendrix Experience (and Cream), especially on "Return of the Farmer's Son".
I don't find it very interesting except from being the first by this great band. The music is like sketches of covers, bits from here and there. Lynott's vocal is fine but guitarist Eric Bell is far from what Gary Moore and Scott Gorham later would signify for the band.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Modern English "Mesh & Lace" (1981)

Mesh & Lace [debut]
release date: Apr. 6, 1981
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]
producer: Modern English
label: 4AD Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Gathering Dust" - 4. "Move in Light" - 5. "Grief" - 9. "Dance of Devotion"

Studio debut album by Colchester-based quintet Modern English is a self-produced 9-track album. The band consists of Robbie Grey on vocals, Gary McDowell on guitar and backing vocals, Mick Conroy on bass and backing vocals, Stephen Walker on keyboards, and with Richard Brown on drums.
Stylistically, it's evident that the band owes a great deal to other bands of the era - and in particular Joy Division, The Sound, Bauhaus and Killing Joke. ME both plays a simplistic and energetic post-punk incorporating gothic rock and certain industrial rock elements. "Gathering Dust" sounds like a clone of Bauhaus and The Sound. A track like "Move in Light" is almost a rip-off from early Joy Division and listening to "Grief" as it kicks in after 2 mins. is unthinkable without "Atmosphere" also by Joy Division, AND "A Viable Commercial" (track #7) is just another JD clone - this time like a lesser copy of "Atrocity Exhibition". The album closer, "Dance of Devotion" sounds like an attempt to produce something made by Killing Joke. A similar approach may be utilized to find sources to every other composition on the album, which ultimately makes this debut boast of very little originality.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]