Kraftwerk "Die Mensch-Maschine" (1978)

2009 remaster

Die Mensch-Maschine

release date: May 19, 1978

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Die Roboter" (4 / 5) - 2. "Spacelab" - 3. "Metropolis" - 4. "Das Modell" (5 / 5) (officiel video) - 5. "Neonlicht"

7. studio album by Kraftwerk following one year after Trans Europa Express and it's like that produced by the two co-leaders of the band, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider.

Musically, the album falls closely in the same style as the '77 album with the addition of more danceable rhythms - especially heard on tracks #1, #2, and #4. Possibly, the biggest difference is that the balance of power - or at least the composer credits between the two founders appears to have changed. The music is now no longer solely credited Hütter and Schneider, as has been the case on all of the previous six albums. Percussionist Karl Bartos is here for the first time credited as a co-composer, and even on all six tracks, three of which solely with Hütter. Schneider, on the other hand, is only credited as co-composer on three tracks, and then Hütter stands alone as songwriter on all tracks except "Das Modell", which is co-written by Emil Schult. The fourth and final member of the band, Wolfgang Flür, is only credited 'elektronisches schlagzeug' ['electronic percussion'].

The album received generally positive reviews and reached a fine 12th position on the German albums chart list and went to number #9 in the UK, as the band's second best-charting album here. Three singles were released from the album, with track #1 as the first single, reaching number #25 on the national chart list, followed by track #4, which didn't chart, and finally track #5, which again didn't make it to the charts. "Das Modell" was reissued again in '81 as B-side to the versioned single "Computerlove" and was by then often chosen over the A-side by UK radio stations, after which EMI issued the single with "The Model" on the cover listed as A-side, although it was the same recordings with "Computerlove" on the A-side, but now the single reached number #7 in Germany, number #4 in Ireland, and going all the way to number #1 in the UK - as the first and only single by the band ('74's "Autobahn" is the closest competitor as the best-selling single at No. #11).

"The Model" from '81 was probably the first time I really took notice of the band and I especially remember the excellent music video that was made to promote the reissue, but I only got to know of the album during the late eighties without being terribly impressed back then. The strict synthpop was definitely not my favourite genre - I needed a clearer connection to new wave and / or post-punk to accept the music, and therefore Kraftwerk and artists like Tangerine Dream, Electric Light Orchestra and Brian Eno were typical examples of music I opted out on, while instead, I was much more excited about Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark, Human League, New Order, and German band Ideal when they combined synth with new wave and post-punk. After the turn of the millennium, I rediscovered Kraftwerk. It's not music I've listened to intensively but still find fascinating - especially considering all the artists they've inspired over several decades since their start in the 70s. Kraftwerk has exerted a great influence on the British 'second wave' with artists such as Human League, Gary Numan, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, OMD - on the development of the hip hop genre - and again during the late eighties and early nineties they have inspired the industrial rock genre and especially an entire techno scene, not to mention post-rock artists of the 90s, and when more comtemporary artists after 2010 find a starting point for their music, it's not seldom in combination with one or more of the aforementioned styles AND basic synthpop and electronic performers, making Kraftwerk one of the most influential bands ever.

Die Mensch-Maschine is well-produced, it has fine touches for strong pop-melodies and it may not sit as the band's most interesting release, but it's worth much more than just to know of.

Recommended.

org. cover
l-r: Bartos, Hütter,
Schneider, Flür

Thin Lizzy "Live and Dangerous" (1978) (live)

Live and Dangerous (live)

release date: Jun. 2, 1978
format: cd (1996 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Thin Lizzy and Tony Visconti
label: Vertigo / Mercury - nationality: Ireland

1st live album by Thin Lizzy originally released as a double vinyl album with live recordings from venues in the UK, the US, and from Canada in 1976 and '77.
The album was met with positive reactions and has gained status as one of the best live albums of contemporary pop / rock, e.g. British music magazine NME ranked the album as number #1 in its "50 Greatest Live Albums of All Time" in 2011.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 Sputnikmusic, Classic Rock 5 / 5 stars ]

The Blues Brothers "Briefcase Full of Blues" (1978)

