Chet Baker

~ ~ ~

Chet Baker (birth name: Chesney Henry Baker; Dec. 23, 1929 - May 13, 1988), was born in Yale, Oklahoma, USA, and died in Amsterdam, The Netherlands some 58 years later. He's one of my absolute favorite jazz artists alongside Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Dexter Gordon, and Stan Getz. He had a highly original style, which was expressed in his brilliant soft and fragile singing voice and the tender melancholic beauty of his horn. Chet lived a hard life with alcohol and drug addiction which considerably shortened his life. He is a one the biggest jazz artists of the 1950s and 1960s, and is perhaps mostly known for his restrained playing style and influence on the foundation of cool jazz, as well as his fragile singing voice. In the 50s and 60s he was a male icon due to his photogenic looks. His trumpet career was boosted when he played with The Gerry Mulligan Quartet feat. Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Chet Baker (trumpet), Larry Bunker (drums), Carson Smith (bass). In the mid-50s he was promoted alongside Frank Sinatra and also had a film role in 1955 but refused to go further in an acting career. He spent many years travelling and playing in Europe in the '60s. In 1966 he was brutally beaten up in a drug related incident in San Francisco, and from the early 1970s he mostly played and lived in Europe. He ended his life after a fall from a window in Amsterdam - presumably as a result from taking both heroin and cocaine.

Chet Baker at the end of his career, and as a young photogenic star

~ ~ ~

Fingersnap "Smokehouse E.P." (2011) (ep)

Smokehouse E.P., ep [debut]
release date: Nov. 13, 2011
format: cd (SR001)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: David McAlmont, Guy Davies
label: Siskin Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "I Wanna Rise" - 2. "Some Kind of Masterpiece" (4 / 5) (rehearsal) - 3. "Mister" (4 / 5) - 4. "The Bishop of New Hampshire"

Studio album debut by Fingersnap is a 4-track cd released on Siskin Records. The band is a collaboration work of David McAlmont on vocals and with Guy Davies handling keyboards and piano. Apparently, Davies and McAlmont first worked together when Davies contributed as keyboard studio musician on McAlmont's album A Little Communication (Oct. 1998).
I nearly always just adore whatever McAlmont releases. He has one of the most fascinating voices of modern soul but really doesn't get the appreciation he deserves. Whether it has to do with his openness about his sexuality, or former (?) religious beliefs, it's really just a pity, 'cause this guy can sing like only few. Unfortunately, nothing else apart from a singles release has come from Fingersnap. A full-length studio album has been rumoured but never materialised.
Highly recommended.

[ Interview on BBC, 2011 ] [ "Tears Dry on Their Own" signing cds ] [ "Blackbirds" live 2012 ]

My own signed copy

Elvis Costello "Mighty Like a Rose" (1991)

Mighty Like a Rose
release date: May 14, 1991
format: vinyl / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Mitchell Froom, Kevin Killen and D.P.A. MacManus
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: England, UK

13th studio album by Elvis Costello following more than 2 years after Spike is his second album for his new label, Warner Bros., and it's also his second consecutive album not to feature The Attractions, although, drummer Pete Thomas is credited as additional musician. Alledgedly, Costello had wanted to record the album with The Attractions and sent invitations to the various band members, but only received rejections as they didn't like how they would be credited. On top of that, bassist Bruce Thomas released the semi-biography "The Big Wheel", in which he portrays life in a band with a lead singer, who ends up distancing himself from the other members - ultimately, yet with no further precision or identification, describing his band life with Elvis Costello. The two musicians had been on a relational slope, but this didn't make things better. After Thomas then sent Costello a copy of the book, via a friend of a friend, Costello wrote and recorded the song "How to Be Dumb" (track #3).
The album was recorded with Costello in a strong controlling role, where he came to the studio with pre-arranged songs and a final playlist, which left little room for Froom and Killen to have their say regarding arrangements or sound. It appears (even) more complex than Spike, and Costello also employs a Phil Spector-like approach by using multiple track recordings of his lead vocal. The end result is a rather complex album filled with strings, brass and extra keyboard tracks, and it doesn't really suit his songs as they at times appear muddy and over-produced - making me recall his Goodbye Cruel World period. However, Mighty Like a Rose contains better songs, e.g. "The Other Side of Summer", "Georgie and Her Rival" and "So Like Candy", but it doesn't come without fillers or what appear as unfinished ideas.
Bottom line, it's really not one of his best, and with this I simply lost a lot of my adoration and my expectations concerning new music from Costello was at a unprecedented low.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, NME 2,5 / 5, Blender, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

C.V. Jørgensen "Sjælland" (1994)

Sjælland

release date: Sep. 26 1994

format: cd (PCCD 8074)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,22]

producer: Kasper Winding

label: Pladecompagniet - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Ude af sync" (4 / 5) - 2. "Blåt blod til alle" (4 / 5) - 3. "Fuld af forundring" - 4. "Florafobi" (5 / 5) (short live clip) - 5. "Spildte bedrifter" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 7. "Skygger af skønhed" (5 / 5) - 8. "Intet er mig helligt" - 9. "Hvad mere er der egentlig at sige" (4,5 / 5)

