ASTRID-BOY FOR YOU.
ASTRID-BOY FOR YOU.
Often in articles I write about artists that many people will not, yet, have discovered. These artists have, for some reason, not made the commercial breakthrough their music deserves. This often, surprises not only the artists, but also many people within the music industry. Often, these artists, have an abundance of talent, like the one I am about to write about. To me, that demonstrates the unfairness of the music industry, where talent alone, is not enough to ensure commercial success. Astrid Williamson is a prime example of this. She is a hugely talented singer and songwriter, who has produced four albums, but sadly, as yet, commercial success has eluded her. In this article, I will write about Astrid, and her debut album, Boy For You.
Astrid Williamson was born and brought up in the Shetland Islands in Scotland. During the 1990s, she graduated from the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy, with a degree in music. She cofounded a band called Goya Dress, with Simon Pearson and Terry de Castro. The band released one album, Rooms is 1996. However, Goya Dress would split up in 1996, when Astrid Williamson signed to One Little Indian Records, and started to release solo material. The other two members of Goya Dress de Castro and Pearson joined David Gedge, who was the vocalist and songwriter with The Wedding Present in Cinerama. At the time Williamson started releasing solo material, she also founded Incarnation Records, her own record label.
1998 saw Astrid release her debut album, Boy For You, the album this article is about. The album was released on Nude Records, and was produced by Malcolm Burn. When the album was released, it was well received by music critics, but sadly, was not a commercial success. Part of the problem was, I believe, that the music was so different to everything else that was about. Williamson was, ahead of the curve, her music ahead of its time.
Williamson’s next recording was with Stephan Eicher on the album Louanges. This was in 1999. Eicher was born in Switzerland, and was formerly a member of the band Grauzone, who had a hit single Eisbar. Since becoming a solo artist Eicher has released seventeen albums between 1978 and 2007.
The following year, 2000, Astrid Williamson sang backing vocals on Twisted Tenderness, the third release by Electronic. Electronic were formed by Johnny Marr, formerly of The Smiths, and Bernard Sumner of New Order.
In 2003 Astrid released her eponymous album Astrid Williamson. By this time, Astrid was recording as Astrid Williamson, to avoid confusion with a group also called Astrid. This was the long awaited follow up to Boy For You. The album was released on Williamson’s Incarnation Records. Astrid Williamson saw Williamson coproduce the album with Robert White. Like her debut album, this album failed to provide Williamson with the commercial success her music deserves.
Three years later, in 2006, Day of the Lone Wolf was released by Williamson. This was her third album, and was released by Incarnation Records. Day of the Lone Wolf saw Williamson produce the album herself. Sadly, the album did not prove to be a commercial success.
The last album Astrid Williamson released was 2009’s Here Come the Vikings. This album was released on One Little Indian Records. Without wanting to labour the point, Here Come the Vikings did not sell well enough to provide Astrid Williamson with the success her beautiful music deserves. My only hope is that her next record, is the one that brings her to the attention of the wider music buying public. Williamson’s concerts are well attended, and she has a loyal fan-base, one that appreciates, and loves her music. One can only hope, that sometime soon, more people will hear her music and make Astrid Williamson the huge success she deserves to be.
Having told you about Astrid Williamson, I will now tell you about her gorgeous debut album, Boy For You. The album opens with I Am the Boy For You. This track starts with Williamson singing and playing the guitar. What follows is Astrid singing some wonderful lyrics, that, at times, have a surreal quality. Theses lyrics feature some intelligent wordplay, and rhyming couplets, that make you experience a wide gambit of emotions. This is love song, but one with a difference. In the song, a lover writes about their qualities, and what they do for their partner, and at end of the song, warns not to toy with them. I have always liked this track, enjoyed the lyrics, their surreal quality and humour. Astrid sings the track well, and she demonstrates her talents as singer, songwriter and musician here.
On Everybody’s Waiting, Astrid changes the style, and the tempo. The song sees Astrid sing the song slowly, and here, she phrases the lyrics wonderfully. This has the effect of showcasing their quality, and beauty. Everybody’s Waiting, sees Astrid sing some thoughtful lyrics, about how every one of us, is waiting for something that will make us feel better than before, and will improve our lives, and often, that will be someone, someone who will make our live better. This track, features some intelligent and thoughtful lyrics and, in my opinion, is one of the best on the album.
What Do You is the next song on the Boy For You, and sees another change in style and tempo. This demonstrated Astrid’s versatility, as singer, musician and songwriter. She seems able to write and sing a wide range of styles. The song sees Astrid give a great vocal performance, and features layer upon layer, of glorious backing vocals, which accompany and compliment Astrid’s vocal. Like the two preceding tracks on the album, What Do You is a great track, one Astrid sings beautifully.
On World At Your Feet, Astrid slows things down again. The song sees Astrid in a pensive mood, singing about wanting a friend to meet someone who will make her happy. She seems to have embarked upon a series of doomed relationships, where she gives all of herself, but ends up getting hurt. At the end of the song, Astrid sings that if she had a wish, she would give it her, so she could find love, and her life would be complete. When you listen to the lyrics to this song, you are immediately struck by how a talented a songwriter Astrid is. She can write songs with a really strong narrative, that almost paint a picture, one that you can see clearly. This picture is so clear that you can visualise the characters in the song, so much so, you feel you almost know them, you can almost feel their pain and hurt. Astrid has produced a masterpiece of a song, one that demonstrates her wide array of talents.
Sing For Me is one of the slower tracks on the album. Here, Astrid is joined by former member of her old band, Goya Dress, Terry de Castro. He plays trumpet and sings backing vocals on this track. Like all of Astrid’s songs, the lyrics are well written, and bring the song to life. The subject matter of Sing For Me is either about unrequited love, or a dream. Either scenario would fit. The character in the song, is very much in love with someone, then at the end of the song, she wakes, and they are gone. Since Boy For You was released, I have always enjoyed this song, and the lyrics enigmatic qualities.
Someone is easily the best track on the album. It is a beautiful, slow song, one that benefits from a simple arrangement. Astrid sings the song only accompanied by a steady, constant, drumbeat, and guitar. This adds to the dramatic affect of the song. The track features a beautiful, tender vocal from Astrid, where she carefully phrases, some insightful lyrics. Her ability to tell a story within a song is a rare gift, one that many musicians do not have. Here, Astrid has this abundance. The song is about meeting someone who, at first you are unsure of, then you are drawn towards. In the song there is a dichotomy, between whether the relationship will work, or not. This has always been my favorite of all Astrid’s songs, I love the lyrics, the vocal and the arrangement. Truly, it is beautiful song.
Hozanna is a much more upbeat song, than the previous track Someone. The song is one that makes a salient comment on modern life, and religion. The song tells the story of a television evangelist, one who seems sad, tired and lonely. As his popularity and television ratings rise, he becomes tired, tired physically, and tired of the people who come to watch him. Astrid tells the story well, and the subject matter of the song shows her versatility as a songwriter. A great song, sung and performed really well.
If I Loved You is a totally different type of song. It is a much more traditional pop song. What we have here is a bright and breezy upbeat song that is completely at odds from the rest of the album. However, Astrid’s trademark quality lyrics feature, as always. Although quite different from the rest of the album, it is still a good track.
Outside has an atmospheric start, the sound is quite full, and surrounds Astrid’s vocal. This is effective. Her vocal has an almost ethereal quality, and floats around in the mix. The instruments used in this song blend well with the vocal, and produce a magical soundscape.
The final song on Boy For You, is Say What You Mean. It starts gently, slowly, with Astrid singing softly, then, all of a sudden, the song opens out. As quickly as the tempo increases, it falls. Say What You Mean is about a failed love affair. However, there is still a bond between the former lovers. The potential problem though, is the attraction merely one way? This is a good song to end the album. Like all of Astrid’s songs they are beautifully sung, well arranged and have some wonderful lyrics.
Although I said that Say What You Mean is the final track, there is a hidden track on this album. There is space between Say What You Mean ending, and this beautiful track entitled If You See the Man. On the track Astrid sings and is accompanied only by a piano. This is lovely track, with beautiful, heartfelt lyrics. If You See the Man is too good a song to be a hidden track, it deserves to be part of the album, and given a more prominent place, so that more people are aware of it.
Now that you have read this article, you will know more about Astrid Williamson, and her wonderful music. I hope that this article has inspired you to find out more about Astrid, and her music. What would be wonderful is if a lot more people were to discover Astrid and her music. Her music deserves a much wider audience. It is sad that such a hugely talented singer, songwriter and musician has not gone on to greater commercial success. This album is now thirteen years old, yet still sounds as fresh the day it was released. How many albums can you say that about. Boy For You is definitely worth purchasing. Should you do so, you will fall in love with Astrid Williamson’s music, and will be seeking out the rest of her back catalogue. If you wish to buy another Astrid Williamson album to accompany Boy For You, I would recommend her second album Astrid Williamson, or her third album Day of the Lone Wolf. Either of these albums would be the perfect accompaniment to Boy For You. What I can promise you is that these albums will be ones you treasure, and return to, time and time again. Standout Tracks: I Am the Boy For You, Everybody’s Waiting, Someone and Hozanna.
ASTRID-BOY FOR YOU.
SHUGGIE OTIS-INSPIRATION INFORMATION.
SHUGGIE OTIS-INSPIRATION INFORMATION.
Today I am going to write about an artist and album that many people will not have heard of. To me that is a tragedy, because this artist is one of the most talented musicians you will here, and the album is a minor classic. The artist is Shuggie Otis, and the album is Inspiration Information.
Shuggie Otis was born Johnny Alexander Veliotes in November 1953, in Los Angeles, California. His father was legendary Johnny Otis, R&B maestro, musician, bandleader and music impresario. Aged two, Shuggie Otis began playing guitar, and when he was twelve, began playing professionally in his father’s band. Because of his age, he would often have to don a disguise, to play in the late night, nightclubs.
Although Shuggie Otis perceived as just a guitarist, that is not the case. He is a multi-instrumentalist, and as well as singing and playing guitar, can play piano, organ, drums and bass. His influences are wide ranging, and were influenced by his father’s wide group of musician friends. Otis counts jazz, blues and R&B as influences on his music. I do not like categorizing music, because sometimes that puts people of listening to new music, but Otis’ music is variously described as a mixture of R&B, soul, funk, jazz and blues.
The music that was popular when Otis was growing up would also have a huge influence on his musical development. Artists like Sly and the Family Stone, Love and guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix, would all influence Shuggie Otis. His first big break came when Al Kooper asked the fifteen year old Otis to play on the second volume of his Super Session albums, which would be entitled Kooper Session. Otis had big shoes to fill, as in the previous album, Stephen Stills and Mike Bloomfield had featured on the album. Kooper Session was recorded in just one weekend at a studio in New York. This was his debut as a recording artist, albeit, as a session musician. His second recording session was not far away.
When Otis returned to Los Angeles he joined his father and a singer called Delmar “Mighty Mouth” Evans, to record an album entitled Cold Shot. This album was released on the Kent Records, a Los Angeles label, in 1969. The trio would release another album Snatch and the Poontangs.
Shuggie Otis released his debut album later in 1969 on Epic Records. It was called Here Comes Shuggie Otis, and featured a number of guest artists. Joining Otis on the album were father Johnny, Leon Haywood, Wilton Felder and Al McKibbon. Having such well known musicians join him on the album, further contributed to his burgeoning reputation. Blues legend, BB King, referred to Otis as his “favorite new guitarist” in a magazine interview. Otis went on to play and record with numerous artists at this time. This would include soul legends Etta James and Bobby “Blue” Bland, blues musician Eddie Vinson and with Frank Zappa. Shuggie Otis would play bass guitar on Peaches En Regalia on Zappa’a Hot Rats album.
The album which really brought Otis to the attention of the music buying public, was his second album Freedom Flight. The album was released in 1971 on Epic Records. Freedom Flight features his best known single Strawberry Letter 23. Although Otis was a multi-instrumentalist, and played many of the instruments on the album, he was assisted by a number of musicians. Two of the most recognizable are George Duke and Aynsley Dunbar. Both Freedom Flight and Strawberry Letter 23 entered the Billboard 200. However, Strawberry Letter 23 was heard by George Johnson, who played the song to producer Quincy Jones. They both loved the track, and decided to release a cover version. The cover version was a huge hit for the pair.
In 1974, the album that this article is about, Inspiration Information was released. Apart from the horns and strings, Otis played every instrument. Only one single that was released from the album, the title track, Inspiration Information entered the Billboard 200. The album had not had the impact that had been hoped. After three years work, Shuggie Otis’ work had been in vain. However, not long afterwards, Otis would be offered two amazing opportunities.
The first of these opportunities occurred, when Billy Preston approached the twenty-one year old Otis, asking him if he would join the Rolling Stones on their forthcoming world tour. Incredibly, he turned this offer down. Not long after that, Quincy Jones approached Otis about producing the follow-up to Inspiration Information. Again, Otis declined the offer. Other people would make similar offers, all of them were turned down.
After this, Shuggie Otis acquired a reputation for being a slow worker, when it came to the recording process. Epic Records were not happy about this, and Otis’ contract with Epic was nullified. This left him without a recording contract.
During, and after this period, Shuggie Otis became someone who valued his privacy. He was now a married man, having married Judith Peters, formerly Miss Mercy, a member of the GTO’s, an all-girl group created by Frank Zappa. The other change in his life, was by now, the couple had a young son, Johnny III, known as Lucky. He too is a professional musician and producer.
After Inspiration Information, Shuggie Otis would record no further albums of his own work. His days as a solo artist were over. His only work was as a session musician. Even then, he only worked, and recorded, with his father Johnny’s various musical projects.
A few years after the release of Inspiration Information, Otis’ marriage broke-up, and he was divorced. He would then marry Lillian WIlson. She was the daughter of Gerald Wilson, the legendary, and pioneering trumpeter and bandleader. The couple would have one son, Eric, who is now a musician and producer.
Although Shuggie Otis would release no further albums of original material, he would release two compilation albums. In 1994 he released Shuggie’s Boogie: Shuggie Otis Plays The Blues and then In Session: Great Rhythm and Blues in 2002. Since then, his only other recording appearance was on a track from Mos Def’s 2004 album The New Danger. Otis played on the track Blue Black Jack. That was the last time that Shuggie Otis played on any recording. However, his music has been widely sampled, by artists including Beyonce`, Outkast and R2D2. So maybe you will have heard Shuggie Otis’ music, but not realized it. I will now tell you more about Shuggie Otis’ 1974 album Inspiration Information.
Inspiration Information begins with the title track Inspiration Information. What a way to start any album, never mind this album. This song is a glorious and joyous, love song, that is also a huge slice of sunshine pop. Whenever I hear this song my mood is lifted. It has a feel-good factor. Listen to it, and it will make you want to sing and dance, laugh and cry. Inspiration Information truly is one of my favorite songs, ever. If this was the only song on earth, I could listen to it for eternity. Everything about the song is perfect, Otis’ vocal, the arrangement and production are of the highest quality.
Island Letter sees the tempo change. Whereas Inspiration Information was an upbeat song, Island Song is a much more laid back affair. The song sees Shuggie Otis sing the song slowly, and his vocal is surrounded by the lushest of arrangements. This track has a melancholy feel to it. Why is that? Quite simply, it is a combination of the lyrics and the instruments. They draw you in, envelope you, yet at the end, leave you with a sense of sadness. To me, this is the sign of a good track, one that can change your mood, and make you experience a wide range of emotions. Like Inspiration Information, Island Letter features a group of top class musicians, who together, have produced a masterpiece of a track, albeit, one that was musically, ahead of its time.
Sparkle City starts with a combination of guitar, piano and bass. Then other instruments begin to enter the track, and prepare to dazzle and tantalize your senses. The track has all sorts of influences, from jazz, soul to funk. Here, the sound is predominantly funky. No, that is wrong, the sound is totally, and gloriously, funky. Nearly six minutes of some wonderful funky music, where the band and Otis feed off each other, coming together, as one, having produced a fantastic track.
When you hear the next track, Aht Uh Mi Hed, you always feel that a lovely track is going to emerge. From the beginning of the track, it promises much, however, for a large part of the track, the sound is too full. There are too many sounds and noises which clash, and distract your attention. Too many instruments feature on the track. At times, the sound seems muddled, almost confused. It could do with the track being stripped back, and rebuilt. If you take out the extraneous sounds, there is a great track waiting to be discovered, a lost gem, waiting to be polished. However, at the end of the track, I am left disappointed and frustrated, annoyed and saddened almost, at what might have been, at the great track this could, and should, have been.
Happy House is merely a short song, a musical interlude, lasting a minute and a quarter. It is a snatch of what could have been, had the song been developed. It is a distraction, but not an unpleasant distraction. The sound is undulating, and just when you have got used to the unusual vocal performance by Otis, the track is over.
On the next track,Rainy Day, Otis find his a-game again. The sound on this track is very much jazz influenced. It is a lovely melodic, yet atmospheric, track, one that I wish was longer. There is a lot of space within the song, allowing the song to breath. Rainy Day also features a great string arrangement. When I hear this song, it reminds me of something that would feature on one of the classic film soundtracks of the 1960s or 1970s.
XL-30 is another of the shorter tracks on the album. Here, the sound is much more experimental than other tracks. The track begins with drums playing, then the organ joins the fray. During the track, the drum beat is fairly constant, whereas the organ plays an unusual time signature, and adds some otherworldly effects to the mix. There is almost a free jazz feel, and sound, to this track. I do not believe that the track works. It lacks the melodic aspect of much of Otis’ music, and the sound on XL-30 almost jars.
Thankfully, Pling! is a totally different style of track. It is a lovely meandering instrumental. It slowly unveils its beauty during the four and a half minutes of the track. Throughout the track, the tempo is consistent, and instruments float in, and out of the track. Each of them go towards building this incredible sonic soundscape. When I hear some of the instrumental tracks, like Rainy Day and Pling!, I would love to have heard a whole album of this type of music. I believe that this is something Shuggie Otis could do brilliantly, especially if they were of the standard of Pling!
Not Available is the final track on the Inspiration Information. Just like Inspiration Information was a great start to the album, Not Available is a great way to close the album. It is a bright and breezy, slice of summer. A track that regardless of how many times you listen to it, you will always hear something different. Like the previous track Pling!, Not Available is another instrumental, and like Pling! this is another great instrumental. The song features a wide variety of instruments, but the guitar, bass and drums provide the springboard for the track. The other instruments all play their part, and contribute the icing on the cake. All of this, makes Not Available a fine way to end the album.
That is the story of Shuggie Otis’ 1974 album, Inspiration Information. In my opinion, it is one of the most underrated albums of all time. However, the problem with Inspiration Information is that it was away ahead of its time. When you look back at the music that was popular back then, this album was totally different, it was innovative, and pushed the musical boundaries. Sadly, commercially the album was not successful, and that was the last original material we heard from Shuggie Otis. That was tragic. Here was a hugely talented musician, with so much to offer, who could have achieved so much, and he disappeared almost, without trace. However, we should be grateful that he recorded three albums, and that this album, Inspiration Information, contains so much wonderful music. I can thoroughly recommend this album to anyone who has not heard it before. Should you go out and buy this album, you will fall in love with the music on it. It will be constantly on your stereo, and will be the soundtrack to your summer. Standout Tracks: Inspiration Information, Island Letter, Sparkle City and Pling!
SHUGGIE OTIS-INSPIRATION INFORMATION.
NEW ORDER-POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES.
NEW ORDER-POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES.
In this article I will write about one of the most influential bands of the last thirty years. This band was formed after a tragedy, and went on to change their sound several times. They were innovators, not followers, always ahead of the trend, pushing musical boundaries, and embraced the use of technology within their music. In the process, they and have influenced a generation of new bands and musicians. The band I am describing is New Order, and the album is their second album Power, Corruption and Lies which was released in 1983.
New Order were formed in 1980, from the remnants of Joy Division, after the tragic death of Joy Division’s lead sing Ian Curtis. Shortly after Curtis’ death, the remaining members of the Joy, Division Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner, decided to carry on making music. They felt that it would be wrong to use the Joy Division name, so changed their name to New Order. Without a vocalist, and missing a member of the group, they had two problems to overcome. All three members of the group took turns singing lead vocal, and it was decided Bernard Sumner would be the new lead singer. Their reason for this was simple, they felt the guitar was the easiest instrument to play whilst singing. That was one problem solved. The other problem would soon be solved. The group felt that they wanted someone to join the group that they knew, and whose musical style and skill was comparable with theirs. So Gillian Gilbert, Stephen Morris’ girlfriend was invited to join the group on keyboards and guitar. Gilbert had previously played with Joy Division occasionally filling in on keyboards or guitar. Now that the line up was complete, New Order could start making music.
New Order’s first single was Ceremony. It had been written before Curtis’ death. The new group’s sound was similar to that of Joy Division. Although the songs were melodic, there was a darkness to their sound. One difference however, was the use of synthesizers in the new group’s music. Their first album Movement, was released in November 1981. The album would reach number thirty in the UK album charts. Later, New Order would say that this was a low point in their career, but the good thing about it was that Movement’s producer, Martin “Zero” Hannet showed the band how to use a mixing desk in a recording studio. This showed them how to produce their own music, which they would later to do great effect.
A trip to New York in 1981, changed New Order’s musical direction forever. On the trip, the were introduced to new styles of music. They heard electro, post-disco and Latin Freestyle music. At the same time, the group started listening to Italian disco music, and Stephen Morris taught himself how to program drums. All of this, would have a Damascan change on their music. This was apparent when New Order would release their next two singles. Temptation and Everything’s Gone Green, was not the dark brooding sound of Ceremony, quite the opposite. The new singles were heavily influence by the music that they had been exposed to in New York.
Their second album, Power, Corruption and Lies, which this article is about, was released in March 1983. This new album saw a huge change in style. On the album, this was the first time New Order had used technology. The sound was synthesizer based and was a fusion of techno music, with traditional guitar based music. Listen carefully, and you will hear a sound influenced by electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk and disco and hi-nrg pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The album reached number four in the UK album chart. Confusion was one of the singles released from the album. This was the single that brought the group to the attention of dance music fans, and established their reputation as dance music pioneers.
The change in the New Order’s sound became even more apparent, when they released the seminal track, Blue Monday. Blue Monday has a 4/4 beat, a drum beat that is sequenced. This track was innovative and highly influential. From the introduction with its semi-quaver kick drum to the use of the Oberheim DMX drum machine; and from the slightly out of synch sequencer melody, to the pulsating Moog Source synth bass, this is a great track. Bernard Sumner later said that Blue Monday had been hugely influenced by tracks like Sylvester’s disco classic You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), and Dirty Talk by Klein and MBO. Blue Monday reached number seven in the UK singles chart, and went on to become the best selling twelve inch single of all time.
New Order released their third album Low-Life in May 1985. This album saw New Order fully cross over from traditional guitar based rock music, to pioneers of the quickly burgeoning dance music scene. Low-Life saw the group use both synthesizers and samplers on this album. Before the albums release, one of the tracks on Low-Life was released as a single. The track was Perfect Kiss, and this was the first time that New Order would release a single that was also on an album. Low-Life was another success for New Order and would reach number in the UK album charts.
The following year, in September1986, New Order released the follow up to Lowlife. This was the album Brotherhood. Brotherhood had one side of New Order’s more traditional guitar bases songs, and the other featured their new electronic music. The album includes the song that broke New Order in the US, Bizarre Love Triangle. Like their two previous albums, Brotherhood brought the group commercial success, reaching number nine in UK album charts. However, the album only reached number 161 in the US Billboard 200.
1987 saw New Order release a compilation album Substance. Substance contained the group’s new single True Faith. It also contained all of their twelve inch singles, and new versions of Temptation and Confusion entitled Temptation ’87 and Confusion ’87. This release was double album, and the second disc contained a new song 1963, as well as the groups b-sides. The album reached number three in the UK album charts. It also gave New Order their first hit album in the US, reaching number thirty-six in the US Billboard 200.
Their next studio album was Technique. At this time in their career, New Order were being heavily influenced by both the balearic house music and acid house. This led New Order to head to Ibiza to record their new album. Released in February 1989, the album entered the UK album charts at number one. Technique contains tracks influenced by acid house music, but also their more traditional guitar, drum and bass sound. About this time, Bernard Sumner joined Johnny Marr, formerly of The Smiths, to start a new band called Electronic. Peter Hook decided to do likewise, starting a new group called revenge. Both Sumner and Hook left the group, but still made music in a New Order style. Another problem for the group at the demise of Factory Records in 1992. This left the band without a record label, until they later signed for London Records.
New Order did not record another album until 1993. Republic was released in May 1993. It was the groups debut album for their new label, London Records. Like its predecessor, Technique, the album entered the UK album charts at number one, and in the US reached number eleven the US Billboard 200. Four singles were released from the album. Regret, Ruined In A Day, World and Spooky. This was a huge change from when New Order would not release an album track as a single. After the band had toured the album, the band was put on hold, allowing its members to continue with their side projects. Peter Hook would form Monaco, Gilbert and Morris formed the Other Two, Sumner rejoined Electronic, and collaborated with The Chemical Brothers. New Order would not be seen again until 1998, when they would play again live as a group.
New Order’s next album was released in August 2001. Get Ready was the group’s seventh studio album. On this album, the sound was much more guitar orientated. Bernard Sumner felt that they had almost neglected the instrument, having left it alone for a while. The album was still commercially successful, but only reached number six in the UK album charts and number forty-one in the US Billboard 200.
In March 2005, New Order released their final studio album, Waiting For the Siren’s Call. This was the first album New Order had released since Gillian Gilbert left the band to look after her children. She was replaced by Phil Cunningham. Although hired to play guitar, he also cowrote one of the album’s songs. This was the first, and only, of New Order’s albums to have a title track. The album gave New Order a number five album in the UK album charts and reached number forty-six in the US Billboard 200.
In 2006 the group played a number of concerts, and rumors spread that the group were about to split up. This was denied by Hook after a show in Buenos Aires, and by Morris in January 2007. However, in May 2007 Peter Hook was interviewed on a UK radio station and admitted that he and Bernard Sumner were no longer working together. A statement in July 2007 by Morris and Sumner stated that New Order would continue without Hook. Statements were made by various members throughout the next two years about New Order’s future. The future became clearer when Sumner stated that no further New Order albums would be made. This seems to be end of one of British music’s greatest groups. However, who knows, maybe they will return?
Now that you are familiar with the history of New Order, I will tell you why Power, Corruption and Lies is such a special album. The opening track on the album is Age of Consent. Age of Consent begins with bass, drums and guitar and Hook sing the vocal. On this track, the sound is the more traditional New Order sound, until the synthesizers enter the mix after one minute forty-five seconds. This has the effect of totally transforming the sound. Out is the traditional guitar, drums and bass sound, in is something altogether more dynamic, and innovative. However, the “traditional instruments” are used to good effect as well. There is some delicious bass playing on this track. Age of Consent is a rousing track, one that starts the album well.
Peter Hook plays a slow and tight bass line at the start of We All Stand. He is then joined by some of the new technology on the track. Synthesizers and drum machine produce an atmospheric, futuristic sound. Sumner’s vocal adds to the effect. It is surrounded by layers of sounds, which together, produce a moody twenty-first century soundscape. The track is a marriage of their traditional sound, and the now technology they embraced on this album. Overall, this is a good track. Although by no means, a slice of sunshine, this moody and atmospheric track is one that shows the new direction New Order were heading.
The Village is the next track, and it really sees New Order master the new technology available to them. New Order really embrace the technology to great effect, and produce one of the albums best tracks. Everything about the track is much better. This track has a brighter feel and sound to it. Here, Peter Hook’s bass lines and the synthesizers come together well. Sumner sings the vocal well, and the lyrics are much more positive. The band all produce a standout performance, playing as one, giving their all, to produce four and a half minutes of joyous and glorious innovative music.
586 when you listen to it, sounds like the seminal Blue Monday’s little brother. It starts slowly, with sequencers, meandering, seemingly nowhere in particular. After just under two minutes the track opens out and develops. It then grabs your attention. Why? Quite simple really. 586 then features Blue Mondayesque drum beats, and the similarities are striking and astounding. One difference between the two tracks is that Sumner sings a vocal on 586. Blue Monday, that classic track, as we all know, is an instrumental. I love 586, from the sound of the sequencers, to the perfectly programmed drum sound, to Bernard Sumner’s anguished sounding vocals, it is a classic New Order track.
