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Fri Jan 14 2022
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
Really interesting to read about the background to this LP, I did not know that Iggy made this with Bowie. The Passenger sounds better than ever, Lust for Life a different take to the Trainspotting mix we all know also really enjoyed the closer ‘Fall In Love With Me’.
4
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Mon Jan 17 2022
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
5
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Tue Jan 18 2022
Technique
New Order
An album I know very very well, my favourite album from my favourite band. Bernard Sumner’s vocals are at their Summery breezy best here, made in Ibiza it’s like this album picks up on that magic isle. It’s the perfect sunny day album, managing to be both upbeat but relaxing. Probably their most melodic album. Fine Time is unique, out on its own but works. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this album, it works really well as a whole. Highlights would be all songs but if I had to pick it would be Run, Mr Disco & Vanishing Point. New Order’s performance of Fine Time on TOTP is quite something too if you get a chance to watch.
5
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Wed Jan 19 2022
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
I knew nothing about this, never heard it . Really love the beats, the bass, the loops, the samples, the rapping, the music. A lot more chilled than I was expecting. But the lyrics are incessant particularly at the start of the album - motherfuckers, niggas, bitches, cocksuckers, dicks over and over but he was only 21.
4
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Thu Jan 20 2022
Abraxas
Santana
I knew a couple off this one, ‘Black Magic Woman’ - which I did not know was a Fleetwood Mac song and ‘Oye Como Va’ which I did not know was Santana. I remember my mate playing me this when I was a child telling me what an amazing guitarist he was - problem is I dont like that guitar sound, particularly when accompanied by jazz meanderings, it reminds me of that stoned feeling when the buzz has worn off and you’re just stuck with it, bored of it and a bit sad. It just doesn’t work for me, there’s not much singing (not Carlos) but I don’t like that either, just not for me this.
2
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Fri Jan 21 2022
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
Those jangling chiming guitars, the chugging rhythm, the breezy dreamy vocals I love that sound ! I knew they’d influenced indie but I can hear Velvet Underground in this which came after. Upbeat, the sound of a more innocent optimistic time, decent easy listening music. Most of the album are covers but Tambourine Man is an amazing cover & the Byrds Gene Clark compositions are great. Is it all a bit samey ? Probably but does it matter when the sound is this good ?
4
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Mon Jan 24 2022
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
I can tolerate jazz but this was a bit much for me, sax only coming out of the left speaker and very free form. Maybe it would work after repeated listens but not one for me this
2
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Tue Jan 25 2022
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
This one surprised me. Great riffs and rhythm, really good blues. Red Hot Chilli Peppers. So much better than what know them for in the 80s. Funky blues.
4
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Wed Jan 26 2022
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
I tried but this isn’t for me, the monitone bartitone just doesn’t do it for me, just too over dramatic, it’s all too sincere, more melody less lyrics please 🙂It just grates after a while I can’t listen to any more.
1
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Thu Jan 27 2022
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
Nice to hear this again, I used to own this on CD. Some great singalong choruses on here but the best for me is THAT guitars & drums breakdown on Take Me Out. A bit like Pulp & the Arctic Monkeys. It’s all a bit samey though and Alex Kapranos’ voice isn’t very interesting.
3
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Fri Jan 28 2022
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
Happy synthesizers and funky guitars - it must be the 80s ! I know the singles but didn’t know the album - produced by Trevor Horn. I love the album cover - like the music colourful and glamorous ! Party music. Trevor Horn, the engineer and others working on this formed the Art of Noise 1 year later.
4
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Mon Jan 31 2022
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
Still sounds like music from another world. My art teacher used to play this over & over at school. I was rubbish at art but it was great to hear this. The Model hasn’t aged, stunning. Neon Lights is something else, warm & emotional. Absolutely ridiculous this is over 40 years old. I’m reading Carl Cox’s autobiography and he dedicates a whole chapter to Kraftwerk. It’s wondrous, magical music. It makes you feel different to any other music, unique in that way.
5
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Tue Feb 01 2022
Is This It
The Strokes
Another album I know well, still sounds brilliant. Love everything about it - the produced sound of the vocals (Iggy Pop on Lust for Life LP reminded me of this) the guitars, the drums, the bass, it’s all great & works as a whole. Mostly laid back, detached lyrics, a bit like a faster poppier Pavement but when he goes for it it really works. No song on here is over 4 minutes which keeps up the sing a long momentum, there’s not a bad track on here.
