ATOM HEART MOTHER
Pink Floyd
Here's a salutary lesson in not believing everything you read on Wikipedia. It led me to believe that they hadn't got a thick streak of tuneless pretentiousness out of their system when following up Ummagumma, but this is actually a vast improvement. The format is that there are 5 tracks, the first of which is the 'Atom Heart Mother Suite' cooked up by the band (or 'group' these nuances probably matter). There are 3 shorter songs contributed by Gilmour, Waters and Wright and then the final 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast'. '
Atom Heart Mother weighs in at a healthy 24 minutes and took up all of side 1. It's instrumental, if you ignore the choral parts, and generally tuneful. It grew on me a lot after about 4 plays, especially the repeated brass refrain and you can hear the shape of Floyd to come. Waters' 'If' is rather a pleasant little acoustic ditty although the subject matter is naturally a bit bleak.Wright contributes 'Summer Of '68' ("Got my first real Hammond, bought it on the High Street; played it till my ears bled; was the summer of '68" - not really). It has parts which are a little bit Beach Boys-ey. Gilmour's is called 'Fat Old Sun'. and isn't very interesting.The final 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast' doesn't start promisingly. Lots of muttering and sound effects. But when it settles into actual music it's fine, rather good in fact. I did enjoy the Snap Crackle and Pop of the Rice Krispies though, and you can almost smell the bacon, eggs and fag smoke.
This is probably a good vignette of the band as a whole. Collaborative and individualistic and with merits when travelling either path. I was working hard on a smart play on cooks and broths in advance, but in this case the whole does just about amount to more than the sum of its parts. Album cover? Cow's Arse.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-pink-floyd-by-way-which-ones-pink.html
Atom Heart Mother
I. Father's Shout
II. Breast Milky
III. Mother Fore
IV. Funky Dung
V. Mind Your Throats Please
VI. Remergence
If
Summer '68
Fat Old Sun
Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast"
I. "Rise and Shine"
II. "Sunny Side Up"
III. "Morning Glory"
LED ZEPPELIN III
Led Zeppelin
Here comes Bob with his banshee wail on 'Immigrant Song', used in Shrek II (I think) as the princesses launch their assault. It has that chugging, insistent riff too. Puts me in mind of Game Of Thrones with all that stuff about the "land of the ice and snow". There's shades of 'Kashmir' in 'Friends' and they enter into the realms of southern boogie on 'Celebration Day'. I think Marc Bolan might have liked that one. I found it a bit messy. 'Since I've Been Loving You' is slow blues - in fact side 1 is quite a bit more blues-ey than the previous two, which is saying summat. Plant's vocal is pushed right to the back again on 'Out On The Tiles'. As I listen to it, my 11 year old son, S. is tapping his toe to it, so it must have something going for it. It's also one of Plant's wailier efforts - "ooh yeah!".
I did a bit of reading up on 'III' and it wasn't given a great critical reaction on release, because apparently they went 'acoustic', well there's plenty of heavy electric guitar about and the acoustic songs on here are good, so I don't know what they were on about. Maybe the fact that come in quick succession on side 2 was a factor? 'Gallows Pole' is a traditional song and has that nice mix of folksy sounds and a decent rhythm. I also think Plant's voice brings something additional to the mix. Some good banjo-picking from Page too. They work themselves into a frenzy toward the end. A false start at the beginning of 'Tangerine'. Not sure why they left it in, it adds nothing. Something slightly Stairway-ish about it. Probably the chord progressions (like I have any idea). There's the subtlest wah-wah on the guitar too. Plant reins his voice in and it's all rather good. Same with 'That's The Way', which reminds me a bit of Yes too. 'Bron Y Aur Stomp' takes it's name from the Welsh farmhouse where they recorded the album. It's a sort of slidey, swamp blues but with a more upbeat rhythm than that description might suggest. Hand-claps too!
On the subject of the rhythm section, it's just occurred to me that I've hardly noticed the percussion on this, which given Bonham's reputation is quite surprising. It finishes with 'Hats Off To (Roy) Harper' which is probably the clearest indication that they were migrating from blues to folk by paying tribute to the old curmugdeon (which he probably was even then). Now they knew how to package a record in the late sixties and early seventies. This one had a main cover with numerous holes and a wheel underneath so that you could rotate it and see different images appearing. Kind of like you get in kids pop-up books. Fun with Led Zeppelin!
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2014/09/led-zeppelin-from-i-to-coda.html
Immigrant Song
Friends
Celebration Day
Since I've Been Loving You
Out on the Tiles
Gallows Pole
Tangerine
That's the Way
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Hats Off to (Roy) Harper
NEW MORNING
Bob Dylan
Bob doesn't look like Bob on the cover of this. I can't quite place who he does remind me of, an Indian fast bowler perhaps? This is the follow up to Self Portrait, and by follow-up we mean only 4 months later. No silly voices this time (at least not by his standards) and a few really engaging tracks such as 'New Morning' itself, 'Day Of The Locusts' and 'Father Of Night'. They make up for the beat jazz of 'If Dogs Run Free'.
Post Status: Yadda yadda yadda
If Not for You
Day of the Locusts
Time Passes Slowly
Went to See the Gypsy
Winterlude
If Dogs Run Free
New Morning
Sign on the Window
One More Weekend
The Man in Me
Three Angels
Father of Night
TRESPASS (1970)
Genesis
Now we're getting somewhere. 6 tracks, clocking in at an average of 7.08 minutes and, stat fans, a standard deviation of only 1.72 minutes. That's consistent artiness my friends (and you don't get this level of analysis anywhere else either). Also, its now clear to me that those who accused Marillion of being a complete Genesis rip-off were not so far from the mark. The former's 'Grendel' is clearly modelled on 'White Mountain' (and probably some more stuff still to come) and Tony Banks' keyboards are echoed all over Fish and Co's oeuvre. I've realized something about Gabriel's voice too. It often comes across as if he's trying to sing an octave higher than he's capable of. That means he usually sounds a bit strained but since he's maintained the style throughout his career I guess it's what he's comfortable with.
