Les Negresses Vertes "Mlah" (1989)

Mlah [debut]
release date: (Jan.?) 1989
format: vinyl / cd (1991)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: Clive Martin, Sodi (aka Sodi Marciszewer)
label: Delabel - nationality: France

Track highlights: 2. "Zobi la Mouche" (4 / 5) - 3. "C'est pas la mer à boire" - 4. "Voilà l'été" (4 / 5) (live 2019) - 5. "Orane" - 7. "Les yeux de ton père" - 8. "Il" - 11. "Marcelle Ratafia" - 12. "La danse des négresses" (live)

Studio album debut by French 8-piece orchestra Les Negresses Vertes ['The Green Negresses', or: 'The Green Black Girls'] consisting of lead vocalist Helno (aka Noël Rota, aka Helno Rota de Lourcqua), guitarist and backing vocalist Melino (aka Stéfane Michel Mellino), accordion player and guitarist Mathieu Canavese (aka Mathieu Crespin), bassist Paulo (aka Jean-Marie Dominique Paulus), harmonica player and trombonist Abraham Sirinix, trumpeter and percussionist Twist (aka Michel Ochowiak), pianist and percussionist L'Ami Ro (aka Joël Ruffier Des Aimes), and drummer Gaby le Magnifique (aka Laurent Gabriel). The band formed in the Autumn of '87 in Paris and has roots in the South of France and with many other national ties - e.g. to Algeria, Poland, Italy, and Spain. The album was originally released on French Off The Tracks Records and Razzia Disques, while international editions were released on several labels including Virgin, Sire, Polydor, and Warner Bros.

Stylistically, Mlah represents a huge mix of styles but is primarily bound to French musical traditions. There are obvious parts of folk rock and punk rock, which in places point in the direction of French Mano Negra, and / or British The Pogues, and then elsewhere more in the direction of Madness in a French version of ska. You'll also notice a strong influence from traditional music such as 'gypsy music', flamenco, muzette, and waltz, and the band's music has thus been referred to as 'gypsy punk' - although that designation is far from sufficient. Some have called Les Negresses Vertes a 'global-folk-punk-band', although that only serves to prove it more than ordinarily difficult to categorise the band's style.

I purchased the album back in '89 - and actually played it quite a bit, but unfortunately, I lost the vinyl version along the way. However, I have since got hold of a cd reissue containing two bonus tracks, and a copy of the same vinyl issue I once owned. The original version comes with 12 tracks and a total running length of approx. 42 minutes, while the '91 cd issue is approx. 48 minutes.

Mlah is the band's first, and in my view also their absolute best. There's an immediateness and a joy of playing, and the album mostly sounds like what it is: recorded live in a studio with all members in high spirits, which is aptly conveyed in the official music video for perhaps the their best-known song: "Zobi la Mouche" -  also listen to "Voilà l'été".

Highly recommended.

[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Latin Quarter "Swimming Against the Stream" (1989)

Swimming Against the Stream

release date: Apr. 1989

format: digital (11 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]

producer: David Kershenbaum, Paul McKenna

label: RCA - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Swimming Against the Stream" - 2. "Blameless" - 4. "Model Son" - 5. "After Maralinga" - 6. "Dominion" - 10. "It Makes My Heart Stop Speaking"

3rd studio album by Latin Quarter following a little more than two years after Mick and Caroline (Jan. '87). Since then, the band has been reduced to a quartet consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Steve Skaith, lead guitarist Richard Wright, bassist Greg Harewood and keyboardist & vocalist Yona Dunsford, while songwriter Mike Jones still 'only' delivers the lyrics to the music, which is all credited Skaith. On this, we notice the contributions by David Lindley on guitar, banjo and mandolin, Denny Fongheiser on drums, Tony Waerea on didgeridoo, Judy Gameral on dulcimer, and Paulinho Da Costa as percussionist. James Swinson is responsibe for the cover art, just as he has been on the band's former albums.

