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Wed Feb 21 2024
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
I loved this album when it first came out, not least because it establishes it's credentials immediately and any lover of two-, three-, four-way harmonies knows that they are going to enjoy what's coming. "White Winter Hymnal", "Your Protector" and "Oliver James" stand out.
4
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
For the landmark punk / rock anthems on here, it’s a four from me. Also contains unremarkable tracks.
4
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
From “Natural Mystic” onwards, this is a mighty album, capped by the soaring title track. Life, love, liberation: it’s all here. Magnificent.
5
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Sat Feb 24 2024
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
Holds up surprisingly well given its origins at the end of the 70s. What helps is the clear production, in turn allowing three very capable musicians to craft some excellent songs. Not all of the tunes have aged well but most have. Enjoyable for sure.
4
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Sun Feb 25 2024
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
Cash was making waves many years before Rick Rubin showed up and this is a landmark album in more ways than one, as interesting sociologically as musically. Enormously enjoyable. And authentic.
4
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
Very angry bloke yelling for 20 minutes (after which I turned it off).
2
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
Monster production, grungy riffs and layers and layers of overdubbed angst. “Today” and “Disarm” two particular standouts.
4
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Thu Feb 29 2024
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
Pleasant (and clever) enough pop tunes, with “Lovefoot” and “Losers” standing out. Also notable for Black Sabbath references and(!) an utterly bizarre cover of Sabs’ “Iron Man”. Didn’t see that coming.
3
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Fri Mar 01 2024
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
Not in the top bracket of Zep albums but interesting enough all the same. Witness, for example, the foundations (“That’s he Way”) for the “acoustic sets” on future tours. Also notable for arguably Page’s finest solo on “Since I’ve Been Loving You” (and a low-key favourite of mine on “Tangerine”).
3
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Sat Mar 02 2024
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Peak Stones: what range; what swagger. And all against a background of tax-avoiding, organised chaos. Major contributions from Bobby Keys, Billy Preston et al. Magnificent.
5
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Sun Mar 03 2024
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
I don't think Marc Bolan was ever taken as seriously as he wanted to be (partly down to his over-inflated sense of his own worth) but even so, this is a lively collection with Bolan's slightly fey and ethereal presence at the microphone coupled with a distinctive guitar playing style.
3
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
This, young listeners, was what all the fuss was about: Jagger and Richard emerging as a song-writing pair of immense significance on a landmark album for both them and popular music. With Brian Jones on marimba, dulcimer etc., etc..
(Shame about the casual misogyny).
5
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Tue Mar 05 2024
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
I never really got Oasis, largely because they sound sooo derivative. Oh, and Liam Gallagher is a 24 carat prick (with what our German cousins would call a "Backpfeifengesicht". Look it up.).
Not totally without merit.
3
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Closer
Joy Division
"Let's put on some Joy Division to cheer us up", said nobody ever. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating album: hypnotic, unsettling and oddly compelling with echoes of Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk and "Low"-era Bowie. It wasn't to last.
3
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Parachutes
Coldplay
The first step on the road to 18-month residencies as Wembley Stadium. The template is established here: sensitively-crafted songs allied to soaring, U2-like playing. "Yellow" is merely the first of many highlights to follow in future releases.
3
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Sat Mar 09 2024
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
A lot of electronic music, especially back in the 80s, left me cold (drum machines? Hate them) and I certainly didn't feel the same for Kraftwerk as these boys, and others, obviously did.
That said, "Joan of Arc" and, especially, "Maid of Orleans" stand up strongly and the experimentation with, for example, more "churchy" sounds (the album should be played loud) works well.
OMD hail from the North West of England, which also helps....
4
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
3
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Viva Hate
Morrissey
Well now, as someone who has (pretty much) avoided all things Smiths and Morrisey over the years, both this album and the one I "warmed up" with ("Meat is Murder") have come as something of a revelation. I don't think I could ever be a fan of the man's voice but there's enough musicianship and song-craft here to merit a decent rating. Viva mope-rock.