Your Silent Face is the next track on the album. Quite, simply this is a sonic masterpiece. The track is absolute perfection. Everything about the track comes together beautifully. Hooky’s bass playing and the sequencers is a marriage made in heaven, they feed of each other, the interchange, and almost, cooperation between them, is extraordinary. Sumner’s vocal is just the icing on the cake, sparse, yet effective.
Ultraviolence is another uptempo track. The start sees an amalgamation of drum machine and synthesizers. Later in the track, the bass enters the fray and competes for the listener’s attention. The track sees the continual repetition of sounds, which is effective. This track is rhythmic and pulsating, yet full of tension, and sometimes, darkness. However, the fusion of instruments, technology and vocal works beautifully, and what the band have produced is a track that lead the way, showed that New Order were leaders not followers.
Ecstacy relies heavily upon the new technology New Order embraced and welcomed on this album. The track has been heavily influenced by Kraftwerk. Nowhere is this more apparent that when you hear the vocoder sound, that drifts into, and out of the song. This is something Kraftwerk used in their classic 1970s albums, Autobahn, The Man-Machine, Radio Activity and Trans-Europe Express. New Order use this effectively, the vocoder is not over used. It merges beautifully with the other sounds on the track, and produces a wonderful instrumental. The longer Power, Corruption and Lies goes on, the tracks just get better and better.
The final track on Power, Corruption and Lies is Leave Me Alone. When you hear the opening bars to the song, you realize that this song is going to be worth hearing. It does not disappoint. Sumner and the rest of the band, return to their more traditional sound to close the album. He sings the vocal well, and the band have kept an ace up their sleeve with this track. It is a bigger, fuller sound, one that New Order would return to later in their career. Leave Me Alone is a nice contrast from the other songs on album, and is a great way to end their second, and groundbreaking album.
During the last few days, I have spent some time listening to New Order’s music, and if they had not produced Power, Corruption and Lies, their history would have been very different. This album sees a group evolving, their sound changing, and I would even say, improving. This album is very different to their debut album, Movement, and hugely different to the Joy Division sound. New Order were brave, changing their sound, this was a huge risk to take. They could have lost their existing fan-base. That thankfully did not happen. Quite the opposite. They widened their appeal, and became one of the most important British groups of the past thirty years. New Order were pioneers, innovators who changed the landscape of music, and changed it for the better.
Power, Corruption and Lies is an important album, in musical history, and is one that deserves a place in any record collection. It is an album that joins the dots between German electronic music, techo, disco and rock music. One must ask whether, without Power, Corruption and Lies, later albums like Primal Scream’s Screamdelica, would have been made. If you have not heard this album, or any of New Order’s music, this is a good introduction to their music. I would recommend to accompany it, Technique and their compilation album Substance, which contains some of their best work. Should you buy Power, Corruption and Lies and any of other albums I have recommended, you will not be disappointed, you will hear some wonderful innovative music from one of Britain’s best groups at their peak. Standout Tracks: The Village, 586, Your Silent Face and Leave Me Alone.
NEW ORDER-POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES.
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN-THE BOY WITH THE ARAB STRAP.
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN-THE BOY WITH THE ARAB STRAP.
The group that I am about to write about, recorded their first single in 1996, whilst at college, and went on to record their debut album in three days. Since then, they recorded a further eight albums and have achieved almost cult status, amongst their large and loyal fan-base. This band is yet another successful group that hails from Scotland, and they are Belle and Sebastian, and the album is The Boy With The Arab Strap.
Belle and Sebastian were formed in 1996, at Stow College, in Glasgow. The band was formed by two students, Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David, and was named after Cecile Aubry’s 1965 book Belle et Sebastien. Since then, many members have joined and left the group, one of the most influential being, Isobel Campbell, who joined in 1996 and left the group in 2002, singing vocals and playing cello. Other members include Stuart David, Chris Geddes and Sarah Martin.
Whilst at college, in 1996, Belle and Sebastian recorded some demo tracks with the college’s music professor Alan Rankin. In case you are thinking Alan Rankin, I know that name, I will put you out of your misery. Rankin played keyboards and guitars in The Associates alongside the late Billy Mackenzie. The Associates released three albums, The Affectionate Punch in 1980, Fourth Drawer Down in 1981 and Sulk in 1982. He also released four solo albums in the 1980s.
Getting back to Belle and Sebastian, the demos came to the notice of the college’s business studies department, who each year, released a single on the college’s record label. Belle and Sebastian, by then, had recorded a number of songs, enough to fill an album. Having been so impressed by Belle and Sebastian’s music, that year, the label decided to release an album, called Tigermilk. The album was recorded in three days, and one-thousand copies vinyl were pressed. Tigermilk was well received and the album sold out quickly. This lead to Murdoch and David deciding to become a full-time band, and further members joining the band. Isobel Campbell joined on vocals and cello, Stevie Jackson guitar and vocals, Richard Coburn on drums and Chris Geddes on keyboards.
After Tigermilk’s success, the group signed to Jeepster Records in August 1996, they released their second album If You’re Feeling Sinister in November 1996. Many people believe that this is their finest album. American magazine Spin, liked the album so much, that they put it at number seventy-six in their top one-hundred albums released between 1985-2005. Rolling Stone magazine put the album in its list of essential albums of the 1990s.
After the release of If You’re Feeling Sinister, the group released series of EPs during 1997. The EPs were Dog On Wheels, Lazy Line Painter Jane and 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light. Dog On Wheels was actually four songs that were recorded prior to the group’s formation. It reached number fifty-nine in the UK charts. Lazy Line Painter reached number forty-one in the UK charts, and 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light became the group’s first top forty single, reaching number thirty-two in the UK charts.
The album that this article is about, The Boy With The Arab Strap was released in September 1998, and reached number twelve in the UK charts. Unlike previous Belle and Sebastian albums, Stuart Murdoch does not sing the vocal on all of he tracks. On The Boy With The Arab Strap, Isobel Campbell, Stevie Jackson and Stuart David, sing vocals. The album received mixed views from the music press. Long time supporter of Belle and Sebastian Rolling Stone magazine, and The Village Voice praised the album, others were not as impressed. However, since its release, many people believe he Boy With The Arab Strap, and not If You’re Feeling Sinister, is the band’s best album.
The name of the album caused a minor controversy within the Scottish music scene. There was a band called Arab Strap who consisted of Aiden Moffat and Malcolm Middleton, and they recorded and performed between 1995-2006. Moffat was none to pleased that the name of his band featured in the title of Belle and Sebastian’s new album. This lead to a minor war of words between two of the Scottish music scene’s then, leading bands.
In 1999 Belle and Sebastian, won the award for Best Newcomer at the Brit Awards. This was a strange decision, because by then, the group had released three awards. Tigermilk was also rereleased on Jeepster Records, making the album available to a much wider audience.
Belle and Sebastian released their fourth album Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant. The album gave the group their first top ten album. They also released a single Legal Man, which was not on the new album. It reached number fifteen in the UK singles charts. This lead to Belle and Sebastian appearing on Top of the Pops.
The follow up to Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk was released in 2000. It was entitled Storytelling. Storytelling was the score to the Todd Solondz film Storytelling. Belle and Sebastian had problems getting in touch with Solondz, and in the end, the film Storytelling only contained six minutes of the group’s music. The album was not well received by the group’s fans, and was a major disappointment.
Two major events occurred in 2002 that would affect Belle and Sebastian . Firstly, the band left Jeepster Records and joined Rough Trade Records. Secondly, Isobel Campbell left the band. Campbell had been a huge part of the group’s success, and many people, including myself, wondered where Belle and Sebastian went from there.
The following year, 2003, they released a new album Dear Catastrophe Waitress. This album was produced by Trevor Horn, and was a change in sound. Belle and Sebastian had made an album of much more radio friendly music. The other change was in the production of the album. Horn had produced a much more polished sound, although some people believe that album was “over-produced”. Dear Catastrophe Waitress, was well received, and Belle and Sebastian regained their credibility as an indie group. Later that year, Belle and Sebastian would achieve a first. Step Into My Office Baby, was the first time the group had released a track from an album as a single.
In 2005 Belle and Sebastian released Push Barman To Open Old Wounds. This was a compilation of their singles and EPs on the Jeepster label. The following year saw the release of The Life Pursuit. It reached number eight in the UK charts. It also reached number eighty-five in the Billboard 200, their first album to chart in the US. Two singles were released from the album, Funny Little Frog and The Blues Are Still Blue. Both singles charted, the former reaching the top twenty, and the latter just entering the top forty.
2010 saw Belle and Sebastian release their latest album, Belle and Sebastian Write About Love. The album was released in October 2010 and saw the band collaborate again with Tony Hoffer, who produced 2006’s The Life Pursuit. Write About Love was the lead single from the album.
Now that you know more about Belle and Sebastian’s history, I will now tell you what makes The Boy With The Arab Strap such a good album. The first track on the album is It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career. This is a really great way to start the album. It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career features some really thoughtful and sad lyrics, which have a really strong narrative. The song is well sung, and when you hear the vocal, you instantly think of Nick Drake as an influence. On the track is a good arrangement, that highlights the vocal.
Sleep Around the Clock sounds totally different from It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career. The tempo is quicker, and sounds totally different from the opening track. What it has in common is the lyrics. Here the lyrics are strong, intelligent and tell a story. My one quibble with the track is that the instruments, at times, overpower the vocal. One is left straining to hear the lyrics, over the instruments. That, to me, is a shame, as this a great song, with fantastic lyrics. However, I still think this is a good song, albeit, one where the production could have improved the song, by making the vocal stronger, or more prominent in the mix.
Isobel Campbell sings the lead vocal on Is It Wicked Not To Care? She sings this song beautifully, and has just the right voice to carry the song off. Campbell has a fantastic voice, as she would later prove in her collaborations with Mark Lanegan. Here, she almost whispers the vocal, and is effectively accompanied by an acoustic guitar, and some glorious backing vocals. This track has a very retro sound, almost 1960s French feel to it. Is It Wicked Not To Care? has always been, and will always be, one of my favorite Belle and Sebastian tracks.
Ease Your Feet Into the Sea, is another of album’s best songs. The arrangement is perfect for the song. Stuart Murdoch gives one of his best performances on this track. His vocal, highlights the beauty of the song. Behind Murdoch, the band play beautifully, all the instruments come together beautifully. The use of purely acoustic instruments is highly effective, and Ease Your Feet Into the Sea, is a classic Belle and Sebastian track.
A Summer Wasting sees a change in style and tempo. The song starts slowly, and then the song quickens. When the drums enter the song, they play a strange beat. This makes you focus on the song. When you do, you hear lyrics about a student spending the summer relaxing, no work to do, books to read, just spending time not doing anything much, just watching time passing them by. This song is one any former student will be able to relate to. Although this is a just a short song, it is two minutes of lovely lyrics and music.
Seymour Stein sees Stevie Jackson take the lead vocal on this song. Immediately, the start of the song makes me think of a Nick Drake track. The chords and style are similar to those Drake used to such great effect. Here, Jackson has good voice, it is a nice change to Murdoch’s vocal. What I have always liked about Belle and Sebastian, is their intelligent lyrics. For example, the track is about Seymour Sten, a record industry mogul, who is one of the most influential players in the music industry. Towards the end of the song if you pay close attention to the lyrics, they say “he reminded you of Johnny, before he went Electronic”. This is Johnny Marr, formerly of The Smiths and later member of Electronic. Seymour Stein is another good track, with great lyrics and a strong narrative.
The next song A Space Boy Dream, features a spoken word performance from Stuart David. For me, this does not work, and the track does not fit on the album. I know that the band always wanted to push the boundaries, but this spoils the flow of the album. The music that plays behind David’s vocal features some nice rhythms and I think the track would have worked better as an instrumental. A Space Boy Dream is the first disappointing track on the album.
Dirty Dream Number Two sees Murdoch retake the lead vocals. This track sees a return to their previous high standards. When you listen to the track carefully, there is a Northern Soul influence to the track. Take away the vocal, and what you have is almost a Norther Soul soul track. You could be transported back to Wigan Casino in an instant. This is a great track, one of the albums best.
The title track The Boy With The Arab Strap, sees once again, the style and tempo change. On the track, the vocal is accompanied by handclaps, a piano and drums. They all play a prominent role in sound, later a hammond organ enters the fray, and what sounds like a recorder. All of this melee of instruments and sounds, somehow, join together to produce a great track. The lyrics to the song are intelligent and witty. They tell a story about jailbirds, errant lovers and the seedy underbelly of city life. The Boy With The Arab Strap, is another mini-masterpiece from Belle and Sebastian.
Stevie Jackson returns to take the vocal lead on Chickfactor. The lyrics tell a tale about a young man going to New York and meeting a girl he falls in love with. They then enter into a long distance relationship, and the song tells about his insecurities when he can’t contact his estranged love. Reading the lyrics, they tell a story well, so well, you can almost imagine the scenes, but a couple of lines have an almost Lewis Carroll feel to them. For example, “something’s gone wrong, said the spider to the fly”. When I listen to the lyrics, I see parallels with the literate quality of the lyrics, on Lloyd Cole and Commotions albums, especially Rattlesnakes. Quite simply, another stunning track.
Simple Things is a short track. However, what it lacks in length, it makes up in quality. The lyrics feature an enigmatic young man, singing to the young lady of his dreams. In the track, he tells her how he feels, and what she has to do to to win his affections. Although the song only contains four verses, it tells a story, and allows the listener to picture the scene clearly.
The final song on The Boy With The Arab Strap, is The Rollercoaster Ride. While Simple Thing was a short track, this is, by far, the longest song on the album. Murdoch’s vocal is made for this song. He sings the song slowly, and is accompanied on backing vocals by Isobel Campbell. Their voices blend together beautifully. The remainder of the band play quietly in the background, their performance tailor-made to bring out the beauty of the lyrics. They never overpower the vocal, yet do not give a subdued performance. The guitars and drums provide a simple, yet effective backdrop, for Murdoch and Campbell’s voices. Belle and Sebastian have chosen a great track to close the album with, as the song almost winds down, slowly, gently, bringing the album to a glorious conclusion.
The Boy With The Arab Strap has only twelve songs on the album, and it lasts a mere forty five minutes. However, for those forty-five minutes your eyes and brain is given an aural treat. Throughout the twelve tracks you will experience a multitude of emotions, from joy to sadness. You will find yourself laughing and crying, sometimes within the space of a couple of minutes. Belle and Sebastian are wordsmiths of the highest standard. Their lyrics can paint a picture, or tell a story. On this album, they do this wonderfully. If you have never heard this album, or heard Belle and Sebastian’s music, this album is a must have for any record collection. They are one of Scotland’s and the music industry’s best kept secrets. Once you become a fan, you enter a love affair with their music. However, this is love affair where you will not be cheated on, or will not break. Put simply, once you have found and experienced their music, you will never stray, never regret the meeting, and enjoy the new found relationship with some beautiful, thoughtful and intelligent music. Standout Tracks: It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career, Is It Wicked Not To Care?, Ease Your Feet Into the Sea and The Rollercoaster Ride.
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN-THE BOY WITH THE ARAB STRAP.
VAN MORRISON-BACK ON TOP.
VAN MORRISON-BACK ON TOP.
Recently, I have been listening to a wide variety of music, with a view to writing articles for this blog. It was when I was sitting looking through a huge pile of albums, that I re-discovered the album I am going to write about. This album is Van Morrison’s album Back On Top. Morrison released Back On Top in 1999, and it was his twenty-seventh album. Prior to this album’s release Morrison had been going through a somewhat lean period. His albums lacked the quality that his earlier music had, and critics and fans were left disappointed. Back On Top was a return to form for him, and many people including myself, believe this to be the last good album he produced. Prior to telling you why this album is so special, I will tell you about Van Morrison.
Van Morrison was born George Ivan Morrison in November 1945. Morrison was an only child, and was fortunate to grow up in a house where music was plentiful. His father George, was reputed to have one of the country’s largest record collection, which he purchased during a trip to Detroit. The young Van Morrison grew up listening to an eclectic collection, of some of the greatest music, that has ever been recorded. In his formative years he heard Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Charlie Parker, Solomon Burke, Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams. This music would prove to be a huge influence in both his choice of career, and the music he would produce.
Morrison was given his first acoustic guitar when he was eleven. Having bought the book The Carter Family Style Alan Lomax’s book Then a year later, he formed his first band The Sputniks, who played skiffle music. The Sputniks played various concerts, with Morrison singing and arranging the music. Other groups were formed after The Sputniks demise, they however, were short lived. After hearing Jimmy Giuffre play saxophone, he convinced his father to buy his saxophone. He learned to play the tenor saxophone and read music. Having learnt to play the saxophone, he joined several groups including The Javelins, who went on to become The Monarchs.
Aged fifteen, he left school, and found work as a window cleaner. He would sing about this in two of his songs, Cleaning Windows and St Dominic’s Preview. As well as playing with The Monarchs, he also played The Harry Mack Showband, The Great Eight and with his friend Geordie (GD) Sproule. When he was seventeen he toured Europe with The Monarchs, now called the International Monarchs. The group continued until 1963 when they disbanded. Afterwards, Morrison joined Sproule in the Manhattan Showband with Herbie Armstrong. Armstrong would later join Brian Rossi and the Golden Eagles, and Morrison was hired as a blues singer.
In 1964, Morrison was to join the band that gave Morrison exposure internationally. The group would become Them. Morrison answered an advert to play in a R&B band at Belfast’s Maritime hotel. He created Them from a band was then known as The Gamblers, who changed their name to Them, after a 1950s horror movie Them! They quickly gained a reputation as good live band, with Morrison playing saxophone and sharing vocals with Billy Harrison. Them played a mixture of cover versions and original songs written by Morrison. Dick Rowe of Decca Records spotted the band’s potential and they signed a standard two year record deal. During that two year period, Them released ten singles and two albums. Three of the singles charted, Baby, Please Don’t Go in 1964, Here Comes the Night and Mystic Eyes in 1965. The singles did well in the US, so Them toured the country in May and June of 1965. The even performed at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles. Towards the end of the tour, Them left the US after having problems with their manager Phil Solomon, over monies paid to the band. This and the fact that their visas had expired, meant Them returned home dejected. Them would only played two more concerts in Ireland, before splitting up.
After leaving Them, Morrison would spend time finishing the songs that would be found on Astral Weeks. However, prior to the release of Astral Weeks Morrison encountered a problem. He had not read the contract he signed with Bang Records in 1967 carefully enough. So when he had recorded eight tracks, with Bert Berns, which Morrison believed would be for four singles, the Band Records released them in 1967 as the album Blowin’ Your Mind! One of the tracks, was Brown Eyed Girl, and it proved to be one of Morrison’s most popular songs.
Berns died in 1967, and he became involved in a contractual dispute with Berns’ widow which resulted in him not being allowed to record or perform in the New York area. This was a huge blow to Morrison, and he struggled to get concert bookings. When he did perform, he did so with professionalism. Warner Bros then decided to sign Morrison, and managed to resolve the dispute with Bang Records.
1968 saw the release of Astral Weeks. Astral Weeks includes a mystical song cycle, and contains music that people have struggled to classify since its release. The music within the album is enigmatic, and defies description. It is a beautiful album, quite easily the best album Morrison has ever released. So highly thought of is Astral Weeks, that it is routinely referred to as one of the greatest albums of all time.
The follow up to Astral Weeks was Moondance, released in 1970. Moondance became his first million selling album. It was released to critical acclaim. This decade was one that saw some of his best work. Like Astral Weeks, Moondance is always seen as one his greatest ever albums. These two albums, were a fantastic start to his solo career. The problem he had was, he had set the bar exceptionally high. Anything less than the the standard of these two albums would be deemed a failure. Unlike many artists, Morrison had not spent time working up to the release of two of music’s greatest albums. Instead, he had arrived almost unknown, and gone on to make the greatest of starts to a career.
In total, during the 1970s, he released nine studio albums and one live album. It was the most fertile period of his career, and he would release some fantastic albums. My favorites from this period include 1970’s Moondance, Tupelo Honey in 1971, Saint Dominic’s Preview in 1972, Hard Nose the Highway in 1973, Wavelength in 1978 and Into the Music in 1979. Looking back at his output in this decade, the quality of his music back then was consistently good. It is hard to think of many artists who were consistently producing this standard of music.
The 1980s were not as kind to Van Morrison. This new decade began badly, his first album of the 1980s, Common One was pilloried by music critics. Many people were left shaking their head after listening to Common One, and wondered had Morrison lost his midas touch. Common One’s follow up, Beautiful Vision appeared two years later in 1982. It was a partial return to form, and included the song Cleaning Windows. Scandanavia, an instrumental, from the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental.
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, released in 1983, like some of his previous albums, focused on the theme of faith and spirituality. Morrison believed that here, he was “moving towards producing music for meditation”. This is one of my favorite Van Morrison albums. It features a number of instrumental tracks. He justified their inclusion by saying it was not the words used, “but the force of the conviction behind the words that mattered”. In my opinion, this is his best album during the 1980s, closely followed by Avalon Sunset.
Throughout the remainder of the decade he released a further five studio albums and one live album. Of those five albums, 1986’s No Method, No Guru, No Teacher and 1989’s Avalon Sunset are the best of the remainder of his 1980’s output reaching numbers twenty-seven and thirteen in the UK charts.
The next decade started and ended well for Morrison. In 1990 he released Enlightenment and in 1999 released Back On Top, which this article is about. During the remainder of the decade, Morrison released seven studio albums and one live album. These albums included tributes to Mose Allison and collaborations with The Chieftans, Georgie Fame and John Lee Hooker. Apart from Enlightenment and Back On Top, the 1990s were not a vintage period for Van Morrison.
Since 2000 Morrison has never really produced anything that comes anywhere close to his best work of the 1970s. Between 2000-2011 he has released six studio and two live albums. None of the studio albums have the quality his early music has. However, it should be remembered that during that period he was in his fifth and sixth decade as a recording artist. He has, between 1967-2009, recorded thirty-three studio albums and five live albums. Unlike Neil Young for example, Morrison’s career has not had the same consistency and longevity.
Having told you a little about Van Morrison, I will now tell you about his album Back On Top. The album opens with Goin’ Down Geneva, which has a blues influence to it. Rather than set the song in the American south, Morrison has set in a number of European cities. I know that it is maybe hard to take seriously an aging, multi millionaire, rock-star singing a blues song with Geneva in the title, but stick with the song. It has a glorious bluesy start and features a really tight band. Morrison sings the song well, although his voice maybe shows the vagaries of age. The piano playing on this song really makes this track. It seems as if the rest of the band are merely sitting back and letting Geraint Watkins showcase his talents on piano. This is a good start to the album, and one is left wondering can this possibly be a return to form for Morrison.
Philosopher’s Stone is the second track on the album, and when one listens to the track, it is very much a return to form for Morrison. Here, he rolls back the years, producing a track that would not be out of place on some of his finest albums of the 1970s. His voice on Philosopher’s Stone is stronger and much better, and shows a glimpse of what he sounded like at his peak. The song features some of the best lyrics Morrison has written for a long time. In the lyrics, Morrison is searching for something elusive, striving to find it, he calls it the Philosopher’s Stone, but maybe what he is searching for is what we all search for, happiness. Like Goin’ Down Gevena, Philosopher’s Stone’ are not lyrics that are written by someone who seems to be happy, they seem to be searching for something, could that be happiness?
There is a change of tempo with the next track In the Midnight. The song is a love song, one he sings slowly and with a tenderness. When the album was released, Morrison described the song as “bedroom music, pure and simple”. In the Midnight features some tender and thoughtful lyrics, and Morrison does not disappoint, he has delivered a quite beautiful song, one that I am sure many people will be able to relate to. Everyone will be able to think of someone who has made them feel the way Morrison describes in the song’s lyrics. This song is a thing of beauty, and must be one of Morrison’s finest love songs in a long time.
The title track, Back On Top sees Morrison in a reflective mood. He is in an optimistic frame of mind, either about his personal or professional life. I feel it must be the former, rather than the latter, as his career was not going particularly well at this point in time. The song is another strong song. It has a lovely hook in it, and features a great performance by his band. Special mention must go to Geraint Watkins on hammond organ, Pee Wee Ellis on tenor sax and Morrison on harmonica. When one looks at the list of musicians Morrison has used on this album, it he has assembled a fantastic group of musicians to accompany him on Back On Top. Four songs into the album, and this is looking like a return to form for Morrison, the big question is, can it last a whole album?
When the Leaves Come Falling Down sees Morrison produce a stunning vocal performance on one the albums best songs. It is slow, has minimalist feel. The arrangements benefits from the vocal sitting prominently in the mix, with everything else, including a beautiful string section, sitting behind the vocal, very much playing a supporting roll.
On High Summer Morrison uses religious imagery in the song. Listen carefully, and you will hear references to both Lucifer and God. He also revisits some of his work from the 1960s by using the phrases “red sports cars” and “mansions on the hill. None of this matters though. Why? The reason is simple, Morrison has produced a great song, one he sings well, and plays a fantastic harmonica solo on.
The song Reminds Me of You, starts with the band playing slowly and softly, then Morrison’s vocal enters the mix. He sings the song with feeling, and he phrases the words carefully, as if wanting to highlight them, make someone listen to them. This could well be the case. The song is about love and heartbreak, that he wrote in 1996, after he broke up from a long-term relationship. However, by the time he recorded the song, he had been reunited with the lady in question. When you listen to the lyrics, you can share his pain, feel his hurt, after all, surely everyone has felt like this, at one time in their life? This truly is, an absolutely beautiful song, vintage Morrison, and I don’t so that lightly.
New Biography, sees Morrison singing about people who he thought were friends, who betrayed him. This is based on people who spoke to someone who wrote a biography of Morrison, and betrayed his trust. The song also sees Morrison commenting on the subject of celebrity, and people who have written books about him. Van Morrison has a novel, and doubtless profitable way of dealing with unwelcome publicity, he writes a song about it. Why bother with the expense of a super-injunction when you can write a song about the subject? Incidentally, it is a good song, one Morrison sings well and one the band play well. It has swing about it, and has another lovely hook in the song.
Precious Time is the next song on the album. It is a song Morrison wrote about how quickly time slips away, and how it is important that one enjoys each day. The song features a very insightful lyric “it doesn’t matter to which God you pray, precious time is slipping away”. In the space of thirteen words, Morrison says something we should all remember. This track is a good song with intelligent, insightful lyrics. The song has spiritual lyrics, and sees Morrison dwelling on how precious life is. I wonder whether this is a song that only an older artist could write and sing, as when we are younger we all feel we will live forever.
The final song on Back On Top is Golden Autumn Day, and is the second song on the album to be set at this time of year. The song sees Morrison enjoying being in an unnamed town or city. However, quickly the mood of the song changes, and Morrison is mugged, and he reflects that things are no longer what they once were. The song sees Morrison sing some great lyrics that have a really strong narrative. Close your eyes and you are almost there, and can almost picture the seen. He has reserved one of his best vocal performances for this song. Golden Autumn Day also features some fantastic performances by the band. Once again, Pee Wee Ellis on tenor saxophone deserves credit for a great performance on this track. Fiachra Trench’s string arrangement also deserves a mention, as it really adds to the track, and without the strings, the track would not be as good as it is. This is a great track to close a great album.
During the last few days, when researching and writing this article, I have spent a lot of time finding out more about Van Morrison, and even more time listening to his music. That is something I always enjoy doing. Having listened to Back On Top a number of times, I am struck by how good an album it is. There is not a poor track on this album. It really was a return to form for Van Morrison. Sadly, however, after Back On Top, he never produced anything of this quality. This saddens me greatly. What saddens me even more, is that in my opinion, this was Morrison’s last good album, and that was twelve years ago. Should after reading this article, you decide to buy this album, you will not be disappointed, it is a great album, packed full of fantastic songs. If you want buy other Van Morrison albums, here are some of my recommendations: Astral Weeks and Moondance from the 1960s; Hard Nose the Highway and Into the Music from the 1970s; Inarticulate Speech of the Heart and Avalon Sunset from the 1980s; and Enlightenment and Back on Top from the 1990s. Should you buy any, or all, of these albums, you will hear some of Van Morrison’s best music on these albums. Standout Tracks: Philosopher’s Stone, In the Midnight, When the Leaves Come Falling and Reminds Me of You.
VAN MORRISON-BACK ON TOP.
HAPPY MONDAYS-PILLS ‘N’ THRILLS AND BELLYACHES.
HAPPY MONDAYS-PILLS ‘N’ THRILLS AND BELLYACHES.