Musically, not much has happened since the debut Modern Times from '85. Latin Quarter narrates about the usual subjects and the style is held tight in melodic pop / rock with bits and inspiration from pop reggae and folk. In that way you don't really notice a progression, where the small variations may lie in the fact that Jones writes the lyrics - and they do tend to touch on naiivity - be it deliberate or not. To summarise, this isn't entirely bad - it does contain good tracks but also songs that echo some sort of recycling. Even though it appears as quite coherent, it isn't exactly great. It's good craftsmanship and then perhaps not much more.

The band's debut arguably raised some recognition, the second album was positively notised especially in Germany, Sweden and in Switzerland, whereas this doesn't seem to have been welcomed that well. I haven't been able to find any registered positions from Britain, and in Germany and Sweden the album reached positions as number 38 and 50 respectively on the album chart lists. This progression has continued the following years, where none of the band's releases have led to positions, anywhere. Latin Quarter where inactive from '97 until 2010, but since then and onwards to 2021, they have released another seven albums.

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 Stone Roses "Fools Gold 9.53" (1989), single

Fools Gold 9.53 (cd single)
release date: Nov. 1989
format: digital (1992 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: John Leckie
label: Silvertone - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Fools Gold 9.53" - 2. "What the World Is Waiting For" - 3. "Fools Gold 4.15"

Single release by The Stone Roses originally released in a 7'' vinyl version Fools Gold 4.15 and a 12'' titled Fools Gold 9.53, identical to the cd reissue. The 7'' had what is here track #3 as the first track - and in either case the lead single was partly titled with the running time in the name.
The single was released 8 months after the debut album, and it's without tracks from the album.
With a running time at almost 10 minutes, the title track is an unusual lengthy composition, but given the baggy / madchester style it's just a more dance-oriented / -friendly song that follows close to the style laid out on the debut album. The shorter version is the better.
The front cover artwork is a painting by guitarist and musical composer John Squire titled "Double Dorsal Dopplegänger".

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,- ]

The Durutti Column "Vini Reilly" (1989)

Vini Reilly
release date: Mar. 1, 1989
format: vinyl (fact 244) / cd (2020)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Paul Miller, Stephen Street, Vini Reilly
label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Love No More" (4 / 5) - 2. "Pol in G" (5 / 5) - 3. "Opera I" - 4. "People's Pleasure Park" - 5. "Finding the Sea" - - B) 1. "Otis" (4 / 5) - 5. "Requiem Again" (4 / 5) - 6. "My Country" (4 / 5)
[ full album ]

7th studio album by The Durutti Column released on Factory Records and produced by Paul Miller, Stephen Street and Vini Reilly. This is one of my favourite albums by The Durutti Column, which may be the one if I was to pick just one of his brilliant works. Musically, it's a development from his 1987 release The Guitar and Other Machines but here the tracks are much more incorporated as one album instead of being a collection of single tracks. Somehow he succeeds in mixing classical compositions with art pop making his own unique modern classical style.
Finally, it's suggested, perhaps just to answer a lot of questions about the name of the band - "Yes, I am The Durutti Column". Prior to his work on this album, and after finishing his '87 album, Reilly was hired by ex-The Smiths vocalist, Morrissey to play guitar and keyboards on his debut album Viva Hate (1988) - also produced by Stephen Street.
The 2020 remastered 2 CD edition contains a number of live recordings, some of which previously were released as "Womad Live" as well as demo recordings.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

[ collectors' item 'made in England' - from ~ €68,- ]

Chris Isaak "Heart Shaped World" (1989)

Heart Shaped World
release date: Jun. 13, 1989
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Erik Jacobsen
label: Reprise Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Heart Shaped World" - 5. "Wicked Game" (4,5 / 5) - 6. "Blue Spanish Sky" (4 / 5) - 8. "Forever Young" - 9. "Nothing's Changed"

3rd studio album by Chris Isaak is a strong album with his own blend of rock & roll, rockabilly, americana and with clear country elements. The album was the first I discovered by Isaak, and I still consider it one of his absolute best.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Sputnik Music 4 / 5 stars ]

Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari "Oro incenso e birra" (1989)

Oro incenso e birra
release date: Jun. 13, 1989
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Corrado Rustici
label: Polydor - nationality: Italy

Track highlights: 1. "Overdose (d'amore)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Il mare impetuoso al tramonto salì sulla luna e dietro una tendina di stelle..." - 5. "Diavolo in me" - 7. "A Wonderful World" (4 / 5) - 8. "Diamante" (4 / 5) - 9. "Libera l'amore"

5th studio album by Zucchero is released as 'Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari', and it follows two years after the album Blue's. All lyrics and music is written and composed by Zucchero except his popular song "Diamante", which has lyrics by Franceso De Gregori, and "Libera l'amore" with music by Ennio Morricone. As with the predecessor a Christmas version was issued later in '89 with a different cover and also with the title changed to Oro incenso & mirra. One year later a new limited and numbered Christmas edition was released with a new cover and the title D'oro incenso & birra (and with the possiblity to win a compact disc in pure gold) - all with the same tracklist; however the French version from '90 was released with the bonus track "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)" featuring Paul Young.
Once again, Zucchero has managed to write and compose a fine collection of songs, and the album topped the Italian and the Zwiss album charts and made it to number #17 in France. Four tracks were released as singles: tracks #4, #5, #8 and #1 with "Diamante" as the best-selling single from the album with a chart position as number #11. The album itself was for seven years and with more than 8 mio. sold copies ranked as the best-selling album worldwide.
The album signals Zucchero's international breakthrough and is by many considered his all-time best. It's his last album to have lyrics in Italian exclusively ("A Wonderful World" only has its title and repetitous phrase 'A Wonderful World' in English), and most of his successive albums would be issued in an Italian issue for the national market and in an English-versioned edition for international markets.
Oro incenso & birra was my first acquisition with music by Zucchero as I purchased the album on cassette. As with the predecessor I believed the album to be a compilation, which may say a few things about the quality of Zucchero Fornaciari's songwriting talent.
Highly recommended.

XTC "Oranges & Lemons" (1989)

Oranges & Lemons
release date: Feb. 21, 1989
format: cd (2015 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Paul Fox
label: Ape House - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Garden of Earthly Delights" - 2. "The Mayor of Simpleton" - 3. "King for a Day" - 5. "The Loving" - 9. "Merely a Man" - 10. "Cynical Days" - 11. "Across This Antheap" - 15. "Chalkhills and Children"

9th studio album by XTC with American producer Paul Fox is originally released as a double vinyl album issued on Virgin. With it, the band takes on another journey into neo-psychedelia pop / rock. Stylistically, it's not on the continued path laid out on the predecessor Skylarking but instead it presents a take on a more traditionally styled pop / rock universe pointing back to The Beatles and Beach Boys as evident sources and adding more to the styles of Mummer from 1983 with its more simplistic and harmony-founded pop / rock. On the other hand, Oranges & Lemons doesn't point to the new wave starting point of XTC but embrace some of the stylistic experiments heard on the two studio albums by the project-band The Dukes of Stratosphear, 25 O'Clock (1985) and Psonic Psunspot (1987), which were made as mere artistic and musical outlets of the three remaining members of XTC, Partridge, Moulding and Gregory.
The album is supposedly best known for containing the single "The Mayor of Simpleton" - a song I always found too simple and a bit tedious - a song that made it all the way to the top of the US Billboard's Modern Rock chart. The album itself also fared well reaching number #28 on the UK albums chart list and it generally received positive reviews praising its humour and detailed compositions. Compared to the predecessor, the album doesn't exactly reflect the same willingness to experiment, and instead XTC has made shorter and more mainstream compositions - perhaps with broader appeal. Oranges & Lemons is far from bad, but comparing with the band's extensive back catalogue, I think this is where they settle with a more uniform style and sound, and for fans of their readiness to explore new territories, it may seem like a less innovative album, but really, just give it a chance 'cause the music and lyrics are of highest quality as usual.
The album was re-released in 2015 as part of "The Surround Sound Series" in a highly expanded two-disc version consisting of a cd with a new mix of the original album (crafted by Steven Wilson], and a blue-ray disc consisting of extensive material.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Marty Willson-Piper "Rhyme" (1989)

