30 June 2016

Signe Svendsen "Rift" (2016)

Rift
release date: Mar. 15, 2016
format: cd (BRCD20161)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Lars Skjærbæk
label: Bear Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Rift" - 2. "Strejfer" - 4. "Min værste fjende" - 5. "Drømmerester" - 6. "Hjertet brister" - 9. "Den sidste generation"

3rd studio album from Danish singer / songwriter Signe Svendsen following 2½ years after Kun de faldne rejser sig (Oct. 2013) is like that released by Bear Records and produced by Skjærbæk, who's also credited guitars, keyboards and backing vocals. On ten new songs Svendsen thematically investigates the non-perfect in us all - 'Rift' [translates to 'tear' as in 'scratch' / 'wound'] is here that unperfect mark everyone has, physically, or hidden on the inside, but she also raises a concern for the global climate.
Stylewise, the soundscape is more influenced by rock - the arrangements have a basic rock-foundation making the songs edgier and more direct, and the song material no longer contain traces of familiar international names. Svendsen has made her so far most mature and convincing collection of original songs.
Recommended.
[ Jyllands-Posten 4 / 6 stars ]

29 June 2016

Anneke van Giersbergen "Drive" (2013)

Drive
release date: Sep. 20, 2013
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Arno Krabman
label: Inside Out Music - nationality: The Netherlands

Track highlights: 1. "We Live On" (4 / 5) - 2. "Treat Me Like a Lady" - 3. "She" - 6. "Forgive Me" - 7. "You Will Never Change" - 8. "Mental Jungle" - 9. "Shooting for the Stars"

2nd solo studio album from Dutch artist Anneke van Giersbergen, former vocalist of the gothic metal band The Gathering. Producer Arno Krabman also plays guitar and is co-composer of the majority of the songs. The album follows 1½ years after her solo debut Everything Is Changing (Jan. 2012).
Drive is the first album I have come across by van Giersbergen and it's mostly a really nice encounter. It's not extremely original but rather energetic with loans from Madder Rose (tracks #2 and #4), Echobelly (tracks #2 and #3), Skunk Anansie (tracks #4 and #6), Alanis Morrissette (tracks #3, #5, #9 and #10) and with bits and pieces from The Cranberries / Dolores O'Riordan, which is mostly to say: it's alt. rock but also with a certain amount of hard rock, and (thankfully) not the type of gothic metal, which she apparently played with her former band, The Gathering. Quite often van Giersbergen tend to sound like a clone of Dolores O'Riordan and Alanis Morrisette, which frankly isn't all that bad, and the comparison only serves to give an idea of her vocal qualities without implying that she doesn't stand on her own two feet.
The track "Mental Jungle" features Turkish hardcore, industrial metal vocalist Hayko Cepkin (who also co-wrote the song).
The first two rocking tracks and track #7 are easily the best with the remaining songs sounding a wee bit like some of the aforementioned artists or like cloned on other pop / rock hits - however, it's rather well-crafted as the music is catchy and pretty good background noise when hoovering the house. That is: it's music meant to be played loud, and van Giersbergen demonstrates a strong, clean and full-bodied vocal that makes it all worthwhile.
Anneke van Giersbergen has played with various other artists, often lending her voice on a few songs and performed with artists representing very different scenes. After Drive, she contributed with vocals on heavy metal artist Devin Townsend on his four consecutive albums The Retinal Circus (2013), Z2 (2014), Sky Blue (2015), and Ziltoid (2015). In 2015 she also stood behind The Diary, a double album released in collaboration with Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen under the name of The Gentle Storm, and in 2016 she collaborated with Icelandic indie-folk band Árstíðir on the classical / folk album Verloren Verleden (Feb. 2016). Not many albums have been released under her own name as solo artist.
Drive is an energetic, warm and recommended listen.

28 June 2016

The Beat "I Just Can’t Stop It" (1980)

vinyl cover
I Just Can’t Stop It [debut]
release date: May 16, 1980
format: vinyl (BEAT 1) / cd (1990 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,95]
producer: Bob Sargeant
label: Arista / Go Feet - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (4 / 5) - 2. "Hands Off… She’s Mine" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "Two Swords" - 6. "Rough Rider" - 8. "Ranking Full Stop" - 9. "Big Shot" - 10. "Whine & Grine / Stand Down Margaret" - 11. "Noise in This World" - 12. "Can’t Get Used to Losing You" - 13. "Best Friend" - 14. "Jackpot"

