Marianne Faithfull "Broken English" (1979)

Broken English

release date: Nov. 2, 1979

format: vinyl / cd (1994 cd reissue)

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

producer: Mark Miller Mundy

label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Broken English" (4 / 5) - 2. "Witches' Song" - 3. "Brain Drain" - 4. "Guilt" - 5. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" (4 / 5) - 7. "Working Class Hero" (4 / 5) - 8. "Why D'ya Do It" (4 / 5)

7th studio album by Marianne Faithfull following the release of Faithless (1978) was the first album by Faithfull that I have a recollection of listening to. Speaking of the actual number of studio albums, is a bit of a detective work, and even then it comes down to a discussion of what qualifies as 'real' studio albums. The thing is, early on, Faithfull released different albums for the European and for the North American markets, respectivily, and if only looking at her European albums, you could argue one or two are not traditional studio albums but rather alternative releases, or say 'near' compilations..., and there's another story of Rich Kids Blues from '85, which was actually recorded in '71 and rightfully precedes this one but it was shelved for 14 years, and... there you have it! It's up for someone else, to determine, I guess. Broken English is, however, most commonly identified as her seventh, and the predecessor Faithless is both regarded as her sixth studio album, although, it's basically and also what could be described as an alternate version of her fifth album Dreamin' My Dreams (1976).

Broken English came out when punk rock roared and Faithfull was one of punks' idols stemming from another era where most artists didn't find peers amongst the young and angry generation. In that regard, she stood alongside Nico, Lou Reed, Neil Young, and Iggy Pop - survivors of the needle. There's a distinct new wave- or art punk-ish seasoning to this very album, and then it's also a huge melting pot of styles. Perhaps, it's all about a naked anger and an honest attempt of unglorification. The album is like many of Faithfull's a mix of writers and composers and a ceratin amount of covers, and regardless the origin, Faithfull knows how to make songs her own. This also goes for Shel Silverstein's "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" and Lennon's "Working Class Hero".

The album is Faithfull's only to be included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". To me, it's not her absolute best but it's close enough and a certified highly recommended listen.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Pitchfork 8,7 / 10, The Guardian 5 / 5, Q Magazine, 👉Record Collector, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Electric Light Orchestra "Out of the Blue" (1977)

Out of the Blue

release date: Oct. 1977

format: digital

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

producer: Jeff Lynne

label: Jet Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Turn to Stone" - 3. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" - 13. "Mr. Blue Sky"

7th studio album by Electric Light Orchestra following one year after the breakthrough album A New World Record and like that produced by primary songwriter and leader of the band, lead vocalist Jeff Lynne. The band has gone through various line-ups but maintained a quite numerous members list, and here they count seven (three of which exclusively play violin and cello). The band has evolved from playing primarily experimental progressive rock with bonds to symphonic rock and hard rock and through a stage with baroque pop to eventually play progressive pop with bold use of elements from funk and disco - and needless say: with a much more evident mainstream appeal.

I recall this very album from when it wasn't all brand new and they still hadn't released the successor Discovery (May 1979). In Feb. 1979 (at age 13) I happened to be in London with our class, and several mates from class both purchased the predecessor together with this one that I only knew little about. I recall from some teen club evenings at the local church (!) they played this quite a bit. From our journey to London, I remember buying albums with The Police (Outlandos d'amour and Regatta de blanc), Pink Floyd (The Wall) and Dire Straits (the debut) and a few others that I have now forgotten about - alongside a handful of releases for my older brother (I brought a handwritten list of titles to purchase for him). Unfortunately, I didn't yet know anything to the existence of punk rock or new wave at this point - that only came to my attention upon my return later that year, so I was more into music that I already knew of, and especially heavily inspired by my brother's music taste (except The Police, which he didn't play). But what I soon learned was that I didn't like Electric Light Orchestra - not one bit! In fact, I loathed the disco and progressive pop harmonies that my class mates soon praised as the new big thing alongside music by Patrick Hernandez, Kelly Marie, and / or Bee Gees.

The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" as the only by ELO, as they were commonly known. Out of the Blue is the band's second consecutive Platinum-selling studio release, which eventually was surpassed in sales numbers by Discovery and Time (1981). The only reason I have put it here is that I wanted to revisit an album I really never understood. And still don't, it turns out! From the aforementioned book: "Released at the height of disco, Out Of The Blue was seen by some as a futuristic fish out of water." As much as I relate to that picture, it's probably not in the most positive of ways. To me, this is awkwardly over-arranged. Waaaay too much funk and disco, and not just that but with so many synths and strings that it should belong in space. And it makes me think of a musical wedding cake: Mostly impressive and nice to look at, but who really wants to consume that?! In my ears it doesn't fall far from the ABBA and Olivia Newton John melody structures that I disliked then as I still do to some minor degree nowadays. I have definitely grown much milder when it comes to polished pop of the 80s and 70s, and I do understand the qualities of a lot of music that I didn't like at a younger age, but ELO from '76 and onwards still doesn't do much for me. "Mr. Blue Sky" was a hit but would never have seen the light of day without The Beatles and The Moody Blues. "Turn to Stone" was another major hit back then - at least in Europe - but to me that was, and still is, a pastiche - a conglomerate of songs by artists suchs as Giorgio Moroder, Hot Chocolate, Earth, Wind & Fire merged with some Stevie Wonder-arrangements and equal parts of 10cc smoothness - all artists I'd rather listen to than this fine musical mish-mash that remains far from distinctive original.

