Monday April 14, 2008

New CD's P.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand. Awsome cd. No wonder it has been so well received. Apart from the fact both are world class vocalists they have a excellent backing band. Although on most tracks they sing together there are also a few tracks they sing on their own. Worth buying.

Pulp - Different Class. Great line in the cd insert Please Understand. We don't want trouble. We just want to be different. That's all. Cocker's talent for writing awsome vocals are clear in this and the other Pulp albums mentioned below. F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E is very good. You know Pencil Skirt is not going to be one of his polically correct track or one you should play for your granny...

Pulp - We Love Life. Weeds and Weeds II good starting tracks. The Night that Minnie Timperley Died is next and is one of my favourite tracks on the CD. A very close second best must be Bad Cover Version, listen to his vocals carefully. Beautifully crafted. "Every time he kisses you , you get the taste of saccarin" and "The latest Tom and Jerry when the both of them could to talk".

Pulp - This is hardcore. Help the Aged I think my favourite on this cd. Perhaps given my ever increasing age - it is a track the makes you realises we should be more sympathetic towards older people and it won't be long before we get old. The title track also excellent. I'm a Man is a track I should pull over off the road when this track comes on.

Pulp - His and hers. Not so keen on this album - the tracks are ok but compared to the other albums not their best.

Thursday April 03, 2008

New CD's A to G

Since I stopped writing weblogs the stack of new CD's I have bought but not reviwed has built up.

Lily Allen - Alright Still. I had heard some of her tracks on the TV and recently downloaded a mp3 teaser from her website . The lyrics are very clever - a sort of female Jarvis Cocker perhaps. A second album is being recorded it will be interesting to see what that is like more of the same might get a bit boring. But this is a good CD.

Clapton/Cale - The Road to Escondido. This is a must buy CD if you like either artist. It has Billy Preston on it who has since died. The first track (Danger) has a brilliant keyboard line that is excellent and you know it is Billy playing. He played with the Stones and more recently was on the Concert for George organised by Clapton. With these two in charge you might think this is a late night CD to be played as you have that last glass of wine before retiring. Not so - it is an uplifting CD that gets your feet tapping but also has excellent blues numbers so you can get your breath back..

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris -All the road running. - All the songs are written by him - most of the tracks they sing together. The guitar has a very Dire Straits sound that is mistakable. I have found the cd has grown on me after repeated playing. In deference to her country roots there is a totally country track fun to listen too called Red Staggerwing.The title track All the Roadrunning is a nice ballad track but my favourite has to be the first track - Beachcombing. There is a DVD of both artists recorded in June of 2006, this collection includes a DVD of their concert at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

Eagles - Long road out of Eden. Sorry folks but the title track is among the best tracks of an album that should have been a single cd only. The disc with that track on is the best of the two but not worth the investment I fear folks.

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball. Bought this on the strength of a documentary I saw on her charting her career. The title track is by Neil Young, Sweet old world is by Lucinda Williams track - more on her later on and Every grain of sand - a Dylan track. Don't think this is a pure country sound, I am not keen on that kind of music and if you like her Stumble into Grace CD this is for you.

Gorillaz - D Sides. On CD is remix of lots of tracks from Demon Days. The originals are fantastic these remixes not so good. I would dearly like to know when the unreleased tracks on the other cd were recorded. If I did not know better I would say they were recored after or during the time Damon/Hewlett where doing their Monkey opera. Lots of tracks have Chinese undertones and two tracks are called HongKongaton and Hong Kong to enforce the Chinese theme. We are Happy Landfill starts with a sound that sounds like the instrument Damon designed to remind him of the traffic noise horns etc in China when he went there to research for Monkey. Murdoc is God is a nice rowdy sound which might end up with a fatwa on him and the best is the last track, Stop the Dams with some very interesting words spoken in a gap between the vocals.

( Apr 03 2008, 12:24:52 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]

Tuesday February 13, 2007

Two new albums from .....

