tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82817352024-03-08T13:05:10.064+11:00Wireless CraniumWelcome to my blog. I'm a music fan from Melbourne, Australia. Generally this blog will contain ramblings about music, with an emphasis on music lists of all sorts. Kind of like High Fidelity gone all high-tech. I encourage anyone and everyone to reply to my postings, it will motivate me to write more.
I hope that you enjoy your stay here!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-21868133794525641832012-01-18T13:30:00.002+11:002012-01-18T17:17:10.196+11:002011: A Year In Music [Part 4 of 4]<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiBxSYCWSFsvtQk8nuJoJWKocGhhLsaJ_wJtXzKtEPnGw_esGi_KJjFS9ePldZvgm5cas_tr5JcZW_VjVAqSqI5xV-nSac7bWtwBlUbPzi74ngF8WBlyhIl0WINqh9x_oJ6EKRg/s1600/Bona+drag.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiBxSYCWSFsvtQk8nuJoJWKocGhhLsaJ_wJtXzKtEPnGw_esGi_KJjFS9ePldZvgm5cas_tr5JcZW_VjVAqSqI5xV-nSac7bWtwBlUbPzi74ngF8WBlyhIl0WINqh9x_oJ6EKRg/s320/Bona+drag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698782439690794418" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Morrissey</span> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bona</span> Drag</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The few <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Morrissey</span> albums that I had prior to this one (<span style="font-style: italic;">Your arsenal</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Vauxhall</span> and I</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">You are the quarry</span>) are all good (the latter) to excellent (the first two), but were still in a different ballpark to most of the work he did with his former band The Smiths. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bona</span> drag</span> is a compilation of his non-album singles, with the exception of <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Suedehead</span></span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Everyday is like Sunday</span> which both also appeared on his solo debut <span style="font-style: italic;">Viva hate</span> (anyone who has heard Ryan Adams' debut album <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Heartbreaker</span></span> will find this little tidbit amusing). Consider it his <span style="font-style: italic;">Louder than bombs</span>, if you will.<br /><br />Anyone who has several <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Morrissey</span> solo albums but doesn't own this compilation isn't getting the full picture of his solo career, and that makes this essential listening. Some of his finest moments are here -- <span style="font-style: italic;">November spawned a monster</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The last of the famous international playboys</span> and of course the aforementioned <span style="font-style: italic;">Viva hate</span> singles.<br /><br />The highlight of the album for me is <span style="font-style: italic;">Hairdresser on fire</span>, a typically camp <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Morrissey</span> number with a melody to die for and lyrics detailing the frustration of trying to make an appointment with his hairdresser. It all sounds typically over-the-top, but it's a fantastic song that would have sit quite nicely on any of the Smiths albums.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXceIqGbZJY5RRwUrp8wP4sFqfOo2fvtY0ZVHm0DGEiq375YFZsnPgQn3q0Gz0dGzVCljfTRbeMFKz2MO5Z80MrFxq2Ecb-JnRtxhWHAnRpOWULr4BMoKxpcJWCy-t_tzkvhbiQ/s1600/Ringo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXceIqGbZJY5RRwUrp8wP4sFqfOo2fvtY0ZVHm0DGEiq375YFZsnPgQn3q0Gz0dGzVCljfTRbeMFKz2MO5Z80MrFxq2Ecb-JnRtxhWHAnRpOWULr4BMoKxpcJWCy-t_tzkvhbiQ/s320/Ringo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698782395883810546" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Ringo Starr - Ringo</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Ahhh</span>, Ringo. Always the punchline of Beatles jokes, but we know Ringo will have the last laugh when he is the last surviving member (and you know he will be). And for a short time in 1973, he demonstrated that he too could release a great album, with a little help from his friends of course.<br /><br />This solo Beatles album is special, as it's the only one which all of the ex-Beatles appeared on. Ringo was probably the most diplomatic and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">likable</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Beatle</span>, which is probably why he didn't have a falling out with any of them. Each of the ex-Beatles wrote a song for him -- <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm the greatest</span> (Lennon), <span style="font-style: italic;">Six o'clock</span> (McCartney) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunshine life for me</span> / <span style="font-style: italic;">You and me babe</span> (Harrison). George Harrison also helped Ringo co-write <span style="font-style: italic;">Photograph</span>, one of my favourite solo Beatles songs, which made it to number one in the US singles charts.<br /><br />The production on the album is amazing, with the crowd cheers on the opening and closing tracks reminding me of George Martin's production work on <span style="font-style: italic;">Sgt. Pepper's</span> (and fitting in well with the theatrical feel of the album cover). This is a <span style="font-style: italic;">fun</span> album with incredibly catchy songs which is a pleasure to listen to. While it's not as deep as <span style="font-style: italic;">Imagine</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">All things must pass</span>, it's an album I can see myself returning to again and again.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwl1J-VD20gET4y-OeRW3Zgp5Z9akmdcdRCHpMa6M8KU-NjoME4nVBHi_QFKmFCadgzS0r5_L_kBw0Mpb-WyOZPFZ1b6Ht18DKwAhXdKOnuTsi2LYm4kERGJN9xOA3DdHd4WbEQ/s1600/Attempted+mustache.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwl1J-VD20gET4y-OeRW3Zgp5Z9akmdcdRCHpMa6M8KU-NjoME4nVBHi_QFKmFCadgzS0r5_L_kBw0Mpb-WyOZPFZ1b6Ht18DKwAhXdKOnuTsi2LYm4kERGJN9xOA3DdHd4WbEQ/s320/Attempted+mustache.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698782318848366050" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Loudon</span> Wainwright III - Attempted Mustache</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">With the purchase of this album, I think the Wainwrights' may be the biggest musical family in my CD collection (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Loudon's</span> children being the folk singers Rufus and Martha).<br /><br />This is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Loudon's</span> 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">th</span> album (from 1974), and is best described as folk music with a sense of humour. Opening track <span style="font-style: italic;">The swimming song</span> is a catchy, banjo-driven number which is memorable from the first listen and only gets better with age. <span style="font-style: italic;">Bell bottom pants</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">I am the way</span> are hilariously cynical portraits of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">hippy</span>-era and religion respectively (the latter being based off a Woody Guthrie song, but with updated lyrics).<br /><br />I already knew the amusing ballad<span style="font-style: italic;"> The man who wouldn't cry</span> as Johnny Cash covered is on his <span style="font-style: italic;">American recordings</span> album (Cash's version is quite similar to the original here). <span style="font-style: italic;">Nocturnal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">stumblebutt</span></span> is a song about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Loudon</span> trying to find his keys and cigarettes in the dark without waking up his partner. The closing song <span style="font-style: italic;">Lullaby</span> is about how his baby boy Rufus was keeping him up at night, and includes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">pearlers</span> such as "You're a late night faucet that's got a drip".<br /><br />Suddenly, the vitriol that Martha Wainwright expressed in her song <span style="font-style: italic;">Bloody mother fucking asshole</span> (apparently an ode to her father) is starting to make a lot more sense.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV_f1rMp4Z0T1t1piIo67ngsZvD3o8IUuYCZnCy3BQoJpq5oSLOaHO05z1f4FriZwABw4-aYCSNv1b1RtZZrTJGfuS24rzg-hDqLfN8-re5HXRk8tOMy2xQoYx7_op0VuAKEuUQ/s1600/On+fire.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV_f1rMp4Z0T1t1piIo67ngsZvD3o8IUuYCZnCy3BQoJpq5oSLOaHO05z1f4FriZwABw4-aYCSNv1b1RtZZrTJGfuS24rzg-hDqLfN8-re5HXRk8tOMy2xQoYx7_op0VuAKEuUQ/s320/On+fire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698782264331171570" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Galaxie</span> 500 - On Fire</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Indie publications like Pitchfork and the like have been praising the work of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Galaxie</span> 500 for a while, in particular this album from 1989. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Galaxie</span> 500 were part of the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">slowcore</span>" movement, bleak music with languid tempos and often heavy use of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">reverb</span>. I bought this album with much trepidation, expecting an album that had been surpassed by the work of bands who it had influenced. It took several listens to make me realise that I was dealing with a very special album.<br /><br />The songs tend to blend into each other on the initial listens, but over time the nuances of each track appear. The beautiful harmonies on <span style="font-style: italic;">Tell me</span>, the whining, desperate vocals of <span style="font-style: italic;">Snowstorm</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Strange</span> and the stunning, minimalistic landscape of <span style="font-style: italic;">Decomposing trees</span> (one of the few tracks from the 80s which has a sax-solo and doesn't sound the least bit dated). It is all capped off with a cover of George Harrison's <span style="font-style: italic;">Isn't it a pity</span>, a radical reinvention that gave me a renewed appreciation for the song.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEdLDwoz-0pSXhvrGXqObTudrJE0dZ_mlvHyLtn7N157uOR2wlTBX1w5CaOQUBOEPABwqWRD-dlng8nq4B7bj9YBYHV3WdwPVNKvMB6JhgzDtrZ64tm55G8G8CIo0B2DNGMOlgw/s1600/Nina+Simone+sings+the+blues.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEdLDwoz-0pSXhvrGXqObTudrJE0dZ_mlvHyLtn7N157uOR2wlTBX1w5CaOQUBOEPABwqWRD-dlng8nq4B7bj9YBYHV3WdwPVNKvMB6JhgzDtrZ64tm55G8G8CIo0B2DNGMOlgw/s320/Nina+Simone+sings+the+blues.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698782198274600498" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Nina Simone - Sings The Blues<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span>I didn't really think I was a big fan of the blues, but it took a masterpiece of a record from one of the greatest vocalists of the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">th</span> century to sway me.<br /><br />Like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, Nina Simone is known more for being an interpreter of songs rather than a songwriter, and that is reflected in the track-listing of this album where only 4 of the songs were composed by her. I'm glad to say that 3 of the songs that she did compose here (<span style="font-style: italic;">Do I move you?</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Real real</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">I want a little sugar in my bowl</span>) are probably the finest on the album, so calling her an amazing singer is still doing her a massive injustice!<br /><br />Opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Do I move you?</span> begins with seductive verses before exploding into a wonderfully shambolic chorus. <span style="font-style: italic;">Real real </span>is my favourite number here -- it swings, it bops, it gets the blood pumping through your veins. It's a delightful number, and like all of the songs here, is a perfect showcase for Simone's uniquely androgynous vocals. Her interpretation of the traditional <span style="font-style: italic;">The house of the rising sun</span> (made famous by The Animals) reinvents it as a fast-paced number. The album alternates between slow-paced torch songs and more rhythmic numbers, and it never fails to hit all of the emotional notes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Disclaimer:</span> There are several versions of this album available -- I have the one called <span style="font-style: italic;">The blues</span> (from 1991) which has a different cover than the one above and appends 6 bonus tracks to the end. Normally I'm not a big fan of this, but the bonus tracks are all high quality (in particular the drug ode <span style="font-style: italic;">The pusher</span>) and it's easy enough on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">iPod</span> to separate the bonus tracks from the album proper.</span><br /></div></div><br /><hr /><br />That concludes the list of my musical discoveries of 2011 -- I hope you have enjoyed reading it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What did you enjoy listening to throughout the year?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-4626575511261753172012-01-17T13:30:00.001+11:002012-01-17T13:36:29.020+11:002011: A Year In Music [Part 3 of 4]<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt4SVVMdYVZNRL9NulTY0miCaFsgW_6xaTDTSH389_mL-4WCC05xazjDYLSdhcLvmm3njr2WawTd0qZLEON7kbqElQtq1WucVPKexcBQB81EeRA1SwwzYoVaQYcMDj9DHyonxNg/s1600/Singles+collection+-+The+London+years.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt4SVVMdYVZNRL9NulTY0miCaFsgW_6xaTDTSH389_mL-4WCC05xazjDYLSdhcLvmm3njr2WawTd0qZLEON7kbqElQtq1WucVPKexcBQB81EeRA1SwwzYoVaQYcMDj9DHyonxNg/s320/Singles+collection+-+The+London+years.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698408090707001426" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />10. Rolling Stones - Singles Collection: The London Years</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Stones didn't really become an "album band" until <span style="font-style: italic;">Beggars banquet</span> in 1968 (although some may argue that their first great album was <span style="font-style: italic;">Aftermath</span> from 1966). I have their 4 classic albums released between 1968 and 1972, and a few other recommended works, but there was a giant hole in my CD collection where <span style="font-style: italic;">Satisfaction</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Paint it black</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">As tears go by</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jumpin</span>' Jack Flash</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Honky <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tonk</span> women</span> needed to sit (many of which were released as stand-alone singles, as was the style at the time).<br /><br />For a long time I have been researching about the best way to plug the gaps in my Stones collection. I considered the 2CD <span style="font-style: italic;">Hot rocks</span> set (which was my first exposure to the Stones, via my brother's CD collection) and also their <span style="font-style: italic;">Big hits (High Tide and Green Grass)</span> collection from 1966. <span style="font-style: italic;">Hot rocks</span> is a killer set, but overlapped a bit too much with their classic run of albums; <span style="font-style: italic;">Big hits</span> omitted a lot of their later classics (such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Ruby Tuesday</span>) as it was released earlier in their career.<br /><br />Further research eventually led me to this 3CD set, considered by many critics (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Allmusic</span> included) to be the definite Stones singles collection. While not as tight as <span style="font-style: italic;">Hot rocks</span> (which is all killer no filler), there's no denying the breadth of this set. The first CD focuses more on their early blues-based material, the second CD covers their mid-late 60s work (my favourite of the set) and the third CD overlaps most with their 1968-1971 albums and was the least essential to me.<br /><br />There's an abundance of brilliant material here, but it was also great discovering lesser-known hidden gems like <span style="font-style: italic;">The spider and the fly</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dandelion</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The lantern</span>. Just a warning - most of the songs here are in mono; if you want stereo versions you may want to stick with <span style="font-style: italic;">Hot rocks</span>. This doesn't bother me so much; that's how the songs were released originally so it feels authentic.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi7as7HcvstxpNgBW9MI3A5haTNzluTT7BS723lTt2SgZA3k-J72z6ItbQEpBv_FBBYQI6DPkBECgSXL0bMI5Sp69IQbhf6YYEwQU8AMKp_JYbjGJdeYbHiN4gB0EJlDqseJdCg/s1600/Harvest+moon.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi7as7HcvstxpNgBW9MI3A5haTNzluTT7BS723lTt2SgZA3k-J72z6ItbQEpBv_FBBYQI6DPkBECgSXL0bMI5Sp69IQbhf6YYEwQU8AMKp_JYbjGJdeYbHiN4gB0EJlDqseJdCg/s320/Harvest+moon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698408038998287650" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />9. Neil Young - Harvest Moon</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;">Harvest moon</span> was considered to be the long-awaited sequel to Young's most commercial successful album <span style="font-style: italic;">Harvest</span>, released 20-years later in 1992. <span style="font-style: italic;">Harvest</span> has never been one of my favourite Young albums; I preferred his music when it became less <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">MOR</span> and "headed for the ditch" as he so eloquently put. For this reason, I never considered <span style="font-style: italic;">Harvest moon</span> an album which was worthy of attention.<br /><br />I'm glad to say now that I own it that I was wrong; this may just be in my top-5 Neil Young albums (and there's a lot of competition!). This is a very <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">rootsy</span> country-folk-rock album and quite a change in sound from his previous raucous affair, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ragged glory</span> from 1990. It's easy-listening, but never bland. Neil is in fine voice throughout and the performances are all impeccable. My favourite cuts are the political <span style="font-style: italic;">War of man</span>, and the epic live finale <span style="font-style: italic;">Natural beauty</span> which doesn't outstay its 10-minute running time and is one of the most beautiful songs Young has released to date.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsSEJjjQAFpHgknmNubbuvxqiCeNM79k9Am1-Dl7wFcFV0aA1XIS3PhtuEN0o01xkRXuvLh6og-zslcfXJ6o6wkqNyhoJTQ0lAp6LKZKfScr9V_IjbTonnOsgEqvGC2TAGjBiGg/s1600/40+greatest+hits.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsSEJjjQAFpHgknmNubbuvxqiCeNM79k9Am1-Dl7wFcFV0aA1XIS3PhtuEN0o01xkRXuvLh6og-zslcfXJ6o6wkqNyhoJTQ0lAp6LKZKfScr9V_IjbTonnOsgEqvGC2TAGjBiGg/s320/40+greatest+hits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698407983363086290" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Harvest moon</span> has a great song on it called <span style="font-style: italic;">From Hank to Hendrix</span>, which provides a nice segue into this album. Hank Williams was obviously a country music legend, a man who died very young but left an indelible impression on the music industry. I read about this compilation in a Rolling Stone (magazine) countdown of the 500 greatest albums of all time.<br /><br />To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. The songs on this compilation were recorded between 1947 and 1953 (the year that Hank died, on New Year's Day). With the exception of Robert Johnson, this is the oldest music in my collection. I was expecting this to have more historical value than music I would enjoy listening to; an album that wouldn't get a lot of spins but fill an imaginary void in my collection.<br /><br />While I expected the music to be dated and cheesy, instead I got an honest singer-songwriter performing songs that anyone can relate to. So many of the songs on this collection have been covered enough times to be considered standards -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost highway</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm so lonesome I could cry</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hey good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">lookin</span>'</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">cheatin</span>' heart</span> amongst others.<br /><br />Almost every song in this collection is worth listening to -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Jambalaya (on the bayou)</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kaw</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">liga</span></span>, the poignant <span style="font-style: italic;">I'll never get out of this world alive</span> (sadly, the last single released during Williams' lifetime). This is an amazing retrospective of a musical legend.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aMGQkWhATzGgSZs9DBfdS0WGYPKS_agw8QrBokIKL1V4iWoCs3cP_w8REnJTB7Xz90-TO4-hG3PObIT5x1XlBE5xQNJhzx9-A325jydHNIv_mJ1qT73IgqtgPZFPUxAFRMiGRA/s1600/Pontiac.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aMGQkWhATzGgSZs9DBfdS0WGYPKS_agw8QrBokIKL1V4iWoCs3cP_w8REnJTB7Xz90-TO4-hG3PObIT5x1XlBE5xQNJhzx9-A325jydHNIv_mJ1qT73IgqtgPZFPUxAFRMiGRA/s320/Pontiac.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698407920664105266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Lyle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Lovett</span> - Pontiac</span><br /></div><br />Most will remember Lyle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lovett</span> as the unattractive man with the funny haircut who Julia Roberts married in 1993. I'm not sure what made me investigate his music, but I started reading about his music and his 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">nd</span> album <span style="font-style: italic;">Pontiac</span> (from 1988) was commonly accepted to be his masterpiece. $3 later on eBay and the album was in my possession.<br /><br />This is a folk singer-songwriter album with elements of country, and a lyrical quirkiness that's not too far removed from the early work of Tom Waits. <span style="font-style: italic;">If I had a boat</span> is a charming opener with cute, nostalgic lyrics that sets the scene for the rest of the album. Other great songs include the Dylan-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">sque</span> murder ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">L.A. county</span> and the misogynist <span style="font-style: italic;">She's no lady.<br /><br /></span>The latter part of the album changes the pace considerably, with the jazz textures of <span style="font-style: italic;">Black and blue</span>, the beautifully understated melody of <span style="font-style: italic;">Simple song</span> and the poignant portrait of a WW2 veteran in <span style="font-style: italic;">Pontiac</span>. A short and sweet album that's worthy of your ears.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PmBawqN90MEauKEinreSV3EtYLTmJZNJvnwU7XigIwHPpIcpSnwXpF74I8ef6cBNvEfY5ylcFtvjv5OHfME-2G56ptAlEzgV6ABJ-K27FWzynDV-qRbNbKMQauM9ryhTeCzRJA/s1600/New+skin+for+the+old+ceremony.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PmBawqN90MEauKEinreSV3EtYLTmJZNJvnwU7XigIwHPpIcpSnwXpF74I8ef6cBNvEfY5ylcFtvjv5OHfME-2G56ptAlEzgV6ABJ-K27FWzynDV-qRbNbKMQauM9ryhTeCzRJA/s320/New+skin+for+the+old+ceremony.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698407836233287970" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Leonard Cohen - New Skin For The Old Ceremony</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"></div><br />Prior to picking up this album, I had a few early Cohen albums from the late-60s/early-70s (<span style="font-style: italic;">Songs of Leonard Cohen</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Songs of love and hate</span>) and his excellent late-80s record <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm your man</span>. His early work is very understated, with acoustic guitar, subtle string sections and Cohen's monotonic (yet powerful) baritone delivering lyrics that can only be described as poetry. <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm your man</span> introduced some 80s production elements, but it's to Cohen's credit that only a few of the songs come across as dated now; his composition abilities and delivery are able to transcend the era.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">New skin for the old ceremony</span> was his 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">th</span> album, released in 1974, and provides an early indication of his evolving sound. New instruments are introduced here, including banjo and mandolin, giving the album a much fuller sound than the earlier records. Cohen's "sexually religious" lyrics as usual steal the show -- from the odd metaphors of the opening track ("<span style="font-style: italic;">You were K.Y. jelly</span> / <span style="font-style: italic;">I was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">vaseline</span></span>") to the hotel-act captured on <span style="font-style: italic;">Chelsea hotel #2</span>, one of the finest Cohen tracks (supposedly about his affair with Janis Joplin).<br /><br />Closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Leaving green sleeves</span> is a reworking of the traditional folk song; in typical Cohen fashion it ends with him screaming the lyrics while the music fades away. This is an incredibly underrated album and probably the Cohen album I have enjoyed listening to most.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-81474317926145711342012-01-16T17:42:00.001+11:002012-01-20T00:06:08.733+11:002011: A Year In Music [Part 2 of 4]<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6U96l6EeV1kQKa2ZHNqfDN6b6oqWJsOa780g3wdMMRyCoJomcYq_A2CaUZT9G1vMXlaDIDLAzKkWE_CZOUSFe_KEFgSemw3OkQM55bjxS3aCGj7Tf3yTGEmQ-x4N1GkOuGZ3M-A/s1600/Grievous+angel.