Mazzy Star "Among My Swan" (1996)

Among My Swan
release date: Oct. 29, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: David Roback, Hope Sandoval
label: Capitol Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Disappear" - 2. "Flowers in December" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "Rhymes of an Hour" - 5. "Take Everything" - 7. "All Your Sisters" - 8. "I've Been Let Down"

3rd studio album by Mazzy Star follows (another) three years after their sophomore So Tonight That I Might See (1993). All songs here are credited David Roback and Hope Sandoval.

The album introduces a change of style as the album is primarily founded on the use of acoustic guitars instead of the feedback electric guitar sound on the first two albums, and the bond to both the 'baroque pop' of the '60s as well as to Velvet Underground has been accentuated.

The album produced the UK top-40 single "Flowers in December" but apart from that the album was seen as a lesser album, and also music critics seemed less drawn to the change of style.

After the release, the band went on a live tour and also began work on a follow-up, but they found the demands of the record label management intolerable with "the money people" interfering in their creative craftmanship and Sandoval and Roback eventually asked to be released from their contractual obligations. Without officially dissolving, the band went on a hiatus in '97 that should last fourteen years and Among My Swan was eventually followed by the fourth album in 2013, Seasons of Your Day.

I find this one on a completely different level than the first two albums. It simply tastes too much of the '60s. It's good but not really essential.

[ allmusic.com 3.5 / 5 stars ]

Julian Cope "Interpreter" (1996)

Interpreter

release date: Oct. 14, 1996

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]

producer: Julian Cope

label: Echo - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "I Come from Another Planet, Baby" (4 / 5) - 2. "I've Got My TV & My Pills" - 3. "Planetary Sit-In" - 5. "Cheap New-Age Fix" - 7. "Arthur Drugstore" - 9. "Re-Directed Male" - 12. "Dust"

12th studio album (some file it as his 13th and probably include his collaboration album Rite) by Julian Cope is like its predecessor 20 Mothers (Aug. 1995) released on Echo, as his final on another company after which he should only release his music via his own labels. Alledgedly, Cope had rejected to perform in the US, which made Echo cancel their work with Cope. The incident was perhaps the last straw, which made Cope turn his back on the established music industry and from hereon take full control of everything he would do. The album follows more or less the same musical paths as his '95 album, albeit as a stylistically narrower release, where the compositions are Cope's own neo-psychedelic mix of glam rock, beat, folk rock, space rock, and pop. Thematically, it varies between the cosmic, about space travel, and the more down-to-earth stories, but especially strong political positions are noteworthy, which take their starting point from Cope's commitment as an environmental campaigner. There has also been room for his 'Neolithic hobby', although it's only reflected in a poster and the album front cover.

Musically, this appears quite complex with a certain grandiosity, but still with a strict simplicity in the harmonies, as an echo of 70's nostalgia.

The album was not commercially successful, briefly peaking at number #39 on the UK albums chart, and with two singles - tracks #1 and #3 both peaking at number #34 on the singles chart.

Personally, I think there's too much room for distorted guitars, heavy rock attitude, orchestral arrangements, and a repetition of naïve choruses, but still: it's probably part of his fascination of space rock. On the whole, there is a lot of recycling without much originality and at times I find myself wondering if he had either Lou Reed, David Bowie, Tom Verlaine, Scott Walker, or Neil Young on his mind when he wrote and recorded individual tracks. However, it's not only in the somewhat more distant music history that he finds his inspiration. At times he takes completely different paths when incorporating new styles with electronic or a synth-pop touch - and wherever he moves, Cope's strength is to write songs and to speak his mind, even if the messages occasionally drown a little in pompous and odd mixtures of styles. And you really have to give it to him: despite pulling all kinds of stuff from his musical shelves, there's still a remnant of presence and strong universal musical skill at stake - a Copesque charm and completeness, which manages to elevate the album to anything but copycat and mediocrity.

