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Sunday, November 13 2011

Evening star --- Tyr ---from "The Lay of Thrym" on Napalm
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Possibly appropriate, given that most of you will by now be feeling the creeping effects of the “Monday blues”, not exactly looking forward to heading into work for another week --- unless you're a beer tester or bikini inspector! --- to hit you with another selection of blues tracks. This time out, I'm going to concentrate on current artistes, blues tracks lifted from albums that are not blues-dedicated, but nevertheless have at least one good blues song on them.

You may not agree with all of my choices, but I'd like to try to show that the blues can emcompass so many different styles and eras, and that it is, in the end, universal and eternal. Hopefully some, if not all, of the below will go some way towards demonstrating this.

Start off with this, from the great Led Zep, track from the album “Presence” called “Tea for one”. Just listen to that Jimmy Page make his guitar wail!


Someone who's often overlooked in this genre but who has a genuine love of the blues is Chris Rea. Here's “Easy rider”.


Perhaps this wouldn't be considered blues per se, but I think it gives a real blues feel. It's Joe Cocker, with “Night calls”.


I feel the same can be said about this one from Marillion. From the album “Radiation”, a great little track called “Born to run”.


And a fragile little song from Prefab Sprout, from “Jordan: the comeback”. It's called “One of the broken”.


Title track to Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora's debut solo album, “Stranger in this town”.


Of course we'd have to have one of the prime exponents of the blues of this era! Here's Rory, with a great version of John Lee Hooker's “Wanted blues”.


And not far behind him, Gary Moore, with the last studio track recorded by him before his untimely death this year, this is “Trouble ain't far behind”.


Steve Earle certainly knows how to sing the blues. Here he is with one of his earlier songs, “It's all up to you”.


And another Steve, this time the late, sadly-missed Stevie Ray Vaughan, with “Tin Pan Alley”.

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Monday November 14 2011
Under the bridge --- Red Hot Chili Peppers --- from "Blood sugar sex magik" on Warner Bros
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Ah, a new week, and a few days closer to Christmas! Yes, you can say it now without people going “Shut up! That's ages away!” Be here faster than a turbocharged snail I know... Anyway, today's Earworm comes from Pat Benatar, one of the first ladies of eighties rock, with her big hit “Love is a battlefield”.

One (well, several actually) of our videos is missing!
 

Recently I had cause to go through my journal stem to stern, in order to catalogue what I had written, so as not to end up repeating myself, and also to create a record of what I'm writing that can be referenced easily.

While doing so, I noticed a few YouTube videos I had linked to were no longer there. Now, there are of course many reasons why YT would remove videos, none of which I have any control over. I replaced any I found no longer worked, with videos from alternative sources wherever possible.

The point is that had I not gone through the journal I would not have known about these missing videos, and someone clicking on one would have been disappointed, perhaps directing curses in my direction! I don't want anyone having hassle reading through my journal; it's meant to be fun, a diversion, interesting and informative, not a source of frustration.

So I'm sending out a general appeal now to my readers, especially the newer ones who may only be starting at the early pages: if you see any videos not working, or referenced incorrectly, or indeed any errors of any sort, or have problems with the journal, please email me or post and let me know. If it's a video missing/not working, I'd appreciate it if you could include the following information: page number and/or date, section (eg album review, Daily Earworm, Weird sh*t I like etc) and as much information about the video as it will give you, the title if possible or if not then which it was in the sequence --- first, second, third etc. Any help like that would be great.

I'm doing my best to maintain a hopefully interesting and diverse journal, and any little problems like this need to be dealt with, but I can't deal with them if I don't know they exist, so I'm relying on you guys.

Thanks for listening.

Trollheart

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Let's have some more of those cool TV themes, eh? Starting off with the theme from one of my very favourite shows, the excellent “Sons of Anarchy”.


Another great show on at the moment, this is the guitar-heavy theme to “Boardwalk empire”.


An oldie but goodie, as they used to say, this is Mark Snow's theme to “The X-Files”.


Some of the best themes are also the shortest. Check out “Criminal minds”.


Or this one: classical music and Alan B'Stard. What more could you ask?


A great crime series with a menacing, if short, theme, it's “Dark blue”.


Another of my favourite shows, sadly over now, the hilarious and at the same time incredibly insightful comedy “Red Dwarf”.


And who doesn't like “The Sopranos”? Well, me, up until recently, when I got into it. All that time wasted...


The original and best, classic “Star Trek”, complete with warps and warbles. Bossa-nova has never sounded so good!


And to finish things up for this time, my very favourite sci-fi --- indeed, favourite show of any kind! --- “Babylon 5”, and the superlative theme from season three. Hey guys! This is Christopher Franke, ex Tangerine Dream, you know!

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Dry county --- Blackfoot --- from "Marauder" on Atco
Tuesday, November 15 2011
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Who remembers Scissor Sisters? Once they seemed like they were going to be huge, then they seemed to disappear from sight, haven't heard much from them since their initial hits, of which this is certainly one, this is “Laura”.

Forever autumn --- Lake of Tears --- 1999 (Black Mark)
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Lake of Tears are, apparently, something of an enigma. Beginning in the early 90s as a black/doom metal band, this four-piece from Sweden scored critical success with their second album, 1995's “Headstone”, which was an all-out doom/gothic metal album, but then for their third recording, 1997's “A crimson cosmos”, they evolved progressive metal and psychadelic styles into their music, weaving in fantasy and mythological imagery to their songs. Much more melodic than doom metal, this was followed two years later by their fourth offering, which seemed to eschew the original influences entirely and is a far more laid-back, introspective album with hardly a whisper of black metal anywhere.

This is immediately apparent from the opening track, “So fell autumn rain”, with its mournful cello intro, picked up by piano and then crashing guitars, but keeping very melodic as the keyboards slide in, the vocal initially very low in the mix, almost an afterthought but still clearly audible and discernible. For the verses, vocalist Daniel Brennare kicks it up slightly so that you can hear him better, but it's the music that really carries the track: it could almost work as an instrumental. The intensely melancholic nature of the album is due to the fact that it's dedicated to the memory of Juha Saarinen, whom I have to assume is some relation to keyboard player Christian, though I can't confirm who he/she was.