Studio album debut originally released on Go Feet Records by The Beat (aka The English Beat / aka The British Beat), a sextet founded in Birmingham 1978 consisting of Dave Wakeling on lead vocals & rhythm guitar, Ranking Roger (aka Roger Charlery) on vocals & toasting, Andy Cox on lead guitar, David Steele on bass, Everett Morton on drums and with Saxa (aka Lionel Augustus Martin) on saxophone. The Beat released its first single releases on 2 Tone Records much like other ska revival acts like The Selector, The Specials and Madness. The Beat then signed with mother-label Arista and formed its own sub-label Go Feet Records. The name of the band was The Beat; however, because of an American band with that name (later identified as Paul Collins' Beat), they were launched as The English Beat in North America and as The British Beat for the Australian market. The original album release contains 12 tracks, the US re-issue comes with two bonus tracks (#5, "Tears of a Clown" and #8, "Ranking Full Stop" both of which had been released in '79 as a 7'' single (by 2 Tone). Much like The Specials and Madness, The Beat was highly inspired by the original Jamaican ska and also covered songs by Prince Buster - here: tracks #5 and 8, and the band's saxophone player, Saxa, had in fact played with Prince Buster and other Jamaican acts.
Stylistically, The Beat plays "2-tone" new wave in an original blend with 2-tone and pop reggae, which puts the band in the same drawer as Madness, The Specials, The Selecter and Bad Manners, but The Beat still sounded quite original with its bold focus on new wave, which in another way linked the band close to bands like The Clash, Magazine and Squeeze.
The album was met by critical acclaim and it peaked as high as #3 on the British albums chart list, and the best faring single, track #1 reached #4 on the singles chart list in the UK.
It's quite an achievement to produce this list of quality songs on the band's debut, also because many songs point in various stylistic directions: #1, 11 and 13 are tight new wave compositions, #5, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 are fine 2-tone songs with harmonic pop reggae, and track #2, one of my favourites, is the sheer positive conglomerate of all styles in one song.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Spin 5 / 5, Smash Hits 4,5 / 5 stars ]


27 June 2016

Tindersticks "Philharmonie de Paris" (2016) (live)

Philharmonie de Paris
(live)
release date: Feb. 2016
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Stuart A. Staples
label: Lucky Dog Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Live album by Tindersticks recorded from one and the same live concert at the Philharmonie de Paris, Feb. 10, 2015. The album offers 12 tracks with a total running time at just under 57 minutes, and with songs stemming evenly from the band's many albums, but with main emphasis on releases since 2006.
The front cover was created by Staples' wife, Suzanne Osborne.

26 June 2016

Alanis Morissette "Under Rug Swept" (2002)

Under Rug Swept
release date: Feb. 26, 2002
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "21 Things I Want in a Lover" - 2. "Narcissus" - 3. "Hands Clean" - 4. "Flinch" (4 / 5) - 6. "Precious Illusions" - 9. "You Owe Me Nothing in Return" - 10. "Surrendering" - 11. "Utopia"

5th studio album release by Alanis Morissette following Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998.
Now this is a better release than her '98 album. I think, many people actually missed this one out because of sheer disappointment with her follow-up to her extremely popular Jagged Little Pill (1995). The '98 release sold really well coming after such massive success, despite the fact that it was really a lesser album, so people may have concluded that she only did one great album, but I actually really like this one. "Hands Clean" and "Precious Illusions" were the single releases from the album but it's "Flinch" that really lifts the level.

25 June 2016

John Frusciante "Curtains" (2005)

Curtains
release date: Feb. 1, 2005
format: cd (2009 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: John Frusciante
label: The Record Collection - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "The Past Recedes" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Lever Pulled" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "Anne" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "A Name" - 6. "Control" - 7. "Your Warning" - 9. "Ascension" - 10. "Time Tonight"

7th solo album by John Frusciante following less than three months after Inside of Emptiness (Oct. 2004). In 2004 he released Shadows Collide With People (Feb.), The Will to Death (Jun.), with the project-band Ataxia Automatic Writing (Aug.), the solo ep DC EP (Sep.), Inside of Emptiness (Oct.), and a collaboration album with Josh Klinghoffer: A Sphere in the Heart of Silence (Nov.); and after all that he released this in Feb. 2005.
Not only is he enormously productive in this period, he also manages to write great songs, AND to compose music that differs, being however, still very true to his expression. This is not like any of the other albums. The umbrella style is still alt rock, a genre he stays true to, but this is much more of a singer / songwriter album with little additional orchestration. It's like a progression from Shadows... a multi-layered complex album with additional vocals and instruments, over The Will... with its simple and raw expression, exploding in white noise on ... Emptiness, and ending with this, a "naked" narrating Frusciante and his first primarily acoustic guitar album.
"The Past Recedes" is such a marvelous track.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Sputnik Music 4,5 / 5 stars ]

24 June 2016

XTC "Nonsuch" (1992)

Nonsuch
release date: Apr. 27, 1992
format: cd (2013 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Gus Dudgeon
label: Ape House - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" - 2. "My Bird Performs" - 3. "Dear Madum Barnum" - 6. "The Disappointed" - 9. "Rook" - 10. "Omnibus" - 14. "Wrapped in Grey" - 16. "Bungalow" - 17. "Books Are Burning" - *18. "Didn't Hurt a Bit"
*Extra track on 2013 remaster

10th studio album by XTC is like the predecessor, Oranges & Lemon (1989), originally released as a double vinyl album. Stylistically, the album follows closely on the same path laid out with the '89-album - both of which incorporate the psychedelic influences of primarily The Beatles and Beach Boys. The biggest difference on this is a delicate addition of chamber pop.
I never played the album much as I found that it only served to document that the band hasn't been able to find their feet, or a style to explore and make theirs. In retrospect, I must confess that I just wasn't ready for this retro-styled conglomerate and obliviously didn't share the same warm feelings for the band anymore. And much undeservedly, 'cause Nonsuch doesn't contain any poor or bad compositions. I still don't find it one of their best, but I hear some of the same influences like eg. Neil Hannon a decade later should investigate when making strong contemporary classics for The Divine Comedy. Just listen to "Bungalow".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Select, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

