The Jezabels "The Brink" (2014)

The Brink
release date: Jan. 31, 2014
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,35]
producer: Dan Grech-Marguerat
label: Play It Again Sam - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "The Brink" - 3. "Look of Love" (4 / 5) - 5. "Angels of Fire" - 6. "No Country" - 7. "The End" (4 / 5) - 10. "All You Need"

2nd full-length studio album by The Jezabels sounds like a fine improvement from the debut, which seemed more like a record label decision in need of a full length album from a band with only singles and eps on the cv. More than two years on its way, this is already more like a band shining through with something to offer. To my regret, I found that the band sounded a bit too much like Lana Del Rey on the debut album, which in essence made them appear a bit astray in relation to their sound on the preceding ep and single releases, but here they mostly just sound like themselves (again) with hints to late Siouxsie and the Banshees and U2 - if any. Although, the album may not end up on the top of my year-best list, it's really a fine and recommendable release altogether.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, SputnikMusic 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Mitch Ryder "Never Kick a Sleeping Dog" (1983)

Never Kick a Sleeping Dog
release date: Jun. 13, 1983
format: vinyl / cd (2012 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: 'Little Bastard' (aka John Mellencamp)
label: Mercury Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "B.I.G.T.I.M.E." (4 / 5) (live with John Mellencamp) - 2. "When You Were Mine" (4,5 / 5) (org. video) - 3. "A Thrill's a Thrill (Duet with Marianne Faithfull)" - 4. "Come Again" (4 / 5) - 6. "The Thrill of It All"

Studio album by Mitch Ryder produced by John Mellencamp org. released by Riva and Mercury Records - the 2012 remaster is released on Repertoire Records. Ryder doesn't write many songs himself, but he's one of those rocks' greats who masters the ability to pick almost any song written by someone else and just make it better. The first song on this album is written by Keith Sykes and was included on Sykes' own folk rock and rock & roll album I'm Not Strange, I'm Just Like You from 1979. The original song sounds like something from the 1950s, but here in Ryder's updated version it really comes to live in present times. The second song is sheer brilliance - originally a song by Prince for his album Dirty Mind (1980) in a disco, synth funk and dance-pop version. Now, with all respect for Prince and his contributions to modern pop music, the original song isn't exactly a mind-blowing tune; however, in Ryder's rock-version of the song, it shines like it never did before. And that's just what Ryder does. He has a great voice for rhythm & blues, rock & roll, and for music with a certain amount of soul. John Mellencamp has produced the album with a sense for what makes Ryder good and together it all becomes great. Mellencamp has co-written the song "Come Again" with Ryder, and that's another gem where everything falls into place. Overall, Mellencamp is the perfect producer for the album and his adoration for Ryder lifts this album above most releases in the year 1983 but only few know of its existence, which is crime in itself.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Marty Willson-Piper "Art Attack" (1988)

Art Attack

release date: 1988

format: cd

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]

producer: Marty Willson-Piper & Andy Mason

label: Rykodisc - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "O' Stockholm" - 2. "Water" - 3. "She's King" - 5. "You Whisper" - 8. "On the Tip of My Tongue"

2nd solo album by Marty Willson-Piper (guitarist in The Church) released on Rykodisc in Australia / New Zealand, in North America, and on the sub-label Ryko Analogue for cassette and vinyl editions. The original CD edition contains six bonus tracks, which are selected songs from Willson-Piper's 1987 debut album, In Reflection, and thus the CD has a running time of more than 73 minutes and comes with 19 tracks. By the way, Andy Mason participated on the '87 album as technician, bassist, and arranger. All tracks here are credited Willson-Piper - however "Water" was co-written with Swedish Ann Carlberger of the band Pink Champagne with whom he paired up and married. Incidentally, The Church's lead vocalist Steve Kilbey formed a pair during this period with Swedish Karin Jansson, also from Pink Champagne. Carlberger and Jansson traveled to Australia together after their band broke up in the mid-80s, and they there met the two members of The Church. Jansson got twins with Kilbey, and Carlberger had a daughter with Willson-Piper. Like Kilbey, Willson-Piper originates from England but around 1980 moved to Australia.

The music isn't far from the jangle-pop style from the releases with The Church, but is mostly only acoustic here, and Willson-Piper plays most of the instruments himself with vocal assistance from Carlberger on two songs and various instruments played by producer Andy Mason.

It's generally fine music - it just doesn't appear particularly strong as an independent work when considering the back catalogue of The Church. The music here mainly focuses on harmonies and the compositions appear a little simpler with small variations reminding us of Bob Dylan and George Harrison.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Roxy Music "Oh Yeah" (1980) (single)

Oh Yeah, 7'' single

release date: Jul. 25, 1980

format: vinyl

[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Rhett Davies & Roxy Music

label: Polydor / EG - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Oh Yeah (On the Radio)" (5 / 5) (TOTP 1980) - - B) "South Downs"

The second single to be taken from Flesh + Blood (May 1980), the seventh studio album by Roxy Music. Both tracks are credited Bryan Ferry, and the B-side is a non-album instrumental. The single was issued with various front covers and also as this: in a generic white sleeve without print or any titles.

