Sigur Rós "Route One" (2017)

Route One

release date: Dec. 2017 (re-released Apr. 27, 2018)

format: digital (8 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]

producer: Sigur Rós

label: self-released - nationality: Iceland

Remix album by Sigur Rós, or at least a special type of remix album. The band broadcast their more than 1300K road trip around Iceland's ring road in the Summer of 2016 live on YouTube, while using software to make continous remixes of one original composition - "Óveður". Eight of these were then selected for this remix album.

I find the project fascinating, especially as a full audio-visual experience but as is often the case with soundtracks, the audio part alone may suffer from the missing dimension, and that's what I find is at stake with Route One. The compositions are not only instrumentals but they're also held in a mostly ambient style, which makes the end result quite coherent but also challenging as a full listen from start to finish.

One of the band's lesser releases.
In May 2018, Route One was followed by the project Liminal, which was an attempt to make an 'endless mixtape' they would add new pieces to over time, and in Sep. 2018 the band made an announcement that drummer Orri Dýrason had left the band - practically leaving the band reduced to a duo of Jónsi and Georg Hólm.

The Durutti Column "Short Stories for Pauline" (2012)

Short Stories for Pauline
release date: Jun. 18, 2012
format: cd (fbn 36)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "At First Sight" - 2. "Duet" - 3. "College" - 4. "Invitations" - 5. "Destroy, She Said" - 6. "Model" - 7. "Journeys by Vespa" - 8. "Take Some Time Out" - 9. "A Silence" - 10. "Mirror A" - 11. "Cocktail" - 12. "Telephone Call" - 13. "Mirror B" - 14. "A Room in Southport"

23rd studio album release by The Durutti Column issued on Factory Benelux and produced by Vini Reilly. It's hard to fit in the category of new material as all tracks are from what was an abandoned album that Reilly worked on back in 1983, and which could/should have been his fourth studio album with the same title as here, and therefore it carries the original production number fbn36. Instead, Factory Records, or i.e. manager Tony Wilson, persuaded Reilly to work on what became the neo-classical Without Mercy (1984). That album only consists of two tracks but one will find that the tracks contain themes and pieces that has been incorporated from various tracks on this, the abandoned album. Some of the tracks have previously been released on a compilation album titled Lips That Would Kiss (1991), also by Factory Benelux.
[ official release info, see here ]
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" (1970) (single)

My Sweet Lord, 7'' single

release date: Nov. 23, 1970

format: vinyl (F 2995)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]

producer: George Harrison & Phil Spector

label: Apple Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "My Sweet Lord" (4,5 / 5) - - B) "Isn't It a Pity"

1st single release by George Harrison taken from his solo album debut All Things Must Pass (Nov. 27, 1970). The single was released in the US as a double A-side single and international issues as regular two-sided 7'' singles.

This song is likely to be Harrison's best loved single - being highly valued as a stand-out work from his first album while creating a clash with his mangement as he didn't want to issue any singles from his album. Perhaps, just as importantly, the single is highly treasured because the single mix of the song differs from that found on the album.

During the Winter of 1970/'71, the release became an international number #1 single-hit, and the first to top the singles charts by any of the four ex-Beatles members. The song itself must have been the best possible promotion for the critical acclaim and commercial success of his double album, although, Harrison probably still didn't just see it as a sales stunt.

The copy I own is a first issue pressing from Denmark, which also played a central role as Harrison appears to have written and composed the song while on tour in Copenhagen, Dec. '69.

