The Stone Roses "The Stone Roses" (1989)

The Stone Roses [debut]
release date: Mar. 13, 1989
format: vinyl (ORE LP 502) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: John Leckie
label: Silvertone Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "I Wanna Be Adored" (4 / 5) - 2. "She Bangs the Drums" (4 / 5) (live) - 3. "Waterfall" (studio live 2013) - 5. "Bye Bye Badman" - 7. "(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister" (live) - 8. "Made of Stone" - 11. "I Am the Resurrection"

Studio album debut by Manchester band The Stone Roses consisting of vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, Mani [aka Gary Mounfield] on bass and Reni [aka Alan John Wren] on drums, backing vocals and piano. All 11 songs are credited Ian Brown and John Squire. Stylewise, the album was released as indie pop and jangle pop, which had its roots in the Manchester scene with close bonds to The Smiths, but time has first and foremost put it in the category of baggy / Madchester and neo-psychedelia including bands like Inspiral Carpets and Happy Mondays all of which with connection to the (New Order) nightclub The Haçienda music scene, but also with a distinct relation to other bands like The Sundays (jangle pop / dreampop) and Australian band The Church (jangle pop / neo-psychedelia).
I bought the album upon its release after having heard the single hit "She Bangs the Drums" on the look-out for the "new big thing" after the demise of The Smiths. It was quite all right and pretty good, but it wasn't great, imho. What I became more hooked on was the music by Kitchens of Distinction, also releasing their debut album in '89, music by Bob Mould and Pixies with more power-fuzed compositions. However, time has been quite gentle with this album, I think. Actually, I consider it a whole lot better today than I did back then. I would play the first half of the album finding that part above average, but as a whole, I thought of it as too unfocused and without sufficient variation. I also found it somewhat difficult to label 'cause was it close to The Smiths and jangle pop, or was it more in line with noise pop or dream pop bands like The Sundays?
What is particular good is not just the variation of mood and energy, there's also a fine incorporation of classic pop pointing back to The Byrds and a baroque pop period, which basically had its comeback with britpop - Oasis and Blur, years later - and there's the whole neo-psychedelic part linking the band with the 60s and a long line of bands dealing with that style throughout the 70s and into the 80s where it fuses with other styles and genres. The Church, XTC and Love and Rockets all incorporated neo-psychedelia but none of these bands were dance-oriented like The Stone Roses and the baggy / Madchester scene of late 80s Manchester.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The front cover is a Jackson Pollock-inspired painting "Bye Bye Badman" by John Squire.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Uncut 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

[ collectors' item, 1989 repress 'near mint' - from ~ €60,- ]

Neil Young "Storytone" (2014)

Storytone
release date: Nov. 4, 2014
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,35]
producer: The Volume Dealers (aka Neil Young and Niko Bolas)
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

35th studio album by Neil Young and his second in 2014 is a big band music / orchestrated album with Young singing and a full orchestra backing him live with strings, brass and choir while recording the arrangements. This is a long way from A Letter Home - not to say anything else by Neil Young - and stylistically, it's difficult to narrow down, as Young mostly sings in his traditional folkish and bluesy singer / songwriter style with a full orchestra backing him up without or with only a few traditional rock band instruments. Yeah, there's a electric guitar in some places and bass and whatever, and some tracks are held in a stronger blues or folk tradition by putting emphasis on the use of a guitar or by being less dominating, but it still feels strange when a song kicks in as some movie-theme ballad from "When Harry Met Sally", only to be interrupted by Neil Young's fragile singing voice. It's... odd. And frankly, too strange for my liking.
I won't say I'll never get to appreciate this. I've been wrong before with Neil Young. Perhaps when I'm hanging in there at 78 or 88 I will start to like it. For now, I doubt it. It's simply an odd experiment, 'cause that's also what it is, and these recent years Young does seem to have come to a point where he just jumps into the water without too much thinking or asking about a project's validity. I think, he just goes along with that new idea of his and skips the consulting process. "What the heck! What's there to lose?! The album, the idea will sell itself!! And... I don't know what to do with the money anyhow."
I really can't find any tracks to highlight from this album, and I simply do not find it anything but mediocre - and sometimes hardly even that. Boy, when Neil Young misses he makes sure we all know, but that's how it is with this genius 'cause very often - not to say mostly - he hits a lot better than most.
Not recommendable.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo 3 / 5, Rolling Stone, Slant 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Ukendt Under Andet Navn "Glade dage i St. Vemod" (2014)

