Creation Records were without a doubt the greatest British indie label there's ever been. For 16 glorious years it was home to all the UKs most exciting indie bands. Jesus & Mary Chain (briefly), Ride, Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine, Super Furry Animals and of course Oasis. There were a few stinkers along the way (18 Wheeler, Mishka, BMX Bandits) but we'll skirt around them.But the greatest of the all Creation bands has to be Primal Scream. On Creation they released five consistently great albums. Three of these transcend greatness to become utterly sublime. Genuine 10 out of 10 classics. Well I think so anyway.It's suitably fitting that the Scream's finest moment was also the labels swan-song.XTRMNTR was released two weeks before Creation was wrapped up and therefore never really got the support it deserved. There was simply no one to work the PR. As Bobby Gillespie says in the brilliant documentary 'Upside Down: The Creation Records Story': "We got shafted, totally fucking shafted... I'd made my best record and they actually shut the fucking office a week or two after the record came out, there was nobody in the building".Unlike earlier Scream records there is no rock 'n' roll nostalgia, no feelgood anthems, no Stones-isms and no druggy bliss. Instead there is hard beats, abrasive electronica and some very, very heavy baselines.If Screamadelica was an invite to come join their party and get wasted, XTRMNTR is Bobby Gillespie and co. giving you a punch to the gut and then whilst you're down, kicking your face in. It's violent and unrelenting. Q Magazine voted it amongst the 50 heaviest albums of all time amongst the likes of Napalm Death, Slayer, NIN and Ministry. It's also Primal Scream's most overtly political album an features lyrics that rally against the government, multinational corporations, police and our 'insect' royalty.It opens with 'Kill All Hippies''s heavy synthesised sound and pounding drums, it's an angry start. It's followed by the genuinely ferocious techno-garage rock of 'Accelerator'.You know David Cronenberg film Scanners where people heads literally explode. Well I imagine that 'Accelerator' is the sound that the poor exploding-head-folk probably heard just before they popped! Put your headphones in, turn it up really loud. No, really loud. It's almost painful isn't it? The only disappointment is that it ends with a fade out and not a nuclear explosion. It's followed by the stomping throb 'Exterminator', the full-on industrial dance of 'Swastika Eyes' and the nasty dark bounce of 'Pills'.'Keep Your Dreams' is the only relatively relaxing tune on the album and could have been taken from the preceding Vanishing Point. It's quite lovely which is not something you could say about about any other other tracks on XTRMNTR. After that momentary respite it's back to discordant beat and breaks.Some of the Scream's finest moments have always come when they've been willing to let their producers take their music and rework them into something entirely new and exciting, just as Andrew Weatherall did for Screamdelica. Here the Scream hand the reigns to David Holmes, The Chemical Brothers and My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields among others. It ensures that every track on the album feels box-fresh and as vital as the last. 'Swastika Eyes' even appears a second time as a Chemical Brothers remix. Unbelievable they make it even more monstrous. But the real revelation is Shield's 'MBV Arkestra', a re-working of the track 'If They Move Kill 'Em' from the previous album Vanishing Point. It was the first piece of music from Shield's for nearly 9 years and it's an ambitious psychadelic voodoo nightmare that spirals and swirls in a haze of loops and squalling noise. Sounds awful but I think it's the most out-there tracks you'll ever hear. Krautrock, Post-Rock and Free Jazz all in one barmy and brilliant track. Shame we've not heard anything new from Shield's since bar a handful of My Bloody Valentine gigs. The album ends with exhilarating final sprint of 'Shoot Speed Kill Light'.Screamadelica is the album everyone harks back to. The genre-defining million-seller that twenty years later got re-packaged, re-toured and re-bought by all us Scream fans. It is a perfect album. But to me it's beginning to sound dated, of it's time. Where are XTRMNTR still sounds as vicious and vital as it did 12 years ago.Cool album art too.(Cheers Gary for the nudge on this one)
'KILL ALL HIPPIES''SWASTIKA EYES''MBV ARKESTRA'
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
XTRMNTR by PRIMAL SCREAM (2000, Creation)
Monday, 30 July 2012
DUBNOBASSWITHMYHEADMAN by UNDERWORLD (1994, Junior Boy’s Own)
The job Underworld did on the soundtrack to the Olympic Opening ceremony on Friday night was nothing less than triumphant.
Their music selection was inspired and at times downright cheeky. That they opened the show with Fuck Buttons was hilarious. It went on to include snatches of everything from the more obvious Stones, Beatles, Led Zep, to randoms like The Specials, Soul II Soul, Happy Mondays, New Order as well as lots of Underworld (three tracks from this album alone). The experience of countless sets over 30 years together has given them a finely tuned ear for working a crowd, something they did brilliantly.
It was an awesome job and it seems that London 2012 will now be forever known the first ‘rock n roll’ Games (according to some of the broadsheets anyway)
So this now seems as good a time as any to go back and listen to some of their albums.