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6U96l6EeV1kQKa2ZHNqfDN6b6oqWJsOa780g3wdMMRyCoJomcYq_A2CaUZT9G1vMXlaDIDLAzKkWE_CZOUSFe_KEFgSemw3OkQM55bjxS3aCGj7Tf3yTGEmQ-x4N1GkOuGZ3M-A/s320/Grievous+angel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698042295441757074" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Gram Parsons, considered by many to be the godfather of alt-country music, only released 2 solo albums in his lifetime. Combining this with his work with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Byrds</span>, Flying Burrito Brothers and International Submarine Band, he left behind a remarkable <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">oeuvre</span> which influenced countless bands in the subsequent decades.<br /><br />I picked up his 2-albums-on-1-CD set which included his solo debut <span style="font-style: italic;">G.P.</span> and his swansong, the posthumously released <span style="font-style: italic;">Grievous angel</span>. Both are very solid albums, but <span style="font-style: italic;">Grievous angel</span> hits a few more emotional chords with me -- from the lucid storytelling of the opening semi title-track, to the poignant closer <span style="font-style: italic;">In my hour of darkness</span> (with chanteuse-for-hire <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Emmylou</span> Harris sharing vocal duties), via the emotive honesty of centrepieces <span style="font-style: italic;">Brass buttons</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">$1000 wedding</span>, this is music with heart and soul from a talented musician who left the world way too soon.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY8BLr0jPgLPFbX0I8RIeTuW37o81Vdygsi7wDxto4Qm0QghgUXiNxeIovfG-vh3oqvy1V6cMmlYmK2un1-xdRSgCBaqCRBRzG-gxQGflj9yDfM7wx1HErTLk3O8KijAt7cBhFg/s1600/High+violet.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY8BLr0jPgLPFbX0I8RIeTuW37o81Vdygsi7wDxto4Qm0QghgUXiNxeIovfG-vh3oqvy1V6cMmlYmK2un1-xdRSgCBaqCRBRzG-gxQGflj9yDfM7wx1HErTLk3O8KijAt7cBhFg/s320/High+violet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698042373841999922" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. The National - High Violet</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I'd been putting off buying this album for a while, but I'm very glad I caved in and bought it. Their previous album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Boxer</span>, was a real slow-burner for me -- an album with some immediate standout moments but others which took a bit longer to reveal their deeper layers to me.<br /><br />I think that I may prefer <span style="font-style: italic;">High violet</span> even more. I've talked a lot about how claustrophobic production can affect my enjoyment of music, but this is one of those albums where the production actually adds to the vibe of the album. Where <span style="font-style: italic;">Boxer</span> was more about rhythms and textures, this album puts <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">frontman</span> Matt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Berninger</span> in centre stage where his haunting vocals take the spotlight on most of the songs here.<br /><br />Opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Terrible love</span> is a bit of a false start for me; it's a song where the production hinders rather than improves the song. The mid-album peak of the ominous <span style="font-style: italic;">Afraid of everyone</span> and single <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bloodbuzz</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ohio</span> </span>(with the outstanding lyrical imagery of "<span style="font-style: italic;">I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees</span>") seems like it would be hard to beat, but the lower-key ballads on the latter-half of the album (<span style="font-style: italic;">Runaway</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Conversation 16</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">England</span>) all maintain that beautifully eerie tension that makes The National one of the better bands releasing music <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">these days</span>.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NR71nq9KnrSfFBNNlBdh2zNUf7sLF0fve5ttR04rPILhWszrYF6QmHZq0pmCMOPUicjteLp6O8HwVq86nhH2AQEkcKBq0i8hNKYN2294ThaEFZdF1qTPnSIVMMzDkafmx8VyeQ/s1600/Wall+of+sound+retrospective.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NR71nq9KnrSfFBNNlBdh2zNUf7sLF0fve5ttR04rPILhWszrYF6QmHZq0pmCMOPUicjteLp6O8HwVq86nhH2AQEkcKBq0i8hNKYN2294ThaEFZdF1qTPnSIVMMzDkafmx8VyeQ/s320/Wall+of+sound+retrospective.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698042467905962386" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ko-QnaK2KFvonJrOFECp6_fzYNRM7rbPX356KIABAjti1JPigyhzNOG6MYtn9c9mZmUXoY5qDcx74Oy6C21DciMyQap0xi_WXswQPF7a6vj2Uds0UuMefj8rkbIM83s-inNcOA/s1600/A+Christmas+gift+for+you+from+Phil+Spector.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ko-QnaK2KFvonJrOFECp6_fzYNRM7rbPX356KIABAjti1JPigyhzNOG6MYtn9c9mZmUXoY5qDcx74Oy6C21DciMyQap0xi_WXswQPF7a6vj2Uds0UuMefj8rkbIM83s-inNcOA/s320/A+Christmas+gift+for+you+from+Phil+Spector.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698042540232707474" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. Phil <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Spector</span> - Wall Of Sound Retrospective</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Phil <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Spector</span> - A Christmas Gift For You</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Other than Gary <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Glitter's</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Rock and roll </span>which I have on "The Full Monty" soundtrack, this may be the first time I own a CD by a convicted felon (okay, I'm prepared to be corrected on this one). Ignoring his recent murder conviction and incarceration, forgetting about his psychotic behaviour throughout the 60s and 70s (including keeping musicians in the studio at gunpoint until he got the take he wanted), there's no doubt that he is the most famous and influential music producer of the last 50 years.<br /><br />I needed a Phil <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Spector</span> primer in my collection, or at least a way to get a copy of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Ronettes</span>' <span style="font-style: italic;">Be my baby </span>(one of the great pop singles in musical history). I picked up the 2 CD box-set which contains a retrospective of his infamous "Wall of sound" production numbers, and his secular holiday album <span style="font-style: italic;">A Christmas gift for you</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wall of sound retrospective </span>contains many of the classic songs of the era from his favourite girl bands including The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Ronettes</span>, The Crystals, Bob B. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Soxx</span> & The Blue Jeans and Darlene Love. It's capped off with a few songs by The Righteous Brothers (<span style="font-style: italic;">You've lost that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">lovin</span>' feeling</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Unchained melody</span>) and the song which he considered to be his finest moment (but a commercial flop in America) -- <span style="font-style: italic;">River deep, mountain high</span> by Ike & Tina Turner. It's all essential listening; an important part of musical history.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A Christmas gift for you</span> is often considered as one of the great holiday albums. The formula is simple -- take some famous songs from Christmas time (<span style="font-style: italic;">Rudolph the red nose reindeer</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Santa Claus is coming to town</span>), add some of Phil's favourite girl bands, cover the songs in dense wall-of-sound production, and listen to the magic. I have never celebrated Christmas, and I don't have the nostalgic attachment to these songs that I'm sure a lot of others would. But listening to this album makes me wish I did, just so I had an excuse to play it at that time of year. <span style="font-style: italic;">Christmas (Baby please come home)</span> by Darlene Love is a stunning number and one of my musical discoveries of the year.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5AE1uaqMLodKxR71IS6P20z20ibP14oxhyphenhyphenz2gEeCrt0HfaaFSqexfiVUQ2iiAQmO_x23RwzQBG2RV0wTteMv65kjSXEYu6_EdnTcFkrg9HTtO9AKLN3XYxYGeIac04PZK0n9mQ/s1600/At+Yankee+Stadium.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5AE1uaqMLodKxR71IS6P20z20ibP14oxhyphenhyphenz2gEeCrt0HfaaFSqexfiVUQ2iiAQmO_x23RwzQBG2RV0wTteMv65kjSXEYu6_EdnTcFkrg9HTtO9AKLN3XYxYGeIac04PZK0n9mQ/s320/At+Yankee+Stadium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698042600037094274" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">NRBQ</span> - At Yankee Stadium</span> </div><br />Despite the name, this isn't a live album. It's a tongue-in-cheek name from a band who you probably haven't heard of, who were certainly not afraid to have a bit of a laugh.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">NRBQ</span> stands for New Rhythm & Blues Quartet, a band with rotating lineups who formed in 1967 in Miami, Florida. It's hard to describe their music, but if you imagine a pub band who delve into jazz-rock, power-pop, swing and R&B, you'd have a pretty good idea of their sound.<br /><br />I think I read something about this band when doing a bit of research about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Brinsley</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Schwarz</span>, Nick Lowe's former band. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">NRBQ</span> were mentioned as a very underrated and under-appreciated band, and this album was singled out as a "lost classic" worthy of consideration.<br /><br />There are a few covers here -- country-blues <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">chugger</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Get rhythm</span> (made famous by Johnny Cash), the rock 'n' roll classic <span style="font-style: italic;">Shake, rattle and roll</span>, the R&B number <span style="font-style: italic;">The same old thing</span> -- but the heart and soul of the album rests with the original <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">NRBQ</span> numbers. <span style="font-style: italic;">Just ain't fair</span> is one of those songs that you feel like you've known forever; <span style="font-style: italic;">I love her, she loves me </span>is a beautiful love ballad.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">At Yankee Stadium</span> is a tight, filler-free and fun rock album that doesn't outstay its welcome and makes you pretty goddamn happy for 35 minutes. What more can you ask for?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-11119365359809645892012-01-13T13:30:00.004+11:002012-01-13T16:19:15.690+11:002011: A Year In Music [Part 1 of 4]I purchased 56 albums in 2011, and only 2 were 2011 releases (<span style="font-style: italic;">Build a rocket boys!</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The king of limbs</span>). There's a few more albums on my "to purchase" list from 2011 -- in particularly <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad as me, 50 words for snow<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">The whole love</span>. Needless to say that, similar to previous years, most of my musical enjoyment has come from discovering gems from the past.<br /><br />Here is my top 20 list of my album purchases / musical discoveries of the year.<br /><br />Enjoy the list - and happy new year!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAR_cPRpmSLC3fMlQWd7on_QiLsY4rlL-QIDt5L7VreR3AOnddg8N-asO94sCbHTlTBi0t0aoGU7K_z5V3OHBmDJq9pqnc_z4-wZdfIv3sVrPNI8o2Iq1LNURgJ6eo2BUtsRt_Ew/s1600/Self+portrait.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAR_cPRpmSLC3fMlQWd7on_QiLsY4rlL-QIDt5L7VreR3AOnddg8N-asO94sCbHTlTBi0t0aoGU7K_z5V3OHBmDJq9pqnc_z4-wZdfIv3sVrPNI8o2Iq1LNURgJ6eo2BUtsRt_Ew/s320/Self+portrait.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696932599306640418" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">20. Bob Dylan - Self Portrait</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A bit of an odd choice, really. It's now been 50 years since Bob Dylan's self-titled debut album, and the man has one of the most expansive back catalogues in history. Once you have gone through the classics (<span style="font-style: italic;">Blonde on blonde</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood on the tracks</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Highway 61 revisited</span> -- amongst many others) and uncovered some of the lesser-known gems, where does a Dylan fan go? You go to an album that was (and still is) considered by critics to be the nadir of the Dylan catalogue, an album which destroyed the near-flawless streak of albums that Dylan released in the 60s.<br /><br />This was released in June 1970, and the whole package, from the album title, the cover, the long running time (73 minutes) is all somewhat tongue-in-cheek. If you try not to take this album seriously (a mean feat considering that it's about 2/3 covers, sung in Dylan's <span style="font-style: italic;">Nashville skyline</span> croon) -- one can uncover many hidden gems here. <span style="font-style: italic;">Days of '49</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Belle isle</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Copper kettle</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The mighty quinn</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Minstrel boy</span> are all great songs (the latter even sounding like it may have influenced Tom Waits' work).<br /><br />I'm pretty sure that if this album didn't begin with <span style="font-style: italic;">All the tired horses</span> -- a 3 minute repetitive dirge where the same line is repeated again and again by a female backing group -- history would have been a bit kinder to this album. Getting past that song, I look at this as just another facet in Bob Dylan's fascinating musical output.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWjVDsS_L9ZlFQfpDFjfkdowI4zmapz4kaT9_2LltoG2N6P0lBdzm4llhcrpETboNjCnGP9egp3IYnEoCtimBq2nYvy5Odf-pnaDWURS95AqJk_XGGSRn-FrUAVSzXGrIqxOaBQ/s1600/Car+button+cloth.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWjVDsS_L9ZlFQfpDFjfkdowI4zmapz4kaT9_2LltoG2N6P0lBdzm4llhcrpETboNjCnGP9egp3IYnEoCtimBq2nYvy5Odf-pnaDWURS95AqJk_XGGSRn-FrUAVSzXGrIqxOaBQ/s320/Car+button+cloth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696932783518657282" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">19. The Lemonheads - Car Button Cloth</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"></div><br />Let me get this straight first -- if you don't have a copy of the Lemonheads' 1992 album <span style="font-style: italic;">It's a shame about Ray</span>, go and get it now. It's a flawless album of pure, hummable, lyrical, toe-tapping alternative pop/rock which is looked upon now as one of the absolute gems of the 90s. Their follow-up album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Come on feel the Lemonheads</span>, had its moments but it was overly long and lost a bit of steam by the end.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Car button cloth</span> was released in 1996 and it was their last album before they broke up in 1997, before reforming in 2005. I was already familiar with <span style="font-style: italic;">If I could talk I'd tell you </span>as it got a bit of airplay back in the day and I had listened to it on one of those Triple J compilation CDs. I bought this album with some hesitation but was pleasantly surprised.<br /><br />Like much of the Lemonheads' work, there is a dark undercurrent to a lot of the lyrics here (<span style="font-style: italic;">Break me</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hospital</span>) which is understandable considering frontman Evan Dando's history with substance abuse. <span style="font-style: italic;">The outdoor type</span> is another killer cut, a humorous alt-country ballad about hating the outdoors and wanting to spend all of your time inside. <span style="font-style: italic;">C'mon daddy</span> is another great song, apparently about Liv Tyler discovered who her real Dad was.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWYphTtNRlU-JAMhBhGNkWMfiTrPZ7J365IYVV98W2lGeWz51zYMKb4wgmn45GhTtJ379FryivR1vqbNaiGv09x8kMSv9Dh88bqz-eA6JCD8i4hAf4r1dpaN2zdcMD-_wknl5Gg/s1600/MTV+unplugged+in+New+York.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWYphTtNRlU-JAMhBhGNkWMfiTrPZ7J365IYVV98W2lGeWz51zYMKb4wgmn45GhTtJ379FryivR1vqbNaiGv09x8kMSv9Dh88bqz-eA6JCD8i4hAf4r1dpaN2zdcMD-_wknl5Gg/s320/MTV+unplugged+in+New+York.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696932919750500162" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />18. Nirvana - Unplugged In New York</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"></div><br />I'm not usually a big fan of live albums, but this is an interesting piece of work. It's an intimate recording of acoustic songs recorded by a band who were known for turning the volume up, recorded only a few months before the frontman committed suicide.<br /><br />What is most fascinating about it is that almost half of the album is made up of cover versions, including a 10-minute mini-set of songs by cult Arizona band Meat Puppets (a big influence on Cobain). Another thing to note is the exclusion of their biggest hit, <span style="font-style: italic;">Smells like teen spirit</span>. Maybe they felt that an unplugged version wouldn't do it justice.<br /><br />I wasn't a big Nirvana fan at the time, so wasn't affected by Cobain's death. But I could imagine what this album must have been like to fans when it was released in November 1994, 7 months after Cobain's suicide. An emotionally charged album which shows Cobain's songs in all of their stripped-back glory.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67nofwr3QNPyvRS4LM5qhEFGzgaDZy45ECEeqrq1fpPWhRDa0P9Utq1otLfp0J8QSk9ooqEb8y2G6WRh8_upMjHHKIX5z41ifMv8qIKVT4OYKRf05c7dg6kDLcVRqtBYGUkAmcQ/s1600/I%2527m+wide+awake%252C+it%2527s+morning.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67nofwr3QNPyvRS4LM5qhEFGzgaDZy45ECEeqrq1fpPWhRDa0P9Utq1otLfp0J8QSk9ooqEb8y2G6WRh8_upMjHHKIX5z41ifMv8qIKVT4OYKRf05c7dg6kDLcVRqtBYGUkAmcQ/s320/I%2527m+wide+awake%252C+it%2527s+morning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696933130445603938" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My friend Pete lent this to me back in 2005 with strong recommendations. I wasn't particularly blown away at the time, but maybe I hadn't given it the chance it needed. I had subsequently picked up his 2002 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Lifted </span>and was very impressed, and I eventually picked this one up too.<br /><br />Bright Eyes is a bit of a polarising musican, and the new-Dylan tag which the musical press attached to him probably didn't help a lot. Looking past the image and his unfortunate (and unfair) connection to the emo musical genre/lifestyle, this is a great indie-folk album full of clever lyrics and toe-tapping melodies.<br /><br />At 45-minutes, consider it a compressed version of the long (but still incredible) <span style="font-style: italic;">Lifted</span>. Don't let the spoken-word introduction to the opening track put you off; there is music here to be enjoyed!<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r-Yf1BRKaMhMwsuHRrmVi4FGQEQGkjz5Txjfxl_1Randdc1ImKcYQ6jTi40X_Usaqe9w4Ztlo_zR_t5NlA7_GThm57BnYa5EmECZGENxOG3-v_D5Hls9dT1HixPHvcMp1nleRA/s1600/It%2527s+a+wonderful+life.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r-Yf1BRKaMhMwsuHRrmVi4FGQEQGkjz5Txjfxl_1Randdc1ImKcYQ6jTi40X_Usaqe9w4Ztlo_zR_t5NlA7_GThm57BnYa5EmECZGENxOG3-v_D5Hls9dT1HixPHvcMp1nleRA/s320/It%2527s+a+wonderful+life.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696933270984036690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Sparklehorse - It's A Wonderful Life</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"></div><br />It's saying a lot (especially coming from me) when the worst track on an album is a collaboration with musical genius Tom Waits. <span style="font-style: italic;">Dog door</span>, also included on the Tom Waits compilation <span style="font-style: italic;">Orphans</span>, is a decent (but not brilliant) Tom Waits song, but it stands out on this album like a sort thumb and completely destroys the flow of it.<br /><br />With the exception of that song, this is a very lo-fi recording of the late Mark Linkous' fragile vocals, dark lyrics and spare intrumentation. Various special guests (including PJ Harvey) show up on a few tracks in more subtle roles than Waits', but this is Linkous' show. It's heartbreaking stuff in light of what happened to Linkous 9 years after its release.<br /><br />I have a few Sparklehorse albums -- their debut <span style="font-style: italic;">Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot</span>, the Danger Mouse/special guest collaboration <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark night of the soul</span> -- but this one is their most stunning piece of work and the one I would recommend to newcomers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-34121278240295254552011-08-12T12:58:00.002+10:002011-08-12T13:04:22.942+10:00Pulp gig [29th July 2011 @ Festival Hall]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH1NKYX1qIo0YnK1D2HuahezJK3jdJmrbN3vf4BYADGyA6tFYX_Pv8wCkD7NjVnELUCZP3fH6v5DgDUmWhfwio2ysyR_li2GgrhAcCeMuSb9iSiby0XC7YlFnYjAMB5j6y8IwbA/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH1NKYX1qIo0YnK1D2HuahezJK3jdJmrbN3vf4BYADGyA6tFYX_Pv8wCkD7NjVnELUCZP3fH6v5DgDUmWhfwio2ysyR_li2GgrhAcCeMuSb9iSiby0XC7YlFnYjAMB5j6y8IwbA/s320/IMG_0293.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639791006666557954" border="0" /></a>
<br />Sheffield indie pop/rock outfit Pulp formed in 1978, then had a fairly underground following for most of the 80s before they started to hit the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">big time</span> in the mid-90s in the heart of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Britpop</span> movement. Their 1995 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Different class</span> is one the best albums of all time, one of the few records from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Britpop</span> era which still sounds just as great now as it did then. It's a top-to-bottom classic of intelligently catchy songs oozing with sleaze and debauchery.
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<br />Attending the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mens</span>' room before the gig, I overheard a seemingly tipsy fellow say to his friend at the urinal that he was excited to be seeing Pulp and that he had a bit of a "man crush" on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">frontman</span> Jarvis <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Cocker</span>. Lanky, nerdy and middle-aged, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cocker</span> is an unlikely mainstream sex-symbol, but perhaps not too far-fetched for those who spent their free time at school studying in the library.
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<br />The gig started in a very interesting fashion, with a light-show where words were projected above the stage enticing the crowd and revving them up for the show that was about to unfold. Just when you thought that the words would come to an end, they kept on going. It was the ultimate gig-tease, and a perfect opener for a band as deliciously sleazy as Pulp. The stage was set up with the PULP logo in big neon letters, and you could be forgiven for thinking that you'd stumbled upon the flux capacitor and had been beamed back to the mid-90s during their heyday.
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<br />Opening with the <span style="font-style: italic;">His 'n hers</span> anthem <span style="font-style: italic;">Do you remember the first time?</span>, Jarvis and company entertained the crowd with a blistering 2-hour set which focused mainly on their peak late-90s output. Jarvis was easily the most entertaining and charismatic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">front-man</span> I have ever seen, his anecdotes and chatter between songs being as much part of the entertainment as the music itself.
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<br />Upbeat anthems <span style="font-style: italic;">Disco 2000 </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Babies </span>got the crowd into party mode, while the more provocative numbers like <span style="font-style: italic;">Pencil-skirt, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">I spy</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">This is hardcore </span>reminded us of all those times we disobeyed the band and read along with the lyrics while listening to the CD (most Pulp albums have fine-print in them asking the listener to not read-along while listening to the music).
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<br />The first set closed with their most famous song, <span style="font-style: italic;">Common people</span>, an anthem for the hundreds of fans who were crammed into the poorly-ventilated "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Festy</span> hall". Returning for a short encore (including the lesser-known B-side <span style="font-style: italic;">Like a friend</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">glammy</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Hardcore </span>single <span style="font-style: italic;">Party hard</span>), they concluded the show the same way I first heard Pulp on CD -- by playing <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Mis</span>-shapes, </span>the rocking call-to-arms opener of <span style="font-style: italic;">Different class</span>.
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<br />Sometimes when bands reform in their middle-age, it tarnishes their legacy. Pulp have aged very gracefully, and this gig was an excellent trip down memory lane.
