In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 is the ridiculously titled commute album for today. It’s by American rock band, Coheed and Cambria.
Coheed and Cambria are a dolled up prog rock band, elements of Rush, Smashing Pumpkins, The Mars Volta and Placebo. I saw them once in concert, they did about 4 songs, they do really long songs. Not particularly good songs either.
This album is a concept album that fits in with a graphic novel, it is an album that’s lacking on choruses and of the 12 tracks only 2 are under 4 minutes long, and 3 are over 8 minutes long. The one and only song that I liked contains a chorus and is under 4 minutes long, the other 11 are just pompous bollocks that I may have liked in 2003 the year of its release, but now, it was a journey I could have done in silence.
Song length means nothing though, it is just highlighting the fact that these dreadful songs were very long so instead of 3 minutes of dreadfulness, they averaged a 5 minute stretch of dreadfull.
The song that is rather good though is the single from this album, A Favor House Atlantic. I do not have the first clue what that means, but I gave up on trying to understand this band shortly after getting this CD. It was a frown that spread across my face when this turned up next.
So whats so bad about it all? Well it is effectively generic emo, dressed up in scifi concepts and drawn out for a long time, Rush style drama and vocals, done very badly and without the slightest hint at any humour. You get the picture. They like preposterousness and this album labels it up thick, with a sprinkle of pomposity for good measure. Watch the video for A Favor House Atlantic, its pretty good, you don’t have to listen to anything else by them, trust me on that. 1 out of 10.
A Favor House Atlantic by Coheed and Cambria
Monday, 23 November 2009
London Calling
Not a commute as such, more a trip to the parents in Telford to collect a book. Same thing though, the next loosely alphabeticised CD album was The Clash's third album, London Calling.
London Calling is one of my very favourite albums. The Clash as a youngster didn't even feature in my life, no one I knew liked them, I never heard them, I knew very very few songs by them and it was only until I was 18 or 19 I heard anything by them, the friend that first played me Husker Du and The Wedding Present also played me London Calling. I was smitten from then on in.
London Calling is a non punk record by a punk band. Its the sound of a band leaving those roots behind, expanding their sound or going the route that so many punk bands had gone prior to 1979, the year of this albums release.
The use of horns, flirtations with ska and reggae, blues and garage rock are what made The Clash better than all of their contemporaries, their willingness to allow a pop tune to break through is non more evident than it is on this album.
In Wrong Em Boyo they take Stagger Lee and and meld it into the Clive Alphonso song, it moves along at a bouncy old pace and its not just Wrong Em Boyo that embraces the music of the west indies, Guns of Brixton's famous bassline takes you straight from Pimlico to Studio 1.
Wrong Em Boyo by The Clash
Jimmy Jazz, Lost in the Supermarket and Train In Vain up the pop quotient and do it so well, all pop music should sound like this, and although it was released 30 years ago almost to the day, it could be put out now and sound current.
Jimmy Jazz by The Clash
On Brand New Cadillac, Strummer revisits the 101ers sound, this is the blueprint for all covers of this song that came after. Do people cover this song or the original? Either way its a blistering beautiful version of a great song.
Brand New Cadillac by The Clash
As a double its faultless, a stunning album that I adore more than any other Clash album and almost more than any other album, bar a few. Its an album that should be in everyones collection, its an album that never loses its initial shine. So so good. Unsurprisingly 10 out of 10.
London Calling is one of my very favourite albums. The Clash as a youngster didn't even feature in my life, no one I knew liked them, I never heard them, I knew very very few songs by them and it was only until I was 18 or 19 I heard anything by them, the friend that first played me Husker Du and The Wedding Present also played me London Calling. I was smitten from then on in.
London Calling is a non punk record by a punk band. Its the sound of a band leaving those roots behind, expanding their sound or going the route that so many punk bands had gone prior to 1979, the year of this albums release.
The use of horns, flirtations with ska and reggae, blues and garage rock are what made The Clash better than all of their contemporaries, their willingness to allow a pop tune to break through is non more evident than it is on this album.
In Wrong Em Boyo they take Stagger Lee and and meld it into the Clive Alphonso song, it moves along at a bouncy old pace and its not just Wrong Em Boyo that embraces the music of the west indies, Guns of Brixton's famous bassline takes you straight from Pimlico to Studio 1.
Wrong Em Boyo by The Clash
Jimmy Jazz, Lost in the Supermarket and Train In Vain up the pop quotient and do it so well, all pop music should sound like this, and although it was released 30 years ago almost to the day, it could be put out now and sound current.
Jimmy Jazz by The Clash
On Brand New Cadillac, Strummer revisits the 101ers sound, this is the blueprint for all covers of this song that came after. Do people cover this song or the original? Either way its a blistering beautiful version of a great song.
Brand New Cadillac by The Clash
As a double its faultless, a stunning album that I adore more than any other Clash album and almost more than any other album, bar a few. Its an album that should be in everyones collection, its an album that never loses its initial shine. So so good. Unsurprisingly 10 out of 10.
Friday, 20 November 2009
Handcream for a Generation
My morning CD was Cornershop this morning with the follow up to their breakthrough album, Handcream for a Generation.
I think this is the most perplexing album so far. I will come to why in a moment but just a quick note on Cornershop. I used to work with the percussionist from Cornershop, Pete Bengry. That is my Cornershop fact.
