PREFAB SPROUT-FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS.
PREFAB SPROUT-FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS.
In the past, I’ve been lucky enough to see many bands and artists in concert. Some of these concerts have been brilliant, others woeful. The band that this article is about, fall into the first category. When I saw them live, they were amazing, putting on a performance full of energy and passion. They played all of their well known tracks, and some new stuff. By the time the concert was over, the audience were enthralled, won over by the outstanding performance they had been fortunate enough to witness. The band this article is about is Prefab Sprout, and the album is From Langley Park To Memphis, released in March 1988.
Prefab Sprout were formed in 1978 in Newcastle, England. Paddy McAloon is the lead singer and songwriter, and is widely recognized as one of the most talented songwriters of his generation. During the band’s lifetime, there have been several personnel changes. The band released their first album Swoon on Kitchenware Records in 1984. It reached number twenty-two in the UK album charts. Swoon was a good debut album, and it was obvious that Prefab Sprout were a band with a good future ahead of them. Even in the early days, Paddy McAloon’s songwriting was of the highest standard, streets ahead of other songwriters around then.
Thomas Dolby produced their second album Steve McQueen. The album was critically acclaimed and featured the track When Love Breaks Down, which gave the band their first top thirty single, reaching number twenty-five. Although well received by critics, the album only reached number twenty-one in the UK album charts.
When From Langley Park To Memphis was released, the album sold much better, reaching number five in the UK album charts. The album also provided the band with their first top ten single, The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll, which reached number seven. Both Stevie Wonder and Pete Townsend made guest appearances on this album.
The next album Prefab Sprout released was Protest Songs, which was originally recorded in 1985. Protest Songs, although a good album, with some great tracks on it, failed to sell as well as From Langley Park To Memphis. It only reached number eighteen in the UK album charts.
1990 saw Prefab Sprout release Jordan: The Comeback. Like their second album Steve McQueen, Thomas Dolby was in charge of production. Jordan: The Comeback was a brilliant album, very different from earlier albums. The sound is much different, it’s bigger dramatic and maybe more accessible than previous albums. This album provided the band with another top ten album, reaching number seven.
Their next album was their most successful. What’s ironic about this, is that it was a compilation album, released in 1992, The Best of-A Life of Surprises. It reached number three in the UK album charts.
Prefab Sprout’s next studio album Andromeda Heights, wasn’t released until 1997. It is a vastly underrated album, one people overlook when looking back at Prefab Sprout’s career. Like their previous two albums, it reached the top ten, peaking at number seven. Sadly, that was the last successful album the band released. Wendy Smith left the band after a brief tour to promote Andromeda Heights. Whether that has any baring on the group’s lack of commercial success, is open to debate.
Since the release of Andromeda Heights, Prefab Sprout have only released three further albums. 1999 saw the release of 38 Carat Collection, another “best of” collection, which their record label CBS released as the group were leaving the label. It made little impact on the album charts, reaching only number ninety-five.
Two further studio albums were released by Prefab Sprout. The Gunman and Other Stories in 2001. This was a a concept album based around the theme of the wild west. By now, the only members of the band were Paddy McAloon and his brother Martin. The album received mixed reviews, and only reached number sixty in the album charts.
The last album released by Prefab Sprout was Let’s Change The World With Music in 2009. It was a welcome return to form for the band, and featured some wonderful music. Critics gave the album favorable reviews, but sadly, the album only reached number thirty-nine in the album charts.
Sadly, in the last few years, Paddy McAloon has suffered from poor health. This has affected his vision and hearing. He doesn’t give many interviews, and is a private person. Thankfully, during his musical career so far, he has written and sung some wonderful songs, songs that many people treasure to this day. My hope is that his health will improve, and very soon, he’ll be back doing what he does best, writing and singing brilliant pop music.
Now that you know about Prefab Sprout’s career, I will tell what makes From Langley Park To Memphis, such a great album. The album opens with Prefab Sprout’s biggest single The King of Rock ‘N” Roll. Straight away the album grabs your attention, grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and screaming listen! From the opening vocal harmonies and the synth playing, to Paddy McAloon’s vocal you hear is four and a half minutes of pop perfection. It’s Intelligent pop music that’s catchy, infectious and laden with hooks. You can’t fail to be seduced by its charms. A brilliant start to the album.
After such a great start to the album, pop perfection continues with Cars and Girls. Like The King of Rock ‘N” Roll, it’s another slice of perfect pop from Paddy McAloon. The track starts with backing vocals sweetly harmonizing, drums crash, and then the track turns into yet another minor pop classic. Paddy McAloon is a master at writing this type of track. It’s hook overload, the band give one their best performances on this track. The sound is big, full and very smooth. Drums and guitars are the forefront of the track. Wendy Smith’s backing vocals are a perfect foil for McAloon, and together, they produce a joyous uptempo track.
Prefab Sprout allow you to draw breath by dropping the tempo on I Remember That. It’s a slower track, one with a much simpler arrangement. The lyrics are romantic and thoughtful, and McAloon’s delivery of them is soft, gentle and highlight their beauty. I Remember That, starts gently, and meanders beautifully, benefiting from an understated arrangement. Quite simply, a lovely track.
Strange noises produced by a synth start Enchanted. This fools you. You wonder where the track is heading. Thankfully, it’s heading in the right direction. McAloon sings the sweetest of vocals, his voice very different from the previous track. There is one problem with the track. It features a synth which produces some jarring sounds. These sounds that are at odds with the rest of the arrangement. They’re like a minor assault on your senses, and slightly spoil the rest of the arrangement. That said, Enchanted is still a good track, one that would be better without the addition of that synth.
Nightingales is a much better track, a real return to form for the band. A keyboard plays at the start of the track, McAloon sings, his voice sweet, almost seductive. The arrangement is perfect, keyboard, drums understated, play in the background, sleigh bells and Stevie Wonder on harmonica complete the lineup. They sit in the background, never overpowering the vocal, allowing McAloon to take centre-stage, singing some intelligent, sad and thoughtful lyrics.
Hey Manhattan sees the band up the tempo. It’s a joyous song, one that strides along proudly. The sound is grandiose, overblown and totally glorious. It’s a song filled with hope and promise, a journey through about the sights and sounds of the American way. From the start, the song sweeps along proudly, the band coming together to produce one of their greatest songs. It’s not only a highpoint on this album, but in their career. When I hear tracks like this, I’m astounded that Prefab Sprout were never a much bigger band, especially in the US.
The next track, Knock On Wood, sees a very different sound and style. It’s a melting pot of styles. Listen carefully, you’ll even hear a slight reggae sound trying to emerge. Here, the sound meanders, rhythms and sounds emerging, developing and flowing, a variety of styles. Sometimes they blend well, merging effectively. McAloon sings the song with a very different style. His vocal is almost subdued, not as clear or confident. This suits the style of the song. The lyrics are tinged with sadness, even cynicism, and are about the problems with relationships. Knock On Wood is quite different to other songs on the album, one that shows another of the many sides to Prefab Sprout.
The Golden Calf starts with jangling guitars, reverberating. Drums provide a steady backdrop. The sound is both loud and full. McAloon’s vocal is high, loud and somewhat forced. His voice is full of passion. This track has a real 1980s’ sound. It’s like being transported back in time. When you listen to the lyrics, their full of vivid imagery, and even have a surreal quality in places. It’s an interesting track, one that seems slightly out of place on this album, it’s loud, almost raucous in places, totally different from tracks like I Remember That and Nightingales. However, having said all that, this is still a good track.
Nancy (Let Your Hair Down For Me) is the complete opposite to the previous track, The Golden Calf. Whereas The Golden Calf was loud, sometimes even raucous, Nancy (Let Your Hair Down For Me) is a beautiful, gentle song, one that has some of lovely lyrics. It’s the complete opposite to the previous track. When Paddy McAlloon sings the lyrics, he sings them softly, as if he means them, they almost sound personal to him. The arrangement is understated, deliberately subdued, allowing the song to breath, the lyrics to stand out, show their beauty.
From Langley Park To Memphis ends with The Venus of The Soup Kitchen. It starts with McAloon and Smith singing in unison. Then McAloon takes over, half-singing, half-speaking the lyrics. His voice is strong and clear. He is aided and abetted effectively, by Wendy Smith on backing vocals. The arrangement isn’t over complicated. There is nothing in the arrangement that doesn’t add to the song, and improve it. It’s a fitting song to end the album, a masterful example of McAloon’s songwriting skills and a brilliant overall performance from the band.
From Langley Park To Memphis was one of Prefab Sprout’s best albums. Although their early albums were all good, this album was much better. There are some wonderful songs on the album, songs that are amongst the best in the band’s career. The King of Rock ‘N” Roll, Cars and Girls and Hey Manhattan are minor classics, some of the best songs they’ve written and recorded. Even twenty-three years later, these songs sound as good as the day they were released. Like all quality songs, they sound timeless. McAloon’s voice on this album is fantastic. He demonstrates that he is capable of singing different styles of songs. Each time, he does so brilliantly. Should you never have heard this album before, or Prefab Sprout’s music before, I can highly recommend From Langley Park To Memphis. It’s an album full of wonderful music, some of the most perfect pop music your ears will be privileged to hear. Prefab Sprout released many fine albums, but among my other favorites are Jordan: The Comeback and Andromeda Heights. Should you just wish to hear their best work, the album to buy is The Best of-A Life of Surprises. One album that is hugely underrated is the last album they released, Let’s Change The World With Music. Whichever album you buy, you will hear some wonderful, joyous music, music that is timeless, and music you’ll never tired of hearing. Standout Tracks: The King of Rock ‘N” Roll, Cars and Girls, Hey Manhattan and Nancy (Let Your Hair Down For Me).
PREFAB SPROUT-FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS.
TERRY CALLIER-TIMEPEACE.
TERRY CALLIER-TIMEPEACE.
This article is about one of the most talented and charismatic artists I have ever been fortunate to see live. When you see him in concert, you’re immediately taken with his presence on stage. There is something about him that makes him stand out from other artists. He is a deeply religious man, but also a very humble man. I have written about him before, about his album Lifeline, a fantastic album, released in 1999. The album I will review today is Timepeace, Terry Callier’s comeback album, released in 1998.
I have written about Terry Callier and his career before. Born in Chicago, in 1945, he grew up in the North Side of Chicago, and was friends with other giants of soul music, Jerry Butler, Curtis Mayfield and Major Lance. He started playing folk clubs and coffee houses, before falling under the spell of legendary jazz musician John Coltrane’s music. Samuel Charters of Prestige Records met Callier, and encouraged him to record an album in 1964. This was The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier. Disaster struck. Charters inexplicably, decided to take the tapes of the album to the Mexican desert. This delayed the release of the album until 1968.
It would be a new decade before Terry Callier recorded another album. This was when he recorded three albums for Cadet Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. These three albums are some of his best work. Occasional Rain was released in 1972, What Color Is Love in 1973 and I Just Can’t Help Myself in 1974. All of these albums contain some wonderful music, and I can recommend these albums to anyone interested in Terry Callier’s career. Alternatively, Essential-The Very Best of Terry Callier, released in 1998, contains the best of these three albums.
After being dropped by Cadet Records, Callier signed for Elektra. He recorded two great albums for Elektra. Both Fire On Ice, released in 1977, and Turn You To Love, released in 1978, were critically acclaimed. However, both sold badly.
Callier continued to tour until 1983. It was that year that he was given custody of his daughter. This led to him retiring from music. He took classes in computer programming and got a job at the University of Chicago. In his spare time, he studied for a degree in sociology. During this period, only one album was released, TC In DC, a live album recorded in Washington in 1982, before his retirement. It was released in 1996.
In the late 1980s’ UK DJs started playing Callier’s music in clubs. This led to Acid Jazz Records releasing I Don’t Want To See Myself (Without You), a track Callier recorded in 1983. From then on, Callier made trips to the UK to play concerts during his holidays from work.
Terry Callier began to make a comeback in the late 1990s. He recorded a track with Beth Orton on her Best Bit EP, which was later on her Trailer Park album. Then in 1998, he recorded Timepeace. The album saw Callier receive an award from the United Nations for outstanding artistic achievement and his contribution towards world peace.
Since the release of Timepeace, Callier has released a number of albums. They include the brilliant album Lifetime, released in 1999. Other albums have included studio albums Speak Your Peace released in 2002, Lookin’ Out released in 2004 and Hidden Conversations released in 2009. Two live albums and an album of remixes have also been released. It seems that Terry Callier’s comeback is complete. His music has found a new audience, and is reigniting the passion of his older fans, who missed his wonderful music, during his sabbatical. Now that I’ve told you about Terry Callier’s career, I will tell you what makes Timepeace such a wonderful album.
Timepeace opens with Ride Suite Ride (Intro). Callier strums gently on his guitar, singing some powerful lyrics. He is backed by organ and piano. The arrangement is minimal, adding to the drama of this short, powerful track.
Lazarus Man starts with percussion playing in the distance, Callier’s guitar meanders. The song slowly builds, dramatically, you’re dying to hear the lyrics, because of they match the introduction, they will be stunning. When Callier sings, you’re not disappointed, they’re spiritual, of biblical proportions. During the song, his voice veers from gentle and understated, to soaring and passionate. Throughout the song the drama builds, gradually, slowly. What emerges is Callier giving a stunning rendition of Lazurus Man, a song that when he sings it live, literally takes your breath away, such is the song’s dramatic impact.
The style changes, and the tempo drops, with Keep Your Heart Right, as if Callier’s pausing for breath, after his exertions on Lazarus Man. What stays the same is the quality and the passion. His voice is clear, emphasizing the beauty of the lyrics. It’s a song of hope, a beautiful one. On the track John Moulder’s guitar solo is exquisite, taking the track to another level. The backing vocalists are a perfect foil for Callier, they accompany him throughout the song, and fill in the spaces his vocal leaves. Quite simply, a stunning track, one I never tire of hearing.
Java Sparrow is the next song on Timepeace. It has an atmospheric start, water pours in the background, Callier’s guitar plays against the backdrop of water flowing. After that, he sings. When he does, prepare for a musical treat. His voice is stunning, his vocal is gentle, never forced, his rendition thoughtful, sung with feeling. The arrangement is perfect. It never overpowers his vocal, allowing his vocal to be the focus of your attention. This allows you to luxuriate in his performance, one that is among the best on the album.
The next song is one that will be familiar to many people, People Get Ready/Brotherly Love. People Get Ready is a classic Curtis Mayfield song, and Brotherly Love is a song Terry Callier wrote with daughter Sundiata. Callier’s version of People Get Ready begins with organ and guitar Then he gives a moving rendition complete with Gary Plummley’s brilliant tenor saxophone solo and some fantastic backing vocalists. The song blends into Brotherly Love beautifully, an equally beautiful song. The lyrics are positive, a message of hope, in troubled times. You can tell the lyrics contain an important messaage from Callier, so passionate is his performance. Towards the end of the song, the band cut loose, and turn the song into a slice of funky jazz. A saxophone blows, organ, piano, guitar bass and percussion all take turns to shine, and the backing singers improvisation is masterful, creating a wonderful suite of songs.
After the frantic and joyous ending to Brotherly Love, Callier slows things down on Love Theme From Spartucus, a song Callier cowrote with Alex North. From the gentle and spacious strummed guitar of the introduction, the dramatic atmosphere is palpable. After a minute, Callier sings, his voice slow, leaving plenty space, to add to the dramatic impact of the song. This works really well. You’re immediately drawn to the lyrics, they become the most important thing in your world, for the duration of the song. They’re a thing of beauty. A message of freedom, one that is highly relevant today, when people are downtrodden and oppressed worldwide. It’s a song about freedom, something we all take for granted, yet for some people, to quote Callier “it’s so far, so near.” Love Theme From Spartucus, is a moving and powerful song, one that makes you thankful of something we all take for granted, freedom.
No More Blues is a more upbeat song, which starts with drums guitar and Gary Plummley’s soprano saxophone. When Callier sings, his vocal is slow and clear, articulating the lyrics well. As the song progresses, the tempo increases slightly, becoming a jazz workout. Drums, piano, saxophone and those wonderful backing singers bring the song to life, transforming the song. More instruments enter the mix, sometimes quickly dropping out. The sound becomes bigger, fuller. Callier’s band show they’re masters of their instruments. He takes a back seat, allowing the to shine. When he returns, he joins in the improvisation, showing a different side to his vocal style, one that I enjoyed. What he ends up with, is a very different style of song, but still one of the highest quality.
The title-track Timepeace is next. It’s a song that begins with an improvisational style, various instruments that include saxophone, guitar and percussion. When Callier sings, his voice is loud and strong. He sings in front of the band, they in turn, fill the spaces his vocal leaves. Timepeace’s lyrics are deeply spiritual, full of imagery, with a strong narrative. Both Callier’s vocal and the band’s performance are of the highest standard. One man who deserves credit is the legendary Pharoah Saunders, whose tenor saxophone solo, is one of the highlights of the track. His playing compliments Callier’s voice perfectly, never overpowering the vocal, and filling spaces which Callier leaves. Saunders and Callier both give fantastic performances on this wonderful track.
Terry Callier wrote Following Your Footprints with Wayne Shorter. It’s track with a strong jazz influence. Right from the start this is apparent. Callier is joined on vocals by Veronica Cowper. Their vocals blend together perfectly. Throughout the track, each member of the band takes centre-stage, showcasing their considerable talents. Mark Edwards on piano, Gary Plummley on saxophone and Dave Barnard on bass all give musical masterclasses. Again, Callier decides to improvise, and during what is a long track, joins with his band in demonstrating his vocal agility. Following Your Footprints is very different to much of Terry Callier’s other work, but is a good song, one that you need to listen to several times to appreciate its subtleties and nuances.
C’est La Vie begins with percussion and piano. Its an upbeat song, that sets off at a jaunty tempo. Callier’s vocal is light and gentle. He takes care to articulate the lyrics, lyrics that are about love, and the fear of losing the one you love. As the song progresses, his voice strengthens and gets louder, as if wanting to emphasize the lyrics. The song features great performances from the band, they seem to have reserved a standout performance for this song.
One of the best tracks on the album is next, Coyote Moon. It’s a song with wonderful lyrics. So strong is the narrative, that you can close your eyes and picture what Callier is singing about. That’s how descriptive the lyrics are. You can picture leaving the crowded city, to the peace of the countryside, with fog rolling down the mountains, and traveling along empty roads. Terry Calier’s rendition of this song is so good, that it allows you to imagine these places. The way Coyote Moon is arranged, is understated, allowing Callier’s vocal to shine. Behind Callier, the band play gently, never overpowering or crowding his vocal.
Aka New York Al is the next song on Timepeace. Its introduction meanders, smoothly, sometimes hesitantly. When Callier makes an appearance, he half-speaks, half sings. The lyrics sound personal to Callier, and he sings about travelling through life with the subject of the song, telling of their shared experiences. Callier sings the song beautifully, it’s a heartfelt rendition of the song. This song benefits from a simple arrangement, and Toni Moore and Suzanne Palmer’s backing vocals compliment Terry Callier’s voice wonderfully.
Timepeace ends with Traitor To The Race. On this uptempo song, Callier’s vocal style is very different. When he sings, he is almost rapping the lyrics. It’s a song full of social comment, that describes the problem faced by young people in the American projects, where people of the same race kill, abuse and hurt each other. Caliier sounds angry, annoyed and saddened, despairing at the futility of this behavior. This song could be describing similar problems faced by young people worldwide. The lyrics are highly pertinent, and as relevant today, as twelve years ago, when the album was released. Traitor To The Race has a much more contemporary feel and sound to the arrangement, one that matches the lyrics. It’s a very different song from others on the album, but is one with an important message, one that must be told, and something done about it.
Timepeace truly was a magnificent comeback album from Terry Callier. After eighteen years away from a recording studio, it seemed like he had never been away. His voice was better than ever, and his songwriting skills just as good as before. The years spent on sabbatical hadn’t diminished his creativity, quite the opposite, it was like he returned refreshed, with plenty to say, desperate to say it. This album sees him tackle a variety of subjects, love, spirituality, friendship and social problems. Much had changed during his absence from music, but Callier returned fresh, ready to comment on a changing world. Since then, he has produced a number of albums. My particular favorite album since Timepeace, is Lifeline, an album that is even better than Timepeace. For someone who has never heard Terry Callier’s music, Timepeace and Lifeline are good introductions to his later albums. If you want to explore his earlier work Essential-The Very Best of Terry Callier, is a good starting point, and covers all his recordings on Cadet. However, it doesn’t include his work on Elektra. That is available on About Time-The Terry Callier Story 1965-1982. There are many compilations of Terry Callier’s music available, these are the best. They’ll give you an overview of his musical career. They will introduce you to the various periods of his career, and then let you explore his music further. You have a fantastic musical journey in front of you, one that I’m sure you’ll thoroughly enjoy. Standout Tracks: Keep Your Heart Right, Java Sparrow, People Get Ready/Brotherly Love and Coyote Moon.
TERRY CALLIER-TIMEPEACE.
DR JOHN-ANUTHA ZONE.
DR JOHN-ANUTHA ZONE.
The artist I’m going to write about today is one of the greatest live acts I have ever been privileged to witness. Twice I have been lucky enough to witness him live in concert, each time he was brilliant, producing a masterful performance. One of the concerts I was at, was when he was touring the album this article is about. On that night, he produced a performance that turned back time. He played some of his classics, and much of this album. Everyone present, was enthralled by his brilliance, his piano playing and singing were of the highest standard. The second time I saw him in concert, he was even better. My advice is, if you ever get a chance to see Dr John in concert, you must go, you’ll not be disappointed. Anutha Zone is the album this article is about, released in 1998.
Before telling you about this brilliant album, I will briefly tell you about Dr John’s life and career. He was born Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack jr, in November 1940. His music is a combination of various types of music. Blues, jazz, zydeco, boogie-woogie, rock and roll and even pop. Starting out as a session musician towards the end of the 1950s, he was originally a guitarist, who also played piano. Fame didn’t come either quickly, or easily for him. It was only in the early 1970s’, that he came to the public’s attention. He drew inspiration from medicine shows and Mardi Gras, and his stage shows were spectacular, containing outlandish costumes and voodoo ceremonies.
Some of his best work was released between 1968 and 1974 on Atco records. His debut album Gris-Gris, is a classic album, one that shows Dr John at the peak of his powers. It contains voodoo rhythms and chants, and stays true to the musical tradition of New Orleans. So highly regarded is the album, that it is in Rolling Stone magazine’s top 500 albums. Three further seminal albums followed in a similar vein to Gris-Gris. Babylon in 1969, Remedies in 1970 and The Sun, The Moon and The Herbs in 1971. All are albums that I would highly recommend as a snapshot of Dr John’s earliest work. To me, these albums are among his best ever.
Gumbo was released in 1972. It contained many songs that were important in New Orleans music. Like its predecessors, it contains some wonderful music, and Dr John’s interpretation of this music, is among his finest work. It has been described by many as psychedelic voodoo music. Indeed, he wouldn’t explore the psychedelic voodoo music until Anutha Zone, the album this article is about.
After Gumbo Dr John decided to expand his musical horizons, and explore other musical styles. In 1973 he recorded In the Right Place, with Allen Touissaint and The Meters, analbum of New Orleans funk music. It’s another important album, one highly regarded by music critics. He followed this Desitively Bonnaroo, another album of New Orleans funk music. Again, it’s a highly regarded album, one filled with some wonderful music, showing Dr John at the peak of his powers.
Dr John released three other albums in the 1970s’ the best of which was Hollywood Be Thy Name, released in 1975. It was nowhere near the standard of his other albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The 1980s were not the greatest period in Dr John’s career. My favorite album from that period is In A Sentimental Mood, released in 1989. On this album, he plays some old standards, and his voice and piano playing are brilliant.
The 1990s were slightly kinder to Dr John. 1994 saw him release Television. Although still not a return to his earlier brilliance, the album contains some good music. By 1998, his glory days were long gone, a distant memory. He was still remembered fondly by people like myself, long term fans, who loved his music. Then in 1998, it was announced he’d recorded a new album, one which saw him collaborate with a number of “guest artists” and which was produced by John Leckie. Granted, guest artists were hardly musical heavyweights, but John Leckie was a highly respected and talented producer. Immediately I was interested. When the album was released, it was a pleasant surprise, Dr John had rolled back the years to produce a great album, one I well tell you more about shortly.
