Madness "Mad Not Mad" (1985)

Mad Not Mad
release date: Sep. 30, 1985
format: cd (2000 remaster)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,88]
producer: Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "I'll Compete" - 2. "Yesterday's Men" - 3. "Uncle Sam" - 6. "Sweetest Girl" - 7. "Burning the Boats"

6th studio album by Madness is the band's last to be produced by the Langer-Winstanley duo originally released on Zarjazz. It's the band's first and (so far) final studio album on the band's own newly-established label Zarjazz and also the first without Mike Barson who is replaced by The Attractions' keyboardist Steve Nieve. Paul Carrack (of Ace) replaced Barson on tours prior to the studio recordings.
The album marks an even stronger change of style than ever before in the lifespan of Madness. The music has grown into a sophisti-pop version of pop / rock with a bold use of horns, strings and backing vocals, and there's frankly not much left that links this over-produced album with the band's former releases.
Only the single "Yesterday's Men" fared decently reaching #18 on the single charts in the UK - the next two single releases "Uncle Sam" and "Sweetest Girl" (a cover originally performed by Scritti Politti) didn't make it into top 20 - and the album became the band's least successful to date peaking at #16 on the national album charts list. The band now experienced its most unfruitful artistic time and in '86 they had recorded material for a new album but internal discussions about musical direction ultimately led to the decision to call it a day and put an end to the band. In Sep. 1986 the band officially announced the split. Lead vocalist Graham McPherson has in later interviews labelled the album as a 'polished turd'. An early attempt to revive the band as a quartet was already made in '88 when McPherson, Smyth, Thompson and Foreman recorded and released new songs under the name of The Madness; however both album and singles failed to meet their former successes and in early '89 the project was disbanded.
In my mind, this is only above mediocre. The typical 80s Langer-Winstanley production is at their most inferior. There are only few fine songs on the album and the highlights presented above are at worst only the decent echoes of the band's former repertoire.
Not really recommended.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]

The Cranberries "To the Faithful Departed" (1996)

To the Faithful Departed
release date: Apr. 30, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Bruce Fairbairn and The Cranberries
label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 2. "Salvation" - 3. "When You’re Gone" - 4. "Free to Decide" - 9. "I Just Shot John Lennon" - 11. "I’m Still Remembering"

3rd studio album by The Cranberries with a new producer after two consecutive albums with The Smiths-producer Stephen Street. Amongst others, Bruce Fairbairn has produced for Van Halen, Aerosmith and Bon Jovi - bands that operate in a total different playground than a band associated with dream pop and jangle pop, and it never becomes apparent for whatever reasons he was brought about. Stadium rock and a heavy production sound seems out of touch here, and frankly, Street didn't do a bad job either.
The album wasn't met by the same positive reviews as the band's first two albums, but it still became the bands second best-selling album reaching number #1 in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and peaking as number #2 in the UK, only surpassed by the '94 album.
I always found it a lesser release, but in retrospect I have come to see it in a much more positive light. It doesn't showcase a bunch of fine hits, and it also contains tracks where the band seems to reproduce former successful elements and structures as heard on previous hits, e.g. "Hollywood", "Salvation", "Forever Yellow Skies", and "Electric Blue". And the lows... the lows here are truly low.
I recall my first listen to "Salvation" - at a time when MTV was up front, and watching the video and listening to the song made be decide, it was not intended for me. But it also contains some fine songs, and one truly great composition, the ballad "When You're Gone". A few fine and one great cannot safe this album from being a bit on the low side, and I do understand many of the critics 'cause it does deliver on the same level as the two previous albums, and the band sounds more like they have run somewhat out of material. O'Riordan is a great songwriter and singer - no doubt about that, but this is not one of their best.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 2 / 5, USA Today 2,5 / 5 stars ]

The Cure "The Top" (1984)

The Top
release date: May 22, 1984
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]
producer: David M. Allen, Chris Parry, Robert Smith
label: Fiction Records - nationality: England, UK