Now as to it’s perplexiness. The way I see this album is that they saw the remix worked on the single Brimful of Asha and let that dictate their sound. Its an odd album that is disjointed and has elements which are really really good, opening track Heavy Soup being the one that springs to mind. But where it should be diverse, its just a rag bag of ideas, over produced and performed unsuccessfully. It sways from reggae, to rock, to house music, all with a fatboy slim sheen. This is Clinton, the Cornershop side project but with the Cornershop name attached in a cynical attempt to sell more records. It just does not work for me though.
I really was very disappointed in its overall feel, its random at times and certainly forced, none of it seems genuine and “4 real”. Its uninspiring and cynical and all good points are lost and wiped out by the bad. The worst being a 14 minute noodling epic featuring Noel Gallagher. Dreadful, absolutely dreadful. They should be ashamed by that, but they aren’t. 0 out of 10. This is a CD that just may be bouncing off the tarmac of the A38.
I think this is the most perplexing album so far. I will come to why in a moment but just a quick note on Cornershop. I used to work with the percussionist from Cornershop, Pete Bengry. That is my Cornershop fact.
Now as to it’s perplexiness. The way I see this album is that they saw the remix worked on the single Brimful of Asha and let that dictate their sound. Its an odd album that is disjointed and has elements which are really really good, opening track Heavy Soup being the one that springs to mind. But where it should be diverse, its just a rag bag of ideas, over produced and performed unsuccessfully. It sways from reggae, to rock, to house music, all with a fatboy slim sheen. This is Clinton, the Cornershop side project but with the Cornershop name attached in a cynical attempt to sell more records. It just does not work for me though.
I really was very disappointed in its overall feel, its random at times and certainly forced, none of it seems genuine and “4 real”. Its uninspiring and cynical and all good points are lost and wiped out by the bad. The worst being a 14 minute noodling epic featuring Noel Gallagher. Dreadful, absolutely dreadful. They should be ashamed by that, but they aren’t. 0 out of 10. This is a CD that just may be bouncing off the tarmac of the A38.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
1982 - A Year in Music
In 1982 a single really was a single. They sold by the bucket load and a monster hit was a destroy all in its wake kind of a hit. Eye of the Tiger 5 million sold (I pity the fool!). Do you Really Want to Hurt Me 6.4 million and so on.
There was only two places to hear your music; Radio 1 and Top of the Pops. After being exposed to Simon Bates, Mike Read, Dave Lee Travis and Steve Wright it's a wonder I have any interest in music at all. The Top 40 run down on a Sunday night was a major highlight of the week. Some bright spark in BBC scheduling in the early 1980's followed up the chart show with Alexis Korner, thank God, and I inadvertently ended up listening to the blues.
It's almost an embarrassment of riches to choose from for my singles of the year, although this is tempered by number ones from The Goombay Dance Band, Tight Fit, Shakin Stevens and Renee and Renato. My choice for single of the year would be Aint No Pleasin You by Chas and Dave, which I think is magnificent, even though they are Spurs fans. Fittingly, this is their Top of the Pops performance, introduced by the above mentioned tit, Simon Bates.
So here's the full list, with vids of the highlights.
Chas & Dave – Aint No Pleasin You
Fat Larry’s Band – Zoom
Africa Bambaataa – Planet Rock
Blancmange – Living on the Ceiling
Bow Wow Wow – I Want Candy
Bruce Springsteen – Atlantic City
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Jackie Wilson Said
Duran Duran – The Chauffeur
George Thorogood – Bad to the Bone
Grandmaster Flash – The Message
Joe Jackson – Stepping Out
John Cougar Mellencamp – Jack and Dianne
Robert Wyatt – Shipbuilding
Stevie Nicks – Edge of 17 (which passed me by in 1982 but was introduced to me via the glory of School of Rock).
The Alarm – Marching On
The Associates – Party Fears Two
Willie Nelson – Always on my Mind
Hey! Bootleg
The journey through my loosely alphabeticised CD album collection continues this morning. The C’s aren’t as predictable as the B’s and todays pleasant surprise was a Cud compilation made for me by a friend called Hey Bootleg.
As time goes on I was wondering as to include self made or friends made compilations, I mean it’s not as if you can buy it, it’s not as if you may have it and agree or disagree woith my review, but for completeness I decided to keep them in and even if you don’t have a copy of Hey Bootleg, or the BRMC compilation, you may have an interest in the band.
So Cud. When I was young I used to trawl this fair land following The Wedding Present wherever they would play, be it Birmingham, be it Manchester, be it Leeds or be it Coventry. Coventry and the following date on their tour, Wolverhampton, is where I first saw Cud, supporting their Reception Records label mates and ultimately at one point, boss. Cud’s first release was put out on The Wedding Present label, Reception Records, Mind The Gap if my memory serves, and that release is present on this, effectively a greatest hits compilation. The first time I saw Cud at Coventry, they were an odd beast, similar in their looseness and beat driven sound to The Happy Mondays, similar, but infinitely better. They even had their own Bez in this man with a balaclava on and dressed in a silver lame shellsuit. Strange times indeed. I went with a friend of mine called Richard and neither of us knew songs by Cud and were very surprised that almost all of the audience knew pretty much all of the songs. From then on in I was smitten and saw them a number of times between then and their demise, and when they reformed a couple of years ago went to see them again with my wife, who was a fan but never had an opportunity to see them. They were as great then as they were when I saw them at Glastonbury Festival.
So this disc, as I said, effectively a greatest hits, my Cud, with a few singles being the exception is on vinyl, hence the need for this compilation. It spans their career in almost its entirety, from Mind The Gap to Purple Love Balloon. Cud were very good at packaging things up and making you want to buy them, Purple Love Balloon came with a make your own mobile in its 12” vinyl version.