After Anutha Zone, Dr John has released seven further albums between 2000 and 2010. They’re a mixed bunch. Some are good, very good and others not so good. The best are Duke Elegant in 2000, a tribute to Duke Ellington, where Dr John interprets some of his songs. Creole Moon released in 2001, Mercernary a tribute to Johnny Mercer, which sees Dr John sing a number of Mercer’s songs and Tribal released in 2010, are the best albums he has released post Anutha Zone. The rest of the albums released in tis period all have some good music, but aren’t among his best work.
Having briefly told you about Dr John’s long and distinguished career, I will now tell you about Anutha Zone, a wonderful album. Anutha Zone sees Dr John return to the psychedelic voodoo music of Gumbo, so to get in the mood, draw the blinds, light some candles and burn some incense. The album opens with Zonata, what can only be described as a short musical interlude. Dr John warming up before the main event, he slowly plays some moody piano. Although only forty-six seconds, it’s forty-six magical seconds.
Quickly, the mood becomes magical, a real slice of down home New Orleans. It’s funky, moody, Dr John’s vocal whispering, slightly eerily on Ki Ya Gris Gris. He has set the mood now. Percussion and congas, set the mood, guitars, drums all contribute towards the mood. What makes the track, is Dr John’s vocal, one minute whispering, eerily and moodily, sending shivers down your back, the next shrieking. Quite simply, this track is a moody, eery, slice of New Orleans.
The tempo increases, and the mood changes with Voices In My Head. There still is an intensity with in the track. This track sees a guest appearance by Gaz Coombes, of Supergrass. Underwhelmed? I am. Voices In My Head is a real return to form by Dr John. His vocal is strong, clear, showing signs of his glory days. Behind him, his band are brilliant. They’re tight, a crack group of musicians. Drums provide a steady backdrop, and horns augment the sound, filling the space left by the vocal. Towards, the end of the track, the pace quickens, the sound intensifies, resulting in powerful track.
Hello God sees Dr John half-speaking, half singing the lyrics. His voice is deep, gravelly and atmospheric. Perfect for this song. There is both an intensity and moodiness, within the track. So palpable it is, you can almost sense it. At the start of the song, the drums are slow and spacey, in keeping with the half-spoken mercurial vocal. The song is a dichotomy. It veers between darkness and light. On this track, The London Gospel Community Choir provide backing vocals. This results in a big sound, one that compliments Dr John’s vocal, and brings the song to life. Their role is of huge importance, and provide the light to the earlier darkness of the track.
John Gris begins with distant drums, a flute playing, and a return to his psychedelic voodoo music of yesteryear. Straight away, the atmosphere is sinister, otherworldly and glorious. It’s a trip down memory for long term fans. One that brings to mind Mardi Gras, spine-tingling experiences and New Orleans at its most outlandish. His whispered vocal, adds to the atmosphere, as does the melange of musical instruments, including birambao, percussion, horns, flute, drums and droning backing vocals. Quite simply, an otherworldly musical experience with no equal.
One of the album’s best tracks is Party Hellfire. Making a guest appearance on guitar and vocal is Paul Weller. From the opening bars of the piano you realize that you’re in for a musical treat. What follows is just under five minutes of brilliant piano playing and singing by the Dr. The lyrics are among the best on the album. It is a track that is almost flawless. Every musician produces a brilliant performance, and Carleen Anderson deserves credit for her backing vocals. My only quibble is Paul Weller’s backing vocals. They don’t blend in well with the rest of the backing vocalist, tending to overpower the others. I get the impression he’s trying too hard in such exulted company. Don’t give up the day job Paul. Apart from that minor quibble, this is a masterful track.
I Don’t Wanna Know, is a cover of an old John Martyn song. Apart from John Martyn’s version, this is one of the best versions. Dr John sings the song beautifully, singing the song straight, with no frills. He sings the song the way it was meant to be sung. The addition of a Hammond organ really fills the song out, adding character to it. Both the arrangement and production are of the highest standard. John Leckie’s production is of the highest standard on this album. Like the last track, Weller’s vocal tend to grate, and are not suited to the arrangement. That is my only criticism of this brilliant song.
The title track Anutha Zone is the next track. After three great tracks, one after the other, this song has a lot to live up to. Sadly, it’s no equal to the previous three tracks. Although it’s a prime slice of funk, with Dr John’s piano playing of the highest standard, and his vocal good, the lyrics let the song down. Everything else is good, the arrangement and production, and the standard of musicianship. All that lets the song down, is slightly weak lyrics.
Thankfully, I Like Ki Yoka, sees a return to the high standard of the rest of the album. The atmosphere is moody, moody with a capital M. From the start your taken on a journey, one that’s otherworldly, with a hint of the supernatural. A saxophone blows, setting the tone, afterwards Dr John whispers moodily, before singing. Drums, percussion and brass section provide a backdrop, with backing vocalists accompanying Dr John. Once the track ends, you feel relieved, yet privileged, to have heard such a great track.
The mood doesn’t lighten any, with The Olive Tree. What changes is the lyrics. They’ve a spiritual theme. Straight away, Dr John keeps the moody, atmosphere up. It’s broody, dark almost heavy. His band join him in accomplishing this. Drums, percussion, congas and clarinet all set the mood. Dr John’s vocal matches this mood. His vocal is strong and dramatic, articulating the powerful lyrics. What he ends up with, is a strong track, one thats dark and moody.
Soulful Warrior begins with an organ playing, its sombre. Then quickly, the mood changes, heading uptempo. The rhythms are joyous, catchy and infectious. However, the lyrics are dark and sad, touching on the futility of war and conflict. Dr John’s singing is among the best on this album. His voice is softer, not as loud, and is more melodic, than on other tracks. Both Dr John and is band are at one on this track, and have produced a great track.
Dr John’s voice is at his darkest, moodiest best on The Stroke. His vocal is almost a growl, as if suppressing his anger and disgust. The lyrics match the darkness of his mood. Contributing to this atmosphere, is the backing band. Their performance meanders, moodily, full of darkness, occasionally, allowing the light to shine in. It’s a great track, one that will send shivers down your spine, and one you’ll never tire of hearing.
Anutha Zone closes with Sweet Home New Orleans. It’s very much a case of after the dark, comes the light. After the darkness of The Stroke, comes the light of weet Home New Orleans. Although it starts slowly with piano and brass section playing, don’t be fooled, the Dr and his band are just warming up. Good things come to those who wait. That’s the case here, because soon, the track opens up, to become a great slice of New Orleans tinged funk. Dr John’s voice and piano playing are stunning, and behind him he is fortunate to have a wonderful group of musicians and backing singers. All of them come together to make this a fantastic end to a great album.
Anutha Zone was a welcome return to form from one of my musical heroes. It was one of his best albums in a long time. During a career that now spans six decades, he has produced many masterful albums. Strangely enough, he is not an artist that is widely known. He is very much one of music’s best kept secrets. Many people call him a musician’s musician, like JJ Cale. It’s a pity that more people haven’t discovered this secret. On Amutha Zone, there are some wonderful songs, songs Dr John sings and plays piano brilliantly on. He’s backed by his usual wonderful band, as well as some “guest artists,” whose contribution to this album, is minimal in my opinion.
Anyone who has read this article and is thinking about buying Anutha Zone, my message to them is go ahead, it’s a brilliant album, one that will immediately make you a fan of Dr John. There are numerous other albums of Dr John’s that are well worth buying. In fact, all the albums I have mentioned in this article are the basis for a collection of Dr John’s best albums. They will give you a snapshot of the best of his career. If you buy these albums, you’ll not go far wrong, and you’ll find yourself wondering why did I not discover Dr John sooner? Standout Tracks: John Gris, Party Hellfire, I Don’t Wanna Know and I Like Ki Yoka.
DR JOHN-ANUTHA ZONE.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-EXODUS.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-EXODUS.
Although I love all types of music, one type of music I have always loved is reggae music. Ever since I was young I have reggae. Mostly it’s dub reggae I like, but I like all types of reggae. One artist who has always been a favorite of mine, is Bob Marley. Marley produced many great albums during his sadly, short, career. One of the best was Exodus, which he recorded in Jamaica and London in 1976 and 1977. It’s an album that since its release, has been considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Before I tell you why Exodus is such a great album, I’ll tell you a little about Bob Marley’s life and career.
Bob Marley was born in February 1945, in Nine Mile, Saint Ann, Jamaica. He came from a mixed race family. His father was a white Jamaican, who was a captain in the Royal Marines. Although he never saw his family, his father supported them financially, until he died when Bob Marley was ten. Marley’s mixed race background led to questions about his racial identity during his life. However, he saw himself as a black African. Two of his biggest influences were Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie. From an early age, Marley’s political and religious views were established. Throughout his life he would publicize the Rastafari movement and Jamaican music, two things hugely important to him.
An important, but chance meeting with Neville “Bunny” Livingstone, who became Bunny Wailer would play a huge part in Marley’s future. Marley left school aged fourteen, to make music with Joe Higgs, who was a local musician and devout Rastafari. Whilst jamming, Marley met Peter McIntosh, who would become Peter Tosh, who like Marley, wanted to make music. In 1962, Marley recorded two singles, under the name Bobby Martell.
By 1963, Marley, Wailer and Tosh had established a ska and rocksteady band. They changed names often, but eventually became the Bob Marley and The Wailers. The group were active between 1963 and 1974. It was during this period that Marley became Rastafari and married Rita Anderson. Bob Marley struggled to become successful during this period. Success continued to allude Marley. Even an alliance with Lee “Scratch” Perry failed to produce success for Marley, ending in acrimony between the pair. The session produced some wonderful music, among the best of Marley’s career, and is well worth hearing.
By 1973, Bob Marley and The Wailers were still struggling. When Catch A Fire was released, it was well received by critics, but didn’t sell well. This lead to the Wailers splitting up. After they split, Marley continued recording as Bob Marley and The Wailers.
Between 1974 and 1981, he was about to enter a period that saw him produce a number of classic albums, including Exodus. The album that gave his first hit outside Jamaica was Natty Dread released in 1975. It included the single No Woman, No Cry. That was a huge hit, and introduced the world to the wonderful music of Bob Marley. The follow-up to Natty Dread, was Rastaman Vibration in 1976. This was the album that broke Marley in the US. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and stayed there for four weeks. Little did Marley know that in December 1976, his life would be at risk.
Marley had agreed to participate in a free concert in Jamaica called Smile Jamaica. It had been organized by the Jamaican Prime Minister to ease tension between two political groups who were at war. Two days before the concert, Marley, his wife Rita and his manager Don Taylor were all shot and wounded, in an attempt on their life. Despite this, Marley still played in the concert.
This attempt on his life lead to Marley leaving Jamaica. He spent a month in the Bahamas recovering and writing at Island Records owner Chris Blackwell’s Compass Point Studios in Nassau. During his stay there, he recorded material for his next two album Exodus and Kaya. The rest of Exodus was recorded in London, while Marley recovered from the attempt on his life.
Exodus propelled Marley to international stardom. The album was a success worldwide, firmly establishing him as global superstar. Three singles were released from the album Jamming, Waiting In Vain and One Love/People Get Ready. In the US, Exodus only reached number twenty in the Billboard Hot 100. It was a huge success in the UK, and other countries worldwide. SInce then, the album has been recognized as one of the best album ever recorded, with Rolling Stone magazine including it in their top 500 albums of all time. I will tell you what makes this album so special shortly.
After Exodus, only three more albums would be released in his lifetime. Kaya the follow-up to Exodus was released in 1978. It had been recorded in the Bahamas at the same time as much of Exodus was recorded. It has a very soft and laid back sound, with songs about love and marijuana. The album sold well, and entered the top five in the UK album charts.
Survival was released in 1979. It was a highly political album. Marley is at his most militant on this album, with African unity one of the key themes. The album was meant to be one of a trilogy of albums, with Uprising and Confrontation completing the trilogy. Survival sold well, and shows another side of Marley.
Uprising was released in 1980. It was the final album released in Marley’s lifetime. O the album, nearly every song is to do with Marley’ Rastifarian beliefs. The album closes with Redemption Song, which has since become a classic acoustic folk song. Although the album sold well, in only reached number forty-one in the US Billboard Hot 100, but sold better in the UK.
Bob Marley died of cancer in May 1981. He had been suffering from a malignant melanoma which was discovered when he injured his toe playing football in July 1977. Between July 1977 until his death, Marley continued to record and tour. The third record in the trilogy Confrontation was released two years after his death. It comprised unreleased material recorded during his lifeline.
Having told you about Bob Marley’s life, I will now tell you what makes Exodus such a fantastic album. Exodus opens with Natural Mystic, which opens with a slow reggae beat and Marley singing softly. His voice is laid back, almost lazy, but he articulates the lyrics clearly, with feeling. The arrangement has left loads of space in the track, allowing it to breath. Bass, drums and guitar are joined by a brass section, which brings the track to life. It’sa great track to start a classic album.
So Much Things To Say is the next song on the album. Like much of Marley’s music, spiritually is important to him, and this is the case here. It’s a very spiritual song, one that Marley sings well. He delivers the song passionately and powerfully. The way the song is arranged is quite simple, just drums, guitar, bass and organ. There is a similarity with the rhythm and that of Natural Mystic. Both sound quite similar. That is no bad thing as the rhythm is so catchy, it’s infectious. What makes the song is the lyrics, they’re powerful and the message delivered passionately.
Guiltiness starts with drums, crisp and loud, which are joined by organ, bass and guitar. Later the brass section joins. Marley’s vocal is clear, as if desperate to get across his message. As Marley sings, the rhythm section meanders along, playing gloriously, creating a masterful backdrop for his vocal. His lyrics are powerful and intelligent. Marley was a man with a social conscience, and was firmly on the side of the oppressed. He gets his message across here really well, via this thoughtful song.
The Heathen’s lyrics are like a cry to arms from Marley. He calls for the “fallen fighters to rise up and take there stance again.” This is Marley the militant, at his political best. Helping to encourage the downtrodden and oppressed to rise up, and crush their oppressors. I’ve always found this an inspirational song, one that is still relevant today, and always will be. Marley sings the song passionately, with just enough defiance. Behind him, The Wailers have produced a masterful performance, one to match the inspirational lyrics.
The title track Exodus is next. A bass plays, is joined by piano and brass section, then Marley enters stage right. When he does, he goes on to produce one of the best performances on the album. He sings some highly spiritual lyrics, that can’t fail to touch you. You experience the trials and tribulations, as well injustices suffered. When Marley sings the lyrics to Exodus, you can sense his anger and frustration, but also his hope for the future, and belief that one day, things will change, and improve. Exodus is a powerful track, one of the best on the album.
How do you follow a brilliant track like Exodus? Quite simple, with another fantastic track Jamming. This is a track that takes me back over twenty years, this album was the soundtrack to the summer of 1977. Exodus was on heavy rotation, and one of the most played tracks was Jamming. Immediately, when you hear the opening bars, you know this is going to be a joyous slice of sunshine. Drums start the track, the piano plays, then Bob Marley sings, some joyous lyrics. It’s a feel-good track, one with a lovely catchy rhythm. It’s highly infectious, almost contagious. It’s no exaggeration to say that listening Jamming is one of the best three and a half minutes you will ever spend.
The quality keeps on coming with Waiting In Vain. Here the tempo drops, Marley sings a beautiful love song. As usual he sings the lyrics beautifully, they’re heartfelt, passionate, a plea to a lover. Waiting In Vain ambles along, Marley singing in front of a brilliant rhythm section. The arrangement is tight. Nothing is out of place. You’re witnessing some fantastic musicians at the top of their game. What you’re also privilege to hear is a lovely love song, beautifully sung.
One of my favorite songs by Bob Marley is Turn Your Lights Down Low. It’s a song that I never tire of hearing. A paean to love, one of the most beautiful and romantic songs you will ever hear. What makes the song, is they way its arranged. Throughout the song, from the drums that open the track, and Marley singing, the whole song is understated. There is nothing unnecessary in the in arrangement. It’s an example of where less is more. Marley is backed by a rhythm section, percussion, organ and backing vocalists. Each ensure they don’t overpower Marley’s vocal, and sit firmly in the background. Marley, in turn, sings quietly, gently, emphasizing the inherent beauty in the lyrics. The result is stunning. A brilliant love song, one that is timeless.
The tempo increases with Three Little Birds. Previously, we’ve heard Marley the militant politician, his spiritual side and Marley the lover. This song seems to fit into the first category, with him delivering a message, telling his people not to worry, things would be okay. Like Jamming, the track is an uptempo, feel-good track, one that lifts your spirits, gives you hope for the future. From the introduction with drums and organ, until Marley sings, the mood is positive. Thereafter, the track flows joyously, full of rhythms and hope. Marley is accompanied by backing vocalists, who are a perfect foil for his voice They compliment his vocal style perfectly. The Wailers, as usual, are a backing band with no equals, and played a huge part in shaping Bob Marley’s sound.
Exodus closes with One Love/People Get Ready. This is a great way to end the album. A song with a powerful message, which is still as relevant today, as then. One Love starts softly, meandering along gently. When Marley starts to sing the lyrics, their power hits you. His sincerity and hope for the future shines through. Their message is strong, heartfelt and delivered in hope. It shows Marley’s talent as both singer and songwriter, and like much of his music, was one with a message, and with a purpose. The song is sung and played perfectly, Bob Marley and The Wailers reserving one of their best performances for the final track, on this seminal album.
Exodus is, in my opinion, one of the greatest albums of Bob Marley’s, tragically short career. Ten songs, covering politics, spirituality and love. Each of them of the highest standard. Not only was it one of his best albums, but it was one of the best albums between 1975 and 1980, a real low point in the UK music scene, when punk and prog rock tormented the ears of music lovers, masquerading as music. Between the same period, Marley was producing some of the greatest music of his career. Every album he produced was of the highest standard, and was crammed full of wonderful music, music that offered hope to many people. It’s a tragedy that in 1977, he first became ill, and that his life was cut short, dying too young, aged thirty-six. Had he lived, he would’ve had so much to offer, he could have become a spokesman for a generation. Thankfully, he left a wonderful legacy. He left behind some wonderful music, that we are all still able to enjoy.
Exodus was a highpoint in his career, if you have never heard it, I would recommend that you buy it straight away. You won’t be disappointed, you’ll be privileged to hear some of Bob Marley’s greatest work. He produced many other great albums, but I would recommend Catch A Fire and Natty Dread as two other albums worth buying. They’ll allow you to experience different sides to Bob Marley and his music. Standout Tracks: The Heathen, Exodus, Jamming and Turn Your Lights Down Low.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-EXODUS.
DUFFY-ROCKFERRY.
DUFFY-ROCKFERRY.
I’m not usually the type of person that bothers much with commercial music. Most successful commercial music is the result of hype and marketing, rather than talent. This is nothing new in the music industry. Much of the success of many punk and post-punk groups was due to puff pieces and hype in the music press. Their talent was minimal, so friendly music journalists were dispatched to write articles praising these groups. However, the artist this article is about, has talent in abundance. She possesses one of the most soulful voices in the music industry, and her debut album was a huge commercial success, selling six million copies worldwide. When I was first alerted to this singer, I was immediately taken with the quality of her voice. Even before the release of her first album, comparisons were being made with the late Dusty Springfield. Duffy is the artist in question, and the album is Rockferry, her debut album.
Duffy was born Aimee Annn Duffy, in June 1984, in Bangor Wales. She grew up speaking Welsh, but quickly learned to speak English, as even then, she wanted to be a singer. She recalls writing songs with her twin sister and older sister, as a child. After her parents divorce, when she was ten, her home life was, to say the least, turbulent. Her musical inspiration came from watching videos of the 1960s’ television program Ready Steady Go. Duffy’s love of soul music stemmed from watching a Whoopi Goldberg film Sister Act. This also inspired her to become a singer.
Duffy’s career followed a familiar pattern to many artists. She joined local bands and sang with them. Duffy even spent a year in Switzerland working with writer and producer Soren Mounir, using the name Souego. On her return to Wales, she went to college and it was there, a lecturer gave her some good advice. He told her go on the dole and become a singer. This she did, joining bands, and building up a local following in a local jazz and blues club. She even entered a talent show on Welsh television. Expected to win, she came second. Later, she said it was an unhappy period in her life. Her next foray in music was recording a three song EP in Welsh. in 2008 it would give Duffy a number one hit in Wales.
Her big breakthrough came on meeting Jeanette Lee of Rough Trade Records in August 2004. Lee arranged a meeting with Bernard Butler, ex guitarist with Suede, now a record producer. Butler proceeded to educate Duffy about soul music, downloading tracks by Bettye Swan, Al Green, Anne Peebles and Doris Duke onto Duffy’s ipod. She would listen and learn during her travels between London and Wales. Her debut album Rockferry took four years to make. During that time, she worked with several writers and producers. The biggest influence was Bernard Buler who cowrote and produced four tracks on the album. His influence and expertise were invaluable, as a mentor, writer and producer. On its release in March 2008, the album sold 180,000 copies in the first week of its release, and 60,000 on the release date. Rockferry ended up selling six million copies worldwide, and turned Duffy into a global success story. In 2009, the album won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, and three Brit Awards.
The follow-up to Rockferry, Endlessly was released in November 2010. Endlessly saw Duffy change producer and form a songwriting partnership with Albert Hammond Snr. On its release, the album wasn’t as well received. It only reached number nine in the UK album charts. Nor did the one single Well, Well, Well didn’t fare well either, reaching only number thirty-seven in the UK singles chart. Why did this album not fare so well? That is hard to explain. Maybe her split with Rough Trade Management and Jeanette Lee in January 2010, and the lack of Bernard Butler as mentor, writer and producer have affected her. Both Lee and Butler played a huge part in launching Duffy’s career. In February 2011, Duffy announced that she was taking a break from music before recording her next album. The big question for me is, will she ever replicate the success of Rockferry?
Rockferry opens with the title track Rockferry, one of the standout tracks on the album. The track opens with piano and guitar, the piano sounding slightly moody, the guitar chiming. Then a remarkable transformation occurs. Duffy sings. Her voice transports you back, back in time. It’s like revisiting the past, a time when singers like Dusty Springfield were in their prime. It’s a lovely retro sound. Her voice is loud, strong and confident. She has a great control of her voice, a wide vocal range and her voice is filled with sincerity. It’s a dramatic song, one that sweeps along, and builds to an emotional climax. A great song to start the album, it grabs your attention, and makes you long to hear how Duffy will follow such a strong song.
Having asked how she would follow Rockferry, the answer is quite simple, with a quite masterful track, one that is even better than the opening track. If ever a song painted a picture, then Warwick Avenue does. Warwick Avenue is about a love affair, one that has gone badly wrong, she sings of being hurt, feeling smothered and wanting to be free. So strong are the lyrics that you can visualize the scene playing out in front on you. You can imagine the turbulent relationship, empathize with her pain and hurt. In the end you too, want her to be free from this dreadful relationship. That is how strong the narrative is. The song has a retro sound and feel, beginning with bass and guitar, playing gently behind Duffy’s vocal. Her delivery is passionate, and emotional. As the song progresses, the sound builds, stings sweep in and out, leaving the minimal backdrop of guitar and bass. Towards the end, the song builds, the sound becoming bigger, Duffy’s emotional vocal is stunning. Quite simply, a brilliant song.
Serious has a very different sound than the previous two tracks. It has a brighter, more uptempo sound. That is until you listen to the lyrics. They’re another relationship song, again one that hasn’t gone well. She sings about feeling like an accessory to her partner, and being the butt of his jokes. The point of the song is how can he be serious about love when he behaves like this. When she sings the song, she doesn’t use such a wide vocal range. There are no soaring vocals, preferring to sing in a lower key. The song is well arranged and produced, it flows, benefiting from some great strings, piano playing and backing vocals. Like the other songs so far, the songs reference points are firmly in the past.
The next track is Stepping Stone, a song Duffy said was about not telling someone how she felt about them. It’s a personal song. Stepping Stone has a minimalist sound, Duffy’s voice sits at the front of the mix, behind her strings, drums and piano play quietly, allowing Duffy’s vocal to shine. This is a much better song than Serious, and much of that is down to the way the song has been arranged.
Duffy sighs at the start of Syrup and Honey, before singing, accompanied only by a guitar. Her voice is worldweary, sounding cynical about a relationship. She sings the song beautifully, producing an emotional performance, packed with feeling and frustration. The arrangement is hugely effective, just Duffy backed by guitar. This demonstrates how talented a vocalist she is.