Glade dage i St. Vemod
release date: Apr. 3, 2014
format: cd (ukendt 003)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Troels Bech & Henrik Olesen
label: non-label-release - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Drømmen om et liv" - 3. "Glade dage i St. Vemod" - 6. "Hjertet" - 7. "Drone" - 9. "Nat falder" - 10. "Skridt" (4 / 5)

Full-length studio solo debut by Ukendt Under Andet Navn (aka Henrik Olesen) is produced by Troels Bech together with Henrik Olesen and is like the mini-album Ekskursion (2012) another non-label release. Co-producer Troels Bech is also credited for several instruments on this, and the album also features songwriter Solveig Sandnes on vocals. All songs are credited Henrik Olesen, except track #2, "Drømmen om et liv", which has words by (the late) Danish poet Morti Vizki, who also gave name to the final album by Olesen-Olesen, on which the song appears with slightly different musical arrangement - also by Henrik Olesen.
Without being over-produced with multi-layering, the album is more orchestrated than the first two releases by Henrik Olesen, and the album also contains two tracks that are found on his ep debut from 2010, "Hjertet" and "Skridt", however, both have been altered, lengthened and also improved. Especially, the end-track "Skridt" with its repetitious / droning form is quite successfully transformed.
The album received some fine reviews but failed to attract any interest from national radio stations and sales numbers - also as a consequence of being a non-promoted self-release, which is sad, 'cause it contains some fine compositions and deserves far more recognition. That said, it doesn't appear much as a full-coherent album. Some songs are quite introspective, some are light-weight indie-pop songs, which makes me think of early releases by Radio Dept. and another Swedish band, the duo-project Paus by Joakim Berg of Kent and Peter Svensson from Cardigans, and yet other songs are slower compositions with a bold ambient style. The strongest tracks are musically driven progressive compositions, whereas the weaker ones focus more on a lyrical force that lacks the poignant weight, imho, but it's altogether a very fine and also highly original collection of songs.
[ Gaffa.dk 3 / 6, Berlingske 4 / 6 stars ]

The Durutti Column "Heaven Sent (It Was Called Digital. It Was Heaven Sent)" (2005), ep

Heaven Sent (It Was Called Digital. It Was Heaven Sent) (ep)
release date: Mar. 2005
format: digital (6 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Bruce" - 2. "Keir" - 3. "Neil" - 4. "Mike" - 5. "Alan" - 6. "Anthony"

A digital ep (download album only) by The Durutti Column released through F4 Records [4th incarnation of Factory Records] produced by Vini Reilly. The release consists of 6 tracks distributed by F4 Records for download only. The ep was later included as a bonus disc on the album A Paen to Wilson (2010), which is where I got it.

Cliff Richard and The Shadows "Please Don't Tease" (1960) (single)

Please Don't Tease, 7'' single

release date: 1960

format: vinyl (45-DB 4479) (yellow vinyl)

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

producer: ?

label: Columbia - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Please Don't Tease" - - B) "Where Is My Heart"

Single hit by Cliff Richard and The Shadows with misprinted B-side label: "Were Is My Heart" instead of "Where Is My Heart". This Norwegian issue is a yellow vinyl where the original sleeve has gone missing. The A-side is credited (British) Bruce Welch (aka Bruce Cripps) and Peter Chester, and the B-side is credited Tepper-Bennett, and alias for the (American) songwriting duo of Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett.

This issue comes from my parents' record collection, and I recall playing this at age 6-10 years old, and for some years found this a preferred single. Some years later, it was not the kind of music I enjoyed, and I never saw myself as a huge fan of Richard.

~ ~ ~

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.