23 June 2016

Neil Young "Chrome Dreams II" (2007)

Chrome Dreams II
release date: Oct. 23, 2007
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Neil Young & Niko Bolas [as "The Volume Dealers"]
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

29th studio album by Neil Young. The album is one of his more mixed albums. Some tracks are quiet blending country rock, traditional folk and singer / songwriter, whereas others are hard rock and garage rock-styled, which makes it a bit of a strange collection. It sounds like a compilation of tracks coming from various albums and periods. The title refers to the fact that an album Chrome Dreams had been shelved back around 1977 - an album that also contained songs of mixed styles and influences. Perhaps, Young also felt the ambiguity and basically found it hard to find a direction at the time, since what was released was the mixed album American Stars 'n Bars (1977).
I'm not really impressed by this, and it seems that Young - once again - has found himself lost in the current time. It's been a while since he has released a truly great album, and this is not one of those.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut, 4 / 5, Rolling Stone, The Guardian 3 / 5 stars ]

22 June 2016

Hex "Vast Halos" (1990)

Vast Halos
release date: Sep. 28, 1990
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Steve Kilbey
label: self-release - nationality: USA / Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Monarch" - 3. "March" - 4. "Centaur" - 5. "Antelope" - 6. "Hollywood in Winter"

2nd and final full-length studio album by the duo Hex consisting of Donette Thayer and Steve Kilbey, also a privately formed couple. The title has only been released on CD and cassette via Rykodisc in the US and as a digital self-release in Australia. As a curiosity, the album came out at the same time when Kilbey and his (other) girlfriend, Karin Jansson, released their debut album Charms & Blues (also Sep. '90) under the name of Curious (Yellow). Vast Halos is the direct continuation of the '89 debut with more delay and bolder use of echo effects to create a stronger musical spaciousness. All tracks here are credited Thayer / Kilbey and again it's Thayer's vocals alone performing on the songs, which have been further arranged with keyboards, synthetic strings, and the vocals on this function more as musical instrumentation a bit á la Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins. Jangle-pop elements have crept in (Kilbey), but otherwise the album (again) most of all points to earlier dream pop releases of the mid-eighties.
The album garnered even better reviews than the debut, but without promotion it only sold a few copies and Hex only released one single from the album, the track "March".
During this period, Kilbey found himself at a low point with The Church, who, after bad studio experiences, had released Gold Afternoon Fix (Feb. '90) to lukewarm reviews, but Kilbey subsequently released his fourth solo album, Remindlessness (Jul. '90) and in the Summer of '90, he embarked on a new duo-project, now with Grant McLennan from the recently defunct Go-Betweens, and together the two released the debut album Jack Frost by the end of the year.
Vast Halos is quite a nicely arranged album if you are into dream pop in the darker and more moody end of the scale, where Hex leans on the same qualities as Mazzy Star with their debut She Hangs Brightly from May this year, and without being excellent, it is clearly the duo's best and most interesting outing.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

20 June 2016

Van Morrison "Days Like This" (1995)

Days Like This
release date: Jun. 20, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
produced: Van Morrison
label: Exile / Polydor - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Perfect Fit" - 2. "Russian Roulette" (4 / 5) - 3. "Raincheck" (4 / 5) (live) - 4. "You Don't Know Me" - 5. "No Religion" - 6. "Underlying Depression" - 8. "Days Like This" - 10. "Melancholia" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 12. "In the Afternoon" (4 / 5) (live)

23rd studio album by Van Morrison released on Exile / Polydor produced by Van himself. His daughter Shana Morrison features as duet singer and on backing vocals on tracks #3, 4, 9, and 10 (the latter being the album's best track). Van may dwell on his back catalogue, and he may tend to be repetitious, but gosh doesn't he just know how to write good songs. The album was a bland experience at the time of the release. It is one of his most mainstream pop / rock crafted albums and it has a bit of the same polished sound as you'll find on Enlightenment (1990) and Avalon Sunset (1989), however, it also contains great songs that I wouldn't be without. "Russian Roulette", "Raincheck", "Underlying Depression", "Days Like This", "Melancholia", and "In the Afternoon" are all songs way above average. And that's really just Van in a nutshell: even when he just seems to cruise on auto-pilot, he always has an extra gear and something more to offer.

