New Order "Everything's Gone Green" (1981) (single)

Everything's Gone Green, 12'' single
release date: Dec. 1981
format: vinyl (1986 reissue - FBN 8) / digital
[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]
producer: Martin Hannett
label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) 1. "Everything's Gone Green" (5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Cries and Whispers" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "Mesh" (3,5 / 5)

3rd single release by New Order as FBN 8 on Factory Benelux (sub-label of Factory Records residing in Belgium). The A-single track is wonderful early New Order playing a highly original and distinct synthpop moving further away from the trademarks of Joy Division, which explains why it wasn't included on the debut album Movement, released only two months prior to this. It also shows how the band grew out of the melancholy of post-punk and into a more positive alt. dance and synth pop. This release, actually has both elements of the new New Order and clear bonds to Joy Division in the two B-side tracks.

News "Trafik" (1982), single

Trafik, 7'' single
release date: 1982
format: vinyl (T 8519)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Cy Nicklin
label: Sonet Grammofon - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "Trafik" - - B) "Forstadskvarter"

Single release taken from the debut album Stereo magasin (1981) by the Danish band News, who has been reduced to a quintet before releasing the single as guitarist Jakob Vejslev has left the band. Both tracks have lyrics by Steffen Brandt from the band TV-2 and keyboardist Martin Nordborg is credited as musical composer to the A-side and guitarist Aske Jacoby is composer to the B-side.
I recall finding the A-side more than just fine and shortly after purchased the album, which I never found on the same level.

Love Shop "Copenhagen Screaming!" (2004) (live)

Copenhagen Screaming! (live)
release date: Mar. 22, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: mixed by Hilmer Hassig; Mikkel Damgaard (mixing assistant)
label: Fanstar Records / Playground - nationality: Denmark

11 track live album released simultaneously with the compilation album Sendt fra himlen - 1990-2004 to signal the disbandment of Love Shop. The recorded live concerts are taken from five different locations during the band's farewell tour in the autumn of 2003, which took place before the "disbandment" had been announced or even discussed within the band. All concerts were held in Copenhagen (thus the title) in the span of six days in late September at: Stengade (Sep. 15, 2003); Loppen, Christiania (Sep. 17, 2003); Lille Vega (Sep. 18, 2003); Kitty Club, Park (Sep. 19, 2003); Pumpehuset (Sep. 20, 2003). These concerts are performed by the Love Shop trio: Jens Unmack, Hilmer Hassig and Henrik Hall together with the stable additional line-up of studio and live musicians: Mikkel Damgaard on keyboard and backing vocals, Thomas Risell on bass and backing vocals, and with Thomas Duus on drums. The concerts were part of a strategy to reinforce positivity and creativity in the band. Each of the band's many studio recordings of their albums had been more than sheer struggles, and the idea was to make it easier for the band members by releasing a live album instead of hard and draining studio work. The album is not over-produced, or so it seems. It sounds quite convincingly like the recorded concerts without heavy mixing and overdubs - the naked and honest statement, and a document of an essential Danish band of (primarily) the 1990s. 'Sounds like' because fact is musical architect of the band and producer, Hilmer Hassig spent a long time in the studio re-mixing and re-arranging what had to be fine and useful recordings. In the book "Himmelflugt og højdeskræk - historien om Love Shop" (2015) by Tommy Heisz, Jens Unmack is cited for his and Hall's harsh criticism concerning Hassig's reluctance in keeping the material as it was recorded. On the other hand, Hassig claimed that the vocal performances by Unmack simply documented how he consistently sang out of tune, and Hassig also asserted that it didn't matter one bit if it was live, as long as the illusion of live recordings were intact.
I must say that Hassig did a remarkably good job producing the album 'cause you really cannot tell that it's not actual live recordings. The album is nicely mixed, but it does feel strange listening to live music not knowing how the band actually played at the reported concerts, and with that Hassig again proves what a brilliant producer he was and that he truly had an ear for sonic statements.
[ Gaffa.dk 4 / 6 stars ]

