I have never seen Glen Campbell in concert. I really like him, and his music although the opportunity has presented itself a number of times, I chose not to. Intentionally.
Todays disc is a Glen Campbell disc, its called Wichita Lineman The Best of Glen Campbell and it was released in the 90’s by Castle Communications. That sentence alone should indicate the quality of this recording. That sentence should tell you everything you need to know about this disc.
I have never seen Glen Campbell purely because of this disc, you see this is a live recording, unsure where, and the only date I can pin it to is pre 1990. It contains many covers, but that’s OK, he is a covers man. What galls me though, what angers me beyond belief and what makes state that Campbell will never get a penny of my money is, and he is totally to blame for this and not Castle Communications, is that he condenses, arguably some of the greatest songs ever , into medleys, into shortened versions, into passing nods. Bastard. 0 out of 10.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Standing On A Beach
This weekend bonus commute disc, soundtracking my journey to Villa Park for the ESPN showing late kick off was The Cure's first retrospective, Standing On A Beach.
I genuinely believe The Cure to be amongst the top three singles bands ever to pick up a guitar pick, Ash and The Jam being the other two. The problem with The Cure though is the singles, the good singles, only started really towards the back end of the period this album covers.
Obviously that statement doesnt apply to the sublime, Boys Don't Cry, on any given days one of the most perfect pop songs ever created. Better than Teenage Kicks, better than Video killed the radio star, even better than over the hills with the swords of a thousand men. On it's day.
On this album there is a bit of a wait up to that track and then a bit of a wait till the goods are produced again, Lets go to bed.
This is the start though of something rather special, and it didnt stop there, because as a band, they never got crap after that. For me from Let's Go To Bed to now, The Cure produced/s singles of the highest quality. Restricted to this album we have The Walk, Love Cats, the fantastic In Between Dayas and the equally wonderful Close To Me.
It's a pity about the stuff inbetween, all gothy and brooding and painting pictures. I could smell the patchouli and see the rooms painted black. Cheer up gothy kids, Friday I'm In Love is only 3 albums away! 6 out of 10.
Boys Don't Cry by The Cure
I genuinely believe The Cure to be amongst the top three singles bands ever to pick up a guitar pick, Ash and The Jam being the other two. The problem with The Cure though is the singles, the good singles, only started really towards the back end of the period this album covers.
Obviously that statement doesnt apply to the sublime, Boys Don't Cry, on any given days one of the most perfect pop songs ever created. Better than Teenage Kicks, better than Video killed the radio star, even better than over the hills with the swords of a thousand men. On it's day.
On this album there is a bit of a wait up to that track and then a bit of a wait till the goods are produced again, Lets go to bed.
This is the start though of something rather special, and it didnt stop there, because as a band, they never got crap after that. For me from Let's Go To Bed to now, The Cure produced/s singles of the highest quality. Restricted to this album we have The Walk, Love Cats, the fantastic In Between Dayas and the equally wonderful Close To Me.
It's a pity about the stuff inbetween, all gothy and brooding and painting pictures. I could smell the patchouli and see the rooms painted black. Cheer up gothy kids, Friday I'm In Love is only 3 albums away! 6 out of 10.
Boys Don't Cry by The Cure
Friday, 27 November 2009
The Ugly Organ
Today my commute CD was the reason why I am going through my loosely alphabeticised CD albums. The reason why I needed to listen to things I may have missed, the reason I needed to give something a second chance.
Today the CD was The Ugly Organ by Cursive. At the very least I may have listened to this once before but I suspect this was the first time I had played this album. It came to my notice as I think at the end of 2003 it was featured highly in the year end lists of people who’s opinion I trusted. I must have lost it in a bulk of other CD’s though as it never made an impression at all.
So to the CD, as I said this CD and other CD’s like it is the reason that I am going through my collection, it is an absolute beauty, a real genuine great album.
Released on Saddle Creek it draws its influence, not massively, but a little from Saddle Creeks most famous son, Conor Oberst. However it’s main influence is Brand New. Sonically it draws heavily on the sound Brand New explored on their first two albums. Vocally Tim Kasher falls between that of Brand New’s Jesse Lacey and Bright Eyes’ Oberts, musically they are more aligned, at least on this album with Brand New than Oberst’s folk leanings.
It’s a stunning album though, and one I am pretty angry for missing, it is 6 years old after all, and 6 years it has been on a shelf of mine ignored. I strongly suggest that if either of the influencing artists float your boat, you seek out The Ugly Organ.