Rhyme

release date: 1989

format: vinyl / digital

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,04]

producer: Marty Willson-Piper & Andy Mason

label: Borderline / Vogue - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 3. "Questions Without Answers" - 5. "Idiots" - 6. "Forever" - 10. "Melancholy God" - 12. "Cascade"

3rd solo album by The Church guitarist Marty Willson-Piper and, like the predecessor, the album was made in close collaboration with Andy Mason, who in addition to the role as co-producer, handles various instruments and functions as co-composer on one track. The individual songs here have been attributed a note indicating where the song was written while The Church was on world tour with Starfish.

Stylistically, there is not much development from Art Attack (1988) - however, this one is not primarily acoustic. Girlfriend Ann Carlberger also appears on two songs and is co-composer on "Idiots", and several Swedish musicians participate on the album, which was recorded in Stockholm.

The album was the first solo effort I came across by Willson-Piper, and I actually purchased the vinyl version sometime shortly after its release, but was never super excited about it. Musically, it doesn't fall far from the jangle pop that characterises the early releases by The Church, but as with Art Attack it doesn't appear particularly original, although it might not aim at that, but there is no real renewal either, and it's a difficult task to spot significant compositions, which at the same time have a clear imprint of the great folk and rock icons of the '60s.

Not recommended.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Hex "Hex" (1989)

Hex [debut]

release date: Jun. 27, 1989

format: vinyl (FIEND 156) / digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,26]

producer: Steve Kilbey

label: Demon / First Warning - nationality: USA / Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Diviner" - 3. "Ethereal Message" - 4. "Mercury Towers" - 6. "Fire Island" - 7. "In the Net" - 8. "Silvermine"

Studio debut album by music duo-project Hex, founded by Australian vocalist, bassist, and composer Steve Kilbey (of The Church) with American guitarist Donette Thayer (of the band Game Theory) at a time when they were also a couple. The album was initially only released in the US on the smaller BMG-owned label, First Warning Records and in 1990 also in the UK by Demon Records. In parallel, Kilbey also formed the music project Curious (Yellow) with (other) girlfriend Karin Jansson and together they released the 12'' single, "I Am Curios" (Mar. '88).

In addition to dream pop, the music is also referred to as ethereal wave - a subcategory of dream pop, where the focus is on the more slowly progressive with the use of delay effect. Musically, it is further away from Kilbey's normal compositions, where the jangle-pop element is completely absent and instead replaced by keyboards and then all tracks are recorded with Thayer's vocals.

The album garnered good reviews, but it doesn't really catch on and to me it sounds more like inspired by earlier 80s bands like Cocteau Twins, This Mortail Coil and other 4AD / Creation artists, mainly from the British Isles. Thayer's vocals may sound quite narrow and without the big register, but at the same time it has a charm and warm tone that fits well with the genre and style. All in all, it's nice and fine, but it's not exactly ground-breaking music that you need to know of.

Julian Cope "Skellington" (1989)

Skellington
release date: 1989
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,35]
producer: Julian Cope
label: Copeco / Zippo Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 4. "Robert Mitchum" - 5. "Out of My Mind on Dope & Speed" - 6. "Don't Crash Here" - 9. "Great White Wonder"