BEST OF 2002:The Streets "Original Pirate Material" (2002)

Original Pirate Material [debut]
release date: Mar. 25, 2002
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,16]
producer: Mike Skinner
label: 679 / Locked On - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Turn the Page" (4 / 5) - 2. "Has It Come to This" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Let`s Push Things Forward" - 5. "Same Old Thing" - 6. "Geezers Need Excitement" (4 / 5) - 7. "It's Too Late" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "Too Much Brandy" - 9. "Don't Mug Yourself" (5 / 5) - 11. "The Irony of It All" - 12. "Weak Become Heroes" (4 / 5)

Studio album debut by the Mike Skinner solo project The Streets, and what a great release that is! Skinner is THE dominant figure behind the project, he wrote all tracks for the album and produced it on his own.
The album was well-received and came in at number #10 on the British albums chart list, but in a few years time it gained even more recognition, and today it's one of the highest ranked albums of the decade.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut, and Drowned In Sound 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

2002 Favourite releases: 1. The Streets Original Pirate Material - 2. Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights - 3. Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around

John Frusciante "Shadows Collide With People" (2004)

Shadows Collide With People
release date: Feb. 24, 2004
formt: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "Carvel" (4 / 5) - 2. "Omission" (4 / 5) - 3. "Regret" - 4. "Ricky" - 6. "Every Person" - 9. "This Cold" - 11. "Song to Sing When I'm Lonely" - 12. "Time Goes Back" - 14. "Water" - 17. "Chances" - 19. "The Slaughter"

4th studio album by John Frusciante, although, many sites include From the Sounds Inside (2001) as his fourth, but that was a bunch of songs that Frusciante gave away to his fans for free, and only as downloadable material.

Shadow Collide... is made at his most productive time. In 2004 he not only released four studio albums, and his first in 2005 was released in February; he also found time to play with his old band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, AND he formed a collaboration project called Ataxia - so in essence, he recorded six albums in the span of six months!

This is a rather fine album, and it's not a short one as it comes with 19 tracks. It's a stylistic big change from synth to alt. rock, although a few tracks are synth experiments. Without being the same musical style, this is, in my mind, the Frusciante solo album that resembles the music of Red Hot Chili Peppers the most.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]

Lisa Ekdahl "Back to Earth" (1998)

Back to Earth
release date: Oct. 23, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Patrick Boman and Peter Nordahl
label: BMG Classics / RCA Victor - nationality: Sweden

2nd collaboration album featuring Lisa Ekdahl released as Lisa Ekdahl & Peter Nordahl Trio. This is her second jazz album with Peter Nordahl Trio and it's only slightly better than the first. Between these two jazz releases she released two solo studio albums - her second solo album Med kroppen mot jorden in 1996, and her third solo album, Bortom det blå (1997).
This album is another "cover" versions release from the huge vocal jazz standards catalogue, and it's very much like the '95 release. Her voice doesn't really add much new to the classics, nor does it put her on par with Ella Fitzgerald or the like but it may ensure the album as a favourite by many younger buyers because "it's just sooo good" when you want music as background noise for a romantic candlelight dinner.

The Streets

~ ~ ~

The Streets: founded in Birmingham, England, UK, 1994; disbanded in 2011. The name is the project name for Mike Skinner (aka Michael Skinner, birth name) born Nov. 27, 1978, Birmingham, UK (aka Grafiti, The Beats). In its initial state, The Streets was an actual group project formed by Skinner (vocals, keyboards, synthesizers; arranging, composing, mixing) and with Johnny Drum Machine (drums, percussion, orchestration, production), and from the recording states he is the only one to have assisted Skinner on his solo-project throughout all the years, and Kevin Mark Trail (vocals, production, composing, from 1994-2003; 2007-2011). Leo the Lion (vocals, from 2003-2007) was an associate member during the recording of the second and third studio albums. The musical style in the beginning was UK hip hop, grime, and UK garage in a combo with club and dance, and slowly progressed to include more electronic styles (most noticeable on the final albums) always making use of mixing and sampling. Skinner wrote and composed almost all music and the lyrics are often about his own life, its ups and downs, his relationships, and always with a reference to working class England. Before the final album, Skinner proclaimed the end of The Streets after the forthcoming album. He announced that he would continue to make music in some way, and still as of 2011, The D.O.T. was founded as a collaboration project by Skinner and Rob(ert) Harvey (vocalist of The Music), and their studio debut album was released Oct. 2012.

~ ~ ~

Hex "Hex" (1989)

Hex [debut]

release date: Jun. 27, 1989

format: vinyl (FIEND 156) / digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,26]

producer: Steve Kilbey

label: Demon / First Warning - nationality: USA / Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Diviner" - 3. "Ethereal Message" - 4. "Mercury Towers" - 6. "Fire Island" - 7. "In the Net" - 8. "Silvermine"

Studio debut album by music duo-project Hex, founded by Australian vocalist, bassist, and composer Steve Kilbey (of The Church) with American guitarist Donette Thayer (of the band Game Theory) at a time when they were also a couple. The album was initially only released in the US on the smaller BMG-owned label, First Warning Records and in 1990 also in the UK by Demon Records. In parallel, Kilbey also formed the music project Curious (Yellow) with (other) girlfriend Karin Jansson and together they released the 12'' single, "I Am Curios" (Mar. '88).

