Aztec Camera "Frestonia" (1995)

Frestonia
release date: Oct. 31, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]
producer: Roddy Frame, Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
label: WEA/ Warner - nationality: Scotland, England

Track highlights: 1. "Rainy Season" (4 / 5) - 2. "Sun" - 3. "Crazy" - 4. "On the Avenue" (4 / 5) (live on Later) - 6. "Debutante" (4 / 5) - 7. "Beautiful Girl" - 9. "Method of Love" - 10. "Sunset"

6th and final studio album released as Aztec Camera is produced in a collaboration work with the big 1980s producer-duo Winstanley / Langer, who stood behind many British mainstream and alternative artists who sought a "broad" mainstream appeal. Despite this, the album is far from the almost sterile synthpop of the previous album Dreamland (1994). I see Frestonia as an attempt to make a more 'naked' / 'honest' album without synths, drum machines and instrumental programming. Instead it's more traditional music blending folk rock, pop and jangle pop accentuating the singer / songwriter aspect of Roddy Frame. Aztec Camera was always just a moniker for Roddy Frame, and I think he just came to terms with the fact that he should release his music under his own name. The album turns out as a more sincere album dedicated to personal experiences with a minimum amount of additional musicians, and it sort of kick-starts / underlines his forthcoming solo career as Roddy Frame.
Music critics and album buyers simply rejected the album, and Frestonia may be regarded as a commercial failure. It only made it to number #100 on the UK albums chart list and far from previous sales numbers of any album by the Roddy Frame moniker, which may have led to his decision to start releasing material in his own name after this.
What I initially experienced as another hits and misses attempt from this 'had-been' artist is actually more of a new beginning. Had he only released it as Roddy Frame, I think it would have been much more appreciated at the time. Aztec Camera was jangle pop and sophistipop, but this is not. It's much closer to his first release, North Star as Roddy Frame, which would be released in 1998, but it also continues with the jazz and folk elements from Stray, which I always considered his best. This is simply one the best album by Aztec Camera / Roddy Frame and therefore highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Aztec Camera "Dreamland" (1993)

Dreamland
release date: May 1993
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Roddy Frame
label: WEA / Warner - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Birds" - 2. "Safe in Sorrow" - 3. "Black Lucia" - 5. "Spanish Horses" - 6. "Dream Sweet Dreams" - 9. "Vertigo" - 10. "Valium Summer" (4 / 5) - 11. "The Belle of the Ball"

5th studio album by Aztec Camera is another return to a more slick pop sound instead of the jazz feel one found on the predecessor, Stray. Ryuichi Sakamoto and Frame produced the album together, and knowing the works by Sakamoto one could have imagined a more experimental result. Instead it's a bit confined as a bold synthpop release.

Yes, it's atmospheric but also somewhat sterile and as such not the best of Aztec Camera albums, although, it hardly contains any fillers. Critics point to the use of synths and drum machines instead of real musicians - I don't mind, nor see that as a obvious mistake. Sakamoto has made many albums using electronics, which are full of life and beautiful tunes. Despite that the music nicely arranged it really only contains one truly great song, imho: "Valium Summer". Back in the early '90s, I found the album a rather big disappointment succeeding the great Stray (1990), however, it really isn't all that bad - it's just a bit unfocused and without much traditional soul.

The following year Frame featured on Sakamoto's '94 album Sweet Revenge on the song "Same Dream, Same Destination", which is another truly fine song.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]

Aztec Camera "Stray" (1990)

Stray
release date: Jun. 28, 1990
format: vinyl (WX350) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Roddy Frame & Eric Calvi
label: WEA Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Stray" (4 / 5) - 2. "The Crying Scene" - 3. "Get Outta London" - 4. "Over My Head" (5 / 5) - 5. "Good Morning Britain" (feat. Mick Jones) - 6. "How It Is" - 8. "Notting Hill Blues" (4 / 5) - 9. "Song for a Friend" (live)

4th studio album release by Aztec Camera is a return to more folk-oriented sources. The 1987 album Love was a wonderful collection of blue-eyed pop soul and jangle pop songs, and an album I would always consider for my desert island collection but it wasn't well-received by the English press who saw it as too naive and simply "out of time". I guess, Frame spent some time figuring out what to do next 'cause what he really does so well is to write simple love songs. As on Love Roddy Frame works alone here on his Aztec Camera project with hand-picked studio musicians to fill out the impression of a band release.
Stray is a return to simple singer / songwriter material with a bold political and social criticism on life in Britain. The album also features former Clash guitarist and composer Mick Jones on the hit single "Good Morning Britain", which I just find somewhat unoriginal and a bit tedious, although the critics kinda loved it. Best songs, however, are the title track and the the wonderful jazz-fuelled "Over My Head", which really showcases Frame's potential as a class singer / songwriter. Despite being ignored by critics and music buyers, the album is more than fine - in fact, I find it my favourite by Roddy Frame, and being forced to choose between the obvious pop release Love and this one, Stray would be my pick.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Aztec Camera "Love" (1987)

Love
release date: Nov. 1987
format: vinyl (WX128) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,02]
producer: various
label: WEA - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Deep & Wide & Tall" (4 / 5) - 2. "How Men Are" (4 / 5) - 3. "Everybody Is a Number One" - 5. "Somewhere in My Heart" (4 / 5) (acoustic live) - 6. "Working in a Goldmine" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "One and One" - 9. "Killermont Street"