After much hype The Good the Bad the Queen release their first album. Damon Albarn's latest band features Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong. Heavily influenced from the part of London where Albarn comes from the album is quite a mixed bag and it is not really like any project he has been involved with before. There is a tinkling piano on some tracks that you can imagine hearing in a pub in an old fashioned London pub. The album is good but some days I think its is brilliant and other days just good. There are subtle undercurrents of Albarn's previous projects in some of the tracks. The band have also been doing several live shows. The cd insert has drawings for each track done by Paul Simonon. The best tracks. ..

History song, is a track they released as a taster on their web site before the album was released and as a single which is a track mostly just with Albarn leading the vocals and a guitar. An organ/backing vocals also appear from time to time in the track.

The Kingdom of Doom another pre-released track is another of the best of the tracks - possibly an anti war song but still excellent

Herculean feature a nice vocal medley of the band with nice instrumental pieces.

Nature Springs, more vocal harmonies with a slightly unusual ending

Green Fields this track has hints of a Beatles track I can't place.

The best comes last the title track starts with that tinkly piano from a London pub somewhere but the pace of the track soon picks up, once the vocals end the band picks up the pace again and the track wizzes along at a fearsome pace suddenly ending with a faint piece you have too listen very carefully for. I bet this track is good live.

The question is will the band do another cd ?

The second CD is from Jarvis Cocker which was released late last year. This is a good solo effort from the man behind Pulp. All his own music except Black Magic which is a collaborative effort with Steve Mackay. The cd insert shows several pictures of him with his 'trademark ' glasses. Despite this being a solo effort he has a large choir and a huge orchestra sized set of string musicians helping him.

The Loss adjuster excerpt one starts with a quiet piano introduction then builds up to a really powerful loud track. Later in the cd is an instrumental second part of the track.

Heavy Weather with background thunderstorm noises sounds almost like a Tom Petty track.

I will kill again a ballad with some typical clever Cocker lyrics.

Baby's coming back another ballad to me an almost nursery room type song - intended of course..

Fat Children a great rock and roll track.

Disney time a strong candidate for the best track with a great piano piece very dramatic sound and the choir only add to the sense of drama to this track.

Tonite another Tom Petty sounding track gets you tapping your feet uncontrollably with excellent smart lyrics.

Big Julie starts with someone speaking some words about Big Julie I suppose second best track for me ?

After the last track Quantum Theory - which is also a strong candidate for the best track - there is silence and the cd keeps playing. Has anyone hung on and found out of there is anything there ?

Thursday February 01, 2007

Blur

I got to know this band's music by way of a Best of album. Hooked I then bought two others which are:

Parklife which amazingly came out in 1994. I don't think there is a bad track on the album but here are the ones I really enjoy -

Tracy Jacks - the civil servant who is a golfing fanatic who's put is erratic who I think then has a Reginald Perrin moment..

End of Century, - more clever lyrics by Albern in fact each line seems to cleverly roll into the next almost seamless. The music is however almost 1960's in its style.

Parklife - at the start in the background a sound of breaking glass and a howl of anger. More brilliant lyrics I get up when I want except on Wednesday when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen...

Badhead - a ballad with a picture in the insert of the Graduate film with a very young looking Dustin Hoffman. Some crititise Albern vocals being a bit two dimensional but thats part of the attraction of Blur's music.

Clover over Dover - with a nice harpsichord line with very subtle lyrics but a clever track. The track ends with the sounds of the sea on the shore.

This is a low - an excellent ballad with some very interesting lyrics that don't make much sense - but in any case a great track.

The cd cover notes has what looks like 'draft' ideas of songs with various scribbles on the them, including the music itself. At sixteen tracks the album is very good value.

Think Tank is a much later cd 2003 with an odd cd cover. It features two divers whom we can assume are male/female the reverse cover has the female holding a baby diving helmet in place. The transition of the band between Parklife and Think Tank to me follows the way the Beatles music transformed over the years. There is a hidden track Me, White Noise track zero that I have not worked out how to get to.

The first track Ambulance is a spooky track that starts with drums, then bass I know I am not all there, But I am getting getting getting there...

Crazy beat is a stupendous track fast noisy and fun.

After the pace of Crazy Beat the band settle down to a pleasant ballad Good Song.