5th studio album by The Cure follows two years after Pornography (May 1982) and it's the band's first studio album after a move away from post-punk and gothic rock, and after having released several singles that suggested a clear change of style. The band is back to a trio with the core of Smith and Tolhurst supplemented by new percussionist Andy Anderson. The album is actually close to a solo album by Robert Smith who wrote most of the songs and played nearly all instruments by himself. Laurence Tolhurst is credited for playing 'other instruments'. To me this was more than a big change of style, and I have always found the album of little interest.
I purchased the vinyl album upon its release but later resold it back around the late '80s to finance new albums.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Lucinda Williams "Lucinda Williams" (1988)

Lucinda Williams
release date: 1988
format: digital (2014 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Gurf Morlix, Dusty Wakeman, Lucinda Williams
label: Rough Trade - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "I Just Wanted to See You so Bad" - 3. "Abandoned" - 7. "Passionate Kisses"

3rd studio album by Lucinda Williams is her first with a major record label after having released her first two albums through the non-profit label of Smithsonian Folkways. Apparently, it's more rock-styled than her debut, and it may be a result of seeking out a more personal style.
The album was her first charting album, although, it didn't enter the album charts until it was reissued in 2014 now reaching number #39 on the album charts list in the US.
I first listened to her mighty fine Car Wheels on Gravel Road (1998), and have since then worked my way through her back catalogue. The music on Lucinda Williams is much more in line with my understanding of country than her later releases, and beacuse of that, I simply don't find it as interesting as her later stuff, although, you will probably find that she does possess an original vocal.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Mojo 5 / 5 stars ]

The Housemartins "The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death" (1987)

The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death
release date: Sep. 1987
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: John Williams, The Housemartins
label: Go! Discs - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death" - 3. "The Light Is Always Green" (4 / 5) - 4. "The World's on Fire" - 7. "Me and the Farmer" - 8. "Five Get Over Excited" - 10. "Bow Down"

2nd and final studio album by The Housemartins was perhaps released in attempt to follow the success of the debut. The band remains the same, the producer and label are likewise unchanged, but the sound is slightly altered towards a more sophisti-pop and / or mainstream pop sound with less focus on the guitar-driven jangle pop, which characterised the debut. This fact saddened me much more then, than it does in retrospect. Shortly after their great debut, the band became associated with its a cappella hit single "Caravan of Love" (original version by the American trio, Isley Jasper Isley issued in '85 as a disco-funk track). I liked it, but really found it too slick, but I do think it brought the band much more fame as a more traditional pop / rock band than the members had hoped / wished for. Anyway, the album title and the title track reverberated with negative response in the national English Press, as it's a rather blunt attack on the Royal family, which, I think, was totally overlooked elsewhere. Back then, I would not have handed the album more than max. 2,5 / 5, being quite disappointing. Nowadays, I find it much better. It may not be the most evident successor to the band's '86 album, but knowing Paul Heaton, and David Hemingway's following band The Beautiful South and its style, this very album only anticipates that as a perfect stepping stone.
The band split up in 1988, making this the final studio album. Lead singer Paul Heaton and drummer and backing vocalist David Hemingway went on to form the highly successful and much more enduring band, The Beautiful South still in '88, and bassist Norman Cook underwent one of the most spectacular transformations ever seen in modern music history. First, he formed the successful alt. dance band, Beats International, and in the mid '90s he became one of the brightest shining stars of the new electronic style of big beat as producer, engineer, programmer, and sample artist known as Fatboy Slim.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

New Order "Waiting for the Sirens' Call" (2005)

Waiting for the Sirens' Call
release date: Mar. 28, 2005
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,39]
producer: New Order et al
label: London Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Who's Joe?" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "Hey Now What You Doing" (3 / 5) - 4. "Krafty" (3 / 5) - 8. "Jetstream"

8th studio album by New Order follows nearly 4 full years since Get Ready (Aug. 2001) and is produced by several people. New Order are co-producers on all 11 tracks, Stephen Street is credited on four (tracks #2, #6, #10 & #11), Jim Spencer on three (#1, #3 & #5), John Leckie on two (tracks #4 & #7) and Stuart Price also on two (tracks #8 & #9). After Gillian Gilbert left the band in 2001, Phil Cunningham officially replaced her on keyboards and guitar. So in effect the three remaining members of Joy Division are still together. Having said that, the album is, in my mind, their least favourable to this date. It comes without any great tracks, and some sound like drawn on older more original compositions. 'Mediocre' (equalling 2,5 stars) is a rare word used when speaking of one of the most influential bands in British music history, and this is hardly that.

Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Blender 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Lou Reed "New Sensations" (1984)

New Sensations
release date: Apr. 1984
format: vinyl (PL84998) / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: John Jansen, Lou Reed
label: RCA Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "I Love You, Suzanne" (official video - live) - 2. "Endlessly Jealous" - 4. "Turn to Me" - 5. "New Sensations" - 6. "Doin' the Things That We Want To" - 11. "Down at the Arcade"

13th studio album by Lou Reed follows only a single year after the predecessor Legendary Hearts (Mar. 1983), and on this he has teamed up with John Jansen as album producers. Perhaps, given Reed's hard time as only producer on the '83 album. The album marks another style-shift reflecting a turn to a more positive universe. The album oozes of warmth and a happy Lou [?]. It seems like Lou Reed has left the dark 70s and turned his back on drugs and excesses. I actually purchased this upon its release, but I didn't really enjoy it all that much. I guess, I fell for the single hit, but then quickly tired from both album and that song in particular. In retrospect, the whole album works a lot better than I recall, and it has aged quite well. The track "I Love You, Suzanne" is close to being a pure pop song. But then, it could very well have been included on New York (Jan. 1989).
New Sensations shows Reed in his experimental corner, going new ways but it's not one of his better albums.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Jello Biafra With The Melvins "Sieg Howdy!" (2005)

Sieg Howdy!
release date: Sep. 27, 2005
format: digital
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,14]
producer: Ali G. North, Marshall Lawless
label: Alternative Tentacles - nationality: USA

[ full album ]

2nd collaboration album release by Jello Biafra With The Melvins after the 2004 album Never Breathe What You Can't See. The music here doesn't have the same playful approach to music. Stylistically, this is raw hardcore punk close to the metal universe associated with The Melvins and Canadian band NoMeansNo. Of course, with Jello Biafra writting lyrics and bashing out the songs there's a heavy satirical element but it sounds more like a return to the sound of Lard (and / or Ministry) and another time and place. I don't really enjoy this release.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon "Prairie Home Invasion" (1994)

Prairie Home Invasion [debut]
release date: Mar. 24, 1994
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Marshall Lawless, Tri-State Kill Spree Johnson
label: Alternative Tentacles - nationality: USA

Track highlight: 1. "Buy My Snake Oil" - 3. "Convoy in the Sky" - 4. "Atomic Power" - 6. "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" - 7. "Burgers of Wrath" - 12. "Will the Fetus Be Aborted" - 13. "Plastic Jesus"

A collaboration work by Jello Biafra and Mojo Nixon. The album came out after the demise of Biafra's old band Dead Kennedys at a time when he was highly productive, very politically engaged, releasing either collaboration albums, making solo albums, which was mostly spoken words releases, but he was also lead vocalist in the band Lard. 1994 was when grunge rock ruled the alternative rock scene but this album is so original that it could have come out any year after the punk rock era 'cause it really sounds like nothing else. Biafra sneers his lyrics out like still playing in Dead Kennedys. The style is quite far from his '91 collaboration work with NoMeansNo and simply is a better album. It's not hardcore punk but it definitely has punk rock elements but also folk rock, blues rock, country rock , and a whole lot of satire to it, which puts the album aside releases by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart. The album could be labelled 'cowpunk' if I ever thought that was a style or genre, but I do think it's a conglomerate of styles and genres that in many ways makes it more of a roots rock album. A few of the songs are pure cover-versions, others are musically built on known and famous songs with completely new lyrics, some just sound as familiar tracks, and a few are just brand new compositions. If one find it hard to listen to Biafra's American tone you may try listening to the lyrics, but really, I find that it kicks butt and it's pretty nice for more than just a one-time listen. Mojo Nixon plays so tight no matter the style, and Biafra nails American society and life-style in that way only an American is allowed to.
Recommended.
[ 👎allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Buzzcocks "Singles Going Steady" (1979)

