BEST OF 1996:Bob Mould "Bob Mould" (1996)

Bob Mould
release date: Apr. 30, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,18]
producer: Bob Mould
label: Rykodisc / Creation Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Anymore Time Between" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "I Hate Alternative Rock" (4 / 5) - 4. "Next Time That You Leave" - 5. "Egøverride" (5 / 5) (official video) - 8. "Deep Karma Canyon" - 9. "Art Crisis" (5 / 5) - 10. "Roll Over and Die" (acoustic live version with interview)

3rd studio album by Bob Mould as solo artist following 6 years after the album Black Sheets of Rain (1990). However, in the mean-time he has released three albums with the band Sugar and most recently its final album File Under: Easy Listening (Sep. 1994). The self-titled release (aka the 'Hubcap' album, which btw. is not a photo of a hubcap) is not his debut album but probably has to do with his desire to have a new start after the short-lived period with the project-band Sugar, which kind of explains the six year gap since his last solo album.
In my mind, Bob's third solo-album is his best ever and it's also his most homogeneous album but it's also one of his last really good releases for a long period of time, reminding us that he was THE auteur of Hüsker Dü. The successor The Last Dog and Pony Show (1998) signaled an end but he kept releasing and experimenting with styles and ways of expression. However, in 2012, he would go on and release a very strong comeback album Silver Age, which, I think, musically has a lot in common with this one. It sort of combines the melodic simplicity of Copper Blue with more obscure elements from F.U.E.L. and especially the darker Black Sheets of Rain. I must've played this album... a 1.000 times or more - and often way too loud. I just hope my ears survive better than Bob's.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

1996 Favourite releases: 1. Bob Mould Bob Mould - 2. Fatboy Slim Better Living Through Chemistry - 3. Ryuichi Sakamoto 1996

The Smiths "Singles" (1995)

Singles (compilation)

release date: Feb. 20, 1995
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: WEA / Warner Music Group - nationality: England, UK

Compilation album by The Smiths with 18 tracks. This is a pretty decent attempt to make a best of collection with all The Smiths' A-side singles. It's a very nice thing the way the single tracks are listed in accordance to the date of release of each single. The only thing missing here are the B-sides, as it's commonly known that they very often were on par with the A-sides and not seldom weren't album tracks.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

Lisa Ekdahl / Peter Nordahl Trio "When Did You Leave Heaven" (1995)

When Did You Leave Heaven
release date: Oct. 13, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Patrik Boman and Peter Nordahl
label: Arietta Discs - nationality: Sweden

1st collaboration album released as Lisa Ekdahl / Peter Nordahl Trio. The album comes in various editions - and it's also issued as a Lisa Ekdahl solo album without mentioning that it's actually a collaboration album.
The extremely popular Swede shows her love for the big vocal jazz standards. The album is fine but not really great. Too many better vocal jazz singers have made their golden versions. Although the music in essence is jazz it becomes easy listening or lounge with Lisa's fresh and innocent voice (lest we forget her Swedish English), which almost makes the tracks less interesting. Fine for a night in company when you just need background music that doesn't stir up anything.

Tindersticks "Falling Down a Mountain" (2010)

Falling Down a Mountain
release date: Jan. 25, 2010
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Stuart A. Staples
label: 4AD Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Falling Down a Mountain" - 2. "Keep You Beautiful" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Harmony Around My Table" - 5. "She Rode Me Down" - 7. "Black Smoke" - 9. "Factory Girls"

8th studio album by Tindersticks close to two years after The Hungry Saw (Apr. 2008) is the band's first and only studio album on 4AD Records. The band is now officially back as a sextet after having been reduced to a trio for a short period from 2006 to 2008 with Stuart Staples, Neil Fraser, and David Boulter from the original line-up. Here the three are now joined by the three new members: guitarist David Kitt, bassist Dan McKinna, who also played with the trio on the band's 2008 album as additional studio musician, and American drummer Earl Harvin [officiel trailer].

The band now continues a stronger experimental style, and the album has a distinct influence from jazz, which is to be more pronounced on subsequent albums.

Falling Down a Mountain received a better reception than its predecessor, The Hungry Saw, but in 2010, although, back in 2010, I saw it as just another slightly boring and uninspiring album from a band I had previously been much more excited about. However, I also admit to having changed my attitude towards the album, which a few years later I came to see in a somewhat more positive light than my original verdict told me. Best track here is undoubtedly "Keep You Beautiful", although other tracks are worth knowing. A slightly original tone and a more laid-back jazz feel hovers on top of the entire album, which may be seen as a new and welcome move as opposed to the more compact arrangements with grandiose orchestral strings that you'll notice on the band's previous albums.

The album cover is an excerpt from a painting by Stuart Staples' wife, Suzanne Osborne.