5
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Wed Feb 02 2022
Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
Dramatic, cinematic.I remember watching his outdoor light spectacles on TV as a kid - Oxygene Part 4 brings back those memories. Rich textures, Spacemen 3 learnt from this. It’s very different to Kraftwerk, this is more like waves, more atmospheric. No words, this is music to make you wonder. Dreamy. I love it. Nice to hear an album without lyrics that still very much holds the attention.
5
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Thu Feb 03 2022
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
Musically upbeat country music, I can only imagine the bar atmosphere, I can’t relate to this to be honest. Mostly cover versions, it’s a nice warm homely atmosphere but her voice grates at times - those louder higher pitch moments. Marked down from a 2 to a 1 as mostly cover versions - controversial I know.
1
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Fri Feb 04 2022
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
‘Electropunk’ is a good description. Such a long way from the early Prodigy - which I grew up with & still prefer. The drums & bass are phenomenal -breaks and bass bombs - as ever with the Prodigy but the vocals & lyrics don’t work for me to me this sounds commercial, American, too metal for me. Fucking mental live though, which is the point. I remember I had this on CD & after listening to it you feel a bit plastic / seedy. This has not aged well. The Crispian Mills song is terrible. I like the tracks without lyrics ‘Climbatize’.
3
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Sat Feb 05 2022
The Real Thing
Faith No More
Metal guitars with winey lyrics, I can’t relate to this. Epic’s the best track but that sounds like the Chilli Pepoers which most of this LP doesn’t.
1
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Sun Feb 06 2022
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
Liam’s vocals are spot on. How lucky to have this uplifting anthemic music when I was 23. For me the Liam’s voice sounds of stella, the white noise guitars of speed. The songwriting is exceptional, it’s like a greatest hits album - only qualm is I think it could have been produced better, the guitars aren’t quite right. But that’s me looking back 25 years this is a ***** classic.
5
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Mon Feb 07 2022
Ten
Pearl Jam
I don’t know this, other than Alive. To me the sound is a lot more anthemic stadium rock than grunge, the lyrics are grungey though & Eddie Vedder does have a good voice for that though. It’s not my cup of tea, but it is well done.
2
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Thu Feb 10 2022
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
‘Jerky funk rhythms’ is a good description. I’ve never heard of this album, nor heard any of the songs. Outstanding, very pleasantly surprised. You know it’s good when you want to play it the 3rd time without a break. Their 2nd LP and the first of 3 produced by Brian Eno. This is interesting, lots going on. Love the band, not sure about the voice at this early stage but the rhythm of the voice and the lyrics bring it together and the rhythm is excellent, would be great live. Can’t help but move to this. Love the sound, the production, the bass in particular sounds amazing. Sounds indie at times, jangly guitars, but always with a funky drums & bass. Music to lose yourself in at the gig or on the dance floor.
5
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Fri Feb 11 2022
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
I like this - instrumental accessible soul jazz with a guitar and organ, really nice feel to it. Organ, sax, guitar drums. Jimmy Smith plays just the organ. It does get a bit samey though.
3
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Sun Feb 13 2022
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
Not my sort of music but it sort of held my attention so must be good. Sounded like the Sundays at certain points. Nothing grated here.
2
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Mon Feb 14 2022
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
Sounds like Chrissie Hynde, interesting voice, more Americana than country. Not normally my cup of tea but this was very well done.
2
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Tue Feb 15 2022
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
Bossa Nova - really enjoyed this, very warm, mellow & uplifting. Beautiful sax with sunny light Spanish guitar rhythms.
4
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Wed Feb 16 2022
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
Some interesting stuff going on, even some synths & horns but it was always going to be a let down after the Pixies, more one-dimensional. 22 songs in just over an hour though…
2
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Sun Sep 18 2022
Moondance
Van Morrison
Not for me this, it’s just meh. His voice is not for me, also why does he sing in an American accent, the northern Irish accent is a great accent. The music has a nice warm party vibe but it doesn’t go anywhere. It’s not unlistenable, it’s pleasant enough but just background music.
2
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Thu Jan 05 2023
Grace
Jeff Buckley
First listen - So i’d heard of but not heard Jeff Buckley, I was expecting more acoustic singer-songwriter but this is a lot more than that, a very complete LP. Sounding like Thom Yorke at times. Really difficult to label / categorize as the songs are so different. It’s not what I’d usually like but I can tell this is decent, worth repeated listens, probably a grower.
3