R.E.M. "Reveal" (2001)

Reveal
release date: May 15, 2001
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Patrick McCarthy and R.E.M
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "The Lifting" - 2. "I've Been High" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" - 4. "She Just Wants to Be" - 5. "Disappear" - 6. "Saturn Return" (2,5 / 5) - 7. "Beat a Drum" - 8. "Imitation of Life" (4 / 5) - 9. "Summer Turns to High" (2,5 / 5) - 10. "Chorus and the Ring" - 11. "I'll Take the Rain" - 12. "Beachball"

12th studio album by R.E.M. is like the predecessor Up produced in collaboration with Pat McCarthy. My initial disappointment about the album mostly had to do with a sensation that nothing new had been added since the previous release Up (1998), three years earlier. Having said that, this seems slightly like a better release with higher lows and some fine songs, only lacking several really great ones. The singles "Imitation of Life" ['Losing My Religion' part two?] and "All the Way to Reno" secured good sales, but apart from that, the album is an uplifting experience with hopes of new great things to come in a near future. Although, the band again makes use of Joey Waronker (on drums) both for studio recordings and on the subsequent live tour, he is never officially part of the band, which remains a trio until the disbandment in 2011.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, NME 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Show lyrics <- click...

~ ~ ~
"I've Been High"

"Have you seen?
Have not will travel
Have I missed the big reveal?
Do my eyes,
Do my eyes seem empty?
I've forgotten how this feels.

I've been high
I've climbed so high
The light, sometimes it washes over me.

Have you been?
Have done will travel
I fell down on me knees
Was I wrong?
I don't know, don't answer.
I just needed to believe.

I've been high
I've climbed so high
The light, sometimes it washes over me.

So I dive into a pool.
So cool and deep that if I sink I sink,
And when I swim I fly, so high.

What I want
What I really want is
Just to live my life on high.
And I know
I know you want the same
I can see it in your eyes.

I've been high
I've climbed so high
The light, sometimes it washes over me.

Washes over me
I close my eyes
So I can see
Make my make believe, believe in me."

~ ~ ~

PJ Harvey "Dry" (1992)

Dry [debut]
release date: Mar. 30, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: Head, Rob Ellis, PJ Harvey
label: Island Records  - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Oh My Lover" (4 / 5) - 2. "O Stella" (4 / 5) - 3. "Dress" (live on Later) - 4. "Victory" (4 / 5) - 5. "Happy and Bleeding" - 6. "Sheela-Na-Gig" (4 / 5) (live) - 7. "Hair" - 8. "Joe" - 9. "Plants and Rags" - 10. "Fountain" - 11. "Water" (4,5 / 5)

Studio debut album by Polly Jean Harvey originally released on the independent label Too Pure and produced by Head (Mark Vernon), Rob Ellis, and PJ Harvey.
It's a strong and highly original document of Polly Jean's musical strengths into alt. rock with strong bonds to particular American proto-punk rocker Patti Smith. The album went as high as #11 on the national album chart list, and it rocketed an only 22 year-old Polly Jean Harvey way up as a new shining star of alt. rock in Britain. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, NME 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

Genesis "Invisible Touch" (1986)

Invisible Touch
release date: Jun. 6, 1986
format: vinyl / digital (1992 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,14]
producer: Genesis, Hugh Padgham
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

13th studio album by Genesis following 2½ years after the self-titled '82-album sees the trio back with co-producer Hugh Padgham and a re-use of the collective writing / composing and recording process they had adopted with great success on the predecessor.

Stylewise, you could call it progressive pop employing elements from soft rock, pop soul and new wave, but it basically comes out as soft, melodic, mainstream pop / rock, or: 'MOR' (Middle Of the Road music).

The album was met by mixed reviews but only consolidated the success of Genesis as the band's fourth consecutive studio album to peak at #1 on the UK albums chart list. Furthermore, five tracks were issued as singles, and they also fared quite well with positions from #14 to #22 on the UK singles chart list, however, they performed even better on the US Billboard Hot 100, where all five singles made it to top-5 ("Invisible Touch" as the band's first US #1 single, "In Too Deep" and "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" both reaching pos. #3, and the two singles "Throwing It All Away" and "Land of Confusion" peaking at pos. #4).