Brothers and sisters - quite likely to be the best track on the album - an interesting perspective on drug taking both legal and illegal: Cocaine is for murderers, codeine is for jurors...

We have got a file on you - a nice rowdy punk track the words simply the title nothing else. It starts with an Indian music theme before the punk section cuts in.

Jets another strong contender for the best track on the album a mainly instrumental track which starts with a simple series of notes followed in by bass and drums

There are plenty of other cd's the band have produced and it is possible they might get back together again I suppose. Any favourites folks ?

Friday January 05, 2007

New from old

Two new cd's I have bought recently are from old artists one who has been releasing music for years and one who has been silent and for some reason has decided to make an album out of the blue.

The first album is from Bob Dylan called Modern Times. At the stage in his career he is not going to ever produce another Blood on the tracks but it is not half bad. Here are my favourite tracks:

Thunder on the Mountain - fast moving really catchy tune - a sort of mixture between a country and blues track.

Rollin' and Tumblin' and Someday baby - both fast tracks without realising it you find your foot tapping along with the beat...

Workingman's Blues #2 - a slow track with a nice piano accompaniment perhaps the closest track in this album showing his talent for writing excellent words to a track sleep is like a temporary death is one line as an example.

Nettie Moore - an odd name for a track but no matter more excellent words I am the oldest son of a crazy man a simple track with only a simple drum beat and guitar accompaning Dylan's gravelly vocals.

There are not many tracks on this album - ten but each is fairly long.. Dylan's voice is not what it used to be it seems like a piece of sandpaper now wearing out..

The second album is from Yusuf who used to be known as Cat Stevens and I would like to know why he has chosen this time to make his first album for thirty years. Anyway here are my highlights:

Midday avoid the city after dark - starts where he left off with his music of yesteryear with piano/guitar and his voice then a blast of brass comes in to surprise us. The best track on the album.

Maybe There's a world - is a beautifully melodic track which starts with just his vocals and guitar simple but perfect.

After the odd but thankfully short When the Butterflies leave, there follows the second best track on the album - In the End.

There is Peace - a simple ballad with his vocals and a guitar the words are very apt in our busy chaotic lives..

So in summary two average albums not the best best from either artist but worth a listen especialy the Dylan that I have warmed to since first listening to it..

Tuesday November 28, 2006

Fareful to Fluff

Thanks for all the Pop pickin' Fluff not Arf !

Friday November 10, 2006

Gorillaz

I first heard of this band while watching an early morning music show. I saw two tracks which were Dirty Harry and El_Mañana. I find their music very addictive. The band is known as a cartoon band and its members are:

    * 2D - (born in Crawley, United Kingdom) - vocals, keyboards
    * Murdoc Niccals - (born June 6, 1966 in Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom) - 
      bass guitar
    * Russel Hobbs - (born in New York, New York) - drums
    * Noodle - (born in Osaka, Japan) - guitar, backing vocals
    * Del - the blue phantom in the "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House" 
      music videos and the Gorilla Bite "Jump The Gut" was, one could say, 
      another band member. In 2003, he was exorcised; it took Russel a 
      year to recover. (In real life Albarn and Hewlett did not ask the 
      real Del to come back.)

Their first album is good and these are my favourite tracks off that album.

Rehash. Which starts with a great bass/drums line then the guitar comse in. We then hear Damon Albern's voice. The whole effect seems slightly out of tune.

Clint Eastwood. With a reggae start then a rap or hip-hop section cuts in. There is a respin of the track at the end of the album.

Double bass. A brilliant intrumental with an odd popping sound. In the middle there is a short interlude where someone says All of which makes anxious sometimes unbearably so.

Rock the house. A funky track with a trumpet piece on it too.

19-2000. My second favourite track with much evidence of the vocals of the girl member of the band Noodle in it. Great line A monkey in the jungle, watching a vapour trail, caught up in a conflict between his brain and his tail

A1/M1. An odd start to the track with someone shouting hello or is anyone there?. A strumming guitar enters the track becoming louder and then a bit tater on this excellent punk track cuts in. Very good.

The later album Demon Days is almost perfect.