11th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen released a long full four years after his fine I det muntre hjørne (1990). In the meantime, Elap released the compilation 16 hits (1992) as a revised edition on cassette and CD of the previously released Det Ganske Lille Band's bedste from 1980. After having produced his two most recent studio releases on his own, C.V. returned the task to someone else taking care of the production sound. All his previous albums have been grounded in traditional rock but by engaging with the bolder 'pop' artist, vocalist and producer Kasper Winding, he ensures a distinctly different expression. C.V. had already worked with Winding in '78, when the two collaborated on the music for Morten Arnfred's film "Mig og Charly" and also the following year for the music to "Johnny Larsen". Since 1990, C.V. gradually turned down the concert activity and led a slightly more withdrawn existence, so the release of new material has been awaited with great excitement. The album's title is a play on the words 'soul' ['sjæl'] and 'country' ['land'] - put together in Danish also happens to be the name for the island of Sjælland [Zealand] - indicating a collection of tracks with a spiritual quality. In that way, it's also a highly personal album, which was also made completely without the usual close team of stable musicians. C.V. is credited on guitar in addition to his vocals, and Winding acts as multi-instrumentalist handling bass, keyboards, and drums, while the tracks are otherwise made with few other musicians, and where only trumpeter Flemming Agerskov is heard on several tracks.

Stylistically, C.V. always had a soft spot for jazz, and on his breakthrough album Storbyens små oaser from '77 you'll clearly notice a special jazz tone on several tracks - something you may also sense in small measure on his last two albums, but with Sjælland this is further emphasized with a style that combines previously unknown terrain - at least when it comes to the discography of C.V. Jørgensen. There is basically no focus on rock in a traditional sense, but only in a combo of trip hop and free jazz in a synthpop wrapping. It's a totally different expression than any other of his albums and in relation to his idiosyncrasy, which has given him status of a national rock icon. The inclusion of electronic instrumentation and a distinct synthpop style founded on keyboards, synths and rhythm programming fused with elements from free jazz is a most daring and remarkable change of style - something that e.g. shares traits with the '89 album Hats by Scottish band The Blue Nile.

Sjælland was released to mostly positive reviews, and although several critics were not exactly enthusiastic about Winding's production, the album ended up as one of Jørgensen's most praised albums. It's also my impression that the first critics of the album's sound nevertheless forgot their first judgment at a later stage.

It's C.V. in his most poetic corner, thus far. It must be remembered that at this point of his career he had been put on a pedestal as the outstanding national rock artist with an unusually sharp pen, which he directed against consumerism, double standards, social conflicts, as general ridicule of those in power and criticism of the political establishment without him taking a stand in relation to a clear left-right sympathy. He then advances here as a 'real' poet with songs full of lyrical features such as inner dialogue, sentiments and figurative language, which in places are the opposite to the characteristics of the epic narrative form and his image as a songwriter who was widely considered some kind of equivalent to that of the short story only adapted to a musical expression.

I attended one of his first live concerts with the album tour in '94, and the weirdest thing from the concert was my shock experiencing the aversion of the audience to his new songs. It was C.V.'s first live tour in four years with new material, and yet all a large group of fans clearly wanted was to hear him play his old stables, which meant that whenever the band started up with one of the new songs, people showed their contempt by hooting and booing. Apart from that 'detail', C.V., band and music were excellently executed, but I still left the concert with a bitter taste in my mouth after witnessing something that was so utter disrespectful. And with that in mind, I can't help thinking that experiences like that on that particular tour may be linked to C.V.'s later renunciation to live performance and also to his otherwise somewhat general withdrawal from the spotlight.

However, Sjælland was both an artistic triumph and a sales success, but it's also clear that fans were immensely divided about the his new musical direction. Some of long-running fans simply couldn't come to terms with C.V.'s progress as an artist, and he would at times be referred to as someone who had 'sold out'.

Imho, this album is no less than the best Danish album of the 1990s. It's C.V's best and most coherent album, and it's simply among the best Danish albums ever. It's nearly right up there fighting for the title as Best Danish Album Of All Time fighting side by side with Hip by Steppeulvene and the album Supertanker by Kliché.

The front cover is routinely credited C.V.'s girlfriend since 1970, Annemarie Albrectsen.

Highly recommended - a must.