For me, this is not really to distinguish from Phil Collins' solo albums like his most recent albums Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982) or No Jacket Required (1985), and it never really caught my ear. It was basically impossible not to hear the songs on the radio, or when you were in town shopping, but it just seems so over-produced, over-arranged and soaked in harmony-driven choruses that it goes as quite indeferent music. After one listen you think, "Nice tune..., but hey, isn't that just too repetitious?! Does it go on like that?!", and after two spins: "Yike!". Can't stand it and find it on a long list of artists, I simply don't admire, but grant that it's immensely popular.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Tom Waits "Rain Dogs" (1985)

Rain Dogs
release date: Sep. 30, 1985
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: Tom Waits
label: Island Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Singapore" - 3. "Cemetery Polka" - 4. "Jockey Full of Bourbon" - 6. "Big Black Mariah" - 8. "Hang Down Your Head" (4,5 / 5) - 9. "Time" - 10. "Rain Dogs" - 13. "Gun Street Girl" - 14. "Union Square" (4 / 5) - 15. "Blind Love" - 16. "Walking Spanish" - 17. "Downtown Train" (4,5 / 5) - 19. "Anywhere I Lay My Head"

9th studio album by Tom Waits and his second self-produced release after being associated with Island Records. "Hang Down Your Head" is the first time (and only time here) that Waits shares credit with his wife, Kathleen Brennan, who on later albums contributes as writer on almost every song since 1999.

As with the predecessor Swordfishtrombones (Sep. 1983) he is here in his experimental corner of singer / songwriter and bluesy jazz. Rain Dogs is another really fine album, although, I don't think it reaches the same extraordinary high level. Perhaps because it's based on the same mechanisms that we first encountered on the '83 album. Still, this is more than just a repeat of his latest album, and it also contains several original compositions. It's Waits' third album in a row - his fourth in total - to make it into "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". The album is also included as number #21 on a Rolling Stone album list ranking the best albums of the 1980s, as well as being featured on the list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" also by Rolling Stone.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Mojo, Rolling Stone, Uncut 5 / 5 stars ]

Voxpop "Voxpop 2" (1981)

Voxpop 2

release date: Nov. 1981

format: vinyl

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,33]

producer: Peter AG Nielsen, Voxpop

label: Genlyd - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: A) 3. "Hul i væggen" - 4. "Bly som mimosen" - 7. "Stjernekrig" - - B) 1. "Alt for ung" - 5. Stjernen derude"

2nd studio album by Danish power pop and new wave sextet Voxpop following one year after the debut Voxpop. The band consists of songwriter and lead vocalist Elisabeth Gjerluff Nielsen, guitarist Bo Bistrup, guitarist René Poulsen, bassist Flemming Mus, keyboardist Robert Stang, and drummer Kim Hagemann.

The Smiths "Rank" (1988) (live)

Rank (live)
release date: Oct. 5, 1988
format: vinyl (gatefold - ROUGH 126) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Pete Dauncey, Grant Showbiz
label: Rough Trade Records - nationality: England, UK

[ playlist ]

Live album by The Smiths. Although the album has status of an official album release, it is after all 'just' a live album released after The Smiths was no more and one could claim that the band's material 'only' served as money factory for the record company. Still it's really nice to have a live album with the band. In that way it's a fine release with basically one long take recorded at the National Ballroom, Kilburn, on Oct. 23rd 1986, only leaving a few tracks out from the actual concert. Most other live albums are put together with the best performances of specific songs on different occasions rather than from just one and the same concert. The date of the concert is some months after releasing The Queen Is Dead and at a point where they were still holding together, although problems with the record company were subjects of conflict. Despite the fact that the album wasn't released until after the band had split, Morrissey and the others were (contractually) obliged to take part in the release, and he was therefore as usual the man with the idea for the album cover. The British actress, and sex symbol of the 60s, Alexandra Bastedo is depicted in a photograph by John D. Green. Rumor has it that Morrissey suggested that the album be titled "The Smiths in Heat" but that was rejected by the record company, and then he came up with the title Rank - 'J. Arthur Rank' is Cockney rhyming slang for 'wank'... Didn't they know, or maybe they thought it too cryptical? And then Stephen Patrick Morrissey got the last word. I always had trouble with the title, unable to figure out in what way it had to do with 'a ranking', or some kind of 'order'... The up yours! explanation really put that to rest.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