DUBNOBASSWITHMYHEADMAN was actually the third Underworld album. I always assumed it was the first but it turns out that there were two released before it – ‘Underneath the Radar’ (1988) and ‘Change the Weather’ (1989). Just Google the album titles and prepare for a couple of horrific album covers. The first features singer Karl Hyde as cyber-cowboy and the second as like some kind of greaser rockabilly dude! And If you like those here’s a YouTube link below to their big early single ‘Stand Up’ which apparently is still their biggest hit in the US, reaching #69 in the Billboard Hot 100. It sounds like Romford’s answer to INXS!
Anyway DUBNOBASSWITHMYHEADMAN was the first album of Underworld Mk2 which now consisted of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith and Darren Emerson. Guitars out. Drum loops in.
It sets the template for all following Underworld albums. Deep progressive house and fusions of dub, techno and acid house. Karl Hyde’s stream of conscious lyrics are often half whispered and barely audible much of the time.
It opens with ‘Dark & Long’ which is exactly what it sounds like. Heavy, dark, deep and pounding. Followed by ‘Mmm Skyscraper I Love You’ which at 12 minutes long is the albums longest track. Thirty-four minutes and five tracks in and ‘Tongue’ is the first respite from the big beats, a chill out track with heavy guitar reverb and samples of running water. It doesn’t last long because next Underworld roll out the heavy hitters: 'Dirty Epic' and 'Cowgirl'. Both thumping tracks guaranteed to get you off your ass. Then thing begin to wind down with ‘River of Bass’ and ‘M.E.’
Probably not the greatest Underworld album (for my money that’s ‘Beaucoup Fish’) but DUBNOBASS... does contain some absolute belters, particularly ‘Cowgirl’ which is always on my own running playlists. A guaranteed power song for getting me up Crystal Palace's steep hills.
'STAND UP' (Underworld Mk1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxdNS8WNSOY
'COWGIRL'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfH8qHFvEEY
'DARK & LONG'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwRMLpxjt58
Their music selection was inspired and at times downright cheeky. That they opened the show with Fuck Buttons was hilarious. It went on to include snatches of everything from the more obvious Stones, Beatles, Led Zep, to randoms like The Specials, Soul II Soul, Happy Mondays, New Order as well as lots of Underworld (three tracks from this album alone). The experience of countless sets over 30 years together has given them a finely tuned ear for working a crowd, something they did brilliantly.
It was an awesome job and it seems that London 2012 will now be forever known the first ‘rock n roll’ Games (according to some of the broadsheets anyway)
So this now seems as good a time as any to go back and listen to some of their albums.
DUBNOBASSWITHMYHEADMAN was actually the third Underworld album. I always assumed it was the first but it turns out that there were two released before it – ‘Underneath the Radar’ (1988) and ‘Change the Weather’ (1989). Just Google the album titles and prepare for a couple of horrific album covers. The first features singer Karl Hyde as cyber-cowboy and the second as like some kind of greaser rockabilly dude! And If you like those here’s a YouTube link below to their big early single ‘Stand Up’ which apparently is still their biggest hit in the US, reaching #69 in the Billboard Hot 100. It sounds like Romford’s answer to INXS!
Anyway DUBNOBASSWITHMYHEADMAN was the first album of Underworld Mk2 which now consisted of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith and Darren Emerson. Guitars out. Drum loops in.
It sets the template for all following Underworld albums. Deep progressive house and fusions of dub, techno and acid house. Karl Hyde’s stream of conscious lyrics are often half whispered and barely audible much of the time.
It opens with ‘Dark & Long’ which is exactly what it sounds like. Heavy, dark, deep and pounding. Followed by ‘Mmm Skyscraper I Love You’ which at 12 minutes long is the albums longest track. Thirty-four minutes and five tracks in and ‘Tongue’ is the first respite from the big beats, a chill out track with heavy guitar reverb and samples of running water. It doesn’t last long because next Underworld roll out the heavy hitters: 'Dirty Epic' and 'Cowgirl'. Both thumping tracks guaranteed to get you off your ass. Then thing begin to wind down with ‘River of Bass’ and ‘M.E.’
Probably not the greatest Underworld album (for my money that’s ‘Beaucoup Fish’) but DUBNOBASS... does contain some absolute belters, particularly ‘Cowgirl’ which is always on my own running playlists. A guaranteed power song for getting me up Crystal Palace's steep hills.
'STAND UP' (Underworld Mk1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxdNS8WNSOY
'COWGIRL'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfH8qHFvEEY
'DARK & LONG'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwRMLpxjt58
Sunday, 29 July 2012
ABSOLUTION by MUSE (2003, A&E)
Only seems correct and proper to follow the mighty Queen with the muscular Muse.
Carrying the mantle of all things operatic and rock Muse have morphed from being Radiohead copyists into a world conquering behemoth, the most original and brave contemporary rock band out there. And they're from the West Country. Yay! Anyone who's seen them live will know how utterly exciting they are, a thrilling spectacle. They are the 21st Century Queen. The pomp and circumstance live, the ability to flounce between the rock, pop and classical on record. And of course the guitar solos. Bellamy's epic metal soloing owes a undeniable debt to Brian May.
