tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806635368159259122024-02-19T04:17:49.078-08:00Ten ThingsLists of ten things. Not necessarily 'the best' or 'the most' - just lists of ten things.James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-49972326487315185122020-05-10T11:44:00.004-07:002020-05-10T13:40:19.049-07:00Ten Other Albums from 1977A second bite of the cherry that is 1977. I said on the <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/2020/04/10-best-albums-of-1977.html" target="_blank">original post</a> that this was a tough year - there were a lot of amazing records. Anyway, here I get to say a little about a few that didn't make the top ten.<br />
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Before I kick off, you may have noticed that the 'major' punk records did not appear. I talk a bit about those in this <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/2019/08/my-appraisalreappraisal-of-classic-punk.html" target="_blank">post</a>, but just to summarise: there are some great records there, but they just don't do as much as others for me. As I say in the 1977 post, the most interesting thing about punk is what came next. 1978 and 1979 have some much more interesting 'punk' records, I think. I still hold, however, that The Damned's debut is the best of that crop.<br />
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All the same, I'm going to start by mentioning three albums I deliberately excluded from that post because I'd made the (somewhat dodgy) decision to stick to English bands - I did this because I felt that to do otherwise might have risked an unwieldy and over-long list. All three could have been included, and all three had merits missing from the albums included.<br />
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(Wire's <i>Pink Flag</i> ought to be added to these three, but I'm pretty confident that either '78s <i>Chairs Missing</i> or '79s <i>154</i> will hit the top ten for one of those years. I'll leave Wire until then.)<br />
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<b>Richard Hell and the Voidoids - <i>Blank Generation</i></b><br />
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Within seconds of <i>Blank Generation</i> kicking off, you know that this is different. <i> Love Comes in Spurts</i> tears away, and while it has that abrasiveness that you might associate with punk, the energy is less angry, more psychotic. It makes the English bands look a little pedestrian in it's sheer kinetic boundlessness. This continues into the ultra-fidgety <i>Liars Beware </i>and only let's up a little on the third track. When we get to the fourth track, we begin to properly perceive the changes afoot. It's slower and almost bluesy - it pre-figures The Gun Club a little, I think. But it's here that we begin to see the expansiveness of palette that is absent from the English - even the more musical Jam and Stranglers. This album is frayed at the edges and there are times that it threatens to fall apart completely - but it's willingness to pull at the seams of rock and roll is thrilling. It didn't make my top ten, but it was close - of the 'new' crop of so-called punk bands, only his ex-bandmate Tom Verlaine and Television (as well as Blondie, depending on whether you want to include them here) impressed me more.<br />
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<b>Suicide - <i>Suicide</i></b><br />
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Still in New York and perhaps even more out there - certainly an even greater distance from the English bands of the time. What's more, is this the first synth duo? (We have Sparks as a duo in '79 and Soft Cell by '80 - but is there anyone earlier?)<br />
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Anyway, there a primitive streak here. Martin Rev's synthesizers are not the shiny, sequenced synths of Giorgio or latterly of the Pet Shop Boys; they sound like they have been unearthed from somewhere deep underground. The drums sound even older - vague, dark pulses. They are repetitive to the point of being oppressive, nasty, unsettling. The ten minutes of <i>Frankie Teardrop</i> grind the listener down - two notes, with only Alan Vega and some otherworldly sounds to break the monotony. It reminds me of the Eraserhead soundtrack. But then: Alan Vega. He mumbles and shouts and shrieks like Elvis possessed. It bears the marks of Jerry Lee and Gene Vincent but fed back from a distant point in space. It's not always a fun listen or a pleasant one, but dammit if it's not thrilling.<br />
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<b>The Saints - <i>(I'm) Stranded</i></b><br />
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From New York to Brisbane, to The Saints. At first pass, with the great single <i>(I'm) Stranded</i>, this sounds of a piece with the British bands. It bristles with power chords, energy and attitude. It's closest in spirit with The Ramone's debut - or even The Damned. There appears to be a deliberate lack of sophistication here - three chords played over and over. <i>Erotic Neurotic </i>holds to this, but channels (and rips off) the Stones' cover of <i>I Wanna Be Your Man</i>. They have the audacity to cover Elvis' <i>Kissin Cousins. </i>But the album isn't afraid to stretch out. <i>Messin' With the Kid</i> sounds like a heavier Neil Young track - it bears similarity, I think, with <i>Knockin' on Heaven's Door</i>. It's still sneering, it still has that attitude, but it's no longer bound to those three chords. Similarly, <i>Story of Love</i> swings for Springsteen territory and does a solid job.<br />
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Of these three albums, this is the weakest, but it still stands head and shoulders alongside The Damned, Jam and Clash - by which I mean it's still a cool album. Their next album is even better and is a potential for '78. (I have a massive soft spot for <i>Know Your Product</i>).<br />
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<b>Original Soundtrack - <i>Saturday Night Fever</i></b><br />
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This was number 11. It's problem was simple. While roughly half the record is spectacular, the other half is, to be honest, meh. There are seventeen tracks on the album (a double in old money). Six come from the Bee Gees and are incredible. We have a tracks from Yvonne Elliman, The Trammps and the KC and Sunshine Band - they are all solid. After that, it's a hefty decline; even the mighty Kool and the Gang submit one of their weaker efforts, and when we get to David Shire's <i>Night on Disco Mountain... </i>well, let's not.<br />
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But at it's best, it's amazing. The Bee Gees tracks (include Elliman's, which was written by them) are sublime. All seven of them will burrow a path to your brain and stay there forever. Once there, hips and legs will soon respond and feet will tap - they are irresistible.<br />
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<b>Blondie - <i>Plastic Letters</i></b><br />
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This might not be the best Blondie album, but it might well be my favourite. I bought it around the same time that I got <i>Parallel Lines</i> and <i>Eat to the Beat - </i>some point very late 70s, when I was still very much a child. I had a poster of Debbie Harry on my wall (the Andy Warhol's Bad one). When, later on, people would allude to me about her being a sex icon, I always felt slightly out of sync. I think because I had latched onto her at such a pre-pubescent time, she never transitioned into sex object in the way that, say, Madonna did.<br />
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As much as the two later albums had more of the hits, I just connected with this one more. It might be the sudden abruptness of both sides A & B - both <i>Fan Mail</i> and <i>I Didn't Have the Nerve </i>bolt out of the gates like it was their last chance. Perhaps it was the production - by Richard Gottehrer rather than Mike Chapman - that has more urgency. Maybe it's because I have a thing for transitional albums - bands struggling to find their feet. That is certainly the case here. The line-up was still in the process of coalescing; losing Gary Valentine, Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison listed only in the 'thanks section'. The two singles (<i>Denis</i> and <i>(I'm Always Touched By Your)Presence Dear</i>) already have that pop sheen, but the rest of the songs still have a roughness. The sixties garage and girl group influences are still plainly visible. Nonetheless, some of the songs are very strong, including the punkiest of all their singles, <i>Detroit 442</i> and possibly my favourite Blondie song of all (don't ask me why) <i>Cautious Lip.</i><br />
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I saw (what was left of) Blondie live in about '89 or '90 at Liverpool Royal Court. They finished with <i>Cautious Lip.</i> In honesty, it was the only thing I remember from the gig itself, but it made me very happy. (I also remember hooking up with a girl after the gig, but that's a different story).<br />
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Anyway, this isn't the best Blondie album - not really. There are a few songs that just don't quite cut it. <i>Parallel Lines </i>is coming in '78, and that is nothing, if not, pop perfection. But <i>Plastic Letters</i> has a place in my heart.<br />
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<b>Cerrone - <i>Supernature</i></b><br />
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I'll admit I only caught on to Cerrone recently. I've been making listening to disco an intention rather than as a by-product of seventies soul and that has led me to some incredible records that are, in all honesty, really growing on me. So far I have only listened to two of Marc Cerrone's albums; this one and his first <i>Love in C Minor. </i>The former is more of the classic disco sound - the lusher, strings-based style associated with Salsoul or MFSB. It's awesome, but this one delves more into the futuristic, synth-based disco we connect with Giorgio Moroder.<br />
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This is a concept album - scientists have done messed around with humanity again, it's all gone weird - but let's face it, I'm not really paying attention to that. The album is mixed, a couple of the tracks return to the sound of his earlier records - <i>Give Me Love</i> is old-school disco - as catchy as anything Salsoul put out. I'd love to hear a Tom Moulton mix of it. But the title track is where it's at. It's cold and distant, but as propulsive as anything Moroder did. If you're on the dancefloor and this fails to move you, call an ambulance - you might be dead.<br />
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<b>Abba - <i>The Album</i></b><br />
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Pity poor ABBA. A truly incredible band, but they never mustered a truly killer album. If you listen to their compilation <i>Gold</i>, it is genuine killer pop hit after hit. It's a rare Greatest Hits that manages that. Add to that <i>More Gold</i>, another 20 tracks, and almost as good. There are very few artists/bands that are so consistently awesome - and over a relatively short eight years.<br />
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I'd argue that the albums - especially the four from '75-'79 (<i>ABBA, Arrival, The Album</i> and <i>Voulez Vous</i>) - are also very good and contain several hidden gems. But in each case, there are one or two bum notes; tracks that dilute the overall quality from killer to just good, or in this case even, very good. In this album, the bad reaches its pinnacle with <i>One Man, One Woman - </i>a maudlin picture of a mundane marriage in difficulty. It's a move that Abba did much better on countless other occasions. The chorus - a song element that Abba are normally so sure-footed with - lumbers on wearily, much like the couple in the song, I guess. Similarly, <i>Move On</i>, is just a little too European; folksy pipe music, worthy, thoughtful voice-over. Still despite that, at least, it's catchy in a sort of Moomins go Pop! kind of way.<br />
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But when it's good, it's incredible. Let's note the singles quickly: <i>Thank You For The Music </i>is a mid-tempo, well-meaning piece of schmaltz, but it does the business. <i>The Name of the Game</i> is similar but has a gentle, soft rock propulsiveness that's killer. <i>The Eagle</i> is Abba at their Yacht Rockiest. They create a huge sound and never sounded more transcendent. <i>Take a Chance On Me</i> is disco gold.<br />
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But please, if you're reading this, pop <i>I'm a Marionette </i>on - preferably loud. I don't think that there's anything in Abba's discography that compares to it. It switches briskly from disco to slightly terrifying symphonic pop and back again. Agnetha and Frida never sounded so imperious. They always had a sort of coldness as singers, a sort of detachment. I've often felt that much of Abba's best music sounded like it was created by a future super-computer. The song is theatrical in the chorus and disco on the verse - flipping expectations. It makes no sense, but works brilliantly. If only they could have kept it together for a whole album.<br />
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<b>Throbbing Gristle - <i>Second Annual Report</i></b><br />
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This album ranked bottom for 1977 for me, but it might be one of the most interesting and was certainly more influential than most on the list. It's that thing where I'll admit it's place in the history of music, but I just didn't enjoy it at all. It doesn't help that it was recorded in the worst possible way and the music sounds like sludge. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to. The general unpleasantness of the audio samples that are overlaid are pretty grim too.<br />
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Interestingly, their next album <i>20 Jazz Funk Greats</i> is much more listenable. Throbbing Gristle were an important and influential point on the way to industrial music. What's more, the personnel here went on to other much better things, including one of my favourite bands (Coil).<br />
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But no, this is horrible.<br />
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<b>Grace Jones - <i>Portfolio</i></b><br />
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I love Grace Jones very very much. I saw her live a bunch of years ago, and I'll not have a bad word said about her. But dammit, her first few albums just aren't that good. They are examples of the style of disco that veers a little too closely to tacky show music. This album has covers of <i>Send in the Clowns </i>and <i>Tomorrow </i>all gussied up. I just don't enjoy them.<br />
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BUT! There is one of my very favourite songs on this one. <i>La Vie en Rose</i>, the Edith Piaf song. Grace's version is stripped down; a bossa nova rhythm of percussion, bass and acoustic guitar with piano on top. Grace sings it like her life depended on it, letting the song build and flow. It is amazing and utterly wasted on this otherwise disappointing album.<br />
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<b>Steve Martin - <i>Let's Get Small</i></b><br />
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I don't really consider comedy or spoken word albums very much in these lists, but this is my favourite. It is a clear reminder of Steve Martin at his funniest. Before the banjo and before the various movies where he was just alright; before all of that, he was a comedy giant. After a decade or so in clubs, he did two proper albums, and then pretty much retired as a stand-up. This was his first and proof, if it were needed, of his genius.<br />
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His comedy is not caustic or counter-cultural or directly profane, like George Carlin, or Richard Pryor, but it was, in its own way just as subversive. By co-opting the persona of a schmaltzy Vegas lounge act, he is able to send up the conventions and expectations of show-biz and the people that love it, i.e. everybody else. His whole approach is ridiculous and surreal and childish and stupid, but there's a mixing of concepts that is intellectually satisfying as well. He does an incredible double bluff - leading towards one sort of punchline and delivering another. Like all comedy albums, you need to listen to it...<br />
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You know when a comedy album is good, though, when you have listened to it a dozen or more times and you still laugh out loud. I'm laughing out loud right now...<br />
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James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-38916219702978071342020-04-25T07:32:00.003-07:002020-04-25T07:36:29.374-07:0010 'Best' Albums of 1977As ever, these are my 'best', not <i style="font-weight: bold;">the</i> best.<br />
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There are a LOT of great records kicking about in 1977. I'm not sure why but this was evidently a period of phenomenal creativity. Quite often, the big story is held to be the proper arrival of punk. I'm not sure how true that is, to be honest. Punk finally has the momentum, but there were plenty of signs of this in '76 and even before. We could just as easily say that the big story was disco. Similarly, it had been developing in the background for a few years and finally became super-massive in '77. The high-cheese factor in disco often obscures the fact that there were some great records to be had. Reggae blossomed in '76, but '77 is, if anything, even better. Classic rock is still, as it always did, producing some killer records and some genres, often regarded as being in the process of slipping back into the shadows (southern soul, for instance), still have plenty of life in them.<br />
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I listened to 111 albums in total and the overall quality is incredible. These are all records that I have bought so it's obvious that I am predisposed to liking them, but there are surprisingly few that I would consider anything less than 'pretty good' (<i>only 20 albums scored less than 7.5</i>). This is a bumper year. If you do go and look at the<a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/1970/04/1977-long-list.html" target="_blank"> long list</a> and see that <i>your </i>record is lower than you think it ought to, please don't think that I consider it poor.<br />
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Anyway...<br />
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<b>Iggy Pop - <i>The Idiot</i></b><br />
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I suppose that this is a spoiler and that I should alert you of such. <i>Low </i>by David Bowie is possibly my favourite record by anyone ever. So it probably oughtn't be much of a surprise that this album also figures very highly on this list. I read an interesting piece in <i><a href="https://thequietus.com/articles/21975-iggy-pop-lust-for-life-the-idiot-david-bowie-berlin-trilogy-review-anniversary" target="_blank">The Quietus</a> </i>that argued that <i>The Idiot </i>should be regarded as a piece with Bowie's Berlin period. This was recorded just before <i>Low</i> and there's a case for describing it as a dry-run. There are certainly similarities.<br />
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Again, like Bowie, this was not Iggy's only album in '77 - <i>Lust for Life</i> was released also. The latter album is better known on account of the title track and <i>The Passenger. </i>It is also more plainly an Iggy Pop record. It feels more organic and freer - more spontaneous. It's a great album and one that has grown on my over time, but despite feeling incredibly compressed and contained, this is my favourite. In fact, it is those qualities that appeal to me. Iggy never sounded so menacing, so tightly wound. On <i>Baby</i>, Iggy is apparently trying to be comforting, whilst at the same time being the opposite (<i>We're walking down the street of chance/Where the chance is always slim or none</i>). <i>Nightclubbing </i>(perfectly covered by Grace Jones, by the way) captures the nihilistic nothingness that is familiar to anyone who has spent time in nightclubs for no other reason than to spend time in nightclubs. By the time we get to <i>Mass Production</i> Iggy sounds as lost as ever he did with The Stooges. It's different, though. He's been beaten and processed and the craziness of youth has been replaced by something darker and more deranged. Well, it all sounds pretty depressing and I guess it is, but it's cathartic and liberating and exhilarating. It's very beautiful.<br />
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<b>Donna Summer - <i>Once Upon a Time</i></b><br />
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Donna Summer had an incredible year in 1977. She released two albums (one a double) and contributed to a soundtrack (<i>The Deep</i>). One of the singles released was one of the greatest singles ever released ever (<i>I Feel Love</i>). Frustratingly, that single is on the weaker of the two albums - what can you do? Suffice it to say that when Brian Eno strides into the studio to Bowie and declares it to be the sound of the future, he was right and 43 years later he still is.<br />
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<i>Once Upon a Time</i> is produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte; it is a double album and a concept album and remarkably it works on that score better than most. It concerns a young girl who moves to the city, struggles, has bad times, finds love, lives happily ever after. It's not the highest concept ever, but it'll do. Musically, it covers the bases from the softer, lusher, organic disco of MFSB, for instance, to the more futuristic, electronic sound we associate with <i>I Feel Love</i>.<br />
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One of the most remarkable things about this record is how much it prefigures the 80s. It has a sheen and gloss as well as that brittleness, edge, glassiness we associate with new wave electro-pop. We should hardly be surprised given that it comes from Moroder, but over 14 tracks, Donna Summer is perfect at adding the warmth and natural tones needed to bring it life. Because of it's poppy overtones and the throwaway nature of disco, I think that this record is far too easily disregarded - please don't. Every time I listen to it, I love it more.<br />
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<b>Chrome - <i>Alien Soundtracks</i></b><br />
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This was the surprise. I'd not listened to this for years and when I saw it on the long-list I felt pretty confident that it would run at the lower end of the pack. How wrong I was. Almost immediately it grabbed my attention and refused to let it go. After I listened to it once, I put it straight back on again to double-check.<br />
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How to describe it? Draw a line from punk, Hawkwind and Can, plot the point where they meet, and then douse it in acid - the corrosive kind, not the fun stuff (although that might work too). It's rough and abrasive and might have been recorded in the cheapest studio ever, but it is full of ideas, menacing humour, and importantly, for all of its unconventionality, it's a surprisingly fun listen. In that there are echoes of the Butthole Surfers, especially on <i>Slip It To The Android. </i>There are moments of serenity amidst the dislocated chaos - <i>Nova Feedback</i> is spacey and mysterious. I'll not leave it so long before I give it the next listen...<br />
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<b>Bob Marley & The Wailers - <i>Exodus</i></b><br />
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I said, on my '73 post, that for a long time I passed on Bob Marley. I'd thought him a bit obvious,<br />
favouring rootsier, less polished, more 'authentic' artists. A few years ago, I retired this opinion and admitted that Bob was pretty awesome and I was engaging in some pointless snobbery. Even so, part of me was a little sad when this album came up trumps and not The Congos or Culture. Both of their albums are incredible, but, you know what, this is the business. It's deep, thunderous <b>and </b>it has some killer singles on it.<br />
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Production wise, perhaps it is more polished. As my taste has changed and developed, I increasingly thing that that is no bad thing. Rougher production is fine sometimes, but then so is smoother. But then, this collection is deep - it's hardly as though Bob sold out and started producing exclusively 'silly love songs'. These are as rootsy as anything Burning Spear had to say. The players that he has along with him here are first class and the production has kept up to date with what Lee Perry has been up to. Younger James was an ass - this is too good an album to miss. Outside of <i>Legend</i> or some other compilation, no Marley album has as many great songs on it. If you want a straight roots reggae album, this is always going to be one of the best - hands down.<br />
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<b>Kraftwerk - <i>Trans-Europe Express</i></b><br />
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A different view of the future again. Just an aside, but isn't it interesting that six out of the ten albums this year all have an eye on the future? They are all, in quite different ways, operating in a way that is plainly distinct from even the albums from '76, let alone earlier. Also interesting, and possibly relevant - of those six, five have a German connection....<br />
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Anyway, back to Kraftwerk and the future. At first glance this seems a sterilised view of things. The sounds are all crisp and precise. There is no room for error or confusion. The vocals too are delivered with stereo-typically Teutonic distance. Even on their 'tour' of Europe, where they meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie, there's a lack of passion, a disconnect. But this is all misleading. For all that what I have said is true, there is, I think, a wonderment at European-ness and an implicit critique of the apparent triumph of reason over nature. I think that in embracing the illusion of artificiality, Kraftwerk are really romantics. Because even here, it is beautiful; even here, there is transcendence. Technology will, in the end, become the tool of nature.<br />
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Enough of that - I was becoming pretentious. What's also worth noting is how these guys provided an integral building block to one of the least impersonal and inhuman art-forms: Hip Hop.<br />
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<b>Dennis Wilson - <i>Pacific Ocean Blue</i></b><br />
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Dennis Wilson was the hidden jewel in The Beach Boys. He was there for the looks and for the fact that he was the only one of the group that actually surfed. He didn't even play on many of the early records. But as the wheels came off the Brian Wilson bus, Dennis suddenly stepped up as a songwriter and provided some of the most interesting post-<i>Pet Sounds</i> records. (Check out <i>Celebrate the News, Slip on Through</i> or <i>Forever.</i>) He was the first of the band to produce a solo album, and although this is his only one, it's incredible.<br />
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<i>Pacific Ocean Blue</i> both is and is not like The Beach Boys. The production is lush and rich and many tracks feature vocal harmonies, although not all in Beach Boys style - some have an almost Gospel fervency. But there is a depth and a darkness of tone that is hardly ever reached on Beach Boys records. Brian Wilson, ever the heart and soul of the group, held close the standpoint of the teenager; Dennis' record is very grown up. Coming at it another way: this the hardest soft rock you'll ever hear. Dennis lived a tough life; he had a drinking problem, a marriage grounded in conflict as much as love, not to mention his earlier dealings with the Manson family. And this album bears those scars. It's an album about maturity; navigating the knocks that life throws at you, learning from them, and moving past them. It celebrates that growth. And that's the thing - for all there's a darkness about the record, it's about the light that breaks through it. Listen to the final song, <i>End of the Show</i>: it begins slow, almost mournful, and then it breaks, angelic harmonies slip in, hope saves the day.<br />
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<b>Giorgio Moroder<i> - From Here to Eternity</i></b><br />
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First of all, how cool is that cover? That's one hell of a moustache...<br />
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I said earlier that <i>Once Upon a Time</i> was looking towards the future. It was indeed. But whereas Donna Summer was taking her time in getting there, Moroder didn't want to stop and enjoy the scenery - he wanted the future and he wanted it now. And that's what we have here. Eight tracks resolutely set on defining what future music should sound like.<br />
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Unsurprisingly, Moroder had learned the lessons of Kraftwerk. The coolness of automation is here, but so is disco and a far more developed pop sensibility. It's a short album - only 30 minutes - but over these eight tracks, he includes pretty much the whole template of electro-pop. They are intentionally, sometimes goofily, fun. Track titles contain stupid puns (<i>Utopia - Me Giorgio</i>) but this does nothing to take away the sense that we are stepping into a new world. Again and again, I hear sounds that would re-emerge in 80s pop stalwarts, or New York, or Detroit House, or Sheffield's Warp Records. The 80s began in 1977 apparently.<br />
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<b>Fleetwood Mac - <i>Rumours</i></b><br />
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What can you say about this album that hasn't already been said? I love it and it isn't even my favourite Fleetwood Mac album - <i>that's Tusk.</i> I first heard it in about '86 or '87. I was right at the apex my goth period. A friend came 'round; she was staying at her aunt's and brought a clutch of records, as you did in those days. This was amongst them but she told me that I probably wouldn't like this one...<br />
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Maybe I took that as a challenge or maybe it was reverse psychology. Or maybe, with a record like this, it was inevitable that she was going to be wrong. With Andrew Eldritch keeping me company, how could I resist the charms of <i>Dreams</i>? The essence of Stevie Nicks is the witchy woman that is at least one archetype for the goth girl. And there's nothing goth boys like more than goth girls. I'm pretty sure that's half the charm of the whole subculture. When I started playing guitar, I needed to master the bassline of <i>The Chain. </i>And so on - in other words this was an album that I kept coming back to. And with every listen the clarity of great songs became clearer and more impressed upon me. It wasn't long from being an album with two or three great songs to just being a great album.<br />
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<b>Television - <i>Marquee Moon</i></b><br />
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You might have noticed that there are none of the obvious classic punk albums on this list. Truth is, while I think that they are good enough records, and certainly, as in the case of <i>Never Mind the Bollocks</i>, interesting or important, I just don't love many of them that much. I think that the most interesting things about punk where what happened next; and in certain places, what was happening next was already happening. Bands like Wire and Throbbing Gristle were already taking the energy and ethos of punk, along with their own ideas, to produce (with very different results) new ideas. New York punk was already pushing ahead into new territory. Richard Hell, Blondie, Talking Heads, and others were producing music miles ahead of The Clash or Pistols.<br />
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(<i>An interesting side debate: what is punk? Is it a genre or an ethos? My answer is it is both, depending on the context. The sense in which I am using it here is the former sense. Punk as a style of music exemplified by The Clash, The Ramones or The Damned. Also, what is New Wave and where are the parameters for that?</i>)<br />
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In 1977, once of the clearest pointers of the ways that punk could move forward was given by this album. First up, it has vitality and nervous tension. Straight from the off <i>See No Evil</i> bursts out the gates with a twin guitar line that wouldn't be so out of place with Thin Lizzy. But it is more brittle and Tom Verlaine has a different energy to Phil Lynott. The solo is simple and unrefined but it does what is required. The songs are bright and vibrant, they chime out. And on it goes. The title track itself is rightly legendary. It is ten minutes and that's something right there for a band associated with punk. And it's exhilarating. The album, like the song, from beginning to end is revelatory and rewards repeated listening more than so many contemporaries. It's a new type of blues. And that's what punk opened up. Many new avenues were made clear. Television may have only explored one, but down this route came R.E.M., Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, The Gun Club and many more.<br />
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<b>David Bowie -<i> Low</i></b><br />
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I hate being forced to give an answer to this question but for the last few years, if push came to shove and I had to declare my favourite album of all time, it would be this. I'm not sure I've ever put it on and felt anything less than total joy and excitement.<br />
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A lot of people prefer <i>"Heroes"</i> and I feel like I ought to say something about that. First up, the title track is legendary and I love it. However, the rest of the album leaves me a little cold. Bowie's doing a thing and I am not sure it's gelling for me. I wonder if I prefer Bowie when he's grasping more than when he knows he's onto something. Alongside this, my favourite Bowie albums are (not in order of preference) <i>Hunky Dory</i>, <i>Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Lodger</i> and perhaps, <i>Let's Dance. </i>In all of them, it is arguable that Bowie was trying to find the next thing or, in the case of <i>Lodger</i>, trying to shake something off, or both. With <i>Low, </i>he seems to have found a direction from <i>Station to Station</i>, but he doesn't quite know where he's going to land. He's experimented some ideas with Iggy on <i>The Idiot, </i>and sketching them out here for himself with fellow pilgrim, Eno. On <i>"Heroes" </i>Bowie feels more sure of himself. That's no bad thing, of course, but I just don't feel the same way about it. I don't what else to say... Maybe I'm full of shit.<br />
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But this. Track by track is a dream to me. <i>Speed of Life</i> has these incredible sounds. I, for one, am glad that Bowie was suffering from writer's block. It's a glorious instrumental with truly spectacular sounds, as has all of the album. <i>Breaking Glass </i>always makes me giggle. Given that I think it's about someone in a pretty bad place I probably oughn't laugh, but the couplet <i>Don't look at the carpet/I Just drew something awful on it </i>amuses me every time. The whole first side feels so urgent and craven and desperate. Each song is short - even the relative languor of <i>Sound and Vision</i> is keen to keep proceedings brisk and not to outstay its welcome. The second side, made of four longer extended instrumentals, does pivot to a different mood. They are longer, sombre, contemplative. For all that, though, they remain lush and engaging, more open to interpretation.<br />
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As I said at the top here, I never tire of this record. It's a joy.<br />
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Here's a Spotify playlist too!<br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0hiWiPaArJkBRo9YUz4WXr" width="300"></iframe><br /></div>
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I'll be back soon with 1977 Part Two. There'll be more pointless discussion there! Hurray!<br />
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Oh, yes - here's the <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/1970/04/1977-long-list.html" target="_blank">long list</a><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-85139224146396805062020-04-16T06:37:00.001-07:002020-04-16T06:52:36.741-07:0010 Classic Albums from On-U Sound<div style="text-align: center;">
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On-U Sound is without doubt one of the most influential British independent labels, and one of the least well known. The label is surprisingly diverse, despite it's being ostensibly a reggae label. It both is and is not that. The label's founder, genius producer Adrian Sherwood, began the journey firmly within the dub tradition of King Tubby. Within a a year or two, the radical experimentation of his production went much further and incorporated far more of the post-punk aesthetic - deconstructing the form of dub into something that only bears a family resemblance. Later albums, from about '85 onwards, begin to embrace more of the digital reggae sound as well as elements of dancehall.</div>
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I've focused on the most influential and productive period of the label - roughly the first ten years. On-U Sound has continued to this day, but it is fair to say that, until recently when it has had a period of resurgency and reorganisation, the '90s and early 2000s were sporadic in terms of new releases. I've also selected from amongst the most well known releases. I definitely recommend digging deeper. There are some fascinating and thrilling records to be found back there as well as a few surprises.<br />
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<b>Creation Rebel - <i>Starship Africa (1980)</i></b><br />
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Creation Rebel was the first On-U Sound studio band. It was made up of touring reggae musicians who would typically accompany visiting Jamaican singers around the country. Sherwood would book some down time in local studios and they would record some tracks with Sherwood applying whatever trickery he could.<br />
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Strictly speaking not an On-U Sound record. It was initially released on one of Sherwood's earlier attempts at setting up a label. (It did, later, get an official On-U release). Sherwood is still firmly within the Tubby school of dub but the expansiveness of his production is beginning to show. The motif of space was both figurative and literal as Sherwood made more use of the gap between musical elements. Not the most experimental On-U release, but direction of travel was clearly marked out on this record.<br />
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<b>New Age Steppers - <i>New Age Steppers (1981)</i></b><br />
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Another mostly studio based band but the blending of dub and post-punk influences starts here. Alongside members of Creation Rebel and the future Dub Syndicate, were a collection of post-punk luminaries. Mark Stewart, Steve Beresford and Bruce Smith had come over from Bristol pioneers The Pop Group. Ari Up, Viv Albertine and Palmolive are here from The Slits. There's even a very young Neneh Cherry in the mix.<br />
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Unsurprisingly, the post-punk aesthetic is to the fore, especially in the vocal stylings. Ari Up's interpretation of the Junior Byles' classic <i>Fade Away</i> is awesome, but only if you also like The Slits. Ditto Stewart's<i> Crazy Dreams and High Ideals - </i>Stewart's caterwaul is an acquired taste. Aside from this, you can see that the intention here is to dismantle dub in similar fashion to how these artists had dismantled elements of rock in their original bands. There's a degree of roughness to the sound here, but the willingness to go out there and try things is what made this period of On-U so influential and radical.<br />
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<b>Creation Rebel & New Age Steppers - <i>Threat to Creation (1981)</i></b><br />
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Given what we've said about the previous two albums, you can pretty much predict the outcome here. Sherwood employs rhythms, in classic dub-style, from their previous releases and adds layers of production and additional instrumentation. The outcome is one of the finest records from this early period.<br />
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<b>African Head Charge - <i>My Life in a Hole in the Ground (1981)</i></b><br />
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Bonjo I was a percussionist from Jamaica employed in a number of touring bands in the UK. His speciality was Nyabinghi drumming as well as other Rastafarian and African modes. Bonjo I formed the nucleus of another On-U 'band', African Head Charge, alongside a growing family of players from other On-U projects. (In fairness, they did, in time, begin to tour and play live a far amount.)<br />
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The album title was intended as a snipe at Eno and Byrne's <i>My Life in a Bush of Ghosts. </i>Sherwood had taken exception to a comment from Eno regarding a vision of a psychedelic Africa. The reggae quotia is dialled back here in favour of providing a vehicle for the percussion. The same cannot be said for the weirdness quotia. Tracks are taken apart and reassembled before your eyes (ears) - trumpets like a hoard of elephants enter and exit; atmospherics are added and removed. The net result is both more out there, but also more straightforwardly listenable than The New Age Steppers above. It's a monster - especially the haunting and slightly terrifying <i>Far Away Chant </i>featuring Prince Far I (credited as King Cry Cry)<br />
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<b>Dub Syndicate - <i>Pounding Systems (Ambience in Dub) (1982)</i></b><br />
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Dub Syndicate picked up around the time that Creation Rebel dismantled. It was largely the same collection of musicians but this time coalescing around drummer Style Scott. Until Scott's awful murder in 2014, Dub Syndicate were, along with African Head Charge, one of the longest lasting On-U bands.<br />
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This is one of my favourite On-U releases. (<i>Most of this are also favourites.</i>) It is back to a more traditional dub format, but despite this, and Sherwood's commitment here to the form, it has some of the most radical production. Sherwood tried everything to manipulate the sounds to disorientate and draw attention. The result is incredible.<br />
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<b>Singers & Players - <i>War of Words (1982)</i></b><br />
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Singers and Players was yet another studio band, but this time with the intention of allowing various singers to come to the fore. On this album we have the much missed Bim Sherman and Prince Far I, but on other releases there are Mikey Dread and Congo Ashanti Roy.<br />
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This is another favourite. This album contains some of Sherwood's most deranged production choices but miraculously he never lets it get in the way of the purposes of the songs. Singers and Players records are amongst the most straightforwardly listenable On-U records and this is no exception. But check out that backwards interlude in <i>Quante Jubila</i> or the pounding rhythms of <i>World of Dispensation</i> on which Bim Sherman never sounded sweeter.<br />
