Peter Sommer "Alt forladt" (2013)

Alt forladt
release date: Jan. 28, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Pænt goddag, pænt farvel" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "Tvivlen er i huset (del 1)" (3 / 5) - 3. "Alt forladt" (3 / 5) - 4. "Hvorfor løb vi" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Lamineret" (3 / 5) - 6. "Hvor langt skal vi ud" - 7. " 'For evigt' " (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Beruset" - 9. "Tvivlen er i huset (del 2)" - 10. "Mod nye højder"

Most recent singer / songwriter release by talented Peter Sommer. An album, I don't consider among his best. Actually, I really don't enjoy it that much. The lyrics are, as usual, really nice - strong poesy, nice wordplay, and personal / private deliverance. And maybe too much of the private stuff, though. The divorce from artist Lise Westzynthius is ever present on the album and makes it a mere private argument. Also, in hindsight, it comes close to nothing but his answer / remark to her album release Tæt på en kold favn (2012), which was her public diary and emotional detour due to their split. Alt forladt is his darkest release, and I come to think of Nick Cave, or Søren Huss, placing this in a neighborhood close to their with pain and suffering as a center point or driving force. The single release "Hvorfor løb vi" is nice but it quickly becomes annoyingly simple and too repetitious, a label that really fits several songs on the album. Maybe he should've released the songs as poems instead... 'cause I don't think the music is all that great. Normally, I don't mind simplistic compositions, and I enjoy Kraftwerk and the minimalism of Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, or Ryuichi Sakamoto, but the music on this album is not interesting, or near any sun beams. However, the lyrics seem important and could easily live on their own. It's really not his best, and actually, in my mind, his least interesting album. The best thing about it is almost the card-box package. It's a really fine cover design with b/w photos by Joachim Ladefoged and with all lyrics reproduced in the booklet.

~ ~ ~

"Nok legen hund efter pind
Nok være bakkende ud i det blå
Her har jeg sat foden ned
Og her har jeg valgt at lade smilet stå
Nær aldrig kommet hertil
Palmerne var til at overse
Nu er det mit mindste problem"

[ "Mod nye højder" ]

Everything but the Girl "Acoustic" (1992)

Acoustic
release date: Jun. 2, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: EBTG
label: Blanco y Negro - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Tougher Than the Rest" (Springsteen) - 4. "Alison" (Costello) - 5. "Downtown Train" (Waits) - 6. "Driving" (Watt) - 9. "Me and Bobby D" - 11. "Fascination" (Live)

7th studio album by Everything but the Girl is something else as half of the songs are cover-versions, the other half either written together or solely by Watt or Thorn, and for being - as the title suggest - a collection of acoustic-arranged songs played with minimal instrumentation. Furthermore, the album contains two songs recorded live.
The album is truly something else than Worldwide from 1991. What comes to mind when presented with a new album release by EBTG is that it's most likely nothing else than their most recent album, and you end up thinking that they seem very unfocused / uncertain of which direction to turn, or: Are they in fact just releasing the songs in the styles they feel like - despite what critics or fans may expect? This is something new, and as such something that older fans will appreciate more than fans of their (big band) sophisti-pop releases.
I like it, 'cause I enjoy their music when it's most simple and you're able to feel the sensations and sincerity of Thorn and Watt.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5 stars ]

TV-2 "Beat" (1983)

Beat
release date: Sep. 1983
format: vinyl (25689) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: TV-2
label: CBS Records - nationality: Denmark

3rd studio album by TV-2 - this time produced by the band only marks a considerable change of style, which should have a lasting impact on the band's career. The first two albums out were shaped as new wave releases and both linked somewhat with the quirkiness of American band Devo and British XTC; however, this is much more originally founded in a Danish pop / rock tradition paired with TV-2's own lyrical force.
The album became the band's so far biggest success and both the audience and critics praised it.

Culture Club "It's a Miracle" (1984) (single)

It's a Miracle, 7'' single
release date: Mar. 12, 1984
format: vinyl
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: Steve Levine (A-side); Jon Moss (B-side)
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "It's a Miracle" - - B) "Love Twist"

Single release by Culture Club and the band's fifth and final single taken from the album Colour by Numbers (Oct. '83) where it follows the release of Victims (Nov. 1983).