[ collectors' item - from ~ €35,- ]

Gregory Porter "Water" (2010)

"Water" [debut]
release date: Sep. 2, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Kamau Kenyatta
label: Motéma Music - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Illusion" - 3. "Magic Cup" - 4. "Skylark" - 7. "1960 What?" - 10. "Water"

Studio album debut by Gregory Porter released on the small independent label Motéma Music. Stylistically, it's a blend of various stylistic variations of jazz, although, you will find resemblances with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Gregory Hines. Porter has written more than half of the compositions here as if he was himself a longtime composer of jazz. It's the type of vocal jazz that bonds with great artists from the 1960s and '70s and Porter's voice is on top of most songs - binding it all nicely together.
The overall sensation here is an album of pure jazz with several tracks leaving room for traditional improvisational parts, which may distinguish this from Porter's later releases. He sings with wide variation and demonstrates his strong vocal - be it energetic bop-style, introspective soulful vocal jazz and occasionally with a warm, almost touching a Nat King Cole traditional sound.
I think it's an impressive accomplishment that showcases Mr. Porter's sense of quality - in songwriting skills, as arranger and as a great vocalist. My only complaint about the album is its lack of direction. He demonstrates his skills, but it contains many styles and jumping from one end of the genre to the other and pinning out a few others on the way doesn't make it a solid whole. That said, the album really serves to put Gregory porter up front when speaking of contemporary jazz.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Paul Young "Some People" (1986) (single)

Some People, 7'' single
release date: Nov. 1986
format: vinyl (650254 7)
[single rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: Hugh Padgham, Paul Young, Ian Kewley
label: CBS Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Some People" - - B) "A Matter of Fact" (2,5 / 5)

Single release from the album Between Two Fires (Oct. 1986). I bought the single without having heard it, basically because his previous album was a great album. I've have never played this much and perhaps no more than 3-5 times.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark "Junk Culture" (1984)

Junk Culture
release date: Apr. 30, 1984
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,98]
producer: Brian Tench and OMD
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Junk Culture" - 2. "Tesla Girls" - 3. "Locomotion" - 5. "Never Turn Away" - 8. "All Wrapped Up" - 10. "Talking Loud and Clear"

5the studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark indeed marks a change of style. The band had been experimenting with synthpop on all their previous albums and all of a sudden they release a bold pop album. The album plays with elements from reggae, dance-pop, and particularly contemporary British pop. I remember my astonishment and sheer disappointment by this album. I couldn't believe it was the same band that had released Dazzle Ships one year earlier. The explanation has probably something to do with the fact that the predecessor sold poorly, and that the band had been associated with pop star potential with the inclusion of the popular songs "Enola Gay", "Electricity", and "Joan Of Arc" on the first three albums, whereas Dazzle Ships "only" brought "Genetic Engineering", which wasn't quite as successful nor as mainstream pop-minded. Here the band secured the record sales but also (sadly) withdrew from the experimental (and artistic) side to its talent.
The album reached #11 on the national albums chart list, but one may take into account that fans in general found it difficult to the band's musical direction at the time of this release. However, the singles "Tesla Girls" and "Locomotion" fared more than well. To me, though, the album was an unexpected low point and a big disappointment from the highly original Dazzle Ships.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Sandie Shaw "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?" (1986) (single)

Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?, 7'' single
release date: May 1986
format: vinyl (POSP 793)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,45]
producer: Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?" - - B) "Steven (You Don't Eat Meat)"

Single release by Sandie Shaw. Non of the single tracks are included on any studio albums. The title track is a cover song originally by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions and included on the debut album Rattlesnakes (1984).

R.E.M. "Up" (1998)

Up
release date: Oct. 27, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Pat McCarthy and R.E.M.
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Lotus" - 4. "Hope" - 5. "At My Most Beautiful" (4 / 5) - 7. "Sad Professor" - 9. "Walk Unafraid" (5 / 5) (live) - 10. "Why Not Smile" (3,5 / 5) - 11. "Daysleeper" (3,5 / 5) - 12. "Diminished / I'm Not Over You" - 13. "Parakeet" - 14. "Falls To Climb"