[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Uncut 4 / 5, Spin, Drowned in Sound 3, 5 / 5 stars ]

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds "The Boatman's Call" (1997)

The Boatman's Call
release date: Mar. 4, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Flood, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
label: Mute Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Into My Arms" (4 / 5) - 3. "People Ain't No Good" - 4. "Brompton Oratory" (4 / 5) - 5. "There Is a Kingdom" - 6. "(Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For?" (4 / 5) - 7. "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?" - 8. "West Country Girl" - 9. "Black Hair" - 12. "Green Eyes"

10th studio album by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds follows only one year after Murder Ballads is a 12 track album. This is the first in a long series of albums where new band member, Warren Ellis on violin, accordion and piano contributes to a new stylistic approach. The album is an even more quiet one from The Bad Seeds, as it's entirely piano-based ballads and basically sounds much like a solo singer / songwriter release by Nick Cave.
My initial verdict made me reject it for the first decade, but I have come to see it as a major work by Cave, and despite the fact that I don't find that obvious many great tracks on the album, I still rate it higher than Murder Ballads, because of a generally higher level and the album comes out as a quite coherent collection of songs.
The album was generally met by critical acclaim and many critics labelled the album one of Cave's most successful releases - it is also included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". The strong emotional stories seem made in the aftermath, a troublesome time for Cave as PJ Harvey had let him go prior to the recordings of some of the songs. The songs "West Country Girl", "Black Hair" and "Green Eyes" are said to have lyrics about PJ Harvey [see: Cave interview in The Guardian, and wikipedia ].
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Uncut, Record Collector 5 / 5 stars ]

The Cure "Lullaby" (Remix) (1989) (single)

FICSP 29, Ltd. nb.
clear disc #2844
(my copy)

Lullaby (Remix), 7'' single
release date: Apr. 1989
format: vinyl (clear vinyl - FICSP29, #2844)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Robert Smith, Dave Allen [David M. Allen]
label: Fiction Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Lullaby (Remix)" - - B) "Babble"

7'' single by The Cure released in a normal edition with the album version of the track "Lullaby", but also in this Limited numbered clear disc Remix version of the track.

[ collectors' item - clear vinyl, ltd. numbered edition in PVC sleeve - from ~ €120,- ]

Grand Avenue "She" (2005)

She
release date: Aug. 22, 2005
format: cd (EMI 3380622)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Bryce Goggin & Grand Avenue
label: EMI - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "On Your Side" (4 / 5) - 2. "Playground" - 3. "The City's on Fire" - 5. "Beautiful Mistake" - 6. "After the Rain" - 10. "She" [non-album version]

2nd studio album by Grand Avenue released two years after the debut is the highly anticipated follow-up to a fine debut. The style is basically the same, although, the sound has become more sophisticated, multi-layered, but still founded on guitars and Rasmus Walter's characteristic and fine vocal. The album is produced by Bryce Googin who has previously worked with The Lemonheads, Apples in Stereo, Madder Rose, and Joan as a Police Woman (aka Joan Wasser). Wasser plays viola and has arranged the strings for the album, and Fred Kevorkian, who has worked with major artists such as Sonic Youth, Lloyd Cole, Cassandra Wilson, etc., has mastered the album. So, things are pretty much laid out for an expected international album release that wouldn't go unnoticed. And She does start off on the highest level - again, much like on the debut with promises of greatness, but it also drops too soon in quality. It never becomes poor or mediocre, but occasionally it does link a bit too much to the sound of Coldplay, R.E.M. and U2 instead of presenting an original sound.
She is not really what critics and album buyers had hoped for, I believe. The band, and perhaps especially, lead vocalist Rasmus Walter undoubtedly has potential, but the songs are not quite there. Grand Avenue puts itself somewhere in between pop / rock, soft rock of British origin and American soft rock built on a blues rock tradition - and mostly just performs better when they seem most inspired by the American touch, which has strangely, but unfortunately, been subdued on this particular album with an American producer. The cover art is credited Rasmus Walter's twin-brother Anders, who also directed music videos for the band.
Grand Avenue is still a promising act that would do better if they didn't try so hard to make R.E.M.- or U2-music. She is an album with international sound but at the same time also presents an uneven collection of songs with a little too much fill.
[ Gaffa.dk 3 / 6 stars ]

Bloc Party "Four" (2012)

Four
release date: Aug. 20, 2012
format: cd (LTD.)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Alex Newport
label: Frenchkiss Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "So He Begins to Lie" (4 / 5) (live in Sydney) - 2. "3x3" (live) - 3. "Octopus" - 4. "Real Talk" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "Kettling" (5 / 5) (live) - 6. "Day Four" (live) - 8. "V.A.L.I.S." - 10. "Truth" - 11. "The Healing" - 14. "Leaf Skeleton" (Bonus Track)