4
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Thu Mar 14 2024
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
As Amazon may have said, “If you enjoy Tears for Fears, you might also like…”. Or may that’s a little too glib as this album has so much to offer: multi layered, richly produced and a showcase for multi-instrumentalist Mark Hollis. This is so much more than the earnest electro-pop I was half-expecting, what with its echoes of the likes of Astral Weeks and Sketches of Spain(!). Fine album.
4
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Picture Book
Simply Red
Did the earth move for me…..? Well, no but I do enjoy a bit of Manc Motown from time to time and certainly Hucknall is much more interesting here than on, say, the mega-popular “Stars” years down the track. Top notch voice and at times genuinely soulful, which the production serves extremely well.
4
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Sat Mar 16 2024
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
Love the “SF Sound”. And I love Janis, so everyone else just shut-up so’s I can listen to her. Oh, “I Need a Man to Love”, “Piece of My Heart”….that’s better.
Lovely heavy feel to the album as a whole.
4
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Sun Mar 17 2024
The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
Have awarded myself a solid two stars for playing this until the end.
2
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
A revelation when I bought it during my hard-rock years and a revelation re-visiting it now. The depth, the range, the legacy: remarakable.
5
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Fabulous voice. Soul classic.
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
I actually saw Bruce Dickinson when he was the frontman of a long-forgotten band by the name of Samson (who were supporting Robin Trower, FFS!) and, to be honest, I / we thought he was a bit of a twat. But still, here he is doing his best Ronnie Dio impression and helping take Maiden from the vanguard of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to new heights of success and fan loyalty. And the album? Well, the double-whammy of "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills" is huge fun but there is no escaping the silly lyrics and general campness of the whole enterprise. Ferocious riffing? Sure. Pounding rhythm section? Check. Radical departure into new musical territory? Not so much.
3
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
An acquired taste is Leonard. Although too often, unfairly, dismissed as a miserable git there is nevertheless a (to me, welcome) seriousness about Cohen’s work and although the voice may be lacking in range, his lyrics (frequently Dylanesque) and themes more than compensate.
“Diamonds in the Mine” is lively and enjoyable; “Love Calls You..” is vintage Cohen and “Famous Blue Raincoat” is a classic.
Also, the girlie singers and the childrens’ choir, in particular, work well.
And I bet this record is in The National’s Matt Berninger’s collection.
3
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Fri Mar 22 2024
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Well, this is interesting: gangsta-less rap. Refreshing and lively. Like it.
4
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Sat Mar 23 2024
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
It has “Mother and Child…..” and “Me and Julio..”, so it’s already ahead of the game. The remainder is, as you would expect, lyrically clever and worthy of the listener’s time not least because it also features a passable Django Reinhardt impression on “Hobo’s Blues”..
3
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Sun Mar 24 2024
Sail Away
Randy Newman
Lyricist supreme and it’s all here: funny, ironic, acerbic and playful. Ry Cooder, too. Superb.
4
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
I think drugs may have been involved. Despite, or maybe because of that, it’s certainly a rather curious beast: my first thought was that Beck had travelled back in time, maybe accompanied by Nick Cave, to record it. But that wouldn’t fully explain the quirkiness, the weirdness, the pain. “Grey/Afro”, meanwhile, is a mind-fuck of epic proportions.
Trippy, man. And worth returning to, I feel.
3
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
“Welcome to the Jungle” sets the scene perfectly: chunky riffs and Rose in full Plant / Lee Roth mode. And young Saul can play a bit.
“Paradise City” is terrific and the album as a whole, just, well, rocks.
Don’t play it to your mum.
4
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
Pretty much new territory for me but highly enjoyable all the same. Top-class song-writing and a rich production, with “Yosemite” the possible standout track. Lana also channels her inner Joni on “For Free” and “Let Me Love You Like a Woman” is fabulous.
3
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
Bright and breezy offering from the Britpop era, with very British sensibilities and cultural references. Perhaps interesting in that context but the often mannered (/pretentious) vocals and the irritating spoken interludes give the reviewer little room for manoeuvre.