Love Shop "Sendt fra himlen - 1990-2004" (2004)

Sendt fra himlen - 1990-2004 (compilation)
release date: Mar. 22, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Hilmer Hassig
label: Columbia Records / Sony Music - nationality: Denmark

Compilation album by Love Shop released simultaneously with the live album Copenhagen Screaming!. Both albums were not meant to be the epic last releases that would sum up all their best tracks from all their seven studio albums, but in hindsight they stand like landmarks after the band's musical composer, lead guitarist, and main producer, Hilmer Hassig, had decided to leave the band; and although, the remaining two, Hall and Unmack, didn't feel like calling it a day, a disbandment seemed like the most natural consequence. Hassig proclaimed his departure on the band's official site, and Unmack soon stated that they all felt sorry about Hassig's decision, but he also wrote that it did not mean that Love Shop wouldn't continue as a band but that it would signify a period of uncertainty and without a new album around the corner.
The last studio album thus remain National (2003) - despite fine reviews, I feel it's not as successful as their former creations and in a sad way end it all - although, it would not quite end with this after all.
This compilation is a fine collection with 16 great tracks but it really doesn't justify the band's catalogue, as more than a few great songs are left out, and as a double disc version hasn't been released, this remains the best alternative to buying all their albums.

Ryuichi Sakamoto "Sweet Revenge" (1994)

Sweet Revenge
release date: Jun. 17, 1994
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Ryuichi Sakamoto
label: Elektra Records - nationality: Japan

Track highlights: 2. "Moving On" - 4. "Regret" - 7. "Sweet Revenge" - 9. "Same Dream, Same Destination" (feat. Roddy Frame) - 11. "Water's Edge"
[ full album ]

Studio album by Ryuichi Sakamoto originally released in Japan by For Life Music with two additional tracks. All tracks is with music credited Sakamoto and with the majority of the compositions with lyrics written by various guests artists including J-Me (tracks #2, #4, and #8), Paul Alexander (track #5), Holly Johnson (track #6), Vivien Goldman (tracks #3 and #11), Roddy Frame (track #9), and Latasha Natasha Diggs (track #10).
This is mainly art pop and sophisti-pop with strong influences from jazz pop.
To me, the clearly strongest track on the album is track #9 featuring Aztec Camera's Roddy Frame on vocals. In 1993 Sakamoto as producer stood behind Dreamland by Aztec Camera.
The album has a nice lounge feel and may be filed as art pop, but the sensation is really a warm and laid-back compilation of sophisticated jazz pop that doesn't stir up the party but may function as the perfect album for pre-party warm-up or a natural choice for after dinner conversation.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Tom Waits "Nighthawks at the Diner" (1975)

Nighthawks at the Diner
release date: Oct. 1975
format: cd (1990 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Bones Howe
label: Asylum Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Emotional Weather Report" - 6. "Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac With Susan Michelson)" - 8. "Better Off Without a Wife"

3rd studio album by Tom Waits is nearly a perfect live album with the sound of a drunken Waits in his prime, chattering, joking with what sounds like life experience wisdom playing merrily out there in what might sound like a warm pub atmosphere. Only issue is that it has been staged and practically recorded in a large studio with hand-picked spectators for two days of recordings. The album follows one year after The Heart of Saturday Night.