In a previous article, I wrote an article Primal Scream’s classic album Screamadelica, which was one of the greatest albums of 1990’s. Screamadelica was a snapshot of a new movement of music which was a fusion of rock music and dance music. A year prior to the release of Screamadelica, the Happy Mondays had released Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, another album that led the way, and would prove to be hugely influential. It was one of the greatest albums of the so-called, Madchester music scene, and the Happy Mondays would, later, come to personify what rave culture was all about.
The Happy Mondays were formed in 1980, and throughout their history, the band’s line up has been fluid, constantly evolving, with members leaving and others joining, or even rejoined. Originally, the band consisted of Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul on bass guitar, Mark Day on lead guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards and drummer Gary Whelan. Later on, Mark “Bez” Berry would join ostensibly to provide backing vocals, percussion and be the group’s dancer. However, when you read the credits for Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches his role seems to be Bez, the life and soul of the party. Rowetta Satchell joined as backing vocalist in the early 1990s.
Their first official release was an EP entitled the “Forty Five EP”. Many people wrongly call this EP the Delightful EP after its first track. The EP was released in September 1985.
Tony Wilson, the hugely influential Manchester music impresario, was responsible for discovering the Happy Mondays. They had taken part in a battle of the bands at the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester. Wilson and New Order co-owned the Hacienda. At the time the group had a manager, Phil Saxe. However, they decided to change management, and this was to proved a fruitful union.
In 1987 the Happy Mondays released their debut album Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out). It was produced by John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground. The album failed to chart in the UK, although it reached number four in the UK indie charts. A problem arose with one of the tracks on the album. On the album, was a track called Desmond, which to put it politely, borrowed heavily from a track by The Beatles, Ob-La-Di, Ob La Da. The sample had not been cleared, and then owner of The Beatles back catalogue, Michael Jackson forced the removal of Desmond from future pressings of the album. Only a few hundred copies of the album had been released with the track on it, and on future pressings, the track 24 Four Hour Party People replaced Desmond. The final track on the album, Little Owen’s Rap, is listed in the compact disc’s running order, but does not appear on the album.
The Happy Mondays second album Bummed was released in November 1988. It was produced by legendary producer Martin Hannet. He was partly resposible for developing Joy Division’s sound and produced albums for, amongst others, the Durutti Column, Nico and John Cooper Clarke. Hannet also worked briefly for New Order and U2. On Bummed, Hannet used a lot of reverb and echo on the drums. Some people question whether this actually helps or inhibits the sound. Bummed features rock music which includes funk influenced bass and drum rhythms. There is a electronic influence on the album, which is apparent in the keyboard melodies. Some of the tracks were remixed, by various high-profile remixers. One of the tracks, Lazyitis was remixed by Paul Oakenfold. This had the effect of hugely increasing the group’s profile, and exposing their music to the dance-floor, especially the increasingly popular rave scene. Fans of electronic and dance music were for possibly, the first time, exposed to the Happy Mondays music. Bummer only reached number fifty-nine in the UK charts, but reached number two in the UK Indie charts.
The album this article is about, Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, was released in November 1990. It reached number four in the UK album chart, and was Happy Mondays first album to chart in the US, reaching number eighty-nine. The album was produced by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne. Oakenfold and Osborne formed the Perfecto Records team, who produced and remixed a number of artists including Suede and New Order. Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches was given a good reception by music critics on it release, and it was the right album at the right time for the Happy Mondays. It exposed their music to their traditional fan base and also those who had become interested in the rave scene and dance music. Their music is a fusion of styles. Imagine a mixture of rock, funk, house music and northern soul, that is what their sound was like at the time. The album went platinum in the UK, and the band embarked on a series of successful and high profile tours. They were known as
After the release of Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, the Happy Mondays next album was Yes Please! This was their fourth studio album. It was released in September 1992 and reached number fourteen in the UK charts. However, it failed to chart in the US. The six original members of the band disbanded in 1993.
In 1999, the Happy Mondays decided to reform. The line-up was Shaun and Paul Ryder, Gary Whelan and Mark “Bez” Berry. New members joined the band. This included Wags, Ben Leach, a formed member of The Farm, Rowetta Satchell and a number of session musicians. In 1999, they released a cover of Thin Lizzy’s famous track, The Boys Are Back In Town, which reached number twenty-four in the UK singles charts. The also were the support act for Oasis on their Standing On the Shoulder of Giants tour. The band split up again in 2000.
The Happy Mondays reformed for the third time in 2004. This version of the group included Shaun Ryder, Gary Whelan and Mark “Bez” Berry. Also joining the group were Kev Sandhu, Danny Newman and the rest of his band Sonic Audio, who featured on turntables. Paul Ryder would never play again with the band, having sworn never to play with his brother Shaun again, after the break-up in 2000. The group toured during 2005 and played the final show in Manchester.
They released their fifth, and final album Uncle Dysfunktional in July 2007. It reached number seventy-three in the UK album charts. The band toured in 2009, and again in 2009. The tour in late 2009, saw the Happy Mondays supporting the Psychedelic Furs in the US and Canada. This tour saw the line-up change again. Paul Ryder’s son, and Shaun Ryder’s nephew, Jack Ryder, standing in for Gary Whelan on drums. This was to be the last time the group toured.
Looking back on the band’s twenty-nine year career, it is amazing that the band only released five studio albums and two live albums. They were a group that many people, including myself, feel should have gone on to have a much more successful career. However, when one looks back at their career, one can ask the question, how many groups produce two great albums, never mind one great album. The Happy Mondays Bummed and Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, both of which are great albums. I will now tell you why Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches is such a good album.
Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches starts with the track Kinky Afro. It is a track that features some lovely rhythms and grooves and riffs. Shaun Ryder sings the lyrics really well. When I listen to the lyrics, they appear to involve a dialogue between a father and son. The father explains about himself, then the son telling the father what he thinks about him. That is far from complimentary. It is like a kitchen sink drama for 1990. The song is infectious, you can’t stop singing it. What a great song to start the album.
God’s Cop starts with a screaming guitar riff, and then the funk enters. The song is about police corruption, and how easy it is for the police officer to get away with the corruption. Within the lyrics about a serious subject, police corruption, is the trademark Happy Mondays’ humor. On this track they sing about the police officer and his boss, smoking drugs. This tracks sees the group fusing rock, funk and house music, to produce five minutes of great music.
Donovan is another track with some great lyrics. The song starts with the lyrics: “six cheap people in an empty hotel, every last one with a story to tell, give them all pills so their heads won’t swell”. As soon as you hear these lyrics you are drawn into the story. You find yourself want to know what happens next. However, the rest of the lyrics do not have the same standard, after that it is slightly downhill. The rest of the lyrics are not as strong. This does not make it a bad song though. Quite the opposite. It is a good song, it is just that the rest of the lyrics fail to match the early promise they show. The song starts slowly and then just over halfway through the track, the tempo increases. Ryder sings the song well, varying his vocal throughout the track.
Grandbag’s Funeral has a somewhat retro sound to it. The track sounds not unlike the Beatles. In fact Paul McCartney said that he thought the Happy Mondays sounded like The Beatles. I think it is the guitars and vocal that makes me draw this comparison. This track has the most traditional sound on the album so far. There is not the same funk influences on this track. THe Happy Mondays were obviously looking to the past for inspiration on this track, not forwards. I like this track, but prefer the sound on Kinky Afro and God’s Cop.
The next track is Loose Fit. Here the style and influence is different from the previous track. It has a much more modern sound, out is the retro sound of Grandbag’s Funeral. The track has a funky feel to it, and features a really loose vocal from Ryder. He leaves plenty of space in the track, at the start, allowing the track room to develop and breath. Occasionally, the tempo of the vocal increases, and the rest of the band join in. Just as quickly as the tempo of the vocal increases, it drops. This continues throughout the track. It is really effective, and adds to the impact of the track.
Dennis and Lois sees the tempo increase. The track features a quicker vocal and it features a good performance by all of the band. I especially like the guitars and keyboards on this track. What I do not like at all about the track is the use of the effects. The effects are overused on the track, and this takes away the impact of the effects. Effects are a powerful tool for a producer. However, they must know where and when to use them. Sometimes, if they are used sparingly they are more effective. Their overuse here, detracts from what is a good song. Maybe a more experienced production team would not have made the same mistake, as this was early on in Oakenfold and Osborne’s production career. This is not enough to spoil the track, it is a good song, although not the best on the album. I just wish that the next time the album is rereleased that the overuse of the effects is rectified, it would really improve the track.
Bob’s Yer Uncle is the next song on Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches. This song features some interesting lyrics. It is a song about a couple whose love life is not what it once was. The song is about how the husband wants to spice up their sex life and what he wants to do to make their sex life more interesting. His wife is not interested and this frustrates him. I find the song loaded with irony, and almost ignorance. Maybe the husband should ask why his wife why she feels the way she does. This is a track I have always enjoyed, and is one of the best on the album.
When you hear the opening bars to Step On, they are instantly recognizable. They transport you back in time, to a time and a place. The song was huge, it seemed wherever you went, it was being played. You turned on the radio, this song was being played. If a car or van passed you, what was on the radio? Yes, you got it in one, Step On. Even though it was played so much, and you heard it so often, it still is a great track. It reached number five in the UK charts and number fifty-seven in the US Hot Hundred. Quite simply, this is a great track, that is one of the Happy Mondays’ finest tracks.
Holiday starts with the sound of a plane taking off. Then the you think the track will open out into a glorious slice of funk. However, that is not the case. There is a funk influence, early on in the track, that is heard throughout the track. The bass and guitar have a funky sound. But the promise early promise is unfullfilled. Don’t get me wrong, Holiday is not a poor song. Ryder sings the vocal well, and your attention is pulled in a multitude of directions. Listen carefully, and you will hear all sorts of samples, sounds and instruments. Two things that I like about this track, are the guitar sound and the backing vocals. The guitar playing is some of the best on the album, and the backing vocals have almost a gospel sound. With this track, it is a case of what might have been. Although this is a good enough track, this could have been a really funky track, had it been developed and more attention paid to the arrangement and production.
The final track on Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, is Harmony. When I listen to this track I am immediately struck by how the track seems to meander, almost without direction. There is almost lazy style of playing and singing on the song. Instruments, Ryder’s vocal and backing vocalists flow in and out of the track. It is almost like a freeform jam session. The strange thing is, it is effective. This works. It seems a good way to end the album. My only criticism is that the sound seems muffled, everything seems as if it is sitting too far back in the mix.
Having spent some time revisiting, Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, it really was the high point in the Happy Monday’s career. To use boxing parlance, it was their one shot at the title. Although their previous album Bummed was a good album, Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, is their best album. It is sad that they never went on to bigger and better things. The album that followed Yes Please! and Uncle Dysfunktional never saw them produce such a complete album. To me, it is a case of unfulfilled promise, very much what might have been. Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches, is by no means a perfect album, it has a couple of tracks that let it down, namely Dennis and Lois and Holiday. However, I have no hesitation in recommending anyone who has not heard the album, or heard the Happy Monday’s music to go out and buy it. A good album to accompany it is Bummed. Once you have both albums, you will have the best music of the band’s career. I am sure you will enjoy listening to their music as much as I did, all those years ago. Standout Tracks: Kinky Afro, God’s Cop, Bob’s Yer Uncle and Step On.
HAPPY MONDAYS-PILLS ‘N’ THRILLS AND BELLYACHES.
SOUL II SOUL-CLUB CLASSICS-CLUB CLASSICS VOLUME 1.
SOUL II SOUL-CLUB CLASSICS-CLUB CLASSICS VOLUME 1.
When Soul II Soul released their debut album Club Classics Volume 1, in April 1989, the album was like a breath of fresh air. Suddenly, someone had released an album that was totally different from anything else that was around at that time. Not only was the album different from other music around in 1989, it was fresh, featured great music, music that you could dance to. Throughout, that summer, Soul II Soul was the soundtrack to the spring and summer. When you walked along the city streets, you could hear their music being played in shops, hear it in passing cars and in all of the pubs and clubs. It was joyful, happy music, that had a feel-good factor. Even now, if you listen to this album, it still sounds fresh and innovative. Not bad for an album that is now twenty-two years old.
Soul II Soul were founded in the late 1980s in London. When people first heard of Soul II Soul, they were a sound system, who played at street and house parties. The group were founded by Jazzie B, and throughout their career, the line up constantly evolved. Many different singers and musicians were part of the group’s line-up. This included Caron Wheeler, Simon Law and Nellee Hooper.
The group were constantly experimenting with music, and as a result of one of their musical experiments that they secured their first recording contract with Virgin Records. They made their own dub plate version of their song Fairplay. When Virgin Records heard the track, they offered Soul II Soul a contract.
Their first singles Fairplay and Feel Free, both released in 1988, reached number sixty-three and sixty-four respectively. However, 1989 saw a change in fortune for Soul II Soul. The release of Club Classics Volume 1, saw Soul II Soul have two hit singles, Keep On Moving and Back To Life (However Do You Want Me), which reached numbers five and one respectively. Caron Wheeler sung the lead vocal on both tracks. For many people, she was the sound of Soul II Soul, her vocal instantly recognizable. Club Classics Volume 1 went on to reach number one in the UK and number fourteen in the US. The album went platinum in both the UK and US. In the US the album won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for Back To Life and Best R&B Instrumental for the track African Dance.
The follow-up album to Club Classics Volume 1 was Volume II: 1990-A New Decade. It reached number one in the UK album charts and number twenty-one in the US. This album spawned two top ten hits, Get A Life and A Dream’s A Dream. They reached number three and six respectively in the UK. Like Club Classics Volume 1, Volume II: 1990-A New Decade, went platinum. The album also won two Soul Train awards.
Soul II Soul had only one more top ten single in the UK. This was Joy from their third album, Volume III: Just Right which reached number three in the UK album charts. The album did not sell well in the US, only reaching number eighty-eight in the US. This was the last Soul II Soul album that charted in the US. In 1993 they released their greatest hist album, Volume IV: The Classic Singles 88-93, which reached number ten in the UK album charts. This was the last album they released for Virgin Records. They then moved to Island Records. Soul II Soul only released two further studio albums, Volume V-Believe, in 1994, which reached number thirteen in the UK album charts. Their final studio album, Time For Change, in 1997, failed to chart. The group split up in 1997, but got back together, to perform some live performances in the 2000s.
Having told you the history of Soul II Soul, I will now tell you why Club Classics Volume 1 is such a good album. The album starts with quite easily, one of Soul II Soul’s most recognizable tracks, Keep On Moving. It is six minutes of glorious and joyous music. Caron Wheeler has the perfect voice for the track. Her voice dominates the track, sitting proudly atop the rest of track’s rhythms. Keep On Moving has a lovely, feel-good factor. This track, twenty-two years on, still sounds good. It has a freshness, play it in any club, and it will still fill a dance-floor. A great start to the album.
Fairplay starts with another great vocal, this time sung by Rose Windross. Jazzie B has arranged the track in a way that the drums are really prominent in the mix, and Windross’ vocal is almost competing against the drum beats. This is effective though. Windross has a great voice, and has to use her full range to sing the song. It is a really good up-tempo track, one which I always enjoy hearing.
Holdin’ On Bambelela sees Jazzie B take over vocal duties. His vocal is half spoken at the start, and then he sings the rest of the track. Although not blessed with the great voice, his voice suits the song. It a song with a message, and his style of vocal gets the message across. He is accompanied by some wonderful backing singers and a really strong arrangement. The track also features some Zulu vocals by Shikisha, which bring a different and interesting dimension to the track. This is another good track, from a great album.
On Feelin’ Free Live Rap, Jazzie B performs a rap vocal, accompanied by Dolby and turntables. This is an example of hip hop when the music was all about delivering a positive message. However, since the days of tracks like this, and the early years of Def Jam, and other labels, hip hop has been hijacked by styles such as gangsta rap. This in my opinion, has nothing to do with what hip hop is really about. I like Feelin’ Free Live Rap, I ike the vocals, Dolby’s scratching and the rhythms that sit behind the track.
When one listens to African Dance it is apparent why it won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental. It is a really strong track, and features a flute solo by Kushite. It reminds me of Yusef Lateef and Herbie Mann. The flute solo is the highlight of the track. The drum beats, percussion, keyboards and piano all play a supporting roll, as the flute solo takes centre-stage, and very much steals the show. African Dance is one of the best instrumentals you will hear.
On the track Dance once again, Kushite plays flute on the track. Jazzie B sings the vocal and gives a good vocal performance. He has chosen the correct tracks to sing the vocals on. This track suits his style of vocal delivery. The lyrics are powerful, and tell a story. On this track the drum beats and are clear and crisp, sitting towards the front of the mix. The flute is used sparingly, and the keyboards and percussion blend together well to produce another good track.
Next on the album is Feel Free. The track features Do’reen singing the lead vocal, with Carol Wheeler producing some fantastic backing vocals. Both Do’reen and Carol Wheeler have great voices and combine together well. Do’reen’s voice is strong and clear. Wheeler’s voice compliments Do’reen’s well. Feel Free also benefits from having a lovely, lush string arrangement by the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. Throughout the track, the sound is full and loud, and benefits from a fantastic arrangement by Jazzie B. It is a great track, one that I never tire of hearing.
Do’reen performs the lead vocals on the next track Happiness Dub. Happiness Dub has a really impressive, repetitive start and some Latinesque drum beats on the track. Here the keyboards and drums feature heavily. The rhythm is glorious, all the better, for the constant repetitiveness, which highlights its quality. On the track, Do’reen’s vocal is used to good effect, it weaves in and out of the track, filling the spaces left by the rhythms. Delay is used on her vocal, but only sparingly, to highlight a word of phrase. Sometimes, effects can be overused, but not here. This track keeps up the albums quality, and is another different style to be found on the album.
Back To Life (Accapella) features Caron Wheeler on vocals. She produces what can only be called a masterful performance, singing unaccompanied for the best part of two minutes and forty-five seconds. On Back To Life (Accapella) she uses her vocal range, and uses it ever so well. When the rest of the arrangement enters the mix, it is a glorious sound. The track exudes happiness and good times, makes you feel good, and makes you want to dance. This is, quite simply, a fantastic track, and that is thanks to Caron Wheeler.
The final track on Club Classics Volume 1, is Jazzie’s Groove. Here Jazzie B half sings the vocal over a great rhythm track. It features crunching drumbeats, a brass section and Jazzie B talking about the origins of Soul II Soul. It is effective as track. There is a lot going on, sounds, instruments and rhythms droop into the mix quickly, and just as quickly as they have appeared, they disappear. Although maybe not the best track on the album, it still deserves it place on the album.
Having spent some time researching and writing this article, for a short time I have been transported back to 1989. To a time when Soul II Soul and Club Classics Volume 1 was the nations soundtrack. As I Said in my introduction, their music was everywhere. However, it deserved to be, as the album features some some glorious music, music that I believe is timeless. This album has stood the test of time well. Unlike many albums from that time, it neither sounds dated, nor is it irrelevant when compared to modern music. It is hard to believe this album is twenty-two years old. I have thoroughly enjoyed my trip back to 1989, I just wish that everything that I remembered everything that happened in 1989 so fondly.
If you have never heard this album, I suggest you quickly seek it out. It is the highlight of Soul II Soul’s career, and is also a snapshot of what music was like back in 1989. What saddens me is that Soul II Soul never had a longer and more successful career. It seems to me that having promised so much with this their debut album, Club Classics Volume 1, they should have gone on to produce many more great albums, and evolved with the changes in music. That did not happen, by 1997 they had split up, and never were to produce another album. For me, this is a shame, as they could have gone on to provide the soundtrack for a generation. Thankfully, they produced this great album and we should thank Soul II Soul for giving us Club Classics Volume 1. Standout Tracks: Keep On Moving, Fairplay, Feel Free and Back To Life (Accapella).
SOUL II SOUL-CLUB CLASSICS-CLUB CLASSICS VOLUME 1.
JENNIFER WARNES-FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT.
JENNIFER WARNES-FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT.
A few days ago, I put my Ipod on shuffle, and as sometimes happens, after a few tracks, it played a fantastic track. That track was Famous Blue Raincoat, the title track from Jennifer Warnes’ 1987 album Famous Blue Raincoat. I had not listened to this album for a few months, so looked the album out, put it on the compact disc player, and listened to it, not once, but twice. When I had finished listening to the album, I thought that this was an album that I should write an article on. It is an album that in many ways is, underrated and one that many people either do not know about, or have forgotten about. Hopefully, once you have read this article, you will decide that you want to go out and buy this album, and you too, will enjoy this album as much as I have since its release in 1987.
Jennifer Warnes was born Jennifer Jean Warren, in Seattle, Washington in March 1964, and was raised in Ananheim. She was able to sing, and wanted to sing from an early age. When she was seven, she was offered her first recording contract. Her father decided that Warnes was far too young to become a recording artist, and turned the contract down. From then until the age of seventeen, she sang in the local church, and also at local pageants. Aged seventeen, Warnes was offered an opera scholarship to the Immaculate Heart College. However, that was not for her, and durning the mid 1960s, she decided to follow in the footsteps of Joan Baez, and become a folk singer. For the next few years, she toured the various clubs and theaters, singing folk music.
Then in 1968, Warnes signed a record contract with Parrot Records, who were a subsidiary of London Records. She recorded her debut album I Can Remember Everything in 1968, however, it failed to chart in either the US or UK. Later in 1968, she joined the cast the television program The Smothers’ Brothers Comedy Hour. In November 1968, Jennifer Warnes joined the California cast of the stage musical Hair. She played the female lead in this version of Hair. At this time she was still performing using the name Jennifer Warren. However, early on in her career, she was advised to change her name from Jennifer Warren to Jennifer Warnes. This was to avoid her being confused with a Broadway and film actress also called Jennifer Warren.
In 1969, Warnes released a single in the UK called Let the Sunshine In on London Records. This single was released by her using the name Jennifer. This was prior to her changing her name, so to avoid any confusion over her name, she dropped her surname from the title. Also in 1969, she released her second album See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me. Once again, the album failed to chart in either the UK or US.
In 1971 Warnes met Leonard Cohen. This was to proved to be an important meeting for Warnes and Cohen. Warnes remained a friend of Cohen’s since then. She was one of Cohen’s backing singers on his tour of Europe. Then she was the vocal arranger and guest singer on Cohen’s albums Live Songs, Various Positions, I’m Your Man, The Future, Filed Commander Cohen and Recent Songs. Warnes duetted with Cohen on the song The Smokey Life on Recent Songs.
Warnes released her third album Jennifer in 1972. This album was released on the Reprise record label. Like her first two albums, this album was not successful commercially. It failed to chart in either the UK or US. This album was produced by John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground
1976 saw Warnes release her fourth album entitles Jennifer Warnes. This album provided her with her breakthrough single Right Time of the Night. This reached number six in Billboard hot one hundred.
In 1979 Warnes recorded a song for the film Norma Rae called It Goes Like It Goes. This won her an Academy Award for the best original song. She was nominated for a second Academy Award in 1981, for her song One More Hour from the film Ragtime. One More Hour was written by Randy Newman. Then in 1982 she won another Academy Award for best original song for Up Where We Belong, which she sang with Joe Cocker for the film An Officer and A Gentleman. The song reached number one in the Billboard hot one hundred. Warnes won a third Academy Award for her duet with Bill Medley called (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life. This song was from the film Dirty Dancing. The song also won a Golden Globe award.
Also, in 1979 Warnes released a new album. The album was Shot Through the Heart. This album charted in the US, reaching number ninety-four in the US charts.
The album that this article is about, Famous Blue Raincoat was released in 1987. It was Warnes tribute album to her long term friend Leonard Cohen. All of the songs on the album were written by Cohen. The songs come from a variety of Cohen’s album, from 1969‘s Songs From A Room to 1984‘s Various Positions. Two of the tracks were from Cohen’s new album I’m Your Man, which was then unreleased. Famous Blue Raincoat reached number seventy-two in the US and thirty-three in the UK charts. The album was well received by critics on its release, and features a number of well known musicians, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Lindley and Van Dyke Parks. Leonard Cohen sang a duet with Warnes on the track Joan of Arc.
After the release of Famous Blue Raincoat, Warnes only released two further albums, 1992’s The Hunter and 2001’s The Well. Neither of these albums made any impact on the charts in either the UK or US. Since then, she has recorded tribute songs for artists like Warren Zevon and Ian Tyson. In 2009 she embarked on a tour of parts of the US. Then in 2010, she started working on a new solo album of new original material. As yet, this album has not been released.
The first song on the album is First We Take Manhattan. When Famous Blue Raincoat was released, First We Take Manhattan had not been released by Leonard Cohen. It was on his new album I’m Your Man. Having heard both songs many times, I like both versions for different reason. Warnes brings the song to life, by singing the song slightly quicker. Her voice suits the song well, and the arrangement is totally different to Cohen’s version. What I do like about Cohen’s version though, is the way the backing singers accompany him. Here, the way the song is arranged, the guitar solo fills in the gaps where the backing singers were in Cohen’s version. This track starts the album well, and is an interesting interpretation of this song.
On Bird On A Wire, she really slows the song down. When you listen carefully to the lyrics, you are struck by how powerful they are. Cohen is quite simply a master of his craft, when it comes to songwriting. Such a beautiful song needs the right person to sing it. Jennifer Warnes is that person. She sings the song exceptionally well, her interpretation and inflection is perfect. She allows plenty of space in the song. simply a master of his craft, when it comes to songwriting. Such a beautiful song needs the right person to sing it. Jennifer Warnes sings the song exceptionally well, her interpretation and inflection is perfect. The track is well arranged and produced. There is nothing added to the song that you feel does not belong there. Quite simply, this is a beautiful version, of a beautiful song.
The title track, Famous Blue Raincoat, is the next track on the album. With all of the tracks on the album, it is difficult not to compare Warnes’ version with Cohen’s original version. This version differs to the original as it begins with a really atmospheric and moody saxophone solo. Warnes slows the song way down, and goes on to perform the song beautifully. The arrangement is minimalist, and features a tenor saxophone drifting in and out of the track, occasionally. This is used sparingly, and makes it even more effective. Once again, this is a lovely song, well performed by Warnes.
Joan of Arc is the next track on the album. The track has an unusual arrangement at the start. For nearly the first minute of the track, hardly anything happens, occasionally an instrument plays briefly, almost as if it is being tuned. This almost spoils the track for me. Thereafter, Warnes sings a moving duet with Leonard Cohen. Their voices compliment each other, and this is a good version of the song. However, this track is not as good as the previous tracks. It is not a bad song, or bad version of this song. The problem is, that Warnes has set the standard so high, with the first three songs on the album.
On the next track, Ain’t No Cure For Love, Warnes returns to the high standards she set with the first three songs on the album. This was the second song on the album that was taken from Cohen’s unreleased album I’m Your Man. She interprets Cohen’s lyrics really well, and give a good performance on this track. She demonstrates quite a wide vocal range on this track. It is interesting listening to how both singers choose to interpret the same song. Although I like Warnes version, in fact, like it a lot, Cohen’s version is just that little bit better. It is not Cohen’s vocal I prefer, it is the arrangement on Cohen’s version I prefer. The ideal version would be, Warnes singing the song the way it is arranged on Cohen’s version.
Coming Back To You is a lovely song on this album. Again, Jennifer Warnes has just the right voice to sing the song. The lyrics on this song tell a story, a story that is sad and heartfelt. To be able to deliver such powerful and sad lyrics, a vocalist must deliver the song the correct way. Warnes is able to do that. She sets the correct mood for the song, and the arrangement compliments her delivery. This is a song that Warnes has interpreted perfectly, and is, for me, the best version of this song.
Unlike the majority of songs on this album, this is a song that Cohen did not write himself. Song of Berandette is a song he co-wrote with Bill Elliott and Jennifer Warnes. This song begins with a piano and strings. Warnes then sings the song accompanied only by the piano. Later in the tracks feature, adding to the beauty and atmosphere. The lyrics are probably, amongst the best on this album. The way its is arranged is quite simple. Jennifer Warnes delivers a hauntingly beautiful performance, of this beautiful song.
A Singer Must Die is the penultimate song on Famous Blue Raincoat. On this song, at the start, Warnes is only accompanied by backing singers. They manage to produce the sound of a choir. This track is arranged by veteran producer, arranger and musician Van Dyke Parks. His arrangement of this track is masterful. The sound produced by Warnes and the backing singers is joyous. This track, is easily, one of the best on the album.
The final track on the album is Came So Far For Beauty. This is the second song on the album that Cohen only co-wrote. He co-wrote the song with John Lissauer. The lyrics to the song when you listen to them, are sad, and read almost like a warning. It is another track that benefits from Warnes’ style of vocal delivery. Once again, she slows the song way down, this has the effect of adding to the song’s effectiveness and dramatic impact. It is a a great song, and is a fitting way to end the album.
