Bruce Springsteen "The River" (1980)

The River
release date: Oct. 10, 1980
format: 2 lp vinyl / 2 cd (1985 reissue)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,38]
producer: Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt
label: CBS / Columbia - nationality: USA

Track highlights: Disc 1: 1. "The Ties That Bind" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Sherry Darling" (4 / 5) - 3. "Jackson Cage" - 4. "Two Hearts" (4 / 5) - 5. "Independence Day" - 6. "Hungry Heart" (5 / 5) - 7. "Out in the Street" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "Crush On You" - 9. "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" (4 / 5) - 10. "I Wanna Marry You" (4 / 5) - 11. "The River" (4,5 / 5)
Disc 2: 1. "Point Blank" (4 / 5) - 3. "I'm A Rocker" (4 / 5) - 4. "Fade Away" - 5. "Stolen Car" - 7. "The Price You Pay" (4 / 5) - 8. "Drive All Night"

5th studio album release by Bruce Springsteen originally issued as a double album. This was one of the first full Springsteen album I had in my collection. I had only just discovered the predecessor, Darkness on the Edge of Town (Jun. 1978) when I listened to this at my best friend. The album is not that different from the '78 album, but it's a sort of a conceptual album dealing with the present state of economical recession in America, and what that does to ordinary families. The album has more focus on the singer / songwriter part and it contains both slow dwelling stories and the more uptempo rock & roll riffs from his earlier albums, like Darkness.. and Born to Run (1975). After this, he really took his first round with the folk and singer / songwriter side of his talent when releasing the even more sinister and simple album Nebraska (1982) as a solo album without any studio musicians.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

Bauhaus "The Sky's Gone Out" (1982)

The Sky's Gone Out
release date: Oct. 5, 1982
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Bauhaus
label: Beggars Banquet - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Silent Hedges" (4 / 5) - "In the Night" - 5. "Spirit" - 8. "The Three Shadows Part 3" - 9. "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" ( 4 / 5)

3rd studio album by Bauhaus following one year after Mask is a more experimental album pointing in several directions. The band plays with punk rock, art rock, reggae, and something that should later be labeled industrial, as well as applying acoustic instruments. The track "Spirit" comes in two very different versions, and this (the album version) is not my preferred version of the song. A more pop-mixed edition can be found on the single release "Spirit" (Jun. '82), which is also issued on "The Singles: 1981-1983" (Oct. '83).

The album is fine but not on level with the band's previous two albums. Its biggest flaw is the many styles and directions it points to. It's like an album of disorientation: "Look, we have so many ideas, so where to go from here?"

Once again the front cover is a painting by guitarist Daniel Ash.

[ allmusic.com, Record Collector 3 / 5 ]

"Walt Disney's Junglebogen" (1968)

Walt Disney's Junglebogen

release date: 1968

format: vinyl (KELP 116)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: ?

label: His Master's Voice / Disneyland - nationality: Denmark

The Danish release of Disney's "The Jungle Book" (1967) with the voices from the Danish version of Disney's adaptation of Kipling's classic. The Danish voices have been selected among familiar names from the stages, from variety shows, and from music, which include Sejr Volmer-Sørensen as narrator, Preben Uglebjerg, Ove Sprogøe, Carl Ottosen, Freddy Albeck, Ole Monty, Ulrik Neumann, Kirsten Rolffes, Svend Asmussen, Ulla 'Sniff' Neumann, and Joachim Clausen in the role of Mowgli.

This copy was part of my parents' record collection, which they had purchased for me and my older brother after watching the Danish version, which premiered Dec. 1968. I actually reacall watching the film at the cinema. Probably not until a later stage as I would have been 3 when it first came out. I recall listening to the album at 6-10 years of age.

~ ~ ~

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.