1994 Favourite releases: 1. The Prodigy Music for the Jilted Generation - 2. Everything but the Girl Amplified Heart - 3. C.V. Jørgensen Sjælland

The Church "Hologram of Baal" (1998)

Hologram of Baal

release date: Sep. 8, 1998

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: The Church

label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: Australia

*Track highlights: 1. "Anaesthesia" - 2. "Ricochet" - 3. "Louisiana" (official video, short version) - 4. "The Great Machine" - 5. "No Certainty Attached" - 6. "Tranquility" - 7. "Buffalo" - 8. "This Is It" - 9. "Another Earth" - 10. "Glow-Worm"

*[all tracks]

11th studio album by The Church (formally, it's the band's tenth but in retrospect Steve Kilbey regards it as the eleventh as he includes the '97 album, released under the name of The Refo:mation, as an album by The Church). The line-up here include Steve Kilbey, Peter Koppes, Marty Willson-Piper, and Tim Powles. The album basically follows the acclaimed Magician Among the Spirits from 1996; however, as Koppes left the band back in '92 after the release of Priest = Aura due to disagreements with Kilbey and Willson-Piper, the remainders continued until '97 as a trio of Kilbey, Koppes, and Tim Powles, who then released Pharmakoi / Distance-Crunching Honchos with Echo Units as The Refo:mation - a unit without Willson-Piper, which at the time made Kilbey suggest another band name. Subsequently, Kilbey, who had tired from internal struggles decided that The Church should release just one more album before finally disbanding. The band then embarked on a farewell tour in Australia, which was surprisingly quite successful, and the grand finale in Sydney convinced all members to give it another shot in the studio. For the first time, they found themselves in full control of the production assisted by the band's new drummer Tim Powles, and with powless at the helm as sound engineer and mixer, they combined the band's original strengths with a new distinctive set of traits. Powles is also mentioned in several places as the person who managed to shelve old internal tensions between Kilbey, Koppes, and Willson-Piper and have them all look ahead. The album was released in Australia on the label Festival Records, in Europe on Cooking Vinyl, and for the North American market by Thirsty Ear and True North. After the release, the band went on their first world tour for many years, which led the group to New York, where Kilbey was arrested and sentenced to community service for buying heroin.

The album generally garnered positive reviews and it remains one of the band's more coherent studio albums, which clearly wins for a special feeling for a whole cast rather than individual strong compositions. There are no fillers and the 'featured highlights' above showcase all ten tracks.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

org. Australian cover

Mogwai "Rock Action" (2001)

Rock Action

release date: Apr. 2001

format: digital (8 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Dave Fridmann

label: [PIAS] Recordings - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Sine Wave" - 2. "Take Me Somewhere Nice" - 4. "Dial: Revenge" - 5. "You Don't Know Jesus" - 7. "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong"

3rd studio album by Mogwai with its title from the band's own label Rock Action Records (established in 1996) following two years after Come on Die Young sees the band embracing synthesizers and a more electronically-founded sound without losing touch with their beginnings with electric guitars, which in a way links this album with the bands more recent material. It contains 8 compositions with a total running time at just over 38 minutes making it one of the band's shortest full-length albums.

Rock Action is well-produced and the songs are rich in tone and colour making it one of the bands more varied albums.

[ bandcamp ]

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, The Guardian, Q Magazine, NME, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Thin Lizzy "Thunder and Lightning" (1983)

Thunder and Lightning

release date: Mar. 4, 1983

format: digital

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,15]

producer: Thin Lizzy and Chris Tsangarides

label: Vertigo - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 2. "This Is the One" - 3. "The Sun Goes Down" - 5. "Cold Sweat" - 8. "Bad Habits"

12th and final studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy following 1½ years after Renegade (Nov. 1981) is once again produced with sound engineer Tsangarides. Since the 81-album, guitarist Snowy White left and is here replaced by John Sykes.

The style of the band has changed since the twin-guitars ruled the soundscape in the second half of the 70s. Here, Thin Lizzy play a more generic hard rock with traits from pop rock and / or a soft rock scene, which imo doesn't make it one of the band's better, which is a sad way to end, I think. However, I also know that fans of the band generally think better of this and many consider it bettering the predecessor. I don't agree on this. To me, this is without great songs, or the best one is the boldest pop rock tune "The Sun Goes Down", which admittedly, is far from the best songs on Jailbreak. I simply think of it as an album of outtakes, or say: a band going through the motions trying to repeat what used to work but just without great hooks or catchy phrases, and instead they, once again, seems to be in search of a new style. It's predominantly hard rock-shaped, and pop rock is just one mainstream style you'll find here. Track #4 "The Holy War" could be labelled dance rock and sounds misplaced here. And then Scott Gorham and John Sykes are not Gorham and Brian Robertson - had they only tried to evoke some of the magic twin-guitar harmonics, but instead Gorham plays without originality, or he has role is more subdued on account of keyboards and screaming guitars, while Lynott does his best to come up with something original. People, who have been close to or former band members have described the destructive life-style that was part of Thin Lizzy, and Lynott is said to face harder days in hiding his drug abuse, which ultimately had serious effects on his life. The band went on a long tour playing songs from the album but Lynott disbanded Thin Lizzy in late '83 at a time when Gorham wanted to quit. In '84, he formed a new band, Grand Slam, who is said to have been a pale imitation of Thin Lizzy.