The main difference is in the lyrics and tone. Whilst Queen could be vaudeville and camp Muse are serious and intense sometimes to the level of self-parody (there's only so many times you can bang on about the apocalypse without starting to sound like a a crank with a placard and megaphone). One bands lyrics could be written by Orwell or Huxley, the other by Arthur Askey and George Formby . All great English writers though!
Themes of fear, betrayal and mistrust run throughout ABSOLUTION. Bellamy has said that it was heavily influenced by the current affairs at the time, chiefly the start of the war in Iraq.
The album begins with the sound of marching drums and jackboots announcing the arrival of 'Apocalypse Please', Bellamy warns us that the end of the world is nigh and "it's time for something biblical". The doom-laden tone continued with 'Time Is Running Out' and 'Sing For Absolution'.
The comes the unstoppable 'Stockholm Syndrome'. The title taken from the psychological condition where captives come to empathise or fall in love with their captors. Sung in fact from the perspective of the captor it's hard, heavy and fast. Muse at their exciting best
'Butterflies & Hurricanes' is perhaps the archetypal Muse song. Thrashy guitars, thunderous drums, Bellamy's desperate sounding vocals and then midway through a complete breakdown to an inspired Rachmaninoff-esque piano-led classical mid-section.
Elsewhere Muse experiment further with classical (the beautiful swooning 'Blackout') and electronics (the melodic ballad 'Endlessly').
Blisteringly good. ABSOLUTION gives me little shivers of excitement every time I listen to it and that's not a bad feeling to start the day with.
'STOCKHOLM SYNDROME' (live from Wembley)
'BUTTERFLIES & HURRICANES' (live from Wembley)
'BLACKOUT' (live from Wembley)
Saturday, 28 July 2012
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA by QUEEN (1975, EMI)
Other than Greatest Hits or Greatest Hits II how many of us have actually listened to a whole Queen album. I've certainly not. Ever. Never wanted to either.
So ubiquitous are their singles, so shoved down our throats by every inane commercial radio station that I have never felt any desire to hear another Queen song. Any smidgen of interest I might have shown was shattered by that obnoxious scrotum Ben Elton and his vile science-fiction musical 'We Will Rock You'. A musical that I had the misfortune of watching. I've never recovered. It's most heinous crime was to suggest that "Kurt Cobain died for Rock n Roll". No Ben, he committed suicide and it was very, very sad. You horrible smug champagne socialist knobhead. Eurgh. What a horrible man he is. I would have walked out then but it my wife's birthday treat and there were glow-sticks. Woo!
There is another reason to avoid Queen. Did you know that 'Don't Stop Me Now' is apparently Absolute Radio's most requested song ever by drivers of white vans. Doesn't that say just it all?
So to recap I have zero interest in listening to this album but I am doing so as part of my ongoing musical education.
I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy at least some of it. Well most of it actually.
The best and worst thing about A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is its multiple personalities. Because all members of Queen contribute songs, it's all over the place. Hard rock, music hall, unashamed pop, folky strumalongs, end-of-the-pier cheekiness, mystical prog, dixieland, trad jazz, light opera and back to hard rock before finally asking us all to be upstanding for the National Anthem.
There are some absolute classics here: 'Death on Two Legs' and 'Sweet Lady' a fuzzed up rock tracks. '39' is Brian May's attempt at "sci-fi skiffle" with some quite nutty lyrics about time dilation and Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity. I'm not even joking. Look it up. Bouffant Brian even sings it and he's rather good. Sadly he also sings on the jazz-hands number 'Good Company' which is much less fun.
'The Prophet Song' is prog-rock overload. The lyrics are based on a biblical dream Brian had about Noah and the Great Flood. It's Queen's 'Stonehenge'. Lumbering in at 8:19 minutes it's their longest song and comes complete with a 2 minute vocal canon from Mercury. This layered section certainly tests your patience but thankfully Bri steps into the breach to rescue us with some truly epic soloing. Phew.
The album also contains John Deacon's first Queen song, the lovely single 'You're My Best Friend' and another little ditty you may know called 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
Despite what many say about this being an five-star "classic album" I think there are some absolute stinkers: The irritating 'Seaside Rendezvous' which comes complete with tap dancing, kazoos and kiss me quick hats. And then there is Roger Taylor's 'I'm In Love With My Car'. The song that Brian May initially thought was a joke. Apparently when it came down to releasing the first single from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Taylor was so insistent that this garbage be the B-Side that Taylor locked himself in a cupboard and would not come out until Mercury agreed.
They should have left him in there.
So what have I learnt from this experience? Freddie Mercury liked to behaves like an camp old vauldeville dame (who'd have guessed), there's a reason Roger Taylor is a drummer, Brian May can sing and Queen albums have potential to be much more fun than I imagined. I still think Ben Elton's a **** though.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is eclectic, eccentric and quintessentially English.
Pop and circumstance if you will!
'DEATH ON TWO LEGS'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Fin7aD1SE
'39'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xki7lbro9_U
'I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdDNFJpil50
Friday, 27 July 2012
THE GALLEONS by THE GALLEONS (2012, own label)
Brighton-based folk 6-piece The Galleons occupy a space somewhere between US country-folk sensation The Civil Wars and gentle Scottish indie sorts Belle & Sebastian.