How this does differ from Brand New and Bright Eyes though is this album displays a little more aggression than those two are seemingly capable of. The Ugly Organ is a concept album that explores, Wikipedia tells me, the ugly organists life of love lust and empty sex. At times anger comes through but also despondency. It really does take you on a rather fantastic musical journey.
This all leads to the final track, Staying Alive, you recall my criticisms of the bloated Coheed and Cambrai album? Well the final track is a 10 minute epic, with contributions from a Nebraskan who’s who, after 10 minutes, I wanted another 10, I didn’t want it to end and as the album drew to a close, I wanted more. A brilliant and ridiculously good album. 10 out of 10, easily.
Staying Alive by Cursive
Today the CD was The Ugly Organ by Cursive. At the very least I may have listened to this once before but I suspect this was the first time I had played this album. It came to my notice as I think at the end of 2003 it was featured highly in the year end lists of people who’s opinion I trusted. I must have lost it in a bulk of other CD’s though as it never made an impression at all.
So to the CD, as I said this CD and other CD’s like it is the reason that I am going through my collection, it is an absolute beauty, a real genuine great album.
Released on Saddle Creek it draws its influence, not massively, but a little from Saddle Creeks most famous son, Conor Oberst. However it’s main influence is Brand New. Sonically it draws heavily on the sound Brand New explored on their first two albums. Vocally Tim Kasher falls between that of Brand New’s Jesse Lacey and Bright Eyes’ Oberts, musically they are more aligned, at least on this album with Brand New than Oberst’s folk leanings.
It’s a stunning album though, and one I am pretty angry for missing, it is 6 years old after all, and 6 years it has been on a shelf of mine ignored. I strongly suggest that if either of the influencing artists float your boat, you seek out The Ugly Organ.
How this does differ from Brand New and Bright Eyes though is this album displays a little more aggression than those two are seemingly capable of. The Ugly Organ is a concept album that explores, Wikipedia tells me, the ugly organists life of love lust and empty sex. At times anger comes through but also despondency. It really does take you on a rather fantastic musical journey.
This all leads to the final track, Staying Alive, you recall my criticisms of the bloated Coheed and Cambrai album? Well the final track is a 10 minute epic, with contributions from a Nebraskan who’s who, after 10 minutes, I wanted another 10, I didn’t want it to end and as the album drew to a close, I wanted more. A brilliant and ridiculously good album. 10 out of 10, easily.
Staying Alive by Cursive
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Smell of Female
The Cramps came back today, yesterday it was A Date With Elvis, today though was their live album, Smell of Female. Recorded in 1983 at The Peppermint Lounge, New York.
A short album this even in its expanded state it only runs to 9 songs. I think for visceral exhuberance, Live at Napa State Mental Hospital DVD captures them live better. That said though although a little too laidback at times, its still a mighty fine record of a superb band.
Hassil Adkins, She Said pops up on this and the call and response of the audience lift it even higher than it already is. Perhaps the standout track on this album, were it not for a different cover.
Faster Pussycat makes an appearance on Smell of Female. The Bostweeds song is just so much better in the hands of Interior and Ivy. Any song sounds better by them.
This album also features the guitar of Kid Congo Powers from The Black Seeds, its not amazing to be honest, or earth shattering but notable.
All in all it’s a good album with plenty of high points. My favourite Cramps track is Thee Most Exaulted Potentate of Love, my favourite cover, Faster Pussycat. No duff tracks, therefore a well rounded 7 out of 10.
Thee Most Exulted Potentate of Love by The Cramps
A short album this even in its expanded state it only runs to 9 songs. I think for visceral exhuberance, Live at Napa State Mental Hospital DVD captures them live better. That said though although a little too laidback at times, its still a mighty fine record of a superb band.
Hassil Adkins, She Said pops up on this and the call and response of the audience lift it even higher than it already is. Perhaps the standout track on this album, were it not for a different cover.
Faster Pussycat makes an appearance on Smell of Female. The Bostweeds song is just so much better in the hands of Interior and Ivy. Any song sounds better by them.
This album also features the guitar of Kid Congo Powers from The Black Seeds, its not amazing to be honest, or earth shattering but notable.
All in all it’s a good album with plenty of high points. My favourite Cramps track is Thee Most Exaulted Potentate of Love, my favourite cover, Faster Pussycat. No duff tracks, therefore a well rounded 7 out of 10.