Stylewise, it's a turn towards vocal jazz in a bluesy corner, and the songs are really a fine collection. The album appears in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

Together with the first two releases, Nighthawks at the Diner has a natural part of Waits' early period, where a great deal of inspiration is drawn from contemporary American singer / songwriter and folk tradition, which at the time embraced artists such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Tim Buckley and more.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, Mojo, SputnikMusic 4 / 5 stars ]

R.E.M. "Dead Letter Office" (1987)

vinyl cover

Dead Letter Office (compilation)
release date: Apr. 27, 1987
format: cd (1993 - The I.R.S. Years Vintage 1987)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Mitch Easter, Don Dixon, Joe Boyd, Don Gehman, R.E.M
label: I.R.S. Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "There She Goes Again" - 2. "Burning Down" - 6. "White Tornado" - 8. "Windout" (live) - 9. "Ages of You" - 10. "Pale Blue Eyes" - 12. "Bandwagon" (4 / 5) - 14. "Walters Theme" (live)
Bonus tracks on 1993 extended edition: 16. "Wolves, Lower" - 17. "Gardening at Night" (4 / 5) - 18. "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" - 19. "1,000,000" - 20. "Stumble"

1st compilation album by R.E.M. released on I.R.S. records is not a best of compilation but a collection of singles, B-sides and rare material. Several tracks are the band's cover-versions of some of their favorites, which include track #1. "Crazy", originally performed by the Athens' band Pylon, three tracks written by Lou Reed, originally performed by The Velvet Underground: track #2. "There She Goes Again", track #10. "Pale Blue Eyes", and track #13. "Femme Fatale"; track #7. "Toys in the Attic" by Aerosmith, and track #15. "King of the Road" (classic) by Roger Miller. The remainders of the original issue's 15 tracks are all written by R.E.M., and they are almost entirely B-sides found on their single releases. I used to own a copy of the vinyl issue but resold it after purchasing the '93 cd issue which comes with 7 bonus tracks, and these basically constitute the addition of the debut 5-track ep Chronic Town (1982), and two early takes. The whole album is as such more of a collector's choice but for a fan it's a fine gem.

1993 bonus track reissue

Show lyrics <- click...

~ ~ ~
"Bandwagon"

"Come on aboard, I promise you you won't hurt the horse
We treat him well, we feed him well.
There's lots of room for you on the bandwagon
The road may be rough, the weather may forget us

But won't we all parade around and sing our songs
A magic kingdom, open-armed

Greet us hello, bravo, name in lights
Passing on the word to fellow passengers and players, passing in
Until you're tired looking at all the flags
And all the banners waving
This is some parade, yesiree Bob

Could we have known?
Yesiree Bob, could we have known?

Look at all the flags and all the banners waving
Open up our arms, a magic kingdom, open-armed and greet us all

Come on aboard I promise you, you won't hurt the horse
We treat him well, we feed him well
There's lots of room for you on the bandwagon
The road may be rough, the weather may forget us

But won't we all parade around
And sing our songs and wave our flags
A magic kingdom, greet us all hello
Greet us hello, greet us hello"

~ ~ ~

Frank Sinatra "September of My Years" (1965)

September of My Years
release date: May 27, 1965
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

Tracklist: A) 1. "The September of My Years" - 2. "How Old Am I?" - 3. "Don't Wait Too Long" - 4. "It Gets Lonely Early" - 5. "This Is All I Ask" - 6. "Last Night When We Were Young" - 7. "The Man in the Looking Glass" - - B) 1. "It Was a Very Good Year" - 2. "When the Wind Was Green" - 3. "Hello, Young Lovers" - 4. "I See It Now" - 5. "Once Upon a Time" - 6. "September Song"

The king of croon with just one of his majestic albums. It's one of those essential albums in an artist's repertoire that you shouldn't skip. Also, I think it's kinda nice to own something released in the year I was born. At this point of his long career, Sinatra was a shining star and he had already made great covers of pop ballads but here he goes off the mainstream popular track and proves his talent as an emotional vocal jazz crooner. It's not Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald or Nina Simone vocal jazz but it's a more genuine Sinatra who seeks an expressiveness you hardly find on his blue-eyed jazz pop ballads, suited for coffee table arrangements and chit-chats about the husband's new well-paid job, or the kids' good grades. The type of swing and popular standards made him... popular at the time but looking at his long and shinning career, it is his jazz repertoire that shines the brightest. And he made lots of albums of this type of albums that also became known as easy listening. In a way it's almost like a natural progression from Where Are You? (1957), Only the Lonely (1958), No One Cares (1959), Point of No Return (1962), and Softly, as I Leave You (1964). The titles already signals the lost love theme. Instead of his blue-eyed pop ballads albums, this is like the aforementioned songs of: "ah, there's a real life, it ain't all blue sky, roses and happy-ever-after" tone and quality, which suits him and his splendid voice so well.
I most certainly didn't listen to this album until the mid-1980s but I certainly knew of Sinatra from quite a young age. I was familiar with at leat half of these songs before even going into my teens 'cause Sinatra was one of those familiar voices that I associate with my pre-teen years lisening to whatever came out of the national radio - and this was definitely something I enjoyed.