The album was Cope's final on Echo and all of his subsequent music has been self-released either through his own label Head Heritage or through his internet site, carrying the same name, and where he has commented on this and that up until Mar. 2014 when he made his final post. However, he has kept releasing and issuing new albums via Head Heritage since.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

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

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 ]

The Church "Magician Among the Spirits" (1996)

Magician Among the Spirits

release date: Aug. 19, 1996

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]

producer: The Church & Simon Polinski

label: Deep Karma / White - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Welcome" - 2. "Comedown" - 5. "Ladyboy" - 7. "The Further Adventures of the Time Being" - 9. "Magician Among the Spirits" - 10. "Afterimage"

9th studio album by The Church released on the band's own newly formed label Deep Karma with help from Mushroom Records and sub-label White for the Australian market only. The album was released through other distributors for international and US releases and was re-released in '99 in an expanded and re-arranged edition.

Following Sometime Anywhere (May 1994) The Church were left without a record deal, but Kilbey and Wilson-Piper were still keen to continue, and together with Tim Powles, who took part in the '94 album, the three constitute the band here. Peter Koppes appears on some tracks as 'special guest star'.

On the album, the group continues the musical journey into the more experimental alt. rock they started with Priest = Aura (Mar. 1992) with a clear neo-psychedelic touch with inspiration from German krautrock and British gothic rock but also with some distance to the '94 album and it's tighter production and rhythm programming. The title is with reference to the magician, Harry Houdini - also featuring on the front cover - Houdini is also mentioned among many other famous people on the track "Welcome" and again on "The Further Adventures of the Time Being" - a track with reference to "The Time Being" from the double CD edition of the '94 album. The themes are typical Kilbey-universe, the metaphysical and the spiritual, and the compositions are once again relatively long - varying from four to fourteen minutes, but typically more than five minutes long and thus far from radio-friendly sizes.

With this, The Church cements the transition from mainstream pop / rock to the alternative arena and at the same time it's also a testimony that the group composes and makes music for their own interests rather than commercial reward. The album was (as usual) met by positive reviews, but unfortunately spawned new financial difficulties as the band had set up their own label in order to release the album at all, however, collaboration deals with US distributors going bankrupt meant no profit from all sales in North America, and the band soon found itself more than ever on the brink of a disbandment.

The album appears as one of the group's artistic highlights and follows closely in the wake of the fine '92 album - nice to know of.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Beth Hart Band "Immortal" (1996)

Immortal [debut]
release date: May 21, 1996
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Hugh Padgham, David Foster, Mike Clink
label: Lava Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Spiders in My Bed" - 4. "Hold Me Through the Night" - 9. "Ringing" - 10. "God Bless You"

Studio album debut by Beth Hart released as Beth Hart Band after having released the self-released semi-official album Beth Hart and the Ocean of Souls in '93 (reissued as an archival Beth Hart album in 2009).
Immortal is the only album released as Beth Hart Band. The majority of the original album's twelve compositions have lyrics by Hart and music by Hart together with guitarist Jimmy Khoury and bassist Tal Herzberg. The fourth and last member of the band is drummer Sergio Gonzalez.
Stylistically, this is primarily blues rock, although, there's also a clear influence from heavy rock and grunge rock, which from my perspective makes it a bit of a bland experience - on the other hand, it's still a fine example of Hart's incredible vocal register, which is hard to imagine without Janis Joplin and her significant vibrato and intense dynamic range, and it's really her vocal performance that raises this far above the mediocre 'cause musically, there's simply too much generic and unoriginal heavy rock on a debut that makes you question if this is a Led Zeppelin or Pearl Jam tribute album.

The Divine Comedy "Casanova" (1996)

Casanova

release date: Apr. 29, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Darren Allison and Neil Hannon
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Something for the Weekend" - 2. "Becoming More Like Alfie" (4 / 5) - 4. "In & Out of Paris & London" - 6. "Songs of Love" - 7. "The Frog Princess" - 8. "A Woman of the World" - 10. "Theme From Casanova"

4th studio album by The Divine Comedy. In my mind, this is his best album so far. This is where he finds the crooning sound and the subtle balance of strings and orchestra, and where he simply sings so very fine. The album was Hannon's first commercial success selling Gold in the UK. Again, all songs are written and composed by Hannon himself except for tracks #10 and #11.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Durutti Column "Fidelity" (1996)

Fidelity
release date: 1996
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,96]
producer: Laurie Lexicon
label: Crépuscule - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "For Suzanne" - 3. "Future Perfect" - 5. "G & T" - 7. "Sanko" - 9. "Guitar for Mother" - 10. "Storm for Steve"