It struck me that the drumming is the most impressive thing on the album. It's incredibly complex in places. Apparently the drummer at the time, John Mayhew, was given the boot on the basis of his drumming skills (according to Wiki-opinion-masquerading-as-fact), but he seems to be doing a sterling job here. There's bits of flute all the way through as well, notably in the opening 'Looking For Someone' and the closing 'The Knife'. The latter is probably regarded as the albums best known and stand-out track, but I enjoyed 'White Mountain' much more. A tale of two wolves, Fang and One-Eye. I can't quite figure out who we're supposed to be rooting for, probably the elderly One-Eye. It's all quite Richard Adams, but don't expect something along the lines of 'Bright-Eyes' from Watership Down.
Wasn't sure about the meaning of 'Visions Of Angels' other than it's a song of lost love. 'Stagnation' features Gabriel slipping into an echo chamber for a couple of lines. 'Dusk' has some nice folky harmonies. Finally we get the whole shooting match for 'The Knife'. Organs, twiddly bass, complex drumming and fantasy themes. They get the bulk of the lyrics out of the way early on before indulging in some ethereal noodling and then a bit of a rock-out.
As you can see, the artwork is a kind of unfinished gothic composition with a knife rip through it and the knife still sticking out on the back cover. Bet they wish they'd issued it with 3-D specs.
Post Status:https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2015/01/genesis-activate-your-prayer-capsule.html
Looking for Someone
White Mountain
Visions of Angels
Stagnation
Dusk
The Knife
TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION
Elton John
This may have been a mistake. I'm only 10% of my way through Elton's back catalogue and I'm running out of things to say. For someone with such a rich life, his output can be unremittingly bland and samey. I mean I'm sitting here listening to this for the third or fourth time and it's completely washing over me and I'm getting more satisfaction with arguing with people on social media. He's also on maximum churn in his early career, so far we've had 3 albums in two years, by the time I get to 1976's Here And There I'll be up to 13, which is almost half his entire career output in 7 years.
So, it is very much going through the motions, light pastiches of a number of musical styles. 'Country Comfort' is a good example of musical nominative determinism and 'Son Of Your Father' is not a surprising early version of Chicory Tip's 'Son Of My Father' which would have been about 100 times more fun. 'Love Song' is a kind of sub-CSNY light dirge.
There must be better to come, and soon I hope, although 1973's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is still 4 albums away. Maybe I just have to face facts. I don't actually like Elton all that much, or at least, his particular style and sentiment doesn't float my boat. But let's see, I've never given up yet and I've listened to all of Michael Jackson's albums in pursuit of this endeavour.
This may have been a mistake. I'm only 10% of my way through Elton's back catalogue and I'm running out of things to say. For someone with such a rich life, his output can be unremittingly bland and samey. I mean I'm sitting here listening to this for the third or fourth time and it's completely washing over me and I'm getting more satisfaction with arguing with people on social media. He's also on maximum churn in his early career, so far we've had 3 albums in two years, by the time I get to 1976's Here And There I'll be up to 13, which is almost half his entire career output in 7 years.
So, it is very much going through the motions, light pastiches of a number of musical styles. 'Country Comfort' is a good example of musical nominative determinism and 'Son Of Your Father' is not a surprising early version of Chicory Tip's 'Son Of My Father' which would have been about 100 times more fun. 'Love Song' is a kind of sub-CSNY light dirge.
There must be better to come, and soon I hope, although 1973's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is still 4 albums away. Maybe I just have to face facts. I don't actually like Elton all that much, or at least, his particular style and sentiment doesn't float my boat. But let's see, I've never given up yet and I've listened to all of Michael Jackson's albums in pursuit of this endeavour.
Post Status: About one third of the way there.
Ballad Of A Well Known Gun
Come Down In Time
Country Comfort
Son Of Your Father
My Father's Gun
Where To Now St. Peter?
Love Song
Amoreena
Talking Old Soldiers
Burn Down The Mission
BONGO FURY
May 20th and 21st 1975
Frank Zappa, The Mothers and Captain Beefheart
Standard procedure during the creation of any Rockodyssey album post is to bung the album title into Google and find the Wikipedia entry. Normally, the top answer will be related to the album in question. Perhaps appropriately, when I typed 'Bongo Fury' into the box, the top answer was 'Welcome to Bongo Fury - All you need to know about Mazda Bongos and Ford Freda MPVs & Campervans'. I wouldn't mind betting that that would have amused both Zappa and Beefheart if they were here to see it. It certainly sounds like a usable lyric. The surprising thing about this album is that it combines two artists who are shorthand for what we can most accurately summarize as 'weird shit', and yet it is all rather accessible. Much more so than my previous encounter with Frank and The Mothers at the Fillmore East. But nevertheless, it messes with your head in all sorts of ways. Let's take a line from 'Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy' where it goes "I had a Roger Daltrey cape on", which is a baffling enough line as it stands, but then you start to wonder if they mean "a Roger Daltrey capon". Now I daresay that Rodge has kept chickens at some time in his life, so the potential double meaning becomes even more plausible. Then you start to think about the Who frontman in some kind of medieval banquet setting, wearing a period costume, including a cape, and chewing thoughtfully on a chicken leg. See what I mean? The thought that Frank and Don are simply chanting stream-of-consciousness nonsense rhymes gets relegated to third most likely explanation. Anyway, otherwise Carolina 'Hard-Core Ecstasy' is a pretty enjoyable listen. Beefheart takes the vocal duties on most of this, and seems to be somewhere between old-testament prophet and rambling wino. 'Muffin Man' is also a highlight, Frank corpses about halfway through the spoken intro (which is studio recorded), and Beefheart comes in rich and fruity when the singing starts, some pretty impressive guitar riffing too.