Steve Kilbey "Narcosis +" (1997)

Narcosis +

release date: Feb. 1, 1997

format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]

producer: Steve Kilbey

label: self-release - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Somna" - 2. "Limbo" - 6. "The Egyptian" - 7. "Midnite in America" - 8. "Linda Wong" - 9. "Double Exposure"

5th studio album or 'only' an ep re-issue with bonus tracks? The Narcosis EP was already released Jan. '92 as a 5-track EP and was Kilbey's final release on Red Eye Records in Australia. In '97 the album was released on Vicious Sloth Collectables under the title Narcosis +, consisting of nine tracks, and then in 2004 released as Narcosis + More with twelve tracks, and at some point [unknown year] it became a digital self-release [this one] again under the name Narcosis + with eleven tracks, but with three new songs compared to the '97 CD version. In all cases, the first five tracks are identical to the tracks from the original ep, but with slightly varying content. The digital self-release has a playing running at 57 minutes.

The compositions are of experimental nature and fall relatively far from contemporary releases such as the solo album Remindlessness (Jul. 1990) and the three collaboration albums Charms & Blues (Sep. '90), Vast Halos (Sep. 1990), Jack Frost (Nov./Dec '90?) and Priest = Aura (Mar. '92) by The Church. Although the added extra tracks were probably composed later than the first five, the album is nevertheless a reasonably coherent volume. There is, however, a clearer electronic touch to the newer tracks, which in the end appear to be the most elaborate, but in terms of style they are quite a close extension of the other tracks. This is Kilbey all alone and as with his compositions they go in all directions but still maintain a distinct fingerprint, and Kilbey seems to have an inexhaustible well to dip into to come up with new tracks, which always contain quality and originality.

The fron cover is a detail of the original cd-cover of Kilbey with his and Karin Jansson's twin daughters, Elektra and Miranda.

[ bandcamp ]

Trentemøller "Fixion" (2016)

Fixion

release date: September 16, 2016

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: In My Room - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "One Eye Open" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 2. "Never Fade" - 4. "River in Me" (feat. Jehnny Beth) - 6. "Redefine" - 7. "My Conviction" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 11. "Complicated" (feat. Jehnny Beth) - *13. "Redefine (Trentemøller Rework)"

*Bonus track on digital album

4th studio album by Trentemøller following three years after Lost showcases the combo of Trentemøller's own stereotypical IDM microhouse progressive compositions in between more uptempo and bolder standard melody-structured and chorus-based songs with vocal arrangements made in collaboration with the two songwriters Marie Fisker and Jehnny Beth - much in the same manner as he presented with his 2013 album, only here, he has cut down on the number of featuring artists. With Beth he stood behind two single hits from this album, the almost electroclash-shaped song "River in Me" and the bolder post-punk / gothic rocker - the Siouxsie and the Banshess-like: "Complicated".

Although, the songs point in many directions - with inspiration from post-punk, from electroclash and from his catalogue of microhouse and ambient material it's still held together by a striking and predominantly coldwave soundscape. I suppose many would tend to label it darkwave and thus being inspired by gothic rock of the 1980s, but I also find it one of his better and more straightforward albums. Compared to his most recent album, this may contain stronger singles, but as a full-scaled album it lacks some of the cohency he after all demonstrated better on Lost.

A fine and yet somewhat flawed album with strong individual compositions and a lack of direction.

[ bandcamp ]

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Fin de siècle" (1998)

Fin de siècle
release date: Aug. 31, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Jon Jacobs and Neil Hannon
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Generation Sex" - 3. "Commuter Love" (4 / 5) - 6. "National Express" (4 / 5) - 8. "The Certainty of Chance" (4 / 5) - 6. "Sunrise"

6th studio album by The Divine Comedy. After the great but short A Short Album About Love (1997), Hannon has returned to his tongue-in-cheek stories about modern life. The album isn't really great but still contains a number of fine compositions worthwhile, however, it's seen better from Mr. Hannon. Somehow, and apart from the fine track highlights, this appears as one of his "middle of the road" albums.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Deftones "Around the Fur" (1997)

Around the Fur

release date: Oct. 28, 1997

format: digital

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]

producer: Terry Date, Deftones

label: Maverick / Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "My Own Summer (Shove It)" (4 / 5) - 6. "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)"

2nd studio album from American band Deftones following the debut Adrenaline (1995). The band is a quartet consisting of Chino Moreno as lead vocalist, Stephen Carpenter on guitar, Chi Cheng on bass & backing vocals, and with Abe Cunningham on drums.