4th studio album release by Bloc Party precisely four years after Intimacy (2008) welcomes noise rock and grindcore producer Alex Newport. Now, Bloc party has sent out a new "remix" album after each new studio album, so the easy title here simply refers to their full length studio efforts. Since the predecessor, rumours have suggested that the band had come to an end, that they were left with no record contract, that all but the lead vocalist would start a new band, etc. What remains is that the band members have spent time working with other artists, and vocalist Kele Okereke has had time to release his fine solo debut album, The Boxer (2010) and an ep, The Hunter (2011).
Time has passed but the style is still alt. dance and alt. rock. It's not a move back to their initial post-punk but several tracks have a more hard rock attitude than heard before, and it suits them well. You really have to hand it to these guys: they are blasting instrumentalists, wow! I still love their soundscape - the way they are able to build up a wall of sound that takes you in all directions before throwing itself off the cliffs at Land's End. Despite their play with synth and alt. dance, Russell Lissack's guitar has still a very prominent place in their sound, which makes me think of inspiration in John Frusciante ("Real Talk"), Smashing Pumpkins ("Kettling"), and Deftones ("We Are Not Good People"). I sometimes wish they would spent a bit more energy on the sound they stumble on / end up finding and producing, but they're always on the go to something and somewhere else. So what's next? For all I know, it can't be bad. Bloc Party has often made surprising moves and released singles, I didn't enjoy all that much, but their studio albums has not yet disappointed!
The Limited Edition offers two bonus tracks and 'an extensive 32 pages booklet.' They have made it a tradition of theirs to make these Limited Edition releases issued simultaneously as regular versions - and yes, they may just offer another two tracks, but very often at the same price as normal issues, so I always purchase these.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, The Observer, Drowned in Sound 4 / 5, Slant 2,5 / 5 stars ]

The Cranberries "Bury the Hatchet" (1999)

Bury the Hatchet
release date: Apr. 19, 1999
format: 2 cd (2000 special edition)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: The Cranberries and Benedict Fenner
label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "Animal Instinct" - 2. "Loud and Clear" - 3. "Promises" - 4. "You and Me" - 5. "Just My Imagination" - 6. "Shattered" - 11. "Delilah"

4th studio album by The Cranberries released after a short hiatus - the band had faced poor reviews despite fine record sales with the previous album, To the Faithful Departed from 1996, and O'Riordan went through a period of stress-related illness, and she also gave needed time off the limelight as she have birth to her first child.
Bury the Hatchet is co-produced with a new producer and the sound and style has changed quite noticeable. Gone are the obvious links to alt. rock and almost also to the bold dream pop that characterised their previous releases, and instead this new album comes out as a more thoughtful and sincere album focusing on celtic rock with a stronger folk rock style and also more mainstream pop / rock references with jangle pop elements.
The album suffers, a bit like the predecessor, of a lack of consistent quality throughout, but the lows have clearly been levelled up, and it turns out much of a whole, and in that way easily betters the '96 album. The first four songs here are actually quite fine compositions pointing to something truly fine. The quality drops a bit in the second part and towards the end, and a track like "Copycat" sounds much like an outtake from the '96 album. Having said that, this is still a much better album than their last effort, and it's also a release with one of Ireland's most poignant voices and songwriters and as such an album clearly above the majority of mainstream pop / rock releases.
The 2000 Special Edition has been issued with the subtitle "The Complete Sessions" and feature a second disc containing five bonus tracks and seven previously unreleased live songs recorded in Paris Dec. 9, 1999.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, USA Today 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Tracey Thorn "Love and Its Opposite" (2010)

Love and Its Opposite
release date: May 18, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Ewan Pearson
label: Strange Feeling Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Oh, the Divorces!" - 2. "Long White Dress" - 3. "Hormones" - 10. "Swimming"

3rd studio album by Tracey Thorn following her 2007 comeback solo Out of the Woods, which also had Ewan Pearson in the producer seat. The album offers 10 tracks with a total running time at just above 37 mins.
Stylistically, Thorn doesn't stir up things by embracing new styles. It's however, a clear change from her 2007 album that followed the style of recent releases by Everything but the Girl with a clear focus on electronica, but it's still a well-known formula from the now 47-year old Brit. It may be filed as indie pop, but mostly what I hear is folk pop and chamber pop, which isn't far from the sound earlier employed by her former band-project with Ben Watt before embracing electronic downtempo and trip hop and as such relate to music she played in the 1980s and 90s.
As the title indicates, the songs dwell on relationships, and it's always nice to hear new songs from Thorn, although, the album doesn't better her fine 2007 comeback album.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Voss / Torp "Den store lysfest" (1987)

Den store lysfest [debut]
release date: Apr. 18, 1987
format: vinyl (451075 1)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Voss, Torp, Blöndal
label: CBS Records - nationality: Denmark

Studio debut and only album by duo-project Voss / Torp - the remains of the trio Voss Torp Brill produced by the duo together with Icelandic producer Hjörtur Blöndal, who also produced the trio's album ++Dobbelt Plus (1984). Neither Johnny Voss nor Nils Torp were famous for their vocal performances in the band Kliché and there was an obvious lack of great vocals on the 1984 album with Anders Brill - this fact has quite clearly paved the way for including better vocals on this album, hence the three featuring artists: Steffen Brandt, Nanna, and Peter Belli, who also appear on the front cover and who really add that extra to the album. Having said that, the album simply lacks great songs.