10th studio album or so by The Durutti Column released on Crépuscule and produced by Laurie Lexicon [Laurie Keith, aka Laurie Laptop]. By this, Reilly has released so many obscure albums on likewise obscure record labels that it has become difficult to keep count of what are "official" albums and what are collaboration works and / or just regional / limited releases. This is not released through Factory Records (who had a troubled time in the early '90s and eventually closed in '92) nor on Factory Too, but the album had its release on the Belgian label Crépuscule (or: Les Disques du Crépuscule, a label with strong bonds to Factory Records as it was also called Factory Benelux, which originally was a sublabel of Factory Records residing in Belgium). This is another of his electronic experiments, and he really tries many styles on this, mainly in a downtempo house area. I feel it's slightly better than Obey the Time (1990) but not much, although, allmusic disagree.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Robert Forster "Warm Nights" (1996)

Warm Nights

release date: Sep. 1996

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]

producer: Edwyn Collins

label: Beggars Banquet - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "I Can Do" - 3. "Cryin' Love" - 5. "Loneliness" - 6. "Jug of Wine" - 8. "Rock 'n' Roll Friend" - 10. "I'll Jump"

4th studio album by Robert Forster is the follow-up to the covers album I Had a New York Girlfriend (Oct. 1994) is produced by Scottish artist Edwyn Collins, whom Forster had admired a great deal back when The Go-Betweens and Collins' band Orange Juice were both making music for the small record company Postcard. Orange Juice broke through to radio stations and to the pinnacles of fame, while The Go-Betweens were still a smaller act doing their best. Warm Nights is Forster's final album on Beggars Banquet, who subsequently didn't extend his contract.

All tracks here are written and composed by Forster except track #8, which is an older song co-written with Grant McLennan, originally selected from the band's '88 album 16 Lovers Lane, but the song was released as B-side to the second single Was There Anything I Could Do? (Oct. '88) from the album. On the album here, the song has been recreated in a bolder Dylanesque style with a (quite) distinctive Hammond organ as dominating trait.

Forster had long suffered from writer's block, which had resulted in the '94 covers album but after the decision to return to Brisbane, he had quickly written a series of new songs, and together with bassist Adele Pickvance and drummer Glenn Thompson, who both appeared on Forster's Calling From a Country Phone (Oct. 1993), Forster gathered a live band, which he named 'Robert Forster and Warm Nights'. Later on, Pickvance was to become a permanent member of the reformed The Go-Betweens, but the album here was recorded with producer Edwyn Collins on guitar, Clare Kenny on bass, Sean Read on keyboards, and with Dave Ruffy on drums. It's very much looking down memory lane on Warm Nights, which sounds somewhat like the attempt to recreate some of Forster's formative years with The Go-Betweens. Again, he returns to his inspiration found in Verlaine, Dylan, and Leonard Cohen - both lyrically as well as in the arrangements, but you'll also find pop / rock à la The Go-Betweens rather than the country style that characterised the '93 album. In addition to a simplicity in Collins' production, some Nick Cave darkness has also crept in - on "Cryin' Love" it gives new life to Forster's musical repertoire, which in a way isn't exactly characterised by embracing widely.

Warm Nights is in many ways an attempt to appear as a fresh restart of Forster's discography with musical threads to the time with his former band. Sometimes it works out fine - at other times there's a lot of recycling and a little too many ties to other artists. The album was to be Forster's last solo album for more than 12 years, partly because he and Grant McLennan found back together and reformed The Go-Betweens before this album was released. Together, they then added another three more albums to the band's discography before it was abruptly terminated by the sudden death of McLennan in May 2006, which once again meant that Forster needed some time to find his feet again and subsequently restarted his solo career with The Evangelist in 2008.

If you are a big admirer of Dylan and Verlaine, Warm Nights will probably make a wonderful acquaintance.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

Elvis Costello & The Attractions "All This Useless Beauty" (1996)

All This Useless Beauty
release date: May 14, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Geoff Emerick and Elvis Costello
label: Warner Bros. Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Other End of the Telescope" - 2. "Little Atoms" - 3. "All This Useless Beauty" (4 / 5) - 4. "Complicated Shadows" - 5. "Why Can't a Man Stand Alone?" - 6. "Distorted Angel" - 10. "You Bowed Down"

16th studio album by Elvis Costello following Kojak Variety (1995) is his first in a decade since Blood & Chocolate (1986) but also his final to feature his old backing band The Attractions on all tracks [see Brutal Youth]. And then it's also his last studio album on the Warner Bros. Records label (a best of album, Extreme Honey, subtitled "The Very Best of Warner Brothers Years" from '97 would be his final issue releasing him from his contract with Warner).