2
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
Well, they’re clearly cross about something but the serious point is that this a debut of some substance and there is definitely a time and a place for rap-metal. In that regard, this is a fine album most notably through its blending of anger and melody.
4
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Sat Mar 30 2024
Arrival
ABBA
A jolly offering from the Swedish maestros. Whilst some songs feel every one of their 48 years, there are more than a couple of all-time pop classics, serving to edge the start-rating up to 4....
4
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Sun Mar 31 2024
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
Wild!
5
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Amnesiac
Radiohead
Mucho sonic experimentation, although something of a disappointment, the same way "Kid A" was in some quarters for those whose expectations had been raised sky-high by "OK Computer".
When it works, it works ("I Might be Wrong", "Pyramid Song") but when it becomes self-indulgent, it's a little alienating.
Overall: not uninteresting.
3
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Wed Apr 03 2024
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
Stripped down sound, giving the lyrics some breathing space. Listenable for sure with terrific, hypnotic beats. All this and Ron Carter(!).
4
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Thu Apr 04 2024
American Idiot
Green Day
Excellent punk sensibilities with an ear for a melody - powerful combination, especially in the context of a strong set of songs. Good stuff.
4
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Sat Apr 06 2024
Grace
Jeff Buckley
Showcase for an astonishing vocal gymnast. The full 8 octave range is on show here, allowing Buckley to sound like Plant or Surkamp or even Nina Simone. Feel free to add more.
All this and one of the great cover versions.
4
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Sun Apr 07 2024
Queen II
Queen
Hmm, interesting inclusion. Starts with a medieval "Here Comes the Bride", or it least sounded that way, so could it redeem itself?
Their ability to rock is not in question, especially as a live act, and that is in evidence here ("Father to Son"), as is their apparent devotion to the overly-bombastic ("Father to Son"). I guess they were still finding their way. May's guitar tone would become legendary nevertheless and Freddie could hold a tune.
Not sure it's aged terribly well (and it's deffo over-produced). Would award **.5 if I could, so I've rounded that up.
3
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Angst-ridden to the core but packed with excellent tunes. Sold a gazillion copies, apparently.
4
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Tue Apr 09 2024
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Side 1, with Brother Ray swinging with an impeccable group of jazz musicians (and arrangements by one Quincy Jones) stands in contrast to the orchestrated ballads on Side 2. Thing is, Charles handles it all with complete ease. Class.
4
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Wed Apr 10 2024
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
A Neil classic. A Canada classic. A rock classic. And the only such record to feature a flugelhorn (may be wrong there).
The title track remains a haunting, unsettling listen. No less magnificent, though.
5
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Medúlla
Björk
Easy listening this ain't. Profoundly discordant and disturbing, the album requires a combination of forced curiosity and willpower to get through. There is, however, no doubting the astonishing creativity on show here but I'm not convinced that 45 minutes couldn't be better spent.
At the same time.....when it IS a little more accessible ("Who Is It"), it can be excellent.
3
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Really rather enjoyed this: quirky and adventurous. Beats are groovy throughout and I love the steel drums on the Caribbean-tinged "Boardwalk". Great cover art-work, too.
4
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Sat Apr 13 2024
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
Some great recordings here, showcasing Nina's distinctive warbly voice and delivery alongside trademark yearning and pain. Nice mix of musical styles, too. The self-penned "Four Women" is a stand-out, as is "Black is the Colour..".
Also the source of notable cover versions down the track (including one of my personal favourite David Bowie numbers).
Would add half a * if I could.
3
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Sun Apr 14 2024
Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
Hm, of its time I guess. I'm led to believe that it was an influential album but accept that that passed (passes) me by. Started off sounding like a Velvet Underground tribute act but couldn't really hold my interest beyond that. Not for me.
2
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Mon Apr 15 2024
Berlin
Lou Reed
Given the themes, this is actually quite absorbing and I guess if anyone was going to do this in the early 70s, it was Lou Reed. He is ably assisted by a team of distinguished personnel as he guides us through some dark places.