“Hold on tight” opens on acoustic guitar, then the electric screams in and the song picks up, still mid-paced, almost a cruncher, but in the mould of a very heavy ballad with growling then crying guitars from Magnus Sahlgren, slipping back into the acoustic variety for the low-key ending. The title track then is another with an acoustic opening --- there's very little evidence of Lake of Tears' previous life as a doom metal band here --- and another ballad, with some very nice keys and introspective guitar. Brennare's vocals are clear and clean on this track, and you no longer have to strain to hear him. More beautiful cello here really adds an extra layer to the song, thanks to Henriette Schack.

The first real time the guys rock out on this album then is when “Pagan wish” hits, a mid-paced heavy rocker, with solid guitar from Sahlgren and swirly organ from Saarinen, then “Otherwheres” is a beautifully piano-constructed instrumental with slowly fading in acoustic guitar, with some nice sound effects --- rain, thunder, children laughing in the distance --- and some truly lovely and dramatic strings with choral vocals, to take us into “The Homecoming”, where Bo Hulpheres' flute makes its entrance and the song is another slow-paced rocker, nice keys in the background, almost unnoticed and an impassioned vocal from Brennare, measured drumbeats from Johan Oudhuis keeping the pace perfectly.

Another mid-pacer is “Come night I reign”, which you would probably expect to be a thrash rocker, but it's not: in fact, just about nothing on this album is headbanging material. It's mostly slow or mid-paced, often acoustic or partially acoustic, and indeed the best description of the music on this album would have to be “introspective”, as it certainly makes you think about things, like your own mortality. Lots of lyrics about death, sorrow, loss and loneliness. Christian Saarinen's keyboards almost seem to be crying on this track.

The enigmatically titled “Demon you/Lily Anne” again starts with deep, mournful cello, then Brennare lets loose with perhaps his most powerful vocal performance on the album, and even the music speeds up just a little tiny bit in response, the guitars heavier, the drums a little louder, even Saarinen seems to be stabbing the keys with a little more fervour. And then we're into the closer, the longest track on the album by a considerable way, clocking in at just over eight minutes.

“To blossom blue” kicks in with nice guitar, heavy drums and accordion --- yes, you read that right: accordion! --- with lush keyboards drifting around the melody like a ghost haunting the song. But the song is really a showcase and vehicle for Magnus Sahlgren's expressive and at times almost unbearably emotional guitar work, some of his best on the album. The final word is, though, reserved for Schack's sorrowful cello, and “Forever autumn” ends as it began.

Unless you're in a very depressed mood already I wouldn't look too closely into the lyrical content, as this is not a happy album, nor is it meant to be. But neither is it a typical doom metal album. It's hard to pin this down: it has elements of prog rock and prog metal, certainly, ambient music in there, classical, straight-ahead rock and even some folk elements. One thing it is not in any way is predictable, and even if you're a fan of Lake of Tears and think you've heard everything from them, this album will most certainly change your mind about them.

If, like me, you're just getting into the band, “Forever autumn” is likely to come as a very pleasant surprise.

TRACKLISTING

1. So fell autumn rain
2. Hold on tight
3. Forever autumn
4. Pagan wish
5. Otherwheres
6. The Homecoming
7. Come night I reign
8. Demon you/Lily Anne
9. To blossom blue

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The worm has dug out a good one today, a real classic from the great John Lennon, this is “(Just like) Starting over)”. Enjoy!

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Wednesday, November 16 2011
Blackwater --- David Sylvian --- from "Everything and nothing" on Virgin
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Time to show your ticket, take your seat and quiet down as the lights dim. More music from the movies for you to enjoy.

To get us right in the mood, the great Maurice Jarre with the closing theme to the movie “Starman”.


Good one from “The Bourne identity”, starring Matt Damon.


One of the big movies of this year, with my favourite Marvel superhero, the theme to “Thor”.


Going all celtic now for a truly stirring anthem, from Mel Gibson's megasmash “Braveheart”.


A movie I always meant to see, and still haven't, it's the epic “Schindler's list”.


A great man for soundtracks as well as the music he normally makes, Peter Gabriel with haunting music from the excellent film “The last temptation of Christ”.


Makes you feel all heroic, doesn't it? Theme to “Indiana Jones”.


And staying with the mighty John Williams, this is the opening theme to the blockbuster “Jurassic Park”.


The movie wasn't that great to be honest, but a good soundtrack to “Bram Stoker's Dracula”.


And to close, keeping with the vampire theme, music from “Interview with the vampire”.

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Thursday, November 17 2011
Soliloquy (The loneliest place in the world) --- Ten --- from "X" on Now and Then

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The worm is mellowing out today, as the weekend fast approaches, with a great song and a hit single from Jeff Wayne's “War of the worlds”, it's the Moody Blues' Justin Hayward, with “Forever autumn”.

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Some more random tracks I'd recommend you listen to, as they're really worth taking the time to hear.
First we have a great track from All About Eve's self-titled debut album, this is a moody, atmospheric and often dark song called “Shelter from the rain”.
Shelter from the rain (All About Eve) from "All About Eve" on Mercury


Still getting my head around Porcupine Tree, but I keep hearing tracks I like during my playlists. This is one that I really have enjoyed hearing quite a few times now, it's called “Russia on ice”. Quite long, too.
Russia on ice (Porcupine Tree) from "Lightbulb sun" on Snapper


Although it's not one of my favourite Asia albums, I do like this one from “Silent nation”, a great little piece called “Gone too far”. Unbelievably, it's about the only track from the album that isn't on YouTube, so here's one I made meself!
Gone too far (Asia) from "Silent nation" on InsideOut


This just makes me think of all those great prog-rock songs of the 70s and 80s. This is Pendragon, with the title track from their album “Kowtow”.
Kowtow (Pendragon) from "Kowtow" on Toff


I'm a big fan of Nanci Griffith, and have all her albums, but this one really strikes a chord with me. Just the lyric, the way it's sung, the longing for times past: it's a great song, from “Once in a very blue moon”, it's “Ghost in the music.”
Ghost in the music (Nanci Griffith) from "Once in a very blue moon" on Philo


And to finish this selection we'll stay with the ladies, and an artiste who can be a little disappointing at times, but when she's good, she's very good, like here, with a track from her album “Secrets of astrology”, a great little ballad called “Under the sun”.
Under the sun (Lana Lane) from "Secrets of astrology" on Think Tank

Unsung heroes: a small note of gratitude
 

Although I generally know a lot about the bands/albums I write of, I more often than not find it useful to refer to Wikipedia, either for additional information or to check/confirm the data I have. Sometimes, Wiki supplies me with a lot of literary flesh for the skeleton of the article I have, helping me learn more about the subject and in that way increasing my ability to pass on that knowledge to my readers in my own words. Although I never plagiarise anything from Wiki verbatim (with one exception: see "Stranger in a strange land") it almost always helps me build on the themes I have for my articles, and fills in a lot of missing gaps in my knowledge or in the information I have to hand.