Thunder and Lightning is not the band's worst album but it's not among their best.

Not recommended.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Smash Hits 3 / 10 stars ]

Talk Talk "Asides Besides" (1998)

Asides Besides (compilation)
release date: Apr. 20, 1998
format: digital (2-disc)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: EMI - nationality: England, UK

A 2 cd compilation by Talk Talk is like most other compilations with the band issued by EMI. This was released shortly after Mark Hollis released his eponymous solo album in January on Verve Records. Most tracks here are original Talk Talk compositions in (heavily) altered versions labelled "Extended Version", "Extended Remix", "12'' Mix", "Dub Mix", "Dance Mix", "U.S. Mix", "Demo Version", or just "Edit"... Yes, the old label surely understood how to make profit. Everything, of course, is released without the band's consent, and to make the responsible staff even less sympathetic, they chose to release the album only a few months following the release of Mark Hollis' first and only solo album - using that as promotion to harvest a bit more... The band had sued and won the case against EMI with its release of the album History Revisited (1991, see Natural History...), but here EMI 'only' release the same remixed songs on an album, claiming it's 'demo material'... And my guess - as well as that of EMI - is that the band members simply wouldn't go through another lengthy law suit, so you may ask yourself, who ended up winning the case.
The songs are there - a few of them have been made into extended versions by the band's co-composer and main producer throughout the band's career, Tim Friese-Greene, but the majority of the tracks are edited by EMI engineering staff.
Especially, the older compositions sounds truly fine, but it's also a mixed bag with so many compositions tampered with, and frankly, the studio albums are there, and they're all you need.

EMF "Schubert Dip" (1991)

Schubert Dip [debut]
release date: May 7, 1991
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: Pascal Gabriel & Ralph Jezzard
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Long Summer Days" - 5. "I Believe" - 6. "Unbelievable" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Girl of an Age"

Studio album debut by Gloucester-based electronic quintet EMF [aka Epsom Mad Funkers] consisting of lead vocalist & guitarist James Atkin, Derry Brownson on keyboards & samples, Ian Dench on keyboards & guitars, Zac Foley on bass, and Mark Decloedt on drums.
EMF released the single "Unbelievable" in Nov. '90, and it was an immediate hit around the world reaching #3 on the UK singles chart list (#1 in the US), and it possibly paved the way for the recordings for this full-length album.
Musically, EMF is part of the baggy / madchester, alt. dance scene, which includes bands like The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Stereo MCs, Inspiral Carpets, and James. Sampling plays a major role in the music by EMF and most songs are held in an uptempo electronic and alt. dance-style.
Schubert Dip received mixed reviews but still peaked at #3 on the national albums chart list; however, "I Believe" is the only song that comes close to their hit single and the album is really nothing more than just above mediocre. I have occasionally played it in its entirety and always concluded that it's an uneven collection of songs that do not match albums by Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses or most other acts of the genre, but "Unbelievable" is one hell of a tune.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Blaue Blume "Sobs" (2017) (ep)

Sobs (ep)

release date: Nov. 17, 2017

format: digital (4 x File, FLAC - HFN 70)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]

producer: Blaue Blume

label: HFN Music - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: 1. "Macabre" - 2. "Ebony" (4 / 5) - 3. "Mayhem" - 4. "Haven't You"

4-track ep by Blaue Blume following its debut album Syzygy (2015). Since then, the band has moved to the German independent HFN Music ['Hafen Music'], a label who has released albums of several other Danish acts including Trentemøller, Reptile Youth, Lydmor, Kasper Bjørke and Jacob Bellens. Furthermore, the quartet now consists of lead vocalist Jonas Smith, guitarist Robert Buhl-Jensen, new bassist Buster Lassen, and drummer Søren Buhl-Jensen.

"Macabre" was produced with Nis Bysted and released as standalone single in March, and it's here with the uptempo killer "Ebony" the ep's strongest tracks but the two remainders are not bad, making this a strong release with great promises for a forthcoming album.

[ bandcamp ]

Happy Mondays "Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches" (1990)

Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches

release date: Apr. 1990

format: cd (2007 remaster)

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

producer: Paul Oakenfold, Steve Osborne

label: Rhino Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Kinky Afro" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "God's Cop" - 3. "Donovan" - 4. "Grandbag's Funeral" - 5. "Loose Fit" - 6. "Dennis and Lois" - 7. "Bob's Yer Uncle" (4 / 5) - 8. "Step On"

3rd studio album by Happy Mondays following 1½ years after Bummed (Nov. 1988) originally released on Factory Records. After Happy Mondays' commercial breakthrough with a remix of the hit song "Hallelujah" taken from the ep Madchester Rave On (Nov. 1989) and a similar follow-up succes with the cover song "Step On", the band went to the studio with the two DJs and remix producers Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne to see if they could carry the succes of their Club Mixes into shaping a collection of new songs. After all, the band had always been a club house party band and just by its title, the album alludes to a certain unhealthy but nevertheless characteristic lifestyle of this particular band.