Skids "Days in Europa" (1979)

Days in Europa
release date: Oct. 1979
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Bill Nelson
label: Virgin Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Animation" (4 / 5) (live) - 2. "Charade" (5 / 5) (TOTP '79) - 3. "Dulce et decorum est (pro patria mori)" - 4. "Pros & Cons" - 5. "Home of the Saved" (2 / 5) - 6. "Working for the Yankee Dollar" (4 / 5) - 7. "The Olympian" (3 / 5) - 8. "Thanatos" - 9. "A Day in Europa" - 10. "Peaceful Times" (2 / 5)
[ At the Old Grey Whistle Test '79 ]

2nd studio album by Skids released only eight months following the splendid debut. After drummer Thomas Kellichan left the band just prior to recording the album, Skids were now reduced to a trio. The album contains really great songs (tracks #1, #2, and #6) that all follow the original formula from Scared to Dance but some of the songs seem like mere fillers making this a less coherent album. Both "Charade" and "Working for the Yankee Dollar" were minor hits for the band but then the album also contains "Peaceful Times", a strange track with guitars, drums and bass played backwards [!], which is not as bad as one might expect it to be, but it's basically something entirely different and more of a musical experiment.
Generally, the album wasn't well-received as Richard Jobson was confronted with his historical interest in World War I and II, for his glorification of the Roman Empire (a thing he would bring forth on later albums) and subjects related to Nazi-Germany - e.g. the choice of a front cover that appears to glorify the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Jobson and the band were subsequently accused of nazi-sympathy - which Jobson always denied. The label reacted by reissuing the album with a new cover in 1980 (still showcasing the original cover in small format), and with the inclusion of the new single (hit) "Masquerade" in exchange for track #4 and with a slightly changed running order. However, newer reissues from 2001 have once again been issued with the original 'Olympic' cover.
Days in Europa has a better production sound than the debut, and the arrangements are generally at a slower pace. It's by no means a poor album - it just turns out as somewhat incoherent, and as a difficult follow-up to an astounding debut.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Smash Hits 4 / 5 stars ]

1980 cover

Van Morrison "Veedon Fleece" (1974)

Veedon Fleece
release date: Oct. 1974
format: cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]
producer: Van Morrison
label: Polydor Japan - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Fair Play" (4 / 5) - 2. "Linden Arden Stole the Highlights" (4 / 5) - 3. "Who Was That Masked Man" - 4. "Streets of Arklow" - 5. "You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River" - 7. "Cul de Sac" - 8. "Comfort You" - 10. "Country Fair"

8th studio album by Van Morrison originally released on Warner Bros. is a side-step to his more introvert compositions as heard on Astral Weeks, though the music here seems more bound to his Celtic background. Already, Morrison has been engaged in and has worked with many musical styles. Sometimes he turns to blues, soul, rhythm & blues, folk, celtic folk, but he always has his singer / songwriter profile whatever style he embraces and on Veedon Fleece he dwells more than ever before on ancient roots of his homeland without making it entirely celtic folk as on his later collaboration work Irish Heartbeat with The Chieftains. There's often acoustic guitar or piano up front combined with flute and string arrangements making it his most chamber or in those days: baroque-styled album.
Since his move to America in the late 1960s Morrison hadn't been back in Ireland, but a divorce and a physically exhausting tour in '73, which had produced his great live album It's too Late to Stop Now!, made him withdraw from the limelight and during a vacation in Northern Ireland, he found peace and room to write the majority of the tracks for this album.
Veedon Fleece wasn't met by critical acclaim or huge sales numbers but over time it has grown to be mentioned as a 'forgotten' masterpiece. As a contemporary rising solo artist, Van was expected to deliver strong and short soul-based songs, which could be linked with Them, but this as Astral Weeks weren't seen as the great albums that time would later have them positioned as.
After the album release and after luke-warm to negative reviews and poor sales of his most recent and emotional album Van Morrison withdrew from the music industry. He didn't launch on any new tours; in fact, the only live performance he made in a three year period was his appearance in The Band's acclaimed The Last Waltz concert in 1976.
Although, I have only come across the album in recent years, and after having settled with the greatness of Van the Man through many of his other albums, this is just another of his truly great albums that I shall never tire off. Listening to it, is like opening a window and feel how a delicate breeze change the air without a lot of turmoil, and it's easy to imagine open green fields and a desolate country-side, which may / may not have inspired him on his three weeks return to Northern Ireland back then. It's an album full of sentiments - a bombardement to your senses. In retrospect, I kind of understand how music critics and fans were disillusioned wanting to have him at 'full force gale' - but they were only in need of time to understand his true nature and vast repertoire.
It's hard just to pin out the very best tracks on this 'cause it's really like going through a novel - it takes you to places and the journey is just the way it is. There are no jumps or U-turns or mistakes along the road, but it's there, laid out for you, and the journey is so damn fine.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Record Collector, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts "I Love Rock-N-Roll" (1982) (single)