All songs here is a collection of songs that Costello intentionally wrote for other artists to record and two of the these were written and composed with other artists: track #1 with Aimee Mann, and track #7 with Paul McCartney.

It's not a return to the sound and tempo of former albums delivered together with The Attractions, but it's neither a follow-up to other recent releases, where he has experimented with classical material and roots rock, country and traditional folk. Before his '95 album he released the acclaimed Brutal Youth (1994) with reminiscences of his heydays with his renowned backing band, but not really in that neighbourhood either. Then what is it? To compare with former Costello works it sits somewhere in between - and could be described as the combination of three albums: the stripped-down and pure Brutal Youth, the softer Mighty Like a Rose (without the heavy arrangements) and the personal, much varied, and yet unique sound of Spike.

Personally, I had stopped following new material from Elvis after his '95 album. My impression at the time was that he had peaked long before that and had his best years behind him, Although, what years they were! 'Cause no mater what, how could he come up with anything new without risking to to fail?! At this point in his massive career, he has been around all corners of genres and styles, he had covered and played with music greats. And perhaps that's what he cleverly unfolds here when he mix EVERYTHING he has done and showcases his 'roots rock' fascination, perfections his Dylanesque composer skills, points to popular music icons of the sixties and plagiarises his older self in completely new tones. It's all Costello, and he can do anything. I still think his best years were back then in the '70s and 80s, but nevertheless, I should have paid this album some attention in '96 'cause fact is, it's much better than many of his other recent releases and up there close to his '94 album. It contains many strong compositions - perhaps not as musical originals but as a songwriter, boy, he really still delivers.

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

The Cure "Wild Mood Swings" (1996)

Wild Mood Swings
release date: May 7, 1996
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Steve Lyon, Robert Smith
label: Fiction Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Want" - 2. "Club America" (3 / 5) - 3. "This Is a Lie" (3 / 5) - 6. "Mint Car"

10th studio album by The Cure was four years under its way, the longest time so far between the band's studio albums (but also the time the band has spent ever since on new studio albums). The band almost dissolved after Wish (1992) as band members left, was replaced and left again. By 1994 and the rehearsals for a new album the band solely consisted of co-founder Robert Smith and (new member) Perry Bamonte. Simon Gallup and Roger O'Donnell rejoined the band by the end of '94, and during the recording process of the album drummer Jason Cooper entered the band. The style is something new for the band as it's more mainstream pop / rock based, which perhaps explains the poor reception it faced. I actually, find it somewhat interesting, although, it's evident that it really lacks hit singles.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]

Jan Garbarek "Visible World" (1996)

Visible World
release date: Mar. 26, 1996
format: cd (ECM 1585)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Manfred Eicher
label: ECM Records - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: 1. "Red Wind" - 2. "The Creek" (4 / 5) - 3. "The Survivor" - 9. "Giulietta" - 12. "The Quest"

Studio album by Jan Garbarek released as a solo release, although, it features more or less the same musicians who are part of Jan Garbarek Group and who released Twelve Moons (1993) and comprises Rainer Brüninghaus on keyboards, Eberhard Weber on bass, Manu Katché on drums, and Marilyn Mazur on percussion. Also, the music is very much like that specific release. The style is more on the fusion side than on the traditional folk, which is the downside of the album. Imho, the fusion and free jazz elements do not suit his playing style nor reflect his originality the best. There are enough artists and releases from the '70s who have experimented with jazz fusion with large orchestral compositions, and I'm not a big fan of that. This release closes in on the smooth jazz and jazz fusion of Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Al Jarreau, Al Di Meola, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, and many more that I just don't appreciate. Yes, they are undoubtedly great instrumentalists, and they have huge crowds lauding their music - I'm just not one of them. However, this is also a turning point in Garbarek's music. At this point he has returned to his earliest releases of more free jazz but he has expanded it with percussion-based fusion jazz and moved away from the ambient style and traditional folk, and that's an area he dwells in and explores in the following many releases that I find are less interesting compared to his music of the 1980s and earliest 1990s.
Garbarek is not just one of Norway's or Scandinavia's - he's one of the world's finest contemporary jazz musicians, and despite not being one of my favourites by his hands, the album still offers fine music.