Most of the singles are on this album, Eau Water, Robinson Crusoe and the ridiculously good Strange Kind Of Love, Only A Prawn In Whitby, Hey! Wire and more and more.
A number of covers are present, they did a lot of tracks for Imaginary Records, who were prone to putting out tribute albums, as well as putting out the three best Cud albums in Elvis Belt, Leggy Mambo and When In rome Kill Me. The covers though, go from the Quo’s Down Down, this taken from the NME’s 40th anniversary disc, Ruby Trax, Bohemian Rhapsody from the anti poll tax album, Alvin Lives In Leeds and finally their take on The Family Cat’s career high point, Remember What It Is That You Love.
So across 21 tracks, none unfamiliar to me, all great, all fantastic, superb. 9 out of 10.
Strange Kind Of Love by Cud
As time goes on I was wondering as to include self made or friends made compilations, I mean it’s not as if you can buy it, it’s not as if you may have it and agree or disagree woith my review, but for completeness I decided to keep them in and even if you don’t have a copy of Hey Bootleg, or the BRMC compilation, you may have an interest in the band.
So Cud. When I was young I used to trawl this fair land following The Wedding Present wherever they would play, be it Birmingham, be it Manchester, be it Leeds or be it Coventry. Coventry and the following date on their tour, Wolverhampton, is where I first saw Cud, supporting their Reception Records label mates and ultimately at one point, boss. Cud’s first release was put out on The Wedding Present label, Reception Records, Mind The Gap if my memory serves, and that release is present on this, effectively a greatest hits compilation. The first time I saw Cud at Coventry, they were an odd beast, similar in their looseness and beat driven sound to The Happy Mondays, similar, but infinitely better. They even had their own Bez in this man with a balaclava on and dressed in a silver lame shellsuit. Strange times indeed. I went with a friend of mine called Richard and neither of us knew songs by Cud and were very surprised that almost all of the audience knew pretty much all of the songs. From then on in I was smitten and saw them a number of times between then and their demise, and when they reformed a couple of years ago went to see them again with my wife, who was a fan but never had an opportunity to see them. They were as great then as they were when I saw them at Glastonbury Festival.
So this disc, as I said, effectively a greatest hits, my Cud, with a few singles being the exception is on vinyl, hence the need for this compilation. It spans their career in almost its entirety, from Mind The Gap to Purple Love Balloon. Cud were very good at packaging things up and making you want to buy them, Purple Love Balloon came with a make your own mobile in its 12” vinyl version.
Most of the singles are on this album, Eau Water, Robinson Crusoe and the ridiculously good Strange Kind Of Love, Only A Prawn In Whitby, Hey! Wire and more and more.
A number of covers are present, they did a lot of tracks for Imaginary Records, who were prone to putting out tribute albums, as well as putting out the three best Cud albums in Elvis Belt, Leggy Mambo and When In rome Kill Me. The covers though, go from the Quo’s Down Down, this taken from the NME’s 40th anniversary disc, Ruby Trax, Bohemian Rhapsody from the anti poll tax album, Alvin Lives In Leeds and finally their take on The Family Cat’s career high point, Remember What It Is That You Love.
So across 21 tracks, none unfamiliar to me, all great, all fantastic, superb. 9 out of 10.
Strange Kind Of Love by Cud
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
The Coral
A few years ago I went to V Festival here in Staffordshire. I can't recall all too much about it, bands etc. I do recall seeing the non Brody Dalle element of The Distillers. They weren't as pretty as the Brody Dalle element. I did see The Coral though and in all honesty it is 40 minutes of my life which I will never get back. They could play alright, trouble was that they played 20 minute jazz breakouts of their song. I recall I wondered aloud, "if I wanted this shit, I would go to Glastonbury".
Todays commute CD is The Corals debut, The Coral. Its not quite "if I wanted this shit, I would go to Glastonbury", its more the radio edit.
The Coral are hugely influenced by bands of the very late 60's, The Chocolate Watch Band being the most obvious, that San Francisco sound clearly had a huge effect on the Wirral, the chiming guitars, the beefheartesque interludes. But its a bit forced to be honest. It shouts ooh get me, I have smoked stuff, listen, thats me noodling, thats cos I'm HIGH on the druqs!!!!!1!!!!, you cant appreciate it, cos you aint high!
I wasn't high, I was driving, but the closest I get to getting high is taking ALL of the wrapper off my Magic Tree New Car Scent. I tell you it makes your head swim.
This album is my wife's she really liked The Coral, at least until that V festival and all the New Car Scent in the world wouldnt be enough to make them enjoyable.
This album isnt as bad as their live performance though, it presents the hit(s) Dreaming of You, Goodbye and Skeleton Key in their glory and the odd other track that isnt massively irritating. Its just that it gets on my wick after a while, its no better than Oasis trying to emulate people much much better than them that came before them, and doing it so badly.
I know bo diddley of course and the NME rates this as the 21st best album of the noughties, one of us is wrong. 2 out of 10.
Skeleton Key by The Coral
Todays commute CD is The Corals debut, The Coral. Its not quite "if I wanted this shit, I would go to Glastonbury", its more the radio edit.
The Coral are hugely influenced by bands of the very late 60's, The Chocolate Watch Band being the most obvious, that San Francisco sound clearly had a huge effect on the Wirral, the chiming guitars, the beefheartesque interludes. But its a bit forced to be honest. It shouts ooh get me, I have smoked stuff, listen, thats me noodling, thats cos I'm HIGH on the druqs!!!!!1!!!!, you cant appreciate it, cos you aint high!