The Cure "Japanese Whispers" (1983)

FIXM 8

Japanese Whispers (compilation)
release date: Dec. 12, 1983
format: vinyl (FIXM 8) / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: various
label: Fiction Records - nationality: England, UK

Compilation album by The Cure. The album is sub-titled "The Cure Singles Nov 82: Nov 83" and hence a collection of single releases in the aftermath of Pornography (1982). The tracks are all synth pop-styled, some more dance-oriented than others.

Laurie Anderson "Mister Heartbreak" (1984)

Mister Heartbreak

release date: Jun. 12, 1984

format: cd (1990 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Laurie Anderson

label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Sharkey's Day" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Langue d'amour" - 4. "Kokoku" - 5. "Excellent Birds" (feat. Peter Gabriel) (official video) - 7. "Sharkey's Night" (feat. William S. Burroughs)

2nd studio album by Laurie Anderson following two years after her acclaimed debut Big Science is co-produced with Bill Laswell (three tracks), Roma Baran (two tracks) and Peter Gabriel (track #5). It continues some of her experiments from the debut but the album is much more straight-forward in terms of touching on traditional pop / rock patterns, which I think is a bit on the down-side. But then again, how could she follow the astonishing debut otherwise? Had she followed too closely on the music structure and stylistic originality, she would have failed to demonstrate a natural artistic progression. Co-starring Peter Gabriel is not malplaced here - his own take on world music in an original art rock style tends to imply some of the same inputs of untraditional rhythm patterns from krautrock and / or African popular music. The album certainly places Anderson in a more traditional sphere of contemporary art rock as opposed to her more avant-gardist debut, which managed to stay true to an electronic experimental stand. Here, she embraces and expands the mainstream culture with her ideas of pop. Personally, I'm more into her stronger experimental stuff and sees "Sharkey's Day" and her collaboration with William S. Burroughs (track #7) as highlights on the album, whereas attempts with more traditional melody-structure drowns somewhat in heavy arrangements we've met elsewhere. The song "Excellent Birds", co-written with Peter Gabriel also ended up two years later on Gabriel's hit album So (1986) only titled "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)".

Mister Heartbreak may not be up there with the iconic debut, but it's definitely among the more interesting releases of the year.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Moby "Play" (1999)

Play
release date: May 17, 1999
format: cd (CDStumm172)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Moby
label: Mute Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Honey" - 2. "Find My Baby" - 3. "Porcelain" - 5. "South Side" - 6. "Rushing" - 7. "Bodyrock" - 8. "Natural Blues" - 9. "Machete" - 11. "Run On" - 15. "Inside"

5th studio album by Moby [aka Richard Melville Hall] sees him return to the electronic genre after his 'detour' into hardcore punk rock on the album Animal Rights (1996), which almost had him stop making music. With Play he investigates the genre of downtempo house with a combo of progressive ambient and a strong use of sampling.
The album is regarded as a corner-stone of modern electronica and it's his perhaps most lauded album, although, it didn't sell all too well - at first. Its prominent status has been achieved over a span of several years. Stylistically, it's an electronic dance pop and electronic house album where Moby blends all sorts of styles and cleverly makes use of sampling to produce one of the most positive feel-good dance pop albums of the decade. The album also feature several guest artists, including Bessie Jones (track #1) and Gwen Stefani (track #5).
To me, Moby is America's answer to Fatboy Slim. Sometimes his music is exactly like that of Slim's, sometimes it's more like The Chemical Brothers, at other times it's more like The Orb, and then at other times it's just so unique.
The first three tracks are simply stunningly great, and despite some minor fillers among the total of 18 tracks, the album is deservedly enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Overall I would have rated it higher if the second half was half as good as the first half.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

The Chemical Brothers "Loops of Fury" (1996) (ep)

Loops of Fury, ep
release date: Jan. 15, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

Tracklist: 1. "Loops of Fury" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "(The Best Part Of) Breaking Up" (4 / 5) - 3. "Get Up on It Like This" - 4. "Chemical Beats (Dave Clarke Remix)" (3,5 / 5)

Ep release by The Chemical Brothers is a fantastic big beat ep, actually pointing in direction of the forthcoming album Dig Your Own Hole (1997).