So I'd just like to say a big THANK YOU to all the contributors, editors and staff at Wikipedia, for the hard and tireless (and mostly thankless) efforts they put in to ensure that we, the general, internet-savvy public, have all the information we need at our fingertips. Nine times out of ten, if you need to know about it, you'll find it on Wiki. So thanks guys: my journal would not be half as interesting or accurate without your hard work.

Also, I'd like to thank the millions of people who upload to YouTube. It's very seldom indeed I can't find a video I'm looking for there, and without these uploads again my journal (and everyone else's) would be just so much text.

So thank you both: your work is appreciated, even if it doesn't always seem so.

(Of course, you're never going to read this, but it's the thought that counts!)
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Hi everyone, it's Stacey-Lynn here again! Trollheart said I've been doing such a good job presenting the “Random Track of the Day” segment that he's allowed me to put together my own section, which will feature news about upcoming events here at the Playlist of Life. I'll be telling you about new features, upcoming articles and anything else that's newsworthy around here. In addition to shelling out for a lovely new dress for me so that I look and feel the part, he's allowed me to hire some help to present this section, so I've enlisted the aid of three very lovely and capable ladies, and I've decided to call our little group the NewsFoxes (see what I did there?). Each of them will be reporting on a different aspect of the Journal, so to read a particular story click on the link where it's highlighted.

We'll also try to extend this feature to act as a sort of Q&A and/or requests forum, so if you have any ideas, comments, complaints (surely not!) or questions about anything in Trollheart's journal, just drop me a line. Looking forward to hearing from you.

And now, here's (News from Kate)Kate with the first of our reports on some new sections coming soon to this Journal!

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Thanks girls! Lots of good stuff coming your way in the next little while then guys, so keep checking back for updates. I'd like to thank my NewsFoxes --- Helen, Kate and Laura --- for their excellent work and dedication, and their support in getting this section up and running, and of course Trollheart for giving me the opportunity to spread my wings.

Hope you've enjoyed this first edition of “Journal News”, and I'll of course see you tomorrow with “Random Track of the day”, but for now, this is Stacey-Lynn, signing off.

Take care!

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Ah, winter! Who here hates it? Sure, it's picturesque --- when you're indoors --- but most of us surely prefer the summer? Here's a little tune to make you feel all summery, big hit from Katrina and the Waves.

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After she burst onto (and pretty much afterwards right out of) the scene in 1985 with the power ballad number one single “The power of love”, I wanted to know who this Jennifer Rush person was. Where had she come from, and what was the rest of her material like? So I bought the album which contained that hit, but her self-titled debut, released the previous year, was something of a damp squib, and I was less than impressed. Nevertheless, it wasn't a total loss and so when I chanced to see that she had a new album out in 1987 I thought, well what the hell, and went for it.

Suffice to say that the graphic above is more than appropriate. I was, to coin a phrase, gobsmacked. The difference between her debut and “Heart over mind” was just phenomenal. I really could not believe it: it was as if a totally different person had recorded this album. Whether this was due to the ever-tricky Debut Album Syndrome, where the artiste is trying to establish themselves and may make some “rookie mistakes”, or whether it was down to the quality of the songwriting, or the production, I don't know, but her 1987 effort was worlds removed from her first attempt. I was, in a word, impressed.

Heart over mind --- Jennifer Rush --- 1987 (CBS)
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First impressions last, as they say, and although I had already made Jennifer's acquaintance via her eponymous debut album, on the sleeve of that she looked, whether intentionally or not, like someone at their wits' end, almost tearing her hair out. I think it was meant to look sexy and sultry, but it didn't come across to me that way. Also, almost every song on her debut was written by her producers, Candy de Rouge and Gunther Mendes, albeit with her input, and though they secured for her the huge hit that made her a worldwide success and a household name, I felt the lion's share of the songs on “Jennifer Rush” were weak and forgettable.

In contrast, she stands on the cover of “Heart over mind” in a short sexy dress, stockings (or tights) and high-heels, looking almost like a schoolgirl, though at this point she would have been 27. Very sexy looking, and very much inviting the potential listener to come inside and hear what she has to say. And it's not just gloss either: this beauty is far more than skin deep. The album features songs written for her by the likes of Michael Bolton and Desmond Child, and even the legendary Sir Elton John writes one for her, and duets with her on it also. How times have changed!

Possibly due to her newfound status as a bona fide pop star, Jennifer is able to pull in star talent like Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora, drummer Russ Kunkel and even Harold Faltermeyer to help her out, and indeed, Faltermeyer and Childs' production (aided by two others) ensures this album stands head and shoulders above anything else in her catalogue, before or since.

It starts with a keyboard arpeggio very similar to Cutting Crew's hit “I just died in your arms tonight”, but then “I come undone” gets going as Jennifer's soulful, passionate voice kicks in, as does the rest of the band, and the song takes off as a boppy, rocky number, very commercial, and in fact I believe it was a single from the album. With thirteen keyboard players, six guitarists, five drummers and five bassists, and no less than eighteen backing vocalists (including Rush herself), there's certainly a lot going on musically, and the production matches the big sound on the album.

“Down to you” is a lower-key but yet powerful song, quite keyboard-led, with Jennifer's distinctive and powerful voice rising above the music like a phoenix from the fire, and this too is a very catchy, commercial-sounding song. It really stands on some excellent sax breaks, which give the tune a real solid quality. The title track, on the other hand, is more a europop/dance thing, though not losing its basic rock core. It is the most lightweight track on the album so far though, with a lot of keyboards and synth. The fact that it's a weak track and yet still good is a testament to how great this album is.

The first ballad comes in the form of “Search the sky”, one of two on the album on which Faltermeyer and Rush collaborate, along with Tom Whitlock. It's a nice, easy, keyboard-driven song, which showcases the strong yet gentler side of Jennifer Rush, seen on her big hit two years previous, but this is a much more restrained song, and all the better for it. Although this album did a lot better in Europe than it did in the US or the UK, the song the label had pinned their hopes on for a hit single was in fact not that successful, despite the presence of Sir Elton John on “Flames of Paradise”.