11th studio release by R.E.M is a 14 track album. Not only did new producer Pat McCarthy step in to signal a new time for the band but this was also the first time a band member had left since the formation of the band. Drummer Bill Berry had (like all four members) been a part of R.E.M. since the very beginning but he left the band in 1997, which is also why the band decided to use another producer, simply because Scott Litt had been like a fifth member of the band, and now with Berry's leave disrupting the band's structure, making it a trio, they had to look for a replacement and a new sound. Prior to Berry's decision, he had experienced an incident with a brain aneurysm during their Monster live tour in Germany 1995. He was naturally hospitalized for a longer period of time while the band found a substitute. After his recovery, he rejoined the band and they made New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996), but on this and the following, Joey Waronker plays drums.
This was the first album with the band that I didn't buy at the time of its release. I simply found it dull and like on a repetitious formula. I had grown tired of their pop / rock that was predictable and without artistic intentions. Like New Adventures... the album is a step down from their heydays, and I think this is just another step down from its predecessor. Yes, it contains fine music, great songwriting, but for a band who has accustomed its fans to always expect an artistic profile and a pioneering band that seeks out new material by looking for new sources of inspiration almost like a driving force... then this is... dull. 

Over the years I have come to enjoy the album more and more, and today consider it an improvement to New Adventures... Stipe's voice is brilliant and the music is more experimental as in search of something new. Two tracks really stand out. "At My Most Beautiful" and "Walk Unafraid" are up there among their absolute best.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, NME 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Show lyrics <- click...

~ ~ ~
"Walk Unafraid"

"As the sun comes up, as the moon goes down
These heavy notions creep around
It makes me think, long ago
I was brought into this life a little lamb
A little lamb
Courageous, stumbling
Fearless was my middle name.

But somewhere there I lost my way
Everyone walks the same
Expecting me to step
The narrow path they've laid they claim to
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love or leave me high.

Say "keep within the boundaries if you want to play."
Say "contradiction only makes it harder."
How can I be
What I want to be?
When all I want to do is strip away
These stilled constraints

And crush this charade
Shred this sad masquerade
I don't need no persuading
I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me high.

If I have a bag of rocks to carry as I go
I just want to hold my head up high
I don't care what I have to step over
I'm prepared to look you in the eye
Look me in the eye

And if you see familiarity
Then celebrate the contradiction
Help me when I fall to
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me high.
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me high."

~ ~ ~

The The "Soul Mining" (1983)

Soul Mining [debut]
release date: Oct. 21, 1983
format: cd (1989 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Paul Hardiman and Matt Johnson
label: Some Bizzare / Epic Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" - 2. "This Is the Day" (5 / 5) - 4. "Uncertain Smile" (4 / 5) (live on Jools Holland) - 5. "The Twilight Hour" - 6. "Soul Mining" (4 / 5) - 7. "GIANT" - *8. "Perfect" (Bonus track)
*included on the 1984 US release and on the '86 cd issue, but the track is left out on the 2002 remaster. The track was released as a single Feb. 1983 and is also included on the '83 cassette issue.

Actual studio album debut under the name of The The and also Matt Johnson's first with new label Some Bizzare. With this songwriter, main composer, lead vocalist and primary instrumentalist Matt Johnson has gathered up with various musicians to record music under the name of The The. The album follows two years after his solo album Burning Blue Soul (Aug. 1981 - from '93 reissued under the name of The The), and it's clear that Johnson has taken a decision to make more harmony-driven music, basically leaving behind the psychedelic style and instead produced his own sound based on new wave and art rock artists associated with post-punk. Actually, Johnson had already written what was to be the follow-up to his solo debut one year earlier, but as he was about to record the album - which came by the title of The Pornography of Despair, Johnson simply went missing on an impulsive road trip together with Some Bizzare founder Stevo Pearce, and the whole album was practically shelved and remains unreleased [some of the tracks from the unreleased album were apparently re-written / re-shaped into songs on Soul Mining].

Soul Mining is a great and highly original album sitting somewhere in between established genres and styles. Johnson alledgedly spent much time in setting up the order of tracks and deciding that "GIANT" should end the album, which was like a long journey coming to its climax [as stated in his biography "Long Shadows, High Hopes" by Neil Fraser, 2018]. According to his girlfriend Fiona Skinner, Johnson is said to have been more than just a little confused when he picked up a US cassette of the original album, which had the bonus track "Perfect" to end the album.