5th studio album by Julian Cope marks a big change of style. The album was recorded after Cope's disillusions with what he saw as an over-polished and over-produced My Nation Underground (Oct. 1988) before that album was even released. He did not like the end result and initiated his work with musical collaborator Donald Ross Skinner on Skellington, which was recorded over a span of only three days. Island Records refused to release the album, so Cope established his own label Copeco in order to release the album, later reissued on Zippo Records (Apr. 1990). He then ran into a legal law suit with his record company, Island Records, for neglecting his contractual obligations; however, Cope only released another lo-fi album Droolian, this time on the independent label Mofoco, and Island called it a day.
Skellington is anything but polished mainstream and over-produced pop / rock aimed to satisfy the same audience who had been targeted with the predecessor. It's neo-psychedelia above anything. Secondly, it's also an alt. rock and singer / songwriter album with the addition of a certain amount of satire with only Cope, Skinner and drummer Rooster Cosby performing on the album. A track like "Out of My Mind on Dope & Speed" perhaps says much about Cope's situation at this point of his career. The satirical element sometimes makes Cope sound like the closest one ever gets to a British version of Frank Zappa.
I think, its immediate strength is a spontaneous lightness of catchy tunes and hooks - it's playful and reflects the exact opposite of self-consciousness, in contrast to My Nation Underground. Above anything, it's quite interesting much like the successor, but still with some distance from being great.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Michael Falch "Håbets Hotel" (1989)

Håbets Hotel

release date: 1989

format: cd (MdCD 6343)

[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,64]

producer: Michael Falch

label: Medley Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Dage" - 4. "Min stjerne" - 9. "Himlen er næsten blå"

4th studio album by Michael Falch following De vildeste fugle (1988) is like that produced by Falch himself. The credit list is much like on the predecessor with recurring performances by guitarists Christian Arendt and Nils Henriksen, bassist Jens Rugsted, keyboardist Pete Repete, and drummer Jacob Sæther.

Stylistically, it may first appear as a close follow-up but it basically contains stylistic variations found on his other three solo albums, and it's generally an album recycling much of his older material.

I purchased this upon its release but soon found that I didn't like the album much, and I had tired of his mainstream-seeking pop / rock-style. It was to be my final vinyl purchase with new albums by Falch. I ended up reselling this a year or two later alongside the final album by Malurt, Falch's solo debut and his '88 album. Following this, Falch released Tossede verden (1990), after which he took part in the reformation of Malurt, which led to several releases with the band before he once again returned to his solo career with Stævnemøder (1996), Nye rejsende (1998), Lykkelig undervejs (2001), Falder du nu (2006), Sang til undren (2007), Fodspor i havet (Jan. 2010), and Sommeren kom ny tilbage (Oct. 2013).

Not recommended.

Love and Rockets "Love and Rockets" (1989)

Love and Rockets
release date: Sep. 4, 1989
format: vinyl (PL 90344) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: John Fryer, Love and Rockets
label: RCA / Beggars Banquet - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "**** (Jungle Law)" - 2. "No Big Deal" - 3. "The Purest Blue" - 4. "Motorcycle" (4 / 5) - 8. "So Alive" (4 / 5) - 9. "Rock and Roll Babylon" - 10. "No Words No More"

4th studio album by Love and Rockets originally released by Beggars Banquet. The band has teamed up with the more 'pop-tuned' producer, John Fryer. The album is a move away from the psychedelic style they have worked deeper into from a chronological perspective, but here they incorporate glam rock and post-punk elements and basically come out with an album closer to the Bauhaus sound than anything else they have made since they began 6 years and 3 albums earlier. The track "So Alive" became a (surprisingly) rather big hit as it went as high as number #3 on the Billboard 100 in the US, and the album reached number #14 in the US (the highest charting album by L&R). In 2002 the album was re-issued as a double disc album with 13 bonus tracks. I remember, when I bought the album, how I used to play "Motorcycle" at maximum volume. "So Alive" was without doubt the big hit of the album, but I simply loved the hard rockin' mc song. To me, this was clearly a shift of style in the right direction, however, the band would not release a follow-up until 5 years later, as both Daniel Ash and David J focused more on solo projects and by the time they again came together as a band, the music was not around this one. Love and Rockets fifth studio album Hot Trip to Heaven from '94, I never understood - I hand it 2 / 5 stars and the 6th album Sweet F.A. from '96 is likewise not an album, I would recommend. I think, they kind of lost their drive and lust for music, or drifted apart in the 1990s - the band's 7th and final album is Lift from '98. I haven't come across the album but I've read an interview with Daniel Ash talking about their lack of musical drive. The critics also became less enthusiastic and in 1999 the band officially disbanded. The band reunited in 2007 to play a concert in tribute of Joe Strummer, toured and played several concerts in 2008 before finally disbanding.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Style Council "Modernism: A New Decade" (1998)