Briefcase Full of Blues (live)
release date: Nov. 28, 1978
format: cd (2014 remaster) / vinyl (2014 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Bob Tischler
label: Atlantic / Music On Vinyl - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Opening: I Can't Turn You Loose" - 2. "Hey Bartender" - 3. "Messin' With The Kid" - 4, "(I Got Everything I Need) Almost" - 5. "Rubber Biscuit" (other live performance) - 6. "Shot Gun Blues" (other live performance) - 9. "Soul Man" (from SNL) - 11. "Flip, Flop & Fly"

Album debut by The Blues Brothers is a live album of 12 tracks with a running time just below 40 mins. It's the live recording of a concert Sep. 9, 1978 at the Universal Amphitheater, L.A. when the band opened for Steve Martin.
It's the collection of traditional blues and rhythm & blues compositions from the 1950's, 60's and 70's. The band, The Blues Brothers, feature the two actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the band's main vocalists with Belushi as lead vocalist - and they are supported by the true musicians of The Blues Brothers' band: Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper and Matt 'Guitar' Murphy on guitars, Donald 'Duck' Dunn on bass guitar, Paul 'The Shiv' Shaffer on Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, acoustic piano, backing vocals and as the band's musical director, Steve 'Getdwa' Jordan on drums & backing vocals, and the horns' section with Alan 'Mr. Fabulous' Rubin on trumpet & backing vocals, Lou 'Blue Lou' Marini and Tom 'Triple Scale' Scott both on tenor & alto saxophones as well as backing vocals, and Tom 'Bones' Malone on tenor & baritone saxophones, trombone, trumpet and backing vocals. This whole constellation works like a longtime relationship, and the two newbies, Belushi and Aykroyd mingle in rather neatly. Belushi has the rusty vocal that works quite nice in the traditional blues and rhythm & blues arrangements they mostly cover and then Aykroyd fills in and takes the lead on the more unusual tracks like the Otis Redding song "I Can't Turn You Loose" and he simply shines on the fine and crazy "Rubber Biscuit" 1956 doo-wop and comedy song originally by The Chips, and then Aykroyd also plays the harmonica.


It's a typical misconception that the band of The Blues Brothers was created in the aftermath of the comedy film's popularity when instead the idea of the pair had been created for comedy sketches performed at the Saturday Night Live Show, Belushi's widespread popularity from the show and his most recent leading part in the film "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978) together with Aykroyd's comprehensive knowledge regarding the roots of the music led to the actual formation with the above-mentioned musicians in the fall of 1980 and a script for a full-length comedy film about the two brothers and the soundtrack for the film: The Blues Brothers (Jun. 1980) by John Landis, which again led to a third and final album, Made in America (Dec. 1980).
The album became a spectacular success peaking at number #1 on the Billboard 200 in the US and it remains one of the best-selling blues albums ever.
Highly recommended.

The Stranglers "Black and White" (1978)

l-r: JJ Burnel, Hugh Cornwell
Jet Black, Dave Greenfield

Black and White

release date: May 12, 1978

format: vinyl (Greek issue) / cd (2014 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Martin Rushent

label: United Artists Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Tank" - 2. "Nice 'N Sleazy" (TOTP appearance)- 3. "Outside Tokyo" - 4. "Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front)" - 5. "Hey! (Rise of the Robots)" - 6. "Toiler on the Sea" - - B) 1. "Curfew" - 4. "Death and Night and Blood (Yukio)" - 5. "Enough Time"

3rd studio album by The Stranglers following 8 months after No More Heroes (Sep. 1977) is the band's third and final to be produced by Rushent.

This album is one of the first examples of a post-punk album. Some tracks are held in a 'traditional' Stranglers punk rock tone, whereas about half of the songs introduce a much more experimental approack to their usual song structures with experimental use of percussion and synths. The album opener "Tank" is a razor-sharp punk track but already "Nice'N'Sleazy" is something different with a epic bass-line and bold use of synths. This is followed by a melancholic ballad with off-beat drums, and then back to what appears as blazing punk rock on track #4 but half way through it turns into a new stylistic mix and then ending as it started. Also track #5 is both punk rock and then experimental - is it ska revival on steroids, or rock fusion, pub rock, or garage rock revival?? "Toiler on the Sea" is mostly punk rock with a twist, and then "Curfew" is like the strong second track a new addictive blend of their own. "Threatened" is experimental punk rock with strong bass and keyboard, and then "In the Shadows" is one of the strongest experimental tracks on this album with a new set of tones and what sounds like an influence from jazz. "Do You Wanna" is the other obvious almost improvisitional track, which leads directly on to one of the band's new staples: "Death and Night and Blood (Yukio)", which is a highly original compositions build on an easy-to-remember chorus-line and minimalist bass and drums, but again, with an addition of organ and guitar solos that can only be The Stranglers. The end-track "Enough Time": "Have You Got Enough Time, Have You Got Enough Time, Have You Got Enough Time, Have You Got Enough Time..." is both tight, dark and angry, and then it's also punk, synth-pop and jazz-influenced. The album is anything but a strong coherent whole but thanks to the band's original soundscape and their will to experiment and leave the safe spot of their fans' mindset, this is just one their better works, and an album to appreciate.