If the band blended styles and genres on Bummed, they simply take it to another level here by fusioning the whole mix of the predecessor with modern dance beats, electronic rave and basically embracing the style of acid house. It's a modern version of rock that mixes reminiscences of post-punk with indie pop, neo-psychedelia, funk, disco, soul, alt. dance, techno - and whatever made people dance.

The album was met by great enthusiasm and peaked at number #4 on the British albums chart list bringing new fame to the Factory label. Although, only released in a remix, the first single "Step On" went to #5 on the UK singles chart list, and "Kinky Afro" ecqualed that (and went #1 on the Modern Rock list in the US), which was followed by single releases of "Loose Fit" (#17 in the UK) and "Bob's Yer uncle" (US promo single only).

In retrospect, the album sits on top of the whole 'baggy / madchester' movement as an iconic cornerstone. With it's unique stylistic mix and Ryder's original singing style, it showcases a most specific time full of exstacy pills and abuse. Ryder mumbles along with funny semi-autobiografical lyrics about sex, drugs, and everyday life of the working-class in Manchester - events, episodes, and funny phrases all stashed together, just like the music. It's over-the-top and at times odd touching on the bizarre, but also damn charming and full of youthful energy. It's also obvious that with the right people to produce their music, the end result simply improves above what everyone can see is mere potential. John Cale and Martin Hannett simply didn't really know what they were dealing with - or, at least the latter knew something but wasn't quite able to follow suit. Oakenfield and Osbourne are both part of the contemporary dance-scene and in retrospect you may only ask yourself why on earth Factory weren't better in finding matching engineers and producers.

The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Both the '88-album and the successor contains great tunes, but this is simply the band's best effort. Imho, I never was a huge fan of The Mondays. Generally, I have always found the huge blend of styles to be too much of mix, although, really enjoying a few of their songs, but with the rest being too far from that. Still, this one is more than just fine.

The 2007 Rhino remaster contains five bonus tracks: two 12'' versions of tracks #5 and #7; two remixes of tracks #1 and #8; and the previously unreleased song "Tokoloshie Man".

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Select 5 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5, Sounds, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

Mark Hollis "Mark Hollis" (1998)

Mark Hollis [debut]
release date: Jan. 26, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Mark Hollis
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Colour of Spring" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Watershed" - 4. "The Gift" - 5. "A Life (1895-1915)" - 6. "Westward Bound" - 7. "The Daily Planet" - 8. "A New Jerusalem"

Studio solo debut and only album by Talk Talk front-figure Mark Hollis released seven years after the disbandment of Talk Talk. A record deal for two albums with Polydor before the band's final album may likely be the practical grounds for the initial process in having this album released at all. Hollis never was an artist who sought out or enjoyed time in the limelight before or after releasing albums, and a fundamental reason to the disbandment of Talk Talk appears to have been his personal wish not to live life as a performing artist but to recede to family life - so here's at least one good reason for having record contracts that matter for the fans (!).
Stylistically, the album is quite different from any other album released with Talk Talk. The only common characteristics with the final two studio releases and the presence of a jazz-feel, which had its biggest impact on Laughing Stock but also found way to Spirit of Eden and first introduced on The Colour of Spring. You will also find the sense of progressiveness on this one but the overall tone and style is not that of a post rock-release as much as a minimalist and almost ambient jazz pop-sensation, which could be measured as one-third chamber pop, one-third art pop, and one third focussing on jazz; however, produced with minimal arrangements, and in a way, it could also be labelled as sheer minimalism if not that style also hinted at repetitious elements, often made with classical or electronic instrumentation, which is not the case here. If not touching on silent, this is just extremely delicate. The Hollis and Frise-Greene partnership, a remarkable songwriter / composer duo had come to an end with the final Talk Talk album, but several familiar musicians contribute on the album. Mark Feltham on harmonica, Martin Ditcham on drums and percussion, and Robbie McIntosh on guitar, and they have all played on several albums by Talk Talk before, but it's really remarkable how many additional musicians Hollis enlists on this near-quiet album 'cause what you really end up hearing on the majority of the tracks, is basically only the voice of Mark Hollis, some piano parts by Lawrence Pendrous, the double-bass by classical and jazz bassist Chris Laurence alongside Mark Ditcham's percussion sounds. On top of that, parts of other instruments are layered briefly to ensure a sensation of a warm, spacious room of beauty.
I purchased the album on its release without having heard one single tone from it 'cause I knew it had to be good. Not that it was what I expected, but it just didn't disappoint. Perhaps my only regret is its short total running time clocking in just below 47 mins.
The album was met by positive reviews but (naturally) it wasn't followed by live performances or anything such as a promotion tour. Although, Hollis produced and arranged two tracks on the album Smiling & Waving from 2001 by Norwegian Anja Garbarek (daughter of Jan Garbarek), he only returned to his private life and regrettably seems to have abandoned music from hereon for good.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian, Uncut and NME 4 / 5 stars ]