Sigur Rós "Hvarf - Heim" (2007)

Hvarf - Heim (compilation)
release date: Nov. 6, 2007
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Sigur Rós
label: EMI - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights, disc 1: 1. "Salka" - 2. "Hljómalind" - 4. "Von"

Compilation album by Sigur Rós is both a compilation of previously unreleased compositions and the band's first official live album. The first disc, titled "Hvarf" is the collection of previously unreleased studio recordings from the years 1995 (tracks #4, 5), 1999 (track #2), 2000 (track #3) and 2002 (track #1) and it has a total running time of just below 37 mins. The first three tracks are previously unreleased compositions, whereas the last two songs both were released on the '97 album Von. The second disc, "Heim" ['Home'] contains six acoustic live recordings of tracks from earlier albums as "live performances recorded in Iceland 2006-2007" and its running time is just below 36 mins.

The style of the the studio recordings are not far from Ágætus byrjun (1999), although, they originate from various recording sessions, and it's my general impression that the songs here are more experimental ambient like what you'll find on ( ) from 2002, which means they are without the bolder dream pop element you'll will find on their most recent studio album, Takk... from 2005. Although, the first disc contains previously unreleased compositions the album should still be regarded as a compilation since the material originates from the band's early period and doesn't reflect the transitions they have made since then. It's still a fine collection of early compositions that serve to show us a more detailed view on their foundation in experimental art rock and early post rock.

Ben Watt "Spring" (2014) (single)

Spring, single
release date: Mar. 10, 2014
format: digital
[single rate: 4 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Spring"

1st single from the new full album Hendra by Ben Watt, released Apr. 14, 2014. Ben is married to Tracey Thorn and together they have been Everything but the Girl for approx. 30 years. This is a fine moody singer / songwriter folk pop solo release with promises of greatness.
[ benwatt.com ]

M.I.A. "Matangi" (2013)

Matangi
release date: Nov. 5, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: various
label: N.E.E.T. Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "MATANGI" - 3. "Only 1 U" - 4. "Warriors" - 5. "Come Walk with Me" - 6. "aTENTion" - 8. "Bad Girls" (4 / 5) - 10. "Double Bubble Trouble" - 12. "Bring the Noize" - 15. "Sexodus" (feat. The Weeknd)

4th studio album by M.I.A. following the 2010 release of M/\Y/\. The album is released on her own label N.E.E.T. through Interscope Records and as usual with a long list of exclusive producers to put their mark on the single tracks. The title is like her 2010 album a variant of her real name (Mathangi Arulpragasam), which also refers to the Hindu goddess, Matangi.

The album sounds more like a return to her style from before M/\Y/\ with more pop-founded compositions built on the uk hip-hop and electropop she is associated with.

It's fine, almost on par with her previous album, and it has some great tracks, but it also contains a number of compositions of lesser quality without being poor, I think.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone, Slant 3,5 / 5, The Guardian 4 / 5, The Independent 5 / 5 stars ]

Neil Young "Unplugged" (1993) (live)

Unplugged (live)
release date: Jun. 15, 1993
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "The Old Laughing Lady" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "Mr. Soul" - 3. "World on a String" (3,5 / 5) - 4. "Pocahontas" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Stringman" - 6. "Like a Hurricane" (4 / 5) - 7. "The Needle and the Damage Done" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Helpless" - 9. "Harvest Moon" (4 / 5) - 10. "Transformer Man" (2 / 5) - 11. "Unknown Legend" (4 / 5) - 12. "Look Out for My Love" - 13. "Long May You Run" (3,5 / 5) - 14. "From Hank to Hendrix" (3,5 / 5)

Neil live on MTV. Of course he did an 'unplugged' album in the '90s like all major artists in those days. The album is again like a documentation of his live abilities. This time it's almost unassisted, just Neil and his instruments, whether he accompanies himself on guitar, harmonica, banjo, organ, or on piano. It's a fine collection of songs but some of the tracks are found in better versions on other live releases, i.e. his gigantic song "Like a Hurricane" is not the best version recorded but it's fine to hear him in a totally different and very condensed version.

Kashmir "Cruzential" (1996)

Cruzential
release date: 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,15]
producer: Ron Saint Germain
label: Sony - nationality: Denmark

2nd studio album by Kashmir. Stylistically, the band continue its copy-paste of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam blend of alt. rock and grunge rock. It's not really original, and like the debut really not recommended.

Mellemblond "Et øje" (2012), single

Et øje, single
release date: Nov. 12, 2012
format: digital
[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]

Single track: "Et øje"

A fine single release by Mellemblond from the band's forthcoming album. This shows the continued change of style more evidently away from the distorted guitars and simple production into more contemporary champer pop. Here the lead vocalist Kristoffer Munck Mortensen sounds more like Danish Lars H.U.G. than the late Eik Skaløe from Steppeulvene as he tended do assimilate on the debut.

M.I.A. "/\/\ /\ Y /\" (2010)

/\/\ /\ Y /\
release date: Jul. 13, 2010
format: cd (XLCD 497)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,70]
producer: various
label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Steppin Up" - 3. "XXXO" - 4. "Teqkilla" - 7. "It Takes a Muscle" (4 / 5) - 8. "It Iz What It Iz" - 9. "Born Free" - 11. "Tell Me Why"

3rd studio album by M.I.A. released on her own label N.E.E.T. through XL Recordings and Interscope Records. The album is named after herself, Mathangi Arulpragasam, or just "Maya", which is also the correct way to pronounce her artist name, M.I.A.