Cocteau Twins "Milk & Kisses" (1996)

Milk & Kisses
release date: Mar. 1996
format: cd (2006 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
produced by Cocteau Twins
label: Fontana Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Violaine" - 2. "Serpentskirt" - 3. "Tishbite" - 5. "Calfskin Smack" - 10. "Seekers Who Are Lovers"

8th and final studio album by the Scottish trio Cocteau Twins released on Fontana and produced by the band. This is a continued journey from their previous album Four-Calendar Café (1993) into a subtle 'dream pop' universe but also a return to a more Robin Guthrie (multi-layered) guitar-driven sound compared to the predecessor, and you could argue that it takes them back to their trademark of distorted wall-of-sound guitars. What it really leaves me with, is an impression of "nothing new", and that's a bit sad 'cause it's not all bad. It just doesn't offer anything... new, which they basically always did with previous releases. They were always on the move to a new sound, only here, they re-use what seem to work previously.

By 1997 the band had split. While in the band and afterwards, Robin Guthrie has worked as record producer and in 2003 he released his first solo album Imperial after which he has pursued a solo career releasing new albums every now and then including a number of fine soundtracks - alone, or in collaborations. Simon Raymonde released his so far only solo album Blame Someone Else in 1997 and has been involved in other bands as well as worked as record producer, and together with Guthrie the two have worked on several projects since the break-up. Elizabeth Fraser has been a much-asked for artist but mainly lived a life away from the spotlight, although she has occasionally contributed as featuring guest vocalist on other artists' albums, as well as at live concerts, but an announced solo album has yet to be realised.
Milk & Kisses was reissued in 2006 in a remastered edition produced by Guthrie.

Fine but not amongst their absolute best.

2006 remaster

Thin Lizzy "Wild One - The Very Best Of Thin Lizzy" (1996)

Wild One - The Very Best Of Thin Lizzy (compilation)
release date: Jan. 9, 1996
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: PolyGram / Mercury / EMI - nationality: Ireland

A compilation album by Thin Lizzy released 10 years after the death of Phil Lynott. It's a fine collection of 19 tracks featuring both hard rock energetic rock classics and more soft rock ballads. It also contains the early Thin Lizzy classic "Whiskey in the Jar" a traditional arranged by Lynott, Bell and Downey that many associate with the band but which wasn't released on any of their studio albums.

Kent "Verkligen" (1996)

Verkligen
release date: Mar. 15, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Nille Perned
label: RCA Victor / BMG Sweden - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Avtryck" - 2. "Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Gravitation" - 5. "10 minuter (för mig själv)" - 7. "Indianer" - 8. "Halka" (4 / 5) - 10. "Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon" (4 / 5)

2nd studio album by Kent is also the second to be produced by Nille Perned. Despite being released less than a year after the debut, it's quite a different and darker sound they come out with.
This is here they establish what has become lasting trademarks: Strong lyrical compositions with the tension of mellow, melancholic, and chorus-founded songs and the inclusion of both ballads and more "happy-go-lucky" kind of songs. This span is primarily heard on "Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)", "Halka", and "Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon". These three songs signal the "new" Kent, which comes even clearer through on its successor. Production vice it demonstrates a more refined sound, but the album still connects with early garage rock and consequently a more one-dimensional output.
Three singles were released from this with track #2 as the first and only single release (rel. Feb. 2, 1996) issued prior to the album, followed by #8 (shortly after the album release) and #3 (rel. Sep. '96). All three charted on the national singles chart list, as number #4, #36 and #14, respectively.
Verkligen became the band's first to top the national albums chart list - something they should go on to reproduce with every single studio album following this for the next 20 years!!
Kent also won its first Rockbjörn [Award held by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet] for best 'Pop/Rock Group', and the first single (of three single releases spawned from the album), "Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)" peaked at number #4 on the singles chart list.
Recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

<  show lyrics >

~ ~ ~

"Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)"

