Lisnaholic

HaHa! This was once the most popular gif on MB, so I'm delighted to see it make a reappearance. Thanks, TH.

Also thanks to SGR, music_collector and others who take my negative reviews in good spirit. To me it's a real eye-opener to see how we all of us explore music, but are looking for such very different things.

__________________
"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

Trollheart

My rant above notwithstanding, it should be understood that nobody needs to ask permission to put an album forward. There is no restriction on genre or artist, so you can if you wish nominate an album of Norwegian nose flute music, a collection of blackened death metal songs or even (shudder) something more evil, like a Jedward album (don't you dare!) - I don't have any sort of power of veto here, nor does anyone else. All you need to bear in mind is that your album may be torn to shreds if it's something I, or someone else, really hates, so bear that in mind. Other than that though, and assuming you're not deliberately picking something to piss someone off, go for it.

Just nominate, don't ask.

Yeah, even the ****ing Fall...

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

And on we go, into a new month with an album from our newest member.

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

SGR

I didnt realize you had such disdain for the Fall, Trolls. An unfortunate and sad revelation indeed.

That said, there's enough familiarity with the album that I'm not nominating it. I like to bring albums up to the club before I nominate, as I prefer to nominate stuff that most haven't heard yet. I'll stick with the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique - just for you Trolls.

Trollheart

Oh, how the mighty have FALLen! I'll post your beastly, I mean Beastie Boys album in the OP then.

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

music_collector

I've fallen behind on my reviews. They'll arrive soon. I know I'm closer to the bottom of the list. I'll start thinking of my nomination.

Marie Monday

Massive Attack - Protection
I like the opening beat. So crisp. The singing grates a bit and the lyrics too, but the music makes up for it so far. I did not expect a reggae-like rhythm for the next song but it's nice. The weird flute(?) rules. The album strikes me as well-produced so far. The next song is atmospheric and enjoyable, but not very exciting. The next song continues this pattern for me: it sounds good, the beat is nice, but it doesn't spark anything in me. Spying Glass is rad though! I like the pots and pans percussion, and the synth the tone of which keeps changing colour, so to speak. I like the next song too, with its groovy bass riff. The next song starts like a fun but uneventful dub song, until it builds up and the sharp upper notes come in. From there it goes into some fun directions. The last few songs get a bit dull. The Light My Fire cover doesn't really work for me.
7.5/10

__________________

rubber soul

16 HORSEPOWER: SACKLOTH ‘N’ ASHES


So, first I should confess that I’m fairly familiar with this band and am quite a fan of Low Estate which they would record a couple years later. Haven’t heard this one though so really looking forward to it.

And it starts off with the moody I Seen What I Saw. The first thing that stands out besides David Eugene Edwards’ scathing vocals is the moody slide guitar work, also by Edwards. I think it’s safe to say this is essentially Edwards’ band as the band would go though various changes over the years.

Anyway, Black Soul Choir is the “hit” from the album and it is indeed catchy. It has an Appalachian feel to it and, in another era, may have done quite well on radio.

My favorite song on the album though has to be Horse Head. I love the bluesy guitar on this. It even reminds me of Thirteenth Floor Elevators of all artists. No, Roky Erickson has no involvement on this album, but Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) does play fiddle on the album. Another standout track is Prison Shoe Romp for similar reasons.

And the truth is, I can’t find a weak track on this album. It has an eclectic feel without losing their basic sound. I would highly recommend it for those who want a deeper insight into country rock. Possibly the best album I’ve heard on the club so far (Sorry, Marie, but I think Cristina’s been topped)

9.5/10 (The Word Has Spoken )

__________________

Trollheart

Okay, from the moment this starts I love it, and I don't stop loving it till the last track. I'm not a huge country fan but since I listened to Strawfoot I have loved this kind of music, and though I haven't heard much of it I do love bluegrass. This to me comes across more as the alt-country that the above band play, but I'm quite happy to admit I don't know diddly so can't say for sure. The power and drama in the opening track, "I Seen What I Saw" is really effective, the sniping guitar driving the tune while the vocalist has that kind of howling, wailing voice that really suits this kind of music. I'd actually go so far as to say this sounds like Nick Cave doing country music. It's a great start, and it keeps going with "Black Soul Choir", which has a more upbeat, trundling kind of feel to it and brings in the banjo, which is always a great instrument to hear and gives the song a nice folky touch. I love the chorus "Ohh, ohh, ohh, get out of my way!" Sweet.