Thee Most Exulted Potentate of Love by The Cramps
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
1986 - A Year in Music
As I scrolled through the music of '86 on the internet I noticed an album by Emerson, Lake and ...........Powell. Now, I'm no progist, and know nothing about such super-group noodling, but even I've heard of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, or ELP. But Powell? It turns out it was Cozy Powell, him of Rainbow and others. Imagine if this had become a trend. We'd have Crosby, Stills and Nas (hippie rap), Crosby, Stills, Nash and Run (hippie hip hop), Talking Sheds (David Byrne teams up with Rick Witter for Britpop with a twist), The Head Kennedy's (Motorhead vs US Punks in noise fest stand-off) or maybe Huey Lewis and the Muse (It's Hip to be in a Supermassive Black Square Hole). I think I've killed that one.
So, 1986. Notable for me for two conjoined reasons, the first being my attending the Glastonbury festival for the first and only time (seem to remember Microdisney being very impressive, and Billy Bragg being outstanding), and the second being Maradonna's Hand of God against England, the very same weekend. My girlfriend of the time bought the AC/DC single listed below, and I remember going through quite a big Howlin Wolf phase about the same time. Sadly, he had no big hit singles that year. I was quite taken by The Mission, who we seemed to go and see almost every weekend. The PIL album 'Album' (with contributions from Steve Vai, Ginger Baker, Bill Laswell, Ryuichi Sakamoto) was probably my favourite album of ther year, oh and Howlin Wolf London Sessions, but that had been released in 1971. While I loathed Peter Gabriel at the time, I now love the drippy In Your Eyes, but prefer the Jeffrey Gaines version.
AC/DC - You Shook me All Night Long
Big Black - Kerosene
Big Country - Look Away
Run DMC - It's Tricky
Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Souls of her Shoes
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
REM - Fall on Me
Public Image Ltd - Rise
Steve Earle - My Old Friend the Blues
The Stranglers - Always the Sun
The Style Council - Walls Come Tumbling Down
Talk Talk - Give it Up
The Commodores - Nightshift
The Mission - Wasteland
A Date With Elvis
This morning The Cramps were my co-pilot, their album A Date With Elvis was the soundtrack. This my friends is music how it should be played. This isn’t even their best album and its better than 99% of bands produce.
On this album The Cramps inject their own humour, beligerance, style and attitude that has been with them since their first EP.
On People Aint No Good they tell us that the choir is the McMartin Preschool Choir, I suspect it isn’t. They tell us of a fictional land called Kizmiaz and this date with Elvis wishes us Aloha From Hell. They can do humour without belly laughs and that’s their charm.
They do a pretty perfect cover of Charlie Feathers It’s Just That Song, Feathers meant a lot to the psychobilly scene and along with the Ricky Nelson tribute on the sleeve, Elvis in the title and Feathers in the song, its ok celebrating the future but you got to acknowledge the past.
The thing I love a lot about The Cramps is their turn of phrase, the way they say things, the language they use, language that I think only Americans at the very least can get away with, Cornfed Dames being a perfect example, you couldn’t or at least shouldn’t have Neds Atomic Dustbin singing about Cornfed Dames, where as Lux, well Lux does it perfectly.
I like Lux, he was a great man.
This album in its 11 songs makes me miss The Cramps massively and it’s a band that I wish I took the opportunity to see, however, that’s one of them things.
High points are the fantastic Can your Pussy Do The Dog, hearing that even at 16, I knew it sounded rude, but I couldn’t work out why, that’s a theme with The Cramps, you know it sounds rude but you don’t know why. Hot Pool of Womanneed and What’s Inside A Girl, just track after track of excellent songs and along with Cash and the Clash, the C’s are just going to be marvellous. 9 out of 10.
What’s Inside A Girl by The Cramps
On this album The Cramps inject their own humour, beligerance, style and attitude that has been with them since their first EP.
On People Aint No Good they tell us that the choir is the McMartin Preschool Choir, I suspect it isn’t. They tell us of a fictional land called Kizmiaz and this date with Elvis wishes us Aloha From Hell. They can do humour without belly laughs and that’s their charm.
They do a pretty perfect cover of Charlie Feathers It’s Just That Song, Feathers meant a lot to the psychobilly scene and along with the Ricky Nelson tribute on the sleeve, Elvis in the title and Feathers in the song, its ok celebrating the future but you got to acknowledge the past.
The thing I love a lot about The Cramps is their turn of phrase, the way they say things, the language they use, language that I think only Americans at the very least can get away with, Cornfed Dames being a perfect example, you couldn’t or at least shouldn’t have Neds Atomic Dustbin singing about Cornfed Dames, where as Lux, well Lux does it perfectly.
Now good girls can't pay the rent these days.
These cornfed dames done found a way.
Unzip that zipper...snap that snap.
Round up the cattle in the Cadillac.
Whip that cream baby 'til the butter comes
I like Lux, he was a great man.