Singers Beth Chesser and Ben Brockett duet on all songs, their vocals working together much as classic Simon & Garfunkel, Beth taking the higher line and Ben taking the lower softer parts. Together the sound is soothing and dreamy.
They are backed by a group of very talented musicians, piano, drums and some exquisite guitar playing. Together they create a wonderfully melodic noise. At times they reminded me of the mellower moments of Bright Eyes album best album 'I'm Wide Awake It's Morning'. But what Conor Oberst does with Bright Eyes is to inject a little bit of danger into his acoustic proceedings. The Galleons are perhaps a little too controlled and if I could suggest anything it would be to say that little bit of 'crazy' could go a long way. The singers barely raise their voice above a whisper. You can't imagine them joyously screaming at their band "let' fuck it up boys make some noise!" like Oberst would. After twelve songs I was dying to see them loose control a little and just sound like they were having more fun.
The Galleons are apparently the "friendliest band in Brighton" but whilst the performance absolutely note perfect, on the next album it would be nice to see more of a glint in their eye. Nice though.
The album is available for digital download for £5 from here...
Thursday, 26 July 2012
MANIFEST! by FRIENDS (2012, Lucky Number)
R1's Huw Stephen's thinks Friends are one the most exciting bands of the moment and on the basis of MANIFEST! I'm inclined to agree.
The only problem is knowing where to ruddy well file them in your collection (if you indeed do such old fashioned things in this digital download age). Friends defy obvious classification.
Personally I'd slot them somewhere between Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Vampire Weekend. Singer Samantha Urbani definitely has Karen O's spiky cool presence. Like Vampire Weekend, Friends are clearly influenced by Paul Simon's Gracelands. But where the Vamps took the afro-beat bass and drums but gave it preppy punk flavour, Friends mix it up with indie funk, mutant disco, old school hip hop, a garage punk spirit and even a little '80s MOR rock.
'Sorry' is kissing cousin to Vampire Weekend's 'Oxford Comma'. Similarly 'Stay Dreaming' has vague echoes of 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' though Urban's vocals are more romantic and dreamy. Both are great tracks.
The single 'I'm His Girl' kind of reminds me of '80s pop hip hop track, it has a cool playground swagger to it. Here Urbani half sings-raps like Debbie Harry on Rapture. Effortlessly cool. 'Mind Control' is similar but also sounds like some forgotten Sugar Hill rap classic, particularly 'Pump Me Up' by Trouble Funk.
'Ideas on Ghosts' is almost like a disco version of Fleetwood Macs 'Big Love', moderate pop-rock with the BPMs increased. Elsewhere on 'Ruins' there's a distorted surf guitar straight from The Dead Kennedys.
Despite all their influences Friends have mashed up these sounds to create their own noise thats infectious, funky as hell and utterly unique to them.
If I were you I'd file under 'uber-cool'.
'I'M HIS GIRL'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5VNumNJyqE
'SORRY'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOP6n5A7A3c
'MIND CONTROL'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I90FkC6BMbw&feature=related
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
BAT OUT OF HELL by MEAT LOAF (1977, Sony Music)
In the 35 years since it was released BAT OUT OF HELL has been in the UK charts for a total of 474 weeks - that's over nine years! Globally it's still sells 200,000 copies annually. In total it has sold over 40million copies. Staggering. But in a way, what's more amazing isn't the fact that 40million people on planet Earth have bought a copy, it's that 560 million people haven't. What's wrong with these people?
Contrary what people with better taste may tell you, despite what your own best instincts may say and putting aside your utter revulsion at the sight of that sweaty man who will do anything for love but won't shut the hell up, one thing is unavoidable, this album ROCKS!
If somehow you call yourself a 'music fan' and you've managed to get this far life without actually having ever heard the whole bonkers Wagnerian-rock opera it's essential that you do. It's epic. It's operatic. It's completely overblown. Silly almost to the level of Spinal Tap pastiche. A production that is quite simply monstrous. A huge wall of sound that crashes over the listener time and time again like a tsunami of cheesy pomp-rock.
Wonderfully it is also (and I know some people will hate me saying this) cut from the exactly the same cloth as Springsteen's classic BORN TO RUN. If you like that classic album you must by default like BAT OUT OF HELL.
Lyrically both albums are tributes to the classic era of American youth, its romances and rebellions. The same motifs frequently appear whether they of teenage sweethearts stealing moments in the moonlight or boy-racers behind the wheels of their glorious metal machines. Both albums are action-packed 60's & 70's teenage rebellion and the first flights of freedom.
Lines like "Gonna hit the highway like a battering ram on a silver black phantom bike" could easily appear within 'Born to Run', but here it's big ol' Meat belting them out. Just has Springsteen seems to have an obsession with hotrods and American Graffiti style street-racing, so does Meat's songwriting partner Jim Steinman. The track 'Bat Out Of Hell' was written to be the ultimate crash song. It's the story of a boy riding so fast and in such a state of ecstasy that he's not able to see an obstacle in his way until it's far too late.