1965 Favourite releases: 1. Otis Redding Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul - 2. The Beatles Help! - 3. Frank Sinatra September of My Years

Not this particular album as such, but Sinatra plays a big part of my earliest music memories that wasn't purely children's songs.

👉 Another one from that earliest stage.

~ ~ ~

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.

Love Shop "National" (2003)

National
release date: May 5, 2003
format: cd (MNWCD 389)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Hilmer Hassig
label: MNW - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Sig det aldrig mere" - 3. "Bin Laden Blues" - 8. "(Før vi) kører galt" - 10. "Carpenters" - 11. "Skønhedsoperation"

7th and so far final studio album by Love Shop released on the Scandinavian label MNW. The style is much like on Anti from 2001, which I found the band's least interesting studio release to date. The album would prove to be the last by the trio of Unmack, Hassig and Hall. Drums are handled by Thomas Duus, who has participated on the band's albums since its third album Billeder af verden (some tracks are with Freddie Pedersen on drums), additional bass is played by Thomas Risell, and Mikkel Damgaard and Povl Kristian are credited for keyboards. Although, Hassig is a true multi-instrumentalist, also old collaborator Finn Verwohlt plays additional guitars.
It's like the half-hearted attempt to reproduce what worked so well on Go! (1997) with a combo of pop / rock and glam rock - here in a darker, more sinister, and slower rock version with industrial elements - only this just has fewer fine compositions and no really great ones. So, on an overall basis, I only find it clearly bettering the 2001 album, which in essence means the band's so far second "worst" album.
I think, Hilmer Hassig, the band's main musical composer and the true backbone of Love Shop, had seen the writing on the wall after two lesser releases in a row. In late 2003, he decided to leave the band, and for the remaining two members, lead vocalist Jens Unmack and backing vocalist, harmonica-player and keyboardist, Henrik Hall, this literally meant that the band could not survive, so they prepared to finish the era with two compilation albums in early 2004. Little did they know that sadder events eventually should revive the band in 2009. In the meantime, both Unmack and Hall would go on to pursue solo careers and release fine solo albums. But National is really not the place to start if you want to know this band.
[ Gaffa.dk 4 / 6 stars ]

Turboweekend "Fault Lines" (2012)

Fault Lines
release date: Jun. 25, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Turboweekend
label: EMI - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Fire of the Stampede" (4 / 5) - 2. "Neverending" - 4. "On My Side" (4 / 5) (live stream) - 5. "Boulevard" (4 / 5) - 6. "Good Morning, It's Tomorrow" - 7. "You're the Cure" - 8. "Rubicon" (4 / 5) - 9. "Drying Out in the Sun" - 11. "I Forgot" (4 / 5) (live on DR P3)

3rd studio album by Turboweekend. I had heard a few luke-warm reviews on this before actually buying it but when I finally put it on my stereo, you know... I knew it was bliss! Nothing at all like the critics had it on TV-2 (they're simply dumb and daft), and this band is nothing but my favourite contemporary Danish act. Sorry, I can't provide more evidence with the best tracks, especially "On My Side", "Boulevard", "Rubicon", and "I Forgot" are stand-outs. Until Marie Key released De her dage this was in my top 3 of the year. Turboweekend play indietronica, meaning indie pop in the electronic genre and alt. dance very much like another fine Danish act Veto.
This is the band's so far best studio album.
[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6, Undertoner, Soundvenue 4 / 6 stars ]