Out of the Blue is still a cornerstone in the discography of Electric Light Orchestra no matter what I think of it, but I'm not in a position where I feel that I should actually recommend it. If asked back then, I would most likely have handed it 1 or max 2 stars - basically, suggesting it was crap, so in that respect I have come (much) closer in accepting it as genuine acceptable music. It's still over-produced, over-arranged and it didn't do much good for music, imho. But hey, wasn't I into punk?! And punk rock was in many ways a response to exactly this kind of music, and I still do understand the reaction and need to change music as it was back in the mid-70s.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, The Guardian 3 / 5 stars ]

~ ~ ~

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.

Fatboy Slim "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" (1998)

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

release date: Oct. 1998

format: cd / digital (2008 2cd 10th Anniversary Edition)

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

producer: Fatboy Slim

label: Skint Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Right Here, Right Now" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "The Rockafeller Skank" - 4. "Gangster Tripping" - 5. "Build It Up - Tear It Down" - 9. "Praise You" (4,5 / 5) - 11. "Acid 8000"

2nd studio album by Fatboy Slim following his fine debut Better Living Through Chemistry from '96 is like that released on Skint and produced by Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook). The title is taken from the American cigarette brand Virgina Slims, which was sold (to women as target group) in the 1960s and 70s using the slogan "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" - the title here then is used with reference to the cover and the official video for track #1 as an ironic statement about the human race.

Despite being crafted almost only using heavy sampling, the album is very much of a whole, building on hooks, catchy phrases and small bits from this and that, primarily soul and funk artists, but the common denominator is something original within the big beat style of electronica.

The album spawned four single releases and they all peaked in top 10 on the UK singles chart list. In order, the songs selected for single releases were tracks #2, 4, 9, and 1 with the first two preceding the album release and the last two issued in '99. The third single, "Praise You" (Jan. '99) followed by an official video creation that was work of geniality performed the best peaking at #1 in many countries world-wide including the UK, Scotland, Iceland, and it peaked at #2 in the US on the Alternative Songs list. The last single also performed quite well peaking at #1 on the UK Indie list (#2 overall) and furthermore, the video for "Praise You" won three major awards at the 1999 MTV Video Awards, and in 2000 it was voted #1 of the 100 best music videos ever released in an MTV anniversary poll. The album peaked at #1 in the UK, and it has sold more than 3 mio. copies worldwide and is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

The album is undoubtedly Fatboy Slim's best and most coherent album. In 2008, a 2-disc 10th Anniversary Commemorative Edition with 10 bonus tracks was issued on Skint.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Select 5 / 5, 👍NME, Muzik, Q Magazine, Spin 4 / 5, 👎Rolling Stone 3 / 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

Fatboy Slim "Better Living Through Chemistry" (1996)

Better Living Through Chemistry [debut]
release date: Sep. 16, 1996
format: cd (BRASSIC 2CD)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: Fatboy Slim
label: Skint Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Song for Lindy" - 2. "Santa Cruz" - 3. "Going Out of My Head" - 5. "Everybody Needs a 303" - 8. "First Down"

Studio album debut by Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook (aka Quentin Leo Cook) former bassist of The Housemartins. Musically, this doesn't have much in common with the former jangle pop band; however, Fatboy Slim may be Cook's new pseudonym but his experiments within the electronic scene started way way earlier, and if he's associated with The Housemartins, it's rather undeserved, 'cause fact is, he released his first electronic solo album All-Star Breakbeats Volume 1 in 1990 under his own name as well as the follow-up Skip to My Loops in '92 - both collections of... loops to use when sampling, and even before that Norman Cook was the leader and main songwriter of the British electronic dub project-band, Beats International, which had a short life-span from '89-92 releasing one fairly successful album Let Them Eat Bingo with the international hit single "Dub Be Good to Me". Before playing in The Housemartins he was already an established DJ of the early 1980s playing primarily American "black music". After ending the Beats International project, Cook went on and formed the acid jazz and hip hop trio Freak Power, which existed from '93-96 experiencing some success before internal friction had him choose a solo career and Fatboy Slim was invented. He has released music by dozens of pseudonyms incl. Pizzaman, Cheeky Boy, Chemistry, Charlie Stains, and many others. In fact, he is known for being the British artist to have featured most times on the UK singles chart list with the most aliases.
Anyway, Better Living Through Chemistry is an electronic samples album of big beat music, which really put him on everyone's lips in the mid-90s, and it's the first of two consecutive albums by Fatboy Slim to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". The album contains some really fine hooks and samples, but to me, it's still an album pointing to his past as a DJ mixing this and that, and being allover the place in terms of style. His force of nature keeps him so busy that creating a coherent release seems the impossible mission, although, he would do even better on the follow-up. That said, Better Living Through Chemistry is an energetic and vibrant dance album of high importance for the electronic pool of styles.
[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5, 👎Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

1996 Favourite releases: 1. Bob Mould Bob Mould - 2. Fatboy Slim Better Living Through Chemistry - 3. Ryuichi Sakamoto 1996

The B-52's "The B-52's" (1979)

The B-52's [debut]
release date: Jul. 6, 1979
format: cd (1988 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]
producer: Robert Ash [uncredited]; Chris Blackwell
label: Island Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Planet Claire" - 2. "52 Girls" - 3. "Dance This Mess Around" - 4. "Rock Lobster" (5 / 5) (official live recording) - 8. "60608-842" - 9. "Downtown"