Musically both this album and 'Born To Run' are overblown, Phil Spector-indebted wall of sound led by guitars, pianos, saxophones and big rock n roll band arrangements. There are obvious similarities in song structure too. On the song 'Bat Out Of Hell' once the initial bombast dies down it restarts with a simple piano and builds in not entirely a dissimilar way to 'Thunder Road'. 'All Revved Up's saxophone stomp is only a short stretch from The Boss's 'Tenth Avenue Freeze Out'. There are plenty of other moments where the the music will seem familiar to Springsteen connoisseurs. In fact when BAT OUT HELL's producer Todd Rungren agreed to take the gig he did so believing the songs were hilarious, a parody of Springsteen. In his autobiography Meat quote Rungren as saying: "I've got to do this album. It's just so out there."
Unsurprisingly both albums also share a number of key musicians: Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg were drummer and pianist from Bruce's E Street Band. You'd also be forgiven for thinking Meat's saxophonist was the legendary Clarence Clemons, though sadly it's not.
All the songs are written and arranged by Jim Steinman. Three of them, 'Bat Out Of Hell', 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad' and 'All Revved Up With No Place Left To Go', were originally performed as songs for theatre project called 'Neverland', a science-fiction musical retelling of the Peter Pan story. The frankly nuts opening monologue between a woman and werewolf on 'You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth' were taken from this project also. All things considered I bet it was a hell of a wild show!
BAT OUT OF HELL is only seven songs long but four of them were gargantuan singles, classic stadium-sized belters: 'Bat Out of Hell', 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad', 'All Revved Up...' and 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light'. Add to these the overwrought balladry of 'Heaven Can Wait' and 'Crying Out Loud' and you have a definitive collection of the best operatic-rock tracks on a single album.
If you are a true fan of rock music, if you have ever known the joy of making the devil horns with your fingers, or held a lighter aloft at gig until your thumb burns, then you should already own this album. If you don't then you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself!
'BAT OUT OF HELL'
'TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD'
'HEAVEN CAN WAIT'
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
COMPOSED by JHEREK BISCHOFF (2012, The Leaf Label)
Jherek Bischoff is not a name I was familiar and it's down to a friend who recommended a recent collaboration with David Byrne that I picked it up... though it turns out he was talking a completely different collaboration (thanks anyway though Charles!).
Bischoff is a multi-instrumentalist composer described by the NME as the missing link between the "somber undertones of Ennio Morricone and the unpredictability of John Cale".
COMPOSED is an orchestral pop album where Bischoff collaborates with the aforementioned Talking Heads singer as well as Brazilian Tropicalia legend Caetano Veloso, French singer Soko, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline and a host of other musician from bands that I've (ashamedly) never heard of.
Sounds a little self-indulgent doesnt it. It isn't. When you hear the music you'll imagine it was recorded during some lavish recording session in some gargantuan recording studio with a full orchestra at his disposal. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Bischoff composed the album on ukulele, next he arranged and engineered the backing tracks without the expense of a full orchestra but by recording one instrument at a time using a single microphone and a laptop.
"I recorded each individual musician of 'the orchestra' in their own living room, then I layered each instrument - sometimes one violinist playing one part twenty times - until it was the size of a huge orchestra. I spent the summer riding my bike from house to house recording each musician. I finished the album by taking a road trip to record all the singers in person".
Standout tracks are hard to choose but if i must... the anthemic 'Counting' (with Carla Bozulic), 'Eyes' (with David Byrne) and 'Young and Lovely' (with Zak Pennington and Soko).
Magical, playful and at times also quite dramatic and bombastic, COMPOSED is a rich and sumptuous record; sweeping classical arrangements that envelop the guest singers in a noise that is at times beautiful and at others, thunderous. A real labour of love by the composer, but utterly worth it.
'EYES'
'YOUNG & LOVELY'
Monday, 23 July 2012
ANTICIPATION by CARLY SIMON (1971, Elektra)
ANTICIPATION was Carly Simon's second album and followed hot on the heels of her debut, also released in 1971. It's pre-dates Simon's huge success with You're So Vain
The title track 'Anticipation' was a big hit in the US. It's relates to Simon's state of mind as she waited to go on a date with then boyfriend Cat Stevens. There's anticipation of the evening, but also of how the relationship will play out over time. Whether it will it last or not she resolves to: "...i'll try and see into your eyes right now / and stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days".
It's a bitter sweet radio-friendly '70 pop. I'm amazed Magic don't play it more often. The relationship, by the way, was short lived, although it must have ended amicably as Cat Steven's wrote his lovely 'Sweet Scarlett' about her, "wild like the wind, the gypsy with a grin".
There's also several tracks about singer and future husband James Taylor whom she had known since they were children. The best of these is 'Legend In Your Own Time'. Other than the title track there's little here as memorable as Simon's big songs like '...Vain' or her brilliant Bond theme. A lot of the album is really stripped back. Tracks like 'Our First Day Together' and 'Summer's' Coming Around Again' sound like classic Blue-era Joni Mitchell, just vocals, guitar and piano.
ANTICIPATION is a sweet soulful pop record but also a little unremarkable. Guess there was bigger things to come...