Eldkvarn "Musik för miljonärer" (1980)

Musik för miljonärer
release date: 1980
format: vinyl (SRS 4664)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,24]
producer: Anders Lind
label: Silence - nationality: Sweden

5th studio album by Eldkvarn counting the debut 1974 debut album Elisabet as the band's first, although released under the name, Piska mig hårt. Musically, it's close to the new wave, pop / rock style of Elvis Costello, Johnny Thunders, and Graham Parker.

Pink Floyd "Animals" (1977)

Animals
release date: Jan. 23, 1977
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Pink Floyd
label: Harvest / EMI - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Pigs on the Wing" - 3. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)"

10th studio album by Pink Floyd is another conceptual album but also a change of style. The overall theme is loosely based on George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and therefore a hierarchy of animals reflecting their value and / or status in society. It's also said to be a response to the British punk rock movement in which the band saw positive changes with music being political- and social-minded, but Animals still presents music on its own terms like a secluded and inhuman space. All previous albums gave room for all band members contributing with his own compositions on equal terms, but here I think, Roger Waters for the first time positions himself as the songwriter of the band, and unfortunately at the sacrifice of the band's unity. Waters is credited as text and songwriter on all compositions, only Gilmour is co-writer of the music for the track "Dogs". To me this is more like The Final Cut (1983) than any of their other albums except for this one being a more indistinct stylistic release with both bits of psychedelic rock as on earlier albums, and progressive rock art rock as on the tighter and more successful Wish You Were Here (1975). It's like the narration of an idea, the concept, and one man's story from start to finish in what I find a monotone and simplistic way, in contrast to the more diverse and spacious tale of The Wall (1979) with much more poignant songs.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, The Daily Telegraph 3 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 2 / 5 stars ]

Love Shop "Anti" (2001)

Anti
release date: Sep. 10, 2001
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: Hilmer Hassig
label: MNW - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Alle har en drøm at befri" - 2. "Kræmmersjæl" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "S.T.O.P." - 7. "Det tog mig et år" - 9. "Du er kommet for at gå"

6th studio album by Love Shop is as usual produced by guitarist and musical composer Hilmer Hassig. It's been two years since Det løse liv and the sound and style remain unchanged.
The best thing about this is the first track and the following great classic "Kræmmersjæl". Aside from another three songs, I find that this is the band's low-point to what I feel is a continued artistic decline. It's as if they have no great ideas left but to reproduce sound and build music on new British glam rock. Are we Suede or should we instead be as Kent?

Lou Reed "Sally Can't Dance" (1974)

Sally Can't Dance
release date: Aug. 1974
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]
producer: Steve Katz, Lou Reed
label: RCA Records - nationality: USA

4th studio album by Lou Reed isn't really the place to start if you wanna check out the man's repertoire. This is possibly his most funky album, but Lou still comes out as a laid-back, almost indifferent musician, who release just another one. It doesn't contain classics nor horrible nonsense, but it stays there in the middle of nowhere with no ambitions to do much other than... entertain? It's Lou's first studio album that doesn't contain any songs he had written while in The Velvet Underground, and it's his first in a long series of albums with keyboardist Michael Fonfara. It's also known for having been made in a period where Lou was either high on drugs or drunk. It's a bit of a low point, really, although his fifth studio album, the successor really hits the bottom, Metal Machine Music from 1975 is... just a Lou Reed (experimental) release, and that's the best thing you can say about that. This one is mediocre, and Lou has produced several.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

Love Shop "Det løse liv" (1999)

Det løse liv
release date: Sep. 15, 1999
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Hilmer Hassig
label: Polydor - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "I dit spejl" (4 / 5) - 2. "For evigt for altid" - 4. "Min Elvis" - 6. "Bellavista sol" - 8. "Født til action" - 10. "Birgittelyst"