Band Bantz: Frank introduces "sort of a cowboy song", 'Poofters Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead' by offering a warning that the bicentennial is around the corner and so the audience will be bombarded with offers of things that "you probably shouldn't ought to buy".
Heckles and Coughs: There's not much to go on, some shout-outs as Beefheart rambles on 'Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top'
Band Bantz: Frank introduces "sort of a cowboy song", 'Poofters Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead' by offering a warning that the bicentennial is around the corner and so the audience will be bombarded with offers of things that "you probably shouldn't ought to buy".
Heckles and Coughs: There's not much to go on, some shout-outs as Beefheart rambles on 'Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top'
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2018/03/classic-live-albums-part-4-1974-1976.html
Released 3rd October 1975
Released 6th October 1975
Released 14th October 1975
Released 21st October 1975
Released 24th October 1975
Released: 24th October 1975
Released 3rd October 1980
Released 8th October 1980
Released 10th October 1980
Released 17th October 1980
Released 17th October 1980
Released 20th October 1980
Released 24th October 1980
Released 13th October 1985
Released 18th October 1985
Released 8th October 1990
Released 22nd October 1990
Is this Pet Shop Boys - The Viz Tribute? 'Being Boring' - Mr. Logic, 'Only The Wind' - Johnny Fartpants and 'So Hard' - Finbarr Saunders (and his double entendres). Thank god they didn't do one about an unspeakable parrot belonging to Bertie Blunt. 'This Must Be The Place', which I assume was in the film of the same name got me expecting 'Love Of The Common People' when it started (ah-ay-e-ay). 'To Face The Truth' is a much softer sound than they usually go for, more at the Vangelis, rather than Kraftwerk end of the synth-spectrum.I really liked 'How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously' (classic PSBs song title) with it's rock guitar riff in the chorus. There's a hint of Isaac Hayes and Shaft about 'My October Symphony'. 'So Hard' is head and shoulders above anything else on the album. Top lyric has to be 'We've both given up smoking, cos it's fatal, so whose matches are those?'. It finishes with 'Jealousy' which is sad and thoughtful.
Released 16th October 1990
Released October 29th 1990
Released 2nd October 1995
Released 2nd October 1995
Debra Kadabra
Caroline Hard Core Ecstasy
Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top
Poofters Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead
200 Years Old
Cucamonga
Advance Romance
Man With The Woman Head
Muffin Man
THE WHO BY NUMBERS
The Who
We're in 1975 and The Who still sound like a sixties band. What's more, it's not a bad thing. I think it means that there is a timeless quality to it. 'Slip Kid' and 'However Much I Booze' are both great songs, sung by Daltrey and and Townshend respectively. The latter has a kind of freewheeling quality in it's central riff.
The extended single entendre of 'Squeeze Box' brings the tone down a little, but at least it's about a settled married couple who still love each other, so there's nothing for the Daily Mail to get worked up about is there? There's still a Rock operatic feel to some of these tracks and at least one was recycled from the defunct Lifehouse project. Side 2 starts with 'Success Story', all about the trials of life in a Rock Band and featuring Entwistle (I think - its the Boris The Spider voice) as the band's fairy godmanager - "You shall go to Carnegie Hall". There's a bit of tenderness in 'They Are All In Love'. Just Townshend on Uke and Entwistle on horns for the featherlight 'Blue, Red and Grey'. I'm sure 'How Many Friends' was good for moping in your bedroom as a teenager feeling like the world was against you.
So this is a good, solid album, but not spectacular. I have an issue with the cover too. Either the album should be called The Who Join The Dots or the cover should be a picture of the band as a paint by numbers - you know lots of blobs with a number in each to tell you the colour to use.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-who-hope-i-die.html
Slip Kid
However Much I Booze
Squeeze Box
Dreaming from the Waist
Imagine a Man
Success Story
They Are All in Love
Blue Red and Grey
How Many Friends
In a Hand or a Face
STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
Paul Simon
I shouldn't complain. I am stuck at home closeted in our box room every day interacting with work colleagues only via PC monitor, and it does get me down sometimes. It was therefore nice to put something as calming as this on today. It's got the title track and '50 Ways To Leave Your Lover' which in fact only offers 6 exit strategies. However it does leave ample opportunity to think of alternative lines for the chorus using whatever combination of idiom for leaving and name you can make a rhyme with. I'll offer "Just sling your hook, Chuck"
'Slip Slidin'Away' was also recorded for the album but was left off and included in a greatest hits a couple of years later. There's a demo version on the reissue version on Spotify.
Post Status: He and his erstwhile partner demand to be done.
Still Crazy After All These Years
My Little Town
I Do It for Your Love
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
Night Game
Gone at Last
Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy
Have a Good Time
You're Kind
Silent Eyes
BREAKAWAY
Art Garfunkel
They released solo albums within 10 days of each other, but there's no hint that there was a competitive edge to the released dates. In fact Simon turns up on 'My Little Town'. Nothing unexpected here really. It's as relaxing as Still Crazy... I can't decide if I know Artie's version of the title track or Gallagher and Lyle's, but it's a lovely song anyway and he does it justice. '99 Miles from LA' remindes me of the hymn 'Make Me A Channel For Your Peace'
Post Status: I'd have to watch Watership Down again. Not sure I can take it.