Studio album debut by The B-52's, a quintet formed in Athens, Georgia, 1976 by vocalist Cindy Wilson, (Cindy's older brother) guitarist Ricky Wilson, vocalist and keyboardist Kate Pierson, drummer Keith Strickland, and lead vocalist and cowbell player Fred Schneider. The producer credits is handed to Island Records' founder Chris Blackwell, but according to Schneider, Robert Ash actually produced the album "and Chris oversaw the whole project".
Stylistically, the B-52's sticks to its own new wave style, which is influenced and incorporates funk and surf rock in a dance-pop-oriented way, and they also quite bluntly reflected a music and style that was observed as "pop kitsch". Lyrically, this was underlined in obscure or silly lyrics, which was seen as contrary to an American songwriter tradition, but which only resonated the late '70s - the punk rock era's stand against conformity. The majority of the tracks are composed by the band, or by Schneider and Wilson - except the end-track, "Downtown", a Petula Clark cover (1964 single) written by Tony Hatch but here in a new wave version arranged by Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson.
The album fared reasonably well making it to #59 on the US Billboard 200, but it wasn't regarded a great album until some decades later. It seems the music of B-52's was so much on its own that it took time to really digest - however, over the years the band and their debut album has only been subject of critical acclaim. The album is enlisted in many best of lists including Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 greatest Albums of All Time" and in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
I've have always regarded the album as one of the fine original new wave releases and, imho, The B-52's are simply a better and much more fun act to listen to than e.g. the more acclaimed Talking Heads. Also, listening to the album today - some four decades later, it's really music that still contains so many great tunes full of joy and instant positive energy that it's a thrill.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 5 / 5, Slant, Select 4 /5 stars ]

Best of 2006:Amy Winehouse "Back to Black" (2006)

original cover

Back to Black
release date: Oct. 30, 2006
format: cd (2007 Deluxe Edition) / 2 lp vinyl (2021 deluxe edition)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,48]
producer: Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: Disc 1) 1. "Rehab" - 2. "You Know I'm No Good" - 3. "Me and Mr. Jones" (live) - 4. "Just Friends" - 5. "Back to Black" - 6. "Love Is a Losing Game" (5 / 5) (live) - 7. "Tears Dry on Their Own" (live on Later) - 8. "Wake Up Alone"
Disc 2) 1. "Valerie" (5 / 5) - 2. "Cupid" - 3. "Monkey Man" (live) - 4. "To Know Him Is to Love Him" - 5. "Hey Little Rich Girl" (feat. Zalon & Ade) (live) - 6. "You're Wondering Now" - 8. "Love Is a Losing Game" (Original Demo)

2nd and final studio album by Amy Winehouse released three years after her debut album contains 6 tracks produced by Mark Ronson and the remaining 5 tracks on the standard album is produced by Salaam Remi. The Deluxe Edition released 13 months later is a double disc album with the standard album in a remastered edition and a bonus disc with a collection of B-sides and live recordings.
The original album peaked at number #1 on the UK albums chart list, just as it did in many countries world-wide including in Austria, France, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and in New Zealand. The album also went as high as to number #7 on the American Billboard 200, and when it was reissued as a double disc it peaked at number #2. It contains a number of great tracks and several singles made it to top-10 on the singles chart, although none ended up on top of the charts. The first single from the album was "Rehab", peaking at number #7 in the UK. This was followed by "You Know I'm No Good", which peaked at number #18, then the title track was released as a single, peaking at number #8, and then two more singles were released: "Tears Dry on Their Own" and "Love Is a Losing Game" peaking at number #16 and number #33, respectively.
Now, how do you pick a short list displaying only the best tracks from this album? It's an impossible task, and with the double disc edition it doesn't become any easier with a bonus disc full of gems including ska revival and rock steady tracks, e.g. "Hey, Little Rich Girl" (org. by The Specials), "Monkey Man" (by Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert) and "You're Wondering Now" (by Clement Seymour 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd). All songs here are wonderful examples of this woman's extraordinary gift and great potential, and although Frank is a mighty fine debut, it's nevertheless overshadowed by the strength of this very album. The songs here showcase Winehouse's songwriter qualities and most of all, it's produced and arranged to support her songs, which makes this a better album.
Despite rumours about a follow-up Back to Black remains the final Amy Winehouse studio album. Following the album release, the success almost appeared without an end, which meant that she kept touring after new nominations and awards, and then her physical conditions began to show when performing on stage. She had recorded some demos that were meant for a forthcoming album but all this was shelved when she passed away Jul. 2011, at age 27.
Back to Black is naturally included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" as it's one of the most evident top-of-year album releases, you may come across.
Highly recommended.

Edit 2021:

The 2021 2 lp vinyl Deluxe Edition is a really fine issue of this album. It's a repress of a 2016 reissue, which is a remastered version of the 2007 CD Deluxe Edition only with the original cover replacing the all black cover of the 2007 issue. The vinyl version of this is cut using half-speed recording technique as a way to detail the output and issued on 180g vinyl. The 2 LP vinyl format wasn't issued until 2016.