Hanging On Too Long has a lovely subdued start, with just guitar, drums and string playing. When Duffy sings, her vocal is equally subtle. Quiet, gentle and thoughtful. Her voice is full of emotion and passion. The delivery is strong. Behind her strings sweep, a guitar plays and backing singers join Duffy, giving the song a gospel sound. For someone still quite young, her voice is both strong and mature. To be able to deliver this song so well, is testament to her talent, and a good production team.
Like Stepping Stone, the next track Mercy, is autobiographical. Duffy says it’s a song about sexual liberation and “not doing something somebody else wants you to do.” A dull drum sound starts the track, then when Duffy sings, you’re transported back to the 1960s’. It could almost be an old Northern Soul track. It has the perfect tempo, 130 beats per minute. Her vocal is both strong and sweet. The arrangement has a real retro sound, Duffy and her backing singers singing call and response. They’re a perfect foil for Duffy, and complete the retro sound. Mercy was a huge hit in 2008, and when you listen to this great song, you will hear why.
On Rockferry, the songs are a range of styles, and on Displayed Devotion, the style changes again. The soulfulness remains. That is a constant. Displayed Devotion is a slower song. Strings, drums and guitar provide a backdrop for Duffy’s sweet rendition of the song. Her voice is perfectly suited to the song, she carries it well, singing well within herself, never unleashing her powerful voice. Again, the song sounds from a different era. That said, it’s a glorious song, sung beautifully.
As I’m Scared begins minor chords play, the song meanders gently, Duffy sings, quietly at first, then more powerfully. For most of the song her voice is low and seductive. It draws you in, makes you listen carefully to the lyrics. They’ve a strong narrative, are very descriptive, allowing you a view of her world, and her sadness. The arrangement is perfect, understated, never overblown. Strings especially, bring out the beauty in the song. It allows her vocal to take centre-stage, on this lovely track.
Rockferry closes with Distant Dreamer. It’s a song with big sound, one where Duffy unleashes her voice, displaying her wide vocal range. The production takes as its reference point Phil Spector, and other 1960s’ producers. This is a wall of sound. When the song begins, you can sense this is going to be a dramatic song, one with a big sound. Distant Dreamer builds and builds, the sound gradually grows. Duffy’s voice gets louder and stronger. Her delivery is passionate, totally heartfelt. The production matches this, building the song up, so that it will end in a glorious crescendo. You witness a moment of high drama as the song moves towards its conclusion. Then suddenly, the tempo drops, the strings sweep and the song ends. Afterwards, you feel drained, after being caught up in the intensity and drama of this fantastically powerful song.
Rockferry is a wonderful album, one where the world was introduced to a hugely talented artist, blessed with a glorious voice. Duffy’s debut album was unusual, unusual in the sense that every song was of the highest quality. There are no second-rate songs or filler. She was fortunate to be surrounded by some hugely talented writers and producers. They helped bring out the her talent that she quite clearly had, and helped her to develop as a singer and songwriter. Bernard Butler’s influence was huge. He was not merely cowriter and producer, he was much more than that. Butler was very much Duffy’s mentor, teaching her about music and the music industry, and introducing her to the work of some wonderful artists. His role can’t be understated. Jeanette Lee at Rough Trade Management also had a huge role in shaping Duffy’s career, and like Butler, her contribution shouldn’t be underestimated. When she recorded Endlessly, neither Butler, nor Lee, were part of Duffy’s “team.” I wonder if Butler and Lee were still about, if Endlessly would’ve been a better, and more successful album. If I had anything to do with Duffy’s future, I would recommend reuniting with Butler, and starting where they left off with Rockferry.
Having spent some time listening to Rockferry and the follow up Endlessly, I’m left wondering why her record company didn’t stick with the personnel that produced Rockferry? That would have made sense. They could’ve developed Duffy’s career gradually, allowed her to explore new sounds and styles. Instead it was all change for Endlessly. Endlessly isn’t a bad album, quite the opposite, there are some good tracks on it. What it lacks is the quality of songs on Rockferry, and the slick arrangements and production. I hope that Duffy’s next album is more Rockferry than Endlessly. She is hugely talented, and possesses a fantastic voice. It would be a shame if she never scaled the heights of Rockferry again. Standout Track: Rockferry, Warwick Avenue, Mercy and Distant Dreamer.
DUFFY-ROCKFERRY.
LEFTFIELD-LEFTISM.
LEFTFIELD-LEFTISM.
In previous articles, I have often written about artists who have been pioneers, who have either produced a groundbreaking album that has had huge affect on music, artists who are pioneers and innovators, leaders not followers. This article will feature another group who are pioneers, and have been credited with being one of the pioneers of progressive house music and incorporating house music with dub reggae. Over the past twenty years, members of this group have been at the forefront of electronic and dance music, pioneering new ideas and sounds. When this album was released in January 1995, I remember being blown away by it, the music on it sound fresh and innovative, unlike nothing else around then. Sixteen years on, Leftfield’s album Leftism, sounds just as good.
Leftfield were formed in London in1990 by Paul Daley and Neil Barnes. Daley wasa veteran of the UK music scene, having previously been in the Brand New Heavies, The Rivals and A Man Called Adam. Before releasing their own albums, Leftfield was a vehicle for the production and remix work. They first used the name when they released a single Not Forgotten. Barnes was responsible for the editing, arrangement and production, and Daley for remixing the track.
After spending a few years releasing singles, the duo decided to release their debut album. This would become Leftfield. It was a remarkable album, crossing musical genres. This would include house, dub, techno and breakbeat. On its release, it reached number five in the UK album charts and reaching platinum status. So well regarded was the album, it was shortlisted for the 1995 Mercury Music Prize, ultimately losing out to Portishead’s album Dummy.
Four years later, the follow-up album Rhythm and Stealth was released. Having discovered their sound, the style and sound on Rhythm and Stealth remained similar. The album reached number one in the UK album charts, gaining platinum status. Again, the album was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in 2000. However, like 1995, the album lost out, this time to Badly Drawn Boy’s album The Hour of the Bewilderbeast.
In 2002, Leftfield split up. Eight years later, they reformed, playing a number of high profile festivals and concerts. Since then, Daley has decided to leave the group, to concentrate on his DJ commitments. Barnes has decided to continue touring, using a backing band and singers. Although Leftfield only released two albums, the albums were of the highest quality. Leftism is one of the best, and most innovative and influential albums of the 1990s’. I will now explain why.
Leftism opens Release the Pressure. The track starts quietly, as if playing in the distance, the sound gradually getting nearer. Gradually, the sound awakes, building, meandering gently, showing its beauty. Synths shimmer, distant drums reverberate, a flute plays, then Earl Sixteen’s charismatic vocal enters. Thereafter, the sound opens up. Squelching synths, echoey drums enter. The track gets louder, the tempo increases, suddenly the track is in full flow. Having taken nearly three minutes to get to this point, it has been worth the wait. So much is happening, the sound is complex, instruments drop in and out of the track, vocals are ad-libbed. You never lose interest, your always waiting to see what happens next. Once this brilliant track ends, you’re saddened, having been enthralled by this complex and infectious track.
Afro-Left has an exotic sound at the start. It transports you somewhere warm and dusty, somewhere exotic, interesting and beautiful. Djum Djum Berimbou half speaks, half sings a vocal, behind some frantic electro drums. The contrast between the vocal and drum sound is interesting. Berimbou’s vocal is slow and spacious, whilst the drums are furiously fast, with no space in the sound. If it were a race, my money would be on the drums. Almost midway through the track, the drums dominate the mix, only when they slow down slightly, does the vocal take their place at the front of the mix. Drums are really well programmed on this track, and make this a great track for any dancefloor. Towards the end of the track, percussion makes an appearance, changing the sound totally. At the end of the track, you feel exhausted, having tried to keep up with the pace of this fascinating track.
The next track Melt, has a dramatic, moody start, then synths appear adding to the almost sinister sound. A trumpet brightens the sound, then more synths appear, squelching and sweeping, building the tension. Effects like echo and delay are used effectively, to transform the sound. The tempo remains constant throughout the track. Sounds mushroom out of the mix, changing the sound, adding to the darkness. Sometimes, the mood lightens, but this is momentarily. Melt is a great track, one with a creeping darkness, where sometimes light sneaks a look through the darkness.
Song of Life begins with an atmospheric sound, voices echo in the background, a synth meanders darkly, then echoey drums with a whispery vocal can be heard. The sound is intriguing, slightly dark, but hinting at something about to appear. What appears is a vocal singing in the distance, crying joyously, then the drums increase in pace, the sound softens, the darkness has lifted. From that moment, the track changes, the tempo increases, transforming into a house beat. Towards the end of the track, another change happens. Vocals appear, the drums disappear, and when they reappear, their sound changes to a joyous beat. A great end, to a great track.
When the next track Original starts, you hear beeps, squeak and other otherworldly noises. By contrast, when Toni Halliday sings briefly, her voice is light and bright. After that the sound veers between darkness and light. The synths and drums provide the darkness, but there is an underlying melody that provides the light. When Halliday next appears, she almost reads the lyrics, and in doing so, adds character to them. Original has a full sound, so much is going on in the track, your drawn to so many different sounds and noises. Having said that, it’s a masterful track, one that is well arranged and produced.
Black Flute begins with frantic crashing drums, a keyboard plays, echoing. This is a fast track, the fastest on the album. It’s perfect for the dancefloor. The sound is repetitive, loud, the pace frantic. Unlike many tracks like this, there is variety in the drum sound, not just the constant 4/4 beat for Leftfield. They mix things up. Essentially, this is a simple track, just drums, synths and keyboards. However, it’s still a hugely impressive sounding track.
Space Shanty has a similar tempo and sound to Black Flute. The tempo is fast, the sound full and loud. Drums are loud and crisp, and sit at the front of the mix. They’re accompanied by synths that shimmer and pulsate. As the track progresses, it builds and builds, and the track has plenty going on to hold the listener’s attention. Like Black Flute, it’s a perfect track for the dancefloor, and would sound good in any DJ’s set today.
Inspection (Check One) starts with snatches of vocal dialogue. Straight away I’m hooked, intrigued to find out where this track is heading. Spacey drums enter, cymbals crash, synths produce some surreal sounds and then Danny Red toasts, like Jamaican DJ’s of old. His performance is impressive, full of character, adding to the growing soundscape. Vocals echo, far in the background, pulsating synths and sirens can all be heard. Drums and synths, come to the forefront of the mix, vocals and effects interject, then suddenly it’s over. The track ends, the aural adventure over, and you realize that you’ve had a wonderful journey.
On Storm 3000, the tempo decreases. What doesn’t change is the frantic drum sound, which sometimes, has a drum and bass sound. At the start you’re lulled into a false sense of security. A car can be heard driving along an empty road. You wonder if this is going to be a quieter, more mellow track. It isn’t. What follows is full on assault on your senses. Drums are loud and fast, synths produce a multitude of indescribable sounds, and when the track closes, thunder crashes. Excellent.
The penultimate track on Leftism is Open Up. A synth sighs, a vocal sings, then quickly, the pace picks up. Crisp, punchy drums are accompanied by synths, which together produce an infectious track. On vocal duties is John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten. His vocal is very different from his Sex Pistols or PIL days. He sings the track passionately, adding something to the track. What that something is I wouldn’t like to guess. Although not blessed with the greatest voice, he does his best. Thanks for coming Johnny. Since the album was released, I’ve always thought that maybe a better singer would have added more to the track. The vocal is the only thing that lets the track down.
Leftism closes with 20th Century Poem. It has a moody, atmospheric start. A spoken vocal is accompanied by synths, sounding broody, producing gentle waves of sound. Halfway through the track, the synth sound builds and builds. You keep feeling it’s going to break out, set off at a frantic pace. It doesn’t. It keeps building behind a really moody soundscape. It’s creepy and sinister sounding. Then just as you were enjoying see where this track is heading, bang, it’s over. All that you hear afterwards, is what sounds like the run-out groove on an old vinyl record, and that’s momentarily. The end of the track somewhat spoils it for me. It gives the track an almost unfinished feel. To me, it’s like a strange ending to a really good film. However, apart from that minor quibble, 20th Century Poem, is a really good dark and moody track.
That is the story of Leftfield’s debut album Leftism. It was a great debut album from them, one that sixteen years later, is perceived as a highly import and influential album in the development of dance and electronic music. Since then, this great album has influenced a new generation of artists and producers, and is held in such high esteem, that it is thought to be one of the most important albums of the 1990s’. Since Leftism’s release, I have loved this album, and while preparing this album, I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to it again. It’s one of these albums that I always return to, and always enjoy. What saddens me about Leftfield, is that during their career, they only released two studio albums. I’ve always felt that it would have been interesting to see how their music developed, what direction it would have taken. Sadly, that will never happen, they have gone their separate ways. Thankfully, they’ve left behind a wonderful legacy, in Leftism and Rhythm and Stealth. If you’ve never heard Leftism, I can thoroughly recommend it, especially if you’re someone who is interested in electronic and dance music. Having said that, anyone who loves good music will enjoy Leftism, a wonderful album that deserves a place in any self respecting record collection. Standout Tracks: Release the Pressure, Afro-Melt, Space Shanty and 20th Century Poem.
LEFTFIELD-LEFTISM.
THE BLUE NILE-PEACE AT LAST.
THE BLUE NILE-PEACE AT LAST.
The group this article is about, have only released four albums since forming in 1981. They have a reputation for working slowly, and the album this article is about was released seven years after their previous album. This album saw the group change their style. Previously it was based upon synthesizers, electronic instruments and percussion. The new sound on this album, sees the acoustic guitar played a bigger part. Released in June 1996, the album is Peace At Last, by The Blue Nile.
After seven years, The Blue Nile released the follow-up to 1989‘s Hats. Hats was received to critical acclaim, and reached number twelve in the UK album charts. This meant the group had a lot to live up to with their new album, Peace At Last. On its release, the album received mixed reviews, and sold poorly. Whether this was a reaction to the change in style in the band’s music, it’s hard to tell. That baffled me, because Peace At Last is a great album, one with ten great songs, with intelligent and thoughtful lyrics. As usual, the standard of musicianship and production is fantastic. In some ways, the album is more accessible, with the music on the album much lighter and easier on the ear. It is a good introduction to Blue Nile and their music. Although, I have always loved The Blue Nile’s first two albums, I felt that this album saw their music evolve. This is something that happens with all artists, it’s natural, allows them to develop as artists and explore new styles of music. I have chosen to review this album because it’s a wonderful album, and one that is vastly underrated.
Peace At Last begins with Happiness, a track that begins quietly, with a sweeping synth, an acoustic guitar strummed gently and then Paul Buchanan sings. After a seven year absence, his voice his just the same, he still sounds like the troubled troubadour of the first two albums. His voice is world weary, one that has lived a life. However there is one change. He sounds content, Happiness is a song about being content with life, domestically and personally. The sound on the track is minimalist, apart from the introduction of a gospel choir after about three minutes. This transforms the sound. Their short performance is joyous and uplifting. At the end on the track, Buchanan ponders whether the happiness will last. Great start to the album.
Tomorrow Morning starts in a similar vein to Happiness. It opens with acoustic guitar strummed, and Buchanan is in a rather pensive mood. In this song about love, he is insecure, wondering about what tomorrow brings. His emotions go from total insecurity to euphoria and happiness in the space of half a verse. The lyrics are some of the best on the album. They have a strong narrative, allowing the listener to hear the range on emotions Buchanan experiences. This song has quite a simple arrangement, the acoustic guitar plays a major role, a piano features and synths disguised as strings, all combine, to produce a stunning song.
The start to Sentimental Man sees guitar and drums come together to produce a moody and pensive atmosphere. Buchanan is in a thoughtful mood, and sings that it’s “not about money, and all about love.” His contentment shines through on this song. He is truly a man at piece with world. The sound on this track is bigger and fuller, than the previous two tracks. As the track progresses, the sound grows, peaking towards the end. Electric guitars, synths and drums dominate the track, and Buchanan’s vocal is loud strong, he shrieks and whoops, something unheard of before. A change in sound, but quality remains consistent.
There are two things that make the next track, Love Come Down, such a great track. The lyrics are among the best on the album, and Buchanan gives an outstanding vocal performance. Like other track, acoustic guitar starts the track. Drums are loud and sit at the front of the mix. The longer the track goes, the better the vocal. It’s a dramatic and passionate reading of the intelligent and thoughtful lyrics.
When you hear the first few lines of Body and Soul, you immediately realize that this is one of the best songs on the album. The track has a familiar theme, acoustic guitar and vocal start the song. After that, the track builds, and opens out into one of the most beautiful and heartfelt songs on the album. Strings are used to augment the sound, they are understated, sit at the back of the mix, sweeping in and out of the track. The acoustic guitar is played loudly, with confidence, accompanying Buchanan’s soulful rendition of the lyrics. Speaking of the lyrics, they are an ode about love. How we feel when in love, and are an example of our feelings and hopes for the future when in love. They are some of the best lyrics on Peace At Last.
Holy Love has a totally different sound and feel. In many ways, it owes much to the sound on previous Blue Nile album. Backing vocalists sing one note, synths and drums sound dark, almost dull. Synths squelch, drums have a retro sound and feel, and even Buchanan’s vocal style has changed. As the song progresses, you find yourself wondering what direction it’s heading. Lyrics are sparse, the vocal has an experimental sound and feel, with Buchanan having to almost improvise. This is a good track, but lacks the quality of others on the album.
The Blue Nile return to a familiar theme on Family Man, contentment, contentment in your personal life. Family Man is a gentle song, one with similarities to Easter Parade on A Walk Across the Rooftops. It’s the sound and feel that make me draw this comparison. The track has a minimal sound, and starts with piano, which features heavily throughout the song. Later in the track, synths are transformed to sound like a string section, which add depth and feeling to the track. Buchanan’s voice is perfectly suited to deliver the heartfelt lyrics on this beautiful track.
Following the minimal sounding last track, the sound changes dramatically on War Is Love. The sound is fuller, with a moody, dramatic sound. War Is Love starts with those magical strings, via the synths, drums are loud, slow and crisp. Quickly, the sounds builds, Buchanan’s voice sounds moody, perfect to deliver the lyrics, which are about the breakdown of a relationship. His voice fluctuates, getting the message over about a turbulent, troubled relationship. In contrast to the darkness, the strings sit behind his vocal, producing light to Buchanan’s darkness. A sad song, delivered sincerely by Buchanan, which continues the quality on Peace At Last.
After the dark sounding War Is Love comes God Bless You Kid. Drums and strings start the track, giving it a lush sound. Buchanan’s mood and vocal seem happier. The song sweeps along, the sound gradually developing, yet still mostly drums, strings and synths accompanying the vocal. A guitar can be heard in the background. The lyrics are enigmatic, almost surreal, and I wonder if the lines “there is going on, when you get to the top” is a comment on The Blue Nile’s experience of having achieved successful in the music industry. God Bless You Kid shows a much different sound of the band, one that we never saw on A Walk Across the Rooftop or Hats. Like much of this album, it has a gentle, mellower sound, quite removed from their previous sound.
Peace At Last closes with Soon, another beautiful, gentle and mellow song. It starts slowly, keyboards playing, Buchanan sings. This is another love song. One about how can love coming soon, when we least expect it to. It can happen at given time, in even the most mundane situation. As you would expect from Blue Nile’s lyrics their clever, well constructed and the narrative is strong. You can close your eyes and imagine the scene being played out, and the characters involved. The track meanders, develops through time, building up slowly, until a great track evolves. One that Buchanan sings really well, behind a backdrop of sweeping strings, spacious plodding drums and percussion. It’s a lovely, soothing track, truly a thing of beauty, and a great way to end this great album.
Having spent some time listening again to Peace At Last, I can’t believe how it failed to receive the critical acclaim that the first two Blue Nile albums A Walk Across the Rooftop or Hats received. Although Peace At Last has a much different sound to its predecessors, it still is a great album, one full of fantastic songs that feature intelligent and thoughtful lyrics. Whether people had grown to love their “old sound,” and were shocked by the change in style, that could be one explanation. Another could be that the album was released at the wrong time. Seven years saw a huge difference in the type of music that was popular. Maybe it was just the wrong time to release the album. However, what this meant, is that a huge number of people missed out on hearing a wonderful album. That is their loss. My hope is that people will reevaluate this album, and realize what they’ve missed. What they missed was a great album. I hope that after reading this article, people will decide that they want to hear this album, hear what they’ve been missing, and make up for lost time. Should you decide to buy this album, and you’ve never heard The Blue Nile’s music, why not buy their other albums, A Walk Across the Rooftop, Hats and High. A Walk Across the Rooftop and Hats, are two classic albums, ones that should be in every record collection. Their final album High, is also worth buying. On High, the acoustic guitar is still present, but the group make a return to the sound that can be heard on Hats. So, if you’re unfamiliar with The Blue Nile’s music, this is a time to rectify that, by going out and buying their wonderful albums. Standout Tracks: Happiness, Love Come Down, Body and Soul and Soon.
THE BLUE NILE-PEACE AT LAST.
NEW ORDER-TECHNIQUE.
NEW ORDER-TECHNIQUE.
The story of the making of the album this article is about, is one of excess, hedonism, eleven crashed hire cars and four memorable months spent in Ibiza. Regardless of the carnage that took place when this album was being recorded, it was all worth while, because when the album was finished, it proved to be a landmark album, not just for the group that recorded it, but for music in general. It is a fusion or rock and dance music, and gave the group that recorded it, their first UK number one album. New Order is the group, and the album is Technique, released in January 1989, on Factory Records.
Recorded in 1988, in Ibiza and Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath, Technique was the fifth studio album by New Order. Technique sees acid house and balearic beats, incorporated into New Order’s rock and electro style. The style of music on Technique was heavily influenced by an album released in 1987 by Danish group Laid Back, entitled See You In the Lobby. This influence is apparent when Bernard Summer sing certain parts of Fine Time, which was the first single released from Technique in November 19988.
Fine Time would reach number eleven in the UK singles’ charts. Two other singles were released from Technique, one of which would result in a lawsuit being served on the band. The other tracks were remixed and released as singles. Round and Round was released in February 1989 and reached number twenty-one in the UK singles’ charts. Run was the single that resulted in a lawsuit being served on New Order. John Denver’s publishing company claimed that a guitar break on Run sounded like one on Denver’s song Leaving On A Jet Plane. New Order settled out of court, and the single was released as Run 2, in August 1989. After all that drama, the single only reached number forty-nine in the UK singles’ charts.
When Technique’s was released in 1989, the album was critically acclaimed. Since then, may people believe that this was New Order’s best ever album. In the twenty-two years since his release, it is now recognized as a classic album, one that was hugely important in the development of music. One could ask whether Primal Scream would have made Screamadelica without Technique?
Having told you about Tecnnique, and its importance as an album, I will now tell you what makes it such a great album. Technique opens with Fine Time, the first single taken from the album. Cymbals and bass begin the track, soon, crunching drums, squelchy synths and Bernard Summer sings the vocal. Around his vocal, the sound is huge, loud and glorious. The sound is familiar, transports you back, back to when music was much better. Synths reverberate around the vocal, echoey, keyboards and drums explode in a crescendo. Summer’s vocal is confident. Vocal samples provide an almost eery backdrop. Drums and percussion take over, and dominate the mix. Synths play a huge part, effects can be heard. The sound is joyous, reminding you of long hot nights dancing without a care in the world. From intro, to outro, it’s a great track, one of New Order’s best.
All the Way sees the sound change. Technique is an album of two styles. One part traditional New Order, where guitar, bass and drums provide their more traditional rock sound. Other songs see the group influenced by Acid house and balearic beats. Here, this is one of the more traditional tracks. This is no bad thing. It’s good to here the “old” New Order. The guitar and drums start the track, with Summer singing the vocal. This is a much more traditional New Order song. It’s a fast song, one that sees the band provide a vintage performance. Summer’s vocals and guitar are top quality. Hook’s bass playing and Morris’ drums are a powerful rhythm section, providing a perfect backdrop the track. Gillian Gilbert keyboard playing injects life into the track, filling the spaces left by the others. It’s a great track, one with defiant lyrics sung by Summer.
Love Less opens with someone coughing in the background, and quickly drums and guitar combine well, melodically, before Summer sings. He has reserved one of his best vocal performances for Love Less. His vocal is clear, articulating some great lyrics perfectly. The song features some brilliant guitar playing by Summer. This is what makes this fantastic song so catchy. That and some great lyrics.