I wasn't high, I was driving, but the closest I get to getting high is taking ALL of the wrapper off my Magic Tree New Car Scent. I tell you it makes your head swim.
This album is my wife's she really liked The Coral, at least until that V festival and all the New Car Scent in the world wouldnt be enough to make them enjoyable.
This album isnt as bad as their live performance though, it presents the hit(s) Dreaming of You, Goodbye and Skeleton Key in their glory and the odd other track that isnt massively irritating. Its just that it gets on my wick after a while, its no better than Oasis trying to emulate people much much better than them that came before them, and doing it so badly.
I know bo diddley of course and the NME rates this as the 21st best album of the noughties, one of us is wrong. 2 out of 10.
Skeleton Key by The Coral
The Independent Catches Up with I Taught Myself How to Grow Old!
By the end of play yesterday we managed to have two posts in response to NME's rotten Best of the Decade album list, with our lists being equally as subjective and daft (Tenacious D, Green Day). Today The Independent has caught up with us in the shape of Andy Gill's response with You Call These The Best Albums of the Decade? Obviously, he is responding to the NME rather than us, as our rallying cry is 'Even our wives don't read it'. His inclusion of Ry Cooder's Chavez Ravine was heartening.
Over at Pitchfork they like a good list, with Top album lists for the different years and decades, albeit a bit left of centre and indie leaning. The Top 200 Albums of the 2000's is worth a look, but spoils the fun by having Radiohead's Kid A in the top spot.
Paste Magazine actually has a 'List of the Day', which can only be a good thing, and has their 50 Best Albums of the Decade which was posted earlier this month. Bit of a surprise number one with Sufjan Stevens' Illinois.
Uncut magazine has a Best Album of the Decade, and puts The White Stripes 2001 White Blood Cells as top dog. I did notice that they are advertising their new Wild Mercury Sound music blog as 'rash' and 'ill - thought out', which is clearly an attempt to crowd both myself and Peter out of our corner of t'internet blogosphere. It takes a lot of work to look as rash as we do.
The Community Boards at the consistently annoying Drowned in Sound (In photos - Lilly Allen at the Academy, Sheffield, for example) have a debate based on NPR's The Decades 50 Most Important Recordings. They are so important that you can download a PDF file of the full list. I had no idea that Beyonce (number 5) was quite that important, although it is nice to see some Spanish language in there in the shape of Juanes and Shakira. Their number one is On the Transmigration of Souls by John Adams, which means nothing to me whatsoever, probably as it is a classical piece. It won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in music, and was originally commissioned as a tribute to those lost on September 11th.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
The Best Albums of the Noughties
This morning I received an email from a chap (once) called Fog, who sent me a link to the NME's Best Albums of the Noughties, as mentioned in The Guardian. I forwarded this on to co-blogger Peter, who, in his own words, pounced upon it 'like a fat boy at a buffet' (see his post below). Now, being a fat boy myself, and fond of a good buffet (preferably an Argentinian breakfast buffet) this seemed like an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Of course the NME's list is for skinny white boys with stylishly feathered locks, not a chubby baldy man like myself (or Peter - no offence). So, from the fat perspective, here are my 00's best albums. It looks like Neil Young hasn't made a decent album in ten years and I aint got the blues no more .....
2001
Rufus Wainwright - Poses
2002
Foo Fighters – One by One
Audioslave – Audioslave
Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
Maná - Revolución de Amor
Los Lobos - Good Morning Aztlán
2003
Molotov - Dance and Dense Denso
The Frames – Set List
2004
Loretta Lynn – Van Lear Rose
Ray LaMontagne – Trouble
Green Day – American Idiot
The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Origin Vo1. 1
2005
The Boxer Rebellion – Exits
2006
Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Jerry Lee Lewis – Last Man Standing
2007
Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
2008
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
2009
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
2001
Rufus Wainwright - Poses
2002
Foo Fighters – One by One
Audioslave – Audioslave
Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
Maná - Revolución de Amor
Los Lobos - Good Morning Aztlán
2003
Molotov - Dance and Dense Denso
The Frames – Set List
2004
Loretta Lynn – Van Lear Rose
Ray LaMontagne – Trouble
Green Day – American Idiot
The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Origin Vo1. 1
2005
The Boxer Rebellion – Exits
2006
Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Jerry Lee Lewis – Last Man Standing
2007
Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
2008
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
2009
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Is This It? NME's Best Albums of the Noughties.
The NME like lists, as do Kev and I. I dislike the NME though so I got this list from The Guardian. This latest in an ever ongoing list of lists tells us of the 50 best albums of the noughties. 2000-2009.
First of all this is the NME, that’s an apology by the way, but basically its going to be NME favoured bands, and why not, if I wanted Def Leppard to be in there I would buy Classic Rock. You get the gist.
OK, number one, surprisingly was the debut by The Strokes, Is This It. The one with the lady’s bum on it. I like that album sleeve. Its nice. Its not a bad album as well. We had been playing the demo’s of it for a long time prior to its release, and then when it was released, it was pretty good but there was the element of, is this it? If this is the best album of the noughties, is the response, is this it? No it isn’t it, its good, but its not quite right.
Hard To Explain by The Strokes from Is This It
10 years of albums condensed into a list of 50 and the best of that list is The Strokes debut? At this point I refer myself back to my opening comments. Of that list though what should take its place? I do rate a large selection of the top 10 quite highly, oddly enough. I think a large selection are better than The Strokes, Libertines debut being a perfect example (however did The Strokes begat The Libertines???), Arctic Monkeys debut, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Fever To Tell and The Street’s debut and undoubtedly Arcade Fire’s genius Funeral. Obviously just in the ten there is some head scratching pile of shite Primal Scream’s xtrmntr, (Ld f bllcks more like) being the one that leaps out.