I Love Rock-N-Roll, 7'' single
release date: Jan. 1982
format: vinyl (TAR 13)
[single rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Kenny Laguna, Ritchie Cordell
label: Smash Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "I Love Rock-N-Roll" - - B) "Love Is Pain"

Single release by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts is the band's first single from the homonymous second album (Nov. '81) and the band's biggest hit.

I purchased this back then, but frankly never enjoyed it.

Men At Work "Business as Usual" (1981)

Business as Usual [debut]
release date: Oct. 1981
format: vinyl (CBS 85423) / cd (1990 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Peter McIan
label: CBS Records - nationality: Australia

Studio debut album by Australian pop / rock and new wave band Men At Work consisting of the two founding members (Scottish-born) vocalist and guitarist Colin James Hay and lead guitarist Ron Strykert, who formed the band in '78 as a duo. In late '79 the band had grown to the quintet, who plays on this and which also includes multi-instrumentalist Greg Ham, bassist John Rees and drummer Jerry Speiser.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Stevie Wonder "Hotter Than July" (1980)

Hotter Than July
release date: Sep. 29, 1980
format: vinyl / digital (2012 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Stevie Wonder
label: Motown - nationality: USA

19th studio album by Stevie Wonder containing the two classic hits "Master Blaster (Jammin')" and "Happy Birthday".

U2 "October" (1981)

October
release date: Oct. 20, 1981
format: vinyl (ILPS 9680) / 2 cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: A) 1. "Gloria" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "I Fall Down" - 3. "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" - 4. "Rejoice" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Fire" - - B) 1. "Tomorrow" - 3. "With a Shout (Jerusalem)" - 6. "Is That All?"

2nd studio album by U2 following one year after the fine debut is the difficult sophomore album. With this the band undoubtedly showed new sides to their talents, but the album was generally met as a disappointment from almost everyone who fell for the energetic catchy songs on the debut. The tracks are generally slower, although the album contains two of their most beloved songs: the Van Morrison composed "Gloria", and "Rejoice", which alongside "I Will Follow" from the debut was the band's signature tracks before The Unforgettable Fire. I used to really like this album, but I also found it lacking in coherency. Having said that, the album is still a solid and unique release on its own terms.

The 2008 2-disc remaster comes with the addition of 17 tracks, which mostly count live versions and radio sessions with three outtakes, and generally makes it a fine album with extra material unlike the Deluxe Edition of War.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

2008 remaster

Skids "Charade" (1979) (single)

Charade, 7'' single

release date: Sep. 1979

format: vinyl (VS 288)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]

producer: Bill Nelson

label: Virgin Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Tracklist: A) "Charade" (5 / 5) - - B) "Grey Parade"

Single release by Skids is the promo single taken from the band's forthcoming second album Days in Europa (Oct. 1979). The title track is credited songwriter and vocalist Richard Jobson and composer and guitarist Stuart Adamson. The B-side is credited Jobson / Adamson and producer Bill Nelson. "Charade" peaked at number #31 on the singles chart list and nevertheless stands as one of the band's great singles with the magic touch of guitarist Stuart Adamson and his unique sense for creating highly original melodic rock compositions.

back cover

The Jam "Beat Surrender" (1982) (single)

Beat Surrender, 7'' single
release date: Nov. 26, 1982
format: vinyl
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Peter Wilson
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Beat Surrender" (4 / 5) - - B) "Shopping"

Final single release by The Jam released on Polydor. Both title and cover art are symbolic insofar as the band's undisputed leader Paul Weller had decided to stop the band.
The title track went straight to number #1 on the UK singles chart but the decision had been made. Foxton and Buckler were sad to end it there, but the lead vocalist and songwriter felt trapped and wanted room to take his music in another direction. The Gift already proved where he was going with the strong neo-soul and r&b inclusion. Paul Weller soon initiated a new band, the collaboration work The Style Council together with keyboardist Mick Talbot, which basically was a continued journey into pop soul, and returning to the cover art to this single is actually much in the tradition of the new band.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions "Armed Forces" (1979)