"Jag vill ha din ryggrad här
Fäst den i mig
Jag är alltid tryggast när
du är en liten bit ifrån
en rörelse i ögonvrån…
en rörelse i ögonvrån…

Lägg dig ner i gräset nu
Du är så varm här
Jag vill ha min tunga där
du är, så nära att du blir våt
men så nära får ingen gå…
::så nära får ingen gå…

Lägg dig ner precis
som du alltid gör när
Jag vill ha min tunga där
du är, så nära att du blir våt
men så nära får ingen gå…"
::så nära får ingen gå…
::så nära får ingen gå…

~ ~ ~

"Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon"

"Du har lärt mig allt jag kan
om att hålla ryggen fri
Du och jag kan slåss
om en plats i solen…

Vi kan slåss om en plats
längst fram
om någonting att hålla i
Du och jag kan slåss om
den bästa stolen
vem som än har den
Vem är det som har den?

Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
Jag kan inte tänka klart
Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
och se vem som står kvar

Du har lärt mig allt jag kan
om att aldrig någonsin
lägga sig i
Du och jag kan stå
i vårt hörn och blunda
Det är ändå redan
alldeles för sent
Det finns inget kvar
att hålla fast vid
så du och jag kan stå
i vårt hörn och undra
vad var det som gick fel
Vad var det som gick fel?

Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
det händer någonting snart
Vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon
Nu kan jag inte längre tänka klart…

::Vi kan väl vänta, vi kan väl vänta,
::vi kan väl vänta tills imorgon…"

~ ~ ~

Lou Reed "Set the Twilight Reeling" (1996)

Set the Twilight Reeling
release date: Feb. 20, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: Lou Reed
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "NYC Man" - 4. "Trade In" - 5. "Hang on to Your Emotions" - 8. "The Proposition" - 11. "Set the Twilight Reeling"

17th studio album by Lou Reed following his longest hiatus in between albums, as it's four years since Magic and Loss (Jan. 1992). The album is clearly more rock and pop / rock-crafted than the previous three albums that followed New York (1989).
Here, Lou seems determined to make a rock & roll album, but the songs don't come out as the obviously interesting or melodic compositions. To me, this is undoubtedly Lou Reed, but like one is accustomed to, the man doesn't make a lot of great releases in a row, and it appears to be time for a minor miss.
I must grant him, though, that the album has aged better than it sounded to me back in '96, when I wouldn't have handed it more than 3 stars. I think, it's for a mature audience. It's full of emotional songs, dwelling at important things in life that may seem minor at a first glance. It's an album that showcases Lou Reed the songwriter more than the composer.
Laurie Anderson, whom he married in 2008, sings backing vocals on track #5.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Gangway "That's Life" (1996)

That's Life

release date: Sep. 23, 1996

format: cd

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,98]

producer: Kasper Winding

label: RCA Records / BMG Ariola - nationalit: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Come Back as a Dog" - 6. "You Will Say" - 9. "She Keeps Telling Jokes" - 12. "That's Life"

7th and final studio album by Gangway following 2½ years after Optimism© (Apr. '94). Newest member, Caj Boisen-Møller left the band reduced to a trio Dec. '94, and here main songwriter Henrik Balling, vocalist Allan Jensen and keyboardist Torben Johansen has handed the producer role to Danish pop-artist Kasper Winding, who apparently had approached the band with a wish to produce their next album. To great success, Winding had recently produced Cinemataztic (1995) by Caroline Henderson and the acclaimed Sjælland (1994) by C V. Jørgensen.

The style is still in the Pet Shop Boys' corner with a slightly warmer touch and now with more focus on the vocal side and less emphasis on the arrangements - making it a more stripped down album compared to the predecessor. The only negative aspect is the absense of great songs, which seems crucial in this case, because what's left then? They have turned to harmony and made an album of sugary-leaded arrangements but without a distinct quality or direction. Since their peak with The Quiet Boy Ate the Whole Cake (1991) they appear to have taken a wrong turn and ended up in a oneway-street with two stops on the way. They just kept pursuing down that road from one lesser release to another, finally to find themselves facing a wall and a long way out.

Some critics were extremely positive - the band had throughout their entire career always been fancied by the national music press, but the consumers and fans didn't exactly embrace the new album, which turned out as the band's commercially least successful release with round about only 10.000 sold copies. Subsequently, Gangway embarked on a short live-tour with the new songs, but already as of the following Spring '97 they initiated a tour with older material, which already came to an end in May '97, where they performed what was to be their final concert. After a short hiatus rethinking their mission, Gangway announced its disbandment in Sep. '97.