2006 Favourite releases: 1. Amy Winehouse Back to Black - 2. Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - 3. Band of Horses Everything All the Time

2007 2-Disc
Deluxe Edition

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 ]

The Stone Roses "The Stone Roses" (1989)

The Stone Roses [debut]
release date: Mar. 13, 1989
format: vinyl (ORE LP 502) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: John Leckie
label: Silvertone Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "I Wanna Be Adored" (4 / 5) - 2. "She Bangs the Drums" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "Waterfall" (studio live 2013) - 5. "Bye Bye Badman" - 7. "(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister" (live) - 8. "Made of Stone" - 11. "I Am the Resurrection"

Studio album debut by Manchester band The Stone Roses consisting of vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, Mani [aka Gary Mounfield] on bass and Reni [aka Alan John Wren] on drums, backing vocals and piano. All 11 songs are credited Ian Brown and John Squire. Stylewise, the album was released as indie pop and jangle pop, which had its roots in the Manchester scene with close bonds to The Smiths, but time has first and foremost put it in the category of baggy / Madchester and neo-psychedelia including bands like Inspiral Carpets and Happy Mondays all of which with connection to the (New Order) nightclub The Haçienda music scene, but also with a distinct relation to other bands like The Sundays (jangle pop / dreampop) and Australian band The Church (jangle pop / neo-psychedelia).
I bought the album upon its release after having heard the single hit "She Bangs the Drums" on the look-out for the "new big thing" after the demise of The Smiths. It was quite all right and pretty good, but it wasn't great, imho. What I became more hooked on was the music by Kitchens of Distinction, also releasing their debut album in '89, music by Bob Mould and Pixies with more power-fuzed compositions. However, time has been quite gentle with this album, I think. Actually, I consider it a whole lot better today than I did back then. I would play the first half of the album finding that part above average, but as a whole, I thought of it as too unfocused and without sufficient variation. I also found it somewhat difficult to label 'cause was it close to The Smiths and jangle pop, or was it more in line with noise pop or dream pop bands like The Sundays?
What is particular good is not just the variation of mood and energy, there's also a fine incorporation of classic pop pointing back to The Byrds and a baroque pop period, which basically had its comeback with britpop - Oasis and Blur, years later - and there's the whole neo-psychedelic part linking the band with the 60s and a long line of bands dealing with that style throughout the 70s and into the 80s where it fuses with other styles and genres. The Church, XTC and Love and Rockets all incorporated neo-psychedelia but none of these bands were dance-oriented like The Stone Roses and the baggy / Madchester scene of late 80s Manchester.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The front cover is a Jackson Pollock-inspired painting "Bye Bye Badman" by John Squire.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Uncut 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

[ collectors' item, 1989 repress 'near mint' - from ~ €60,- ]

Happy Mondays "Bummed" (1988)

Bummed

release date: Nov. 1988

format: cd (2000 reissue)

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

producer: Martin Hannett

label: Factory / London Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Country Song" - 2. "Moving in With" - 3. "Mad Cyril" - 5. "Performance" (studio session) - 6. "Brain Dead" - 7. "Wrote for Luck" - 9. "Do It Better"

2nd full-length studio album by Happy Mondays follows 1½ years after Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People... (Apr. 1987) and is made with Factory-label's acclaimed producer, Martin Hannett. The band consists of the usual five: vocalist Shaun Ryder, his younger brother Paul on bass, Mark Day on guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards, (Gary) 'Gaz' Whelan on drums, and with Mark 'Bez' Berry on percussion. All ten songs are credited the band but it's commonly known that Shaun wrote the lyrics 'cause "the rest of 'em can't be arsed". Btw. the song "Lazyitis" (track #10) is basically "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles with new lyrics and nearly unrecognisable arrangement.

Musically, it's a huge move from the debut and the band has progressed from being an indie rock band to one founded on a mix of styles, including alt. dance, indie pop, soul, funk, and neo-psychedelia making Happy Mondays one of the original bands behind the baggy / madchester style it should later be known as. The band also went by the alias The Mondays or 'The 24 Hour Party People' and they were one of many artists and bands playing at the famous The Haçienda music club founded by Factory and New Order in unison. Together with The Stone Roses and 808 State - all originating from Greater Manchester - they all produced dance-oriented music with various stylistic elements. The Stone Roses played alt. dance founded on jangle pop and indie rock, and 808 State built their sound on electronica, and then a number of other artists soon emerged on the scene. Producer Martin Hannett to some extent proves his worth here after having been recognised for his minimalist, dark and strict sound when engineering the soundscape for Joy Division less than a decade ago. Shaun Ryder recounts in his autobiography "Twisting My Melon" (2011) how he had been excited to have Hannett produce the album, as Ryder had been a big fan of the Joy Division productions and were thrilled to see what Hannett would come up with. Perhaps John Cale produced the debut album one year earlier with the intend to approach something with a more distinct art rock sound, and as a contrast to that, the sound here weaves in and out of focus making room for a multi-coloured palette, and on top of that, Shaun Ryder bounces freely in his original mumbling narrating style. Ryder describes it as the first really good album of theirs despite memories of recording sessions with drugs all over the place. And Hannett perhaps being the most experimental when Ryder and Bez introduced everyone to E.

The album doesn't contain noteworthy obvious hits, although "Wrote for Luck" had been chosen for single release in late October and is highly characteristic for the band, but it really launched its own life and positioned the band up the charts a bit later when it was released in a re-mixed version as "W.F.L." (official video) by Paul Oakenfold and Vince Clarke. Bummed was met by positive reviews, although, its status as a stylistic cornerstone has only added to its value. The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must hear Before You Die" and is quite an enjoyable ride. Nonetheless, it's mighty fine but given its position, I have never really fancied it all that much, and frankly, I find The Stone Roses debut a greater musical achievement. With Bummed, Happy Mondays may have landed their sound (not the same as found their feet!) but to me, their successor, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (Apr. 1990) clearly betters this one.