5th studio album by Love Shop introduce a return to a rock-universe, and it introduces Mikkel Damgaard for the first time on additional keyboards.
Musically, the album is fine but it's also a somewhat uneven release. The style is much like on the acclaimed forth album Go! only with less energy. The first track is the band's continued tradition in contributing to the Danish collection of contemporary pop classics, and although, the album also contains other fine compositions it also contains several tracks that are not on the same high level and merely feel like album fillers.
Overall, Det løse liv is still in the high end of what other Danish artists release these years, but when thinking of what Love Shop has already accomplished it does vain in comparison.

Love Shop "Go!" (1997)

Go!
release date: May 28, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: Hilmer Hassig
label: Pladecompagniet - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Love goes on forever" (4 / 5) (live) - 2. "Copenhagen Dreaming" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Fremmedlegionær" - 5. "Sendt fra himlen" - 7. "Vi blinker så hurtigt vi kan" - 8. "Glimmer show"

4th studio album by Love Shop continues where Billeder af verden ended but also introduce a harder rock-style. The band remains the same, and the credit list more or less count the same additional personnel.
Stylistically, this is perhaps their most glam rock inspired album with hints to Marc Bolan (especially "Fan Star", which perhaps is the only poor track on the album), Bowie, and contemporary glam rockers like Suede. The album may also be seen as a move from a mainly pop-founded territory to a more traditional rock playground.
Go! is no less than one of the band's best albums ever, and tracks #1, #2 and #5 have already become classic Danish pop / rock songs.
Highly recommended.

Marine Girls "Beach Party" (1981)

Beach Party [debut]

release date: 1981

format: digital (16 x File, MP3) (1987 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]

producer: Pat Bermingham

label: Cherry Red Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "In Love" - 7. "All Dressed Up" - 8. "Honey" - 10. "He Got the Girl" - 11. "Day / Night Dreams" - 14. "Dishonesty" - 16. "Marine Girls"

Studio album debut by Marine Girls founded in 1980 by Tracey Thorn on guitar and vocals, and with Gina Hartman on percussion and vocals. Later in 1980 Jane Fox was included on bass, and before actually recording this they were expanded to a quartet with the inclusion of Jane's sister, Alice sharing credits with Hartman. Prior to this album the quartet recorded 12 songs, which was self-released on cassette as A Day by the Sea (released early '81). Beach Party contains half of these early songs and although it was recorded with a producer, it was alledgedly recorded in a shed, and subsequently it was also released on cassette only, now by In Phaze Records. Later that year it found its way to vinyl via Whaam! Records, and from '87 the album was re-issued on Cherry Red who also released the album on CD for the Japanese market only in 2006. The album counts no less than 16 tracks but only runs for 29 minutes as most of the songs are shorter than 2 minutes in playing time - the longest sonmg, track #15 goes for 2:24 minutes! Thorn is credited eleven songs, Jane Fox four, and the remainder (track #9) is co-written by Thorn and Fox.

Stylewise, this was really something else back in '81. At the time people would see this as a natural part of the post-punk movement, which in a way it really was 'cause artists sought new ways of expression, but on the other hand this was indie pop and lo-fi with bonds to folk, which was a bit far from what was normally accepted, but the strong lo-fi sound probably secured it a spot.

Already here Thorn demonstrates some of her strong vocal qualities, but really: the whole album is a diamond in the rough from another time, which paved way for new styles such as jangle-pop, jazz pop, and eventually also sophisti-pop.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Skids "Working for the Yankee Dollar" (1979) (single)

Working for the Yankee Dollar, 7'' single

release date: Nov. 1979

format: vinyl (VS 306)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]

producer: Mick Glossop; Bill Nelson

label: Virgin Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Tracklist: A) "Working for the Yankee Dollar" (4 / 5) - - B) "Vanguard's Crusade"