This was my first acquisition with The The and for a long time it remained my favourite by Matt Johnson. I do however think, his very best studio album is the successor Infected (1986) but together with this, they're both very fine albums and I often find it difficult to decide which one I've played most frequently. This is undoubtedly his cleanest pop-shaped album, and I really think the title fits very well, as it obviously has a founding pop soul element. None of his albums are record breaking chart busters but his music has always been praised by other musicians and critics.

Soul Mining is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". The cover art is made by 'Andy Dog', pseudonym for Andrew Johnson, Matt's older brother, who has made the front (and back) covers on most of the releases by The The. In North America, the 'spliff' smoking woman was exhanged with the 'screaming man' art work by Andy Dog.

[ Record Mirror, Smash Hits 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Sounds 5 / 5 stars ]

   

Portuguese and North
American cover 1984

2002 remaster

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds "Henry's Dream" (1992)

Henry's Dream
release date: Apr. 27, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: David Briggs
label: Mute Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" (4 / 5) - 2. "I Had a Dream, Joe" - 3. "Straight to You" (4 / 5) - 4. "Brother, My Cup Is Empty" - 6. "When I First Came to Town" - 7. "John Finn's Wife" - 9. "Jack the Ripper"

7th studio album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds following The Good Son (1992) released on Mute, and for the first (and only?) time with (Neil Young) producer David Briggs, which seems a wise choice. In my mind, this is simply the best album by Nick Cave. On this, he mixes the alt. rock with the more ballad-styled compositions and makes his first truly fine and coherent album. "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" is spitting angry blues punk and "Straight to You" is a beautiful chamber rock ballad.
Imho, this is the most deserved Nick Cave album to be included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Mojo 4 / 5 stars ]

Bloc Party "Tulips" (2005) (single)

Tulips, single
release date: Jan. 25, 2005
format: digital
[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,75]

Tracklist: 1. "Tulips" (4 / 5) - 2. "Tulips (Club Version)" (3,5 / 5)

A single release from Bloc Party with an A-side single that somehow didn't make it to the album, which I never understood as it's an amazing track. It had been included on the ep Little Thoughts (Dec. 2004) and then found its way to a single release. Maybe it's too soft and mellow compared to the other tracks of the debut? But in that case, I guess they wouldn't have included Two More Years on the re-release in October.

Paul Young "Between Two Fires" (1986)

Between Two Fires
release date: Oct. 23, 1986
format: cd (2007 Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Hugh Padgham, Paul Young, Ian Kewley
label: Edsel Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Some People" - 2. "Wonderland" - 7. "Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong"

3rd studio album by Paul Young originally released on Columbia Records sees Young move from more complex songs and arrangements to have a go on more straightforward pop music. Together with keyboardist Ian Kewley, Young has co-written eight of the ten tracks, and that's perhaps the biggest change from his two first albums. The duo wrote a few good songs for the previous album, but the best tracks by Paul Young have all been cover versions, and it's no wonder that the strongest track on the album, "Wonderland" is not written by Young himself, but a song by Betsy Cook.
The album fared rather well, peaking at number #4 on the UK album charts list (paved its way by the predecessor). Three singles were released from the album: "Wonderland", the best-faring single reaching number #24, "Some People" reaching number #56, and "Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong" topping at position #63.
I think, the album perfectly illustrates Young's strengths and weaknesses: he's an extraordinary vocalist with that unique singing voice, but no more than a mediocre songwriter, and I think, with this album he fell into the same category as Robert Palmer. Both strong on pop covers - not so great when they are to demonstrate their own musical ideas, and in the case of Paul Young, who is a better singer, it's just a pity 'cause with his second album, he showed what he was capable of. This is his perhaps least interesting album, and it might have brought him more damage than his following, and better, albums could ever mend.
[ allmusic.com 2 /5 stars ]

Roddy Frame "The North Star" (1998)

The North Star [debut]
release date: Oct. 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Simon Dawson, Roddy Frame
label: Independiente - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Back to the One" - 2. "The North Star" - 3. "Here Comes the Ocean" - 6. "Bigger Brighter Better" (5 / 5) (live on Later) - 8. "Reason for Living" (live) - 9. "Sister Shadow" - 10. "Hymn to Grace" (acoustic live)