1998 Favourite releases: 1. Grant Lee Buffalo Jubilee - 2. Mark Hollis Mark Hollis - 3. Fatboy Slim You've Come a Long Way, Baby

Thåström "Centralmassivet" (2017)

Centralmassivet

release date: Sep. 29, 2017

format: vinyl (gatefold 'green') / cd

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

producer: Niklas Hellberg, Thåström

label: Razzia Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Bluesen i Malmö" - 2. "Körkarlen" - 3. "Centralmassivet" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "Låt det goda" - 6. "Aldrig av med varandra" - 8. "Karaokebaren"

9th studio album by Thåström following two years after Den morronen (2015), which again followed Beväpna dig med vingar (2012). Like all his albums since the 2012-release, then also Centralmassivet is released on the Swedish label Razzia Records. Thåström also produced the 2015-album in collaboration with Hellberg and Ulf Ivarsson, and Thåström made up the Swedish trio Sällskapet together with Pelle Ossler and Hellberg from 2007 to 2015 after which Thåström left the two to continue the project as a duo.

On this, Niklas Hellberg is not only credited as music composer of all tracks together with Thåström - he also plays piano, keyboards, synths, is credited all programming and as recording technician. In that respect, Hellberg's role is more or less adapted from how he contributed to the music in Sällskapet. And it doesn't stop with that 'cause what characterises the style and sound on this, Thåström's ninth album, is a delicate combination of styles that both echoes his last two solo albums but also cary an underlying connection with electronic music, which again bonds to the two previous albums by Sällskapet without being as grey as they appeared. Centralmassivet is first and foremost unmistakably a Thåström album with the alt. rock and singer / songwriter mix he has come to be recognised for over the last decade, but it's not just a simple strategy where he makes use of a particular formula. Den morronen was dark and somewhat laidback - and you may argue also a bit of a narrower experience, but here Thåström succeeds in relaunching himself as a pure rock artist with electrifying and punchy tunes. The album is full of modern blues rock and it comes out as a very strong effort with an intelligent and remarkable production that opens up for stylistic inputs from industrial rock and the electronic genre without compromising the overall sensation of something extremely coherent and at the same time exposes a collection of songs with apparent diversity.

Centralmassivet is undoubtedly Thåström's best solo album since his highly remarkable Skebokvarnsv. 209 (2005) and it stands as one of his finest releases.

Highly recommended.

[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy" (1999)

A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy (compilation)

release date: Aug. 30, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: various
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

7th album release by The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon's first best of album. The album contains 17 tracks and it's a fine collection of songs for anyone not familiar with The Divine Comedy. For someone who knows some of his albums, I suggest that you buy the original albums, as these songs come from albums with either conceptual tracks or various styles and subject matter.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Søren Huss "Midtlivsvisen" (2017)

Midtlivsvisen [stylised 'MidtlivsVisen']
release date: Nov. 24, 2017
format: vinyl / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Mahler & Bir (aka Christoffer Møller & Lars Skærbæk)
label: Universal - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Et forbehold eller to" - 2. "Achilles" - 3. "Et helt almindeligt liv" (4 / 5) - 4. "Ingen appel" (4 / 5) - 7. "Opvasken" - 9. "Mig og mine tanker"

3rd solo album by Søren Huss follows five years after his acclaimed Oppefra & ned (Oct. 2012) and two years after the come-back album by Saybia, No Sound From the Outside. The front cover already suggests that this is something else from the hands of Søren Huss, who has become associated with melancholic and introspective morose narration, but on this he reveals himself with a large amount of irony in a study of self-criticism, which also signals a strong contrast to his first two solo albums and their black and white front covers.
MidtlivsVisen is a play of words with the established expression 'Midlivskrise' [Midlife-crisis] combined with 'vise' [ballad] - suggesting a collection of songs that all connect thematically with midlife status, stories of current life - at this mature point in life, AND with the implication that it contains some kind of crisis.
Stylistically, it really isn't a long stretch from his 2012 album, it just seems like a much willed effort to meet the content of the album with other expectations and to view the songs from a more positive and lighter perspective. I deeply admire and enjoy the solo works by Huss, who has already established himself as on of the most important national singer / songwriters of a generation who has the ability to embrace and bond with the great songwriters and poets of traditional Danish literature and who still produce highly relevant contemporary music. At times he reminds me of the late troubadour Povl Dissing, at other times he comes closer to C.V. Jørgensen, but mostly he just sounds like no one else moulding an image of a modernist without obvious limitations.
My initial thoughts of the album were less positive than they quickly grew to be. MidtlivsVisen is a beautiful collection of warm and, yet melancholic ballads, exposing Søren Huss as a formidable lyricist and with that underlines that he is a strong contender to the title as the most significant contemporary Danish songwriter.
Recommended.
[ Gaffa.dk hands it 4 / 6, Soundvenue 5 / 6 stars ]