If, having read this article, you are interested in buying this album, I can honestly say that it is a great album, full of great songs. It is interesting to hear how Warnes has chosen to interpret Leonard Cohen’s music. In my opinion, she interpreted each song really well. In some cases, I prefer her version to Cohen’s original. If you have previously hear Cohen’s music, this album is well worth buying, because here, you will hear the songs sung in a different way. Warnes sings the songs in a different way. Her voice has none of Cohen’s gruffness, and in some cases, brings the songs to life. Warnes is much more of singer than Cohen. Should you never have heard Leonard Cohen’s music, I would suggest you go out and buy Famous Blue Raincoat, and also, a couple of Leonard Cohen albums. Two Leonard Cohen albums to buy to compare these songs are I’m Your Man and Greatest Hits. This will give you the chance to compare and contrast the two different versions of each song. Famous Blue Raincoat is a great album that I believe deserves a place in your record collection, it features some wonderful songs, sung by a singer with a great voice, who is backed by a very talented group of musicians. Buy this album and you will listen to it time after time. Standout Tracks: Bird On A Wire, Song of Berandette, A Singer Must Die and Came So Far For Beauty.
JENNIFER WARNES-FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT.
JOHN MARTYN-THE APPRENTICE.
JOHN MARTYN-THE APPRENTICE.
In this article, I am going to write about an artist who has long been a favorite of mine. This artist recorded twenty studio albums in their lifetime between 1967 and their death in 2009. They were an artist whose music crossed the musical genres, and encompassed folk, blues, jazz and rock. Throughout, their career they toured prolifically, and were one of the great live performers of their generation. The artist I am about to write about is John Martyn, and his album The Apprentice.
John Martyn was born Iain David McGeachy, in 1948 in New Malden, Surrey, England. Both his parents were opera singers, so from an early age Martyn was exposed to music. When he was five, his parents divorced and much of his childhood was spent at his grandmother’s in Glasgow.
His musical career began aged seventeen, playing a mixture of blues and folk music. Legendary folk singer Hamish Imlach was to prove to be an early influence, even a mentor, to Martyn. Quickly, Martyn became a leading figure on the London folk circuit. Thereafter, things started to move quickly for Martyn. Aged nineteen, he signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island Records in 1967. Later that year, his debut album London Conversation was released. Just over a year later, his second album The Tumbler was released. On this album, the style of music was to change, to a much more jazz influenced sound.
By the time Martyn was to release his third album Stormbringer, he had met and and married Beverley Martin. Previously, she had been a solo artist, Beverley Kutner, working with Jimmy Page and Nick Drake. Once again, the sound changed on Stormbringer, with Martyn playing his acoustic guitar through a fuzzbox, phase shifter and Echoplex. John and Beverley Martyn released one further album together. This was the The Road To Ruin, like Stormbringer released in 1970. Ny then, Island Records wanted to market Martyn as a solo artist, and Beverley Martyn’s role on further albums was as a backing singer. She returned to her career as a solo artist.
During the period 1971-1980, Martyn recorded and released six studio albums and his Live At Leeds album in 1975. By far, the best album of this time was the seminal album Solid Air. Solid Air is seen as one of the best albums of the 1970s. The title track was a tribute to Nick Drake, a close friend of Martyn’s who died tragically of an overdose. During the recording of Solid Air, Martyn was to meet bassist, Danny Thompson, who he collaborated with until his death in 2009. Martyn’s vocal style changed during the recording of Solid Air. At that time, he started to develop a new slurred vocal style. The timbre of this new vocal style resembled a tenor saxophone.
His next album Inside Out featured a much more experimental style of music, with more emphasis on improvisation. In 1975 Island Records refused to release Martyn’s live album, Live At Leeds. Martyn resorted to selling signed copies by mail from his home. After the release of Live At Leeds in 1977, Martyn headed to Jamaica on holiday, and ended up collaborating with famed reggae producer Lee “Scratch” Perry. One World is seen by some people as the first ever trip hop album, and Martyn as the father of trip hop.
The 1980s were a turbulent time for Martyn personally and professionally. By the end of the 1970s his marriage had broken down. This led to Martyn pressing “the self destruct button” as he described it. Martyn became addicted to alcohol and drugs. He later said this was avery dark period in his life. Grace and Danger was the album that came out of this period. The album described what he was going through at that time. Blackwell had held the album’s release back a year, because of his friendship with both John and Beverley Martyn. This was to be the last album he released for Island Records.
After leaving Island Records in 1981, Martyn joined two albums for WEA. These albums, Glorious Fool and Best Kept Secret saw a change from Martyn’s traditional sound, with his new label trying to make him a more mainstream artist, with more commercial success. Martyn only stayed with WEA for the two albums.
After leaving WEA, Martyn returned to Island Records. Back at Island Records, he released two studio albums Sapphire and Piece By Piece, and a live album, Foundations. Island Records dropped Martyn in 1988.
In 1990, Martyn released the album that this article is about, The Apprentice, on Permanent Records. It is thought that one of the reasons for Martyn’s departure from Island Records, was that they did not like the demo recordings of what would become The Apprentice. As a result, Martyn paid for the recording of the album. On its release, it was given a good reception by music critics, who believed that the album was a return to form for Martyn.
After the release of The Apprentice, Martyn only released five more albums prior to his death in 2009. The follow up to The Apprentice’s was Cooltide. This was another return to form for Martyn. One of his better of his later releases was Glasgow Walker, released in 2000. This album sees Martyn experimenting with trip hop on Cool in This Life, and a cover version of Cry Me A River.
Sadly, John Martyn died in January 2009, aged sixty-one. When he died, the music industry lost one of its most talented and charismatic and talented performers. He is sadly missed by his legions of fans. However, we are lucky that he has left behind a huge body of work that we can all still enjoy. Many people still enjoy listening to his music, and cherish seeing him live in concert. I saw him play at a small venue in Edinburgh many years ago, and when he stopped for an interval he chatted happily with the concert-goers. That was probably a memory that everyone he spoke to will remember to this day. It is hard to imagine any modern day artist even contemplating doing that nowadays.
I will now tell you about John Martyn’s album The Apprentice. The Apprentice was released in 1990 on Permanent Records. The first song on the album is Live On Love. As soon as you hear John Martyn singing the first few bars of the song, you can tell that that this is a return to form for Martyn. His voice is clearer, he sings the song well, and the lyrics are well written, with a strong narrative. The song is a love song, about finding love when you have almost given up hope. This is a good start to the album, and features a good performance from Martyn and his band.
The River has an atmospheric start to the song. Since the first time I ever heard this song, it has always made me think of Glasgow, and the River Clyde. This may be because Martyn lived in Glasgow, and grew up at a time when the river provided work, via the shipyards for large swathes of the population. In the song he sings about about having worked for years on the river, yet having nothing to show. This is quite a poignant comment, as many men and women spent years working on the river, and at the end of their career’s had nothing to show for it financially, and many conversely suffering poor health because of the working conditions. I think this is one of the album’s strongest tracks. The song tells a very real story, and describes the lives of many people perfectly.
Look At the Girl is a lovely song, with lovely lyrics. When you listen to the song carefully, you understand that the song is about a young girl, who has grown up and has “turned out so fine”. This song sounds personal to Martyn. It as if he is proud of the subject of the song. That is what makes me think the song is personal to him. It is song that Martyn sings so well, his voice is much clearer and his phrasing is much better than on previous albums. This song demonstrates clearly, that The Apprentice was a return to form for Martyn.
Income Town has a bigger and busier sound. This song has a quicker tempo than the previous songs. Martyn sings the song quicker, and that band have a bigger part to play in the track. The band Martyn has chosen. features a strong group of musicians. On this track they demonstrate their talents, and bring the track to life. When you listen to Income Town, you would think the track was recorded live, as you can hear people cheering. However, the crowd noise has been overdubbed onto the track in the studio. Income Town is a good track, but not as good as many on the album.
Send Me One Line is quite simply a stunning track. Three things make this song the best on the album. Firstly, the track as some lovely lyrics. It is a song about love, and a relationship that never happened. Martyn reflects in the song on what might have been. Secondly, John Martyn produces great vocal performance. Gone is the slurred vocal, of numerous previous albums, that many of his long term fans knew and loved. Thirdly, Andy Shepherd’s saxophone solo compliments both the vocal and the song. This track is as good as anything Martyn has written or recorded for many a year.
Deny This Love has a lot in common with Income Town. Both tracks feature a bigger and busier sound. On both tracks, the band play a bigger part than on previous ones, and give strong performances. The difference between the two tracks is that Deny This Love is a better song than Income Town. The lyrics to the song are stronger and better, and Martyn produces a good vocal performance.
Hold Me starts with a slow and atmospheric introduction that Martyn sings softly. After that, the track opens up, and Martyn and his band, go on to sing, and play this song beautifully. Later in the track, Martyn plays a wonderful guitar solo which adds to the track’s quality and beauty. One thing I like about this track, is the way there is space in the song, this allows the song to breath, and adds to its quality.
The weakest track on the album is Upo. This, to me, is the only poor track on the album. Upo has a jazzy feel to it, and although the band play the song well the lyrics and Martyn’s vocal performance is weak. Here, Martyn returns to his slurred style of vocal. I do not mind that. It can be incredibly powerful and effective. However, here the combination of weak lyrics and a poor vocal make this a disappointing track.
The Apprentice is a much better song than Upo. It starts slowly, and quickly the tempo increases. Martyn’s vocal is stronger and clearer. Throughout the track Dave Taif-Ball plays a really effective bass solo. It drifts in and out the track, just at the right time, and proves effective. In some parts of the song, the band really cut loose, allowing them to showcase their own individual talents. Overall, this is a good track that reminds me of some of Martyn’s earlier work.
The penultimate song on the album The Moment. It is a nice song, that, like many others on this album, features some great lyrics. This album has demonstrated Martyn’s talent as a songwriter. To me, his songwriting on this album is better than some of the albums that immediately preceded this album. Throughout the album the majority of the songs are well written, with some great lyrics. This track features a heartfelt and dramatic performance from Martyn. He has reserved one of his best vocal performances for this song.
Patterns In The Rain is a quite beautiful song. It is nearly as good as Send Me One Line. The song sees Martyn deliver some lovely romantic lyrics with feeling. He sings the song really well, and his band play behind him on this track. They allow him and the song to take centre-stage, playing quietly and effectively. This is a great way to end the album, and is one of my favorite John Martyn songs.
The Apprentice was a return to form form for John Martyn. On its release, it was well received by both music critics and fans. Previously, Martyn had being going through what seemed like a musical mid-crisis. Both critics and fans had been disappointed by some of the material he had released prior to The Apprentice. Thus, when The Apprentice came out, many people felt that he had turned a corner, and that the future would be bright for him. However, he would only release five more albums in his lifetime. In my opinion, The Apprentice was, by far, his finest release between 1990-2009. Cooltide and Glasgow Walker are both good albums, but not as strong as The Apprentice.
The Apprentice is an album that contains some great tracks on it. These songs are well written, and well sung by Martyn. He put together a strong band to back him on this album. They repaid his faith in them, by producing some great performance on the album. If having read this article, you are interested in either John Martyn’s music or his album The Apprentice, I can strongly recommend that you buy this album. It is a good starting point for anyone who has not heard his music before. However, Martyn released twenty studio albums during his lifetime, as well as numerous live albums and compilations. If you would like to hear some of his earlier work, Martyn rerecorded many of his best known songs for the compilation album Classics, released on Artful Records. On Classics, there are some fantastic recordings of some of his most famous songs, and it is a great introduction to his music. Two of his best ever albums are Solid Air and One World. These albums deserve a place in every record collection, and feature some of John Martyn’s greatest work. Standout Tracks: Live On Love, Look At the Girl, Send Me One Line and Patterns In The Rain.
JOHN MARTYN-THE APPRENTICE.
PORTISHEAD-DUMMY.
PORTISHEAD-DUMMY.
In previous articles, I have written about groups who were innovators within their chosen genre. Previously, I have written articles about King Tubby, Kraftwerk, The Orb and Primal Scream. Each of theses groups have produced albums that have been influential in various ways. King Tubby pioneered dub reggae and is believed to have invented the remix; Krafwerk were one of this first groups to use electronic instruments and computers in music; The Orb were pioneers in their use of samples within tracks; and Primal Scream fused rock and dance to produce their masterpiece Screamadlica. The band, and album, that I am now going to write about, Portishead, and their album Dummy, were also influential, and made a huge contribution to music, and are credited with popularising and helping to establish the trip-hop genre.
Portishead are an English band from Bristol. They were formed in 1991 and are named after the nearby town of Portishead. Since 1991, Portishead have only released three albums. These are Dummy in 1994, Portishead in 1997 and Third in 1998. Portishead consist of three members, Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley. Sometimes, Dave McDonald who was the engineer on their debut album Dummy, is referred to as the fourth member of Portishead.
When it was released in 1994, this album was widely acclaimed by music critics and as an innovative and pioneering album. Portishead mixed together elements of psychedelic and and experimental music, which together, became known as trip-hop. At that time, the music scene was in Bristol was thriving. The Bristol Sound was at his peak, with groups such as Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky and the Wild Bunch Soundsystem providing the city’s soundtrack. Another thriving scene in the city, was the graffiti art scene. Graffiti artists such as Banksy, were contributing a colorful backdrop to Bristol’s landscape, much to the chagrin of Bristol’s denizens.
During the early 1990s, the city of Bristol was exposed to a huge variety of musical styles. These musical influences, all helped to spawn the genre that became known trip hop. Throughout the city, it was a musical melting pot, people were listening to hip hop, dub reggae, acid jazz, techno, disco and psychedelic music. Being exposed to such a huge variety of different music styles, groups such as Portishead, were bound to use these influences in the music they were producing.
When one looks back at Portishead, the group’s various talents complimented each other perfectly. Each brought their own unique talent to the group. Beth Gibbons was the vocalist, and without her delicate, and almost sullen, or sulky, vocals on the tracks, their music would not have same impact. The other two members, Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley were renowned sonic manipulators, who had the ability to take a sound or sample and transform it totally into something unimaginable.
One of the biggest influences on Portishead, at the time they were making Dummy, was 1960s and 1970s film soundtracks. The music on these albums are said to be there primary musical influence. When one listens to album carefully, these influences are apparent. For example one track features a sample of Lalo Schifrin’s The Danube Incident, Eric Burdon and War’s Margic Mountain, Isaac Hayes Ike’s Rap III and the Smokey Brookes’ track Spin It Jig.
Having told you about Portishead, and the musical environment that spawned Dummy, I will now tell you about the album. Dummy features ten tracks. The first of these tracks is Myterons. Mysterons starts with various samples and scratches. One of the samples has an eeriness to it, this is magnified by the various scratches. Next Beth Gibbons vocal takes centre-stage in the track. She has the perfect voice for the track. There is a moodiness and sense of mystery in her voice, and Utley and Barrow show their mastery of sonic manipulation by using a multitude of samples, scratches and drumbeats to accompany, and highlight the vocal track. This is a good track to start the album. It has a moody and atmospheric feel to it, but at the same time, provides a showcase for Gibbons vocal ablilities.
Sour Times starts with the use of a sample from Lalo Schifrin’s, The Danube Incident. The track brings to mind Cold-War spy thrillers and secret assignations between rival agents in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. This track also features a sample of Smokey Brookes’ track Spin It Jig. These samples are the building blocks for the track. Portishead use other instruments and samples within the track. Both a rhodes keyboard and hammond organ feature on the track as well as guitar. The highlight of the track is Gibbons’s vocal. Her voice perfectly suits the Lalo Schifrin’s, sample and blends in well with it. This track demonstrates how samples, instruments and vocals can be blended together to produce something totally different to the component parts. I am sure Lalo Schifrin never envisaged a piece of his work being used so effectively in this way, to produce something quite different.
Strangers starts with a shrill sound, and then various samples and scratches. When you first hear the start of the track you wince somewhat. It does not have the most promising start. However, if you give the track time, it opens up, and begins to show promise. After not the most promising start, the song improves and actually, you become drawn into it. The song maybe lacks the quality of the first two tracks, but features some interesting aspects. Gibbons vocal, as i the previous tracks is good, and the samples used are interesting. I found myself listening carefully, trying to identify one the samples, and suddenly realized that they had sampled an old Weather Report track, Elegant People. Portishead were innovators when they produced this album, and their manipulation of sounds, samples and scratches works well.
It Could Be Sweet sees a return to form for Portishead. This is a much better track than Strangers. The sound is much more subdued. Gibbons voice is given the opportunity to shine. Her voice sits at the front of the track, and the drum beats and rhodes sit behind the vocal. The arrangement on this track has a minimalist sound to it. Here, this works perfectly. This arrangement has made It Could Be Sweet is one of the album’s best tracks.
Wandering Start starts with a dull repetitive sound, and then Gibbons’ vocal joins the song. She is accompanied by various drum beats, samples and scratches. These are almost like an alternative twenty-first century orchestra. Utley and Barrow have used these extremely effectively to build a track that has an atmospheric and almost sinister quality to it. With this track, you concentrate on everything that is happening in the song, you find yourself trying to second guess what will happen next. Sometimes your guess is correct, other times you are way of the mark. if you listen carefully to this great track, you will hear a sample of an Eric Burdon and War track, Magic Mountain.
The next track Numb features a glorious multitude of instruments, samples, scratches and almost other-worldly sounds. To accompany this varied sonic palette is Beth Gibbons voice. On this track, Gibbons’ vocal is stunning. She has reserved one of her finest vocal performances for Numb. Her voice accompanies, and is complimented by, the the cornucopia of sounds that have been used within this track. This is a fine track, one that show what can be done with a hammond organ, bass, drum beats and a lot of imagination.
Roads begins with a dark and brooding sound, and then opens up to feature a vocal by Beth Gibbons that sounds like not unlike Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. The track then features a wider array of instruments than on any other track on the album. The tempo is almost pedestrian in places, and this brings out the track’s beauty. On this track there is a fantastic arrangement of strings. This, the vocal and the dark brooding sound, that repeats throughout the track contribute towards producing one of the standout tracks on the album.
Pedestal begins with a multitude of samples and scratches, and a vocal that sounds subdued. The samples and scratches in combination with the muted vocal, provide an atmospheric track, that draws its inspiration from early hip hop tracks. Andy Hague provides a masterful trumpet solo that adds a different dimension to the track. His trumpet solo adds a variety to the sound, that changes the track, as without it, the track might sound as if it lacks something. This track is a good one, though not the best on the album.
Biscuit is another track where you find yourself trying to identify the sample used in the track. This time the sample is from an old Johnnie Ray track, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again. This is, in my opinion, the weakest track on the album. There is too much happening in this track. Portishead have used too many samples, scratches and surreal sounds. This does not help the track. Quite the opposite, it detracts from the track. At the start of the track, a variety of samples are used. One sounds like a badly scratched vinyl record playing. Thereafter, a wide variety of strange and other worldly sounds feature. Gibbons’ vocal can’t even rescue the track, and maybe Portishead should have heeded the maxim less is more. If they had used fewer samples, sounds and scratches this track may have been a better one.
The final track on Dummy is Glory Box. This track begins with a sample of an Isaac Hayes track Ike’s Rap III, which is used throughout the track. On this track, the sample works, even the scratchy sound! In some ways, it adds to the effectiveness of the sample. Gibbons, sings the vocal well, and uses her vocal range well. The guitar solo is well placed in the track, it does not overpower the vocal, and highlights the quality of the vocal and also, the track. This track is much better than the previous track Biscuit, and is more like the quality of the other tracks on Dummy. The track features almost waves of sound, that rise to a crescendo and fall, quite suddenly. A good example is Gibbons’ vocal towards the end of the track. I enjoyed this track, and thought it was quality track to end a quality album.
That is the story of Portishead, and their debut album Dummy. I have always been impressed that Portishead were able to produce such a good first album. They used the technology that was available to them at the time, well. At that time, technology was nowhere near as advanced as it is now. So what Portishead were able to achieve is a considerable achievement. The resulting music, is a fusion of traditional instruments such as, guitar, bass and drums, and the newer technology including samplers, samples and scratches. Added to that, is Gibbons glorious vocal, and of course, a lot of creativity and imagination. What all of that has combined to produce is an album that led the way, and help launch a new genre of music, trip hop. This is a great album, and if you have never heard of Portishead, or their album Dummy, I can strongly recommend that you consider buying this album. Should you do so, you will not be disappointed. Dummy is an album that you will return to time and time again, and each time you do so, you will hear sounds and subtle nuances that you have never have hear before. In many ways, each time you listen to this album, is like hearing a different album, as you will hear and focus on, different aspects of this wonderful music. Standout Tracks: Sour Times, It Could Be Sweet, Numb and Roads.
PORTISHEAD-DUMMY.
MINNIE RIPERTON-PERFECT ANGEL.
MINNIE RIPERTON-PERFECT ANGEL.
When writing a previous article on The Orb, I mentioned that they had used a Minnie Riperton sample on one of their tracks. Some time later, I was thinking that maybe it was time I wrote an article on Minnie Riperton as, although some of her music is heard occasionally on the radio, many people may be unaware of her, or the story of her life. I feel that Minnie Riperton’s story deserves telling, and her music deserves the attention of the wider public. Hopefully, by the time you have read this article, you will know more about Minnie Riperton and her wonderful music.
Minnie Riperton was born in 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the youngest child in a family of eight. All of the Riperton family were musically talented, and from an early age, Minnie Riperton took an active interest in the arts. As a child, she attended ballet and modern dance classes, however, it soon became apparent to her parents that Minnie was talented both as a vocalist and musically. Riperton’s parents encouraged her to pursue training in both singing and music.
Minnie Riperton attended the Lincoln Center in Chicago. There she received operatic training from Marion Jeffery. She was taught how to practice breathing and phrasing, and was told to pay particular attention to her diction. One thing that is strange about her training, is Minnie Riperton was encouraged to use her vocal range, which, at her peak was a remarkable five and a half octaves. This is contrary to orthodox operatic training and philosophy. During her tenure studying under Marion Jeffery, Riperton learnt how to sing a range of musical styles, from operettas to show tunes. This was meant to prepare Riperton for a career as an opera singer. Marion Jeffery’s belief in the young Riperton’s ability, meant that she encouraged her pupil to go and study the operatic classics at Chicago’s Junior Lyric Opera. However, by then, Minnie Riperton interest in opera was waning, and she was becoming more interested in different types and styles of music, especially soul, rock and rhythm and blues.
After graduating from Hyde Park High School, Riperton enrolled at the Loop College and was fortunate enough to join the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. Alas, her college career did not last long, she decided to drop out of college and pursue a career in music. Then in 1967, Riperton met her future husband Richard Rudolph who was a songwriter. They would marry in 1972.
Minnie Riperton’s professional musical career started when she became a member of The Gems. She was spotted by Raynard Miner when Riperton was singing with the A Capella Choir. He became her musical mentor. The Gems released a number of singles, but commercially, they were not a success. Two of their best known songs were I Can’t Help Myself in 1964 and He Makes Me Feel So Good. Later The Gems became known as Studio Three and sang backing vocals on Fontella Bass’ classic song Rescue Me. During the period 1966-1967, The Gems recorded under various different names, notably as The Girls Three, releasing a track called Baby I Want You in 1966. In 1967 as The Starlets, they released the now Northern Soul classic My Baby’s Real. in 1968, The Starlets released the follow-up to My Baby’s Real, entitled Watered Down. That was their last recording together, and Riperton’s final recording as part of a girl group.
Minnie Riperton met another person who was to prove influential in her career, that was Billy Davis. Davis wrote two songs for Riperton, Lonely Girl and You Gave Me Soul. In honour of Billy Davis, she recorded the songs as Andrea Davis. This was a stepping stone in Riperton’s career.
The next stepping stone in her career was when she joined Rotary Connection in 1967. Like Sly and the Family Stone were, Rotary Connection were a multi-racial and experimental group which Riperton fronted with Sidney Barnes. Although they were a popular live group, playing many outdoor festivals, as support act for some of the bigger names in rock music, commercial success remained elusive for Rotary Connection. They released their self-titled debut album Rotary Connection in 1967, and five other albums between 1967-1971, the last album as New Rotary Connection. However, Riperton left Rotary Connection in 1969 to pursue a solo career, frustrated at Rotary Connection’s lack of commercial success.
Minnie Ripperton released her first solo album Come To My Garden in 1970. On the album she was accompanied by Charles Stepney, who also was the producer of the album. The album failed to sell well, however, since its release, it has been recognized as one of the finest albums ever produced.
By 1973, Minnie Riperton was semi-retired and was now a housewife, married with two children. She had made demo tape of a song called Seeing You This Way, and a young Epic Records rep heard the tape. He took the tape to Don Ellis, Vice-President of A&R, at Epic Records. Ellis like what he heard. Subsequently, Riperton signed to Epic Records. Riperton then decided to move her family from Chicago to Las Angeles. It was there that she recorded the album Perfect Angel, that I am featuring in this article. When the album was released in 1974, album sales started off slowly. Three singles had been released from the album, and it was her husband Charles Rudolph who convinced the record company to release Loving You as a single. Loving You reached number two in the UK charts and number three in the US charts. The album Perfect Angel went on to sell over a million copies, earning Riperton a gold disc.
Riperton released three further albums after Perfect Angel, which all failed to sell as well as Perfect Angel. Tragedy struck for Riperton when she contracted cancer in 1976. At the time, Riperton was given six months to live, and despite this, she continued to record and tour. Sadly, in 1979, Minnie Riperton died, aged thirty-one. Minnie Riperton’s legacy is that leaves behind some wonderful music, music that we are fortunate to have. The sad thing is, that many people, are still, as yet, unaware of Minnie Riperton and his wonderful music. My hope is that everyone who is reading this article, will take the opportunity to listen Minnie Riperton’s album Perfect Angel, and maybe then, the rest of her music.
Perfect Angel begins with the track Reasons. The track opens with an electric guitar solo, and then Riperton goes on to demonstrate her vocal ability. On this track, she makes use of her amazing vocal range. Her voice soars, then as quickly drops, never losing control, always its seems, in full control. Throughout the track, she is accompanied by legendary session guitarist, Sneaky Pete and also, a bass that throbs. His guitar playing is the perfect accompaniment for Riperton’s soaring vocals. Reasons is a good way to start Perfect Angel, as it demonstrates Riperton’s vocal ability perfectly.
On It’s So Nice (To See Old Friends) Riperton’s small backing band come into their own. They provide the perfect accompaniment for Riperton’s sweetly sung vocals. Here, she sings within herself. Her phrasing of the song is perfect, and adds to the beauty of the song. Sneaky Pete’s pedal steel guitar sits beautifully behind the vocal, adding the perfect embellishment to the song. This a beautiful song, with lovely lyrics, that Riperton sings so well.
Take A Little Trip is a song that many people will be familiar with. The track is one of two tracks that Stevie Wonder either wrote, or co-wrote. It features some lovely, thoughtful lyrics, that have the effect of soothing and relaxing, your weary soul. The song sees Riperton’s previous operatic training coming in useful, as she delivers the song in such a way that the song has space to breath. This track is well arranged and features a good performance from a tight and talented band.
This album is a showcase for Minnie Riperton’s vocal abilities, and wide vocal range. There is a huge contrast between the next track Seeing You This Way, and the previous track Take A Little Trip. Whereas on the previous track Riperton sang the song softly, and very much within herself, on this track Riperton cuts loose, using her five and half octave range to good advantage. Riperton has the perfect voice to sing Seeing You This Way. Her voice rises and falls, going from high to low, with ease, always in control. The song has a faster tempo, and the band play around the vocal, never overpowering the vocal, always complimenting Riperton’s voice. Take A Little Trip is a good song, one that only a talented vocalist, like Riperton can sing well.
The Edge of A Dream is one of seven songs on the album that Riperton co-wrote with her husband Richard Rudolph. They were a talented partnership, and have written the best songs on this album. In my opinion, one if the best is The Edge of A Dream. It features some glorious and thoughtful lyrics. The song has an innocence about it, and also has a spiritual feel to it. On this track Riperton is accompanied by a piano, and backing singers, that, when they combine with the vocal, make this a fantastic track. Incidentally, one of the backing singers on this track was Denise Williams, who sang the track Free.