In addition to dream pop, the music is also referred to as ethereal wave - a subcategory of dream pop, where the focus is on the more slowly progressive with the use of delay effect. Musically, it is further away from Kilbey's normal compositions, where the jangle-pop element is completely absent and instead replaced by keyboards and then all tracks are recorded with Thayer's vocals.

The album garnered good reviews, but it doesn't really catch on and to me it sounds more like inspired by earlier 80s bands like Cocteau Twins, This Mortail Coil and other 4AD / Creation artists, mainly from the British Isles. Thayer's vocals may sound quite narrow and without the big register, but at the same time it has a charm and warm tone that fits well with the genre and style. All in all, it's nice and fine, but it's not exactly ground-breaking music that you need to know of.

Toots & The Maytals "Sweet and Dandy: The Best of Toots & The Maytals" (2002)

Sweet and Dandy: The Best of Toots & The Maytals" (compilation)
release date: 2002
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Trojan Records - nationality: Jamaica

A 24 track compilation album by Toots & The Maytals. It contains many of the band's best tracks but I don't find it a sufficient attempt. I mean, this band has released dozens of singles and albums that were only available in Jamaica. What is needed is an album that seeks out to collect the best of what they released, from being The Maytals, and in doing so pays the appropriate respect to the different styles and genres they went through, and I think this one misses out on that - 'cause fact is, Toots & The Maytals were not 'just' among the most important contributors in shaping reggae as a genre but also a prominent artist of ska, soul and rocksteady.
The album is slightly better than Island Jamaica's 2-disc album Time Tough - The Anthology from 1996, which contains almost twice as many tracks, but unfortunately put too strong focus on compositions from the 1970s that are not crucial.
Perhaps a better best of album to get hold of could be either Sanctuary Records 2002 2-disc album 54-46 Was My Number: Anthology 1964 to 2000, or the 2-disc album Pressure Drop: The Definitive Collection released on Trojan in 2008.

Nena "Willst Du mit mir gehn" (2005)

Willst Du mit mir gehn

release date: Mar. 21, 2005
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
label: Warner Music Group - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: Disc 1) 1. "Willst Du mit mir gehn?" - 4. "Liebe ist" - 6. "Immer weiter" - 7. "Ohne Liebe bin ich nichts (Berlin Version)" - 8. "Vitamine" - 9. "Wir fliegen" - - Disc 2) 5. "Hey Pauli, ein neuer Ton" - 7. "Das verträgt sich nicht mit uns"

8th solo studio album by Nena, or so it's often filed, but fact is: Nena has released several albums with childrens music making it her 14th or 16th album since she started in the band Nena. Anyway, this is a double cd released on Warner and it's produced by former keyboardist and one of the primary composers of the band Nena, (Jörn-)Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, who is also credited as co-composer on most of the songs. Disc 1 is labelled "Rot" and contains what appears as the actual studio selection, whereas Disc 2, labelled "Orange", contains jam sessions made on the Spanish island of Majorca during a recreation holiday with the band.
The album is a fine follow-up to two 2002 'comeback' albums: the compilation Nena feat. Nena with old songs in new versions and Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann covering both the time with Nena the band as well as her solo career. The first of these two was her first album since ? [Fragezeichen] from 1984 to make it to the top 10 on the German albums chart list. In 2005, another (different) album also titled Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann was released (by another label), only this exlusively contains tracks from the band-period, mind you.
Just like the 2002 album this went as high as number #2 on the national sales list, but in most other countries (except for Austria and Switzerland where it topped the charts) it was totally ignored by the media. I think the album is really good and Nena, in general, deserves much more recognition than is paid her. No matter what she does, it seems that she must live for the rest of her time with an image of the one-hit wonder with “99...”, which is so wrong. Albums like Made in Germany (2009), Chokmah (2001), Wunder gescheh'n (1989), and this one all prove this, but mass media has spoken and “one-hit wonder” is the verdict not to be tried at higher court. Anyway, I like much of what she has released and this album is one of her best and as such a very interesting release.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Durutti Column "Circuses and Bread" (1986)

Factory Benelux
release fbn136
(my release)

Circuses and Bread
release date: May 1986
format: vinyl (fbn 36) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]
producer: Vini Reilly
label: Factory Benelux - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) 1. "Pauline" (4 / 5) - 2. "Tomorrow" - 3. "Dance II" - 4. "Hilary" - 5. "Street Fight" - 6. "Royal Infirmary" (4 / 5) - 7. "Black Horses" - 8. "Dance I" - 9. "Blind Elevator Girl - Osaka" (4 / 5)

5th studio album by The Durutti Column originally released by Factory Records - the album is listed as the seventh studio album on thedurutticolumn.com, but that includes counting the album Amigos em Portugal released in Portugal only (issued on Fundação Atlântica) and probably the live album Domo Arigato to the list. The album is a return to the style and a mix of Another Setting (1982) and LC (1981) seemingly without adding much new to his music, but there's a delicate introduction to his use of sampling and/or drum programming, which would be further elaborated on succeeding albums, and the album contains several stand-outs.
[ allmusic.com 3 in 5 stars ]