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<b>Mark Stewart & Maffia - <i>Learning to Cope With Cowardice (1983)</i></b><br />
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Talking of deranged production... This is one of the most challenging listens in the On-U Sound canon. Stewart and Sherwood produce a literal monster of an album that manically and violently assaults the listeners with rhythms and sounds layered upon rhythms and sounds. It is bewildering and distracting. On paper this should be a disaster, especially when you add to the mix Stewart's discordant vocal style. Vocals jump back and forth, rhythms chop and change, depth of echo effects twist and turn. It ought to be unlistenable, but it is not. If you're willing to go with it, it's invigorating and exciting and downright thrilling. The cover of Jerusalem ought to required listening for anyone.<br />
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<b>Dub Syndicate & Lee 'Scratch' Perry - <i>Time X Boom De Devil Dead (1987)</i></b><br />
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It was inevitable that Sherwood would eventually work with Lee Scratch Perry. Although I would place Sherwood firmly in the King Tubby dub tradition, he shares an adventurer's spirit with Perry. A willingness to go beyond and travel somewhere more instinctual.<br />
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In the mid-80s, Sherwood began to include more digital techniques to his production and unsurprisingly, you can date On-U records accordingly. This is no criticism mind - he managed to establish a distinctly On-U aesthetic that continues right to this day. It was less 'out there' and more danceable - a much easier sound. This was already firmly in place by this release and consequently, it's fairly light and breezy affair. Substantially, it is Perry singing over Dub Syndicate rhythms, but both producers are all over the record. Perry is as insane as you'd want him to be, but it's On-U at it's most accessible.<br />
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<b>Gary Clail & On-U Sound System - <i>End of the Century Party (1989)</i></b><br />
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On-U Sound had picked up all sorts of participants over the previous decade. Amongst the most influential within the stable were Skip McDonald, Keith LeBlanc and Doug Wimbush - previously Sugarhill Records' house band. Bonjo I credits McDonald in particular as integral for the sound of the label. Sherwood joined McDonald and so to form Tackhead. Tackhead were more electronic and funkier, operating with break-beats and samples. It was more American, less Jamaican. Tackhead Sound System was formed as a way of using Tackhead rhythms to perform at different events and venues. Gary Clail (apparently an ex-roofer from Bristol) used these rhythms to shout political slogans over. It was awesome. In 1988 Tackhead's Tape Time was released; this was Clail's second release with the label.<br />
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This was less stark and funky and more in line with the classic On-U sound but just as stridently political. It was also very clearly an attempt to align the sound with the growing rave culture. The single <i>Beef, </i>which is the closest On-U ever came to direct chart success (although in a revamped form from Clail's subsequent <i>Emotional Hooligan</i> LP). <i>Two Thieves and a Liar</i> and <i>Privatise the Air</i> are also second period On-U Sound classics.<br />
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<b>African Head Charge - <i>Songs of Praise (1990)</i></b><br />
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By 1985 African Head Charge's sound had also developed into something more coherent and less jarringly 'out there'. <i>Off the Beaten Track</i> had found the balance between showcasing Bonjo I's drumming and Sherwood's experimentation and excursions. (<i>It's probably my favourite On-U record of all time, in truth.</i>) <i>Songs of Praise</i> further develops that. The production is tight and controlled but without overly constraining. It is easily the most professional and polished that On-U Sound had ever sounded to this point. Again, like most things on the label from this period, it is danceable even when it is space- and forboding.<br />
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I saw African Head Charge this year at Glastonbury. I'm not a dancer but I danced to that. The crowd was floating and undulating about six inches above the mud. The electrics kept cutting out and all that remained was the booming drumming. A great gig.<br />
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<b>Bonus: <i>Sherwood at the Controls Vols. 1 & 2 (2015 & 2016)</i></b><br />
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There are loads of very good On-U compilations kicking about. The <i>Pay It All Back </i>series are good as they include different versions and some oddities. The two <i>Discoplates</i> compilations are cool too as they compile the series of 10"s the label produced in the early 80s. These two focus not on Sherwood's production within the On-U stable alone but show his work for other artists. Again there are some really interesting bits and bobs here including The Fall, The Slits, Medium Medium and The Beatnigs.<br />
<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-24301117705128126282020-03-30T10:05:00.000-07:002020-03-30T10:17:07.673-07:00Ten Other Albums from 1976It's been a long time since my <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/2019/08/10-best-albums-from-1976.html" target="_blank">last post</a> about years. I have not forgotten but a few things got in the way. My Mum died - that de-railed things quite a lot. In addition I have had a lot of work and I had a huge influx of CDs to listen to. All the same, I've been keeping half an eye on the blog, wondering when I'd get it together to return. If there is an upside of the coronavirus, perhaps this will be it.<br />
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Of course, if I get Covid-19 and die, this may age very badly indeed.<br />
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So these side posts are intended to comment a little on a few that didn't make the top ten. I'll mention a couple that missed out that perhaps people might ask 'why not?' I'll comment on a few that are worthy of comment, even if they're not 'the best'. I'll talk about one of the worst albums of the year. Finally, taking advantage of the passing of time, I'll note a couple of albums that I have bought since that initial post that were interesting.<br />
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<b>The Ramones - <i>The Ramones</i></b><br />
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I strongly suspect that if any number of people read this and the original post (<i>they almost certainly won't</i>), a good proportion will be loudly complaining about the absence of this record. I really don't care very much, but here's why (<i>it ain't complicated</i>): even at 29 minutes it outstays its welcome.<br />
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There are 14 songs squeezed into this record. The first two are classics. Both <i>Blitzkrieg Bop</i> and <i>Beat on the Brat</i>. Most of the rest of the songs sound like those two, only less good. A couple of songs sound like <i>I Want to Be Your Boyfriend. </i>This is a de-sophisticated version of Phil Spector songs. Not a bad idea and it has some charm. I think that Jesus and Mary Chain did it better, but even so. I kind of get that there is an energy to be found in The Ramones that was sorely lacking in much music from the mid-70s, and the back to basics simplicity of it is liberating. That is fine and if we want to mark <i>The Ramones</i> as a document of that musical turn, then cool - I'll not argue. But you want to say that this is a great album or a high-water mark or something, I'll pass. It's alright. It's two ideas played out 14 times. For my money, 12 times too many.<br />
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To clarify: I don't hate this record. It's OK. I just think it's massively over-rated.<br />
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<b>The Eagles - <i>Hotel California</i></b><br />
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The question of why this did not hit the top ten is pretty straightforward - it was pipped at the post. It was a super close number 11 in the mix. There are no two ways about it, this is an incredible record. It is probably fair to say, however, that the best thing about it is also it's biggest problem - and that is the title track. Despite being permanently on the cusp of overplay, it never fails to impress. It's a perfect storm of mid-70s rock tropes; the strained West-coast singing, twin guitars, light reggae rhythm guitar, sophisticated production. But above all, it's a great song that pretty much begs to be sung along to. It's so great that despite being followed up by seven other genuinely solid tracks, none of them quite compare with it. They are all worth your time, though. <i>New Kid in Town </i>marries gentle country rock with latin medodies, <i>Life in the Fast Lane</i> is all rock and roll boogie, <i>Wasted Time </i>is a classic rock ballad, and so on. Each and every one top notch, but not one half as good as Hotel California. Sadly, that's how a great album misses out on being in my top ten.<br />
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<b>Starcastle - <i>Starcastle</i></b><br />
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You know when punks and old music journalist's say that punk was needed to wash away the tedious self-indulgence of prog rock, this is what they have in mind. I'm not a big fan of prog, but I don't mind it - I've a few records by Genesis, and Rush, and so on. But what those bands do is remember to include the bloody tunes. These guys are undoubtedly talented, but there are no hooks, no melody lasts long enough to become familiar, there's no fun, no soul. Frankly, I hated it. When ranking it, they got a couple of points for being good musicians, half a point for the pretty cover, and a point for having a similar musical palette to Marillion (who I love). Beyond that they can fuck right off.<br />
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<b>Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson - <i>A Star is Born</i></b><br />
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Unlike Starcastle, I don't hate this album. Firstly, it's a good deal better. It contains a sold-cold classic song in <i>Evergreen</i>. This is just the sort of song that Streisand excels at; it's a beautiful piece, delivered perfectly. It also homes a hidden gem: <i>Queen Bee</i>. This sneaky little slice of gussied up R&B is sexy and cool. It channels early 60s girl groups and adds a pawing, grasping sensuality that, surprisingly, Streisand pulls off convincingly. Sadly, it's the rest of the album that is disappointing. While Streisand's songs are mostly boring, Kristofferson is embarrassing. In the film he plays a great rock star whose career is faltering, just as he is bringing up a new singer who is rapidly eclipsing him. Drama ensues, etc. Anyway, you know how ageing rock stars sometimes release records that are trying too hard - yes, that's the problem. His songs are utterly unconvincing. I like Kristofferson's own material - he's a great songwriter. Here, not so much.<br />
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<b>Leo Sayer - <i>Endless Flight</i></b><br />
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I always feel bad for Leo Sayer. He was a talented guy in a whole bunch of ways, but the odds seemed against him. Around '76 he lost whatever 'cool' he had and seems to have been deemed 'uncool' ever since. For reasons that are slightly boring, I picked up a Leo Sayer boxset a few years ago and at least two people have judged me poorly for its possession. Now please, I'm not in the slightest bit bothered for me - I can take it - it's Leo I feel bad for. He deserves better and if you want to see why, give this album a whirl.<br />
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In 1976, I think that Leo faced a difficult choice. His third LP, while it sold well, produced only one hit and I wonder if he was falling rapidly out of fashion. He had risen to fame as a singer-songwriter, somewhere around the nexus of Bowie's folksier material, Elton John's softer, more lyrically adventurous side (courtesy of Bernie Taupin, of course), and ultra-soft heart-on-their-sleeve troubadours like Gilbert O'Sullivan. By '76, Bowie had moved on, O'Sullivan had disappeared in a funk - only Elton was hanging on. What's more, the UK music scene was heading towards the pub rock/ nascent punk scene. This did not suit Leo very well, and so his best call was to go to the US and embrace pop with a capital 'P'. He was placed in the care of hitmaker Richard Perry who sidelined Sayer's own material and focused more squarely on covers, and hits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Hnw8XiD5ETVSDyFgxM87MIKaNJ2l567qUkTTmNnVyIBwIs-m7lMnrqHHjYG4nJHDx77aIZ7_W92NyvZ2xgfCgf-f0LhjwkNGaG63LEInaO5PKo28oFHWd23GoLLX8p5SDjGQrY1WyrJH/s1600/leo+sayer+have+you+ever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Hnw8XiD5ETVSDyFgxM87MIKaNJ2l567qUkTTmNnVyIBwIs-m7lMnrqHHjYG4nJHDx77aIZ7_W92NyvZ2xgfCgf-f0LhjwkNGaG63LEInaO5PKo28oFHWd23GoLLX8p5SDjGQrY1WyrJH/s200/leo+sayer+have+you+ever.jpg" width="200" /></a>The outcome is a pretty solid album. It's not all killer and the biggest hit of the record, <i>When I Need You</i>, tilts towards the overly sentimental (it is incredibly appealing, though). But when it's good, this is great music. It has the awesome, Bee Gee aping <i>You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, </i>which still stands up as a soft disco giant. His cover of Danny O'Keefe's <i>Magdalena </i>is lilting and compelling. The title track is my favourite, an Andrew Gold<i> </i>cover; I think it's comparable with Elton's best work.<br />
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I think this is a album well worth spending time with. For the record, the three preceding albums are all good (his debut<i> Silverbird, </i>especially). The albums that follow steadily dip into the 80s, hitting a low with <i>Have you Ever Been In Love</i> (which ought to win an award for depressing album covers). After that, perhaps because he headed back towards what he was best at - being a singer-songwriter, they pick up again. <i>Voice in My Head</i> is pretty decent.<br />
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<b>Ned Doheny - <i>Hard Candy</i></b><br />
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The music business is full of injustices - people that should have made it but didn't. It's just the nature of the game: poor promotion, bad timing, just not quite latching onto the zeitgeist, sometimes despite everyone's best efforts a record just doesn't hit. That is certainly the case with this dude. Doheny is a rich kid from the west coast who wanted to make records. He was talented, had money, good connections, made a few killer records. Sadly, they only really hit in Japan. What're you gonna do?<br />
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This is pretty much the textbook definition of Yacht Rock. It's smooth soft rock with a deep R&B underbelly. A lot has been made of the venn diagram between country rock and southern soul - this is the mid-70s west coast equivalent. And it's smooth, it's soft, it grooves - it's catchy as hell. If you have a yacht, then this will see you good, but frankly a yacht is not necessary. A sunny day, a cold drink and a garden will do it. The lead track <i>Give It Up For Love</i> has rightly been getting some play recently with the overdue re-evaluation of 70s soft rock. That track is a legend, but frankly, the whole LP deserves love.<br />
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<b>Deaf School - <i>2nd Honeymoon</i></b><br />
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This is a strange album. Partly because of what it is - cabaret-inspired art-rock - but more so because of the role it plays in the history of Liverpudlian music. To present it all rather simplistically; the sixties had The Beatles and after an initial flush of merseybeat bands, the city, musically at least, ran aground. In the early 70s, there was no real scene to talk of until these art-school kids formed a band. Favouring art over substance, their shows became a local attraction on account of their imaginative and ridiculous shows, and consequently over the next year or two rebirthed the city's music scene. Winning the Melody Maker Rock, Folk and Pop Contest in '75 led to a record contract. This, their debut, was produced by Muff Winword, ex-Traffic, fresh from producing Sparks and it's quite something.<br />
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It's a really fun record. It flips between pub rock, cabaret, polkas, vaudeville, without much warning. It is wholly unpredictable, but it is never off-putting, taking itself too seriously, or by being clever-clever. It is weird but welcoming. The tunes are catchy and joyous and engaging. It's no surprise, then, that Deaf School lent a nurturing hand to the smaller band forming in their wake, inspired also by the noises coming from London; bands which would, in their own time, become big bands - far more well known than their mentors here. Big in Japan, populated by Holly Johnson (<i>Frankie Goes to Hollywood), </i>Ian Broudie (<i>The Lightning Seeds</i>), Bill Drummond (<i>The KLF</i>), Budgie (<i>Siouxsie & The Banshees</i>) and Jayne Casey (<i>Pink Military</i>), were founded and lent support by Deaf School as a favour. Guitarist Clive Langer supported and produced The Teardrop Explodes. There's no doubt that punk would have hit Liverpool regardless of Deaf School and that these talents and artists would have emerged anyway, but that it developed the way that it did was thanks in no small part to Deaf School. And that alone makes them notable.<br />
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<b>Jean Carn - <i>Jean Carn</i></b><br />
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The mid-70s saw a new archetype emerge from the fields of soul music. It would be tempting to suggest that soul music began to stagnate in the 70s. The world conquering sound of Motown and Stax had either passed or morphed into something less distinct. Of course, this claim is false. It didn't stagnate but it did change and those that were unable to adapt lost their relevance. One way that a certain sort of singer - most commonly female - was able to manoeuvre, was to become a wholly new thing: the disco diva. Some had been plugging away for years, never quite making it (Gloria Gaynor), some transitioned smoothly from Southern Soul (Candi Staton), and some just found their feet in the sound (Donna Summer). Evidently, some names made it into the eternal consciousness of pop music, but some others slipped back into obscurity.<br />
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Jean Carn is one of those singers. Her most notable hit was 1978s <i>Don't Let It Go To Your Head Now, </i>covered, pretty much note for note by The Brand New Heavies in 1990. This was her debut solo album. She was married to Doug Carn, a player with Earth, Wind and Fire; she'd sung on a couple of their earlier albums, as well as singing with Norman Connors. Signing to Philadelphia International, she was given the best writers and arrangers (Gamble & Huff, Dexter Wansel, McFadden & Whitehead) and made a gorgeous record that covers the bases between uptempo dancefloor stompers, deep ballads, and jazzy excursions - check out <i>You Are All I Need</i>, it could be a Charles Stepney arrangement.<br />
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<b>Cloud One - <i>Atmosphere Strut</i></b><br />
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Here's a total obscurity. You might recognise bits and bobs from it as it's been sampled by some cool kids, but if you're anything like me, you'll never have heard of him. Cloud One is basically a dude called Patrick Adams, a producer from New York. When away from his duties producing early disco for a clutch of virtually forgotten labels, had the freedom to make his own sounds on the P&P label, which he did, almost single-handedly. The album is made up of five cosmic, blissed out disco gems. In short, each track is comprised of a solid, if moderately generic, disco rhythm. On top of that are the coolest, spaciest, squidgiest synth lines and ultra-repetitive female vocal lines that all become one and whisk you away. The title track is intoxicating - play it loud in the right head space and you'll NEVER want it to end. It's criminal that this is so unknown. It's rough around the edges, but if you like mid-70s deep disco, this is for you. Insanely good.<br />
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<b>Alan Parsons Project - <i>Tales of Mystery & Imagination</i></b><br />
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I picked this up most recently. It was in the sales at HMV for £3 and after quickly noting it's 4.5/5 rating on allmusic, figured it was worth a punt. I knew nothing of The Alan Parsons Project and truth be told, I still don't beyond this one. On paper, it sounds like it ought to be a little dull and worthy, but every time I pop it I'm pleasantly surprised at how immediate and engaging it is. It also sounds fresh still and not a time-capsule as some albums of a similar ilk can do. Fun fact: <i>The Raven</i> was the first rock record to feature a vocoder.<br />
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In short, Alan Parsons was a studio rat who, armed with synths and production nous, as well as some fancy-pants friends, began some artsy projects over the mid to late 70s and 80s. This one is all inspired by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. He drafts in folk like Orson Welles to read a bit, and then some catchy, proggy, nonsense (see <i>Starcastle</i>, this is how it's done). Anyway, it's jaunty, has a nice groove. It's clever but it never lets that get in the way of a good tune. I recommend it.<br />
<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-55070926939012996262019-12-24T02:27:00.002-08:002019-12-26T04:10:20.298-08:00The Best of 2019? My round up of the year<div style="text-align: center;">
OK, this is NOT one of my big-ass surveys of this or that year. I don't think that it is really feasible to do for the current year. Part of what makes an album really great is its longevity. Some of these albums I have had for a few weeks. Hardly long enough to make a good judgement, no? This year I have bought 30 albums - hardly a proper estimate of a year's worth of music. If I ever do my usual blog post on 2019, it'll be many years hence, and I'll probably have bought a bunch more releases from this year by then.</div>
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So anyway, here's my round-up of the year - make of it what you will. Please make recommendations if you like or if you think I've missed something. At some point in the future, I <b>promise</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>I'll get around to them.<br />
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The Top Ten is numbered at the top. After that, the rest; for the truly committed.<br />
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<b>10. </b></div>
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<b>Big Thief - </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">U.F.O.F.. </i></div>
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This was Big Thief's first of two albums from 2019. Two albums in a year feels like showing off, especially when they are both this good. People seem to pick a favourite; <i>Two Hands</i> is rawer, less structured, and has the amazing track '<i>Not</i>'; but I prefer this one, which is more produced, polished and downright weirder. It slips in like gentle American indie-folk (think Mark Kozelek), and then adds (mostly) subtle Espers or Comets on Fire touches. What impresses is the sureness of touch. Nothing is too much or too little; there's a lot of control here. Most importantly, every song is killer.<br />
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<b>9. </b></div>
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<b>Lizzo<i> - Cuz I Love You</i>. </b></div>
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I've picked up a few pure pop albums this year and all of them are, at worst, fine. Not one of them lays a finger on this, though. Every track is hooky as all hell, fun, catchy and cool. There are 16 tracks and not one fails and outstays its welcome. It may not be big or clever but Lizzo will rock your party if you let her.<br />
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<b>8. </b></div>
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<b>Michael Kiwanuka</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Kiwanuka. </i></div>
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This is some good shit. Kiwanuka's albums have been getting better and better and this one is awesome. He's channelling a raw, early 70s, funky soul feeling. It's deep, soulful, and hooky.<br />
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<b>7. </b></div>
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<b>Nilüfer Yanya</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Miss Universe</i>. </div>
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Some records cover a lot of ground stylistically in such a way that it leads you to suspect that the artist or band haven't quite figured out yet who they are. Some other records, like this one, are similar but they suggest a different conclusion - this is an artist or band that simply aren't going to get pinned down like that. I've been listening to this album a few times lately trying to find the words to explain why I like it and why I think it is one of the best albums I have heard this year, and I am struggling. Stylistically, as I say, it covers a lot of ground: it begins in a pretty standard indie-rock kind of way (<i>Bella suggests 90s</i>), but as it goes it shifts through dream pop and sophisti-pop and even rubs shoulders with elements of leftfield r'n'b. I don't know. All I can say is that I bought this in February and it has consistently grown on me since. I saw her play at Primavera and that confirmed that it was something special. The fact that it has ear-wormed itself into Bella's consciousness too is interesting too (we don't always see eye-to-eye). It does lag a touch towards the end and I can live without the interludes, but all the same, I recommend it very highly.<br />
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<b>6. </b></div>
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<b>FKA Twigs</b><i><b> - Magdelene.</b> </i></div>
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Frankly, it took me a while to <i>get</i> FKA Twigs. I think that the penny only finally dropped when I saw her live this year. It is a brand of complex art-pop that rests precariously against the precious. On my first few listens, I swung back and forth between being utterly enthralled and mildly irritated. As time has passed, there's been more of the former and less of the latter. The wealth of ideas, tones and textures is consistently impressive and Tahliah Barnett is an incredible singer, projecting an intimacy in the midst of sometimes overpowering, crushing sonic arrays.<br />
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(As an aside, I would massively recommend seeing FKA Twigs live if you get the chance. She conceives this music very much in the context of a performance and hers was one of the most fully realised <i>performances</i> that I ever remember seeing.)<br />
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<b>5. </b></div>
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<b>Sudan Archives</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Athena</i> </div>
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Art-pop with a R'n'B sensibility, or R'nB with an art-pop sensibility. Don't know, don't care - I love this. This is possibly the most obscure item on my list, so a brief intro - Brittany Parks, a.k.a, Sudan Archives, inspired by Sudanese traditional music, self-taught violinist, made a small splash 'round these parts with her two<i> </i>Stones Throw released EPs, and the magnificent <i>Come Meh Way. Athena</i> is her debut album. Sultry R'n'B with intriguing use of violins, both plucked and bowed, coupled with gorgeous, satin-y melodies. Parks has a casual vocal style, not a million miles away from Sade.<br />
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<b>4. </b></div>
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<b>Little Simz - </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Grey Area.</i> </div>
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This summer, I saw Little Simz in Barcelona at the Primavera Festival on a tiny stage (<i>she was mind-blowingly awesome</i>). Three weeks later, Stormzy headlined Glastonbury. I mean no disrespect whatsoever to Stormzy, but there is something seriously wrong with this picture. She probably has a point here when she says on <i>Venom</i> that no-one admits that she's the best just because she has ovaries. Elsewhere: <i>I'm like Jay-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days.</i> Debates of who is best often descend into silliness, but any discussion of the best MCs in British Hip Hop that doesn't include her is not worth your time. She should be gaining far more mainstream recognition. Anyway, <i>Grey Area</i> is a monster. The extent to which it has built on the already excellent <i>Stillness in Wonderland</i> is incredible. The decision to play with a band is smart, especially on the killer tracks <i>Boss</i> and <i>Offence</i>, which have a rawness that is so funky.<br />
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<b>3. </b></div>
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<b>Tyler, the Creator</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Igor. </i></div>
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Tyler's transformation from <i>enfant terrible</i> to musical auteur has been impressive. There'll be those that will say that there were always signs, and they're not wrong, but he was also blunt and shapelessly provocative on his first album; that, to be honest, put me off. I saw that there was something interesting, but I wasn't sure that it was worth the effort of sifting through the bullshit. The buzz surrounding his last album (Scum Fuck Flower Boy) was enough to encourage me to pick it up and sure enough, it was cool. Cool enough that this one was pretty much an auto-buy. What's notable about the album is that is barely a Hip Hop album at all but straddles Hip Hop, R'n'B, funk and soul masterfully. It's also incredible the degree that he has learnt from and begun to surpass his heroes. The stamp of Kanye West is present here, for instance, but Kanye hasn't released an album this good for years. Every track is thoughtful, engaging and a blast to listen to. What more could you want?<br />
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<b>2. </b></div>
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<b>Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Ghosteen.</i> </div>
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It can't be just me, but Lord, do I find this album heart-breaking. The narrative of this album was always going to hard to avoid, following, as it did, the death of Cave's son. It is, undoubtedly, sodden with grief - thematically, obviously, but also in tone and tempo. It truth, it's an album I find difficult to listen to coming so soon after my mother's passing.<br />
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Yet for all that, and it's funereal pacing, and it's length, it's a mark of Cave skill as a songwriter and arranger, that it remains a pleasure and a joy to listen to. That's not to say that it is a fun listen - it's not; but despite all the reasons that this could have, justifiably, been a dirge, it holds on to a lighter side, a beauty - a sedate, gentle, prettiness.<br />
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<b>1. </b></div>
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<b>Lana Del Rey<i> - Norman Fucking Rockwell.</i></b></div>
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I don't think any album this year has been as giving as this one. It's so insanely rich of ideas, tones, references, connections, and yet all the time without even slightly compromising her own persona and position. Lana Del Rey's records have been growing and becoming more thoughtful and sophisticated since her debut <i>Born to Die </i>in 2012,<i> </i>and this might be, as she sings, <i>The Next Best American Record. </i>It is so embedded in the musical traditions of America, from Laurel Canyon to Oakland. It is a soft rock record that can reference Snoop Dogg, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, the Mamas and Papas, and yet not be afraid to slip back into the 21st century to get all EDM for a verse.<br />
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One of my favourite tracks here is <i>Venice Bitch</i>, which begins simply enough, and yet grows and soars, becoming woozier and more and more disorientating. It's such a piece of work. At 10 minutes, it ought to have outstayed its welcome, but it remains comforting to the end.<br />
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Lyrically, it never fails to be evocative. With the exception of possibly Cave, I can't think of any record in the last few years that does so much lyrically (and I'm not even a lyrics guy!).<br />
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I think that one of the tests of whether an album is really great is the extent to which it might go with us forward into the rest of our lives. I can't speak for anyone else, but I feel that this will be with me for a very long time. Time will tell, but it's my favourite album of the year.<br />
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<b><u>11-20</u> (I only ever meant to do the Top 10, but then got carried away...)</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Q6Ft3BnQ-BPSMihD1t6-fNHnwDHlWgyIkEg1avlAbRS5Um4Wl-Dwiu5A1s4fBRd1g0k5jWTSFiC12lV2R3fsXKGDIQBUuirJCFkTecAUcbQwwD8da-g6PfUhHMthyphenhyphen6Dmg2fI5RDgjt_Z/s1600/Freddie+Gibbs+-+Bandana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Q6Ft3BnQ-BPSMihD1t6-fNHnwDHlWgyIkEg1avlAbRS5Um4Wl-Dwiu5A1s4fBRd1g0k5jWTSFiC12lV2R3fsXKGDIQBUuirJCFkTecAUcbQwwD8da-g6PfUhHMthyphenhyphen6Dmg2fI5RDgjt_Z/s200/Freddie+Gibbs+-+Bandana.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>11. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Bandana.</i> I've not listened to a lot of Hip Hop this year. No reason - just haven't. I've only picked up a few new Hip Hop albums. Luckily for me, they've all been doozies. This one sits firmly within that classic U.S./Boom Bap tradition and truth is, I feel that this record could have been released pretty much any time in the last 15 or so years. (Perhaps someone that knows Hip Hop better than me could tell me why I'm wrong.) But do you know what? I'm not complaining because every damned bit of it is killer - Madlib's production, in particular, makes me woozy with happiness.<br />
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<b>12. Aldous Harding<i> - Designer</i>. </b>One part art-pop, two parts wispy folk. It's a simple mixture but very pleasing, and it goes down real easy. I think that one reason for that is that it is nicely reminiscent at times to that early 70's soft rock in that it has a nice ear for melody and a catchy hook. Recommended if you like that sort of thing.<br />
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<b>13. Fontaines D.C.</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Dogrel</i>. This was an unusual choice for me. Much more rumbunctuous and rocky for my usual tastes. I only gave it a listen at all because it was picking up a lot of buzz. But since I did it's been growing on me. At first glance, you might say that it is too derivative. You can pick up a whole range of 80s indie influences (the ever-present Joy Division, The Fall, Bunnymen, even The Smiths) as well as obvious and slightly lazy comparisons to The Pogues (they're from Dublin). [That said, the closer <i>Dublin City Sky</i> does bear that likeness.] But despite these influences, Fontaines do bring something new and fresh to the record. Most obviously an energy and hunger. If you're not put off, like Bella, by the dude's shout-y non-singing brand of singing (which he does on most, but not all, tunes here), it's definitely one to spend a little time with.<br />
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<b>14. Billie Eilish<i> - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?</i> </b>Forget that all of this was written and produced by a 17 year old (and her brother). It's a fascinating, dark pop album with a range of neat tricks and nice ideas. Not every move is as remarkable as it might be, and a couple of tracks are 'only' good. But when it's great, it's phenomenal. The singles 'Bad Guy', 'My Strange Addiction' and 'You Should See Me In A Crown' are 100% killer. And then remember that she was only 17 again. Blimey!<br />
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<b>15. Angel Olson<i> - All Mirrors</i>. </b>Female art-pop of this sort has a chequered past for me. For every U.S. Girls or Lorde, there's a St. Vincent or Bats for Lashes album. These latter albums are fine, but I just enjoy them and never listen to them again. So, my question to myself is: is Angel Olson another Meg Remy or Natasha Khan? Thankfully, early indications are good (although time will tell). Anyway, the album is rich and glossy, deep and moving. It's haunting, but not in a precious way. I think the most positive sign is that it has huge great hooks. Hard not to enjoy. Right now, it's a winner.<br />
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<b>16. Big Thief</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Two Hands. </i>They've managed to release two pretty impressive albums this year. I prefer the other, so I'll keep it super-brief here. If nothing else, check out 'Not' from this one, though. The whole album is good, but slips into the background a touch. But that track always brings it right back.<br />
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<b>17. Ariana Grande</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Thank U, Next. </i>More high grade pop music. Much like Sigrid, I don't have that much to complain about. The singles, obviously, are first rate, but frankly so are a bunch of the album tracks - at 41 minutes, it hardly even drags; if anything it gets stronger as it goes - Grande smartly placing the singles later in the listing. Smart move and a great album even if not top ten.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilztwQCFECeXohekgRIiLUWTOsiLKTUHRYv-J3a6SEHlJYmFWyG-lXRREh5cCbKR6yyL4uoqoH8Zhj_Y14wpMkqJ201qRqyA3nGe8-xvF2K_PQpj_zIunHPKb3D45EsogQ_H18p5yaBT1j/s1600/CometIsComing_TrustInTheLifeforce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilztwQCFECeXohekgRIiLUWTOsiLKTUHRYv-J3a6SEHlJYmFWyG-lXRREh5cCbKR6yyL4uoqoH8Zhj_Y14wpMkqJ201qRqyA3nGe8-xvF2K_PQpj_zIunHPKb3D45EsogQ_H18p5yaBT1j/s200/CometIsComing_TrustInTheLifeforce.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>18. The Comet is Coming - <i>Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery</i>. </b>Let's be honest, this ain't jazz, no matter how much we pretend - stick it on the Impulse label all you like. That said, I enjoy it plenty despite feeling slightly cheated by it. In short every song has the same formula; the drummer and the dude on the keyboards knock out a rhythm (something spacey, big-beat-y, something at the dancier end of stoner rock, and so on) and then the third guy solos over it with a saxophone or clarinet. It is very cool and a lot of fun.<br />
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<b>19. Bruce Springsteen - <i>Western Skies</i>. </b>I enjoyed this far more than I expected - certainly more than I've enjoyed any Springsteen album since the '80s. In short, it's pretty much a melancholy singer-songwriter affair. It's prettied up with some nice arrangements and more than touch of 'country'. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's closest point of comparison (while not being the same) seems to me to be the albums Dylan made in the late '90s (<i>Love and Theft,</i> etc.), where Dylan seemed to come to terms with his age. I can't say how much that is the case here, but it has an 'evening' quality - whatever that means.<br />
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<b>20. Chaka Khan - </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hello Happiness.</i> This isn't the best album of the year, but it is one of the most fun. Pretty much seven straight dance tracks - five up tempo, last two low; all funky and cool. Chaka Khan is, of course, on fire. 'Like Sugar' is worth the price of admission alone. Also it has the decency to keep things brief - clocking in at just over 30 minutes. I like that!<br />
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<b><u>21-30 (In approximate order)</u></b><br />
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<b>Raphael Saadiq</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Jimmy Lee. </i>It's been a while since Raphael's Saadiq's last album and this one is excellent in a number of respects. Where it falls down is that, in being devoted to Saadiq's brother who recently died following a crack addiction, it has a heaviness that doesn't translate so much into fun. That does not make it a bad record, of course, but it lacks the lightness that <i>Instant Vintage </i>or<i> Stone Rollin'</i> had.<br />
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<b>Bonnie 'Prince' Billy </b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - I Have Found a Place</i>. This is the first album by Will Oldham since 2006's 'The Letting Go' that I have found myself looking forward to listening to. I'm still not quite sure where it will ultimately land in his discography or how fixed it will be in my enjoyment, but there's potential. It's still warming. Ask me again in a year or two.<br />
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<b>Sigrid</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Sucker Punch</i>. Frankly, this a great pop album in the Scandi-pop tradition of Robyn. It's grand - lots of nice ideas and hooks. However, it just doesn't stand up to the crackle and energy of an album like Lizzo's or Billie Eilish.<br />
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<b>Ibibio Sound Machine - </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Doko Mien</i>. The dance-y end of 80s R&B goes to Africa. Really hard not to like. Not quite enough to fix itself in the memory and thus to ensure a long-standing place in my heart, but plenty enough to my CD shelves.<br />
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<b>Charli XCX</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Charli</i>. Much like Sigrid, I've nothing negative to say about this album. It's a pretty solid slab of dance-pop. It's more urban, more EDM influenced than Sigrid pure-pop confection, with a nice range of collaborations (including Christine [and the Queens], and Lizzo). But ultimately, not really hitting the upper reaches.<br />
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<b>Jessica Pratt - </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Quiet Signs</i>. Nice, wispy, under-stated folk music. Pleasant with loads of reverb on the vocals, but for a very specific sort of mood. I'm not in that mood often enough and when I am Aldous Harding is going win... Sorry!<br />
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<b>Mabel</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - High Expectations. </i>It's a tough gig when you deliver a perfectly serviceable pop album and you are immediately outflanked by Ariana Grande, Sigrid, Billie Eilish, etc. It's a fine album but, honestly, it is the weakest of all the straight pop albums I've bought this year. Sorry, Neneh Cherry Jr.<br />