Personally, I can see why it wasn't a big hit. It's nothing special, in fact it kind of reminds me of Elt's other duet, “Don't go breaking my heart”, and I just find it generic pop. Not a bad song, but there are far better tracks on this album, and it's not surprising that the great record-buying public less than took this to their collective hearts. “Love of a stranger” is a nice kind of semi-ballad, but I think it falls a little short of the high quality seen on the album so far. It's followed by “Heart wars”, a real stormer with a very Harold Faltermeyer keyboard melody, quite dancy but with rock elements in there too.

“Stronghold” is by the same songwriting team who penned “Flames of Paradise”, but it's a marked improvement, with strong elements of a ballad in a mid-paced rock song, nice guitar work, good hook. The ubiquitous keyboards are there, but not so much to the fore on this track, and indeed the next song, which is in point of fact the penultimate one, is by them too, but for “Sidekick” Bruce Roberts and Andy Goldmark go for a more funky approach, a fast, dancy but very catchy song that just refuses to leave your head. Nice brass on this one gives it something of a feel of a throwback to the golden era of disco in the seventies.

As it opened strongly, so closes the album, with a great ballad penned by perhaps the king of power ballads, Michael Bolton, in conjunction with Jennifer and one Mark Radice. "Call my name" is piano-driven, not that surprisingly, with sudden bass and then an onslaught of guitar and keyboards. It's very effective as a closer, with Jennifer singing her heart out and some really nice keyboard runs, and a lovely burst of sweet sax too. Great ending.

For an artiste whom I was initially impressed with, then let down on her album, this was a massive and very welcome surprise to me. I guess this would have been the last chance I would have given Jennifer Rush to impress me, and boy did she ever! Without question her best album, of those I've listened to; it's something of a hidden gem. Yes, it did really well in Europe, but over here we more or less ignored it. I feel that's pretty much our loss.

TRACKLISTING

1. I come undone
2. Down to you
3. Search the sky
4. Heart over mind
5. Flames of Paradise
6. Love of a stranger
7. Heart wars
8. Stronghold
9. Sidekick
10. Call my name

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I think we're a little overdue for a trip into the Tunnel of Love, so relax, chill out, reach out and touch somebody's, er, hand... and switch off the world for a half hour while we take you into the rose-tinted world of love songs.

Classic from 10cc to get us going, this is “I'm not in love”


And from a famous and well-known favourite to one many of you may not know, sung by a man with a very odd name, this is “Just when I needed you most” by Randy Vanwarmer.


Old Grumpy writing a love song? Can it be? Yeah, it's “Have I told you lately?” Lovely song.


Speaking of grumps, here's Tom Waits with one of his many tender ballads, this is “Soldier's things”.


Journey are always good for a ballad or two. Or three. Or four. Here's one from the album “Generations”, nice track entitled “Knowing that you love me”.


Kamelot, on the other hand, are not known for their ballads, but they do write 'em! This is a lovely one called “Glory”.


One of my favourite female artistes, here's Judie Tzuke, with a track from her album “I am the phoenix”, it's called “I never know where my heart is”.


Great song from Fleetwood Mac's millions-selling “Tango in the night”, with Stevie Nicks on lead vocals, this is “When I see you again”.


Excellent classic from the Climax Blues Band, simply entitled “I love you”.


The smooth sound of Roxy Music, this is “Avalon”.


And to take us gently out of the Tunnel of Love and back to the Real World, a really nice ballad from Chris de Burgh, and “The head and the heart”. See you next time; mind your eyes as you go back out into the daylight...

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Friday, November 18 2011
Moviedrome --- Arena --- from "Immortal?" on Verglas

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Saturday, November 19 2011
All your love --- Gary Moore --- from "Still got the blues" on Virgin
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An artiste I've always admired, and have yet to review one of his albums (though that will change soon) is Dan Fogelberg. Best known for his hit singles “Leader of the band”, “Longer”, “Run for the roses” and of course the perennial Christmas favourite, “Same old lang syne”, Dan died in 2007, leaving the world just a little bit colder and emptier. He has had an impressive career in music, releasing over a dozen albums and gaining moderate success through the abovementioned hits, but a lot of people couldn't tell you who he is, or name one of his albums, which is quite sad.

Beginning his career as a sort of country/folk artist, Dan soon diversified into soft rock and pop, though he never quite lost the country element from his songs. The subject of this article is an example of how Dan Fogelberg's writing was, first and foremost, personal and intimate, concentrating on mostly ordinary people doing ordinary things. He was a storyteller, and a man of the people, and is sorely missed.

The song in question concerns that bugbear of growing old, but not the fear of our own mortality: this is a song about those times when we wonder how our old mother is, or if we should pick up the phone and call Aunt Renee, but then shrug and say we'll do it tomorrow, and somehow never do. The song, the title track from his 1984 album, tells the story of just one such old woman, as she potters through her lonely day, trying to fill up the empty hours with trivialities, hoping that the phone will ring but of course it never does, and how she remembers better times. It's a haunting, often upsetting and very relevant song for all of us, and if, after listening to it, you feel the urge to call that mother or father or granny or other old relative, or neighbour, perhaps you should trust your judgement and do just that.

Old people need love, too.

Windows and walls (Dan Fogelberg) from “Windows and walls”, 1984
Music and lyrics by Dan Fogelberg

The picture painted by Fogelberg is tragic and yet proud, as the old woman refuses to call anyone, rationalising that if they haven't the time to call, they must be busy, and she would surely be inconveniencing them by intruding upon their busy lives. She follows a routine: ”Up every morning/ Long before day/ Cooking the breakfast alone” and does her best to fill in her time ”Maybe she'll go to the corner today/ Pick up the new McCalls/ If just to escape for an hour/ From her windows and walls”. The use of the ticking clock, both as a lyrical narrative device and as an actual instrument in the song is extremely effective: we all feel the hours and minutes of our lives slipping away, and there can be no less lonely a sound than the clicking of the hands as they travel in their endless journey around the clock face.

A fragile, tragic song, and yet in its own way a triumph of the spirit, a small victory for the old woman, who still lives in the house she grew up in, and watches the days go by with quiet grace and no complaints, content to live out the rest of her life, if necessary, quiet and forgotten.