Back in the 70s I did enjoy this very song but somehow I also felt that I should appreciate it more 'cause I wasn't a huge fan. I think, I found it a bit too melancholic and repetitive - both traits are perhaps the reason I have come to treasure it much more as an adult. Harrison makes it simple and he carries much of a recognisable style from The Beatles without sounding like a tune coming from his former band. The song is both a simple one lyrically and with its bold chorus and yet musically, it's a complex compound of styles. There's a fine balance of psychedelic rock - here it's a conglomerate of folk rock, singer / songwriter, baroque pop, and pop / rock, and you can't really tell which style is the dominant one. It's tempting to stay with notion of 'psychedelic' but it seems too simplistic. All Things Must Pass is an iconic masterpiece, and "My Sweet Lord" is there as a highlight, to stress the fact that Harrison possessed much more than he was given a chance to lay open while being part of a band with two leaders. As much as I enjoy the various periods by The Fab Four, I just feel a more warm-hearted appreciation for Harrison's solo career, which I consider generally underappreciated.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Greyhounds "I (Who Have Nothing)" (1969) (single)

I (Who Have Nothing), 7'' single

release date: 1969

format: vinyl (SC 1106)

[single rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,60]

producer: ?

label: Scan-Disc - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: A) "I (Who Have Nothing)" - - B) "Theme From the Wild Angels"

Single release from Swedish rock band Greyhounds. The A-side is credited 'Mogul - Donida - Leiber - Stoller'. Now, I know who Leiber & Stoller are. Mogul was a moniker for Italian songwriter Giulio Rapetti and Carlo Donida was an Italian composer and together they made the song "Uno dei tanti" ['One of the Many' / 'One Among Many'], which was transposed to English with new lyrics by songwriter-duo Jerome Leiber & Mike Stoller. The Italian song was originally performed by Joe Sentieri in 1961, and the translated version was initially performed by Ben E. King in 1963 [see more info on other versions here]. The B-side is credited Mike Curb, who made music to Roger Corman's 1966 film "The Wild Angels". There's not much other info on the vinyl labels or on the cover, which has identical sides, but the band appears to consisting of lead vocalist Bo Hellström, guitarist Roger Blomdahl, bassist Rolf Ahlin, keyboardist and vocalist Willy Björkman, and drummer Hasse Andersson.

This single probably comes from my older brother's record collection. I think, the cover somehow signals more than their music - and they could have only just watched Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider", which premiered Jul. 1969, but most certainly knew of Corman's "The Wild Angels", in which the B-side original is found - and they try really hard to pose as a Swedish Steppenwolf copy.

I recall putting the single on the turntable as a kid and being disappointed about not really finding any enjoyment in it. Now, some five decades later, I still don't find much pleasure from it.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Moby "Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt" (2018)

Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt
release date: Mar. 2, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: Moby
label: Little Idiot - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Mere Anarchy" - 3. "Like a Motherless Child" - 4. "The Last of Goodbyes" - 5. "The Ceremony of Innocence" - 7. "Welcome to Hard Times" - 9. "Falling Rain and Light"

15th studio album by Moby [aka Richard Melville Hall] released on his own label and via Mute Records following the second release credited Moby & The Void Pacific Choir, More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse from 2017.
Stylistically, this is a return to his 'electronic' releases - as contrary to the 'dance punk' and 'synth punk' of releases with The Void Pacific Choir - and Moby has been around the 'electronic' scene for more than three decades exploring and incorporating genres and styles to satisfy himself more than his fans. That's always a good staring point, but as with someone like Neil Young it takes the artist off on many excursions - sometimes losing, sometimes gaining popularity, but I really like the attitude. With Moby I have felt a certain disappointment at times but this is no such instance. He reworks some familiar bits but mainly maintains a distinct sound, and it's really a nice journey. I like his touch on 'trip hop' combined with what sounds almost 'industrial' with an underlying bittersweet tone like one will find on his masterpiece Play from 1999, although, there's no real revisit to that, as it's more like a big combo of his many influences.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, The Daily Telegraph 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Cornershop "Hold on It's Easy" (2015)

Hold on It's Easy
release date: Feb. 2, 2015
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]
producer: Tjinder Singh
label: Ample Play Records - nationality: England, UK

8th studio album by Cornershop follows nearly three years after Urban Turban - The Singhles Club.