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<b>Santana</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Africa Speaks.</i> I've never really warmed to Santana but of all of the albums of his I've listened to, this one has engaged me the most. Maybe it's because it's produced by Rick Rubin or because he is accompanied by powerhouse singer Buika throughout, or maybe it's because he's managed to resist putting guitar fills all over the place - I don't know, but it's alright. Truth is, though, that for all of that, it all feels a little safe and unremarkable.<br />
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<b>Bill Callahan</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest.</i> Bill Callahan doing his Bill Callahan schtick. I've not very enjoyed one of his records for a while. I think it's fine, but not one of his more memorable.<br />
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<b>Calexico & Iron and Wine</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> - Years To Burn.</i> It's been a while since I picked up anything from either of these guys. Not much has changed. The first track is cool, but the rest is just fine... Nothing to write home about.<br />
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If you made it this far, thank you! One final note: I think it's been a pretty good year musically. Even the worst album here is pretty good. Looking at others' lists, I have zero doubt that I will discover other great albums from the year as time goes on. It's fair to say that I tend to default to the surface. It will take time for the subterranean jewels to become exposed to me. All the same, I never tire to finding things, and I'll look forward to another year, God willing.<br />
<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-11051135638335545372019-08-27T09:42:00.003-07:002019-08-27T11:14:03.694-07:00My Appraisal/Reappraisal of Classic Punk Debut AlbumsSo this began with my standard year posts and I'd hit 1977. I've had a long standing belief that of the three 'classic' punk debuts of 1977, that the best was the Damned's <i>Damned Damned Damned.</i><br />
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The first problem was that I had never listened to The Clash's debut. I'd heard plenty of stuff by them - <i>London's Calling, Give 'Em Enough Rope, </i>even <i>Sandinista</i>, for goodness' sake. Just not the debut. If I've not heard that, it throws some doubt on my claim regarding The Damned. The second was listening to The Jam's debut<i> In the City</i>. I'd managed to dodge that too, but listening to it I had to admit that it was better than I'd anticipated. I also had to recognise that maybe it wasn't three 'classic' debuts - maybe it was four. Maybe it was more than four. In the interests of sanity I decided some limits.<br />
<ul>
<li>I stuck to the UK</li>
<li>I stuck to 1977</li>
<li>I stuck to records that were well known, bordering on the mainstream.</li>
</ul>
So I stuck to five.<br />
<ul>
<li>The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks</li>
<li>The Damned - Damned Damned Damned</li>
<li>The Clash - The Clash</li>
<li>The Jam - In the City</li>
<li>The Stranglers - Stranglers IV (Rattus Norvegicus)</li>
</ul>
Time to appraise and re-appraise. Which is the best?<br />
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<b>The Sex Pistols - <i>Never Mind the Bollocks</i></b><br />
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I've always been lukewarm about this record but listening to it now (with an attempt at fresh ears) it's as bright and day-glo as Jamie Reid's cover. It's effervescent - there's so much energy. The four singles are also pretty undeniable. I've always loved <i>Pretty Vacant. </i>For my money it's the Pistols' greatest achievement in the recording studio and one of the best punk records full stop.<br />
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On the downside, there are precious few ideas here. Several of the songs rehash the same moves again and again. <i>Liar</i> is pretty much a replay of <i>Pretty Vacant</i>, for instance. Musically, while Steve Jones' can't be faulted for commitment, there's an awful lot of Chuck Berry retreads, just louder. You can also point to the New York Dolls, elements of Bowie, The Stooges (who were all self-consciously replaying their own idols, of course). There's also very little dynamic on the record, too much similarity. If you've listened to the singles, there's really no need to listen to the remaining eight tracks. Finally, Lydon's lyrics are pretty weak in the most part. They only occasionally make sense and often tilt to the juvenile and inane (<i>Seventeen</i>) - a shame given the bands' claim of social critique.<br />
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Listening again now, I find my opinion isn't much changed. If you want to listen to a cultural artefact, cool. The Pistols, for a variety of (non-musical) reasons, captured something in the zeitgeist that was truly infectious, and this record is a document of that. Alternatively, if you want to listen to some dumb-ass loud rock and roll music that has some claim to attitude and energy, again, cool. I'll not disagree. But a great record on it's own merits? I'm not sold.<br />
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<b>The Jam - <i>In The City</i></b><br />
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Like The Clash, I've managed to never listen to the debut album from The Jam. I think it's because I never liked Paul Weller very much, even if I did begrudgingly admit that he wrote some good tunes from time to time.<br />
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Straight away it feels pretty tight to me. Maybe it's that power trio thing, it doesn't leave much space. The songwriting seems pretty sharp too. I can see what the early critics are getting at when they tried to put them down as 'revivalists'. There definite echoes from the 60s. You definitely can hear some Pete Townsend here. But how's that bad? Similarly, I hear some British 60s R&B rehash. But I'm not complaining.<br />
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I like that The Jam are not too afraid to be musical. Sure, it has that energy, but the songs are all self-consciously structured and thought through - <i>Away from the Numbers</i>. <i>Batman</i> is obviously cool, and <i>In the City</i> is a great single. It is very hard not to want to sing along. <i>Sounds from the Street</i> reminds me of The Ramones, but more interesting. That said, from a negative mindset, the album is a bit patchy when it comes to being fun. Some of the songs remind me too much of Weller - a bit bitter and cranky.<br />
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<b>The Clash - <i>The Clash</i></b><br />
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<i>Janie Jones</i> is a great opener to any album. It's full of energy and excitement, infectious, you can sing along. What's more, the lyrics make sense. And bonus, they articulate an experience that the audience in 1977 would have been able to get right behind. Here's a dude, he likes his girl, his weed and his music, but he doesn't like his dead-end job. And the songs that follow maintain this. It's easy to see why some folk still call The Clash the only band that matters. Especially since the next few songs maintain all of the albums best qualities.<br />
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After that, it does waver. <i>Hate & War, What's My Name, Deny</i> are all just fine, but each of them are forgettable. I'll admit that I have never been keen on that shout-y style of singing that became so typical of punk bands. I find myself wondering if the elements that leave me a little cold here are because I have wearied of them elsewhere. Sort of like how films like The Exorcist lose their impact after a million lesser films have stolen their best bits. I don't know. I am enjoying the album intermittently. I am enjoying the phase effect on the guitars in <i>Cheat</i>. Musically, again - and I don't know why I keep being surprised by this - I keep catching sight of the band's influences. This ain't no year zero... I do quite like their version of <i>Police and Thieves</i> even if I think that they achieved a better synthesis of punk and reggae in later records.<br />
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<b>The Stranglers - <i>IV (Rattus Norvegicus)</i></b><br />
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What a weird album. Listening to it again, it's plain that this one is odd one out. No surprise really that these guys were often not really considered punks at the time. They share an energy, and an attitude, and a disregard with the punks, but two things really set them apart. Firstly, they are FAR more musical than the other four, and I'm not just thinking of Dave Greenfield's keyboards, which plainly recall Ray Manzarek of The Doors. Second, there's a sleaziness here. The Pistols had 'sex' in their name and wore T-shirts with tits on them, but it was all as innocent and juvenile as The Damned covered in custard pies. The Jam and The Clash thought they were too good for a little T&A. But these guys feel like the dude who sits behind the counter at the grimiest 70s sex shop. It's hard not to listen to <i>London Lady </i>or <i>Peaches </i>without being a little disappointed in yourself. But then (getting back to the music), that second side! <i>Hanging Around</i>, <i>Peaches</i>, and <i>Grip</i> are irresistible. I can live without the first side, to be honest. It's the payment necessary to get the second.<br />
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<b>The Damned - <i>Damned Damned Damned</i></b><br />
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This is the album that started this whole train of thought. Along with the Pistols, I first listened to this in my teens and it's stayed with me. So much so that I've thought it the best...<br />
<br />
If you don't love <i>Neat Neat Neat</i> I'm not sure we can be friends. I keep talking about energy - it's no surprise, given that we're talking punk and debut albums (often a band's most energetic), but this opener is killer. It gets down to business so insanely fast. I watched that documentary on The Damned (<i>Don't You Wish That We Were Dead</i>) and Brian James was saying that he hated to play slow songs. Yup, he's not kidding, is he? Every song (12 in the space of 31 minutes) is played at breakneck speed with total conviction. There's no fuss, no waiting, no unnecessary clever business. I read recently about an advert that Stiff Records ran for a tour that featured The Damned and The Adverts and the slogan went '<i>The Damned know 3 chords, The Adverts know 1. See all 4 at...'. </i>I never quite bought that - I think that The Damned are better musically than they liked to let on...<br />
<br />
But yes, there's no clever business here, is there? Lyrically, it's dumb-ass rock and roll stuff. <i>New Rose </i>(which I love even more than <i>Neat Neat Neat</i>) [also, first punk single, <i>yadda yadda...</i>], <i>Fish, Fan Club, </i>and so on, keep the ball in the air. And then there's a Stooges cover to wrap things up. I'm not sure that it's true overall, but listening to their version of <i>1970 </i>(<i>So Messed Up) </i>here, makes me think that these guys are even further off the deep end than Iggy's lot.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Conclusion</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
I'm not sure that there's a clear winner here, but there is a loser. Aside from the singles, I still can't get too excited about <i>Never Mind the Bollocks</i>. The scope of the album feels contrived and limited to me. The Pistol's Steve Jones is an alright guitarist, and although I've never quite made up my mind about Lydon, he went on to do far more interesting things with P.I.L..As I say above, I don't want to take anything away from these guys as a sort of lightning rod of the time, but the record just doesn't do it.<br />
<br />
In fourth is The Stranglers. <i>(Get a) Grip (on Yourself)</i> and <i>Hanging Around</i> are phenomenal. I like the album as a whole, even the first side, which is by far the weaker, but it's not essential. If someone told me I could never listen to <i>London Lady</i> again, I'd cope fine.<br />
<br />
It gets harder, I think, when we get to third place because I think that all three of the remaining bands and their records are pretty good - by which I mean very. Both The Jam and The Clash's debuts were better than I expected, and I wish I had gotten around to listening to these earlier. What's more, all three bands went on to do much better records.<br />
<br />
I'm going to put The Clash in third. Mainly because once you get past <i>White Riot</i> (track 4) the albums starts to dip for me. If the whole album was as good as <i>Janie Jones</i>, it would be the clear winner.<br />
<br />
It's close.<br />
<br />
If I want fast, stupid, rock and roll The Damned win. If I want something a little more multi-dimensional (let's say), I'll go with The Jam. If I want something a little more 'year zero', it's The Damned. If I want to keep that 60's R'n'B in play, it's The Jam.<br />
<br />
It's close, but The Damned still have that place in my heart. <i>In The City</i> has nothing that gives me the same rush as <i>Neat Neat Neat </i>or <i>New Rose.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-70129631358678012662019-08-04T12:33:00.000-07:002019-08-06T02:40:53.807-07:0010 'Best' Albums from 19761976 has been a weird year. Initially it seemed like it was going to be unusually weak. Since 1973, I have written up a long list. Each time, there were way more than 10 records vying for the top - often around 20. For 1976, I had about 5. I was worried. This was the first year that I actually did a little canvassing, asking a few folk what they saw as greats for the year. After all, it is always likely that there is stuff that I've missed. I added upwards of a dozen albums to the initial long list. Some of those records were pretty cool. In the end, of course, there were some great records from 1976.<br />
<br />
What did I find? Classic rock was getting, by and large, heavier. There are fewer soft rock, yacht rock, call them what you will, albums that really held my attention. Records by Rainbow, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy are joining Zeppelin, Sabbath at the heavier end of the spectrum. Disco is in the ascendance. It's not quite hit the heights it will reach, but the signs are there, even by artists you wouldn't associate with the genre. R&B, for sure, feels its influence.<br />
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Of course, Punk remains absent, at least in the UK. Despite a few seminal 7"s, we'll have to wait until 1977 for that. The Americans were more forward looking. 1976 marks the debuts of The Ramones, The Modern Lovers, Blondie, and while we might not consider them punk in the classic sense (whatever that is), they are pointing in the same direction. (And let's not forget Patti Smith's debut from last year!)<br />
<br />
The biggest story for me is the sudden growth of reggae. We have seen some great records already throughout the 1970s, and each year has seen a slightly bigger impact. 1976 is an explosion. 16 of the 107 albums I've listened to have been reggae. Even more notable is that five are in the top 20.<br />
<br />
In case anyone is new, this list is mine and thus deeply subjective. It is 10 records that, if I was forced at gunpoint, I would select from the year. If you feel the need, here is the <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/1970/08/data-for-1976.html" target="_blank">long list</a>.... Finally, as ever, a few things got shunted about so as to avoid writing the same things about the same folk. I've written about Burning Spear, Dylan and Queen too recently, so <i>Man in the Hills</i>, <i>Desire</i> and <i>A Day at the Races </i>are absent. Similarly, I'm holding Blondie's debut for a later year, so that's missing too.<br />
<br />
So - in reverse order...<br />
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<b>Peter Tosh<i> - Legalize It</i></b><br />
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This is one of the albums I bought for this project. I'd neglected Peter Tosh I think in part because of his association with Bob Marley who, as I'd noted in 1973 , I held an unreasonable prejudice towards. Whilst I had managed to get over that, I'd never returned to Tosh (or Bunny Wailer). My loss... because, of course, the album is great.<br />
<br />
How could it not be? First of all, Tosh was an incredible talent along with Marley and Bunny Wailer, both of whom collaborate here. He is accompanied by some of the greatest support players in reggae, including Robbie Shakespeare and brothers Carlton and Aston 'Family Man' Barrett on bass and drums. The album shares with Marley's a certain polish, especially on the title track, the singalong <i>Whatcha Gonna Do </i>or <i>Till Your Well Runs Dry</i>, which I could see appearing on a Stones record (and is undoubtedly an improvement on Mick and Keith's rendition of <i>Cherry Oh Baby </i>from this year's <i>Black and Blue</i>)<i>. </i>There is a crispness in the instrumentation and a broad palette of sounds and textures - the production on <i>Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised), </i>or the lead guitar throughout <i>No Sympathy</i>. Either way, the rhythm is deep and full and as earthy as anything you'd want from reggae. It's rightly regarded as a classic and I'm glad I caught up with it in the end.<br />
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<b>Tom Waits<i> - Small Change</i></b><br />
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I think that there have been three phases of Tom Waits' career. There is the Asylum Records period, in which Tom played the part of a drunken bar singer, with occasional flashes of an ol' timey hawker or beatnik. And then there is the Island Records period in the 80s, where he morphed into a spooky magic hobo, accompanied by what sounds like water buckets and cascading bones. After that period, it seems that there was a merging of the two periods to greater and lesser degrees. As much as that middle period is often held in the greater regard, I struggle with it and prefer the earlier, softer, prettier Waits. As such, it's the only Waits I know well. (Perhaps as these lists creep toward the 80s, I'll take opportunity to revisit <i>Swordfish Trombones</i> etc., and maybe 'get' them at last!)<br />
<br />
Of the 70s albums on Asylum this (along with elements from <i>The Heart of Saturday Night)</i> ranks as my favourite and is as representative of Waits albums from this period as any. It contains one of his most beautiful pieces in <i>Tom Traubert's Blues </i>which succeeds in incorporating <i>Waltzing Matilda</i> with not the faintest thought of Rolf and his skeezy wobble-board. The song depicts crime and squalor and hopelessness and is still uplifting - it captures the essence of that Wilde quote of being in the gutter, looking at the stars. <i>Step Right Up</i> is a hawker's anthem, while the title track is a film noir in a bottle - a 4 minute story of some no-good-nik who got what was coming to him. My favourite (coincidentally also the first track I heard by Waits when it was on the Tube a million years ago) is <i>The Piano Has Been Drinking.</i> It's Waits as bar room singer worse for wear; it's hilarious and sad and wistful and sort of beautiful. It's Tom Waits in a nutshell.<br />
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<b>Roy Ayers<i> - Everybody Loves The Sunshine</i></b><br />
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I wrote in 1974 about buying <i>Winter in America</i> by Gil Scott-Heron. A second entry point into the daunting world of jazz came from an unlikely point just a little time later in Guru's <i>Jazzmatazz</i><br />
album. He'd gathered a bunch of jazz musicians to construct the music behind his and some others' rhymes. It was a project of middling success, I think, and I don't think that the record has aged well. All the same, I was introduced to Ayers (and to Donald Byrd and Lonnie Liston Smith too) and my world was improved.<br />
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In all honesty, I'm not sure how representative Ayers could be said to be of jazz. It's certainly off at the fringes of jazz-funk. His soloing is jazzy, but the feel of the record is more funk and disco. <i>The Golden Rod</i> is pretty jazzy, but <i>Keep On Walking</i> or <i>Third Eye</i> are too spacey - blissed out disco for when the crowds have all gone home. Elsewhere we get an Earth Wind and Fire meets Sly Stone feel, with notes of Betty Davis. For me the title track is the standout. Again, it is blissed out, hazy and summery. The lyrics are ridiculous but if you've ever been fucked up in the relentless sunshine, you'll recognise them being about as articulate as you can get - '<i>just bees and things and flowers.... my life in the sunshine...'. </i>And that synth, it's so sharp - it's almost like tinnitus, but good. I don't know if that makes sense, but it does to me. If this was the only song on the LP, just repeated 10 times, I'd still love it.<br />
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<b>Rainbow<i> - Rising</i></b><br />
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This was the surprise. It was another CD I bought for this post and, of all of them, it seemed amongst the most unlikely to make much of an impact. Pretty much every time I've popped it on and found myself really enjoying it, I had a double-take. Hang on, what, Rainbow? Really?<br />
<br />
I'm not really much of a heavy metal fan (or hard rock, or whatever you'd classify this as nowadays), and I'm never quite sure why I like what I do. If you've been reading these posts, you'll know I like a bit of Zeppelin and Sabbath, and a root around my collection will unearth other bits and pieces. But what counts <i style="font-weight: bold;">to me</i> as good heavy metal is slightly mysterious. All I can say is that this album has it.<br />
<br />
I like a good riff far more than I do good soloing or anything like that. I'm a pop kid at heart and I want me some hooks, I want to feel like there's something fun to get my teeth into. Richie Blackmore's a great guitarist (apparently), but if I'm to be interested, I'd better want to dance, or rock, or something. And straight from the off, <i>Rising </i>delivers. <i>Tarot Woman </i>is suitably driving,<i> Run With The Wolf </i>pounds, while <i>Starstruck</i> rocks. And this leads me to the second thing I want in my metal - it had better be ridiculous. Ronnie James Dio is on vocal duties, so no worries there. No one paints such preposterous pictures so convincingly in my eyes - I'm a massive fan of his <i>Holy Diver </i>for exactly that reason. Finally, I want it to sound big. The stand out for the album is <i>Stargazer</i> and that track is huge (and ridiculous, for good measure). It's 8 and a half minutes and bears a family resemblance to Zeppelin's <i>Kashmir. </i>I never want it to end. It's a great, simple riff, with Dio over-emoting like his life depended on it, and it grows in make-believe portentousness with every verse and chorus. Even Blackmore's guitar soloing isn't able to disrupt things.<br />
<br />
As an aside, Joe, if you're reading, I hope that this one meets your approval!<br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b>The Abyssinians<i> - Satta Massagana</i></b><br />
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If you want to know what I mean when I called Peter Tosh and Marley and co. as polished, play it next to this one. That's not to say that this is rough or careless or anything, but if you listen to the music, it's much simpler and sparser. There are no clever production tricks or effects pedals, relatively little lead guitar; there's mostly drums, bass, a rhythm guitar and organ, with accompanying horns and the very occasional flute. The Abyssinians are a vocal harmony group, however, and that is what makes them special, because every track here is gorgeous. The lead is rich and soulful and the harmonies sweet. They also are a fine example of is meant when reggae is described as being spiritual - there is a measured deliberateness to it all. These are religious songs and there is a strong sense of liturgy about them. These are not words to mumble or stumble over, to get careless with.<br />
<br />
As so often, all this would be fine and dandy, but what really wins me over is that every damned track is fun to listen to. One critique I have read is that there is a very steady tempo throughout the album. I guess, but the melodies and hooks are on point. There's a reason that this album is one of my most listened to reggae albums - it is always a great listen. And for the record, the title track is a stone cold classic. If you ever see a reggae compilation without it, cast it to the flames.<br />
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<b>Diana Ross<i> - Diana Ross</i></b><br />
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Music journalists like to bandy the phrase 'Queen of Pop' around. Obviously Madonna held the throne for a while, and Kylie, Taylor, Beyonce have all been mooted at some point or other. For the record, however. Beyonce is the Queen of Pop - I'll brook no argument on the matter....<br />
<br />
But before them all, there was a queen who dominated them all and her name was Diana Ross. Helpfully, her three best albums are entitled 'Diana Ross', 'Diana Ross' and 'Diana'. Worth noting, she has two albums entitled 'Ross' - these are not good.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this album is pure pop gold. It opens with the '<i>Theme From Mahogany (Do you Know Where You're Going To)</i>' which is gorgeous and followed by (another endless title) <i>I Thought It Took a Little Time (But Today I Fell In Love)</i>. Both are beautiful and whilst both are ballads (or at least at that end of the spectrum), they both have GIGANTIC hooks. If you don't at least want to sing along, you might be dead. <i>Love Hangover </i>is cool and sexy and one of the finest disco tracks. Let's skip <i>Kiss Me Now</i>, which has that ragtime vibe. It's fine, but not one to write home about. Tracks 5-8 are all sitting on the pop/R&B nexus and each one is golden. The set ends with Charlie Chaplin's song <i>Smile</i>, which Ross had recorded in '72. Why they held it over, I don't know, as Diana does an amazing job with it. Subtle and understated.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, this is an incredible album, an undeniable hit. The heart of it is Love Hangover, of course, coming in at almost 8 minutes. Ross sang the song in one take, dancing and laughing around the studio while recording. She knew that she would remain queen for a while yet, I guess...<br />
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<b>Steely Dan<i> - The Royal Scam</i></b><br />
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This is Steely Dan's second appearance on these lists. 1974 saw <i>Pretzel Logic</i> make the upper reaches and I remember struggling a little to say why I loved it so much. The truth is that not much has changed - There is still something weirdly undefinable about their charm for me. It's something about the sum of the parts.<br />
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This album is definitely jazzier than <i>Pretzel Logic - </i>although not as much so as <i>Aja</i>, their next album, and certainly not so much that you'd accuse it of being jazz rock or anything. To my ears, it's a lot more fun. Every track makes me smile, the melodies are bright and groovy - or as the band put it 'all fat and sassy'. <i>Kid Charlemagne</i>, with it's Kanye West sample intact, is pure ear candy, albeit in a weird, off-beat kind of way. <i>The Fez</i> is disco by way of Dan - quite what they won't do without their fez on isn't made clear, but I don't mind, so long as they do. <i>Haitian Divorce</i>, their only UK top 20 hit, is a rare example of cod reggae that works. Only for the title track at the end of the album does it get all slow and broody.<br />
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In all, once again, I'm not really sure why I like this record as much as I do - and that's OK. I guess that might be what happens when you get two perfectionists with brains the size of planets deciding to have a pop career. Even if they are far too sophisticated to easily be described as pop.<br />
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<b>The Modern Lovers<i> - The Modern Lovers</i></b><br />
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Steely Dan might be sophisticated. The Modern Lovers are not.<br />
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It's a bit of a cheat, really. This was recorded in 1973 and not released until '76. So while it sounds like it should be seen as piece along with the emergent cross-Atlantic punk scenes, it ought really to be seen in conjunction with its own primary influences - The Velvet Underground, The Doors, Stooges, shitty 60s garage rock. Indeed most of these recordings were produced by John Cale, and this should not come as a surprise. Several of the tracks here sound like they could have been taken from either of the first two Velvets albums.<br />
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I think that perhaps one major difference, however, is that these sounds so much more teenage. (The Velvets never sounded like teenagers.) They have two qualities that Reed never had - a dumb sense of humour. I don't think that Reed could ever have written something as stupid as <i>Pablo Picasso </i>(who could never have been called an asshole - not like you). Similarly while Reed could be tender at times, he rarely sounded as vulnerable as Jonathan Richman does. Richman's uncertainty with himself is played out in <i>I'm Straight, </i>a telephone call to a girl who he wants to date but who wants to date Hippie Johnny, who is always stoned. It's awkward and confused and difficult. It is in this that the Modern Lovers <i>as a band</i> work so well. The music is amateurish and simple - at times they make the Stooges sound clever and accomplished. It feels like it might fall apart at any moment, just like a typical teenager.<br />
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But again, just like a teenager, it bristles with energy and opportunity and potential. It breaks out new possibilities as it explores its own capacities.<br />
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<b>David Bowie<i> - Station to Station</i></b><br />
(With a special nod to 1975's <b><i>Young Americans</i></b>)<br />
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Bowie has been missing from these lists since 72's <i>Ziggy Stardust</i>. It was because of Bowie that I gave myself the rule (or get-out) to skip albums by artists that I have written about too recently. After all, <i>Aladdin Sane</i> would have been in play for '73, <i>Diamond Dogs </i>was inescapable in '74 and <i>Young Americans</i> was an undoubted top ten in '75. I did not want this to be a Bowie blog, so I gave myself the rule. I couldn't hold off any more [and spoiler alert - <i>Low</i> is one of my favourite ever records - I'm not not writing about that in 1977!] - it is time.<br />
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Another reason why I am reluctant to write about Bowie is what can you say that hasn't been said a million times before. What on earth am I going to add here? Reinvention... <i>yadda yadda</i>.... chameleon.... <i>yadda yadda</i>... <i> ad infinitum</i>.<br />
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I came to <i>Station to Station</i> late, to be honest. It was Caroline's favourite but aside from <i>Golden Years </i>it just didn't take root. I think that I thought that it was like all the ballads on <i>Young Americans</i> (which I did enjoy) but less fun and so rarely gave it the time it needed. It lacked immediacy or something. Out of some sense of obligation I bought the remaster in 2010, and then, the penny dropped. The twisted funk of <i>Stay</i> started to make sense, the slow encroaching grind of <i>Station to Station</i> became clear, as did the plastic soul of the second section. The two ballads<i> Word on a Wing </i>and the Nina Simone cover (I know she didn't write but...) <i>Wild is the Wind </i>began to reveal their beauty to me. Repeated listens allowed me to revise my opinion that <i>Station to Station </i>was the lesser partner to <i>Young Americans</i>. I still think the former album is the more immediate and is perhaps more fun but this one deserves every accolade thrown at it.<br />
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<b>Stevie Wonder<i> - Songs in the Key of Life</i></b><br />
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Stevie Wonder had my #1 album for 1973 with Innervisions. This album is even better. It is truly a monster amongst monsters. Musical genius is a term thrown about too readily and too easily. Bowie almost certainly qualifies, but if anyone wants to doubt Stevie Wonder's eligibility (at least during this period) I will consider that fighting talk.<br />
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This album does mark the end of Stevie's purple patch, I think. I remember talk of Bertrand Russell saying that he could never do any truly serious creative work after the effort of writing <i>Principia Mathematica - </i>it literally wore him out. I wonder if the same thing could be said for Stevie and <i>Songs in the Key of Life.</i> Of course, he did other things and some of them were pretty cool - but the mantle of genius had passed. But what a way to go.<br />
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First of all, it's more than a double album. Not content with a double, Stevie added an extra three songs on a bonus 7". What makes the difference however is that every single damned song is awesome. There simply isn't a duff track. One or two might qualify as odd, I suppose. For instance, <i>Village Ghetto Land's </i>fake baroque stylings are a little jarring, but it grows on you and it's immediately followed by some of the coolest, hardest jazz-funk you'll hear all day - and that shit grooves. And that's followed by one of the greatest singles Stevie ever put out - <i>Sir Duke</i>. If you sit still or don't at least want to sing along, you might be dead - consult a physician.<br />
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And on it goes. Track after track after track. 21 in all. Go back, listen to them again, and listen to the details: the bells and chimes on <i>Have a Talk With God</i>, the crispness of the drums on <i>I Wish, </i>the strings and bass on <i>Pastime Paradise</i>. And on it goes.<br />
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I'm not a lyrics guy. This is well documented. But this is also a lyrical tour-de-force. Stevie wrestles with the usual themes of love and loss, etc., but also engages in some serious consciousness-raising (<i>Black Man)</i>, social critique (<i>Pastime Paradise</i>), not to mention a paean to new parenthood (<i>Isn't She Lovely</i>) and, of course, a tribute to Duke Ellington (<i>Sir Duke</i>).<br />
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I guess you could say that Stevie's not the first or the last to be ambitious in his lyrical scope. True enough. But he NEVER drops the ball. Not once. There are plenty of good double albums out there, but how many are this perfect? How many aim so high <i>and</i> succeed? Not even The Beatles pulled that off.<br />
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When I looked at my long list, right at the beginning of thinking about 1976, I was uncertain whether there were ten albums of note. Straight away, however, I knew that this was going to be the one to beat. I believe that if this had been released any other year, it still would have been the one to beat.<br />
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<b><i>On to 1977... It's going to be tough!</i></b><br />
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<b><i>For the record...</i></b><br />
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<b><i>11. </i></b><b>The Eagles<i> - Hotel California</i></b><br />
<b><i>12. </i></b><b>Thin Lizzy<i> - Jailbreak</i></b><br />
<b><i>13. </i>The Mighty Diamonds<i> - Right Time</i></b><br />
<b><i>14. </i>Jean Carn<i> - Jean Carn</i></b><br />
<b><i>15. </i>Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers<i> - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</i></b><br />
<b><i>16. </i>Prince Far I<i> - Psalms For I</i></b><br />
<b><i>17. </i>Johnny Clarke<i> - Authorised Rockers</i></b><br />
<b><i>18. </i>Serge Gainsbourg<i> - L'Homme A Tete De Chou</i></b><br />
<b><i>19. </i>Loleatta Holloway<i> - Loleatta</i></b><br />
<b><i>20. </i>Syl Johnson<i> - Total Explosion</i></b><br />
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And for those who really care, I will be discussing <b>The Ramones' </b>debut in the '<i>why not</i>' section of the other 1976 post [Forthcoming].<br />
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<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-32342952351674759052019-07-12T15:33:00.003-07:002019-07-12T15:33:55.341-07:00Ten Other Albums from 1975<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm going to tweak these secondary posts a little. Previously they've just been to talk about any other albums that I found interesting beyond the top ten. While there's still going to be a bit of that, I want to devote some space to why certain albums that might have been obvious inclusions in a 'best of' list weren't included.<br />
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For instance, a couple of readers (and myself) thought that there was a good chance that <i>Born to Run</i> by Springsteen might make the cut. It didn't, despite listening to it several times. Similarly, <i>Mothership Connection</i>. Why not?<br />
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I'll write a little about the worst albums - especially if they are from people you'd expect to do better.<br />
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The rest? Well, they'll still be a few records that I just find worthy of note - even if they're not 'the best'.<br />
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<b><u>Why Not?</u></b><br />
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Let's get something obvious out of the way before we say anything else. Part of these judgements is taste pure and simple. I like a funky baseline more than I like a bitchin' guitar solo; similarly, I'm a pop kid at heart, so all things being equal, I'll go for hooks over something chin-stroky and interesting every time. Taste is always going to be part of my judgement - it doesn't mean I'm right.<br />
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<b><i>Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run</i></b><br />
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Let's note this first - <i>Born to Run</i> is great, it established Springsteen as a great talent and force in popular music. It has at least two cast iron monster tracks in the title track and <i>Thunder Road</i>. It will always be in my CD collection.<br />
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But the headline is, aside from the tracks mentioned, I just don't feel as invested in the rest of the album. I know that a big part of Springsteen's draw is the small town narratives he paints, as a non-lyrics guy, these are likely getting passed over. If Bruce is going to make it to my top ten, but his tunes are going have to engage me 100%, and sadly, several of them don't. <i>Night</i>, for instance, is another mid-tempo rocker - it's fine but I'm not rushing back for more. <i>Backstreets</i> makes me remember how good <b>The Band</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>are.<br />
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Despite the status of <i>Born to Run</i>, there are other Springsteen albums I love more (<i>The River, Nebraska</i>). Time will tell whether they make the cut in their respective years - I suspect that one won't, but that the other might. We'll have to wait and see!<br />
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<b><i>Parliament - Mothership Connection</i></b><br />
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Given my love of funk, a few people assumed that this would be a shoo-in for any list I had in mind. It's commonly regarded as one of George Clinton's finest works - one of the archetypical pieces in the P-Funk canon. It has an incredible list of players too - Bootsy Collins, Fuzzy Haskins, Bernie Worrell, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker. It also has some of the finest, funkiest riffs to be found on any of the Parliament/Funkadelic albums.<br />
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But, damn, if this isn't the point that they all got stupid too... Take the opening track, <i>P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)</i>. It has a great bassline, the coolest chorus. But throughout it all, it's all silly voices, and the rhythm is at the service of the 'narrator' (which is, as James Brown said: talkin' loud and saying nothing), in that it stops for extended periods for noodling and more wittering. The title track is better, the groove is even more infectious and the sinewy chorus is undeniable - but dammit if Clinton won't just shut up! I wish 'Star Child' would just be quiet for a while...<br />
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There's a LOT to love here. I truly love pretty much anything Clinton did prior to this, but this album marks the point where the P. Funk universe begins to become an exercise in the trade off between silly narratives and amazing funk. There's enough awesome grooves here for me to still love this record, but it is diluted a little. Later on, it got worse...<br />
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<b><i>Patti Smith - Horses</i></b><br />
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When I first knocked up the long list for 1975, this was one of a number of wild cards. It had been years since I last listened to it, but it's reputation was formidable. The album is regarded as one of the first fruits of the New York scene that ultimately begat Talking Heads, Television, Ramones and so on (even if Patti Smith's own background was far richer than many of her CBGBs peers). According to <a href="http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/album/A332.htm" target="_blank">acclaimedmusic.com</a>, it is the 23rd most acclaimed record ever made!<br />
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Much like the other records in this section, there's a lot to love here. Smith, of course, is a poet and her presentations of these songs are captivating. The music and production (by John Cale) is stark and austere, but never less than interesting and engaging.<br />
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So why not? For all it's beauty and art, it sits on the side of admirable - it's just not as much fun. A bit like my image of Patti Smith herself, it feels a little prickly and difficult. It is rightly confident of its importance, and listening to it again now, I'd happily defend that - but am I enjoying it as much as the records that made my list? - sadly no.<br />
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<b><u>The Worst?</u></b><br />
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A bit of team-effort...<br />
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<b><i>Serge Gainsbourg - Rock Around The Bunker</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Jane Birkin - Lolita Go Home</i></b><br />
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I love Serge. <i>L'Histoire De Melody Nelson</i> was one of my favourites from 1971. He had a career stretching back to the 50s and was still releasing interesting albums into the late 1970s. But 1975 was evidently a weird year for Mr. & Mrs. Gainsbough. As we know, Serge took pleasure in being iconoclastic, a provocation - he was not deterred from trying to find the lines of transgression. Frankly, while he sometimes got it right (<i>Je T'Aime</i>, of course), he just as often got it wrong (<i>Lemon Incest</i>). As weird and creepy as the latter track was (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vR0jpfOW94" target="_blank">check the video...</a>), I'd still recommend it over this record, <i>Rock Around the Bunker</i>.<br />