After the return to their more traditional sound, Round and Round sees New Order return to their “new” sound. Round and Round is very much a slow burner. It builds and builds, and takes time to open up. The track has an atmospheric, mysterious start, then drums play, synths enter, catchy and melodic. Drum machines can be heard, and a multitude of sounds and effects, enter, then leave the mix. It is another joyous, upbeat track, one that wants to make you dance, tap your feet. Barney’s vocal floats into and out of, the track, before he sings the vocal. When he does, the lyrics are excellent. This was the first album where Bernard Summer wrote the lyrics. For a first attempt he did really well. Round and Round is one of the best tracks on Technique, and is laden with hooks and melodies.
Guilty Partner is another of the more traditional New Order songs. It begins with crisp drums sitting right at the front of the mix. Morris uses all his kit in the introduction, in what sounds very much like “old” New order. Hooky’s bass makes an appearance, then Barney sings. His vocal has to compete with drums, bass and guitar. He manages to fend off the assault from the others, and produces a strong vocal performance. The drum sound on this track has a real retro sound. It sits really far forward in the mix. There is a great guitar that shines through towards the end of the track. Like every track on the album so far, Guilty Partner is a quality song.
The song that resulted in the lawsuit is next. Run sees the band stick to their old style of music. It’s a masterful track, one with great lyrics and a great all round performance by the band. Although this was the most radio-friendly single taken from the album, it failed to make much of an impact on the UK charts, reaching only number forty-nine. That, to me, is a shame, as it’s a great track, one with strong lyrics about finding someone, and falling in love. This song is one of the albums highlights, catchy, infectious and hook laden.
Mr Disco sees the return of the influence of acid house and balearic beats. The track is a real fusion of two styles of music. Rock and dance have combined to produce this track. Hooky’s bass starts the track, before crunching house beats enter the mix, to be accompanied by guitars that are loud, and synths that complete the sound. Barney’s vocal sits atop this huge soundscape, where so much is happening. So much is happening, sounds enter, sometimes momentarily, all adding towards, and contributing to, this glorious track. Remarkably, twenty-two years later, Mr Disco sounds as fresh and contemporary as the day the album was released.
Drums crunch, repetitively and synths squelch at the start of Vanishing Point. The influence is house, techno and rock. Quite a combination, but very effective. Like Mr Disco, the sound is full and loud, very impressive. After the drums and synths, the track blossoms, opening out to a lovely bright anthemic track. Keyboards and drums and synths all play a part in the build up of the track. Eventually, after a minute and a half, Barney sings, like the Pied Piper of acid house, almost preaching about the trials and tribulations of life. So much is going on in this track. Synths play a huge part in shaping the sound. They add rhythms and melodies, and fill out the sound. Drums provide a backdrop, both traditional and drum machines. Hooky’s bass is reliable as ever, throbbing away in the background. Each time you listen to Vanishing Point, you hear something different. Subtleties and nuances, reveal themselves each time you hear this brilliant track.
Technique closes with Dream Attack. The sun-kissed Ibiza influence continues with this track. Although very different from Mr Disco and Vanishing Point, it is different from the more traditional New Order tracks. Dream Attack has a softer feel and sound. It lacks the harshness of say, All the Way. Drums sits at the front, sounding slightly sharp. By way of contrast, the guitars, keyboards and synths “soften” the sound. Barney’s voice completes the sound, he sings the song perfectly, his voice quieter and softer than on some tracks. Like many tracks on this album, it’s melodic, packed full of hooks. This was a great track to end a great album.
That is the story of New Order’s fifth album Technique, an album that in my opinion, was their best ever album. Nine great songs and two very different styles. The album is a combination of their traditional style and dance music. After immersing themselves in the culture for many years, that rubbed off onto their music. This was not the first time dance music had a profound on their music. Listen to their previous few albums, and you will see this. There latest visit to the white island of Ibiza, had a huge affect of the group and their music. The result can be found on this album. Although hugely expensive to make, and a long time in the making, Technique was worth all the time and money. It really is a musical masterpiece, a landmark album, one that anyone interested in indie, rock or dance music will enjoy. It deserves a place in any record collection. Along with Screamadelica by Primal Scream, Technique is one the best crossover records made by a rock band to incorporate dance music. Should you decide to buy Technique, it’s best to buy the Collector’s Edition released in 2008, which has a bonus disc with instrumentals, remixes and 12 inch mixes. If you wish to purchase other New Order albums, I would recommend Substance, which gives a good overview of their career until 1987, including singles, b-sides and 12 inch mixes. Power, Corruption and Lies is another great New Order album, one that I have previously reviewed. Again, it is worth buying the Collector’s Edition which includes a number of remixes and instrumentals. These are three New Order albums I would highly recommend that you buy. Should you do so, you will be the proud owner of some of New Order’s best music. Enjoy. Standout Tracks: Fine Time, Round and Round, Mr Disco and Vanishing Point.
NEW ORDER-TECHNIQUE.
GAELLE-TRANSIENT.
GAELLE-TRANSIENT.
Recently, I wrote articles on Naked Music downtempo music, and while researching these articles, I found myself listening again, to songs by this artist. An artist who is highly talented, not just a singer, but also a songwriter and producer. I have long been a huge fan of her music, and have always loved the album that I am about to review. When it was released in 2004, I couldn’t wait to hear it, and wasn’t disappointed. It is a fantastic album, one that is a great showcase for her considerable talents. Her name is Gaelle, and the album is called Transient, and was released on Naked Music in 2004.
Gaelle Addison was born in New Jersey, and is now based in Atlanta. She first came to the public’s attention when she sang the vocals on dance track King of My Castle, which she recorded for Atlanta producer Chris Brann’s Wamdue Project. When the track was released here in the UK, it wasn’t a huge hit, it only became a massive hit once techno producer, Roy Malone remixed the track. Suddenly, the track was huge, it was a huge favorite with clubbers in the UK, and eventually sold over two million copies overseas. Sadly. Gaelle wasn’t allowed to enjoy her moment in the sun, when the label hired someone else to appear in the video, and lip-synch on the tour. For some reason, this was what labels did, preferring image over honesty. Gaelle’s replacement was what she calls “a buxom Argentinian lady.” Deeply saddened, this lead to Gaelle splitting with Brann.
After the split with Brann, Gaelle managed to recoup the royalties she was owed. However, a fortuitous meeting with Eric Stamile, a keyboard player, saw Gaelle launch a new production company, Speakeasy Music. She left Atlanta University, where she had been studying business management, purchased some recording equipment, and the duo were in business. They were able to teach themselves how to produce tracks using the newly purchased equipment. This lead to them producing dance tracks for San Francisco label Naked Music. So impressed with Gaelle and Stamile’s work were Naked Music, that they offered Gaelle a recording contract.
Transient took four years to produce. Why I hear you ask? There are two reasons. Firstly, to pay bills, Gaelle and Stamile had to work with other artists in the interim period. This was good experience, and they worked with Cee-Lo Green on the 2002 album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections. Remixes were another source of income for them. They remixed tracks for Jagged Edge and Esthero. The second reason for the length of time it took the pair to record Transient, is that they are self confessed perfectionists. Listen to the album, and you will realize that this was four years well spent, and that the album is musical perfection.
When many people saw that this album was released on Naked Music, they would be expecting to hear an album full of house music. That isn’t the case. This is a sophisticated album, one that crosses musical genres. Listen carefully, and you will hear soul, jazz, blues, electronica and yes, a house music influence. Quite simply, it’s a glorious album, full of glorious music, by one of the best voices in contemporary music.
Transient opens with Falling, and as you hear the opening bars, of this track you’re immediately struck that you’re about to hear a quality song. The sound is complex and full. Drums sit at the front of the mix, they’re fast, almost frantic, they grab your attention, as if saying listen carefully, this is great track. Keyboards accompany the drums, and are a perfect foil to the effective harshness of the drums. However, when Gaelle sings, she transforms the track. Her vocal is fantastic, it’s strong, she sings clearly, articulating the sadness in the lyrics. She competes with the drums, singing over them, her voice refusing to be bullied by the drums. A good track to start a great album.
Parkway begins with sound effects, a radio plays, a car travels along a road, then the track opens out. Sound effects are used to good affect throughout Parkway. Gaelle’s voice is soulful, she sings she song slowly, behind a minimalist arrangement. The track benefits from having plenty space in the arrangement, especially with the drums. Unlike Falling, the drums are slow, spacey and generate a dramatic effect. When Gaelle sings, she leaves space in the vocal, this too, adds to the impact of this great song.
Give It Back has a gentle, melodic start. The introduction is played on keyboards, then Gaelle’s vocal sweet enters. It’s a bright, breezy uptempo track, one that has a huge crossover appeal. This track would work well either on radio or dancefloor, and I’m sure producers would love to remix this track. She sings a track that has its roots in soul and dance music. Her vocal has a nu-soul sound, and the drums and synths have been influence by dance music. This is a really catchy song one laden with hooks. Brilliant.
The next track, Fade Away, has an atmospheric start. Waves crash against the beach. Gaelle’s vocal keeps up the atmospheric feel. It’s slow and has a dreamy, atmospheric sound. Saying that, her voice is loud and clear, and she sings against crisp and crunching drums that accompany her vocal at the front of the mix, and an acoustic guitar plays gently. Fade Away is similar in style and sound to. Parkway, and like Parkway, is a great track.
Haiti (Interlude) is a short instrumental track. The tempo is faster, waves crash against a beach, an acoustic guitar plays, strings sweep, drums sit in front of them, crisp, loud and fast. Bursts of vocal harmony, enter and leave, adding to the beauty of the track. This is a good way to break up the flow of the album.
When Love You More starts, Gaelle sings straight away. Her voice is loud, strong and confident. This is a faster track, one that benefits from a good arrangement. Like other tracks, the drums are, loud, fast and right at the forefront of the mix. They draw your attention, you can’t escape them. That is not a criticism, merely an observation. Both piano and guitar play a part on this track, and help to shape the sound, on what is, a good track.
Repetition starts with waves crashing, keyboards playing, then Gaelle goes on to give the lushest of vocal performances. This is a love song, one with lovely lyrics, about how you feel when you’re in love and how sometimes, it’s hard to give too much of yourself, in case you get hurt, should the person leave you. The arrangement on the track is clever, the song starts slowly, there is space within the track, then towards the end it turns into almost a house track. It has the tempo and drum sound of a house track, but just when you become used to this, suddenly, the tempo drops again, back to what it was. A beautiful track, with a great vocal, lyrics and tight arrangement.
Shape Shifting, the next track, has a totally different sound and feel to it. On this track, Gaelle half sings, half speaks parts of the song. A vocoder is used frequently to transform her voice. Effects can be heard in the background. The effects are loud, predominant and repetitive, yet don’t jar or annoy, quite the opposite, the blend in well with Gaelle’s voice, and produce an interesting and different track.
The title track Transient is next, and it’s another song that Gaelle sings beautifully. Just about everything is perfect with Transient. My only quibble is that there is an effect that sits above the vocal and instruments, that you can hear sort of reverberating. It distracts your attention from everything else. I would suggest that this somewhat spoils an otherwise perfect track. The vocal and arrangement are flawless apart from that one slight criticism.
Probably the track that is most familiar to most people is Rain. It’s a song that has featured on several compilations. Rain has the tempo of a house track, and like Give It Back, has crossover appeal. This track would be at home on radio or in a club. The song starts with a piano gently, meandering, the vocal starts slowly, very slowly, but, quickly, the tempo increases. A saxophone blows, the drums get quicker, and settle into a house beat. Gaelle sings the vocal, and in doing so, leaves plenty of space in the vocal. Keyboards fill the space, and in the background, handclaps mark time. Rain is a masterful track, the highlight of the album.
When you hear Separate Rooms, the first thing that strikes you, is the drums. The have the sound and feel of what you would expect in an old drum and bass album. It’s loud and crisp, with an irregular mid tempo beat. Gaelles vocal is loud, clear and confident. Her range is good, she articulates the lyrics well. As usual, the track is well arranged by Gaelle and Stamile. Although the sound is quite full, they have achieved that with very few instruments. Maybe it’s because the drums almost dominate the track. Regardless of how it has been achieved, it’s another great track.
The final track on Transient is Moonsglow. Here Gaelle half whispers, half sings the introduction, and just behind her vocal sound effects can be heard. The drums are dull sounding, percussion is crisp and sharp. It’s an effective contrast, one that works well. Gaelle sings the song slowly, surrounded by drums, sound effects and percussion. Occasionally, brooding strings can be heard.This adds to the air of mystery present. The longer the track goes on, the louder the drums and percussion become, dominating the mix, and taking over centrestage from Gaelle. Moonsglow, although different from many of the tracks on Transient, is still a quality track.
That is the story of Gaelle and her debut album Transient. As you will now be aware, this is a brilliant album, a perfect showcase for Gaelle to show how talented and versatile an artist she is. She also co-wrote and co-produced the album with Eric Stamile. Although the album took four years to record, it was well worth the wait. Every song on the album is of the highest quality. Gaelle’s vocals are second to none. Her voice is glorious, capable of expressing and articulating every emotion, and capable of singing songs from soul to jazz to house. Not many artists can achieve that, but Gaelle can. Do yourself a favor, buy this album now, you won’t regret it. Standout Tracks: Falling, Give It Back , Repetition and Rain.
GAELLE-TRANSIENT.
FUG-READY FOR US.
FUG-READY FOR US.
Recently I wrote an article on Block 16, who had recorded their Morning Sun album on Nuphonic, a sadly lamented label, that for an eight year period, released some wonderful music. After writing that article, I was looking through some of my old albums and chanced upon another album released on Nuphonic, and that is the one I am going to write about today. Having discovered this album, it was like discovering an old friend. When I played it again, I was again entranced by its subtlety and nuances, and the variety and quality of the eleven songs on the album. This album was released by Nuphonic in 2001 and is by Fug and entitled Ready For Us.
Ready For Us is an aural journey that takes you through a variety of styles of music, and on the first track, the title track, Ready For Us, is a beautiful laidback track, featuring a crystalline and ethereal female vocalist. It is a quite beautiful track, one that soothes your troubles away, and transports you to an altogether more pleasant place. The track starts proudly, as if announcing that something both beautiful and brilliant will follow. Straight away, the female vocalists sings, an acoustic guitar plays, percussion and strings can be heard, both perfectly subtle. Throughout the track, the tempo remains constant, it gently meanders along, massaging your weary soul, its beauty enveloping you. Quite simply a great start to the album.
On RFO, the tempo increases, a house beat plays and then some orchestral sounding strings accompany the drums. This is an interesting combination that proves highly effective. The strings sweep along, the drums beats constant, always keeping up, matching their tempo. When the strings disappear momentarily the drums are joined by keyboards, until the strings rejoin. Although an unusual sound and concept, it is one that works well, and the combination of strings and drums have an infectious quality, one you want to hear more of.
Thin Air is a slightly slower track, one that has a slightly darker sound at the start. Don’t be fooled though, that changes when the sweetest of female vocalist is heard. Suddenly you hear light and shade. Drums and synths produce a soundscape from another galaxy, you become mindful of space travel, traveling to a distant planet. In keeping with this, the vocal floats in the midst of the track, and is surrounded by keyboards and synths that have an otherworldly sound. Then just short of four minutes, the journey is over, you return to terra firma, pleased to have enjoyed a lovely musical journey, one you wish had lasted longer.
On Blue Movie the tempo falls, and you enter an atmospheric and moody place, where the light is not far away, teasing you gently. The sound is both broody and dramatic, the suspense and drama building. This sounds like a soundtrack to thriller that must be made, one where the plot is packed full of intrigue and drama. On the track, synths play, drums pound and strings and piano provide a dramatic backdrop, one that has you almost looking over the shoulder. Put this on at night, and turn the lights down, you’ll be scared of what lurks behind your sofa. That is the level of drama that Fug have created. Truly a masterful track, packed full of suspense and atmosphere.
Overflow starts gently, drums and guitar playing spaciously, after which that lovely vocal starts to sing. The track has a light and bright feel. Strings including, violins, cellos, violas, can be heard on Overflow. As if this is not enough, a brass section contribute, towards this track. Even though a multitude of instruments are used, the sound doesn’t seem crowded, quite the opposite, the sound is verging on minimalist. This is a remarkable achievement, and is a credit to the arranger and producer. Like the first three tracks, Overflow is another great track.
Cheval Noir see the tempo rise just slightly. Again, an acoustic guitar played beautifully, starts the track, and behind it the track meanders, contemplating building up. Quite soon, it does, the track speeds up very slightly, and the sound opens out. Crunching drums move to the front of the mix, however, they don’t overpower the sound, they add to the track, inject some life to the track. Sweeping strings then take their turn to dominate the soundscape, although the drums still compete for attention. By now the sound has filled out, and a glorious track is developing. The sound is a fusion of styles, classical music, and a contemporary feel and sound, especially with the drums and guitar. Fug have triumphed again, producing a great track.
Chunk sees the darkness descend. Drums and piano combine well to produce a broody, moody and atmospheric track. It’s a great track, one that is the polar opposite of other tracks on the album. Although dark, the sound is not depressing. It is more atmospheric, quite dramatic, full of suspense. You even find yourself wondering what will happen next. Bass adds to the dramatic and moody feel, and then the darkness lifts slightly, as keyboards play. Then the piano returns, adding to the drama. Gradually, towards the end of the track, the suspense lessens, the tension eases, you return to normal, after a journey through darkness. You feel better for this enjoyable experience.
The next track of Ready For Us is something we’ve all had, Fairweatherfriend. Unlike Chunk, the track is lighter and brighter, and feature those beautiful sweet vocals. The track has a really impressive sound, at the start, it isn’t apparent, it just sort of creeps up on you. Suddenly, you’re hooked, caught in the headlights of its beauty. There is a subtlety about the track, the sound is almost understated, as if everything else is taking a back seat, allowing the vocals to take centre-stage. A beautiful track.
The Prophet is the next track. It’s a wholly different, though equally interesting and effective track. A piano meanders, synths squelch, drums reverberate, and this repeats, the pattern occasionally changing, with the pianist being given free reign. It’s a light and airy track, on that doesn’t tax your imagination much. It allows you to sit back, and wallow in its glorious familiarity.
By now we’re nearly through the album, El Diablo is the penultimate track. Straight away you’re transported, far away, to somewhere unfamiliar, somewhere mysterious, but somewhere intriguing. The track starts with acoustic guitar plucked confidently, adding to the mystery. This builds up the atmosphere. Quickly, you wonder where am I going, whats going to happens next. Just as you’re developing a sense of unease, a joyful brass section enter stage left, and immediately set about lightening the atmosphere. Then as you’re enjoying their company, they leave you stranded, in this unfamiliar place. Suspense surrounds your destination, then suddenly, it’s over, you’re back on familiar territory. You breath a sigh of relief, and realize, that the journey was worthwhile, was one you thoroughly enjoyed.
Shrewd Movements is the final track on Ready For Us. It’s a track that has its roots in jazz music. Again, the piano and drums play a leading role, one where they’re allowed plenty of space. They’re not crowded, given room to breath. The track is quite a simple one, merely drums, piano and double bass, the latter with a supporting role. Fug have chosen a perfect track to close the album, it’s one that winds the album down. After all the musical journeys on this album, this track meanders, beautifully, to a close.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent revisiting this wonderful album. It is truly one of the hidden gems in my collection, and I’m sure is hiding in the corner of a record store near you. It’s worth having a look for, crate digging, because if you find it, you’ve found a mini masterpiece. Eleven great songs lasting fifty-one minutes, and each one brilliant. Listen carefully, and you’ll hear many different styles of music, and through time, you will discover and love, the subtlety of this album. This album will enthrall and captivate you. You’ll wish you had discovered it ten years ago, when it first came out. When your friends hear it they will envy your luck at discovering and owning such a wonderful album, one that sounds better every time you listen to it. So if you buy an album today, why not buy Ready For Us by Fug. Standout Tracks: Ready For Us, Blue Movie, Fairweatherfriend and Shrewd Movements.
FUG-READY FOR US.
NICOLE ATKINS-NEPTUNE CITY.
NICOLE ATKINS-NEPTUNE CITY.
Today I am going to write about a genuine up and coming artist, one who takes her music seriously, and has been involved in the music industry all her adult life. During her career she has been compared with some of music’s greatest singers including Roy Orbison. Her music sees a combination of orthodox vocal styles and intelligent and meaningful lyrics. So far, this artist has released two solo albums in the last four years, and it is her debut album that I will now review. The artist is Nicole Atkins, and the album is Neptune City, released in October 2007.
Nicole Atkins was born in October 1978, in Neptune, New Jersey. She was born and brought up in a middle class community, near the Shark River. Later in life, she would say the river was one of the inspirations for he music. Atkins began playing piano aged nine, and aged thirteen, she taught herself the guitar. Rather than listen to the music her peers were listening to, she immersed herself in older music, and now, cites Traffic, Johnny Cash and The Ronettes as musical influences. One singer who had a direct influence on Atkins vocal style, was Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays, an English group who recorded three albums, including their wonderful debut album, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Around this time, Atkins started joining local bands, and singing as a solo artist.
After leaving High School, Atkins headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, where she studied illustration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. This proved a good move for. The city had a thriving music scene, and quickly, she became immersed in it. At this time Uncle Tupelo were one of the city’s big bands, and they became one of her favorites. It was at this time that Atkins started writing her own material. She also befriended a number of local musicians. This led to her joining a group called Nitehawk. During he junior year, she lived in Australia. On her return, she joined Los Parasols, and released an EP called The Summer of Love In 2002.
Later in 2002, she moved to Bensonhurst, in Brooklyn, New York. She was a regular performer at open mic nights in the East Village. Here, she was influenced by a new sound, artists on the Rainbow Quartz label, which featured guitar heavy pop music and orthodox songwriting styles. Later, she would move towards the sound heard on albums by two very different artists, Roy Orbison and Wilco.
For a short time, Atkins returned to Charlotte. Whilst there, she played with several bands. It was whilst she was back in Charlotte, that she started writing and recording her EP entitled Bleeding Diamonds. She described her music at that time as, a mixture of “Americana, 60s and indie Rock.
Having moved home to her parents in New Jersey, she continued traveling to New York to be part of city’s music scene. Then, midway through 2004, she began working on a demo CD The Party’s Over. Atkins was assisted by former Fischerspooner and Fiery Furnaces drummer David Muller. The recording took place in the basement of her parents home. All they used was a Pro Tools rig, a Casio keyboard and mini recorder. Later drums were added by Muller at his apartment, and further songs recorded in Brooklyn.
During the early part of 2005, Atkins was asked by keyboard player Dan Chen about forming a new band. Atkins enlisted drummer Dan Mintzer, and later David Hollinghurst on guitar and David Layes joined on bass. The band were now known as Nicole Atkins and The Sea. Quickly, the secured a residence at small but important venue Piano’s. It was there that Gillian Bar a music industry attorney noticed the group. Shortly afterwards, the Party’s Over demo caused a bidding war between Roadrunner Records and Columbia Records. Columbia Records were the victors, and soon Nicole Atkins and The Sea were heading to Malmo, Sweden to record their debut album Neptune City with producer Tore Johansson. The album was released in October 2007. It was well received and went into the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart at number twenty and reached number six on the Heatseekers Mid Atlantic char. This was a good start to Atkins career.
In 2009, Atkins backing band The Sea split up. This lead to her forming a new band called The Black Sea. Later in 2009 Atkins split with Columbia Records. Undeterred, Atkins started working with producer Phil Palazzolo. Working with other musicians, Atkins recorded material for her second album Mondo Amore. Now that The Black Sea had a settled line up, they toured with Atkins in support of Mondo Amore. In June 2010, Atkins signed to a new label Razor and Tie, and Mondo Amore was released in February 2011. Although a change in musical direction, more influenced by Nick Cave, Scott Walker, psychedelic 60‘s rock and blues music, the album was well received by music critics, who hailed the new sound a success.
Having told you about Nicole Atkins career so far, I will now tell you what makes her debut album Neptune City such a good album. Neptune City opens with Maybe Tonight. The song opens with a lush sounding introduction, and Atkins voice sounding very much like female vocalists of years gone by, especially Stevie Nicks. Quickly it’s apparent, that you are listening to a talented artist. From the first time she sings, her voice is clear, she has a great vocal range, singing the song beautifully. Her lyrics are thoughtful and intelligent, and The Black Sea back her well. The song benefits from a good arrangement, and Maybe Tonight is a great track to start the album.