I don't want to make this too long a review, and there are thirteen tracks so I'll just give my thoughts, but I could write a proper review which would illustrate how great I think this album is. Maybe I will at some point. But not now. I won't talk about standouts, as there are no bad tracks here, but I do love this one. Next up is "Scrawled in Sap" (great titles!) and it's swings along nicely on guitar with a great sort of warp to it (I'm sure there's some technical term, like pitch bend or something, but what I don't know about guitars could fill a warehouse. Inside another warehouse. So I won't even try) while "Horse Head" has a slower, more laconic rhythm, the closest to Nick Cave I've heard to this point, especially the hoarse (sorry) howls. That warped guitar is back.

"Ruthie Lingle" is much slower, with a sort of slow treading feel, and for some reason puts me in mind of gunslingers heading out of the saloon and taking their positions opposite each other as they wait to see who is the fastest draw. You can see the dust swirl around their boots, the townsfolk scattering for cover, while somewhere a Spanish church bell tolls the hour. Ask not who the bell tolls fer, pardner... Okay no, I see that's still "Horse Head". Man, they sure pour a lot into three minutes and change! "Ruthie Lingle" is in fact a much more uptempo song, driven on banjo and kind of clattering percussion, while the harmonica is great to hear in "Harm's Way," and the banjo is back on the attack for "Black Bush".

I love the way they integrate "These Boots Were Made for Walking" into the song - really clever - then "Heel on the Shovel" starts off with some fine guitar pickin' before it takes off at some speed in a fast folky/bluegrass vein, the bass line for some reason reminding me of It's Immaterial's "Driving Away from Home". Weird, but it does. The main riff on "American Wheeze" has me mystified: I would have said some sort of keyboard instrument, but these guys don't seem to use any. The only thing I see which might be it is bandoneon? Yeah that could be it: kind of accordion deal? This really reminds me of Cave's "The Good Son". Great stuff.

"Red Neck Reel" is, to absolutely nobody's surprise, a reel, and it goes at it with real enthusiasm, dancing all over the place with the banjo and harmonica in fine fettle, though strangely about halfway through the vocal fades a little (is this bad production? Don't know: it comes back quickly enough, so much so that I would almost guess the singer had walked away from the mic and then come back) while "Prison Shoe Romp" has a very ominous feel in the guitar (which has that warp* in it again, and very welcome it is too) then it stomps along with real character, into "Neck on the New Blade", where we have harmonica and maybe cello? Slower and quite doomy in its way, think there's accordion in here too, and we end on "Strong Man", slower and almost waltzy in its rhythm, very haunting and a fine closer to a damn excellent album. Superb choice for your first pick, Carpe: I'm already downloading their discography, and if you know any similar artists I'd be happy to hear of them.

Rating: 10/10 duh

* I see they use a steel guitar; I wonder if that's the "warp" I'm hearing? Answers on a postcard.. what do you mean, what's a postcard? Kids these days...

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

SGR

Okay, here's my review of Massive Attack's Protection, I just copied and pasted from a review I've already posted on here, I'm a lazy sod, but I think Trollheart's the only one who read it initially, so it's close to being fresh at least.

Massive Attack - Protection (1994)



That bassline hits with unforgiving tenacity, the drum cymbals begin to fill the empty space and then, Tracey Thorn starts to decorate it with syrupy-sweet lyrics about sacrifice and devotion. This is how Massive Attack’s second album ‘Protection’ begins. Brilliance is immediately obvious. Relax and enjoy it.



Massive Attack is a Bristol collective and was one of the pioneering acts in the genre of trip-hop, characterized by downtempo electronica beats laden with hip-hop and breakbeat soundscapes - though it incorporates a variety of sounds including funk, dub, jazz, soul and more. One of the founding members of Massive Attack, Daddy G, described it as “dance music for the head, rather than for the feet”.

Their first album ‘Blue Lines’, widely considered to be the first trip-hop album, broke a lot of conventions. Drawing many inspirations from the modern hip-hop scene in America, the British group incorporated not only raps and sampling, but live instruments, generous studio overdubs, and the unique vocals of Horace Andy and Shara Nelson into their songs. Perhaps the absolute peak of that album in both vision and execution can be exhibited with the track “Unfinished Sympathy” - a synthesis of all of the aforementioned characteristics into something that was, at the time, absolutely unique and in a way, it remains unparalleled to this day in its creative vision. Initially sounding like a cold and detached ballad, it managed to be a heartfelt and warm ode to love and longing - being human and somewhat inhuman at the same time. It remains one of my favorite songs of all time.



But while this album reverberated across the landscape and influenced many, Massive Attack still had more to give. Exactly what they had to give would come around three years later with their followup album, ‘Protection’.

While the overall tone of their first album was warm and soulful, I’d describe ‘Protection’ as more chilled and lethargic in delivery. It is not ‘Blue Lines’ in way of its goals or in its style. It is, most certainly, its own unique piece of work - a standalone album that thankfully does not simply try to replicate its popular predecessor.

