Julian Cope "The Skellington Chronicles" (1993)

The Skellington Chronicles

release date: Jun. 1993

format: digital

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

producer: Julian Cope

label: Ma-Gog - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: [see Skellington 1] [from Skellington 2] 13. "Electrical Stormgirl" - 16. "I've Got My T.V. & My Pills" - 25. "London Underground"

9th studio album by Julian Cope chronologically following Jehovakill (Oct. '92) with certain reservations, as the album here contains the entire original lo-fi album Skellington from '89 in its original version and in addition to that, the continuation Skellington 2 or: Skellington 2: He's Back... and This Time It's Personal! All 25 tracks are contained on a single CD with a total playing time of just over 71 minutes. As the first part, Skellington 2 was also recorded over just two days and here released on Cope's own company Ma-Gog. However, the most recent release with Cope is the album Rite (Feb. '93), credited Cope & Donald Ross Skinner.

Musically, it's 'just' more of the same - mainly Cope alone accompanied by acoustic guitar and with contributions from Donald Ross Skinner and Mark 'Rooster' Cosby in a mix of folk rock and psychedelic folk with tracks of varying length - however, half of the songs are just under two minutes.

The album was re-released in '99 on Cope's label, the former Ma-Gog Records, now Head Heritage, under the name Ye Skellington Chronicles [except one track of more than 8 minutes with a slightly different style containing more distinct krautrock and space rock, and instead added a newer live track and an uncredited version of "Trampolene"]. In 2018, Skellington 3 followed ('only' with twelve new tracks) with the subtitle "The All-New 21st Century Adventures of Skellington" as the provisional end of the Skellington series.

The album serves as an example of Cope's idea of creating music in the moment as flowing ideas and musical improvs - which you will also find on Rite - but it is rather far from contemporary albums like Jehovakill (1992) and Autogeddon (1994). The second part of the "Skellington" series is, albeit recorded in the same spirit, an even more experimental continuation, which probably appeals more to hardcore fans.

This album can't be recommended as a start, but it contains quite fine moments.

Skellington 2: He's Back...

Julian Cope "Droolian" (1990)

Droolian

release date: 1990

format: digital

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]

producer: Ron Fair

label: Zippo Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Sqwubbsy" - 3. "Unisex Cathedral" - 5. "Safe Surfer" - 7. "Jellypop Perky Jean"

6th studio album by Julian Cope is his second sel-released album to follow his pompeous and disowned My Nation Underground (Oct. 1988). The album follows closely on the same path laid out with Skellington (1989) despite both pointing back on the '89-album as a kind of leftovers and at the same time laying out his future fully-formed style, which comes to full blossom on the successor Peggy Suicide (Apr. 1991) .

Droolian is a peculiar mix of spontaneous fanciful ideas - appearing as improvs and quite subtle arrangements. Cope demonstrates original ideas, although, he may have followed an urge - as a result of the lawsuit tried by Island Records [see Skellington] - just to record and release a complete album without the proper finish, which could have resulted in something closer to Peggy Suicide. As a curiosity Droolian contains "Safe Surfer", which on the '91-album is rearranged to "Safesurfer". Some tracks sound like complete improvs and at times Cope appears as an artist, who is about 100% on some (acid?) trip, which often create unconventional, not seldom quite funny, but also easily forgotten moments.

All in all, Droolian is funny, different, and flawed, and nevertheless worth a moment of your time.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

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 ]

T. Rex "T. Rex" (1970)

T. Rex
release date: Dec. 18, 1970
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: Fly Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Jewel" - 3. "The Visit" - 10. "One Inch Rock"

1st studio album release under the shortened name of T. Rex, and the 5th studio album after forming Tyrannosaurus Rex, thus not really a debut after all, but many official sites file it as such. This clearly shows the transition period of the band still playing psychedelic rock but also playing with new shorter, more simple compositions of glam rock - e.g. compare "The Visit" with "Pavillions of Sun" released as Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Tyrannosaurus Rex "A Beard of Stars" (1970)

A Beard of Stars
release date: Mar. 13, 1970
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,14]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: Regal Zonophone Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 4. "Fist Heart Might Dawn Dart" - 5. "Pavillions of Sun" (4 / 5) [alternate version not on album] - 6. "Organ Blues" - 9. "A Beard of Stars" - 12. "Lofty Skies" - 14. "Elemental Child"