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It is an album dedicated to or poking fun at the Third Reich. I'll quote a little from allmusic, which gives a more positive reception than I'm inclined to:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"..an album which can be (and indeed has been) described as either a European reclamation of the pop potential of the Third Reich, following the success of Mel Brooks' The Producers, or an acerbic reclamation of a Jew's own humanity 30 years after the Nazis forced him to walk the streets in a bright yellow star. Or, and seen within the context of its maker's entire oeuvre, it might just be the slaughter of another of the sacred cows which Gainsbourg found so irresistible."</blockquote>
It's really hard to know what to make of it. It's either hilarious or jaw-droppingly offensive. Perhaps neither, or both. I really don't know. But with song titles like <i>Nazi Rock</i>, <i>Yellow Star</i> and a cover of Eva Braun's favourite song (apparently) <i>Smoke Gets in Your Eyes</i> - which here manages a macabre double meaning.<br /><br />I'd be more forgiving except that I really don't enjoy the music that much. It is pastiche rock and roll and not of the good sort. If I could buy into the lyrics (which are in French) or into the concept more, perhaps I'd at least see the funny side...<div>
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<br />And talking of bad music, sadly his wife wasn't doing any better. Jane Birkin is not a great singer and her 70s albums are in many respects not much more than side projects for Serge, but a couple of her records are pretty good (never great - at least not until much much later in her career - see <i>Arabesque</i>). Sadly, though, this is just poor. It's weak as soft rock, it's weak as disco, it's weak as tarted up filth (<i>Love For Sale</i>). <br />
<b><u>Other albums I'd like to mention</u></b><br />
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<b><i>Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert</i></b><br />
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This is an album that I love very much - consider it utterly brilliant - but don't think I can honestly call it one of my favourites. I pick it up once every bunch of years, and when I do, when I am in the right mood, I adore it. In truth, however, if I put it on and I am not in that place, then not so much.<br />
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This is largely because of the nature of the album and there is a whole story that I'll sort of skip (but is worth investigating if this is your thing). In short, it is an hour long concert of improvised piano playing. Given that the piano in question is slightly out of tune forcing Jarrett to stick to the middle keys (that 'whole story' again), it is incredible the range of feeling that is brought out. It is a beautiful record and essential in the field of that sort of thing.<br />
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(16th most acclaimed album of 1975 according to www.acclaimedmusic.net, by the way!)<br />
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<b><i>Willie Nelson - Red-Headed Stranger, Emmylou Harris - Pieces of the Sky & Elite Hotel</i></b><br />
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If there's one genre that has been given pretty short shrift over the years to date, it's country. Aside from Larry Jon Wilson, there has been nothing that could be categorically described as fitting that template and even then, it's a little leftfield. Part of what makes this an odd omission is that (a) I quite like a bunch of country records and artists; and (b), there have been some monster examples of the genre between 70-75. 1975 in particular has three stone cold classics (in addition to Wilson), and truth be told, probably more. My collection is under-representative here.<br />
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All the same, I really couldn't decide which of these three to highlight here - they all have things to recommend them. Willie Nelson's <i>Red-Headed Stranger</i> is a career high in a career that could justifiably be described as mountainous. It's simple, stark - almost all of it could be reproduced on a back-porch, and yet as song-cycle it is beautiful and affecting. Emmylou Harris made her debut in '75, having transitioned from a folkie to a country girl in apprenticeship to Gram Parsons. Her arrangements are fuller - closer to the Nashville stereotype of country music. But these two albums prove that she learned well what makes this Good Ol' Music tick. If you need proof of her talent and why she's regarded as one of the greatest female artists in Country along with Dolly, Tammy and Loretta check out her own <i>Boulder to Birmingham</i> on <i>Pieces of the Sky. </i>It was one of her earliest classics.<br />
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<b><i>The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack</i></b><br />
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I am not a big musicals guy but there are one or two that have managed to burrow into my cold, dead heart and make a home there. Predictably, they (virtually) all date from the mid-70s (when I was most susceptible to such things, I'd guess). In honesty, I was in my teens when I first heard the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and back then it was all <i>Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite</i> and pretend transgressions. My friend Justina had the 'Audience Participation' version of the soundtrack, which she recorded for me and I listened to more than I'd be willing to admit. Anyway, over those many many many listens I grew a deep love of a bunch of the songs and the weird, twisted pastiche of rock'n'roll they presented. Susan Sarandon singing <i>Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me, </i>the <i>Rose Tint My World </i>suite, Tim Curry's <i>I'm Going Home</i>. These are all scratched like graffiti into my psyche whether I like it or not. (As well as the dumb-ass things that the audience shout out - thanks, Justina!)<br />
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<b><i>Steve Harley & The Cockney Rebel - Best Years of My Lives</i></b><br />
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I've only recently dug into this guys records. I started with this one and worked backwards, picking up the first two Cockney Rebel disks - the ones with the guys that he sacked and then sung about on his <i>one</i> song, <i>Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me). </i>They're all still growing on me and so I still don't quite know where they will land in the final analysis.<br />
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Of course, his <i>one </i>song is incredible and rightly has claimed its place in the pantheon of great 70s songs. But there is a plenty of invention and creativity where Harley stretches and adapts what rock music can do. Unsurprisingly, there is a family resemblance with Bowie and Roxy Music. I'm not regretting rediscovering Cockney Rebel (of both iterations) - I'd definitely give them a whirl if you've not heard them.<br />
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<b><i>Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Expansions</i></b><br />
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Throbbing Gristle ironically named their third (and best) album 20 Jazz Funk Greats. Having had many conversations with Bernard (who has a handful of years on me), I know the reputation that jazz funk had gathered by the end of the 70s and it wasn't a good one. I can't say what or why, but I'll wager my mother's grave that they had not been listening to THIS jazz-funk. Because it's awesome! (It only just missed on the top 10.)<br />
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It leans heavily on Latin rhythms and the spiritual jazz popular in New York and Chicago. It was on Bob Thiele's cool as a cucumber mid-70s jazz label, <b>The Flying Dutchman</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">. </i>It has real echoes of Alice Coltrane's masterpiece <i>Journey to Satchidananda</i> or Leon Thomas' work with Pharoah Sanders, but in each case, keeping a foot more firmly in the funk camp. When Smith sings that we should expand our minds, this record was sure going to help!<br />
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For the record, 1976 is well under way... See you then :-)</div>
James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-69377755884366798322019-05-26T09:43:00.001-07:002019-05-26T09:43:02.992-07:0010 'Best' Albums from 1975I imagine that it's no surprise for me to say that I am really enjoying this project even though it takes me ages. For those that don't know, or have forgotten, I am selecting the best (for me - <i>and for me alone!</i>) albums of each year since I was born. I was born in in 1970, but since 1973, I upped the ante a little and so for each year I listen to <b>every </b>album<b> </b>that I own for the year, along with a small number streamed or bought especially for the project at least once. For 1975, I have listened to 99 albums.<br />
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Of course that is not all the albums that were released that year - but you have to cut it off somewhere!<br />
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Anyway, one of the reasons that I enjoy this project is that it forces me to listen to albums that I had forgotten about or neglected or sometimes never got around to listening to in the first place. For instance, I always held <i>Physical Graffiti</i> by Led Zeppelin as a solid album, but I can't remember the last time I listened to it in its entirety. Popping it on again now, I was blown away. There is so much more to it than I thought. It was a revelation.<br />
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Also, it's incredible to spend a sustained period listening to a single year. Last month I noted that Paul Weller had suggested that the mid-70s were a 'wasteland'. This exercise shows how wrong he is. The late 70s were undoubtedly rich in so many ways, but I never realised how much 1975 had to offer. Along with the soft rock, art rock and r'n'b that have been dominating my lists so far, '75 sees Jamaica literally exploding with talent, some astonishing music coming out of Nashville, not to mention Dusseldorf.<br />
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I know that sometimes folk get a little frustrated by things being missed out. In preparation for this year a few people had noted the inevitability of this or that album. I have listened to all of the albums that they mentioned (in a couple of cases three or four times), and only one of them have made my list. That is not to play down these records - without exception these 'inevitable' albums are great. But I have to underline the subjective nature of these lists. They're <b>my</b> best, not <b>the</b> best.<br />
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Since 1973 I have also written a second post for each year, noting ten other records that I think interesting. Some because they were awesome and I wanted to draw attention to them; some because they were awful in some ways that amuse me. One friend has suggested that this second post risks overkill. I take his point without reservation but I'm going to keep them going. Partially, this is because I enjoy them but it's also because my 11th best album of the year deserves a comment!<br />
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Finally, each year I skip writing about some albums to avoid the risk of writing about the same people again and again. I'm skipping Bowie's <i>Young Americans</i> and holding him off until next year and Fleetwood Mac until '77.. I'm also skipping Neil Young's <i>Tonight's the Night</i>, Richard and Linda Thompson's <i>Pour Down Like Silver</i>, Eno's <i>Another Green World</i> were skipped because I wrote about those guys last year.<br />
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If anyone wants to see the full list - <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/1970/05/" target="_blank">here it is</a>. Are you sure you want to, though? There's a Spotify playlist at the end.<br />
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And 1975's 10 'best' albums start with...<br />
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<b>Larry Jon Wilson - <i>New Beginnings</i></b><br />
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This is one of those dudes that almost no-one has heard of. I heard his name a few years back when he died. Will Oldham knocked out a tribute 7", covering one of his songs. I then found him popping up on a few Country Funk comps*. His albums are really difficult to pick up on CD, so it took me a long while until I managed to hear his first two albums - both of which are incredible. I still haven't heard his later albums.<br />
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Wilson is a country singer-songwriter who sits rights on that nexus between outlaw country and southern soul (like Bobbie Gentry or Tony Joe White). If you like either of those two genres, I promise you that you'll dig this album. Wilson didn't learn to play the guitar until he was 30 and it was a few years after that that he begun writing songs. So he has a maturity and a legitimate sense of observation in his pictures of southern life. He writes about what he knows and loves and when he's funky, you'll want to move, but when he cools down, you'll want to listen. The songs are so warm and world affirming, his voice such a deep, rich baritone - it's country funk via Santa.<br />
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It contains one of the most beautiful songs about parenthood I've ever heard. <i>Bertrand My Son</i> is about his son, who is paralysed. Wilson's hopes regarding Bertrand are so uplifting and heart-warming, as a relatively new parent again, it makes my eyes moist. And that's going some for me...<br />
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* If you can get your hands on the <i>Country Got Soul</i> comps on Casual Records, I cannot recommend them enough<br />
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<b>Sam Dees - <i>The Show Must Go On</i></b><br />
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Perhaps another name unfamiliar to most. Dees was mostly known as a songwriter and he wrote a load of late 60s/early 70s soul classics, especially out of Atlanta. He only produced one proper album and this is it. The formula is really straightforward: a great soul singer, great songs, dignified production, placing him somewhere between Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Teddy Pendergrass. When he sings about social issues, you know he's seen the ghetto. When he sings about love, as in <i>Worn Out Broken Heart</i>, it feels like he's had hard times in the romance department. Great choruses throughout - not a duff track to be found. Classic 70s southern soul.<br />
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<b>Harmonia - <i>Deluxe</i></b><br />
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I've always been slightly more an admirer than a fan of the so-called Krautrock scene. Looking at my lists so far, while German albums (Can, Popol Vuh, for example) have done consistently well, none have risen to the top. They're great records but they often manage, at least in part, to leave me a little cold in places. This album brings together the very best elements to bear all in one place and it's no surprise given the personnel. Harmonia is made up of Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Dieter Moebius and Michael Rother (and joined here by Guru Guru's Mani Neumeier), all of whom had impeccable CVs in the German music and arts scenes both before and after Harmonia (particularly being involved in the formative works of Kraftwerk, Cluster, Neu! and more). And it's no surprise that these guys were so influential over folk like Eno, Bowie, etc.<br />
<br />
What this record achieves for me is an incredible marriage between warmth and coolness. It has that classic Germanic motoric beat and the synthesizers feel like they have been programmed by machines. Even Rother's guitars sound distant. Where there are vocals, they are repetitive and impersonal. And yet, the overall result is weirdly organic - like the machines are becoming aware of themselves in the music. It remains welcoming in its austerity - a benign aloofness. If I might extend my attempt to describe this music just a little further - it feels like a warm summer's evening on a planet far from home - but like, that's okay, you know...<br />
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I find it very hard to find the words to describe music sometimes. They are two utterly untranslatable languages. Despite this, I really enjoy trying.<br />
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<b>Allen Toussaint - <i>Southern Nights</i></b><br />
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Another unsung genius, I'm afraid, although in recent years, up to and following his death in 2015, he has begun to achieve more widespread recognition. Toussaint was a writer and producer from New Orleans who was instrumental in defining the sound of that city as well as that which we now know as funk. He worked with all of the greats of that city from the 1950s onwards, and was viewed as a primary source of inspiration for dozens of artists far better known than himself - Dr. John, The Meters, The Neville Brothers, Irma Franklin, Lee Dorsey, Betty Harris to name a few.<br />
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But his own albums didn't sell very well. Toussaint hypothesised that they were 'too white to be black and too black to be white'. In other words, they were pitched too perfectly in between these distinct markets. I know what he he is getting at - Southern Nights does straddle both markets and you could imagine Robert Palmer or Elton John at his funkiest recording some of the songs. However, I am not sure that I buy this explanation. They do lack the deep groove of Memphis, or the slick rhythms of Philadelphia, but they sound every inch a New Orleans R'n'B record. <i>Country John</i>, the lone single from the album, has Professor Longhair all over it. The distinctive feel of New Orleans music is the second line drumming that gives it a marching quality, by which I mean that you could imagine it accompanying a march through the city streets.<br />
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At bottom, however, this is simply a record of top rate quality. Toussaint is an incredible songwriter and producer (he is accompanied in the producer's chair by another New Orleans master, Marshall Sehorn.) Every detail here is spot on. There is not a single song - not even a single note - that feels unnecessary. Every decision bears fruit. Hardly a month passes by without my popping it on and it never fails to do the trick.<br />
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<b>The Tubes - <i>The Tubes</i></b><br />
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Often lumped in with proto-punk, which it sort of is, but perhaps more so isn't, The Tubes debut album is one of the most bizarro records that ever attempted to hit the mainstream. Spoiler alert, while everyone hoped it was going to be huge, and it certainly could have been, a bunch of laudable, if weird, decisions, rendered it a cult artefact at the time of its release. Amongst these laudable, if weird, decisions, was to: a) have a genuinely wild stage show that meant it was really difficult if not impossible to make a profit; and b) refuse to do television spots unless they could perform a few songs in sequence, pretty much guaranteeing that publicity would be low.<br />
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Anyway, the record: At bottom, The Tubes are a power pop band with slightly proggy sensibilities. I sort of see them on the same spectrum as Supertramp, although that comparison fails to do justice to either band. Where The Tubes turn away is their willingness to extend wherever their narrative tells them, most obviously into Mariachi in <i>Malaguena Salerosa</i>. There is a wild hyperactivity about the songs that is exhilarating and thrilling, and sticks just the right side of manic - they might veer off the beaten track at any moment, or at least they feel like they might. That would all be fun, but what brings me back again and again is the musicianship and production are consistently incredible.<br />
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I forgot to mention: they can also be hilarious.<br />
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<b>Led Zeppelin - <i>Physical Graffiti</i></b><br />
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In my introduction I noted being surprised by this one. Every other record on this list gets played regularly. I doubt that six months go by without them getting a listen - certainly not a year. I honestly cannot remember the last time I listened to this in its entirety - not only which year, but perhaps which decade. Of course, I have listened to the odd song, <i>Kashmir</i> most likely, and I have always held it as a solid contribution to the Zeppelin discography as well as a rightly classic rock album. But listen to it as it was meant to be heard... perhaps 20 years?<br />
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So I'd forgotten a lot of it. The first thing that hits me about the mature Zeppelin sound is the super-immense drumming. It's been said before, but it really does feel like John Bonham is beating those drums with tree trunks - it's fucking HUGE. Jimmy Page's guitars are no less incendiary than ever they were. In <i>In My Time of Dying </i>(where I struggled to discern much of a 'song', by the way), Page slides his way through best part of twelve minutes chopping and changing riffs seemingly at will. Now that could have been tedious beyond words, but the energy and sheer relentless of it keep me hooked. Thankfully, while <i>Trampled Under Foot </i>sounds suspiciously like Stevie Wonder's <i>Superstition</i>, they manage to avoid the mistakes of <i>The Crunge</i>, and obviously <i>Kashmir</i> is massive, although amidst the general massiveness of the record, it felt a shade diminished.<br />
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And all that is just the first album. <i>In the Light</i> opens with a magnificent serpentine groove, <i>Bron-yr-Aur</i> allows Jimmy to show off for a moment with the finger picking he stole from Bert Jansch, and <i>Down by the Seaside</i> sounds like Led Zep's take on a Rolling Stones song (and is surprisingly good, as it happens). And on it goes. That a double album holds my interest so consistently is measure of how good these guys were. All I can add is that I will not be waiting 20 years before I pop it on again... No sir!<br />
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<b>Burning Spear - <i>Marcus Garvey</i></b><br />
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Jamaica had been producing great records since at least the 1960s. Ska had morphed into rocksteady and that had become reggae and it doesn't take much effort to uncover a bunch of great records. However, I'd argue that it took a few years until we started to see great reggae albums (in a similar fashion to our not seen many great Motown albums until the early 70s) - the marketplace in Jamaica being driven by singles, and it was only when reggae started being picked up by the markets in Britain and the US, that the economical value of the album as something distinct to a collection of singles took hold. Of course, <i>Marcus Garvey</i> was not the first reggae album - not by a long way. We've already seen The Wailer's' <i>Burnin'</i> on these lists. But the number of great reggae albums is increasing rapidly. There were several that figured highly in '75 and I'm already looking at '76, and there are comfortably more to come.<br />
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Burning Spear stands in contrast to Bob Marley's records. Island Records pushed Marley towards a production quality that would sell better in Britain and the USA, and, to be fair, they did a great job. Marley's records are fantastic. Peel away the slicker production and you get another picture of the heart of reggae, though. It is earthier, rougher, more stripped down. <i>Marcus Garvey </i>by Burning Spear is an exemplary example of roots reggae, steeped in the traditions of Rastafarianism. Led by Winston Rodney, whose chanted vocals are supported by Delroy Hinds and Rupert Willington, the whole album is loose in the best sense, in that the rougher edges all serve to make the record what it is - if we sought to smooth them off, it would lose their distinctiveness. All ten tracks, with support coming from the cream of Jamaica's musicians, create a gorgeous, haunting atmosphere, that lifts the spirit. It's notable that Rodney's chant-singing has the air of a seer or prophet, his pronouncements feel purposeful and portentous. All that would be great but uninteresting if the whole damned thing wasn't instantly appealing every single listen.<br />
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In researching this record I discovered that the mix of the album that was released by Island in '75 was not approved by Rodney. Apparently, they'd found it 'threatening' or something and so muted those elements. So far as I understand, the original mix is lost - I would love to hear it.<br />
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<b>Paul Simon - <i>Still Crazy After All These Years</i></b><br />
<b>(with a special nod to Art Garfunkel's <i>Breakaway</i>)</b><br />
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I love soft rock. The soft warm glow of an electric piano. Gentle songs sung slowly. Songs about love and loss, small moments of life. Songs that appeal to growing older - there's no need any more for being radical or making a statement. Songs that are unabashedly pretty. The early 70s produced many such records and one of my side projects is to gradually discover these great records; records that are so uncool, they have become cool again. </div>
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It feels unfair to lump Paul Simon into the arena of soft rock, but the truth is, no matter how insanely good he is at writing songs, this record is rock (it ain't jazz, blues or boogaloo) and this record is soft (the only edge you'll find here is in some of Simon's most devastating lyrics). </div>
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Every song here is gorgeous. There are the famous ones: the spectacular, cynical, <i>50 Ways to Leave Your Lover</i> with its minor marching drums and hilarious lyrics; the warm, summery, <i>Have a Good Time; </i>the ruminative title track. These tracks alone would justify calling the record a classic, but we find a clutch of amazing songs too easily forgotten. There's the McCartney-esque <i>I Do It For Your Love</i>, the light blues of <i>Some Folks Lives Roll Easy, </i>the mournful <i>Night Game</i>.</div>
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Without a doubt the song I always enjoy the most is <i>My Little Town</i>, which functioned as a reunion of sorts with Art Garfunkel. It's such a lovely song, at once wistful and damning. Simon's songwriting craft is at it's very highest here - there are Paul Simon songs as good elsewhere in his discography but none better, and the arrangement is as rich as you could hope for.</div>
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Speaking of Art Garfunkel, he also released a record in '75. In all honesty it's not as good as the other records on this list, but it also possesses <i>My Little Town</i> as well as a series of smart and utterly beautiful cover versions. His version of The Flamingo's old <i>I Only Have Eyes For You</i> is almost as perfect as the original! We might not be so lucky to have a proper Simon and Garfunkel reunion, but this pair of albums is almost as good.</div>
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<b>Queen - <i>A Day at the Races</i></b><br />
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One of the questions that have been raised about both my '73 and '74 lists is where is Queen? The truth is, and I feel like I need to say this quietly, I am not sure I care too much for Queen's first three albums. I wonder if they are, in the most part, a singles rather than an album band. That is a controversial view, and I would not be surprised if there were a few folk that might disagree strenuously with me. Either way, the singles, especially on <i>Sheer Heart Attack</i> are phenomenal, but the albums leave me a little cool. I also wonder, and this might just be me seeing what I want to see, whether, it took a while for Queen to fully develop the vision or the confidence to produce a truly great album. Anyway, while I might be lukewarm about Queen's first three long players (and a few of their later ones), they definitely produced one <i>bona fide</i> monster.<br />
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<i>A Night at the Opera</i> sees Queen firing on all cylinders. All four members provide exceptional songs covering a wide reach of space. Of course, there are a clutch of hard rockers, but there are nods to folk rock, vaudeville and music hall, and then, of course, the elephant in the room that is <i>Bohemian Rhapsody. </i>Right from the off the album is committed to taking no prisoners. <i>Death on Two Legs</i> demands your attention with an array of production tricks that forbid you from letting you mind wander. As a song, both in terms of lyric and production it is intent on making a clear statement. It is relentless and vivid and it suddenly twists into the '20s pastiche <i>Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon, </i> struggle to keep up. When we, mere moments later, slip into Roger Taylor's euphemistic <i>I'm in Love With My Car, </i>I hardly know what to think. All clever enough, except that each song is a killer. You'd think that Queen had just been given an ultimatum - compared to the previous albums, I wonder if they just been given a kicking and had to pull out ALL the stops.<br />
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Anyway, the album continues in this vein with no drop in quality. At the opening of side two, we hit <i>The Prophet's Song</i>, which, with the benefit from hindsight sounds like a warm-up for <i>Rhapsody, </i>with its expansive palette and operatic interludes. But I try to imagine hearing it before <i>Rhapsody - </i>listening to it with virgin ears in sequence. It would have blown me away. It's less dynamic but rockier, but again it feels like nothing heard before. But then a mere two songs later, Queen's most famous moment occurs....<br />
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I am not sure I can say anything about <i>Bohemian Rhapsody</i> that hasn't been said before. All I can say is that 44 years after release and having heard it a staggering number of times, it still sounds amazing. It's an incredible album.<br />
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<b>Bob Dylan - <i>Blood on the Tracks</i></b><br />
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Have you heard this record? Then you probably know why this is my favourite record of 1975.<br />
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OK... I'll write a little more.<br />
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<a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/2018/11/10-lyricists-i-admire.html" target="_blank">Lyrics</a>. I've written before about my relationship with lyrics. Dylan is one a relatively small number of artists whose lyrics I care about. But that said, even here, they rarely stick. I was thinking about this just before I popped the CD in; could I remember, in advance, any of the words? The answer, I'm embarrassed to admit, is no.<br />
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What happens is this: when I listen to a record, any record, I hear the words, but they quickly slip back into obscurity as if into quicksand. So I receive an impression of the lyrics, but if you were ask me once the record had finished, I'd struggle to remember more than fragments. Even songs I've heard a million times, if I try to sing along, I'll nearly always get it wrong - and quite a lot so. Bella will attest. But here's something interesting, when I put the record back on, my memory of the words reoccur split seconds before they are sung, like the words on a karaoke screen. I put it down to brains, how they're different.<br />
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So what to say about this album which has been rightly lauded as amongst the most incredible examples of lyricism ever committed to wax? I enjoy Dylan's turn of phrase and the imagery that he conjures. I enjoy the bitterness of the record, the ruefulness, the weariness of it all. I have a suspiciously unpleasant sense of joy every time I listen to <i>Idiot Wind</i> and Dylan sings that it's a wonder that the subject knows how to breathe. Such a devastating line!<br />
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But what I love, insanely, is the musicality of the record. People obsess so much about Dylan's poetry, I fear that often the gorgeous, beautiful melodies that are produced. Again, as my friend Steve is keen to point out, Dylan's voice is often under-rated, regarded as a poor singer. I'll concede he is an irregular vocalist, but this album is a towering testament to the beauty and range that he can produce. Listening to <i>You're a Big Girl Now</i>, Dylan's voice soars. Of course, he also picks jaw-dropping musicians with an incredible sense of dynamics. Every song rolls and builds with the demands of the verbal needs - rising up in anger or sinking down in despair.<br />
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If I lost all sense of words, I'd still choose this as my number one album of 1975.<br />
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<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-45544054392978408402019-03-01T12:02:00.000-08:002019-03-01T12:02:00.263-08:00Ten Other Albums From 1974We've seen the <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/2019/02/10-best-albums-from-1974.html" target="_blank">'best' of 1974</a>, but of course there is far more to the year than those 10 records. Here I try to do a little justice to that by noting the runners up and some of the other records that year that warrant a little mention. I'll try to be brief!<br />
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<b><i><u>First Runner Up:</u> </i>Shuggie Otis - <i>Inspiration Information</i></b><br />
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This was so close to the Top Ten. Right up until the last moment, this, Betty Davis and Funkadelic were all neck and neck for the 9th and 10th positions. I’m still not sure that I made the right decision. All three are funky, but Shuggie’s funk is far lower key than the others. It feels like a warm, humid night. Even on the odd occasions where the tempo picks up a little, it still resists the urge to build up too much steam. Tracks like <i>Aht Uh Mi Head</i> have an almost DIY quality to it. It feels a little like prime Timmy Thomas or Sly Stone at his most withdrawn.<br />
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At the time this album did not get the credit it deserved. It was mostly ignored. Thankfully, time has proven more generous. It’s idiosyncratic, sinewy funk has ended up being far more influential. It’s a timeless record. Please check it out.<br />
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<b><i><u>Second Runner Up:</u> </i></b><b>Bee Gees - <i>Mr. Natural</i></b><br />
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The Bee Gees are without doubt one of the most misunderstood of bands. The parodies, the cliches and that Clive Anderson interview seem to have coloured people's impression of them despite their having a series of hits more impressive than most other bands. If you haven't read it, I'd strongly recommend having a look at Bob Stanley's book <i>Yeah Yeah Yeah</i>, in particular the chapter on the Brothers Gibb. It considers both the heights that they reached and goes some way to account for why they were such odd and prickly characters, so easily misunderstood.<br />
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Alongside Shuggie, <i>Mr. Natural</i> fell very close to the top ten albums of the year, despite its having no hits that you'd recognise. It sat at a weird juncture for the band. After the heights of their late sixties recordings, they had begun to flounder in the early 70s. They decamped to the US and here joined forced with legendary producer Arif Mardin who has produced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Albums_produced_by_Arif_Mardin" target="_blank">many many</a> incredible records. With him the Bee Gees began to explore their love of R'n'B, which was more thoroughly explored on <i>Main Course, Children of the World</i> and <i>Spirits Having Flown. </i>Here we have 11 fully realised songs that are relentlessly gorgeous and always interesting. With Mardin at the helm you'd expect the production to be lush and spectacular, but the core songs never fail either. In the time since I bought it - only about two years ago thanks to a recommendation (from Nick) - this has been the Bee Gees album that I come back to the most and it never fails.<br />
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<b><u><i>Hidden Treasure Award:</i></u> Sparks - <i>Kimono My House</i></b><br />
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I only started listening to Sparks albums earlier last year. I was listening to their massive <i>This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us</i> at about the same time that their squillionth album <i>Hippopotamus </i> was getting loads of critical acclaim. I found myself wondering what their 40+ career was all about, and decided to pick up some of their albums. Naturally, I started with this one (although it was followed almost instantaneously by others). What I found was a band of such wild invention and creativity that sometimes it was too much to take. Russell Mael (the one who doesn't look like Hitler) sings in a faux-operatic style that sometimes slips into fey music-hall manner-isms. Ron Mael (the one who <b>does</b> look like Hitler), the writer of most words and all music, is likely insane, or a genius (or both?). The melodies are bewildering, the lyrics more so. The result is a band that is never boring and always entertaining. Of the albums I have picked up so far, this one is essential. It's follow up, <i>Propaganda </i>(also from 1974), is almost as good, and so, just as essential. There are some later albums I think <i style="font-weight: bold;">even</i> better, so this will not be the last we hear of Sparks on this blog.<br />
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<b><u><i>Misunderstood Award:</i></u> Hot Chocolate - <i>Cicero Park</i></b><br />
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Hot Chocolate are another of those bands that it is real easy to make assumptions about. They are so embedded with their massive hit <i>You Sexy Thing</i> that it quickly eclipses everything else about the band. In truth, there was a lot to them - from their very curious cover of Lennon's <i>Give Peace a Chance</i> (on Apple records, no less); their legendary and oft-covered suicide epic, <i>Emma;</i> and of course, the many disco hits. What is less well known are their folky origins and their social and political awareness. Tracks like <i>Brother Louie, A Child's Prayer</i>, and <i>Rumours</i> reveal a thoughtfulness not observed in <i>So You Win Again.</i><br />
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Hot Chocolate were not a great albums band. Most of their best work were on singles, to be honest. But if you were to get an album, this would be the one to get*. It has a solid mix of their conscious songs like the title cut and <i>Could Have Been Born in the Ghetto</i>, which are both broad and cinematic in scope and as cool as anything happening stateside (<i>yup, they were British...</i>). It also has the aforementioned <i>Emma, </i>and a solid early dancefloor classic with <i>Disco Queen, </i>which is damned cool. In truth, this is never going to album of the year, but it's a great introduction to the band and offers a real defence as a band that deserves more credit.<br />
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* I've got to admit, I quite like their second, third and fifth albums too... I'm not ashamed.<br />
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<b><i><u>Worst Album of the Year Award:</u> </i>Fatback Band - <i>Feel My Soul</i></b><br />
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This party band were partying TOO damned hard to notice what was wrong with this record. Firstly the name which sounds like a parody. Secondly, the vocals. It sounds like they grabbed some coke-addled teenager from the street and forced him at gunpoint to sing. Exhibit A is <i>Baby Doll</i>, which is beyond words bad and has the audacity to be over seven minutes long. It's a real shame because they were a pretty awesome party band and even here there are some killer cuts - <i>Njia Walk</i> <i>(Street Walk)</i> is a party all unto itself. But nothing can erase those vocals from my mind.<br />
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<b><i><u>Poor Ranking But Still Essential Award</u>: </i>Kraftwerk - <i>Autobahn</i></b><br />
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I should probably explain the tracklisting here. The album has five tracks. The first, <i>Autobahn</i>, is 23 minutes long. The remaining four make up side 2 and total just under 20. They were also only just beginning to perfect the sound that they would be known for, and even then, only really on the title cut. <i>Autobahn</i> is awesome but I consider open for debate whether it is 23 minutes awesome. Unless you are in the Kraftwerk sweet spot exactly, it might begin to outstay its welcome. The second side - well, they're interesting tracks and key building blocks to what they were going to do next, but again, not really the most fun in themselves. I will admit to having a soft-spot for <i>Morganspaziergang</i>, in particular the flute bit, but even then... In all, it is an interesting and important record - I wouldn't want to be without it - but it's primary strength is for giving a sense of the progression of the band, but not necessarily for being a fun one to listen to.<br />
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<u><i><b>Ahead of it's Time Award</b></i></u><b>: Dadawah - <i>Peace and Love</i></b><br />
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In short, Rastafarian meditation music. It sits alongside some of the music that Lee Perry was to produce (with The Congos, for example) and stands as a place marker for music that would arrive a little later via the productions of Adrian Sherwood (African Head Charge in particular). It's reggae, of course, but not as we're typically used to it. It is drum music, chant music - music where the structure has been slowly dismantled and only the underlying rhythm and melody remains, which, amidst the chant-singing is added to, taken away from. It is genuinely spiritual music and very warm to let wash over you. If you think that music and religion shouldn't mix - this is the record to put you straight on that!<br />
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<b><i><u>Phase Two Award:</u></i> Robert Wyatt - <i>Rock Bottom</i></b><br />
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The story of Robert Wyatt bears repeating. He was the drummer in one of the cooler, jazzier, prog rock bands, Soft Machine. He was working on some songs for his second solo album when he fell from a fourth storey window, a fall that left him paralysed from the waist down. In short, Wyatt retooled and reframed to accommodate this new reality. <i>Rock Bottom</i> was the first album to emerge and it signalled that Wyatt was not going to conform to anyone’s expectations. It’s six tracks exist in a barely structured cloud, where Wyatt and his collaborators form delicate shapes and patterns. It feels extemporised, but I suspect that it’s all more deliberate than that. The net result is a beautiful if sometimes disconcerting series of pieces that are distinctly minor key and yet ultimately liberating. I definitely recommend it.