This is something entirely different by being an easy-listening remake [thus the title] of the band's debut album Hold on It Hurts from 1993 and seems to be made exclusively by Tjinder Singh with the assistance of additional musicians and completely without steady band member Ben Ayres.

The album has only been issued in vinyl and digital download formats.

Hold on It's Easy is interesting with its alternate versions of familiar songs but it's nevertheless a somewhat strange and less powerful collection of songs, and the album may serve more in a collection for completionists.

Tracey Thorn "Record" (2018)

Record
release date: Mar. 2, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Ewan Pearson
label: Unmade Road - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Queen" - 2. "Air" - 3. "Guitar" - 5. "Sister" - 8. "Face"

5th studio album by Tracey Thorn released on [her husband] the Ben Watt-founded label Unmade Roads comes 2½ years after her extensive compilation album Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982-2015 (made as both 2-disc and single disc issues) and follows some 5½ years since her latest solo studio album Tinsel and Lights from 2012.
Stylistically, these new songs don't expose any new moves by Thorn. It's all made in a warm atmosphere of synthpop alt. dance, which mostly points back to her 2007 comeback solo album Out of the Woods, which is her latest album of pure synthpop, but in essence, the songs feel more like extended and well-known sophisti-pop of Everything but the Girl.
Despite not having released more than 5 albums in the span of 36 years - 3 of which have been issued since 2007, this new solo album is actually Thorn's best selling album to date peaking at number #15 on the national albums chart list, and the critical reception also seems to have welcomed the album as one of her best. Tracey Thorn is currently not "just" known for her musical output - be it her early stages with Marine Girls, her most famous contributions with Ben Watt and their project Everything but the Girl, or her solo releases - she is also columnist of New Statesman; and an acclaimed author of so far three books with the best-selling autobiographical debut from 2013, "Bedsit Disco Queen". Luckily, she hasn't completely abandoned music, and this her most recent album only demonstrates what a gifted musician she is.
It's not so much the songs themselves as the characteristic vocal of Thorn that makes these 9 songs shine. It's an album only touching 35 mins. running time, but Thorn sounds just as fresh and vibrant as on familiar albums of the 1980s or 1990s - there's simply no trace of the years gone by in that fine instrument of hers - and that's this album's biggest feature.
Record is a fine return of one of Britain's finest vocals.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Sir Henry and His Butlers "Camp" / "Pretty Style" (single)

Camp / Pretty Style

release date: 1967

format: vinyl (DD 799)

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

producer: ?

label: Columbia - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "Camp" - - B) "Pretty Style"

Single release by Danish beat quintet Sir Henry and His Butlers. At this point the band line-up counts Ole 'Sir Henry' Bredahl, Tommy Seebach Mortensen on vocals and organ, Peer Frost on lead guitar, Arne Schrøder on rhythm guitar, Jens Bøgvad on drums.

The single was issued all over europe, and the instrumental A-side "Camp" became one of the band's strongest hits, which also caught international attention, and in retrospect, also "Pretty Style" has met acclaim as an early example of a psychedelic rock style. This single was part of my parents' record collection, and it's a single I knew of at age 6-10. Back in the day, I liked this better than their '66 single, although, it never was a favourite, For this both songs are original compositions with the A-side written by 'O. Henry' (meaning Ole Bredahl) and the B-side is credited 'O. Henry & T. Mortensen - J. Bøgvad' - meaning Ole Bredahl & Tommy Seebach Mortensen (the two main songwriters) and drummer Jens Bøgvad.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Edmundo Ros "Patricia / Little Serenade" (1958) (single)

Patricia / Little Serenade, 7'' single

release date: 1958

format: vinyl (reissue)

[single rate: 2 / 5] [2,08]

producer: ?

label: Decca - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Patricia" - - B) "Little Serenade"

Single release by Edmundo Ros (aka Edmund William Ross) in a Danish-versioned single credited 'Edmundo Ros Og Hans Orkester'.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, and it's a song I don't remember all too well. In addition, the cover has gone missing many years ago.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.