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<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[For the first gig in a while, I went-easy on the bootleg multimedia and tried to enjoy the moment more, which turned out to be a good move. There's only so much grainy footage we need on YouTube.]</span>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-86228821662734969952011-01-25T13:31:00.003+11:002011-01-25T13:57:25.510+11:002010: A Year In Music [Part 5 of 5]<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">We now come to the epic finale of the list of albums which made my 2010, at least from a musical point of view. Enjoy!<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0NvdNYLSsvcsfFelzqEI6wI8HCEPSMNeoUxaeyRvTyQ5U3flEQ6LU1DE-MI82AlMAtovuIJ5t2j1SIryfKAlEqKH_ooP579peTlH2rQvohmnffVI-YLRwD3Ay8Gr8VWfbH3EmA/s1600/Soundgarden.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 393px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0NvdNYLSsvcsfFelzqEI6wI8HCEPSMNeoUxaeyRvTyQ5U3flEQ6LU1DE-MI82AlMAtovuIJ5t2j1SIryfKAlEqKH_ooP579peTlH2rQvohmnffVI-YLRwD3Ay8Gr8VWfbH3EmA/s320/Soundgarden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565565330360842402" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Soundgarden</span> -<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Superunknown</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Badmotorfinger</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">I've recently had a bit of an early-90s revival, as is probably evident from the presence of other albums on this list. Of course, no 90s revival would be complete without delving into the grunge genre, which reached mainstream popularity in Seattle in the early-90s. I have been expanding my collection of grunge albums over the past year or so, picking up Pearl Jam's <span style="font-style: italic;">Ten (</span>which I covered in the <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2010/02/2009-year-in-music-part-3-musical.html">2009 end-of-year series</a>), Alice In Chain's <span style="font-style: italic;">Dirt</span>, Faith No More's <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel dust</span> and in 2010 these two albums by Seattle's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Soundgarden</span>.<br /><br />The first album I picked up, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Superunknown</span></span>, was their commercial and critical peak. I knew a few songs before I bought it: the superbly melodic <span style="font-style: italic;">Black hole sun</span>, the mellower <span style="font-style: italic;">Fell on black days</span> and the fun rocker <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Spoonman</span>. </span>I went into the album expecting these songs (in particular <span style="font-style: italic;">Black hole sun</span>) to be the clear standouts. Like <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood sugar sex <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">magik</span></span>, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of all of the songs on this 73 minute album.<br /><br />Chris Cornell is an amazingly versatile rock vocalist, and the rhythm section (in particular the drumming of Matt Cameron) is up there with the best. Some standout tracks on this album (other than those mentioned previously) include the swampy rocker <span style="font-style: italic;">Mailman</span>, the eerie and atmospheric <span style="font-style: italic;">Head down</span>, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">anthemic</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The day I tried to live</span> and the catchy single <span style="font-style: italic;">My wave</span>. Despite the "grunge" tag, there's a lot of diverse sounds on the album exemplified by the powerful production; get a load of the middle-eastern elements of the instrumental <span style="font-style: italic;">Half</span>.<br /><br />I enjoyed <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Superunknown</span></span> enough to pick up their previous album <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Badmotorfinger</span></span>, which some friends had suggested was a better album; at 57 minutes it is certainly more concise. While it falls a fraction short of <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Superunknown</span> </span>for me, it's still an excellent record. Opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Rusty cage</span> (later covered by Johnny Cash) kicks off with one of the finest guitar riffs of the 90s, before Chris Cornell enters the stage with a fine vocal performance, singing lyrics of torment and oppression ("<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm gonna break my rust cage and run</span>", "<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm burning diesel burning dinosaur bones</span>", "<span style="font-style: italic;">It's raining icepicks"</span>).<br /><br />Elsewhere, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Outshined</span></span> astounds with its stunning harmonies, <span style="font-style: italic;">Room a thousand years wide</span> is a kick-ass rocker with a stunning rhythm section and <span style="font-style: italic;">Holy water</span> has a chorus that grabs you from the first listen and doesn't let go. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Badmotorfinger</span></span> is overall a much heavier and less diverse album than <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Superunknown</span></span>, but it's a solid slab of early 90s rock music.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzVMOPSlLlLSXJAIYHrxlwOiR3tTkqK_o3f4vPItZHIZBsruiIBAZAKzibSpUevDOy18HIH3Sz-I9U6XkSD29PcB5ZXCOE6Cmxq-sjUbf0ZC-Dw1QUJI-dMHirCEUWiazHABTwg/s1600/Van+Halen.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzVMOPSlLlLSXJAIYHrxlwOiR3tTkqK_o3f4vPItZHIZBsruiIBAZAKzibSpUevDOy18HIH3Sz-I9U6XkSD29PcB5ZXCOE6Cmxq-sjUbf0ZC-Dw1QUJI-dMHirCEUWiazHABTwg/s320/Van+Halen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565565324468656050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Halen</span> - Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Halen</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">One of my first musical memories was choreographing a dance routine to Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Halen's</span> hit <span style="font-style: italic;">Jump</span> with my next door neighbour in the mid-80s. That, and <span style="font-style: italic;">We built this city</span>. But I digress. This was Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Halen's</span> debut album released in 1978. It was a groundbreaking album at the time, with guitarist Eddie Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Halen</span> influencing a new decade of guitarists with his innovative playing style (in particular his <span style="font-style: italic;">tapping</span> technique where he used his right hand as well as his left hand to fret notes).<br /><br />Despite the fact that many of the songs from this album are regularly played on the radio, I must have been living under a rock for the past 30 years because I wasn't overly familiar with a lot of them. The exception to this was the stunning instrumental <span style="font-style: italic;">Eruption</span>, an absolute highlight of the album and an aspiring guitarist's wet dream.<br /><br />Elsewhere, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Runnin</span>' with the devil </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Ain't <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">talkin</span>' about love</span> are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">great</span> rock songs which have aged remarkably well, combining the passionate vocals of David Lee Roth, guitar prowess of Eddie Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Halen</span>, and the solid rhythmic foundation of bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Halen</span> (Eddie's brother).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jamie's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">cryin</span>'</span> influenced many an 80s power ballad, while <span style="font-style: italic;">Little dreamer</span> slows things down a little bit and allows us to appreciate David Lee Roth's fine vocals. There's a few magic moments throughout, like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">doo</span>-wop breakdown of <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm the one</span> and the acoustic intro to the blues standard <span style="font-style: italic;">Ice cream man</span> (one of the two covers on the record alongside the Kinks' <span style="font-style: italic;">You really got me</span>).<br /><br />All this, and it was their debut album! A highly recommended listen.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhZ0Q1C-CK7j8NKzJF9zd-YtLv119E_gjgOZsGBcEnaeFLuRxasKFKfqkX4Q31iPdV1hUXEsx-1An_ycztf5smq5mZrqqE74ElyZodWI9ZPIpjzXr9eUCdCW01OFsiTtCpv372Q/s1600/Blues+brothers.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhZ0Q1C-CK7j8NKzJF9zd-YtLv119E_gjgOZsGBcEnaeFLuRxasKFKfqkX4Q31iPdV1hUXEsx-1An_ycztf5smq5mZrqqE74ElyZodWI9ZPIpjzXr9eUCdCW01OFsiTtCpv372Q/s320/Blues+brothers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565565320549616066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Various Artists - "The Blues Brothers"</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Soundtrack</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Blues Brothers</span> is a cult classic and a movie which I consider endlessly watchable. It has comedy, memorable quotes, action and a helluva lot of destruction. But the icing in the cake is the music, and it is compiled here on one of the greatest soundtracks ever released.<br /><br />Many of the musicians on this CD make cameos in the movie. James Brown plays a priest whose rendition of <span style="font-style: italic;">The old landmark</span> convinces Jake to get the band back together. Aretha Franklin plays a waitress/diner owner who sings <span style="font-style: italic;">Think </span>to her husband (guitarist Matt Murphy) when he decides to ditch the apron and join the <span style="font-style: italic;">Blues Brothers</span> band on the road. And who can forget Ray Charles, the owner of the music store, who sings <span style="font-style: italic;">Shake a tail feather</span> to prove that the keyboard still has life in it?<br /><br />This is simply a perfect soundtrack -- the performances are flawless, the tunes are hummable (<span style="font-style: italic;">Theme from Rawhide</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Minnie the Moocher</span>) and bluesy (<span style="font-style: italic;">She caught the Katy, Sweet home Chicago</span>) in equal measure. They remind you of the best parts of the movie, but it also works perfectly as a standalone album.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEIQv_SETSsZSIH2qe7u3tDCi36Pj9I-QYh5Mj0-4mcd1PaegfUkevxFYbuLLdWoWW-w7hWFBx9zeuyyJLrHD01rnzsThDgXson8JrJaU1qr2ybTzbySXUTZlPoPuFdIfoFogfQ/s1600/Black+rider.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEIQv_SETSsZSIH2qe7u3tDCi36Pj9I-QYh5Mj0-4mcd1PaegfUkevxFYbuLLdWoWW-w7hWFBx9zeuyyJLrHD01rnzsThDgXson8JrJaU1qr2ybTzbySXUTZlPoPuFdIfoFogfQ/s320/Black+rider.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565565316323203730" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tom Waits - The Black Rider</span><br /></div><br />I have an interesting history with this album, which is technically a soundtrack to the theatre play of the same same; it is one of the few albums that I bought <span style="font-style: italic;">twice</span>. Allow me to elaborate. When I first started getting into Tom Waits, I decided pretty quickly that I had to buy everything the man had ever released. I stumbled upon this album on sale in 2003 and decided to pick it up.<br /><br />I gave it a few listens and just couldn't get into it. There didn't appear to be anything to grab on to, and I found it too impenetrable. So I decided to return it for something a little more accessible (Jack Johnson's <span style="font-style: italic;">On and on</span>, an album which couldn't be more different if it tried).<br /><br />Shortly after this I picked up <span style="font-style: italic;">Bone machine</span>, arguably one of his most "difficult" albums. That was an album which took a lot of time for me to get into, but is now in my top 5 Tom Waits albums of all time. In 2010 I picked up <span style="font-style: italic;">The black rider</span> again. It's amazing what a difference 7 years make. Where before it was a mess of disjointed rhythms, cookie monster vocals and no sense of cohesion, now it was a beautiful piece of work.<br /><br />How did I miss the beauty of songs like <span style="font-style: italic;">November</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">briar</span> and the rose</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">I'll shoot the moon </span>before? Then there's the epic "film <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">noir</span>" atmosphere of songs like <span style="font-style: italic;">Just the right bullets</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Crossroads </span>which would sit happily alongside <span style="font-style: italic;">Black wings</span> (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Bone machine</span>) on a western film soundtrack.<br /><br />There's a few oddities scattered about, from the beatnik William S. Burroughs' vocal performance on <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">T'aint</span> no sin</span> to the chaos of <span style="font-style: italic;">Oily night</span>. And there's also some gorgeous instrumentals like <span style="font-style: italic;">Russian dance</span> which help to break up the album and ironically also provide a sense of cohesion.<br /><br />Endlessly imaginative, experimental and quirky; file this next to <span style="font-style: italic;">Bone machine</span> in your Tom Waits collection.<br /><br /><hr /><br />And thus we reach the end of my musical discoveries of 2010. Until next time, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">compadres</span>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-11442321435762118122011-01-20T13:32:00.002+11:002011-01-20T13:40:08.817+11:002010: A Year In Music [Part 4 of 5]Here are five more choice albums that I discovered in 2010.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PRZXwtN9iNv9IS0k-N4SlDs3aHy8sNAWY8OLSWInx6r7j7Q4aEdxeov7oUuWv-HsAkNwO0z8kxmMwNIJtMPFbQI40qHTtr-RNIts2Sd63k5jDS_WGdpfLONHRAF_zTWBT8aKMg/s1600/Blood+sugar+sex+magik.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PRZXwtN9iNv9IS0k-N4SlDs3aHy8sNAWY8OLSWInx6r7j7Q4aEdxeov7oUuWv-HsAkNwO0z8kxmMwNIJtMPFbQI40qHTtr-RNIts2Sd63k5jDS_WGdpfLONHRAF_zTWBT8aKMg/s320/Blood+sugar+sex+magik.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563710845656259490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Magik</span></span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It was pretty commonplace in the late 80s and early 90s (when compact discs became more prevalent) for albums to be over-stuffed with filler just because they <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span>. While early <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CDs</span> could hold 74 minutes of music, some musicians didn't adhere to the "less is more" philosophy and this often resulted in disjointed listens that you would be less inclined to revisit.<br /><br />This album's running length of 73:49 was one of the reasons why I hesitated to pick it up earlier. Sure it had a lot of critical acclaim, but I honestly expected to get an album of classics like the beautiful ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">Under the bridge</span> and funk masterclass <span style="font-style: italic;">Give it away</span> surrounded by lots of carbon copies. It turns out that I was wrong; this is a brilliant album that deserves all of the praise that is thrown at it.<br /><br />This album is a never-ending party, from the moment opener <span style="font-style: italic;">The power of equality</span> hits top gear, through to the fun throwaway cover of Robert Johnson's <span style="font-style: italic;">They're red hot</span> that closes the record. Most of the songs fit the upbeat funk template that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">RHCP</span> have made their own, but there are a few quieter moments (<span style="font-style: italic;">Breaking the girl</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">I could have lied</span> and of course <span style="font-style: italic;">Under the bridge</span>) which give the listener a chance to catch their breath.<br /><br />Every song is different enough to warrant inclusion -- some of the lesser-known classics are <span style="font-style: italic;">Funky monks</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Mellowship</span> slinky in B major</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Apache rose peacock</span> and the epic (almost) finale <span style="font-style: italic;">Sir psycho sexy</span> (get a load of that melodic coda).<br /><br />The star of the show is Flea, whose melodic bass lines take centre stage in every song. As great as the musical performances are, they wouldn't be worth anything if they were lost in a sludgy compressed mix. Luckily, this 1991 album is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pre</span> <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2008/12/loudness-war-or-how-i-learned-to-stop.html">loudness war</a>; Rick Rubin's production is air tight but incredibly dynamic, allowing you to pick out individual elements in the mix. It's a pity he didn't maintain the same standard of production on subsequent compressed abominations <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Californication</span></span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Stadium <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">arcadium</span></span>.<br /><br />Casual <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">RHCP</span> listeners will probably only need one of their albums; make sure it is this one.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEich12GhqdVzifYSAJ2m4jijl5IfMdRC9v-jNdrwr-1m50kaSfUhzSCYp4Pwr2zvX0I9InJFbOJlTJnrmF0htKwd9IIxs6eGPfKvDjYc4x3ZdhfntARsx4NJ8I4LVN4xzYutKIgzQ/s1600/Charcoal+lane.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEich12GhqdVzifYSAJ2m4jijl5IfMdRC9v-jNdrwr-1m50kaSfUhzSCYp4Pwr2zvX0I9InJFbOJlTJnrmF0htKwd9IIxs6eGPfKvDjYc4x3ZdhfntARsx4NJ8I4LVN4xzYutKIgzQ/s320/Charcoal+lane.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563710841690881954" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Archie Roach - Charcoal Lane</span><br /></div><br />There was a poll in 2010 where people were able to vote for their favourite Australian album of all time (you can see the results <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/s3050375.htm">here</a>). What I found more interesting than the actual list (which didn't have too many surprises) was the discussion on various message boards where Aussie music fans nominated albums that they felt missed the cut. This 1990 debut album by indigenous singer-songwriter Archie Roach was an album which was mentioned a few times, so I decided to pick it up. I can now say without hesitation that it is one of the great Australian albums.<br /><br />The most well-known song on the album is the haunting ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">Take the children away</span>, about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Generation">Stolen Generation</a>. This is a topic which is very close to Roach's heart, as he and his sisters were taken from his family by the Australian government and placed in an orphanage. It's a sad<br />and powerful song about a very sad part of Australia's history, and rightfully considered an Australian classic.<br /><br />Elsewhere, the album doesn't miss a beat. Most of the songs are sparse folk numbers which allows Roach's powerful voice and poignant lyrics to take centre stage; there are also a few upbeat numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Down city streets</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">No no no</span>) which give the album some much needed diversity. The title track talks about the restaurant of the same name in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, where Aboriginal and disadvantaged people were given a chance to work in apprenticeship positions.<br /><br />Elsewhere, closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Summer of my life</span> is an incredibly heartbreaking story of an old lady reminiscing about an old man (who had presumably passed away) looking back on his life from his hospital bed. It's moments like this that elevate Archie Roach to the upper echelon of Australian singer/songwriters.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dElwBRWX3y6Kkr2edEaswRmhw-Reu_OA3VHtqp8993YfTokphEc_YCkd-z7o8IWtcAV_li1aXNmBfIklrwZQktvHWQ6ZDugcSSlgrgf1LRBgmpUlwvorouRYwdDAKSCdkaDh8A/s1600/Stranger+in+town.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dElwBRWX3y6Kkr2edEaswRmhw-Reu_OA3VHtqp8993YfTokphEc_YCkd-z7o8IWtcAV_li1aXNmBfIklrwZQktvHWQ6ZDugcSSlgrgf1LRBgmpUlwvorouRYwdDAKSCdkaDh8A/s320/Stranger+in+town.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563710833648558290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Bob <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Seger</span></span> - Stranger In Town</span><br /></div><br />Not exactly the hippest album in my collection (check out that cover), but what a great record of American heartland rock. <span style="font-style: italic;">Night moves</span> is commonly considered to be his masterpiece, and it's a fine record; I think I may prefer this one even more.<br /><br />There's quite a few popular songs scattered around, from the driving opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Hollywood nights</span>, the beautiful (albeit a little schmaltzy) ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">We've got tonight</span>, the overplayed cover <span style="font-style: italic;">Old time rock and roll</span> and the wistfully nostalgic <span style="font-style: italic;">Still the same</span>.<br /><br />But he might save the best until last with the final two songs: the multi-part <span style="font-style: italic;">Brave strangers</span> and the wide-screen epic <span style="font-style: italic;">The famous final scene</span>. Not much else more to say; this is not the most ground breaking or innovative album ever released, but if you're in the mood for classic 70s rock, it doesn't get much better than this.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwdYdpZLLazLU0d0YixR1S6FuFqnOsldOw0Qb6ilo4bLAkb3Ytwpr8bmZKbNMVxoH8rqMSsVfTRUZAY_yMy-sK__7wRD8m9mLLUtirGE2yR_gy5je5NYCxiO4Mlthcrgidu0hug/s1600/There+goes+rhymin%2527+Simon.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwdYdpZLLazLU0d0YixR1S6FuFqnOsldOw0Qb6ilo4bLAkb3Ytwpr8bmZKbNMVxoH8rqMSsVfTRUZAY_yMy-sK__7wRD8m9mLLUtirGE2yR_gy5je5NYCxiO4Mlthcrgidu0hug/s320/There+goes+rhymin%2527+Simon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563710823906448962" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paul Simon - There Goes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Rhymin</span></span>' Simon</span><br /></div><br />This album may almost take the record (pun intended) for the longest time on my "to buy" list. For many years, the only Paul Simon albums that I owned were his classic and influential <span style="font-style: italic;">Graceland</span> and his underrated Latin-influenced 1990 album <span style="font-style: italic;">The rhythm of the saints</span> (which I picked up in a 2-for-1 pack in the mid-90s). I also have a handful of Simon & Garfunkel albums.<br /><br />Quite a few years ago, I decided to expand my Paul Simon collection. Most of the research that I did pointed to this 1973 album (his 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">nd</span> solo effort) being one of his best. In the meantime, I had picked up a few more Simon albums: the excellent <span style="font-style: italic;">Hearts and bones</span> (1982), Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Eno</span> collaboration <span style="font-style: italic;">Surprise </span>(2006) and<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Grammy award winner <span style="font-style: italic;">Still crazy after all these years </span>(1975). In 2010 I finally picked up <span style="font-style: italic;">There goes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">rhymin</span>' Simon</span>.<br /><br />This is possibly Simon's most eclectic album -- there's great pop songs (<span style="font-style: italic;">Kodachrome</span>, the fun sing-along <span style="font-style: italic;">One man's ceiling is another man's floor</span>), poignant ballads (the superb <span style="font-style: italic;">American tune, St. Judy's comet, Something so right</span>), low-key jazz numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Tenderness</span>), horn-inflected dixieland (<span style="font-style: italic;">Take me the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">mardi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">gras</span></span>), reggae (<span style="font-style: italic;">Was a sunny day</span>) and even gospel <span style="font-style: italic;">(Loves me like a rock</span>). It all sounds a bit of a mess, but it holds together as a great album.<br /><br />On a side note, don't you love albums where each song is represented by a picture in the artwork?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtIBQFMAOkXb9bbz0w6eMcPe9B1G_rq34BDSIaG8MNEKFb3Ew541fgkMYj_euefUisQEUl0c95scIYUkga34-rzWKKEej6BdD3pJ7wQbfvrifMhAQmXVOwWKHYA8SsvtjRivzDg/s1600/New+gold+dream+%252881-82-83-84%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtIBQFMAOkXb9bbz0w6eMcPe9B1G_rq34BDSIaG8MNEKFb3Ew541fgkMYj_euefUisQEUl0c95scIYUkga34-rzWKKEej6BdD3pJ7wQbfvrifMhAQmXVOwWKHYA8SsvtjRivzDg/s320/New+gold+dream+%252881-82-83-84%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563710808078489394" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)</span><br /></div><br />Simple Minds will forever be associated with their 1985 #1 hit <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't you (forget about me<span style="font-style: italic;">) </span></span>from the soundtrack to the John Hughes movie <span style="font-style: italic;">The breakfast club</span>. A hit like this can often me a double-edged sword for a band; it gave them much deserved commercial success, but it also changed their music path towards a more "80s pop" commercial sound.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">New gold dream</span> was their 5th studio album, released in September 1982. With the exception of the more radio-friendly hit singles <span style="font-style: italic;">Promised you a miracle</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Glittering prize</span>, the album is made up of lush, synth-based new wave numbers. Unlike many albums by their contemporaries, this album still sounds remarkably fresh today; many critics indicate that this is due to their use of real drums rather than electronic drum machines which were so common at the time.<br /><br />Like mid-late 80s Cure, the songs are densely epic and elicit strong emotional feelings from the listener. Opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Someone, somewhere in summertime </span>lures you into the world of this album. <span style="font-style: italic;">Big sleep</span> starts out with a circular synth riff which is repeated throughout the song. Jim Kerr's emotionally effective vocals take centre stage, and the instrumental repetition and vocal wails in the 2nd half of the song puts the listener in a trance-like state. Most of the other songs are just as effective, and even the more pop-oriented singles fit in well.<br /><br />This album is a prime example of well aged 80s new wave pop, an album which has stood the test of time in a decade which was not devoid of throwaway pop fluff.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-49956825997453020282011-01-18T13:26:00.003+11:002011-01-22T12:02:43.112+11:002010: A Year In Music [Part 3 of 5]<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">And so we continue...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8PYbqBUZ4Jbh65kRZZZnfNWkQg9-HKM0jgGlyKylOCxsAgkJCuy7I3zcw9Fn-JJjqRAnYz_M2NWxEPKYVwJ-W9Qo780NPqhEpIaCHPisiUlwhl00OCsAR_Rj1TDTkkRjJNNoIg/s1600/Colour+and+the+shape.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8PYbqBUZ4Jbh65kRZZZnfNWkQg9-HKM0jgGlyKylOCxsAgkJCuy7I3zcw9Fn-JJjqRAnYz_M2NWxEPKYVwJ-W9Qo780NPqhEpIaCHPisiUlwhl00OCsAR_Rj1TDTkkRjJNNoIg/s320/Colour+and+the+shape.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562967168368621282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Foo Fighters - The Colour And The Shape</span> <div style="text-align: left;"><br />Foo Fighters are one of those bands that are very easy to take for granted. Their songs have always just <span style="font-style: italic;">been there</span>, and no matter how many times one hears them on the radio, they manage to maintain their freshness. Their music has achieved great cross-over success, satisfying grunge fans who were mourning the death of an era, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">metal heads</span>, classic rockers, and even being melodic and accessible enough to lure in pop music listeners.<br /><br />I decided I was well overdue for a Foo Fighters album in my collection, and this seemed to be the (almost) unanimous pick for their best album. First of all, let's count the hits -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Monkey wrench</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">My hero </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Everlong</span></span>. That's three great radio-friendly rockers right there. Beautiful ballad<span style="font-style: italic;"> Walking after you</span> was also included on the X-Files soundtrack, albeit a slightly different version.<br /><br />Dig a little deeper, and you find several <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">coulda</span>-been hits like <span style="font-style: italic;">Hey, Johnny Park </span>and<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Up in arms</span>. There's a great eclecticism to the proceedings, with stunning ballads (<span style="font-style: italic;">Doll</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Walking after you</span>) interspersed amongst dynamic rockers (<span style="font-style: italic;">New way home</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">My poor brain</span>). There's even some quirky moments (<span style="font-style: italic;">See you</span>) sitting on the same bus with thrash numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Enough space</span>). My personal favourite (<span style="font-style: italic;">February stars</span>) starts out as a ballad before it changes halfway into a feedback drenched and emotionally charged number.<br /><br />Despite the variation in styles and sounds, it's all very accessible and easy to listen to, without resorting to cheap hooks or lacklustre songwriting. Commercial music doesn't have to be shallow or bland, and Dave <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Grohl</span> and co. show you how on this excellent album.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHT69Lf3L1Y_DDvLh6Y2PCl6jelwx0oGsHhomzaPSHYFag1AVqwJnBevAweYD534H1GXCjESLniuzA-YfpX7lUDttCpJK81orl4c22JS-x_KHrjY5YZ6sHIlVUZ9dd4eAT9ft2w/s1600/Greatest+hits+%2528Al+Green%2529.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHT69Lf3L1Y_DDvLh6Y2PCl6jelwx0oGsHhomzaPSHYFag1AVqwJnBevAweYD534H1GXCjESLniuzA-YfpX7lUDttCpJK81orl4c22JS-x_KHrjY5YZ6sHIlVUZ9dd4eAT9ft2w/s320/Greatest+hits+%2528Al+Green%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562967169575490482" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Al Green - Greatest Hits</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I don't understand why it took me so long to pick up an Al Green album. His stunning ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">Let's stay together</span> (famous for its inclusion on the excellent <span style="font-style: italic;">Pulp fiction</span> soundtrack) is rightly one of <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/08/top-100-favourite-songs-of-all-time.html">my favourite songs of all time</a>. I guess I just considered him <span style="font-style: italic;">just another soul singer </span>(TM), with Marvin Gaye, Sly & The Family Stone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">et</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">al</span>. able to satisfy the need for that music in my collection.<br /></div><br />For an artist as prolific as Al Green, a compilation seemed to be the way to go, and when an expanded 2CD edition of his <span style="font-style: italic;">Greatest hits</span> was released, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get more into his music. This purchase contradicts one of my previous blog posts about compilations, where I specifically mentioned <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2008/04/art-of-great-compilation-cd-part-1-of-2.html">avoiding two-disc sets</a>. Let's just say that Al Green has the talent and discography to justify such a sprawling collection.