The cd cover is really part of the whole package so I make no apologies for referring to it. There is one picture in the insert for each track.

Intro. Almost a Pink Floyd style number it reminds me of their track Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a pict.

Last Living Souls. Starts with an electronic drum beat then Damon Albern's voice cuts in Are we the last living souls, simple track but very clever. cd insert; picture of the band with a load of outlines of other folks all numbered.

Kids with guns. Neneh cherry is on track. Song develops as it progresses it has a great bass line. cd insert picture of gun with a cartoon child in each of the barrels bullet holes.

Green world. cd insert shows a barren wasteland . Perhaps the insert indicates the future of our world?

Dirty Harry. My favourite track I think. Mainly intrumental with a nice keyboard line then a rap section, this then repeats itself. cd insert picture of Noodle with a gun that has a US flag hanging down it like one of those spoof guns.

Feel Good inc. Constantly changing track very good.

El_Mañana. Accompanying video was of Noodle on her floating island which is attacked by helicopters. The track is an excellent slow ballad.

Every Planet we reach is dead. Piano by Ike Turner . cd insert is of the band members in space suits waving from an unknown planet surface. Behind them is the earth.

Novemmeber has come. Perhaps not my favourite tracks. cd insert shows a calander of Oct with all the dates crossed out.

All Alone. Intrumental with a chorus of All alone. cd insert shows a corridor of a hotel rooms in Japan, which are the really small human sized ones.

White Light. Classic twin tempo track. cd insert of toothless drunk holding a can of White light crack booze 100% proof.

Dare , Human League style track. Very catchy track.

Fire coming out of the monkeys head. Intrumental with narration read by Dennis Hopper perhaps a dig at the US. It is a story about Happy folks whos serene lifestyle is destroyed by invaders wearing dark glasses. cd insert shows a sinister monkey holding a cigarette.

Don't get Lost in Heaven and Demon Days follow on from the last track both of which use a choir. Good conclusion to the album. The very same choir was used on a track on a Blur album.

With Albern working on a new project named The Good, the Bad and the Queen will we hear from Gorillaz again?

Wednesday July 12, 2006

Shine one you Crazy diamond

It was announced on the news last night that Syd Barrett one of the founding member of Pink Floyd had died aged sixty. He was a recluse and had not set down any music for years. RIP Syd.

Wednesday June 07, 2006

StereoPhonics - Live from Dakota

Just bought this live album by the StereoPhonics. In the UK it is being sold just under ten pounds and is a double CD. There are ten tracks on each cd and one new track called Jayne. Of course no recording can ever hope to match what is like Being there and some bands are better live than others. I'd say these guys are about average. The tracks cover a lot their music with an emphasis on the latest studio CD. The only thing I'd say is if the band did an encore on that show it should have been recorded and put on the cd. If they did not do an encore then that was very mean to their fans.

Tuesday May 23, 2006

Three new cd's

Three new cd's are in our collection; first Superbi from the Beautiful South . The album cover although not making any difference to their music is excellent as usual with an old bus featured. The album has twelve Classic Beautiful South tracks on it. The first track Rose of my Cologne is an excellent fast country number and I hoped for some other different tracks from the band but its pretty normal BS stuff - but still ok. The vocals are as clever as usual, and the music pleasant and easy listening. A note in the cd cover says after all the other thanks to friends etc "No thanks to God he did $%^& all".

The next album is Neil Young's Living with War I bought it knowing it was a ten track anti war cd. I found it indifferent at first but after a second listening it is growing on me. However the last track has a choir singing America the Beautiful is misplaced on this rock cd I think - even is there is a sublime message hidden away in featuring it. However his last album Prairie wind is a much better investment...

Last but not least another old rocker - not as old as is Bruce Springsteen's latest offering We shall overcome; the Seeger sessions. This album I think is a tribute to Peter Seeger. In fact some of this material was recorded in the 1997 the rest in 2005 and 2006. The band did no rehearsals. Bruce clearly enjoyed making the album and it shows in the performance of him and the band. It really is a lot of fun to listen to it and we both took a liking to it straight away. (recommended by a friend who saw him recently...) Our CD also includes a DVD with the tracks in PCM stereo whatever that is. The DVD also has two bonus tracks on it and the usual DVD extras. He calls the music street corner music, parlor music, tavern music, wilderness music, circus music, church music and gutter music. Either way there is a lot of good music on the cd - a strong recommendation.