Wake Up By Arcade Fire from Funeral
The album that I rate the best of the noughties though isn’t on that list, the one that I rate as the second best of the noughties is on that list but is way down at number 31. The best is of course the eponymous debut by Tenacious D. Its time for a review will come, at the rate my commute CD’s are taking me, some time at the back end of 2019. The second best, and the NME’s 31st best of the noughties is Bright Eyes I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, an album, according to the NME, worse than Klaxons’ Myths of the Near Future, really?
At The Bottom of Everything by Bright Eyes from I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
Taste is a personal thing though, hence no mention of Tenacious D, and after all this list was put together by bands, label owners and producers, so would not expect to see The D propping it up. What we do learn about popstars taste though, they like mainstream indie. The care little for pop, be it crafted and shiney, not much for folk, for jazz, for easy listening, for dance, hip hop or RnB, world music has passed them by and gabba techno no longer floats their boat. For innovation, for forward thinking music, for being groundbreaking, for the future? In the main, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you white boys with guitars.
1. The Strokes - Is This It
2. The Libertines - Up the Bracket
3. Primal Scream - xtrmntr
4. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
6. PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
7. Arcade Fire - Funeral
8. Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
9. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
10. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Full list
First of all this is the NME, that’s an apology by the way, but basically its going to be NME favoured bands, and why not, if I wanted Def Leppard to be in there I would buy Classic Rock. You get the gist.
OK, number one, surprisingly was the debut by The Strokes, Is This It. The one with the lady’s bum on it. I like that album sleeve. Its nice. Its not a bad album as well. We had been playing the demo’s of it for a long time prior to its release, and then when it was released, it was pretty good but there was the element of, is this it? If this is the best album of the noughties, is the response, is this it? No it isn’t it, its good, but its not quite right.
Hard To Explain by The Strokes from Is This It
10 years of albums condensed into a list of 50 and the best of that list is The Strokes debut? At this point I refer myself back to my opening comments. Of that list though what should take its place? I do rate a large selection of the top 10 quite highly, oddly enough. I think a large selection are better than The Strokes, Libertines debut being a perfect example (however did The Strokes begat The Libertines???), Arctic Monkeys debut, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Fever To Tell and The Street’s debut and undoubtedly Arcade Fire’s genius Funeral. Obviously just in the ten there is some head scratching pile of shite Primal Scream’s xtrmntr, (Ld f bllcks more like) being the one that leaps out.
Wake Up By Arcade Fire from Funeral
The album that I rate the best of the noughties though isn’t on that list, the one that I rate as the second best of the noughties is on that list but is way down at number 31. The best is of course the eponymous debut by Tenacious D. Its time for a review will come, at the rate my commute CD’s are taking me, some time at the back end of 2019. The second best, and the NME’s 31st best of the noughties is Bright Eyes I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, an album, according to the NME, worse than Klaxons’ Myths of the Near Future, really?
At The Bottom of Everything by Bright Eyes from I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
Taste is a personal thing though, hence no mention of Tenacious D, and after all this list was put together by bands, label owners and producers, so would not expect to see The D propping it up. What we do learn about popstars taste though, they like mainstream indie. The care little for pop, be it crafted and shiney, not much for folk, for jazz, for easy listening, for dance, hip hop or RnB, world music has passed them by and gabba techno no longer floats their boat. For innovation, for forward thinking music, for being groundbreaking, for the future? In the main, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you white boys with guitars.
1. The Strokes - Is This It
2. The Libertines - Up the Bracket
3. Primal Scream - xtrmntr
4. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
6. PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
7. Arcade Fire - Funeral
8. Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
9. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
10. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Full list
Floatier Than A Floaty Thing Disc 1
Today I confirmed just how ungrateful I am. I played a CD someone did for me nearly 10 years ago, its part two of a two disc set of a particular artist. Today’s CD was called “Floatier Than A Floaty Thing” and it is one half of a lengthy Cocteau Twins compilation.
Before I regale you with my thoughts on disc two, let me bring you up to speed on my relationship and knowledge of the Cocteau Twins.
Firstly, in our house they are called the Cockatoo Twins, this is due to an ex-girlfriend of a friend calling them that in all seriousness. She also said that “you don’t know bo-diddley”, instead of you don’t know diddley. She was like a modern Del Boy. I digress, that’s what they are known as in our house, The Cockatoo Twins.
I know one song by them, just one, I think its called Iceblink Luck. My wife thinks they are no better than Enya. That there ends my knowledge on the Cocteau Twins.
This CD proved they were no better than Enya. It wasn’t shit, it was sub shoe gazing nonsense that had me reaching for the sleeve on more than 3 occasions wondering why the hell are there still 10 tracks to go. There was perennially 10 tracks to go.
It wasn’t offensive, just taxing if you are stuck in a traffic jam (which I was) late for work (which I was) and wondering why the heater wasn’t warming me up (which I was). Therefore it was taxing beyond belief. One song of meaningless singing I can tolerate, then you say OK, that’s good, what else can you do though?
Not much it seemed as 19 tracks later and nary a sail away sail away Orinoco flow in name but certainly in delivery and I am thinking all that they can do is that. I was ready to turn Sir Terry on at one point.
So that all said, not to my liking, but not awful, 3 out of 10. I can’t wait for disc one, whenever that may be.
Iceblink Luck by Cocteau Twins
Before I regale you with my thoughts on disc two, let me bring you up to speed on my relationship and knowledge of the Cocteau Twins.