Stylistically, alt. metal is at the heavy end of the foundation, where you also find bands like System of a Down and Marilyn Manson. I only discovered Deftones with the song "My Own Summer (Shove It)" which was part of the original soundtrack to the first "The Matrix" movie from 1998 and I have to admit that along with track #6 those are the album's highlights, as these tracks contain a good amount of aggressiveness and at the same time also have a harmonic side, which the album's other compositions simply lack. Both Marilyn Manson - who is admittedly more of an industrial rock act - and System of a Down play on the opposites of beauty and ugliness - somewhat in the manner as Rammstein, but where Deftones, at least in the band's early phase lacked the counterplay to the raw, the dirty, and the brutal, and then alt. metal just isn't one of my favourite styles. The '95 debut and the follow-up to this one, White Pony (2000) have roughly the same shortcomings, while on later albums the band, starting with Deftones (2003), where the simple title indicates a change in style, but also Saturday Night Wrist (2006), Covers (2011) and Koi No Yokan (2012) reveal a soundscape where the band partially succeeds in bridging to other styles thus creating something other than a brutal wall of sound.

Not recommended.

PowerSolo "Bloodskinbones" (2009)

Bloodskinbones
release date: Feb. 23, 2009
format: vinyl (FROG 073-1) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: PowerSolo
label: Crunchy Frog - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Murder in SFAX" - 2. "Busses" (live) - 3. "Psych Demons" - 4. "Gimme the Drugz" - 5. "Pirates of the Oblivion" - 6. "4-3-2-1" - 8. "Elvin D Jerk (Part 2)" - 10. "Canned Love" - 12. "Nineteen Ninety-Six"

4th studio album by PowerSolo is the usual mix of styles. Most tracks here are melodic and a fusion of psychobilly and alt. rock built on elements from surf rock, punk rock and with a certain twist of Slavic music - and that certain twist is probably a very common expression when referring to the music by Kim 'Kix' Hjort Jeppesen, his brother Bo (on this album credited simply as Atomic Child). The usual PowerSolo trio has now been reduced to a duo, consisting of the brothers Jeppesen; however, the band's regular drummer Jens "Chief Benz" Søndergaard (here credited JC Benz) still handle the drums. On the front cover it reads: "Powersolo is Atomic Child / Kim Kix". Like on the previous album Egg (2006) some of tracks make me think of They Might Be Giants - just listen to "Nineteen Ninety-Six". The album was mostly just ignored by regular music consumers, but this is the band's so far best album, imho.
Once again, PowerSolo music founds it alternative way to consumers. The track "Pirates of the Oblivion" was used in a Danish commercial for a comedy tv-series, and the track "Canned Love" brought some attention to the band when Coca-Cola used it in a commercial.

Beth Hart "Leave the Light On" (2003)

Leave the Light On
release date: Oct. 21, 2003
format: cd / cd (2005 reissue) / digital (2006 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Beth Hart
label: Koch Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Lifts You Up" (live) - 2. "Leave the Light On" (5 / 5) (live 2008) (live 2006) - 3. "Bottle of Jesus" - 4. "World Without You" - 5. "Lay Your Hands on Me" - 9. "Monkey Back" - 11. "I'll Stay With You"

3rd studio album by Beth Hart comes in a number of different issues with highly differing track listings, but the original album consists of 11 tracks and is without later issues containing "Learning to Live" (released as a single in 2005) and "Over You" (included on her 2007 album 37 Days).
The album is a strong release containing a number of fine powerful songs showcasing Hart's dynamic range, and then the heavy metal influence has been exchanged for electric blues rock.
In many ways you could argue that the many various reissues perhaps should be regarded as compilation albums; however, the 2006 German reissue on vertigo is a mighty fine release; although being an almost completely different release than the original issue.

PJ Harvey "The Hope Six Demolition Project" (2016)

The Hope Six Demolition Project
release date: Apr. 15, 2016
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Flood, John Parish, PJ Harvey
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Community of Hope" - 3. "A Line in the Sand" - 6. "Near the Memorials to Vietnam and Lincoln" - 7. "The Orange Monkey" - 10. "The Wheel"