19 June 2016

The The "Hanky Panky" (1995)

Hanky Panky
release date: Feb. 14, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Matt Johnson & Bruce Lampcov
label: Epic Records - nationality: England, UK


5th studio album by The The follows two years year after Dusk and is anything but the natural follow-up but nonetheless a genuine Matt Johnson release, although, none of the songs were written or composed by Johnson. The album pays tribute to Hank Williams - only the arrangements are credited Johnson and (David) 'D. C.' Collard. After releasing two albums as an actual band, Johnson is here back as solo artist behind the project. The only recurring personnel is D.C. Collard credited treated melodica and arrangements, and co-producer Bruce Lampcov. The new backing band mostly only covers a stellar cast of American session musicians including guitarist Eric Schermerhorn (from Iggy Pop's backing band) and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey (from David Bowie's backing band), harmonica player Jim Fitting, and drummer Brian MacLeod (Chris Isaak, Wire Train, Sheryl Crow, etc.), which once again sees Johnson play with handpicked musicians instead of a steady band.
Hanky Panky is really something else, and then there's still Johnson's DNA all over despite also being original country songs. The album may contain eleven tracks but it runs for less than 34 minutes. A first glimpse of the front cover, and knowing of Johnson's sometimes biting satire in combination with the album title, which could sound like a pun hinting at the first track and / or the world of country as a genre, and you might mistake it as a bad joke of some sort. And I guess Johnson knew about people doubting his project - explaining why he has included a written statement in the inlay telling about his admiration for the genre as such and for Hank Williams in particular. So, don't be fooled, it's by no means a joke but deadly serious! Some would argue that Johnson probably recognised the loner in Williams' existence and his songwriting, and then Johnson himself faced a new beginning after relocating to the US and ending his relationship with Fiona Skinner.
The arrangements are at times with much remaining from the original songs, but mostly they are with due respect to the source but heavily re-arranged with a great deal of modern rock in mind.
My initial verdict had me (completely) reject Johnson's choice - it was simply too strange, and I guess a lot of fans felt the same, but you really have to hand it to Matt Johnson: he did what he felt like doing at the time, regardless other people's opinion - be it record label, critics, or fans.
In retrospect, the album naturally lands miles from his previous releases but it's by no means a mediocre album 'cause everything is done with respect and so much talent that it simply puts a new light on songs from a completely different genre. It's both art rock, blues rock and country rock all mixed with the essence of country, and frankly, overall, it's really a mighty fine release.
Hanky Panky wasn't exactly met like a new great album from The The by most critics, but who cares what they think, although, some have changed their initial opinion about the album over the years, which basically tell us that you only have to listen for yourself.
The album is not one of Johnson's best but it's still a recommended listen, also both as a tribute to a great songwriter as well as brilliant reinterpretations of classic country.
[ 👎allmusic.com 3 / 5, USA Today 3 / 4 stars ]

18 June 2016

Thåström "Kärlek är för dom" (2009)

Kärlek är för dom
release date: Mar. 13, 2009
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,77]
producer: Ulf Ivarsson
label: Sonet / Universal - nationality: Sweden


6th solo album by Thåström released 3½ years since his most recent solo album, the acclaimed Skebokvarnsv. 209. The album is made with a handful of usual collaborators including Niklas Hellberg and Pelle Ossler with whom he forms the band Sällskapet, and also Per Hägglund, who played with Thåström in the band Imperiet. The album also feature Swedish artist Anna Ternheim on additional vocals, and it contains an old classic, "Den druckne matrosens sång" by Swedish songwriter Dan Andersson (1888-1920) and the Bob Dylan song "Men bara om min älskade väntar" (#10) translated by Ulf Dageby.
Kärlek är for dom follows closely in the footsteps of his 2005 album by being primarily a singer / songwriter and alt. rock release with focus on narratives. It also topped the Swedish albums chart list as his now third solo album, and the title song issued as the first single release reached number #8 on the singles chart list. A few times on the album, I think there's a distinct inspiration from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - most evidently on #2 "Långtbort", which was the second single release from the album and here the song is credited Thåström and Hellberg, but to me it sounds much like paraphrasing "Foi Na Cruz" by Nick Cave.
Although, the album doesn't quite reach the same high level as "Skebokvarnsv. 209", it's easily his so far second best studio album.
The album is the only solo album by Thåström not feature himself on the front cover.

16 June 2016

Neil Young "Live at Massey Hall 1971" (2007) (live)

Live at Massey Hall 1971 [Archival] (live)
release date: Mar. 13, 2007
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: David Briggs, Neil Young
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "On the Way Home" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Tell Me Why" (4 / 5) - 3. "Old Man" (5 / 5) - 5. "Helpless" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "A Man Needs a Maid - Heart of Gold Suite" (4 / 5) - 8. "Cowgirl in the Sand" (4 / 5) - 9. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" (4 / 5) - 12. "The Needle and the Damage Done" (4 / 5) - 13. "Ohio" (4 / 5) - 15. "Down by the River" (4 / 5) - 16. "Dance Dance Dance" (5 / 5) - 17. "I Am a Child" (4 / 5)

Live album by Neil Young in his "Archives Performance Series". The tracks were recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada on Jan. 19, 1971 during his Journey Through The Past solo tour. This is such a fine and absolutely wonderful album documenting how great he performed without anyone to support him on stage. I love it.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Uncut 5 / 5 stars ]

15 June 2016

Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari "Oro incenso e birra" (1989)

Oro incenso e birra
release date: Jun. 13, 1989
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Corrado Rustici
label: Polydor - nationality: Italy