The title track, Perfect Angel was written by Stevie Wonder. He provided Riperton with a great song. This is a song about love, that Riperton brings alive. There is a beauty in the song, that is to be found in many songs written by Wonder. Riperton sings the song gently. At times, she using her breathing and diction, to phrase the song, so that she brings out the songs innate beauty. On this track, Riperton is accompanied by backing vocalists whose voices almost mimic, yet compliment her voice. They add to song, seeming to just know exactly when to sing, and how to sing. Perfect Angel is a lovely song, and Riperton performs the song so well.
Every Time He Comes Around features the band more than in previous tracks. Here, a fuzz guitar features heavily on the track. It does not play over the vocal, it plays around the vocal. On this track, the band are more or less free rein. They are allowed to showcase their talents. Their talents are considerable. Riperton has chosen her band well. They know exactly when to play, and when not to. This is apparent on this track, where Sneaky Pete’s fuzz guitar lifts this track from a good track, to a great track.
Probably the best know track on this album is Loving You. This is the track that most will remember Minnie Riperton for. It is a song that, to some extent, launched her career, and brought her to the record buying public’s attention. I could easily expend numerous superlatives to describe this song. All i will say is that this is an exquisite song. From the birdsong at the start, throughout the song, Riperton sings the sumptuous lyrics quite beautifully. This song is just under four minutes of musical beauty. The sentiments in the lyrics, can’t fail to tug on the heartstrings, and bring out the romantic, in even the coldest heart. Quite easily, this is the best song on the album, if not the best song in Riperton’s short career.
Our Live closes Perfect Angel. It starts with a gentle harmonica solo. Thereafter, Riperton articulates the song perfectly. Her phrasing is clear and perfect. The song flows, gently building, and, as quickly as Riperton ups the tempo, the tempo drops. On Our Live, she demonstrates, once again, her unique vocal range. Her voice travels up and down, the scales, reaching notes that some vocalists can only dream about. This song is almost a duet between Riperton’s vocals and the harmonica. It is an interesting arrangement, one that the production team of Riperton, Rudolph and Stewart Levine make work. Our Live is a good way to close this great album.
Having told you about Minnie Riperton, and her wonderful album Perfect Angel. Having listened to the album several times while writing this article, I am impressed by the quality of the songs on this album. Out of the nine songs on this album, every one is of the highest quality. Quite simply, there is not a poor song on the album. Even though Come To My Garden is said by many critics to be her best ever album, I strongly believe that Perfect Angel is every bit as good, if not better. This album benefited hugely, from having the wonderful track Loving You on it. If Loving You had not been released as a single, Minnie Riperton’s career may have taken a very different turn. What I find hard to believe is that it was only released as an afterthought, as the fourth single from the album. It was lucky Charles Rudolph was able to convince Epic to release the song as a single. What saddens me, is that post-Perfect Angel, Riperton’s career never reached the same heights. It appears that, since her tragic and early death, people have revisited Riperton’s music, and are only now, starting to appreciate her considerable talents.
If you are someone who is, as yet, unaware of Riperton’s music, I can strongly recommend that you you buy Perfect Angel. Luckily for you, the album is now available on the Stateside label with Riperton’s 1975 album Adventures In Paradise on the same disc. That is as good a place to start, if you wish to explore Minnie Riperton’s music. If, having bought Perfect Angel/Adventures In Paradise you like what you hear, I recommend you then buy Come To My Garden and then Stay In Love and Minnie, both of which are available as one disc on the Stateside label. Should you do that, you will be privy to the music of one of soul music’s greatest female vocalists. Standout Tracks: Reasons, Take A Little Trip, Perfect Angel and Loving You.
MINNIE RIPERTON-PERFECT ANGEL.
THE ORB-THE ORB’S ADVENTURES BEYOND THE ULTRAWORLD.
THE ORB-THE ORB’S ADVENTURES BEYOND THE ULTRAWORLD.
Recently, I wrote and article about one of electronic music’s most influential and pioneering groups Kraftwerk. In that article, I said that Kraftwerk had influenced future generations of musicians, including electronic and dance artists. One of the artists who they had a huge influence on was The Orb. The Orb became one of electronic music’s pioneers, and are one of the most influential groups in electronic music. They were also responsible for producing one of electronic music’s finest albums, The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld. In this article, I will write about The Orb and their album The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld.
The Orb were founded in 1988 and were responsible for spawning the genre known as ambient house. The two original members of The Orb were Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Cauty was also a member of another influential group KLF. In 1990 Cauty left The Orb, due to a dispute over which record company should release their music. The Big Life label offered the group a record deal, but Cauty wanted the album released on the KLF Communications label. This caused the group to split up. However, throughout their history, various other members have joined, and left, the group. After Cauty’s departure, four new members joined the group. These members were: Andy Falconer and Kris “Thrash” Weston, both studio engineers, guitarist Steve Hillage and producer Thomas Fehlmann. This was to be the line-up that produced The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld.
When Cauty and Paterson first started performing they were ambient and dub DJs. Their inspiration was both electronic music and ambient music from the 1970s, primarily Kraftwerk and Brian Eno. Other genres of music also were a big influence including reggae music, Krautrock, drum and bass and trip hop. Amongst the other influences cited by The Orb are dub reggae pioneer King Tubby, Prince, Alice Cooper and T-Rex.
Another thing that was a big influence on the group and their sound was science fiction. This is apparent when you listen to their music and hear some of the samples used, or if you were lucky enough to witness one of their live performances. Often in their live performances, The Orb have used imagery projected on to screens onstage that feature futuristic cityscapes and townships, alien beings, morphing faces, shapes and images and a multitude of other surreal images. Their videos would also feature such montages, which would often contain surreal images of clouds, astronauts and psychedelic images such as neon-colored dolphins. Such features led to comparisons to Pink Floyd’s early “happenings” or concerts.
In 1988 The Orb released their first track Tripping On Sunshine on a German compilation album Eternity Project One. This track became one a popular acid house anthem. A year later in 1989, The Orb released a four track EP which was based upon samples taken from KISS FM, a New York radio station. This was released on Alex Paterson and Martin “Youth” Glover’s new record label WAU! Modo Records. The duo set up this label as they wanted to maintain their financial independence from the major record labels. Not long after that, Paterson and Glover decided to change the style of music they were producing. Gone was the beat-heavy music they had previously produced, in was music was a more laid back type of music. This was music that would be listened to post club, music for after hours listening.
Around this time, The Orb were given the opportunity to DJ at the chill-out room in the Heaven nightclub. This event grew in popularity over time, and The Orb incorporated multitrack recording and then linked then to a number of record decks and mixer. They then used numerous records, CDs, cassettes, sound effects and samples in their set. What they did not use, was records without heavy rhythms and drum beats. The reason for this was so that they did not want to disturb the chilled out atmosphere. Two of their favorite types of music they played was chill-out and dub reggae. The duo described this as ambient house. Thus, a new genre of music was launched.
In 1989 The Orb and Martin Glover, recorded a session for DJ John Peel’s radio show on BBC Radio 1. They had used a huge variety of samples and recordings on these songs. One of these songs was known as Loving You and featured the Minnie Riperton song Loving You. This caused a major problem, as Riperton’s management had not given clearance for the use of the sample of Riperton’s vocal. However, by then the single had been released. This lead to the track having to be re-released, with a vocalist who sounded like Riperton singing the vocal. The track’s title was then renamed A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From the Centre of the Ultraworld. Even though the track was twenty-two minutes long, it still reached number seventy-eight in the UK charts.
Following the split with Cauty, Paterson started work on Fluffy Little Clouds with Glover. On this track The Orb used samples from Steve Reich’s Counterpoint and an interview with Rickie Lee Jones. Once again, The Orb fell foul of the legal system, and were required to pay Jones an undisclosed sum for the use of her voice on the recording. As if this was not bad enough, then Glover decided to rejoin Killing Joke. After all this turmoil, Little Fluffy Clouds only reached number eighty-seven in the UK charts.
During 1991 the new line-up went into the studio and three weeks, six recording studios and around twenty other musicians later, The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld was completed. The additions had proved to be shrewd additions to The Orb. Falconer and Weston’s previous jobs working in recording studios provided the group with the technical ability required to create the sounds portraying the different aspects of space travel, and in particular, Apollo 11. Hillage’s guitar playing was used to good effect by Falconer and Weston to portray these sounds. When the album was released, it was well received by the critics in the UK, Europe and especially in the US. What the critics liked, was how the album encompassed ambient music, house music and sampling. The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld reached number twenty-nine in the UK album charts.
In the twenty years since The Orb released The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, they have continued recording, and released an album Metal Spheres as recently as 2010. In the last twenty years they have recorded nine further studio albums. The follow up to The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, UF Orb was their most successful album, reaching number one in the UK charts. Throughout their career, The Orb have led the way, they have remained pioneers, challenging and changing the way electronic music is made and sounds. As well as recording and performing, they have enjoyed a long and successful career as remixers, and have remixed music for a wide variety of artists including Depeche Mode, Primal Scream and Jean Michel Jarre. Now that you I have told you about The Orb’s history, i will now tell you why The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is such a special album, that it deserves a place in your record collection.
The first track Little Fluffy Clouds starts with a sample of a cockerel and then the sample of Rickie Lee Jones, which is used effectively throughout the track. After that, the track is a magical montage of instruments, sounds and samples that, together, have effect of creating an atmospheric track, that holds your interest, and makes you curious to discover what happens next. When you listen to this track it is hard to believe that it was released twenty years ago. There is a freshness about the track, that makes it almost timeless.
Earth (Gaia) is the next track on the album. Again, the track starts with a spoken word sample. This sample has a darkness about it, which is intensified with the use of the samples that surround and accompany it. The track slowly builds, introducing new sounds and samples, which increase the intensity of the track. Throughout the track the spoken word sample is used. This is effective, as it adds to the darkness and brooding nature of the track. I like this track as it was innovative and showed what it was possible to do using a combination of samples and instruments. A track like this, pushed the musical boundaries, showed people what it was possible to do.
Supernova At the End of the Universe uses a combination of a clap of thunder and a spoken word sample about space travel to start the track. After that the track settles down to a minimalist sound. the rhythms are gentle, bereft of any prominent or heavy drum tracks. Then, all of sudden, the drum beats are the most prominent feature in the mix. Although they have the effect of overpowering the other sounds and samples, they sit well with the rest of the track. The intermingling of the drums, sounds and spoken word samples, combine effectively, producing an interesting, aural adventure.
On this track, Back Side of the Moon, The Orb take you on a journey to outer space. This track has obviously been influenced by their love of, and interest in space travel and science fiction. When you listen to the various sound used on this track there is a soothing quality, that makes you think of space. This is further enhanced by snippets of spoken word samples, from what sounds like some of the old Apollo space missions. One can almost imagine floating gently through space, weightless, without neither a care, nor worry. This is a long track, just over fourteen minutes long, but when you listen to it, it has the effect of soothing and relaxing you, taking you away from the mundane and triviality of modernity, to somewhere, different, maybe better. This to me, is the best track on the album.
On Spanish Castles In Space, the track starts quietly, then a spoken word sample briefly, interrupts the gentle, and soothing soundscape. Thereafter, the track starts to gently meander, but just as quickly as you have been lulled into a false sense of security, the sound changes, to a a darker sound, featuring a spoken word sample. This track is like a lot of The Orb’s tracks, it is a musical dichotomy. In one track you can hear the musical equivalent of light and shade, or night and day. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy this album, and this track.
Perpetual Dawn features The Orb’s interest in science fiction and particularly, space travel. You will hear part of the countdown that is heard when a space mission launches. Then you will hear noises, and samples that defy explanation, set against a mid-tempo beat. This repeats and features some surreal sounds, which to me, do not work in the track. By three minutes of the nine and a half minute track, I am hoping that the track improves. Thankfully, there some improvement. However, this track does not have the quality of previous tracks.
Into the Fourth Dimension is a better track than Perpetual Dawn. This track features various samples at the start. They provide a nice contrast. From spoken word samples, to a choir singing, this is a good way to start the track. Once again, The Orb are lulling the listener into a false sense of security. What follows in crunching drum beats right at the front of the mix. Sitting behind the drumbeats are violins, snippets of classical music and dark brooding samples, some almost inaudible. The track builds up throughout the track, layer upon layer of sounds unfolding, coming together to create a powerful track that peaks about 115 beats per minute. This is a huge improvement on the previous track. On this track The Orb have got their A-game back. This track shows how The Orb were willing to push the boundaries of music, and why they were innovators, that many younger dance and electronic artists cite as influences and inspirations.
The next track, Outlands, features a moody, atmospheric start, using a number samples that make the listener focus on the music. Just when you are getting used to the slower tempo, things change, the tempo speeds up, the samples get louder, faster and even more surreal. You begin to wonder, what an earth will happen next. You become fascinated, drawn in to the track. This truly is an aural adventure through a parallel universe, one that you have never visited, and one that you could never have imagined existed. The track takes you on a surreal journey, where you hear sounds that you just can’t quite identify, snippets of speech float in and out of the track, and in front of that, constantly there, drumbeats that are heavy, that crunch and don’t let you forget that they are there. Outlands is a great track, one that takes you on the type of journey your local travel agent can’t arrange.
Stars 6 and 7 8 9 is the penultimate track on this album. The track starts with the trademark use of samples, this time the sound of a car engine, birdsong and then a spoken word sample. Even the sound of a bee makes an appearance. Over and above all this is a glorious tranquil rhythm, which has the effect of relaxing the listener. However, by now we know not to be lulled into a false sense of security, because anything could happen next. The track gently saunters along, gently caressing the brains neurons and synapses, the rhythm ebbs and flows, complimented by numerous well chosen samples. There is nothing in the track that interrupts the tracks beauty, this is definitely post-club listening. This is easily one of the best tracks on the album. Eight minutes of glorious tranquility, one you should definitely experience.
The final track on The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is A Huge Pulsating Brain That Rules From the Centre of the Ultraworld: Live Mix Mk 10. As well as having the longest title on this album, this track is also the longest in length, coming in at just under nineteen minutes. This is nothing, one of The Orb’s singles, Blue Room, was almost forty minutes long. Despite that, it still managed to chart, reaching number eight in the UK charts, the longest ever single to chart. This track, however, has a slower tempo and features everything we, by now, expect to hear in a track by The Orb. Throughout the track, the group of used a multitude of sound, samples and instruments. In this track, there are the samples of the cockerel and the Minnine Riperton soundalike. All of this is effective, contributing to the overall quality of the track. This is like a long musical soundscape, composed using only technology, samples and a few instruments. Although the track is “busier” than some of the tracks on the album, this does not make it any less of a track. Quite the opposite, The Orb should be congratulated for achieving such a complex track using only the technology that was available to them at that time. This is a good track, although not the best on the album.
The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is like other albums I have previously written about, it is innovative. The Orb pushed the musical boundaries when making this album. They showed what was possible by using the technology that was available, and also a lot of imagination and creativity. Considering the technology at their disposal, what they have produced is quite amazing. Nowadays with all the new music software, and technology, artists and producers have at their disposal, creating a track is much easier. Back in 1991, The Orb had to work out how to create that tracks on this album. There was no person or book they could refer to, because what they were doing had never been done previously. They were pioneers, innovators, much like Kraftwerk, one of there heroes were. What they have produced is truly a great album, one that sounds as good today, as it did in 1991, when it was released. It really is timeless.
If you have never heard of The Orb or their album The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, I would recommend that you go out and buy it. This is an album that is one that should be in every record collection, it paved the way for much of the electronic and dance music that came after it. It is not just electronic and dance music it has influenced, many other artists now use samples and computers in their music. The Orb’s have influenced a generation of musicians, and many people’s first exposure to electronic and dance music would be this album. So if, after reading this article you are curious, I would suggest tomorrow, go visit your local record shop and buy a copy of this album, you won’t be disappointed. If you want to buy another The Orb to accompany The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, I would recommend their next album U.F. Orb. What you will have in your possession are two great albums. I hope you will enjoy them. Standout Tracks: Little Fluffy Clouds, Supernova At the End of the Universe, Back Side of the Moon and Stars 6 and 7 8 9.
THE ORB-THE ORB’S ADVENTURES BEYOND THE ULTRAWORLD.
OTIS CLAY-TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU.
OTIS CLAY-TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU.
Recently, I was listening to a compilation of Stax Records music, 3000 Volts of Stax, and came across a track by Otis Clay called Come To Me. This set me thinking about how great a soul singer Otis Clay was. I have long been a fan of music, and own a number of his albums. Having finished listening to this album, I decided to re-visit Clay’s music, something I do often, and always enjoy. This made me think that maybe I should write an article on Clay, and his music. Previously, I have written about other artists who recorded on the Hi Records label, and these articles on Al Green and OV Wright have been popular. Therefore, I hope that this article on Otis Clay and his album Trying To Live My Life Without You will also be popular, and maybe people will be encouraged to find out more about Otis Clay and his wonderful music.
Otis Clay was born in 1942, in a small rural town Waxhaw, Mississippi. He was brought up in a deeply religious family, and made to attend church every Sunday. Many members of Clay’s family were singers, and during his childhood, there was always a lot of singing taking place in the Clay household. The Clay home was often used for rehearsals, and the young Otis Clay used to sit and watch these rehearsals take place. That was his first musical influence. After the rehearsals were finished, Clay used to imitate the singers that he had watched practice. This led to him starting to sing gospel music.
When Otis Clay was eleven, his family moved to Muncie, Indiana. Then, a year later, Clay started singing professionally with a gospel group the Voices off Hope. During the next few years, Clay moved from one gospel group to another. However, in 1957 he joined the Golden Jubilaires, and moved to Chicago. Then, in 1959, Clay joined the Famous Blue Jay Singers. It was during his time touring with them, that he learned old-fashioned jubilee singing. Thereafter, Clay spend most of his time singing with various gospel group.
In 1962, Clay made what would be his unofficial recording debut. Clay recorded four tracks for Columbia Records. These tracks were produced by Carl Davis. However, none of the songs were ever released. If these R&B tracks had been released on Columbia, Clay would have made the switch from gospel music to secular music much earlier than he did.
It was not until 1964, that Clay made his official recording debut. He was the lead singer on The Gospel Songbirds’ recording Let Jesus Lead You on Nashboro Records. Interestingly, another member of the group was Maurice Dollison, who went on to record the song When You Wake Me Up under the pseudonym Cash McCall.
Cash McCall, in 1965, was by then a session musician in Chicago, was partly responsible in convincing Clay to make the switch from gospel to secular singer. So, in 1965, Otis Clay eventually made the switch to secular music. He signed with George Leaner’s One-derful! Records, who were, at that time, the fastest growing record label in Chicago. McCall and also Harold Burrage became Clays‘ mentors. Sadly, Burrage died in 1966.
Clay released scored his first single on One-derful! Records in 1967. The track was a gospel tinged song called That’s How It Is (When You’re In Love). The singles reached number thirty-four in the R&B charts. His follow-up single A Lasting Love reached number forty the R&B charts. These singles gave Clay a higher profile, and A Lasting Love gave him a nationwide hit single. By now Clay’s star was in the ascendency. However, problems were just round the corner for Clay and One-derful! Records.
Disaster was to strike for Clay in 1968 when One-derful! Records collapsed. What should have been a huge stepping-stone in Clay’s career, turned out not to be the case. Otis Clay’s contract with One-derful! Records was purchased by Atlantic Records. They then set up a subsidiary company called Cotillion. The first record released on the new label was Clay’s cover version of The Sir Douglas Quintet track She’s A Mover. This reached number ninety-seven in the Hot 100. Later singles on the label failed have even the success She’s A Mover had. This was to include Hard Working Woman produced by Syl Johnson and Is It Over? produced by Willie Mitchell in Memphis. Mitchell was to have a further part to play in Clay’s career, at a later date.
In 1971, Clay moved to the Hi Records label. This was to prove to be the making of Otis Clay. It was on Hi Records that Clay was to have his biggest hits, and record the best work of his career. In 1972 he recorded the album I am featuring in this article, Trying To Live My Life Without You. The title-track Trying To Live My Life Without You gave Clay the biggest hit of his career, a number twenty-four R&B hit in 1972. This song, was later to provide Bob Seger with a number five single in the pop charts. The follow up to Trying To Live My Life Without You, was If I Could Reach Out. Clay went on to record further singles on the Hi Records and in 1977 an album entitled I Can’t Take It.
After leaving Hi Records, Clay recorded for the Elka, Rounder Bullseye Blues labels. He also recorded albums for his own label Echo. In 1998 Clay was reunited with Willie Mitchell. Mitchell produced Clay’s album This Time Around. Otis Clay still is popular, and recording and performing to this day. He has a large and loyal fanbase throughout Europe, Japan and the US.
Now that I have told you a bit about Otis Clay’s life, I will now tell you about his album Trying To Live My Life Without You. The first track on the album is the title track Trying To Live My Life Without You. It is always difficult to decide what track to start an album with. Often, an artist or record company will choose one of the strongest tracks. This is what has happened here. Trying To Live My Life Without You is by far, one of the best tracks on the album. Clay has a lot to live up to, because OV Wright previously sang this song, and many people would argue, sang the definitive version of this song. However, Clay does well, singing this song with passion and feeling. His voice is perfectly suited to the song, and for me, he almost matches Wright’s performance of this song.
On the next track, I Die A Little Each Day, Clay produces an emotional and exceptional performance, on this cover of Don Bryant song. This track is a slower song, and one can see Clay’s gospel roots and influence in the way he delivers the song. Clay’s vocal is ably assisted and complimented by the trio of backing singers, Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes.
The next track, Holding On To A Dying Love, starts slowly, with Clay singing his vocal in front of the band. However, this track has a bigger sound, and as a result, Clay produces a louder and stronger vocal performance. Again, on this track, Clay is ably assisted by backing singers, Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes. This track is a good one, that Clay delivers well, singing it with feeling and emotion.
On I Can’t Make It Alone, the track at the start has the unmistakable Hi Records sound. When you listen to this song, it is packed full of emotion and hurt, and Clay delivers the song as if he has felt and experienced, these emotions and hurt. This is a song written by Daryl Carter and Johnny Keyes, and I am sure that no-one else will have sung such a heartfelt version of this song.
That’s How It Is is another slow and sad song. The track is about a relationship that is not working. It is about a man being used by the woman he loves. Sadly, this love is not reciprocated, yet he can’t help but love her. This is a great song, full of heartbreak and pain, and Otis Clay has reserved a fantastic vocal performance for this song. Quite simply, this is a great track.
I Love You, I Need You, is another slow and sad song. The track has a glorious arrangement, one that is typical of the sound and quality that Willie Mitchell produce at Hi Records. This song is one that will tug at your heartstrings, make you feel Clay’s pain and heartache. On the track there is a fantastic organ solo from Charles Hodges, that helps, make this song the emotionally charged masterpiece that it is.
The next track You Can’t Keep Running From My Love, sees Clay tackle another tale of love, this time one that is unrequited. This song is about a one-way love affair, where the suitor’s advances are spurned, and the suitor’s attempts to convince the lady in question of their suitability. Otis Clay sings the song well and the band and the Memphis Horns produce a stand-out performance, that add to, and compliment, Clay’s vocal performance. You Can’t Keep Running From My Love, is one of the highlights of the album.
Precious, Precious is another track that OV Wright has covered, on his album Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose). By covering this track, Clay has set himself a tough task, as in my opinion, OV Wright sang the definitive version of this song. However, Clay has produced a good version of this song, albeit not as good as Wright’s version. Clay sings the song well, and has a voice that is suited to the song. Had I not heard Wright’s version of this song, I would probably be saying that this was a fantastic performance by Clay, but sadly, as good as this version is, Wright’s is better.
Home Is Where the Heart is a song written Bettye Crutcher. Clay sings this song well, and it is an emotional and heartfelt song, that almost takes Clay back to his gospel roots. When one listens to the lyrics to this song, they have a spiritual feel to them. This track features some wonderful performances from the band, the Memphis Horns and the backing singers Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes. Like many other tracks on this album, this suits Clay’s voice.
The final track on the album is Too Many Hands. It is a song about betrayal and hurt. Clay almost enters into a call and response with the Memphis Horns, who give a fantastic performance on this track. He sings the song well enough, but the song is not as strong as the rest of the album. This is a somewhat disappointing way to close this album.
Trying To Live My Life Without You, is a good album from Otis Clay, and anyone who has not heard his music should consider buying this album. There are some great tracks on the album. In fact, out of the eleven songs on this album, the only weak track, is the final song Too Many Hands. The songs on Trying To Live My Life Without You have been chosen well, and feature a sterling cast of musicians and singers. On this album you will here stunning performances from The Memphis Horns, The Memphis Strings, backing singers Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes, as well as one of soul music’s greatest rhythm sections. Willie Mitchell has done a great job in producing this album. Clay should be thankful to Mitchell, as Mitchell was responsible for bringing out the best in Otis Clay, and it is a shame that Clay did not spend longer at Hi Records and produce more albums during his tenure there. However, we should be thankful that his time at Hi Records resulted in two quality albums, Trying To Live My Life Without You and I Can’t Take It. Should you wish to buy this album, it is available as part of a two-disc set which also features I Can’t Take It and the singles Clay released on Hi Records. This is a great introduction to the man and his music. I can thoroughly recommend buying this two -disc set, as it features some wonderful music, sung by one soul music’s greatest voices. Standout Tracks: Trying To Live My Life Without You, I Can’t Make It Alone, That’s How It Is and I Love You, I Need You.
OTIS CLAY-TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU.
KRAFTWERK-AUTOBAHN.
KRAFTWERK-AUTOBAHN.
In this article, I will write about a group that many people may have heard about, yet will have never have heard any of their music. That band is Krafwerk and the album is Autobahn. Kraftwerk and their music are often misunderstood. Often this is because people have not taken the time to find out about them and their music. Hopefully, by the time you have read this article you will know more about Kraftwerk and their album Autobahn.
Kraftwerk were formed in 1970, by Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider, until Schneider left the band in 2008. Many people struggle to describe Kraftwerk’s music. They are an electronic band, and their sound features strong and prominent repetitive, rhythms and melodies that are gloriously catchy. Their sound has a western style of melody, that is augmented by an array of electronic instruments, producing a minimalist sound. Lyrics are sung through electronic instruments like vocoders, and now speech recognition software. Kraftwerk were innovative, they were pioneers, being one of the first groups to see the potential in the use of electronic instruments and computers in music.
Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider met whilst studying at the Robert Schmann Academy in Dusseldorf in the late 1960s. Both were part of the German experimental art and music seen that was thriving during that time. The Bristish musical press always wanting to categorize music, came up with the name Krautrock for this type of music. This has stuck, and forty years later this term is still in use. During this period, Hutter and Schneider were both part of a group, the Organisation. The Organisation released one album Tone Float, on RCA Records. However, after the album was released the group split up. That was to be a new beginning for Hutter and Schneider, and the start of Kraftwerk.
During the period 1970-1974, the members of Kraftwerk chopped and changed. Around seven different musicians played on the first the albums, and during the group’s live performances. The only members who remained were Hutter and Schneider. In 1970 Kraftwerk released a self-titled album Kraftwerk. In 1972, the follow up Kraftwerk 2, its follow up was released. Their third album Ralf und Florian came out in 1973. The sound on these albums, is different to what became the trademark Kraftwerk sound. On the first three albums, the sound was a type offree-form and experimental rock music. This did not feature the discipline and hooks that is found in their later work. The first two albums, Kraftwerk and Kraftwerk 2 feature traditional musical instruments, with effects used to change and distort the sound, in the production stage. On these albums, the music was like a free-form jam , with the musicians exploring what their instruments can do.
However, by their third album, Ralf und Florian, the group are beginning to move towards the sound that would bring them commercial success. On Ralf und Florian, Kraftwerk start to feature drum machines and synthesisers. This album is almost entirely, an instrumental album, although vocoders are used sparingly on the album. This is something that Krafwerk would become synonymous with.
One man who was to have a huge influence on Kratwerk, and their sound was Konrad “Conny” Plank, a producer and engineer. he had previously worked with some of Germany’s finest and best known electronic groups, including Neu!, Can and Cluster. He was responsible for shaping the Kraftwerk sound, and teaching Hutter and Schneider about production techniques. The first for albums were co-produced by Plank and Kraftwerk, at his studio near Cologne.
Kraftwerk’s fourth album was Autobahn, which was released in 1974. Autobahn saw Kraftwerk move away from the sound of the first three albums. The group had decided to invest in some of the newer technology that was available at this time. One of the things Kraftwerk invested in, was a Minimoog. This allowed the group to develop a much more innovative and disciplined sound on Autobahn. Konrad “Conny” Plank was brought in to engineer this album, and the resulting success of Autobahn, allowed the group to invest in newer technology for their studio.