Factory Records org.
cd release, facd154

Tindersticks "Ypres" (OST) (2014)

Ypres (soundtrack)
release date: Sep. 20, 2014
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Stuart A. Staples
label: Lucky Dog / City Slang - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Room 1 - Whispering Guns Parts 1, 2 and 3" - 5. "Room 3 - Sunset Glow"

Soundtrack album - or that's how it's often referred to, although it's perhaps more of a 'soundscape'. At least that's what a sticker on the album reads: "Soundscapes From The In Flanders Fields World War I Museum In Ypres, Belgium", i.e. "Soundscapes from the 'In Flanders Fields Museum' in Ypres, Belgium" for its permanent exhibition about World War I. In connection with the 100th memorial of the start of the war, Tindersticks apparently received a request from the museum to create the 'soundscapes' (or a sound collage) for a permanent exhibition. The music is purely instrumental and is credited Stuart Staples and Dan McKinna in collaboration.

The individual compositions may be hard to separate from one another - partly because their function is to act as sound collage for an exhibition space and thus is required to be played in infinite loops. Much in concordance to the music the band has composed for films by Claire Denis, the music differs significantly from the band's regular studio albums, while at the same time it carries a mark of having a close bond to a visual side that is hard to imagine. Still, Ypres is a different dark, insistent and rather gloomy collage, which with its locked-in mood fades out like an unsettling obscurity - something that might precisely underpin an exhibition about the horrors of war. The album appears as a more complete work than other of the band's soundtracks. It's rich in strings and reminiscent of outright Medieval times mixed with elements of post-rock. They are mostly slow compositions that beautifully unfold their wings and almost wraps up the listener in an intense mood saturated with the strongest emotions. In many ways it's a most distinctive work - also for Tindersticks, who shows itself here in a completely new and quite exciting territory.

Cocteau Twins "Four-Calendar Café" (1993)

Four-Calendar Café
release date: Nov. 1993
format: cd (2006 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,95]
producer: Cocteau Twins
label: Fontana Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Know Who You Are at Every Age" (5 / 5) - 2. "Evangeline" (4 / 5) - 3. "Bluebeard" (4 / 5) - 6. "Squeeze-Wax" - 9. "Summerhead" (4,5 / 5)

7th studio album by Cocteau Twins follows three years after Heaven or Las Vegas is much to the band's usual practise recorded and produced by the band. Since then, the band has left 4AD Records around '92 at a time when the label underwent management changes and Cocteau Twins then signed with larger Mercury Records to release music through its sublabel, Fontana Records. Apparently, the album took unusually long time to record - partly because guitarist Robin Guthrie and vocalist Elizabeth Fraser broke up their partnership, which had lasted some 13 years and given them a daughter in '89, and also because Fraser went through what has been described as a nervous breakdown while Guthrie was having troubles with substance abuse. Cocteau Twins had always been on its way playing concerts, recording albums or eps and the money earned was money spent going into studio and technical equipment investments, and easy access to drugs and alcohol hadn't made things easier.

Four-Calendar Café is not "Heaven or Las Vegas Part Two" - something many people had hoped for but the sound has changed, again, you might add 'cause that's what they had always been doing - always on their way bulding their (new) sound. It's a less uptempo album of an ambient feel compared to its acclaimed predecessor and the style has evolved to become more sophisticated with something I initially had mistaken for a touch of 'new age' but really just is a softer and more laid-back type of dream pop. The band members remain the same three but Robin Guthrie's distinct 'dreamy' or shoegaze guitar sound is considerably subdued on this, and then Fraser performs her singing in almost distinctive lyrics.

As many fans, my initial thoughts about this were less than positive, and I neglected the album for quite some time. I must say, however, that in retrospect it's much better than that, and years later, I had changed my verdict and now consider it among their best. The album has a pleasant melancholic feel and a sophisticated sound without being anything but dream pop. It's anything but an attempt to copy the success they experienced with Heaven or Las Vegas and instead represents a natural progression to a new playground of a more delicate sound. The album was reissued and remastered by Robin Guthrie in 2006, still on Fontana.

Recommended.

[ 👎allmusic.com 3 / 5, 👍NME, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

2006 remaster

Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Greendale" (2003)

Greendale
release date: Aug. 19, 2003
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]
producer: Neil Young, L.A. Johnson
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Falling From Above" (3 / 5) - 2. "Double E" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "Bandit" (3,5 / 5) - 10. "Be The Rain" (3 / 5)

26th studio album by Neil Young is released as Neil Young & Crazy Horse, although, Crazy Horse guitarist Frank 'Poncho' Sampedro doesn't play on the album - apparently, because Young felt that the album should only have room for one guitar. The album is a concept album describing the life and struggles of a small town American family living in Greendale and is held in a singer / songwriter folk rock and blues rock style with stress on folk.
I bought the album without having heard a single track from it, and was disappointed. It's better than that though, but I find it too bluesy and without great songs. The narrative may be interesting but I don't buy music to listen to a story... only, and the music is not really my style.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Thin Lizzy "Chinatown" (1980)