<br /><br />So what about the music? The majority of the songs on this collection are some of the finest soul/R&B songs ever released. They have groove, funk and passion and they are all topped off with one of the finest vocalists of the past 50 years.<br /><br />Highlights are everywhere, but I'll reel off a few: <span style="font-style: italic;">Let's stay together</span> (of course!), <span style="font-style: italic;">Tired of being alone, I'm still in love with you, Oh me, oh my (dreams in my arms)</span>,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Call me</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">I gotta be more (Take me higher)</span>, the ultra-funky <span style="font-style: italic;">Love ritual</span> and the more recent recording <span style="font-style: italic;">Starting all over again</span>. That's only a short list, but the majority of the songs on this collection are as high in quality.<br /><br />Even the covers (The Box Tops' <span style="font-style: italic;">The letter</span>, The Doors' <span style="font-style: italic;">Light my fire</span> and The Bee Gees' <span style="font-style: italic;">How can you mend a broken heart</span>?) are fantastic re-inventions of songs which (with the exception of <span style="font-style: italic;">The letter</span>) didn't sound like soul songs to begin with.<br /><br />Al Green is a legendary artist, and this compilation is a great entry point into his vast catalogue.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtv6JefV03fxYLmMlh8J6JkqwpARu8UxoOluoXlb-jlRZiLrqNHjydlmXS2cLUBEaDeARgsUi90xH6VnGG7ozXLMEagqFz_TgYNtFEM-0IY5SIXAco0_k79Vm2YicAbSsT_uUPA/s1600/Youth+%2526+young+manhood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtv6JefV03fxYLmMlh8J6JkqwpARu8UxoOluoXlb-jlRZiLrqNHjydlmXS2cLUBEaDeARgsUi90xH6VnGG7ozXLMEagqFz_TgYNtFEM-0IY5SIXAco0_k79Vm2YicAbSsT_uUPA/s320/Youth+%2526+young+manhood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562967158472920770" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kings Of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood</span><br /></div><br />It's a pity that it took a song as bland and generic as <span style="font-style: italic;">Sex on fire</span> to give this band commercial success. Their first two releases were lean, well-produced albums that had instant appeal but more importantly had subtlety and longevity. Sure, their sound owed a lot to their influences (Stones, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Creedence</span>, The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Allman</span> Brothers) but they had the passion which made it great to listen to and the back-story which made it real.<br /><br />You can almost picture the record company meeting where one of the big-wigs told them that if they cleaned up their rough edges and polished their sound, they could make it big. It's unfortunate in this day and age that there is often a conflict of interest between making good music and paying the bills, but I'm not a musician so who am I to complain?<br /><br />Anyway, enough ranting about what they became; this great debut album is what they <span style="font-style: italic;">were</span> and it's a great listen. They mix up the bluesy rockers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Red morning light</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wasted time</span>) with the more catchy upbeat numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Happy alone</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">California waiting</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Molly's chambers</span>) and a few scratchy ballads (<span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Trani</span></span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dusty</span>) which give the album a lot of light and shade. Unlike a lot of recent albums, the production by Ethan Johns maintains a wonderful sense of dynamics, allowing the music to breathe without overwhelming the listener.<br /><br />Even the hidden track at the album (<span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Talihina</span> sky</span>) is a lovely and melodic number. I wasn't expecting this album to be this good, but it was a pleasant surprise.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFK-ynbNGFPcXE49magNVNhuGm-8nfY8zRLzux8KTuPjqGj6ubq4mafZmSEe8DmoXm4tPA2jnbXmA1i3SCWGr6gjCcC6IfkASXjOe1T1n4vykkv0rmSjWLIPLzI8wH59M9hW_7g/s1600/California.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFK-ynbNGFPcXE49magNVNhuGm-8nfY8zRLzux8KTuPjqGj6ubq4mafZmSEe8DmoXm4tPA2jnbXmA1i3SCWGr6gjCcC6IfkASXjOe1T1n4vykkv0rmSjWLIPLzI8wH59M9hW_7g/s320/California.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562967161145945554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Mr. Bungle - California</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I've become a bit of a broken record lately when talking about the <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2008/12/loudness-war-or-how-i-learned-to-stop.html">lack of dynamics in modern music</a>. Needless to say, I have had to find creative ways to discover new music, and most of the time this has involved investigating a lot of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">pre</span>-2000s music that I missed the first time around.<br /><br />Mr. Bungle was one of the many side projects of Mike Patton (the singer from Faith No More) where he unleashed some of his more experimental music. I remember hearing their 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">nd</span> album <span style="font-style: italic;">Disco <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">volante</span></span> when I was younger, as my brother was a fan and played it quite a bit. I was definitely a lot less open-minded when it came to experimental music back in those days. Then one of the music blogs which I subscribe to gave a retrospective review to <span style="font-style: italic;">California</span>, their 3rd and most-accessible album. The review intrigued me enough to pick it up.<br /><br />Like any of the Mr. Bungle albums, <span style="font-style: italic;">California</span> is all over the place, encompassing a wide variety of genres from metal, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">doo</span>-wop, funk, surf-rock, and late Tom Waits era carnival music. Some songs, like opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Sweet charity</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Pink cigarette</span> are fairly immediate. Others, like the psychotic closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Goodbye sober day</span> and the stupendous <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Retrovertigo</span></span> take a few more listens to reveal their charms.<br /><br />The songwriting and performances are great, but it's the amazing production which pushes it into "brilliant album" territory for me. There are quiet parts which make the loud parts all the more powerful, and there's always subtle elements in the mix which reveal themselves more with each listen.<br /><br />Frank Zappa may have died in 1993, but his spirit lives on in this great piece of work.<br /><br /></div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzRZOSM5H7qLsXfgugIMpzI9U_eqyBg44kXLOHI6VwstzLyE9F52Y1lSOduA_J99p7mqI3LnjMHgOmO66cUiUWBER9QdM5U_iN-MVBDdCt6rm0rfJ0eTeZ-uh89vY9KmKpJtLIg/s1600/Stainless+style.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVzRZOSM5H7qLsXfgugIMpzI9U_eqyBg44kXLOHI6VwstzLyE9F52Y1lSOduA_J99p7mqI3LnjMHgOmO66cUiUWBER9QdM5U_iN-MVBDdCt6rm0rfJ0eTeZ-uh89vY9KmKpJtLIg/s320/Stainless+style.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562967156606414338" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Neon Neon - Stainless Style</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Concept albums can be mighty pretentious, can't they? This one is an exception for a few reasons. Firstly, it was written and performed by Gruff Rhys, the quirky genius front-man of Welsh band Super Furry Animals (in collaboration with electronic artist Boom <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Bip</span>). Secondly, it's a concept album about John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">DeLorean</span>, the man behind the car used for the time machine in <span style="font-style: italic;">Back to the future</span>. As an <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2008/11/confessions-of-80s-music-fan.html">80s kid</a>, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Back to the future</span> trilogy are three of my favourite movies of all time, so anything connected with those movies will get an immediate thumbs-up from me.<br /><br />The album juxtaposes 80s-style pop with a few hip-hop songs that help expand the story of John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">DeLorean</span> and his troubled life. Throughout the CD, we hear about his love affairs (<span style="font-style: italic;">Raquel</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">I lust you</span>), the founding of his company <span style="font-style: italic;">(Dream cars</span>) and some of dark elements of his past (<span style="font-style: italic;">Sweat shop</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Luxury pool</span>). As an 80s pastiche it works incredibly well, with great melodies and beats throughout. My only criticism is that the hip-hop songs, while being effective in telling the story, detract significantly from the flow of the album. They stand out a bit too much.<br /><br />This is a very accomplished album from one of the greatest songwriters and musicians from the past two decades, a man who can seemingly do no wrong.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-6008637872806298072011-01-13T17:19:00.003+11:002011-01-15T00:09:20.259+11:002010: A Year In Music [Part 2 of 5]<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">We now continue my list of musical discoveries of 2010. Enjoy!<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA04M-4QvrjsSSnedeP1fXt7MJKhe61DpONdonm-hIs4hNTFS9dKY_vWy9y_paF9nZoaW79l5mvO-J7lazzhOtZ1eXbc99ouER4lm6Gegm-FiDAXen6vdwcN1m09TJ9DNweIoBbQ/s1600/Rattlesnakes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA04M-4QvrjsSSnedeP1fXt7MJKhe61DpONdonm-hIs4hNTFS9dKY_vWy9y_paF9nZoaW79l5mvO-J7lazzhOtZ1eXbc99ouER4lm6Gegm-FiDAXen6vdwcN1m09TJ9DNweIoBbQ/s320/Rattlesnakes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561110543345022066" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Rattlesnakes</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I mentioned in the first post that this list wasn't in any sort of order, but if I was to order this list, this would most definitely be my album of the year. I haven't gotten as excited about an album since I first heard <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold fact</span> by Rodriguez.<br /><br />I first heard about this album when I read in a review that the Camera <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Obscura</span> song <span style="font-style: italic;">Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken</span> was an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_song">answer song</a> to <span style="font-style: italic;">Are you ready to be heartbroken?</span> from this album. I started reading reviews about <span style="font-style: italic;">Rattlesnakes</span> and the acclaim that I read quickly let me to add it to my list of albums to pick up (check out the reviews on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rattlesnakes-Lloyd-Cole/dp/B00000DR8R">Amazon</a> where there isn't a single rating of less than 5 stars).<br /><br />Released in 1984, this is a definitive "lost classic" album which deserves to be heard by anyone with even a passing interest in good music. I would compare the sound of this album most to 2 bands - The Smiths and The Go-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Betweens</span>. The melodies are gorgeous (get a let of that guitar riff on <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlotte street</span>, or the chorus of <span style="font-style: italic;">Down on mission street</span>) and the vocal performances are spot on (<span style="font-style: italic;">Patience</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rattlesnakes</span>).<br /><br />The lyrics are literary in the same vein as Robert Forster, injected with lots of pop-culture references (<span style="font-style: italic;">She looks like Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront</span> / <span style="font-style: italic;">She reads Simone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">de</span> Beauvoir in her American circumstance</span>) and wit (<span style="font-style: italic;">She's got cheekbones like geometry and eyes like sin / And she's sexually enlightened by Cosmopolitan</span>). It looks pretentious on paper, but like some of Jarvis <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Cocker's</span> best material, Lloyd Cole has the talents to pull it off to perfection.<br /><br />A shamelessly flawless album which is recommended to anyone with ears.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiWPgB95u_5M2gx2PvQxhQQ7NuHivYmdMFwUl07biXVCTrecESn-dxDSL3YSC62NzYMYPqe8VJIlP68qzmz8oRnbUGMNFLNRfHdz6WaMs7rTpVTO4UDc0b84sVbViRImyX0ONZA/s1600/Doughboy+hollow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiWPgB95u_5M2gx2PvQxhQQ7NuHivYmdMFwUl07biXVCTrecESn-dxDSL3YSC62NzYMYPqe8VJIlP68qzmz8oRnbUGMNFLNRfHdz6WaMs7rTpVTO4UDc0b84sVbViRImyX0ONZA/s320/Doughboy+hollow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561109180147509826" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Died Pretty - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Doughboy</span> Hollow</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Australian alternative rock band Died Pretty formed in 1983 in Sydney. Led by the charismatic vocalist Ron <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Peno</span>, this album from 1991 (the year that grunge broke) is often considered to be their finest effort. I first read about this album in a magazine where various Australian musicians were asked to name their favourite Australian albums, and this album was mentioned a few times.<br /><br />Equal parts atmospheric ballads (<span style="font-style: italic;">Doused</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Turn your head</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The love song</span>), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">anthemic</span> rockers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Sweetheart, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Godbless</span></span>) and melodic pop numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">D.C.</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Stop myself</span>) -- this is an eclectic yet cohesive album which isn't too far removed from the music that R.E.M. were making in the late 80s and early 90s (when they transitioned to the Warner Brothers label).<br /><br />The core of their sound is a combination of the chiming guitar of Brett Myers and powerful vocals of Ron <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Peno</span>. It's a filler-free and well-sequenced album which deserves a place in the great Australian albums hall of fame.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh-KI4pLV2CeCrzeOZ-u-deMai7ERjZs6Kq3gbLuORAjQdc8Xy9R86mUX6V2lJTCPpqFXuE_P-S_5BDOQ4I6qbgfgBGVy7m_uhlHN9co0qKeui6_rznZCp8DSB5azJ2BA60YpZg/s1600/25+o%2527clock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh-KI4pLV2CeCrzeOZ-u-deMai7ERjZs6Kq3gbLuORAjQdc8Xy9R86mUX6V2lJTCPpqFXuE_P-S_5BDOQ4I6qbgfgBGVy7m_uhlHN9co0qKeui6_rznZCp8DSB5azJ2BA60YpZg/s320/25+o%2527clock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561109175913631826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dukes of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Stratosphear</span> - Chips From The Chocolate Fireball</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chips from the chocolate fireball</span> is a compilation of the 1985 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">EP</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">25 O'clock</span> (pictured above) and 1987 album <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Psonic</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">psunspot</span></span> released by The Dukes of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Stratosphear</span> in 1987. The Dukes of Stratosphere was a pseudonym for the British post-punk/pastoral-pop band <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">XTC</span>, who were probably best known for their hit singles <span style="font-style: italic;">Senses working overtime</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Making plans for Nigel</span>.<br /><br />When this album was released, it was never revealed who the Dukes of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Stratosphear</span> were, and only those with keen detective skills (and a good ear) figured out that it a cheeky little side project of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">XTC</span>. It was a clever piece of musical marketing; just like the Beatles had done 20 years earlier with <span style="font-style: italic;">Sgt Peppers</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">XTC</span> had re-invented themselves by pretending to be a completely different band. What was the most pleasant surprise was the exceptional quality of all of the material on this compilation, with many of the songs being <span style="font-style: italic;">better</span> than some of the "real" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">XTC</span> songs.<br /><br />It was a detour sonically, allowing Andy Partridge and co. to experiment with the sounds of late 60s psychedelia. Most of the songs wear their influences proudly, from Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd (<span style="font-style: italic;">Bike ride to the moon</span>), <span style="font-style: italic;">Nuggets</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">esque</span> rockers (<span style="font-style: italic;">25 O'clock</span>), cockney Small Faces-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">esque</span> pop (<span style="font-style: italic;">Have you seen Jackie?</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Albert Brown</span>) and of course post-<span style="font-style: italic;">Revolver</span> Beatles (almost everything).<br /><br />The absolute highlight is saved until last with the gorgeous <span style="font-style: italic;">Pale and precious</span>, one of their many tributes to the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys circa <span style="font-style: italic;">Pet sounds</span>. It's a stunning piece of work and possibly their finest 5 minutes.<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1zmO3LQag2n9sPVeuC9NevGf4GpW7eNmJX7HbxNgcHQi8CXv37c3QL2A0WNJC1R-BqLv7em1fcRDimsPWGri1CEOIOMT5xUCIVFDCU3rSLpYfVayzj8u57FpeqwozZQV3Cdd9A/s1600/Bootleg+series%252C+Vols.+1-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1zmO3LQag2n9sPVeuC9NevGf4GpW7eNmJX7HbxNgcHQi8CXv37c3QL2A0WNJC1R-BqLv7em1fcRDimsPWGri1CEOIOMT5xUCIVFDCU3rSLpYfVayzj8u57FpeqwozZQV3Cdd9A/s320/Bootleg+series%252C+Vols.+1-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561109169466399202" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (1961-1991)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This classic compilation has been on my list of box sets to buy for a long time, and it took the Australian dollar reaching a long-term peak for me to finally decide to pick it up on eBay. I'm not sure what I can say about this compilation that hasn't already been said many times ad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">nauseum</span>, but I'll say it again. If you consider yourself a Bob Dylan fan, and only have his studio albums, you ain't heard nothing yet. There are songs on here which are not only some of Mr Zimmerman's finest, but some of the finest songs released in the past 50 years.<br /><br />The 58 songs on this 3 CD set include material from a span of just under 30 years, from his youthful <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">folkie</span> days of the early 60s, through to his classic mid-60s <span style="font-style: italic;">Highway 61</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">revisited</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Blonde</span> on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">blonde</span> </span>era, his mid-70s <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood on the tracks </span>era, and his "born again Christian" era of the late-70s and early 80s. It's a fascinating collection, documenting his growth as a musician and a songwriter, and his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">unwillingness</span> to sit still or confine himself to a particular genre of music<br /><br />There are outstanding folk songs (<span style="font-style: italic;">He was a friend of mine</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">No more auction block</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Let me die in my footsteps</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Who killed Davey Moore?</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Moonshiner</span>), most of which are better than some of the material released on his first 4 albums.<br /><br />There are interesting experiments like the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">surreal</span> spoken word poem<span style="font-style: italic;"> Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie</span> and funny instrumental <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Suze</span> (The cough song)</span> where Bob breaks down in a coughing fit at the end of the song.<br /><br />There are also the original versions of some of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood on the tracks</span> songs, before Dylan decided to re-record them with new musicians. And there are some delightfully catchy outtakes like the <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Blonde</span> on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">blonde</span></span> era <span style="font-style: italic;">She's your lover now</span> and live <span style="font-style: italic;">Seven days</span> which will probably edge their way into your top 20 Dylan songs.<br /><br />I haven't even mentioned <span style="font-style: italic;">Blind Willie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">McTell</span>, </span>an absolute highlight of this set: a haunting ballad which for some bizarre reason Dylan didn't include on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Infidels</span> album, an album which was not devoid of filler. This compilation is a dusty collection of hidden gems that you find locked away in the attic; I look forward to discovering and re-discovering these songs for many years to come.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh69aixppBFpBZYSKqFv0ov0Jy_CkSmpoIFxzFvpwzfQiX13jPpVspMWyfD6Z6GQaCu_TkKPAyqV3NCrrLih4l-YUN7zyU6LdjYq7EplltoS5yAapADM3-8DR4ESQIjmFIc5F9Bg/s1600/Fleet+foxes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh69aixppBFpBZYSKqFv0ov0Jy_CkSmpoIFxzFvpwzfQiX13jPpVspMWyfD6Z6GQaCu_TkKPAyqV3NCrrLih4l-YUN7zyU6LdjYq7EplltoS5yAapADM3-8DR4ESQIjmFIc5F9Bg/s320/Fleet+foxes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561109166350741410" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes</span><br /></div><br />Critics raved about this album when it came out in 2008. I'm getting much more cynical of hype as I get older, and I figured that it would be one of those "flavour of the month" albums that would get old pretty quickly. I finally picked it up when I was in London in late 2009, and it has been an album which has stood the test of time well for me.<br /><br />Sure, they are not the most original or inventive band around, and in fairness they should probably be donating half of their royalties to Brian Wilson. But what their music lacks in originality it makes up for in passion and talent, and they pull off the baroque pop sound better than most other bands in recent memory.<br /><br />Highlights include the gloriously epic <span style="font-style: italic;">White winter hymnal</span>, the beautifully understated ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">Tiger mountain peasant song</span> and the gorgeously addictive <span style="font-style: italic;">He doesn't know why</span>. There are little magic moments throughout, like the change halfway through <span style="font-style: italic;">Ragged wood</span> which turns it into a completely different song. A highly recommend album.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-13399984298181026492011-01-11T13:24:00.007+11:002011-01-13T17:33:53.718+11:002010: A Year In Music [Part 1 of 5]In <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/search/label/end-of-year">previous years</a>, my end-of-year ramblings were epic affairs where I discussed my favourite albums and songs of the year, my musical discoveries of the year and a re-evaluation of the previous year.<br /><br />I only purchased two albums from 2010 - <span style="font-style: italic;">Shadows </span>by Teenage Fanclub and <span style="font-style: italic;">Teen dream</span> by Beach House. Lists of two aren't fun for anyone, so let's cut to the chase, and where my passion for music lies these days. I'm living in the past, man. Here were my choice aural discoveries of 2010 (sorted alphabetically, because orders are so arbitrary). It will be spread over 5 posts to ensure you don't get musical indigestion.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI-ffhvFP1r1vsStB-hT42kJW7rAOZPdOtuH_wiPXCtb_Uv4QfUezRAyfGvOA6yXl-YYht-b_naiMJaJlWwFQ4yx7hyPJvmQ3oW2aKeZ3m5CBrxuh2hKSpY36viVHFajHntJR5w/s1600/Back+in+black.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI-ffhvFP1r1vsStB-hT42kJW7rAOZPdOtuH_wiPXCtb_Uv4QfUezRAyfGvOA6yXl-YYht-b_naiMJaJlWwFQ4yx7hyPJvmQ3oW2aKeZ3m5CBrxuh2hKSpY36viVHFajHntJR5w/s320/Back+in+black.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560366674187358882" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AC/DC - Back In Black</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A few people will laugh at seeing the epitome of cock-rock in my list. A former workmate asked me a few years ago whether I had any AC/DC in my collection, and I informed him that they were a band I was yet to get into. This was the first album released after the death of original frontman Bon Scott, and I'm sure this choice will annoy the purists who say that replacement Brian Johnson was no match for the late singer.<br /><br />There's no doubt that this is an adrenaline charged rock album with all the power riffage, misogynist lyrics and melodies that you need to get your blood pumping. Other than the more well known songs (<span style="font-style: italic;">You shook me all night long</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Back in black</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Rock and roll ain't noise pollution</span>) there are some lesser-known classics like <span style="font-style: italic;">Have a drink on me</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Shake a leg</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Shoot to thrill</span> which make this an incredibly solid rock album.<br /></div></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5d865J5vuGhVYOMjJz7hDDJfRQnWG0sUhcLDndOP1gL0CxhQ2Ipv8b3w3m-0ovzyOwCvR7iPBLmfLtADZDyTwbLMelQRPvd_06UB0UgRVwwHbV0res_qpWkGl4VuSetZav3_dA/s1600/Crying+light.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5d865J5vuGhVYOMjJz7hDDJfRQnWG0sUhcLDndOP1gL0CxhQ2Ipv8b3w3m-0ovzyOwCvR7iPBLmfLtADZDyTwbLMelQRPvd_06UB0UgRVwwHbV0res_qpWkGl4VuSetZav3_dA/s320/Crying+light.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560366676539142994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Antony & The Johnsons - The Crying Light</span><br /></div><br />Long time readers of this blog may or may not remember that this band's 2005 album <span style="font-style: italic;">I am a bird now</span> was my <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2005/12/2005-year-in-music-part-4-top-10.html">#1 album of 2005</a>, as well as taking pride of place in my <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-50-favourite-albums-of-2000s-4.html">top 5 albums the 2000s</a>. I had since picked up their debut (self-titled) album, which was also excellent but didn't quite reach the heights of <span style="font-style: italic;">I am a bird now</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The crying light</span> was released in early 2009, and it has been on my list for a while to get. In 2010 I finally picked it up, and I am very impressed with it. Where <span style="font-style: italic;">I am a bird now</span> was quite a diverse album (mainly due to the presence of several guest vocalists), what <span style="font-style: italic;">The crying light</span> lacks in diversity it makes up for in subtle and cohesive beauty. Antony's haunting vibrato is one of my favourite instruments in recent memory, and he is able to convey so much emotion with his enunciation and phrasing.<br /><br />From the stunning opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Hey eyes are underneath the ground</span>, the playful <span style="font-style: italic;">Kiss my name</span>, the eco-epic <span style="font-style: italic;">Another world</span> and gorgeous closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Everglade</span>, this is an album which deserves your respect and time. Challenging, yet oddly accessible.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY6JlZLczUowU90RGGUk2MIttJUoaxeze1V_q_JMlayMWhCIldJ3YdmS-E4LkeoGoNCddpMyU0G5E2OBBfG8LXBxLr6htez6HfWmyCG2Tzr8xLtKtLjbSF5j-hKABt1PuHTj8Tg/s1600/Since+I+left+you.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY6JlZLczUowU90RGGUk2MIttJUoaxeze1V_q_JMlayMWhCIldJ3YdmS-E4LkeoGoNCddpMyU0G5E2OBBfG8LXBxLr6htez6HfWmyCG2Tzr8xLtKtLjbSF5j-hKABt1PuHTj8Tg/s320/Since+I+left+you.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560366682290246082" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Avalanches - Since I Left You</span><br /></div><br />This album by the Australian electronic dance collective was only released 11 years ago but is now considered a classic Australian album. Electronica, techno and dance is not generally "my bag baby" but after this album was featured on the excellent <a href="http://classicalbums.libsyn.com/_17_five_leaves_left_since_i_left_you">Classic Albums Podcast</a>, I was convinced to pick it up. After all, these were two guys who generally reviewed indie, rock and pop music, but they also referred to this album as a masterpiece.<br /><br />I'm glad I picked it up, because this was a wonderful addition to my music collection. A patchwork quilt of samples, sounds, melodies, beats and atmosphere; this is an album to get lost in. The tracks segue into each other until they no longer stand out as individual moments but as chapters in a never ending party. Yes, it's an album that needs to be listened to from start to finish, but there are also some gorgeous standouts: the opening title track sets the scene (with a great Madonna sample thrown in for good measure), <span style="font-style: italic;">Frontier psychiatrist</span> is a piece of melodic sampling genius (crazy in the coconut?) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Two hearts in 3/4 time</span> is a mesmerising chill-out number.<br /><br />Just like <span style="font-style: italic;">Kind of blue </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">It takes a nation of millions to hold us back</span> did for the jazz and hip-hop genres, this is an electronic album for people who don't generally like electronic music. A stunning musical achievement: but how can they follow it up?<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3-gEaTe-q-VR86ymjuwACF8wsaUCOS5I8MpPVc_AmHxmgXXO2WAm_7yvKareBjyzta9pEVI6NJKQu4EnUbzijS_CQCN08HwzsLWKr9wux8TgrAC8bPdZOfLcTvwGrFd3t6Yj6Q/s1600/Today%2521.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3-gEaTe-q-VR86ymjuwACF8wsaUCOS5I8MpPVc_AmHxmgXXO2WAm_7yvKareBjyzta9pEVI6NJKQu4EnUbzijS_CQCN08HwzsLWKr9wux8TgrAC8bPdZOfLcTvwGrFd3t6Yj6Q/s320/Today%2521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560366687642306674" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Beach Boys - Today!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span>The</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span>Beach Boys</span><span style="font-style: italic;">' </span><span>1966</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span>masterpiece</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Pet sound</span><span>s</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>is rightly considered to be one of the best albums ever released. They also have some other great albums released in the late 60s and early 70s which are worth exploring, like <span style="font-style: italic;">Friends</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunflower</span> (please check them out if you haven't yet).