Because of the success of the album, Phonogram their US label, financed a mini-tour of the album. On this tour of the USA, Canada and the UK, Kraftwerk played as a quartet. This was the beginning of a much more stable line-up for Kraftwerk. Both Hutter and Schneider played keyboards during the tour, using synthesisers to do this. The Mimimoog was joined by the APR Odyssey on the tour. For the first time in their history, the vocals were sung by both Hutter and Schneider, during a live performance. Another instrument that was to play an important part in the Kraftwerk story, also made an appearance on the tour. The vocoder was used by Scneider, and the two new members, Wolfgang Flur and Karl Bartos, contributed to the sound, by using electronic instruments that they had made themselves. Bartos also, on this tour, was to use a Deagan Vibraphone during the performances. An instrument Kraftwerk had previously relied heavily upon, the flute, began to play less of a part in their music.
Autobahn is an album that tells a story. The easiest way to review the album is to tell the story of the music on the album. Autobahn, the title track is meant to capture the feeling one has when on a long journey in a car, traveling through the countryside and urban vistas. On the journey, one must imagine that you are driving a car in the fast lane of the motorway. To pass the time, and relieve the boredom one will experience, whilst driving, the track has the sound and feel of even the driver re-tuning the radio.
This journey is based on driving on the A555 between Koln and Bonn, the first ever Autobahn built, between 1929-1932. Listen carefully to this track, and you will hear various instruments that were new and innovative at this time. Featured on this track, and the rest of the album, are the Minimog, electronic drums, vocoder, the ARP Odyssey and the EMS Synthi AKS. These instruments, and ones that they built themselves, all go towards making this track.
The track begins with a car engine being turned on, and a car horn being sounded. Thereafter, the track takes you on an atmospheric and hypnotic journey. This is something that anyone who has ever driven a long and monotonous journey on a motorway. Autobahn, the track, draws you in, you find yourself listening carefully, pondering what will happen next. When I first listened to this album, I found myself entranced, trying to anticipate what would happen next, much like you do when driving down a busy motorway. Like all of Krafwerk’s music, this track has, on it, some glorious and catchy hooks.
The rest of the tracks feature a theme. Kometenmelodie 1 (Comet Melody 1) and Kometenmelodie 2 (Comet Melody 2), the second and third tracks on Autobahn, have a two part structure. At the start of the track, there is the introduction, then comes the main track. These tracks have a theme, and are based upon the theme of the night.
Kometenmelodie 1 has a moody and atmospheric start, the track begins quietly and has a minimalist feel to it. The track wanders, with various instruments coming into, and leaving the track. This is what one would hear on a long car journey on the motorway, a multitude of varying sounds entering and exiting your personal space. During the track the tempo and sound increases, as the speed of a car would increase and surrounding noise would increase, for example, moving from the countryside to an urban area.
Kometenmelodie 2 has a different sound to Kometenmelodie 1. The sound on this track is louder and the tempo quicker. Here it really does feel as if you are in a car in the fast lane of the Autobahn, the track makes you feel and think that. Kraftwerk have been creative in the sounds used to make this track. They have succeeded in coming up with a track that, to me, sounds like a good musical representation of what it feels and sounds like to drive a car, at speed, along the fast lane of the motorway, during the night. This to me, is the best track on the album.
Throughout both Kometenmelodie 1 and Kometenmelodie 2, the tracks have the feel of the night, and are a good musical representation of the night. Krafwerk have used their various instruments well, to do this. This was not an easy thing to do back in 1974. Kraftwerk did not have the technology that is available to musicians and producers today.
The fourth track Mitternacht (Midnight), many people have said has an ominous sound and feel to it. I agree with that. There is a darkness to this track, a really brooding sound. That does not mean this is a bad track. Quite the opposite, this is a track that challenges you, makes you focus, think about what the track is about. To me, this is a track that only Kraftwerk could have produced, only they would have had the imagination and inventiveness to make such a track.
The final track Morgenspaziergang (Morning Stroll), begins with the sound of the dawn chorus birdsong. Kraftwerk used electronics to recreate this sound. At the end of the track this sound is used again, this time for longer, with the phrase Autobahn heard at the start of the album, repeated time and again, in differing ways. he track plods along, sounds spray out, and there is almost a sinister sound to the start of the track. After the introduction, the track starts to build, and you hear what sounds like birds singing, a flute plays gently and what sounds like water running. This has the effect of holding your attention and is a good way to finish the album.
After Autobahn, Kraftwerk went on to release a number of albums. The Kraftwer albums I would recommend to someone who has not heard their music before, are the albums they released from 1974-1978. These are Autobahn, in 1974, Radio-Activity released in 1975, in Trans-Europe Express released in 1977 and The Man-Machine released in 1978. These are my personal favorites. However, Kraftwerk released albums throughout the next three decades. They have never been a prolific band, and there is sometimes huge gaps between their releases. For example, they released The Mix in 1991, and then nothing until Tour de France Soundtracks in 2003. Throughout a career spanning nearly five decades, Kraftwerk have only released twelve albums. That backs up my earlier statement that they are not a prolific band. However, what they are, are a band who have released some fine albums, which has gone on to influence generations of new musicians. One can ask, would electronic and dance music have developed in the way it has, without Kraftwerk? Personally, I think not, as techno producers often quote Kraftwerk as a huge influence. It is not only electronic and dance musicians that have been influenced by Kraftwerk. Many other musicians say that Kraftwerk had a huge influence on their musical development.
If you have never heard either Kraftwerk’s music or Autobahn, I urge you to consider buying this album. Autobahn is one of Kraftwerk’s finest albums. There may only be five tracks on the album, but they are five tracks that demonstrate how Kraftwerk were musical pioneers, leading the way, for future generations of musicians. If you are someone who is a fan of electronic or dance music, and have never heard this album, it is almost part of your musical education to listen to it. This will demonstrate to you, that what many electronic and dance music artists have been doing, is nothing new, this type of music has been around for a long time. Should you wish to explore Kraftwerk’s music further, I would recommend another three of their albums, Radio-Activity, Trans-Europe Express and The Man-Machine. Standout Tracks: Autobahn, Kometenmelodie and Morgenspaziergang.
KRAFTWERK-AUTOBAHN.
LABEL FOCUS-OM RECORDS.
LABEL FOCUS-OM RECORDS.
Om Records is a San Francisco based record label, that was founded in 1995 by Chris Smith. Since then, Om Records have released a wide array of compilation and artist albums, ranging from house music to hip hop. Since then, Om Records have set up a number of other sub-labels and affiliated labels, including Om Hip Hop, Child’s Play, Smoke ‘N’ Mirrors, Deep Concentration and Colorforms.
Om Records have released many compilations throughout the last sixteen years. This includes OM Lounge, House of Om, Sounds of Om and Mushroom Jazz series of compilations. These albums feature many types of music, including deep house, funky house, soulful house, broken beat, nu-jazz, chill-out and hip-hop. Regardless of the genres of music featured on all of these compilations, one thing they all have in common, is that they feature some wonderful music.
It is not only compilations that Om Records have released, they have also released a number of artist albums. This includes albums from Kaskade, Mark Farina, Samantha James, Colette and Underworld. Om Records have also released a number singles, EPs and 12” singles.
Since 1995, I have been a huge fan of OM Records, and over the years have purchased many of their releases. In this article, I will recommend some of the best releases on this label, and tell you a bit about the music that you will find on these albums.
OM LOUNGE.
Om Lounge was released in 1995. The release proved to be a great success, so much so that Om Records went on to release ten volume and a best of compilation. However, it is no wonder that this series was so successful, as it featured some wonderful downtempo music. On this, the first in the series, there are twelve tracks, all of which are perfect to relax to. This is the type of album that is perfect to listen to post-club.
Choosing the best tracks on this album is difficult, as each one has its merits. For me, Thievery Corporation’s track Right Angles (Remix) has to be one of the best tracks on the album. It is a slow, moody and atmospheric track featuring some great drum beats and vocal samples.
Fluid Motion’s track Lost and Found has a slightly faster tempo. On this track you will hear echoey and spacey vocals, a mid-tempo drum beat, and a keyboard solo that fades in and out of the song.
Bohemian Sunset by Jazzanova has a lovely sound and feel to it. It transports you to faraway and exotic places. The pace is kept slow, the track is allowed space to breath, and the arrangement is a perfect blend of samples, instruments and vocals.
The final track on this album I will feature is Adventures In La La Land by Andy Caldwell Vs. Woolove. This song starts gently, with various sounds entering and exiting the mix, the constant throughout the track is the drumbeats, which sit prominently in the mix. The track has a dubby feel to, with the use of effects, such as echo and delay. When listening to this track, you are kept on your toes, never able to anticipate what will happen next.
Om Lounge is a great downtempo album. Granted, in places the tempo rises, but overall, this album is perfect if you want to just “chill-out”. It features some great tracks, many from artists you may already know, some you may, as yet, be unfamiliar with. This album is well worth buying, and is a perfect entree into the Om Lounge series. Standout Tracks: Right Angles (Remix) by Thievery Corporation, Lost and Found by Fluid Motion, Bohemian Sunset by Jazzanova and Adventures In La La Land by Andy Caldwell Vs. Woolove.
OM LOUNGE.
OM LOUNGE VOLUME 3.
Om Lounge Volume 3 is the next of OM Records albums that I would like to feature. This album, was released in 2000 and has fourteen tracks on it. There is a great variety of styles of music within the album, and the compilers have chosen some wonderful tracks. They have managed to keep up the same level of consistency as they did one the previous two volumes.
Mackzen and Relaxin’ by Pimp Rekker is the first song on the album I would like to feature. This track has a spacey and atmospheric start to it, however, do not let that fool you. As the track meanders and progresses, the sound fills out. One of the highlights of the track, for me, is the variety of keyboard sounds, especially the Hammond organ solo. This track gels. All of the sounds used within the track fit perfectly, and together, make a great track.
Drums Delicious by Kevin Yost, reminds me at the start of an old Nightmares On Wax track, with the sample of crackling vinyl. However, there the comparision ends. Throughout the track you will hear the sound of crackling vinyl, and repetitive vocal stabs, drumbeats and various other sounds. Taken together this produces a track that draws you in, and has a compelling sound. This is easily a standout track on the album.
Love Music (Twisted Jazz Mix) by East West Connection, has a drum and bass sound at the start. It continues throughout the track. The track features some great drum and percussion sounds, and is augmented by the sparing use of a vocal sample. Simple but effective is the use of finger clicks. The sound is quite “busy” featuring many different sounds, instruments and samples, but works because the track is well arranged and produced.
Tenderly by Soulstice, has a lovely Mediterranean feel to it. The tracks begins flamenco guitar played to accompany a sweet female vocal. Later in the track the sound fills out. More happens on the track, but as soon as this starts it finishes, allowing the beauty of the track’s vocal to shine.
Om Lounge Volume 3 is, for me, one of the best volumes in this series. The compilers have done a wonderful job bringing together such an eclectic variety of tracks. That is not an easy task. Sometimes the compiler’s are frustrated in their attempts to use the tracks they want. Here, Om surpassed themselves, showcasing fourteen tracks that deserve your attention. Buy this album and you will not regret it. If you do, you will be privy to some wonderful music, music that you will not hear on many inferior compilations. This is truly an album that anyone who enjoys downtempo music will enjoy. Standout Tracks: Mackzen and Relaxin’ by Pimp Rekker, Drums Delicious by Kevin Yost, Love Music (Twisted Jazz Mix) by East West Connection and Tenderly by Soulstice.
OM LOUNGE VOLUME 3.
OM LOUNGE VOLUME 6.
By the time many compilations get to their sixth volume, they are not producing the same quality of compilation that they did in the early years. Either that, or they have realized that they have a cash cow on their hands and decide to milk it. That was not the case by the time Om Lounge Volume 6 came out in 2002. Om Records were still finding a high quality selection of eclectic music to put on this compilation. Yes, by now, the style had changed slightly and faster paced tracks were finding their way onto the albums. This did not matter because the music was of the highest quality.
The track that opens this album Find An Oasis by Block 16 (featuring Jhelisa), was one of the faster tracks that were finding their way onto the Om Lounge compilations. The track is 120 beats per minute. However, the track is a quality one. From the atmospheric bells ringing at the start, until the end this track is shines through as one of the strongest on the album. One of the highlights of the track is Jhelisa’s vocal. She sings the sing beautifully. The track also features a masterful arrangement, the drums and strings being placed just in the right place within the mix.
Someday (Phutiristic Remix) by The Beard, begins with a keyboard playing minor chords, and then goes on to feature a lovely vocal, sitting behind a crisp and almost crunching drumbeat. However, the way the drumbeat is programmed, allows the vocal still to shine. When the drumbeat drops out of the mix, the vocal drops in. It becomes almost like a musical game of cat and mouse. The track is well arranged, I particularly like the vocal, and although some people may believe the drumbeat is too prominent, I like that it has the effect of focusing the listener’s attention.
Verano by Andy Caldwell, is the next track on the album I would like to feature. This track has an atmospheric feel and sound to it. There is almost a broken beat feel to it. Many people listening to this track who are familiar with Caldwell’s house tracks, may find it hard to believe that he is responsible for this track. The track begins with a dreamy vocal and piano, and then wanders off, slowly, meandering, using various sounds and effects to good use. Like his track on the first installment of Om Lounge, this track has a dub influence to it. This is apparent from the use of of space and effects. I like this track, it takes you on an aural journey, one which is enjoyable.
My Time by Kaskade, is a slow, moody and atmospheric track. Again, there is a dubby feel to it. There is the use of space and echoey effects, as the track grows and builds. Featuring on this track is the most gorgeous vocal by Joslyn Petty. This is easily the highlight of the track. The use of the various samples and effects, allow the vocal to shine, and this makes this easily, one of the best tracks on this album.
Having listened to this album several times while writing this review, I am struck by the variety and quality of the tracks. On this album you will hear an eclectic selection of tracks, all of which, have their own merits and qualities. It was difficult for me to choose four tracks to feature. However, I managed to do so. Someone else listening to this album may disagree, favoring other tracks. What I can say with certainty is, that anyone who buys this album will enjoy all of the tracks featured on this album. Standout Tracks: Find An Oasis by Block 16 (featuring Jhelisa), Someday (Phutiristic Remix) by The Beard, Verano by Andy Caldwell and My Time by Kaskade.
OM LOUNGE VOLUME 6.
OM LOUNGE VOLUME 8.
This album, Om Lounge Volume 8 was the eighth of ten in the series, and was released in 2004. Even though the series had been around for so long, Om Records ensured that the standard remained high. This volume was, in my opinion one of the best. The album features thirteen of the best tracks around at the time. It is testament to the compilers that the quality is as high on the eighth volume as it was with the first volume. On this album there are some wonderful downtempo tracks, that are amongst the best you will hear.
The Water and the Sun by Zeb is the opening track on the album. It is also one of the standout tracks on the album. The track begins with the use of samples and echo, after which, the drumbeat sits above the rest of the sounds on this track. Throughout the track, there are a multitude of interesting and varied sounds. This is a mid-tempo song, with an upbeat sound to it, reminiscent of bright sunny days, spent lazing under a hot sun. It is a track that has the effect of lifting your mood.
Golden Nectar by King Kooba, is a slow, atmospheric track. It begins with keyboards and exotic instruments playing alongside a potent drumbeat. The addition of scratches adds to the effect, as does a flute solo, played gently alongside, and complementing the drumbeat. The track has an exotic eastern feel to it, and has a sound that has a hypnotic feel and sound, that constantly holds your attention. During the track one wonders where the track is heading next, where this exotic musical journey will take you. The destination King Kooba take you to, is one where you will want to return to, time and time again.
Dream Machine by Mark Farina, starts with a distant sound, gradually building up, slowly developing, breaking out, to join with a slow and moody vocal. The track then heads off, keeping a steady tempo. This track has a nice repetitive quality, where you hear the same sounds, and rhythms recurring. The track is well arranged and produced, and is one of the best tracks within the album.
The final track I will feature here is The Real Thing by Emo. This is a joyous and atmospheric track, that features some beautiful lyrics. The vocal is sung really well and is surrounded in the mix by a multitude of sounds, samples and instruments that contribute to the beauty of the track. What really emphasizes the beauty of the vocal, and the lyrics, is the space the producer has left in the arrangement, and the effects that are used. Out of all of the tracks on this album, this is, by far, the best. It is the best arranged and produced track on the album.
This album, like all of its predecessors, features some wonderful music. It is a lovely album to listen to whilst relaxing. When you do this, you will be taken on a wonderful musical journey. On that journey, you will visit some wonderful musical destinations. Truly, this is wonderful album, one that is worth you purchasing. Should you do so, you to will be able to go on a magical musical journey and visit some wonderful musical destinations. Standout Tracks: The Water and the Sun by Zeb, Golden Nectar by King Kooba, Dream Machine by Mark Farina and The Real Thing by Emo.
OM LOUNGE VOLUME 8.
SOUNDS OF OM VOLUME 1.
Sounds of Om Volume 1 was released in 1999. This was the first in the series, and this proved to be another success story for Om Records. On this release there are fifteen deep house tracks. When I listen to this album, I am always struck by the quality of all of the tracks. There are neither any weak tracks on the album, nor any tracks that could be classed as “filler”. This is unusual on compilation albums, as often, a compiler will not be able to fill an album with quality tracks, and will pad the album out with inferior tracks.
One criticism, and warning, I have about Sounds of Om Volume 1, is that there are four different versions of the Naked Music NYC track If I Fall, and two of their track It’s Love. However, each version of these tracks has a different sound and feel, and it is interesting to see how each remixer has approached the track. Even this does not detract from the quality of the album as a whole.
If I Fall (Dubtronic Mix) by Naked Music NYC is the first track on Sounds of Om Volume 1 I will feature. This version features a good arrangement, with the drums sitting at the front of the mix. The vocal and synths float in and out of the mix. Throughout the track the tempo is constant. A track like this would work well when a DJ is building a set up, gradually upping the tempo. It is typical of the Naked Music NYC sound, a sound I never tire of. Overall, this is a quality track from start to finish.
Questions and Answers by Fluid Motion, carries on very much in the same vein as If I Fall (Dubtronic Mix). This is another quality deep house track. The track just flows along, keeping a constant tempo, the sounds and rhythms repeating, constantly, throughout the track. Even though this track does not feature a huge amount of sounds and instruments, it still holds you attention, and keeps you interested.
Fascinated (Monkey Drum Mix) by Orpheos has a totally different sound, and feel, to the two previous tracks I have reviewed. The tempo of the track is slightly faster, and the sound is much fuller. There is more going on in this song. During the song numerous sounds, samples and instruments fight for the listener’s attention. There is also a Latin feel to this track, with the use of percussion in the track. What I do like, is the way the track flows, then there is a gradual build up, then there is a breakdown and it all starts again. This is an interesting and varied track, that would go down well on any dance-floor. That is a huge compliment to this track, as it is over ten years old, yet still sounds fresh today.
Fresh Start (Iz House Dub) by Terra Deva, is the last song on this album I will highlight. Once again the sound is much fuller, and unlike the other songs I have featured, this track has a great vocal on it. Maybe it is just my preference, but I find a house track with a good vocal on it, much better than a good house track without a vocal on it. This adds to a track, especially this track. The vocal comes in and out of the track, and somehow this adds to the track. Overall, this is well arranged and produced track, one of the best on this album.
Sounds of Om Volume 1 is a good release from Om Records. This was the first in a series of great series of house compilations. This album features some quality house music, and although this album was released back in 1999, the music on it still sounds fresh and relevant. Anyone who enjoys house music, who does not have this album, should add it to their collection. Should they do so, they will be the proud owner of a selection of classic house music. Standout Tracks: If I Fall (Dubtronic Mix) by Naked Music NYC, Questions and Answers by Fluid Motion, Fascinated (Monkey Drum Mix) by Orpheos and resh Start (Iz House Dub) by Terra Deva.
SOUNDS OF OM VOLUME 1.
SOUNDS OF OM VOLUME 2.
Sounds of Om Volume 2, is a great compilation of fifteen quality house tracks. The music on this volume features a slightly different sound. Here, the album showcases some of the best deep and funky house tracks that were around back in 2000. Having listened to all of the Sounds of Om compilations whilst writing this article, I am of the mind that this is one of the best volumes. Buy any of the Sounds of Om series, and you will be the proud owner of some wonderful house music.
The first track on this album I will feature is Don’t Worry by Jazmin and Face. This track starts with a vocal sung through a vocoder. On this track, the vocal sits on top of some well programmed drumbeats. Also, featuring on the track is a trumpet solo that has the effect of complimenting the track. Throughout this album, many of the artists use various effects on their tracks. Here, the use of the vocoder. This sound was popular for a while, the track though, is not overuse it. If overused, it uses its effectiveness.
Lovely by Soulstice (Andy Caldwell Mix), is a one of the best tracks on the album. This track features some crunching drumbeats, a vocal and trumpet solo. The vocal and the drum sounds compliment each other, and the trumpet solo floats into the mix later on, in the track. To me, this is a classic Om Records sound. If you listen to many of their albums, this sound will feature many times. You will also find this sound, on many of Naked Music’s releases.
Laughter by Rithma, has similar features to many of the tracks on Sounds of Om Volume 1. This is a deep house track, and the track has a glorious sound to it. The track features features drum beats, synths and a breathy vocal stab. On this track the various sounds, pump in and out of the mix, and the tempo keeps a steady 128 beats per minute. A quality track like this, would not be out of place on any dance-floor.
Don’t You Cry by Gabriel Rene, has a similar sound to the Soulstice track. This is one of the standout tracks on the compilation, and is also a funky house track. It also features a drumbeat sitting towards to front of the mix, and female vocalist on the track. Nicole Weisberg is the vocalist on this track, but here, the vocal has not as large a part in track. It floats in and out of the track. Rene has used the vocal sparingly, compared to the use of a vocal on the Soulstice track. Like the Soulstice track, this track still has a freshness about in today.
Quiet Nights by Andy Caldwell, is an altogether different track that the others on this album. The sound on this track has a Balearic sound to it. A track like Quite Nights would work on a chill-out album, as well as it works here. Orlando’s vocal is, for me, what makes the track work. She sings the vocal softly, and is accompanied by some interesting sounds and samples. There are various samples used that make the listener sit up and listen, and the tempo of the drums changes throughout the track. At the start, the drums are softer and in the background, whereas later in the track, they become louder, and have a more prominent role in the track. This track is a a good one, that features different styles and influences. Listen carefully and you will hear house, broken beat and Balearic influences on this track.
Looking back, Sounds of Om Volume 2, is one of the finest in the series. The compilers have managed to ensure that, throughout the album, you will hear a wonderful selection of deep and funky house. At the time this album was released, there were many compilations out featuring this style of music. However, listen to many of them, and they have neither the quality, nor freshness that this compilation has. This release has a timeless quality about it, if you were to use some of the tracks in a mix today, it would work as well as it did in 2000 when it was released. That to me, says a lot, and I would have no qualms about recommending that you buy this album. Should you do so, I am sure you will enjoy it immensely. Standout Tracks: Don’t Worry by Jazmin and Face, Lovely by Soulstice (Andy Caldwell Mix), Laughter by Rithma and Quiet Nights by Andy Caldwell.
SOUNDS OF OM VOLUME 2.
HOUSE OF OM-KASKADE.
Another successful series of compilations by Om Records is their House of Om series. This has featured a number of the best DJs choosing a selection of their favorite tracks for a compilation. On this album House of Om-Kaskade, the second in the series, the compiler Kaskade has chosen some of the finest tracks around at that time. Many of the tracks are ones that Kaskade has remixed. Those familiar with Kaskade’s work, will know that they are a talented and prolific DJ, producer and remixer. Some of the remixes on this album are among some of their best work. Released in 2005, this album features fourteen tracks.
The first track I will feature is Can I Get (Mainline Dub) by Simon Aston. This track features a multitude of instruments and samples, which Simon Aston has arranged in such a way that, together, they produce a wonderful funky house track. One of the highlights is a vocal that floats in and out of the mix. On this track a number of effects have also been used, however, they have been used effectively, not overused. Sometimes in a track that features so many different sounds and effects, the mix can sound crowded. That is not the case here. What we have here is a great track.
Don’t Give It Up (Lawnchair General’s Mix) by DJ Hal, is an interesting and quality track. The effects used on this track seem to subdue the drum sound, which I believe works. Throughout the track keyboards and percussion is used, along with a vocal which cuts in and out of the track. This track has a deep house sound and feel to it, and is one of the best on the album. It is well arranged and produced.
Everything (Big Room Mix) by Kaskade, is to me, easily, the best track on this album. It is typical of Kaskade’s work, a great house track, that is well arranged and well produced. The track features a lengthy introduction, and then goes on to feature a sweetly sung vocal. This track is one that is catchy and full of hooks. The song has a Balearic feel to it and is one of the best tracks Kaskade have produced in their long and prolific career.
Once In A Lifetime by Full Intention faeturing Xavier, is an atmospheric deep house track, which starts with, and feature, drumbeats that have almost a Latin influence to them. Accompanying the drumbeats, are a lovely repetitive keyboard and later on in the track, a half spoken, half sung vocal. The vocal is repeated throughout the majority of the track, and like the repetition of the keyboard, this is effective, adding to the quality of the track.
House of Om-Kaskade is one of the best in this series. In all honesty, I could have chosen any one of the series to review. Each of the compilations features quality house music in abundance. Om Records have ensured that the quality of music on these compilations is always of a high standard. Throughout the series they have chosen some well know DJs to compile these compilations. Kaskade compiled this one, others have been compiled by Mark Farina, Fred Everything, DJ Sneak and Colette and DJ Heather. Should you decide to go out and purchase this album, I am sure that it will not be the last in the series you buy, you will find yourself seeking out the other albums in the series, and maybe other Om Records releases as well.
HOUSE OF OM-KASKADE.
If, having read this article, you want to know more about Om Records music, but you are undecided about which releases to buy, one way of getting to know their music, is by purchasing a compilation which features some of their best music. I can recommend three albums that will allow you to do that:
OM 100.
Om 100 was released in 2002 and is a two disc compilation album. It is a retrospective of the first one hundred releases in the label’s history. Featured on this compilation is a selection of the music that you will find on their albums. On the two discs, there are twenty-two tracks, featuring a wide selection of artists.
Disc One features eleven tracks from artists such as, King Kooba, Pimp Rekker, Mark Grant, Kaskade, Rithma and Soulstice. All of these artists have featured on many of the previous one-hundred releases. Soulstice have featured on the Om Lounge and Remixed series of compilation albums. King Kooba have also featured on the Om Lounge, Om Chilled and Departures compilations.
The second disc features a wide selection of wonderful tracks. This includes tracks from a diverse range of artists including: Mark Farina, Scuba, John Howard and Fred Everything. Mark Farina has previously compiled the Mushroom Jazz compilations and one of the House of Om compilations. He has also featured on the Om Lounge Volumes 1, 4, 5 and 8, Remixed and Om Miami compilations. Fred Everything previously compiled one of the volumes of House of Om, and has featured on the Om Miami 2006, 2007 and 2008, Om Ibiza 2009, Sounds of Om Volumes 4 and 6 and Om-The United Nations of Future Music Volume 1.
This album is a good introduction to Om Records. It features some great tracks from their first one-hundred releases. By buying this album you will be able to hear what type of music the label releases. The compilation has some good tracks on it, and should you like what you hear, you will be able to explore this label further.
OM 100.
OM 10: A DECADE OF FUTURE MUSIC.
Firstly, Om:10 A Decade of Future Music, is a three disc compilation album. It was released in 2005 to celebrate the label’s tenth anniversary. On the first disc there are twelve house tracks featuring Chuck Love, Colette, Kaskade, Mark Farina and Groove Junkies. These artists all feature on many of Om Records compilations that I have reviewed in this article. Also, Colette Kaskade and Mark Farina have all compiled albums for the House of Om series as well as producing and remixing many tracks for the label. This disc will allow you to listen to some of the music you will hear featured on compilations such as House of Om and Om House.
The second disc features thirteen downtempo tracks. On this disc you will hear some wonderful tracks by some artists who feature on other Om Records releases. You will hear tracks from Kaskade, King Kooba, Colossus and Jt Donaldson. This disc features the types of music that you will hear on releases such as the Om Lounge series of compilations.
The third disc features a selection of Classics that have been released on Om Records. On this disc you will find some fantastic tracks. Included are: It’s Love (Joshua’s Mo Musiq Mix) Naked Music NYC, Dream Machine by Mark Farina Take 5 by Johnny Fiasco and Lovely by Soulstice. In my opinion, it is worth buying the album for this disc alone.