Chinatown
release date: Oct. 10, 1980
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Thin Lizzy & Kit Woolven
label: Vertigo Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "We Will Be Strong" - 2. "Chinatown" (3 / 5) - 3. "Sweetheart" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Sugar Blues" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Killer On The Loose" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "Having a Good Time" - 7. "Genocide" (3 / 5) - 8. "Didn't I" (4,5 / 5) - 9. "Hey You" (3,5 / 5)

10th studio album by Thin Lizzy. The album was released the same year as Phil Lynott released his first solo album Solo in Soho (Apr. 1980), and after a period when the band was in search of a replacement to Gary Moore who had left in the summer of '79. Midge Ure (later famous for revitalizing Ultravox) had been touring with the band, but Snowy White [Terence Charles] was chosen as new guitarist. Both Ure and keyboardist Darren Wharton are credited for additional personnel, and Wharton would later be a permanent member. The album was the first I ever heard with the band, and it has always been one of my favourites. Some consider the album a weaker and more mainstream-oriented album compared to Black Rose (1979) and / or Jailbreak (1976) and the band's final and more hard rock / heavy metal-founded Thunder and Lightning (1983); and some think the production side is weak with the absence of Tony Visconti.
I like the album because of its harmonies whether the vocal side of it or the guitar work, and I really cannot hear a lesser work on the production side. Actually, I find it lighter and brighter - meaning better - compared to Visconti's dark and heavy production (especially as found) on Black Rose. The compositions are more simple-structured compared to the band's more blues-rock-inspired work, which also seemed out of sync, at the time. Although, the hard rock tracks are fine and strong, I really associate Phil Lynott's best works with strong ballads, and here there are two great ones. In my mind, this is the band's second best album.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Paul Weller "Illumination" (2002)

Illumination
release date: Sep. 16, 2002
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Paul Weller, Simon Dine
label: Independiente Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Going Places" - 3. "Leafy Mysteries" - 4. "It's Written in the Stars" (4 / 5) - 6. "Now the Night Is Here" - 8. "One X One" (live) - 10. "All Good Books" - 12. "Standing Out in the Universe"

6th studio album by Paul Weller with a new producer marks a strong return to form. I really enjoy this album, which I find almost pars his so far best solo album, Wild Wood from 1993. This is not just the usual recipe. Here he challenges his talent - adds new layers to a solid style, sometimes more polished than ever, sometimes more naked and simple, and in other places just adding hints of new styles and by that producing a fine collection of soulful songs. He has turned to funk, blues, and (British) folk giving a edge to his albums over time, but I find his best when adding elements of soul. It's not sophisti-pop, which also has its source in soul, and by that could have put this closer to the music of The Style Council. It's more singer / songwriter, soul, and pop / rock in a fine blend. 

The album topped the UK album charts list.
[ almusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Kent "Verkligen" (1996)

Verkligen
release date: Mar. 15, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Nille Perned
label: RCA Victor / BMG Sweden - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Avtryck" - 2. "Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Gravitation" - 5. "10 minuter (för mig själv)" - 7. "Indianer" - 8. "Halka" (4 / 5) - 10. "Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon" (4 / 5)

2nd studio album by Kent is also the second to be produced by Nille Perned. Despite being released less than a year after the debut, it's quite a different and darker sound they come out with.
This is here they establish what has become lasting trademarks: Strong lyrical compositions with the tension of mellow, melancholic, and chorus-founded songs and the inclusion of both ballads and more "happy-go-lucky" kind of songs. This span is primarily heard on "Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)", "Halka", and "Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon". These three songs signal the "new" Kent, which comes even clearer through on its successor. Production vice it demonstrates a more refined sound, but the album still connects with early garage rock and consequently a more one-dimensional output.
Three singles were released from this with track #2 as the first and only single release (rel. Feb. 2, 1996) issued prior to the album, followed by #8 (shortly after the album release) and #3 (rel. Sep. '96). All three charted on the national singles chart list, as number #4, #36 and #14, respectively.
Verkligen became the band's first to top the national albums chart list - something they should go on to reproduce with every single studio album following this for the next 20 years!!
Kent also won its first Rockbjörn [Award held by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet] for best 'Pop/Rock Group', and the first single (of three single releases spawned from the album), "Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)" peaked at number #4 on the singles chart list.
Recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

<  show lyrics >

~ ~ ~

"Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)"

"Jag vill ha din ryggrad här
Fäst den i mig
Jag är alltid tryggast när
du är en liten bit ifrån
en rörelse i ögonvrån…
en rörelse i ögonvrån…

Lägg dig ner i gräset nu
Du är så varm här
Jag vill ha min tunga där
du är, så nära att du blir våt
men så nära får ingen gå…
::så nära får ingen gå…

Lägg dig ner precis
som du alltid gör när
Jag vill ha min tunga där
du är, så nära att du blir våt
men så nära får ingen gå…"
::så nära får ingen gå…
::så nära får ingen gå…

~ ~ ~

"Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon"

"Du har lärt mig allt jag kan
om att hålla ryggen fri
Du och jag kan slåss
om en plats i solen…

Vi kan slåss om en plats
längst fram
om någonting att hålla i
Du och jag kan slåss om
den bästa stolen
vem som än har den
Vem är det som har den?

Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
Jag kan inte tänka klart
Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
och se vem som står kvar

Du har lärt mig allt jag kan
om att aldrig någonsin
lägga sig i
Du och jag kan stå
i vårt hörn och blunda
Det är ändå redan
alldeles för sent
Det finns inget kvar
att hålla fast vid
så du och jag kan stå
i vårt hörn och undra
vad var det som gick fel
Vad var det som gick fel?

Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
det händer någonting snart
Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
Nu kan jag inte längre tänka klart…

::Vi kan väl vänta, vi kan väl vänta,
::vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon…"

~ ~ ~

The Who "Who's Better, Who's Best" (1988)

Who's Better, Who's Best (compilation)
release date: Mar. 1988
format: vinyl (gatefold - DNLP 1169)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Dino Music - nationality: England, UK

Best of compilation by The Who released in the UK by Polydor with the subtitle: "This Is the Very Best of The Who".

North American
cover

The Specials "The Specials" (1979)

The Specials [debut]
release date: Oct. 19, 1979
format: cd (1989 reissue) / cd (2002 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,02]
producer: Elvis Costello, The Specials
label: 2 Tone Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "A Message to You Rudy" - 2. "Do the Dog" - *[ 3. "Gangsters" ] - 4. "Nite Klub" - 5. "Doesn't Make It Alright" - 6. "Concrete Jungle" - 7. "Too Hot" - 8. "Monkey Man" (live on the Old Grey Whistle Test) - 9. "(Dawning of A) New Era" - 12. "Too Much Too Young"
*Bonus track on 1979 and '89 Chrysalis reissue (other tracks numbered according to org. 14 track release.

Studio album debut by ska revival and '2 tone' band The Specials, a septet consisting of Terry Hall (aka Terence hall) on lead vocals, Neville Staple on vocals and percussion, "Roddy Radiation" (aka Roderick James Byers) on lead guitar and vocals, Lynval Golding on rhythm guitar and vocals, Horace Panter (aka "Sir Horace Gentleman") on bass guitar, Jerry Dammers on keyboards and vocals, and with John Bradbury on drums. Before calling themselves The Specials they were the Automatics, then the Coventry Automatics before settling with The Special AKA for a period, which was shortened for the album release. Still in '79, a reissue was released with the single hit "Gangsters" as track #3 was issued on Chrysalis, which is also on many later versions, but the original album version excluded this track, thus containing 14 tracks in total.
Together with Madness, Selector, and The Beat, The Specials were enrolled at the Jerry Dammers founded 2 Tone Records, which was primarily dedicated to ska revival bands, who all founded their music on the original (Jamaican) ska and combined that with elements of contemporary punk rock and / or British working class pub rock. The name of the record label gave name to the style 2 tone - the 'special' combo of ska and punk rock with stylistic influences from mod revival.
The Specials mostly consists of punk rock arranged cover versions of 1960s rocksteady and ska recordings (six out of the fourteen songs are composed by Dammers and the band; however, some of the Dammers' compositions are reworks of original Jamaican ska songs, e.g. "Too Much Too Young" and "Stupid Marriage").
Track #1 became the song that will always be associated with The Specials, although, it's really a 1967 rocksteady composition by Dandy Livingstone. Also track #8 was a popular remake of a 1969 Jamaican ska Frederick "Toots" Hibbert song, originally recorded by The Maytals, but it was track #12, the song "Too Much Too Young" that became the band's #1 single hit in the UK. Also the album fared more than well peaking as high as number #4 on the UK albums chart list.
I recall my fascination for the music by the The Specials, although, I never purchased the album at the time, but together with Madness they were the very best of the ska revival period and as contrary to Madness, The Specials stayed more loyal to the original style of ska and rocksteady and where Madness nearly always commented on life's more serious aspects from a humorous perspective, The Specials were more of the working class band with a clear political critical opinion on life under Thatcher - and they weren't afraid of commenting on homophobia and discrimination of any kind. Despite the band covered many original 1960s Jamaican songs, track #5 is written by Jerry Dammers but later covered and made more famous by the North Irish punk rock band Stiff Little Fingers.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, Uncut, Q Magazine 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5 stars ]

[clip about the band]

TV-2 "Nærmest lykkelig" (1988)

Nærmest lykkelig

release date: Oct. 1, 1988

format: digital (12 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: various*

label: CBS - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Det mørke Jylland" - 2. "Nærmest lykkelig" (4 / 5) - 4. "Læn dem ud" - 5. "Kys det nu (Det satans liv)" - 7. "Alt hvad hun ville var at danse" - 8. "De finder det helt naturligt" - 9. "Der er kun dig (Og mig)" - 10. "En sommerdag for alt for længe siden" - 11. "Kalundborgbåden"

7th studio album by TV-2 following 1½ years after En dejlig torsdag (Mar. 1987) marks a change in producer credits. Two consequtive albums with Greg Walsh as sole producer has been exchanged with a long list of producers. Michael Bruun, who stood behind Nutidens unge (1984) is back as producer of five tracks, Per Leth Nissen & TV-2 are credited as producers of three songs, Billy Cross and Mats Ronander are sole producers of two songs each, and Hilmer Hassig and Søren Wolff are both credited as producers of one track each.