Armed Forces
release date: Jan. 5, 1979
format: vinyl (foldout cover - RAD 56 597) / cd (1993 remaster Extended Play)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,42]
producer: Nick Lowe
label: Radar Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Accidents Will Happen" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Senior Service" - 3. "Oliver's Army" (5 / 5) - 4. "Big Boys" - 5. "Green Shirt" - 6. "Party Girl" - 7. "Goon Squad" - 8. "Busy Bodies" - 9. "Sunday's Best" - 10. "Moods for Moderns" - 11. "Chemistry Class" - 12. "Two Little Hitlers" - 13. "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" (5 / 5) - *14. "My Funny Valentine" - *15. "Tiny Steps" - *16. "Clean Money" - *17. "Talking in the Dark" - *18. "Wednesday Week" - *19. "Accidents Will Happen" (Live) - *20. "Alison" (Live) - *21. "Watching the Detectives" (Live)
*Bonus tracks on 1993 Extended Play remaster

3rd studio album by Elvis Costello and the first official album release as Elvis Costello & The Attractions, although, The Attractions also backed Costello on his second studio album This Years Model. Allegedly, the new album had the working title "Emotional Fascism" (this title is printed on the inner sleeve of the vinyl album) and it was originally released on Radar Records with 12 songs and, once again, with Nick Lowe in the producer seat.

With Armed Forces, Costello both continues his wry and energetic new wave thrusts and takes his scores into more complex arrangements, which just sounds like the matured natural progression. The album contains 'the usual' strong and simple 1-2-3-4 rhythms, albeit fewer of them, and he has turned down on the power pop and instead placed more focus on strong ballad-like songs as well as more sophisticated compositions.
The album was one of the very first I encountered with Costello. I recall borrowing it from a friend and playing the copied cassette version over and over. Very quickly, the album was one of my preferred Costello albums and so it has remained throughout the years.
The album was met by critical acclaim and the first single "Oliver's Army" reached number #2 on the UK singles chart list, and soon also the album followed in its footsteps on the albums chart list. The American issue contained the track "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding", (soon to be a Costello staple, although written by Nick Lowe), and on the American issue this replaced the song "Sunday's Best".
The album has found its way to many best of lists including Q's "100 Greatest British Albums Ever", Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" as well as "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The 1993 remastered Extended Play issue (on Demon Records) contains a mix of the EU and the US version of the original (making the original album a 13 track album) with the addition of 8 bonus tracks enlisted as the Extended Play content. First track of the bonus content is a marvellous version of "My Funny Valentine" - I think inspired both by the Chet Baker version but also the appraised Robert Wyatt cover of Costello's own "Shipbuilding", making it a very delicate and haunting piece with much jazz feel. Then follows four tracks that have been associated with the American-only release Taking Liberties from 1980, which includes the songs #15-18, ending with three live songs - a beautiful semi-acoustic live version of "Accidents Will Happen," the fine "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives." All in all, a more than adequate re-issue from Demon with a running time above 63 minutes, and when enlisting the highlights I have enlisted all tracks as they're all more than just ordinarily good. There are simply no fillers on the 21 tracks extended edition.
Armed Forces is perhaps the strongest contender to Costello's finest album, and it's surely one of the best of '79 and naturally, highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

Sort Sol "Everything That Rises ... Must Converge!" (1987)

Everything That Rises ... Must Converge!
release date: Mar. 1987
format: cd (1997 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: 4-eyed Thomas [aka Ulf Lindquist]
label: EMI Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Ode to Billy Joe" - 2. "A Knife for the Ladies" - 4. "Abyss Revisited" - 7. "Searching Down in the Block" - 10. "Marguerita"