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<b><i><u>Never-ending Genius Award</u>: </i>Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta</b><br />
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Rita Wright, a.k.a. Syreeta, ex-wife of Stevie releases another monster collaboration. The two had released a killer in 1972, entitled simply <i>Syreeta</i>. Two years later, the marriage is on the rocks, but they remain friends and still pull out a great record. It is more of a pop confection this time. The earlier record had a jazzier, more deconstructed feel, whereas the structures of this album are more built up. But it is relentlessly catchy - exactly what you'd expect from Stevie Wonder. Syreeta's sweet soprano is up front and more strident on this record - it's funkier and it stands out more. Listening to <i>Come and Get It</i>, it stands up today and not simply as a period piece. Even ballads like <i>Heavy Day</i> avoid being over-sentimental and mawkish. It's the sound of summer and good times - it's impossible not to love.<br />
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<b><i><u>Neglected Classic Award:</u> </i>John Lennon - <i>Walls and Bridges</i></b><br />
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I can never decide which of the Beatles' post-Beatles careers I value the most. I've pretty much settled on the view that the best album is George's <i>All Things Must Pass</i>. I've been spending a lot of time lately with Paul's albums and my estimation all-in-all is increasing. But I think I am still tilting towards John. <i>Imagine</i> and <i>Plastic-Ono Band</i> are obviously the high-points, but this album comes in a close third. It bewilders me that it still suffers from some mixed reviews. Sure, there are one or two missed opportunities, but there are enough crackers here to defend it.<br />
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It has the shiny irrepressible <i>Whatever Gets You Thru The Night </i>with Elton John, which is just a whisper away from disco, the gorgeous <i>#9 Dream</i> with its incomprehensible lyrics, and the angry John of old with <i>Steel and Glass. </i>The primary feeling one comes away with, however, is a quieter, thoughtful, reflective Lennon. It came at the end of his 'Lost Weekend', just as he was about to reunite with Yoko, and the record catches this mood. <i>Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out </i>and <i>Scared </i>reflect John's uncertainties, while <i>Bless You</i> is a beautiful piece of Yacht Rock expressing his abiding love for his estranged wife. It's a pretty complete album and deserves more recognition.<br />
<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-72374787333423262872019-02-23T14:02:00.001-08:002019-02-27T11:31:54.826-08:0010 'Best' Albums From 1974<br />
So 1974. I finished this list a few weeks ago, but other stuff kept me from writing it. Here we are!<br />
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I feel like I ought to remind folk that I try not to talk about the same artists again and again, so I skip people if they've shown up too recently. So even though David Bowie (<i>Diamond Dogs</i>), John Cale (<i>Fear</i>) and Roxy Music (<i>Country Life</i>) all had massive albums this year, I've not included them in the list.<br />
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<b>1974</b><br />
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<i>One reader suggested that an overview of the time might be a nice add-on to these posts. I have given it a go. I ended up writing quite a lot and even after a good edit, it's still quite long*. Please let me know what you think. I still like the idea but I might do it once every couple of years.</i><br />
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In one sense 1974 is much like every year - if you look over the Singles Charts, it's not looking good. The charts are dominated by glam rock (not necessarily the good stuff) and middle of the road fluff. There's Gary Glitter, Alvin Stardust, Suzi Quatro, Mud, and Sweet (etc. etc.). All fine singles in their way, I suppose, but there's a reason why we have forgotten most of them. And then there's Lena Zavaroni, Lulu, Terry Jacks, Perry Como. Paul Weller recently described the mid-70s as 'a wasteland'. You can find evidence for that claim in the Charts, but I am not convinced.<br />
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After all, if you look closer to the charts, you can see the signs of better things. Bowie, Roxy Music, Sparks and 10cc all appear, as does Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers. It's clear that things are changing even if it is not necessarily obvious.<br />
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In rock music, heavy and progressive rock is still in the ascendancy. Zeppelin, Sabbath, Deep Purple along with Floyd, Genesis and King Crimson were shifting boatloads of records. But there were others who seem to be looking to a different future. Most obviously there were the art rockers like Bowie, Roxy, Eno and Sparks who all continued to draw from rich seams opened by the Velvets, Stooges and Doors. Of course, Reed, Cale and Pop were themselves revitalised and producing some of the best music of their careers. Another prominent influence was the second wave of the German avant-garde - Can, Cluster, Faust, Neu! and of course Kraftwerk. These would offer endless inspiration to those who would appear in the later 70s.<br />
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Another view of the future came from a group who were resolutely looking to the past - the pub rockers. Bands like Dr. Feelgood were drawing upon blues and RnB revivalism but their music was defined more by energy and enthusiasm than by double-necked guitars and technically perfect guitar solos. (It's no surprise then that much of the early punk scene had connections to the pub-rock scene - I'd argue that from a genre point of view, they're virtually siblings.)<br />
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Away from rock, new things were happening elsewhere too. Black American music was diversifying. Disco had not quite erupted, but it is plain that it was already making a serious impact, especially in the smooth soul powerhouse of Philadelphia. Southern Soul was on the decline in 1974 but it was still packing a punch - Ann Peebles, Al Green and Millie Jackson were all making killer records. And then there was funk, which was developing into something wholly new. The stripped back sound of James Brown was still present but it was increasingly overlaid with ... well, frankly, anything and everything; from Hendrix to Jazz to Disco.<br />
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And it was not all about the USA and Europe. Jamaica was onto its third internationally recognised genre: reggae (after rocksteady and ska). Even reggae was beginning to develop and diversify in 1974. There was the poppier end of reggae, represented by John Holt and Jimmy Cliff and then there was Roots. Beyond Jamaica, African music was beginning to draw a lot of attention. Over the next decade this would spread across the whole continent, most notably South Africa, Mali, Senegal and Nigeria.<br />
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In headline, like any year, if you look at the froth of what the music business produced in 1974 you might conclude that it was a wasteland. But this is a mistake, like most of the 70s, it was a rich time. It was rich in its own right, and not simply in what because of what it was pointing towards.<br />
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<i>* Even then, I think I have barely scratched the surface...</i><br />
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<b>Funkadelic - <i>Standing on the Verge of Getting It On</i></b><br />
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Funkadelic's debut was a major player on my 1970 list. What marked that album out in my mind was the murky, smoky underworld it inhabited. Sure, it was funky, but it felt like something you'd find deep in the woods - something enticing but slightly dangerous. It had a similar sort of vibe, in my mind anyway, to Dr. John's debut <i>Gris-Gris</i>.<br />
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That Funkadelic is still here. <i>Red Hot Mamma </i>has a riff that wouldn't have been out of place back then. The twelve minute closer <i>Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts</i> is as spacey as anything on the first album or Maggot Brain, and the monologue is just as ridiculous.<br />
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But by this point, the Parliament-Funkadelic train has long since left the station and they are well on their way to the mothership. Everything is so much brighter, clearer - in sharper focus. It is more confident and sure of itself. The hooks are more forward. The groove on <i>I'll Stay</i> is beyond infectious and it find its way into my memory that I'll be humming it for days. The title track opens with the silly voices that begin to characterise P-Funk, but once it kicks in, it's as celebratory and exciting as anything that Sly Stone could muster. And that's plenty recommendation all by itself.<br />
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<b>Betty Davis - <i>They Say I'm Different</i></b><br />
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This won't take long. While it's a killer album, it's pretty simple. Betty Davis, ex-wife to Miles (who turned him on to Hendrix, Sly Stone etc.) (who was a little much for him to handle!) (who wrote <i>He Was A Big Freak</i> about him), rides some of the dirtiest funk ever written. In contrast to Funkadelic, it is closer to the Family Stone, lacking the murky psychedelics.<br />
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This is tighter and rougher. Check out the bass-drum-keyboards of <i>He Was a Big Freak. </i>It's a beat that picks you up and beats you right back down again. Betty is not intimidated by it, but instead towers over it; purring, growling, shrieking, disclosing secrets that I'll bet made Miles blush.<br />
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Betty's vocal performance is aggressive and relentless; the music is funky and fierce. It is stripped down with no unnecessary embellishments - it gives you what you need and no more. This album is short, hard and unapologetic - perhaps the hardest of the whole list. It will not let you sit still.<br />
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<b>Blue Oyster Cult - <i>Secret Treaties</i></b><br />
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Everyone knows <i>(Don't Fear) The Reaper</i> but this was my real introduction to the band. I'd heard two things about them; they were a little occultic (they were the first to lay claim to the umlaut, after all); and/or, they came with some serious song-writing credibility - Patti Smith and Richard Meltzer - often regarded as the first serious rock critic. I'm not at all sure about the first point, but the second is true.<br />
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In truth, I really like 75% of this album, but I only love the last two tracks. But I LOOOVE those two tracks. The album is hard rock and stands in contrast to riffage of Sabbath and Purple; I'd argue that it stands more as a precursor to the NWOBHM. All of the first six tracks kick ass as solid rock tunes; they're quirky and inventive in their decision-making. They're all sort of funny lyrics-wise, which is why I take their alleged occultic leanings as more of come-on than anything else - just check the titles; <i>Career of Evil</i>, <i>Dominance and Submission, Harvester of Eyes. </i><br />
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And then there are the final two tracks. <i>Flaming Telepaths</i> opens with a great riff hovering over a great beat. Lyrically, it sends you off in one direction before doubling back in another. Is it about drugs, is it about deception? Is it about altered realities or is it all a double bluff, and it is all about the confusion of the listener trying to make sense of it all - '<i>the joke's on you!</i>' they sing. The rhythm is propulsive, before a massive, almost psychedelic climax, which tumbles into the relative calm of the album's closer <i>Astronomy</i>. I'm not even going to start making sense of it - having the lyrics booklet is no help at all. It's a damned catchy song even if it is incomprehensible.<br />
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<b>Barry White - <i>Can't Get Enough</i></b><br />
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If you're spotting this and groaning, muttering about my having a problem, or being cheesy; even if you're chuckling and thinking of the ol' Walrus of Love, then stop it! Go and listen to this album with fresh ears. It is what you think it is, but it is SO much more. Barry White is a <i>bona fide</i> genius along with his long time arranger, Gene Page.<br />
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His M.O. is simple: pick up from where Isaac Hayes left off, up the lush string arrangements, and throw as many damned hooks at it as you can. Every song is catchy and you can sing along. If the song is made for the dance floor, damned straight you can dance to it; if it's for the bedroom, well, you know what to do... Every monologue is just the right kind of cheesy, and you know, I think he means every word. The joke is that he is responsible for his own baby boom - definitely possible. If you're in love, Barry's got your back.<br />
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The main thing is that the quality is there. Barry White had a great run in the early 70s and the dude was busy. Aside from his own LPs, he was writing and producing for Love Unlimited and the Love Unlimited Orchestra. In 1974 he produced albums for Jay Dee and Gloria Scott, and both are good, worth a listen. Of his own albums, every one from '73-'79 are worth a listen. But this is the one, if a gun was forced to my head and I had to pick just one. It has two of Barry's monster hits <i>You're My First, My Last, My Everything </i>and <i>Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe </i>as well as a clutch of other great tracks. <i>I Can't Believe You Love Me</i> is 10 minutes and he makes each one count.<br />
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I love Barry White, and Barry White loves you.<br />
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<b>Neil Young - <i>On The Beach</i></b><br />
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I debated whether I should include this record. After all, Young's <i>Harvest</i> figured big in 1972 and I don't want to write about the same artists every year (Hello, David Bowie!). But this is such a different record to Harvest. To say that they are opposites would be to overstate matters, but they are separate beasts.<br />
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It's incredible to think that this album waited SO long for a CD release as well - it was finally issued in 2003 after falling out of print on vinyl in the early 80s. The story goes, as I understand it, that coming off the back of the mega-success of <i>Harvest</i>, his guitarist, Danny Whitten died of an overdose. This event plus Young's own erratic nature led to his producing three of the rawest albums of his career. The first, which is still not available on CD and that I haven't heard still, <i>Time Fades Away</i> was recorded live. <i>Tonight's the Night </i>was recorded next but released last (in 1975) and <i>On the Beach</i> was recorded last, but released in 1974. What binds these albums together is raw, unflinchingly honest personal song-writing, recorded sparsely with very light production. While I love <i>Tonight's the Night</i>, this is my favourite work by Young by far.<br />
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While the album kicks up with the chipper <i>Walk On</i>, it quickly turns dark. <i>See The Sky About To Rain</i> is a lovely, if melancholy, country rock tune but as the title suggests it points to something ominous. What that might be is given more detail in <i>Revolution Blues, </i>which is alleged to be a song from the point of view of Charles Manson. I don't know if that is true or not, but there are some dark lyrics here; especially about the movie stars in Lauren Canyon. The title track finds Young ruminating about fame and how much he needs people or wants them around. The album closes reflecting on the past and whether it offers any solace. The lyrics are dark and questioning but that wouldn't matter one jot if it wasn't such a awesome record musically. As I've noted it's light on production and pretty rough sounding, but it's so perfectly written. The songs are what they need to be, even when they stretch out to six or eight minutes - not one note outstays its welcome.<br />
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<b>Millie Jackson - <i>Caught Up</i></b><br />
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This is some powerful southern soul. It was recorded in Muscle Shoals and follows the Isaac Hayes model - hard-bitten soul with opulent sophisticated orchestration. It borrows another approach perfected by Hayes in having long spoken word stretches. It also functions as the perfect example of well-worn soul trope - the story of illicit love - and <i>Caught Up </i>tells the story of a woman in love with a married man. It amounts to a soul concept album, telling the story over 10 tracks - with ongoing narration from Jackson.<br />
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All of this would be cute if it wasn't for two things; the music and Jackson's delivery. The music is tight and funky and grooves relentlessly. Every song is a knock-out. The arrangements solid and dynamic, propelling me forward through the narrative, tapping my toes and fingers. Jackson gives everything to these songs, while she'd had a few hits, she was determined that this album would be the smash she felt she deserved. She was right and it was. The spoken word interludes don't interfere with the tunes but tie them together as they should, and Jackson sounds utterly authentic throughout, using humour where appropriate. For a southern soul record, this is essential.<br />
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<b>Richard & Linda Thompson - <i>I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight</i></b><br />
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I'd already become familiar with Richard Thompson via his work with Fairport Convention. So I already knew that spotting that a song was written by him was something to pay attention to. Fairport were perhaps best known for their arrangements of traditional folk material, but both Thompson and Sandy Denny were incredible songwriters. When these three classic albums of Richard and Linda Thompson were reissued in 2004, I was all over them. This, along with <i>Pour Down Like Silver</i> (1975), quickly embedded themselves as dear favourites in my collection.<br />
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It would be fair to say that Richard Thompson does not specialise in songs that focus on joy. In truth, one common feature of his songwriting is a sort of latent despair. It was there back in '68 with his legendary <i>Meet on the Ledge</i>. And here there are several songs that are close to, if not downright, heartbreaking. Perhaps the apotheosis of this is <i>The End of the Rainbow - </i>a song sung to an infant spelling out all of life's disappointments.<br />
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<i>"Your mother works so hard to make you happy,<br />But take a look outside the nursery door<br />There's nothing at the end of the rainbow<br />There's nothing to grow up for anymore</i>"</blockquote>
Of course, you might prefer <i>Withered and Died</i> or even the title track, which might seem lighthearted if it wasn't for the shadow of everyday life that lingers in the background.<br />
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I don't want to sell this album as a massive mope-fest, though, as it is breath-takingly beautiful. Thompson is commonly regarded as one of Britain's best ever guitar players. You'll see no pyrotechnics here, just a quiet defined style - slightly stark, but every note is correct. Consider <i>The Calvary Cross</i>, it's so gorgeous - it's so economical.<br />
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<b>Brian Eno - <i>Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)</i></b><br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b>The world of music has had its fair share of visionaries; people who seem to see beyond the confines of the present and bring back from the future artefacts of a world yet unseen. Off the top of my head, I'd include the Velvets, the Beatles (including George Martin), Prince, Lee Scratch Perry, Bowie, Kanye West, Adrian Sherwood... Anyway, of all of them, no-one seems as consistently of the future as Eno. From those early Roxy Music albums, through these 70s recordings, his ambient work, his collaborations with David Byrne, John Cale, Harmonium, and then his production work, most notably with U2 - throughout them all, he has brought perpetual invention. All of the above have continued to offer inspiration to generations that have followed in his wake.<br />
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1974 was an incredible year for Eno. He'd just been kicked out of Roxy Music and then he produces two amazing albums. A case could be made for my selecting his debut, <i>Here Come The Warm Jets</i>, as it sets up the template for the series of experiments that Eno would embark on for the next few years. However, while I <i style="font-weight: bold;">highly</i> recommend it, I find it a little more abrasive, and thus a little less enjoyable.<br />
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<i>Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)</i> is difficult to describe. Eno referred to himself as a non-musician, and in one sense that is true. He operates in textures and feelings rather than chord structures and key changes. But in another sense it is false, because of course all of those things are there. Perhaps because he is a non-musician, they are unexpected and refreshing. Nothing is cliched; nothing is predictable; and yet everything sounds right - to me anyway. Check out <i>Third Uncle</i>, perhaps the most familiar thanks to the Bauhaus cover version. It sounds like a collection of Bo Diddeleys competing with each other, who can dismantle the rhythm first... But the more it seems like it might fall apart, the more Eno piles on. More drums! A new guitar riff! Another bassline! It's demented, it's careering, and yet, it never shows signs of leaving the road. I'll swear that Wire had this album on repeat when they were recording <i>154</i>, especially listening to <i>The True Wheel</i>. My favourite track is <i>The Fat Lady of Limbourg</i>. It's slow. It's the most sedate song of the album - pondering perhaps - but it's absurdist lyrics, it's construction of atmosphere is second to none.<br />
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I'd seriously recommend to anyone thinking about sounds, that they sit and deconstruct any track from this album. There's more invention in one bar here than there are in many whole albums.<br />
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<b>Steely Dan - <i>Pretzel Logic</i></b><br />
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I am the only person I know that loves Steely Dan and I find this very strange. They have a gargantuan reputation and a modest discography, so they don't seem so overwhelming to investigate. But no-one likes them bar me. Or so it seems. I do have half a suspicion that once I have written this, two or three people will pop up and say me too...<br />
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Anyway, I bought this on a whim in about 2002. I had heard nothing of them since my childhood and even then nothing had lodged itself in my memory. I can't remember why, I was just curious. My Mum's second husband had <i>Pretzel Logic</i> on vinyl in the late 70s and I liked the cover. And I had read that they were cool. And why not buy it.... If nothing else, I'll learn something!<br />
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So how to describe it? On the face of things, it's pretty unremarkable. It's soft rock with jazzy undertones, I guess. Everyone says that they are terribly sophisticated and I suppose they are. I don't understand musical theory sufficiently to try to explain it, but the songs are thoughtful and rarely obvious, even if they could hardly be described as surprising. I guess -<i> can you tell I'm struggling a little?</i> - it's just really satisfying to listen to. There are lots of interesting things afoot, despite being such that if you weren't paying attention, it could pass you by very easily. I'm a big fan of this. If being sophisticated means that you make lots of interesting choices without feeling the need to shout about them, then this is that kind of record.<br />
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But while I am told that lyrically it is cold, I find it warm to listen to. The melodies are immediate and immediately lured me in. When I bought it, it was almost instantly on the rotation and it has never left it. It has hooks galore and to me is a sing-along record (as long as I am on my own in the car or something). I now have all bar one of Steely Dan's records - I love them very much. Some are a little jazzier, some a little rockier, but not one has failed me. I love them - why don't you?<br />
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<b>Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - <i>Winter in America</i></b><br />
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I remember buying this album. It was from HMV in about '92 and knew next to nothing about it. It was a pretty big gamble - not least because it was £15. I was pretty broke back then so that was a good bit of change. I had no idea what I was buying. I didn't know Gil Scott-Heron, not really. The one thing I knew was his song 'The Bottle'. I'd come across that track a few times and naturally, I loved it. It was upbeat and cool, jazzy and knowing, and it was socially conscious. It had this fantastic beat, that seemed informed as much by Latin music as by jazz - not that I knew very much about either of these things. Quite rightly, it remains one of his most well known songs. But the other eight songs, who knows....<br />
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Remember - this was before the internet, so I couldn't sample a track to check it out. If you didn't know someone who had it, and I didn't, there wasn't too much you can do (especially not in HMV). (I later befriended the folk who worked in the separate classical department and they would, from time to time, play me things if they weren't too busy). Anyway, I took the plunge and it remains one of the very best decisions I ever made.<br />
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Gil Scott-Heron is one of the artists of the margins - difficult to fix down; sort of jazz, sort of not, sort of funk, sort of not, and so on. Since he was initially a poet, there was always a strong use of language and purpose in the lyrics. Musically he is joined with Brian Jackson on keyboards and together this forms one of the coolest, most relaxing albums I own. Even when they up the tempo, it's still time to kick back.<br />
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The music is calm and ruminative. Scott-Heron is at his most reflective here. The first two songs, <i>Peace Go With You Brother</i> and <i>Rivers of my Fathers</i>, consider community and tradition and togetherness and untogetherness. I am in no way an expert in the Black American experience, especially not of the early mid-70s, but I am under the impression that this was a time of uncertainty. This feeling seems to come out in these songs. Elsewhere, he looks back to his childhood and sings about parenthood. In many ways, <i>The Bottle</i> is the most typical song here - it feels like it is only <i>sort of</i> autobiographical. Aside from a brief reprise of the opener, the album closes with a long spoken word piece, <i>H20 Gate Blues. </i>Musically, it stands out but it also stands out lyrically, it's the only track that feel strident - as though he is sure about his position.<br />
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In all, this album opened my eyes, changed my word. It was one of the first real views on jazz that I had (despite being more jazzy than jazz) and introduced me to Gil Scott-Heron, of course. I think it was also one of the first pieces from the early 70s that I loved with all my heart. I'll be playing this record until I die and if there's an afterlife, it had better be playing there too!<br />
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<b><i>Just missed out...</i></b><br />
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So close! Shuggie Otis's <i>Inspiration Information</i>. This was jostling for includion right up until the last minute. The Bee Gee's <i>Mr. Natural</i> was creeping close behind, as was Dadawah's Rastafarian meditation <i>Peace and Love. </i>Nina Simone's live <i>It is Finished</i> was a close runner as was Ann Peeble's <i>I Can't Stand the Rain.</i><br />
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Some of these might show up next week in 1974 - The Others....<br />
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If you <b>really</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>want to see everything I listened to for this, click <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/1970/02/1974-long-list.html" target="_blank">here</a>. But why would you want to?<br />
<i><br /></i>James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-39784806625370705692019-01-20T09:27:00.004-08:002019-01-20T09:27:43.301-08:00Farewell, R. KellyI have been watching the Lifetime series <i>Surviving R. Kelly.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Info</td></tr>
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In episode 4 a music journalist called Miss Info described going to R. Kelly's house after he was acquitted of child pornography charges. She said that, like everybody else, she had a set of feelings about Kelly, but since he was acquitted she left them at the door and entered to do her job. She then said that when she left, she picked up her feelings on the way out. She concluded that this might be what it is like as a fan of R. Kelly's music - we have feelings about him, we put on his music and put down our feelings, when the music stops, we pick them up again and move on.<br />
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That was a process I recognised - it rang very true to me. I've long heard rumours that R. Kelly is a pretty skeezy guy (I selected that word precisely because it is nebulous) but he was acquitted of the really nasty stuff. And you know, <i>Ignition (Remix)</i> is a monster and so are a bunch of his other hits. Even the corny tracks like <i>I Believe I Can Fly</i> are damned irresistible. There have been whispers of other allegations, but there are loads of skeezy people in the music business... what am I going to do, investigate all the allegations about all of them? I rationalise etc. And you know, <i>Ignition (Remix)</i> IS great.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMjYqRx3Bt-8sq4L1vd8F4Xz_sD2kPjXbAu_2-tGyw2z-fYWtrZ4y30TDccZ4j26__FWIRjxUde1sQwDyvIld1aji3blBISq9MVRetBUjFdSc7J4Lsc8Egbf7myUKzoeNjv4-VC-VCcoq/s1600/r-kelly-cellphone-video-sweat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="807" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMjYqRx3Bt-8sq4L1vd8F4Xz_sD2kPjXbAu_2-tGyw2z-fYWtrZ4y30TDccZ4j26__FWIRjxUde1sQwDyvIld1aji3blBISq9MVRetBUjFdSc7J4Lsc8Egbf7myUKzoeNjv4-VC-VCcoq/s200/r-kelly-cellphone-video-sweat.png" width="200" /></a>But the allegations have gotten louder again, and I have been feeling increasingly uncomfortable putting down my feelings about Kelly the man when I listen to Kelly the musician. Watching <i>Surviving R. Kelly</i> has sealed the deal, I can't do it anymore. I am embarrassed that it has taken me this long, but I am here now.<br />
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I can't promise that I won't enjoy it if I happen across it randomly - I still enjoy Gary Glitter's biggest hits if I catch them unexpectedly - but I am going to stop doing so voluntarily. Of course, that includes buying any of Kelly's records. I doubt he'll notice, but I will.James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-20156411018361946592019-01-14T13:56:00.001-08:002019-01-14T15:43:47.911-08:0010 Songs That Take Me Back to Planet XI was rooting around my old CDs the other day - the CDs that live upstairs and are semi-forgotten. Amongst them I came across this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forgive my awful photoshop skills. Also this was before Facebook and getting real Planet X pictures to use!</td></tr>
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Back when burning CDs was a thing - just under 20 years ago, I think, I was feeling nostalgic. Napster, or something like it, was a thing, and I decided to re-create a night at Planet X for myself.<br />
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Aside: Planet X was a Liverpool nightclub that ran from approximately 1983-1993 (give or take) and for a short period my whole life seemed to revolve around it - roughly from the beginning of 1986 to the end of 1988. Aesthetically, it was goth, but in reality it was everyone's that was not part of the mainstream - so whether you were punk, rockabilly or just one of the all-sorted folk that somehow eluded categorisation, the Planet was for you. It was the night-time hub and meeting point for anyone and everyone, or so it seemed. Every band that mattered had passed through at some point or in some format, or so it seemed. It was my world.<br />
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So I was feeling wistful. I wanted to collate 5 hours of music (roughly from 9 in the evening to 2 in the morning). I had some of these tracks already but it was an excuse to gather things that I did not have. Looking at the track listing, it was also plainly an excuse to pull together tracks that reminded me more generally of the time and place than simply the Planet. I'd guess, in all honesty, that about one third of the tracks were never played anywhere in the night club at any time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup - about a third were <b>never</b> played at the Planet...</td></tr>
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No mind... It served its purpose. I haven't popped the CDs recently, but looking at it, I am confident that if I did, I'd not get bored. I'm also confident that while it probably fails to match anyone else's memories of the Planet exactly, it would be close enough to amuse any other nostalgic scouse goth from the 80s.<br />
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So here are ten tracks that will, within a bar or two, whisk me back to those dark, sweaty, special nights:<br />
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<b>The Sisters of Mercy - <i>Alice/Temple of Love</i></b><br />
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We might as well get this out of the way right now. Also, I couldn't decide between Alice or Temple of Love (the original version, of course!). Most of the tracks on this list regularly get a play and not merely as some nostalgia trip. I genuinely love these songs. I am aware of the limitations of The Sisters, but damn it do I not love these EPs with all my heart?! (I think that the second side of <i>First and Last and Always</i> is awesome; I like <i>Floodland</i> a fair bit and after that... well, it was nice while it lasted...). I still remember buying <i>Alice</i> and playing it to death. And then, because I was a goth, I played it some more. But for all that I will forever associate it with the dance floor downstairs at Temple Street. The smoky, murky, slight dampness is matched by the smoky, murky, slight dampness of the records.<br />
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I was never much of a dancer, but I did, especially in my earlier days, dance at Planet X. I remember dancing in the most offensively pretentious way. I think (my memory is as hazy as these records) I more or less just stood in one place, rocked a little, sucked in my cheekbones and waved my hands around like I was at Hogwarts or something. I am embarrassed thinking about it right now. I extend my sincerest and deepest apologies to anyone unlucky enough to witness such a spectacle. Anyway, that thing I did (I hesitate to call it a dance), I did regularly to Sisters of Mercy records. I think, thanks to muscle memory, I could recreate it all. I won't though.<br />
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<b>Fields of the Nephilim - <i>Preacher Man</i></b><br />
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It's the Sisters of Mercy tribute act nobody called for! I don't really care - I love this tune. It feels like it was made for Planet X. It even has an intro that was perfect for announcing its arrival to all the goths tired of Big Black and Dead Kennedy's songs that were too fast to dance to. <i>Preacher Man</i> had all the components of dance floor gold at Planet X; the false stops, the cues for when you were to throw your hands up into the air, a good tempo and lyrics that sound meaningful until you see them written down. I like that little guitar line too. <i>We don't fear no contamination!</i><br />
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<b>Wire - <i>I Am The Fly</i></b><br />
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I'm cheating a little. When I hear this song, I am not transported to the Planet. I am, however, transported to X-Stremes, which was a little clothes shop in an underground arcade running from Rainford Gardens to Stanley Street. Like many Planet X regulars, this was a mainstay of goth fashion shopping and part of the typical Saturday tour of Liverpool.<br />
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(The tour, in my time at least, orientated around Probe Records on Button Street, but included Backtracks next door, an amusement arcade across the road, X-Stremes, the Lisbon pub, the tea rooms on Rainford Gardens, and there was a burger joint on the corner of Stanley Street I've forgotten the name of. The more adventurous might extend as far as Bold Street or Renshaw Street to take in Penny Lane records or 69A, a three (?) storey shop of curios and vintage fashion. Later, the fantastic bazaar of Quiggins added to the mix.)<br />
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Anyway, right at the outset of my baby-goth days I was in X-Stremes and the clanging, motoric, repetition of I Am The Fly was playing out and that one time was enough to etch it once and for all in my memory.<br />
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<b>Cabaret Voltaire - <i>Nag, Nag, Nag</i></b><br />
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Brian Eno famously declared that Donna Summer's <i>I Feel Love</i> was the future. I still agree with him. However, if the future takes a different turn (and in the current political climate, it just might), this record might be a song from an alternative timeline - something a little like the second Planet of the Apes movie, where humans have ruined the environment and technology beyond recognition. The song sounds toxic to my ears; everything about it sounds contaminated. And yet, much like Donna Summer's classic, there's something about it that is perfect for the dance floor.<br />
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<b>New Model Army - <i>The Hunt</i></b><br />
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This song was a dance floor filler every time but it seemed to have one purpose and one purpose only and that was to get everyone to throw their hands in the air in unison. Lots of goth songs had that aspiration but none were as successful as this. Lynx advertisers missed a trick... New Model Army always got a lot of love in the Planet. With this one, it's easy to see why.<br />
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<b>Spear of Destiny - <i>Liberator</i></b><br />
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This is a song, I think, that it's best not to think too much about - just take it as it is and enjoy it. Lyrically, nothing really makes any sense. The only thing I'm really sure about is that Kirk Brandon thinks he's liberating something. And he sure does a lot of it in this song. Musically, I am not sure it's that good either - it begins with a saxophone, which is a curious choice. And there are loads of bits to it with drums and whooping, building up to ... nothing much, really. Just more of Brandon's liberating. But for all this, in my memory, this is a monumental anthem. The chorus, where Brandon sustains the 'I' (of the 'I am a Liberator') is genuinely exciting. I wish I could get back to enjoying it so unquestioningly.<br />
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<b>Dead Kennedys - <i>Holiday in Cambodia</i></b><br />
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Was anybody a purist at Planet X? I don't think anybody was <b>only</b> into one thing; i.e. only goth stuff or punk stuff or whatever. One of the Planet's chief virtues to me is that it was a melting pot. Unlike Conservative political slogans, we genuinely were all in it together. However, there were moments were we did split off into our particular tribes. These moments were often on the dance floor, and there were good reasons for this. A stray goth pretending to dance to a Dead Kennedy's song could get accidentally punched in the face - even this one, which is a little goth (if we're honest). Yup, the stray goth was me and I hazarded a little foray onto the dance floor during this track. Andy Robinson (not the Hellraiser actor) was enjoying the track to its full potential, swinging his arms about enthusiastically. I am not sure he ever realised - I figured that it wasn't deliberate. (<i>That said, it was me dancing, in my typically obnoxious style... so maybe it was!) </i>Anyway, I cannot listen to it without remembering my surprise. I think it was the second chorus - after I had been lulled into a false sense of security.<br />
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<b>Patti Smith - <i>Because the Night</i></b><br />
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I never heard this downstairs at Temple Street, only ever upstairs on the jukebox. In honesty, the song feels incongruous with my memory of Planet X, like it was the vestige of some other nightclub. And yet, when I hear it, even when I am listening to the whole of <i>Easter </i>and I hear it in that context, I am upstairs in the Planet, playing on the Kiss pinball machine, silently watching the wall of TV screens invariably showing Bauhaus videos, navigating the toilets, or just enjoying a modicum of semi-light in contast to the semi-darkness of downstairs. Even when I heard the Bruce Springsteen version of it, finally released in 2011 on <i>The Promise</i>, I am still taken back.<br />
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I would love to see the contents of that jukebox again.<br />
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<b>Big Black - <i>Kerosene</i></b><br />
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Much like <i>Preacher Man</i> above, this song announces its arrival with a unique introduction. Unlike <i>Preacher Man</i> (which I do enjoy, by the way) this track is a total monster. Steve Albini is widely recognised as a genius musician and producer, but I would love to have seen what he might have done with a ton of cash and a Max Martin pop song. Kerosene is a killer on the dance floor and is SO exciting to listen to - ironic, really, since the song is all about being bored.<br />
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<b>The Pogues - <i>Sally MacLennane</i></b><br />
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There were a number of songs that I remember closing the various evenings. I suspect that different DJs had their own preferences, but even now when I hear these songs they feel like the end of the night, even when, like this it could still be kicking off the party and not closing it. I was often sad to be on my way. It typically meant trying to find a taxi after two in Liverpool city centre.<br />
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Anyway, whenever I hear these ten tracks (and many many more, to be honest) my memory takes me back to those days. As much as I would have enjoyed the songs without the memories, that the songs bring me back to this place makes them more pleasant.<br />
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As a coincidence, as I finish writing this post, there has been another huge thread on the Planet X Facebook page. Lots of people have been posting or re-posting photographs of themselves during this period. I love this. I am generally pretty dismissive of my childhood, specifically my teenage years. I hated school, and home life was mostly just boring. There's not that much I look back on wistfully. (<i>Not that it was particularly bad, mind - just 'meh'...) </i>Anyway, there are three things from my childhood that I am wistful about: My childhood Christmasses (they<i> were </i>good<i>), </i>discovering music, and Planet X. Doreen and the endless list of people who I could name but won't made this magical place for me. Again, there's not much from those years I'd like to repeat, but the thrill of being sixteen or thereabouts, and being in a world like Planet X again, that would be special. I am grateful that I was there then.<br />
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<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-7584480641203254512018-12-31T11:40:00.007-08:002018-12-31T11:40:38.073-08:002018: Albums of the Year?The question mark in the title here is very deliberate. This list is to be taken even less seriously than my usual 'year' lists. I have paid attention to exactly 32 albums from 2018 out of goodness knows how many - far too few to be considered a proper overview.<br />
<br />
One of the things I really like about the 1970s lists I have been doing is that many of those albums have been with me for years, if not decades. They have had their opportunity to grow on me. These records have not. Between now and, say, 2020, I'll buy more records from 2018 and I will listen to the ones I have more. Some will grow on me and others will fade.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, this is a place-marker, a suggestion as to what has stood out and is worthy of a comment. I'll not say much, I don't think.<br />
<br />
These are in reverse order.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Blood Orange - Negro Swan</i></b><br />
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This is Dev Hynes fourth album and if this album matches the others, it'll take a long while to grow on me. It has begun that process, I think, but I am still finding it strange. Typically the first time I listen to his records, I find them curious 80s RnB throwbacks slightly too reminiscent of Prince. However, I am sufficiently tempted to return to them and each time new bits and pieces emerge and eventually I recognise something special. Time will tell with <i>Negro Swan</i> but it's looking promising.<br />
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<b><i>Alele Diane - Cusp</i></b><br />
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<br />
I find Alela Diane's voice like a prettier, more delicate version of Nico. Her voice has a similar stridency. Her medium is a folksier Americana, though, and she has a far stronger sense of melody. The voice, though, forbids any whimsy and tilts towards the foreboding, the mournful - songs of loss and uncertainty.<br />
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<b><i>Pusha T - Daytona</i></b><br />
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The first Kanye West production this year is the best, I think (although I did quite enjoy West's own <i>Ye</i> and his collaboration with Kid Cudi <i>Kids See Ghosts</i>). The beats are inventive and latch onto my mind and don't let go. The opener (<i>If You Know You Know</i>) kicks a steady organ, bass, drum rhythm which is catchy enough in itself but it is punctuates with sped up samples and other effects, adding hooks to hooks. Every track is simply fun to listen to.<br />
<br />
Let's come at it another way - Kanye has been extra Kanye this year. There's a lot of people who would have been happy to see him tumble, especially with people like Kendrick ready to take his crown. And yet, when this came out, everyone jumped back on the Kanye train.<br />