Highly recommended.

"National Lampoon's Animal House" (OST) (1978)

National Lampoon's Animal House (soundtrack)
release date: Jul. 28, 1978
format: vinyl (reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Kenny Vance
label: MCA Records - nationality: USA

Soundtrack album to the comedy film "National Lampoon's Animal House", or just: "Animal House" (1978) directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi.

Beto Guedes "Amor de Índio" (1978)

Amor de Índio

release date: 1978

format: cd (reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Ronaldo Bastos

label: EMI - nationality: Brazil

Track highlights: 1. "Amor de Índio" (5 / 5) - 2. "Novena" - 3. "Só Primavera" - 6. "Feira Moderna" (4 / 5) - 7. "Luz e Mistério" - 8. "O medo de Amar é o medo de ser Livre" - 9. "Era menino"

2nd studio album by Beto Guedes is like the '77 debut album produced by Ronaldo Bastos, also credited as co-composer of two songs. Guedes has written most songs and co-composed the majority of these tracks together with Marcio Borges and/or Fernando Brant - one song is composed with Gaetano Veloso (track #7). "Feira Moderna" is composed with Marcio Borges and Fernando Brant as early as in 1969, thus preceeding the music collective "Clube da Esquina" also featuring Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges.

On Amor de Índio Guedes contines in the style of MPB [Música Popular Brasileira] in the folk tradition rooted in the Minas Gerais-region. The album contains two of Guedes' most beloved songs: the aforementioned "Feira Moderna" and the title track as his perhaps most magical contribution ever, but also the fine songs composed with Veloso and Brant (tracks #7 and #8) have become MPB staples.

The album betters his debut and has secured Beto Guedes national glorification.

Highly recommended.

~ ~ ~

Also listen to:

"Amor de Índio" brilliantly interpreted by Milton Nascimento, which is a very different version.

Buzzcocks "Another Music in a Different Kitchen" (1978)

Another Music in a Different Kitchen [debut]
release date: Mar. 10, 1978
format: cd (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Martin Rushent
label: EMI Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Fast Cars" - 3. "You Tear Me Up" - 7. "I Don't Mind" - 9. "Autonomy"
*12. "Orgasm Addict" - *13. "Whatever Happened To…?" - *14. "What Do I Get?"
*Bonus tracks on 2001 remaster

Studio album debut by British punk rock and pop punk quartet Buzzcocks originally released on United Artists. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The 2001 remaster contains four bonus tracks.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, Mojo 5 / 5 stars ]

The Pointer Sisters "Everybody Is a Star" (1978) (single)

Everybody Is a Star, 7'' single

release date: 1978

format: vinyl

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

producer: Richard Perry

label: Planet - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "Everybody Is a Star" - - B) "Lay It on the Line"

Single release by The Pointer Sisters is a cover of a song written by Sly Stone and originally performed by Sly and the Family Stone and released as the B-side (or: actually as the other track on a double A-sided single) to "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" Dec. 1969. The Pointer Sisters' version here, as well as the B-side are both included on their fifth album Energy (Oct. 1978).

I don't have much recollection of when or why I ever purchased this. My best guess is that I purchased this as part of a sales buy. Back in the mid-80s I sometimes went to another town with my best friend to buy new music. They had this music store "Rillen" in the town of Grenaa, and we were both subscribing to their monthly catalogue of new music / new imports, and they also had an annual catalogue of their whole stock, and through that, we used to tick off the albums we just needed to have, and once or twice a year we simply drove there to get new music: vinyl albums, maxi singles, VHS videos, and not seldom: to buy a few items that were on sale in a pile of singles. That's probably on such an occasion that I got this. Not involuntarily, but neither with the intention to get precisely thisthe copy in question. The song is a classic soul-song and in The pointers versions it's not exactly improved but more likely: re-arranged to suit a more settled audience.