4th studio album by Sort Sol originally released on Medley Records, and the band's second album after renaming from Sods is released more than three years after the predecessor Dagger & Guitar (Nov. 1983). Since then, the band has been expanded to a quintet with guitarist Lars Top-Galia (aka Lars Top Jensen)  former member of Danish punk rock band ADS. The album title is taken from the title of a short story by American writer Flannery O'Connor.
Musically, the band appeared in search of a new expression after leaving Sods behind, and this serves as another example of the attempt to find a style of their own. This is alt. rock and a more straight-forward version of their more reccent attempt of art rock-styled post-punk.
Imho, the album seems strongly influenced by the music of The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and although, it's not one of their most original, nor amongst their best releases, it still contains noteworthy and original music. Despite various influences, it's nevertheless an album with a more coherent expression than you'll find on the band's second and third albums. Back then, this was the first album by Sort Sol that I didn't bother to check out and only years later dug into, only to find it a bit of a difficult release.
The '97 reissue of the album contains a bonus disc titled "The Violent Bear It Away" - also the title of a short story by O'Connor. The bonus disc contains seven tracks of primarily cover versions, and it truly improves the album release.

Ayub Ogada "En Mana Kuoyo" (1992)

En Mana Kuoyo
release date: 1992
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: Ayub Ogada, Richard Evans
label: Real World Records - nationality: Kenya

Studio album debut by, now England-based, Ayub Ogada is a quiet Lou folk, or African / Kenyan folk album with music of his Lou tribe. This is not Westernized African pop music but a subtle release with compositions in a fine traditional style. Ogada are credited as writer of most of the tracks. At first, the 10 tracks may sound almost similar, but one may realise that they are not.
The album is released on the Peter Gabriel-founded label Real World, which was intended for releasing world music as well as his own albums. Ayub Ogada also appears on two tracks on Gabriel's '92 album Us, as well as the live album Secret World.

Ramones "Road to Ruin" (1978)

Road to Ruin
release date: Sep. 21, 1978
format: vinyl (yellow vinyl - SRK 6063) / cd (1990 reissue)
[ album rate: 3,5 / 5 ] [3,68]
producer: Tommy Ramone, Ed Stasium
label: Sire Records / Warner - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "I Just Want to Have Something to Do" - 2. "I Wanted Everything" - 3. "Don't Come Close" - 4. "I Don't Want You" - 6. "I'm Against It" - 7. "I Wanna Be Sedated" (5 / 5) - 10. "She's the One" (4 / 5) - 12. "It's a Long Way Back"

4th studio album by Ramones follows the demand for a quick follow-up by succeeding Rocket to Russia by only 10 months. Despite the well-produced '77-album, Tommy Ramone (aka Thomas Erdelyi) left the band in the aftermath of Rocket to Russia to dedicate his work as a studio producer, which he also should continue to take part as concerning the band - this time together with Ed Stasium. As replacement of Tommy, new family member and drummer is now Marky Ramone (aka Marc Bell).
Several tracks showcase the continued journey of great Ramones kicks but the album also introduces a softer and more mainstream-oriented style on several tracks as on the ballad "Questioningly" and "Don't Come Close", a song I mistook for a 1960s cover but which simply turns out to be written by Ramones. The band had always included covers on their albums and this time it's a bolder mainstream composition "Needles and Pins", a The Searchers cover (made famous by Smokie) written by Sonny Bono and Jack Nitzsche. Some saw the album as an attempt to satisfy a broader audience but the album still contains some of the bands more aggressive and popular compositions like "I Don't Want You", "I'm Against It", "I Wanna Be Sedated", "Go Mental", "She's the One", and "Bad Brain". The album was my first and (so far) only vinyl purchase by the band. Imho, this is the fourth of five successive great studio albums by Ramones.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone not rated but less enthusiastic ]

[ collectors' item - yellow vinyl pressing - from ~ €30,- ]

The Beatles "Yesterday / Act Naturally" (1965) (single)

Yesterday / Act Naturally, 7'' single

release date: Sep. 1965

format: vinyl (DK 1635)

[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,45]

producer: George Martin

label: Odeon - nationality:

Tracklist: A) "Yesterday" - - B) "Act Naturally"

Single by The Beatles originally released on Parlophone in the UK (Capitol in the US) and first included on Help! (Aug. 1965), and it followed the singles Ticket to Ride (Apr. 1965) and Help! (Jul 1965). I fully understand the song is a worldwide classic but I've never really enjoyed it that much.

The Danish issue on Odeon comes from my parents' record collection, and the cover has gone missing long ago.