I find the album more complex than the fine Kala (2007), and initially found this a lesser album, but it really contains some fine tracks. Stylistically, this is not like her 2007 album, but more electronically-founded with glitch pop, electroclash, and what may be identified as industrial - some also call it synth punk or noise pop. Anyway, it is more 'noisy' and probably less mainstream oriented, and I think of it as her second best album. It really makes sense that it's more complex - giving the fact that it's about herself. It reflects her life, her struggles with identity, the Sri-Lankan (violent) background, and her view and feelings about love and politics, which is a bit of a mouthful. And therefore it can only be complex, and anything but polished.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Slant 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Spin 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Go-Betweens "Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express" (1986)

Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express

release date: Mar. 1986

format: cd (1996 remaster) / 2 cd (2004 remaster)

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

producer: The Go-Betweens & Richard Preston

label: Beggars Banquet / Lo-Max Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Spring Rain" (4 / 5) - 2. "The Ghost and the Black Hat" - 3. "The Wrong Road" - 5. "Twin Layers of Lightning" - 6. "In the Core of the Flame" - 7. "Head Full of Steam" (4 / 5) - 9. "Palm Sunday (On Board the SS Within)"

4th studio album by The Go-Betweens released two years following Spring Hill Fair (1984) is the band's second consecutive album as a quartet. It's the band's first on Beggars Banquet, and the album release may have been delayed as they had previously signed with Elektra, who then closed its UK division in the middle of the recording sessions leaving the band with a newly recorded album but no record label. Luckily, they were then approached by Beggars Banquet with a recording deal for three albums in total.

The standard album contains ten tracks. The enhanced 2 cd issue contains an additional 11 tracks as well as the music videos for tracks #1 and #7. For the first time around the album is produced by the band who brought in Richard Preston as sound engineer, which means they were in control of what they wanted. Also, it's made without various additional musicians thrown in here and there, although, Tracey Thorn (Everything but the Girl who made friends with the band) is worth mentioning as she sings backing vocals on tracks #7 and #10.

Soundwise, it's bond to Before Hollywood (1983) as being both a more scraped down album than the predecessor but also with more varied arrangements. For the first time, the band makes use of a strings section with music arranged by Audrey Riley (who should later work with Coldplay). It's an album reflecting more inward and quiet music than more obvious pop harmonies, and there's a stronger sensation of folk rock sound on all compositions.

The album was well-received and saw many music critics' positive reviews hailing the album as one of the band's absolute best. However, as with most other albums by The Go-Betweens, the album failed to approach anything near top-10 anywhere. It's listed as number #62 on the Australian charts and with no entry figures anywhere else. "Spring Rain" and "Head Full of Steam" were released as the two singles from the album without noteworthy charts. Perhaps the band would have been better off had they signed with Warner or another big label to help them promote their music 'cause critics really loved the band, but then they probably would if presented with such an offer.

I have always found this a transitional album - certainly not poor or a lesser release as it's the band's so far best. For once they seem to have found their own path away from the stronger indie rock type of compositions with bonds to Velvet Underground, The Byrds and Tom Verlaine as heard on the sophomore album and the lighter pop / rock songs with bolder mainstream appeal, which is most clearly heard on the band's sixth studio album from 1988. Liberty Bell provides a bunch of playful songs that reek a new-found lightness and strong coherence.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Blender 4 / 5, NME, Select, Uncut 5 / 5 stars ]

Anna von Hausswolff "Ceremony" (1995)

Ceremony
release date: Jul. 18, 2012
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,36]
producer: Filip Leyman
label: City Slang - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Epitaph of Theodor" - 2. "Deathbed" - 4. "Goodbye" - 6. "Epitaph of Daniel" - 8. "Liturgy of Light" - 11. "Sova" (live) - 12. "Funeral for My Future Children"

2nd studio album by Swedish artist Anna von Hausswolff contains 13 tracks and its running time is just above the hour. Stylistically, it's a rather different release than her two year old debut as it builds on repetitive simple patterns of neoclassical origin. It's still touching on the art pop of her former release but here in an ambient pop style and the most significant change is its quite sinister sound, which has led to label it as neoclassical darkwave, and combined with the ambient and slow, progressive compositions it becomes almost meditative. Several songs are build around the pipe organ [referenced in the cover] and with bold use of echo / delay effects on both vocals and other instruments, it sounds as if recorded in a church.
It's not an immediate favourite of mine, but Anna von Hausswolff sounds like she's directing her music to a summoning of some holy or unholy nature, and she also presents compositions that build on classical formulas and yet sound quite unique, although, I find that it builds on music by Dead Can Dance, as well as neoclassical, artist Jocelyn Pook, and as contrary to her debut, this is a much stronger original piece of art.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Morrissey "Now My Heart Is Full" (1994) (single)

Now My Heart Is Full, single
release date: Aug. 23, 1994
format: digital
[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Sire Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Now My Heart Is Full" (4 / 5) - 2. "Moonriver [Extended version]" - 3. "Jack the Ripper (live)" (5 / 5)

Single release by Morrissey released by Sire and produced by Steve Lillywhite. The title track is from his most recent studio album Vauxhall and I (Mar. 1994). The end track is enlisted as recorded live in Paris on Dec. 12, 1992, but to me it's identical to the version one will find on the live album Beethoven Was Deaf (1993), which was recorded Dec. 22, 1992.