Studio album solo debut by Scottish singer / songwriter Roddy Frame. The album is released in his own name but it's basically his seventh studio album when rightfully counting the six releases by Aztec Camera released from 1983 to 1995. The now 34-year old artist has given up releasing material under the band moniker and pursued a 'real' solo career despite the fact that he was always in full control when making music as Aztec Camera. The last studio album by Aztec Camera, Frestonia from 1995 really marked the transition to a singer / songwriter form, and that may have been the stepping stone to his change of name. Except for producer credits, the additional musicians from the '95 album are identical to the ones appearing on The North Star, but that aside the new album is the fulfilment of what appears as a slightly bolder folk-founded album.
In spite of a generally good reception and positive reviews the album failed to attract much fuss and seemed to be almost neglected by radio stations and record buyers - of course a small independent label didn't help much in promoting the album as something to pay attention to. The album sold better than the unsuccessful Frestonia and made it to number #51 on the UK albums chart list, still far from the sales numbers of the first five albums as Aztec Camera.
From my perspective, this is a solid modern singer / songwriter album, one of Frame's best album releases and a highly recommended album.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Gangway "Sitting in the Park" (1988)

Sitting in the Park

release date: Jul. 12, 1988

format: cd

[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]

producer: David Motion

label: London Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "My Girl and Me" - 2. "Sitting in the Park" - 3. "The Loneliest Being" - 5. "Out on the Rebound From Love" - 7. "The Party's Over" - 8. "Do You Remember"

3rd studio album by Gangway is aka Sitting in the Park (Again!) (marked on a sticker put after the title) released on London Records and produced by David Motion. It follows 2½ years after the original Sitting in the Park (1986) released on the now defunct Danish label Irmgardz... The '86 album had only been released in Scandinavia (and Japan in '92) and the band's new label, London Records (sublabel of PolyGram), had initially wanted to reissue the album but unable to get the master tapes they simply had the band re-record some of their older compositions from the Irmgardz... years with six songs stemming from the '86 album, two from the '84 debut The Twist, an '85 A-side single, and (only) one new song: "Here's My House". The album is most often filed alongside their other studio albums; however, what it more resembles is that of a re-issue, or perhaps a contemporary "remix" album. Their step into the British market was over before it even began. Apparently, conflicts between the band manager, London Records, who focused on other acts, and the mother company, combined with a (too) long time spent getting the album finished, Gangway was shelved practically before launching what they thought was an upcoming English adventure. They were instead positioned for the German market and subsequently released from their contract, which meant that the album (again) wasn't promoted in Britain and ended up selling only approx. 17.000 copies.

Stylewise, it's somewhat obvious that David Motion wanted to update the sound and rearrange the songs in an attempt to make it a coherent whole by changing the original diverse compositions originating from various releases. A few of the new versions don't sound all that different but several compositions are near unrecognisable and what's worse: none to the better. Motion has made all the songs more dynamic, more strict but he has also managed to scrape away the charm or warmth of the original recordings. The two songs from the The Twist: "The Loneliest Being" and "Violence, Easter and Christmas" are basically ruined, and what was highlights on the original releases are here like grey and dull cover versions. Of course, you cannot completely turn a deaf ear to the songwriting talent of Henrik Balling & Co., which is why you still find highlights here, but the intended boost to the band's popularity simply falls flat here.

Not recommended. Instead listen to The Twist and / or the '86 version of Sitting in the Park.

Gianna Nannini "Puzzle" (1984)

Puzzle

release date: 1984

format: cd (1995? reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]

producer: Conny Plank & Gianna Nannini

label: Metronome - nationality: Italy

Track highlights: 1. "Kolossal" - 2. "Fotoromanza" (4 / 5) (TV appearance - Live 2002) - 4. "Siamo ricchi" - 6. "Fiesta" - 7. "Ballami" - 8. "Se vai via"

6th studio album by Gianna Nannini follows two years after the fine Latin Lover and is like that produced by German sound engineer Conny Plank together with Nannini. It was originally released on Dischi Ricordi for the domestic market and also in Germany - for other international issues the album was issued by Polydor (the Metronome reissue is likely from the mid-90s).