Singles Going Steady (compilation)
release date: Sep. 25, 1979
format: digital (2001 remaster) / vinyl (2014 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Martin Rushent; Martin Hannett
label: Parlophone / Music on Vinyl - nationality: England, UK

Compilation album by Buzzcocks originally released on I.R.S. Records in the US only to promote the band's US tour. It wasn't issued in the UK until 1981 on United Artists.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 5 / 5, Uncut 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Rammstein "Sehnsucht" (1997)

Sehnsucht
release date: Aug. 22, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer Jacob Hellner, Rammstein
label: Motor Music - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Sehnsucht" (4 / 5) - 2. "Engel" (feat. Bobo) (4 / 5) - 3. "Tier" - 5. "Du hast" (5 / 5) - 6. "Bück dich" - 9. "Alter Mann" - 10. "Eifersucht" - 11. "Küss Mich (Fellfrosch)"

2nd studio album by Rammstein released two years after the debut from '95 is produced in collaboration with Swedish producer Jacob Hellner who was also engaged on the debut.
The album reveals a step forward in more than one aspect as it's first and foremost a better produced collection of songs that also show a progression in terms of compositional skills with several strong individually sounding tracks.
Two singles were released prior to the album as "Engel" and then "Du hast" were cleverly hand-picked to promote the new album with the former peaking at number #3 on the German singles chart list and later "Du hast" followed closely by reaching number #4 on the same list - but the track basically became the band's internationally so far most renowned single.
Sehnsucht is a fine step forward from an interesting but also slightly mediocre debut. Here the band has tightened up the compositions and also shaped them as both simpler yet more detailed by a clearer differentiation from track to track. It's industrial metal in the way only a German band can play. "Du hast" is probably the strongest track here but several others are great - especially the first half of the album is worth the lot and makes the album a much stronger and more favourable listen than the '95 debut album.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

     

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10,000 Maniacs "The Wishing Chair" (1985)

The Wishing Chair
release date: Sep. 23, 1985
format: cd (reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: Joe Boyd
label: Elektra Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Can't Ignore the Train" - 3. "Just as the Tide Was a Flowing" - 4. "Lilydale" - 5. "Back O' the Moon" - 8. "Grey Victory" - 9. "Among the Americans" - 12. "Daktari" (4 / 5)

2nd studio album by 10,000 Maniacs after the self-released debut Secrets of the I Ching (1983) and their first major release on Elektra. At this point the band consists of Natalie Merchant on vocals, Robert Buck on electric & acoustic guitar, mandolin, and pedal steel, John Lombardo on 6 & 12 string guitars (and bass), Steven Gustafson on bass (and guitar), Dennis Drew on keyboards, and with Jerome 'Jerry' Augustyniak on drums.
The style is folk-based jangle pop, often characterized by Robert Buck's mandolin, and the quartet of instrumentalists playing acoustic or electric guitars, producing a bold sound of strings, and of course on top of that: Merchant's beautiful, vibrant alto vocal all held together within a rather traditional folk frame, also secured by long-time folk-producer Joe Boyd - who has worked with many acclaimed folk and psychedelic rock artists in the 1960s and '70s including Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band, and Nick Drake.
The Wishing Chair is not one of the band's best albums, imho, but it has its moments. The best track "Daktari" is a re-recording of a track from the debut, which here comes close to their best tracks on the successor In My Tribe (1987) - it only figures as a bonus track on the cd version of the album. I don't find the production sound that impressive and basically find it a bit of an anachronism with its 1960s [flat] sound.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Bleached "For the Feel" (2014) (ep)

For the Feel, ep
release date: Jul. 22, 2014
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: ?
label: Dead Oceans - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "For the Feel" (4 / 5) - 2. "Poison Ivy" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "Born to Kill" (3 / 5)

Ep follow-up to Bleached 2013 debut album, the sister duo continue their garage rock style. The title track was left out from the debut, but eventually they made a new studio recording of the song and felt it should be issued. Perhaps it has a bit more surf rock and rock & roll to it with reverberating twangy guitars, which is found in the two remaining tracks. The second track is a cover of a song by the 1950s and 60s American rock & roll, doo-wop band The Coasters, though this version has more in common with a Rolling Stones cover of the song from 1963. The last track is a cover-version of a song by 1970s Brittish punk rock band The Damned taken from their '76 debut album. With this 3-track ep Bleached continue to shine, and they keep being more than hot air.