I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
Rag Doll
Break Away
Disney Girls
Waters of March
My Little Town
I Only Have Eyes for You
Looking for the Right One
99 Miles from L.A.
The Same Old Tears on a New Background
OMMADAWN
Mike Oldfield
Ignore what Wikipedia says about the release date. I checked on Mike Oldfield TUBULAR.NET and they reckon it's today. Since they can also give chapter and verse on the serial numbers and histories of all the instruments he used, I'm going to take their word for it. Here's an example concerning his 1965 Fender Telecaster:
"Neck date of November 1965 (s/n L807280). This guitar used to be owned by Marc Bolan. Mike added an extra pickup - made by Bill Lawrence - to it, with the help of his dad in their garden shed. Mike later took all the finish off the guitar, leaving it as bare wood. The guitar was offered through Chandler for £20,000 but wasn’t sold. It was then to be auctioned off by Bonhams on June 20, 2007 (Lot 391) with an estimate of £25,000 - 35,000. Next attempt was on January 15, 2008 (Lot 361, estimate £10,000 - 15,000). The last attempt was made on December 16, 2009 (Lot 277, estimate £8,000 - 12,000). All attempts failed due to low bids and the guitar was withdrawn. It was sold in January 2010 by charity SANE to English guitarist Keith Smart."
Not that it really matters you understand.
Messianic Mike serves up a piece of music per side, of about 17 minutes each. It's nice, what you'd expect and he finishes off the track on side 2 with 'On Horseback' ("Hey and away we go... big brown beastie, big brown face" etc etc) Extended reissues include 'In Dulce Jubilo' and 'Portsmouth', which probably got him the Blue Peter gig.
Post Status: I'd love to do him, but he is lyrically sparse so it could get difficult to find original things to observe or say. He's also done more sequels than Star Trek.
Ommadawn (Part One)
Ommadawn (Part Two)
On Horseback (not titled)
SIREN
Roxy Music
Plenty of sound effects at the start of 'Love Is The Drug'. Arguably their best known song and certainly epitomizes the Roxy sound, with stabbing guitars and brass, a little maraca and Ferry's quavery, staccato vocal. In fact the whole album actually sounds like Roxy Music, which is kind of a first. 'Sentimental Fool' starts with creepy sci-fi incidental music type stuff. Couldn't really decide what to make of the rest of it if I'm honest. 'Whirlwind' is a much easier proposition. A nice immediate rock-out. 'She Sells' has a cracking piano intro, you can see where Scissor Sisters got some of their ideas (not that they are coy about their influences). 'Could It Happen To Me?' has an enjoyable Beatlish hook.
However despite these good touches (and LITD) I was underwhelmed by the whole experience. Maybe the observation that it sounds like them means they are merely going through their paces. Cover art is now an important part of any Roxy Music piece. This has Jerry Hall looking like Daryl Hannah in Splash! Apparently it was taken on Anglesey, so no wonder it looks a bit parky.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2014/12/roxy-music-rhododendron-is-nice-flower.html
Love Is the Drug
End of the Line
Sentimental Fool
Whirlwind
She Sells
Could It Happen to Me?
Both Ends Burning
Nightingale
Just Another High
ROCK OF THE WESTIES
Elton John
I've listened to this a lot and mainly out of choice rather than duty. It's quite an engaging album and there are some genuinely suprising moments on it. That weird sound at the start of 'Island Girl' really grabs you attention and I found myself appreciating the song much more than I have in the past. There's a similar bubbly guitar thing in the 'Ugly' part of the opening medley.
The subject matter 'Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)' seems to be just something to hang the melody on. I'm guessing Bernie was a keen Eagle reader back in the day. Similarly 'I Feel Like A Bullet (In the Gun Of Robert Ford)' is not about Jesse James at all, just a rather hackneyed metaphor to support an underpaced breakup song.
The Layla riff is partially stolen at the start of 'Street Kids', a tale of East London gangs. Elton and Bernie do go for quite violent subject matter at times, yet neither give the impression spending their youth tooled up on street corners. The lyric 'you've seen gasoline buring in my eyes' gives them away somewhat too, they know full well we call it petrol over here.
Oh dear. Quite a lot of suspiciously misogynist sentiment in 'Hard Luck Story', despite the great "oo-ee-oo-ee-oo"s throughout the chorus. Elton is working his arse off all day and getting no appreciation from the missus. The closing line of ''Cause you're still the woman of a working man; You've got the heart of a working girl" is quite dodgy. That's my interpretation however, you could twist it all to make the husband look bad if you tried. They wrote it under a pseudonym of Ann Orson and Carte Blanche. There's quite a lot of self pity in 'Feed Me' too, which has a great soulful melody.
The 1995 reissue includes 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' with Kiki Dee. Elton does seem to be one of those artists that never necessarily felt the need to release singles as a warning shot of an album to come, or at least he was unafraid to keep some singles off the albums.
It's not a great cover picture. He never was a looker and it's hard to pull off a deerstalker and shades.
Post Status: Work in (slow) progress
Medley (Yell Help, Wednesday Night, Ugly)
Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)
Island Girl
Grow Some Funk of Your Own
I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)
Street Kids
Hard Luck Story
Feed Me
Billy Bones and the White Bird
ZENYATTA MONDATA
The Police
Their last album with a silly, pretend foreign language title. Cover art is a slight improvement although someone obviously thought their phizogs would sell records. I criticized 'Walking on the Moon' for bad lyrics, this one opens with 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' which is much better, telling the story in a sparse way and supported by some unexpected key changes. There is one hiccup, 'Just like that old man in that book by Nabokov' smacks of just showing off how well read Sting is. It's well known that he spent a spell as a teacher so we must assume its written at least partly from experience. For a really creepy take on the song check out Glee's mash up with 'Young Girl'.