Track highlights: 1. "Overdose (d'amore)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Il mare impetuoso al tramonto salì sulla luna e dietro una tendina di stelle..." - 5. "Diavolo in me" - 7. "A Wonderful World" (4 / 5) - 8. "Diamante" (4 / 5) - 9. "Libera l'amore"

5th studio album by Zucchero is released as 'Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari', and it follows two years after the album Blue's. All lyrics and music is written and composed by Zucchero except his popular song "Diamante", which has lyrics by Franceso De Gregori, and "Libera l'amore" with music by Ennio Morricone. As with the predecessor a Christmas version was issued later in '89 with a different cover and also with the title changed to Oro incenso & mirra. One year later a new limited and numbered Christmas edition was released with a new cover and the title D'oro incenso & birra (and with the possiblity to win a compact disc in pure gold) - all with the same tracklist; however the French version from '90 was released with the bonus track "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)" featuring Paul Young.
Once again, Zucchero has managed to write and compose a fine collection of songs, and the album topped the Italian and the Zwiss album charts and made it to number #17 in France. Four tracks were released as singles: tracks #4, #5, #8 and #1 with "Diamante" as the best-selling single from the album with a chart position as number #11. The album itself was for seven years and with more than 8 mio. sold copies ranked as the best-selling album worldwide.
The album signals Zucchero's international breakthrough and is by many considered his all-time best. It's his last album to have lyrics in Italian exclusively ("A Wonderful World" only has its title and repetitous phrase 'A Wonderful World' in English), and most of his successive albums would be issued in an Italian issue for the national market and in an English-versioned edition for international markets.
Oro incenso & birra was my first acquisition with music by Zucchero as I purchased the album on cassette. As with the predecessor I believed the album to be a compilation, which may say a few things about the quality of Zucchero Fornaciari's songwriting talent.
Highly recommended.

14 June 2016

Paul Weller "Studio 150" (2004)

Studio 150

release date: Sep. 14, 2004
format: cd (SACD)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]
producer: Jan Kybert & Paul Weller
label: V2 - nationality: England, UK

7th studio album by Paul Weller following two years after Illumination is a collection of cover songs of various styles from standards, rhythm & blues, soul, classic pop, folk rock, and pop / rock, and most songs are originally from the 1960s.
The album is not all bad, and the material of songs of course represent Weller's influences but I really don't find it a pleasant listen altogether. Some songs are a wee bit hard to listen to in Weller's arrangements and with his pop / rock vocal, e.g. the traditional "Black Is the Colour", Bacharach and Hardin's "Close to You" - legendary in The Carpenters version - Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" - strongly covered by many others, and then he has made room for a song by britpop composer Noel Gallagher of Oasis, which simply seems out of place, when putting him alongside Bob Dylan, Billie Calvin, Neil Young, Gil Scott-Heron, Burt Bacharach and Nile Rodgers but it also points to how diverse and redundant this collection of songs basically seem.
[ allmusic.com, The Music Box 3 / 5 stars ]

13 June 2016

Mark Kozelek "Rock 'n' Roll Singer" (2000) (ep)

Rock 'n' Roll Singer, ep
release date: Jun. 13, 2000
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Mark Kozelek
label: Badman Recording Co. - nationality: USA


Studio ep debut by Mark Kozelek released on Badman Recording Co. consisting of seven tracks of which three would later be issued on his full-length album debut What's Next to the Moon (2001). Together with Red House Painters, Kozelek had recorded the band's final album Old Ramon (rec. 1997-98), although, it wasn't released until 2001 as the band decided to split. So this is part of Kozelek's continued journey releasing some of his own songs; tracks #1, #4, and #7, and showing his interest in remodelling other people's songs into alt. folk and singer / songwriter style. Three of the cover songs (tracks #2, #3, and #6) are originally songs by the Australian heavy rock band AC/DC, and track #5 is credited John Denver.
In retrospect, this is typical Kozelek in the sense that his most haunting and beautiful songs are written by himself, whereas his cover versions are mere extravagant contributions.

12 June 2016

Kent "Isola" (1997)

Isola
release date: Nov. 12, 1997
format: cd (repress)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Zed (aka Zed Nagrano)
label: RCA Victor - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Livräddaren" - 2. "Om du var här" (4 / 5) - 3. "Saker man ser" - 4. "Oprofessionell" (4 / 5) - 6. "Celsius" - 7. "Bianca" - 8. "Innan allting tar slut" (4 / 5) - 9. "Glider" - 10. "747" (4 / 5)