The single was issued in a generic (white) sleeve, and the WEA-sleeve appears like the original for this particular print, as it appears to have been distributed by WEA Records.

Peter Gabriel "Peter Gabriel" (2) (1978)

Peter Gabriel (2)

release date: Jun. 3, 1978

format: digital (2007 remaster)

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

producer: Robert Fripp

label: Virgin / Charisma / Real World - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "On the Air" (live '78) - 2. "D.I.Y." - 3. "Mother of Violence" - 7. "Animal Magic" - 10. "Perspective" - 11. "Home Sweet Home"

2nd studio album by Peter Gabriel following his like-wise self-titled '77 debut album has Robert Fripp in the producer seat. All 11 compositions are credited Gabriel, of which two are made as collaborative works. Track #3 is co-written by Gabriel's wife Jill Gabriel and track #8 is co-composed by Robert Fripp, who is also credited on guitar (and 'Frippertronics'), as was the case on Gabriel's debut. Also American guitarist Sid McGinnis is credited on an album with two other re-appearing artists: bassist Tony Levin and keyboardist Larry Fast. Then also Springsteen (E-Street Band) stable keyboardist Roy Bittan contributes, and the album feature drummer Jerry Marotta as part of the backing band for his first of many albums for Gabriel. Some issues were titled "Peter Gabriel II", or simply "2" (especially 2002-issues), and it's often referred to as 'Scratch' with reference to the cover.

Like his 77-album this is another chapter in progressive rock / art rock territory with influences from typical contemporary glam rock (as embodied in Lou Reed, David Bowie, Roxy Music), and it does sound somewhat like leftovers from his fine debut, ultimately making it less interesting but also taking a position as the typical difficult sophomore follow-up, simply by being a more inconsistent collection of songs, where especially the first three compositions make promises of something better.

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

Kate Bush "Lionheart" (1978)

Lionheart
release date: Nov. 10, 1978
format: cd / cd (2018 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Andrew Powell with Kate Bush
label: EMI - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Symphony in Blue" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "In Search of Peter Pan" - 3. "Wow" (5 / 5) - 4. "Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake" - 5. "Oh England My Lionheart" - 6. "Fullhouse" - 8. "Kashka From Baghdad" - 9. "Coffee Homeground" - 10. "Hammer Horror"

2nd studio album by Kate Bush released only 9 months after her fantastic debut. The record label quickly understood what a treasure they had signed with and basically wanted to get most of it. Like on most of her works, she has composed all tracks on her own, and here she is credited as assistant to producer Andrew Powell. Musically, the album is close to the debut, only this is generally more quiet with stronger elements from progressive rock.
"Hammer Horror" was chosen as the first single from the album, which I don't really get. "Symphony in Blue", and "Wow" are easily the two most outstanding tracks on an album that fared well in the UK but wasn't released in the US until '84 because her debut album simply didn't sell.
The A-side is quite good and almost on par with the debut, but the B-side simply lacks great songs. It's far from a lesser album, I just find it lesser in comparison with her great masterpiece from earlier this very year. Bush herself has later admitted that she was pursuaded to release the album, although, she didn't have enough time to make it a satisfying follow-up. The experience, however, taught her to gain control of her own music, which in retrospect was the right thing to do at a time when labels only had profit in mind.
Kate Bush initiated her only ever live tour in the spring of '79 to promote her first two albums - the experience on the road apparently was so negative that she never toured again.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Lou Reed "Street Hassle" (1978)

Street Hassle
release date: Feb. 1978
format: vinyl (AB 4169) / cd (2016 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Lou Reed, Richard Robinson
label: Arista Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Gimme Some Good Times" (4 / 5) - 3. "Street Hassle: a) 'Waltzing Matilda' - b) 'Street Hassle' - c) 'Slipaway' " - 4. "I Wanna Be Black" - 5. "Real Good Time Together" (4 / 5) - 6. "Shooting Star" - 7. Leaving Me Alone" - 8. "Wait" (4 / 5)