Firstly, in our house they are called the Cockatoo Twins, this is due to an ex-girlfriend of a friend calling them that in all seriousness. She also said that “you don’t know bo-diddley”, instead of you don’t know diddley. She was like a modern Del Boy. I digress, that’s what they are known as in our house, The Cockatoo Twins.
I know one song by them, just one, I think its called Iceblink Luck. My wife thinks they are no better than Enya. That there ends my knowledge on the Cocteau Twins.
This CD proved they were no better than Enya. It wasn’t shit, it was sub shoe gazing nonsense that had me reaching for the sleeve on more than 3 occasions wondering why the hell are there still 10 tracks to go. There was perennially 10 tracks to go.
It wasn’t offensive, just taxing if you are stuck in a traffic jam (which I was) late for work (which I was) and wondering why the heater wasn’t warming me up (which I was). Therefore it was taxing beyond belief. One song of meaningless singing I can tolerate, then you say OK, that’s good, what else can you do though?
Not much it seemed as 19 tracks later and nary a sail away sail away Orinoco flow in name but certainly in delivery and I am thinking all that they can do is that. I was ready to turn Sir Terry on at one point.
So that all said, not to my liking, but not awful, 3 out of 10. I can’t wait for disc one, whenever that may be.
Iceblink Luck by Cocteau Twins
Monday, 16 November 2009
Johnny Cash and His Hot and Blue Guitar/ Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous
We hit the C section good and proper today, and we hit it running with a double disc pack by Johnny Cash, hist first two albums to be precise, Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar and Johnny Cash Sings The songs That Made Him Famous.
Johnny Cash means a great deal to me, his music has been with me since I was a very small child and I have yet to hear a song by him that I disliked. Periods that divide other fans, I adore, its hard to be subjective when you struggle to see anything wrong with him and so this is more of an apology as I have quite a number of Johnny Cash discs and I love all of them.
Where to start? Lets start with the debut …Hot and Blue Guitar. Released in 1957, not only Johnny’s debut album, but the first LP to be released on Sam Phillip’s Sun Records. A milestone not just for the label but I will wager for Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, and Country music.
On this album Johnny is backed by Luther Perkins, Marshall Grant and session musician Al Casey, at this point drummer WS Holland hasn’t joined the band and the Tennessee Three is merely the Tennessee Two.
As a statement of intent, this is a brash and as fierce as the famous ad of Johnny giving the finger. It comes out swaggering and against the grain of 50’s hillbilly music.
A number of covers are present, his take on Rock Island Line on this album is the best of anyones, Luthers guitar driving that train. Also he takes on Hank William’s (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle, pretty faithful to the original and its clear across the tracks that Williams is the major influence, not just in his song selection and reinterpretation, but also in his own songs, and it is in his own songs where his strength lies and this is where the swagger, the statement of intent and the self belief come in. Undoubtedly the strongest songs on this album are the ones penned by JR Cash.
Well, you work all day
While you're wantin' to play
In the sun and the sand,
With a face that's tan.
At the end of the day,
When your work is done,
You ain't got nothin' but fun.
Country Boy, you may not have shit, but you aint got no worries either. Maybe Johnny put it a little more eloquently than that, but basically that’s what he is saying.
If Country Boy was the only original song on this debut that would be enough, but Cry Cry Cry and So Doggone Lonesome also appear along with I Walk The Line.
The stand out track for me, easily the stand out track was the beligerant, unapologetic, snarling song that is Folsom Prison Blues, easily one of Johnny’s best, and on a given day it may be his best. Musically magnificent, lyrically brilliant. A perfect song.
I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Exceptional. 10 out of 10.
Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (an absolutely fantastic performance it is too)
Which brings us on to Johnny’s second album, 1958’s Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous.
Following up such a strong debut must be intimidating, but to follow it up and have more faith in your own songs, at a time when you had singers, and you had songwriters, that’s just massive self belief. That is though what Johnny did on the follow up, more of his songs.
There are still nods to his hero Hank Williams in his cover of Williams’ I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You), and Williams influence is still apparent in Cash’s tone, but that’s was soon to disappear as Cash slowly becomes his own man.
Just around the corner there's heartache
Down the street that losers use
If you can wade in through the teardrops
You'll find me at the Home of the Blues
Home of The Blues on this album is possibly my favourite, chronicling an unhappy childhood, a partner to Heartbreak Hotel, but where that was love, this is more circumstance. Johnny Cash carving out a niche as the dark man of country, the man in black isn’t quite there yet, but he isn’t a million miles away.
Big River continues the theme, sadness, and dark moods, a gorgeous song and a great great closer to this album.
Through Ballad Of A Teenage Queen, the reappearance of I Walk The Line, through to Guess Things Happen That Way and Next In Line, this album is just perfect, still the Tennessee Two haven’t been augmented by WS Hollands drums but you don’t miss them, Luther Perkins guitar style is such that you don’t need the drums.
Another fantastic album. 10 out of 10
Home of The Blues by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash means a great deal to me, his music has been with me since I was a very small child and I have yet to hear a song by him that I disliked. Periods that divide other fans, I adore, its hard to be subjective when you struggle to see anything wrong with him and so this is more of an apology as I have quite a number of Johnny Cash discs and I love all of them.
Where to start? Lets start with the debut …Hot and Blue Guitar. Released in 1957, not only Johnny’s debut album, but the first LP to be released on Sam Phillip’s Sun Records. A milestone not just for the label but I will wager for Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, and Country music.
On this album Johnny is backed by Luther Perkins, Marshall Grant and session musician Al Casey, at this point drummer WS Holland hasn’t joined the band and the Tennessee Three is merely the Tennessee Two.