3rd studio album by Kent introduces Zed [Zed Nagrano] in the producer seat (as the first of three consecutive albums) and a new style. Zed also worked on the first to albums with Kent as he mixed both albums and on Verkligen, he also recorded the album with producer Nille Perned.
After having released the predecessor, the band was expanded with rhythm guitarist Harri Mänty.
Stylistically, it's obvious that the band has taken a new direction. The single tracks are simply much more sophisticated without being over-arranged, and when comparing with the first two albums, Isola basically sounds radically different as if made by another band.
If Verkligen brought the band its first national prize, Isola easily brought more than twice the amount of recognition. The album went #1 on the albums chart list, and Kent won four awards - two at the Swedish Grammis [Grammy Awards] winning for Best Album and Best Pop / Rock Group, and they were awarded a Rockbjörn [award held by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet] for Best Album.
I have always thought of Isola as "the other twin" to Tillbaka till samtiden (2007), although there's a 10 year gap between the two, but the kinship has to do with the same dark atmosphere and a stronger focus on musical arrangements. Two tracks here are really stand-outs: "Om du var här" and "Innan allting tar slut". Both seems more in family with the best tracks on the successor Hagnesta Hill.
Somehow, the album never was a favourite Kent album at first. I really couldn't put a finger on it, as the production is better than ever before, and you may find the band in a much more homogeneous state compared to the first two albums. It ceased to slip my mind, I realised it being one of their better ones. At this point of their career it sticks out as their absolute best, and in retrospect, it's probably their album that has grown most on me. It's clearly Kent's most laid-back, or meditative album, and also their so far most introspective one.
The album was re-issued by RCA Victor in '98 with English versions of the songs.
Recommended.

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11 June 2016

The Last Shadow Puppets "Everything You've Come to Expect" (2016)

Everything You've Come to Expect
release date: Apr. 1, 2016
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: James Ford
label: Domino Recording Company - nationality: England. UK

Track highlights: 1. "Aviation" (live on Later) - 2. "Miracle Aligner" - 4. "Everything Youve Come to Expect" - 7. "Sweet Dreams, TN"

2nd studio album by project-band The Last Shadow Puppets consisting of (Arctic Monkeys front figure) Alex Turner on vocals and guitar, Miles Kane (from The Rascals) also on vocals and guitar, Zach Dawes on bass and keyboards, and with (producer) James Ford (of Homelife and Simian) on drums and percussion. 'Super-group' this project has been labeled, although, only Turner has been in a highly successful band, but yes, Ford has mainly put his name down as a hot producer for Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Beth Ditto, Florence and the Machine and Mumford & Sons to mention just the most famous artists, and Dawes is a new member on this album.
Stylistically, this is somewhat far from Arctic Monkeys being more chamber pop, psychedelic pop and melodic pop / rock-orientated. The album has generally been met by positive reviews by most major critics. I just don't find it that interesting. Admitted, it's above mediocre but there are too few fine songs here to call it anything near great. The production side is fine - very neat and polished - but the songs are just too anonymous and soothing in big arrangement production for my liking. And then I just find that it builds a bit too much on The Divine Comedy and former heydays with Scott Walker and Lee Hazlewood.
It's like Alex Turner going with the jet-set.
[ allmusic.com, NME 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

10 June 2016

Palle Mikkelborg "Anything But Grey" (1992)

Anything But Grey
release date: Apr. 9, 1992
format: vinyl (COL 471614 1) / cd (COL 471614 2)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Òli Poulsen
label: Columbia - nationality: Denmark


Studio solo album by Palle Mikkelborg following the collaboration album Hommage - Once Upon a Time (1990) made with N.H.Ø.P. All compositions are by Mikkelborg except "Smile" by Charles Chaplin. The album consists of nine tracks with a total running time just exceeding 51 minutes.
Stylewise, the album follows Mikkelborg's late 80s and 90s style of airy fusion / avant-garde jazz with focus on melody.
The album doesn't appear to have been met by great enthusiasm, but for me, it's a most wonderful and warm contemporary jazz album - perhaps much treasured because I actually purchased the album on its release. I have played the cd so many times that it ended up being impossible to play without tracks skipping or forcing my cd player to call it quits. Luckily, I managed to copy the content to FLAC format and thereby saving this splendid album.
Mikkelborg both dwells on near-ambient compositions and more fusion-like songs, e.g. "Glass Painting" with an ever-present influence from Miles Davis and his 80s albums: You're Under Arrest (Apr. 1985), Tutu (Sep. 1986), and Amandla (May 1989), but the overall sensation is still one of strong original coherency thanks to Mikkelborg's characteristic flugelhorn.
Highly recommended.

09 June 2016

Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari "Blue's" (1987)

Blue's
release date: Jun. 15, 1987
formats: cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
produced by: Corrado Rustici
label: Polydor / Universal - nationality: Italy

Track highlights: 2. "Con le mani" (4 / 5) - 3. "Pippo" - 4. "Dune mosse" - 5. "Bambino io, bambino tu" - 6. "Non ti sopporto più" (4 / 5) - 7. "Senza una donna" (5 / 5) - 9. "Hey Man" - 10. "Solo una sana e consapevole libidine salva il giovane dallo stress e dall'Azione Cattolica" (org. video) - 11. "Hai scelto me"