8th studio album by Lou Reed follows 1½ years after Rock and Roll Heart (Oct. '76) and it has been co-produced by Reed and Richard Robinson. The album may not contain his greatest songs, but it may just be a fine document of his ongoing struggles in and with life itself - and in many ways this is a fine return to form. The 70s probably sent Lou on his most frightening trips, experimenting with (too many) substances and finding himself in and out of relationships. All that may be heard on the album, but it also documents his writing capabilities. When Lou is good, he really rocks away - not like a gifted singer or a prodigy guitarist, but more like a freight train providing whatever is needed. The sound here is dark and somewhat murky but not in a negative way. It's an album that reflects real lived life in a truly honest and genuine way.
I have always preferred this particular album over many of his more acclaimed releases, and I find it refreshingly honest. There's no bull about it - just very straight forward and it's a sheer blast when played loud. Over the years it has been revealed how Reed has put songs written while playing with The Velvet Underground on many of his solo albums, and this is no exception. "Real Good Time Together" was recorded by The Velvet Underground in 1969 and it appears on the outtakes compilation Another View (1986), which followed the acclaimed outtakes album VU (1985).

Imho, this is his third-best solo album throughout his long career only bettered by New York (1989) and his best-ever: Transformer from 1972.
(My issue is a US-import cut-out record)
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Chicago 4 / 4, Rolling Stone Album Guide 5 / 5 ]

Neil Young "Comes a Time" (1978)

Comes a Time
release date: Sep. 29, 1978
format: cd (1993 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,63]
producer: Neil Young; Tim Mulligan; Ben Keith; David Briggs
label: Reprise Records, Germany - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Goin' Back" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "Look Out for My Love" - 4. "Lotta Love" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Peace of Mind" (4,5 / 5) - 6. "Human Highway" (3,5 / 5) - 7. "Already One" (4,5 / 5)

9th studio album by Neil Young is a solo release, and often when he's on his own, he turns to his roots of country and folk, and that's not my preferable cup 'o tea. The singer / songwriter folk songs are the best but there's simply too much Hank Williams in some of the weaker tracks - e.g. "Human Highway" and "Field of Opportunity" for my liking. Having said that, it's also a return to the "golden days" of his first solo albums and the album could easily be a natural follower to Harvest (1972), and it do contain some truly great songs. Crazy Horse feature on tracks #3 and #4 (produced by David Briggs) and there's plenty of artists helping out on this, although, it sounds rather quiet.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

Tom Waits "Blue Valentine" (1978)

Blue Valentine
release date: Oct. 1978
format: cd (1990 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Bones Howe
label: Elektra Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Somewhere (from 'West Side Story')" - 2. "Red Shoes by the Drugstore" - 3. "Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis" - 4. "Romeo Is Bleeding" (live) - 5. "$29.00" - 6. "Wrong Side of the Road" - 8. "Kentucky Avenue" - 10. "Blue Valentines"

6th studio album by Tom Waits following Foreign Affairs (1977) with the almost constant of one year in between releases and for the fifth time with Bones Howe in the producer seat.

Blue Valentine is one of his best known and at the same time one of his most celebrated albums from the 70s, and for a reason. On his previous albums, he was always this fixated persona as a kind of a drunken homeless sitting at the piano, and the arrangements were all jazz-oriented with the piano at the centre of the songs. On this, it's still vocal jazz, blues and singer / songwriter material, but it's the first time you encounter electric guitar on a Waits album - and he plays it himself. On the opening track, Waits is heard singing two roles: his usual deep, hoarse and rusty voice and then a brighter singing voice in response. The change lies in both form and content, with more focus on ballads with string-and-horn arrangements (not really chamber pop) in jazzy versions. On the content side, he has kind of left behind his heartbreak songs, always evaporating a special Bukowski / Kerouac vibe from the 50s and early 60s, and instead there is focus on a more contemporary everyday street life, and the general feeling is to meet a more dramatic songwriter and composer.

Waits and Bette Midler were never really an official couple, although they were often seen together from 1976 to '77, but in the spring / early summer of '77 he met his 'soul-mate' in a then young and unknown Rickie Lee Jones, who hung out at Waits' old venue, The Troubadour on the outskirts of Los Angeles. She may be thought of as the one he sings about in songs #2 and #4, while Waits and his chambermaid Chuck Weiss ["Chuck E's in Love"] on the other hand, are believed to be her source of inspiration for her acclaimed debut Rickie Lee Jones (Feb. 1979). During the spring and summer of '79, Waits and Rickie Lee were still dating, but their unhealthy lifestyles of drugs and alcohol took their toll, and Jones may have become heavily addicted to string substance abuse during this period, which ultimately led to Waits quitting their relationship in the Fall of '79.