The front cover is an edited photo of lead vocalist Shaun Ryder when "off his tits", as he probably would describe it.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, NME 4,5 / 5, Mojo, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" (1996)

Antichrist Superstar
release date: Oct. 8, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Sean Beavan, Marilyn Manson, Dave Ogilvie, Trent Reznor
label: Interscope - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" - 2. "The Beautiful People" - 4. "Tourniquet" - 7. "Deformography" - 12. "Antichrist Superstar" - 15. "The Reflecting God" -

2nd studio album by American industrial metal band Marilyn Manson originally released by Nothing Records. Guitarist Daisy Berkowitz (aka Scott Putesky) left the band while still recording the album with bassist Twiggy Ramirez, vocalist Marilyn Manson, additional musicians Danny Lohner and Robin Finck, as well as both co-producers Sean Beavan and Trent Reznor taking over the remaining guitar recordings.
Stylistically, the album marks a shift to a harder, simpler and in many ways more traditional hard rock style with loans from punk rock, gothic rock and metal rock. The band has left, what I find a murky, style and also the many samples and instead focused on a clearer industrial form, which has been praised by many. The two single releases (tracks #2 and #4) were both promoted with (acclaimed) music videos directed by Canadian-Italian director Floria Sigismondi. The album is regarded as the band's breakthrough album, and it was nominated and awarded several prizes. It's also the so far only Marilyn Manson album to be enlisted in "1001 Album You Must Hear Before You Die."
The album is not a favourite of mine but I do acknowledge the musical qualities of the album, although, I find it hard to listen to in its entirety. Tracks #1, #2 and #4 are the clearly best tracks here, and they all have a distinct punk rock influence, whereas several other tracks are more metal rock-founded, and therefore, from my perspective, less interesting; however, as a whole, I find it quite amusing / disturbing and clearly the band's best effort.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Spin 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Frank Black "Teenager of the Year" (1994)

Teenager of the Year
release date: May 24, 1994
format: cd (1999 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Eric Drew Feldman, Frank Black, Alistair Clay
label: 4AD Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Whatever Happened to Pong?" - 2. "Thalassocracy" - 3. "(I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain" - 5. "The Vanishing Spies" - 6. "Speedy Marie" - 7. "Headache" (4 / 5) (live) - 11. "Fiddle Riddle" - 14. "I Could Stay Here Forever" - 16. "Superabound" - 17. "Big Red" - 20. "Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band"

2nd solo studio album by Frank Black is a true long-player at 62 min. playing time and containing 22 tracks (with several tracks under 2 min. and 10 tracks over 3 mins) thus being released as a double vinyl lp. Like on his debut, former Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago feature on several tracks but the musical backbone is once again co-producer Eric Drew Feldman on bass & keyboards and Nick Vincent on drums.
Stylistically, Black may not introduce a lot of new styles here - he excels in what he does best: playing alt. rock and indie rock - at the time often referred to as college rock, but the album is something else than his first solo album where he sort of just did what he had been used to do. And lyrically, he just continues to sing about whatever pops up in his weird super-sub-conscious fantasy. Yes, it's songs about video-games, comics' and cartoon characters, space, UFOs and what lies in between [!]... Quite often it's rather funny, though. The album is very varied incorporating not only inspiration from other genres and styles but by adding elements from 1960s surf rock, folk rock, 70s art rock and of course punk rock. Sometimes he even sounds inspired by more traditional folk as exemplified in "Superabound" and "Sir Rockaby", but without pointing in all directions he somehow manages to keep it all together thanks to a simple production sound without too much post-recording rework and by altogether containing all the various styles in his special universe of alt. rock.
Admittedly, I rejected the album in '94. I did try listening to it - more than once - but I just didn't get it. To me, it was too noisy and without direction and appeal. I dunno. I guess I felt the same way about Trompe le monde by Pixies when I first heard that one. There's something confrontational about his music that may cause people to keep it out, perhaps. Anyway, for me this is an album that has taken more than a usual amount time to settle and to adjust to. But I have. From a 2010-perspective I can't really understand why I didn't just embrace the album as the continued journey out of Pixies - kind of together with what The Breeders did.
The album contains a lot of fine tracks and great bits, and overall, it's quite an accomplishment, where I feel completely in line with Al Wesel of Rolling Stone when he sums up that: "The songs switch gears so much that you're never sure where you might end up, but the ride is always exhilarating." At the time of its release, the album was met by fine but also luke-warm reviews; however, time has really rocketed the album up on many best of charts, and it's also included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, NME, Select, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "A Short Album About Love" (1997)

A Short Album About Love
release date: Feb. 10, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5]
producer: *[Neil Hannon]?
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Tracklist: 1. "In Pursuit of Happiness" (4 / 5) - 2. "Everybody Knows (Except You)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Someone" (4,5 / 5) (live in France) - 4. "If..." (5 / 5) (live) (live) - 5. "If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me)" (5 / 5) - 6. "Timewatching" (4 / 5) - 7. "I'm All You Need"
*producer credits are absent

5th studio album by The Divine Comedy. This is the first album I ever heard with Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy. I had read some reviews praising the album, so I searched the music, and was really blown away by it's classy beauty. It's still my favourite album by Hannon, and the only real downside to it is the short running time.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

1997 Favourite releases: 1. Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club - 2. The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole - 3. The Divine Comedy A Short Album About Love

Best of 2001:Björk "Vespertine" (2001)