9th studio album by PJ Harvey following five full years after the acclaimed Let England Shake (Feb. 2011) is like the predecessor produced in a tight collaboration with John Parish and Flood [Mike Ellis]. On the musicians side it also reflects 'the usual suspects' as Mick Harvey, Mike Ellis and John Parish are among her most frequently used musical partners. And much like her acclaimed 2011 album this is a conceptual album in the sense that the album title refers to the US Hope VI projects where run-down public buildings are being demolished in order to defeat crime and poor social status areas, which has the side-effect that current residents are being chased from 'their' homes.
Musically, it's not far from Let England Shake, although I find that this is less orchestrated and more in sync with her previous works by balancing alt. rock, indie rock with bits of blues rock in her singer / songwriter outing.
Generally, I find this an improvement to her much appraised 2011 album that I didn't embrace as something great, but here I find that she succeeds in combining her past with her more recent works.
[ allmusic.com, 👍NME, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]

David McAlmont "Set One - You Go to My Head" (2005)

Set One - You Go to My Head
release date: Oct. 24, 2005
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: David McAlmont, Guy Davies, tommy.d [Tom Asher Danvers]
label: Blueport Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "You Go to My Head" (live) - 2. "Night and Day" - 5. "Never Never Never" (live) - 6. "Under My Skin" - 7. "A Certain Smile / The Shadow of Your Smile" - 9."How Long Has This Been Going On"

3rd solo studio album by David McAlmont is co-produced by Guy Davies (who also plays keyboards, piano and guitar) with whom McAlmont would later form the duo Fingersnap. It was originally released by Ether Records but as the label closed later in 2005, it was then reissued on Blue Port Recordings. The album follows his second solo work A Little Communication (1998) and more recently, the sophomore collaboration album by McAlmont & Butler, Bring It Back from 2002.
Set One... is a truly marvellous album. It's far from the pop soul and dance pop of his debut and follows closer to the sound of his '98 solo album, but as an even more quiet and sincere soul and r&b album - closely linked to the spirit of Otis Redding with a huge amount of vocal jazz. McAlmont's voice really shines through on this covers album entirely consisting of classic oldies composed by Cole Porter, the Gershwin brothers, Johnny Mercer, Alberto Testa, Paul Webster, and Rodgers & Hart. These predominantly standards songs are produced in a combination of soul and vocal jazz, and the album is unfortunately one of the most overlooked in the year 2005.
This is highly recommendable.
[ The Guardian 3 / 5 stars ]

Jean-Michel Jarre "Oxygène 3" (2016)

Oxygène 3
release date: Dec. 3, 2016
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,36]
producer: Jean-Michel Jarre
label: Columbia / Sony Music - nationality: France

Tracklist: 1. "Oxygène (Part 14)" - 2. "Oxygène (Part 15)" - 3. "Oxygène (Part 16)" - 4. "Oxygène (Part 17)" - 5. "Oxygène (Part 18)" - 6. "Oxygène (Part 19)" - 7. "Oxygène (Part 20)"

18th (or so) studio album by French electronic pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, who here makes his third sequel to his famous Oxygène from 1976. The most apparent reason to release the album is perhaps that he can celebrate a 40 years anniversary of his first album in the series.
Stylistically, he continues in the same style of progressive ambient electronica that links the three albums together.
The first album was unique and it has its own unequalled position in music history. The second turned out as a fine rework on the basis of his masterpiece without repeating the model. It was both full of references but also shaped with innovative new elements that made it more than just a remake. Oxygène 3 feels on the other hand as more like a remix of the first two journeys. Jarre obviously tries to do what he did on Oxygène 7-13, but simply too bluntly, and the album sounds more like new interpretations of the other two without adding new originality to the project. It's fine but I just don't think, it reaches the qualities of the two predecessors.
It's far from poor or mediocre though, and the music may serve as an example of Jarre at his best, 'cause this style is ultimately what makes him interesting as an artist - not most of his synthpop releases of the 1980s when he became an international pop star. The whole genre of electronic owes so much to his music, and with this he demonstrates the capabilities other artists found inspiring.
It is his least interesting part of the three "Oxygène" albums but nevertheless an album that deserves attention.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Amy Winehouse "Frank" (2003)

