John Frusciante "Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt" (1994)

Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt [debut]
release date: Mar. 8, 1994
format: digital
[album rate: 1,5 / 5]

Some tracks: 2. "My Smile Is a Rifle" - 3. "Head (Beach Arab)" - 4. "Big Takeover" - 8. "Been Insane" - 10. "Your Pussy's Glued to a Building on Fire" - 14. "Untitled #2" - 21. "Untitled #9" - 24. "Untitled #12"

Studio debut album by John Frusciante released on American Recordings. The album shows a completely different side to the guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers whom he left in 1992. Stylistically, it's a most evident example of Frusciante's interest in expressions of creativity made in "streams of consciousness". The first half of the album Tracks 1-12 are labelled "Niandra LaDes", and they were written shortly after the completion of Red Hot Chili Peppers' break-through album Blood Sugar Sex Magic (Sep. 1991), and the other half, tracks 13-25, labelled "Usually Just a T-Shirt" (commonly referred to as "Untitled #1-13") were recorded while touring with RHCP i.e. before breaking with the band but at a time when he had become a serious drug addict of heroin and cocaine. The music is said to reflect Frusciante's spirituality and an unbalanced emotional state, and also his drug abuse during the recording sessions, which took place in his own house from 1991-93. Anyway, it's apparent how the second part seems much more improvised. I have come to know of the music of Frusciante much later, and have only come across this album a few months ago, and I must agree to Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone Magazine that it mostly just appears to be 'ramblings' and what sound as rough demos. These takes may be avant-garde and / or experimental neo-psychedelic rock and instant expressiveness of a genius, but nevertheless, it ain't good.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds "From Her to Eternity" (1984)

From Her to Eternity [debut]
release date: Jun. 18, 1984
format: cd (1996 Japan reissue)
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,16]
producer: Flood, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
label: Mute Records - nationality: Australia

Studio album debut by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
When the Australian band The Birthday Party split duo to disputes within the band about musical direction, Nick Cave and multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey found new partners in ex-vocalist and guitarist of German experimental industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten, Blixa Bargeld (aka Christian Emmerich) and former guitarist of British art-rock post-punk band Magazine, Barry Adamson (both had played with The Birthday Party either live or as substitutes), and together with Australian guitarist Hugo Race they formed the band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds around 1983, a band which initially also featured songwriter Anita Lane.
The album's title is a reference to the film and novel "From Here to Eternity" (1953) by Fred Zinnemann. The music is in essence a blend of styles attributed both Einstürzende Neubauten and The Birthday Party, which means: art punk post-punk noise rock and experimental rock. The first track is "Avalanche" written by Leonard Cohen but in this version, the track is literally unrecognisable. I've tried, many times to understand or just to come to terms with the music but it doesn't move me one bit. I think it's mostly just noise without head or tail, and I find that this is less interesting than the music by both The Birthday Party and Einstürzende Neubauten. However, the album was met by positive reviews. 

After the release, both Anita Lane, who was only credited as co-writer on this album, as well as Hugo Race left the band.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Lisa Miskovsky "Violent Sky" (2011)

Violent Sky
release date: Jan. 28, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 1,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "This Fire" (2,5 / 5) - 2. "Got a Friend" (3 / 5) - 3. "Lover" (1,5 / 5) - 4. "Silver Shoes" (2 / 5) - 5. "Some of Us" (2,5 / 5) - 6. "Call Me Anything But My Name" - 7. "Get It On" - 8. "Wise Guy 2010" - 9. "Let Them Come" - 10. "A Little High"

4th studio album release by Lisa Miskovsky.
Got a Friend is an Okay single from this album but gosh the rest is poor songwriting. This is like Madonna meets Abba meets Alanis Morissette meets Tina Dicko goes to an X-Factor audition, and passes [Yeah? Wow!], and is eventually sent on to win the lot... 'cause everyone knows what that takes :-/
.. and I'm really bored. Even without the country style, she doesn't succeed with this one. Luckily, Sweden has so much more to offer.

Zodiac "A Bit of Devil" (2012)

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Zodiac: Formed in 2010, Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Band members: Nick van Delft (vocals, guitar), Stephan Gall (guitar), Robert Kahr (bass, organ), Janosch Rathmer (drums).

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A Bit of Devil

release date: Feb. 19, 2012

formats: digital

[album rate: 1,5 / 5]

German 'hard rock'ers debut album. Musically, they seem very much inspired by Thin Lizzy, which is the best you can say about that as it simply lacks any originality, and the lead vocalist hasn't got a talent for singing. Not an album I would recommend. 

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Kåre Mörkestöl og Egil Syvertsen "Synger til gitarer og Hammondorgel" (1963) (ep)

Synger til gitarer og Hammondorgel, 7'' ep

release date: 1963?

format: vinyl (HEP 198)

[album rate: 1,5 / 5] [1,35]

producer: ?

label: Harmoni - Norsk Grammofonkompani a/s - nationality: Norway

Tracklist: A) 1. "Når Jesus kommer" - 2. "Lengselsfullt skuer jeg opp mot det høye" - - B) 1. "Velg ham din frelser" - 2. "Han er min"

Ep release by Norwegian Christian performer-duo guitarist Kåre Mörkestol & pianist Egil Syvertsen - sometimes credited with reversed names as on this release, perhaps simple because Syvertsen is on the left. All four songs are all strongly Christian-founded folk and gospel hymns.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, and it's a single I knew of at age 6-10 but never really enjoyed - both because of the strong religious theme and by the fact that it's styled as hymns, folklore, and gospel. There's no indication of year release but gven the fact that I own another release by the duo, released in '64 and with higher issue number on the same label, it's likely that this item was released at some point earlier. It could be earlier in the same year, though. However, the other issue by the duo is in a more folk-shaped style of the same religious hymns but with a stronger country style to it, which could suggest that this release is from a somewhat earlier stage, which also is stressed by the cover photos. And speaking of photographs, as a kid, I found that the photo of Syvertsen (here at the far left) very much ressembles early photos of my father - or, at least the same hair style.

Another curiosity about this item, is the blue pen strokes in the top right corner indicating '13' on the front cover. I admit that was me at say 8-10 years old. Sitting in our basement with a friend of mine, we played some of my parents' 7'' vinyl releases on a travel turntable model and then we would rank what we had listened to and I put our common verdict on the sleeve - this ending in 13th spot. I don't know if that was the highest number but close to 'cause it never was one of our favourites, although we did hear it to the end.

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This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.