Here, as ever, is the video, along with the all-important lyric.


”Up every morning/ Long before day
Cooking the breakfast alone;
She quietly dresses /And pulls up the shades
And sits in the chair/ By the phone.

But nobody ever comes by anymore
Nobody ever calls;
Most days she sits and just stares
At the windows and walls.
Windows and walls.

Children all married/ Husband's passed on:
Nothing but time on her hands.
Most of her mornings/ Are spent in her dreams
Or making her sad little plans.
Maybe she'll go to /The corner today
And pick up the new McCalls
If just to escape for an hour
From her windows and walls
Windows and walls.

The clock on the mantel /Chiming the hours
Must be the loneliest sound.
She washes her dishes/ And waters her flowers
And afterwards has to sit down.
Sometimes she still can /remember a child
Playing with china dolls...
Now all that she's left /Are these memories and
windows and walls
Windows and walls
(day after day)
Windows and walls.”

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Sometimes it's fun to just take a chance, buy an album based solely on the fact that you like the sound of the band's name. I did it with Alesana, reviewed as the first in this series a little while back, and here again I've chosen to buy an album by a band I know nothing about. I simply like the name of the band, and the title of the album also impresses me. So, after checking that I wasn't inadvertently buying a dance, screamo, punk, rap or other record I wouldn't want to listen to, I hit “BUY” and the die was cast. Was it a good idea to do so, without knowing anything about this album, or the band that recorded it? Well, let's see.

Gracious tide, take me home --- Lanterns on the lake --- 2011 (Bella Union)
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After a little post-purchase research, I find that Lanterns on the Lake are a six-piece, from Newcastle and that this is their first full album, although they have had two Eps released prior to this. They formed only in 2007 and have appeared at Glastonbury. They include among their instruments violins, banjos and glockenspiels. Hmm. So far, so interesting. But what about the music?

“Lungs quicken” is their first single, released prior to the advent of the album, in 2010, and it opens the new record. On first listen, it can best be described as heavenly. Slow, soft, with lovely vocals from Hazel Wilde, gorgeous violin from Sarah Kemp, light, relaxed percussion and lovely slide guitar along with atmospheric piano, a beautiful ballad in the very best style of the Beautiful South or Deacon Blue at their most laidback. I just hope it doesn't suddenly explode into something else! I don't think it's going to though. It does get a little more intense halfway through, with the piano and glockenspiel coming more to the fore, but Wilde's gentle vocal keeps the measure of the song throughout, and Paul Gregory's guitar is effective but restrained, while Adam Sykes on the piano puts just the right amount of emotion into the song, and it's a true masterpiece.

And that's only the first song! What else have we got then? Next up is “If I've been unkind”, which opens as another gentle, acoustic guitar-led ballad with that empathic violin, and this time male vocals from Adam Sykes, a sort of softer Nick Cave in his voice. The guitar almost unnoticed switches from acoustic to electric, and a soft banjo sound washes over the song, drenching it in further levels of class. “Keep on trying” is the current single, and it features some really nice vocal harmonies supporting Kemp's emotive violin, though the bulk of the singing is taken by Hazel Wilde again. Beautiful piano merges with equally beautiful guitar, and there's almost a feeling of a string section in there, and what can I say? The tracks just keep getting better, and I'm being sucked in, and love it.


Ever had an angel sing to you? Well, that's how it feels to listen to Hazel Wilde's ethereal, soul-easing, breath-of-life voice, and it's that voice that takes us into “Ships in the rain”, backed only by keys and choral vocals. It's a short song, but really effective. The first step towards any sort of uptempo song comes with “A kingdom”, which bops along nicely on a cool little guitar hook and Wilde again behind the mike. A great song, with a really powerful instrumental ending. Nice. Up next is the longest track on the album, “The places we call home”, opened by a beautiful glockenspiel intro, and... I've heard this before! On some TV show or ad, and wondered who made such gorgeous music. Now I know! Excellent! Oh I like this: this may be my favourite track, at least so far. Back to the slower side of things, Hazel duetting with Adam to create a truly lovely soundscape with the piano and glocken in the background carrying the tune along gently. Another beautiful, gentle instrumental ending, almost one and a half minutes of it, and that takes us to “Blanket of leaves”.

Opening with acoustic piano and violin, another breathy vocal performance from Hazel, with perfectly timed percussion from Oliver Ketteringham, who also plays piano, keys and that enigmatic glockenspiel. Talented people. Wait a minute: I was wrong about “The places we call home”. It's not the longest track, but is beaten out by about twenty seconds by “Tricks”, with Hazel in slightly more sultry mood, lovely piano and glock backing as well as that heartbreaking violin of Sarah's. Great bass work, too, it has to be said, from Brendan Sykes (brother of Adam?), and another powerful instrumental ending. Lanterns on the Lake seem to really know how to play to their strengths here, showcasing Hazel Wilde's quite phenomenal voice and then letting her fade into the background as the rest of the band stretch their musical muscles, and it works very, very well. Oh, it should also be mentioned that Hazel doesn't just sing, she plays guitar too. Is there no end to these people's talents? It would seem not.

“You're almost there” is beautifully piano-driven, Hazel's voice a little rougher and raspier here, Sarah's violin a little angrier and insistent, a banshee under her sole control. Also driven by piano, “I love you sleepyhead” shows Hazel off at her best, a stunning vocal performance against just the piano and a shade of violin coming in from time to time. Truly breathtaking. And yet another powerful, evocative ending that brings the instrumentation back in to finish off what must surely go down as a classic, a masterpiece of modern music. Hyperbole? Maybe, but it really is that good.

We're left with just the one short track to close, the almost inaudible “Not going back to the harbour”, a low-key ending to an album which, though certainly low-key, is very high indeed in terms of quality, musicianship, songwriting and execution. I'm glad I took the chance and bought this album now: all I want now is the next one!

Take my advice: get this album. That's all I have to say. Now, where's that “Repeat” button...?

TRACKLISTING

1. Lungs quicken
2. If I've been unkind
3. Keep on trying
4. Ships in the rain
5. A kingdom
6. The places we call home
7. Blanket of leaves
8. Tricks
9. You're almost there
10. I love you, sleepyhead
11. Not going back to the harbour

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Let's keep it nice and classic for the weekend, huh? Here's Pink Floyd, with the unutterably brilliant “Comfortably numb”.