original cover

Frank [debut]
release date: Oct. 20, 2003
format: 2 cd (2008 reissue - Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]
producer: Gordon Williams; Salaam Remi
label: Universal Island - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: Disc 1) 1. "Intro / Stronger Than Me" - 2. "You Sent Me Flying" - 3. "Know You Now" - 4. "Fuck Me Pumps" - 5. "I Heard Love Is Blind" - 7. "(There Is) No Greater Love" (aol live session) - 8. "In My Bed" - 9. "Take the Box" - 11. "What Is It About Men?" - 12. "Help Yourself" - 13. "Amy Amy Amy / Outro" - 'Brother' (hidden track) / 'Mr Magic (Through the Smoke)' (hidden track) - - Disc 2) 1. "Take the Box" (Original Demo) - 2. "You Sent Me Flying" (Original Demo) - 3. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (Original Demo) - 4. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (Original Demo) - 5. "What Is It" (Original Demo) - 6. "Teach Me Tonight" (live) (Hootenanny) - 9. "Stronger Than Me" (live) (Later With Jools Holland) - 10. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 11. "Take the Box" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 12. "In My Bed" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 13. "Mr Magic" (Janice Long Session) - 14. "(There Is) No Greater Love" (Janice Long Session)

Studio album debut by Amy (Jade) Winehouse (born Sep. 1983 in Southgate, London) originally released on Island Records is made with several producers where the two main forces are Gordon Williams (aka 'Commissioner Gordon') and Salaam Remi (aka 'The Chameleon'), who are both credited as producers of six of the standard album's thirteen compositions either alone or together. Winehouse herself, Matt Rowe, Jimmy Hogarth and Jony Rockstar are all credited as co-producers.
Stylistically, the album represents a huge mix of styles and genres with vocal jazz, rhythm & blues, and soul at the core of most compositions, although, it's difficult not also to mention pop soul and neo-soul and perhaps the all-American standards of the '50s and '60s as one of the major inspirational sources. Also, the album title both refers to Winehouse's lyrics as well as directed at one of her childhood idols: Frank Sinatra.
Winehouse has written the majority of the lyrics and composed the songs in collaboration with either Salaam Remi (5 songs), and Gordon Williams (3 songs) or Donovan Jackson (3 songs) plus a variety of others. The album also contains two classic jazz compositions (tracks #6 and 7).
The Deluxe Edition of the album contains a Bonus disc of 18 additional songs - consisting of B-sides, live recordings and extended mixes of songs from the album.
The album went as high as to number #13 on the UK charts, and although, none of the four single releases from the album made it any higher than #57 on the national singles charts, the album was nominated the Mercury Prize in 2004 and Winehouse was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for her songwriting and she was nominated British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act at the Brit Awards 2004.
Following Winehouse's death, the album re-entered the album charts and went to number #3.
Frank is the fine and yet somewhat incoherent debut by one of Britain's most talented songwriters and vocalists of the modern era. She sings with ease and so much soul that it's a thrill - despite, production-wise, being a bit messy, as if it can't decide whether it's made for the vast pop masses or the lovers of vocal jazz - Winehouse herself was dissatisfied about the album, which she among other things described "a shambles" made by idiots. You really have to grant her that the included demos on the Bonus Disc support her by revealing the strength of several songs have been over-produced beyond recognition. Eg. the brilliant demo of "You Sent Me Flying" is completely without the tenderness and vocal power on the original album, and the same quality may also be said about the other four demos. It just seems too many chefs were involved in the making of her debut album. They simply didn't realise the kind of magic they were holding in their hands, so they "had to" re-arrange and produce the raw material into something else. Unfortunately.
That said, Frank is still the very very fine debut by Amy Winehouse.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 4 / 5, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 2,5 / 5 stars ]

2008 2-Disc
Deluxe Edition

"Sexy & Dirty House Music Vol. 1" (2011)

Sexy & Dirty House Music Vol. 1 (compilation)
release date: Oct. 19, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Album excerpts: 1. Johny S "Can't Get Enough (Original Mix)" - 5. Chantola "Chicago (I Need You) (Original Mix)" - 8. Johny S "Smooth Operator (Chantola Remix)"

A compilation album of club house. This may be a series in many volumes, but this specific album is surprisingly quite good.

Nat King Cole "Skip to My Lou" (1962) (single)

Skip to My Lou, 7'' single

release date: 1962

format: vinyl (4F 189)

[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]

producer: ?

label: Capitol Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "Skip to My Lou" - - B) "Wolverton Mountain"

Single release by Nat King Cole with a traditional arranged by Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole, and a song by Merle Kilgore as B-side.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, and it's a song I vividly remember from my childhood 'though it's not one of Cole's most memorable singles but still a song that will forever be associated with the great Nat King Cole.