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<b><i>NAO - Saturn</i></b><br />
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<br />
This British neo-soul singer was new to me but I picked this up on the basis of a few good reviews and did not regret it. It's very much a slow to mid-tempo affair with deep grooves that make me want to nod my head. Irresistible.<br />
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<b><i>Robyn - Honey</i></b><br />
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<br />
There's a lot of discussion about how this album is the first after six years for Robyn and how this follows a difficult time in her life and such like. That is great. What I care about more than any of this is that she is back and she is still awesome. She still does what she does better than anyone - uptempo dance pop music that doesn't feel like drunken nights out are its only relevant arena. Instead, while they have the bass, the beats, the fun, they are also well-crafted and thoughtful records. Robyn's back.<br />
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<b><i>Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer</i></b><br />
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<br />
For many, this has proven album of the year. Despite the fact that it is on my list, I am actually a little disappointed in it. I've loved Janelle since her first EP and for me, this record represents a step backwards. There are a number of deeply catchy tunes and, please don't get me wrong, this is a fun album but it tilts too much towards the obvious. Monae's dependency on Prince feels a little too on the nose. And, I feel a little uncomfortable saying this since I wholly agree with Monae on pretty much all things, the 'wokeness' of the album feels overt to the point of being distracting.<br />
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<b><i>Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour</i></b><br />
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<br />
According to Metacritic, this was album of the year and it was only then that it hit my radar. As a result, it's still new to me and settling in. All the same, it was easy to see why this made the splash that it did - it's gorgeous. It's country music but it tips its stetson firmly popward. But Kacey Musgrave seems more grown up than Taylor Swift and so it feels more grounded, less frothy. It has more of a yacht rock feel to it, and that to me, ain't no bad thing. I have a strong feeling that this will definitely be a regular player.<br />
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<br />
<b><i>Courtney Barnett - Tell Me What You Really Think</i></b><br />
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<br />
I was a big fan of Barnett's debut album proper <i>Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit</i>. I appreciate the Dylan comparisons but I am wary of them. Lyrically, she is very very engaging (and I think that they will continue to grow on me) but the nature of her songs feel more ephemeral than Dylan. Either way, regardless of what she is or is not singing about, she matches them with melodies and songs that are catchy and engaging and make you want to come back and spend more time with them.<br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited</i></b><br />
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<br />
Like several people this year, I only discovered Meg Remy (U.S. Girls) this year. Apparently, she's been about for a few years, beginning with more avant-garde sound collages (as I understand it) and has gradually crept in towards more straightforward song-writing. I'd suggest that she is a catchier and more pop-savvy Bat For Lashes. It is basically art-pop but definitely at the more more fun end. <i>M.A.H.</i> is protest song via Abba and a glitterball. I love it.<br />
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<b><i>Kali Uchis - Isolation</i></b><br />
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<br />
I have been wittering on about Kali Uchis forever now. Everyone must be SO bored. To be honest, I figured that she'd be sitting in album of the year territory, but no... Despite having a higher critic score than many of her peers, she was passed over. This caused me some consternation...<br />
<br />
I decided that the most likely reason was that <i>Isolation</i> is so summery, it feels a little out of place in the colder days and darker nights. Uchis's voice is warm and summery and somewhere between Latin and Jazz and just oozes balmy summer nights. She is so well versed in popular music, especially girl groups, bossa nova, reggae, as well as 70s soul, that the album covers a lot of ground. But it never feels like it has to try - it almost feels sleepy.<br />
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I'm heading to the Primavera Sound festival in May, Kali Uchis is playing. I'm not going to pretend like she isn't one of the main draws!James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-36535071969633076052018-12-31T05:42:00.003-08:002018-12-31T05:42:44.959-08:002018: Things That Made Me HappyNote that there is no question mark in this title!<br />
<br />
We hear so much about what makes us unhappy. And there are plenty of things that make us unhappy. I enjoy a good complain - I'm quite good at it, but I think that it can become quite psychologically unhealthy. In contrast, what I think is quite good for us is to celebrate the things that make us happy.<br />
<br />
This post is, unusually, going to be rather personal. I make no apologies.<br />
<br />
In approximately ascending order of happiness:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Health</b><br />
<br />
My health is not perfect. I am nearing 50 and stuff is faltering. I've also had an ongoing anxiety-type thing that is still interfering with me a little. But despite all this, by and large, I am in good shape. This is really good and I should be grateful for that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>This Blog</b><br />
<br />
This is far from being an awesome blog as I am sure you will attest, but I enjoy it. I am inconsistent about it, should perhaps plan my posts a little more, perhaps post a little more even. But it's been nice to keep the ball in the air, so to speak. People have been really lovely in commenting a little and giving me a little feedback. This makes me very happy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Music</b><br />
<br />
As you might have guessed, I love music and finding new music. And this year has been no exception. Obviously there is the records released this year (talked about here) but also older ones that I have somehow missed. I never fail to be blown away by things.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>My Masters</b><br />
<br />
Who'd have thought a few years ago that I would have had the chance to go back to university and do my Masters degree? Not me. Who'd have thought that it would have gone so well? When I began, I was just happy to be given the opportunity, but to come out with a Distinction was a massive thing to me. I am generally of the opinion that I am more lucky than talented (etc.) - I just happened to be in the right place and so on - but this was a real counter-example, and that makes me happy!<br />
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<b>PhD</b><br />
<br />
Again, much like the MA, this is incredible and I keep having to pinch myself to confirm that it is really happening. I can't believe that I have been given the opportunity to do this. I have the opportunity to learn about interesting things, to go to interesting places, and to meet interesting people. That's pretty damned cool!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Friends</b><br />
<br />
One thing that has come from the MA and PhD is more friends. I am really lucky and grateful that I have such a number of friends in so many circles. I have close friends who I see most days and friends at university, but also old colleagues and old students. People are so lovely and it is awesome to spend time with them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Family</b><br />
<br />
Ditto following friends. I am lucky to have a family that love me and do their best to support me. Bonus point: they're not mad!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Che</b><br />
<br />
Watching Che grow up over this last couple of years has been amazing. As anyone who knows us will be aware of, Che's teenage years were a struggle. Like most parents and their teenage children there were moments that I could have killed her. I always knew that that time would pass but it was sometimes hard to see the wood for the trees, and I have no doubt that if it were Che writing this post she would have her own frustrations with me (and likely some of them are well justified!) Anyway, my baby is all grown up now. Seeing her manage work, her own place, Ronnie, her new little brother, is awesome to me. And she passed her driving test and got a car!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Vincent</b><br />
<br />
Who saw this coming? Well, me, for a little while anyway. But he's here now and he is lovely and awesome and charming. Of course, he is only 5 months, so all that needs to be considered through that prism. It's ridiculous and yet perfectly natural how much his dumb stupid smile cheers me up. And his laugh! And his 'talking'. It warms this dead old heart, I tells ya!<br />
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<br />
<b>Bella</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
There is one person that makes all this worthwhile in a way that no other does. She looks after me and cares for me and sees me in a way that no-one else does. I can't believe how wonderful Bella is to me. She should know better - she's so clever and yet she still indulges me and makes me happy. I hope that I make her as happy as she makes me. I don't figure my chances to highly, but I'll keep trying!James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-8033814567455867402018-12-31T03:56:00.002-08:002018-12-31T03:56:03.981-08:002018: TV and Movies of the year?The question mark in the title is deliberate. I have neither watched enough TV or movies this year to even begin to make such a suggestion. All this is, then, is a brisk overview of some bits and pieces that I have particularly enjoyed from the year.<br />
<br />
A measure of how much of a deficit is in place regarding what I have watched against what has been produced is illustrated, at least in part, by the fact that I was originally going to do two posts - one for movies and one for TV - and then I realised that I have not seen enough genuinely remarkable cases of each to fill such posts. More so, at least two entries here should properly be considered 2017 releases. I'm not going to worry about it...<br />
<br />
Anyway, here, TV first and then movies, are my picks - in no particular order:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)</b><br />
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<br />
Scary Sabrina, I call this. The original show with Melissa Joan Hart, I call Happy Sabrina. Sad Sabrina is <i>Buffy, The Vampire Hunter</i>. (So far as I care to discuss the matter, they're all sort of the same - teenage girl navigates 'muggle' life and a new-found super-natural reality.)<br />
<br />
Of course, it's not super scary, but it tries. It's still mostly silly but it has a greater sense of foreboding than either of the other shows. Either way, I found it pretty entertaining. I like that it tries to be stylish and a bit gory and a bit 'woke'. I'm looking forward to the next season.<br />
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<b>The Deuce (HBO)</b><br />
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This is a David Simon show. I needn't say too much more. Like <i>The Wire</i>, it contains a world that is both intimate and sweeping and the world in this case is Times Square, New York in the early 1970s, when it was still full of skin flicks and prostitutes. Primarily, the show revolves around the intersecting stories of Vincent's attempts to run a bar and Candy's move from prostitute to getting behind the camera. It's gritty and unsentimental whilst being utterly honest and true about it's characters. Everything is shades of grey - even the worst villains have human warmth.<br />
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<b>The Terror (AMC)</b><br />
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<br />
<br />
This horror drama blew me away early this year. That said, the horror element was oddly superfluous in that the drama offered enough tension and intrigue without requiring much of the apparent threat from some mysterious arctic beastie. In brief, The Terror concerned a pair of ships tasks with finding a short cut through the arctic wastes in the mid 19th century. The pig-headedness of the commander resulted in the ships being stranded for three years and the crew turning on each other. I'll say no more but the psychological terror of such a scenario was deeply compelling to me.<br />
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<b>The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)</b><br />
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I'm still watching season 2 of this, but I have been loving it so much. It concerns a Jewish housewife at the turn of the 1960s who gets caught up in the nascent stand-up comedy scene in New York. My friend Paul didn't gel with it finding it overly mannered. I can't argue with that conclusion but I hold it as a strength. It is deftly choreographed both in movement and dialogue, coming across a little like a stage play. The supporting cast are also excellent. I am loving this show!<br />
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<br />
<b>Taskmaster (Dave)</b><br />
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<br />
OK, I know - I am <b>really</b> pushing the 2018 inclusion here. This show properly started in 2015 and I began watching it in 2017. However, it was in 2018 that my enthusiasm for it got out of control. Bella and I rewatched all seven seasons this year and I still can't quite decide which one was my favourite, although I sadly must confess that I find season six the weakest.<br />
<br />
I don't need to tell you the premise, do I? If you haven't seen it, please just go watch it. It's on Dave or the UKPlay channel.<br />
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<br />
<b>Hereditary</b><br />
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Horror films have been massively on the upturn in the last few years. I think that the potential of the genre is really beginning to become apparent. Really good horror movies are rarely about the ghosts, ghosts and monsters that are present within them. Instead, they are metaphors come to life. The director of Hereditary said that he wanted to make a film about suffering that took suffering seriously. In particular the effect that it has on families and the way that that suffering manifests through the generations. In this case, the death of the matriarch and the issues that she possessed begin to manifest in her daughter and her two children. This is presented in a Rosemary's Baby type story that is genuinely unsettling.<br />
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<br />
<b>A Quiet Place</b><br />
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<br />
John Krasinski has had an incredible year. IMDB tells me that he has been busy in the time since <i>The Office</i> concluded in 2013, but I have largely missed him until both this incredible film and 'Action Jim'. (Action Jim is better known as Amazon Prime's <i>Jack Ryan</i> adaptation.) The latter was very entertaining in a 24 cum Homeland kinda way, but this film, also directed by Krasinski, is on a whole other level. The synopsis suggests a future where most people have been killed by creatures who are blind, but with incredible hearing. Krasinski's family (in the film), along with real-life wife Emily Blunt, survive by using sign language. The movie is so small in scope it has a real intimacy and so when things go awry (you knew they were going to), there is a real sense of investment. The film is a solid achievement and a real indication that Krasinski's career is looking pretty healthy!<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Christopher Robin</b><br />
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If I have an Achilles heel, it is the dynamic of childhood to adulthood and the urge that we put away childish things. It is important to grow up, of course, but childish things can still speak to us. Not only can they, but they should and we should listen. One iteration of that dynamic is Puff the Magic Dragon, where Little Jackie Paper grows up and abandons Puff, who is left sad and lonely. Winnie the Pooh is another. When Christopher Robin grows up, despite his promises, we know that he will forget Pooh and the One Hundred Acre Wood. This film forces a grown up, miserable Christopher Robin to revisit his friends and shows how they refresh his outlook on life and revitalise his relationships.<br />
<br />
The film is, of course, silly and a little sentimental and elements of it tilt towards the obvious. Nonetheless, the portrayal of Pooh and Piglet and the others is very charming - a nice blending of the Disney version and the original E.H. Shepherd illustrations. Ewan McGregor is right as Robin as his Hayley Atwell as his wife. The story is heartwarming and engaging - I loved it!<br />
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<br />
<b>Tag</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>
I don't have a huge amount to say about this except that it was really stupid and I enjoyed it a lot. It concerns a bunch of friends who have maintained game of tag since childhood and, despite being the 40s, have not put it behind them. It is stupid and is pretty obvious, but I bought into it and enjoyed it beyond reason.<br />
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<br />
<b>Jumanji</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>
Again, much like Tag I am not inclined to say too much. Again, it is silly and stupid and sort of obvious, but again I enjoyed it enormously. The premise is similar to the Robin Williams original, four disparate kids (breakfast club style) are brought together for a detention of cleaning up an old stock room. In it they find a video game - a magic video game where they are all transported into the world - Jumanji and then they have find their way back. No big surprises...<br />
<br />
However, part of the joy of this is seeing the kid's characters represented as video-game cliches. The nerdy weak kid is Dwayne Johnson, the stuck up princess is Jack Black, the jock is Kevin Hart, the bookish nerdy girl is played by Karen Gillan. Again, nothing surprising. But for a dumb movie, I found a lot to be entertained by.<br />
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<br />
<b>Disappointment of the Year: The Meg</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
How can you mess up Jason Statham and a giant shark? To be fair, it wasn't terrible but it was a lot less than it should have been. Sad face.<br />
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(Apparently studio interference de-fanged it....)James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-34931278210133986482018-12-20T14:13:00.001-08:002018-12-20T14:13:27.586-08:00Ten Other Albums From 1973Last week I finished the 'best' of 1973 post. Of course, all of those albums are super-amazing, etc. etc. yadda yadda yadda. All the same, I listened to a whole pile of albums and several were noteworthy for a bunch of reasons. Some were great in some respects, but just didn't quite make the cut; others had moments that were stellar but were disappointing elsewhere. Some were really not great, but were very interestingly not great. Here is where I would like to note a few of these...<br />
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In no particular order:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Runners Up Award</u></b><br />
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<b>The O'Jays - <i>Ship Ahoy</i></b><br />
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Philadephia International Records (PIR) had already had some monster hits with the O'Jays. 1972 had seen the release of <i>Backstabbers</i>, which contained two monster hits - the title track and the evergreen <i>Love Train</i>, which pointed the way towards disco. This album has only the one massive hit<i>, Now That We've Found Love</i>, but is quite likely the better album.<br />
<br />
It's cooler and heavier. Check out the intro to <i>For the Love of Money</i>. It's been sampled to death of course, but how cool is that bass line? The title track is a lengthy vocal workout, one a slow, mid-tempo groove. There are a couple of up-tempo tracks; <i>Put Your Hands Together</i> is made for the dancefloor and <i>People Keep Tellin' Me</i> is a 70s throwback to Motown rhythms. So musically, it's cool, but a key element of what's cool about this is that it is evidence of the socially conscious dimension of Gamble and Huff's label. It's easy to think that PIR is all love songs, but here it's about the people. Even the massive single, which sounds like a love song, isn't. Rather than the finding of love within a couple, it's societal - once we overcome our differences and cease to be divided as a community, what are we to do then? How will we make the best of it?<br />
<br />
<b><u>Runners Up Award</u></b><br />
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<b>Gary Higgins - <i>Red Hash</i></b><br />
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Another tale of woe here - sort of. Higgins had a pretty decent career rolling along, living in Connecticut and playing gigs in Albany, supporting other artists. He was then caught in a drugs bust and sentenced to prison for selling marijuana. Just before going to prison, he gathered some friends and quickly cut this record. After prison, he thought the time had passed and he entered mainstream society getting jobs and whatnot. In 2005, the album was picked up the label <i>Drag City</i>, since it had achieved a cult status. It was re-released to critical acclaim!<br />
<br />
And it's gorgeous. It's sitting in the same sort of West Coast folk rock tradition as Dave Crosby (despite being 2000 miles East). It's all acoustic guitars, flutes, occasional strings and sweet melodies. It has a melancholic tone - tales of loss and fear, space and openness. This is not urban music. It is a record for quiet nights in. I don't smoke dope anymore - it's been a very long time. Nonetheless, I'd suggest that if I did, this would go down very nicely.<br />
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<br />
<b><u>The Award for The Album That Could Benefit the Most From a Quick Edit</u></b><br />
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<b>Elton John - <i>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</i></b><br />
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Don't get me wrong, this is a very good album and it has some of Elton's very best songs on it. <i>Bennie and the Jets</i> is incredible, the title track is phenomenal. <i>Candle in the Wind</i> is a beautiful to tribute to Marilyn Monroe so long as you can convince yourself to forget that it was ever associated with Diana. And we could carry on. Of the albums 17 tracks, I'd suggest that there's half a dozen gems and probably another half dozen songs that if not gems, are still pretty incredible.<br />
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But then there's a handful of songs that should never have made it this far. <i>Social Disease</i> is often commented upon as a song that should not be here, but my personal least favourite is <i>Jamaica Jerk-off. </i>Cod-reggae is never a good look and singing about jerking off is not going to make up for that. There's also something a bit off about <i>All The Girls Love Alice</i>. It's a story about a straight girl who prostitutes herself to ageing lesbians until she kills herself. I can live without that. All in all, these tracks are faltering steps in an otherwise great album.<br />
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<br />
<b><u>The Award for the Unjustly Maligned</u></b><br />
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<b>Yoko Ono - <i>Approximately Infinite Universe</i></b><br />
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Amongst the things that annoy me in the universe - and despite my efforts it's a long list - one seems to occur more often than makes sense - it is total assassination of Yoko Ono. Sure, she's avant garde and difficult; she's not for everyone - she'll never be mainstream (whatever that is). But let me speak frankly - the criticisms of her whiff a little of ignorance, misogyny and perhaps even racism*. Like most artists on the fringes, what she does is not easily accessible and sometimes appears absurd or at least jarringly different. When it is placed against the traditional it is doubly jarring - such as the famous <a href="https://youtu.be/h9kgu71d81U" target="_blank">clip</a> of her joining in with Memphis Tennessee alongside John and Chuck Berry. Even I'll admit that Berry's reaction when Ono comes in is pretty funny. But it does not constitute a dismissal of what she does.<br />
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This dismissal is tragic. She was an fascinating artist and made several records that contribute interesting and important elements to contemporary rock music - especially music created and performed by women. Unsurprisingly, she is held as a key influence by many female artists from the 80s onwards - Kim Gordon, Kim Deal, Cat Power, Peaches and so on (<i>check out the list of people that have sought to collaborate with her!</i>)<br />
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<i>Approximately Infinite Universe </i>comes at a turning point in her career. She has not abandoned the out and out avant-garde that is characteristic of <i>Fly</i> or <i>Plastic Ono Band (with John Lennon),</i> but she is turning towards more straightforward song forms. It's not absent, but the stereotype of her shriek cum yodel, takes a backseat to more straightforward singing. It is true that Ono's voice is not a typically strong one, but that fragility reflects different elements and allows for other feelings to become part of the music. (Good singing can obscure the point of a song sometimes just as much as bad.) The songs here are not uniformly amazing, let's be honest. Some of them are just OK and as a double album, perhaps some (a fair amount of) editing would have benefited. But there are some outright great tunes - one of my favourites is <i>Death of Samantha</i>. It concerns the efforts a person will go through to look like they are OK, when they are dying inside. Here, the frailty of her voice adds to the delicacy of the lyrics.<br />
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Lyrically, she has a directness that is refreshing. Check out <i>I Felt Like Smashing My Face In a Clear Glass Window</i> concerning the alienation she felt in respect to her parents. All over a jaunty rock'n'roll tune, no less. Or <i>What a Waste</i>, even more jaunty<i>, </i>engages with the inanity of anti-abortion campaigners, and how perhaps it would be better for women to withhold sex until men begin to understand the true meaning of equality. There was no-one quite like her and it is plain that she brings so much to the party.<br />
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So can we quit harping on about her now? It's really silly.<br />
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* Would she have been SO criticised if she were male or white? White, maybe - male, certainly not - especially the riding John's coat-tail trope. (Especially since she had a respectable career in conceptual art long before she met John!)<br />
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<br />
<b><u>The Award for the Best Cover Art</u></b><br />
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<b>Mustafa Ozkent - <i>Genclik Ile Elele</i></b><br />
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This little nugget deserves our attention for at least one reason - it is my very very favourite album cover ever. I mean just look at it. A chimp, all dressed in a nice yellow sweater, hosting a radio show, with loads of unravelled tape! Hilarious! And the dynamic, exciting, genre tags - rhythm and soul, blues and jazz, rock and pop. Total nonsense of course, but it's hard not to love this sleeve.<br />
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The record, well, it's OK. It's kind of funky, 70s, europop. It's the sort of music that people danced to in movies from 1971; movies that thought they were cooler than they actually were. That or music from TV montage sequences. It's crisp and the drumming is on point - you have to give it that. The second track in particular could have been an awesome break-beat. But in truth, the sleeve is much better than the album. I don't begrudge the album space in my collection - there are far worse records hanging around, but it's never going to make a best of list. But it is the very essential of remarkable - I like to remark about it!<br />
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<b><u>The Award for the Best Riffage</u></b><br />
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<b>King Crimson - <i>Larks Tongues in Aspic</i></b><br />
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I'm not a massive prog rock fan but neither am I allergic. Obviously <i>Dark Side of the Moon</i> made the top ten. Genesis<i>'</i> <i>Selling England By the Pound </i>was largely enjoyable. On a similar note, there wasn't that much heavy rock on the longer list either. Zeppelin and Sabbath were there, as were Blue Oyster Cult and Queen. But the best riff by far is found on this record, on part one of the title track. It is a monster. I strongly recommend turning it up really loud.<br />
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That's all I have to say, really.<br />
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<b><u>Award for Having the Most Instruments You've Never Heard Of Before</u></b><br />
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<b>Planxty - <i>Planxty</i></b><br />
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Apparently no-one is quite sure what 'planxty' means. The sleeve notes suggest that it might be a corruption of 'sláinte', which means 'good health'. It might often be given to a particular tunes, as it is here for track 3, <i>Planxty Irwin</i>. I don't know anything about that, but I do know that this is one of the three best Irish folk albums I know of (the others being The Dubliners' debut and Sweeney's Men's second album <i>Dreams for Me</i>). It's possible, I suppose that there are better, but I hope to never find them as my head might explode. There's only so much awesomeness I can handle.<br />
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It was inevitable that Planxty were going to be good since they were comprised of serious talent. Andy Irvine had come from the aforementioned Sweeney's Men. Christy Moore had already made a name for himself on the London folk scene. Both Donal Lunny and Liam O'Flynn had established themselves as first class session players of the bouzouki and the uilleann pipe respectively. While they fixed themselves on traditional Irish music, they imbued it with energy, vigour and atmosphere, somehow finding a way of marrying the purism of tradition with the dynamism typical of contemporary rock music. Perhaps the best illustration of this for me is their version of <i>The Blacksmith. </i>It's a classic traditional tune, and this is one of the best versions I know. The bulk of the song is sung over guitar and mandolin (or what I take to be a mandolin anyway), but at the end pipes and drum come in, and it is awesome.<br />
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<b><u>Award for Token Jazz Inclusion</u></b><br />
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<b>Herbie Hancock - <i>Head Hunters</i></b><br />
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Who's cool as fuck? Herbie Hancock. That's who. He was a prodigy at 11, joined Donald Byrd in '61 and Miles Davis shortly after. He played with Davis for five years before going solo. This album, <i>Head Hunters</i>, was the biggest selling jazz album to this point. He veered between fusion and acoustic jazz by way of classic electro single <i>Rockit</i> in '83. He's still at it. He is a bona fide genius, so far as I am concerned.<br />
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<i>Head Hunters</i> is seriously funky. The opener, <i>Chameleon</i>, kicks off with squidgy bass and then jittery guitars, all wah-wahhed up (I don't know the proper terminology). When the horns kick in, we're a step and a half from Stevie. If you're sitting still, you might be dead. The version of <i>Watermelon Man</i> is impossible to resist, all pipes and bass and killer drums. This is happy time music. <i>Sly </i>is back on more traditional jazzy territory, lots of skittering rhythms and changes - still, it is super cool and feels like a 70s film noir set in a lagoon. Album closer, the strangely titled <i>Vein Melter</i>, cools everything right down and is smokey and comforting. One of my top 3 straight jazz (i.e. not vocal) records.<br />
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<b><u>The Award for Girl Group Least Likely to Yell 'Girl Power'</u></b><br />
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<b>The Three Degrees - <i>The Three Degrees</i></b><br />
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There were plenty of girl groups in the 70s - some great groups like Love Unlimited, Labelle, The Supremes (sans Ms. Ross, of course). But for a little while, the top of the pile were Philadelphia International's own The Three Degrees - Prince Charles' favourites.<br />
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The Philly sound favoured lush, sweet soul music. It sat at the vanguard of disco, pointing in the direction of travel without ever (or at least not yet) committing to it. The Three Degrees had been recording for best part of ten years before they signed to Gamble and Huff's legendary label, including two great albums on Roulette records, where they included the psychedelic soul classic <i>Collage</i>. They followed a more straightforward approach at PIR and hit big money with the magnificent <i>When Will I See You Again</i>. It's a gorgeous song but in an era where you have Millie Jackson, Denise La Salle and Laura Lee all beginning to claim <i>Women's Love Rights</i> (Lee), it's horrendously passive. <i>Dirty Old Man</i> is better. They busy themselves calling out some undesirable attention. It's a nice tune, though. However, I most conflicted about the second track. It's a gorgeous slow jam and has a great arrangement and nice orchestration. However, it's called <i>A Woman Needs a Good Man</i>. It is exactly as the title suggests - for a woman to be fulfilled, she needs a man - a strong man at that. Otherwise, well, she's not going to have a great time. 'A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle' this ain't.<br />
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It's a little distracting, but if you can phase it out of your mind, it's great record!<br />
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<b><u>Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement</u></b><br />
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<b>The Beach Boys - <i>Holland</i></b><br />
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The music business is full of injustices: people, groups and albums that have been given a bum deal. I have mixed feelings about whether The Beach Boys should be included in this - after all, everyone has heard of them, they are universally acclaimed and considered, along with The Beatles, as one the very very best groups that the sixties had to offer. And that's my point. The typical story is that they produced a slew of great singles, released <i>Pet Sounds</i> in 1967, the song <i>Good Vibrations </i>later that year, and then.... poof! Gone, disappeared.<br />
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Except they didn't. Sure Brain Wilson had a massive breakdown and the group ceased to function as it had. But they regrouped, re-purposed, other members began to pitch in songs and they re-fashioned themselves as the decade came to a close and into the 1970s. I'm not going to claim that anything they produced rivalled <i>Pet Sounds</i>, but they made some damned fine records that ought to have received a LOT more attention than they did.<br />
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<i>Holland</i> is on one of those records. It has all the lush harmonies that you would associate with The Beach Boys but the music has grown up. It is more complex both in structure and in instrumentation. It is harder, more weary and less idealistic (although every so often Mike Love comes along and scuppers that). It opens with two driving, solid numbers. Both fairly slow in tempo - they move at the pace of the steamboat they describe - but listen to the arrangement! Dennis Wilson is really coming into his own with two great songs; notably <i>Only With You, </i>a delicate, emotionally bared love song, which is gorgeous - one of the best soft-rock ballads of the 70s, beautifully arranged by Brother Carl.<br />
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I think that The Beach Boys have suffered an injustice. While this might be no-one's favourite Beach Boys album, more people should know it.<br />
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<b><i>I'm busy working on 1974 lists now, as well as a few notes for the end of the year...</i></b>James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-76322613708184176342018-12-12T13:43:00.002-08:002019-02-27T11:45:30.351-08:0010 'Best' Albums From 1973Yup, I know it's been a while. I've been busy. But I have not forgotten. I've done 1970-1972, but it's time to pick it up once again and get to grips with 1973. I hope you will agree - 1973 is an amazing year. There were many many classic albums that year. Here are my top ten.<br />
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I have changed the way that I have done things. If you are interested how click <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/1970/12/so-how-do-i-do-these-year-posts-there.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but if not let's get on with the malarky.<br />
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<iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/ae2wr307uswg0enk8gtddlg47/playlist/2KpSsjFLpzieGqMEZSpFpg" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe>
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<br />
These <b>are</b> in reverse order:<br />
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<b>Leroy Hutson - <i>Love Oh Love</i></b><br />
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Leroy Hutson is probably not very well known. This is a shame, he should be. For starters, he was a peer of the great Donny Hathaway, collaborating on the classic, <i>The Ghetto</i>. Secondly, he was Curtis Mayfield's choice of replacement when Mayfield left The Impressions. When Hutson then went solo himself, two and a half years later, he released an incredible run of albums over the 1970s and early 1980s.<br />
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<i>Love Oh Love</i> was Hutson's debut solo album and is a luscious example of 70s smooth soul. It has the slight disco groove that will become unavoidable later in the decade, but it is far too well constructed to reduce to being 'just' another disco record. It also bears the unmistakable stamp of Curtis Mayfield in the string arrangements and the lyrical structure at time, but Hutson is too much his own to be a mere copyist. In all, it's just lovely.<br />
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<b>Bob Marley & The Wailers - <i>Burnin'</i></b><br />
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I'll admit that for a long time I fell into a weird brand of musical snobbery with Bob Marley. I think his ubiquity, especially with a certain kind of dope-smoking student, along with his willingness to embrace the Eurocentric mainstream (he wasn't Prince Far I or Burning Spear or one of the 'cooler' lesser-known reggae superstars), blinded me to the fact that he was really, really good. I still find the cult of Marley a little silly (he is kind of cool, though), but I am glad that I shook that nonsense off and started to explore his discography. Every record brings something awesome to the mix.<br />
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Marley had been recording for best part of a decade before he signed to Island Records in 1973. And what a start! First <i>Catch a Fire</i>, which is a monster, and then this - which is, for my money, even better! It is rougher and less polished than it's predecessor, and thematically, it is darker and more militant. I also has two of the greatest tunes Marley ever wrote: <i> Get Up Stand Up</i> and <i> I Shot the Sheriff. </i>What a record!!<br />
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<b>Kool & the Gang - <i>Wild and Peaceful</i></b><br />
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For starters, any album that has <i>Funky Stuff </i><b>and</b> <i>Jungle Boogie</i> <b>and</b> <i>Hollywood Swinging </i>on it is going to be hard to beat. James Brown once referred to these guys as the 'second baddest', so you know they had some credibility. If you only know them from later so-so efforts like <i>Celebration</i>, I really encourage you to revisit. Anyway, in their earlier days, they sat in a strange nexus between jazz and party music (much like early Earth, Wind and Fire), and their records are an irresistible combination between serious musical chops and getting down. Even when they smooth things out and cool down a little, they chill out so far it's impossible not to want to kick back with them. As they themselves say they're 'scientists of sound, mathematically puttin' it down'.<br />
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<b>Pink Floyd - <i>Dark Side of the Moon</i></b><br />
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I imagine that one or two readers might get a little huffy at this - <i>Surely Dark Side of the Moon is the <b>best</b> album of the year, philistine! </i> To which I respectfully say, <i>Suck it! Write your own stupid list!</i><br />
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Seriously, I like it but I can't say that I love it. In fact, quite often I find the idea of the album boring. I certainly play it less often than I ought because of this. However, when I actually do play it I remember that it's actually awesome, despite pretty much defining Dad-rock for me.<br />
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Part of the reason that I don't love this album is because it has extended periods of ponderousness, and while I appreciate this, I don't often enjoy it. It doesn't excite me very much. It's too cerebral and not physical enough. I know that higher in the list there are other 'serious' records, but at least they have the decency to be fun, or pretty, or least make so that I can tap my feet or drum my fingers on my desk. So yes, this is a great record, and undeniably an album of the year. But it's never going to be top.<br />
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<b>Judee Sill - <i>Heart Food</i></b><br />
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<br />
I wrote about Judee Sill recently, praising her lyrics. I'm happy to extend this praise to her music in general. But before I do, let me again take a second to note her career - or rather the lack of it and the tragedy that that involved. She was a teenage runaway, getting involved with heroin and bank robberies. But she had two things that worked in her favour; a musical gift that channelled both Bach and Brian Wilson, and a mystical sense of religious passion. These two features are writ large on her two albums.<br />
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The beauty and complexity of the songs here are simply breathtaking. Listen to <i>The Kiss</i> - (<i>don't worry about the lyrics no matter what I said last time</i>) - listen to how she uses the harmonies, the simplicity of the piano line, the use of horns, how she can utilise strings so delicately. It genuinely lifts me. It is a song that is honestly breath-taking. You'd think it un-toppable, until you hit <i>The Donor. </i>It is eight minutes of slow building worship. The vocals ebb and flow and rise and catch you as they repeat and become a round of sorts. The bells and timpani draw you on. Seriously, if mystical revelation had a sound-track this would be it.<br />
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If you've never heard it, please do so as soon as you can. If you have heard it, pop it on again.<br />
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Sadly, after this, she slipped back into heroin addiction and died penniless in 1979.<br />
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<b>Marvin Gaye - <i>Let's Get It On</i></b><br />
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Too cerebral is never a charge you could make of Marvin Gaye's follow up to <i>What's Goin' On? </i>This is a record with one true objective and a person's brain is not a relevant factor. Marvin Gaye's conflicted sexual attitudes are well documented but there's no doubt which side is winning out one here.<br />
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It is possible that this is even better than <i>What's Goin' On?</i> There's no lengthy interludes where he points to God or Jesus; there are no bits that slow down to make you think. It's just over half an hour of the sweetest expressions of sexual love and desire. The album is single-minded in making you groove and the groove is so good - I can't but nod my head, tap my fingers, sashay through the kitchen to make a cup of tea and imagine myself the Lothario that I am not even sure that Gaye was.<br />
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Marvin Gaye was a genius. I love him.<br />
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<b>Roxy Music - <i>For Your Pleasure</i></b><br />
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In honesty, I struggle a bit with Roxy Music's self-titled debut. I feel like the ideas are there and despite a couple of strong tracks, the album never quite makes it. However, I think they found their feet pretty darn quick because their second and third albums, both released in 1973, are amazing! I have a hard time deciding which I preferred. The third album, <i>Stranded</i>, was Brian Eno's favourite (which I always thought really big of him, since Bryan Ferry kicked him out after the second.) It also has <i>Mother of Pearl </i>on it - a monster of a tune if ever there was one!<br />
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But <i>For Your Pleasure</i> wins it.<br />
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You can see where the tensions between Brian and Bryan were brewing. The art in art-rock is writ pretty large here. While it is plain that Ferry wants to edge towards more straightforward interpretations, the out-there sound textures provided by Eno are pulling in the opposite direction. Listen to <i>The Bogus Man </i>with its metronomic rhythm and discordant saxophone blurts, Ferry's croon is stretched right out to try to accommodate it. On the title track, the piano is phased as far as it can take while almost everything is stripped away into nothing - it feels like it is decaying before your eyes. And then the dystopian moments of <i>In Every Dream Home a Heartache</i>, which is so dark... But, <i>Do The Strand</i> and <i>Editions of You</i> (especially the latter), in possibly the best double A side <b>ever</b>, both kick ass when it comes to sophisticated pop music.<br />
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<b>John Cale - <i>Paris 1919</i></b><br />
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I could well understand if someone had not heard John Cale or even had spent much time with him, and then listened to this album why they might be a little bemused in its inclusion here. After all, at first listen, it might appear a pretty unremarkable album.<br />