It's quite difficult to pinpoint selected songs as this is an album with no weak tracks on it, and it's somewhat of a landmark in Waits' career after witnessing the new musical winds with the influx of new wave and punk rock, which involved a changed view of the music industry.

Blue Valentine is a great place to start if you're unfamiliar with this great modern musician.

[ allmusic.com, Classic Rock 3,5 / 5, Uncut 4 / 5, Record Mirror 4,5 / 5, Mojo 5 / 5 stars ]

Siouxsie and the Banshees "The Scream" (1978)

2005 cover

The Scream [debut]

release date: Oct. 1978

format: 2 cd (2005 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Steve Lillywhite, Siouxsie and the Banshees

label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights, disc 1: 2. "Jigsaw Feeling" - 4. "Carcass" - 5. "Helter Skelter" - 6. "Mirage" (4 / 5) - 7. "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" - 8. "Nicotine Stain" - - disc 2': *15. "Hong Kong Garden (single A-side)" - *16. "The Staircase (Mystery) (single A-side)"

*Bonus tracks on 2005 remaster

Studio album debut by Siouxsie and the Banshees formed in London 1976. The 'original' / initial spontaneous line-up - the brain-child of Siouxsie Sioux (aka Susan Janet Ballion) and Steve Havoc (later: 'Steve Severin', aka Steven Bailey) - for a one-off live-concert included Marco Pirroni (who should later join Adam & The Ants) on guitar and with Sid Vicious (aka John Beverly) of Sex Pistols on drums; however, the two founding and only long-time lasting members were Siouxsie on vocals and Severin on bass, and after the concert they teamed up with Peter Fenton on guitar and Kenny Morris on drums. After a short period of '77, Fenton was replaced by John McKay and this was the quartet who recorded The Scream in just one week in the Summer of '78. Most songs are credited the band except track #4, composed while Fenton was still a member, and track #5, a cover-song by The Beatles credited Lennon / McCartney.

Style-wise, it's quite evidently post-punk with both dark, electrifying outbursts and gloomy melancholy drawing on the rawness of The Velvet Underground and The Stooges, the more art rock and complexity of David Bowie and Can. Most original appears the vocal of Sioux and the drumming technique (and sound) of Morris, but altogether the soundscape is highly original with Severin demonstrating a vigorous bass technique and McKay excelling with a flanged distortion-sound that inspired many others.

The Scream was met by quite positive reviews and in retrospect its legacy remains intact if not even more legendary as the album is put alongside the very best debut albums of modern rock. The album may also have inspired contemporary acts like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Killing Joke, Southern Death Cult, and the likes, and longer up the temporary stream, artists like Cocteau Twins, Jesus and Mary Chain, Garbage and Massive Attack may likely all have listened to this very album.

The 2005 remastered Deluxe Edition is a fine bargain comprising two discs with disc 1 reserved the 10-track original album and disc 2, subtitled 'Rarities, Sessions & Singles' divided into tracks from 'Riverside session' (track #1), 'John Peel Session 1' (tracks #2-5), 'John Peel Session 2' (tracks #6-9), 'Pathway Demoes' (tracks #10-14), and 'Single A-sides' (tracks #15 & 16).

The album is a must-have if you're interested in early post-punk and / or the origins of gothic rock.

[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Record Mirror, Sounds, Uncut 5 / 5 stars ]

original cover

Squeeze "Squeeze" (1978)

Squeeze [debut]
release date: Mar. 1978
format: cd (1997 remaster)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: John Cale
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Sex Master" - 2. "Bang Bang" - 4. "Wild Sewerage Tickles Brazil" - 5. "Out of Control" - 6. "Take Me, I'm Yours" (officiel video) (fra Top Of The Pops)

Studio album debut by London-based new wave quintet Squeeze consisting of Glen Tilbrook on lead vocals & lead guitar, Chris Difford on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Harry Kakoulli on bass, Jools Holland on keyboards, and with Gilson Lavis on drums. In the US and Australia, the band was launched as the U.K. Squeeze. Almost all tracks were written and composed by Difford / Tilbrook (only track #4 is credited the entire band).