Together We’re Alone has a much different start and sound. There is an almost hesitant start to the track. Thankfully, this is momentarily. Quickly, the song open out into a beautiful track. Atkins voice sounds sweet, she articulates the lyrics clearly, with feeling. Behind her vocal, strings play, a piano plays gently and Atkins voice sits at the front of track. Another great track, albeit one with a very different sound from the opening track.
On the next track The Way It Is, the tempo and style drops. The track has a lovely moody, mysterious and atmospheric track. When I hear this track, I am transported back, back to another era. She sounds like a chanteuse from the 1960s, singing a track for a film soundtrack, one steeped in intrigues. This is a dramatic track, one that builds up, and sees Atkins give a masterful vocal performance, one where she is accompanied by some fantastic backing vocalists. This track shows another side to Atkins. After only three tracks, she is proving a very versatile and talented artist.
The style changed on The Way It Is, and it changes again on Cool Enough. Again, Atkins sounds very much like Stevie Nicks, and in some parts of the track, there is a Fleetwood Mac influence. On this track the tempo really drops. It starts with an organ playing, keyboards and a guitar that sounds like something you would hear on a 1970s or 1980s Fleetwood Mac album. That is not a criticism. As the song progresses, Atkins’ voice gets stronger and louder, as does the sound on the track. This is a great track, one that builds and builds, and benefits from both a fuller sound, and a good arrangement.
The quality keeps on coming with War Torn, an even slower song than the previous one. War Torn is a quality song, one of the albums highlights. It starts slowly, and in the arrangement, which has a real retro sound, plenty space has been left in the arrangement. As on previous tracks, a string section accompanies Atkins, really bringing out the beauty in the track. This track is a tale of heartache, one about a relationship breaking up, and Atkins compares this with a battlefield. She sings about her former lover returning to rescue her from the battlefield that is a broken relationship. A good track, with some interesting and thoughtful lyrics.
There is a brighter faster sound on Love Surreal. It has a new wave sound and feel to it. This is a continuation of the retro sound that is present on this album. There is some use of wordplay within the track. Atkins changes Love Surreal to Love So Real. The sound is faster, louder and lacks the quality of previous tracks. Maybe the problem is Atkins needs to find a style and stick to it.
The title track Neptune City has a broody and moody feel and sound. There is a darkness within the track. The guitar sounds have a real retro sound, bringing to mind a song from the late 1950s or early 1960s. It’s on tracks like this that you can hear David Lynch’s influence on Atkins music. Atkins’ voice is well suited to tracks like this, and here I can hear Julee Cruise’s influence here as well. Neptune City is a great track, a huge improvement on the distinctly average Love Surreal.
Once again, the style changes on Brooklyn’s On Fire. Again Atkins jumps from style to style. This time, the track has a familiar sound, and sees Atkins produce a track that is an amalgamation of styles. One minute she is feisty, almost angry entering into call and response with her backing singers, the next minute, she drops the tempo and sings smoothly. As the song ends, it trails off, ending with a glorious instrumental section. It is a dichotomy of a song. However, this does not mean it’s a bad song, quite the opposite, it’s one I enjoyed, and is one that shows a totally different side of Nicole Atkins.
Kill the Headlights starts quietly the erupts into a glorious crescendo of an introduction, after which Atkins sings much in the style of Texas vocalist Sharleen Spiteri. Indeed, much of the early part of track, including the introduction sounds not unlike Texas. Maybe it is just the way she sings the vocal, but there is quite a similarity. The track features drums really far forward in the mix, a predominant guitar and an orchestral sounding backing track. It is a good track, much better than Brooklyn’s On Fire.
Neptune City closes with Party’s Over. It begins with drums and guitar, and Atkins singing in front of them. Her vocal is clear, confident and loud. Again, the style changes, it’s bright, breezy sounding song, albeit one with somewhat unhappy sounding lyrics. Like the previous track, I can hear a similarity with Sharleen Spiteri, especially when she sings the chorus. This is a good way to end the album, with a catchy song, laden with hooks, one that I would say is among the best on the album.
Having spent time researching this article, I started to think about up and coming artists, and their attitude to music. In my recent experience, some people with promise would rather talk about their ambition, rather than doing anything about it. Even if you help them get a break, and the open door to opportunity, they can’t bring themselves to walk through the door, because they would rather talk about becoming a star, rather than become a star. This is sad, and in years to come these people will bore people silly about how they could have been a star. Nicole Atkins is the complete opposite from these wanna-bees. She has talent in abundance, and went out and made a career in the music industry for herself. Neptune City was a good debut album, one that shows a lot of promise, and one that she can build on. The album is full of some great tracks, featuring various styles of music. That is my only quibble with this album. Atkins maybe needs to find one style of music that she is comfortable with, and stick to that style. On Neptune City their are many types of music, and it seems each track sees a change of style. Having said that, she sings nearly every song well. The only one I was disappointed with was Love Surreal, although even that track has some merit. If after reading this article, you are interested in buying Neptune City, I would thoroughly recommend that you buy this album. It is a good debut album, from a very talented artist, one who I hope me hear much more about in the future. Standout Tracks: Maybe Tonight, Together We’re Alone, Neptune City and Party’s Over.
NICOLE ATKINS-NEPTUNE CITY.
PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION-AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY.
PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION-AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY.
The artist who this article is about, is one who has divided opinion since his career began. He is definitely an artist who people love or loath, there seems to be no happy medium. His music has been variously described as seedy and sordid, and sensuous and sexy. During his career, people have debated his lyrics, criticizing their content, provoking some strong opinions. During his career he has produced some wonderful albums, however, latterly, his work has lacked the quality of his early albums. This article is about Prince and Revolution’s album Around The World In A Day, released in April 1985.
Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson in June 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He came from a musical family, his father was a pianist and songwriter, his mother a jazz singer. During his childhood he developed a keen interest in music, and wrote his first song aged seven. His mother and father split up when he was ten, resulting in him moving between various family members and neighbors. When he was in high school he joined his cousin’s band Grand Central, playing guitar and piano, at functions in the Minneapolis area. Later they changed their name to Champagne, and started playing their own music. This was very much influenced by amongst others, Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic, Miles Davis and Earth Wind and Fire.
Although Prince first recorded a demo tape in 1976, it would be a further two years before his debut album For You, appeared. It appeared just before his twentieth birthday. It received mixed reviews, and only reached number 163 in the Billboard Hot 200. Eventually, the album would nearly sell a million copies. One of the best known songs from the album was Soft and Wet.
The follow up to For You was entitled Prince. It was written and recorded quickly, taking only seven weeks to complete. Prince was released in October 1979. The album included I Feel For You, which became a huge hit for Chaka Khan. The album sold well, eventually reaching gold status.
It was Prince’s third album Dirty Mind that was his breakthrough album. Released in October 1980, it saw his sound change radically, one that the critics welcomed, giving the album great reviews. The album went into the Billboard Hot 200 at number sixty-three, eventually reaching gold status. Since then, the album has featured in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 greatest albums of all time.
A year later, in October 1981, his next album Controversy was released. This was his most successful chart album to date. It reached number twenty-one in the Billboard Hot 200. Controversy contained some controversial songs, and saw Prince take a more political stance on Annie Christian, and featured controversial song Jack U Off, which provoked much debate and outrage, among certain members of society.
However, Prince’s next album 1999 was the one which really saw make a commercial breakthrough. It was also the first album his band The Revolution appeared on. Released in October 1982, it brought Prince to the attention of the wider public. They liked what they heard, and the album reached number nine in the Billboard Hot 200. 1999 was the biggest selling album of 1983. Again it featured in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 greatest albums of all time.
Prince followed 1999 with Purple Rain in June 1984. This was the soundtrack album for the film Purple Rain. This album was the one that saw Prince’s profile outside the US increase. Also, his political side reared its head again, with Purple Rain a protest song about nuclear proliferation. On its release, Purple Rain was a huge hit, selling thirteen million copies in the US, spending twenty-four weeks at number one in the US and winning two Grammy Awards in 1985. Prince would also win a third Grammy Award for best songwriter, having written I Feel For You, which was a huge success for Chaka Khan. By now Prince was a huge success, and the pressure was on him to produce a follow up album that would match the success of Purple Rain.
Prince’s next album is the one this article is about, Around The World In A Day. It was released in April 1985. Its release was much more low profile, there was very publicity about the album. The idea was that people would make their own mind up about the music. Around The World In A Day did not feature the same commercial or radio friendly songs as Purple Rain. This album saw a change in musical style, with the album having a psychedelic feel. Comparisons, unsurprisingly, were made with The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band. Even with a new musical style, the album was a huge success, reaching number one in the US and going double platinum. I will shortly tell you why Around The World In A Day is a such a good album.
Since the release of Around The World In A Day, Prince has released over twenty more albums under various names. Some have been good, others disappointing to the say the least. What he has always sought to do, is be innovative, a pioneer, always trying to reinvent himself and his music. He has not been content to sit back, and churn out the same formulaic music like certain other artists, no he has challenged himself, and he should be congratulated and commended for that.
Around The World In A Day begins with the title track Around The World In A Day. Being used to the tracks on 1999 and Purple Rain, the opening track comes as something as a surprise. It starts with a flute solo, some otherworldly noise, then after a hesitant start by Prince, the song starts to take shape. The track takes a while to get going, and you find yourself thinking has Prince lost his magic touch? However, the longer the track goes on, it improves slightly. This is far from classic Prince, it is no slice of funk or soul, that you expect to hear, it’s rather a rambling, in places incoherent start to the album.
Thankfully, the next track, Paisley Park is return to form for Prince. Unlike the previous track, Paisley Park is a much more uptempo track, one with great lyrics. This is a catchy song, one that has several hooks. There is a slight psychedelic feel to the track, and features some great guitar playing and a much better vocal from Prince. Paisley Park has a real retro sound, and if you listen really carefully, you will hear all manner of instruments and sound effects, all of which produce on of the albums best tracks.
Condition of the Heart sees Prince reduce the tempo and change the style. This is a song that is atmospheric and spacious at the start, a piano plays, beautifully meandering gently along, interrupted occasionally. The sound although gentle builds, becomes dramatic, you sense something wonderful is about to happen. Then, suddenly, it does, Prince begins to sing the most gentle and beautiful vocal. It can’t fail to touch you. This is classic Prince. As the track goes on, it builds, the vocal becoming passionate, expressing and bringing to life, some fantastic lyrics. After a mediocre opening track, Prince produces a masterful performance, one of the album’s best tracks.
The quality keeps on coming with the next track Raspberry Beret. This is probably the most commercial track on the album, and one of Prince’s best known tracks. It is slice a quality pop-funk, catchy, full of hooks and radio friendly. Good lyrics, well sung and performed and featuring a brilliant arrangement, Raspberry Beret is not just one of Around The World In A Day’s best tracks, but one of Prince’s best loved songs. Twenty-five years on, the song still sounds as fresh as the day it was released.
Tamborine sees Prince sing behind a funky groove. The track features synths, bass, guitars and some of clever sounds affects. His vocal sees him using his range, one minute his voice soars, the next falls, one minute he sings falsetto, the next he roars. On Tamborine his vocal dexterity is amazing. Quite simply, Prince struts and preens though this track.
America sees Prince go all political again. When I hear artists going political, I shudder, remembering some of the car crash singles and albums that have resulted in artists developing a social conscience. One just has to think back to a group who built a career on their ability to master a mere three chords, and their political phase and that makes me worried, very worried. No, he has much more to offer. His lyrics investigate that although people in the US were free, whilst their counterparts in Eastern Europe were under Communist rule, many people in the US were only earning minimum wage, and living in terrible conditions. This was an interesting and brave comment back then, in less enlightened Cold War times. Prince sings the lyrics with passion, some might say defiance. Although not the best song he has written, I admire his bravery in approaching such a controversial subject.
When the album was released, many critics complained that it was not commercial sounding enough. That makes me wonder whether they listened to the next track, Pop Life. This is a joyous, uplifting, slice of radio friendly pop-funk music if you ever heard one. From the intro to the outro, it’s catchy, has an infectious quality and is loaded with hooks. There is nothing you can criticize about the track. From the teasing and mysterious sounding intro, to the fabulous vocal, to the throbbing bass and booming drums, to the breaking glass sound effect towards the end, it’s pop perfection.
The Ladder has a classical feel to the start. There is a slight pause, and then the song opens out to sound like a close relation of Purple Rain. Prince’s vocal is shrouded, in echo. That takes slightly away from the vocal. Mercifully, that only lasts for a while, but does reappear throughout the track. This is a shame, because Prince has reserved a brilliant vocal performance for The Ladder. He is a accompanied by backing vocals, which have an almost gospel quality. A saxophone solo plays above them. The result is a gorgeous, joyous track, one where Prince shrieks and yells, testifying like an old soul singer. It’s a track the longer it goes, the better it goes, and the more you hear it, the more you love it. Brilliant.
Temptation sees Prince totally change the sound. It becomes loud, full and frantic. Your speakers feel as if they are about to explode, with this psychedelic influenced track. Listen carefully, and give the track time, and behind all full and frantic sound, a good track is showing itself. The guitars scream, drums pound, a saxophone blows and Prince shrieks, yelps and in the process delivers his lyrics with feeling and passion. After The Ladder, this is a total vote face, one that is not unwelcome, it merely shows that there are many sides to the man that used to be known as Prince. A good track, although not one of my favorites from the album.
Listening to Prince’s music over the past few days was an interesting experience. During that time, I saw many different sides to the man, and his music. From his early days, he was always going to be a huge star. He is hugely talented, and has charisma in abundance. When you listen to the albums from 1999 released in 1982, to Lovesexy released in 1988, you hear an artist at his creative zenith. This to me, was the greatest period in his long career. Anyone wanting to buy some of his best albums show start with these albums, especially 1999, Purple Rain and Around The World In A Day. These are a perfect introduction to his music. After 1999 and Purple Rain, the pressure on Prince was huge, when it came to releasing Around The World In A Day. Many people feared that he would be unable to produce another masterpiece. Fear not, he did. Around The World In A Day is a great album, it may not be as commercial as its two predecessors, but it is an album that should grace any record collection. Granted, it may take a couple of listens to understand it fully, and enjoy is subtlety and nuances. It is worth taking the time, and being patient, because if you do, it is an album that you will go on to enjoy and treasure. It will make wonder why you did not discover it before. If you decide to purchase it, why not add 1999 and Purple Rain to your shopping list, because you will then be the proud owner of three of Prince’s best albums. Enjoy. Standout Tracks: Raspberry Beret, Pop Life, The Ladder and Temptation.
PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION-AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY.
COCTEAU TWINS-MILK AND KISSES.
COCTEAU TWINS-MILK AND KISSES.
The album that this article is about, is the final album by one of the best bands to come out of Scotland in the last thirty years. They were a hugely influential band, who were innovative and pioneering, and in turn, have influenced a new generation of musicians. During their career, they produced many groundbreaking singles, EPs’ and albums. Over time, they refined the glorious sound you can hear on this album. An album which I believe is one of the band’s best ever albums. The band are the Cocteau Twins, and the album is Milk and Kisses.
When the Cocteau Twins released Milk and Kisses in March 1996, they did not know that this would be their final album. In 1998, the band reconvened to record the follow up to Milk and Kisses, however, whatever happened at that meting we will never know, but it resulted in the Cocteau Twins splitting up. This meant Milk and Kisses is the last studio album by the band. In many ways, it was better that the band’s last album was one of their best, rather than limping on, recording mediocre and third rate albums, like some bands do. Now thirteen years after the band split up, when I think of the Cocteau Twins, I remember a band who, throughout their career, produced top quality music, music that was innovative, and music that like all good music, is timeless.
Milk and Kisses opens with Violaine. Violaine features the by now, typical Cocteau Twins sound, one that sounds both harsh and melodic at the same time. It begins with a bass playing, then a wall of guitars, with just a modicum of feedback, with drums sitting behind them, providing a steady beat. Afterwards, Liz Fraser sings, her ethereal voice, sweetly singing, lyrics that are both indecipherable and beautiful. Midway through the track, the tempo and volume increase, the guitars become sound becomes bigger, louder, much more frenzied. Quickly the pace drops back, and the track ends, a great song to start what was, their final album.
Serpentskirt is without a doubt one of the album’s highlights. This is a real downtempo track, one with a really laid back, sound and feel. It sees a magical combination of instruments combine with Liz Fraser’s glorious vocal to produce a great track. The track starts with the guitar playing slowly, drums join, playing at the same slow pace, leaving plenty space within the sound. Fraser’s vocal is crystalline, floating over the rest of the track. She brings life to the song, articulating perfectly the vocals. Sadly, just under four minutes later, this magical musical journey is over, leaving you contented, but saddened wanting more of the same.
Tishbite has a slightly harsher sound than Serpentskirt, until the vocal begins. That transforms the song. Suddenly, it is like light and shade, Liz Frazer sings. Suddenly, the contrast is remarkable, and highly effective. This combination of the harshness of the guitars, and the light and breathless vocal takes the track in an unexpected direction. It turns into something magical, masterful even. She can transform a track, with her graceful and fragile voice, something many vocalists would struggle to do. This is a good song, made all the better by Fraser’s wonderful vocal.
Half-Gifts begins with a sound that reminds me of a distant fairground. After that short interlude of sound, the vocal begins. This is much sooner that on other tracks. However, when you here Frazer’s delivery, you will thank the musical god’s that her appearance is so soon. Her vocal is quiet, understated, but clear and confident. The sound is unlike anything so far on the album. There is no harshness, just the sweetest of vocals. Everything sits far back in the mix, nothing is allowed to overpower the vocal. It’s a track where harmony is the key. Liz Fraser sings melodically, her ethereal voice always in control throughout this beautiful track. Quite simply, Half-Gifts is by far, the best song on Milk and Kisses.
After the tranquil sound of Half-Gifts, the tempo is raised, but the quality is consistent. Calfskin Smack is another beautiful track, where the harshness of earlier tracks is still missing. Instead, the focus is on producing another melodic masterpiece. Remarkably, the Cocteau Twins pull it off. The sound is fuller and bigger. Guitars and drums are allowed to play their part, and provide an important part of the soundscape, filling the spaces left by Fraser’s vocal. It is very much a track where the quality requires the drums and guitars to play their part as much as the vocal. Both do their jobs well, and in doing so, produce another great track, albeit, one very different to Half-Gifts.
On Rilkean Heart the tempo falls again, and the volume falls. Gone is the fuller, louder sound of Calfskin Smack, and we return to a sound that has more in common with Half-Gifts. This track benefits from having several hooks in it. One is apparent when the track begins. The song is much more catchy than many of the songs on the album. Having said that, you may struggle to whistle or sing a Cocteau Twins song. Rilkean Heart begins with a guitar solo, and Fraser quickly takes her place centre-stage, going on to produce another of her peerless performances. Her voice fits in perfectly with the rest of the track, which she sings over, using her full range within the track. A lovely track, one that sees Fraser’s ethereal and crystalline voice steal the show, again.
Ups sees the sound and style change yet again. As the track starts, I was left feeling that the track lacked the structure and discipline of other tracks. This dissipates quickly, and it’s business as usual. Fraser, Guthrie and Raymond pick up the pace, and concentrate on producing their usual top quality tracks. That they do, easily. The combination of the, occasionally, almost frantic sounding backing track, provided by Guthrie and Raymond and the calmness and tranquility that Fraser supplies combine well. Although Ups is a good track, it’s not quite of the quality of the other tracks.
Eperdu starts with waves cascading on the beach, a metallic guitar repetitively chiming and then Fraser sings. The song is spacious, the lyrics are mystical. When you listen to them you wonder at their meaning, what is their hidden meaning, if any? Like many of their lyrics, they leave you pondering their meaning. Fraser seems to have invented her own form of language, one loved by their fans. To describe it is like trying to juggle water, impossible. All I will say they have a beauty, you will appreciate, although you may struggle to master their phonetic meaning. Having said all that, Eperdu is a lovely gentle, meandering track, one I that I am sure you will enjoy letting it sonically envelop you.
There is both darkness and light present at the start of Treasure Hiding. The darkness is supplied by the guitar and drums, the shade by Fraser’s light and airy vocal. This contrast compliments each other. Throughout the track there is a conflict between dark and light, not dissimilar to good and evil. Suddenly, midway through the track, Fraser tires of playing a minor part, and rather than sing a behind everything comes to the fore, strident. However, Guthrie and Raymond outflank her, producing a wall of sound that overpowers her fragile voice. Even though this only lasts momentarily, it somewhat takes the edge of this otherwise good track.
Milk and Kisses, and therefore, the Cocteau Twins recording career, ends with Seekers Who Are Lovers. As the last song in a long and glorious career, you feel yourself willing Guthrie, Raymond and Fraser to produce a musical masterpiece out of the bag. This you want to be their Ulysses moment. They don’t disappoint. Out goes the wall of sound, in comes a much more subdued and temperate performance from Guthrie and Raymond. They hold themselves back, Fraser steps forward, and produces a performance that is brilliant. She sings the song with passion and feeling, as if knowing this is the end of their career. Not only is it one of her best performances on the album, but one the best in her career. Her voice soars, gracefully, its ethereal beauty apparent and transparent. It has a classical quality, a sweetness, a grace. Too soon, the song is over, the Cocteau Twins exit stage left, bringing the curtain down on a long and glorious career.
During the time I spent looking back at the Cocteau Twins’ career, I was struck by the depth of quality within their back catalogue. There is a huge amount of music for a newcomer to discover. If you are one of the people who have never taken the time to listen to their music, now is the time to do so. In a previous article I reviewed Heaven Or Las Vegas, in this article Milk and Kisses. Both are wonderful albums which deserve a place in your record collection. Quickly they will become as familiar to you as old friends. You will grow to love them, cherish them, forgive their faults and foibles. Milk and Kisses was the final album the Cocteau Twins produced, and having listened to it several times recently, this was a good way for them to end their career. Better to go out in a blaze of glory, having produced a brilliant album, than end up mercenary stadium rockers wearing cowboy boots and Stetsons, like a certain fourth rate band that springs to mind. Like Neil Young says better to burn out than fade away. My sentiment exactly. Standout Tracks: Serpentskirt, Half-Gifts, Rilkean Heart and Seekers Who Are Lovers.
COCTEAU TWINS-MILK AND KISSES.
BLOCK 16-MORNING SUN.
BLOCK 16-MORNING SUN.
In this article I am going to write about an album that came out ten years ago, on a small record label that, back then, was releasing many great albums and twelve inch singles. Quickly, Nuphonic Records established a reputation for releasing some great music. Between 1994 and 2002, they released albums by Faze Action, Idjut Boys, Fug Black Jazz Chronices and the Block 16 album Morning Sun, which this article is about.
I hear you ask Block 16, who are they? Block 16 were DJ and producer Glen Gunner, keyboard player Pete Zivkovic and sound engineer Raj Gupta. In 2001, they decided to make an album that incorporated all of their musical influences and favorite styles of music. To do that, they brought together some wonderful vocalists who would all feature on tracks on the album. This included Jhelisa, the late Bim Sherman and legendary soul and jazz singer Jon Lucien, who sadly died in 2007. The result was a wonderful album, Morning Sun, which was released on Nuphonic in 2001. Morning Sun was well received on its release, and is still am album that is highly regarded ten years on.
Morning Sun opens with Find An Oasis which features Jhelisa. When you hear the opening notes to Find An Oasis, it is apparent that an aural treat awaits you. The track begins with percussion, bells chime, synthesizers produce otherworldly noises, Latin sounding drums beat, then, Jhelisa’s enters. Her voice is smooth, velvety and utterly gorgeous. A veteran of numerous sessions, she uses all her experience to produce a top quality vocal. Behind her vocal, the lushest strings can be heard, gently swaying. For over six and a half minutes, the song builds and builds, unfolding, to reveal its many delights. Find An Oasis, is a great track, one that Masters At Work reworked beautifully. A fantastic track to start Morning Sun.
The title track Morning Sun, sees a musical legend make an appearance. Jon Lucien, who I have previously written about, makes a guest appearance, singing the vocal. In doing so, Lucien rolls back the years nearly forty years, to the greatest days of his career. His vocal really transforms a good track, to a great track. Lucien’s vocal is strong and clear, and during the track he improvises brilliantly, which is really effective. Morning sun begins with an acoustic guitar strummed almost hesitantly, against a backdrop of gentle percussion. Then the track starts to change, drums enter later viola, violins and cello can all be heard. The track has a huge Latin feel and sound. It brings to mind long summer days spent somewhere hot and exotic. This track has the perfect tempo and sound for the dancefloor and would work well in any DJ set.