Overall the sound is much more accomplished and there are some real groundbreaking moments. Complicated basslines that would influence Duran Duran and their like in the coming decade are in evidence. My misheard lyric for this album would be Canary in a Coma, instead of 'Canary in a Coalmine'. Maybe Morrissey was a fan? 'Bombs Away' probably has relevance now with it's themes around interventions in places like Afghanistan. 'Behind My Camel' is purely instrumental and resembles a soundtrack for a Hammer version of the Mummy.
I admit that I had to go to Wikipedia to find out what 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da' was all about, only to find that Sting claims it's a nonsense lyric along the lines of 'Doo wah diddy'. It's a good catchy song, so he achieved his goal.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-police-from-outlandos-to.html
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around
Canary in a Coalmine
Voices Inside My Head
Bombs Away
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Behind My Camel
Man in a Suitcase
Shadows in the Rain
The Other Way of Stopping
REMAIN IN LIGHT
Talking Heads
It seems much more abstract than what has gone before, and that wasn't precisely the most mundane music you're ever likely to listen to. Byrne begins to take on the persona of a kind of evangelical dadaist preacher on some of these songs, haranguing the listener with his rhythmic mantras. It's most obvious in 'Once In A Lifetime'. Remember the video? A classic from the early days of the artform. Dave stands there in suit and bowtie, looking fraught and sweaty and throwing jerky shapes and moves including The Stop Sign (sometimes called The Declaration Of Allegiance), The Two-Handed Stroking The Kitty, The Screw Your Head Into The Floor, The Shots To The Body and The Karate Chop Of The Forearm. Here it is:
But the message is pretty clear for all that. You've got all these modern conveniences, but it's not enough, you have to look deeper and outward.
In fact the entire album marks a forward step from the introversion and paranoia of Fear Of Music I think. There's more of the quasi-religious declaiming on the opening 'Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)'. Second track 'Cross-Eyed And Painless' is a clear ancestor of the 'Wordy Rappinghood', just replace "words" with "facts" and there are whole sections which are pretty much the same. Background reading suggests that to combat writer's block, Byrne resorted to a more stream-of-consciousness approach. Certainly most of the songs boil down to him chanting against an improvised groove laid down by the rest of the band, 'Houses In Motion' is a pretty good example. But that just seems to make them all the more hypnotic and compelling. It's almost like an audio illusion, these songs sound complex but they are actually made up of only a few basic components.
Also, if you need evidence that the problems of perceived American imperialism is a not new one, we get the haunting, and not in the least unsympathetic 'Listening Wind', in which a terrorist called Mojique carries out a bombing of Americans in his country. It's not presented as angry, or violent, but sad and mournful as if it's a regretful necessity.
It all finishes on an equally downbeat note, 'The Overload' has Byrne's murmured vocal over a rumbling dirge. The GeniusLyrics website suggests it's an attempt to emulate Joy Division but without the benefit of actually ever having heard the ray of sunlight that was Ian Curtis. If true, they did a pretty good job, working just from written descriptions.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2018/10/talking-heads-and-david-byrne-making.html
Talking Heads
It seems much more abstract than what has gone before, and that wasn't precisely the most mundane music you're ever likely to listen to. Byrne begins to take on the persona of a kind of evangelical dadaist preacher on some of these songs, haranguing the listener with his rhythmic mantras. It's most obvious in 'Once In A Lifetime'. Remember the video? A classic from the early days of the artform. Dave stands there in suit and bowtie, looking fraught and sweaty and throwing jerky shapes and moves including The Stop Sign (sometimes called The Declaration Of Allegiance), The Two-Handed Stroking The Kitty, The Screw Your Head Into The Floor, The Shots To The Body and The Karate Chop Of The Forearm. Here it is:
In fact the entire album marks a forward step from the introversion and paranoia of Fear Of Music I think. There's more of the quasi-religious declaiming on the opening 'Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)'. Second track 'Cross-Eyed And Painless' is a clear ancestor of the 'Wordy Rappinghood', just replace "words" with "facts" and there are whole sections which are pretty much the same. Background reading suggests that to combat writer's block, Byrne resorted to a more stream-of-consciousness approach. Certainly most of the songs boil down to him chanting against an improvised groove laid down by the rest of the band, 'Houses In Motion' is a pretty good example. But that just seems to make them all the more hypnotic and compelling. It's almost like an audio illusion, these songs sound complex but they are actually made up of only a few basic components.
Also, if you need evidence that the problems of perceived American imperialism is a not new one, we get the haunting, and not in the least unsympathetic 'Listening Wind', in which a terrorist called Mojique carries out a bombing of Americans in his country. It's not presented as angry, or violent, but sad and mournful as if it's a regretful necessity.
It all finishes on an equally downbeat note, 'The Overload' has Byrne's murmured vocal over a rumbling dirge. The GeniusLyrics website suggests it's an attempt to emulate Joy Division but without the benefit of actually ever having heard the ray of sunlight that was Ian Curtis. If true, they did a pretty good job, working just from written descriptions.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2018/10/talking-heads-and-david-byrne-making.html
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
Crosseyed And Painless
The Great Curve
Once In A Lifetime
Houses In Motion
Seen And Not Seen
Listening Wind
The Overload
KILIMANJARO
The Teardrop Explodes
It's Julian Cope, the greatest thing to come out of Tamworth since Aethelflaed. At time of writing BBC Radio 2 has just announced that The Joshua Tree has been voted the greatest 80's album. I should think all of the The Teardrop Explodes albums are better. I'm pretty certain Bono and Co could never have come up with a lyric like "Bless my cotton socks I'm in the news".