This album in its 11 songs makes me miss The Cramps massively and it’s a band that I wish I took the opportunity to see, however, that’s one of them things.
High points are the fantastic Can your Pussy Do The Dog, hearing that even at 16, I knew it sounded rude, but I couldn’t work out why, that’s a theme with The Cramps, you know it sounds rude but you don’t know why. Hot Pool of Womanneed and What’s Inside A Girl, just track after track of excellent songs and along with Cash and the Clash, the C’s are just going to be marvellous. 9 out of 10.
What’s Inside A Girl by The Cramps
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
1985 - A Year in Music
I left school in 1985. That summer I was the only teenager in Europe who didn't see Live Aid. We were camping in the south of France and I couldn't even get it on the radio. I seem to remember reading a Frederick Forsyth thriller instead and not being too thrilled. I watched the whole thing on video when I got home, and wondered who George Thorogood was on the US one.
I never really saw the attraction of the Jesus and Mary Chain, and got heartily sick of the NME going on about them. Listening now I quite like it, although it's hardly the musical earthquake it was always painted as.
There are several songs in the list below that I bought, and they got the heavy heavy rotation that only a 15 year old can survive. She Sells Sanctuary blew my mind when I heard it first, and Eldritch and Hussey condemned me to a couple of years of black drainpipe trousers with the ultimate goth template of First and Last and Always. Spear of Destiny also dominated my listening for 12 months, as did going to see them anywhere I could (usually Hanley). The Pogues and The Waterboys opened my eyes to bang-yerself-on-the-head-pissed-up folk, and big expansive 6 minute epic angry folk, respectively.
Notice the rap/rock crossover of Timezone pre-dating Aerosmith and Run DMC by quite some time. It was recorded in a day, and it was very nearly the bloke out of Def Leppard instead of John Lydon. Hmmm.
Aerosmith - Let the Music Do the Talking
Billy Bragg - Between the Wars
Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town
Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
Killing Joke - A Love Like Blood
Kirsty Maccoll – A New England
Lone Justice - Ways to be Wicked
Pete Townsend - Face the Face
REM – Can’t Get There from Here
Spear of Destiny - Once in Her Lifetime
Suzanne Vega - Small Blue Thing
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
Tom Waits – Downtown Train
The Pogues - Dirty Old Town
The Sisters of Mercy – First and Last and Always
The Smiths – How Soon is Now (yes I know, the re-release)
The Waterboys - Don't Bang the Drum
Timezone - World Destruction
The Times - 100 Best Pop Albums of the Decade
The Times have jumped in with their list of albums of the decade, and not to be outdone by any other end of the decade list, they have spread theirs over a top 100. Annoyingly, they have also spread the list over 15 bloody pages. Some t'internet boffin at that paper should be poked in the eye with the corner of a broken CD case, preferably Kid A by Radiohead, which is their number one 'pop album'. Click here to see it from number one backwards, or here if you have an empty void in your life.
Ferment
The next CD for my commute was the Catherine Wheel’s album Ferment. The debut album by the band, released in 1992.
I once met Catherine Wheel, they played Lion Street Cultural Centre where I volunteered during the nineties. They were fairly pleasant men and put me and a friend on the guestlist of a gig they were doing the following night in Shrewsbury, as it was supporting Levitation, I didn’t bother.
The current Mrs D liked them immensely when she was a lot younger, and it is her album that soundtracks the A roads of the Midlands, the abundance of CD singles and 12”s by this band are also down to her. She had a thing for shoe gazing bands, Moose, Lush, My Bloody Valentine etc, I didn’t. That’s why I greeted Ferment with a heavy heart and the knowledge that todays journey was going to be as good as yesterdays.
Or at least that is what I thought, you see that’s the reason why I am listening and relistening to all my CD albums. I prejudge things and do not give them a chance. This album contradicted my preconceived notion and you know what, although it was of it’s time, it wasn’t half bad.
The 1992 me was a big fan of bands that were not by any stretch of the imagination, I liked bands that had witty T-shirts, not serious bands like Catherine Wheel.
Ferment though is rather pleasant, even with the bandwagon jumping shoegaze sound, it has depth and songwriting that appears to have stood the test of time, even if the music style it is part of hasn’t.
There was a familiarity to the songs though, I was obviously aware of them as some of them were moderate indie hits, Black Mettalic certainly rings a bell and it is Rob Dickinson’s (cousin of Bruce) voice that adds to that familiarity, a soulful voice that I may have been quick to judge.
The melodies through out make it an enjoyable listen, where Coheed and Cambria failed yesterday was that the songs were lengthy and lacking melody and structure. Here Catherine Wheels songs are far from short but this is not important as they do have the melodies and structure.