3rd studio album by Aztec Camera with several producers: Tommy LiPuma, Russ Titelman, Roddy Frame, David Frank, Michael Jonzun, and Rob Mounsey - with the latter producing a majority of the tracks together with Frame. The album is released three years after Knife (Sep. 1984) and it really is something else. Not only is the band reduced to Frame working with session musicians, which again points to the fact that Aztec Camera is a project name for Roddy Frame. Gone is the natural link to the post-punk period and the characteristic jazz feel. It's still jangle pop but here the pop element is underlined. Having said that, it's a brilliant transformation, and without doubt the band's cleanest mainstream album.
Critics were divided on this, as some saw it as a failure with its obvious commercial production and an attempt to satisfy a broader audience of the American market - and something it failed to reach.
At first, I thought of it as compilation album as I found it packed with great songs and nicely arranged compositions. The production sound is broad and glossy introducing sophisti-pop to the band's repertoire.
I really enjoy this, and think of it as the band's best commercial contribution, although, I'm reluctant to call it Aztec Camera's best, just slightly inferior to the successor, Stray from 1990. The album tops as the band's highest ranked studio release making it to number #10 on the UK albums chart list. I just think it's a wonderful and highly recommendable album.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Aztec Camera "Knife" (1984)

Knife
release date: Sep. 21, 1984
format: vinyl (WX8) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Mark Knopfler
label: WEA international - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Still on Fire" (4 / 5) - 2. "Just Like the USA" - 5. "All I Need Is Everything" (4 / 5) - 7. "The Birth of the True" (Roddy Frame live) - 8. "Knife" (4 / 5)

2nd studio album by Aztec Camera following 1½ years after High Land, Hard Rain (Apr. 1983) introduces a new sound, which may or may not be the result of working with Mark Knopfler as producer. Certainly, the frontman of Dire Straits signalled something completely different than one would - given the time of the release - normally, associate with Aztec Camera. The band was seen as a folk rock and jazz rock band emerging out of post punk, which was anything but mainstream, and with Knopfler... that didn't bring about big cheers amongst critics and fans - or, at least they were mildly bewildered by this unusual cocktail. Yes, the style is more embracing in terms of mainstream styles with a noticeable r&b and soul pop introduction to the bands' repertoire, but its still genuine jangle pop at the core, and Frame croons as good as ever. The members list has changed in so far that keyboardist Guy Fletcher has replaced Bernie Clark, who took part in the band on the debut, and Malcolm Ross has entered on guitar replacing Craig Gannon who joined the band after the debut, but who should go on to play with The Smiths. Several others contribute on the album and at times it seems difficult to pin out exactly who's in the band and who's just in a supporting role, but with Frame as the only consistent member. Also, Roddy Frame is here credited all songs and music. In fact, one could argue that Aztec Camera alone is his project. The inner sleeve of the vinyl issue reveals some of this ambiguity, with Frame (credited vocals, guitar) in a sole photo on one side featuring three band members blurred in the background, and then on the other page of the sleeve: three smaller photos showing these individually: David Ruffy (drums, backing vocals), Campbell Owens (bass, backing vocals), and Malcolm Ross (guitar, backing vocals). This gives you the impression that these four constitute the band - then what about Guy Fletcher, you may ask? He is mentioned by name in the credit list playing keyboards and for backing vocals, but with smaller letters indicating he's not in the band after all.
I think, many critics couldn't help noticing what they found as Knopfler's fingerprints, instead of accepting this as new pastures without compromising. Anyway, I found it (and still do) somewhat mixed, too unfocused, like without a clear direction, as in search of (and without a clear idea of) where to go next. Some songs are potent pop songs but others sound misplaced or perhaps unfinished. The sound, however, is nicely shaped - it's a well-crafted production. I just don't like the bold use of keyboards and brass on tracks like "Head Is Happy (Heart's Insane)", and "The Back Door to Heaven", although, that works more than just fine on the title track.
The album contains three great compositions (tracks #1, #5, and #8), some really fine ones, but it also contains a few fillers, which in the end makes it a bit incoherent. The album received mixed reviews but still reached position #14 on the national albums chart list, and it's nevertheless an album I always return to and consider a classic Aztec Camera album.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]

Aztec Camera "High Land, Hard Rain" (1983)

High Land, Hard Rain [debut]
release date: Apr. 1983
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: John Brand, Bernie Clarke
label: Sire - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Oblivious" (4 / 5) - 2. "The Boy Wonders" - 3. "Walk Out to Winter" - 5. "We Could Send Letters" - 6. "Pillar to Post" (4 / 5) - 9. "Back on Board"

Studio album debut by Scottish jangle pop band Aztec Camera, here consisting of composer Roddy Frame on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, backed by Bernie Clark on piano and organ, Campbell Owens on bass, and with Dave Ruffy on drums and percussion. Although, this is the band members while recording this album it's really a difficult issue as the list changed from year to year on a continuous basis. Aztec Camera was formed by Frame who is the only lasting member throughout its life-span. The style is rather new at the time of the release. The jangle pop emerged in the early post-punk era being influenced by new romantic and 1960s folk rock artists like The Byrds and The Walker Brothers - generally speaking, artists playing either acoustic-driven guitar music and / or in the style of baroque pop. Roddy Frame was the band's front figure and he also wrote all music and lyrics.
Unnoticed, the album made it as high as number #22 on the national album charts list, which may come to a surprise to a lot of people.
The track "Pillar to Post" was the most prominent track, at least at the time, due to its more new wave sources, and that was also the track that made me listen to the band. However, "Oblivious" is much more a track one will associate with the sound of Aztec Camera: the folk rock and jangle pop melancholy, which hints at both jazz as well as pop, and perhaps more than anything points to the creation of the later style of sophisti-pop. Back then, I would have handed it perhaps 3 / 5, today I'm in no doubt in handing the album 4 stars. It's quite original, but it also made way for many artists to come, e.g. Johnny Hates Jazz, Sade, Prefab Sprout, Swing Out Sisters, The Smiths, etc., and it helped shaping the sound of others incl. Everything But the Girl and The Go-Betweens.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Uncut 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]