4th studio album by Zucchero follows one year after Rispetto and is released under the name of 'Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari'. Most songs are written and composed solely by Zucchero - only tracks #2, #5 & #9 are co-written by Gino Paoli, track#4 is written with Marco Figliè, and track #5 is co-composed with Albino Mammoliti and Raymond Jones. The album was already in late '87 issued in a Christmas version ['versione natalizia'] with a different front cover but with the same original tracklist. However, the optical issues featured two bonus tracks (tracks #8 & #12).
Blue's continues very much in the style of his '86 album with an even stronger presence of a blues rock ingredient. I just think this has several songs of higher quality, and it basically sounds like a "best of" compilation, which I initially mistook it for. The album is Zucchero's first of ten [10!] consecutive studio albums to top the Italian album charts, and it's his first to have en entry outside of Italy. The album peaked at number #43 in the Netherlands and as number #18 in Switzerland where it sold Platinum.
Two singles where released from the album: track #2 and #7 peaking at number #27 and #17 respectively; however, "Senza una donna" would become his first number #1 single-hit and best-selling single ever, when it was re-recorded with Paul Young and released as single in '91. It's also included on Zucchero's first compilation album Zucchero from '90 as well as Paul Young's compilation From Time to Time (1991) and that version of the song is one of of the top-3 best-selling Italian songs ever released.
Note: The front cover is the photography "7th Day Adventists" (aka 'Male Voice Choir Seventh Day Adventists Church Holoway, London') by Neal Slavin taken from his book "Britons" (1986).
This is really Zucchero on top of his career with brilliant songwriting and tight pop soul and blues, and it comes close to the style of Joe Cocker and Paul Young, "only" difference is that Zucchero is an artist, who writes his own material.
I think, this is his clearly best album so far.
Highly recommended.

08 June 2016

Bruce Springsteen "Magic" (2007)

Magic
release date: Oct. 2, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Brendan O'Brien
label: Columbia Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Radio Nowhere" - 2. "You'll Be Comin' Down" - 4. "Your Own Worst Enemy" - 5. "Gypsy Biker" - 8. "Magic" - 10. "Long Walk Home" - 12. "Terry's Song"

15th studio album by Bruce Springsteen released after the studio album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006), which is the so far only full Springsteen studio album with cover-versions only. Producer Brendan O'Brien launches a familiar sound borrowing from grunge rock and alt. rock, [Pearl Jam, The Killers and Neil Young], I think.
The album topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, and I think you may look at it as a breath of fresh air from someone who almost always releases solid albums but also seems stuck in his own style.
Without being great, it's mighty fine.
[ allmusic.com 3,5, Uncut 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

07 June 2016

Huey Lewis and the News "Small World" (1988)

Small World
release date: Jun. 1988
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,04]
producer: Huey Lewis and the News
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

5th studio album by Huey Lewis and the News.

06 June 2016

Jacob Bellens "Polyester Skin" (2016)

Polyester Skin
release date: Feb. 5, 2016
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Kasper Bjørke
label: HFN Music - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Tidal Wave" - 3. "Untouchable" - 4. "Back to You" (4 / 5) - 6. "Polyester Skin" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Caught in a Kiss" (3,5 / 5)

2nd solo album by Jacob Bellens is a most welcome release being his best album so far, and that includes albums with former bands and collaboration projects including I Got You On Tape, Murder and Goblins. The style is chamber pop with electronic or synthpop influences, perhaps thanks to former Filur member, producer and remixer, Kasper Bjørke. I have listened to many releases featuring Bellens, who has harvested critical acclaim as singer and songwriter, but I have never really felt that his voice was fit for indie rock or neo-psychedelia; however, the chamber pop "disguise" seems much more proper.

05 June 2016

John Mayer "Room for Squares" (2001)

Room for Squares
release date: Jun. 5, 2001
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: John Alagia
label: Aware / Columbia - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "No Such Thing" - 2. "Why Georgia" - 3. "My Stupid Mouth" - 4. "Your Body Is a Wonderland" - 5. "Neon" - 6. "City Love" - 9. "Love Song for No One" - 10. "Back to You" - 14. "St. Patrick's Day"

Full length studio album debut by John Mayer contains four previously released tracks from his debut ep Inside Wants Out (1999), although most of these have been altered considerably to fit the overall pop / rock sound on this.
Where Inside Wants Out had Mayer standing with one foot on slick pop soil and the other on traditional folk ground, this album is a homogeneously sounding pop / rock album through and through.
Now, I'm not saying this is my favourite Mayer album but what it does really well is presenting a whole. All songs here are produced as pop / rock tunes without any edges - it's rock music that could be played at any school or retirement home without stirring things up. And yeah, Sinatra and Charles would do just that too, but they have other qualities. Mayer, a young talented singer and songwriter with his feet planted in blues rock (Hendrix) and paid tribute to jazz on his previous release simply owes more than this to the world of music. And no, it's not bad! It's just so damn slick and each song sound as the previous. At some point you end up thinking "now isn't this, this or that song?" And after a few listens I concede that it's mighty fine but... just too damn honey-drooling for my liking.
Regardless my liking it really contains many fine tracks. I just need to be in the right mood.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone and Slant 4 / 5, Blender 3 / 5 stars ]

04 June 2016

Bryan Ferry "Boys and Girls" (1985)

Boys and Girls
release date: Jun. 3, 1985
format: vinyl / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: Rhett Davies & Bryan Ferry
label: EG Records / Polydor K.K. - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Sensation" - 2. "Slave to Love" (5 / 5) - 3. "Don't Stop the Dance" (4 / 5) - 5. "Windswept" - 7. "Valentine" - 8. "Stone Woman"