Kent "Jag är inte rädd för mörkret" (2012)

Jag är inte rädd för mörkret
release date: Apr. 25, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Kent, Stefan Boman
label: Sonet Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "999" (4 /5) - 2. "Petroleum" - 4. "Jag ser dig" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "Tänd på" - 6. "Beredd på allt" - 8. "Färger på natten" - 9. "Låt dom komma" - 10. "Hänsyn" (4,5 / 5)

10th studio album release by Kent who is back to a two year shift between albums. This is the first time I think the band hasn't been able to reinvent themselves with great success. Undoubtedly, the album is more than just fine. The single tracks are rather good song writing, and the whole thing is really well-produced and everything. Maybe I shouldn't pay too much attention to the expectation about new music and / or new stylistic progress. After all, many artists, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, and new chamber pop / indie pop bands like The National and Tindersticks may face fine reviews when they release music that fans expect to be within certain boundaries. My own expectations to this album are just a bit unfulfilled 'cause Kent has proven to be a band that keeps searching new territories - they have accustomed their fans to exactly that, and then this time they sort of... stay on the track of En plats i solen, which, after all, is a warm and shiny spot... So why the sulky face? This is good! Though,... Yes yes, I know!
Highlights are "999", "Jag ser dig", both uptempo tracks that are meant to be played LOUD, and then the astonishing "Hänsyn", which is really up there among the very best of Kent ballads ever.

<  show lyrics >

~ ~ ~

"Jag ser dig"

"Över Klara kyrktorn steg en blek och bitter sol
Trafiken kryper blank som skalbaggskal i månskenet
Ditt hjärta rusar förbereder terrordåd
Du är snabb som ljus men kommer aldrig härifrån

Och jag följer dina gnistor under tunga moln
och jag vet exakt vart du ska gå
En lögn blir lätt en sanning när den kommer inifrån
och det enda som är säkert är att
Jag ser dig
Jag kan se dig

Vi nålar upp experter bleka män med mörkersyn
De cirklar tyst kring offren som ett moln av Neurosedyn
De är lugnet över landet deras ord är fria från bly
Håll hårt i era barn nu
man skjuts i ryggen om man flyr

Kan man bygga nåt som bär oss med så lite ljus
nu när kärleken blev trött och blind
Kan man få alla de här bitarna på plats till slut
när det enda som är säkert är att
Jag ser dig

Stäng ute verkligheten
Älskling slut ögonen
Hör du melodierna i natthimlen
Det kommer ta en evighet
Vi sluter ögonen
och lyssnar på en psalm som bor i hjärtslagen
Vad som helst utom verkligheten
Jag kan se dig äntligen
Min vän jag hör en sång i dina andetag
Rakt in i evigheten
Älskling slut ögonen
och lyssna men vad fan du måste lyssna nu
för Jag kan se dig…"

~ ~ ~

"Hänsyn"

"Han vet att han gör fel
Han vet att du oftast har rätt
Du räknar aldrig poäng
Bryr dig inte om vem som vinner

Han vet att han gör fel
att du står bakom
och tar emot honom
när han faller
Bara en av tusen detaljer

Som gör att han älskar dig
som gör att man älskar dig
som gör att jag älskar dig
Som gör att vi älskar dig

Du kommer alltid i tid
men jag har aldrig sett dig skynda
det slår mig när jag ser dig gå iväg
så rak i ryggen så mjuk i hållningen
du är som en förtrollning

Som gör att man älskar dig, som gör att man älskar dig
Som gör att jag älskar dig - som gör att vi älskar dig

Jag gör dig så illa ibland
jag ser spår av dina tårar
du väntar ingenting och du har alltid
haft så lätt för att förlåta
bara en av tusen små gåtor

Som gör att han älskar dig, som gör att man älskar dig
Som gör att jag älskar dig - som gör att vi älskar dig"

~ ~ ~

Pixies "Indie City" (2014)

digipack

Indie City
release date: Apr. 28, 2014
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,26]
producer: Gil Norton
label: Pixiesmusic - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "What Goes Boom" (live on Later) - 3. "Indie Cindy" - 7. "Blue Eyed Hexe" - 5. "Magdalena 318" - 9. "Another Toe in the Ocean" - 11. "Snakes"