Is this why Bowie and Iggy were attracted to the place?
One last point: I could have done without the crying and screaming children.
4
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Tue Apr 16 2024
Aja
Steely Dan
Irresistible rhythms and flawless playing distinguish this recording above all else. It's polished and sophisticated and a joy on many levels. Superior offering.
4
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Nevermind
Nirvana
Being a 30 year old Brit at the time of its release, the cultural significance of this album all but passed me by. Listening to it now, the stripped-down power is undeniable, a power underlying songs that are at times dark, humorous and cynical. And what great songs there are: "Teen Spirit", "Come as You Are", "Polly", "Something in the Way", "Lithium". Plenty of recognisable hard rock motifs along the way but the sum total is so much more. Landmark, milestone etc., etc..
5
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Scott 4
Scott Walker
Interesting. At its best ("The Seventh Seal", "Get Behind Me"), this is Baroque pop that soars but I also think it sails pretty close to easy-listening territory at times. Nevertheless, grown-up themes (the Prague Spring!) abound.
3
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Fri Apr 19 2024
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
When he walked through the doors kicked in by the Punk revolution, Costello was clearly so much better equipped than many of his peers, not least as an excellent song-writer with a long exposure to many styles and genres. This all on display here with the added benefit of the excellent Attractions as backing. “Pump it up” and “..Chelsea” still sound suitably lively and fresh, despite their 46 years.
4
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Sat Apr 20 2024
1999
Prince
For many, mention of the year in question triggers a mental playing of this album's title track, so that counts for something. The music throughout is pretty good though, showcasing Prince's astounding versatility across multiple genres. Not sure it all stands up 40+ years on. Also, I don't need constant reminders that he likes (liked) to shag.
The 4 is 3.5 rounded-up.
4
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Sun Apr 21 2024
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
I've always enjoyed Tom Waits', what, studied weirdness(?) and his singular ability to defy genre categorisation. There's a wonderful mix of the odd, the cynical and the romantic in his work, as Bone Machine showcases superbly well.
4
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Mon Apr 22 2024
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
A mightly album from Neil and a magnificent mix of thoughtful acoustic and Crazy Horse work-outs. Up there with his best releases. Clear evidence, too, that he pretty much invented grunge.
5
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Tue Apr 23 2024
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
In a train station not too far from here, there is a piano that anyone can sit at and play. Sometimes Monk sounds like the drunk guy who plonks himself there at 11.30 at night and hammers away. Grossly unfair, I know, but sometimes this record is a tough listen, unlike, for example, the be-bop offerings of Parker et al or the later genius of, say, Miles and Gil Evans. Technically, I have no doubt that this is all very impressive but it ain't always enjoyable. I will, however, persevere (I bought the damn CD, for Christ's sake...).
3
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Wed Apr 24 2024
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
Quirky. Other worldly. Surreal. Psychadelic. Interesting themes. Science Fiction rock? Interesting.
3
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Impressive first offering, beautifully produced and sung. Not really for moi, though.
3
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Fri Apr 26 2024
Ray Of Light
Madonna
Almost in spite of myself, I think this is magnificent; William Orbit’s soundscapes - with nary a musical instrument within earshot - married to Madonna actually sounding like a singer resulted in a milestone in electronica. Now, this is not the kind of stuff that I would / could listen to for more than a track or three but I was beaten into submission. “Frozen” is both beautiful and brutal, “Shanti…” is hypnotic, while the title track sounds like it was fuelled by the stuff von Braun pumped into the Saturn V. Peak Madonna.
4
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Sat Apr 27 2024
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
Tina Weymouth was the most important Head. Discuss.
4
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Sun Apr 28 2024
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
Well, here we are at “the Big Bang” of rock ‘n’ roll: so fresh, so breathless, so raucous. And if you can’t hear the future sounds of, say, Lennon and McCartney, then you need to listen again.
And what I really love about this album is how the fabulous backing really swings.
“Seminal” doesn’t come close.
5