Loops of Fury yeah, at least I've had it playing in loops many many many many many many times.

New Order "World (The Price of Love)" (1993) (single)

World (The Price of Love), cd single
release date: Aug. 1, 1993
format: cd
[single rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: New Order, Stephen Hague
label: Qwest / Warner Bros. - nationality: England

4 track single release from the album Republic released May '93. All tracks are alternate versions of the track included on the album. Two tracks are shorter version, one is the album version, and the last track is an almost 3 mins longer "Perfecto Mix" version [a mix by Paul Oakenfold (who founded Perfecto Records) and Steve Osborn].

Radiohead "OK Computer" (1997)

OK Computer
release date: Jun. 16, 1997
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Radiohead, Nigel Godrich
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Airbag" - 2. "Paranoid Android" - 6. "Karma Police" - 10. "No Surprises" (4 / 5) - 1. "Lucky"

3rd studio album by Radiohead introducing a long-time relationship with producer Nigel Godrich, who helped shaping the band's stylistic profile in the aftermath of britpop. It's still alt. rock but comparing this to The Bends (1995) the band takes on a more atmospheric and melancholic style, which could be described as art rock. At the time of the release the style was referred to as post-britpop, which basically signalled a move away from simpler guitar- and chorus-based songs to more complex compositions with bonds to prog rock bands of the 1970s.
The album became the band's so far biggest success, and the appraisal of the album seemed endless. Years later it's a natural element on countless best of lists and quite often found among the top 3 most important albums of all time.
It's the second Radiohead album to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and it was the band's first to reach number #1 on the albums chart list in the UK.
Nowadays, I do acknowledge its qualities, and the originality of both album and band but it just doesn't (and never did) appeal a great deal to me, and in many years I found it more than difficult to accept as more than another so-so soft rock album that I found it difficult to listen to. One day I may even find it truly great, but for now I like it, although, I don't consider it the band's best nor an album I often return to.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, NME 5 / 5, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Spin 4 / 5 stars ]

Van Morrison "A Sense of Wonder" (1984)

A Sense of Wonder
release date: Dec. 1984
format: cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Van Morrison
label: Exile / Polydor - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Tore Down a la Rimbaud" - 2. "Ancient of Days" - 3. "Evening Meditation" - 5. "What Would I Do" - 6. "Sense of Wonder" - 8. "If You Only Knew" - 10. "A New Kind of Man"

15th studio album by Van Morrison originally released by Mercury is released 1½ years following Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. Here he returns to his formula of combining soul, rhythm & blues, celtic folk in a singer / songwriter fusion arranged using a traditional backing band and incorporating Hammond organ and brass.
It may contain the 'usual' spiritual song titles like "The Master's Eye", "Evening Meditation", as well as the title track itself, but the overall impression here is not with a search of religious belief in mind as much as a selection of nicely arranged and well-orchestrated songs. Van is well-known for writing everything on his own, but here he has made room for a song by Ray Charles, one by Mose Allison and a song credited William Blake, Adrian Mitchell, and Mike Westbrook.
The album is definitely a step up compared to the new age style of the predecessor, and without being a classic top-album from The Man, it's a rather well-arranged album with several fine compositions and he his vocal performance shines as always.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Skids "Fanfare" (1982)

Fanfare (compilation)
release date: May 1982
format: digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Mick Glossop, Bill Nelson, David Batchelor
label: Virgin Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Compilation album by Skids released after the band's disbandment. The album contains 12 great tracks - a few ones missing, but generally just a great conclusion to a short-lived band. The compilation album The Saints Are Coming - The Best of the Skids released in 2007 contains all tracks (in a new order) from this original album and nine additional more songs by Skids.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

David Sylvian "Gone to Earth" (1986)

Gone to Earth
release date: Sep. 13, 1986
format: digital (2 lp)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,14]
producer: Steve Nye, David Sylvian
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: disc 1) 1. "Taking the Veil" - 2. "Laughter and Forgetting" - 3. "Before the Bullfight" - 4. "Gone to Earth" - 6. "River Man" - 7. "Silver Moon" - - disc 2) 3. "Where the Railroad Meets the Sea" - 5. "Silver Moon Over Sleeping Steeples" - 10. "Upon This Earth"