<br /><br />Like many people, I was falsely under the impression that <span style="font-style: italic;">Pet sounds</span> seemed to come out of nowhere and most of their pre-1966 material was the cheesy surf music which tends to dominate the radio, giving the false impression that they were a bit of a novelty band. But like their friends across the Atlantic (The Beatles), The Beach Boys demonstrated a steady artistic progression during the mid 60s which hinted the way towards their masterwork.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Today!</span> album was released in 1965 and demonstrated Brian Wilson making huge artistic strides in both his songwriting and production talents. The first half of the album has some great individual moments like <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't hurt my little sister</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">When I grow up (to be a man</span>) and the non-single version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Help me, Ronda</span> (note the omission of the 'h' which was added to the single version). The two "dance" songs on the first half (<span style="font-style: italic;">Do you wanna dance?</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dance, dance, dance</span>) don't sound too different from some of their earlier material, but most of the other songs have a sense of maturity and progression.<br /><br />It's the second half of the album that provides the signpost towards <span style="font-style: italic;">Pet sounds</span> - a stunning, gorgeously melodic suite of harmony laded love ballads with tinges of sadness and longing. The harmonies are exceptional and it all adds up to a eargasmic side of music.<br /><br /><span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfQxKM2HYgL2-g6Tq1tym3VrXLFafaQCddrjYpvq-VsABJPrl2pQ7K6OcT4APnh5Cijh3i9LOz5PPt4C6Afk6I1U0wvoL4XtUEuS2QJQ7lU8yQxhyphenhyphen9isMR0PRn6QNfc1tbc1Bcw/s1600/Running+on+empty.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfQxKM2HYgL2-g6Tq1tym3VrXLFafaQCddrjYpvq-VsABJPrl2pQ7K6OcT4APnh5Cijh3i9LOz5PPt4C6Afk6I1U0wvoL4XtUEuS2QJQ7lU8yQxhyphenhyphen9isMR0PRn6QNfc1tbc1Bcw/s320/Running+on+empty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560366689592938418" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson Browne - Running On Empty</span></div> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span>You would probably have to be living under a rock to not know the title track from this album. Just turn your radio dial to an oldies station and you would be guaranteed to hear it within the hour.<br /><br />I had one other Jackson Browne album before this one -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Late from the sky</span> -- an album which has some beautiful moments but didn't quite gel to a complete album for me. I decided to pick up this album when I did a bit of research about it, and I found several fans and critics refer to it as a "classic road album" in the same vein as <span style="font-style: italic;">Rattle & hum</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">New adventures in hi-fi</span>.<br /><br />I can't think of a better phrase for describing this album than this. From the scene-setting opening title track, themes of travel and being on the road permeate every sound and lyric of this excellent record. Most of the songs were recorded in hotel rooms, backstage in concerts and live on stage; the sound, production and vibe of the album are perfectly suited to the lyrical themes of travel, groupies, drugs, roadies and being far away from home.<br /><br />One of the things I love about the album is those little touches -- how <span style="font-style: italic;">The road</span> transitions seamlessly from a lo-fi hotel recording to a live recording, those wonderful harmonies during the chorus of <span style="font-style: italic;">Shaky town </span>(courtesy of Danny Kortchmar) and the seamless segue between the roadie tribute <span style="font-style: italic;">The load out</span> and the closing sing-along <span style="font-style: italic;">Stay</span>. This is an album which isn't afraid to get a bit of dirt under its fingernails.<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-69174015283692254742010-12-20T12:17:00.000+11:002010-12-20T14:31:03.471+11:00Oh Captain, My Captain: Captain Beefheart 1941-2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOue9xK1Hx6kDVismCMBvlnbfHZ9Pf7b2ddt6AxcIsG1JjCVxEtGp44YlnFh-YOVNxtDQNGeFKOMaU6gEYfRR0um137d_EaSUGiiPlCe-d0-d0xkrAsipcAUIa3V7rMKN2EYyluQ/s1600/Beefheart.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOue9xK1Hx6kDVismCMBvlnbfHZ9Pf7b2ddt6AxcIsG1JjCVxEtGp44YlnFh-YOVNxtDQNGeFKOMaU6gEYfRR0um137d_EaSUGiiPlCe-d0-d0xkrAsipcAUIa3V7rMKN2EYyluQ/s320/Beefheart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552601447840222162" border="0" /></a><br />I was saddened to open up the Pitchfork web page on Saturday afternoon and see the headline at the top: "R.I.P. Captain Beefheart". It was accompanied by a sad photo of the Captain from his (now) final 1982 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Ice cream for crow</span>. <p class="MsoPlainText">I first stumbled upon the music of the eccentric Don Van Vliet (the Captain's real name) after reading an interview with Simpsons creator Matt Groening, who named the 1969 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Trout Mask Replica</span> as his favourite record of all time.<span style=""> </span>Being a long time Simpsons fan, I respected the opinion of Matt Groening, so I sampled a few songs like <span style="font-style: italic;">Ella Guru</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dachau Blues</span> from <span style="font-style: italic;">Trout Mask Replica</span>.<span style=""> </span>It was a little while later that I purchased the album, and to this day it remains one of the strangest and most enigmatic 78 minutes of music in my extensive collection.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText">I have since picked up many more of his albums: <span style="font-style: italic;">Safe as Milk</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Strictly Personal</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Spotlight Kid</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Clear Spot</span>.<span style=""> </span>While they are all much more "normal sounding" than <span style="font-style: italic;">Trout Mask Replica</span>, this term is used very relatively.<span style=""> </span>They are all avant-garde blues-rock creations that helped pave the way for much musical experimention and boundary-pushing in the decades to follow.<span style=""> </span>If it weren't for the work of Van Vliet, Tom Waits may not have made the dramatic (and much needed) stylistic u-turn in 1983 when he released <span style="font-style: italic;">Swordfishtrombones</span>.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Rest in peace, Captain Beefheart.<span style=""> </span>May the dust blow forward, 'n the dust blow back.<br /></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yjZDhPqdcdA?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yjZDhPqdcdA?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText">"Moonlight on Vermont" (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Trout mask replica</span>)<br /></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sF9rZoN_-DU?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sF9rZoN_-DU?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText">"Big Eyed Beans From Venus" (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Clear spot</span>)<br /></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mz3WJ1l1dNM?fs=1&hl=en_GB"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mz3WJ1l1dNM?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />"Yellow Brick Road" (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Safe as milk</span>)<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-82410560744764623072010-11-25T12:46:00.000+11:002010-11-25T12:46:29.797+11:00Manic Street Preachers gig [20th November 2010 @ The Forum]<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWbYWxLp1z1PQH0aupS9nIwr3td6SrpxbgKo6KPrzOdD0bvRa-8gCoo_R8mO6RT33mjmR0-_FD32CM-wOCl5xp6cFQRCJa6oZU3sS1nYcT-ErMUI0gpVKPFd5O6MtuFqmY1J-XQ/s1600/IMG_6392.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWbYWxLp1z1PQH0aupS9nIwr3td6SrpxbgKo6KPrzOdD0bvRa-8gCoo_R8mO6RT33mjmR0-_FD32CM-wOCl5xp6cFQRCJa6oZU3sS1nYcT-ErMUI0gpVKPFd5O6MtuFqmY1J-XQ/s320/IMG_6392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542719682077628386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >James Dean Bradfield in the heat of the moment</span><br /></div><br />I last saw Welsh alternative rockers Manic Street Preachers back in 1999 at the Prince of Wales in St. Kilda, for their <span style="font-style: italic;">This is my truth tell me yours</span> tour. At the time I only had two of their albums -- the highly underrated <span style="font-style: italic;">This is my truth</span> (1998) and anthemic post-Richey classic<span style="font-style: italic;"> Everything must go</span> (1996). This made that a gig of two halves for me; the recent songs that I knew and loved, and the older songs which the die-hard fans were screaming over, but I hadn't heard.<br /><br />This time I had all of their albums bar their latest, <span style="font-style: italic;">Postcards from a young man</span>, which I have listened to but have yet to purchase. It was also at The Forum in Flinders Street, my favourite gig venue as I have stated many times on this blog.<br /><br />I met up with my mate Pete, his brothers and work-mate at the venue after leaving early from a bucks night which I was attending. I had consumed a few ales at the bucks night, so this was the first gig in what seemed like a long time that I attended in a less-than-sober state.<br /><br />We missed the support act, and shortly after 9pm the Manics took to the stage. Opening with one of their Richey-era anthems, <span style="font-style: italic;">You love us</span>, they covered a very diverse section of songs from most of their 10 albums released over a 19-year span. There were old-skool fan favourites like <span style="font-style: italic;">Motorcycle emptiness, Faster</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Motown junk</span>, some now mid-career classics like <span style="font-style: italic;">If you tolerate this</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The everlasting</span> and a few surprises like <span style="font-style: italic;">Suicide is painless </span>(a.k.a. the theme song from <span style="font-style: italic;">MASH</span>, albeit with lyrics).<br /><br />Vocalist/guitarist James Dean Bradfield chatted a little with the audience between songs, but it was the flamboyant bassist Nicky Wire who stole the show, returning to the stage part-way through the gig wearing what appeared to be a pink skirt, sailor hat and a shite-load of make-up. He clearly deserves the title of the most camp heterosexual musician in the world.<br /><br />The biggest disappointment for me was that they didn't play a single song from their superb 2009 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal for plague lovers</span>. Easily their most impressive album of the 2000s, it would have been great to hear a bit of <span style="font-style: italic;">Jackie Collins existential question time</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Virginia state epileptic colony</span>, but alas it was not to be. They didn't play any songs from their more synth-heavy 2004 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Lifeblood</span>, but that didn't bother me so much.<br /><br />Closing the set with their sing-along 1996 anthem <span style="font-style: italic;">A design for life</span>, Bradfield and co. farewelled the Melbourne audience. Like fellow Welsh statesmen <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Furry Animals</span>, and legendary English metalheads <span style="font-style: italic;">Spinal Tap</span>, the Manics don't believe in encores. Which suited me quite well; my prior over-consumption of beer wasn't sitting very well, and the fresh air outside the Forum was just was the doctor ordered.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bootleg media</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIEFn0pzZ43TIYMdyr8WztkAhV9M4M4UsT0wKalStZEzAGl5uK2kLhEJWFk6l8U5pi5REPTzSSQynbncVYsFvdD0ENQA-ekcnZ6jd-rGu7FctmfnyWntuhfN2I5oU4rPp-x2gYw/s1600/IMG_6393.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIEFn0pzZ43TIYMdyr8WztkAhV9M4M4UsT0wKalStZEzAGl5uK2kLhEJWFk6l8U5pi5REPTzSSQynbncVYsFvdD0ENQA-ekcnZ6jd-rGu7FctmfnyWntuhfN2I5oU4rPp-x2gYw/s320/IMG_6393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542719839387554706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Nicky Wire before his costume change<br /><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98j-u_s0cKRAPnD_jTA9ESsqqq1eLMw8-rBDykIV4Bhx28-4S5rAXAtjqNk3RTzgSg0jVCOq5Cfcj8JAgpPjrFwcRYo3P6Nd6rku2GgZt0ZEBj6gfXpCEz0o8wA2nm0-RxX1zVw/s1600/IMG_6396.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98j-u_s0cKRAPnD_jTA9ESsqqq1eLMw8-rBDykIV4Bhx28-4S5rAXAtjqNk3RTzgSg0jVCOq5Cfcj8JAgpPjrFwcRYo3P6Nd6rku2GgZt0ZEBj6gfXpCEz0o8wA2nm0-RxX1zVw/s320/IMG_6396.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542719980195917234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >All aboard...Nicky Wire after his costume change<br /><br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O40U7rgTqME?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O40U7rgTqME?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />Performance of one of their early 90s classics, "Motorcycle emptiness"<br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-79203303795207387972010-07-16T10:28:00.000+10:002010-07-16T10:28:33.721+10:00RIP: Pete Quaife 1943-2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kdkUxPf2wMV6WZhyVjHmBOpgyXbf_9gCOvgeixnvIXxfzTtvh3kYEUkn2VDLZuCNWV71IbklZPlgVid-a0FDF0gO-p5UFkgaISoU7L4ett7vP9cLs1_EHtRwb8YhTcXBHShamw/s1600/Pete+Quaife.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kdkUxPf2wMV6WZhyVjHmBOpgyXbf_9gCOvgeixnvIXxfzTtvh3kYEUkn2VDLZuCNWV71IbklZPlgVid-a0FDF0gO-p5UFkgaISoU7L4ett7vP9cLs1_EHtRwb8YhTcXBHShamw/s320/Pete+Quaife.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494291083025542866" border="0" /></a><br />[<span style="font-weight: bold;">Hardly breaking news</span>]: Pete Quaife, the original bassist for British invasion band The Kinks, passed away last month at the age of 66. This makes him the first of the original four band members (including Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory) to no longer be with us.<br /><br />The Kinks formed in 1964 and first hit the charts with their classic rock song <span style="font-style: italic;">You really got me</span>. Over the remainder of the decade they demonstrated tremendous musical evolution not unlike their contemporaries, a little known Liverpool act known as The Beatles.<br /><br />They released several fine conceptual albums in the late 60s and early 70s -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Face to face</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Something else</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Village green preservation society</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Arthur </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Lola</span>. Their 1971 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Muswell hillbillies </span>is my personal favourite, an underrated and lost classic which you should definitely pick up if you get a chance.<br /><br />At the core The Kinks were a very singles-dominated band and picking up one of their many singles compilations is the best way to get into them. From the power chords of <span style="font-style: italic;">All day and all of the night</span>, the wry character portraits of <span style="font-style: italic;">Well respected man</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dedicated follower of fashion</span>, the gorgeous story-telling of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunny afternoon</span> and the perfect pop of <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead end street </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Lola</span>, they left a remarkable legacy on the British musical landscape.<br /><br />Their work influenced countless bands in subsequent decades, and they were in many ways the Godfathers of Britpop.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Pete.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-39970812738146947042010-05-08T22:59:00.001+10:002010-05-08T23:12:53.947+10:00Wilco gig [5th May 2010 @ The Forum]<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnAJNq-HVkc9KyPXClQDy1JCw3dXpMiPtRD8PFHNeT54GBB5XdegFnggtg9YABlLD-YNsDditdui0Ne_WyIrSX9ihotvUyq5iqkEozbQVFnjH_h-6OFz-c2shoAGXyc1fgOICCw/s1600/IMG_5066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnAJNq-HVkc9KyPXClQDy1JCw3dXpMiPtRD8PFHNeT54GBB5XdegFnggtg9YABlLD-YNsDditdui0Ne_WyIrSX9ihotvUyq5iqkEozbQVFnjH_h-6OFz-c2shoAGXyc1fgOICCw/s320/IMG_5066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468877659931895890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Jeff Tweedy in action</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">[<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo courtesy of MarkP</span>]</span><br /></div><br />American alternative rock band Wilco last played in Australia a few years back, touring for their <span style="font-style: italic;">Sky blue sky</span> album. At the time I had decided to give the gig a miss, a decision which I regretted when some of my other gig mates went along and subsequently raved about their live performance. When I heard recently that not only were Wilco returning to Melbourne, but they were playing at The Forum (easily my favourite musical venue) it was an opportunity too good to pass up.<br /><br />A few days before the gig my mate Mark informed fellow gig mate Matt and myself that there was going to be even better "bang for the buck" because Liam Finn was supporting Wilco. Regularly observant readers may remember that I named his 2007 debut album <span style="font-style: italic;">I'll be lightning</span> as one of my <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-50-favourite-albums-of-2000s-10-6.html">favourite albums of the 2000s</a>. Needless to say, I was very pleased when I heard that he would be playing support.<br /><br />While Liam had quite a reputation for rocking out in his live performances, I don't think anyone was expecting the utterly <span style="font-style: italic;">surreal</span> performance of his act that night. While I usually gloss over the support act in my gig reviews, his set <span style="font-style: italic;">almost</span> overshadowed the night for me.<br /><br />It deserves a review of its own.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Liam Finn</span><br /><br />Liam's set opened with a couple of songs from <span style="font-style: italic;">I'll be lightning</span> -- the beautiful ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">Fire in your belly</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Better to be</span>. While the former was played in a fairly conventional acoustic fashion, for the latter he used a device which I hadn't seen before. He basically played the rhythm guitar part and then activated a machine to loop the same part continuously. This gave him the rhythmic foundation of the song (necessary since he was playing alone), allowing him to overlay the sound with lead guitar noodling and improvisation.<br /><br />He had some strange mannerisms while playing guitar, sometimes closing his eyes like he was in pain or having a seizure. There was something a bit David Helfgott about it all.<br /><br />After playing a couple more songs (<span style="font-style: italic;">On your side<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>and<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Remember when</span>), the set all got much weirder. He told the audience a story about a man (Connan Hosford) who he has met in New Zealand as a "wandering spirit". Connan had lived with Liam for a while, sleeping in his bed because "it was the only place he could" (although the impression was that their relationship was platonic). Then Liam invited Connan to come on the stage to perform in a few songs, and we were introduced to him as a sleight, youthful and fairly shy man with wavy blonde hair and an almost child-like demeanour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FCzNfavlNHPIL9SsIbyOoVoIZdZ_jquccVhpx-sHZ2gktNVfdU_BIA809rykJl5Wcz8WJHMUnkchJBhSMl_eZwc20p3Dbf9YII9Cw0TowXG_UNZaf-7-Zs3Jy_yPND4JGg5qQw/s1600/IMG_5061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FCzNfavlNHPIL9SsIbyOoVoIZdZ_jquccVhpx-sHZ2gktNVfdU_BIA809rykJl5Wcz8WJHMUnkchJBhSMl_eZwc20p3Dbf9YII9Cw0TowXG_UNZaf-7-Zs3Jy_yPND4JGg5qQw/s320/IMG_5061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468878155293665202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Liam Finn and Connan Hosford</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo courtesy of MarkP</span>]</span><br /></div><br />Liam told the audience about how Connan and himself had co-written a song in tribute to actor Leonardo DiCaprio called <span style="font-style: italic;">Leo</span>, and they performed this on stage. Liam sung the bizarre song with his normal voice, with Connan singing in a high falsetto, performing some strange vocal tricks by using his finger to vibrate his larynx. It was a bizarre display, with many audience members including me finding it all very amusing. When Connan finally did speak, he appeared to have a fairly normal voice.<br /><br />Connan stayed on stage for the remainder of the set, providing the high backing vocals for the title track from <span style="font-style: italic;">I'll be lightning</span>. Apparently Connan co-wrote the song with Liam and performed backing vocals on the studio version. It was interesting making the connection between the vocals on the studio version and this man on stage.<br /><br />When he wasn't singing, Connan was dancing really awkwardly to the music. He appeared to be very nervous, but overall he came across as a bit of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bez_%28dancer%29">Bez</a> (of Happy Mondays fame). The set list ended with a cover of Devo's song <span style="font-style: italic;">Gut feeling</span>, where Liam Finn went off with the help of a mini joystick-shaped theremin.<br /><br />It was one of the most memorable supports acts I have ever seen; I wish all support acts were this interesting live. I would definitely see him live again if I had the chance.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wilco</span><br /><br />Now who was I here to see again? That's right -- Wilco! Shortly after Liam left the stage, an announcement in a semi-computerised voice came over the PA system instructing fans not to take photos or video. Then Wilco took to the stage to the cheers of the already hyped-up crowd.<br /><br />Wilco (the band) opened with <span style="font-style: italic;">Wilco (The song)</span> from their most recent studio release <span style="font-style: italic;">Wilco (The album)</span>. Could there be an any more appropriate opening song? While the song is a bit of a throwaway, they managed to turn it into the perfect signature song to introduce all of the members of the band. They shone a spotlight on each band member in turn, stating their name; at the end it was all capped off with a single word: <span style="font-style: italic;">Wilco</span>. It was an incredibly effective way to open the gig, showing that the band had a great sense of humour and showmanship.<br /><br />The first half of the gig consisted mostly of songs from their last 4 studio albums, the albums where they moved away from their alt-country roots to embrace more alternative influences (although admittedly their last 2 albums were a return to a more conventional sound). Highlights of this part of the set included the beautiful <span style="font-style: italic;">Muzzle of bees</span>, the dynamic <span style="font-style: italic;">At least that's what you said</span> and the epic <span style="font-style: italic;">Handshake drugs</span> (which worked much better in a live setting for me).<br /><br />But the climax of the first half was undoubtedly the awesome <span style="font-style: italic;">Impossible Germany</span>, where lead guitar virtuoso Nels Cline, Jeff Tweedy and the youthful <span class="fn">looking Pat Sansone jammed like it was going out of fashion. It was an incredible display of interplay and duelling guitar, and it rawked the house down.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkTSVPp4eB0RKdB36Ne9LUsv_ggZORESS5cmB09RF_JFFgJf8kmmDVy7uyyC5IQKPCZHTT-l5nHN6Lj4woSs7sIUA-1CXLNzsy-CFDVe_qfly9cBnxYmMVbHTJEHy9iOX0SziJA/s1600/IMG_5067.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkTSVPp4eB0RKdB36Ne9LUsv_ggZORESS5cmB09RF_JFFgJf8kmmDVy7uyyC5IQKPCZHTT-l5nHN6Lj4woSs7sIUA-1CXLNzsy-CFDVe_qfly9cBnxYmMVbHTJEHy9iOX0SziJA/s320/IMG_5067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468878835724293906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Jeff Tweedy and Pat Sansone trading guitar licks during "Impossible Germany"</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo courtesy of MarkP</span>]</span><br /></div><br />The second half of the gig began when bassist John Stirratt took to the microphone to sing the beautiful country song <span style="font-style: italic;">It's just that simple</span> from their debut <span style="font-style: italic;">A.M.</span> While this is (as far as I know) the only song on any of their studio albums not sung by Jeff Tweedy, I wasn't aware that the singer of that song was still in the band. It was a surprise inclusion in the set list.<br /><br />The majority of the second half of the gig consisted of material from their albums prior to their breakthrough <span style="font-style: italic;">Yankee hotel foxtrot</span>, and music from this era had a much more of a country feel to it. Their performance of <span style="font-style: italic;">Via chicago</span> from <span style="font-style: italic;">Summerteeth</span> was nothing short of amazing, where the mellow verses suddenly disappeared in blasts of dissonance and feedback while Jeff Tweedy and the backing vocalists continued singing as if it was business as usual. It was a sight (and sound) to behold.<br /><br />The beautiful ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">Jesus etc.</span> provided a chance for the audience to participate, where Jeff Tweedy encouraged everyone to sing along. The crowd definitely did the song proud, singing most of lyrics correctly and rarely missing a beat. I was actually a little disappointed that I didn't get to hear Jeff sing more of the song; he only came in with his vocals in the last verse.<br /><br />They finished their set with a duo of rockers from their 2nd (double) album <span style="font-style: italic;">Being there</span> -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Monday</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Outtasite (outta mind)</span>. When they returned to stage for an encore, they played a duo from their 2004 album <span style="font-style: italic;">A ghost is born</span> -- <span style="font-style: italic;">The late greats </span>and the live favourite rocker <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm a wheel,</span> which concluded the gig on a very positive note.<br /><br />They played for about 2 1/2 hours, and my overall impression of the band can be summed up by two words: <span style="font-style: italic;">class act</span>. They are such consummate professionals who are masters at what they do, and they do nothing short of rocking your socks off when they play live. It was such a pleasure to see such professional musicians performing; they are true entertainers.<br /><br />Jeff Tweedy is an incredibly charismatic frontman, coming across as a guy you would like to have a beer and a chat with. He engaged the audience throughout the gig, taking requests for songs, telling stories and joking around; but never forgetting that you were there to rock and/or roll.<br /><br />There are so many pretenders out there, but Wilco perform like a classic 70s rock act, and are (together with <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-morning-jacket-gig-27th-january-2009.html">My Morning Jacket</a>) one of the best examples of bands I have seen who are able to capture the spirit of that bygone era.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bootleg media<br /><br /></span>I made a mistake of taking my camera out too early, during the Liam Finn set. A security guard tapped me on the shoulder and kindly told me that photography was not permitted. After that, I was too scared to bring the camera out again (figuring that since he had given me a warning, he had a valid reason to kick me out or confiscate my camera if he caught me again).<br /><br />Since my friend Mark hadn't been warned, he was courageously able to take photos during the remainder of the gig (when the crowds were bigger and there was less chance of being caught). Thank you to Mark for all of the photos throughout the blog post. Here's a few more.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTW0qob2QylCUTzrHw_2HISr-KRNoNpofIvOAFGDhEREzx_D4ZPq8hH3S-xSJHFx4zaDOVqHy7YngM4KsqVr-ffXVcR2IBA10n9lhie7yMXL9x7lVDErItGEYqv9uvyfDoC99lEg/s1600/IMG_5070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTW0qob2QylCUTzrHw_2HISr-KRNoNpofIvOAFGDhEREzx_D4ZPq8hH3S-xSJHFx4zaDOVqHy7YngM4KsqVr-ffXVcR2IBA10n9lhie7yMXL9x7lVDErItGEYqv9uvyfDoC99lEg/s320/IMG_5070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468879212988809474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Is that you on the left Nigel Tufnel? No it's just Nels Cline.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo courtesy of MarkP</span>]<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4ADCVkXWfmtLR-_3efcIPcZpgTDL-kJYsHmVSkOo087Zh5t9fp0zCt45thH0QouMKVrhOu5ax2ejIi35lRwKpBaELMkKRZXhloaCPXfS9PuYPzR5NjhIKLYOOsiwwQkHq7Vx2Q/s1600/IMG_5071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4ADCVkXWfmtLR-_3efcIPcZpgTDL-kJYsHmVSkOo087Zh5t9fp0zCt45thH0QouMKVrhOu5ax2ejIi35lRwKpBaELMkKRZXhloaCPXfS9PuYPzR5NjhIKLYOOsiwwQkHq7Vx2Q/s320/IMG_5071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468879513645921570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Drummer Glenn Kotche going off</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo courtesy of MarkP</span>]</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-83234126999301177972010-05-04T13:27:00.001+10:002010-05-04T14:06:20.409+10:00Spoon gig [30th April 2010 @ Billboard]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizz8Wk9KvES4bYtAuHgaYhhnkB9Jdn_DRv-JY_jL_t1uLlYNN13iuqTEyTKqh7LyGtdxJdBOJGjWoYEBczSkVqGjnfiMqHxi1wIIBkXL9qcAiHAoalQsUc799VIyB8eRACA4pppQ/s1600/IMG_5902.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizz8Wk9KvES4bYtAuHgaYhhnkB9Jdn_DRv-JY_jL_t1uLlYNN13iuqTEyTKqh7LyGtdxJdBOJGjWoYEBczSkVqGjnfiMqHxi1wIIBkXL9qcAiHAoalQsUc799VIyB8eRACA4pppQ/s320/IMG_5902.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467244471988551890" border="0" /></a><br />Indie band Spoon (who hail from Austin, Texas) are one of my favourite bands from the last decade. Despite getting into them quite late (when I bought their 5th album <span style="font-style: italic;">Gimme fiction</span> in late 2005), I have since purchased most of their albums. It didn't take long for their unique breed of minimal piano-driven rock/pop to get under my skin. With a back catalogue of 7 albums and several EPS, they had a plethora of excellent material to populate a solid set list, and I eagerly awaited the gig.<br /><br />Taking to the stage with very little fanfare, they opened with the slow burner <span style="font-style: italic;">Before destruction</span>, the opening track from their latest album <span style="font-style: italic;">Transference</span>. Their set covered a vast spectrum of their back catalogue, with bias towards their last album and its predecessor <span style="font-style: italic;">Ga ga ga ga ga</span> (their commercial and arguably artistic peak).<br /><br />Highlights throughout the set included a groovy rendition of <span style="font-style: italic;">Me and the bean</span> (a cover of a song by Austin band The Sidehackers, included on their <span style="font-style: italic;">Girls can tell</span> album), beautiful ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">I summon you</span> and the Motown pastiche of <span style="font-style: italic;">You got yr. cherry bomb</span>. The crowd seemed to respond best to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Ga ga ga ga ga</span> material; a great cross-section of that album was included, from the anthemic <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't make me a target</span>, atmospheric <span style="font-style: italic;">The ghost of you lingers</span> and groovy numbers <span style="font-style: italic;">Rhthm & soul </span>[sic] and <span style="font-style: italic;">The underdog</span>.