Stylistically, it's power pop, new wave with some ties to punk rock, and the band leans on artists such as XTC, Elvis Costello, Buzzcocks, Devo, Talking Heads etc., but it also has strong ties to early proto-punk in the form of bands like Stooges, MC5 and late Velvet Underground. The band name is also the title of the Velvet Underground's controversial '73 release, which was produced by Doug Yule, who had replaced John Cale in late '68, and who then went on to release the album Squeeze as an (official) Velvet Underground album, although neither Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, nor Maureen Tucker contributed - and yes, John Cale is in fact producer on this album. And this role in particular was apparently something that exerted a massive influence on the creation of the album, as Cale reportedly refused to record the songs the band brought with them and instead asked the band to write new songs on the spot, as he thought their material was too soft. Rather than recording an album similar to or following up on the Packet of Three (1977) EP (admittedly also produced by Cale), which had A&M Records sign the band in the first place, this debut is nonetheless a rather different kind of music than the band felt ready to record, but with an ego as a producer on a debut, the young people didn't see otherwise than to please the legendary Mr. Cale. When the album was about to be completed, the band, in support of A&M, managed to add a couple of songs they had initially wanted to record (tracks #2 and #6) - tracks that also ended up as the only singles from the album.

Squeeze is a strange album that most of all sounds like an art rock, pop punk mix and something that points in many directions. And if you only know a little about the music that Squeeze eventually came to release, there is not much pointing in that direction here. However, the album is interesting as a clear example of the many musical trends of the time. In this way, Squeeze is involuntarily launched as a band with hard rock, art rock, and proto-punk roots, although they might rather be part of the 'pure' new wave style.

[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5 stars ]

C.V. Jørgensen "Vild i varmen" (1978)

Vild i varmen

release date: Feb. 1978

format: cd (1988 reissue) (460833 2)

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

producer: Stig Kreutzfeldt

label: CBS Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Hotel Halleluja" - 2. "Lænker & laster" - 3. "I en blågrå kupé" - 4. "13.294 bananer" - 6. "Et satanisk mesterværk" - 7. "Det rene hetleri" - 9. "Clue"

4th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen originally released on Metronome, is Jørgensen's first of two consecutive albums to be produced by Stig Kreutzfeld, who served as sound engineer on the nine-month-old predecessor Storbyens små oaser (May 1977) and who had otherwise made a name for himself as part of the psychedelic folk duo Stig & Steen in the early seventies. The album introduces a more mainstream pop / rock sound, where focus has shifted from a primarily folk rock and country rock expression to that of a broader soft rock style, often referred to as AOR (Adult-Oriented Rock), where the jazzy element is completely cut away. Jørgensen's backing band, Det Ganske Lille Band, has here been expanded to a quartet featuring three renowned names: guitarist Ivan Horn, bassist Erik Falck, and drummer René Wulf, who all appeared on the '77 album, as well as new member, guitarist Thomas Grue (from Kim Larsen's backing band and studio musician for Jomfru Ane, Røde Mor, etc.). Grue already joined the tour in the fall of '77 to release C.V. from the role of rhythm guitarist so he could concentrate on singing. Stig Kreutzfeldt is heard on keys, but what perhaps marks the biggest musical shift is revealed in the composer credits. On Jørgensen's three previous albums, he is alone to be credited as songwriter and composer, but here the majority of the tracks are credited 'Valentin - Horn / Valentin' - with Valentin as alias for C.V. Jørgensen as songwriter and most tracks dedicated 'Valentin - Horn' as an indication of having been composed by Jørgensen in collaboration with guitarist Ivan Horn, who also acted as musical arranger.

With Vild i varmen following only nine months after the successful Storbyens små oaser, it already marks another change of style, which here implies a move towards more uptempo tracks with a tighter rhythm section, as well as showcasing more melody-based guitar and an obvious inclusion of funk.

All in all, it's a style that caters far more to a mainstream audience with preferences for J.J. Cale, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, and Little Feat and approaching domestic popular artists such as Gnags, Bifrost, and Gasolin'. "Hotel Halleluja", "Lænker & laster", and "I en blågrå kupé" are this album's three additions to Jørgensen's classics, while the final track "Clue" he actually delivers a clear love song. During this period, C.V. Jørgensen was mainly perceived as a band, and it's with three albums in the course of three years that they tour country and kingdom as one of the biggest Danish names.