Wednesday May 17, 2006

K T Tunstall

KT Tunstall music's has finally reached me. Her debut album Eye to the telescope is pretty good but I always think for new artists the second album tells us if the artist has more than one good album that they can produce. Remember Alanis Morissette first album brilliant; the second one rubbish. Back to KT the first three tracks are excellent Other side of the world, Another place to fall and Under the weather. Tracks four and five are not so good, just not my kind of music perhaps. The rest of the album is then good. The words on her tracks are excellent here is a bit fromOther side of the world

Over the sea and far away
She's waiting like an iceberg
Waiting to change
But she's cold inside
She wants to be like water...

She also plays the lead guitar on most of the tracks but the sleeve notes also indicate she also plays the keyboards and the final track Through the dark has her playing the piano in a solo type track. So we will have to wait and see how her second cd pans out, but her first cd gets my vote.

Friday May 05, 2006

Harry Chapin - storyteller

Years ago when I commuted twice a week around the M25, Harry's music would feature on my play list. We bought his best cd Greatest stories live to replace the worn out cassette tape ages ago and recently I have been playing it again. As the title suggests a lot if not all of his music are stories about people. Sadly his life was cut short by an auto accident in 1981. Interestingly there are two prominent web sites dedicated to him one by his family and another just as good. Here is the first and here is the here second A lot of his lyrics are also available on this web site.

Favourites of mine are:

W.O.L.D a short track ( for him) of his about a D.J. who has been on and off the 'air' as a disc jockey who is now separated from his wife and kids - mainly because of his love for the job. He is hoping his wife will take him back but she has found someone with a regular job...

I wanna learn a love song. This story is about him as a young man who meets a married woman who wants to learn to play guitar and sing. Her husband is always playing stud poker in another room when Harry comes over to teach her. Of course it goes much farther than learning to play and singing songs...

Mr Tanner a really good track this one. A local man who has a clothes cleaning shop also sings as he does his job. His friends pester him to spend all his savings on doing a show in the city. Eventually he caves in and does the show. It goes terribly wrong after he gets scathing critical writeups in newspapers. He never sings again afterwards except late and night and then very quietley. From the track the lyrics:

Music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good.
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul.
He did not know how well he sang; It just made him whole.

A better place to be, about a security guard in a steelworks who meets a glamourous girl one night and she comes back to his home and stays the night. The next morning while he pops out for breakfast she leaves, leaving a note: 'It's time that I moved on..' The song starts with the guard telling the story to his local barmaid. At the end there is a happy ending as they get together as a couple.

Cats in the cradle is his best known song I expect. It is about a father who has no time for his son. his son repeats the words as he admires his father ...

He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

The son grows up and he follows his father's behaviour and at the end of the song the retired father rings his son up only to find the son has no time to meet his dad who then realises his son has grown up just like him

Taxi, a track again about a couple who meet by chance in a taxi cab. They were once lovers he wanting to be a pilot, her wanting to be an actress. He is now a taxi driver, I think its left to our imagination what she is now doing. Initially she does not realise who he is but soon does. They chat and she gives him an enormous tip for the ride. The last few lines are excellent.

For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change."
Well another man might have been angry,
And another man might have been hurt,
But another man never would have let her go...
I stashed the bill in my shirt. 

30,000 pounds of bananas is a fun track following a truck full of the said goods heading to a town. As the rookie driver reaches the town he goes too fast and crashes the truck. Harry on the live album does a few finishes of the track much to the amusement of the audience.

Last but not least the track the shortest story touches on Harry's passion for world poverty and its effects. Its a sad tale of a baby born who only lives a short while before succuming to starvation:

It is twenty days today, Mama does not hold me anymore;
I open my mouth but I am too weak to cry.
Above me a bird slowly crawls across the sky;
why is there nothing now to do but die?