This compilation is a good way to find out more about this wonderful label. It will let you hear the type of music Om Records released in their first ten years. During their first ten years, Om Records were at the cutting edge of electronic and dance music. They were always ahead of the competition, always able to find new artists and release tracks that featured new and exciting sounds and artists. That is not an easy thing to do, as you have to be constantly aware of the changing musical trends and tastes. Om Records and Naked Music are two labels that were able to do that. Even today, Om Records still are releasing quality music on a regular basis. Many of the labels that were around when Om Records started, have fallen by the wayside, and many of the labels that followed in their footsteps, have also disappeared. That Om Records are still going strong, is testament to the people at the label who are able to find, and release, such wonderful and quality music. This compilation is a good introduction to the label, and their music. It will allow someone unfamiliar with their music to hear a wide variety of music without having to spend huge sums of money.
OM 10: A DECADE OF FUTURE MUSIC.
OM 15: 15 YEARS OF OM RECORDS.
Om 15: 15 Years of Om Records was released in 2009 to celebrate the first fifteen years of the label’s history. The album features twenty-six tracks on the two discs. This album has two discs, Disc One is titled Night and Disc Two is titled Day.
On Disc One, Night, you will find tracks from J-Boogie’s Dubtronic Science featuring Jennifer Johns, Spirit Catches, Radio Slave and Lovebirds. This disc features a wide selection of house tracks and there is something for all tastes here.
Disc Two, Day, features a selection of slower tracks, a much more downtempo, and atmospheric, selection of tracks. Among the tracks featured here, you will find tracks from Eighty Mile Beach, Don T, Jade Alexis and Mike Monday. This is the perfect disc if all you want to do is sit back and relax. These tracks will allow you to do that, taking your mind on an aural journey, to places you have never experienced before.
This compilation features tracks that are perfect for the dance-floor, and others that you can relax to. It is an up-to-date compilation of the type of music Om Records are currently releasing. It is an album that is well worth buying, and is packed full of quality music.
OM 15: 15 YEARS OF OM RECORDS.
I have thoroughly enjoyed researching, and writing this article. It is always a pleasure to listen to the music on Om Records. This has been a perfect opportunity to re-acquaint myself with some of their music that I had not listened to for a while. It has been difficult choosing just a few of their releases to write about, as there are so many great albums I could have picked to write about. Maybe in the future, I will have to write about some more of the fantastic music on this label. What I hope that this article has done, is in introduce you to some music you were not aware of. If you had heard of Om Records before, I hope this article has encouraged you to have another look at this label’s music, as they have released so much good music since 1995. Should you decide to explore the music on this label, all I can say is enjoy the music, and have fun discovering some wonderful new music.
LOVE AND MONEY-STRANGE KIND OF LOVE.
LOVE AND MONEY-STRANGE KIND OF LOVE.
The band that I am going to write about, Love and Money, are one of Scotland’s finest bands of the past thirty years. In an eight year recording career from 1986-1994, Love and Money recorded just four albums, All You Need Is Love in Money in 1986, Strange Kind of Love in 1988, Dogs In Traffic in 1991 and their final album Littledeath in 1994. The album I will review in this article, is their second album, Strange Kind of Love.
Love and Money were formed in 1985. Three of Love and Money’s members, had previously played together in a another band, Friends Again. James Grant vocalist and guitarist, keyboard player Paul McGeechan and drummer Stuart Kerr had all been members of Friends Again. In the next nine years, Love and Money would go on record four albums and twelve singles. Although Love and Money’s music was well received by music critics, their music was not as commercially successful, as other Scottish bands who were around at that time. During this period, Scotland was blessed with some great bands, including, the Blue Nile, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Orange Juice and Simple Minds. Unfortunately, although well regarded within the music industry, Love and Money did not prove to be as popular with the record buying public.
Strange Kind of Love has eleven tracks on it, and when you listen to this album, you will be struck by how polished the sound is. It is as if Love and Money were trying to achieve an almost, sonic perfection, by producing an album with a flawless sound. Interestingly, one of Love and Money’s big influences were Steely Dan, and this was what they aimed to achieve, especially on their Gaucho album. The Steely Dan influence is even greater on this album, for two reasons. Firstly, Gary Katz, Steely Dan’s producer, produced Strange Kind of Love. Secondly, Steely Dan drummer, Jeff Porcaro played drums on this album. Porcaro had played on Steely Dan’s albums Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied. I am sure that when you listen to this album, you too, will hear a Steely Dan influence on Strange Kind of Love.
The first track on Strange Kind of Love is Halleluiah Man. This is a great track to start the album and is Love and Money at their finest. On this track Grant’s voice is strong, the guitar solo is one of the highlights of the track and in the background there is a funky bass solo. The whole sound on this track is strong, there is a polished feel to the track. When you listen to to the lyrics they have both a surreal quality and also have a political message to them. Grant sings doing anything “to bring the government down”. Interestingly, this track was recorded when Scotland was going through a turbulent time politically. This is an outstanding track, and a strong start to the album.
Shape of Things To Come is the next track on the album. Here, Grant sings the song slowly, in contrast to the opening track Halleluiah Man. Grant’s vocal is strong and clear, and the band accompany him in such a way that highlights his strong vocal. The band produce a strong and polished performance. Listening to this track, it is hard to believe that this is only Love and Money’s second album. This song’s lyrics have a quality that make you wonder what it is he is singing about. He sings “is this the shape of things to come”, and throughout the song, but by the end of the song, the listener is no wiser. That does not make this a bad song, quite the opposite, this is an intriguing song, that makes the listener think.
On Strange Kind of Love, this is classic Love and Money. This song has all the features I would expect from Love and Money at their best. The song has quality and thematic lyrics, features a polished performance from the band and sees Grant give a strong vocal performance throughout the track. Strange Kind of Love was one of the singles taken from this album. Sadly, it failed to break into the top forty in the UK singles chart.
The next track, Axis of Love is a slightly quicker tempo. Here the song begins with a guitar solo, then Grant’s vocal begins. On this track, Grant uses a wider vocal range. To some extent, this works, as it helps to emphasize the lyrics, although when Grant almost shouts some of the lyrics, this sounds somewhat forced. In this instance, wonder if he is out-with his vocal range’s comfort zone. Throughout the track, the band produce a polished performance, and the standard of musicianship is of a high standard. However, this track for me, lacks something. It is a pleasant enough song, but maybe the production by Gary Katz is too slick, or maybe Grant’s Grant’s vocal is not up to his usual standard.
Jocelyn Square was the third single taken from Strange Kind of Love. On this track, what you will hear is Love and Money the tight funk band. This track features lyrics that paint a picture, close your eyes and you will be able to visualize what Grant is singing about. As well as featuring some great lyrics, the song demonstrates a band who are at the top of their game. Throughout the track the standard of musicianship is of the highest standard. The guitar solo and the funky bass lines are two of the three contributory factors on what makes this such a strong track. The third factor is Grant’s voice. He delivers the song with feeling, and has reserved a stellar performance for this track. In my opinion, Halleluiah Man is the strongest track on the album, Jocelyn Square must be a close second.
On Walk the Last Mile Love and Money take the tempo down. This is a slower song. The lyrics are some of the strongest on this album. Again, they tell a story, they have a strong narrative, and there is sadness within the lyrics, when Grant sings “I never knew I could feel so old”. Grant sings this song slowly, and like a good actor, uses his voice for dramatic effect. Throughout the track, the band play behind the vocal, and this emphasizes the Grant’s delivery of some lovely lyrics. Walk the Last Mile is one of the strongest tracks on this album, and is one of my favorite Love and Money tracks.
Razorsedge has a funky start. Bass and drum start the track, and Grant changes his vocal style and the tempo and is much more upbeat. Grant almost raps the lyrics, which are not the best lyrics on the album. In fact, this is far from the best song on the album, the sound has not stood the test of time well. This sounds very much like a song from the 1980’s. It has a throwaway quality to it. There is no depth to the lyrics, and it is almost a poor man’s funk track. The song reminds me of another Scottish band around at the time Hipsway, who were a good, though short-lived band. Their album Hipsway is one that has some good tracks on it, and is worth listening to.
Inflammable sees Love and Money return to form. Here, Grant sings the song well, the tempo is slightly slower, and the lyrics feature the quality that was lacking in the previous track Razorsedge. On Inflammable, the band play gently, behind Grant, allowing his vocal to take centre-stage. This track has a jazzy feel and influence, and demonstrates how Love and Money were a band that could play different styles of music, and do so well.
Up Escalator finds Love and Money attempting another funky track. This time, however, they succeed. This song sees the band all contributing strong performances. Grant is able to match the band’s performance, giving a strong, vocal performance. This song features a wonderful harmonica solo, and a real funky bass solo. Although, in my opinion, this is not the style of music Love and Money were suited to, they have delivered a strong track, and one that deserves its place on this album.
Avalanche sees the musical style change once again. This is a song that features strong lyrics, that when you listen to them have depth and intelligence. Many people fail to listen to the lyrics to songs, and by doing so, miss out. When you listen carefully to this song the lyrics are tinged with sadness and regret, over what might have been. Not only are the lyrics and Grant’s vocal quality, so is the band’s performance. They really do this song justice, producing a performance that brings out the best in the song. To me, this is one of the album’s best songs.
The final song on Strange Kind of Love is Scapegoat. This song has a funky feel to it. Love and Money were a band who were always said to have a funk influence to their music. That is apparent here, and this is actually a good song. It demonstrates how diverse the type of music Love and Money were able to produce throughout their career. James Grant and the rest of the band really have reserved a sterling performance for this, the final track on the album. Incidentally, on this track, there is a similarity in the sound, to that of Hue and Cry, another Scottish band who were around at that time, and who were a talented band.
Strange Kind of Love is, in my opinion, a very mature album for a band who were only producing their second album. On, and throughout, this album you will hear a wide variety of styles of music. The album features some great tracks, that have some interesting and intelligent lyrics, that were sung well by a talented vocalist, James Grant. He in turn, was fortunate to be surrounded by a talented group of musicians, who, on this album, have produced some wonderful performances, and music. What cannot be underestimated though, is the influence of producer Gary Katz. He produced a very polished album, and one which, twenty-three years later, mostly, still sounds fresh. His production provided a showcase for Love and Money’s talents, and it is a shame that this album was not more successful. If, having read this review, you are interested in hearing this album, I would have no hesitation in recommending that you go out and buy Strange Kind of Love. Should you do so, I am sure you will be glad you did, as you will have purchased a quality album, by a great group, who sadly, are underrated and overlooked by the record buying public. There are other albums by Love and Money that I would also recommend, their 1991 album Dogs In the Traffic and Cheap Pearls and Whisky Dreams: The Best of Love and Money. The latter features Love and Money’s best tracks, and is a good introduction to their music. Standout Tracks: Halleluiah Man, Strange Kind of Love, Jocelyn Square and Walk the Last Mile.
LOVE AND MONEY-STRANGE KIND OF LOVE.
OLETA ADAMS-CIRCLE OF ONE.
OLETA ADAMS-CIRCLE OF ONE.
The artist that I am going to write about in this article is an object lesson to any artist who is waiting to be discovered. Oleta Adams back in 1985, was an unknown artist who, up until then, had faced rejection at every turn. Then one night in 1985, when she was performing a concert in a hotel bar Kansas City, Missouri, a chance meeting changed her career.
This chance meeting, was with Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the founding members of Tears For Fears, an English band, popular at the time. They were staying in the hotel she was singing in, after one of their concerts, and heard Adams perform. Orzabal and Smith liked what they heard, and two years later, in 1987, they invited Adams to perform on the next Tears For Fears album.
In 1989, Tears For Fears released their album The Seeds of Love. On the album, Adams sung a duet, Woman In Chain on one the tracks. The Seeds of Love was released as a single, and became a hit, Adams first ever hit single. When Tears For Fears went on a worldwide tour, Adams was not only the opening act on the concert tour, but also sang backing vocals and played piano with Tears For Fears.
After the success of Adams work with Tears For Fears, their record label, Fontana Records, offered Adams a recording contract in 1990. This allowed Adams to resume her solo career, that had started way back in the 1970’s. Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears produced this new album Circle of One, alongside Dave Bascombe. The album was a huge success, reaching number one in the UK charts and number twenty in the US charts. However, when the album was released, many people wondered, who is Oleta Adams?
Oleta Adams was born in 1953, in Seattle, Washington, the youngest of six children. Her father was a preacher, and she was brought up listening to gospel music. During her early years, Adams’ family moved to Yakima, Washington. Her musical talents became apparent early on in life, when she sang in the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, where her father was the minister. Aged eleven, she was singing in four choirs, and was an extremely talented pianist.
When Adams left high school, she rejected the opportunity to pursue a career as a lyric soprano, and a scholarship to the Pacific Lutheran University. Instead, Adams headed to Europe, and spent a year there. On returning, she headed to Los Angeles, where she decided to pursue a musical career. There she recorded a demo tape. Sadly, the music she had recorded was not what music executives wanted. At that time, music executives were almost fixated on disco music, to the exclusion of other styles of music. This led to Adams spending years trying to get a record deal. Having been unable to secure a record deal, by 1983, Adams decided to take matters into her own hands. She recorded an album Going On Record, in 1983 and released it herself. This, sadly, did not bring her the success she craved, and it was not until Circle of One that the record buying public took notice of Adams, and her fabulous voice.
Following the release of Circle of One, Adams released Evolution in 1993. That was not as successful as her debut, only reaching number ten in the UK, and number sixty-seven in the US. Since then Oleta Adams has released further five albums. Some of these albums were gospel albums, Adams first musical influence, and others were secular albums. Sadly, Adams career has never hit the same heights as she did when Circle of One was released. So why was Circle of One so successful?
Circle of One has ten tracks on the album. The album starts with a great track Rhythm of Life. This is one of the strongest tracks on the album. This song starts slowly with quite a long introduction, then when Adams vocal begins, it is worth the wait. Adams has a honeyed vocal, with a wide range. She sings the song well, it has a mid-tempo, and her vocal is complimented by a masterful arrangement by Orzabal and Bascombe.
Get Here is a cover of a Brenda Russell song and provided Adams with the biggest hit of her career. In truth, I prefer this version of the song. Adams sings the songs so well, and produces a strong vocal performance. This song starts with a piano track, and Adams sings this song slowly and beautifully. The song sees Adams demonstrating her vocal dexterity again. This song has lovely, moving lyrics and the band play behind the vocal, allowing the vocal to shine. Here Adams gives a vocal masterclass, one that many younger singers could learn a lot from. This, to me, is one of the strongest tracks on the album.
Circle of One is a very different track to the previous to songs. This is a much quicker song. The sound on the track is a much fuller, and louder sound. The drums are very prominent in the mix, and almost overpower the vocal. Adams still produces a good vocal performance on this track. What the song lacks to me, is space. There is almost too much going on in this track. However, this is not a bad track, quite the opposite, the track is a good one, with a wonderful vocal from Adams, a good saxophone solo and some great backing vocals.
The tempo decreases on the next track, You’ve Got to Give Me Room. At the beginning on this track, Adams is only accompanied by a piano playing, and later on in the track a flugel horn played by Guy Barker. This is a track that suits her vocal style. I can imagine Adams singing a song like this back when she sang in cocktail bars. It has an atmospheric feel to the song, and the arrangement is perfect. Unlike the last track, the arrangement here has a minimal feel, which suits the song.
The next track I’ve Got To Sing My Song, sees Adams produce one of her best performances on this album. There is a gospel feel and sound to the song. The lyrics also have a spiritual theme to them. Adams uses her full vocal range here, and you will go a long way before you come across a better vocal performance. The only way to describe this song is joyous. I never tire of hearing this song, and it has the ability to lift your mood, it makes you feel better that you did before you heard it. This is, by a long way, the standout track on Circle of One.
On I’ve Got A Right the song starts with a quicker tempo, and features a great performance from Adams and her band. This track has a real jazzy feel and sound on it. The band on this track show what they are capable of, and really let loose. Adams was fortunate that on this album, that she had a great group of musicians. The piano, played by Adams and the drums played by John Cushon are ably backed by a fantastic brass section. However, credit must go to Phil Todd for his fabulous saxophone solo on this track. It really is one of the highlights of the song.
The next track Will We Ever Learn sees the tempo drop again. However, this is another lovely track. Again, Adams sings this song with passion and feeling. She goes on to demonstrate her considerable vocal talents, producing another fantastic performance. On this track, the style changes again, this track is much more up-tempo and has a brighter and more positive feel to it. Her band, once again get a chance to demonstrate what they are capable of, and produce another top-class performance.
Everything Must Change sees Adams change style again. This time, she sings the song slowly and accompanies herself on piano. What this does is add to the impact of the song. This is a powerful song, with poignant lyrics, that Adams sings with real feeling. The arrangement on this song is just right, and Guy Barker’s flugel horn solo has the effect of taking this song to another level. The drums, bass and ting, are used sparingly, and this is the best arrangement on the album.
The final song on Circle of One is Don’t Look Too Closely. Here, the track has a jazzy feel, and this demonstrates Adams’ talent as a vocalist. Throughout the album she sung in various styles from gospel to soul and jazz. On this track Adams sounds a bit like Dionne Warwick in certain parts of the song. This is a good track, which allows Adams to show that she is capable of handling different types and styles of songs.
There is also a bonus track on this album. It is a remix of Circle of One. It is a good remix of the song. However, I prefer the original, as it is such a well sung and powerful song. Circle of One does not need the bells and whistles the remix features, although it is always interesting to hear what a remixer will do to a song.
Having spent some time listening to this album, I am struck by the sheer quality of the whole album. Every song is good, there is not one bad song on the album. Throughout the album, Adams’ vocal performances are stunning, and she is very fortunate to have a top quality backing band playing on this album. It is a very mature album, especially since this was her debut for a major label. The thing that surprises me, is that Oleta Adams did not go on to have a much more successful career. By all rights and purposes, Adams’ career should have taken off. Yes, her follow up album Evolution had reasonable chart success, but after that, her career went nowhere. That is a tragedy, especially when you see people with a fraction of Adams’, have careers that are long and successful. However, whatever the reasons for Oleta Adams career stalling, she is not the first, and sadly will not last person, that this will happen to. We are fortunate that she recorded such a good album as Circle of One, and for that we must be grateful. For anyone interested in exploring her music further, I would recommend her follow up to Circle of One, Evolution, and also The Very Best of Oleta Adams, which will give you an overview of her career up until its release in 1996. I am sure if you buy these albums, you will enjoy the music on them, and will be like me, left wondering why she never enjoyed the success her talent deserved. Standout Tracks: Rhythm of Life, Get Here, I’ve Got To Sing My Song and Everything Must Change.
OLETA ADAMS-CIRCLE OF ONE.
TIM BUCKLEY-GOODBYE AND HELLO.
TIM BUCKLEY-GOODBYE AND HELLO.
In this article, I am going to write about an artist many people will not have heard of, and therefore, will be unaware of the wonderful music he recorded in his career. The artist is Tim Buckley, and in this article i will review one of his finest albums Goodbye and Hello. Goodbye and Hello was released in 1967 on the Elektra label. This was his second album, and was the follow up to his self-titled album Tim Buckley, which was produced by Jack Nitzsche and released in 1966.
Buckley was a singer, songwriter and musician. His self titled debut album, Tim Buckley, had a folk influence, however, through his career, the style of his music evolved, to encompass a jazz, psychedelia, soul, funk and avant-garde sounds and influences. What made Buckley stand out from the crowd at that time, was the way he used his voice almost like an instrument. He had an incredibly wide vocal range, that he used on many of his songs. Buckley was also a talented guitarist, playing both the Guild 12 String Guitar and a Fender Electric XII. Sadly, a permanent injury to two fingers on his left hand, sustained whilst playing football in high school, caused Buckley problems when playing the guitar. Some people believe that this led him to play extended chords, as they don’t require the use of barres.
Tim Buckley was born in 1947 in Washington DC, and later, moved to Amsterdam, New York. His first exposure to music was listening to his mother’s progressive jazz records. Throughout his childhood, he was introduced to a wide range of music, from the blues of Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, to the jazz sounds of Miles Davis, and the country music of Hank Williams and Johhny Cash.
At high school, he sang he was inspired by the Kingston Trio and formed a group influenced by their music. Towards the end of his school career, he started missing classes to focus more of his attention on music. He was fortunate that he would meet Larry Beckett who was later, to write lyrics for Buckley, and Jim Fielder who played bass in two of the groups he joined. These two groups were The Bohemians, who played popular music, and The Harlequin 3 who were a folk group.
Another fortunate meeting for Buckley occurred in 1965, when he met Mary Guibert, a year younger than Buckley. Guibert became pregnant not long after, and they married in October 1965, giving birth to Jeff Buckley, who later became a talented singer songwriter. Mary Guibert was to be an inspiration for much of Buckley’s music. The marriage allowed Tim Buckley to spend time away from home, where his father a much decorated, US Army veteran, had became unstable, and sometimes violent. The marriage was turbulent, and Buckley soon moved into his own apartment, and soon after he realized he could not cope with married life, and the couple saw each other only occasionally thereafter. They divorced a year later in 1966, a month prior to Mary gave birth to Jeff.
Buckley left high school in 1965, and headed to college. However, college and music were too much for Buckley to cope with, and he left college after two weeks to concentrate on his musical career. He spent time playing the folk clubs in LA during 1965, and then played a number of coffee houses in Orange County. In February 1966, Buckley’s big break came. He had played a concert at a club in LA called It’s Boss, when he was spotted by Jimmy Carl Black, the drummer in The Mother’s of Invention. He recommended Buckley to Herb Cohen the manager of The Mother’s of Invention. Cohen liked what he saw, and arranged for Buckley to play a concert at the Nite Owl, in Greenwich Village, New York. It was while Buckley was there, that he met guitarist, Lee Underwood, who went on to be Buckley’s guitarist, playing on his albums. At the same time, Herb Cohen became Buckley’s manager, and arranged for him to record a demo with six tracks on it. This demo was sent to Jac Holzman at Elektra Records. Cohen liked what he heard, and after seeing Buckley live, signed Buckley to Elektra.
Tim Buckley went on to record nine studio albums for Elektra. He was with Elektra throughout his career, and released his final album Look At the Fool in 1974. Throughout his career, he constantly reinvented himself, changing his sound and style. Listen to his nine studio albums, and you will hear Buckley in various guises’ You will hear Buckley sing folk, jazz, funk and soul. On some tracks, his sound is particularly avant garde, an experimental sound, that is unlike his previous work.
Sadly, the Tim Buckley has an unhappy ending. In June 1975, Buckley played his final concert in Dallas, Texas. The day after attending an end of tour party, Buckley died of an overdose of heroin. He had managed to control a drug habit for some time, it is thought that his tolerance level was lowered, and the amount of heroin he had ingested and alcohol he consumed were the cause of his death. He left behind a second wife Judy, and an eight year old son Jeff. When Buckley died, he was only twenty-eight, although he lived a short life, he packed a lot of living into it, and left us with some wonderful music, one of those albums being Goodbye and Hello.
Goodbye and Hello has ten tracks on it, Buckley wrote six songs himself, and co-wrote the other four with Beckett. The first track on the album is No Man Can Find A War. This is an anti-war song, written by Beckett which examines the psychological nature of war. On this song, Buckley it starts with a crash of thunder and Buckley singing accompanied by the guitar. It is a deeply moving song, with evocative and moving lyrics, that tell the story of what is happening to Americans many thousands of miles away. It is a strong song to start the album.
Carnival Song is the next song on the album, and begins with sounds of a carousel. The tempo of the song is interesting, and Buckley sings the song gently. The lyrics seem to be about Buckley’s childhood memories, and have the ability to paint a picture. A picture that the listener can imagine, can visualize and smell, that is how clear the picture painted is.
The next song Pleasant Street, is a different type of song. Although the song starts brightly with guitar and piano, the lyrics are darker and brooding. There is almost a cynical nature to the lyrics. On this track Buckley shows his incredible vocal range. He goes from singing softly one minute, to really letting his voice go the next. This is a song that is well sung, and features some wonderful musicianship.
Hallucinations is a song of its time. This is song that is in tune with the counter culture that was sweeping America at that time. The song has almost the sound of a band tuning up at the start. Once the song really starts Buckley sings the softly. He sounds a bit like Al Stewart when he sings the lyrics. The lyrics have a surreal quality to them. Although not a bad song, it is not vintage Buckley. The song has a folk feel to it, but sometimes there is a frantic feel to the song, as if it is unfinished. However, one must remember that when this album was released he was only twenty, and that he had written many of the songs on this album whilst at high school.
I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain is a song about his relationship with his wife Mary. In this song he sings of his frustrations and the pressures he felt. This is a very personal song for Buckley. It has a confessional quality to it. Even the quicker tempo of the song suggests that his frustrations and feelings are pouring out. It is as if Buckley is getting his side of the story across. This is one of the best songs on the album.
On Once I Was is a lovely slow song, that finds Buckley singing about fighting on foreign shores, a response to the war in Vietnam, that tragically cost countless lives on both sides. He also sings about being a hunter and a lover, remembering all the things the character in the song has been. However, the point of the song is that once he is gone will he be remembered. This is, by far, the best song on the album. Buckley sings some poignant and beautiful lyrics well.
With the next track Phantasmagoria In Two the tempo quickens. This is another good song. The lyrics to this song are good, and are some of the best lyrics on the album. Likewise, the song features one of the strongest vocal performances from Buckley on the album. Although the musicians on this album are all good musicians, on this track Don Randi on piano and Eddie Hoh on drums produce great performances, that help make this one of the best tracks on the album.
Knight-Errand is a song that begins with an organ solo. The track has a strong folk influence. This is apparent when one listens to the lyrics. The sound of the track is very different to what has gone before. There is a baroque feel to this track. However, it demonstrates how Buckley liked to change styles and was constantly reinventing himself.
The title track Goodbye and Hello is the next song. This song has an atmospheric feel to it at the start. The song starts slowly, and then almost reaches a frantic tempo. However, just as quickly as the tempo increases, it falls again. This has the effect of being like a shock to the system. This happens several times. The lyrics almost have a medieval theme to them. It is the poorest song on the album. This is, in my opinion, not Tim Buckley’s finest hour, it is certainly not the strongest song Tim Buckley has ever recorded. I do not like the changes in tempo, or Buckley’s vocal delivery on this track.
The final song on the album is Morning Glory. This is a return to form for Buckley. On Morning Glory he sings some lovely lyrics, and the band’s performance compliments the song. The song is one that is suited to Buckley’s vocal, he sing the song softly, accompanied by a piano playing gently, and some gorgeous backing vocals, singing behind him. This is a fitting end to the album.
Having taken the time to read this review of Tim Buckley and his second album Goodbye and Hello, I hope I have stimulated your interest in what is a good album. What is hard to believe when you listen to this album, is that Buckley was only twenty when he recorded this album. What is even harder to believe is that some of the songs were written when Buckley and Beckett were only eighteen. They obviously had considerable maturity as songwriters at an early age. Goodbye and Hello was recorded at a time when the world was changing. By 1967 the world was a very different place, and music was very different. In 1962 and 1963, the world was satisfied by The Beatles and Please, Please Me and I Wanna Hold Your Hand. By 1967 music had changed and been influenced by the counter-culture that was sweeping the world. This album is a response to those changes, and when you listen carefully to the lyrics, I am sure you will agree. Within this album there is some great music, and should you enjoy this album, there is a lot more great music for you to explore within Tim Buckley’s back catalogue. A good starting point is Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology which features some of his greatest songs. Should you wish to buy some of his studio albums, I would recommend Tim Buckley, Happy Sad, Greetings From LA and Look At the Fool. Standout Tracks: No Man Can Find A War, I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain, Phantasmagoria In Two and Morning Glory.
TIM BUCKLEY-GOODBYE AND HELLO.
MUDDY WATERS-ELECTRIC MUD.
MUDDY WATERS-ELECTRIC MUD.
The album I am about to review is one that, upon its release, had the effect of dividing the opinion the artist’s fans and also, opening up the artists music to a new, wider audience. That album is Muddy Water’s 1968 release Electric Mud. Electric Mud had the effect of reviving Water’s career, a career that by 1968, was on a downward slide. However, the album’s release did not please blue’s purists, they preferred the old Muddy Waters sound, and this, to them, was almost sacrilege. This was almost shades of Dylan going electric, albeit on a much smaller scale. But why was this? The answer to this lies in the sound of the music to be found within the album. If you listen to Electric Mud, what you will find is a psychedelic blues album. That, is why the blue’s purists were upset. So who was Muddy Waters, and what was his music like prior to the release of Electric Mud?