It's all drum n' brass (and bass) and the original release included 'Treason' but not 'Reward', which was added later after it's success as a single.
Post Status: They only just qualify. Three studio albums before they threw the towel in but Cope has been prolific ever since.
Ha Ha I'm Drowning
Sleeping Gas
Treason
Second Head
Poppies in the Field
Went Crazy
Brave Boys Keep Their Promises
Bouncing Babies
Books
The Thief of Baghdad
When I Dream
THE RIVER
Bruce Springsteen
In the unlikely event that you are ever on an episode of Pointless and are faced with the category 'Tracks on Bruce Springsteen's The River', be prepared with 'I'm A Rocker', 'The Price You Pay' and 'Fade Away'. Don't be tempted by obscure fan faves like 'Point Blank', 'Stolen Car', 'Ramrod' or 'Wreck On The Highway', because you never know if they managed to net a real Bruce bore in their 100 people survey.
First time around, I accused Bruce of hammering out a double album just to beef up his stock of live material. This time there isn't much to convince me that I was wrong. The arrangements are loose and the production is definitely intended to give the feel of a live set in the local enormodome. 'Sherry Darling' even starts with a round of applause. Of course the easy path to take here is to say that there is only a single album's worth of top class songs. I like the easy path, but I'm going to make it even easier by suggesting that you can get the essence of the entire album in EP format. So I would say that if you take a fun stadium rocker like 'Cadillac Ranch', an angsty social commentary like 'Jackson Cage', a sombre proto-Nebraska song like 'Stolen Car' and the deeply personal rite of passage that is 'The River', then you've pretty much got it all.
Some of the rest could have been separated at birth. You can't really get a cigarette paper between 'Two Hearts' and 'You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)'. There is A LOT of motoring going on as well, in fact, the last five songs, from 'Stolen Car' through 'Ramrod', 'The Price You Pay', 'Drive All Night' and ultimately to 'Wreck On The Highway' could be intended as a single suite. There is some stuff on here that borders on the utter tripe category ('Crush On You', 'I Wanna Marry You' and 'I'm A Rocker' do little for me). A close friend is thoroughly fed up with 'Hungry Heart'. I can bear it, but it characterizes so much of this album. Efficient, brash, kind of enjoyable but lacking sufficient, well, 'soul' I suppose. On the other hand there is some true excellence too. The North London brucophiles got very excited when he did 'Point Blank' at the Emirates Stadium in 2008 as a sign request.
As for the title track, it stands alone. In his biography he tells that he wrote it for his sister and her husband, on whose relationship it is based. The knowledge that it is comes from a true experience adds much to an already great song. That "on account of the economy" line is still a bit clunky though.
Post Status:https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2017/02/bruce-springsteen-revisited.html
The Ties That Bind
Sherry Darling
Jackson Cage
Two Hearts
Independence Day
Hungry Heart
Out In The Street
Crush On You
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
I Wanna Marry You
The River
Point Blank
Cadillac Ranch
I'm A Rocker
Fade Away
Stolen Car
Ramrod
The Price You Pay
Drive All Night
Wreck On The Highway
MAKING MOVIES
Dire Straits
I'm currently listening to Chris Frantz of Talking Heads memoir of the ascent of his band (and how he remembers David Byrne being a bit of dick all along) and was surprised to learn that they toured successfully and happily with Dire Straits in the early years. Something for everyone I guess.
Roy Bittan was a busy fellow in the run-up to October 1980. He played piano on this and The River. Listen carefully and you can hear that he has a distinctive style.
Dullest. Artwork. Ever
Post Status: Yes. They are doable. 6 albums and the last in 1991 means they didn't overstay their welcome.
Tunnel of Love
Romeo and Juliet
Skateaway
Expresso Love
Hand in Hand
Solid Rock
Les Boys
BOY
U2
U2's debut and if we didn't see what was coming we only have ourselves to blame. But in 1980 they sounded fresh and exciting, because actually, they probably were. They must have had quite a rep already. Not every band gets signed to Island and has Steve Lilywhite as producer fortheir debut. No backing singer except himself will do for Bono and The Hedge has got his chimey echoey guitar act honed to perfection already. That glockenspiel on 'An Cat Dubh' was driving me bonkers mind you.
Post Status: They kind of demand it, because of their position in the rock pantheon, but I'm afraid I might not find them quite as annoying as I'm supposed to.
I Will Follow
Twilight
An Cat Dubh
Into the Heart
Out of Control
Stories for Boys
The Ocean
A Day Without Me
Another Time, Another Place
The Electric Co.
Shadows and Tall Trees
Released 24th October 1980
GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS
Japan
The choice of the sophisticated eighties teen girl and therefore a band and lead singer that I just did not get at the time being neither sophisticated nor indeed a girl. Listening to it now, I can see the appeal, it's slightly off the wall and quite intense. Sylvian sounds like Le Bon on mogadon and makes every word seem like it's quirte an effort to get out, but it's varied, complex and interesting. I always quite liked the juxtaposition of the seedy and suave of the album title too. Note: Burning Bridges is not a Status Quo cover.