~ ~ ~

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.

Happy Mondays "Bummed" (1988)

Bummed

release date: Nov. 1988

format: cd (2000 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: Martin Hannett

label: Factory / London Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Country Song" - 2. "Moving in With" - 3. "Mad Cyril" - 5. "Performance" (studio session) - 6. "Brain Dead" - 7. "Wrote for Luck" - 9. "Do It Better"

2nd full-length studio album by Happy Mondays follows 1½ years after Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People... (Apr. 1987) and is made with Factory-label's acclaimed producer, Martin Hannett. The band consists of the usual five: vocalist Shaun Ryder, his younger brother Paul on bass, Mark Day on guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards, (Gary) 'Gaz' Whelan on drums, and with Mark 'Bez' Berry on percussion. All ten songs are credited the band but it's commonly known that Shaun wrote the lyrics 'cause "the rest of 'em can't be arsed". Btw. the song "Lazyitis" (track #10) is basically "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles with new lyrics and nearly unrecognisable arrangement.

Musically, it's a huge move from the debut and the band has progressed from being an indie rock band to one founded on a mix of styles, including alt. dance, indie pop, soul, funk, and neo-psychedelia making Happy Mondays one of the original bands behind the baggy / madchester style it should later be known as. The band also went by the alias The Mondays or 'The 24 Hour Party People' and they were one of many artists and bands playing at the famous The Haçienda music club founded by Factory and New Order in unison. Together with The Stone Roses and 808 State - all originating from Greater Manchester - they all produced dance-oriented music with various stylistic elements. The Stone Roses played alt. dance founded on jangle pop and indie rock, and 808 State built their sound on electronica, and then a number of other artists soon emerged on the scene. Producer Martin Hannett to some extent proves his worth here after having been recognised for his minimalist, dark and strict sound when engineering the soundscape for Joy Division less than a decade ago. Shaun Ryder recounts in his autobiography "Twisting My Melon" (2011) how he had been excited to have Hannett produce the album, as Ryder had been a big fan of the Joy Division productions and were thrilled to see what Hannett would come up with. Perhaps John Cale produced the debut album one year earlier with the intend to approach something with a more distinct art rock sound, and as a contrast to that, the sound here weaves in and out of focus making room for a multi-coloured palette, and on top of that, Shaun Ryder bounces freely in his original mumbling narrating style. Ryder describes it as the first really good album of theirs despite memories of recording sessions with drugs all over the place. And Hannett perhaps being the most experimental when Ryder and Bez introduced everyone to E.

The album doesn't contain noteworthy obvious hits, although "Wrote for Luck" had been chosen for single release in late October and is highly characteristic for the band, but it really launched its own life and positioned the band up the charts a bit later when it was released in a re-mixed version as "W.F.L." (official video) by Paul Oakenfold and Vince Clarke. Bummed was met by positive reviews, although, its status as a stylistic cornerstone has only added to its value. The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must hear Before You Die" and is quite an enjoyable ride. Nonetheless, it's mighty fine but given its position, I have never really fancied it all that much, and frankly, I find The Stone Roses debut a greater musical achievement. With Bummed, Happy Mondays may have landed their sound (not the same as found their feet!) but to me, their successor, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (Apr. 1990) clearly betters this one.

The front cover is an edited photo of lead vocalist Shaun Ryder when "off his tits", as he probably would describe it.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, NME 4,5 / 5, Mojo, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

Trentemøller "Lost" (2013)

Lost

release date: Sep. 23, 2013

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: In My Room - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "The Dream" (feat. Low) - 2. "Gravity" (feat. Jana Hunter) - 3. "Still on Fire" - 4. "Candy Tongue" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 6. "Never Stop Running" (feat. Jonny Pierce) - 7. "River of Life" (feat. Ghost Society) - 9. "Come Undone" (feat. Kazu Makino) - 10. "Deceive" (feat. Sune Rose Wagner) (official video)

3rd studio album by Trentemøller follows 3½ years after Into the Great Wide Yonder and is like that produced by Trentemøller and released through his own label In My Room.