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Good one for today, going back to the tail-end of the seventies for a cheerful indictment of mercenaries with Elvis Costello, and a big hit for him, “Oliver's army”. There's one word that would have to be bleeped out these days...!

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Sunday, November 20 2011
My crime of passion ---Mike + The Mechanics --- from "Word of mouth" on Virgin
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Or in this case, album covers, plural. I want to return to, and expand on, an idea I had back in July when reviewing “Wild cat” by the Tygers of Pan-Tang.

No. 5: “Wild cat”, “Spellbound”, “Crazy nights” and “The Cage” by The Tygers of Pan-Tang
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The point I made, when reviewing “Wild cat” (well, right at the end) was that if you look at the four album covers, you can see, or imagine, a developing story that parallels and tracks the career of the band. Okay, it's not how they were meant to look, and in fairness it's not exactly how the story went, but it's still interesting to note that you can, in theory, trace the evolution (some might say devolution!) of the band from their debut to what was essentially their last album.

“Wild Cat” --- Debut album, released 1980. Music: Heavy Metal.

Looking at the cover of the Tygers' debut album, there's no doubting what you expect to find, and do find, inside. The tiger roars, unfettered, unchallenged, a dangerous, wild, fascinating beast: look at those fangs! Look at the wild, staring yellow eyes! This is not a beast to be messed with! Nor is the music the Tygers played in 1980. Tough, hard-edged, raw heavy metal with tracks like “Killers, “Suzie smiled”, “Insanity” and the title track all delivering a hard punch to the musical solar plexus that, though it winded you and made it hard to breathe, was welcome and enjoyable. Dirty guitars, thumping drums, unapologetic straightforward songs sung by a man who sounded like he chewed glass for breakfast, THIS was metal!

“Spellbound” --- Second album, released 1981. Departure of Jess Cox on vocals and emergence of John Deverill. Also joining, nascent guitar hero John Sykes. Music: Hard rock

Only a year later, and another album from the Tygers, but already radically different from their debut. Jess Cox, the voice of the Tygers, had gone, to be replaced by the more subtle John Deverill, and the music, though still heavy, was beginning to lose its harder edge. On the sleeve, our tiger is still free, but in something of a quandary, as he prepares to cross from one mountain rock to another, this perhaps symbolising the small but noticeable shift in musical direction as the Tygers moved away from out-and-out heavy metal.

Tracks like “Gangland”, “Hellbound” and “Tyger Bay” were still heavy, yes, but they'd somehow lost the cutting edge that the tracks on the debut had had, and for me, this was The Tygers, but not (quite) as we knew them. Something had definitely changed. The addition of John Sykes, who would later become a divisive influence and almost a catalyst for the breakup of the band, also changed the sound of the guys, with more melodic, technical guitar work, which while undeniably excellent and which would serve him well in his future bands, and in his eventual solo work, pushed the Tygers in a new direction, softening the raw edge evident on “Wild cat” for a more radio-friendly sound. “Spellbound” even featured the Tygers' very first ballad, “Mirror”. Things were changing.

“Crazy nights” --- Third album, released 1982. Music: hard rock edging towards AOR.

This is where I see the Tygers' sound beginning to shift radically. Tracks like “Make a stand”, “Running out of time” and “Never satisfied”, though good enough songs, seem to reflect both the tensions that were within the Tygers camp, as Sykes champed at the bit to take the next step on his own personal career ladder, and prepared to leave the band, and the powerful drag of their label, MCA, who were less than happy with the units the previous two albums had shifted, and wanted the band to get more commercial, include more songs that could be hits, and thereby bring in the money.

Although, as I say, more than likely not intentional, the painting by Rodney Matthews on the sleeve of “Crazy nights” reflects, for me, the turmoil within the band and the outside pressures they were enduring as they fought to stay true to their musical ideals and their vision of the band. The tiger, now transplanted to a foreign land, clings to the top of a high building (the Post Office tower, I think?), King-Kong like, and swats at annoying little aeroplanes --- or perhaps I should say A&R-oplanes! --- which for me represent the continuing efforts of the label to push them in a new direction, an unwanted direction, trying to bring them down from their position of power. There's little doubt that the tiger, like the famous gorilla fifty-odd years before him, is doomed to fall...

“The Cage” --- Fourth and final album, released 1983. Departure of John Sykes, who only contributed to two tracks, and introduction of Fred Purser on guitar. Music: rock with a strong sense of AOR.

A real paradox this, and perhaps in some ways vindication for MCA, as “The Cage” is mostly acclaimed as the Tygers' best album, and it is pretty damn good. But it can't be ignored that their sound by now has changed radically. The hard edge is, for the most part, gone, and the songs are very much aimed towards singles, radio airplay and commerciality rather than the fine songs they used to craft for the love of music. I mean, let's not be silly here: no band writes or plays just for the music, unless it's a real side-project and they have a steady income from another source. Everyone needs to eat, and to eat you usually have to work. But the love of the music has now become secondary to writing hit songs.

On the sleeve, the mighty tiger has finally been captured, imprisoned, and he is not happy! From behind the bars of his cage, he roars his disapproval, almost a harkback to the original debut sleeve, but whereas there he was the king of all he surveyed, and no-one would dare mess with him, here he is impotent, captured, caged. His fangs may as well have been pulled, for all the good they'll do him. And is that hand locking the cage, or unlocking it? You'd have to assume the former. The label have slapped the shackles on the Tygers of Pan-Tang, forcing them to do what the Suits want, resulting in the release of the ****ing awful cover “Love potion no. 9”, which annoyingly and incomprehensibly was their biggest hit single. Damn MCA!

Shortly afterwards Sykes left completely to join Thin Lizzy and the Tygers, strangled by an ironclad contract with MCA which stopped them from leaving for another label, decided it was time to give it up, and the band broke up. They did get back together later, but it was never the same, and for me, the “classic” version of the Tygers of Pan-Tang ended with this album.

What a sad (if perhaps a little fanciful) story. Some artistic licence has been taken, yes, but the facts bear out my own conclusions, even if they are coincidental as regards the album sleeves. From fierce, wild, untameable free spirit to caged and beaten in three short years. No wonder the tiger is now an endangered species.

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Haven't had much Genesis in this journal, not really since it began, so here's one of their more recent tracks, in fact the one that heralded their brief comeback with the album “We can't dance”, it's the lead single from that album, “No son of mine”.