'ANTICIPATION'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwP3wes4M8
'LEGEND IN YOUR OWN TIME'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSSt96CrMfI
The title track 'Anticipation' was a big hit in the US. It's relates to Simon's state of mind as she waited to go on a date with then boyfriend Cat Stevens. There's anticipation of the evening, but also of how the relationship will play out over time. Whether it will it last or not she resolves to: "...i'll try and see into your eyes right now / and stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days".
It's a bitter sweet radio-friendly '70 pop. I'm amazed Magic don't play it more often. The relationship, by the way, was short lived, although it must have ended amicably as Cat Steven's wrote his lovely 'Sweet Scarlett' about her, "wild like the wind, the gypsy with a grin".
There's also several tracks about singer and future husband James Taylor whom she had known since they were children. The best of these is 'Legend In Your Own Time'. Other than the title track there's little here as memorable as Simon's big songs like '...Vain' or her brilliant Bond theme. A lot of the album is really stripped back. Tracks like 'Our First Day Together' and 'Summer's' Coming Around Again' sound like classic Blue-era Joni Mitchell, just vocals, guitar and piano.
ANTICIPATION is a sweet soulful pop record but also a little unremarkable. Guess there was bigger things to come...
'ANTICIPATION'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwP3wes4M8
'LEGEND IN YOUR OWN TIME'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSSt96CrMfI
Sunday, 22 July 2012
ROOTS & ECHOES by THE CORAL (2007, Sony Music)
By the time The Coral's 5th album, ROOTS & ECHOES had came out interest in the band seemed to have largely waned. It's a big shame as it is an absolute belter of an album, possibly their best.
The Coral are the latest (last?) in a long line of Liverpool bands with that distinctive Merseybeat sound. Led by clean jangling guitars with simple bass, backbeat drums and classic vocal harmonies they follow there a long list of ascendents: The Beatles, The Searchers, Gerry & The Pacemakers, through to The La's, Shack and up to The Zutons. All have that classic Mersey sound that is rooted in a hybrid of skiffle, rhythm and blues and rock n roll.
As you might have guess from the album's title everything about ROOTS & ECHOES harks back to the genre's glory days of the early '60: The monotone album shot, the typography and of course the songs.
At the heart of The Coral is great classic British songwriting, that's not to say these are swaggering Britpop anthems. These are sweet and melodic beat-songs, very similar to The La's first and only album. The sound is resolutely old fashioned. On tracks like 'Remember Me' and 'She's Got a Reason' if you were to strip out singer James Skelly's scouse vocal you could be listening to the early Shadows.
Skelly's song-writing has matured and and the album is altogether slower-paced than it's predecessors with the exception two heavier tunes, 'In The Rain' and 'She's Got a Reason'. The latter builds into a vaguely psychy-rock out with hammond organ and fuzzed guitar solos. Even here though, the timeless melody is everything.
Standout tracks though are the gentle numbers: 'Put The Sun Back', 'Jacqueline', 'Cobwebs' and the breathtakingly 'Not So Lonely', a slow ballad that Scott Walker should have sung.
ROOTS & ECHOES is a classic '60s album, released 40 years too late.
'PUT THE SUN BACK'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqlKZDZpmkI
The Coral are the latest (last?) in a long line of Liverpool bands with that distinctive Merseybeat sound. Led by clean jangling guitars with simple bass, backbeat drums and classic vocal harmonies they follow there a long list of ascendents: The Beatles, The Searchers, Gerry & The Pacemakers, through to The La's, Shack and up to The Zutons. All have that classic Mersey sound that is rooted in a hybrid of skiffle, rhythm and blues and rock n roll.
As you might have guess from the album's title everything about ROOTS & ECHOES harks back to the genre's glory days of the early '60: The monotone album shot, the typography and of course the songs.
At the heart of The Coral is great classic British songwriting, that's not to say these are swaggering Britpop anthems. These are sweet and melodic beat-songs, very similar to The La's first and only album. The sound is resolutely old fashioned. On tracks like 'Remember Me' and 'She's Got a Reason' if you were to strip out singer James Skelly's scouse vocal you could be listening to the early Shadows.
Skelly's song-writing has matured and and the album is altogether slower-paced than it's predecessors with the exception two heavier tunes, 'In The Rain' and 'She's Got a Reason'. The latter builds into a vaguely psychy-rock out with hammond organ and fuzzed guitar solos. Even here though, the timeless melody is everything.
ROOTS & ECHOES is a classic '60s album, released 40 years too late.
'PUT THE SUN BACK'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqlKZDZpmkI
'NOT SO LONELY'
'COBWEBS'
Saturday, 21 July 2012
RAPPROCHER by CLASS ACTRESS (2011, Car Park Records)
Brooklyn based trio Class Actress are purveyors of silky smooth synth pop.
Layers of tightly woven keyboards and electro drum beats overlaid with singer Elizabeth Harper's breathy female vocals. She has a detached, cool but ever-so seductive air, it's kind of like one of the Stepford Wives has joined The Human League.
RAPPROCHER is their first full album and there are some standout moments, 'Weekend' and 'Love Me Like You Used Too' in particular are classy, crystalline perfectly-produced pop. Over the course of a whole album though it becomes a little one-note and towards the end it begins to feel derivative. If you really like the new wave of electro / synth pop bands like Hurts or Grimes you'll probably love it, if your more casual like me, it will drag.