Muddy Waters was born McKinley Morganfield in 1913, in Issaquena County, Mississippi. As he grew up, he enjoyed playing music, playing firstly, harmonica, and then when he was seventeen, he changed to guitar. When he went to parties he entertained playing his guitar, emulating the sound produced by the blues players he heard. Aged 27, he moved to Chicago for the first time, only staying there for a year. When he returned to Mississippi he ran a duke joint, and played there regularly. Waters’ big break happened when blue’s historian Alan Lomax recorded Muddy Waters for a project to record country blues musicians on behalf of the Library of Congress. Lomax returned a year later and recorded Waters again, the recordings were later released as Down On Stovall’s Plantation.
In 1943 Waters returned to Chicago hoping to earn a living as a full-time blues musician. Big Bill Broonzy gave Waters a break, allowing him to open for Broonzy. In 1945, Waters received his first electric guitar, a gift from Joe Grant, his uncle. A year later, in 1946, Waters recorded some tracks for Columbia, sadly they were not released. Waters luck changed when he met Leonard and Phil Chess, who had started a new record label Aristocrat, which later became Chess Records. His first releases on Aristocrat were not released, however, in 1948 his tracks I Feel Like Going Home and I Can’t Be Satisfied were big hits in the Chicago clubs he became a popular performer. When Aristocrat changed their name to Chess in 1948, Waters’ best known song Rollin’ Stone became a huge success. This was the start of Muddy Waters most successful period.
Waters was to be successful for the best part of the next twenty years, performing with the creme de la creme of blues musicians. Throughout that period he played alongside Little Walter on harmonica, Otis Spann on piano and Willie Dixon on bass. Dixon was also to prove influential in Waters’ career, writing many songs for Waters and other blues musicians. In 1958 Waters went to England, where crowds were both shocked and in awe of Waters’ sound. He was later to prove influential for a new generation of British bands and artists, particularly the Rolling Stones, the Yarbirds and Eric Clapton. Such was Waters’ influence that the Rolling Stones went on to record a number of his songs.
In 1960 Waters played at the Newport Blues Festival and his performance was recorded and released as his first live album At Newport 1960. This had the effect of introducing his music to a much wider audience.
However, by 1968 Waters career was on the slide, as many people who had previously followed his career turned their back on Waters, and his music. Waters was not happy that members of his own race were no longer interested in blues music. However, Waters and blues music in general, had found a new audience, consisting of white people who loved, and respected the music. By 1968 Waters had not had a hit since I’m Ready in 1956. The problem was, many of Waters’ former fans had become fans of psychedelic music that was, by now, popular. Marshall Chess however, had an idea that would revive interest in Waters’ flagging career.
In 1967 Marshall Chess, the son of Leonard Chess, had set up the Cadet Concept label to release music that Chess would not have released. The first signing for that label was Rotary Connection. Their album sold a quarter of a million copies. Marshall Chess’ idea to revive Water’s career was that Waters would release a psychedelic blues album. This was not an attempt to turn him into a psychedelic artist, no, this was a concept album. When the album was released, it horrified blues’ purists, who hated the album. They felt that Waters had turned his back on his roots. Previously, Waters sound was an electrified version of the delta blues. This was way different. The album proved to be successful. Marshall Chess estimated that album sold between 150,000-200,000 copies.
Electric Mud had the effect of relaunching Waters‘ career. In 1972 he returned to England and recorded the London Muddy Waters Sessions with Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood and Bill Wyman. Four years later in 1976, Waters played at The Band’s final concert, and can be heard and seen on the album and film The Last Waltz. In 1977 Waters signed to Johhny Winter’s label and recorded a comeback album Hard Again, which saw a return to his old sound. This album was to win a Grammy Award. Then in 1979 Waters recorded another well received album, Muddy “Mississippi” Waters Live. Waters played at ChicagoFest, the city’s premier outdoor music festival, giving a great performance, with Johhny Winter playing alongside Waters. Sadly, Waters health began to fail badly, and his last performance was in 1982, joining Eric Clapton at one of his concerts in Florida. A year later, Waters died, aged 70.
Electric Mud was released in 1968 on the same day as Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland. The album was produced by Marshall Chess, only the second album he had ever produced and contains only eight songs. However, these are eight great tracks. if you are unfamiliar with either Muddy Waters’ music or blues music in general, or do not like the sound, believing it be a depressing sound, listen to this and you will soon change your mind. This is unlike any blues album from that time. I am sure one listen to this album and you will be hooked.
The album starts with a classic song I Just Wanna Make Love To You. This is a song that Waters had recorded before, and was covered by many other blues musicians at the time. In fact you could fill several albums with cover versions of this song by a multitude of artists. This version however, is something special. The song starts with Waters on guitar and the drums playing, then the rest of the band join in. They go on to give a performance of this song unlike no other. The guitar playing, complete with fuzz-box is exquisite, Waters plays the guitar in a way Hendrix at his best would be proud of. In fact, on this track, the style is almost a homage to Hendrix. On this track, have a band at the top of their game. They change the song completely, it is sung and played much quicker, and is a different and better song.
I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man is another blues standard, that many people will be aware of, and are likely to have heard many times before. Not played like this before they won’t! The song is transformed, the band and Waters take the song, and play it with more feeling and passion, than you would thought possible. The musicianship on this track is of the highest standard. Here you have two dueling guitars, complete with wah-wah effects, competing against drums, fuzz-bass, harmonica and piano. Waters gives a standout vocal performance, and this for me, is the definitive version of this song.
The third track is Let’s Spend the Night Together, and when you hear this version you will be hard pushed to recognize this as the song the Rolling Stones recorded. This is a far better song, played by a real bluesman, not four English middle class blues wanna-bees. On this version, the guitar track is unlike anything the Stones could ever play, it is just over three minutes of glorious guitar playing. The bass line has the feel and sound of The Temptations song Get Ready. Listen carefully to the song, and you will hear Waters clapping, gospel style, in the background. On this track he really lets himself go, ad-libbing the lyrics, changing the words, like a soul many testifying.
The next track She’s Alright begins with Waters and his band kicking loose. This track has the sound of a band jamming, the sound is loud and big. Waters and the band compete for the listener’s attentions. The guitar playing and drumming on this track are outstanding, and later in the track there is even a flute solo. Waters sings the song well, but the band are every bit his equal, if not better. If Hendrix had given a performance like this, he would have been lauded, hailed a genius, sadly, Muddy Waters never received the same acclaim, acclaim that this performance deserves. Interestingly, towards the end of the song, Waters segues into a softly played, instrumental version of The Temptations’ hit My Girl. This is actually effective, and is a good way to end a great track.
Another familiar track on the album is Mannish Boy. This is another blues standard, that many people will have heard many times before. However, like other songs on Electric Mud, they will never have heard it played like this. The track starts with Waters singing solo, and a guitar wailing in the background. Don’t be fooled by this start, because after that, the band launch into a glorious psychedelic blues jam. The song swings, has a groove to it, it is loud and funky, and unlike no other version of this song. This is, in my opinion, the best version of this song i have ever heard.
Herbert Harper’s Free Press is a funky track, but it is more than that, it is a song with a message. The song muses on the dichotomy that was the United States at that time, where in Vietnam young American men were dying fighting a war, whilst hippies sing their flower songs and burn their draft card. However, this song features some great musicians playing their instruments beautifully. On this song you will hear some great guitar playing and drumming. This is a powerful song with a message that also features some great musicianship.
The penultimate song on Electric Mud is Tom Cat. At the start of the song there is almost a call and response between the wah-wah guitar and fuzz bass. Later on the track the soprano saxophone played by Gene Barge howls and wails. He has the ability to make his soprano saxophone produce sounds that are almost not of this world, and this is a great addition to the track. Add into the mix some masterful vocals by vocals by Waters, and what you have here is a track that is totally of its time, and up there with the best psychedelic music of the era.
The final track is The Same Thing, a Willie Dixon penned song. If, I Just Wanna Make Love To You, was a good way to start this album, this is a fitting way to close it. Waters sings the song well, and is nearly overpowered by the guitars screeching in the background. The guitars and Waters enter into a duel from prominence, with Waters winning, however, only by a short head. The guitar playing is the best thing about the track. In fact, when listening to this track, you tend to be almost hypnotized by its quality, to the exclusion of everything else. This is not fair, as the band have reserved a stunning performance for the last track on the album.
Having told you about Muddy Waters and his album Electric Mud I hope that I have stimulated your interest sufficiently, that you will go out and buy this album. If you have heard of Muddy Waters, but never heard Electric Mud, you will not believe that this is the Muddy Waters that you may have heard previously. When I first heard this albums many years ago that was my reaction. I had started buying all of his older work. and chanced upon this album after having heard all of his earlier material. I was blown away, and could not believe this was the same Muddy Waters. It was, and I believe that this is one of his finest recordings. Should you enjoy this album, and want to explore Muddy Waters’ back catalogue, you will have plenty of choice. However, I will warn you that not all of his recordings are worth buying. Some are badly compiled cash-ins, where no care has been taken in choosing the songs, others are badly recorded or mastered. There are some good Muddy Waters albums available. These include ones that he recorded for Chess Records including His Best 1947-1955 and The Plantation Recordings. If, however, you would like to hear not only Waters, but also his contemporaries, you should buy The Chess Blues-Rock Songbook, Chess Blues Guitar 1949-1969 or Willie Dixon-The Chess Box. Any of these albums are a great introduction to Chess Records, one of the most influential record labels ever, and they feature some of the best blues artists of all time. I hope that this article makes you want to find out not only more about Muddy Waters, but also about blues music, which played a huge part in the development of the music we all love and enjoy today. Standout Tracks: I Just Wanna Make Love To You, Mannish Boy and Tom Cat.
MUDDY WATERS-ELECTRIC MUD.
LABEL FOCUS-NAKED MUSIC.
LABEL FOCUS-NAKED MUSIC.
In this article, I want to discuss one of the most influential labels in urban music. Over many years, Naked Music have released a wide variety of albums that include deep and soulful house music, broken beat, mid-tempo and nu-jazz releases. Such was the popularity of the albums, that they have achieved an almost cult status, and are very much in demand by collectors, even today. In this article, I will look at the best of the compilations released on Naked Music and recommend the best ones to buy, should you be inspired to investigate this labels’s great releases.
Naked Music started life in 1992 as a production company. The label was founded by Jay Denes and Dave Boonshoft. From the beginning, their releases proved to be both successful and popular, and they released tracks on OM Records, and the XL and Wave labels. After that, they released a series of high profile remixes for artists including Kellis, Sade, Maxwell and Britney Spears.
Denes and Boonshoft however, became frustrated, they felt that they needed greater artistic freedom. Their solution was simple, why not to start their own label. That is what they did in 1998. Since then Naked Music have released many compilation albums, artist albums and 12” releases. Each compilation album they have released is quality, and packed with great tracks. I will now look at the best compilation albums released of Naked Music.
NUDE DIMENSIONS VOLUME ONE.
Nude Dimensions Volume One was released in 1999, and was compiled by Bruno Ybarra and Petalpusher (Miguel Migs). This was the first compilation album that Naked Music released. However, what a debut compilation Nude Dimensions Volume One was. This album contains some fantastic deep and soulful tracks.
Out of the fourteen tracks on this compilation, there is not a weak track. From my experience of buying and listening to compilations, and I have bought and listened to many of them, this is unusual. Usually on a compilation album there will be at least one weak track. This makes choosing the best tracks on this album difficult, as I could choose any of them. On the album you will find tracks by Petalpusher, Janet Rushmore, Weekender, Blue Six and Gigi.
The opening track by Petalpusher, Breakin’ It Down (Jay’s Naked Vocal) is a great track. It has an interesting vocal sample at the start, and then the track features some great vocals, percussion and drumbeats. The vocal on this track has a Naked Music sound. On their tracks, this sweet and lush vocal is often found. From this track on, the quality just keeps coming. Take Me To Paradise (Summer Lover’s Dub) by Miguel Migs has a real summery vibe to it. It is, in my opinion, a classic soulful house track, and epitomizes the Naked Music sound. Surrender also by Petalpusher, is another standout track. Here the sound is similar, to Breakin’ It Down. The softly sung, lush, vocal, and the drum sound and percussion make this a track that is one of the best on the album. Very much in the same vein as the previous tracks, is Blue Six’s track Music and Wine (Th’ Attaboy Mix). Again, the track features the sweetest of vocals, and has a steady tempo throughout. Here, the drums are not as prominent in the mix, as they are on previous tracks. The other track that I thinks is a particularly strong track is Gigi’s Mood Is Right (Migs and Jelly Mix). This track features a vocal that is accompanied, and complimented by the rest of the arrangement. On this track,
It would be unfair to specify what particularly makes this track. Instead, what I will say is that the whole track has been well arranged and produced, and care has been taken when making this track. Standout Tracks: Breakin’ It Down (Jay’s Naked Vocal) and Surrender by Petalpusher, Take Me To Paradise (Summer Lover’s Dub) by Miguel Migs, Music and Wine (Th’ Attaboy Mix) by Blue Six and Mood Is Right (Migs and Jelly Mix) by Gigi,
NUDE DIMENSIONS VOLUME ONE.
NUDE DIMENSIONS VOLUME TWO.
Nude Dimensions Volume Two was released a year after Nude Dimensions Volume One. It was compiled by San Francisco DJ Mauricio Aviles and released in. As with its predecessor, the album features some of the best deep and soulful house that was around at the time.
On this album you will hear tracks by Blue Six, Undercover Agency, Aquanote, MJ Cole and Lisa Shaw. Throughout this album the quality of music is the highest standard. Like Nude Dimensions Volume One, the music on Nude Dimensions Volume Two still sounds fresh, and has not dated. Mauricio Aviles has chosen the tracks carefully, and managed to find some of the best tracks released back then.
Choosing the best tracks on the album is difficult, as there are so many contenders for the best tracks. On Nude Dimensions Volume One there was a great Blue Six track Music and Wine (Th’ Attaboy Mix), and on this album they have an even better track. That track is Pure (Mig’s Petalpusher Vocal) and it features a fantastic vocal on it. The track also benefits from a strong drum sound sitting prominently in the mix. This is one of my favorite tracks on any Naked Music compilation, never mind this album.
Undercover Agency’s track I Need You In My Life (Dub) starts with a crunching drum beat, and several vocal samples accompany, and compliment the drum beat. There is a repetitiveness to the track that actually keeps your attention. The track is not the fastest house track you will ever hear, it is only about 121 beats per minute. However, the track is well constructed and mixed.
Aquanote’s track True Love (Migs Petalpusher Love Dub) has the trademark Naked Music sound. The track features sweet vocals and has a real summery feel to it. This version was remixed by Miguel Migs, who has played a huge part in the Naked Music story, arranging, recording, and writing songs, as well as later compiling albums for the label. Migs influence is found on the next track I have chosen as one of the best on the album. He is responsible for the remix of MJ Cole’s Sincere (Mig’s Petalpusher Vocal) used. Here the female vocalist sings the song well, and Mig’s remix totally changes the sound of the track. The use of drums and percussion gives the track a big sound and funkiness that make this track one that will sound great on any dance-floor. Standout Tracks: Pure (Mig’s Petalpusher Vocal) by Blue Six, I Need You In My Life (Dub) by Undercover, True Love (Migs PetalpusherLove Dub) by Aquanote. and Sincere (Mig’s Petalpusher Vocal) by MJ Cole.
NUDE DIMENSIONS VOLUME TWO.
NUDE DIMENSIONS VOLUME THREE.
Nude Dimensions Volume Three was the final installment in this series. Volume three was released in 2001 and like Volume One,was compiled by Bruno Ybarra. This album sees the quality keeping up the same standard as the previous two installments. It appears that Naked Music were unwilling to make the same mistake as other record companies have previously made, by finding a winning format and then releasing so many installments that the quality suffers. One only has to point to the Hed Kandi and Cafe Del Mar compilations to prove this point.
On this album there is a change to the two previous albums. Whereas previously, the album featured deep and soulful house music, this album features a variety of different styles of music. Listen carefully and you will hear electro, broken beat, nu-jazz and the by now familiar deep and soulful house. This change of musical direction does not affect the quality of music. Quite the opposite. Maybe the change in format freshens things up, and helps the music appeal to a wider range of people.
As I have already stated, there are many quality tracks on this album, but the album starts with one of the best. That track is Gaelle’s Rain. This is a atmospheric and moody track, that Gaelle has just the voice to carry the song off. The song starts slowly with a softly played piano, and the tempo quickens mid-way through the track. This track is well arranged and the production on the track is not overblown.
The second track on this album that is worth featuring is Don’t Stop by Deep Sensation. This track has a much fuller sound, and features a wide array of instruments and samples. One thing I like about this track is the way percussion, vocal samples and effects that are used. Here they have not been overused, as is often the case, in similar tracks.
Earth Is the Place (Dub/Beats) by Nathan Haines has a funky house feel to it. The drums and percussion used have a latin influence. Some people may feel that the drum sound is “too busy”, however, I do not. I like the way samples are used repeatedly, and the snatches of vocals that drift in and out of the track. This is a very different track to those found on Volumes One and Two, as it lacks the soulfulness of many of the tracks.
The Satin Soul’s track Recover has a much more Naked Music feel to it than other tracks. This is more like the tracks found on the first two volumes. The track a prominent drum beat, a breathy vocal sample and a gorgeous vocal. For me, this track is one of the best on this album. It is well arranged and produced, and still sounds fresh today. Standout Tracks: Rain by Gaelle, Don’t Stop by Deep Sensation, Earth Is the Place (Dub/Beats) by Nathan Haines and Recover by Satin Soul.
NUDE DIMENSIONS VOLUME THREE.
MIDNIGHT SNACK VOLUME ONE.
Midnight Snack Volume One was released in 1999 and was compiled by Bruno Ybarra. This is different type of compilation from the Nude Dimensions compilations. On this compilation you will find a selection of some of the best downtempo and mid-tempo tracks that were around back in 1999. However, when I look at the tracks on this album, I would struggle to agree that some of the tracks are either downtempo or mid-tempo tracks. The reason for this is quite simple. Some of the tracks have the tempo that one would expect to find on a house track. For example, Extended Spirit’s track Propulsion is 126 beats per minute. Regardless of what genre I would call the tracks on this album, the tracks here are of the highest quality.
Cold Water Music by Aim is one of the finest tracks on the album. This is a mid-tempo track that you will find on many downtempo or chill-out albums. It is a track that features a multitude of sounds and samples that together, that have been arranged to produce a great track. It is a track that I never tired of hearing, as each time you listen to it, you will hear different things and sounds.
Central Living by Dave Warrin is a an atmospheric track that features amongst other things, bass and drums. The track to me, has the tempo of house track. It starts slowly and the tempo quicken after about a minute. There is almost a drum and bass feel to the track. It is a good track that works either as one to chill to or on the dance-floor at the start of a set.
Natural High by Jonathon Maron is a track what I would call a downtempo track. The track is only about 75 beats per minute. It features a male vocal sung over some very spacey drums and instruments. There is plenty of space in the arrangement for the track to breath. This is easily the best track on the album.
Always (Original) by Lovetronic is a track that starts slowly and goes on to feature a gorgeous female vocal singing some lovely lyrics. This track has a spartan arrangement. Here it is definitely the case that less is more. Again, this is song that has a downtempo feel to it. Standout Tracks: Cold Water Music by Aim, Central Living by Dave Warrin, Natural High by Jonathon Maron and Always (Original) by Lovetronic.
MIDNIGHT SNACK VOLUME ONE.
BARE ESSENTIALS VOLUME ONE.
Bare Essentials Volume One is another compilation on Naked Music that was compiled by Bruno Ybarra. This compilation was released on 2001 and features the best tracks released on Naked Music, and also some tracks that were unreleased.
On this album you will find some of the best artists on the label. Here you will find Blue Six, Petalpusher, Lovetronic and Night Source. However, I have three criticisms of the album. Firstly, on this album you will find several tracks that can be found on other releases on Naked Music. Secondly, on this album five tracks are featured twice. There are two versions of tracks by amongst others, Petalpusher, Blue Six and Lovetronic. My third criticism is that there are two separate tracks by Blue Six and Petalpusher. Even though I have voiced these criticisms, what you will find here are some great deep and soulful tracks.
As I have discussed some of these tracks elsewhere in this article, I will not go into them in depth. However, this is album is still worth buying, even though some of these tracks are available on other Naked Music compilations. Standout Tracks: Breakin’ It Down (Jay’s Blue Vocal) by Petalpusher, Music and Wine (Th’ Attaboy Mix), Soulmate (Original) by Summerland and You Are Love (Si Brad’s Payback Vocal) by Lovetronic.
BARE ESSENTIALS VOLUME ONE.
BARE ESSENTIALS VOLUME TWO.
Bare Essentials Volume Two was released in 2003 and was compiled again by Bruno Ybarra. The previous year 2002, saw Naked Music release artist albums by some of their best known artists, Blue Six, Aquanote and Miguel Migs. It was from these releases and previous releases that the tracks from this album were taken. So, what we have here, are some tracks from familiar artists and some new artists. Like the album cover says, this is the best of Naked Music. As was the case with previous compilations, this album is crammed full of quality music.
Inside by Central Living has the feel and sound of a classic house track. This track has a soulful feel to it and has the trademark Naked Music sound to it. Here you find the lush, sweet vocal, that features on many of the label’s best tracks. The track is well arranged and does not feature a multitude of instruments, sounds and samples.
All I Need (CJ One Remix) by Andy Caldwell starts with a prominent drum beat and then goes on feature a lovely arrangement that has within it, percussion, keyboards and vocals. This is the type of track that Andy Caldwell does well. In the same way that there is a Naked Music sound, Andy Caldwell has his own unique sound, and is responsible for producing numerous top quality tracks. This is easily one of the best tracks on the compilation, and probably the only one to feature a flute solo.
Brighter Day (Quant Remix) by Kaskade has an interesting sound. Here there is much more going on in the mix, and there is almost a broken beat feel to the track. The use of percussion and vocal samples with echo and delay adds to the track. What this track has in common with the Central Living track, is the vocal sound. However, on this track the vocal is used more sparingly, and this adds to the vocal’s impact.
The best track on the album is Rely on Me (Jay’s Bodega Vocal) by Petalpusher. This track has a fantastic arrangement. The track builds slowly, and has a wonderful sound, very melodic, featuring a lush and sweet female vocal and a keyboard solo that is one of the track’s highlights. This track has a great hook, and some good lyrics, that are well sung. Like the Andy Caldwell track this song features…yes a flute solo. Standout Tracks: Inside by Central Living, All I Need (CJ One Remix) by Andy Caldwell, Brighter Day (Quant Remix) by Kaskade and Rely on Me (Jay’s Bodega Vocal) by Petalpusher.
BARE ESSENTIALS VOLUME TWO.
CARTE BLANCHE VOLUME ONE.
Carte Blanche Volume One was released in 2000. This was another compilation that was compiled by that arbiter of taste Bruno Ybarra. Like the Midnight Snack Volume One compilation, this album features a mixture of downtempo and quicker tracks. Throughout this album you will hear a variety of tracks unlike previous Naked Music compilations. What is still present is the quality. Naked Music never let the quality drop on any of their compilations.
The Groove by Global Communications is the first song on the album. It is also a beautiful downtempo track. Although this a relatively short track, it is quality from the intro to the outro. The pace throughout the track is pedestrian and the drum beats and other sounds that are on this track, have a lovely summery feel.
Soulmate (Swag Remix) by Summerland has a stuttering start, and track starts slowly and quickly the tempo increases. The track uses effects, such as echo, to accentuate the sounds used within the track. This is effective and works well. The track sounds to fast to be a downtempo track, but too slow to be a house track. What it is though, is a track that is well arranged and produced, and has an atmospheric feel to it. Even if you were to listen to this track numerous times, you would not hear all of its subtle nuances.
Heartbeat by Qale Mota has the sweetest vocal in it. This sits behind an array of drums, percussion and samples. The track has a repetitive quality that is appealing, and pleasant to listen to. This track has a slower tempo than Soulmate (Swag Remix) by Summerland and has a similar tempo to The Groove by Global Communications. It has the sound and feel of a downtempo track. It is a pleasant song to listen to, and is one of the best on the album.
Beau Mot Plage (Freeform Reform Parts 1 and 2) begins like a classic house track. It has the tempo and feel, and is well structured. The track gradually builds up, then suddenly, at the song’s bridge, the tempo drops, only to build up again. Throughout the track a huge variety of instruments, sounds and samples are used. However, this does not have the effect of overcrowding or overpowering the song. Quite the opposite. This is a well structured song with a funky house feel to it. Standout Tracks: The Groove by Global Communications, Soulmate (Swag Remix) by Summerland, Heartbeat by Qale Mota and Beau Mot Plage (Freeform Reform Parts 1 and 2).
CARTE BLANCHE VOLUME ONE.
CARTE BLANCHE VOLUME TWO.
Carte Blanche Volume Two was released in 2001. This installment in the series was compiled by Bruno Ybarra and Gabriel Yene. The music on the album is a mixture of styles and tempos. As usual, Naked Music have produced a quality album, crammed full of top class music.
Flute Salad by Sven Van Hees is a mellow and spacey track. It begins slowly and features a flute throughout the track. Apart from the drum beat, instruments and samples are used sparingly. The track seems to meander gently for just over four minutes and is a lovely track that would grace any downtempo album.
Flight by Sidewinder is a slightly faster track. On the track an organ and saxophone are used, and this gives the track a warmth. This is complimented by the more traditional sounds found on a track like this. The use of drums, percussion and vocals make this a memorable track, that has a much fuller sound than Flute Salad by Sven Van Hees.
Silver Surfer by Cpen has a broken beat feel to it. This track benefits from a strong arrangement and production, and the way the drums are programmed is interesting. This is neither the drum sound you would find on a traditional house track, nor is it the drum sound that is found on the best downtempo tracks. However, this is a good track and is one of the best tracks on the album.
Goddess by Wai Wan is another good track. It starts slowly and gets quicker as the track develops. In places the sound is sparse, then all of a sudden, there is a frantic feel to the track. The drum beats get really quick, then all of a sudden, their tempo decreases. After that a variety of sounds, stabs and vocals drift in and out of the mix. This has a pleasing effect. Again, this track, in places has a broken beat feel to it. This is an interesting and enjoyable track. Standout Tracks: Flute Salad by Sven Van Hees, Flight by Sidewinder, Silver Surfer by Cpen and Goddess by Wai Wan.
CARTE BLANCHE VOLUME TWO.
CARTE BLANCHE VOLUME THREE.
Carte Blanche Volume Three is the last installment in this series. It was released in 2002 and compiled by Bruno Ybarra. This installment saw a change in musical direction from mid-tempo music to a more eclectic variety of music. Within this album you will hear deep house, jazzy beats, electro and retro-funk. What this really is, is fifteen quality tracks.
Light by Burn Burn has a slow start and features strings and keyboards, and moves slowly along. The track wanders slowly, the drum beats complimented by strings and various percussive sounds. This is a quality downtempo track.
Fall Into You by Stateless is easily the best track on the album. The track features a vocal that is accompanied by a beautiful melody. This is a mid-tempo track, that would not be out of place on a downtempo album or the dancefloor. The track has almost a soulful house feel to it.
Lectropic by Andy Caldwell is different from a lot of his other work. This has the tempo of a classic downtempo track. It is a slow atmospheric track, rather than house music he is better known for. However, Caldwell is a talented producer and has the ability to produce a wide range of different tracks. This track benefits from not having a huge variety of sounds on it. There is a spartan feel to the track that I like.
Falling by Gaelle is a track from her album Transient. This is slower track that is given an almost broken beat remix. Gaelle is a talented singer, and sings the song well. This remix totally changes the song. Unlike many remixes, this compliments the song. Too often, the remixer takes a perfectly good song, and does nothing to improve. In this case, this is a lovely song, that is one of the best on this compilation.
CARTE BLANCHE VOLUME THREE.
Now that you know more about the Naked Music label, I hope that you will feel inspired to go out and buy some of the music I have featured in this article. Should you do so, I am sure that you will not be disappointed. What you will have purchased is some wonderful music. Within the nine albums I have featured here, is a wonderful eclectic selection of music, from deep and soulful house, to downtempo and mid-tempo, and from broken beat to retrofunk. What all of these tracks have in common, is quality. I hope that should you buy these albums, you will want to find out more about the Naked Music label, and also the music that is on each of these albums.
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