Allan Jensen released his only solo album One Fine Day in 2001. Henrik Balling continued in various music projects, most notably in the duo-project The Quiet Boy with Lester Noel, and Torben Johansen revived his old project-band Escape Artists.

That's Life may be better produced than both Optimism© and Happy Ever After but it just doesn't provide us with anything substantial or a new take. They always sought to make their most recent album something new - with a new stylistic blend, but they haven't been able to fulfill that part of their plan on their recent two albums. It's like they have no answer to how to get out of the overly positive pop-sound they have turned to. Listening to the album is like facing elevator or restaurant muzak that you just end up not listening to after all, and imho, That's Life is unfortunately one of their least favourable studio albums (not counting the '88 British re-release Sitting in the Park) and a sad way to end what always appeared as a promising career that was just about to sparkle. 1½ years following this they released the 18-track compilation album Compendium Greatest Hits (Jan. 1998) with 4 songs from the '91 album, 3 from Happy Ever After (1992) - where two songs are in new remixes - 3 from Optimism© (1994) - again with two new remixes - 3 from Sitting in the Park (1986), 2 songs from That's Life, and only 1 song from The Twist (1984), and then with two previously unreleased tracks.

That's Life is not really recommended and only betters the '94 low-point by a margin.

Paul Young "Love Songs" (1996)

Love Songs
release date: Dec. 2, 2003
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Columbia Records - nationality: England, UK

Best of compilation album by Paul Young released by his former label CBS / Columbia Records. The album contains 17 tracks, and it's one of many Paul Young compilation albums - not really comprising his best songs as such but attempting to compile his best love songs. It does contain great songs, but naturally when thinking of the overall theme of 'love' when playing pop soul, it's quite an impossible task. Too many great tracks are missing. It's fine but not really great.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Broken Arrow" (1996)

Broken Arrow
release date: Jul. 2, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Neil Young
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Big Time" - 2. "Loose Change" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "Slip Away" - 4. "Changing Highways" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Scattered (Let's Think About Livin')"

23rd studio album by Neil Young released as Neil Young with Crazy Horse comes out in a productive time for Neil. His entry into the 90s has been one of his great periods starting with Ragged Glory (1990) and his, best live release, the 2 disc Weld from '91. This one is released only 5 months after his different, to put it mildly, soundtrack Dead Man, but more so it links with his previous albums with Crazy Horse in the sense that they play on with their feedback hard rock bluesy sound, although, this turns out as a more jam-fed set of songs where they just play on and on and on - much like some of the great tunes on Weld.
The album is not one of his critically acclaimed albums, and my 1990s verdict was much on par with that - I generally found it without much to offer except for electrified jam-sessions. However, I really have change my feelings quite a bit on this one. Thinking of Ragged Glory and Weld this basically seems more like a stream, or essence of those moments. Neil and Crazy Horse play so tight even when they just jam along. There's a kind of mutual understanding of how to mold the spirit they let loose when they first get started, and I find that one can almost touch that on this one. It's gentler than both of the two albums of the 90s, and it may not contain a bunch of classic Neil Young moments like "Pocahontas" or "Cortez the Killer", but songs like "Big Time", "Slip Away" and "Changing Highways" are fueled with the same energy.
I have come to really enjoy this one, and think of it as just another great 90s album by Neil Young, and if you have once rejected this, give it another chance or two. For me, it's a natural grower and one of my favourite Neil Young and Crazy Horse albums.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Neil Young "Dead Man" (OST) (1996)

Dead Man (soundtrack)
release date: Feb. 27, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Neil Young, John Hanlon
label: Vapor Records - nationality: Canada

3rd soundtrack album by Neil Young is the official soundtrack to a movie by Jim Jarmusch. The music is instrumental with dialog excerpts from the film. Apparently, Young improvised while watching the movie. I find it difficult, although, it's not entirely bad. It makes me think of Ry Cooder, which may have to do with a certain touch of 'americana'. I think, one really has to be in certain state, and I haven't been close to that yet.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars - Robert Christgau labels it "bad" ]