Modernism: A New Decade
release date: Oct. 26, 1998
format: digital
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,02]
producer: The Style Council
label: PolyGram - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 6. "That Spiritual Feeling"

5th and final studio album by The Style Council - an album the record label rejected upon its completion in 1989, which led to band splitting up. The bands first three albums had all sold very well in the UK, all reaching at least #2 on the national charts list but the fourth album Confessions of a Pop Group only made it to #15, so what made the band risk a major stylistic change, was not accepted by the label. However, here it is - released a decade after its completion. Apparently, Weller said that the band should have split two-three years before they actually did, meaning before or after recording The Cost of Living (1987). Anyway, this is strange. Not for its time, but for being a release by a sophisti-pop band. And then again: thinking of how well Everything but the Girl made their move from sophist-pop to dance-pop and electronic, would make this an accepted decision. However, Paul Weller and Co. simply weren't accustomed with the genre nor did they get the same and perfect helping hand from someone who knew about the style they boarded. Na, this is weak, though, not worse than the band's '87 album, but frankly, it shouldn't have been released.
[ allmusic.com 1,5 / 5 stars ]

Eva Dahlgren "Fria världen 1.989" (1989)

Fria världen 1.989
release date: 1989
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,65]
producer: Anders Glenmark
label: The Record Station - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 3. "Ängeln i rummet" (3,5 / 5) - 4. "Hjärta av guld" (3,5 / 5) - 9. "Glad och lycklig"

7th studio album by Eva Dahlgren is not an easy accessible album, imho. I find it without any great compositions and a bit over- or: miss-produced. The songs are overshadowed by too strong emphasis on funky guitar riffs and hard-hitting-80s-drums. The ballads come out the strongest.
Dahlgren won her second and third Grammis prizes when as was awarded 'Årets kvinnliga rockartist' ['Best Female Rock Artist of the Year'] for the album, and the track "Ängeln i rummet" gave her the prize for 'Årets låt' ['Best Song of the Year']. That song was later released in en English version as "Angel in My Room".

Lars H.U.G. "Kopy" (1989)

Kopy
release date: 1989
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Finn Verwohlt, Himer Hassig, Lars H.U.G.
label: Medley Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Dansevise" - 2. "Så længe jeg lever" - 3. "Skibet skal sejle i nat" - 4. "Sæsonen er slut" - 5. "Kvinde min" - 6. "Rose" - 8. "Når lygterne tændes"

3rd studio album by Lars Hug - from here on known as Lars H.U.G. (his own abbreviation from Hugh Uno Grammy). The album consists of H.U.G.'s cover versions of various Danish standards / classic ballads and reflects a rather different style of interest, but is nevertheless a fine example of his strong vocal and harmonic capacities. The album feature many guest artists and a core of preferred musicians consisting of Hilmer Hassig on guitar, Kåre Bjerkø on keyboards, Flemming Muus on bass, and Stephan Grabowski on drums appear on most of the tracks. It's his best selling album to date. After his success with Kysser himlen farvel (1987), Hug was nominated and won several national prizes, which he didn't really officially appreciate much. He had taken a critical position towards the whole music industry, and he often ridiculed award shows and the general appreciation process in many ways. For a period of time he performed under various aliases (e.g. Lars Who? & The Copies) to obscure his identity, performing playing cover versions instead of his own material, and it may be from these experiences that he decided to release an album of covers, which isn't meant as a joke but more as his sincere admiration for other national songwriters.