Slow Hot Wind begins with crunching drum beats sitting right at the front of the mix. Just a tiny bit of delay has been used to change the sound. After a long introduction where the drums are given centrestage, lovely gentle vocals provide a sooting accompaniment to the drums. This is interrupted by a sample that sounds straight out of a 1960s’ or 1970s’ spy movie. It adds a moodiness, and air of mystery to the track. After that, the sound changes, the vocals are subjected to echo and delay, scratches can be heard, tom-tom drums and percussion make an entrance, and even the tempo increases slightly. However, it still is a good track, although in places, too much echo is used on the vocal, detracting from the vocal’s quality.
Bim Sherman features on the next track, My Sunshine. Again, the sound changes. At the start of the track effects are used, and you find yourself wondering what direction the track is going to take, especially when some house influenced drums are heard. Then suddenly, Sherman’s fantastic vocal emerges, to give a great performance on the track. Behind his vocal, there is almost a dub track starting to emerge. Effects and samples are used, and a reggae beat can be heard meandering along. The longer the track goes on, the more the dub influence can be heard. Sounds are twisted, subjected to a multitude of effects, that transform them into something glorious. What emerges, is new age dub track, one that changes the flow of the album, taking it in another direction. From a confusing start, My Sunshine becomes a wonderful slice on 21st century dub.
And Voodoo begins with drums, bass and scratches. This sees another direction taken by Block 16. The track features some wonderful melodies, and is loaded with hooks. Throughout the track, the catchiest parts are repeated constantly, and taken in new directions. The sound builds, featuring a great keyboard solo, behind which, an acoustic guitar is played beautifully. It is joined by a trumpet solo, some vocal samples and synths playing some futuristic sounding sounds. This track sees Block 16 use a combination of traditional instruments and technology, to produce a catchy and melodic track, laden with hooks.
Electrokution begins with a retro sounding keyboard solo. This reminds me of early Kraftwerk, all squelches and beeps, and an early techno track. Once the drums kick in, there is a more contemporary sound. The track seems to meaner, ramble even, lacking in variety. You keep waiting for something to happen, the track to open out. Apart from some different drum sounds, and a few hand claps, nothing much changes in the first three minutes. Thankfully, something happens, some strings appear, the tempo starts to build, there is a bit more variety in the track. It’s still a variation on a theme, one that Block 16 seem determined to exploit fully. They do this for nearly seven minutes. After the previous five tracks, Electrokution is a bit of a let down. It is not of the quality of the other tracks. This does not make it a bad track. Quite the opposite, this is a decent track, just a very different style of music.
Thankfully, after Electrokution the quality returns on the next track Can’t Stop, which features Robert Owens, a veteran of many house track. The track begins like many house tracks, with drums sitting about 120 beats per minute, thereafter, a synthesizer plays and then Owen’s vocal appears. He sings softly, as if just warming up, then quickly starts to demonstrate that unmistakeable voice, His voice sits in front of everything else, and sometimes, just a little delay is added to the vocal. The vocal is almost restrained from vocal. There is no falsetto soaring vocal here, he sings within himself. This suits the track, which has an understated sound and feel, almost minimalist. Owen was the perfect choice to sing Can’t Stop, and has produced as usual, a quality vocal.
Sweet Bassoon begins with a mixture of sounds and samples, all competing for your attention. Then suddenly, strings and Latin sounding drums appear, followed by squelchy sounding synthesizers. Out of this gradually emerges a lovely Latin track, one that features piano, drums, percussion and brass section. This lovely sound starts to quicken, and becomes almost frantic. A piano bursts in and out of the track, competing with drums, brass and percussion. It’s a track whose roots are firmly in Brazil. The sound is infectious, it makes you want to dance. Block 16 have produced a wonderful track, one hugely influenced by Latin music.
Ain’t Got No Time For No Jibber Jabber is a much shorter track than many on the album. It starts with booming drums and squelchy synths. Again, there is a retro sound present, with some of the sounds reminding me of early acid house tracks. The tempo is perfect for the dancefloor, and remains constant throughout. This track has quite a simple arrangement. It is merely drums and synths, which are used throughout the track. Having said that, there is enough variety within the track to keep the listener’s attention. Personally, this track transported me back in time, back to the early days of dance music, when many tracks had a similar sound. A great track, one that brings back good memories.
On the next track The Land Is Yours, it begins with what sounds like an experiment in free jazz that went badly wrong. Ouch. Bad way to start the track. After that, thankfully, things improve. Still the track continues without any indication of where it’s heading. During this period, a multitude of noises can be heard. Some you can recognize, others you can’t. The track is hardly Block 16’s finest hour, sometimes the sounds on the track begin to grate, and it is not easy listening. Somewhere I feel there is a good Latin track starting to emerge. After five minutes, things start to improve, the track I thought was there appears. It is worth the wait. Shame about everything that preceded it though. This is the weakest track on the album, and although the final three minutes are an improvement, can’t save the track.
Find An Oasis (String Reprise) closes the album. After The Land Is Yours, this is a vast improvement. Again, Jhelisa is on vocal duties, and on this version, is backed by the lushest of strings. This version is much slower, and the tempo is way down, turning the song into a downtempo version of the track. The track starts with the string section, they usher in Jhelisa’s sweet vocal, and then the track meanders, beautifully. There is space in the song, where none existed in the original version. Block 16 have transformed the song, taking it from a house track, to a downtempo one. Jhelisa’s vocal is slow, spacious, atmospheric yet she still makes the song sound bright and uplifting. Sometimes, trying to rework a song in this way, can be fatal, leading to all sorts of car crash versions and remixes. This however, is a masterful version of Find An Oasis, and is a great way to close the album.
Having spent some time researching this album, and listening to Block 16‘s album Morning Sun, and some of the other releases on Nuphonic, I am struck by how much good music they released in their eight year lifetime. They seemed to have unearthed some wonderful talented artists, and helped them to release some great albums. Nuphonic is sadly missed, I used to equate a Nuphonic album with quality. Most of their albums were of the highest standard. Morning Sun was up their with the best of them, and is full of wonderful music, music that is a variety of styles, and will appeal to a wide variety of people. On this album, Jon Lucien, Jhelisa, Bim Sherman and Robert Owen can be heard. Each bring something different to the album, and their contributions are one of the reasons why this album is so good. Buy Morning Sun and you will hear soul, jazz, house, reggae, techno and Latin music. What this adds up to, is a great album, one that you should add to your record collection, and will be one you will be glad to have discovered. Standout Tracks: Find An Oasis, Morning Sun, And Voodoo and Can’t Stop.
BLOCK 16-MORNING SUN.
TOMMY McCOOK AND THE AGGROVATORS-BRASS ROCKERS.
TOMMY McCOOK AND THE AGGROVATORS-BRASS ROCKERS.
In this article, I am going to return to one of my favorite types of music, dub reggae. This article is about one of the best saxophonists in reggae music, who played on numerous recordings, and worked with some of the greatest reggae musicians ever. Amongst the artists he worked with were Bobby Ellis, The Skalites, The Aggrovators and Sly and Robbie. He worked with many producers, including the legendary King Tubby, Bunny Lee, Duke Reid and Clement “Coxson” Dodd. His name is Tommy McCook, and the album is Brass Rockers which was recorded by Tommy McCook and The Aggrovators.
Tommy McCook was born in Havana, Cuba in 1927. Aged six, he moved to Jamaica. When he was eleven, and a pupil at the Alpha School in Jamaica, he started to play the tenor saxophone. Later, McCook would become a member of Eric Dean’s Orchestra.
When he was twenty-one, McCook was booked to play a concert in Nassau, in the Bahamas. After the concert, he eventually settled in Miami, Florida. When he was living in Miami, he first heard the music of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. This would have a profound affect on McCook, and led to a lifetime love affair with jazz music.
In 1962, aged twenty-nine, McCook headed back to his adopted home of Jamaica. Once settled there, he was asked by a number of producers to appear on some of their recordings. One of the first of these recordings was a jazz session, for producer Clement “Coxson” Dodd. These recording were eventually released under the title Jazz Jamaica.
November 1963, saw McCook record his first ska track. This was a version of the Ernest Gold track Exodus. By coincidence, other members of the band who performed on Exodus would become members of The Skalites, of which McCook would be a founding member in the spring of 1964.
The Skalites recorded their first album at the Studio One recording studio, Clement “Coxson” Dodd’s studio. Studio One was later referred to as the Jamaican equivalent of Motown. Ska Authentic was The Skalites debut album. After the release of the album, they toured Jamaica extensively. The Skalites are credited with inventing ska music. Throughout their career between 1964 and 1965, the group recorded with some of Jamaica’s finest producers. This would include Clement “Coxson” Dodd, Duke Reid, Prince Buster and Leslie Kong. During their short career, they played in sessions with Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Wailers and Desmond Dekker. August 1965 saw the group play their final concert. After this, the group split, becoming two groups Rolando Alphonso and The Soul Vendors and Tommy McCook and The Supersonics. In 1983 the group reformed, and for the following fourteen years, would tour and record.
In the 1960s’ and 1970s’, Tommy McCook worked with many of the top reggae artists and musicians. One producer he worked with was Bunny Lee. Lee’s house band were The Aggrovators. This consisted of whatever musician Lee was using at the time. Many of reggae’s greatest artists have been a member of The Aggrovators. McCook was a member, and so were Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespear, Jackie Mittoo and Aston Barrett. It was with The Aggrovators, that Tommy McCook recorded Brass Rockers in 1975. Brass Rockers was produced by Bunny Lee and mixed by King Tubby. The Aggrovators would also record with Yabby You on both version sides and extended disco mixes. McCook would collaborate with Yabby You on the album Tabby You Meets Tommy McCook In Dub, and other albums.
McCook did not work exclusively for one producer. He would work with many of Jamaica’s best known producer. One producer McCook worked a lot with, was Duke Reid. McCook featured on many of Reid’s productions. He directed Reid’s house band The Supersonics.
At Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, McCook would often feature in the studio’s house band The Revolutionaries, which included Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespear on bass. The Revolutionaries worked with the great and good of reggae music. This would include Black Uhuru, Tapper Zukie, The Heptones and John Holt.
Throughout his career, McCook worked with many producers and artists, and his saxophone sound graced numerous recordings. He was a truly gifted musician, one who left his mark on reggae music, and without his saxophone playing, many of these records would not have been as good as they are. Sadly, Tommy McCook died in May 1998, aged seventy-one.
Now that you more about Tommy McCook’s life and career, I will now tell you why Brass Rockers is such a good album. Brass Rockers opens with A Dancing Dub. The track begins with drums echoing, and McCook’s saxophone playing on top of the rest of the arrangement. It is a bright, breezy track, where echo is used to good effect, slightly distorting everything but the saxophone. McCook’s solo is easily the highlight of this great opening track.
A Version I Can Feel With Love has a summery feel and sound. Like A Dancing Dub, the effects are used subtly. They don’t over distort or destroy, the drum and percussion, merely changing the sound slightly. On the track, the drums are crisp, loud and right at the front of the mix. They compete with the saxophone for your attention. Once again, the drums, percussion and piano, play second fiddle to McCook’s masterful saxophone playing.
A Lovely Melody, has a different sound totally. The drums are duller at the start, and then fall away towards the back of the mix. This leaves the way for the tenor saxophone to dominate the track. Then the drums move towards the forefront on the track, and are loud and proud, with just the right amount of echo and delay. McCook saxophone is crisp, it rasps, he plays a great solo, demonstrating why he was so in demand, by so many producers.
The Mighty Gates of Goza has a very different start. It sees the drums and other instruments distorted. That only lasts momentarily, then the track opens up. The track chugs along with McCook playing a solo, and behind him the drums are twisted and distorted, with Bunny Lee deciding it’s time to use his box of tricks. He has applied delay and echo to distort the sound. More than on previous tracks. For the first time, Lee gives the saxophone some delay, this makes the track sound much more like a traditional dub track. This is one of the best tracks on the album.
Bongo Man Dub sees a great drum sound on the track. The track begins with drums which chug along, and the Bunny Lee gets to work on them, transforming their sound with his effects, primarily delay, and a bit of echo. Drums are accompanied by McCook on saxophone. As usual McCook’s saxophone playing is superb, dominating the tarck. He blows the saxophone at a fairly frantic pace, never leaving much space in his solos. Again, Lee has decided that McCook’s saxophone needs some delay, to change the sound. This works well, softening the sound slightly, as the tenor saxophone can sound harsh on the high notes. Overall, a well performed and produced track, mixed brilliantly by King Tubby.
True Believer In Dubs starts with flute and drums, and has a very traditional reggae sound. Another change is McCooks style. Here is playing is much more restrained. This is a good thing. He doesn’t dominate the track, and other musicians get the chance to shine. It would be a shame if they weren’t as there are some great musicians on the album. This track, albeit a different style, is a great track.
The tempo increases on the next track, yet meanders along nicely. Spacious drums and soulful saxophone playing are what The Duke of Dubs is all about. It is a gorgeous slice of Jamaican sunshine. The sound is uncomplicated, and almost isn’t compromised by the effects. It is, essentially, a traditional reggae track, and a good one at that.
On The Big Bass of Dubs the tempo takes a drop. Drum, guitar and saxophone all play major parts in this track. McCook takes the initiative, leading with the saxophone, the drums working around his playing. This works well, and so does the sparing use of effects later in the track. It tricks up the sound slightly. The Big Bass of Dubs is a good song, with some lovely rhythms and a great melody.
The next track on Brass Rockers is Behold Dis Ya Dub of Class. Drums start the track, and quickly gain a spacey sound. McCook blows his saxophone, keeping the sound loud, crisp and clear. Behind him, the drums provide a backdrop, however, they struggle to be heard, drowned by McCook. This is a shame, as they could help develop what is, essentially a pretty bland track. It is repetitive, the melody although catchy, and well played, does nothing for me. It has too much of a jazz influence, and this drowns the reggae influence. Even Bunny Lee and King Tubby, a formidable duo, can’t rescue this track from mediocracy, with the use of some delay.
Thankfully, Dance With Me is a vast improvement on the previous track. This is a much better track, with a much more traditional dub reggae sound. There is much more use of effects here than on many tracks. They seem to be used to transform the drum sound mostly, the saxophone is almost untouched. On Dance With Me, there is much more space than on this track than others. Dance With Me is a vast improvement on the mundane and mediocre Behold Dis Ya Dub of Class. Thank goodness.
A Gigantic Dub is the penultimate song on Brass Rockers. Here Bunny Lee and King Tubby have decided it’s time to use their effects a bit more. This is to the benefit of the track. Drums are delayed and distorted, this gives the track a more authentic sound. Even McCook’s saxophone is given the Bunny Lee and King Tubby treatment. This is much more like what I would expect on a dub album. I keep wanting them to take a track by the scruff of the neck and really add delay, echo, reverb to a track, distort the life out of it. That, sadly, never happens, and this has to suffice. However, this works here, and makes this track a much better track.
Brass Rockers ends with The Gorgan of Dubs and Horns. This is a track with a huge jazz influence. McCook plays a great solo, it’s melodic and catchy. However, he somewhat spoils the track when he decides it’s time to improvise and thinks that it would be a good idea to add an excerpt from pop goes the weasle, a children’s nursery rhyme. Bad idea. It’s not big, it’s not clever. It detracts from what was shaping up to be a good track, beautifully played, with just a modicum of effects used. Sadly, the track goes down in my estimation, and is a rather disappointing way to end a good album.
Brass Rockers is a good album, one that is interesting when compared to other dub albums I have reviewed. It does not feature the heavy use of effects that other albums do, and this is both a good and bad thing. It is nice to hear the some of the saxophone solos untouched by affects, but on other tracks, the use of some delay or echo would not go amiss. Likewise the drums. Although delay is used, and echo less so, I would have loved to hear more delay and echo used, to transform the sound, maybe lessen the predominant jazz influence on some of the tracks. It’s not that I don’t like jazz, I do, and I have many jazz albums in my collection. I just feel that certain tracks could be improved by unleashing the effects.
However, Brass Rockers is an album that anyone who likes, or is interested in reggae, should buy. Don’t be put off by the jazz influence, there is still a huge reggae influence on the album. Tommy McCook was a hugely talented musician, and on this album, he is backed by some wonderful musicians. They have produced some great track. Overall this is a good album, of the twelve tracks on the album, I would say that ten of these tracks are quality tracks. So if, having read this article you are thinking about buying this album, I would suggest that it deserves a place in your record collection. Incidentally, this album is now available as part of a four disc set on Greensleeves Records Evolution of Dub Volume 2-The Great Leap Forward. Standout Tracks: A Dancing Dub, A Version I Can Feel With Love, The Mighty Gates of Goza and Dance With Me.
TOMMY McCOOK AND THE AGGROVATORS-BRASS ROCKERS.
CHRIS REA-WATER SIGN.
CHRIS REA-WATER SIGN.
The album that this article is about was almost never released. So little interest did the record company have in the artist, that they never gave him any money to record the album professionally. Instead, he recorded that album himself, with little in the way of overdubbing. To save money, he used drum machines on the album, totally changing his sound. When the record company received the demo version of the album, they released it. It went on to sell half a million copies, and sold well in Ireland and mainland Europe. Chris Rea is the artist, and the album is Water Sign, which was released in 1983.
Chris Rea was born Christopher Anton Rea, in Middlesborough, England in March 1951. He was a late developer when it came to music, only buying his first guitar when he was twenty-two. His musical influences were Ry Cooder and Joe Walsh. In 1973, he joined Middlesborough group Magdalene, replacing David Coverdale. Later, Rea former Beautiful Losers, but left the group when he secured a solo recording contract with Magnet Records.
Having signed with Magnet Records, he released his debut single in 1974. His debut album Whatever Happened To Benny Santini, was released in 1978. The album title referred to the name Benny Santini, that the record company wanted Rea to record under. On that album, was Fool (If You Think It’s Over). This was his biggest hit in the US, reaching number twelve in the Billboard Hot 100. The song was nominated for a Song of the Year Grammy, but lost out to Billy Joel’s Just the Way You Are. Rea’s debut album was not a commercial success, maybe his next album would be?
1979 saw the release of Deltics. Again, the album was produced by Gus Dudgeon, Elton John’s producer. Rea and Dudgeon had a difficult relationship, Rea later saying, he felt Dudgeon had “smoothed out” the blues influence in his music. Like his debut album, Deltics failed to trouble the album charts.
Rea’s third album Tennis was released in 1980. This album failed to provide even a hit single, like the two previous albums. By now, Rea’s career was following a familiar pattern. Release an album, it fails to chart, and fails to provide any hit singles. This in turn, meant an unhappy record company. By now Magnet Records, were losing faith and patience with Rea. So much so, that by his next album was not given a title, and just titled Chris Rea. Released in 1982, the album failed to chart or provide any hits.
This takes us to Water Sign, the album this article is about. Having sold well, around mainland Europe and in Ireland, this provided Rea with some breathing space in his career. It also saw Rea concentrating on touring Europe and building up a fanbase. Still, UK audiences shunned Rea’s music.
1984 saw Rea release Wired To the Moon. This was not as good an album as Water Sign, and did nothing to convince UK audiences of the merit’s of his music. This was to change in 1985. Shamrock Diaries was a much better album, and gave Rea a top twenty album in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. This album Josephine, Stainsby Girls and Steel River. Steel River was a song that I used to enjoy, however, that song has been spoiled for me, after Rea allowed a Conservative candidate for Middlesborough to use the song in the 2010 general election campaign.
1986 saw the release of On the Beach. This was one of his best albums, and saw his fanbase in the UK hugely increase. At last the commercial success he had sought since his debut album in 1978. On the Beach sold well, and so did the follow-up album Dancing With Strangers released in 1987. Dancing With Strangers was a weaker album, lacking the quality of his three previous albums. However, it sold well, and Rea toured the world on the back of it, playing much bigger venues than before.
His next release was New Light Through Old Windows released in 1988. On this album Rea reworked previous songs and included two new songs. One of the new songs, Working On It, reached number seventy-three in the US Billboard Hot 100. The next studio album from Rea was The Road To Hell released in 1989. This album was a huge hit for Rea, reaching number one in the UK album charts. Many people consider this the high point in Rea’s career. However, they may be confusing commercial success with quality.
Rea followed up The Road To Hell with Auberge in 1990. Like its predecessor, Auberge reached number one in the UK album charts. The title track also reached number sixteen in the UK singles charts. Auberge is a very different album from the overblown The Road To Hell. Apart from the dreadful Red Shoes, Auberge is an album of good songs, that have good lyrics and sung well by Rea. To me, this was Rea’s last good album.
Two years later in 1992, Rea released God’s Great Banana Skin. The album reached number four in the UK album charts, and featured a harder, rockier sound, much like The Road To Hell. This album is a musical dichotomy, as six of the songs are good quality, whist the other five are disappointing, and some merely filler. God’s Great Banana Skin, to me, was the first indication that Rea’s career was stalling.
1993 saw the release of the disappointing Expresso Logic. It still reached the top ten in the UK album charts and provided him with a top forty single with Julia. Rea became ill with pancreatitis, and was only given a fifty percent chance of surviving. Apart from soundtrack album La Passione in 1996, Rea’s next studio album was The Blue Cafe, which gave him his final top ten album. That the album made the top ten is quite an achievement, as it was not heavily promoted, and contained no singles. King of the Beach was released in 2000, and was well received, and made the top thirty in the UK album charts.
After his life threatening illness, Rea promised himself that if he recovered, he would return to his blues roots. Since his recovery, he has released a number of albums and box sets, all reflecting his interest in the blues and other forms of music. In 2002 he released Dancing Down the Stony Road, a double album of gospel blues, which was also released as an abridged single album.
2003 saw Rea set up the JazzeeBee record label. This he explained would free him from the pressures and expectations put on artists by record companies. Since then he has released Blue Street (Five Guitars) and Hofner Blue Notes in July 2003, The Blue Jukebox in March 2004 and Blue Guitars in October 2005. After the release of Blue Guitars, he announced that he would make no further solo albums, and instead, record under the name The Memphis Fireflies and would record with some of his favorite artists.
In 2007, he announced that he would tour again, and release a new album of thirty-eight tracks on three CDs. This would be The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Blue Notes in February 2008. His last release was Still So Far To Go: The Best of Chris Rea released in 2009. This album would enter the top ten in the UK album charts.
That is the story of Chris Rea’s career, a recording career that started in 1974, and saw Rea release numerous studio albums and compilation albums. During his career, although many of these albums have disappointed, he has released some memorable albums. In my opinion, Water Sign was the first memorable album that he released. I will now tell you why, Water Sign is such a good album.
Water Sign opens with Nothing’s Happening By the Sea. This is a lovely gentle song, one that Rea sings really well. The sound is minimalist, Rea plays all the instruments, except the beautiful harmonica solo, played by Claude Nobbs. Nothing’s Happening By the Sea begins with waves gently crashing against the beach, then an acoustic guitar and drum machine meander gently, until Rea sings. When he sings, his throaty, raspy voice highlights the beauty of the lyrics. A great song to begin Water Sign.
Deep Water relies heavily on drum machines and keyboards, both of which now sound slightly dated. However, that is a minor quibble, as the song was recorded in 1983, when drum machines and synthesizers were in their infancy. The song has a much bigger sound than than Nothing’s Happening By the Sea. Again, the track starts quietly, then quickly builds up. Keyboards, drum machine and guitars all play a big part in this track. Rea’s vocal is louder, the sound bigger and fuller. The keyboard provides a constant backdrop through the track, and the saxophone playing superb. This is a quality track, even with the slightly dated sound.
The tempo drops with Candles, and like Nothing’s Happening By the Sea, the introduction is a long instrumental. When you read to the lyrics, they are moody and atmospheric, but the way Rea sings them, this isn’t the case. He sings the song slowly at first, then the song quickens, however, this doesn’t lessen the impact of the atmospheric lyrics. Listen to the song, and you imagine a dark and gloomy place, enveloped in fog. That is the impression the song gives. Rea has the ability to paint a picture with his lyrics, one that you can almost see. Candles continues the quality of the previous songs.