Oh Land "Earth Sick" (2014)

Earth Sick
release date: Nov. 10, 2014
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: Nanna Øland Fabricius and Tore Nissen
label: Tusk or Tooth - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 3. "Head Up High" - 5. "Nothing Is Over" - 7. "Half Hero" (live take) - 10. "Little Things" - 11. "Flags" - 13. "Trailblazer"

4th studio album by Oh Land is a fine art pop / synthpop release. Listening to this I honestly don't understand why Danish artists like Mø, Vinnie Who, or When Saints Go Machine attract much more attention. This is solid pop on par with international artists like Lana Del Rey, Ane Brun, and Émilie Simon, and although, this is a bit in the polished end of art pop in a way, I don't listen much to, this is clearly one of her better studio releases to date. Perhaps the negative side to it is that it's too close to a perfect mix of Lykke Li, Lana Del Rey and Marina and the Diamonds - being both slow 'artsy' and more uptempo pop-ish as Marina.
Her album Oh Land was well-received around the world but despite having released two fine follow-up albums to positive reviews, she has been neglected and met as a mere has-been.

Tom Waits "Night on Earth" (OST) (1992)

Night on Earth (soundtrack)
release date: Apr. 7, 1992
format: vinyl (212 370) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Tom Waits
label: Island Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: [ full album ]

An absolutely wonderful soundtrack by Tom Waits for an equally wonderful film by Jim Jarmusch.
Highly recommended.

Michael Falch "Michael Falch" (1985)

Michael Falch [debut]

release date: Mar. 1985

format: cd (reissue - MDCD 6230)

[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]

producer: Jesper Ranum

label: Medley Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 3. "Navn og nummer" - 4. "Nye tider" - 10. "Sommer på vej"

Studio solo debut by Michael Falch following the disbandment of Malurt and the band's (so far) final album Tour de Force (Oct. 1983). The album is co-produced by Thomas Brekling and Falch.

With this, the former front figure of Malurt makes an effort to distance himself from the band releases with an album characterised by other primary instrumentation than classic guitar rock-set-up with synths (Fairlight) and a distinct melodic pop style. Keyboardist Pete Repete of Malurt is the only former band member, who plays on this but also Per Chr. Frost (of Gnags), the producer of Tour de Force is a recurring figure, now credited on bass. The front cover displays Falch with a guitar over his shoulder but it appears that all guitar performances are credited Søren Wolff (of SW80). All songs and music is credited Falch except two songs (tracks #1 and #9) with music co-composed by producer and keyboardist Jesper Ranum.

I purhased the album as it was released but I never became accustomed with the open pop-style and ended up reselling the album less than a decade later. However, Falch and the album was fairly well-received by the public, although, critics didn't exactly see it as neither innovative nor as a major work, and in retrospect, the album stands very much on its own.

Imo, the album falls pretty much on the same grade as Tour de Force and is not a recommended album.

Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak" (1976)

Jailbreak
release date: Mar. 26, 1976
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: John Alcock
label: Vertigo Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "Jailbreak" (4 / 5) - 2. "Angel From the Coast" - 3. "Running Back" (4 / 5) - 4. "Romeo and the Lonely Girl" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Warriors" - 6. "The Boys Are Back in Town" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Fight or Fall"

6th studio album by Thin Lizzy who has really found its own sound of hard rock with this one. It's not the type exemplified by Deep Purple, AC/DC or Queen. Thin Lizzy's music still seems founded on more bold harmonies both heard in chorus lines and lead guitar notes. It's one of the band's best reviewed albums and it reached number #10 on the albums chart list in the UK. I don't think that I heard the album until the early 80s when I didn't like it much. To me the music and the band represented a different time, but it also appealed to another subculture.
Today, I consider this the band's best.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

Paul Weller "Wild Wood" (1993)

Wild Wood
release date: Sep. 6, 1993
format: 2 cd (2007 remaster Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Paul Weller, Brendan Lynch
label: Island / Universal - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Sunflower" (4 / 5) - 2. "Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)" - 3. "Wild Wood" - 6. "Has My Fire Really Gone Out?" - 7. "Country" - 10. "The Weaver" - 12. "Foot of the Mountain" - 16. "Hung Up"

2nd studio album by Paul Weller originally released on Go! Discs shows us a matured musician. The album is reissued in 2007 in a remastered 2-disc Deluxe Edition with Disc One: "Original Album & B-Sides" (22 tracks) and Disc Two: "Bonus Tracks - Demo Versions" (21 tracks) and a total of 43 tracks. The original album contains 15 compositions. 

His heydays with The Jam, his transition period with The Style Council linger in the shadows of this. His first solo album was a mixed bag of all sorts, still with much pop soul and sophisti-pop, which basically seemed like yet another collection of songs that were intended to be issued with The Style Council, but here he comes out very strongly and primarily as a contemporary singer / songwriter building on folk rock, pop soul, influenced by r&b roots. 