Post Status: Unliklely
Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Swing
Burning Bridges
My New Career
Methods of Dance
Ain't That Peculiar
Nightporter
Taking Islands in Africa
POWER WINDOWS
Rush
I bought a Whopper and Fries in Hong Kong airport once. It was exactly the same as what I would have got in Burger King on Croydon High Street. Well Rush are the temporal Whopper and Fries of rock. Down the years they are unchanging and utterly predictable. Geddy shrieks away and the drumming only seems to be feasible if their skinsman is actually sailor-hatted cartoon octopus Squiddly Diddly. But, it really isn't broken, so I would not be pushing for them to implement any fixes. Maybe the production on this is a bit lusher than their early records, but it's the mid-eighties after all.
Post Status: For reasons given above I think they would be challenging when the main premise is 'musical progression'.
The Big Money
Grand Designs
Manhattan Project
Marathon
Territories
Middletown Dreams
Emotion Detector
Mystic Rhythms
Released 18th October 1985
LOVE
The Cult
The acceptable face of Goth. The Cult gave the impression that they wanted you to be motivated by the music at the very least, and Ian Astbury embraced the challenge of taking Led Zepellin's legacy and doing something meaningful with it. This, Electric and Sonic Temple represent a worthwhile trilogy of solid rock albums produced when they were at their peak
Post Status: Who knows? After all, I ain't doing the The Fields Of The Nephilim.
Nirvana
The Big Neon Glitter
Love
Brother Wolf; Sister Moon
Rain
The Phoenix
The Hollow Man
Revolution
She Sells Sanctuary
Black Angel
ENLIGHTENMENT
Van Morrison
The one and only Van Morrison album I ever owned and I reckon that reflects well on me. I haven't listenend to this in years but it all came flooding back when I put it on. Wikipedia thinks it's 'Celtic, folk rock' which seems to be purely based on Van being from Ireland. If anything it's soul, whcih in itself is not unusual for him but this seems to be more of a love letter to the music that influenced him. 'Real Real Gone' has great brass stabs and he seems to be improvising many of the lyrics, just reeling off the names of soul legends.
For me the real highlight is 'In The Days Before Rock And Roll', a sort of a beat poem recited by poet Paul Durcan in a weirdly beguiling style. "Justin. Gentler. Than a man; I am down. On my knees. At their. Wireless. Knobs. Telefunken! Telefunken!" and so on. Van interjects in a more conventional singing style, but by the end they sound like a couple of old lushes rambling on to themselves in the same room. It's a complete joy.
Post Status: Van strikes me as hard work, and I couldn't be doing with the COVID protest songs.
Real Real Gone
Enlightenment
So Quiet in Here
Avalon of the Heart
See Me Through
Youth of 1,000 Summers
In the Days Before Rock 'N' Roll
Start All Over Again
She's My Baby
Memories
BEHAVIOUR
Pet Shop Boys
Is this Pet Shop Boys - The Viz Tribute? 'Being Boring' - Mr. Logic, 'Only The Wind' - Johnny Fartpants and 'So Hard' - Finbarr Saunders (and his double entendres). Thank god they didn't do one about an unspeakable parrot belonging to Bertie Blunt. 'This Must Be The Place', which I assume was in the film of the same name got me expecting 'Love Of The Common People' when it started (ah-ay-e-ay). 'To Face The Truth' is a much softer sound than they usually go for, more at the Vangelis, rather than Kraftwerk end of the synth-spectrum.I really liked 'How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously' (classic PSBs song title) with it's rock guitar riff in the chorus. There's a hint of Isaac Hayes and Shaft about 'My October Symphony'. 'So Hard' is head and shoulders above anything else on the album. Top lyric has to be 'We've both given up smoking, cos it's fatal, so whose matches are those?'. It finishes with 'Jealousy' which is sad and thoughtful.
I'll be honest, I struggled a bit with this one. 'So Hard' is just great, but the rest is a bit bog-standard really. 'Being Boring' is an audacious song title and is lyrically interesting, but the overall impression is that they are well within their comfort zone.Sorry.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2014/04/pet-shop-boys-from-please-to-super.html
Being Boring
This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave
To Face the Truth
How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?
Only the Wind
My October Symphony
So Hard
Nervously
The End of the World
Jealousy
THE RHYTHM OF THE SAINTS
Paul Simon
This is where Paul Simon was supposed to do what he did for South African music on Graceland for South American music. Well, he didn't quite pull it off. Maybe that was the problem, everyone could see it for what it was, effectively Graceland II but without half as many catchy tunes. The lead single, 'The Obvious Child' is memorable with all that drumming, but otherwise it just doesn't have the punch.
I bought it and have it still and have listened to it quite a lot, but it's never imprinted on me. One specific memory is of my dad hearing 'Born At The Right Time' and commenting on how much he liked it. This may not seem remarkable to you, which means you probably never met my dad. He wasn't an noticeably sensitive soul.
Post status: On the roster.
The Obvious Child
Can't Run But
The Coast
Proof
Further to Fly
She Moves On
Born at the Right Time
The Cool, Cool River
Spirit Voices
The Rhythm of the Saints
TRAVELING WILBURYS VOL. 3
The Traveling Wilburys
This never quite caught the imagination like the first one did, although the formula is fairly consistent. Maybe it was the lack of Orbison that explained it. He added a slightly exotic touch to the rock stalwarts that made up the rest of the band. I seem to recall that there was talk of Del Shannon taking his place but then he upped and died too. Maybe I just imagined that anyway (although there is a version of 'Runaway' on the re-release). Middle aged men are frequently accused today of complaining that their youth is being ruined for them by the current climate of revelations of historical misdemeanors by men in the entertainment industry, and while on the one hand, I enjoyed this for it's pretty joyful, off-the-leash rock and roll fun aspects, you don't want to start analysing the lyrics too closely. George, Bob, Tom and Jeff are quite happy to blame all their woes on the women in their lives. '7 Deadly Sins' is a kind of economical version of '57 Ways To Leave Your Lover'. A leisurely doo-wop, that might steal a whole chord sequence from The Pretenders' '2000 Miles', and the message is, "Woman, you done me wrong". 'Poor House' starts with the pingiest steel guitar you ever heard, but, basically, she's shafting him through a messy divorce. 'Where Were You Last Night?' is an unspectacular rock blues and the title tells you all you need to know about the theme. And in the opening verse of 'Cool Dry Place' Tom is unhappy with his lot, and works his way to his woman, via his lawyer and doctor, who puts him in the titular location.