4th studio album release by Tyrannosaurus Rex and the last under the full band name, as the following album was released as a T. Rex album. This is one of two transitional albums reflecting Marc Bolan's move away from psychedelic folk and folk rock and into his heydays of glam rock. Tracks #1 and #14 showcases his inspiration in Jimi Hendrix (and the album features Bolan on electric guitar for the first time), and tracks #4, #5, #7, and #12 are fine (proto-)glam rock and boogie rock compositions.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Tyrannosaurus Rex "Unicorn" (1969)

Unicorn
release date: May 16, 1969
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Ton Visconti
label: Regal Zonophone Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Chariots of Silk" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "The Seal of Seasons" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Cat Black (The Wizard's Hat)" - 7. "She Was Born to Be My Unicorn" - 11. "The Sea Beasts" - 12. "Iscariot"

3rd studio album release by Tyrannosaurus Rex. This is Bolan's final album with Steve Peregrine Took. The style is still influenced by baroque folk and the output is still mostly psychedelic folk, alhtough, Bolan has taken up a few electric experimentations and shorter compositions.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Tyrannosaurus Rex "Prophets, Seers & Sages..." (1968)

Prophets, Seers & Sages - The Angels of the Ages & Futuristic Dragon
release date: Oct. 14, 1968
format: cd
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,24]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: Regal / EMI - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Deboraarobed" - 3. "Wind Quartets"
[ full album ]

2nd studio album by Tyrannosaurus Rex is a studio album released only 3 months after the duo's debut album. The music is not all that different from its predecessor, and is mostly psychedelic folk.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Tyrannosaurus Rex "My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair..." (1968)

My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows [debut]
release date: Jul. 5, 1968
format: 2 cd (2015 remaster - Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,32]
producer: Tony Visconti
Label: A&M Records / Universal - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Hot Rod Mama" - 2. "Scenesof" - 3. "Child Star" - 4. "Strange Orchestras" - 5. "Chateau In Virginia Waters" - 6. "Dwarfish Trumpet Blues" - 7. "Mustang Ford" - 8. "Afghan Woman" - 9. "Knight" - 10. "Graceful Fat Sheba" - 11."Weilder of Words (Robard de Font Le Roy)" - 12. "Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love)"

Studio album debut by Tyrannosaurus Rex originally released on Regal Zonophone. The 2 cd Deluxe Edition contains extensive material. Tracks #1-1 to #1-12 are identical to the original mono album LRZ 1003, released Jul. 5, 1968 on Regal Zonophone. Tracks #1-13 to #1-18 are recorded live for the John Peel BBC Radio Show "Top Gear", Picadilly Studio1, London, Oct. 12, 1967, and tracks #1-19 to #1-24 are recorded live for Top Gear, Mar. 11, 1968.
All tracks are composed by Marc Bolan, who is credited on guitar & vocals, and he is accompanied by Steve Peregrine Toke, credited on percussion, bongos, Chinese gong, pixiephone and vocals.
The style may be quite unique but it only really shows Bolan's inspiration in celtic folk, bluegrass, and psychedelic folk. There's not much rock in any of these tracks and it basically works as a musical testimony of his early stages in music before making his journey from psychedelic folk to glam rock.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

C.V. Jørgensen "T-Shirts, gummisko & terylenebukser" (1975)

original cover

T-Shirts, gummisko & terylenebukser

release date: 1975

format: *cd (2004 remaster)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]

producer: Nils Henriksen

label: Frituna - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Louis Band" - 2. "På en fortovsrestaurant" - 5. "Flik-flakker" - 8. "Pak dit grej"

2nd studio album by C.V. Jørgensen and the follow-up to En stynet strejfer (1974) originally C.V.'s second and final on the label Hookfarm. The album is his first with actual producer credit, attributed guitarist Nils Henriksen (from the band Culpeper's Orchard), who would also later produce the sequel, on which he got a more significant part, but with this album he actually initiated his career as a record producer. The backing band is largely identical to the musicians from the debut. Per Wium has taken over the role as guitarist from Ivan Horn, but both bassist Erik Falck and drummer Gert Smedegård participate here. Although, Nils Henriksen contributes on slide and electric guitar, his role here is primarily as producer, whereas on later albums he took a more prominent part in Jørgensen's backing band playing guitar and keyboards. Incidentally, the album's title is a line from the first track, where the words come in a different order: "...han rendte fremmedgjort rundt på Vesterbro iført T-shirts terylenebukser og gummisko".