Probably the best song on Water Sign is Love’s Strange Ways. This is a beautiful song, one of Rea’s best songs ever. It features lovely lyrics, which Rea sings with feeling and passion. Throughout the track Rea plays an acoustic guitar, this really adds to the impact of the song, and highlights the track’s beauty. Again, the arrangement is minimalist just guitar and drum machine essentially. This does not detract from the song, if anything, it allows the vocal, and therefore the lyrics to shine.
If Love’s Strange Ways was the best song on the album, Texas runs it a close second. Texas is another slow song, but not with such a minimalist arrangement. The track starts slowly with keyboard and vocal. There is space in the song, that allows the song to breath, and highlights the lyrics. Rea sings about his hopes and dreams, that one day, he will meeting that special woman. Like many of the songs on the album, they feature some intelligent and thoughtful lyrics. Rea’s style of vocal brings them to life. This is the case here. His vocal delivery is slow and clear, leaving space to add impact to the lovely lyrics.
Let It Loose sounds like a slice of Euro-pop from 1983. It is very much a song of its time. However, it is still a decent song, albeit a dated song. The reason I say this is the synth and drum sounds. There is almost a brashness about this track, it’s loud and very in your face. Rea’s vocal is strong and loud, sitting at the front of the mix. I have always felt that Let It Loose lacks the quality of the other tracks on the album, and that the style is very different to many of Water Sign’s tracks.
One of the singles released from Water Sign was I Can Your Heart Beat. This is a quicker track, one that has a lot in common Let It Loose. Although not the Euro-pop of Let It Loose, it has the same tempo. It is however, a better song, it has matured better. The track begins with drum machine, booming, dominating the mix, then guitars kick in, playing a catchy riff that repeats constantly, then Rea’s vocal enters. His vocal at the start, seems too far back in the mix, but, despite that, his performance is good. The guitar solo on the track, is excellent, and overall this is a good track.
Many years ago, not long after this album was released, I saw Chris Rea in concert, and one of the best songs he performed was Midnight Blue. He explained that the song was about buying a new suit. If you listen to the lyrics, that becomes apparent. This song, I have always believed, was one of Water Sign’s highlights. The lyrics have a strong narrative, Rea sings them well, and the arrangement perfect. Midnight Blue starts with a guitar strummed quietly, and Rea singing in front of it, singing those wonderful lyrics. As the song progresses, the sound builds, getting bigger and louder. Like I Can Your Heart Beat, the track features some wonderful guitar playing by Rea. This is a great song, easily one of the albums best.
The penultimate song on the album is Hey You. When the song starts you hear synthesizers and drum machine that have a slightly dated sound. This doesn’t matter though, as once the song gets going, there is enough quality to excuse this. Hey You sees Rea produce one of his best vocal performances on the album, and the sound is much fuller than on other tracks. Like on most tracks on this album, Rea plays all the instruments himself.
Water Sign closes with Out of the Darkness. The track starts with drum machine, synthesizer and saxophone which produce almost a Euro-pop sound. Once Rea sings the vocal, the track is transformed, he rescues the track, with good lyrics and a good vocal performance. What lets the track down is the underlying beat, it sounds dated and hasn’t aged well. Only the guitar playing, saxophone and vocal managed to make this a decent track. Had it been rerecorded later in his career, this could have been transformed into a much better track.
Having spent some time listening to Chris Rea’s music I came away thinking that his career was disappointing. He really did not produce many truly outstanding albums. Granted, that on each of his album, there are some good songs, however, there always seems to be songs that disappoint, sometimes more disappointing ones than good ones. His first three albums showed some promise, and that was fulfilled with Water Sign. Later, Shamrock Diaries, On the Beach and Auberge were all good albums. The Road To Hell was a decent album, if somewhat pompous and overblown. However, the remainder of his output has been patchy. It saddens me that his career did not live up to the promise shown in some of his earlier work. Personally, I lost interest in his music after Auberge. That was his last good album. All of his albums post Auberge, were a disappointment. It got that a new release failed to excite, and when you heard the album, you were never pleasantly surprised. For many years, I have not listened to Rea’s music much, the albums lie not listened to, unloved even. Listening to his albums was a chore really, only made enjoyable by a few albums.
Having said all that, Water Sign, is a vastly underrated album, one most people will never have heard. It is worth getting hold of a copy, as it shows a very different side of Chris Rea, one that may even surprise some people. If you do buy this album, I am sure you will enjoy it, I enjoyed listening to this album again. It is the best of his first five albums. Should you wish to buy other albums to accompany Water Sign, I would recommend Shamrock Diaries, On the Beach and Auberge. Regarding The Road To Hell, make your own mind about it, although I can appreciate its quality, I have always felt it is slightly overblown and pompous. However, whichever of these albums you buy I hope you enjoy them, and the wonderful music on them. Standout Tracks: Nothing’s Happening By the Sea, Love’s Strange Ways, Texas and Midnight Blue.
CHRIS REA-WATER SIGN.
D’ANGELO-VOODOO.
D’ANGELO-VOODOO.
Today I have decided to write about a singer who, in a twenty year career, has only released to solo albums, yet has been compared to soul legend Marvin Gaye, and Prince. This artist is much more than a singer, he is a highly talented multi-instrumentalist, song writer and producer. The two albums he has produced have gone platinum in the US, the album this article is about reached number one, firmly establishing his credentials as one of the best artists of his generation. The album is Voodoo by D’Angelo, released in January 2000.
D’Angelo was born Michael Eugene Archer in February 1974, in Richmond, Virginia. He was born into a deeply religious Pentecostal family. His father was a preacher, and he later described his mother as a “powerful” woman. It was during his childhood that his musical talents became apparent. Aged three, the young D’Angelo picked out a tune on a piano in the family home, much to the amazement of his elder brother. Later in his childhood, he would play the Hammond organ at his father’s church.
It was 1991, when D’Angelo first came to the attention of the music industry. He signed a publishing deal with EMI Music. D’Angelo had sent a demo tape to the company which caught their attention. This resulted in him signing this contract. The first success he had was when one of the songs he wrote, U Will Know, was included on the Jason’s Lyric soundtrack. Not long after that, Gary Harris signed him to EMI Records, and he began writing and recording his debut album.
D’Angelo’s debut album Brown Sugar was released in June 1995. To begin with, the album sold slowly, then it was boosted by a single taken from the album, Lady. This reached number ten in the Billboard Hot 100, and after this, sales of the album took off. Brown Sugar is thought to have sold between 1.5 million and 2 million copies.
Unlike many artists, D’Angelo did not seek to release another album to build on the success of Brown Sugar. Instead, he took four and a half years off from the music business. During this sabbatical period, he sung tracks for soundtracks. He also sang on Lauryn Hill’s debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill duetting on the track Nothing Even Matters.
Finally, in January 2000, his second album, which this article is about, Voodoo was released. Straight away, the album was a huge success. It entered the US album charts at number one. Voodoo has been described as experimental and containing a sound that is almost a groove based funk. Within the album are several lyrical themes. These include spirituality, sexuality, love, growth and fatherhood. The latter, may be because D’Angelo had married Angie Stone and the couple’s son had just been born during his sabbatical. Two singles were released from the album. Left and Right which featured both Method Man and Redman was a success, but the second single outsold and outstripped Left and Right. Untitled (How Does It Feel) was D’Angelo’s tribute to Prince, and became a huge hit, further establishing his neo-soul credentials. So well received was Voodoo, it was nominated for two Grammy Awards, Best Male R&B Performance and Best R&B Album. The album won a Grammy for Best R&B Album and the album was included in all of major music magazines end of year polls. Like Brown Sugar, the album reached Platinum status in the US, selling in excess of 1.7 million copies.
After the success of Voodoo, D’Angelo decided to have another sabbatical. Since the release of Voodoo, he has not released another studio album. His only work has been collaborating with other artists. He has appeared on Common’s 2007 album, Finding Forever on the track So Far To Go, and albums by J Dilla and Red Hot and Riot. Apart from that, and a few unfinished tracks that have been leaked onto the internet, musical sightings of D’Angelo have been rare.
June 2008 saw the release of D’Angelo’s greatest hits album, entitled The Best So Far. This album contained songs from Brown Sugar and Voodoo, as well as some rarities. A second disc contained some videos which had never before been released. The Best So Far only reached number seventy in the US album charts and number thirty-three in the US R&B Charts.
Since the release of The Best So Far, rumors have been rife about D’Angelo’s next album. It is thought to be entitled James River, and speculation has surrounded if, and when, it will be released, and what guest artists may collaborate with D’Angelo on the album. Only time will tell if the album is released in 2011.
Now that you know more about D’Angelo’s career, I will you tell you why Voodoo is such a great album. I remember awaiting eagerly the release of Voodoo, and the first time I listened to this album. It had been a long wait from Brown Sugar, and when I put the album on and listened to the first track Playa Playa I was hooked. The track begins with muffled voices and background noises, but quickly opens out into a laid back slice of jazz influenced neo-soul. A brass section plays a funky groove to accompany D’Angelo’s vocal on this spacious, almost subdued track. Playa Playa is very much a slow burner, it takes a while to get going, and when it does, it’s a great track, one where you can hear various influences shine through. One I hear on this track is Sly Stone, this groove based track, reminds me of something Stone would produce with Sly and the Family Stone. This track is a good way to open Voodoo, and all bodes well for the rest of the album.
Devil’s Pie sees the tempo and quality increase. This is one of the best tracks on the album. There are two overriding musical influences on this track, funk and hip hop. Crunching drums sit right at the front of the mix, with D’Angelo singing just behind them. Drums, scratches and use of samples, all have a hip hop influence. The rhythm that can be heard throughout the track has a real funky feel. This fusion of influences and styles, produces a great track, one that features some powerful lyrics, with biting social comment, about the problems faced in 21st century America. Voodoo may have taken a long time to make, so far, it well worth the wait.
On the next track D’Angelo is joined by two big hitters from the hip hop world. Method Man and Redman. This trio combine to produce a good track Left and Right. Like other tracks on Voodoo, Left and Right is about sex and sexuality. Read or listen closely to the lyrics, and you will discover that D’Angelo and Co. are not particularly subtle in their wooing of women. Smalltalk and foreplay are definitely on the agenda. If you are a committed feminist you may disapprove of some of the lyrics. However, saying that it is a good track, which the trio perform well. It is much slower than Devil’s Pie, and is very much a groove based track. There is space within the drum beats, which the vocals fill. The three vocals compliment each other well, and produce a good track, albeit one with some dubious lyrics.
The Line is a better track than Left and Right. On The Line, you can hear a Marvin Gaye influence in D’Angelo’s vocal. This is one of his best vocal performances on Voodoo. His vocal is strong and clear, and highlights the lyrics. The tempo is slow, the track has space to breath and the arrangement is one of the best on the album. It has a minimalist feel and sound. A great track, one of his best tracks, not just on Voodoo, but in his career.
Send It On sees the tempo increase, and the style change. This track has a lovely jazzy feel to it. The arrangement sees a brass section accompany D’Angelo, and he sings around them. As usual, the drums are loud and prominent in the mix, however, the neither overpower the vocal, nor the rest of the arrangement. Here, D’Angelo sounds like Prince, and the song has the seem romantic and sensuous sound to it. Send It On, like The Line, sees D’Angelo at the top of game, producing some of the greatest music of his career.
On Chicken Grease, the tempo really falls, almost to a pedestrian pace. Here the drums are really crisp and crunchy, some vocals sit far back in the mix, and sound a bit muddy. They could benefit from sitting further forward. The track has groove, it is rhythmic. Drums, handclaps and D’Angelo’s vocal are the best things about the track. However, overall, the track is not of the quality of tracks like Devil’s Pie, The Line and Send It On. I have always felt that this track could be improved, there is potential in the track that is not realized. It has almost an unfinished feel to it.
One Mo Gin starts slowly, and has a moody and atmospheric sound and feel to it. The first minute, you wonder where the track is going. Then the drums and vocal enter the track. D’Angelo’s vocal is good, the drums crisp and loud, and this slightly lightens the sound of the track. Throughout the track, the dark and moody sound undermines the most of the track. Then out of nowhere, towards the end of the track there is a ray of sunshine, an upbeat burst of music. Just as quickly as it appears, it disappears, and the track ends. Don’t get me wrong, One Mo Gin is not a bad track, just one that has a very different sound and feel.
The Root starts with some of the loudest and crispest drum beats so far. Thereafter, D’Angelo sings a much more upbeat vocal, one that has the same quality as on The Line. The track is about love, and how we feel when a relationship breaks up. This track benefits from some good lyrics, lyrics that D’Angelo delivers well. There is a jazzy feel to the arrangement, one that is quite laid back. A great track, a return to form, much better than Chicken Grease and One Mo Gin.
The sound and style changes vastly with Spanish Joint. The track opens with an acoustic guitar. That fools you into thinking this would be another laid back track. How wrong could you be. Quickly the sound gets big and loud. D’Angelo really uses his vocal range, and is joined by brass section, with a trumpet playing a leading role. Spanish Joint has both a jazz and funk influence, and sound. On this track, D’Angelo shows his versatility as a vocalist, arranger and producer, and has produced a good track.
On the next track, D’Angelo covers Feel Like Makin’ Love, a song that many artists have covered. He does a good job. The trademark drum sound is at the forefront of the mix, brass section, handclaps and his smooth and tender vocal, come together to make a lovely version of an often covered song.
Greatdaymornin’/Booty sees D’Angelo return to his own material, after the interlude that was Feel Like Makin’ Love. This is much better, and sees D’Angelo give one of his best vocal performances on the album. His voice very much takes centre-stage, and is given the opportunity to shine. The rest of the arrangement is good, the drums, well programmed, keyboards, bass and guitars all play their part in making this a good song. Towards the end of Greatdaymornin’/Booty sound affects and samples can be heard, and add effect and humor to the track.
Untitled (How Does It Feel) was the big hit single on this album in the US. Straight away you can hear why. It is a beautiful track that sees D’Angelo backed by a bigger band than on other tracks. This is a very soulful song, one that has the best arrangement on the album. As well as bass, guitar and drums, a piano and percussion can be heard. All of this, shows a different side to D’Angelo, he sounds more like a traditional soul singer. On Voodoo, he has shown different many different sides, and this is by far, the best. An absolutely outstanding track.
Voodoo closes with Africa, a track that starts slowly and gently, and meanders, vocals, drums and keyboards floating in and out of the mix. After nearly ninety seconds, the vocal makes an appearance. On Africa, D’Angelo sings quietly and gives a much more restrained vocal performance. He is very much singing within himself. The whole track has this lovely subdued and understated sound and feel to it. Africa is a good way to close Voodoo, it just brings the album quietly, gently, to a close.
Voodoo is a long album, thirteen songs and seventy-eight minutes. Of those thirteen tracks, eleven of them are good, two Chicken Grease and One Mo Gin, are not of the same standard. Sometimes when I listen to albums that have been released since the introduction of the compact disc, I feel that artists and bands feel compelled to use every last second of the disc’s capacity. That is wrong. What you end up with, is too many second and third rate songs padding out the album. I would much rather they released their best tracks, and if the album only last forty minutes, so be it. With Voodoo the two tracks I have highlighted don’t fall into the category I am describing. All I am saying is that, on album of such high quality, like Voodoo, if a couple of tracks fall below the quality of the others, it is very noticeable. Voodoo is a great album, one I have always enjoyed since the day it was released. If you don’t own a copy, I would suggest this is one to add to your collection. It is full of romantic, sensuous music, and should come with a warning saying: “playing this music can cause additions to your family.” This is babymaking music, so be warned. Standout Tracks: The Line, Send It On, The Root and Untitled (How Does It Feel).
D’ANGELO-VOODOO.
TEENAGE FANCLUB-SONGS FROM NORTHERN BRITAIN.
TEENAGE FANCLUB-SONGS FROM NORTHERN BRITAIN.
The band I am going to write about in this article have an unusual feature. There are three songwriters in the band, and each songwriter sings their own song. This band is a democracy, and each songwriter is given the same amount of playing time for their songs. These songwriters are Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley and Gerard Love, who along with Francis MacDonald, make up Teenage Fanclub.
Teenage Fanclub were formed in Glasgow in 1989. If you listen carefully to their music, their influences are apparent. The jangling and chiming guitar sound and vocal harmonies owes much to the Byrds, but other influences include Big Star and the Beach Boys. They released their first album in 1990, A Catholic Education. This was hardly the best start to their career. The sound has been variously described as chaotic and noisy. A Catholic Education is very much a band still trying to “find their sound.” It would be kindest to call it a difficult album.
Their second album was The King. It was released in August 1991. This saw the band secure their first entry into the UK album charts. The King reached number fifty-three in the UK album charts.
Thankfully after the false start of A Catholic Education, and to some extent The King, their third album was a vast improvement. Bandwagonesque was released in November 1991, and saw a change in the band’s sound and fortunes. On it, Teenage Fanclub started to refine what would become their trademark sound. Their jangly Byrdsesque guitar and tight vocal harmonies sound started to emerge. The album reached number twenty-two in the UK album charts. So impressed were Spin magazine with Bandwagonesque that the album won their poll for best album in 1991. In doing so, they faced stiff competition. Among the contenders were REM’s Out of Time and Nirvana’s Nevermind.
Their next album was released to poor reviews. Thirteen was released in October 1993. The album was named after a song by the legendary Big Star, one of the group’s music heroes and influences. Regardless of what the critics said, the album was a commercial success, reaching number fourteen in the UK album charts. Drummer Brendan O’Hare left the group after the album was released, owing to the oft cited “musical differences.” He was replaced by Paul Quinn, who had been the drummer in another Glasgow band, the Soup Dragons. Incidentally, Thirteen is actually a good album, one that shows the band growing as a group, and refining and honing, their musical style.
Teenage Fanclub’s next album was the album that brought them to the attention of the wider music buying public. Grand Prix was released in May 1995, and the album was critically acclaimed by music critics and fans alike. This was the album that brought the band commercial success, reaching number seven in the UK album charts. The album was full of great songs like About You, Don’t Look Back and Neil Jung. At last, Teenage Fanclub had hit the big time.
The album this article is about was the band’s next release. Tales From Northern Britain was in July 1997. It saw the band build on the success of Grand Prix, and cemented their reputation as one of the UK’s best bands. Like Grand Prix, the album was a huge commercial success reaching number three in the UK album charts. Tales From Northern Britain would be the band’s last top ten album.
Three years passed before Teenage Fanclub would release another album. Howdy! was released in October 2000. By now the band had a new record label and a new drummer. Their previous record label Creation was no more, and the band signed to Columbia. Drummer Francis MacDonald had rejoined the band whilst the group toured Songs From Northern Britain, and would play on Howdy!. On leaving Teenage Fanclub, Paul Quinn would form a new band The Primary 5. Howdy! has a similar sound to previous album Songs From Northern Britain. It is a good album, one I have always liked. However, for some reason, the people who had previously bought Grand Prix and Songs From Northern Britain failed to do so. The album only reached number thirty-three in the UK album charts.
Teenage Fanclub’s next album was a collaboration with cult icon, Jad Fair, the frontman of Half-Japanese. The album was entitled Words of Wisdom and Hope. It was released in March 2002. This album never even charted.
The band’s final album for their “new” label was Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Six Seconds, released in January 2003. This was a compilation of their greatest songs, and three new songs. Ever the democracy, each songwriter contributed one new song each. Again, the new album failed to trouble the upper reaches of the album charts, only reaching number forty-seven.
Man-Made was their next studio album. It was released in May 2005, on the band’s own label Pe-Ma. The band recorded the album in Chicago, the previous year. They enlisted John McEntire of Tortoise to produce the album. This was a departure from previous albums, when the band had produced their own albums. Sadly, the new producer did not help the band to produce a more successful or commercially successful album. The album stalled at number thirty-four in the UK album charts.
Teenage Fanclub released their ninth studio album Shadows, in May 2010. The album was well received by music critics. Spin magazine included it in its list of the forty best albums of 2010. Shadows followed a familiar pattern each. Each group of three songs is written and sung by Love, Blake and McGinley. This album saw a new member officially join the band. David McGowan joined playing keyboards, guitars and slide guitar. He had been part of the band for a number of years, before being credited as a member on the album. Even with the additional of a new member, the album only reached number thirty in the UK album charts.
That is the story of Teenage Fanclub’s career so far. It is a career that has seen them produce nine albums, and tour the world many times. They are a fantastic band to see live, one of my favorite live acts. The album this article is about Tales From Northern Britain, is not just one of their greatest albums, but one of my favorite albums, and I will now tell you what makes the album so special.
Tales From Northern Britain begins with Start Again. This is a great way to begin the album, as Teenage Fanclub are in full flow. The sound is big and loud. Vocals and guitars sit at the front of the mix. Start Again is a song about regrets, and having said things that you wish you had not, and how it is never too late start again. It is a good track to start the album, and shows the band maturing from their previous album Grand Prix.
If Start Again was a good song, it’s surpassed by the next track, Ain’t That Enough. This is a track that has both fantastic melodies and catchy hooks. It features tight harmonic vocals and Teenage Fanclub’s almost retro guitar sound. There is a sweetness to the vocals, and the drumming on the track plays a huge part in making this track the great one it is. Ain’t That Enough is not just one of this album’s best tracks, but one of Teenage Fanclub’s greatest tracks.
The sound changes on the next track I Can’t Feel My Soul. Out go the tight vocal harmonies, and it is very much a lead vocal performance. The band’s style changes too. They really kick loose, and the sound is much nearer to there like sound. It is almost a vintage rock sound. Guitars riff and scream, drums pound, the bass throbs and there is even some feedback. It is a different side of the on this album, one which I like.
I Don’t Want Control of You begins with the sound of birds cheeping and a banjo playing. Then the Fannies roll their sleeves up, and dust off that glorious sound they have by now perfected. What follows is three minutes of musical magic. Guitars chime, vocals are sweet and harmonic and the rhythm section of bass and drums provide the perfect backdrop. This is vintage Teenage Fanclub. Glorious.
The quality keeps on coming, the next track Planets, is also a thing a beauty. This is a slower track, with a very laid back feel to it. The band play acoustic guitars and the vocals are soft and sweet, the lyrics gentle, with a lovely sentiment. On the track, the band are joined by a string section, which takes the track to another level. It takes the track from a good track, to a great track. Planets shows another side to Teenage Fanclub, one that we don’t see very often.
After the lovely track, Planets, the band up the tempo on It’s A Bad World. This track has much in common with I Can’t Feel My Soul. The sound is less arranged, much more free. One person sings lead vocal, and the and the rest of the band can concentrate on providing a brilliant backing track, that is melodic and packed full of hooks. The guitar solo on this track is absolutely top drawer, it’s loud, clear and has just a tiny bit of feedback. Although It’s A Bad World has much in common with I Can’t Feel My Soul, It’s A Bad World is a much stronger track.
Take the Long Way Around starts with a big sound, one that sits right at the front of the mix, and surrounds you, the sound envelopes you. This is Teenage Fanclub indulging in some power pop. Their influences are very much apparent here. Big Star and The Byrds spring straight to mind. Later in the track when you here the close harmonies, The Beach Boys’ influence is apparent too. The track is both loud and big, but also has a gentleness to it when you hear Teenage Fanclub harmonizing. It really is yet another great track from this great album. Tales From Northern Britain really is a snapshot of a band at the top of their game.
Just when you think this album can’t get any better, it does. When you hear Winter you will realize straight away that this is a great track. No it isn’t a great track it’s a brilliant track. Sorry, wrong choice of superlative. From the introduction to the outro, Winter is pure pop perfection. It has everything you want in a Teenage Fanclub track. Sweet and tight, vocal harmonies, guitars that jangle and chime, drums that are the heartbeat of the track, sitting proudly at the forefront of the track. On Winter, the vocals harmonies are similar to the Beach Boys, the guitars pay homage to The Byrds. Quite simply, Winter is an absolutely outstanding song.
The problem any artist or group have when they have included a brilliant track on an album, is how do you follow it up? Teenage Fanclub have taken the problem by the scruff of the neck, and put I Don’t Care as the next track. It’s a good track, one that has a big, bold, sound, and is the quickest song on the album. Although not of the standard of Winter, it is a perfectly good track, one many groups would be proud to have written and recorded. The song is sung well, and features a good performance from the band. Yet again, they cut loose, showing the sort of energy and enthusiasm that they display concert.