Bleached "Ride Your Heart" (2013)

Ride Your Heart [debut]
release date: Apr. 2, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Rob Barbato
label: Dead Oceans - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Next Stop" (3 / 5) (live on KEXP) - 3. "Outta My Mind" - 4. "Dead in Your Head" (live on KEXP) - 5. "Dreaming Without You" - 7. "Love Spells" (3 / 5) (live on KEXP) - 8. "Searching Through the Past" (live on KEXP) - 11. "Guy Like You"

Studio debut album by Bleached, a duo consisting of the two sisters Jennifer and Jessie (aka Jessica) [birth name] Clavin (both former Mika Miko members). Jennifer plays guitar, percussion, piano, and handles vocals, and Jessie plays bass, guitar, lap steel guitar, percussion, and also vocals. Only other musicians on the album are Dan Allaire on drums and Will Canzoneri on clarinet and organ.

Initially, I thought this wasn't interesting at all, but really, it is! It's lo-fi, indie pop, or just: garage rock revival somewhere between Alabama Shakes, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Pixies with a nice touch of '70s Blondie. It's downright dirty, like 'garage rock' has to be, but it's also harmonic, refreshingly simple, and in a positive sense: quite easily digested, which also makes me think of a slower up-to-date version of The Ramones.

(live performance at KEXP)

Robyn "Body Talk" (2010)

Body Talk
release date: Nov. 22, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,18]
producer: Klas Åhlund
label: Konichiwa Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Dancing on My Own" - 2. "Fembot" - 3. "Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do" - 4. "Indestructible" - 6. "Love Kills" - 7. "Hang With Me" - 9. "None of Dem" (feat. Röyksopp) - 10. "We Dance to the Beat" - 11. "U Should Know Better" (feat. Snoop Dogg) - 12. "Dancehall Queen" - 13. "Get Myself Together" - 15. "Stars 4-Ever"

7th studio album by Robyn, or: a compilation? It's released and filed by most sites as a studio album, but in essence it only contains previously released compositions all issued in the "Body Talk"-series Pt. 1-3 counting two Mini-albums and one ep. I prefer thinking of this as her 2010 studio album consisting of material taken from two mini-albums and an ep. This also makes sense when taking into account that in 2014 she released an ep titled Do It Again with Röyksopp containing five tracks with a running time over 35 mins - longer than any of her two first "Body Talk" Mini-albums. Five tracks here are taken from each of the three "Body Talk" albums: from Body Talk, Pt. 1 we find tracks #1, #2, #3, #9, and #12, from Body Talk, Pt. 2 tracks #6, #7, #10, #11, and #14, and from Body Talk, Pt. 3 tracks #4, #5, #8, #13, and #15 - In bold: great tracks showing that from my perspective, Part 1 delivers three fine songs, Part 2 only one, and Part 3 two fine songs. But really... it's so calculated that she releases five songs from each, when that also means that three songs are left out from both Part 1 and 2, but all tracks are included from the shorter Part 3 ep. The selection of songs could have been better, and I miss "Cry When You Get Older" from Part 1, and I could easily have thought of "Include Me Out" from Part 2 instead of the two minor fillers "Time Machine" and "Call Your Girlfriend" from Part 3.
Body Talk is a fine album regardless how you file it, but at the end of the day, I prefer to have all three "Body Talk" albums instead of just this one.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Slant 4 / 5 stars ]