Musically, Jørgensen's first two albums are closely related in that both are clear expressions of psychedelic rock, and they also both take their point of departure from roots rock and folk rock, as characterised by The Band, Neil Young, Little Feat, and Dylan in particular. At the same time, both albums also point in several directions - sometimes they are experimental and bold psychedelic expressions, where you hear hints of inspiration from Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, and Cream), at times you'll notice an influx of funk rock, and at other times the music is characterised more by straightforward folk rock and country rock, which sometimes makes the band sound like a Danish copy of British and American idols. With this album, Jørgensen introduces a more distinctive narrative style of his own towards more positive stories with a touch of irony in portraits of people like himself: artists on the road, young people doing nothing or who are searching for their path in life, or when he outlines the daily life of common people.

T-Shirts, gummisko... was promoted with the release of the single "Flik-flakker" which didn't come close to a national success. However, the album clearly helped establish C.V. Jørgensen as a new Danish songwriter worth keeping an eye on, and the album paved the way for a better record deal. It's not an album that has aged particularly well, and in the main it mostly sounds like Jørgensen and band, who are attempting to make a Danish version of what international names have already established. Still, the album is a clear evidence of the development that C.V. has started, and especially with tracks like "På en fortovsrestaurant" and "Pak dit grej" it points quite nicely in the direction of the much more original and solid third album, Storbyens små oaser (1977), where he demonstrates a new high level in contemporary Danish rock songwriting.

The album was released with two different covers: the first edition had a 'beach' front cover (à la Neil Young On the Beach), whereas a later edition came with a 'portrait' cover.

*included on the compilation De 2 første ['The first two'] (2004), a 2-cd-release containing Jørgensen's first two albums.

'portrait' cover

C.V. Jørgensen "En stynet strejfer" (1974)

En stynet strejfer [debut]

release date: 1974

format: *cd (2004 remaster)

[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]

producer: non-produced (rec. with sound engineer Werner Scherrer)

label: Frituna - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Hey Steen Salonfirben" - 3. "Piano Rob" - 5. "En stynet strejfer" - 8. "Alt er stille indtil videre"

Studio album debut by Danish singer / songwriter C.V. Jørgensen aka Carsten Jørgensen - in whose name the V is for 'Valentin' which is an artistic addition - originally released on the label Hookfarm.

C.V. Jørgensen is credited as songwriter and composer of all nine tracks, on on this he is backed by guitarist Ivan Sonne Horn, bassist Erik Falck, and by drummer Gert Smedegård Andreasen.

Musically, the album places itself far from Jørgensen's later releases by being a fairly experimental and psychedelic rock release (with some inspiration from The Mothers of Invention and Cream) as well as being folk rock-founded with clear inspiration in Bob Dylan. As songwriter, Jørgensen narrates in a contemporary stereotypical psychedelic style, which bears some of the same features as early compositions by Marc Bolan, and especially the lyrics by the two fellow-countrymen songwriter Leif Roden in Alrune Rod and Eik Skalø as heard on the landmark debut by Steppeulvene: Hip (1967).

The album didn't attract much recognition, and several tracks also sound like jam sessions in the studio without a clear direction - perhaps inspired by Captain Beefheart? - but on the other hand it's clear that the participating musicians are skilled instrumentalists, and already here, Jørgensen has a distinct original vocal quality, which attracts some attention to the lyrics.

In Jørgensen's discography, the album shares several similarities with the sequel T-Shirts, gummisko og terylenebukser (1975), and together they may be seen as part of his formative years on an artistic journey somewhat detached from his later style and works.

On the album here, the individual compositions at times sound like several connected ideas, where one melodic line is abruptly juxtaposed with another - which was probably an artistic choice that defined a certain music, which was not only chaotic, but nevertheless, could be seen as a result of an improvisational approach - again with some reference to the old Captain.

En stynet strejfer is an interesting piece of music history, which mostly functions as fan material.

*included on the compilation De 2 første ['The first two'] (2004), a 2-cd-release containing Jørgensen's first two albums.