3rd studio album by David Sylvian originally released as a double vinyl lp. The album is a mix of styles. On the first cd the music appears as close to that of his music on Brilliant Trees (1984) and to that of the successive album Secrets of the Beehive (1987). It's a nice blend of warm jazz combined with Sylvian's ethereal singing voice and ambient keyboards. The second disc is instrumental only and imho lowers the general impression of the whole. It's more in the spirit of his experimental ep Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities (1985) but also more ambient, which is something I feel that Sylvian sometimes do too much of. Both Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri of Japan feature on the album as do Robert Fripp, Kenny Wheeler, and Bill Nelson.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Angélique Kidjo "Black Ivory Soul" (2002)

Black Ivory Soul
release date: Mar. 19, 2002
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Bill Laswell
label: Columbia Records - nationality: Benin

Track highlights: 1. "Refavela" - 2. "Tumba" - 3. "Les enfants perdus" - 6. "Iemanja" - 7. "Afirika" - 13. "Iwoya" (feat. Dave Matthews) (live)

8th studio album by Angélique Kidjo who continues her fon music, which has become less orchestrated (except from on the title track) or perhaps less pop-minded, at least seen from a Western perspective. This has a nice warm vocal jazz feel to it, and I I generally like this more than her Ayé dance-pop, which tended to be a little over the top - production-wise.

Underworld "Born Slippy + ..." (1996) (single)

Born Slippy + ..., Maxi-single

release date: Nov. 27, 1996

format: cd

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

producer: Underworld

label: Sony Music - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Born Slippy.NUXX (Short)" - 2. "Born Slippy.NUXX (Deep Pan)" - 3. "Born Slippy.NUXX (Darren Price Mix)" - 4. "Pearl's Girl (Short)" - 5. "Dark + Long (Dark Train)" - 6. "Oich Oich" - 7. "Mosaic" - 8. "Deep Arch"

Single release by Underworld with the non-album track "Born Slippy.NUXX", which was originally released as the B-side to "Born Slippy" (Feb. 1995) on 12'' vinyl and the "NUXX" version of the song was included on the Trainspotting Soundtrack album (Feb 1996). This Japanese cd-issue of the single focusses entirely on the "NUXX" version of "Born Slippy", which in essence is a different song compared to the original A-side from '95. Also, the Japanese issue comes with another four tracks making it a more than a 57 minutes Maxi single - exceeding the running time of many standard album issues. Track #4 "Pearl's Girl (Short" is the only track taken from the album Second Toughest in the Infants (Mar. 1996), albeit in a heavily shortened version of 3:52 minutes making it the shortest track on the release (the orginal album version has a running time of 9:36 minutes). "Born Slippy.NUXX" is one of, or: the actual highlight of the Trainspotting Soundtrack, and it's probably the song that paved the way for the following success of Underworld as a progressive house and trance duo, but on this Born Slippy +... issue the actual title track, which originally has a running length of 9:44 minutes has been heavily shortened to 4:24 minutes. Yes, I know the 'short'-version is also identical to the famous MTV-video of the song, and you could argue that the song then comes in two other mixes but only "Born Slippy.NUXX (Darren Price Mix)" comes close enough to the original to weigh out the damage of the exclusion of the original.

Ella Fitzgerald "Legendary Singers: Ella Fitzgerald" (1985)

Legendary Singers: Ella Fitzgerald (compilation)
release date: 1985
format: vinyl 2 lp (box set)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Time Life Music - nationality: USA

A 2 lp box set released on Time Life Music. This was my first acquisition with Ella, and it's more than fine. It's the third in the series of Legendary Singers, and it contains great vocal jazz performances.

Best of 2012:Marie Key "De her dage" (2012)

De her dage
release date: Oct. 29, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Andreas 'Maskinen' Sommer
label: Genlyd / Sony Music - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Landet" (4 / 5) - 4. "Festens bedste gæst" - 5. "Uden forsvar" (5 / 5) (live) - 6. "Uopnåelig" (4 / 5) (live on 'Go' Morgen Danmark') - 7. "Let som en fjer" (4 / 5) - 9. "Et aftalt spil" (5 / 5) - 11. "De her dage"

2nd studio solo album by Marie Key is indeed a nice refreshing Danish singer / songwriter release with an electronic hint. Marie Key ['cay] shines above most other Danish artists at the moment. Only Søren Huss, Love Shop, Turboweekend, Efterklang, and Mellemblond are able to produce noteworthy albums at a time where international trends seem too inspiring for the majority of Danish artists. Keys' debut album [earlier she has released two albums with Marie Key Band] I byen igen (2011) was not bad at all but this one is even better, as it appears to be more of a whole, she simply comes out a head above everyone else, and her new electronica touch makes it a fine electronic singer / songwriter release, so far only seen with the works of Mikael Simpson in Denmark.