Without making use of a vast group of starring artists as had been the case on the '82 album, the album was recorded with guitarist Rudy Spinello, bassist Hans Baar and drummer Rüdiger Braune as the only recurring instrumentalists apart from Plank's synth constributions. Nannini has written the songs here in collaboration with Italian singer Raffaella Riva (from the vocal group Gruppo Italiano) and Nannini is sole composer on three and has co-composed two tracks with Plank (tracks #2 & #5), three together with Mauro Paoluzzi (#4, #5 & #8), and track #3 with drummer Rüdiger Braune.

Musically, it doesn't fall far from her two most recent albums. There's a stronger presence of electronics (keyboards, synths, emulator, harmonizer, vocodor and drum programming) compared to her more rock-based predecessor, and Puzzle also show Nannini as a bolder "pop" artist.

The album is Nannini's first major hit album peaking at number #2 on the national charts and the first single "Fotoromanza" topped the charts, whereas the second single "Bla bla" (also written together with Riva and without featuring on the album) / "Fiesta" failed to chart. Later on "Bla bla" would become a staple when performing live as well on later "best of" releases. With its broader appeal Puzzle is most likely perceived as her national break-through, but in her extensive discography I do find it a bit of a small step back and basically don't find it quite as appealing as the '82-album, and nor as strong as some of her later studio releases. Having said that, Puzzle is still a fine album with at least one great and two to three fine compositions, and it's truly a fine studio release that points to her future style incorporating her rock-foundation with that of a more mainstream pop / rock outing with traces of italo-pop.

Recommended.

Tindersticks "Nénette et Boni" (OST) (1996)

Nénette et Boni (soundtrack)
release date: Oct. 21, 1996
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]
producer: Ian Caple
label: This Way Up - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Ma soeur" - 4. "Camions" - 8. "Petites gouttes d'eau" - 9. "Les cannes à pêche"

Soundtrack album by Tindersticks for a Claire Denis film of the same name. The album consists of 14 compositions, of which all except one are instrumentals. The song "Petites gouttes d'eau" is a newly rearranged version of "Tiny Tears" from the band's second studio album (aka Tindersticks II from 1995). Nénette et Boni has a total running length of 37 minutes.

This soundtrack marks the beginning of a long-time collaboration work with and for Claire Denis, which reaches into the new Millennium.

Robyn "Body Talk Pt. 1" (2010)

Body Talk Pt. 1, mini-album
release date: Jun. 14, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]
producer: Klas Åhlund
label: Konichiwa Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do" - 2. "Fembot" (live) - 3. "Dancing on My Own" (live) - 4. "Cry When You Get Older" - 5. "Dancehall Queen" - 6. "None of Dem" (feat. Röyksopp)

5th studio album by Robyn is a Mini-album released five years after her latest original studio album not counting her modified 2007 album. Like that, this is made almost in partnership with producer and songwriter Klas Åhlund but also with Patrik Berger with whom she also worked with on her 2005 album.
The album contains 8 tracks and has a rather short running time just clocking in at 30 mins. But as the title suggests, this was promoted as her first release in a series of 3-albums-a-year-project of 2010, which made it more than an ordinary release.
The first part of the series takes off pretty much where Robyn ended, or at least in a similar direction when thinking of her hits from that album. It's dance-pop and electropop with an intensified focus on the latter, and with six fine tracks out of eight, this is a blast of a start of an ambitious project. The album introduces the implementation of re-using songs in acoustic-ordinary versions from Part 1, 2 and 3 respectively. This contains the acoustic version of "Hang With Me", which is found on Part 2 in the standard version, and likewise Part 2 contains an acoustic version of a song appearing on Part 3.
Only the single "Dancing on My Own" was officially released to promote the album, although also tracks #2 (made available in Mar. 2010), tracks #5 and #6 were released individually as digital singles only. "Dancing on My Own" topped the charts in Sweden (becoming Robyn's first number #1 national hit single), at number #2 in Denmark number #8 in the UK, and number #3 in the US (Hot Dance Club Songs Chart). Also the album topped the national albums chart list and it reached number #3 in the US for Dance / Electronic albums. Needless say, it received wide-spread acclaim.
My only regret is the short playing time, but I simply find it her so far best album release to date. A spontaneous question naturally arises as to how Part 2 couldn't but disappoint after this start, but of course it also made people pay attention and keep them hungry for more, although, in retrospect, I think it would have been optimal with a one album release - that would have been a bomb!
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Slant, The Guardian, Spin 4 / 5, Rolling Stone, NME 3,5 / 5 stars ]