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Monday, November 21 2011
We let the stars go --- Prefab Sprout --- from "Jordan: the comeback" on Kitchenware
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Seems quite a while since we looked at an album from my native country, and this is one I've been waiting to review for quite some time. In fact, it took a hell of a lot of searching before I could even find a copy to listen to again, having bought the original on vinyl. I still have that, of course, but my record player had a serious crash (literally: my hi-fi cabinet fell when the shelf it was on decided that the rawl plugs had had enough, and it all came tumbling down! Goodbye CD player, goodbye CD recorder and goodbye turntable!) and I've never replaced it, so the chances of listening to it on vinyl again were, to say the least, slim.

So rare is this album that I couldn't even find a torrent on it, and none of my favourite Russian sites had it. Hey, Google it and see how few results you get! But eventually I managed to find a shop selling it, jumped at the opportunity and about two weeks later had it in CD format finally. That was a while ago now, and I've been anxious to make sure it's as good as I remember before reviewing it. After one listen, I could tell it was, and my heart soared. However, other Irish albums were before it on my list, and so only now have I come to select it.

Erinsaga --- Ken Kiernan and Ger MacDonald --- 1989 (Ringsend Road)
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A thoroughly Irish project, “Erinsaga” is the musical interpretation of the unbelievably beautiful artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick, whose forte is painting images of the Celtic gods and Irish legends, and indeed the cover painting is one of his. The lyrics are also by him, and the music by the two abovenamed gentlemen, with a host of accomplished musicians helping them realise Jim's vision of his art through music. It's an amazing album, and deserves better than to be consigned to the “404 not found” on Google, so let's get to know this masterpiece.

It opens with pealing bells and low synth, then the voice of the Narrator, Conor Tallon, declares ”I am Tuan, I am legend/ Beauty, death and dreams/ Are the substance of my myth.” This is Tuan, elder god of the Celts, introducing himself. The music then starts slowly, with a sort of jig turning into a full-out rocker as guitars join drums, and a kind of Horslips melody comes in, fiddle and pipes adding to the tune, which then explodes in a shower of keyboard stabs and fierce bass, as “I am Tuan” takes the stage. It's essentially instrumental apart from the chanted chorus ”I am Tuan, I am legend.” It sets the scene for what is to follow, as “The Vision” comes in, with lovely vocals by Valerie Armstrong, a great traditional feel to a rock song as the oileann pipes and guitar mesh perfectly, with some great keyboard work in there too.

Because this is such a rare record, and so hard to get, I've decided to do two things in this review. The first is that I am going to make YouTubes that cover the whole album, probably three to four per video, and the second is that I will reproduce in full the plot of the album, as envisaged by Jim Fitzpatrick and and written down in the liner notes to the album. This is probably the first time I've been unable to glean any information at all from Wiki --- they have no entry on this at all --- and have had to go entirely from the CD and its liner notes.

So, the plot, as laid down in the CD: Erinsaga tells, in words and music, the epic legend of the earliest conquest of Ireland by a mysterious and mystical race, the Tuatha de Danann*. Led by their godlike king and champion, Nuada of the Silver Arm, they fought and won two great battles at a place called Moytura in the west of Ireland.

Erinsaga tells of the first great battle of Moytura when the Tuatha de Dannan overcame a fierce race known as the Firborg ** led by Eochai and his queen Tailltu. With the victory the Tuatha de Dannan became rulers of Ireland and their reign lasted for an unknown length of time until the coming of the Celts to Ireland.

The legends and histories of the Tuatha de Dannan are recorded in the most ancient Irish manuscripts, but while all those accounts date back about a thousand years they record a much earlier oral tradition that reaches back to about 1500 BC or perhaps even earlier, when one takes into account the most recent radio carbon-dating of monuments traditionally associated with the Tuatha de Danann, notaby Newgrange, which dates back to 3,200 BC or beyond.


Rob Strong, well-known in Irish rock circles, takes the lead for “Belgatan (Our will is strong)”, the first out-and-out rock track, with little in the way of celtic influences in the music, a real battlesong, with lots of snarly guitar, then everything slows down for the first ballad, as Valerie Armstrong reprises her role in “Tailltu's lament”, a fragile, melancholic song full of longing and loss, as the queen realises she cannot stop her husband, the king, from going --- perhaps to his death --- into battle: ”A king goes now/ Forth to meet his fate/ But I must stand/ I must stand aside and weep.” Lovely plaintive violin and oileann pipes bring the Celtic influence right back in, then one of the most powerful tracks on the album has sampled vocals (or a choir), punchy guitar, fluting keyboards, pounding drums as Ken Kiernan takes the mike for “Crom Cruach”***, a heavy, doomy, crunching track as the demon god Crom Cruach is worshipped: ”Power beyond eternity is yours...”

The next ballad comes in the form of “The dream of Nuada”, with Valerie Armstong back on vocals, the narration by Conor Tallon opening the song by setting the scene: ”Nuada, king of the Tuatha de Dannan/ Buried his face in the scent of Morrigan's hair/ As they lay in the embrace of night/ After the carnage of day/ While the moon watched over them/ Like the eye of the Grey God/ Of the Otherworld/ He slept, but his dreams/ Were troubled.” Some beautiful guitar work from Ken Kiernan here, and a lovely ballad tinged with sorrow and the presentiment of coming death. The only other instrumental on the album then is “Battle-frenzy”, a fantastic and intelligent melding of rock and traditional Irish music to represent to the mighty battle that now takes place.

Another breathtaking ballad follows, and here Valerie Armstrong outdoes herself in “My love is yours”, with beautiful tinkling piano from Ger McDonald and very expressive bass from Tony Molloy, just the right amount of guitar leaking in from Kiernan as needed, not disturbing the peace of the ballad, but adding an extra layer to it, then gently stepping back. Ken Kiernan comes back for his final solo performance for the rocking “The last battle (Moytura)”, a great boppy beat with plenty of guitar and handclap drums, some powerful fiddle from Pat Collins, kind of more a laidback track concerning a battle than previous “Battle frenzy”, not giving the same sense of urgency, almost as if the battle were a game and not deadly serious. That would be my only real criticism.