As a statement of intent, this is a brash and as fierce as the famous ad of Johnny giving the finger. It comes out swaggering and against the grain of 50’s hillbilly music.
A number of covers are present, his take on Rock Island Line on this album is the best of anyones, Luthers guitar driving that train. Also he takes on Hank William’s (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle, pretty faithful to the original and its clear across the tracks that Williams is the major influence, not just in his song selection and reinterpretation, but also in his own songs, and it is in his own songs where his strength lies and this is where the swagger, the statement of intent and the self belief come in. Undoubtedly the strongest songs on this album are the ones penned by JR Cash.
Well, you work all day
While you're wantin' to play
In the sun and the sand,
With a face that's tan.
At the end of the day,
When your work is done,
You ain't got nothin' but fun.
Country Boy, you may not have shit, but you aint got no worries either. Maybe Johnny put it a little more eloquently than that, but basically that’s what he is saying.
If Country Boy was the only original song on this debut that would be enough, but Cry Cry Cry and So Doggone Lonesome also appear along with I Walk The Line.
The stand out track for me, easily the stand out track was the beligerant, unapologetic, snarling song that is Folsom Prison Blues, easily one of Johnny’s best, and on a given day it may be his best. Musically magnificent, lyrically brilliant. A perfect song.
I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Exceptional. 10 out of 10.
Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (an absolutely fantastic performance it is too)
Which brings us on to Johnny’s second album, 1958’s Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous.
Following up such a strong debut must be intimidating, but to follow it up and have more faith in your own songs, at a time when you had singers, and you had songwriters, that’s just massive self belief. That is though what Johnny did on the follow up, more of his songs.
There are still nods to his hero Hank Williams in his cover of Williams’ I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You), and Williams influence is still apparent in Cash’s tone, but that’s was soon to disappear as Cash slowly becomes his own man.
Just around the corner there's heartache
Down the street that losers use
If you can wade in through the teardrops
You'll find me at the Home of the Blues
Home of The Blues on this album is possibly my favourite, chronicling an unhappy childhood, a partner to Heartbreak Hotel, but where that was love, this is more circumstance. Johnny Cash carving out a niche as the dark man of country, the man in black isn’t quite there yet, but he isn’t a million miles away.
Big River continues the theme, sadness, and dark moods, a gorgeous song and a great great closer to this album.
Through Ballad Of A Teenage Queen, the reappearance of I Walk The Line, through to Guess Things Happen That Way and Next In Line, this album is just perfect, still the Tennessee Two haven’t been augmented by WS Hollands drums but you don’t miss them, Luther Perkins guitar style is such that you don’t need the drums.
Another fantastic album. 10 out of 10
Home of The Blues by Johnny Cash
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Darren Hayman Attacked.
Some very shocking news, on Friday Darren Hayman was brutally attacked and mugged in Nottingham at the start of his short tour of the UK. He is currently in hospital recovering, fine, but in a lot of pain. Obviously the subsequent dates have been cancelled and I can only extend my personal wishes for a swift recovery.
Update: Via information from Antony Harding and Jack Hayter it seems that Darren was mugged on Friday, receiving a kicking whilst lying unconscious. They believe that he will be out of hospital today (Monday) He has had a cat scan and thankfully nothing serious has shown up. I am sure that he would appreciate your well wishes over at his blog http://thegrandremonstrance.blogspot.com
Another update: Antony has posted on his Twitter that he is being kept in hospital as it seems now that Darren has a fractured skull. Bad times indeed, thoughts go out to Darren and Helen, Darren's wife.
Update...again: A nottingham newspaper is reporting the attack here
Final update: Darren is home, his wife has posted in various places what happened and an update. http://www.hefnet.com/darrenhelenmessage.htm
Hopefully he will up and at em soon. Possibly not touring the provinces though.
Update: Via information from Antony Harding and Jack Hayter it seems that Darren was mugged on Friday, receiving a kicking whilst lying unconscious. They believe that he will be out of hospital today (Monday) He has had a cat scan and thankfully nothing serious has shown up. I am sure that he would appreciate your well wishes over at his blog http://thegrandremonstrance.blogspot.com
Another update: Antony has posted on his Twitter that he is being kept in hospital as it seems now that Darren has a fractured skull. Bad times indeed, thoughts go out to Darren and Helen, Darren's wife.
Update...again: A nottingham newspaper is reporting the attack here
Final update: Darren is home, his wife has posted in various places what happened and an update. http://www.hefnet.com/darrenhelenmessage.htm
Hopefully he will up and at em soon. Possibly not touring the provinces though.
Friday, 13 November 2009
Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
Imagine
Learning from your mistakes.
Nick Drake, happy at 50.
Wuthering Heights in Tijuana
Del Amitri on steroids.
Banjo'd Elbow.
Los Lobos composing a new theme tune for Emmerdale.
Arcade Fleet Fire Foxes.
Impure hearts.
Stephen Stills' Tree Top Flyer crash lands in Ireland and picks up The Pogues.
Strength through pain.
The Band tied to a post.
Learning from your mistakes.
Nick Drake, happy at 50.
Wuthering Heights in Tijuana
Del Amitri on steroids.
Banjo'd Elbow.
Los Lobos composing a new theme tune for Emmerdale.
Arcade Fleet Fire Foxes.
Impure hearts.
Stephen Stills' Tree Top Flyer crash lands in Ireland and picks up The Pogues.
Strength through pain.
The Band tied to a post.