Second single release taken from Days in Europa (Oct. 1979) and following the release of Charade (Sep. '79). The A-side is a different single-version re-produced by Mick Glossop of the album track, which has Bill Nelson as producer - he also produced the B-side, an outtake from the album, and both tracks are credited songwriter Richard Jobson and composer Stuart Adamson. The title track peaked at number #20 on the singles chart.

back cover

Love Shop "Billeder af verden" (1994)

Billeder af verden
release date: Nov. 7, 1994
format: cd (PCCD 8077)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Hilmer Hassig
label: Pladecompagniet - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Billeder af verden" (4 / 5) - 2. "Det er mit liv" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Skudt ned" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Det elsker jeg" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Alt skal bort" (4 / 5) - 6. "Fuck min højdeskræk" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "Tag mig, hold mig, løft mig" (4 / 5)

3rd studio album by Love Shop who is once again back to a trio, as Mikael Dehn is longer credited as band member but still contributes on backing vocals. The trio of Unmack, Hassig and Hall is without a band drummer, but this will be the longest lasting and most memorable constitution of the band. The bold addition of keyboards is also reflected by the credit list, with Hassig from the band expanding his list of instruments but three additional musicians are credited for playing keyboards (and Moog) on the album. Thomas Duus handles drums, Asger Steenholdt and Oli Poulsen plays bass, and Finn Verwohlt plays rhythm guitar and is also assistant producer on five tracks. Jesper Siberg (formerly Scatterbrain) plays keyboards and is likewise credited as assistant producer on two tracks.
With the album, the band introduces a new style with more focus on synths, which in my mind helps creating the band's best-balanced album of both pop and rock as an indie pop and synhtpop release. Billeder af verden is one of my absolute favourite studio releases by Love Shop, and I think it basically contains all elements of their repertoire: the up-tempo refrain-driven tracks with both Hassig and Hall's signatures (tracks #1, #2, #7, #8, and #12), strong ballads (tracks #3, #4, #6, and #14), light and witty pop songs (tracks #5, #11, and #13), and brilliant lyrics throughout. Modern Danish classic pop / rock songs on this album are "Det er mit liv", "Skudt ned", "Fuck min højdeskræk", and "Det elsker jeg", but several others are just memorable tracks that will endure.
Highly recommended.

The Sound "Jeopardy" (1980)

Jeopardy [debut]
release date: Nov. 1980
format: vinyl (black labels - KOW 58 255) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Nick Robbins and The Sound
label: Korova - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "I Can't Escape Myself" (4 / 5) - 2. "Heartland" (4 / 5) - 3. "Hour Of Need" - 4. "Missiles" - 5. "Heyday" - 9. "Resistance" - 10. "Unwritten Law" (4 / 5) - 11. "Desire"

Studio debut album by British post-punk band The Sound. The initial line-up consists of three former members of the punk rock band The Outsiders: songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist Adrian Borland, bassist Graham 'Green' Bailey, and drummer Michael Dudley. New member is keyboardist Belinda "Bi" Marshall. This their first full album after the fine 3-track ep Physical World (1979) was positively received by critics - in fact it was handed 5 out of 5 stars from three of the biggest music magazines at the time: NME, Melody Maker, and Sounds, however, it simply failed to attract a broad audience. The fine "Unwritten Law" is from the 1979 ep, and it's a typical song by the band with Borland's beautiful guitar-sound and a balanced tension of beauty, despair and raw energy.
As I recall, I didn't get this album as my first The Sound album but most likely purchased it around '82 / '83. The style is very much their own mix from inspirational sources like Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and Joy Division. I really liked this more back then. It's a very raw and simple style, quite one-dimensional, and rather well-organised as a whole.
This is the only album featuring Bi Marshall - she left the band shortly after the album release and was replaced by Colvin 'Max' Mayers.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Melody Maker, NME, Sounds 5 / 5 stars ]

[ collectors' item - 'vg+' black labels - from ~ €70,- ]