Best release in 2012, so rare to hand that to a Danish album.

2012 Favourite releases: 1. Marie Key De her dage - 2. Paul Banks Banks - 3. Alabama Shakes Boys & Girls

The Crash "Melodrama" (2003)

Melodrama
release date: Oct. 17, 2003
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]
producer: The Crash
label: Evidence - nationality: Finland

Track highlights: 2. "Still Alive" (3 / 5) - 6. "It's Contagious" (3 / 5) - 8. "What If I Meet you" (3 / 5)

3rd studio album release by The Crash. The music remains unchanged, but is a clear step back from their fine Wildlife (2001). In that regard it's much like the debut, indie pop without any noteworthy songs. The above highlighted songs all have a certain quality, which makes me think of a band trying too hard to copy other songs and artists, and that's a pity 'cause they really got something going on their 2001 album.

Fine Young Cannibals "Fine Young Cannibals" (1985)

Fine Young Cannibals [debut]
release date: Dec. 2, 1985
format: vinyl (LONLP 16) / cd (1986 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Robin Millar
label: London Records / I.R.S. Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Johnny Come Home" - 2. "Couldn't Care More" - 4. "Funny How Love Is" (4 / 5) - 5. "Suspicious Minds" (4 / 5) - 6. "Blue" (4 / 5) - 7. "Move to Work" - 8. "On a Promise" - 9. "Time Isn't Kind" - 10. "Like a Stranger" - *11. "Johnny Come Home (Extended Mix)" - *12. "Suspicious Minds (Suspicious Mix)"
*Bonus tracks on '86 cd reissue.

Studio debut album by Fine Young Cannibals [ name origin ] consisting of vocalist Roland Gift (formerly vocalist & saxophonist in ska revival band Akrylykz) and the two ex-members of (ska revival band) The Beat, guitarist Andy Cox and bassist David Steele.
For the recordings Martin Perry plays drums and Saxa (aka Lionel Augustus Martin - also ex-member of The Beat) plays saxophone on track #4 and Graeme Hamilton as additional musician plays piano and trumpet on tracks #1 and #9. All compositions are credited Gift, Cox and Steele except track #5, a cover of a song originally written and recorded by Mark James (1968) (made famous in '69 by one E. Presley).
Lots of bands played pop soul at this time but I guess no one did it with this finesse. FYC really was a blow of fresh air and an example of great musicianship. Listening to the album today, I only wonder why I didn't like it more at the time. Back then, I thought it was merely Okay but nothing really great. Roland Gift has such a unique and brilliant voice, and the album is loaded with stunning tracks.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Sounds 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Astrud Gilberto "The Astrud Gilberto Album" (1965)

The Astrud Gilberto Album [debut]
release date: May 1965
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Once I Loved" - 2. "Água de Beber" (feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim) - 3. "Meditation (I Will Wait for You)" - 4. "And Roses and Roses" - 5. "O Morro (Não tem Vez)" - 6. "How Insensitive" - 7. "Dindi" - 8. "Photograph" - 9. "Dreamer" - 10. "Só tinha de ser com você" - 11. "All That's Left Is to Say Goodbye"

Studio debut album by Astrud Gilberto, who had become worldwide famous for her fragile latin English on the great Getz / Gilberto (1963) album featuring Stan Getz and Astrud's husband, João Gilberto for her participation on especially "The Girl from Ipanema", although, she was never part of the ensemble that stood behind the perhaps most important and best known album of bossa nova [Stan, well he just wouldn't have that...].
This is a strong debut thanks to Astrud but also Antonio Carlos Jobim. The style is very much the same as on the famous Getz / Gilberto album, which means bossa nova. Here just without the beauty of Stan's sax.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]