Sigh No More, the debut album by Mumford and Sons, is all these things and more. It's a full harvest. Where they come from doesn't matter. Where they're going doesn't matter. This album stamps on the floorboards and soars in equal measure. It takes you up the mountain and into the seas. It's English and Irish and American and derivative and new and old and undoubtedly, undoubtedly my record of 2009.
Houses Of The Holy
Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelins 5th album and the soundtrack to my commute.
This album leaves behind the blues influences that make up the 4 previous albums, and it seems that Led Zeppelin are intent on ripping off The Beastie Boys. Shocking really as no writing credit is given to MCA, AD Rock or Mike D. I would get my lawyers on to Zep if I were them.
I am of course being facetious. This album is markedly different to all that came before it though for those reasons. Production has turned up a gear, songwriting alters a little and the entire package is being thought on, similar I guess to its predecessor Led Zeppelin IV but different enough.
The Ocean is the stand out track for me on this album, I was a little disappointed when it finished, this is a track that The Beastie Boys sampled on their debut, it’s a gorgeous tune, worth having a listen to even if the rest of the album isn’t really your thing.
This album sees some humour coming through aswell, notably in The Crunge, with the call “have you seen the bridge”, you might need to take that in the context of its cod James Brown funk, also D’yer Maker, one part of the joke, My wife went to the West Indies on her holidays…Jamaica? No she went of her own accord. Badda Tish.
Its not all laughs a plenty with Zeppelin though, Houses of The Holy can be quite dark in parts, not too dark though, after all the fantastic Dancing Days is on this album and that adds light to any release. The Rain Song to my ears is a dark song though, not bad dark, just not as light as the rest of the album, still fantastic and different and proof that Led Zeppelin didn’t stand still.
All in all it was a very enjoyable album, I listened intently as opposed to letting it wash over me, and that is a measure of a good album. Last of the week for this week. 8 out of 10.
The Ocean by Led Zeppelin
This album leaves behind the blues influences that make up the 4 previous albums, and it seems that Led Zeppelin are intent on ripping off The Beastie Boys. Shocking really as no writing credit is given to MCA, AD Rock or Mike D. I would get my lawyers on to Zep if I were them.
I am of course being facetious. This album is markedly different to all that came before it though for those reasons. Production has turned up a gear, songwriting alters a little and the entire package is being thought on, similar I guess to its predecessor Led Zeppelin IV but different enough.
The Ocean is the stand out track for me on this album, I was a little disappointed when it finished, this is a track that The Beastie Boys sampled on their debut, it’s a gorgeous tune, worth having a listen to even if the rest of the album isn’t really your thing.
This album sees some humour coming through aswell, notably in The Crunge, with the call “have you seen the bridge”, you might need to take that in the context of its cod James Brown funk, also D’yer Maker, one part of the joke, My wife went to the West Indies on her holidays…Jamaica? No she went of her own accord. Badda Tish.
Its not all laughs a plenty with Zeppelin though, Houses of The Holy can be quite dark in parts, not too dark though, after all the fantastic Dancing Days is on this album and that adds light to any release. The Rain Song to my ears is a dark song though, not bad dark, just not as light as the rest of the album, still fantastic and different and proof that Led Zeppelin didn’t stand still.
All in all it was a very enjoyable album, I listened intently as opposed to letting it wash over me, and that is a measure of a good album. Last of the week for this week. 8 out of 10.
The Ocean by Led Zeppelin
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Led Zeppelin
Well I thought today's was the last Led Zeppelin for the week, but no, another tomorrow. Today though, their debut Led Zeppelin.
Thoroughly entrenched in a typical late 60's sound, a small hint of psychedelia, a hint of garage rock, a hint of blue cheer, a little bad company, but altogether Led Zeppelin.
I must admit it is perhaps the most unfamiliar album to me, and perhaps the least played. Not that it is bad, as I have said I prefer their more reflective material and this is by no means reflective, but conversely it is Whole Lotta Love.
Riffs yeah? well the riffs are there, Communication Breakdown comes on like an articulated lorry, not so much a juggernaut.
I did enjoy the album, enjoyed it very much. You might think when faced with Sir Terry or Moyles that anything is enjoyable. Not the case, unsure why I found it enjoyable and that's the struggle.
Soundwise its not the Zeppelin that I love, lyrically I suppose it gives what I like in spades, metaphors for love making. I like them.
Bit of a nothing review this I am afraid, enjoyed it, but don't know why. The tracks were long but I lived with it, I didn't really know many songs, all reasons not to like it, but I did. 7 out of 10.
I Can't Quit You Baby by Led Zeppelin
Thoroughly entrenched in a typical late 60's sound, a small hint of psychedelia, a hint of garage rock, a hint of blue cheer, a little bad company, but altogether Led Zeppelin.
I must admit it is perhaps the most unfamiliar album to me, and perhaps the least played. Not that it is bad, as I have said I prefer their more reflective material and this is by no means reflective, but conversely it is Whole Lotta Love.
Riffs yeah? well the riffs are there, Communication Breakdown comes on like an articulated lorry, not so much a juggernaut.
I did enjoy the album, enjoyed it very much. You might think when faced with Sir Terry or Moyles that anything is enjoyable. Not the case, unsure why I found it enjoyable and that's the struggle.
Soundwise its not the Zeppelin that I love, lyrically I suppose it gives what I like in spades, metaphors for love making. I like them.
Bit of a nothing review this I am afraid, enjoyed it, but don't know why. The tracks were long but I lived with it, I didn't really know many songs, all reasons not to like it, but I did. 7 out of 10.
I Can't Quit You Baby by Led Zeppelin
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