Kate Bush "The Sensual World" (1989)

The Sensual World
release date: Oct. 16, 1989
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,36]
producer: Kate Bush
label: EMI - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Sensual World" - 2. "Love and Anger" - 5. "Heads We're Dancing" - 10. "This Woman's Work"

6th studio album by Kate Bush follows four years after Hounds of Love (Sep. 1985) adds another year to the interval in between new albums. This is her so far most mainstream pop / rock-shaped album to date. It was well-received by both the press and by fans making it peak as number #2 on the UK albums chart list, but I don't find it up there on the same level as her previous studio albums.
I think, it's a rather transparent album with nothing really great to offer except from repeating some of the arrangements that worked before; although, it's still obvious that Kate Bush has a gift for writing complex songs and performing with something rare as pure grace, but for the first time, I think Bush has made an album that doesn't live up to expectations.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Terence Trent D'Arby "Neither Fish Nor Flesh..." (1989)

Neither Fish Nor Flesh...
release date: Oct. 23, 1989
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Terence Trent D'Arby
label: CBS Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 3."It Feels So Good To Love Someone Like You" - 4. "To Know Someone Deeply Is To Know Someone Softly" (4 / 5) - 5. "I'll Be Alright" (4 / 5) (live) - 6. "Billy Don't Fall" (3,5 / 5)

2nd studio album by Terence Trent D'Arby with the full title Neither Fish Nor Flesh (A Soundtrack of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction) is released 2½ years after his great debut. The style is less focused, and loans from funk rock folk and gospel. It doesn't contain the same great single hits as the debut, but it contains fine music. I don't recall hearing it upon its release, and frankly suspect that most radio stations and distributor links didn't want D'Arby at all. Critics were hard on D'Arby. Well, he hadn't made it easy to himself claiming that his debut was a more important album than Sgt. Pepper... by The Beatles, and generally just taking it for granted that everyone in touch with the music industry could tell he was a genius. Prior to the album release, a German producer, Frank Farian reissued the album Love on Time (1984) by the German band, The Touch, a band featuring Terence Trent D'Arby on vocals. He played in the band while serving the US army stationed in Frankfurt, and Farian took advantage of D'Arby's new-found international debut to reissue the album as Early Works against D'Arby's will. When Neither Fish Nor Flesh was released, many music critics called the new album over-ambitious, pretentious, and simply rejected D'Arby's persona. Apparently, and according to D'Arby he found himself and the record label with conflicting ideas about promotional aspects, which wasn't in favor of the album nor the artist behind it. Some time after the release, TTD referred to himself as Sananda Maitreya, a name he legally changed to in 2001. On his homepage referring to this album, he recalls: "We believe this is the project that literally killed ‘TTD’, and from whose molten ashes, began the life of Sananda."
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Adrian Borland and The Citizens "Alexandria" (1989)

Alexandria [debut]
release date: 1989
format: vinyl (BIAS 125) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,16]
producer: Adrian Borland and Nick Robbins
label: Play It Again Sam - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Light the Sky" (4 / 5) - 2. "Rogue Beauty" (4 / 5) - 3. "Beneath the Big Wheel" - 4. "Community Call" (4 / 5) - 5. "No Ethereal" - 6. "Other Side of the World" - 7. "Crystalline" - 8. "Shadow of Your Grace" (4 / 5) - 9. "Weight of Stuff" - 10. "She's My Heroine" (4 / 5) - 11. "Deep Deep Blue"

The solo debut album by Adrian Borland after the disbandment of The Sound. The album was released under the name of Adrian Borland and The Citizens. It's more or less the sound of Adrian as we have come to know him from The Sound. He was THE driving force and songwriter of that band, and therefore his solo albums are closely related to the "old" musical universe. Maybe one could argue that he puts even more focus on the narrating element making the style a singer / songwriter release but still with traces of post-punk and alternative rock, however, he also expands his style to include more pop / rock tunes with plain chorus-based tracks, as in "Light the Sky", "Rogue Beauty", and "She's My Heroine". I think that both the record company and Adrian had hoped for more recognition when the album was launched, alas, it went more or less like the story of The Sound. He received good reviews but failed to gain more than a small devoted audience. The album was produced by Adrian and Nick Robbins (who also produced albums for The Sound) and Colvin Mayers the keyboardist of his old band also handles keyboards on this one.

[ collectors' item ]