Vespertine
release date: Aug. 27, 2001
format: cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,32]
producer: Björk
label: Polydor Records - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 1. "Hidden Place" (4 / 5) - 2. "Cocoon" - 3. "It's Not Up to You" (5 / 5) (live) - 4. "Undo" (live) - 5. "Pagan Poetry" - 7. "Aurora" (4 / 5) - 10. "Heirloom" - 12. "Unison" (4,5 / 5)

4th studio album by Björk following four years after Homogenic (Aug. 1997) is primarily produced by Björk and is originally released by One Little Indian. Before this she released the soundtrack album Selmasongs (2000), an album with (reworked) songs from the musical film "Dancer in the Dark" starring Björk and directed by Lars von Trier.
Vespertine marks a new change of style with the addition of ambient and glitch pop. A move from trip hop towards glitch pop may not be the biggest imaginable leap, but with the album, Björk introduces a completely different sound compared to any of her previous releases. It's an album with much less focus on electronic beats and a bolder organic sound filled with strings and vocal harmonies.
I've always enjoyed this album and think of it as possibly her biggest accomplishment.
Vespertine is the second album by Björk to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, NME, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]

2001 Favourite releases: 1. Björk Vespertine - 2. Nathalie Merchant Motherland - 3. Rammstein Mutter

XTC "Apple Venus Volume 1" (1999)

Apple Venus Volume 1
release date: Feb. 22, 1999
format: cd (COOKCD 172)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]
producer: Haydn Bendall, Nick Davis
label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "River of Orchids" - 2. "I'd Like That" - 3. "Easter Theatre" - 5. "Frivolous Tonight" - 6. "Greenman" - 7. "Your Dictionary" - 9. "I Can't Own Her"
[ full album ]

11th studio album by XTC, and the last to feature guitarist Dave Gregory. The album is released some seven years following Nonsuch (Apr. '92) and after a controversy with the band's label, which meant that XTC had rejected to record any new material for Virgin to finally be freed from its contract and from the label. Free to do as they like, the three band members struggled to find financials to materialise a follow-up album. Apparently, Partridge & Co. had enough songs to record what should've been a double album but as a result of insufficient finances they ended up with this, which may be regarded as the first part of a conceptual work - hence the title "Volume 1".
The album differs somewhat from other XTC albums being perhaps closest to the album Skylarking from '86 - especially, when comparing to the 2014 'corrected' issue of that particular album. This one is likewise what has been labelled as neo-psychedelic and distinctively also chamber pop from a band that was reduced to its most prolific songwriters, Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding during the recording sessions when Dave Gregory left the band due to 'musical differences' [ Gregory's version ].
XTC once again prove their ability to be able to renew themselves over and over again without losing themselves. With only two songs by Moulding, the album mostly contains compositions by Partridge, but although, it plays with new styles and incorporates brass and The London Sessions Orchestra it's still clearly an XTC album.
The album didn't sell in great numbers, but critics were generally quite positive about it, and it's also one of only two XTC albums to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Surely, it may not contain obvious single hits - it's an album for listeners, and I really find it a bit of a surprise after Oranges and Lemons and Nonsuch, both of which saw the band explore more simplistic pop / rock traditions. Some tracks are strongly experimental, some make me think of The Divine Comedy, or Love and Rockets, others are closer to The Church, and not seldom one is reminded of bands like The Beach Boys and The Beatles, but mostly I just hear XTC on top of it all.

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

LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver" (2007)

Sound of Silver
release date: Mar. 12, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: The DFA [Tim Goldsworthy & James Murphy]
label: DFA Records Japan - nationality:

Track highlights: 1. "Get Innocuous!" - 2. "Time to Get Away" - 3. "North American Scum" - 4. "Someone Great" (5 / 5) - 6. "Us V Them"

2nd full studio album by LCD Soundsystem in a Japanese edition including 3 bonus tracks.
It's really not that different from the debut album as they still make use of various influences - on the first three tracks one will hear funk and alt. dance / dance-punk pointing to a more standard rock-outing, but with the track "Someone Great" the album takes a turn towards indietronics and synth pop, which is nicely continued on "All My Friends" before returning to a funky rhythmic conglomerate of all their styles blending funk, electro-disco, synth pop and dance-punk in just one song: "Us V Them". The standard album closer "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" is another "weird"-styled track building on a singer / songwriter tradition that makes me think of Lou Reed.
The Japanese edition of the album continues with two (much alike) remixes of the album track "North American Scum" and "Hippie Priest Bum-Out" - all of which are danceable tunes without being really memorable.
The huge blend is really not bad at all - it's highly original, though you may need to reserve time to digest this fusion of styles. It strikes me that the band re-use bits and pieces one will find in the late 1970s varying from the disco sound to more new wave- and art pop-oriented artists - from American artists like Donna Summer, Blondie, Talking Heads, Devo and The B-52's to British David Bowie, Altered Images, Human League and Gang Of Four.
Sound of Silver was met by positive reviews and nominated a Grammy Award for Best Electronic / Dance album of the year [handed to We Are the Night by The Chemical Brothers], and it's included in "1001 Album You Must Hear Before You Die".
I really enjoy this album, although, I don't find it all that homogeneous, and "Someone Great" is a marvellous track.
[ allmusic.com, Spin 4,5 / 5, NME, Q, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Elvis Costello & The Attractions "Blood & Chocolate" (1986)