On the other hand, if they'd released 'The Devil's Been Busy' in 2017, you might think they were being bitingly topical: "While you're strolling down the fairway; Showing no remorse; Glowing from the poisons; They've sprayed on your golf course; While you're busy sinking birdies; And keeping your scorecard; The devil's been busy in your back yard." is the opening verse.
However, let's ignore the lyrics and attitudes, times move on, the ease of most of this music makes it stand up to multiple listens. The opening 'She's My Baby', 'New Blue Moon' and 'You Took My Breath Away' seem like effortless classics, and they finish with the utterly daft 'Wilbury Twist' which I think was supported by photos showing the moves in the sleeve notes. This time around they are Clayton, Spike, Boo and Muddy Wilbury. Wikipedia alleges that Harrison was the driving force and while they might have eventually reconvened his death in 2001 put paid to any further incarnations of the band.
Post Status: Part of the Solo Beatles sequence: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-solo-beatles.html
She's My Baby
Inside Out
If You Belonged To Me
The Devil's Been Busy
7 Deadly Sins
Poor House
Where Were You Last Night
Cool Dry Place
New Blue Moon
You Took My Breath Away
Wilbury Twist
GROWN MAN
Loudon Wainwright III
I love this album but I listened to it again today and began to wonder if the Old Loudo's output wasn't beginning to age quite badly in the modern age. 'IWIWAL' (I Wish I Was A Lesbian) is still funny, and he's self deprecating enough to just about to get away with it, but he's closer to the edge of acceptability now than he was in 1995. On the song '1994' you do also start wondering if he's simply dismissing the idea that we're all genetically predisposed to some behaviours. He'd be crucified on Twitter today.
Otherwise it's all the usual stuff about being a crappy partner and father and getting older. Daughter Martha crops up and wins the argument in 'Father/Daughter Dialogue'. 'Human Cannonball' is one of my favourite Wainwright songs, entirely based on a news snippet spun out into a 3 minute song.
Post Status: He's one of my faves, along with Richard Thompson. maybe I'll do them together.
The Birthday Present
Grown Man
That Hospital
Housework
Cobwebs
A Year
Father/Daughter Dialogue
1994
IWIWAL
Just A John
I Suppose
Dreaming
The End Has Begun
Human Cannonball
Treasure Untold
(WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY
Oasis
The funniest joke in the movie Yesterday was that in a world devoid of The Beatles, Oasis don't exist either, but Oasis were much much more than that and were happy to steal from Gary Glitter and kids TV programmes too. This is their best, defining album and tied up with so many memories of a time I was settling into a future as a Londoner. I remember the title track crashing out of a pub jukebox on Drury Lane one Friday night, 'Wonderwall' holds a place of its own in my heart and 'Don't Look Back In Anger' is the most anthemic rock anthem you'll ever hear. The Gallaghers are still as idiotic as they were back then, but you can't fault this.
Post Status: They've only done 7, so they are an attractive proposition.
Hello
Roll With It
Wonderwall
Don't Look Back In Anger
Hey Now!
The Swamp Song (Version 1)
Some Might Say
Cast No Shadow
She's Electric
Morning Glory
The Swamp Song (Version 2)
Champagne Supernova
TIME
Fleetwood Mac
Now Nicks has gone! Hang on, that might be a good thing. It's a bit better than Behind the Mask. It has more character at least, but it doesn't really sound like Fleetwood Mac at all. It's the kind of thing Lady Antebellum produce these days (I think they're OK by the way - no criticism intended). Nicks' replacement, Bekka Bramlett, is better than the original and I liked 'Winds Of Change' which she sings. 'Blow By Blow' is a straight Billy Joel rip-off, which is quite ironic since my run through of his albums revealed HE was willing to jump on whatever musical bandwagon was passing at the time. Rick Vito has also gone, replaced by Dave Mason who, Wikipedia tells me, used to be in Traffic (probably many a guitarist could claim the same). Christine McVie is on better form than the previous album too. 'I Do' is sung well and features an electric piano riff that reminded me of various BBC theme tunes of the late 70s and early 80s. 'Dreamin' The Dream' (Bramlett) is a nice country ballad. McVie's 'Sooner Or Later' has shades of Clannad's soundtrack to ITV Saturday teatime gem Robin of Sherwood (featuring Ray Winstone as a rather irascible Will Scarlett).
There's some worrying tendencies to sound like dear old Elton in places. 'I Wonder Why' being an example.The penultimate track, sung by McVie is 'All Over Again' and is really rather good, in a sad reflective way. The last track is a 7 minuter - 'These Strange Times' and starts with jungle drums and features a rather pompous spoken vocal, backed by warbling by Bramlett. It's not as bad as it sounds.
Post Status: https://andysrockodysseys.blogspot.com/2014/07/fleetwood-mac-from-green-to-will.html
Talkin' to My Heart
Hollywood (Some Other Kind of Town)
Blow by Blow
Winds of Change
I Do
Nothing Without You
Dreamin' the Dream
Sooner or Later
I Wonder Why
Nights in Estoril
I Got It in for You
All Over Again
These Strange Times
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