His previous releases, including the DJ Mix album Harbour Boat Trips 01 - Copenhagen by Trentemøller from 2009 all have the traits of deep house electronic experimental style, building heavily on progressive compositions and all held in a primarily instrumental style. This marks a complete turn-around with Lost as 7 out of 12 tracks are composed using more traditional melody structure with vocal performances and making it all touch on synth pop in darkwave territory. Anders Trentemøller is not well-known for his vocal capabilities and therefore he has made use of various featuring vocalists. The American artists Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker (both from the band Low) feature on vocals together with their band on track #1; American artist Jana Hunter is featuring vocalist on track #2 together with Danish guitarist Lisbet Fritze; Danish vocalist Marie Fisker adds vocals on track #4 - she also featured on Trantemøller's 2009 and 2010 albums - American vocalist Jonathan Pierce (of The Drums) feature on track #6; the Danish band Ghost Society feature on track #7; Japanese artist Kazu Makino is featuring vocalist on track #9; and Danish artist Sune Rose Wagner (of The Raveonettes) is featuring vocalist on track #10. All featuring vocalists are also credited the songwriting on the songs, on which they feature.

Lost marks a considerable change of style in Trentemøller's discography. The album is not a strong coherent whole - some of his instrumental compositions could without difficulty have been included on his previous albums without stirring the whole picture, and here they could be mistaken for sound artefacts or just misplaced intermissions, but on the other hand they also contribute in binding together the various and differently sounding compositions with vocals - or at least: attempting to glue the strictly individual songs into one artistic package.

Altogether, Lost is no less than Trentemøller's so far most succesful album.

Recommended.

[ bandcamp ]

[ allmusic.com, UnderTheRader 4 / 5, TheLineOfBestFit 8,5 / 10, Pitchfork 6.4 / 10 stars ]

De efterladte "Alvorsord og etagevask" (2013)

digipack cover

Alvorsord og etagevask
release date: Sep. 30, 2013
format: cd (melo 011)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: De Efterladte and Boi Holm
label: Melodika - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Alting om igen" (live session) - 2. "Kursiv" - 3. "Fugleskræmsel" - 4. "Levende hegn" - 5. "Der hænger en uro" - 6. "U.t." - 9. "Håbet kommer til byen" - 10. "Du fandt ikke dig selv"

2nd studio album by the Danish singer / songwriter duo De efterladte released on Melodika and produced by 'the band' with Boi Holm. The debut album Traditionen utro (2011) introduced a simpler musical soundscape than lyricist & vocalist Peter H. Olesen and guitarist Michael Lund played when performing for the brothers Olesen-Olesen, and on the duo's second album this is simplified to a greater extent. Here, the additional backing band is scarcely noticeable - as what you mostly hear is Olesen's vocal on top of Lund's twangy or acoustically sounding guitars.
The debut was met by positive reviews and is a fine and interesting album that most of their countrymen simply ignored. Unfortunately, they do not appeal to a broader public, which also may have been the reason as to why Peter H. Olesen and his brother Henrik decided to call it a day with their fine project Olesen-Olesen after 7 studio albums released over a ten year period. Now one can only hope this duo will ignore low sales and just embrace the fine reviews that their albums receive.
Alvorsord og etagevask was met by critical acclaim and songwriter Peter Olesen was nominated the critics' prize Steppeulven for Årets tekstforfatter [songwriter of the year].
Peter is making brilliant music with guitarist Michael Lund and their style is largely influenced and associated with singer / songwriter and alt. folk, and a more dominant sound of americana on this particular release. Olesen narrates in his usual melancholic way about simple things in life and Lund adds a beautiful surf guitar creating an ambient and spherical touch almost completely without bass and drums or other instrumentation except for quiet percussion, synthesizer noice and glockenspiel. Peter Olesen has always written quite unique lyrics, and has a strong poetic profile. It's almost as if this has become even more accentuated with the new duo, and he often reminds me of the late Danish poet Dan Turrell.
This album is an even stronger release than their fine debut, and it's no less than one of my absolute favourite releases of 2013.
[ Gaffa.dk 6 / 6, Berlingske, Undertoner 5 / 6 stars ]

2013 Favourite releases: 1. Arctic Monkeys AM - 2. Tindersticks Across Six Leap Years - 3. De efterladte Alvorsord og etagevask