<br /><br />There weren't too many surprises in the song line-up, but front-man Britt Daniel introduced one song as "a Wolf Parade song" before launching into an admirable cover of <span style="font-style: italic;">Modern world</span> from their <span style="font-style: italic;">Apologies to Queen Mary</span> album. <span style="font-style: italic;">Stay don't go </span>(from <span style="font-style: italic;">Kill the moonlight</span>) was also nice to hear, sans the beat-boxing which is integral to the rhythm of the studio version.<br /><br />Unfortunately Britt Daniel appeared to have a few voice issues, apologising on several occasions and asking the audience if he sounded a bit hoarse. Many of the songs were punctuated with bursts of feedback during the peaks and fade-outs; initially I thought that these were accidents, but my gig mate Matt believed that maybe they were done on purpose to hide his limited vocal range. I certainly didn't think they added anything to the music, so hopefully he was just having an off-night. The sound quality wasn't great in general, but that's probably a criticism directed more at the venue (and possibly sound engineer) than the band.<br /><br />No songs were played from <span style="font-style: italic;">A series of sneaks</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Metal detektor</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Metal school</span> would have gone down particular well), and the selection from <span style="font-style: italic;">Girls can tell</span> was also quite lean (the poppy <span style="font-style: italic;">Everything hits at once</span> and down-tempo <span style="font-style: italic;">1020 AM</span> would have added a bit more variety to the set list). But the biggest disappointment of the night was not getting to hear <span style="font-style: italic;">The way we get by</span> live; not only is it my favourite Spoon song, but it's one of my <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/08/top-100-favourite-songs-of-all-time_28.html">favourite songs of all time</a>.<br /><br />Britt Daniel's stage presence at times reminded me of the late Ian Curtis, front-man for the influential post-punk band Joy Division. I'm not sure if it was the almost-robotic way in which he carried himself, but it was especially apparent when he ended the gig after epic finale <span style="font-style: italic;">Written in reverse</span>; he said goodbye to the audience and just dropped the microphone from the height at which he was holding it. It just seemed like something Ian Curtis would have done.<br /><br />Overall it was a respectable gig, but one marred by technical issues and a (slightly) disappointing set list. Maybe I've just been spoilt by <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/09/augie-march-gig-29th-august-2009-forum.html">other</a> <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-morning-jacket-gig-27th-january-2009.html">excellent</a> gigs from recent memory.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bootleg media</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHUq-nM5uiUeNQFpN6hYpp2vA5s0Tbv7qOWH-WtYbjKzGSQSYTBPTPy9d1OqXijYuy63IgHCJYrpHMxrLe2RnEbeXz0PIEbYHBH3u6L8jdQ6N0HbzHRWoIMJHXAxc1goacmK_gA/s1600/IMG_5895.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHUq-nM5uiUeNQFpN6hYpp2vA5s0Tbv7qOWH-WtYbjKzGSQSYTBPTPy9d1OqXijYuy63IgHCJYrpHMxrLe2RnEbeXz0PIEbYHBH3u6L8jdQ6N0HbzHRWoIMJHXAxc1goacmK_gA/s320/IMG_5895.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467252922881166050" border="0" /></a>Britt doing his best "Joe Strummer" impersonation.<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB5nkw1qdU83-Vgb3v8tV_8YTQ2-kyzWkwf4331r37ZOeW5iUxEzvyex5OF31ETiNxRgzt8SKQHjhM2pIcFFDd16aC_EUOcVvjNC2Cy03OAHFBIVlcTc7YYsDmtcxWXArDPkjYA/s1600/IMG_5903.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB5nkw1qdU83-Vgb3v8tV_8YTQ2-kyzWkwf4331r37ZOeW5iUxEzvyex5OF31ETiNxRgzt8SKQHjhM2pIcFFDd16aC_EUOcVvjNC2Cy03OAHFBIVlcTc7YYsDmtcxWXArDPkjYA/s320/IMG_5903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467253003351492786" border="0" /></a>Britt strumming away.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zdDddtkTneg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zdDddtkTneg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /><br />Performance of <span style="font-style: italic;">I summon you </span>from their <span style="font-style: italic;">Gimme fiction </span>album.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-37293826895892570992010-04-02T16:05:00.010+11:002010-04-02T16:21:34.566+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [1]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsApKquIcVlSYPvVgwy4E8GxVTEGehHVh3o_NZuOjJSOp7b6BTKv0_451pajNjK3ZehBaeM9l3cy73CWe7msADMBoH8vHLYloYVTRRS4h3l7bfPpwonl2vFcqozoI9PYu5ljnsg/s1600/SunsetStudies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsApKquIcVlSYPvVgwy4E8GxVTEGehHVh3o_NZuOjJSOp7b6BTKv0_451pajNjK3ZehBaeM9l3cy73CWe7msADMBoH8vHLYloYVTRRS4h3l7bfPpwonl2vFcqozoI9PYu5ljnsg/s320/SunsetStudies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455101219796206594" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Augie March - Sunset Studies (2000)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Augie March formed in 1996 in Shepparton, a country town almost 200km north of Melbourne. They released a few EPs in the late 90s, the patchy <span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks for the memes </span>(1998) and the excellent <span style="font-style: italic;">Waltz</span> (1999) which included their early hit <span style="font-style: italic;">Asleep in perfection</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Waltz</span> was a very accomplished EP which has held up very well over 10 years later, with several of the songs (<span style="font-style: italic;">Rich girl</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The mothball</span>) still part of their live setlist.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Waltz</span> was a delicious appetiser, but I wonder how many were expecting the sumptuous banquet that Augie March unleashed on their full-length debut album <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunset studies</span>. You don't even have to hear a note of the album to realise that you are dealing with something very special here; just look at the elegant cover art and a flick through the tasteful booklet. It is a labour of love.<br /><br />Epic opener <span style="font-style: italic;">The hole in your roof</span> takes its time with a very long, droning fade-in before vocalist Glenn Richards enters the scene: "<span style="font-style: italic;">What do the men say / To the women when they lay down at night / All naked of arms from the old imagined flight</span>?<span style="font-style: italic;">".</span> This was the first Augie March album I bought, and the combination of Richards' ethereal vocals, deeply enigmatic lyrics and the slow-burning intro piqued my interest on the first listen. The song is an exercise in tension and release, building to a stunning climax near the end of its 7 minutes.<br /><br />Follow up <span style="font-style: italic;">Maroondah reservoir</span> opens with more Glenn Richards poetry "<span style="font-style: italic;">To be / A bee, a moth / Four wings spread for the soft last touch of glory sun</span>" before latching on to an amazing melody that sounds unlike anything you have ever heard before, but will have you humming it after only one listen. It is one of the few songs on the album that loosely fits within the constaints of the tradition verse/chorus structure which most popular music feels the need to be bound to. Most of the songs are quite happy to meander and wander, dancing around the ebb and flow of Richards' remarkable poetry and streams of consciousness.<br /><br />While most of the music here is progressive and boundary-pushing, there are a few accessible anchors to keep the listener grounded on those all too important initial listens. There's the heart-breaking piano ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">There's no such place</span>, featuring the late Rob Dawson on backing vocals and piano. There is the lyrically dense <span style="font-style: italic;">The offer</span>, which despite breaking the fourth wall on a few occasions ("<span style="font-style: italic;">This is a song, not like the other ones</span>") turns out to be one of the catchiest songs they have ever released. <span style="font-style: italic;">Asleep in perfection</span> is also included despite its presence on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Waltz</span> EP, but it fits in perfectly amongst its peers.<br /><br />Then there's the slow burners which didn't blow me away on the first listen, but after a few listens they became some of my favourite moments. The stunning ballad <span style="font-style: italic;">Tulip</span> and the pastoral folk of <span style="font-style: italic;">The good gardener</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(on how he fell)</span> both start off as fairly subdued affairs before reaching transcendent climaxes. The cinematic title track, with its aristocratic imagery ("<span style="font-style: italic;">You are the queen of the dustbowl / Ex to a crier in a town of ashes</span>") will hit you on the 4th listen, I promise you. The inner voice in your head will say "I'm not worthy!" while you try to keep those goose-bumps under control.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sunset studies</span> is a very long album at 76 minutes, and I think the best way to manage it is to abstract it into an album of 3 parts:<br /><br />Part 1 (<span style="font-style: italic;">The hole in the roof</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Tasman awakens</span>) introduces the various facets of their sound -- slow burning epics, melody, groove, beauty and finally the folk of <span style="font-style: italic;">Tasman awakens</span>.<br /><br />Part 2 <span style="font-style: italic;">(</span><span style="font-style: italic;">Believe me</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Heartbeat and sails</span><span>)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span>sees</span> them branching out in odd directions, from the sample-driven interlude of <span style="font-style: italic;">Believe me</span>, the old school folk of <span style="font-style: italic;">Men who follow spring the planet 'round</span>, and the odd and haunting drone of <span style="font-style: italic;">Angels of the bowling green</span> (which seemed like 5 minutes of filler until I realised how lyrically macabre it was).<br /><br />Part 3 (<span style="font-style: italic;">The offer</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Owen's lament</span>) ends the album on a more accessible note with four very melodic songs, before the stupendous closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Owen's lament</span> shoots the album into the stratosphere. This is one of <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/08/top-100-favourite-songs-of-all-time_28.html">my favourite songs of all time</a>, and after more than 20 listens I am still blown away by it every time I hear it. It is musical perfection, and mirrors the epic opening track in how aptly it bookends the album.<br /><br />Their follow-up <span style="font-style: italic;">Strange bird</span> (2002) was a perfect sequel, fully deserving of its <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-50-favourite-albums-of-2000s-3.html">high placement</a> in this list. Trying to choose between the two albums was incredibly difficult, as they both mean a lot to me. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunset studies</span> just edged its way to the top because it was the album which introduced me to their music (thanks for the recommendation Pete); for that reason it will always hold a special place in my heart.<br /><br />I bought this album during a time of my life when I was getting into a lot of new, exciting music, and it helped to create a life-long obsession for me. It is one of the albums which made me realise that music didn't have to be immediate or formulaic to be engaging. It made me realise that looks can be deceiving and the rewards are there to be reaped if you put in the time and effort to let a work of art reveal itself to you. It is the antithesis to what I <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2008/12/loudness-war-or-how-i-learned-to-stop.html">dislike so much</a> about a lot of <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-50-favourite-albums-of-2000s-1.html">modern music</a>.<br /><br />It is my favourite album of the 2000s.<br /><br /><hr><br />Here's a statistical breakdown of my top 50:<br /><br /><table border="1"><tr><td><b>Country</b></td><td><b># albums</b></td></tr><tr><td>United States</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>England</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>Australia</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>Canada</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Wales</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>New Zealand</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Sweden</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Scotland</td><td>1</td></tr></table><br /><table border="1"><tr><td><b>Year</b></td><td><b># albums</b></td></tr><tr><td>2002</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>2001</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>2003</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>2000</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2005</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2007</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2004</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>2006</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>2008</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>2009</td><td>1</td></tr></table><br />My biggest surprise here was that the majority of albums were by American musicians. I have always considered myself a fan of primarily British music, but even when I total the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales) and Ireland counts it still falls short of the American total.<br /><br />I am not surprised that 2002 was the best year of the decade -- I once gave it the coveted title of the <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2005/08/top-10-years-for-album-releases-1_15.html">best year for album releases</a> many moons ago. However, I was surprised that 2005 and 2007 (both great years for music) didn't appear higher in the list. I'm definitely not surprised that the last couple of years didn't appear much in the list, as I definitely curbed my purchasing of new releases over the past few years.<br /><br />Thanks for reading my top 50 albums of the 2000s.<br /><br />You can read the previous posts in the series <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/search/label/best-of-2000s">here</a>.<br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-76031623094678545592010-04-01T08:30:00.001+11:002010-04-02T16:06:32.244+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [1]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAMQIZppf3Spm8-tHesazyzaWwn5OZxQ4Adjj-xva1mCdsVZvzyFdGRhb2ceED4jDGoY-cjtcUW_bJWovdGrga3aOegCfgetbLwyps-bjRsKmi_YNsCg7LoSQT-gTL5xSXrO0Mg/s1600/ozidol.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAMQIZppf3Spm8-tHesazyzaWwn5OZxQ4Adjj-xva1mCdsVZvzyFdGRhb2ceED4jDGoY-cjtcUW_bJWovdGrga3aOegCfgetbLwyps-bjRsKmi_YNsCg7LoSQT-gTL5xSXrO0Mg/s320/ozidol.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454610789656163522" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Australian Idol - The Final 13 (2005)<sup>1</sup></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I realised when I started to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">pre</span>-compile my list of the top 50 albums of the 2000s that it was an incredibly difficult task. "Albums of the decade" lists are a dime-a-dozen, and I really wanted my list to stand out amongst the crowd. Then it hit me: most lists like this are incredibly subjective, the opinions of mere music reviewers. Maybe I could stand out from the crowd by applying some sort of <span style="font-style: italic;">science</span> to it. I knew there must be a more objective way to choose the best album of the 2000s.<br /><br />Then I had a revelation -- the reality show franchise <span style="font-style: italic;">Australian Idol</span> had already done the hard yards for me. Host James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mathison</span> (and former co-host Andrew G) said in almost every episode "It's time to vote Australia" or "Australia has voted". Australia's population (which currently stands at about 22 million) is a pretty large sample size. Could the population of Australia help me choose the album of the decade?<br /><br />At the end of each season of Australian Idol, the winner releases an album in time for the Christmas buying season. They also release a compilation of songs recorded by <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of the contestants who made it to the finals. By definition, each year includes 10-13 finalists who are the <span style="font-style: italic;">best</span> musicians in the country. That means all I had to do was pick the best season in Australian Idol history, and the album (or compilation) of the decade falls right into my lap. Take that, Pitchfork!<br /><br />Picking my favourite year for Australian Idol was a tough decision. Should I go for season 1, which introduced <span style="font-style: italic;">both</span> Guy "Like a virgin" Sebastian and Shannon "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Nollsy</span>" Noll to the world? It was a very tempting choice, as the compilation also included the legendary Rob "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Millsy</span>" Mills singing a version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Dirty girl</span>, which one can only assume was dedicated to his flame at the time Paris Hilton (who broke his heart when she stopped returning his phone calls).<br /><br />Season 2 was also a contender; not only did it introduce the pint-sized Anthony <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Callea</span> and the prolific winner Casey Donovan to the world, but in a strange self-propagating twist, it also found a future co-host for the show in Ricki-Lee <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Coulter</span> when James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Mathison</span> decided to quit the show recently. Take that, space-time continuum!<br /><br />In the end, I had to go with season 3 from 2005. Just like the classic animated sitcom <span style="font-style: italic;">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Simpsons</span></span>, the Australian Idol franchise reached its inevitable peak in this season. While you could argue that the young Bendigo lass Kate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">DeAraugo</span> was the major contributor to this (whose take on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">bogan</span> chic was as patriotic as you could get), we must not discount the talents of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">über</span>-polished Daniel Spillane, who managed to suck all of the testosterone out the classic AC/DC rocker <span style="font-style: italic;">T.N.T. </span>to allow him to grow that little tuft of hair on his chin. And who can forget the young rocker Lola Forsip, whose rendition of The Who's <span style="font-style: italic;">Won't get fooled again</span> scored a touchdown from judge Mark Holden?<br /><br />Season 3 was also the first season that resident bad-boy Kyle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sandilands</span> appeared as a judge, replacing Ian "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Dicko</span>" Dickson, who decided that food interested him more than music when he became the host of <span style="font-style: italic;">My restaurant rules</span>. While <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Dicko</span> was a music mogul from way back, Kyle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Sandilands</span> was dating Tamara <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Jaber</span> from reality show band <span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Scandal'us</span> (formerly known as <span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Bardot</span>), which immediately gave him the credentials to judge and criticise music.<br /><br />Anyone who made it to the top 13 (and hence this CD) had to pass through the Kyle filter, and while it was an incredibly gruelling task, he ensured that any of the girls who were carrying a bit too much "baggage" were quickly dismissed from the show. After all, we didn't want those "tuck shop lady arms" getting in the way of the musical performances.<br /><br />But what really elevates season 3 all of the other seasons is the talent of one very special person.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqII5cKWFGNTbTpyOkNVtEY5JgZD66kK_wcrlh4S1ZoCnImS664EHu6RUjDdp5ZgyA1fkNyZJDhCY_vCHU3e9dvm7_YJLvYTN2tEDYHsDidS6AelCfNrNQ6C6bndjX6ZckLslqw/s1600/leeharding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqII5cKWFGNTbTpyOkNVtEY5JgZD66kK_wcrlh4S1ZoCnImS664EHu6RUjDdp5ZgyA1fkNyZJDhCY_vCHU3e9dvm7_YJLvYTN2tEDYHsDidS6AelCfNrNQ6C6bndjX6ZckLslqw/s320/leeharding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454765932733518306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Lee Harding</span>.<br /><br />Come on people, this is a guy who wore a T-shirt of the US punk band <span style="font-style: italic;">The Misfits</span> without having any idea who they were. He also wore a pair of <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Mötley</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Crüe</span></span> shoes despite the fact that he could hardly name any of their songs. Step aside Iggy, the real Godfather of punk is right here.<br /><br />Unfortunately some of his detractors have accused him of being a sellout bubblegum punk, a try-hard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">emo</span> kid who wants to take the quickest possible road to fame. But isn't his behaviour as <span style="font-style: italic;">punk</span> as it really gets? The original punk philosophy was about distancing yourself from the mainstream and the bombastic excesses of stadium rock. So what better way to show your punk credentials than appearing on a reality show? Surely 10,000 screaming and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">texting</span> 12 year old girls cannot be wrong. Stick it to the man!<br /><br />While many Australian musicians are taking the slow road to fame by playing the pub circuit, writing their own songs and actually dedicating their lives to music, the top 13 performers represented on this CD provide the <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> heartbeat of the Australian music scene.<br /><br />It's my patriotic choice for the best album of the 2000s.<br /><br /><hr /><sup>1</sup><span style="font-size:85%;">In case you're wondering why I have created a new post with a new number 1 album, you may want to take note of the date of this post.</span><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-80086380294406722632010-03-30T11:54:00.001+11:002010-03-30T11:57:14.842+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [2]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0m2RguR7ZyOYBydzQaWj75vRzykeQhRFSEhXrsFEnBTgiRQmvzBgTKJo9S4_idv8G2CgJDL-MaF-KSXqNQL3FLIu8ItXckCWUlF0w6WBcgTV0eWHxKfB1yPMJjj-cp_9r0rFaoA/s1600/Hour+of+bewilderbeast.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0m2RguR7ZyOYBydzQaWj75vRzykeQhRFSEhXrsFEnBTgiRQmvzBgTKJo9S4_idv8G2CgJDL-MaF-KSXqNQL3FLIu8ItXckCWUlF0w6WBcgTV0eWHxKfB1yPMJjj-cp_9r0rFaoA/s320/Hour+of+bewilderbeast.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453866681203148146" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast (2000)</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />While compiling this top 50, I noticed that there were quite a few <span style="font-style: italic;">debut</span> albums on the list which the respective artist or band was never able to top. This album is a prime example; while Badly Drawn Boy (a.k.a. Manchester singer-songwriter Damon Gough) has released some respectable music since his debut, nothing has even been in the same league as this experimental and multi-faceted masterpiece.<br /><br />I first read about this album in the UK music magazine <span style="font-style: italic;">Q</span>. They had one of those full-page advertorials about this album, with a picture of the cover and several quotes from rave reviews. I remember initially being really impressed with the album cover, an eye-catching homage to Leonardo da Vinci's <span style="font-style: italic;">Vitruvian man</span>.<br /><br />Since I had never heard any of his music before, I listened to a sample from Amazon -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Once around the block </span>-- which I thought was pretty catchy and oddly reminded me of Jamiroquai (I guess there's a vague resemblance in its white-boy funk melody).<br /><br />I decided to pick the album up, and while I don't remember it blowing me away immediately, I knew that there was a lot of promise beneath its restless diversity that it wore so proudly. Some songs were immediate (<span style="font-style: italic;">Once around the block</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Disillusion</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Pissing in the wind</span>), but most of the songs revealed their charms slowly over repeated listens. Eventually, hidden gems like the subtle jazzy melody of <span style="font-style: italic;">Stone on the water</span> got underneath my skin. Further listens revealed other favourites.<br /><br />As great as most of the songs are on an individual level, it probably wouldn't be the masterpiece that it is without the conceptual unity that ties all of the songs together into an oddly cohesive long-player. There's the "water trilogy" of <span style="font-style: italic;">Fall in a river</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Camping next to water</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Stone on the water</span>. There's the gorgeous instrumental interludes <span style="font-style: italic;">(Bewilder</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Bewilderbeast, Blistered heart</span>) which act as a form of delectable musical glue that binds the album together.<br /><br />Then there's those little surprises in the deep crevices of the album: the hidden song at the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">Cause a rockslide</span>, the splash at the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">Fall in a river</span> (boom tish) and the trippy stereophonic panning of <span style="font-style: italic;">This song </span>(which I love despite the subtle feeling of nausea it gives me). Not all of the experiments work (I could have lived without the 45 second interlude that is <span style="font-style: italic;">Body rap</span>), but you have to take your hat off to the sheer <span style="font-style: italic;">audacity</span> on display here.<br /><br />There's also a conceptual lyrical arc that runs over the course of the hour-long album, beginning with the infatuation of <span style="font-style: italic;">The shining</span> ("<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm dying...to put a bit of sunshine in your life"</span>) and concluding with the regretful melancholy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Epitaph</span> ("<span style="font-style: italic;">Please...don't leave me</span>"). A lot of the other songs hint at feelings which are felt during an intense love affair, from the lust of <span style="font-style: italic;">Everybody's stalking</span>, the romanticism of <span style="font-style: italic;">Magic in the air</span> and the giddy confusion of <span style="font-style: italic;">Disillusion</span>.<br /><br />A diverse mosaic of sounds, textures and moods, <span style="font-style: italic;">The hour of bewilderbeast</span> is an anarchic labour of love from the incredibly fertile and imaginative mind of Damon Gough. Like a Jackson Pollock painting, he threw all of his musical ideas at a blank canvas and ended up with a work of art. A decade on, one can look at it as a creative master-stroke from a very talented musician who probably reached his creative peak way too soon.<br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-37843731589033629062010-03-26T13:37:00.002+11:002010-03-26T13:41:29.132+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [3]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLINReuKWVblCdPgUOsTR6PpcLv9mqxnJCQgB8VCpoZzbo6lVRtpjLSxteSW3zgm_Wdtf6WFwFiN2X5QzkrSz1MMHCUatiCShu7hWyT9GqIlHjHTsw3cS7_xuS3ujJO18HOgy2FQ/s1600-h/Strange+bird.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLINReuKWVblCdPgUOsTR6PpcLv9mqxnJCQgB8VCpoZzbo6lVRtpjLSxteSW3zgm_Wdtf6WFwFiN2X5QzkrSz1MMHCUatiCShu7hWyT9GqIlHjHTsw3cS7_xuS3ujJO18HOgy2FQ/s320/Strange+bird.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452021652020470082" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />3. Augie March - Strange Bird (2002)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The transition that Melbourne band Augie March made between their debut album <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunset studies</span> and this one was akin to Dorothy's entrance into the land of Oz. The same characters were there -- lead singer Glenn Richard's poetic lyrics, his unique vocal delivery, and the stunning musical chops of the other band members -- it was just a little bit more <span style="font-style: italic;">colourful</span>.<br /><br />While <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunset studies </span>was an organically mellow affair, <span style="font-style: italic;">Strange bird</span> doesn't mind straying beyond those stylistic boundaries, following their muse to see where they end up. From the baroque pop of lead single <span style="font-style: italic;">The vineyard</span>, the raucous hoe-down of <span style="font-style: italic;">This train will be taking no passengers</span> (which wouldn't sound out of place on a <span style="font-style: italic;">Pogues</span> album), the brass-inflected <span style="font-style: italic;">Little wonder</span> and the lo-fi folk of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sunstroke house</span> -- there isn't a wasted moment to be found on this hour-long album. It is a tour de force of musical styles and sounds that fit together seamlessly into a cohesive whole.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Strange bird</span> also includes some darkness and shade with rockier moments (<span style="font-style: italic;">Song in the key of chance</span>), brief but beautiful musical interludes (<span style="font-style: italic;">O mi sol li lon</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Up the hill and down</span>), avant-garde experiments (<span style="font-style: italic;">O song</span>) and wide-screen epics (the perfection of <span style="font-style: italic;">Brundisium</span> which may just be their finest moment). There's also a thematic thread throughout the record, with a few songs referencing "strange birds" or bird-related imagery in the lyrics.<br /><br />While the whole band demonstrate their talent on every track, there's no doubt that front man Glenn Richards is the star of the show; his deeply enigmatic lyrics and versatile vocal style (ranging from a mournful croon in <span style="font-style: italic;">This night is a blackbird</span> to the scream of "<span style="font-style: italic;">Train!</span>" at the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">This train will be taking no passengers</span>) always steal the show.<br /><br />The attention to detail in the packaging is immaculate, from the vintage feel of the album cover, to the booklet accompanying the album which is more like a poetry anthology (even including an index of the first lines of each song). The care and elegance on display here prove to me that owning a digital version of an album will <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> be able to replace the real thing when there are still bands out there who <span style="font-style: italic;">care</span> as much as these guys do.<br /><br />Augie March confirmed on this album that they are one of the greatest bands of this generation. While their follow-ups have been relative disappointments, I am hopeful they they will be able to re-ignite the spark and deliver another great album like this in the near future.<br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-12562632237066302102010-03-24T13:20:00.003+11:002010-03-24T13:30:04.419+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [4]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt6qII4tWGp0Bwkpw45NLgnLtYCosf3stc6WR0CNou8xQm3SGWGXFEKbxYFfEjXCIEPjH9JcBCyo4bZWud6fTPQgUduhOj2Th1uA536cIL4v2Uza39Bc72QGT5OCOaSpLv2ePAQ/s1600-h/I+am+a+bird+now.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt6qII4tWGp0Bwkpw45NLgnLtYCosf3stc6WR0CNou8xQm3SGWGXFEKbxYFfEjXCIEPjH9JcBCyo4bZWud6fTPQgUduhOj2Th1uA536cIL4v2Uza39Bc72QGT5OCOaSpLv2ePAQ/s320/I+am+a+bird+now.