2010 Favourite releases: 1. Søren Huss Troen & ingen - 2. The Chemical Brothers Further - 3. Robyn Body Talk

Lars Muhl "When Angels Fall" (1991)

When Angels Fall

release date: 1991

format: cd

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

producer: Lars Alsing, Lars Muhl

label: RCA / BMG Ariola - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 3. "How Many Teardrops Must Fall" - 4. "Elevator" - 5. "Two Hearts Are Better Than One" - 8. "When Angels Fall" - 11. "Gi' mig en chance"

3rd studio album by Lars Muhl following three years after King of Croon (Apr. 1988) sees Muhl in collaboration with guitarist Lars Alsing. Muhl has certainly stepped up in terms of label backing going from small Fox Records to a major international label. However, fact is that he didn't sell a lot of albums. His first two solo releases had been met by open arms, but mainly from music critics and other musicians. He was a darling of the press and of the industry but still had to prove his worth as a hit maker of albums. Yes, Lars Muhl had been involved in hit songs all over Scandinavia, but mainly as songwriter and composer of music for others. It seemed he still struggled in finding his very own original expression. His first album out was a turn to pop crooner, something he elaborated on the follow-up, which put him somewhere in a strange category where people would associate his music with David Bowie on one side of the spectre and via his crooner appeal - also with Bing Crosby.

Anyway, When Angels Fall wasn't the commercial breakthrough many expected would come, sooner or later, because fact is, Muhl was a highly estimated artist. His name had become a guarantee stamp for quality and hit song potential. The album is, however, strangely anonymous. It's pop, but where King of Croon also contained synth pop with a grandiose Phil Spector-like production, this one comes short on most parameters. Muhl wants hard to present hit songs but the album feels like a move in the wrong direction. The front cover depicts Muhl with flowers in his arms as hints to Morrissey and his ability to write ballads and romantic love songs all while posing casually dressed with a cigarette in hand, as if not going all the way, or being both sincere and yet half-hearted, and that sort of fits the music here more precisely than desired, I guess. When Angels Fall attempts to be a soft, romantic affair but the central actor appears detached, and where does this put the artist, Lars Muhl? He's even stronger placed in nowhere land, or on his private isolated island. The songs point in many directions. Some are slow blue-eyed ballads, others are uptempo and club-like rockers delivered with a sneer, he knows so well from inspirational sources like Joe Jackson and Costello, but that influence simply don't fit the production or the remaining material. It seems, he still wants to break out as an international artist, who can do whatever he feels like, and get away with it. The big difference is that Costello don't sell or signal romantic love songs, and Lars Muhl just seems unable to choose which scene to play on. And then, he's not David Bowie or up there where you are actually able to pull that ambiguity off.

Worst of all, not only didn't the album provide any hits, nor did it sell that many copies, now with another commercial failure, more critics turned against his artistic profile with some referring to his singing style as whimping and whining, as a clear contrast to that of crooning. Still, Lars Muhl holds a position as an artist with great potential, but the troublesome musical career hasn't exactly welcomed him with open arms, and instead of living life in the capital or in his home town of Aarhus, he has now moved to the small island of Samsø, which could be seen as one of the first signs of not being able to fit in. He still seeks artistic recognition and a musical career and at the same time he isolates himself.

When Angels Fall is Muhl's so far least appealing album. It contains good songs and music, but overall, it's a bit of a mess and it feels half-hearted.

The Prodigy "Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned" (2004)

Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned
release date: Aug. 23, 2004
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Liam Howlett
label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Spitfire" (feat. Juliette Lewis) - 4. "Get Up Get Off" (feat. Twista) - 5. "Hotride" (feat. Juliette Lewis)

4th studio album by The Prodigy released nearly seven years after the huge success with Fat of the Land (1997). The tracks are primarily written by Howlett and several tracks are co-written with Neil McLellan who also mixes, does programming, and adds vocals to several tracks, although, he has not been adopted as an official member. Musically, this is a 'back to the basics' of techno (which has much of its origins in the US), but it's also a continued journey into sampling and with much hip hop-inspiration.
To me this was a rather disappointing release. It's put together and produced by Howlett as usual, and both Flint and Maxim's vocals are missing. However, the mix with more original techno simply ruins the 'clean' British breakbeat and big beat somewhat. Some of the tracks are mere samplings of former The Prodigy hits, i.e. track #6 "Wake Up Call" is simply too close to "Firestarter". The album had no real single hits but sold rather well. Both Q Magazine and Rolling Stone only gave it a two-stars review, and allmusic.com handed it 2,5 to this their so far lowest point, which I agree on is a mediocre output. The best tracks feature Juliette Lewis (from Juliette and the Licks) on vocal.