As the second track “Karmacoma” hits, you realized pronounced basslines may become a theme on this album. Tricky contributes vocals here and he does an incredible job affecting the song with his unique vocal style. The song, on its own, sounds absolutely beautiful - but the song sounds better the less sober you are. I dare anyone to roll a joint, have a smoke, and listen to this track and tell me it isn’t brilliant. Little known synth pop group Startled Insects actually wrote two of the songs on this album, “Karmacoma” being one of them (“Eurochild” being the other). The main rhythmic loop is taken from Indian playback singer and Bollywood-starlet Alka Yagnik, the song being “Aaja Sajan Aaja”:



The refrain is taken from a Russian opera (Prince Igor) - and, not being satisfied, also includes Tuvan throat singing with a sample of “Dream Time In Lake Jackson” by the KLF:



This is to say that there was a geyser of creativity bursting forth on this album - if this is the most creative song on the album, then the others are certainly close behind. Enough about the samples - listen to the song for yourself and see how expertly it all comes together:



“Sly” was the first single of the album - and honestly, it’s an excellent representation of what you’re going to get if you buy it. It’s chilled out, detached, and smooth as butter, helped by an accompanying beautiful vocal performance from singer Nicollete. And oh yes, the strings at the end of the song make my heart melt with joy every single time - it is a euphoric experience:


I try to believe what I feel these days
It makes life much easier for me
It's hard to decide what is real these days
When things look so dizzy to me
I already know my
Children's children's faces
Voices that I've heard before
There's always more
There's always more
Wandering, leaving the sea behind
To my home which everybody owns




Perhaps I’m delusional, but I think “Euro Child” would’ve made a better single than “Karmacoma”. It’s catchier - it’s a little easier to digest - and it’s a little more straightforward. Not to mention, there’s still a lot of depth with the track. Which includes, of course, the lyrics which are…well…cryptic, to say the least:


Sitting in my day care, yard is deco painted
Blessed by the drink
Upon the corners where we've seen it
Chased by the planet
Haunted by the medium
Too high to flow toward to break the tedium
Glow from my T.V. set was blue like neon
Activated the remote I put the BBC on
I've seen this city somewhere
I'm looking out for no-one
Pallor in my eyes it get blue like neon
Hell is round the corner where I shelter
Isms and schisms we're living helter skelter
If you believe I deceive then common sense says shall you receive
Let me take you down the corridors of my life
And when you walk, do you walk to your preference
No need to answer till I take further evidence
I seem to need reference to get residence
A reference to your preference to say I'm a good neighbour
I trudge so judge me for my labour
I walk in a bar and immediately I sense danger
You look at me, girl, as if I was some kind of a
A total stranger


I can’t lie - I love this track - the placement of it is perfect within the album - it manages to maintain the chilled out vibe but yet ramp up the intensity at the same time. From Massive Attack’s website, here’s a little background info on the track:



The album comes equipped with two instrumental tracks. With Massive Attack, one of the biggest appeals are the beautiful vocals laid over smooth and chilled out soundscapes - but these tracks (“Weather Storm” and “Heat Miser” [they call me Heatmiser, whatever I touch…No! Not THAT Heatmiser!]) suit the album absolutely well and actually accentuate and help the flow and pacing of the album. “Weather Storm” is probably the more beautiful selection (and doesn’t feature Darth Vader breathing) though “Heat Miser” is distinct enough with its vibrant piano to perhaps be my pick for my favorite closing track of a Massive Attack album….but…

Oh yes, there’s one more track - a cover of The Doors’ “Light My Fire”. I pretend that this is a bonus track and I never listen to it. I recommend that you do the same (Yes, in reality - this is the biggest problem with the album. Whoever thought it was a good idea to tack this on at the end should be brought out to a dark alleyway and should be shot - but I won’t say anymore about it.)

All in all, this is not an album that is disliked by either fans or critics. But - it is often forgotten. And the reason? It is sandwiched between two albums that receive even more praise and fanfare (‘Blue Lines’ and ‘Mezzanine’). In my eyes, this album is just as good as those ones are if not even better. I can listen to it over and over and over again. I don’t get sick of it. It’s as smooth as butter - it’s chilled out to the point that it’s an auditory toke of weed - it’s numb enough to be that dose of oxy I enjoyed with the Manics’ ‘Lifeblood’ - it’s self-aware enough to know that it will never be ‘Blue Lines’ - and it doesn’t try. It’s Massive Attack’s second album - a creative whirlwind forgotten in between two albums that are more distinctive, more immediate, and more genre-defining. But those albums are not, and will never be the familiar hand I reach out to in times of need like this album has been.

9/10 (subtract a point for that godawful Doors cover they tacked on to the end)