Vocalist C.V. Jørgensen shows Danish rock with a flair for smart stories about ordinary people's everyday life, which is far removed from Springsteen's romanticisation of the conditions of the working class. In C.V.'s small portraits, Danes and their working life are instead made fun of with sharp ironic distance in an anonymised form, which is addressed more generally to parts of the population. He has sharpened his pen and talks about alienation and narrow-mindedness in a new and entertaining way. The songs are packed with humour without loss of the lyrical facet with a strong sense for melody and chorus, which in a way always points back to an inspiration drawn in the expression from especially American folk rock songwriters.

Vild i varman is a quite coherent album with sharp lyrics and an uptempo beat, without the same laid-back jazzy coolness of his most recent album. It's an album that shows C.V.'s new path to a position at the top of the hierarchy in popular Danish rock.

Recommended.

10cc "Bloody Tourists" (1978)

Bloody Tourists
release date: Sep. 1978
format: digital
[album rate: 2 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "Dreadlock Holiday"

6th studio album by 10cc released on Mercury Records and produced by founding members Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart of the band. The style and production sound appear as something released in the early 1970s, and its a bit strange to realize that it was released at a time when musical standards had come to other levels. I think, this is poor and a somewhat awkward.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

Boney M "Mary's Boy Child" (1978) (single)

Mary's Boy Child, 7'' single

release date: Nov. 27, 1978

format: vinyl

[single rate: 2 / 5] [2,00]

producer: Frank Farian

label: Hansa International - nationality: (West) Germany

Tracklist: A) "Mary's Boy Child" (2 / 5) - - B) "Oh My Lord" (2 / 5)

Single release by Boney M with its cover version of a Harry Belafonte psalm. I have no recollection of how I came to own this particular single. I do recall listening to Boney M back in the late 70s, and I had recently purchased Nightflight to Venus (Jul. 1978), but this is so very different, and I never liked neither of the two songs included on this single. It may likely have been an extra Christmas present from my parents, who knew I listened to Boney M... But gospel and psalms have never been down my aisle and stylistically, it's far from their most recent album. Frankly, 2 out of 5 stars is a bit high, but as I don't feel sure of the difference between 1,5 and 2 stars, it's definitely not music that I enjoy.

Not recommended.

Blondie "Parallel Lines" (1978)

Parallel Lines
release date: Sep. 1978
format: cd (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Mike Chapman
label: Chrysalis records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "Hanging on the Telephone" 4,5 / 5) - 2. "One Way or Another" (4 / 5) - 3. "Picture This" (4 / 5) - 4. "Fade Away and Radiate" (4 / 5) - 5. "Pretty Baby" - 6. "I Know But I Don't Know" - 7. "11:59" - 8. "Will Anything Happen?" - 9. "Sunday Girl" - 10. "Heart of Glass" (5 / 5) - 11. "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (4 / 5) - 12. "Just Go Away"

3rd studio album by Blondie following only 7 months after Plastic Letters (Feb. 1978) is the first of four consecutive albums with producer Mike Chapman. The album has been reissued a number of times with various bonus tracks. My copy is a 2001 remaster with 4 bonus tracks.
I think, the album was the second that I ever listened to with the band but it's undoubtedly the band's best ever. It's also the album that put Blondie on a primarily pop / rock shelf and not entirely in the new wave category. Although, the tracks have various writers and composers, this also remains the band's most uniform release, perhaps thanks to Mike Chapman who saw the band's potential in one genre or more precisely: he helped finding and holding on to the style of Blondie and sending a clear message that the band is not dirty garage rock energetic 'up yours' attitudes of new wave but sophisticated and classy pop / rock with a taste for disco. Not only does the album have several great tracks, it also has one mission instead of pointing in various directions. The album is the only by Blondie to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and it was the band's first album to make it all the way to number #1 in the UK. Furthermore, six singles were released from the album - meaing half of all songs on the album became A-side singles.
If you only want one album with Blondie, this is the easy choice. Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars, Rolling Stone, Blender, Slant Magazine 4,5 / 5 ]

Boney M "Nightflight to Venus" (1978)

Nightflight to Venus
release date: Jul. 28, 1978
format: vinyl (UK) / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,82]
producer: Frank Farian
label: Atlantic - nationality: (West) Germany

3rd studio album by Boney M originally released on Hansa International.

I believe, as a 13 year-old, I purchased this back in '78 and subsequently got hold of the Love for Sale album.

~ ~ ~

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.