A better introduction would be their excellent Journal of Ardency EP from 2010 which still feels fresher and more exciting, being less in the thrall of their lead singer and standard songs structures. On this E.P. Class Actress suggest a willingness break tracks down into full-on electro dancefloor numbers in a similar way to vintage New Order, check out the track 'Someone Real'. Disappointingly though there's none of that on RAPPROCHER. Bit of a shame really. Next time they just need to be less cool, have a bit more fun, and we will too.
'WEEKEND'
'LOVE ME LIKE YOU USED TO'
'SOMEONE REAL'
Friday, 20 July 2012
THE BOATMAN'S CALL by NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (1997, Mute)
"I don't believe in an interventionist God, but I know darling that you do". As opening lines go, it's not going to appeal to everyone. So begins Nick Cave's miserablist masterpiece THE BOATMAN'S CALL. This is his 'Blood On The Tracks', an outpouring of remorse at his doomed courtship with one Polly Jean Harvey.
There's no attempt at hiding the identity of his muse and at times you do wonder how PJ felt when Cave sung so freely about embracing "her palpitations" as he does on 'West Country Girl', or on the following song 'Black Hair' where he reminiscences about playing with her "beautiful, beautiful black hair" like a lovesick teenager.
Unlike his previous albums this is a sparse, minimalist record, entirely piano led with the barest of support, there's none of the explosive garage blues and punk of the Bad Seeds or Birthday Present. Musically it's closest to the soundtracks Cave wrote with fellow Bad Seed Warren Ellis for the period Westerns, 'The Proposition' and 'The Assassination of Jesse James'. Both excellent by the way.
When Cave's quasi-biblical language and dour delivery is set against such traditional arrangements, it gives him the air of a sad, aloof parson from a rural-set 19th Century novel. The mournful whine of folky violin evokes images of him trudging over wild moors, scowling heavily as he does on the cover. With the words of 'There Is A Kingdom' or 'People They Ain't No Good' and the frequent use of a church organ it's not hard to imagine Cave intoning warnings to his devout, rapt congregation.
'Are You The One I've Been Waiting For' and 'Into Your Arms' were the singles, both mournful and performed with an achingly heavy heart. The latter being the song Cave played for his friend Michael Hutchence, at his funeral.
Unrelentingly gloomy, these 12 mournful laments may leave you low. But sometimes there is beauty to be found in sadness.
'INTO MY ARMS'
'ARE YOU THE ONE I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR?'
Thursday, 19 July 2012
FEEL THE STEEL by STEEL PANTHER (2009, Universal Republic)
Big tunes, huge hair, enormous sexual appetite! Steel Panther are LAs finest '80s poodle rockers. Sporting spandex, litres of hairspray and epic stadium metal tunes that Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard would rip their greying perms out for!
Their skin tight lycra barely contains their massive throbbing riffs and fist-pumping anthems. They make The Darkness look demure, Spinal Tap seem sedate. Opening track 'Death To All But Metal' sets the agenda:
"Fuck the Goo Goo Dolls, they can suck my balls,
They look like the dogs who hang out at the mall.
Eminem can suck it, so can Dr. Dre,
They can suck each other, just because they're gay.
They can suck a dick, they can lick a sack,
Everybody shout, heavy metals back!
DEATH TO ALL BUT METAL!"
Subtle it ain't, rocking it is.
They're sexiest certainly, but also sexy as hell. Every song on the album is about the bands notorious love-making prowess. They love all types of ladies whether they be, ahem, groupies, strippers or hookers. Steel Panther don't discriminate.
It's not all about male gratification though, the Panther always ensure their lady-folk are satisfied as they go to great lengths to explain on 'The Shocker' and 'Eatin' Ain't Cheatin''. I'm not sure I need to elaborate further.
Despite their ball-swinging bravado they do have a more tender side. 'Girl From Oklahoma' is sweet acoustic tribute to a teenage groupie with braces. Its cut from the same cloth as Mr Big's 'To Be With You'. 'Community Property' is a straight soft rock ballad that channels Aerosmith 'Don't want to Miss a thing". Lead singer Michael Starr croons:
"I would give you the stars in the sky but they're too far away,
If you were a hooker, you know, I'd be happy to pay,
If suddenly you were a guy, I'd be suddenly gay,
'cause my heart belongs to you,
My love is pure and true,
My heart belongs to you,
But my c*ck is community property"
Steel Panther are a brilliant pastiche band with their tongues lodged firmly in cheeks (and in other intimate places). But the knowingly offensive smut is inventive in ways you can't imagine, plus they're backed up by brilliantly catchy hooks and perfectly constructed soft rock stadium anthems.
Forget 11, these guys go up to 12!
'DEATH TO ALL BUT METAL'
'FAT GIRL (THAR SHE BLOWS)'
'COMMUNITY PROPERTY'
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
IRON (E.P.) by WOODKID (2011, Green United Music)
Okay I'm cheating for the second day in a row. This is another EP not a full album, what can I say, it's been a busy week!