5th studio album by Pixies is the band's first full-length release in 23 years [!] and has legendary Gil Norton as producer - as guarantee for coming close to the original sound. The album has been labelled a compilation because it consists of all 12 songs taken from three recent three EPs: EP1 (tracks #1, 3, 9, 10) released Sep. 2013, EP2 (tracks #2, 5, 7, 11) from Jan. 2014 and EP3 (tracks #4, 6, 8, 12) released Mar. 2014; however, it still IS the band's first full length studio release since Trompe le monde from 1991. The line-up has changed since then, as founding member, bassist Kim Deal, much to the band's regret, left the band before going to the studio to record these new songs. For a European tour the band found a substitute in Kim Shattuck, but only to be replaced two months later by Paz Lenchantin, also for live concerts only. As for the album, Simon 'Dingo' Archer (formerly The Fall) is credited as non-member bassist on all tracks.
The album was met by luke-warm reviews mostly pointing to the incoherence of the material, where some songs point to Black Francis' early solo works, and other compositions play with too many influences. Some also suggest that fans had awaited the return of Pixies for a long time, and as they finally release a full-length album, it's the songs they already know from the three EPs.
I too hear way too many stylistic traits, but on an overall basis, I also hear the unmistakable sound of Pixies, which is really nice. As was the case two decades ago, Francis is at the steering wheel, and together with Santiago and Lovering this new journey may just be a fine ride.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Q, Spin, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, NME 3,5 / 5 stars ]

original cover

Happy Mondays "Hallelujah" (1989) (ep)

Hallelujah, ep

release date: Dec. 1989

format: cd

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

producer: Martin Hannett

label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Hallelujah (MacColl Mix)" - 2. "Clap Your Hands" - 4. "Rave On" - 5. "Hallelujah (Club Mix)" - 6. "Rave On (Club Mix)" - 7. "W.F.L. (Think About the Future Mix)"

Ep release of the non-album track "Hallelujah" by Happy Mondays. Originally it was released exclusively for the UK market in Nov. '89 in two versions: a 4-track 12'' ep titled Madchester Rave On, and as a 2-track 7'' single titled Hallelujah. In December it was re-released in this expanded 7-track edition consisting of other remixes spliced with the Madchester Rave On ep now targeted for the European continental and US markets. Martin Hannett is producer of the original recordings but four of the tracks are made as additional production remixes. Paul Oakenfold is credited as remix producer on tracks #5, #6, #7 - track #5 together with Andy Wetherall and track #6 with Terry Farley - Steve Lillywhite is remix producer of track #1.

This is a nice collection of extended mixes and various remixes, and it serves as a fine document of the general appeal of Happy Mondays on the club arena back in the day. It also features some of Paul Oakenfold's early remixes for the band, which paved way for his role on the 1990-album, which may be seen as the band's pinnacle.

"The Best of Country and West" (1967)

The Best of Country and West, compilation

release date: 1967

format: vinyl

[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

producer: ?

label: RCA Victor - nationality: Germany

Compilation album of classic country songs in a German pressing. The album comes with various different covers, and it was originally released in Germany only. Later it has been issued for the Dutch, the Italian, Swiss, and Norwegian markets.

This particular issue was part of my parents' record collection, and I recall playing this at age 6-10 years old on a portable turntable. At an early age, it was actually one of my favourite albums. It's not that country music as such was something my parents listened much to - perhaps I really enjoyed this because I also happened to really like watching western movies. I still recall a few of my then favourite tracks: #A1. Charley Pride "Detroit City", #A3. Hank Snow "The Golden Rocket", #A6. George Hamilton IV "Steel Rail Blues", #A7. Skeeter Davis "The End of the World", #B2. Norma Jean "You're Driving Me Out of My Mind", and #B4. Floyd Cramer "Hey Good Lookin' ".

~ ~ ~

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.

The Raveonettes "Lust Lust Lust" (2007)

Lust Lust Lust

release date: Nov. 12, 2007

format: cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,77]

producer: Sune Rose Wagner

label: Fierce Panda - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Aly, Walk with Me" - 2. "Hallucinations" - 3. "Lust" - 4. "Dead Sound" - 8. "You Want the Candy" - 9. "Blitzed" - 10. "Sad Transmission" - 12. "The Beat Dies"

3rd full-length studio album by The Raveonettes following 2½ years after Pretty in Black (May 2005) basically continue the style of the predecessor but with a stronger original sound both by mixing 60s surf rock and contemporary recording methods using electronic drums and synths to create a 50s / 60s vibe that nonetheless works really well, and by including more of the surf rock and garage rock sound they incorporated on the debut. The album is not a lengthy affair but provides us with 12 songs with a total running time just below 41 minutes. Previously, the band of songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Sune Rose Wagner and bassist & vocalist Sharin Foo were aided by a full backing band playing traditional instruments, but not this time. The album appears to have been recorded by Wagner and Foo only - with the former playing all instruments and Foo 'only' adding vocals to the songs. The result is quite fine with a strong blend of styles, yet keeping the course balancing both soft / hard and ballads / rockers in what appears as full control. It's really a coherent and unison album that lifts the level by another notch.

Btw. this is the band's first album that doesn't have Wagner or Foo on the front cover.

The album is a strong contender to the best album by The Raveonettes.

[ 👍allmusic.com, The Guardian, Spin 4 / 5, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Uncut 3 / 5 stars ]