He did a lot of work for charities relating to world problems like this when he was alive. Anybody know of other albums by him worth a punt?

Thursday April 13, 2006

Nick Drake - past masters.

Amazing that nowadays he is more popular than when he was still alive. He produced three albums in my very humble opinion Bryter later is the best. It has a very dark sombre picture of him with his guitar on its front cover. If you listen carefully to the lyrics they are very clever and carefully crafted. I also have his album Pink Moon which although good is not as excellent as this CD.

The album starts with an intrumental track named Introduction a gentle guitar piece with a string accompaniment.

Hazy Jane II, a fast number with brass intruments in the background.

The best track ever The chime of the city clock comes next which is an awsome track again with string accompaniment.

One of these things first comes next, with a piano alonside a nice guitar track. Hazy Jane 1 comes next the first half which comes after the second part!

The title track Bryter later then follows, a nice guitar and flute piece.

Fly is next with a viola and harpsichord alongside his voice.

Poor boy has some excellent background vocals.

The next track is Northern Sky my second favourite track of his with John Cale playing the celeste, piano and organ. The way the track seems to gain intensity with the clever keyboard playing is stunning. The final track Sunday back with the flute again a lovely instrumental. Very mournful song.

So a very talented musician R.I.P. Nick

Friday March 17, 2006

John (and Beverley) Martyn

The first album from this guy I don't have but I have a few others with him on his own or with his wife who has a fantastic voice. Stormbringer is described as a "pace setting acoustic rock adventure, with folks guitars filled out with pounding drums, piano and bass". I don't think there is a bad track on the album. The title track is memorable, as is the fourth "Sweet Honesty" written and sung by Beverley. "The ocean" is another haunting track sung by her but written by him. The final track "Would you believe Me?" is the first of many tracks that has John doing his classic Crooning singing style seen in many later albums. The next album I have is Road to ruin again with both artists. It is another good album with tracks from both artists. "Auntie Aviator is a favourite sung by Beverley. "Give us a ring" is a lovely duet with both of them singing. "Sorry to be so long" and "Say what you can" are uptempo numbers with Beverley singing with great piano riffs. The title track is sung by John and is a number that is a slow then fast section again with a great piano line.

On his own I have one album Sapphire and a compilation called Sweet little mysteries. The former album is good but I miss her voice alongside his music. The title track is good, and "Fisherman's dream" is a favourite of mine and generally I enjoy listening to the rest of the tracks but they lack the subtle simplicity of his earlier stuff.

He is still making music and performing but has split from his wife and also lost a leg in a motorbike accident. If you know other albums of his that you would recommend I would like to hear of them.

Wednesday March 08, 2006

Past masters 24 Caret Purple

I have been scanning the cd collection at home and getting slightly bored with the cd's I am playing on a regular basis I am pulling out ones I seem to be ignoring. Some of them are rubbish but some are really good, this is the first of a series where I will go over these albums as I re-discover them.

24 Carat Purple by Deep Purple. It is a 'best of' from the band. It has some classic tracks on it but the thing I liked about them was the punch each instrument/artist had in the music. A quote on this point is "Purple became the monster of individual contribution". A really throbbing bass line. Amazingly strong vocals. Great keyboards riffs and of course excellent guitar playing. The tracks...

Woman from Tokyo; a very listenable track nothing spectacular but with several sections, each different.

Fireball; starting with what sounds like one of the bands vacumn cleaners! Great keyboards on this track.

Strange kind of Woman, this is the track where Gillian uses his powerful voice to 'mirror' the notes coming out the guitar at considerable risk to his health.

Never before - a nice bassy track.

Black night - one of the best from the band.

Speed King, an excruciating painful start of the track (missed off in some performances) then a real rock'n roll track with great lyrics.

Smoke on the Water. Every wannabe guitar player could play the opening bars to this track. It is a story about when the band went to a recording session and I think the place burnt down. Anyone can play the opening bit but the way the drums, then the bass comes and finally the keyboards is just amazing. To be played LOUDLY.

Child in time, a gentle keyboard introduction, temporarily hides a strong vocal set.

All in all a monster album.