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A little context might help. John Cale is, for my money, one of the most interesting and under-recognised artists in contemporary music. If people have heard of him at all, they may know him as the dude that wasn't Lou Reed in the Velvet Underground. This makes me a little sad in that the Velvet Underground, at least in its original (classic) iteration, is at least as much an expression of Cale as it is Reed, if not more so. (As much as I love or respect Lou Reed's further career, he very rarely did anything as interesting as Cale.) For instance, even before the Velvet Underground, Cale was a classically trained musician, learning under renowned avant-garde musicians such as John Cage and Terry Riley. Following the Velvet Underground, aside from his solo album, he produced some albums that have come to be regarded as classics in their own right (Nico, The Stooges, Patti Smith, Happy Mondays and others). And there are his solo albums, which are various in texture and sound.<br />
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Paris 1919 might be regarded as Cale's 'breakthrough' album. It wasn't his first, but I read it as the one that people regard as his first fully realised contemporary album. It is a minor key affair, best described as 'chamber pop' - relatively quiet and peaceful - musically very beautiful. It is so delicate, it would be easy doubt that it was the same John Cale of <i>Sister Ray </i>(or even of his own later <i>Rose Garden Funeral of Sores</i>). Cale's own relatively weak voice adds to this sense of fragility. The melodies, however, are subtle and lodge themselves in the mind so firmly, the extend permanently in the mind and produce a sepia toned reality that is warm. As you'd expect from anyone so talented, musically it is gorgeous.<br />
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<b>Paul McCartney & Wings - <i>Band on the Run</i></b><br />
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I genuinely don't care what you think about this being the second best album of a year as good as 1973. I don't care that Paul McCartney can be a bit irritating. I don't care that he did the <i>Frog Chorus</i> or <i>Mull of Kintyre</i> or any of that. I don't care that Paul McCartney will never be as cool as John Lennon (he won't, but that doesn't matter). What I care about is that Paul McCartney has one of the best ears for popular music known to humankind. When he is on form, he will write better than pretty much anyone you care to mention. There's a reason The Beatles are so great - one of them was Paul McCartney.<br />
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And <i>Band on the Run</i> is nine tracks of Paul in peak condition. Some commentators have suggested that prior to this, Paul's reputation was already looking shaky. Legendary NME writer Charles Shaar Murray suggested that Paul was the Beatles <i>least</i> likely to re-establish his credibility (after Ringo!). I don't know, I'm certainly no psychologist or anything, but I think that part of the Beatles' incredible fertility of ideas was a product of intense sense of competition between Paul and John. I wonder if this album is so good because that rivalry reared its head a little. I might be wrong, I don't know.<br />
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But it is an absolute barnstormer. There are no duff songs at all and there are hooks galore. Besides Kool and the Gang and maybe Stevie Wonder, nothing in 1973 was as much fun to listen to. Listen to <i>Jet</i>: with the reggae guitar line it could easily have slipped into cod-reggae (a tendency that scuppered at least two other huge albums in 1973*) but it doesn't - it keeps the rhythm interesting, just as it should. When the main riff kicks in - a synth-horn blast - it's impossible not to get swept away. Or perhaps the album close: <i>Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Nine. </i>It's jaunty piano line, the supporting swish of synths (there's probably a better word), the endless vamping at the end - what an upbeat close!<br />
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It's worth closing by returning to Charles Shaar Murray. Having doubted Paul's credibility he concludes that '<i>Band on the Run</i> is a great album. If anyone ever puts down McCartney in your presence, bust him in the snoot and play him this. He will thank you afterwards.' Can't argue too much with that...<br />
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* Elton's <i>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</i> and Zeppelin's <i>Houses of the Holy</i> both attempt and fail to include reggae. The latter also attempts funk - the execrable <i>Crunge</i>, which is easily the worst thing in the world ever.<br />
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<b>Stevie Wonder - <i>Innervisions</i></b><br />
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<br />
In 1950 Alan Turing suggested the Turing Test as a way of determining whether something was a person. He could have saved himself some time and simply said we should pop on Innervisions, by Stevie Wonder, and if it has a reaction it's a person. (I am aware that I am also suggesting that if someone does not have a reaction that they might not be a person. I'm OK with this...)<br />
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I guess that that is a little unfair on Turing - he was a genius but not a time-traveller.<br />
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Anyway, the early 70s were a spectacular purple patch for Stevie. 1972 was incredible - he released two incredible albums, <i>Music of My Mind</i> and <i>Talking Book </i>which has the eternally danceable <i>Superstition</i> on it. Both of them are great. He also produced the first album by Syreeta, his then wife, which is also awesome. I suppose 1973 was a quiet year - he only released one record. But what a record!<br />
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Innervisions is flat out incredible. While it doesn't have anything as unspeakably kinetic as <i>Superstition, </i>it is nine tracks of the smartest, funkiest, coolest, deepest, wokest <i>(yes, I did just use that word) </i>music that anyone could hear in 1973. Stevie was always one of the hardest working and most disciplined in the Motown-universe and on this album, much like his magnum opus, <i>Songs in the Key of Life (1976)</i>, he brings everything to bear. It is a celebration of all things Stevie. I love it so much!<br />
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<br />
<b>And also...</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrs4JClA6zuFhCARs5PCYYq5V2AdbBI0o6A-Oa7XN_9IZvurgtYxsEuMiRHstVlnDVKsN1E9j08umv7eby0Yj3WrV2xpMDffNisx5vX_jvtZApuIWybIcbf6vJwiwOCTgxnjYqZMMt1p2N/s1600/bill+withers+-+live+at.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="489" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrs4JClA6zuFhCARs5PCYYq5V2AdbBI0o6A-Oa7XN_9IZvurgtYxsEuMiRHstVlnDVKsN1E9j08umv7eby0Yj3WrV2xpMDffNisx5vX_jvtZApuIWybIcbf6vJwiwOCTgxnjYqZMMt1p2N/s200/bill+withers+-+live+at.jpg" width="195" /></a>A few albums would have made this list, but they've been talked about elsewhere too recently. Roxy Music's <i>Stranded</i>, Al Green's <i>Call Me</i>, David Bowie's <i>Aladdin Sane</i>, Bill Wither's <i>Live at Carnegie Hall</i>, Dr. John's <i>In the Right Place</i> and Lou Reed's <i>Berlin</i> all might have gotten a mention had it not for this rule.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofO61hUl7MWJh_kSitKro6CAlTGEKWe4XznGD7g9HCDnz7doautZSidS3x3MlJHHIcENKe80O37Dsgud1mRAXK57imQK2bTLULemFTfViD9z9J8X5we36MME6J5AX_40L5WkZa1Y-jzod/s1600/Millie+Jackson+-+it+hurts+so+good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1000" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofO61hUl7MWJh_kSitKro6CAlTGEKWe4XznGD7g9HCDnz7doautZSidS3x3MlJHHIcENKe80O37Dsgud1mRAXK57imQK2bTLULemFTfViD9z9J8X5we36MME6J5AX_40L5WkZa1Y-jzod/s200/Millie+Jackson+-+it+hurts+so+good.jpg" width="200" /></a>For the same reason, but in reverse, Steely Dan (<i>Countdown to Ecstasy)</i> and Millie Jackson (<i>It Hurts So Good)</i> are being held off until next year.<br />
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Other albums that came close but didn't quite make it included: Gary Higgins' <i>Red Hash</i>, Herbie Hancock's <i>Head Hunters</i>, The Isley Brothers' <i>3+3</i>, ZZ Top's <i>Tres Hombres</i> and Elton John's <i>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</i>.<br />
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If you really want to see the whole list in order, click <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/1970/12/workings-out-for-1973.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-13557386213575519702018-11-30T13:04:00.007-08:002018-11-30T13:10:13.651-08:0010 Lyricists I AdmireI'm going to keep this brief. It's a long standing point of discussion amongst my friends and I as to the value or prominence of lyrics. It keeps coming up in part, I think, because I find it so interesting. I am mostly indifferent to lyrics. Of the things that stand out when listening to a record; lyrics are typically very low on the list.<br />
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I wonder if what we are seeing here is something that is distinctive about my brain and contrasting to the brains of my friends. I have a brain that does not register lyrics as prominently as my friends, who have 'opposite' sorts of brains.<br />
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Nonetheless, there are songwriters whose lyrics <b><i>do</i></b> register. Below is a list of 10 songwriters who I typically hold to write lyrics worth me making the effort to think about. Or, to put it another way, here are lyricists who have broken through my obliviousness, and whose words have arrested me in some fashion.<br />
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In no particular order:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bob Dylan</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVQFAIDefiEnL3iKoNwNyd5xm2GdkO6ZTJuPcTCIauYgaTj5g6hVDMJTgv5cpoNdBUDXQ-olI-B7Bbt2IqQgyZ9nTQ46l-rHPMYB9D71VhKyaIW6AXptdI348zR8imWLxZt6nrLof6k65/s1600/Bob+Dylan+1965+%2528Richard+Avedon%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVQFAIDefiEnL3iKoNwNyd5xm2GdkO6ZTJuPcTCIauYgaTj5g6hVDMJTgv5cpoNdBUDXQ-olI-B7Bbt2IqQgyZ9nTQ46l-rHPMYB9D71VhKyaIW6AXptdI348zR8imWLxZt6nrLof6k65/s320/Bob+Dylan+1965+%2528Richard+Avedon%2529.jpg" width="231" /></a>Let's get this one out of the way first because it is so obvious. I disagree with those who say that there is nothing much to enjoy beyond the lyrics with Dylan. I'll confess (<i>or carelessly proclaim</i>) that I enjoy listening to many Dylan records without the faintest clue what the words might be. As a songwriter he is excellent and, while lyrics may be part of that puzzle, they necessarily include rhythm, melody, textures, the way that the sounds of the words correlate with the music, and so on. And Dylan is really good at this. For me, at least, I enjoy listening to Dylan without lyrics.<br />
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But, when I do register Dylan's lyrics (<i>and with a reputation like his, how could I not?</i>) I know that I am listening to something interesting. As a task, it is most straightforward in the earlier 'protest' songs, <i>Blowing in the Wind</i>, <i>Masters of War</i>, <i>With God on our Side</i>, but even when we get the more personal songs that follow, it is plain that Dylan uses lyrics in a way that very few come close to. And that carries even when the meaning of his lyrics become opaque, as, for me, they sometimes do - they remain interesting and stimulating to listen to. They rarely feel forced or artificial or plastic. If you want to put in the time, you will rewarded at least on some level.<br />
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It's worth noting that what I have said about Dylan carries to some degree to everyone else on this list. Especially the only possible rival to Dylan's reputation...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Leonard Cohen</span></b><br />
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Another confession: I think I prefer Leonard Cohen to Dylan. That is not intended as a slight, I just really love the tone and aesthetic that Cohen conjures, especially on those first half dozen LPs. (All the same, for those who care, the songwriting crown is still Dylan's - his sheer volume, range, consistency, influence, is sufficient to secure it for him.)<br />
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Cohen, even more than Dylan, is a poet who happens to write songs. The palette is much more the personal. I find Cohen to be more direct than Dylan but there remains a sense, for me, that there are strata that I am not getting or perhaps even looking for - that there are depths of meaning and interpretation that are religious in importance. Cohen's lyrics often feel like scripture to me.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Gil Scott-Heron</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAdQVP_qjBV83BtVw-PTDSc1-EiXEOXMevxSXfFSkX4ri3u-9rRl9OaInctlb_59dZ_GRxFD1bjlepNegbeRmcUAb0mhQ3umryDhOfMJeNIdq2N3B5SieHEk4faZxaXIuveIwFZeZGRAX/s1600/Gil+Scott+HEron+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAdQVP_qjBV83BtVw-PTDSc1-EiXEOXMevxSXfFSkX4ri3u-9rRl9OaInctlb_59dZ_GRxFD1bjlepNegbeRmcUAb0mhQ3umryDhOfMJeNIdq2N3B5SieHEk4faZxaXIuveIwFZeZGRAX/s320/Gil+Scott+HEron+2.png" width="320" /></a>Here is another poet so perhaps it is unsurprising that Gil Scott-Heron's lyrics are worthwhile. One thing to note: unless you are listening to his overtly poetic material (principally his first LP, <i>Small Talk at 125th and Lenox</i>) - Scott-Heron's albums are really easy to listen to without thinking about lyrics at all - the music is cool and loose. But if you start listening to the lyrics, they moves effortlessly from the political (he was massively influenced by Proto-Hip Hop pioneers, The Last Prophets) to the personal - including his own, deeply dysfunctional life. Check out: <i>Pieces of a Man</i> (from the album with the same title), <i>The Bottle</i>, or <i>Johannesburg</i>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Judee Sill</span></b><br />
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This is probably the most obscure person on the list. I am sad about this, as her albums are amongst the most beautiful in my whole collection. Briefly, Sill was on the edge of the Californian Folk Rock scene of the early 70s - first signed to the Geffen label. She had had a run of bad luck and bad decisions that led her prison and addiction. Ultimately it was the latter that took her from us, but not before releasing two of the most gorgeous albums from that scene. Her records bring together the sacred and profane like no other. I'm not going to say any more - I'll just type out the lyrics to her song <i>The Kiss. </i>It is both deeply religious and yet sensual and physical.<br />
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<i>Love rising from the mists,<br />Promise me this and only this,<br />Holy breath touching me, like a wind song<br />Sweet communion of a kiss</i><br />
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<i><br />Sun sifting through the grey<br />Enter in, reach me with a ray<br />Silently swooping down, just to show me<br />How to give my heart away</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3P8_kjTtUZk6vRrWJe3hV0JScZxk-Occ5VhbSPxzCkYWBgOGOhojvop6K29mogqN5SWYJULZjtItF419heyscFnHMoewZUclTI_yrH9kpR8z9pOzJUI_tuJ-ADazvPFlpo6ysLX31xWg/s1600/Judee+Sill.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3P8_kjTtUZk6vRrWJe3hV0JScZxk-Occ5VhbSPxzCkYWBgOGOhojvop6K29mogqN5SWYJULZjtItF419heyscFnHMoewZUclTI_yrH9kpR8z9pOzJUI_tuJ-ADazvPFlpo6ysLX31xWg/s320/Judee+Sill.jpg" /></a><i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Once a crystal choir<br />Appeared while I was sleeping<br />And called my name<br />And when they came down nearer<br />Saying, dying is done,<br />Then a new song was sung<br />Until somewhere we breathed as one<br />And still I hear their whisper</i></div>
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<i><br />Stars bursting in the sky<br />Hear the sad nova's dying cry<br />Shimmering memory, come and hold me<br />While you show me how to fly</i></div>
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<i>Sun sifting through the grey<br />Enter in, reach me with a ray<br />Silently swooping down, just to show me<br />How to give my heart away</i></div>
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<i>Lately sparkling hosts<br />Come fill my dreams, descending<br />On fiery beams<br />I've seen 'em come clear down<br />Where our poor bodies lay,<br />Soothe us gently and say,<br />Gonna wipe all your tears away<br />And still I hear their whisper?</i></div>
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<i><br />Love, rising from the mists<br />Promise me this and only this,<br />Holy breath touching me, like a wind song<br />Sweet communion of a kiss</i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Elvis Costello</span></b><br />
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Elvis Costello is the only Briton on this list. What's that about? I guess, though, he is so well-school in American song-writing that perhaps it doesn't matter...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fuz-N192OLJAu7vPn0SPEiOJ2UBHzi8dwNNkX_9AjcBX2KIzjuXCIGJmLCiBGQisc1sbv5RQCIKTmvFwqpiZpB_wh1rnKBb-J8s53UMr3y8I5lYb1nZU-rLsoCvJxcGm8GlEacCMrlD_/s1600/Elvis+Costello+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="807" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fuz-N192OLJAu7vPn0SPEiOJ2UBHzi8dwNNkX_9AjcBX2KIzjuXCIGJmLCiBGQisc1sbv5RQCIKTmvFwqpiZpB_wh1rnKBb-J8s53UMr3y8I5lYb1nZU-rLsoCvJxcGm8GlEacCMrlD_/s320/Elvis+Costello+2.png" width="320" /></a>I bought <i>King of America</i> when I was about 15. It is very well-regarded but it was never one of his classics. Either way, I was immediately struck by it, despite it being very different to my typical listening habits. It was far more literate and grown-up. While it was obviously clever, it was neither preachy or seemingly like the cleverness was the point - I didn't feel like I was supposed to go away thinking <i>ooh... that Elvis Costello, he's clever, isn't he?</i> He just enabled me to see the world in different ways - whether the song was personal like <i>I'll Wear It Proudly</i>, or political like <i>Little Palaces</i> or just telling a story like <i>Glitter Gulch</i>.<br />
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Obviously, I have since bought most of his other records and the consistently striking thing is that here is a dude that can write a song.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy)</span></b><br />
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Anyone that knows me will be waiting for this one, I guess. Another story-teller who inhabits so fully the characters that he writes and sings about that it is often hard to disentangle the singer from the song. Oldham becomes these losers, Lotharios, back woodsmen and adventurers so completely that it is sort of disappointing when you realise that he is none of them.<br />
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And yet, there are insights that he brings. Perhaps my favourite song of all time is his: <i>I See a Darkness</i>. It encapsulates the virtues of friendship, especially in the face of loneliness and emptiness. The only thing that can get us through the darkness of life is the connection we feel to our friends and those we hold close. Here it is:<br />
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<i></i><br />
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<i><i>Well, you're my friend</i></i></div>
<i>
And can you see<br />Many times we've been out drinking<br />Many times we've shared our thoughts<br />But did you ever, ever notice<br />The kind of thoughts I got?<br />Well, you know I have a love<br />A love for everyone I know<br />And you know I have a drive<br />To live, I won't let go<br />But can you see this opposition<br />Comes rising up sometimes?<br />That it's dreadful imposition<br />Comes blacking in my mind</i></div>
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<i><br />And then I see a darkness<br />And then I see a darkness<br />And then I see a darkness<br />And then I see a darkness<br />Did you know how much I love you?<br />Is a hope that somehow you<br />Can save me from this darkness</i></div>
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<i>Well, I hope that someday, buddy<br />We have peace in our lives<br />Together or apart<br />Alone or with our wives<br />And we can stop our whoring<br />And pull the smiles inside<br />And light it up forever<br />And never go to sleep<br />My best unbeaten brother<br />This isn't all I see</i></div>
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<i>Oh no, I see a darkness<br />Oh no, I see a darkness<br />Oh no, I see a darkness<br />Oh no, I see a darkness<br />Did you know how much I love you?<br />Is a hope that somehow you<br />Can save me from this darkness</i><br />
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Other songs tell different stories. Songs of betrayal, love, loss, victory, purpose and purposelessness. I never get tired of Oldham's songs.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bobbie Gentry</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtNNsXAKU0EKK2eq1cGDlCMzEFMOwwmyIBzSC2C9R9wjvEFx8vNZXfNXMjhEqTc3ZmlkkB6Lyvyu_bESNbrK7FP4k5PTJeeqNZLVPAArX1JlV6QhjCUU2uPwLv5cN46L-SyjpYwE65I2m/s1600/Bobbie-Gentry-recording-at-FAME-Studios-Muscle-Shoals-1969-web-optimised-1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtNNsXAKU0EKK2eq1cGDlCMzEFMOwwmyIBzSC2C9R9wjvEFx8vNZXfNXMjhEqTc3ZmlkkB6Lyvyu_bESNbrK7FP4k5PTJeeqNZLVPAArX1JlV6QhjCUU2uPwLv5cN46L-SyjpYwE65I2m/s320/Bobbie-Gentry-recording-at-FAME-Studios-Muscle-Shoals-1969-web-optimised-1000.jpg" width="320" /></a>Hardly any songwriter that I can think of is as effective at evoking a mise-en-scene within a song as Bobbie Gentry - and that is within country music, which is typically evocative. Perhaps one of the reasons is that she sings about the world that she grew up in and she speaks the language of the world that she is conveying. This carries when she is offering a slice of life song such as <i>Chickasaw County Child</i> or <i>Papa, Won't You Let Me Go To Town With You</i> which sound so authentic that you can almost feel the dust and dirt beneath your nails. But it carries just as well when she turns to personal matters. In <i>I Saw An Angel Die </i>Gentry captures both flush of love and the tragedy of it's decay in so few words. I value economy and directness in my lyrics. (This is why <i>Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands </i>will <b>always </b>remain opaque to me.)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ghostface Killah</span></b><br />
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You'd think that Hip Hop might figure higher on this list. After all, I like Hip Hop and it is densely lyrical. Some of my friends have expressed incredulity that I could like Hip Hop and yet be indifferent to the lyrics. I get it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDkC5EZkMEYkwoyH2OIFyTRlXi2x9rCTzu6mrC5zJVg0jGgETE1O3hSHSmzToS4LM9UWjI1hR43IxD5-uTAfWudOPHIsXpLJTEmudsBcPzQvkK-Vh4gB3Nuu7z35C2fay-R6ufN1ouAKf/s1600/Ghostface+Killah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="960" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDkC5EZkMEYkwoyH2OIFyTRlXi2x9rCTzu6mrC5zJVg0jGgETE1O3hSHSmzToS4LM9UWjI1hR43IxD5-uTAfWudOPHIsXpLJTEmudsBcPzQvkK-Vh4gB3Nuu7z35C2fay-R6ufN1ouAKf/s320/Ghostface+Killah.jpg" width="320" /></a>However, in the most part it is that very denseness that scuppers it. That and the fact that there is often limited returns. But where the general consensus agrees that the rapper has something to say; they are often too obscure in their references and metaphors for me to catch the meaning; that, and<i>, </i>it's often just too fast to keep hold of in my mind. By the time I have caught one thought, the rapper is already deep into the next - and so on.<br />
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This is certainly the case with Ghostface. He is not known for going slowly so the thick kid (me) can keep up. On the contrary, his tracks are a juggernaut. But, unlike most rappers, I will often try to hang on even if I only catch bits and pieces. This is because he tells such wild and engaging stories. When I listen in and catch a phrase or something, it sounds like the best movie I never saw. I always want to catch more, and more.<br />
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I rarely do, of course.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Smokey Robinson</span></b><br />
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Smokey has the toughest gig of all the people listed here, since he is constrained more than any by the limitations of the early 1960s music business - two and a half minutes, easily identifiable and repeatable. It's hard to pack that much into such a song. This is one of the reasons why so many pop lyrics devolve into pap. But Smokey manages to work within those limitations and yet to bring something special. Look at some of his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_written_by_Smokey_Robinson" target="_blank">classics</a> - and they are classics; <i>My Guy</i>, <i>My Girl, Shop Around, The Tracks of my Tears, The Tears of A Clown</i>, <i>Ain't That Peculiar</i> and so on. His lyrics squeeze a lot of meaning into very few words. He is easily the most economical of everyone here.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Paul Simon</span></b><br />
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I'll brook no argument here: Paul Simon is the third person in the Holy Trinity of Blessed Lyricists (along with Dylan and Cohen). From his days backpacking up and down the UK, bumming at empty train stations in the early 1960s to the present day, his songwriting is exemplary. His words are playful and thoughtful; naive and childlike, and yet grown up and reflective. It is arguable that he has written more contemporary mainstream classics than anyone on this list, including Dylan.<br />
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I think that the thing that marks Simon out is the crispness of phrasing. Some of his songs slip out of meter and become almost conversational, and yet to hold to the rhythm and the purpose of the song.<br />
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I'm listening to his 2011 album <i>So Beautiful or So What?</i> It rivals Dylan's <i>Time Out of Mind</i> as the perfect album about getting old. And yet, it is still innovative in a way that Dylan hasn't been since the late 90s. Simon's most recent album, <i>Stranger to Stranger </i>from 2016 was inspired, in part, by Harry Partch's 43 tones in an octave. And again, it is awesome.<br />
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The dude is a genius.<br />
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Also rans: Lloyd Cole, Bill Withers, Chuck D, Laura Nyro, Michael Gira, Townes Van Zandt, Tom Rapp, Mickey Newbury, Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Morrissey<br />
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Also - it has not escaped my notice that the Holy Trinity of Blessed Lyricists are all Jewish. What are you gonna do? It is what it is.</div>
James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-39826702009224147642018-11-18T06:46:00.002-08:002018-11-18T06:46:48.372-08:0010 of My Favourite Hip Hop Albums<br />
OK, let's admit this - this is not a list of stone-cold classics. Some are, for sure. But some, even I will admit that they are not the best. This is a list that may, if push came to shove, be my 10 Hip Hop Desert Island Disks. But as you'll see from the runner-up list at the end, I wouldn't be happy restricting myself so...<br />
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In no particular order....<br />
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<b>Kanye West - <i>My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)</i></b><br />
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Let's get this out of the way up front. So far as I am concerned Kanye is one of the greatest musical artists of the contemporary period full. stop. And I'll argue it all day and night if needs be. You can be troubled by <i>him</i> if you like - I am - but his first five solo albums (up to this one) are all great. While I would say that the records that have followed it have not maintained quite the same standard, I'd still say that they're good.<br />
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So anyway, this record is the culmination of Kanye's career thus far - it has the sweet soul samples, pop hooks, an expansive musical palette and a willingness to experiment and try new things. It is a record that never (or virtually never) gets boring. People often complain about Kanye's rapping, but honestly, I think he does fine here - he's often more interesting that his features. His mastery of tone is exceptional - especially in the field of hip hop. The recent news of his bipolar disorder is no surprise if you've spent time with this record - we have exultant joy and self-belief, melancholia and self-doubt - and musically, everything fits without feeling artificial or contrived. In short, I think that this record is phenomenal.<br />
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In short, if you still think that Kanye brings nothing to the party, the problem is yours; not Kanye's.<br />
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<b>The Sindecut - <i>Changing the Scenery (1990)</i></b><br />
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Let's do this one next - the one that NO-ONE has heard of. The music business is full of tragedies, and to me, this is a clear example. They were a London Hip Hop collective who were signed in the very late 80s in a wave of UK dance and Hip Hop artists, but with a sudden lurch back to popular guitar bands and a restructuring at Virgin, they were dropped just after having released this, their only LP.<br />
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In truth, they were awesome. Like the best of UK Hip Hop, it has its roots in the sound systems. Compared to the other stand-outs of the era - London's Soul II Soul and Bristol's Wild Bunch (Massive Attack), The Sindecut is far more high-energy and rough around the edges. Whether it is the RnB of Louise on <i>Having </i>and <i>Slow Down</i>, or the ultra-fast rapping of <i>Living the Life or Braincell; </i>or the Dancehall call-outs, <i>Wisdom</i>; the album bristles with energy. Listen closely, and you'll spot the rough edges but it sounds like a party. A really good party. I recommend cranking this up REAL LOUD and imagining that it's 1989 in a sweaty basement club in Camden or somewhere. (If this album ever sounds weak, it's when played quietly)<br />
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<b>Wu-Tang Clan - <i>Enter the 36 Chambers (1993)</i></b><br />
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OK, this is a stone-cold classic. I am sad to say that I came to Wu-Tang a little late (with <i>Wu-Tang Forever</i>), so I was already too late to hear this as the total game-changer that it was. By the time, I registered them, the world had already changed and the tricks developed by RZA were already commonplace. Part of the excitement of Wu-Tang is the murky sonic world they inhabit; the kung-fu clips, indecipherable lyrics, the sheer clannishness of them. RZA's production is mesmerising. It has these sparse samples that feel incomplete and yet the propel the music forward relentlessly. I am listening to <i>Da Mystery of Chessboxing</i> right now, and I am reminded of Space Invaders (the video game) - how the simple sounds create a sense of approaching menace.<br />
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In truth, I am struggling to say why I like this so much - I just do. Either way, there's no-one alive who hasn't listened to this a million times, yes? I'll shut up now...<br />
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<b>Ghostface Killah - <i>Fishscale (2006)</i></b><br />
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Wu-Tang Clan basically formed a cottage hip hop industry. Every member went off and released their own albums (of course, featuring Wu-Tang alumni). What marks them out, though, is that an awful lot of those albums are great. Sure, there are some dodgy Wu-Tang affiliate LPs, but there are also some monsters. For my money, the member with the best hit:miss ratio is Ghostface Killah. He has released several albums commonly regarded as very good or better and very few less than good. In addition, he is a master story teller, is perhaps the funniest clan member and has the best flow. Musically he tilts heavily into the soul-funk territory which suits me perfectly. (Hip Hop without a bit of soul music is an uphill slog for me.) Fishscale is just relentlessly good to me - almost every track is compelling, every beat great, and every guest appearance brings something to the party.<br />
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<b>Scarface - <i>Mr. Scarface is Back (1991)</i></b><br />
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Straight up gangsta shit.<br />
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In truth, I really don't care about violent lyrics. I watch violent movies, play violent video games (when I get the chance); it would be inconsistent of me to start getting cranky here. I love The Geto Boys, the group Scarface was in, and their high-points are awesome. (The Geto Boys' My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me is probably my favourite hip hop track ever). However, The Geto Boys have some serious low-points. Their misogyny is off the scale. Scarface, however, keeps the ridiculous ultra-violence and holds the excessive pimp-raps to a minimum. (One track - track 2 - easily skippable - also easily the weakest track on the album).<br />
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Once we hit track three, it's like all your favourite shitty action movies have come at once. Wall to wall heists, drug deals, double-crosses, revenge, insanity. So long as you don't take this seriously, it's mostly hilarious and weirdly invigorating. Musically, it sticks to the classic gangsta template; funk and soul samples a-go-go - what's not to love? And while there's no big name producers here, it's put together really nicely. And Scarface, there's a reason other rappers love him - he's good. He's rarely fancy, and a little like Guru, tends towards the monotone; but here are 12 tracks, no guest spots, all just Scarface, and it never gets dull.<br />
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<b>Gang Starr - <i>Step in the Arena (1991)</i></b><br />
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Gang Starr are probably the purest outfit here, in terms of classic hip hop tradition - one rapper, one dude with a turntable. The eighties produced a load of classic outfits with that make-up. Boogie Down Productions, Eric B & Rakim, Pete Rock and CL Smooth for starters. All of those mentioned are well respected, but none of them had careers that stretched as long as Gang Starr. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for why that might have been (the tragic death of Scott La Rock, for one). However, I suspect that one reason might be that, with Gang Starr, you have two of the very very very best at what they do. DJ Premier is rightly regarded as one of the finest on the turntable. His beats are pristine - super-economical, nothing extraneous or distracting. In addition, he draws from nothing but the finest soul-funk-jazz samples. Guru is basically a great old school rapper. He is a little monotone, but his rhymes and flow are impeccable. Again, a great listening experience that never gets tired.<br />
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It is possible that someone might prefer the next few albums to this one. This, their second album, marks where they found their sound. It is also the first album that I heard of theirs. They had a run of classic albums throughout the 90s - all are worth listening to.<br />
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<b>Tribe Called Quest - <i>People's Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm (1990)</i></b><br />
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A more genuine hip hop fan would have picked either of the two follow-up albums to this, <i>The Low End Theory </i>or<i> Midnight Marauders</i>, which are both excellent. But for me, I plumped for this one - most likely exactly because it is the least purist of the three. I do not think that this album has any pretension for being a great example of hip hop; instead I think that it only has one aspiration - I think that it is <i>Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts</i>. It is as much about being young, finding yourself, misadventure, love and loss, good food and having a good time. I think that it is a party album, a club album. It is easiest the most danceable album on this list. It also stands up as one of the best nearly 30 years later. It won't have escaped your notice that six of these ten were released between 1988-1993. As much as I love them all, some of them do sound like they've been around over a generation. They sound old school. Of course, there are elements that date this album, but I don't believe that there is anything detrimental here. I think it still sounds fresh and as much fun as it did in 1990.<br />
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<b>MF Doom/Viktor Vaughn - <i>Vaudeville Villain (2003)</i></b><br />
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If the Wu-Tang Clan are indecipherable, what does that make MF Doom? I love the sound of his rhymes; they are fun and inventive, complex where they need to be, and direct otherwise. But as to what he is rapping about - I haven't a clue. I believe that some people know, but I am not those people. He is as inventive with his beats as he is with his lyrics. Again, I am not sure how much I understand them, but they are very enjoyable to listen to. I haven't heard an MF Doom album (Doom operates under a number of aliases - Viktor Vaughn is one, King Geedorah is another) I haven't enjoyed a great deal. But this one makes me smile the most. Whether he is rapping about Star Trek (at least some of the lyrics in <i>A Dead Mouse</i>), failed relationships (<i>Let Me Watch</i> - a tragic and depressing mini-play) or simply pretending to be terrible in an open-mic night, it's just a fun listen.<br />
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<b>Mr. Lif - <i>I, Phantom (2002)</i></b><br />
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Mr. Lif, on the DefJux label, is unquestionably a conscious rapper (<i>as opposed to what exactly...?</i>) , by which I mean that his records are intent on saying something (ultimately positive). That said, me being me, I have very little idea what that something is. I know that some of it is about the empty drudge of the working life because it has an amusing track about fantasising about killing your boss. Otherwise, you know, stuff. All I can say is that it's a lot of fun to listen to. A lot of the beats are provided by El-P and Edan - both of whom I really like. Do have to care about the 'stuff' to enjoy a CD? No, I didn't think so - it's 47 minutes well spent.<br />
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<b>Public Enemy - <i>It Takes a Nation of Millions (1988)</i></b><br />
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I said at the outset that there were not that many stone-cold classics in this list. That is true, but this is definitely one such case. I'm really not that sure what I can say that hasn't already been said a million times. It's exhilarating, fun, enlightening, marks a maturation of hip hop (both musically and lyrically), a one record revival of James Brown's house band - The JBs. It's good from start to end. What else to say? It's so good that even Flava Flav can't fuck it up.<br />
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Others: <b>Jay-Z</b>'s <i>American Gangster</i> is a favourite as is the <i>Black Album</i>. Any of <b>Kanye</b>'s other records prior to MDBTF could have made a list. <b>Mos Def</b>'s <i>Black on Both Sides</i> is amazing as is his album with <b>Talib Kweli</b>, <b>Black Star</b>. Of course, pretty much anything by <b>Kendrick Lamar</b> would deserve a place here. There are several other <b>Wu-Tang</b> related records I love. I really like <b>Eden</b>'s <i>Beauty and the Beats</i> as well as <b>El-P</b>'s <i>I'll Sleep When I'm Dead</i>. Speaking of El-P, <b>Run the Jewels</b> are awesome as is <b>Killer Mike</b>'s <i>R.A.P. Music</i>. That <b>Fugees</b> album is pretty awesome too... Oh, I quite like <b>Lupe Fiasco's </b><i>Food and Liquor </i>and<i> The Cool too....</i>James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-28801048442554851982018-10-27T13:14:00.002-07:002018-10-27T13:14:20.326-07:0010 Favourite Sitcoms<br />I think that my favourite television format is the half-hour sitcom. There are plenty of examples of other shows that I think are amazing, but I always return to the sitcom for comfort. I love looking back at old sitcoms that I missed or were before my time. I love checking out the new crops of shows as they appear each year.<br /><br />It is indeed that time. Watching new shows makes me think about shows that I already love and in the spirit of this blog I thought a list of my 10 favourite sitcoms would be a nice diversion.<br /><br />As ever, in no particular order:<br /><br /><b>The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976-1979)</b><br /><br />This is perfect 70s satire. It begins with what was billed as the perfect life - Reggie, married to his adoring wife, lives in a lovely suburb, his children all grown up. He goes to his nice upper-middle management job and looks forward to a comfortable retirement. Except, no. The show, in its first season (I'll adopt the American lingo), demonstrates the emptiness of such a life - showing the hidden fears and anxieties that are obscured by such an existence. The second season adopts even bigger targets; capitalism, consumerism, value. And the third, the idea of fulfilment itself. In all, Perrin, perfectly played by Leonard Rossiter, attempts to dismiss these ideals only to fail upwards.<br /><br />It is absurd, stupid and incredibly clever. In truth, it's probably the 'cleverest' show on the list.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>The Office (US) (2004-2013)</b><br /><br />No disrespect meant to Ricky Gervais' original, which I think is very good, but I just don't find it nearly so satisfying as the US remark. Ignore the very dodgy first season - it is plain that they can't quite find their way from under the original's shadow. Early in the second season they find it; they abandon the devastating cynicism of Gervais, and allow the characters room to breathe and grow and crucially, tell jokes. The US remake is much much funnier than the original.<br /><br />It is also warmer. While it never quite lets go of the cringey qualities that characterise its origins, it is also unafraid of letting us unironically love Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and see the human side of Dwight and even learn to love the mundanity and the emotional vacuum that is the office itself. Even after Carell goes, and the show does dip a little in quality, it nonetheless maintains enough heart and jokes to not outstay its welcome until its 9th season. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>Black Books (2000-2004)</b><br /><br />A tiny, small and stupid show about an alcoholic bookshop owner (Dylan Moran), his hapless employee (Bill Bailey) and neighbour (Tamsin Greig). Very little happens over three short seasons. The three leads get drunk a lot, do stupid stuff, fall out a bit. And yet, it makes me laugh a lot. <br /><br />An awful lot relies upon the cruelty and haphazardness of Bernard Black (Moran). He is another character (this list features a few of these) that is somehow sympathetic despite being quite unpleasant. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)</b><br /><br />This is a new addition to the list and time will tell whether it stays a firm favourite or not. But right now I am coming towards the end of the sixth season and am enjoying it a great deal. So we'll see...<br /><br />It concerns Mary Richards (Moore), a newly single thirty something who comes to Minneapolis and stumbles into a job as a TV producer. The show revolves around her private life, in particular her friendship with Rhoda Morgenstein (Valerie Harper), and her developing career with her boss, Lou Grant (Ed Asner).<br /><br />This show appeals, I think, because its general sense of warmth. No characters are totally cynical (apart from possibly Betty White's Sue Ann Nivens) - everyone, even hapless newscaster, Ted Baxter (Ted Knight), tries their best. What the show does best is show the ever growing and evolving relationships within the cast. I could say a lot more and perhaps will again elsewhere*, but in the final assessment, The MTM Show is just a world that feels good to live in, and sometimes that is exactly what you want.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006)</b><br /><br />Perhaps I’m wrong, but I never felt that Malcolm in the Middle got the acclaim it deserves. Despite running for seven seasons, I get the feeling that it is steadily fading away in our collective cultural memories (unlike other sitcoms that seem to maintain a very healthy afterlife - Friends, obviously, but also the wildly inferior Scrubs, HIMYM and others). I’m genuinely not sure why. Even though it did lag towards the end of its run - they ran out of ideas for Frances, for instance - it remained consistently funny and inventive. It also boasted a pretty impressive adult cast: most obviously Bryan Cranston, but also Jane Kaczmarek and the eternal Cloris Leachman. <br /><br />Perhaps the reason it is fading from view is that it was not iconic (as say, Cosby or Roseanne). I think another reason is that it is a member of slightly derided class of sitcoms, the family sitcom. All the sitcoms that have sustained acclaim have typically featured predominantly folk in the 20s. This is a shame as there are some great family sitcoms. Anyway, MITM captures the anarchic rivalries of brotherhood and the stresses and strains of parenthood, as well as the underlying love and loyalty that is often obscured. A great show.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>Father Ted (1995-1998)</b><br /><br />A more unenthralling premise could not be pitched: three failed priests exiled to a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Yet perfectly pitched performances from the three leads, especially the late Dermot Morgan, along with awesome scripts from Graham Linehan (also Black Books!) and Arthur Matthews. The gradual expansion of the central characters to include locals, priests and more priests kept the ideas fresh and developing. I also enjoy that it has a good dollop of being clever ('<i>that would be an ecumenical matter</i>') but it never gets in the way of rank stupidity (<i>the tunnel of goats!).</i><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>Cheers (1982-1993)</b><br /><br />I am not sure that I need say very much here. Cheers marks the total arrival of the modern sitcom and as such it has it all. It has warmth (we really learn to care for Sam, and who didn't feel sad when Coach passed away), cynicism (Carla's barbs), cleverness (we meet Frasier and Lillith), stupidity (Woody) and good old fashioned romance (Sam and Diane). Cheers, of course, defined the on-again-off-again relationship. <div>
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I'd concede that the format begins to get weary once we hit the Kirsty Alley era, but even then, it remains funny and there is plenty of growth for the more peripheral characters. It's a classic for a reason.</div>
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<b>The Good Life (1975-1978)</b><br /><br />Part of the pleasure of The Good Life is the warmth and the downright pleasantness of the show. Everyone is nice and it is just nice to be part of the gentle, indeed, genial world that is shown. All sorts of things are nice, of course, but that doesn't make it a great sitcom. Funny lines and great performances do that, and it is harder to imagine a better comic team than the cast. All four leads are giants in the field of comic acting and all four have made the marks in more than one classic sitcom (Briers - <i>Ever Decreasing Circles</i>; Eddington - <i>Yes, (Prime) Minister</i>; Keith - <i>To The Manor Born</i>; Kendall - Carla Lane's <i>Solo</i>).</div>