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451639439980231954" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now (2005)</span><br /></div><br />Antony and the Johnsons is primarily a vehicle for the work of Antony Hegarty, an androgynous singer-songwriter originally from England but now based in New York City. <span style="font-style: italic;">I am a bird now</span> was their second album of delightfully twisted baroque chamber music, following their self-titled album from 2000.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I am a bird now</span> is an idiosyncratic masterpiece, and one of the few albums which I have heard that deserves to be treated as a contemporary work of art. It's an album to be torn apart, analysed and re-constructed again; I am hopeful that one day art scholars will be studying it as part of their curriculum.<br /><br />Like many pieces of contemporary art, this album is not for everyone. You will probably decide within the first few seconds of the opening track whether it is for you. Antony's unique vibrato vocals are not for everyone, and if you are able to develop an appreciation for them then you are already halfway there to developing a taste for this remarkable record. If you are familiar with any of the work of jazz legend Nina Simone, you will definitely hear parallels between her vocals and Antony's.<br /><br />The music is very understated, piano-based cabaret music; as wonderfully lush and produced as it is, Antony's lyrics and delivery are the real star of the show. Lyrically heartbreaking, the album covers a gamut of emotions from fear of death (<span style="font-style: italic;">Hope there's someone</span>), being trapped in the wrong body (<span style="font-style: italic;">For today I'm a boy</span>) and emotional companionship (<span style="font-style: italic;">You are my sister</span>).<br /><br />There are a plethora of guest stars: Boy George (<span style="font-style: italic;">You are my sister</span>), Rufus Wainwright (<span style="font-style: italic;">What can I do?</span>), Lou Reed (<span style="font-style: italic;">Fistful of love</span>) and Devendra Banhart (<span style="font-style: italic;">Spiralling</span>). While one can cynically look at guest spots as cross-over opportunities, here their performances fit in seamlessly with the vision and lyrical themes of the album (in particular Boy George).<br /><br />Whilst the first half of the album spans many intertwining and depressing lyrical themes, the second half (beginning with the Rufus Wainwright vocal performance <span style="font-style: italic;">What can I do?</span>) is more hopeful. The punchy <span style="font-style: italic;">Fistful of love</span> (the most upbeat and optimistic song on the album) is punctuated by saxophone and an upbeat rhythm section, adding some much needed relief to compensate for the darkness of the other songs.<br /><br />By the time the album concludes with the brief interlude <span style="font-style: italic;">Free at last</span> and euphoric <span style="font-style: italic;">Bird gerhl</span>, you know that Antony has reached a content state of redemption and enlightenment. We don't know whether he has become completely comfortable in his own skin, or whether it's just a façade. We are just glad that he exposed his soul to us and allowed us to accompany him on this emotional journey.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-30091025012694481492010-03-22T13:37:00.002+11:002010-03-22T14:02:54.478+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [5]We are now, as <a href="http://trentini.wordpress.com/">Matt</a> kindly pointed out in the comments section of <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-50-favourite-albums-of-2000s-10-6.html">this post</a>, at the "pointy end" of the countdown. To prolong the inevitable, I will be only doing a single album per post for the top 5.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy the rest of the countdown!<br /><br /><hr /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJR_2UuKQNUpwdav_lV3ee4frEe_7r5Kl2Hph8afwqmc-ayiqE-Ueg5b_HG6X2u8N9yCy1ABJlTf3Rv2CXpraje1TXMUQNBj3loXPgd6idBSuLPTO36CgyjU112RILXeC1uE0Ug/s1600-h/Yankee+hotel+foxtrot.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJR_2UuKQNUpwdav_lV3ee4frEe_7r5Kl2Hph8afwqmc-ayiqE-Ueg5b_HG6X2u8N9yCy1ABJlTf3Rv2CXpraje1TXMUQNBj3loXPgd6idBSuLPTO36CgyjU112RILXeC1uE0Ug/s320/Yankee+hotel+foxtrot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451272585742300018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This album ticks many boxes in the as-yet-unwritten "classic albums" criterion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It was a pretty radical reinvention</span><br />If this was the first Wilco album you had heard, you would find it pretty hard to believe that they started out as an alt-country band.<br /><br />Wilco formed in 1994 from the ashes of <span style="font-style: italic;">Uncle Tupelo</span>. They had subtle progression over the course of their first 3 albums: <span style="font-style: italic;">AM</span> (1995) was as alt-country as you could get, <span style="font-style: italic;">Being there </span>(1996) was an ambitious and genre-hopping double album, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Summerteeth </span>(1999) added a lot of studio polish and overdubs to their sound (there were also a few collaborations with Billy Bragg on the excellent <span style="font-style: italic;">Mermaid avenue</span> albums).<br /><br />From the moment the surreal opener <span style="font-style: italic;">I am trying to break your heart</span> hits your speakers or earphones, you know that your ears are in for a treat. Where previous albums were at their core collections of well-written and performed "pop songs", <span style="font-style: italic;">Yankee hotel foxtrot </span><span>is</span> a multi-faceted and complex masterpiece. Each listen reveals new sounds deep in the mix, yet it is still melodic enough and remains a pleasure to go back to again and again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It was the band's best to date</span><br />Where each of their previous albums had their share of filler material, the quality level rarely dips here. There are catchy and accessible numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">War on war</span>,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Heavy metal drummer</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Pot kettle black</span>), mellow laments (<span style="font-style: italic;">Radio cure</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Reservations</span>) and even some songs which hint at their country past (<span style="font-style: italic;">Ashes of American flags </span>and the superb <span style="font-style: italic;">Jesus, etc</span>).<br /><br />There are also elements deep in the mix which constantly surprise the listener, from the titular CB radio transmission at the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">Poor places</span>, the quirky instrumentation in <span style="font-style: italic;">I am trying to break your heart</span> and the way some of the songs end abruptly in a sea of static. On the first few listens I actually thought something was wrong with my CD when this happened; I soon realised that it was intentional.<br /><br />It's the intersection of accessibility and innovation which made this album so impressive when it came out, and it still remains a compelling listen today.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Later albums couldn't match this one</span><br />I've talked briefly about their earlier albums, but this album still stands head-and-shoulders above anything they have since released. <span style="font-style: italic;">A ghost is born</span> (2004) came pretty close but sometimes got caught up in its own pretension, and <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/06/top-10-mediocre-songs-on-otherwise.html">some songs</a> were clearly big mistakes. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sky blue sky </span>(2007) was too MOR for my liking. I have only heard their latest <span style="font-style: italic;">Wilco (The album)</span> (2009) a few times and I'm not convinced it is going to give this album a run for its money.<br /><br />I will be pleasantly surprised if Wilco ever manage to top this career peak.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It had an awesome back story</span><br />To cut a long story short: their previous record label (<span style="font-style: italic;">Reprise</span>) refused to release this album when they heard it in 2001, considering it too left-field and not commercial enough. Wilco subsequently left the label, acquiring the rights to the record. After a particularly dark period (captured in the awesome documentary <span style="font-style: italic;">I am trying to break your heart</span>) they sold the distribution rights to <span style="font-style: italic;">Nonesuch </span>records.<br /><br />So why is this so interesting? The whole story is particularly amusing because both the <span style="font-style: italic;">Reprise </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Nonesuch </span>record labels are operated through the same parent label of Warner Brothers. Indirectly, Warner Brothers paid for the same album twice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jim O'Rourke</span><br />This album was co-produced to perfection by the legendary musician/producer Jim O'Rourke, who was once a member of Sonic Youth and has also released a few critically-acclaimed solo albums. I have <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2008/12/loudness-war-or-how-i-learned-to-stop.html">written before</a> about the nasty industry trend of dynamic range compression, and Jim O'Rourke is one of the few producers out there who is "keeping it real" in his production work.<br /><br />And you can hear it in the mix of this album; O'Rourke treats the music with utmost respect, allowing the instruments to breathe, maintaining the dynamics of the sound and ensuring that every recorded note remains a pleasure to listen to. O'Rourke set an incredibly high production benchmark for the decade here, which makes the downward spiral of production quality over the remainder of the decade even more difficult to handle.<br /><br />Just listen to the opening song a few times, and be prepared to notice things on the third listen that you weren't even aware of the first time around. It subtle touches like this that elevate this album from merely <span style="font-style: italic;">great</span> to one of the best of the decade.<br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-78508464433876081982010-03-18T15:13:00.002+11:002010-04-01T10:00:02.182+11:00RIP: Alex Chilton 1950-2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq31rfLnNMSCpWfhGoSF9yI6FobZ6dVAEFOlNiiHEBO-l9gkd1IUmWqxFYU-W2Iv52p9TQ1-GuO1txvhr2U3O-XauPyPiDFMHZp8m-1zvZ-bRMyGVSj4bhyzaCOAcKYr0LVLhhEQ/s1600-h/alex-chilton.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq31rfLnNMSCpWfhGoSF9yI6FobZ6dVAEFOlNiiHEBO-l9gkd1IUmWqxFYU-W2Iv52p9TQ1-GuO1txvhr2U3O-XauPyPiDFMHZp8m-1zvZ-bRMyGVSj4bhyzaCOAcKYr0LVLhhEQ/s320/alex-chilton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449819523294723266" border="0" /></a><br />Alex Chilton, former front man for 70s power-pop pioneers <span style="font-style: italic;">Big Star</span>, has died in New Orleans at the age of 59. Chilton was also well known as the vocalist for the 60s blue-eyed soul band <span style="font-style: italic;">The Box Tops</span>, whose biggest hit <span style="font-style: italic;">The letter</span> reached number 1 in the US in 1967 (when Chilton was still in his teens).<br /><br />I became a fan of Big Star in 2003 when I picked up their classic 2-for-1 album set of <span style="font-style: italic;">#1 Record</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Radio City</span>. I later picked up the dark, tortured <span style="font-style: italic;">Third/Sister Lovers</span> which was basically an Alex Chilton solo album in all but name (former member <span style="font-style: italic;">Chris Bell</span> had already left the band by this stage).<br /><br />Alex Chilton made the news in 2005 when he <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2005/09/alex-chilton-is-lost.html">went missing</a> in New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Thankfully, he was <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2005/09/alex-chilton-is-found.html">found</a> safe a few days later.<br /><br />Alex has left behind a wonderful musical legacy which has influenced countless musicians.<br /><br />RIP.<br /><br /><hr /><br />Here are a few of my favourite Big Star songs with Chilton on vocals:<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Ballad Of El Goodo</span> was included in my <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/08/top-100-favourite-songs-of-all-time.html">top 100 favourite songs of all time</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Thirteen</span> is probably their most famous song, and has been covered by <span style="font-style: italic;">Elliott Smith</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Wilco</span>, amongst others.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Blue Moon</span> is a stunning ballad from Big Star's dark final album <span style="font-style: italic;">Third/Sister Lovers</span>.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">MP3:</span> Big Star - The Ballad Of El Goodo [Link removed]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MP3:</span> Big Star - Thirteen [Link removed]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MP3:</span> Big Star - Blue Moon [Link removed]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update:</span> Song links removed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-85312461987788075012010-03-17T13:37:00.002+11:002010-03-17T19:04:20.232+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [10-6]<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6189qcYgFyH-EQdyBXL_gwsvhr8ilNinpK4pxrV5pIxPQcVv2k_B4HUk14igMC-g8RQJNgPSwjtt_ViKX_PAaHYCUx7Fu-mFvdyiCYgrAZTddMZhK461O0YXDBVOdK8JzjDhYg/s1600-h/Neon+golden.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6189qcYgFyH-EQdyBXL_gwsvhr8ilNinpK4pxrV5pIxPQcVv2k_B4HUk14igMC-g8RQJNgPSwjtt_ViKX_PAaHYCUx7Fu-mFvdyiCYgrAZTddMZhK461O0YXDBVOdK8JzjDhYg/s320/Neon+golden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449043536406233778" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Notwist</span></span> - Neon Golden (2002)</span><br /></div><br />Forming in 1989 in Bavaria, German band The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Notwist</span></span> released four albums during the 90s which evolved from a rough punk/hardcore sound into a more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">electronica</span></span> based sound by the end of the decade. <span style="font-style: italic;">Neon golden</span> was a cross-over success for them, breaking through to indie music fans (like me) who read rave reviews about it on Pitchfork Media and other influential publications.<br /><br />The sound that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Notwist</span></span> achieve on <span style="font-style: italic;">Neon golden</span> is one that I would best describe as a fusion of influential <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">synth</span></span>-pop pioneers <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kraftwerk</span></span> </span>and Stuart Murdoch, the lead singer of the legendary Glasgow band <span style="font-style: italic;">Belle & Sebastian</span> (who lead singer Markus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Acher</span></span> has an uncanny resemblance to). As accurate as this description is, I also think it's under-selling what they achieved on this remarkable album.<br /><br />Opener <span style="font-style: italic;">One step inside doesn't mean you understand</span> sets the scene perfectly with what sounds like a banjo strumming at the start, after which <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Acher's</span></span> shy subdued vocals enter the scene. It's all very minimal and intimate, and about one minute into the song the sound of what appears to be wooden blocks hitting together come into the mix, providing a very effective rhythm to the song. Organic and worn-in, it's a perfect opener: warm, inviting and innovative.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pilot</span> is one of the more upbeat and conventional songs on the album, with a consistent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">electro</span></span> beat and a fairly traditional verse/chorus structure. It's probably one of the least interesting songs on the album for me, but it's still an excellent song.<br /><br />The trilogy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Pick up the phone</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Trashing days</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">This room</span> is, to put it simply, twelve minutes of musical bliss. Each song sounds like nothing you've ever heard: all gorgeously melodic, cinematic and multi-layered. This is some of the best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">electro</span>-pop you are likely to hear.<br /><br />The second half of the album contains the eastern pastiche of the title track (which George Harrison would be proud of), the very catchy rock of <span style="font-style: italic;">One with the freaks</span>, and the stunning closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Consequence</span>, a breathtaking song with an outstanding vocal melody that makes you just want to play the album all over again. And you will.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuNiKGPkMXnXvd_YLVkm4NruhZ0528QU7gzhJ83Hj1kEZ0f-Vst_62EQl73kneAKsKz0Q3bAFzPWYk2syAjGBj5RwTnZVRdBB8LB8uoiUIwo-2wNVf4Lq-ehHKb0kDAI7Kvhn7g/s1600-h/original+pirate+material.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuNiKGPkMXnXvd_YLVkm4NruhZ0528QU7gzhJ83Hj1kEZ0f-Vst_62EQl73kneAKsKz0Q3bAFzPWYk2syAjGBj5RwTnZVRdBB8LB8uoiUIwo-2wNVf4Lq-ehHKb0kDAI7Kvhn7g/s320/original+pirate+material.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449043484633445458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />9. The Streets - Original Pirate Material (2002)</span><br /></div><br />This debut album from Mike Skinner (aka The Streets) received a lot of attention in the indie rags. I wasn't sure if its amalgamation of hip-hop, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">electronica</span> and garage was really for me as I wasn't really into these respective sub-genres. But I saw it on sale and decided to give it a go, and it was another one of those risks that I didn't regret.<br /><br />Say what you want about the music (and it <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> great); this album all comes down to the charisma of Mike Skinner. Just as Jamie Oliver made it big as a celebrity chef partly due to his personality, this album wouldn't work as well if Mike Skinner didn't let his personality shine through in every song, both in the lyrics and the delivery of them.<br /><br />You may get confused by all of the UK slang (birds, geezers) but wasn't <span style="font-style: italic;">Clockwork orange</span> still a masterpiece despite its dialogue, in a language that sounded like a cross between English and Russian?<br /><br />Every song lets us into Mike Skinner's world, from the epic call-to-arms opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Turn the page</span>, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">faux</span>-radio transmission of <span style="font-style: italic;">Has it come to this?</span>, the working class anthem <span style="font-style: italic;">Geezers need excitement</span>, the mourning (yet beautiful) break-up song <span style="font-style: italic;">It's too late</span> and the lyrical master-stroke and character study of <span style="font-style: italic;">The irony of it all</span>.<br /><br />Mike Skinner became even more ambitious on the follow-up, the concept album <span style="font-style: italic;">A grand don't come for free</span>. But in my mind he was never able to top the youthful energy, innovation and genre fusion which he achieved on this stunning piece of work; an artistic triumph which holds a well-deserved place in my top 10 albums of the decade.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfS2w4O81Jlous-8DWsmUq8RNptcRxdS2q0ACDm8GeLUCo-S4habQ0PJybZ3j8J-8O9rFGM7ieyzghAF1hmIRgE9RDSorwKJ5TQ5Nnv8pWwS9h5_VIItSOzG0VWWS3sJDE9beKEg/s1600-h/Chutes+too+narrow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfS2w4O81Jlous-8DWsmUq8RNptcRxdS2q0ACDm8GeLUCo-S4habQ0PJybZ3j8J-8O9rFGM7ieyzghAF1hmIRgE9RDSorwKJ5TQ5Nnv8pWwS9h5_VIItSOzG0VWWS3sJDE9beKEg/s320/Chutes+too+narrow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449043411834390322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />8. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (2003)</span><br /></div><br />Albuquerque band The Shins had an interesting history prior to the release of this album. They formed in 1997 as <span style="font-style: italic;">Flake </span>(later known as <span style="font-style: italic;">Flake Music</span>), releasing several <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">EPs</span> and a full-length low-fi LP <span style="font-style: italic;">When you land here, it's time to return</span> to very little acclaim. At the turn of the decade they had changed their name to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Shins</span> and signed to the famous Sub Pop label. Their debut album <span style="font-style: italic;">Oh, inverted world</span> was released in 2001, receiving excellent reviews. It was a solid debut album with moments of brilliance (<span style="font-style: italic;">New slang)</span>, mixed together with some less inspired moments.<br /><br />There was lots of anticipation for their follow-up album, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Chutes too narrow</span> was finally released in October 2003. Opinions about the album appeared to be very positive, but some fans thought that it was a relative disappointment after their debut.<br /><br />2004 was a great year for the band, appearing on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Garden State</span> soundtrack and being named-checked in the same movie by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">über</span>-babe Natalie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Portman</span> ("<span style="font-style: italic;">This band will change your life</span>"). They also had a few of their songs appear in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">emo</span>-sitcom <span style="font-style: italic;">Scrubs</span>, joining the ranks of bands like <span style="font-style: italic;">Death Cab For Cutie</span> who had been able to cross-over through similar means.<br /><br />Where <span style="font-style: italic;">Oh, inverted world</span> owed a lot to its influences (mainly late-60s psychedelia and pop, a la <span style="font-style: italic;">The Zombies</span>), <span style="font-style: italic;">Chutes too narrow</span> saw them developing their own unique style. Where <span style="font-style: italic;">Inverted</span> was often distant and obtuse, <span style="font-style: italic;">Chutes</span> was delivered in a much more direct, intimate and personal manner, even if the lyrics were still a bit cryptic at times. Many of the bells and whistles which cluttered the production of its predecessor were also stripped back, allowing James Mercer's amazingly emotive vocals to take centre stage in the mix.<br /><br />Almost every song on this album fights to be the best track on the album, from the quirky opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Kissing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">lipless</span></span> (which begins with a yelp), the baroque harmonies of <span style="font-style: italic;">Saint Simon</span>, the infectious power-pop of <span style="font-style: italic;">Fighting in a sack</span>, the intimacy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Pink bullets</span> and the country-influenced <span style="font-style: italic;">Gone for good</span>.<br /><br />My personal favourite song is <span style="font-style: italic;">Young pilgrims</span>, with its juxtaposition of deeply surreal lyrics ("<span style="font-style: italic;">There is this side of me that wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> fly the whole mess into the sea</span>"), vocal intimacy, and uncluttered instrumentation. It is an elegant composition which strips music back to first principles, and a stunning encapsulation of the "less is more" aesthetic that they achieved on the whole album.<br /><br />The length is perfect -- at 10 songs and 33 minutes, there isn't a wasted note on the album. It is sequenced like an old LP: 5 songs per side, side A running from <span style="font-style: italic;">Kissing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">lipless</span></span> to the epic closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Saint Simon</span>, and side B beginning with the corker <span style="font-style: italic;">Fighting in a sack</span> and closing with the sparse <span style="font-style: italic;">Those to come</span>. Bands and artists who cram too many mediocre songs on to a CD just because they <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> could learn a lot from what The Shins achieved on this superb album.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAdGCQjwa8ClF83SqeEV_cyfR0-nWXoUxZdn-geaw1dC7nss-oHKNPELB1660KcJGyb4YJKGSBrnbl3S58LyFViO6sK0In6DONsy-O1-6Vcxc0zhKo0KdQgkuhoH76g91TGl69Q/s1600-h/I'll+be+lightning.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAdGCQjwa8ClF83SqeEV_cyfR0-nWXoUxZdn-geaw1dC7nss-oHKNPELB1660KcJGyb4YJKGSBrnbl3S58LyFViO6sK0In6DONsy-O1-6Vcxc0zhKo0KdQgkuhoH76g91TGl69Q/s320/I'll+be+lightning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449043344236034130" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (2007)</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[This review is copied almost verbatim from a <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-year-in-music-part-2-musical.html">recent blog post</a>. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">My opinion about the album hasn't changed since I wrote that review a few months ago.]</span><br /><br />I've stated many times on this blog that I have become quite disillusioned with a lot of modern music. Which made the recent discovery of this album an even more pleasant surprise. In hindsight, I probably <span style="font-style: italic;">shouldn't</span> have been surprised. After all, his dad is none other than Neil Finn (of Crowded House and Split <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Enz</span> fame). With a musical pedigree like that, how can you go wrong?<br /><br />Released in 2007 (a great year for music), this was the debut album for the (at the time) 24-year-old Finn. It it interesting to note that 2007 was also that year that Crowded House's reunion album <span style="font-style: italic;">Time on earth</span> was released. While I do enjoy that album (it was in my <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2007/12/2007-year-in-music-part-4-top-5-albums.html">top 5 albums of 2007</a>), it has nothing on the quality of this release. Let's hope that Neil's pride in his son overshadows any jealousy that he may have that his son outdid him in the songwriting department.<br /><br />Liam wears his influences proudly on his sleeve, but mixes them up in a way which is thoroughly unique, and it never feels like mere pastiche. The influences range from Paul McCartney whimsy (<span style="font-style: italic;">Energy spent</span>), darker alcohol-influenced Elliott Smith (<span style="font-style: italic;">This place is killing me</span>) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Chutes too narrow</span> era Shins (<span style="font-style: italic;">Wise man</span>). He rocks out on occasion (<span style="font-style: italic;">Lead balloon</span>) and there's even a bit of <span style="font-style: italic;">Split <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Enz</span></span> art-rock in there (the title track which took me about 5 listens before I realised how amazing it was).<br /><br />It's all wrapped up in layers of melodic beauty which ensure that it remains grounded; other highlights include <span style="font-style: italic;">Wide awake on the voyage home</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Gather to the chapel</span>, the latter of which is apparently an ode to the late Crowded House drummer Paul Hester.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'll be lightning</span> is a three dimensional album where certain tracks jump out on first listen, while others take several listens to reveal their charms. It's one of those albums which finds a rare balance between immediacy (to lure you in) and musical depth (to keep you going back to it).<br /><br />I'm glad to say that the genius Finn gene has lived on; let's hope he can maintain this level of quality on his next full-length album.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-KoxhH4Ns1BPmIN0aWh5wvSmeaAOrzbl_9P9bwKnOOTxKwn5Z1txGaEh2Vp3V8FViq4kqRhrQK8Sm7v6IZlFnLrispfLR_5D61dn_9N3Tw7Colz052ZVXBioI_ZYl9rZoBophg/s1600-h/Lovers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-KoxhH4Ns1BPmIN0aWh5wvSmeaAOrzbl_9P9bwKnOOTxKwn5Z1txGaEh2Vp3V8FViq4kqRhrQK8Sm7v6IZlFnLrispfLR_5D61dn_9N3Tw7Colz052ZVXBioI_ZYl9rZoBophg/s320/Lovers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449043279756755522" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. The Sleepy Jackson - Lovers (2003)</span><br /></div><br />Luke Steele is now more well-known as the front-man for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">synth</span>-pop band <span style="font-style: italic;">Empire of the Sun</span>, but before forming that band in 2007, many knew him better as the main guy behind indie pop outfit The Sleepy Jackson. The Sleepy Jackson (who are still officially together) have released two full-length albums to date -- debut<span style="font-style: italic;"> Lovers</span> (2003) and the clumsily-titled follow-up<span style="font-style: italic;"> Personality - One was a spider, one was a bird </span>(2006)<span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br />Where <span style="font-style: italic;">Personality</span> is a fairly conceptual album in nature, maintaining a consistent "lush" sound throughout, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lovers</span> is more of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">hodge</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">podge</span> of musical styles, pastiches and genre experiments.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Good dancers</span> is heavily influenced by both John Lennon's <span style="font-style: italic;">#9 dream </span>and The Flaming Lips. <span style="font-style: italic;">Fill me with apples</span>, with its computerised vocal, sounds a bit like <span style="font-style: italic;">Fitter happier</span> from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Radiohead's</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">OK computer</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Rain falls for wind</span> is an 80s influenced pop song with an uplifting chorus that you'll be humming after one listen. <span style="font-style: italic;">Morning bird</span> is a lullaby sung by a young girl (!) but strangely, it works. <span style="font-style: italic;">Tell the girls that I'm not hanging out</span> is an upbeat dance number. <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't you know </span>(my favourite song on the album) is a 70s-influenced duet with a female singer which is simultaneously emotional and life-affirming in its delivery.<br /><br />I've only mentioned a handful of songs, but the rest of the album is equally diverse. Each song sounds like it could be by a different band, yet it all manages to hold together as an album; a true testament to the quirky genius of Luke Steele. Each song is a microcosm of a particular musical genre, but the passion, melody and song-writing skills on display turn each moment into a <span style="font-style: italic;">definitive</span> song of the genre.<br /><br />This is not to say that The Sleepy Jackson are merely an accomplished tribute band, as this is doing them a disservice. There are some moments on here (<span style="font-style: italic;">Acid in my heart</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">This day</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Come to this</span>) which are harder to pin-point the influences on, so lets just call them Luke Steele-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">esque</span>.<br /><br />If the aliens ever arrive and want you to make them a mix-tape of some good music released in the past decade, just give them a copy of this album. Luke Steele has already done the hard work for you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-51911129696399347802010-03-15T13:25:00.003+11:002010-03-16T16:57:37.699+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [15-11]<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55pPbzZFJk6R9Lx0ABFs3lUclX89ik4203bw_k_KEsSiM2cGE9i3YNtlNkAxE1PTZ9rSya8XcmP6vZXidImVJvxoPM4TH5hfEYIbHUC1BE2pRRzyvMWeJf9JaGpykw_W6GM_eEg/s1600-h/You+forgot+it+in+people.