6th studio album by Bryan Ferry follows seven years after The Bride Stripped Bare (1978), and here Ferry has paired up with Rhett Davies as the album producers. All tracks except one (track #3 by Bryan Ferry and Rhett Davies) are exclusively credited Ferry.
Stylistically, Ferry moves further up the 'art pop' alley and makes his so far boldest 'sophisti-pop' album with strong bonds to the final Roxy Music album Avalon (1982), which also featured Rhett Davies as co-producer.
The album was met by critical acclaim and topped the charts in several countries including the UK, as Ferry's only solo album, and it's also his only Platinum-selling album in the UK. The album spawned three singles: tracks #2, 3 and 5, peaking at #10, #21 and #46 respectively on the UK singles chart.
I recall buying the album upon its release at a time when I found it a bit too smooth; however, over the years I have returned to it and basically find it his best solo album to date. Also, in retrospect the album simply stands out as a cornerstone in modern sound production.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]


Japanese CD cover


03 June 2016

Bob Mould "Beauty & Ruin" (2014)

Beauty & Ruin
release date: Jun. 3, 2014
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]
producer: Bob Mould
label: Merge Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Little Glass Pill" (live) - 3. "I Don't Know You Anymore" (live at KCRW) - 4. "Kid With Crooked Face" - 6. "The War" (4 / 5) (live at WFUV) - 7. "Forgiveness" (4 / 5) - 8. "Hey Mr. Grey" (live at WFUV) - 9. "Fire in the City" - 10. "Tomorrow Morning" - 12. "Fix It"

10th studio album by Bob Mould as solo artist. Like always, Bob is his own producer, and that just seems to work fine. This is another strong album after several years off and a fine follow-up to his strongest album in this millennium, Silver Age (2012). It took me a while to get accustomed to this one. Initially, I thought of it as vague and an attempt to be more aggressive and in that way come closer to his best albums of the past just without much new to offer. However, over a span of 2-3 months I now find that the album is not only packed with fine compositions - they may need time to open up, but it's even an improvement to his fine 2012 album. One peculiar observation suggests that the best tracks don't figure on the first half of the album but are stowed away in the last part. With his fine 2012 release, I don't find this as surprising but musically it's even better proving there's still many fine years back in the father of grunge. The front cover features a double shot of Bob with one photo from his youth ['beauty'?] and a recent photo ['ruin'?].
Not only do I find the album a very fine collection of songs at this point of a long career; for now, I simply consider it no less than his second best album - ever.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]



Back cover

02 June 2016

Curious (Yellow) "Charms & Blues" (1990)

Charms & Blues
[debut]
release date: Sep. 1990
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,98]
producer: Steven Kilbey
label: Red Eye Records / Polydor - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Silvia" - 2. "Taken by Surprice" - 4. "Charms and Blues" - 5. "Insomnia" - 7. "Serendipity" - 10. "Empress"

Debut album from the duo-project Curious (Yellow) consisting of Swedish vocalist Karin Jansson (formerly Pink Champagne) and boyfriend Steve Kilbey (of The Church, here credited Steven Kilbey) released on Australian Red Eye in Sep. '90, at which point Kilbey also together with his (other) girlfriend Donette Thayer later that month released the album Vast Halos under the name of Hex. For several years, Kilbey has written songs together with Jansson, which have appeared on Kilbey's solo albums or releases with The Church - among others possibly the band's biggest hit "Under the Milky Way" (1988). Curious (Yellow) is the only studio album under a name taken from the Swedish erotic film, "I Am Curious (Yellow)" from '67 by Vilgot Sjöman. 'Coincidentially', a plot in the film is that of a female protagonist who finds out that her new boyfriend is also seing another woman. In the late eighties, Kilbey was in a relationship with Jansson, with whom he had twin daughters and from '88 (with Jansson's knowledge) he also formed a couple with Donette Thayer for a few years.
Musically, the most obvious connection is to Kilbey and Thayer's musical project Hex and its debut album from '89. Charms & Blues is dream pop / indie pop carried in a simple style, which may remind a little of Cardigans meets Cranberries. Kilbey is not quite as prominent in the sound image and on the composition side as he is in Hex or for that matter in the band The Church and in Jack Frost. Most of all, it appears like Jansson's project, which Kilbey supports with his know-how and ability as a producer. He plays on some tracks, he has written two tracks and composed the music on three of the album's eleven tracks in total, but Jansson participates on all songs and she has written nine songs and composed the music on three tracks. In addition to the two main actors, Pryce Surplice also participates as an instrumentalist and composer - he also plays together with Kilbey and McLennan in the duo-project Jack Frost.
Charms & Blues is mostly interesting as one of Kilbey's many releases, but it's not on par with the music from Kilbey's other side projects, nor with the music Kilbey and Thayer released under the Hex moniker.

01 June 2016

The House of Love "The House of Love" (1988)

The House of Love [debut]
release date: Jun. 1988
format: vinyl (CRELP34) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: The House of Love
label: Creation Records - nationality: England, UK

Studio album debut by London-founded band The House of Love consisting of songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Guy Chadwick lead guitarist and backing vocalist Terry Bickers, bassist Chris Groothuizen and drummer Pete Evans.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5, Uncut, Record Collector 4 / 5 stars ]