Stylewise, the band doesn't make big stylistic leaps, and it's more of a subtle change of what had become a well-known formula. The album is the band's second-best selling album and it contains several national hits. At this point, I sort of had lots interest in the band, and in my mind they were now much more popular among older generations; however, in retrospect, I do find this easily bettering their '87 album.

Roxy Music "Flesh + Blood" (1980)

Flesh + Blood

release date: May 23, 1980

format: vinyl / cd (2015 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]

producer: Roxy Music & Rhett Davies

label: Polydor / EG / Universal Music - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "In the Midnight Hour" - 2. "Oh Yeah" (5 / 5) - 3. "Same Old Scene" - 5. "My Only Love" - 6. "Over You" (5 / 5) - 9. "No Strange Delight"

7th studio album by Roxy Music following one year after Manifesto (Mar. 1979) is the band's second out of three albums in total following the reunion in '78. Shortly before recording the album drummer Paul Thompson broke his thumb and was unable to play until the band was ready to go on a live tour promoting the album, which means the album was made with session drummers (especially Allan Schwartzberg also playing percussion on nearly all tracks, and then also assisted by drummer Andy Newmark and percussionist Simon Phillips). The band is therefore reduced to a trio (on the album) of Bryan Ferry, Andy Mackay, and Phil Manzenera.

The album was met by some of the same lukewarm reviews that had followed Manifesto; however, the album became the band's second to top the albums chart list in the UK, which it replicated in New Zealand, and despite some reluctance expressed by the music press, Manifesto became the band's commercially so far best-selling album world-wide. Also, the album produced no less than five single releases starting with "Over You" (May 9, 1980) and followed by "Oh Yeah" (Jul. 25, 1980) - both reaching number #5 on the singles chart. The release of the title track as a single only manifested in Italy. Then followed "Same Old Scene" (Oct. 1980) and ended with "In the Midnight Hour" (?), which was only released for the North American market and in Portugal. Some critics found that the band had come to a stand-still, unable to make any real progress, and I think I understand what caused some of the criticism, only I don't agree on the full perspective. Flesh + Blood isn't far from the style of Manifesto but the real point is that the band has destilled its sound. No, they no longer play art rock or real glam rock and upholds a position at the forefront of modern rock music - instead the band has taken a deliberate turn and now play with a fusion of styles focusing on melody, sophisticated pop / rock that builds on r&b, pop soul, and bits of disco, although, this is lesser accentuated on this, but the main point is: no one else showcases this melodic blend. But I guess the 'real' problem is that the album came out when punk rock and new wave was on everyone's lips, and this simply ignores all of that.

"Oh Yeah" and "Over You" are two of the band's most iconic songs and to have both on the same album is simply a pure delight.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, Rolling stone 2,5 / 5, Smash Hits 6,5 / 10, Pitchfork 6,6 / 10 stars ]

Elvis Costello "Brutal Youth" (1994)

Brutal Youth
release date: Mar. 8, 1994
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Mitchell Froom and Elvis Costello
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Pony St." - 2. "Kinder Murder" (4 / 5) (live on Letterman) - 3. "13 Steps Lead Down" - 4. "This Is Hell" - 5. "Clown Strike" - 7. "Still Too Soon to Know" - 9. "Sulky Girl" (official video) - 11. "My Science Fiction Twin" - 13. "Just About Glad" - 15. "Favourite Hour"

14th studio album by Elvis Costello follows an usual three years since his latest album Mighty Like a Rose (1991). The album is like the '91 release co-produced by Mitchell Froom and it's Costello's first album since Blood and Chocolate (1986) to feature The Attractions. They are not credited on the cover (or spine) but are listed as backing band on five of the songs. The relative long hiatus - for Costello - in between albums doesn't mean he didn't produce and compose music. As soon as the recording sessions for his '91 album was over (Winter '90/'91), he was engaged in composing and writing music with film-composer Richard Harvey for the BBC Channel 4 TV-series GBH, released Jul. '91, in '92 he began a collaborative work with the classical act The Brodsky Quartet with whom he released the album The Juliet Letters (Jan. '93), AND he wrote and composed all songs songs for the Wendy James' solo debut Now Ain't the Time for Your Tears (1993) - half of these co-written by Costello's wife Cait O'Riordan. So, no! The man is bloody productive as always.

Critics were rather divided on this (see below) ranking the album from mediocre to near masterpiece. Stephen Erlewine from Allmusic criticises the production sound: "Unfortunately, all this nostalgia and good intentions are cancelled by the retention of producer Mitchell Froom, whose junkyard, hazily cerebral productions stand in direct contrast to the Attractions' best work.", and Chris Willman in Los Angeles Times on the other hand: "You don’t have to have underrated Costello’s recent work to agree this is his finest album since his last with the Attractions, 1986’s Blood and Chocolate.”