While we wait expectantly for his debut album it's worth checking out last years excellent IRON E.P. by Woodkid
Woodkid is the non de plume of French musician, graphic designer and director Yoann Lemoine. Amongst his better known work are the promos for Lana Del Ray's 'Born To Die', Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' as well as winning major awards at the Cannes for his smart AIDS awareness campaign, 'Graffiti'. He's also a seriously talented musician. Doesn't it just make you sick.
The lead track Iron is remarkable.
It opens to trumpets blasts that seem to herald the coming of the apocalypse. Gloomy beats fused with warlike tribal drums thunder behind Lemoine's gently atmospheric vocals. The lyrics appear to be told from the perspective of a soldier who's survived a great battle and is now alone surviving in a snowy wilderness awaiting his fate, the abyss before him. It would make the perfect accompaniment to an episode of Game of Thrones. In fact the track was used last year as the trailer music for the videogame Asssasin's Creed.
The tone changes completely on second track 'Brooklyn', an acoustic guitar and piano-led love letter to his favourite of NY's five boroughs. It's has an autumnal melancholy feel. Listening to it, its impossible not to imagine dusk's golden light hitting the red brick walls that line the streets of Williamsburg or the faded amusement park of Coney Island.
'Baltimore's Fireflies' is similarly haunting. In comparison the track 'Wasteland' is almost jaunty whilst still retaining the EP sadly nostalgic tone, its the kind of beautiful melancholia Rufus Wainwright does so well.
IRON E.P. is rounded off with two remixes of the title track. The first by The Warm Jets gives the track beefed up electronic sound, especially when the bass kicks in at 3 minutes. Get that volume turned right up for it! It kind of steals the thunder of the second mix by Gucci Vump which sets the track to a deep house beat. Its a bit "meh!"
'IRON'
'BROOKLYN'
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
THE WAR ROOM by PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING (2012, Test Card Recordings)
Do excuse my excitement chaps, but this I think this little EP might just be record of the year!
A mini-concept album, THE WAR ROOM takes us back 70 years to depths of the Second World War for five wartime vignettes titled 'If War Should Come', 'London Can Take It', 'Spitfire'. 'Dig For Victory' and 'Waltz for George'.
PSB take samples from these old pubic service films and propaganda material and they aim to "teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future". Musically the band sit somewhere between Lemon Jelly's quintessentially British folk-tronica and the dark psychedelic instrumentals from Primal Scream's Vanishing Point or Death In Vegas' Contino Sessions.
The music is great, but it's the smart use of these old samples expertly weaved into the tracks that elevate them to total brilliance, particularly on their tribute to the resilient capital 'London Can Take It" and their ode to "a bird that breaths fire and spits out death and destruction" - 'Spitfire'. It's heroic spine-tingling stuff.
Public Service Broadcasting are London duo J. Willgoose Esq and Wrigglesworth - not their real names we can assume. Two decent fellows who through the use of guitar, keyboards, drums, electronic instruments, banjos (yes, banjos!!) and some spiffing samples from old Public Service recordings (courtesy of the gentlefolk at the BFI) have created an EP of five instrumentals that do Blighty mighty proud.
A mini-concept album, THE WAR ROOM takes us back 70 years to depths of the Second World War for five wartime vignettes titled 'If War Should Come', 'London Can Take It', 'Spitfire'. 'Dig For Victory' and 'Waltz for George'.
PSB take samples from these old pubic service films and propaganda material and they aim to "teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future". Musically the band sit somewhere between Lemon Jelly's quintessentially British folk-tronica and the dark psychedelic instrumentals from Primal Scream's Vanishing Point or Death In Vegas' Contino Sessions.
The music is great, but it's the smart use of these old samples expertly weaved into the tracks that elevate them to total brilliance, particularly on their tribute to the resilient capital 'London Can Take It" and their ode to "a bird that breaths fire and spits out death and destruction" - 'Spitfire'. It's heroic spine-tingling stuff.
I've include the words from 'London Can Take It' below, originally a report filed by from American correspondent Quentin Reynolds and shown to audiences in the USA in order to shore up support for Britain and her allies. They're inspirational and spine-tingling.
At the moment, this EP is only £2.49 on iTunes UK store. Seriously do yourself a favour.
It's epic!
It's epic!
LONDON CAN TAKE IT
Now it's eight o' clock, Gerry's a little bit late tonight
The dusk is deepening. Soon the nightly battle of London will be on.
This has been a quiet day for us but it won't be a quiet night.
The searchlights are in position. The guns are ready.
The people's army of volunteers are ready.
They are the ones who are really fighting this war.
Brokers, clerks, pedlars, merchants by day. They are heroes by night.
These are not Hollywood sounds effects.
This is the music they play every night in London.
The symphony of war.
London can take it.
London raises her head, shakes the debris of the night from her hair
and takes stock of the damage done.
The sign of a great fighter in the ring is,
can he get up from the floor after being knocked down.
London does this every morning.
There is no panic, no fear, no despair in London town.
London can take it.
The night is long, but sooner or later the dawn will come.
'LONDON CAN TAKE IT'
'SPITFIRE'
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