Rammstein "Du hast" (1997), single

Du hast, single
release date: Jul. 21, 1997
format: cd
[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Jacob Hellner, Rammstein
label: Motor Music - nationality: Germany

Tracklist: 1. "Du hast (Single Version)" (5 / 5) - 2. "Bück dich (Album Version)" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "Du hast (Remix by Jacob Hellner)" - 4. "Du hast (Remix by Clawfinger)"

Single release by Rammstein and the second single issue prior to the release of the forthcoming second album Sehnsucht to be released the following month. The title track seems the same as on the album, which also goes for the second track, whereas the last two remixes offers new versions. The first and best remix by producer Jacob Hellner is an electronic big beat (The Prodigy-like) version of the single, and the last Clawfinger remix is an alt. metal hard rock version, which is a rather inferior version; however, the original version is a truly fabulous track.

Dire Straits "Love Over Gold" (1982)

Love Over Gold
release date: Sep. 20, 1982
format: vinyl (6359 109) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: Mark Knopfler
label: Vertigo Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Telegraph Road" (4 / 5) - 2. "Private Investigations" - 3. "Industrial Disease" - 4. "Love Over Gold" - 5. "It Never Rains"

4th studio album by Dire Straits. The new broader style initiated on Making Movies (Oct. 1980) is continued with the addition of more jazz rock and progressive compositions. Before making recordings for the album, two new members joined the band, Hal Lindes on guitar and Alan Clark on keyboards, and especially the latter is probably responsible for the keyboard and piano dominance on this album. My initial thoughts were bland and I thought of the album as too slow and soft but basically it's a rather strong but also the band's most progressive rock-styled album with almost no tracks below 6 minutes playing time and with the longest lasting single-track exceeding 14 minutes running time.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Van Morrison "The Best Of" (1990)

The Best Of (compilation)
release date: Feb. 5, 1990
format: cassette / cd (1998 remaster)
[album rate: 5 / 5]
producer: Van Morrison; various
label: Exile / Polydor - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Compilation album and first 'real' best of album by Van Morrison. 'Real' because a number of earlier releases exist such as several issued by Bang Records, but also releases on Bellaphon, London, Nova, DGR, Castle Communications, and Deram mostly just featuring songs from his first recordings while being signed with Bert Berns' label Bang and all released without Morrison's consent except for those released on Decca while playing with Them.
Apparently, Morrison had been reluctant wanting nothing to do in releasing a best of album in the first place, and only long discussions with his record label paved way for a release comprising some 25 years - from his first releases with "Baby Please Don't Go" and "Gloria" with Them from 1964 to "Have I Told You Lately" and "Whenever God Shines His Light" from his most recent album, Avalon Sunset (1989). Nearly all 20 songs (from 13 albums) are written entirely by Van himself, which really is an amazing collection of songs.
The album became and immediate commercial as well as critical success relaunching his musical career and it has also become his best-selling album to date. It peaked at number #4 in the UK and as number #1 in Australia. Since then, he has released another two best of albums: Best of - Volume 2 (1993), and the double album Best of - Volume 3 (2007).
I purchased the album on cassette upon its release in 1990, and it's definitely my most played cassette. My only complaint about this, is the record label's decision not to enlist the songs in chronological order; however, thanks to Morrison's varied stylistic moves and influences over nearly three decades, it's quite remarkable how coherent an album it is. Quite usually, best of albums are just not as good as the individual quality of songs but here's really an album only featuring top material that despite different styles and arrangements make up the finest whole.
Highly recommended.