This is more than just fine. The album is (the only by Weller to be) enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Here Before You Die", and in 1994 it was nominated the British award, The Mercury Prize (alongside e.g. The Prodigy, Blur, and Pulp), which eventually was handed to M People for Elegant Slumming.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Uncut Magazine 5 / 5 stars ]

The Pogues "Hell's Ditch" (1990)

Hell's Ditch
release date: Nov. 6, 1990
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Joe Strummer
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Sunnyside of the Street" (5 / 5) (live in 2012) - 2. "Sayonara" - 3. "The Ghost of a Smile" (4 / 5) - 6. "Summer in Siam" (4 / 5) - 7. "Rain Street" - 10. "House of the Gods" (4 / 5) - 11. "5 Green Queens and Jean"

5th full studio album by The Pogues produced by Joe Strummer who had become more and more engaged in the band's activities and from '91 served as official substitute for MacGowan. I have always liked the album more than is easy to explain. I find it better than Peace and Love (1989) but it's also obvious that it's not on the same level as the two great full albums and the ep from 1985-88. My guess is, Hell's Ditch has a considerable amount of Shane MacGowan's signature (9 out of 13 tracks), which easily lifts the album above average. However, the band struggles just to hang on, as MacGowan's alcohol problems are beyond difficult. Apparently, some tracks were more than difficult to record as he was almost never sober but I think Strummer has done a great job finding that "edgy tone" of theirs, which is not just mainstream pop / rock but also a crossover of pub rock and celtic rock with parts of folk punk. The album is the last to feature founding member, vocalist and primary composer Shane MacGowan, who was permanently sacked from the band after this release as he was unable to help promote the album on the following tour, where Strummer substituted on vocals. MacGowan went on making music and in 1994 he released new material with the full studio album The Snake in his new band Shane MacGowan and The Popes.
[ allmusic.com hands it 3 / 5 stars ]

Nena "Wunder gescheh'n" (1989)

Wunder gescheh'n
release date: Apr. 5, 1989
format: cd (2010 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Walter Keiser, Phil Carmen
label: Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Wunder gescheh'n" - 2. "Du bist überall" - 5. "Weisses Schiff" (4 / 5) (live) - 6. "Im Rausch der Liebe" (maxi version)

Solo studio album debut by Nena [Gabriele Susanne 'Nena' Kerner] following the disbandment of the band Nena in 1987. Several tracks are written with former bassist Jürgen Dehmel from the band.
Musically, it's is a more laid back soft rock version of pop / rock, which basically suits Kerner's voice well.
Prior to this release, and while pregnant, Nena experienced the loss of an 11 months old boy, but during the recording of the album, she also experienced the happy news of expecting twins. Not surprisingly, the album is much about existentialism. In Germany, Nena seems closely associated with the track "Weisses Schiff", which is a fine composition about dreams and loss.
Both "Du bist überall", "Weisses Schiff", and "Im Rausch der Liebe" are of a high quality, but the overall sensation is still one of a first draft and a learning process of being a solo artist. Some tracks are just not strong enough and colour the overall impression.
Following this, she released her first of several albums with music for children, her artistic successor Bongo Girl from '92, followed by her third album Und alles dreht sich (1994). Then followed another album with music for children, a live album, an third album for children, and then she released her fourth 'real' studio album Jamma nich' in 1997.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Chumbawamba "WYSIWYG" (2000)

WYSIWYG
release date: Apr. 4, 2000
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Chumbawamba, Neil Ferguson
label: EMI Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "I'm With Stupid" - 2. "Shake Baby Shake" - 3. "Pass It Along" - 11. "I'm Not Sorry, I Was Having Fun" - 14. "She's Got All the Friends"

9th studio album by Chumbawamba follows 2½ years after Tubthumber (1997) and it's their second album for EMI. Both in style and in lyrics, they have moved somewhat towards a mainstream pop / rock universe, although, it's also highly unconventional consisting of 25 tracks [!] with a total running time at 55 minutes, which leaves the average playing time per track just a little above two minutes. With short tracks in between more regular compositions, they still maintain their tongue-in-cheek British humour and enjoyable look on everyday life. Earlier albums had either more electronic edge and / or political harsher stands, but what I really miss here are the great catchy melodies.
In a way this is their The Beautiful South album. It's close to being sophisti-pop which is a long way from their anarcho-punk roots.
WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get... meaning: a barking dog?! I mean that has to be taken into consideration. The band has always had at least one foot in the (ultra-) left side of British politics and been an outspoken valve of some sort. The barking dog that tells you something isn't right [right?!]. And then with song titles here dealing with completely non-political issues, it becomes a wee bit odd. Where's the bite then?
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 1,5 / 5 stars ]

The Cure "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" (1987)

Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
release date: May 5, 1987
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: David M. Allen, Robert Smith
label: Fiction Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Kiss" - 5. "Why Can't I Be You" - 6. "How Beautiful You Are" - 9. "Just Like Heaven" (4 / 5) - 10. "All I Want" - 12. "One More Time" - 16. "A Thousand Hours"