All in all, I kept listening, I listened and liked what I heard and I think the current Mrs D may be surprised. Unsure if I could take another album by them though, I suspect time will tell on that. 5 out of 10.
Black Metallic by Rob Dickinson
I once met Catherine Wheel, they played Lion Street Cultural Centre where I volunteered during the nineties. They were fairly pleasant men and put me and a friend on the guestlist of a gig they were doing the following night in Shrewsbury, as it was supporting Levitation, I didn’t bother.
The current Mrs D liked them immensely when she was a lot younger, and it is her album that soundtracks the A roads of the Midlands, the abundance of CD singles and 12”s by this band are also down to her. She had a thing for shoe gazing bands, Moose, Lush, My Bloody Valentine etc, I didn’t. That’s why I greeted Ferment with a heavy heart and the knowledge that todays journey was going to be as good as yesterdays.
Or at least that is what I thought, you see that’s the reason why I am listening and relistening to all my CD albums. I prejudge things and do not give them a chance. This album contradicted my preconceived notion and you know what, although it was of it’s time, it wasn’t half bad.
The 1992 me was a big fan of bands that were not by any stretch of the imagination, I liked bands that had witty T-shirts, not serious bands like Catherine Wheel.
Ferment though is rather pleasant, even with the bandwagon jumping shoegaze sound, it has depth and songwriting that appears to have stood the test of time, even if the music style it is part of hasn’t.
There was a familiarity to the songs though, I was obviously aware of them as some of them were moderate indie hits, Black Mettalic certainly rings a bell and it is Rob Dickinson’s (cousin of Bruce) voice that adds to that familiarity, a soulful voice that I may have been quick to judge.
The melodies through out make it an enjoyable listen, where Coheed and Cambria failed yesterday was that the songs were lengthy and lacking melody and structure. Here Catherine Wheels songs are far from short but this is not important as they do have the melodies and structure.
All in all, I kept listening, I listened and liked what I heard and I think the current Mrs D may be surprised. Unsure if I could take another album by them though, I suspect time will tell on that. 5 out of 10.
Black Metallic by Rob Dickinson
Monday, 23 November 2009
1984 - A Year in Music
1984 - one of those balmy happy-go-lucky Thatcher years, where all was well with the world, apart from the miners strike, the IRA bombing in Brighton, Reegan winning another election, and John Hurt having his face chewed by a rat. In contrast to this misery if you turned on the radio you could hear Agadoo, Wake me Up Before You Go Go, Karma Chameleon and other such classics. The first Band Aid single came out (Live Aid was the following year), and Frankie finally made it to number one with Relax. Rather like 1982 it was a bumper year for quality songs, although Peter is going to moan about the Cockatoo Twins being included (but secretly love Van Halen).
Blue Nile – Tinseltown in the Rain
Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy
Bruce Springsteen – Dancing in the Dark
China Crisis – Wishful Thinking
Cocteau Twins – Lorelei
Echo and The Bunnymen – Seven Seas
Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Two Tribes
Husker Du – Something I Learned Today
Killing Joke – Eighties (poor quality video clip, but they sound great)
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Forest Fire
Meat Puppets – Lake of Fire
Mighty Wah – Come Back
REM – Pretty Persuasion
Spear of Destiny – Liberator
The Cult – Spiritwalker
The Smiths – Reel Around the Fountain
The Stranglers – Skin Deep
Van Halen - Panama
1983 - A Year in Music
I was looking for a nice way in to this 1983 post, but I couldn't find one. When I looked through the news of the year it was so depressing (Thatcher wins by landslide) that I thought I should just focus on the music. I have a very distinct memory of hearing 68 Guns by The Alarm for the first time. It was either on or walking past Morecambe pier which, just like The Alarm, no longer exists. The similarities don't end there either, as 68 Guns and the seaside town are both blustery and full of wind, and even though they have passed their peak there is a certain faded grandeur and pomp in both, that appeals a great deal to me.
The Alarm - 68 Guns
Aztec Camera - Oblivious
Big Country - Fields of Fire
Eddie Grant - Electric Avenue
Eurythmics - Love is a Stranger
Grand Master Flash - White Lines
Heaven 17 - Temptation
Icicle Works - Whisper to a Scream
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
REM - Radio Free Europe
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Pride and Joy
The Beat - Can't Get Used to Losing You
The Lotus Eaters - First Picture of You
The Mighty Wah! - The Story of the Blues (might be 1982?)
The Rolling Stones - Undercover of the Night
Violent Femmes - Add it Up
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
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
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
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
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