After climbing their own mountain in the early stages of their career, trying to establish their career, it is fitting that the next song is entitled Mount Everest. The song has a dark sound and feel to it, the guitars sounding almost broody. Don’t be fooled though. Once the song opens out, the darkness disappears. It is like dawn breaking. Although not a joyous and uplifting track, it’s a good strong track, one that sees the trademark tight vocal harmonies present. Throughout the song, there is guitar solo that is reminiscent of something you would find on an old Neil Young album.
The penultimate song on Tales From Northern Britain is, Your Love Is the Place I Come From. It begins with vocals and acoustic guitar. This is a lovely laid back song, one that sees the band playing gently, very much within themselves. The lyrics have a lovely sentiment, and are about the way you feel when you are love. Your Love Is the Place I Come From shows a very different side to the band, one we don’t see often. If each time they show this side, they produce such a good song, I for one, say show this side more often.
The album closes with Speed of Light. Unlike any other song on this album Speed of Light starts with a drum solo. Again, the band’s musical heroes have influenced this track. Listen carefully, and you can hear Big Star and The Byrds. There is real East Coast influence on this track. Teenage Fanclub have taken all these elements, and added their own twist to it, to produce the sound we all know and love. On Speed of Light they give a brilliant performance. The vocals, as ever, are tight harmonic and sweet. Guitars jangle and chime, paying homage to The Byrds. Drums pound rhythmically, giving the track a backdrop and towards the end, a piano plays, providing just something extra, something that takes the track to a higher level. A great song, to end a great album.
Twelve tracks lasting a mere forty three minutes, about the time it takes to escape from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Teenage Fanclub’s home city. It is forty three minutes of pop perfection. This to me, was Teenage Fanclub’s greatest album. Grand Prix was good, but this is even better. Throughout the album, each song is of the highest quality. There are no poor songs or filler, just twelve great tracks. It took Teenage Fanclub fifth albums to get to the quality of Grand Prix. Songs From Northern Britain was their sixth album. They were no overnight sensation, they spent years learning their craft, recording singles, EPs’ and albums and many years touring to refine and perfect their sound. What saddens me is that after this album, the band never achieved the same success. Their albums never sold as well, the highest an album would reach was number thirty in the UK album charts. After Tales From Northern Britain, they kept producing brilliant, melodic, music. For some reason, their days of top ten albums and huge commercial success were over. This album for me, was the greatest moment in their career. if you have never heard Tales From Northern Britain I would recommend that tomorrow, you visit your local record shop and pick up a copy. While you are buying it, why not get a copy of Grand Prix to keep it company. These two albums are the best the band ever produced. Each contains some wonderful music. After one listen you will be hooked, you will find yourself buying their back catalogue, and regret not discovering this great band before. All I can say it’s better to have discovered Teenage Fanclub late than never. Standout Tracks: Ain’t That Enough, I Don’t Want Control of You, Planets and Winter.
TEENAGE FANCLUB-SONGS FROM NORTHERN BRITAIN.
RICHARD HAWLEY-COLE’S CORNER.
RICHARD HAWLEY-COLE’S CORNER.
In life there are two types of people, those who follow others blindly, and others who go their own way, and do their own thing. The same can also be said with the music industry. One of those people who fall into the latter category, is Richard Hawley, who this article is about. Throughout his career, he has been content to go his own way, and make his own style of music. Not for him trying to latch onto the coattails of the latest musical trend, no quite the opposite, he has concentrated on making good music, music that is appreciated and loved by his ever growing and loyal fan-base. One of the best albums that Richard Hawley has released is Cole’s Corner, an album I have always enjoyed since its release. Cole’s Corner was released in September 2005, and is an album I have returned to many times since then.
Richard Hawley was born in January 1967, in Sheffield, England. Ever since his schooldays, Richard Hawley has been interested and involvement with music. He formed his first band Treebound Story, whilst at school. When they broke up, Hawley was a member of Longpigs during the 1990s’. Longpigs were a band who were on the fringe of the so-called Britpop scene. They released a number of singles, with both On and On and She Said reaching number sixteen in the UK singles charts. Their debut album The Sun Is Often Out, released in 1996, was well received by critics on its release. It reached number twenty-six in the UK album charts. Its follow-up Mobile Home, released in 1999, would only reach number thirty-three in he UK album charts. Two things led to the group’s demise. Firstly Dee Boyle left the band, and then in 2000 their record label Mother Records collapsed. This led to the group splitting up.
After Longpigs split up Richard Hawley spent some time touring with Pulp. Hawley and Jarvis Cocker founder of Pulp were old friends, and knew each other from Sheffield. Touring with Pulp was merely a stepping stone to the next stage of his career. What would follow is the part of his career that he is best known for, his solo career.
It was purely by chance that Richard Hawley’s first album as a solo artist would be released. When Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey of Pulp heard a demo of Hawley’s music, they urged him to record the material and release it as an album. Hawley then headed to the recording studio, and he recorded his mini album Richard Hawley. It was released in April 2001.
The success of the mini album Richard Hawley, spurred him to return to the recording studio. Six months later, in October 2001, his first full length album Late Night Final on Setanta Records. Hawley was asked to explain the meaning of the title. He explained that late night final was what newspaper sellers shouted when selling the Sheffield Star in his home city. The album was well received by the music press. However, the album failed to sell as well as had been expected, given the encouraging reception by the music press.
Hawley did not release another album until Lowedges in February 2003. Again, Hawley decided to pay homage to his home city with the title of the album. When questioned about the album’s title, He explained that he had been on a bus in Sheffield and saw another bus with the strangely named Lowedges as its destination. Lowedges was seized upon by critics as a great album. The NME, never short of hyperbole, called it the “first great album of 2003.” This time, they were right. So good was the album, that some of the supposed great and good of music would rave about the album. This would include ahem, Coldplay. However, Radiohead and REM also rated the album highly.
2004 saw Hawley’s label Setanta collapse. This caused a delay in the release of his next album. Hawley had signed with Mute Records, part of EMI, but a bitter legal dispute saw the release of Cole’s Corner until Sptember 2005. Cole’s Corner saw Hawley namecheck Sheffield in the title. He explained that Cole’s Corner was where courting couples would arrange to meet. The album was critically acclaimed, and would be nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2006. Unbelievably, Cole’s Corner was beaten to the prize by Arctic Monkeys. Even the Arctic Monkeys thought that Hawley should have won. This was the album that brought Richard Hawley to the attention of the wider music buying public. However, the album still only reached number thirty-seven in the UK album charts. Later in this article, I will tell you why Cole’s Corner is such a special album.
Nearly three years would pass until the release of Hawley’s next studio album. During that period an extended version of Hawley’s mini album Richard Hawley was released in May 2007. Lady’s Bridge was released in August 2007. As usual, Sheffield would be referenced in the album title. Lady’s Bridge, he explained was in the centre of Sheffield. The album was a huge success, reaching number six the UK album charts. This success saw Hawley nominated for his first solo Brit Award for Best British Male Performer.
2009 was a busy year for Hawley. January saw him release a live album, the strangely titled Live At the Devil’s Arse. The album received a mixed reception, but sated his fan’s appetites until the release of his next studio album. Truelove’s Gutter was released in September 2009, and was given a rapturous reception. So good was the album, that it won the Mojo Record of the Year. Strangely, Truelove’s Gutter only reached number seventeen on the UK album charts.
When Hawley is not busy recording and touring, he is quite often to be found working with other musicians. Hawley has previously worked with Nancy Sinatra, Hank Marvin, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow and Lisa Marie Presley. He sometimes performs with The Feral Cats, this Hawley says, allows him to explore his interest in rockabilly music.
Now that I have told you about Richard Hawley’s career, I will now tell you just what makes Cole’s Corner the special album it is. Cole’s Corner opens with the title track Cole’s Corner. It begins with lush strings, and has a very retro sound. When Hawley sings, he has almost, the voice of a crooner. He sings the song back beautifully, backed by a very traditional arrangement, one that is absolutely glorious. The song is about the adventure that is about to unfold in an evening out, mentioned is music, people, the city lights and the night that will eventually fall. Truly, this is a wonderful song, one that although it sounds from a different age, is one of the most beautiful, heartfelt songs you will ever have the privilege of hearing.
Just Like the Rain has a completely different sound, with a country feel to the track. The sound is much more subdued than on Cole’s Corner. Hawley’s vocal style changes, his voice is louder and stronger. In the song he is searching for someone, someone he has lost, someone he misses and can’t get out of his mind. It is a sad song, a tale of woe, where he trudges through the snow filled streets, exhausted and emotional. Just Like the Rain is a good song, albeit very different to other songs on the album.
Hotel Room has more in common with Cole’s Corner than Just Like the Rain. It is one of the most beautiful songs on the album. The sound and style owe much to the past, the arrangement takes you back to another time, a time when music was very different, a time when music sounded like this. On Hotel Room, Hawley returns to his crooner alter-ego. He does this so well. The song is arranged in such a way that it compliments his vocal perfectly. This is a love song, one with lovely lyrics, that Hawley sings so well.
The more you listen to Cole’s Corner the more you realize how ambitious and radical an album this is. This is demonstrated by the next track Darlin’ Wait For Me. It is a track that sounds as if it was recorded in another era, it is a song and sound that one would associate with either the 1950s’ or 1960s. Darlin’ Wait For Me is a tender love song, one that it is impossible not to like. Like the previous three songs, Hawley’s songwriting skill shine through. Hawley has taken quite a risk releasing such a retro-sounding collection of songs. Don’t get me wrong, I love this album, but Cole’s Corner was very different from other albums out at this time.
On the next track The Ocean the quality increases. The Ocean is one of the album’s highlights. The track starts slowly, and quietly. Don’t let this full you though. It meanders along beautifully, all the while featuring Hawley’s trademark quality lyrics. This track allows Hawley to showcase his fantastic voice. His voice is strong and clear. He articulates the lyrics perfectly, bringing the song to life. Close your eyes, and you can imagine the scene that Hawley is singing about, that is how strong the narrative is. One of the highlights of the track is the guitar playing. Once the track builds, the electric guitar plays at the top of song. There are riffs galore, with Hawley showing his talents as a guitarist. This really completes the track, a track that is in my opinion, the highlight of the album.
Born Under A Bad Sign sees the quality remain of the highest standard. What also continues, is the lovely retro sound that Hawley has mastered, no, perfected. He returns to Hawley the crooner, a role he has now made his own. To complete the retro sound on this track, the guitar sound sounds as if it has been played on a vintage guitar, and has the feel and sound of a different era, one where crooners were King. The lyrics are shrouded in mystery and sadness. They seem to tell the story of someone who has had, to say the least, an eventful life, one spent in the pursuit of pleasure. Now there is nothing wrong with that. However, this seems to have caused a problem with their partner, who needs reassurance that he loves her, she wants the C word, commitment. This song is like so many of Richard Hawley’s songs, he can make everyday scenarios which, essentially, are tawdry and boring, seem interesting, almost like mini kitchen sink dramas. Like The Ocean, Born Under A Bad Sign is a superb song, one of Hawley’s finest.
The next track, I Sleep Alone sees a total change of sound and style. Although it isn’t quite a country style song, it certainly has it roots in Americana. When you first hear the song, it takes a while to grow on you. However, once you spend some time listening to it, you begin to realize that it is a good track. It is just very different from what has gone before. There is a darkness to the lyrics, it is about being alone, and loneliness. Songs like this show Hawley’s versatility as a lyricist and singer.
Tonight sees Richard Hawley return to his by now familiar role as crooner. I Sleep Alone and Just Like the Rain are like musical intermissions, just breaking up the flow of the album. I much prefer when Hawley sings this style of music. His voice is well suited, and his band are able to recreate the sound really well. This track, Tonight, is relationship song, and describes how it feels when a relationship breaks. The song tells of missing the person so badly, wanting to phone them, but trying not to. They can’t settle, and end up driving or walking around, anything to take their mind of the loss they have suffered. Hawley articulates perfectly, the way many people will have felt, when a relationship breaks up. To be able to do this so well, all in the space of four and a half minutes is quite a feat.
There is a real change of style on the next track. I thought that I had better warn you. Don’t worry though, it is still a great track. (Wading Through) the Waters of Time is a real slice of country music. That might worry some people, as they will picture men in cowboy hats singing about their horse, but no don’t worry, this is a good track. It is a sad song, and benefits from a simple arrangement, just Hawley on guitar and vocal, accompanied later in the track by a steel guitar. The song is a about death, and although quite sombre subject for a song, Hawley’s lyrics are beautiful. They don’t make you sad, instead they make you think of death in a different way. Although quite different from much of this album, this is a beautiful song, one that Hawley sings and plays so well.
Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Feet is the penultimate song on the album. It is an acoustic song, and has a very traditional sound and arrangement. The lyrics are not unlike a children’s nursery rhyme, and show a very different side of Richard Hawley. When he sings this song, he does so with a tenderness, highlighting the lyrics’ beauty. This is another track where he demonstrates his versatility as a singer and songwriter.
Cole’s Corner closes with Hawley’s version of a traditional song Last Orders. The song features Hawley’s arrangement of the song. It is played on the piano, and has a very minimalist feel and sound to it. Apart from the piano, the only other thing you hear are ghostly swathes of an echoey sound. This builds during the last minute or so of the song. It is not an unpleasant sound, and really is quite enjoyable. This is quite an interesting, almost intriguing way to end the album. Some people may question the wisdom of ending the album with Last Orders, but it is quite an effective way to end the album.
Richard Hawley has long been one of music’s mavericks. He is very much is own man, and won’t be dictated to. Not for Hawley meekly following the latest musical trend or fad. No, he concentrates solely on producing great music, music he believes in. It doesn’t matter whether his music is sounds as fit it belongs in a different era, that is irrelevant. That is because great music is timeless. In ten or twenty years, will still sound great, and will still possess that timeless quality. Richard Hawley is one of music’s most underrated artists. His music deserves a wider audience, deserves more people to appreciate his talents as a singer and songwriter.
If you are one of the people who still has not heard his music, Cole’s Corner is a good introduction to Richard Hawley’s music. It is a beautiful album, one full of great songs, all of which feature some wonderful lyrics. Hawley’s voice brings back memories of some wonderful singers, crooners I will call them. He has been compared to some of the great singers of the past. These comparisons are well deserved, because Richard Hawley possesses a wonderful voice, one that I urge you to experience. Should you buy this album, I am sure that you will then enjoy it, so much so, that you will find yourself buying his other albums, and quickly become a fan of this wonderful singer and songwriter. Standout Tracks: Cole’s Corner, The Ocean, Born Under A Bad Sign and Tonight.
RICHARD HAWLEY-COLE’S CORNER.
LLOYD COLE AND THE COMMOTIONS-RATTLESNAKES.
LLOYD COLE AND THE COMMOTIONS-RATTLESNAKES.
There are two reasons I have decided to write this article. Firstly, it takes me back to a time long ago, when I was much younger, I was a student, a time I thoroughly enjoyed in life, and this was one of the albums that was part of the soundtrack of that part of my life. It was a record it seemed, everyone listened to, it was truly a student bedsit classic. Every self respecting student had a copy, and played it morning, noon and night. So much so, that it almost became part of your DNA. Each song on the album, became like an old friend, so familiar it was. During the intervening years, every time I listen to it, I am transported back, to those chaotic, tumultuous and hedonistic times. Back then anything seemed possible, life stretched in front of you, you felt invincible and almost immortal. Sadly, these times are long gone. Each of the participants, or should that be guilty parties, as some of the things we got up to, make me cringe, and think what on earth was I thinking of, have grown up. Some have not, or have chosen not to, and still spurn responsibility, and the boredom of normal life with a vengeance. The second reason was that, in an article by Bloomsday, I mentioned that two members of Bloomsday had been members of this band. The band is Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, and the album is Rattlesnakes.
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions formed in 1982, while Lloyd Cole was studying at the University of Glasgow. The group signed a record deal with Polydor Records, and released their debut single Perfect Skin in the spring of 1984. The single sold well, reaching number twenty-six in the UK charts. The follow up, Forest Fire, did not fare so well, only reaching a disappointing forty-one in the UK charts. Later in 1984, their debut album Rattlesnakes was released. Rattlesnakes was a huge success, and reached number thirteen in the UK album charts, selling in over one-hundred thousand copies. The group received a gold disc for Rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes features some lovely string arrangements by Anne Dudley. Producer Paul Hardiman deserves huge credit for his work on Rattlesnakes, as he was responsible for bringing out the best in the band. This album was easily, the highpoint in the bands short-lived career. He and he alone, managed to capture the true sound of the band. I have always wondered, if he had produced their second album, if it would have been a better album, and would the band’s career have been very different.
For the second album Easy Pieces, a new producer was brought in. Many people believe that this was something that their record label insisted on. That is not clear, and only the participants to that discussion know the truth. Easy Pieces was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. The album was released in November 1985. Although the album was much more commercially successful, many people who had loved Rattlesnakes, believed that Easy Pieces was a pale shadow of Rattlesnakes. I always liked Easy Pieces, but much preferred the classic Rattlesnakes, and always believe this to be the bands magnum opus. However, Easy Pieces would enter the UK album charts at number five, and sold over one-hundred thousand copies within a month. Two successful singles were taken from the album. Brand New Friend reached number nineteen and Lost Weekend reached number seventeen. These would be the only UK top twenty hits the group would ever have.
In 1989, the band would release their final album. The new album would see another new producer for the album. Ian Stanley, who previously had been a keyboard player and songwriter with Tears For Fears, was given the job of producing the album. Mainstream was released in September 1987 and reached number nine in the UK album charts. Like their two previous albums, the album sold over one-hundred thousand copies and was certified gold. A track from the album Jennifer She Said, was released as a single. This single only reached a disappointing number thirty-one in the UK charts.
Two years after their previous album Mainstream, the group decided to split up. To commemorate the bands short and successful career, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions 1984-1989 was released. This was career retrospective, or best of. It sold well, so well, the group received their fourth gold disc.
After the band split up, Lloyd Cole embarked on a solo career. Neil Clark would continue to work with Lloyd Cole on his solo albums. He appears on the majority of Cole’s albums, and has been a regular fixture in Cole’s touring band. Blair Cowan also played on Cole’s first two solo albums.
Having given you a brief history of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions’ career, I will now tell you why Rattlesnakes is such a great album. The album opens with Perfect Skin. It is great way to open the album, in fact, it is a great way to start any album. Guitars sit at the forefront of the mix, they jangle and Lloyd Cole sings some intelligent and witty lyrics. Cole’s voice is strong, confident and betrays none of his Derbyshire roots. There is a tight arrangement on this track. Paul Hardiman has really done a good job producing this track. Perfect Skin is a track that shows great maturity, shows a band with huge potential.
Speedboat has a much different sound than Perfect Skin. Whereas Perfect Skin is a bright, breezy and uptempo song, Speedboat finds Lloyd Cole sing some thoughtful and articulate lyrics. Lloyd Cole was famous for being a wordsmith par excellence, on Speedboat that is most definitely the case. There are no meaningless rhyming couplets here, just intelligent lyrics with a strong narrative. This was a rarity back in the 1980s’. Quality pop music was in short supply. Pop music had hit rock bottom, with some terrible artists and bands producing some dreadful throwaway music, that deserved to end up in the nearest landfill site. That was why Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, and later, The Smiths, shone like a beacon through a misty landscape, that was 1980s’ pop music. Tracks like Speedboat and Perfect Skin, cemented Lloyd Cole’s reputation as someone who could write outstanding, cerebral songs.
The title track Rattlesnakes sees the tempo increase, but the quality remain constant. Rattlesnakes is a song about a frustratingly bewitching woman called Jodie. Jodie seems to be a woman who is contrary, easily bored and someone who finds it hard to love. She seems to be a woman with a past, one that torments and saddens her. Maybe her demeanor is all just, a front, and instead of the confident you woman, she is as insecure as everyone else. When many people listen to this song, you get so carried away by the song’s tempo, that they fail to concentrate on the lyrics. That is a shame, because they are some of the finest lyrics Lloyd Cole has ever written.
Down On Mission Street is a song that sees the band drop the tempo. This suits the song perfectly. It is a tale of woe, about a guy who seems to be contemplating skipping town, the reason being he has broken too many hearts. He sees to be the kind of guy for whom life is a game, not to be taken seriously, things happen, it doesn’t affect him and he moves. Moves on to his next victim. In the song Cole accuses him, asks him does he never tire of messing women around, and how can he hurt someone who helped him get back on his feet. The song is a contrast between Cole’s disapproval and the protagonist’s happy go lucky attitude. It is a song that says much about men, and sadly, men’s attitudes towards women. This is a good song, but not one that paints men in a good light.
My favorite Lloyd Cole and the Commotions track has always been the next song on the album, Forest Fire. There are so many good things that you can say about this song. i love the lyrics to the song, I think everyone has known someone who chooses to live their life in a way many people disapprove of, and many people can relate to someone who lives their life in such a way that they will burn themselves out. Sometimes, we even has a grudging respect for someone who is willing to like Icarus, fly to close the sun. They enjoy the journey, though maybe the aftermath can be a bit messy. Cole sings the lyrics beautifully, bringing the song to life, and throughout the track, the electric guitar playing is brilliant. Forest Fire is a masterpiece of a song, for me, the greatest moment, in their sadly, short career.
A song that I enjoyed Lloyd Cole and the Commotions playing was Charlotte Street. It has everything that a good pop song needs. It is full of great melodies and catchy hooks, not forgetting some wonderful bookish lyrics. The band really break out, and give a standout performance. Charlotte Street is a relationship song, one where the protagonist is remembering their meeting, how he was seduced, how the relationship was intense and lasted longer than he thought. It is a clever song, bathed in pathos. I love the bittersweet, witty lyrics, which, as always, are of the highest quality. Truly, a wonderful long.
2CV sees the band play in a very different way to other songs on the album. This is an acoustic song, one where Cole reminiscing about, a previous relationship. The relationship seems not to have been a serious, one as Cole sings “we were only wasting precious time” and he remembers his former beau mostly by the distinctive car she drove. 2CV shows another side of the band, one that they never showed very often, the quality was the same, they style of music very different.
The next track, Four Flights Up, sees a return to the more familiar style of music that Lloyd Cole and the Commotions are best known for. Guitars are at the forefront of the track, and Cole sings the song with passion, despair and almost anger. He sings about a troubled and turbulent sounding relationship. In the song he uses a clever simile about living four flights up but it feels like underground, meaning that the relationship is suffocating him. I am sure that many people will he able to empathize and sympathize with Cole’s feeling of suffocating within a relationship. This is good song, and demonstrates Cole’s intelligent use of words within songs.
Patience is the penultimate song on the album. The song is one of the quicker ones on the album. It is also one of the best one the album. Again, Cole has a sad tale to tell, and he does so well. It is a song about a relationship breaking up, and the bitterness and pettiness that one, or both parties, indulges in. Here it seems that he can’t live with her, but can’t live without her. Like many of their songs, similes and wordplay are used clever. Especially with patience, patience could mean two things within the context of the song. How you interpret the story is up to you. Regardless of that, what we have here is an excellent track.
Rattlesnakes closes with Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? The track starts with softly, an acoustic guitar and bass play, then Cole sings the vocal, aided by backing vocalists complimenting his performance. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? is a song featuring some of Cole’s best lyrics, they are not only intelligent, but are to paint a picture. When you think back to when this album was released, this was something that was in short supply, as was decent music. Songs like Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? were a joy to behold for those that valued quality music. This track is a good way to end a fantastic album.
Whilst writing and researching this article, has been like taking a journey in a time machine, back to a time when I was younger. It made me remember people I knew, things I did, some good, some funny and some stupid. However, as the song says no regrets. One album I always associate with that time is Rattlesnakes. It was an album I loved back then, and an album I still love. Rattlesnakes is a great debut album, one full of great songs. Each song features some wonderful intelligent lyrics, and these lyrics are sung well by Lloyd Cole. The band contained good musicians, who could all play their instruments well. Every one of the band, played their part in making this album the success it was. Its testament to all of them that this album has stood the test of time so well. Should you never have heard Rattlesnakes, it is an album that is well worth buying. It certainly deserves a place in every record collection. It is one of the best pop records of the decade. If you would like to purchase another of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions’ albums, to accompany Rattlesnakes, their second album Easy Pieces is another great album. Both are full of wonderful music, music that like all quality music, is timeless. Standout Tracks: Perfect Skin, Forest Fire, Four Flights Up and Patience.
LLOYD COLE AND THE COMMOTIONS-RATTLESNAKES.
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