Brutal Youth was promoted as a return to former heydays and it's striking how Costello has left the orchestrated arrangements of brass and strings somewhat behind instead of focussing on simpler song structures. That said, it's not Blood and Chocolate part 2 - the power pop songs are outnumbered by more singer / songwriter and pop / rock material but it IS a fine album that gave promises of a return to form of one of Britain's most acclaimed contemporary songwriters.

[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Blender, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Beautiful South "Golddiggas Headnodders & Pholk Songs" (2004)

Golddiggas Headnodders & Pholk Songs
release date: Oct. 18, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: Paul Heaton, Jon Kelly
label: Sony Music UK - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Livin' Thing" - 6. "Don't Fear the Reaper" - 11. "Blitzkrieg Bop"

9th studio album by The Beautiful South is the last to be co-produced with Jon Kelly and the first on Sony after leaving Mercury and Go! Discs. This is a very different release from a band, who as always played and written original compositions as except from one song, it's made up of cover versions. It's not great but the versions are quite original in the way various distinctive songs from different eras, styles and genres all have been transposed into the musical universe of The Beautiful South regardless if punk rock, soul pop, funk or disco was the original incarnation of the song.
Now, not that I find it among their best, it is more than just a mediocre covers album, which is something else, also in this era of the band.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Grant-Lee Phillips "Little Moon" (2009)

Little Moon
release date: Oct. 13, 2009
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Paul Bryan
label: Yep Roc Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Good Morning Happiness" (live) - 3. "Little Moon" (live on KEXP) - 6. "Nightbirds" - 7. "Violet" - 8. "Buried Treasure" (live on KEXP)

6th studio album by Grant-Lee Phillips is like a combination of the predecessor, Strangelet (from Mar. 2007) - with its more uptempo pop / rock songs - and Virginia Creeper (Feb. 2004) with its focus on primarily acoustic alt. folk. What I don't appreciate that much on the album, is a bold inclusion of brass instruments, which sometimes makes it sound like The Beatles when they were most mainstream.
Having come across a few of his acoustic live versions from the KEXP radio show, they really puts his compositions on a higher level, so the production side of the album, I think, is not doing justice to his material, really, and Little Moon basically falls in the low end of his discography.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Bob Mould "Silver Age" (2012)

Silver Age
release date: Sep. 4, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Bob Mould
label: Merge Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Star Machine" - 2. "Silver Age" - 3. "The Descent" (5 / 5) (live on WFUV) - 6. "Fugue State" - 8. "Angels Rearrange" - 9. "Keep Believing" - 10. "First Time Joy"

9th solo studio album by Bob Mould and his first on new label, Merge Records signals a new start.
The album shows us a much more focused Mould than we've been used to for the past two decades.
For the first time in that many years it's so nice to hear the old man back on top. He sounds pretty much like Bob Mould in 1996, which means it cannot be bad - in fact, it's more than just Okay, and I find that it's one of the better releases in 2012. For quite some years I had given up on the man, as he continued to release new albums in search of a new styles or a new combo within familiar styles, without much luck, and without the right package of good songs, he's so famous for.
"The Descent" is just one blasting mofo song. Thanx Bob, how great to see you back!
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" (2008

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
release date: Mar. 3, 2008
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Nick Launay, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
label: Mute Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 3. "Moonland" - 5. "Albert Goes West" - 6. "We Call Upon the Author" - 11. "More News From Nowhere"

14th studio album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released 3½ years following Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus from 2004 is a more garage rock-styled album, and as such closer to the style of the side-project band, Grinderman, which feature members of The Bad Seeds.
To me, this sounds much like music inspired to some extent by Iggy & The Stooges - more than previous albums by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, although, The Stooges always has been a big source of inspiration for Nick Cave.

I don't find it all bad, it's just not as good as what I have come to associate with The Bad Seeds.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Independent, Q Magazine, Spin, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Cornershop "When I Was Born for the 7th Time" (1997)

When I Was Born for the 7th Time
release date: Sep. 8, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Tjinder Singh
label: Wiiija Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Sleep on the Left Side" - 2. "Brimful of Asha" (4 / 5) (live on Later) - 3. "Butter the Soul" - 5. "We're in Yr Corner" (4 / 5) (live on Later) - 6. "Funky Days Are Back Again" - 10. "Good Shit" - 11. "Good to Be on the Road Back Home" - 13. "Candyman" - 15. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"

3rd studio album by Cornershop released two years after Woman's Gotta Have It (Oct. 1995) is a move towards mainstream pop / rock with more scratching, sampling and over-dubs. The production is made by Tjinder Singh with assistance of Dan the Automator (aka hip hop producer Daniel M. Nakamura) and 'Daddy Rappaport'.
This was the first album I bought with the band shortly after attending a concert with Tindersticks having Cornershop as warm-up act. The album rocketed the band up on international album charts. The hit-single "A Brimful of Asha" is fine - tiresome in the long run, though - it was, however, the song "We're in Yr Corner" that completely blew me away at the concert. It's great on the album, but the live version included earthquake drum & bass backing, which was like... nothing I've ever heard before or since then. Almost all tracks are once again credited to front man Tjinder Singh. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, Select 4 / 5 stars ]

alt. cover (North American
issue on Luaka Bop)