2015 Remaster

Blood & Chocolate

release date: Sep. 15, 1986

format: vinyl (X FIEND 80) / digital (2015 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]

producer: Nick Lowe and Colin Fairley

label: F-Beat Records / Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Uncomplicated" (live) - 2. "I Hope You're Happy Now" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Tokyo Storm Warning" - 4. "Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head" - 5. "I Want You" (4 / 5) (studio session) - 6. "Honey Are You Straight or Are You Blind?" - 7. "Blue Chair" - 8. "Battered Old Bird" - 9. "Crimes of Paris" (4 / 5) - 10. "Poor Napoleon" - 11. "Next Time Round" (4,5 / 5)

11th studio album by Elvis Costello and his second fine studio album in the same year. King of America (Feb. '86) was Costello's quiet solo singer / songwriter clone of country folk and acoustic ballads, which stands as yet another fine accomplishment by one of Britain's strongest songwriters, and then he rocks away with The Attractions on this one fuelled with energy and great songs.

Costello had already established himself as a bit of an artistic chameleon - you would always be a bit curious of what style he would dig into next. His first albums were all energetic new wave-oriented albums, but then he went on to make ballads, singer / songwriter material and country-fused songs. And then he made more sophisticated pop / rock songs in a pop soul-style - he did just what he wanted, regardless his fans.

With this, he sort steps back for a while, but also, he doesn't really. Yes, there are many new wave elements on this, but it feels more like s new combo than a step back to what he did. Here, he combines the energy of new wave with his more 'serious' singer / songwriter contributions, and then the production sound both leaves room for the roughness as well as the more polished and softer sides. I recall my initial thoughts about it as generally positive, but with a slight unfulfilled sensation that it could be more in terms with his earlier material. His musical progress was so fast that it was hard to follow. Fans wanted the angry and sharp Costello but he was so much more, and it has taken me decades to understand his tremendous repertoire.

The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

This is truly one of his finest moments, and it may just turn out as one of his artistic cornerstones.

The 2015 remaster is released by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.

[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5, Blender 5 / 5 stars ]

The Specials "More Specials" (1980)

More Specials
release date: Oct. 4, 1980
format: vinyl / cd (2002 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,14]
producer: Jerry Dammers and Dave Jordan
label: Two-Tone Records / Chrysalis - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)" (live) - 2. "Man at C&A" (live) - 3. "Hey, Little Rich Girl" - 4. "Do Nothing" (live) - 6. "Sock It to 'Em J.B." - 7. "Stereotypes / Stereotypes, Part 2" (single version) - 9. "I Can't Stand It" - 10. "International Jet Set"

2nd studio album by The Specials originally released by Two-Tone Records. With this the band seeks out other styles and genres, and the album is a bit of a strange blend of influences. Most tracks are still with ska revival as the core of all songs, but some compositions are shaped as either rock & roll, soul, art pop, post-punk or easy listening / lounge compositions. The first four songs starts out, more or less as the natural follow-up to the debut album, although, "Man at C&A" has elements of post-punk, but giving the time of its release at the peak of cold war politics, it feels very natural, but #4, "Pearl Café", clearly bears elements from rock & roll and easy listening, and from here on it becomes more evident that this album is something else with its blending of styles. This is an even more striking experience when confronted with the vinyl album, where side A shares the tone of the predecessor, and with side B as a whole different thing. #7 "Stereotypes / Stereotypes Part 2" share characteristics with songs by The Clash from their album Black Market Clash (1980) blending dub and reggae, and on #8 and #9 the whole album is more likely as an inspirational source to later contemporaries as The Style Council, The Clash and its album Sandinista, sophisti-pop by Everything But the Girl and much later styles of The Cardigans with its 'blue eyed' pop mix of easy listening and calypso. Tracks #9 and #10 are yet again something else making me think of Portishead meets Gorillaz and a sound that today is considered to have helped shaping the style of trip hop.
Several guest musicians appear on the album including Rhoda Dakar singing duet on #9, Madness' sax player Lee Thompson on #4, and the US new wave trio The Go-Go's appear as backing vocals group on #11 "Enjoy Yourself (Reprise)".
The album fared well reaching #5 on the UK albums chart list and it generally was handed positive reviews. Also, the two singles from the album did well nationally when "Stereotype" and "International Jet Set" peaked at #6 and #4 respectively. Time has certainly not questioned the importance of this particular album. In retrospect, the album has been cited as a corner stone of modern popular music with its influence on the shaping of sophisti-pop but especially in defining the trip hop genre and may likely be seen as source to songs and albums by diverse artist like the aforementioned together with Portishead, Massive Attack, Blur and Gorillaz. More Specials is like the debut enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Some of the album's compositions that travels the furthest from the band's trademark of ska revival are typically songs by keyboardist Jerry Dammers and, allegedly, his interest in and will to experiment with other styles, already in '81 led to the band's demise. Dammers take a stronger role as band leader on this album, and his ideas to incorporate new styles is said to have played a decisive role in the internal conflicts that ultimately led to changes within the band. The vocalist group of The Specials, Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding all left the band to form the trio Fun Boy Three, and the remainders of the band changed its name back to The Specials AKA in 1981.
I think, I may have listened more to this than the debut album by The Specials, but also more over the years. The debut stands out as more of a whole with its distinct ska revival and '2 tone' sound that connects it to a specific time and place, but I have always felt that this album is an even more exiting experience consisting of more original compositions, and has an almost surreal sense of timelessness that connects it with future styles, which makes me think of it as the band's best and most original album and a release that should be attributed all the acclaim it rightfully deserves.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5, Mojo, Q Magazine, Smash Hits 4 / 5 stars ]