~ ~ ~

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.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive "Hey You" (1975) (single)

Hey You, 7'' single

release date: 1975

format: vinyl

[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Randy Bachman

label: Mercury - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "Hey You" (4,5 / 5) - - B) "Flat Broke Love"

Single by Canadian band Bachman-Turner Overdrive written by Randy Bachman was the lead single from the album Four Wheel Drive (May 1975), and it also reached number #1 on the Canadian singles charts. The song is the band's second single to make it to the top of the charts, but the song (and single hit) "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" from Not Fragile (Sep. 1974) remains the band's best-charting song, which also topped the charts in Germany, South Africa, New Zealand, and in the US.

I listened to this over and over again back when I was 10-14 years old and discovered the single in my brother's leftovers. It took me some time to realise the name of the band wasn't Batman-Turner Overdrive.

~ ~ ~

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.

U2 "R.O.K." (1981) (single)

R.O.K., 12'' single
release date: Jul. 1981
format: vinyl (1985 reissue)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland

Tracklist: A) 1. "Fire" - 2. "J. Swallow" - - B) 1. "11 O'clock Tick Tock" - 2. "The Ocean"

Single release by U2, which feels like a rather redundant one, as both "Fire" and "The Ocean" are found on the forthcoming album October, and the track "11 O'clock Tick Tock" is taken from the debut. The only new composition here is "J. Swallow", and it's simply not up there on level with the band's album songs.

"Somewhere Outside - Etellerandetstedudenfor" (1983)

Somewhere Outside - Etellerandetstedudenfor (compilation)
release date: 1983
format: vinyl 2 lp (Irmg 8) (gatefold)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Irmgardz - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: A) 1. Moral "Frosty Nights" - 3. Moral "Whispering Sons" - - B) 1. Escape Artists "The Pain" - 2. Escape Artists "The Voice" - - C) 1. Næste Uges TV "Hvide flag" - 2. Næste Uges TV "Ærlige brugte"

A double vinyl compilation album of various Danish post-punk artists released on Irmgardz as 'IRMG 08, 2LP'. Side 1 features Moral, and Inspiration for Scanners. Side 2: Escape Artists, and Crap. Side 3: Næste Uges TV, and Tristan T. Side 4: World in Motion, Poets of the Signature, and De Tilfældige Fra Igår. The album is a rare 2 lp featuring bands of the Danish music underground.
Moral, Næste Uges TV, and also Poets of the Signature later showed more substantial material with full length albums and with Jens Unmack (from Næste Uges TV) forming the successful band Love Shop and with Poets of the Signature becoming The Poets.
The production is not poor, the punk era considered, but the material varies to a large extend. However, the compilation stands out because of its contribution as a remarkable musical and historical evidence.

[ collectors' item - 'near mint' 1st pressing - from ~ €80,- ]

Pixies "Surfer Rosa" (1988)

Surfer Rosa [debut]
release date: Mar. 1988
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: Steve Albini
label: 4AD records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) 1. "Bone Machine" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Break My Body" - 3. "Something Against You" - 4. "Broken Face" - 5. "Gigantic" (4 / 5) - 6. "River Euphrates"  - B) 1. "Where Is My Mind?" (4 / 5) - 2. "Cactus" - 3. "Tony's Theme" - 4. "Oh My Golly!" - 5. "Vamos" - 6. "I'm Amazed" - 7. "Brick Is Red"

Full studio album debut by Pixies is a very strong and highly original album released 6 months after the ep Come on Pilgrim. The sound is heavy and Pixies reveal a trademark of theirs, which is utilizing the contrast between what is soft and quiet and LOUDness. Almost all the songs are written by Francis. The album is credited as a cornerstone and quoted as a huge source of inspiration for many artists including Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, and the music press only has high praises for the album and the band but the release failed to provide the record label with noteworthy sales. But that's also the story of Pixies: the vast crowd and commercial breakthrough never came until the band split. The music was probably too original and far away from the ordinary. I bought the album shortly after their second album release Doolittle (1989), which was the first time I heard them and I immediately fell for their style. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The cover is by the English photographer Simon Larbalestier who stayed as a preferred choice and made all other album covers by the band later on.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone Music Guide 5 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5 stars ]