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55pPbzZFJk6R9Lx0ABFs3lUclX89ik4203bw_k_KEsSiM2cGE9i3YNtlNkAxE1PTZ9rSya8XcmP6vZXidImVJvxoPM4TH5hfEYIbHUC1BE2pRRzyvMWeJf9JaGpykw_W6GM_eEg/s320/You+forgot+it+in+people.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831849124880066" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People (2002)</span> </div><br />The Arcade Fire's <span style="font-style: italic;">Funeral</span> (2004) didn't blow me away as much as it did for others, and I think one of the main reasons for this was that several years earlier, the Toronto collective (with membership numbers edging close to 20, they are more than a mere <span style="font-style: italic;">band</span>) Broken Social Scene released what I consider to be one of the definitive albums of the indie-rock genre.<br /><br />A magnum opus of interwoven sounds and textures, <span style="font-style: italic;">You forgot it in people</span> mixed together elements of alt-rock, chamber pop, surf music, lounge, post-grunge and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">electronica</span></span>. They integrated all the sounds into a musical collage that was weird enough for the hipsters and elitists to enjoy, but accessible enough to cross over to music fans who stumbled across it accidentally in their travels.<br /><br />The presence of multiple vocalists turn this into an album that you will unlikely tire of, and tracks which previously seemed to be minor efforts will surprise you on subsequent listens. My personal favourite include the dynamic rocker <span style="font-style: italic;">KC accidental</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">anthemic</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Almost crimes</span>, mid-album chill-out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Looks just like the sun</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Pacific theme</span> and the stunning <span style="font-style: italic;">Lover's spit</span> which sounds like a lost <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Radiohead</span></span> B-side (and I mean that in the best possible way).<br /><br />Mediocre albums released under the banner of indie rock are a dime a dozen nowadays, and I think that the reason why most of them don't impress me is that this album already set the benchmark way too high. This is an album which is worth all of your time, and the rest.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXp7vlKAcQ-mk2-H0wjp77eH5XHnRsZWYWILSYtfQE88pNt_mF1OatcKuTxkjAnw1DyYbLji6i0dJ-gclwTHJeNc4Qs8J6Z3BGmPXUDB1gpkjTrVguudPm61dkV3T746liRsf3wA/s1600-h/Illinois.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXp7vlKAcQ-mk2-H0wjp77eH5XHnRsZWYWILSYtfQE88pNt_mF1OatcKuTxkjAnw1DyYbLji6i0dJ-gclwTHJeNc4Qs8J6Z3BGmPXUDB1gpkjTrVguudPm61dkV3T746liRsf3wA/s320/Illinois.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831776104118882" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sufjan</span></span> Stevens - Illinois (2005)</span> </div><br />The first <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sufjan</span></span> Stevens album I bought was <span style="font-style: italic;">Michigan</span>, the first release in his <span style="font-style: italic;">50 states project</span>. Some background information: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Sufjan</span></span> has the ambitious goal of releasing a concept album about every single state in the United States. I don't think he's going to follow through with it, but all I'm hoping is that he releases <span style="font-style: italic;">New York</span> before he throws the towel in.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michigan </span>didn't really blow me away. There were some beautiful songs on the album, but there were also some really annoying over-the-top twee songs which sounded like he had to cut down on the caffeine a bit. When its sequel <span style="font-style: italic;">Illinois </span>was released in 2005 (<span style="font-style: italic;">Seven swans</span> being released in between), it received absolutely rave reviews but I still wasn't convinced.<br /><br />Then the controversy struck. The album cover included an image of Superman, and apparently the record label <span style="font-style: italic;">Asthmatic kitty</span> got into some legal strife with <span style="font-style: italic;">DC comics</span> over the reproduction of this. They briefly recalled the album, releasing an updated version of the album, sans <span style="font-style: italic;">Superman</span>. I noticed at my local record store that they still had a few copies with <span style="font-style: italic;">Superman </span>on the cover. I quickly snapped one up, hoping that even if I didn't like the album, it may still be a collector's item one day.<br /><br />Well, it was a double bonus, because I <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> the album. Consisting of 22 tracks running over 74 minutes, this is an epic work which could have quite easily sunk under the weight of its own ambition. Luckily, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Sufjan's</span></span> songwriting and performance had improved exponentially from <span style="font-style: italic;">Michigan</span>, and at no point during this album does it ever feel boring or uninspired.<br /><br />The album alternates between traditional chamber pop numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Come on! Feel the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Illinoise</span></span>!, Chicago, The man of Metropolis</span>), lush instrumentals (<span style="font-style: italic;">The black hawk war</span>), minor-key banjo-led folk numbers (the stunning <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Casimir</span></span> Pulaski day</span>) and haunting historical ballads (the masterpiece <span style="font-style: italic;">John Wayne <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Gacy</span></span>, Jr</span>). There are a few brief (less than 30 second) interludes on the album which help maintain its conceptual feel, simultaneously annoying those who listen on an MP3 player without <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">gapless</span> playback.<br /><br />The attention to detail in his lyrics is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">mind-blowing</span>, with some songs sounding like researched <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Wikipedia</span></span> articles put to (stunning) music. Add in some of the most pretentiously-long song titles in music history (surely just to piss off users of Last.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">fm</span></span>), and you quickly realise that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sufjan</span></span> Stevens deserves to sit up on the pedestal, or indie throne, that his fans have put him up on.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8KxvfO96QR6zqI9LhsocmFJf9lERFmIc1uXpYnqfmMP93kkb4rWOlEFNCU6wb8LNs0TZ9EsI1HIRa5isBvM2BRmIsPtez540Y5cYN3BqcEPn6H1cptlQpsA2UEwWynyPCeJyAA/s1600-h/In+rainbows.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8KxvfO96QR6zqI9LhsocmFJf9lERFmIc1uXpYnqfmMP93kkb4rWOlEFNCU6wb8LNs0TZ9EsI1HIRa5isBvM2BRmIsPtez540Y5cYN3BqcEPn6H1cptlQpsA2UEwWynyPCeJyAA/s320/In+rainbows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831694569626610" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Radiohead</span></span> - In Rainbows (2007)</span> </div><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Radiohead</span></span>, arguably the most restlessly creative band of their generation, have spent their career re-inventing themselves. After a few left-field excursions into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">electronica</span></span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Kid A </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Amnesiac</span>), they partially returned to their guitar driven sound on 2003's <span style="font-style: italic;">Hail to the thief</span>. Where could they go from here? Why not stick up a middle finger to greedy record company executives by re-inventing how music could be distributed?<br /><br />Of course, you'd have to be a band as big as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Radiohead</span></span> to take on the risk they did -- allowing fans to download the album (prior to its physical release) and pay whatever price they think is fair. Just like Apple had managed to achieve on a mass scale with its <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">iTunes</span></span> business model (what, make people pay for something that they could previously download illegally?), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Radiohead's</span></span> social experiment was a resounding success. It was also a big "fuck you" to those who failed to realise that markets were shifting and the business models of yesteryear couldn't be followed indefinitely.<br /><br />It's unfortunate that the discussion of the music on <span style="font-style: italic;">In rainbows</span> often comes as an after-thought, because this album deserves more than that. This is in essence their most accessible album since <span style="font-style: italic;">OK computer</span>; an album of stunning music which is simultaneously cerebral, progressive and (unlike some of their clinical and detached moments on <span style="font-style: italic;">Kid Amnesiac</span>) full of <span style="font-style: italic;">heart</span>.<br /><br />The rockers (<span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Bodysnatchers</span> </span>and the stunning <span style="font-style: italic;">Jigsaw falling into place</span>) are some of the best of their career: groovy, rhythmic and melodic. There are a few ballads (<span style="font-style: italic;">Nude</span><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Faust <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">arp</span></span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">House of cards</span>) which remind you that Thom Yorke is still one of the best vocalists of the past decade. And then there's the stunning <span style="font-style: italic;">Reckoner</span>, which sounds unlike anything they have ever released, but ironically couldn't have been recorded by anyone <span style="font-style: italic;">but</span> them.<br /><br />I think that's the genius of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Radiohead</span> -- while so many of their contemporaries are constantly trying to meld their influences into a sound which is distinctly their own, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Radiohead</span> are at the forefront of their own musical research & development department. Endlessly evolving, never stagnating: they are the band of our generation.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMkAmI1BoyJlsfFFqJ05Fu-1b2j7AYIS08iaGJVcmyAA0r5gexrAa9yjIWvhuTQ01Zyjnm5PGSn1Y9euAhC7o7dBNfI9qGJfvgZojij3SU61pvDWvaDDqMtfk06mgkawtiBa4-A/s1600-h/Figure+8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMkAmI1BoyJlsfFFqJ05Fu-1b2j7AYIS08iaGJVcmyAA0r5gexrAa9yjIWvhuTQ01Zyjnm5PGSn1Y9euAhC7o7dBNfI9qGJfvgZojij3SU61pvDWvaDDqMtfk06mgkawtiBa4-A/s320/Figure+8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831617374047266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (2000)</span> </div><br />I first heard about Elliott Smith through a friend Avi whose taste in music I respected very highly. It was around the time of my 21st birthday, and I had received a few music vouchers. Looking around the music store, I noticed that Elliott Smith's latest album <span style="font-style: italic;">Figure 8</span> was available. I hadn't heard any of his music before, but the album cover intrigued me. Of course, I'm not one to judge an album by its cover, but coupled with the recommendation from a friend I had a fairly convincing case to purchase the album.<br /><br />I loved the opening song <span style="font-style: italic;">Son of Sam</span> from the first listen. It had a great melody, and I really liked his vocal style which I thought had a lot of similarities with Neil Finn. When I heard the next song, the lilting and catchy <span style="font-style: italic;">Somebody that I used to know</span>, I knew I was on to something very special here.<br /><br />And as great as those opening two tracks are, the quality rarely drops over the rest of the album. Every song combines the sheer song-craft of a Paul McCartney tune with the intimacy and darkness of Nick Drake's best work. Hooks abound (<span style="font-style: italic;">Stupidity tries</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Junk bond trader, Wouldn't Mama be proud?</span>) and there are several moments of introspective beauty like the stunning Beach Boys influenced <span style="font-style: italic;">Everything means nothing to me</span> and the dark <span style="font-style: italic;">Color bars</span>.<br /><br />This album made me fall in love with the music of Elliott Smith, and I now consider him one of my favourite musicians of all time. I eventually picked up all of his previous albums, working backwards from his major label debut <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">XO</span></span> (1998) through to <span style="font-style: italic;">Roman candle</span> (1994). I even picked up the last album released by his former band <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Heatmiser</span>, the very solid <span style="font-style: italic;">Mic city sons</span>.<br /><br />It all ended in tragedy just over three years after this album was released, when Elliott Smith committed suicide at the age of 34. This makes the closing two tracks on this album all the more poignant. Of course anyone can read into something with the benefit of hindsight, but the dark <span style="font-style: italic;">Can't make a sound</span> (with the opening line <span style="font-style: italic;">"I have become a silent movie</span>") and the minimal closing instrumental <span style="font-style: italic;">Bye</span> seem to be a very appropriate farewell to a life cut way too short.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6OmEfF8fbMkLViJhl3fMDUJVl_N425qjor-AmGBHFGBjs_AvkbbXkv_GvYFvAUW1Dk2yN_fx2RmLicgBH8p9ZJMn99muFqp0jKSHvENiYEw9cCjqLXEGpDXF6yq9jvmjYuREsg/s1600-h/Turn+on+the+bright+lights.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6OmEfF8fbMkLViJhl3fMDUJVl_N425qjor-AmGBHFGBjs_AvkbbXkv_GvYFvAUW1Dk2yN_fx2RmLicgBH8p9ZJMn99muFqp0jKSHvENiYEw9cCjqLXEGpDXF6yq9jvmjYuREsg/s320/Turn+on+the+bright+lights.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831556814198498" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)</span> </div><br />This was another risk which paid high dividends for me. I think it was my friend Pete who said that he had read about Interpol, telling me that they had been compared to <span style="font-style: italic;">Marquee moon</span> era <span style="font-style: italic;">Television</span>. Being a big fan of that cult 70s classic, I decided to pick the album up without hearing a single note (being the long-haired risk-taking lout that I was at the time, sans the long hair).<br /><br />It took me a long, long time to warm to this album. I think I had given it about three listens and was considering returning it for a refund. None of the tracks (except for the <span style="font-style: italic;">This charming man</span> riff-stealing <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Say hello to the angels</span></span>) really jumped out at me as anything special. But I decided to persevere, and it was probably the 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">th</span> or 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">th</span> listen where the deep layers of this album started to reveal themselves to me.<br /><br />I wrote a <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2006/04/top-10-albums-that-have-vibe.html">blog post</a> back in 2006 talking about albums that have the "vibe", and this one was included on the list. There's a great late-night, sepia-tinged feeling to most of the songs on this album, from the atmospheric opener <span style="font-style: italic;">Untitled</span>, the slow-building stunner <span style="font-style: italic;">Hands away</span> and angular rockers <span style="font-style: italic;">Obstacle 1</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Say hello to the angels</span>. Little moments reveal themselves after repeated listens, like the brief, spoken-word intro to <span style="font-style: italic;">Stella was a diver</span>, the last few stunning minutes of <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">PDA</span></span> and the understated melody of closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Leif <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Erikson</span></span> (named after the first European to land in North America).<br /><br />Many comparisons have been made between the vocal styles of Interpol singer Paul Banks and the late Ian Curtis of <span style="font-style: italic;">Joy Division</span>. There's no denying that there are similarities, but the sound that Interpol achieved on the stunning debut still manages to be their own despite their breadth of influences.<br /><br />The follow-up <span style="font-style: italic;">Antics</span> was a bit of a disappointment for me, and what I have heard from <span style="font-style: italic;">Our love to admire</span> didn't excite me much either. I have a feeling that history will put Interpol in the same league as bands like The Strokes: those who were never able to follow up an excellent debut album with an equally promising career.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8281735.post-89809421364717064082010-03-10T13:32:00.004+11:002010-03-10T21:34:57.821+11:00My 50 favourite albums of the 2000s [20-16]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkExsHHR7bwg_XVyiGuCKbB-QVLBhMghQ5HIJ06vPw1LiBuDRbn5VYR7KNVHMkAeRbx2a8grAMLmtVrnmYJtUT6G2qc7uBLH1Xpu_pccMaYAqQORT7i4KNFN4EhGIZtUG4MZivQ/s1600-h/Meadowlands.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkExsHHR7bwg_XVyiGuCKbB-QVLBhMghQ5HIJ06vPw1LiBuDRbn5VYR7KNVHMkAeRbx2a8grAMLmtVrnmYJtUT6G2qc7uBLH1Xpu_pccMaYAqQORT7i4KNFN4EhGIZtUG4MZivQ/s320/Meadowlands.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446441216444605218" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">20. The Wrens - The Meadowlands (2003)<br /></div><br />New Jersey indie rock band The Wrens released a couple of albums in the 90s to little accolades before releasing this intensely emotional masterpiece after 7 years in hiatus. It received a lot of critical praise from influential online publications Pitchfork and AllMusic, allowing this underrated band to get some much deserved attention that had previously eluded them.<br /><br />This is an incredible, densely-layered slow-burner of an album which continues to reveal new surprises on every listen. Beginning with a lovely minimal piano-based song (<span style="font-style: italic;">The house that guilt built</span>) and concluding with an almost a capella number that ends in screaming (<span style="font-style: italic;">This is not what you had planned</span>), the 13 tracks on this album cover a wide emotional palette: the infatuation of the stunning <span style="font-style: italic;">She sends kisses</span>, the intense rock of <span style="font-style: italic;">Hopeless </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Faster gun</span> and the epic, widescreen <span style="font-style: italic;">13 months in six minutes</span>.<br /><br />Interspersed amongst the more obviously personal songs are some very catchy and melodic numbers (<span style="font-style: italic;">Thirteen grand</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ex-girl collection</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Everyone chooses sides</span>) where the music often belies the dark undertones. As deep as the lyrics are, it's the melody above the melancholy that makes the album such a pleasure to return to again and again.<br /><br />They haven't broken up yet, so it will be very interesting to see if they can ever top this stunning piece of art.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YMuw3yg4v16WhhEH-h9eC30dlmeVP2sQR51wNryrWsBjTjcsEmQRoptDPoAqfpcWoWaFyBpmbM1jfqUAHBC1Fj6shycT1B9QJmJqSQAD3nXGykWmVc6AGdthw8AdPBsubIb3Rw/s1600-h/At+dawn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YMuw3yg4v16WhhEH-h9eC30dlmeVP2sQR51wNryrWsBjTjcsEmQRoptDPoAqfpcWoWaFyBpmbM1jfqUAHBC1Fj6shycT1B9QJmJqSQAD3nXGykWmVc6AGdthw8AdPBsubIb3Rw/s320/At+dawn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446441149735222466" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">19. My Morning Jacket - At Dawn (2001)<br /></div><br />Kentucky indie-country-rock band My Morning Jacket are a pretty different band now than they were in the early part of the noughties. While their last two albums (<span style="font-style: italic;">Z</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Evil urges</span>) were quite scatter-shot affairs, mixing together elements of alt-country, pop and rock, their first few albums owed a lot more to the southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd and early Neil Young.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">At Dawn</span> was their second album after the lo-fi (and at times excellent) debut <span style="font-style: italic;">The Tennessee Fire</span> from 1999. From the moment that the opening title track hits your speakers, with its elongated and slow burning instrumental intro, you immediately realise that they have succeeded in refining their sound into something truly special. This is before the stunning, reverb soaked vocals of Jim James enter the picture; they are the magic ingredient with turn this band from impressive into transcendent.<br /><br />The album is close to flawless, from the catchy southern pop of <span style="font-style: italic;">Lowdown</span>, to their (now) signature song <span style="font-style: italic;">The way that he sings</span>, the minimal, acoustic <span style="font-style: italic;">Bermuda highway</span>, sing-along <span style="font-style: italic;">Xmas curtain</span> and the atmospheric, macabre closer <span style="font-style: italic;">Strangulation!</span> (that punctuation is part of the song, but I share similar enthusiasm for it).<br /><br />At almost 74 minutes, it's their longest album to date, but it never becomes meandering or pretentious. It's probably good that they didn't continue to mine their sound from the ghosts of Crazy Horse and The Band, because the schtick may have worn a bit thin over time. But at least we have this amazing record to remember how great they once were: a remarkable document of a band at the height of their powers.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and they are still one of the <a href="http://wirelesscranium.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-morning-jacket-gig-27th-january-2009.html">best live acts</a> around at the moment.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsnYBiS-f1P1DOMwOG8rna1YR2oA0CIGBcWJM_95ZwUXjx4eKqUzV9nN39Gmmczk1uZWG2oay3_l-Zy4xbDNnEi44KrNS1jGXpJE5eUeLaoHVhWmx2k8LFOM9HFrl-6sVGpk8Qw/s1600-h/Wires.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsnYBiS-f1P1DOMwOG8rna1YR2oA0CIGBcWJM_95ZwUXjx4eKqUzV9nN39Gmmczk1uZWG2oay3_l-Zy4xbDNnEi44KrNS1jGXpJE5eUeLaoHVhWmx2k8LFOM9HFrl-6sVGpk8Qw/s320/Wires.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446441062858246578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">18. Art Of Fighting - Wires (2001)<br /></div><br />This debut album from Melbourne band <span style="font-style: italic;">Art Of Fighting</span> is a breathtaking work of introspective, ethereal beauty. Released in 2001 to little more than a cult following, it's an album that would have fit in very well in the short-lived UK nu-folk movement of the early noughties. There's also a good chance it wouldn't be gathering dust in the homes of the indie kids, like those <span style="font-style: italic;">Turin Brakes</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Kings of Convenience</span> LPs.<br /><br />Vocalist Ollie Browne has a quiet falsetto voice which never strains too hard, and the rest of the band maintain an almost jazz-like ambience throughout the recording. The music rarely shifts out of 2nd gear, but every now and then the listener will be surprised with a radical crescendo which puts the hairs up on the back of the neck. They're a bit like Sigur Ros in their juxtaposition of ethereal beauty and dynamics, with less progressive overtones and with the added benefit that English speakers can understand the lyrics.<br /><br />It's difficult to isolate single tracks as stand-outs, as it begs to be listened to as a whole. But I would definitely single out the opening trilogy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Skeletons</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Give me tonight</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Akula</span>, which is as good as this sort of music gets. Later songs <span style="font-style: italic;">Just say I'm right</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Something new</span> start out minimal, but build to glorious climaxes by the end. <span style="font-style: italic;">Find you lost</span> is an ambient number which initially seems like a waste of 7 minutes of your life, but you just wait until it grows on you. It will.<br /><br />In many aspects of life, from painting, photography, cooking and music, it is often said that "less is more". This album is a testament to that.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1J7r5HEHKRveEc27iDifcg5UjaVbATt_NqxYln7H-h17zWQiOGHOMVGcynN6AKGjrEQQG3JeWq8QE1N2kwY_zOpTd7Y2F6_dXL4GJrRfsRgfI8qCLvQW0ih-ci3DeFMSzczGcxA/s1600-h/Is+this+it.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1J7r5HEHKRveEc27iDifcg5UjaVbATt_NqxYln7H-h17zWQiOGHOMVGcynN6AKGjrEQQG3JeWq8QE1N2kwY_zOpTd7Y2F6_dXL4GJrRfsRgfI8qCLvQW0ih-ci3DeFMSzczGcxA/s320/Is+this+it.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446440926954982098" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">17. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)</span> </div><br />From the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smell_The_Glove"><span style="font-style: italic;">Smell the glove</span></a> aping album cover (well the <span style="font-style: italic;">original</span> version), to the leather jackets, to Julian Casablancas' Lou Reed vocal technique, to the cooler-than-thou band member names (Casablancas, Valensi, Hammond Jr., Fraiture, Moretti -- are these guys musicians or fashion designers?) -- New York band The Strokes made quite a splash when they unleashed this debut album in 2001. Yeah, you could argue they were the indie-rock equivalent of the Monkees, but that's missing the point. They captured the zeitgeist like no other band of the early noughties, and their garage rock proved to be extremely influential to other up-and-coming bands of the era.<br /><br />It all would have been senselessly superficial posturing if this album didn't kick so much god-damn ass. The sound that the Strokes' achieved on this debut is the perfect amalgamation of rock, dance, melody and attitude. Every song here works on one level or another, from the rush and adrenaline of <span style="font-style: italic;">The modern age</span>, the catchier-than-thou <span style="font-style: italic;">Soma</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Someday</span>, the indie rock anthems <span style="font-style: italic;">Last nite</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Hard to explain</span> and the controversial <span style="font-style: italic;">New York city cops</span> (cut from the US version as a sign of respect after the 9/11 attacks).<br /><br />Their critics accused them of lack of innovation, and they are one hundred percent correct. There's nothing on here than other bands like the Velvets and Ramones hadn't already done. These guys were just incredibly lucky with their timing; coming in at the start of a new decade with a new, empty musical landscape ahead of them, they helped define an era rather than become the product of one.<br /><br />They inspired many bands, some good (<span style="font-style: italic;">The Walkmen</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Interpol</span>) and some bad (<span style="font-style: italic;">Jet</span>). They were never able to top this album; how could they? <span style="font-style: italic;">Room on fire</span> was a respectable follow-up, but <span style="font-style: italic;">First impressions of earth</span> was an over-bloated attempt at remaining relevant in a world that had already, in many ways, moved on.<br /><br />Luckily we'll always have this stunning debut album to return to; 36 minutes of lightning captured in a very stylish package.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnEHIJoOCLZ_jO39wASWJxzZiE3xTvwc0BhroNg3OZjq0LiM1QVOEcGTwEsje4P3nuKs2CfNDLa3BO3K9H8HgJ9spMoN1HO297VJoFfl4_L9pKZy10DCIYfWlWruhKm10jG0cBQ/s1600-h/Venus+traps+fly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnEHIJoOCLZ_jO39wASWJxzZiE3xTvwc0BhroNg3OZjq0LiM1QVOEcGTwEsje4P3nuKs2CfNDLa3BO3K9H8HgJ9spMoN1HO297VJoFfl4_L9pKZy10DCIYfWlWruhKm10jG0cBQ/s320/Venus+traps+fly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446440810353420194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Machine Translations - Venus Traps Fly (2004)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Many bands reach the point in their career where they tone-down their artiness and experimental tendencies <span style="font-style: italic;">just</span> enough to simultaneously release the <span style="font-style: italic;">best</span> and most <span style="font-style: italic;">accessible</span> album of their career. What separates the good bands from the others is the ability to do this without selling out. The Go-Betweens did it with <span style="font-style: italic;">16 lovers lane</span>. Pink Floyd did it with <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark side of the moon</span>. And Machine Translations did it with <span style="font-style: italic;">Venus traps fly</span>.<br /><br />Machine Translations (a moniker for the Australian singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter <span style="font-style: italic;">J Walker</span> and his band of session musicians) released a few albums of organic lo-fi indie-folk-electronica-pop prior to this one, most notably <span style="font-style: italic;">Bad shapes</span> (2001) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Happy</span> (2002). Both mixed and matched minimalistic, melodic folk (<span style="font-style: italic;">Rule bound</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">River of darkness</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Amnesia</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">She wears a mask</span>) with more progressive mood pieces (<span style="font-style: italic;">The world is sick</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Arabesque</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">A most peculiar place</span>). <span style="font-style: italic;">Happy </span>also dabbled quite a bit in electronica, with some songs that wouldn't sound out of place on French duo Air's "difficult second album" <span style="font-style: italic;">10,000 Hz legend</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Venus traps fly</span> succeeds in evolving their sound by stripping back some of the electronica of <span style="font-style: italic;">Happy</span>, in favour of a more organic and melodic core. Many songs on the album (<span style="font-style: italic;">Venus traps fly</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Bee in a cup</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Stray dog</span>) possess almost nursery-rhyme melodies and lyrics, giving the listener a feeling of familiarity and comfort even after hearing them for the first time.<br /><br />There are a few songs that hint at their more experimental tendencies (<span style="font-style: italic;">If the water runs dry</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">An hour is long</span>), but where similar efforts on previous albums tended to feel difficult for the sake of it, here they are concise and focused, not feeling out of place amongst the more melodic moments. The album's undisputed centrepiece is the 5-minute run which includes the stunning instrumental <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilit </span>and the musically gorgeous (albeit lyrically disturbing<span style="font-style: italic;">) Not my fall</span>, which gives a chance to appreciate J Walker's underrated vocals.<br /><br />There are a few minor missteps -- the Claire Bowditch duet <span style="font-style: italic;">Simple life</span> doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the album, and the grating <span style="font-style: italic;">Scretch</span> doesn't really work on any level for me -- but this is minor nit-picking. This is a accessible yet challenging work from an artist who deserves a lot more than just a minor cult following.<br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538905483110518568noreply@blogger.com0