Radiohead "In Rainbows" (2007)

reissue cover

In Rainbows
release date: Oct. 10, 2007
format: digital (18 x File, FLAC) / vinyl (2016 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,04]
producer: Nigel Godrich
label: self-released / XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "15 Step" (4 / 5) - 3. "Nude" (4 / 5) - 4. "Weird Fishes / Arpeggi" (4 / 5) - 5. "All I Need" - 6. "Faust Arp" - 7. "Reckoner" ( 4 / 5) - 8. "House of Cards" (4,5 / 5) - 9. "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"
[ Live from the Basement 2008 (includes other tracks) ]

7th studio album by Radiohead is the first studio album after the record contract with EMI had ended, and the band initially made the album accessible for download only to the prize of 'what-you-want-to-pay'. Three months later it was issued on the British label XL Recordings (the American label ATO Records for the North American market).

Style-wise, it's a combination of what may be found on OK Computer and the band's later releases with more experimental compositions. In addition to that, the band successfully incorporates strings on most of the tracks.

The album seems quite homogeneous but it's hard to narrow down an overall genre or style. It's somewhere in alternative rock-land. It's experimental without being strange and yet almost impossible to label as it explores stylistic elements taken from jazz, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and ambient elements as well - but is it post rock? It sort of breaks stylistic boundaries and just... is. And what that 'is', is fascinating and truly exquisite music.

Even without including sales based on the download distribution, the album topped the UK album charts list, as it also did in Ireland, Canada, and France, and making it to #2 in Australia, Belgium, Finland, New Zealand, and in Switzerland, and it generally faired more than just well. According to Thom Yorke, the album is the band's best-selling album.

In Rainbows is the fourth and so far final studio album [as of 2016] by Radiohead to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". In my mind it's the most deserved Radiohead album on that list - and it's generally considered a major work by the music critics.

I find this particular album, the band's easily strongest and most fascinating release.

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, NME 4,5 / 5, Spin 4 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

Julian Cope "Peggy Suicide" (1991)

Peggy Suicide
release date: Apr. 22, 1991
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Julian Cope, Donald Ross Skinner
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Pristeen" - 3. "East Easy Rider" (4 / 5) - 5. "Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line" - 6. "Safesurfer" (4 / 5) - 7. "If You Loved Me at All" - 12. "Head" - 14. "Beautiful Love" - 17. "The American Lite" - 18. "Las Vegas Basement"

7th studio album by Julian Cope released on Island Records officially follows My Nation Underground (1988); however, in between these, Cope released the two lo-fi albums Skellington (1989) and Droolian (1990), which may be regarded as his protest to the record company's desires concerning the promotion and the artistic direction following his '88-album. In that regard, these two parenthetic releases may be seen as the necessary valves / extremes paving way for a new charachteristic sound and style for Cope.

With 18 tracks and a total running time exceeding 75 minutes Peggy Suicide simply stands as Cope's most fascinating album to date. It feature a vast bunch of musicians - some of which are reappearing guests from previous albums and some usual suspects, such as Donald Ross Skinner, Mark 'Rooster' Cosby and Ron Fair, and apart from these the album also sees former The Smiths' drummer Mike Joyce on three compositions.

The style manifested here (for the first time) is Cope's own original blend of alt. rock incorporating psychedelic rock, space rock, and neo-psychedelia are all traits of his music following this very release. The album contains beautiful ballads, hard rock energy, and complex arrangements - altogether held in place by fascinating stories and / or catchy hooks. Furthermore, the stylistic cocktail builds on traditionel rock & roll, blues rock, and glam rock, and the whole album is a genuine conceptual manifest, thematically touching on religion, spirituality, women's rights, ecology, global critisism and consumerism. 'Peggy Suicide' is Cope's image and conception of Mother Earth after humans has ravaged the planet. All themes are a compound, which he brings with him on successive albums.

It's quite a strong statement, alone in how it's all staged together but also in the way the single tracks are arranged in relation to one another. And the compositions are all treated with textual explanations by Cope in the included cd-inlay and in place of lyrics. You'll notice clear elements of progressive rock here and there, but more than speaking of specific styles, the whole album appears as a narrative with chapters, repeating motifs and themes already revealed, after which they resurrect in new contexts.

Quite understandably, Peggy Suicide is included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", as Cope's only. The album is no less than his best ever and naturally highly recommended.

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

Best of 2004:Arcade Fire "Funeral" (2004)

Funeral [debut]
release date: Sep. 14, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,56]
producer: Arcade Fire
label: Merge Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" - 2. "Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" (5 / 5) (live in Amsterdam) - 3. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (5 / 5) (live on Jools Holland) - 5. "Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)" - 7. "Wake Up" - 8. "Haïti" (5 / 5) - 9. "Rebellion (Lies)" (5 / 5) - 10. "In the Backseat"

Studio debut album by Arcade Fire. Despite the amount of hype that preceded it, the album lives up to all expectations and more! This is great innovative music that takes you places and makes you wanna turn up the volume and just... dance. It may not look pretty [me dancing] but it sure makes me wanna move :-) In spite of the sinister theme of death and loss, it really is an uplifting and positive album, and with this: they deserve all the hype. This was without comparison my most beloved cd that year.The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

2004 Favourite releases: 1. Arcade Fire Funeral - 2. The Streets A Grand Don't Come for Free - 3. Grant-Lee Phillips Virginia Creeper