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<br /><br /><b>Married.. With Children (1986-1997)</b><br /><br />OK, let's be honest. While it lasted 11 seasons in total, only the first few were really very good. After a while, it increasingly became a pastiche of itself, recycling the same tired jokes. But for a while, at least four seasons, it offered the exact opposite of what most sitcoms had been up to that time - specifically, it was the anti-family sitcom. Here were four people who hated each other - it was unfortunate that they also happened to be family.<br /><br />What drove it and made it so good were the leads of Ed O'Neil and Katey Sagal as Al and Peggy Bundy. O'Neil, in particular, pours so much pathos into the dismal, relentlessly empty existence of Al Bundy, shoe salesman. The show predates and offers direct inspiration to so many shows that ultimately followed (including a few on this list): The Simpsons, Roseanne, Seinfeld, Malcolm, It's Only Sunny in Philadelphia. It was the first sitcom to revel in the gallows humour of the socially and economically desperate. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>Seinfeld (1989-1998)</b><br /><br />Again, like Cheers, what is there to say? For me (and others, I think), it is a show that one learns to love. The first episode I watched I recall thinking that it was OK; the second, pretty good; third, no - good!; and after a few more, I'd decided that it was comic gold. Here, I think that it is the writing that takes centre stage - it is SO sharp, so perfectly framed, even when read aloud, it's hilarious. The performances of the leads (perhaps excluding Jerry) are genius. And again, the ever-increasing cast of peripheral characters steadily create a world that one can immerse oneself in. And no show has done so much to add to the quotia of catch-phrases that have entered my world. I'll never grow tired of this show.</div>
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And so, there we have it...</div>
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Two final things!</div>
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1) I do not claim that these are the BEST sitcoms, only that they are my favourites.</div>
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2) I could have called about another 10-15 shows my favourites and had I compiled this list on another day, it might well have included some of those and not these. Just in case you are wondering, these were:</div>
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<li>Curb Your Enthusiasm</li>
<li>Black-ish</li>
<li>Spaced</li>
<li>Blackadder</li>
<li>30 Rock</li>
<li>Parks and Rec</li>
<li>Frasier</li>
<li>Community</li>
<li>Porridge</li>
<li>Rising Damp</li>
<li>M*A*S*H</li>
<li>Phoenix Nights</li>
<li>The Good Place</li>
<li>Fawlty Towers</li>
<li>Yes, Minister</li>
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* This was not the blog post I intended to write. I intended to write about sitcoms I found interesting for one reason or another and MTM was on that list. Anyway, I got sidetracked by this post so maybe I'll write the other one on another occasion.</div>
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James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-21601138597338715942018-10-25T09:59:00.000-07:002018-10-25T10:06:00.139-07:0010 Tracks That I Wish Were Available on CDI buy CDs - lots of them. I have a large collection. Maybe I am compensating. Anyway, there are a bunch of tracks that I wish I could add to that collection. Some of them are available on vinyl but, as you know, <a href="https://10tt0.blogspot.com/2018/10/10-thoughts-about-vinyl-records.html" target="_blank">vinyl is no good to me</a>.<br />
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Anyway, to sum up, half of this list is old stuff that never got a CD release, the other half is RnB/Hip Hop releases that came out as mixtapes.<br />
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I carry on hoping and wishing....<br />
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As ever, in no particular order.<br />
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<b>Leather Nun - Slow Death (Live)</b><br />
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I won a vinyl copy of this on the legendary Roger Hill's BBC Merseyside show in the 1980s and it immediately blew my mind. Side one comprised the original Slow Death EP - a jarring mix of hissing industrial music and the most abrasive, broken punk music. Side two held a live version of Slow Death with the band accompanied by Genesis P. Orridge and Monte Cazzara. This version stripped out the industrial hissings and brought something almost Sabbath-y to the mix. As ever 15 minutes of a dude muttering about dying over music that sounds like slowly moving slurry is irresistible. It has never been released on CD. Recently, Jonas Almquist has finally re-released a lot of old Leather Nun recordings on vinyl - perhaps he'll do a CD comp at some point...<br />
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In the video, it cuts in about 3 and a half minutes into the song... but all the sludgy nihilism is still there!</div>
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<b>Bonnie Prince Billy - Bertrand My Son</b><br />
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I could fill this list with Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) releases. He is always releasing odd songs on vinyl that never see the light of day on CD. I have about half a dozen of these singles. Amongst them is a split 7" devoted to the songs of Larry Jon Wilson, who had recently passed. Oldham did a lovely cover of Wilson's tribute to his son, Bertrand, which is itself one of the most gorgeous songs about parenthood. Oldham plays it straight and it is, too, lovely.</div>
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Incidentally, I was tempted to pop Wilson's own albums on this list although strictly speaking they are available on CD, if you are willing to drop a crazy sum.</div>
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I could not find a youtube link of Oldham's cover, so here is the original...</div>
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<b>Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book</b><br />
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This dude is on his third album, but thus far none have had an official physical release. Not, I add, because there is insufficient business to be made. Chance has made a name for himself guesting with Kanye, Beyonce, Kendrick, and is regarded very highly. No, he has not released them simply because he hasn't wanted to.</div>
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And they are amazing. Coloring Book is his most realised album to date drawing in Hip Hop, RnB, Gospel alongside an incredible list of collaborations. The whole album is awesome but here's one track...</div>
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<b>Spectral Display - Spectral Display LP</b><br />
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A Dutch electronic music project funded by EMI, led by Michel Mulders and Henri Overduin, Spectral Display have been more or less unjustly forgotten. I came across them via MIA's third album, where she covered <i>It Takes a Muscle. </i>It is an odd but compelling track. A sad slightly haunting earworm with a soft, plastic reggae beat. It is awkwardly sung, and yet the coming together of the various parts is lovely. The album is a 50/50 affair - a few tracks come close to <i>Muscle</i>, others less so. Either way, it is a tragedy that it has never been released on CD - currently it is only available on vintage vinyl or download.<br />
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<b>Princess Nokia (Destiny Frasqueri) - Orange Blossom</b><br />
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Princess Nokia finally released her <i>1992 Deluxe</i> debut on Rough Trade last year but she'd been releasing bits and pieces as mix-tapes for a long while. These are pretty ragged releases in all, but even though some tracks are little more than her singing over old records (or the <i>Soul Train</i> theme tune in one case), they are fun and deeply appealing. They also reveal an artist that is pretty determined to make her career under her own terms, refusing to fit in comfortably with any preconceived notion of what she should be like. <i>Orange Blossom</i> from her <i>Honeysuckle</i> mixtape, billed under her own name, is a perfect summer tune - warm, lazy, blissed out. Some people have made noise about her similarities with Kali Uchis (see below); James hears it, James don't care...<br />
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<b>Kanye West - The Life of Pablo</b><br />
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Kanye, Oh Kanye.... (Now just Ye, of course). I feel like my appreciation of Kanye's music is pretty well documented at this point. He might have moments of profound idiocy, which may stretch the patience of even his most adoring fans - his recent proclamations re: Trump and slavery are cases in point, but his musical chops are unarguable. Either way, he is annoyingly obstinate at times and this is one of those times. Feeling a little harangued, I think, about the finalising of <i>The Life of Pablo</i>, his seventh solo album, he kept wanting to tinker with it. There was also something about who was going to release it, Tidal or whatnot...Anyway, I am not sure quite what happened but he decided - and has apparently stuck with it - that this album would never be released on CD. Frankly, it is not his best - but even Kanye on an off day is more interesting than most artists on a good. And whilst, as an album it is a little uneven, the highs are incredible: the gospel inflected opener <i>Ultralight Beam </i>(featuring Chance the Rapper), the Sister Nancy/Nina Simone sampling <i>Famous</i>, the Kendrick Lamar collaboration, sampling Junie's magnificent <i>Suzie Thunderpussy - No More Parties in LA. </i>Those three tracks alone are enough for me to want a CD release NOW!<br />
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<b>Indians in Moscow - Indians in Moscow</b><br />
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Indians in Moscow were a short-lived synth-pop band from Hull. They broke-up just before they gained some proper recognition with an opening slot on The Tube. They were most well known for two properly stupid songs, <i>Naughty Miranda</i> and <i>Jack Pelter and his Sex-Change Chicken. </i>They are stupid, but charming and slightly deranged. On the album that was posthumously released, they display a richer range of styles and reveal themselves a band that, had they taken a deep breathe, resisted their stupider urges, and most importantly, <b>not broken up</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i>had a properly interesting career. The album, incidentally, was reissued on Russian label, Other Voices a few years ago along with a bunch of extra tracks. It's worth a listen.<br />
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Missing from the release, however, is this eponymous track. It is moodier and heavier than the album. Again, I don't want to sell it as some kind of lost genius or anything, but I think it has some nice touches and suggests that they could have offered more. Despite its limitations I enjoy listening to this album now and then, and I really wish that this was on it....<br />
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<b>Kali Uchis - Drunken Babble/Por Vida Mixtapes</b><br />
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I've been raving about Kali Uchis for months now and I don't think I have successfully converted anyone. No mind - I think she's awesome. Part of the reason that I feel this way is the story that precedes her. Childhood musical chops gave way to rebellion and getting kicked out of home. She sorted herself out and recorded a bunch of stuff in her bedroom. This is what became the mixtape <i>Drunken Babble</i>. Predictably it is rough but it leaves no doubt that she is anything less than talented. It straddles pop, RnB, hints at her Columbian heritage, and allows reggae influences to sneak in from time to time. This track, 'Never Be Yours' is a gem, riding an old <i>Delegation</i> sample perfectly and has become the summer jam in our household. <i>Babble</i> was followed by a slightly slicker, but no less charming, <i>Por Vida </i>in 2015<i>. </i>This year, at last, saw her debut album proper. Have I mentioned how much I love it?<br />
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<b>Ganzheit - Brains To the Wall EP</b><br />
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This was another record I acquired via Roger Hill. I know nothing about them at all. Super independent label. As is often the way, the band don't really know who they are or what they want to be. Most obviously, they want to be an early industrial electronic band like Front 242 or Nitzer Ebb. But they also have more typical 80s indie elements, not out of place in C86 scene. There are also elements that remind me of some Siouxsie B-sides. Anyway, is it a mess? A little, but yet I find it compelling.<br />
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But it is the third and final track, <i>Harmony</i>, which takes a step away from the first two tracks and towards something quite different and makes it ache for proper recognition. It is almost African, but then again, not quite. A persistent tom rhythm with a repetitive percussive bass pattern, flute samples and a guitar sample that could have been lifted from the Bhundu Boys. Above the fray are samples, I assume, of singing, which again, to these ears, sound African. Such as it is, though, that I could be wrong about it all. If someone has better points of reference and wants to have a shot at describing it, please chip in.<br />
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<b>Nightmares in Wax - The Birth of a Nation EP (and early Dead or Alive singles)</b><br />
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Sadly, Pete Burns is known primarily for one song. It is incredible and I hope that 'You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)' kept him in biscuits until his untimely passing in 2016. A few people may know one or two others - perhaps his first major chart hit, a cover of K.C. & The Sunshine Band's 'That's the Way (I Like It)'. What few people know is that hit represented the second phase of his pop career. There were five singles/EPs released between 1979 and 1982. I only know a couple of them - 'I'm Falling' was on a compilation 'The Indie Scene 1981' and 'The Stranger' appeared on the Sophisticated Boom-Boom reissue on Cherry Red. Both are fantastic. But neither of them compare to Nightmares in Wax who released only one EP, entitled The Birth of a Nation. Side A contained the magnificent 'Black Leather', while side B had 'Girl Song' and 'Shangri-La'.<br />
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In truth, like so many tracks here, they are pretty ragged. But they hiss and spit with life and energy and passion. I find them both thrilling and weirdly hilarious. I have the Birth of a Nation EP, but I would pay very good money for a decent compilation covering the whole period up to their signing with Epic.<br />
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Strictly speaking I cannot include Black Leather on this list as it was included on the awesome Revolutionary Spirit box-set, but check out any others...<br />
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James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-36705916855448937202018-10-02T03:17:00.000-07:002018-10-25T10:02:18.109-07:0010 Thoughts About Vinyl Records<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />The vinyl revolution is so well established that it is almost old hat. Even Sainsburys sells vinyl. I sold all my vinyl about 20 years ago and made the leap to CDs. Since then I have bought a lot more CDs - a lot. So I have some thoughts about this vinyl resurgence...<br /><br /> <br /><b> Vinyl is pretty</b><br /><br /> No question. It really is. The thrill of opening up a nice gatefold, especially if new with that new smell, is indescribable. A well presented 12" is a piece of art.<br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl has old school cache value</b><br /><br /> There are associations to records that you just don't get with CDs, or even other formats - now mostly obsolete. Picturing someone with a bunch of records under the arm is just innately cooler than picturing them with a clutch of CDs.<br /><br />And then there is the theatre of selecting the record...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b> There is a large stock of cheap old vinyl</b><br /><br /> People have begun to twig onto this (I saw one guy on Facebook trying to sell his grandmother's James Last records for a tenner!) but there are a lot of old records, still in decent condition, kicking around for very little money. If you don't care about buying new, vinyl is a fast way to get a decent collection on the cheap.<br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl may sound better than CDs (See below)</b><br /><br /> I cast doubt on this below, but certainly back in the 80s, vinyl sounded clearly better than CDs, which sounded thin and unconvincing. People suggest that there is a greater warmth to vinyl. Maybe...<br /><br /><br /><b> However,</b><br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl is big</b><br /><br /> Records take up a lot of space. In terms of length and breadth, you can get four CDs in the space you can a record.<br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl is bulky</b><br /><br /> Moving house with my collection is a nightmare. The CDs take about 30 banana-boxes, which thankfully stack quite well. Vinyl is much heavier. I don't know how many boxes I would need, but I am confident in saying more, many more.<br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl is vulnerable</b><br /><br /> People made exaggerated claims about the invulnerability of CDs when they came out. You <b>can</b> fuck up a CD. However, not like you can fuck up a record. Back when I played records regularly, I remember ruining a few with the slightest errors of judgement. A house party was like a zombie apocalypse for records.<br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl is forcing record buyers to rebuy what they already have</b><br /><br /> OK, the record industry has been doing this for a while. How many CD editions are there of '<i>Kind of Blue</i>' or '<i>Dark Side of the Moon</i>'? But if you already have a decent edition of an album on CD, why buy it again on vinyl?<br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl typically offers the buyer a less good deal</b><br /><br /> A case in point. Numero recently produced an excellent compilation, <i>Basement Beehives</i>, charting obscure girl group records from the 60s. The vinyl edition was a double album with 28 tracks. The CD edition was cheaper and had all those 28 tracks, plus 28 more. Again, the Rhino vinyl reissue of 1968 compilation <i>What is Soul?</i> had the original 12 tracks. The CD edition, again cheaper, had an additional 14 tracks (all excellent, by the way, and making it my #1 recommendation for a single disk 60s soul compilation).<br /><br /><br /><b> Vinyl is wildly over-priced.</b><br /><br /> Records are, if you are buying new, off-puttingly expensive. A ridiculous example: I was in Sainsburys. They had Chas and Dave's <i>Gold</i>, a shameless cash in on the sad death of Chas, on both vinyl and CD. The CD edition had three disks and cost £5. The vinyl edition was a single disk and was £18. That is a particularly egregious example, but look at record store day or any new crop of releases and ask yourself whether £18-£25 is a good price compared to the price of a CD.<br /><br /><b><br />Vinyl rarely, if ever, sounds better</b><br /><br /> All of this might be understandable if vinyl was clearly a better representation of the music. If you popped on a record and the music was richer, clearer, lovelier etc., then the fragility, cumbersomeness, and cost would be worth it. However, it doesn't - at least not in the majority of cases.<br /><br /> I said above that in the 80s vinyl did sound better and that is incontestable. However, CD technology has come on a LOT. Where they were thin sounding, they now - assuming a nice mastering job - sound rich, and so on. It is possible that records do still sound better but only under conditions out of reach for most record buyers. If you have a <b>very</b> good hifi and a <b>very</b> good set of speakers and perhaps a <b>very</b> good pair of ears, then maybe they sound better. But if you're playing on an average High Street stereo, I seriously doubt it<br /><br /><br /> <br /> </span><br />
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James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-56277217228571714632018-08-14T13:55:00.002-07:002018-08-14T13:55:49.730-07:0010 Tracks That Have made Me Happy in 2018<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I've been a little absent lately. I am sorry. Doing a Masters turned out to be far more demanding than I expected. All good, but it means I haven't written very much at all. Hey ho... I have still been listening to lots of music and here are ten tracks that have made me happy in 2018. There are lots more (unsurprisingly).</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kali Uchis – Dead To
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<o:p>This is likely my album of the year. Columbian-US singer Kali Uchis has produced the richest pop album I have heard in years. This song probably isn't the catchiest (and it is the acoustic version) but it does show off her voice. And it is a very pretty video too.</o:p></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sudan</b></st1:country-region></st1:place><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Archives – Come Meh Way (2018)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p>I've literally just picked this up but I love it. Don't be fooled by the name, it's a lady from LA signed to ultra-cool Stones Throw label. I don't need to say much - just play it loud if you can.</o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Supremes – Remove
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<o:p>Have we heard everything we need by The Supremes? Apparently not. I have literally dozens of CDs of the The Supremes and this one has snuck me by until I picked up the new expanded edition of The Supremes Sing Holland Dozier Holland. It's a killer.</o:p></div>
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<b>The Cherry Boys – Karmomah’s Café<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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One of my favourite purchases of the year was the Revolutionary Spirit Box Set on Cherry Red that catalogues the Liverpool independent scene from '76-'88. There are dozens of awesome tracks on it, but this - a relatively unassuming later track - struck me.</div>
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Again another case of why hadn't I clocked this before? Thanks to Rob I heard this not long ago - a gorgeous slab of sweet 70s soul. It's on the Jackie Brown soundtrack - another reason I should have registered it sooner.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wanda Jackson –
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<o:p>Of course I had heard the original version of this, but <i>this</i> version from Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive slows it down and weirds it out (bad grammar, I know!). What is also weird is that it took me best part of two years to see this film. It was very very very good.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>I picked up the Complete Atlantic Box Set (which frustratingly isn't complete, but anyway) and this track was tagged at the back of an album I'd never heard 'Hey Now Hey'. It's Aretha so we already know that its awesome. [Right now the news is that she is very very ill so I very happy to add this to the list.]</o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Happy <st1:place w:st="on">Rhodes</st1:place> – When The Rain Came Down<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p>To think I almost missed this! Numero have an incredible track record but the early write-up of this pitched it as an ethereal new age type thing, so I was inclined to pass. Steve in Polar Bear popped it on and my opinion quickly changed. Basically it is Kate Bush fan fiction, but where fan fiction draws close to eclipsing the original. I am not sure that this the Bushiest track on the comp, but I liked the folkyness of it, so here we are.</o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Phyllis Hyman – You
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<o:p>I have had a massive thing lately for late 70s/80s R&B and Phyllis Hyman slips in so well. This track must have killed a few dancefloors back in the day.</o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OMD – Souvenirs<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p>One of the bands featured on the Revolutionary Spirit comp. noted above was OMD. I had pssed over OMD for no terribly good reason. I think I'd just regarded them as a little twee - not really up to the Bunnymen or Teardrops or even Dead or Alive's standard. A well overdue revisit has corrected that opinion. Despite the weird and very stupid video I really like this song.</o:p></div>
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These made me happy. </div>
<br />James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2180663536815925912.post-68967815621962078892017-10-15T10:48:00.001-07:002017-10-15T10:48:21.869-07:0010 Albums from 1972<div class="MsoNormal">
10 Albums from 1972</div>
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Another very strong year (perhaps not as strong as ’71,
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One problem that I have been facing here has been what to do
when an artist has a particularly fertile flurry of releases. For instance,
this year marks such a patch for two artists, Stevie Wonder and Al Green.
Taking the latter, last year it took an act of total discipline not to include
Green’s Hi debut, the awesome <i>Gets Next
to You. </i>During ’72 he released two great albums <i>Let’s Stay Together</i> and <i>I’m
Still in Love With You</i> and in ’73, he gave us what some call his finest
work <i>Call Me</i>. </div>
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I have said before that what I want to avoid is writing the
same thing over and over again, so I do not want to include every release in
such a flurry. Noting that there have already been a few artists where exactly
this problem has occurred (Black Sabbath, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic), I have
decided to note explicitly when this is happening – just so people don’t think
that I am neglecting great records inappropriately.</div>
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<b>Stephen Stills (Manassas)
– Manassas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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You don’t hear too much about Stephen Stills anymore – at
least I don’t. 1972 was about the end of a pretty incredible period of musical
activity. In the 60s he was in Buffalo Springfield and wrote some of their
greatest hits (along with Neil Young – <i>see
below</i>), then he joined forces with David Crosby (see 1971) and Graham Nash
(never my favourite) and Neil Young again with CSN(&Y). He produced a
couple of solo LPs; the first spawning the monster hit <i>(If You Can’t Be With the One You Love) Love The One You’re With</i>.
And then in 1972, there’s this. I think that he may have poured all that was
left of his talent into this record, as it’s amazing, and nothing afterwards
comes close. Shame.</div>
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Manassas lasted two albums but this is the one. In short it
is Stills along with Chris Hillman (of the Byrds, Burrito Brothers) and a bunch
of top-notch musicians from the West Coast rock scene. Stills throws everything
at this record, and it should have been a massive shambles, but against the
odds it works. As a double album with four sides, each side had it’s own mood
and style; classic rock, Latin, folk-rock, country. And throughout it all it
produces some monster tracks; <i>Song of
Love, Both of Us (Bound to Lose)</i>, <i>So
Begins The Task</i>, <i>Johnny’s Garden</i>,
<i>Bound to Fall</i>, <i>The Treasure</i>. If you want a measure of how great this record is,
Bill Wyman of the Stones said that he would have left Mick and Keith and the
lads and joined Manassas if asked. It’s probably best, all things considered
that he wasn’t, but that’s a hell of a testament to how good Stills was in ’72.
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<b>War – The World is a
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This LA Soul/Funk/Latin band made a name for themselves by
providing loose, extended improvised jams that reflected the serious talent of
all seven members. Initially they had toured with Eric Burdon of The Animals,
but they soon struck out without him, and as much as Burdon could be a fine
vocalist, this was for the best. It enabled them to refine their sound and
tighten up their songs. I can’t say that I have heard all of War’s albums but
this one kicks ass. It opens with the monster, <i>The Cisco Kid</i>, free and deeply rhythmic with the most infectious
sing-along lyrics. <i>City Country City </i>offers
a 13 minute showcase for the whole band to stretch out and show off. However, it
is the second side where the album hits the heights. <i>Four Cornered Room </i>is a seriously funky lament that could be
straight off Funkadelic’s first album. It’s a heady mixture of smoke and blues
and feeling. The title track rivals Donny Hathaway’s similarly titled classic,
and has the same social consciousness that we see in Marvin Gaye’s <i>What’s Going On?</i> It is bright, funky,
sweet and full of sadness and hope. It also features an incredible saxophone
solo from Charles Miller. Beautiful! The album closes with the bizarre <i>Beetles in the Bog</i> which reminds me a
little of some Rastafarian chant music (Ras Michael & Dadawah or African
Head Charge from the <i>Songs of Praise </i>period).
As odd as it is, it is infectious and hard to resist. A great record!</div>
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<b>Jean-Claude Vannier –
L’Enfant Assassin Des Mouches<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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You may recall Vannier from ’71, when we mentioned
Gainsbourg’s <i>Histoire De Melody Nelson</i>.
As the arranger, Vannier was a key part of what made that project so special.
Here Vannier is in the driver’s seat and the result is total, unabashed
insanity. Taking his lead from a short story proposed by Gainsbourg of a child
who attempts to kill a fly and is later defeated by those flies (see the insert
below), Vannier constructs the story. It is made up of noises, mad indescribable
noises, sometimes for minutes at a time. But between those nightmarish visions
are some of the coolest and out-there musical moments that you might find
anywhere; some groove, some rock, some have a distinct circus feeling. It
doesn’t matter, they’re all awesome. In addition, it has become incredibly
influential – these are the templates for late-period Pulp, Beck, Air pretty
much based their entire career of it.</div>
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In all honesty, this is not always the smoothest listen. It
is insane. And while listening I asked myself whether this was as pleasant a
listening experience as say, The Isley Brothers’ <i>Brother, Brother, Brother</i>, which has not made the cut. Truth is, no
it isn’t. But while the Isley’s album is great – definitely recommended – it
has a small fraction of the ideas of Vannier. If I was forced at gunpoint to
give up one or the other, it’ll be the Isleys. Vannier is simply too
interesting to let go.</div>
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<b>Bill Withers – Still
Bill<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I almost included Withers’ first album, <i>Just As I Am</i> in my 1971 list. It is an incredible debut containing
the classic <i>Ain’t No Sunshine</i> and the
beautiful tribute <i>Grandma’s Hands. </i>(Side
note: It was produced by Booker T and featured lead guitar by Stephen Stills –
further confirming the latter’s great final years.) It was a great album in a
great year and I was sad not to include it. But perhaps it was for the best as
it leaves this possibly stronger follow up space in 1972. This time, it
contains three cast-iron monsters: the uplifting <i>Lean on Me</i>, the deep groove of the paranoid <i>Who Is He (And What is He To You?)</i>, and the funky <i>Use Me</i> which has been covered almost as
often as <i>Sunshine</i>. </div>
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What is so cool about Withers is how he is so funky while
being so incredibly restrained. While our typical mental image of a soul singer
is somewhat sweaty (think James Brown, Otis, Isaac Hayes or Barry White), even
in the midst of a track as danceable as <i>Use
Me</i>, it is inconceivable that Withers has even a hair out of place – he is <b>that</b> unflappable. As an album every
track is cool, like sunset on a summer’s evening – there’s no rush, no hustle,
but there’s no sitting still either. It is grooves so deep – check out <i>Kissin’ My Love</i> with it’s sampleable
guitar lines and subtle arrangements. Withers’ discography continues in this
vein over the next few years: ’73 brings <i>Live
at Carnegie Hall</i> which underlines the genius of these two albums, and <i>+Justments</i> continues the groove present
here in ’74. Genius!</div>
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<b>Neil Young – Harvest<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Neil Young has been a mainstay of American rock it’s hard to
imagine a time when he wasn’t important. It’s incredible to think that in 1972,
Young had been around for six years and that during that time he had formed
Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay – one of the finest
West Coast groups of the 60s, released an album with Crosby, Stills and Nash –
one of the biggest selling records in rock music history, and released four
albums. Not one of them were slouches; each record had it’s own character and
contain enough classics to be safe for credit and royalties for the rest of his
life. And then, <i>Harvest</i>, which is
possibly his best record. I say possibly because there are other contenders.
Anyway, it’s safe to say that Young sits in the rarified company of Dylan and
maybe one or two others: Bowie, the Stones, Leonard Cohen perhaps.</div>
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<i>Harvest</i> is
magnificent but in a very relaxed, downhome sort of way. None of the songs feel
urgent or visceral. While it is safe to say that Young is never really content
with the world – there’s always something to be dissatisfied about –
nonetheless, this record is a relatively easy listen. It is one of Young’s most
country records, every song is embellished by steel guitar. </div>
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Anyway, if you’ve stuck with me this far you probably know
this record as well as I do. If not, and you’re still with me, please rectify
this as soon as possible. Not one song is wasted, every one is gorgeous.
Virtually every song here is, or should be, part of the Classic Rock canon; <i>A Man Needs a Maid</i>, <i>Heart of Gold</i>, <i>Old Man</i>, <i>Alabama</i>, <i>The Needle and the Damage Done</i>. </div>
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<b>Lal & Mike
Waterson – Bright Phoebus<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is a very late addition to the list of 1972 albums.
While it was originally released in that year, it very quickly disappeared and
only received a CD release earlier this year. A little context is necessary:
The Watersons were the first family of the ‘60s folk revival. They had made a
name for themselves in creating very pure, very faithful reproductions of the
British folk traditions. Their style was stark and unadorned by anything that
could be described as modern, singing as they did songs that dated back
decades, if not centuries, and singing without instrumentation, they sound like
the recordings themselves may date back that far too. So when Lal & Mike
released this album of new songs with ‘new’ instrumentation (I placed new in
inverted commas there because there is nothing that might strike us as modern),
it was viewed as something like a betrayal. </div>
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The second thing I should note before I really dig in is to
say something about Lal & Mike – their voices are as stark as the songs,
fully embodying the North East; cold, stern, bitter, devoid of obvious signs of
warmth. The production, even when adorned by sympathetic arrangement, still
pushes the vocals up front. There is something very Nico-like about this, where
the voices are strong and imposing and forcing themselves upon all else.</div>
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But then, the songs. While they fit into two broad types;
the jaunty and the not, the lyrics maintains the subject matter of the
traditional materials; nature, death, despair, isolation. <i>Danny Rose</i> is, to the ears, a light rock’n’roll style number and is
possibly the most upbeat here, is about a violent thief who stole a car,
crashed it and died in the subsequent explosion. <i>The Magical Man</i> is again jaunty, apparently celebrating a
mysterious magician. Closer looking at the lyrics suggests something sinister.</div>
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But then, the stars of the show are the ballads sung by Lal.
The combination of her deep sonorous voice, foreboding and the solo guitar and
light-touch arrangement of strings is honestly spine-chilling. <i>To Make You Stay</i> sings a song of
abandonment. <i>Never the Same</i> tells a
horrifying story Rosemary’s death on the hillside. </div>
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<i>But Johnny can’t play no more, <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Rosemary’s lying in a shower of rain.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>If we live another day, <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>We’ll never be the same again. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The album closes on the title track, which refers to the
sun. While it is, ostensibly, a happy song – it is lovely when the sun comes
out for the first time – there’s something a little <i>Wicker Man</i> about it. And here we find another striking parallel – a
picture of an England gone by brought into contact with (1970s) modernity <span style="background: rgb(246, 246, 246);">producing something both beautiful and a
little unsettling</span>.</div>
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<b>Al Green – Let’s Stay
Together<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Along with Bill Withers, The Reverend Al Green almost
appeared last year. Again, like Withers, he could easily show up next year too.
Both artists had incredible periods during this time (<i>see my introduction</i>). Obviously, this album has the outstanding title
track – a staple of wedding discos. Quite rightly (<i>full disclosure: it was Bella and my first dance at our wedding</i>),
it is beautiful; soulful and uplifting and has that easy warmth that Green is
known for. It is also massive. I don’t know anyone that does not have at least
a deep regard for that track. And this song alone would be enough to make the
album necessary. However, what ensures its inclusion on this list is the eight
songs that follow. Not one disappoints is could be described as optional. Not a
single one!</div>
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<i>La-La For You </i>is
smooth Southern soul of the highest order. Remember! Al Green was recording
with Willie Mitchell’s Hi Records at it’s finest point. Mitchell was a genius
producer. His band was <i>the shit!</i> It’s
not for nothing that bands and artists up to the present has headed to Memphis
to record with these guys, even to the present day. Anyway, track three<i> So You’re Leaving</i> drives and pulsated –
no-one could leave this song. You get the picture? Every song is a masterclass of early 70s Southern Soul. It is the perfect blend of smooth and grit. </div>
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<b>Lou Reed –
Transformer<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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So I was at my friend’s house not so long ago and he put on
some Lou Reed (this album as it happens), and I admitted that I have never
really gotten on with him very well. I love the Velvet Underground without
question, but a little like the John/Paul debate post-Beatles, I again dug John
over Lou (<i>see next year for Cale’s
eventual arrival to these lists)</i>. But the exception is this album, of
course. The ‘of course’ is mandatory. Any album with <i>Vicious</i>, <i>Perfect Day</i>, <i>Satellite of Love</i> and, of course, <i>Walk on the Wild Side</i> is somewhat
obligatory. I still remember the first time I heard <i>Wild Side</i> – it was a café or restaurant or bar in Jersey. I was
holidaying with my mother and her friend and I was around 13. It was on the
juke box and I must have put it on half a dozen times (the spare change no
doubt a ploy of my mother’s to keep me distracted). I don’t think I realised
how transgressive the song is – not least because the other song I fixated on
that night was <i>Gloria</i> by Laura
Branigan. It was many years until I found out that that song was a gay disco
anthem. </div>
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So, <i>Transformer</i>.
It has the classics listed above and it was produced by David Bowie – you can
hear him in the background along with Mick Ronson. It also has 8 other songs
that are also excellent and do what Lou Reed songs do best – capture snippets
of life, romanticise them or de-romanticise them (depending on what is
appropriate), or at the very least offer three minute reasons to still love
rock music. If you only listen to one Lou Reed album – make it <i>Transformer. </i></div>
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<b>Terry Callier – What
Color is Love?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Where to put Terry Callier? He exists in the nexus between
folk, jazz, soul and funk along with people like Nina Simone, Gil Scott-Heron
or Richie Havens. Picking up different albums may be more this or that. His
early 60s albums are more folk, for instance. Like so many of these guys he has
a great story that I encourage you to check out (<i>once you’ve caught his records, of course!</i>). He was supported and
encouraged by the legendary Charles Stepney of Chess records and this album is
typical Stepney; it is jazzy, funky and lush with incredible arrangements.
(Also check out Minnie Riperton, or The Dells 70’s output.)</div>
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The album here is exemplified by two tracks: the opener <i>Dancing Girl</i> and the funky <i>You Goin’ Miss Your Candyman. </i>Both of
these tracks are extended workouts that show the breadth of both Callier and
Stepney. The former begins so delicately with a light filigree guitar and
chimes. Callier sings of dreams and we seem to be slipping into an out of body
experience. The dancing girl of his dreams leads Callier into a meditation of
the music as two minutes in all breaks down and a light but persistent groove
takes over, Callier referencing Hathaway, Charlie Parker. As a piece it soars –
reflecting the healing, transformative powers of music, as the grooves becomes
more persistent again at 5 minutes. Callier lets go and vocalises freely as the
horns and strings swirl around him. It has the freedom of jazz, but the groove
and constraints of 70s soul music. <i>Candyman
</i>is more contained, more funky – holding a heavy bassline down accompanied
by propulsive percussion. It just pushes onward and onward. If you don’t want
to move, you’re dead – I’m sorry to break it to you so bluntly. </div>
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I have focused on these two tracks, but the truth is that I
could have written about any of the seven here just as effusively. Some are
ballads, some are almost poetry. The album closes with the lush, smooth, lovely
<i>You Don’t Care</i>. I’ve never been more
conflicted. I care deeply. But it’s so pretty. </div>
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<b>David Bowie – The Rise
and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH958uT9mDvns0eeL8ihFxab0tf032frSnmeh4NYcDJgMnakaFuI2agwE3trYI9GEH_CzVDX91wuDbZQVfd06gnwILICF-MYtCHQztDGM_g7kHKI9EdIVITX3HetT6qFuGJJXDHw-LZOCR/s1600/david+bowie+rise+and+fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH958uT9mDvns0eeL8ihFxab0tf032frSnmeh4NYcDJgMnakaFuI2agwE3trYI9GEH_CzVDX91wuDbZQVfd06gnwILICF-MYtCHQztDGM_g7kHKI9EdIVITX3HetT6qFuGJJXDHw-LZOCR/s320/david+bowie+rise+and+fall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Hunky Dory</i> was
amazing but the step between that album and this is incredible. In truth, it
took me a long time to see it. From first listen, I loved Ziggy and appreciated
it but it was a good while before I saw the progression involved and how
sophisticated a record it was. I don’t know why – I think that other Bowie
records just sung out more to me than others. I remember sitting on the bus
listening to <i>Moonage Daydream, </i>and
the structure, the production, the lyrics and simply being blown away by it
all. From the opening bursts of guitar, to the immediate restraint, to the
chorus, to the jittery title – all within the first minute and nothing is wrong
or out and all with deeply signifying lyrics. And as the song progresses the
arrangement becomes more and more complex. And Ronson’s guitar solo! It is
unbelievably beautiful. I love <i>Hunky Dory</i>
like mad – but nothing on it comes close to this one song!</div>
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And the rest of the album maintains this exceptional
standard. The opener <i>Five Years</i> is
theatrical in all the best ways, as is the closer <i>Rock’n’Roll Suicide</i>. The title track is iconic. It is easy to see
why Bowie’s performance of <i>Starman</i> on
Top of the Pops was held like an epiphany to a future generation of artists,
musicians and writers (<i>many of whom are
likely to appear in future posts of these lists)</i>. Not one song is filler,
not one song is wasted. Every song invites you to either sing along or listen
closely. </div>
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In writing these posts I have shied away from making any
excessive claims about the records I have chosen. I do not propose that they
are the best records of their respective years, just interesting or worthy.
They may be my favourites but I am not even sure how much I want to commit to
that. Some of the albums that slip off the lists might have made them on
another day. But this record is within a very decent shout of being the best of
1972. It is that good.</div>
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<b>And also…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQH8fBGDHI_kF7oSsC6-fIBi1gP1d7wIkm9NVg6EvX2tWC5OQFMCXssiFNBn1UQXr5DfzxXBbUJWVFYZENgQkvA5-dRKaOuhYDJZ0D_XpT4EtNSkiac6gnWkZlEKCWrKTcLvMTztqTDv6/s1600/Stevie+Wonder+Music+of+my+mind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQH8fBGDHI_kF7oSsC6-fIBi1gP1d7wIkm9NVg6EvX2tWC5OQFMCXssiFNBn1UQXr5DfzxXBbUJWVFYZENgQkvA5-dRKaOuhYDJZ0D_XpT4EtNSkiac6gnWkZlEKCWrKTcLvMTztqTDv6/s320/Stevie+Wonder+Music+of+my+mind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It’s been an incredible year for <b>Stevie Wonder</b>. He produced his wife, <b>Syreeta’s </b>eponymous album, which is lovely. But on top of that he
released two astonishing records, <i>Music
of my Mind</i> and the amazing <i>Talking
Book</i>. The latter was comfortably in the top ten, but I am going to hold off
commenting until next year and <i>Innervisions</i>,
which just about tops it – even though it doesn’t have <i>Superstition</i> on it<i>. </i></div>
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<b>And nearly…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Aretha Franklin – <i>Young, Gifted and Black</i> </b>Her last
great LP - more upbeat than <i>Spirit in the
Dark</i> but a multi-faceted monster of an album. (If you want to know why, check
out <i>‘Rocksteady’- </i>Wowzer!) <b>Curtis Mayfield – <i>Superfly</i> </b>A real contender along with his debut (1970) for the
best in a very rich career. Along with the classic title track, we have <i>Pusherman</i> and <i>Freddie’s Dead</i> – both monsters. Without doubt my favourite
soundtrack ever. <b>The Staple Singers</b>
– <b><i>Bealtitude…
</i>Big Star - <i>#1 Record…</i> Candi
Staton – <i>Candi Staton</i></b></div>
James MacLarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391729705650231960noreply@blogger.com0