7th studio album by The Cure. With this the band continues the style from The Head on the Door (Aug. 1985). The album was released as a double vinyl album but released as a single disc cd with the omission of one track to fit playing time limits for cds. Like I had been accustomed to, I went straight out and bought the album. I never got fond of it though. The album signalled the end of my fascination for the band. Occasionally, I listened to the album and found some tracks really great, some really beautiful, and others interesting, but overall I was just tired of Robert Smith's melancholic lamenting voice AND the new orchestrated sound with synths all over the place. Actually, in the early '90s I resold the album alongside the successor Disintegration (May 1989) with a couple of The Cure 12'' singles to afford to buy new music. Back then I wouldn't have handed it more than 2 / 5 stars, but in retrospect I acknowledge the music, although, I'm not really fond of it either.
[ allmusic.com, Rollings Stone 4 / 5, Blender 5 / 5 stars ]

Annika Aakjær "Missionær" (2010)

Missionær

release date: Feb. 8, 2010
format: cd (Digipak)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Henrik Marstal
label: Playground - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Dagens tekst" - 2. "For tiden" - 3. "Missionær" - 4. "Marie Magdalene" - 5. "De fik dig aldrig" - 6. "Pænhed er kommet til byen" - 9. "Den maskerede hævner"

2nd studio album by Danish singer / songwriter Annika Aakjær follows a little less than two years after her fine debut Lille filantrop (May 2008) is like that produced by Herik Marstal. This collection of ten new songs continue in more or less the same style. Both the lyrics, being slightly more diverse, as well as the music, which appears slightly more dynamic are here on a higher level. Also, Aakjær now challenges her singing voice more, which isn't a traditional pop vocal but a strong, and highly charismatic one. Yet, it's still in a folk pop universe. I find that her lyrical universe has much in common with the male artist Allan Olsen - only this is aeons better.

[ collectors' item - from ~ 35€ ]

Morrissey & Siouxsie "Interlude" (1994) (single)

Interlude, single

release date: Aug. 8, 1994

format: digital

[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]

producer: Boz Boorer

label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Interlude" - 2. "Interlude (Extended)" - 3. "Interlude (Instrumental"

Single release by Morrissey and Siouxsie Sioux released under the name 'Morrissey & Siouxsie' as a standalone duo project. The song is a cover a song with lyrics by Hal Shaper and music by George Delerue for a 1968 British film of the same name directed by Kevin Billington. The song for the film was originally performed by Timi Yuro.

Morrissey had reportedly made several attempts in arranging a duet project with Sioux, and finally she accepted the song here after Morrissey's many suggestions for possible cover songs.

The song is a chamber pop-styled ballad and it was met by some appraisal landing at number #25 on the UK singles chart. The song is quite nicely arranged and performed, but is still mostly a collector's item without the most evident qualities.

George Michael and Queen "Five Live" (1993) (live)

Five Live, ep (live)
release date: Apr. 1993
format: vinyl
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,48]
producer: Queen, George Michael, Roy Thomas Baker
label: Parlophone - nationality:

Collaboration ep released as 'George Michael and Queen with Lisa Stansfield' recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Apr. 20, 1992, at Wembley Stadium, London. The album contains six songs - three per side, of which George Michael appears on five, Queen on three, and Lisa Stansfield on one track only.

Gianna Nannini "Maschi e altri" (1987)

Maschi e altri (compilation)
release date: 1987
format: vinyl (TGN 9) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Fonit Cetra - nationality: Italy

Compilation album by Gianna Nannini containing most of her biggest international hits.

Mew "A Triumph for Man" (1997)

A Triumph for Man [debut]
release date: Apr. 1, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Damon Tutunjian; Mew (co-producer)
label: Exlibris / Evil Office - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Wheels Over Me" - 3. "Wherever" - 4. "Panda" - 7. "No Shadow Kick" - 9. "She Came Home for Christmas" - 11. "I Should Have Been a Tsin-Tsi (For You)" - 13. "Web" - 14. "Coffee Break"

Studio album debut by Mew originally released on the small Danish label Exlibris Musik in only 2000 copies. The album was reissued as a 2-disc version (with a bonus disc containing demo and alternate recordings) in 2006 by Evil Office, the band's own sub-label of Sony BMG. Unfortunately, I never came across the album back then, but I knew of the band around '98, alas without ever paying it much attention. The reissue album contains a bonus disc with demo and alternate takes. Mew formed in 1994 as a quartet consisting of Jonas Bjerre on lead vocals, Bo Madsen on guitar, Johan Wohlert on bass, and with Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen on drums.

The music is an original mix of indie pop, dream pop, shoegaze, and noise pop with inspirational sources from My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star, and Swirlies [album producer Damon Tutunjian is part of this band]. The album has delicate blue-eyed pop-moments and fine progressive pop / art pop ideas - almost post rock elements, only I find that the album mostly functions in a sense of making sketching to something... more, but definitely full of sheer talent.

[ Sputnikmusic 4,5 / 5 stars ]