The album ends on the powerful title track, Armstrong and Kiernan sharing the vocal duties, with Tallon narrating the end of the battle: ”Soldiers, slain beyond number/ Many the wounds endured/ Cruel the bitter sword-blows/ Savage the brutal battles/ Now have we at last come home/ Back to the land of our fathers/ Here we sow the seeds of peace/ And reap a golden harvest/ This land we have/ Forever we hold/ Erin is ours/ Never to surrender.” As an Irish person, gives me a lump in the throat!

The final track is an amalgam of ballad, trad music, with oileann pipes, keyboards, triumphant drumbeats, and the clear vocals of the two singers as they look forward to a new time, a time of peace, a time of healing and of joy.

This album is completely exceptional and quite unique. I knew it when I first heard it, and I know it now. There has never been anything like it, to my knowledge. Completely Irish created, recorded in Ireland and based entirely on Irish myths, showcasing for the first (and, so far as I know, only) time the stunning artwork of one of Ireland's premier artists and favourite sons in music and verse, “Erinsaga” is a triumph, an overlooked classic, and without question, an example of the Very Best of Irish music.

TRACKLISTING

1. I am Tuan
2. The Vision
3. Belgatan (Our will is strong)
4. Tailltu's lament
5. Crom Cruach
6. The dream of Nuada
7. Battle-frenzy
8. My love is yours
9. The last battle (Moytura)
10. Erinsaga


* = Pronounced too-hah day dawn-on
** = Pronounced Fear-borg
***= Pronounced Crumb croo-ach

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Tuesday, November 22 2011
La eile --- Don Henley --- from "I can't stand still" on Asylum
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What's that you say? I like some damn weird sh*t? You're not wrong! Here are some more.

Dougal and Father Ted with the Eurovision-losing “My lovely horse” (Lyric music and vocal by Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy).


Is there ANYONE in the world to whom you can say “Mahna-mahna” and they won't respond “Da-doo-bie-doobie!”? Proof that muppets rule!


To bring things onto a more sane level for the moment, here's Elaine Page from the musical “Cats" with a lovely song, “Memory”.


It may be weird, but you can't fault the fragile beauty of Judy Garland's delivery on “Somewhere over the rainbow”.


and to bring this catalogue of weirdness to an end for this time, anyone watch the show “Mongrels”?

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The worm wonders if anyone remembers a band called M? Obviously agonised a long time before settling on that name! :) This is, to the worm's knowledge, their only hit, but it was a big one.

Kick --- INXS --- 1987 (Atlantic)
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Their sixth and most successful album, “Kick” took INXS to their creative and commercial peak. Four hit singles, world domination and a four-letter acronym becoming a household name. It wasn't going to get any better than this. And it didn't. After the release of this album their popularity began to slide, and with the tragic suicide of lead singer Michael Hutchence in 1997 following the less-than-enthusaistic reception for their eighth album, “Welcome to wherever you are”, the writing was on the wall for this band from Australia.

But in 1987 the good times were rollin', and “Kick” broke INXS wide open commercially and worldwide. Having heard the title track to their previous album “Listen like thieves”, and mistakenly thinking they were called “Inks”, I bought “Kick” and was amazed (and still am) at how consistently excellent it is. Not one, single, bad track. Go back and read that again. That's right: every track is good, and some are quite brilliant. Almost every song was written by Hutchence and Andrew Farris, guitarist and keyboards player, and amazingly, given its now-legendary success, Atlantic hated the album so much that originally they tried to stop the guys from releasing it, offering them big money to go back and record something else. Bet those guys feel foolish now!

It starts off brash and bold, with loud, almost sparse drums, as if playing alone in a large empty room, then an angry guitar joins in, with two chords repeated before Hutchence opens his mouth, and the melody continues like that for about two minutes of the two and a half that “Guns in the sky” runs for, with the later addition of a raging guitar solo to punctuate an angry, powerful song about the arms race, then jangly guitar introduces “New sensation”, which would be one of the hit singles from the album. Again, the melody is quite sparse, just guitar, bass and drums backing Hutchence's vocal, a kind of mix of dance and punk, before keys and brass come in to fill out the track, with a really cool sax break (when is sax not cool?) from Kirk Pengilly. There are three guitarists in INXS, so I can't say with any certainty who's playing on which track, unfortunately, as I'd like to give credit where it's due. It does hoever seem to be Andrew Farriss on the keys, though he also plays guitar.

Almost all of the tracks on “Kick” are three and a half minutes or less, “Devil inside” being the exception, at over five minutes. It's also the most together, musically, with guitar again taking the lead but backed by the rest of the band in a much faster, busier song that was also released as a single, and did, like the others, very well. Hutchence is a little more restrained in his singing here, his voice most of the time lower, feeling no need to shout or scream, and it works very well. It ends on a great keyboard line from Andrew Farriss to take the song to its fade, and we're into their biggest hit, the number one smash “Need you tonight”, with again the melody returning to the sparser feel of the first two tracks, snappy guitar keeping the tune with stabs of synth punctuating Hutchence's vocal delivery, which is again sultry and seductive, and slides like a sinuous sexy snake into “Mediate”, which keeps the same melody but constructs the lyric entirely of mostly single words that rhyme with the title: very effective, with a nice sax solo at the end. I think this track is unique on the album for not having any guitar in it: sounds to me like just keys and drums, with the sax coming in at the end.

“The loved one” sorts that out though, with biting guitar smashing in the intro, a blues kind of melody with Hutchence more animated in his vocals. As I said at the beginning, there are no bad tracks on “Kick”, but if there are weak ones, this one and the one that follows it would be my choices. They're good songs, but compared to the rest of the tracks on the album they come up a little short in my opinion. Not that surprising then to find that this is the only track not written by Hutchence and/or Farriss; it certainly shows. “Wild life” is faster, more lively, but there's something missing there, something I can't quite put my finger on.

All that is soon forgotten though as we reach the standout track, and a song that became one of their signature tunes. The only ballad on the album, “Never tear us apart” is the better for it, with its haunting strings melody which opens and indeed carries the song, Hutchence's vocals the most impassioned I've ever heard them, a false stop about one minute into the track an incredibly effective device to focus the attention on a truly remarkable song, and a powerful sax solo from Pengilly to just pop that little cherry on top of the icing which is already on this magnificent cake.

Hard to follow that up, but “Mystify” is a great little track, almost in the mould of Queen's “Crazy little thing called love”, with finger-clicking, bouncy guitar, a real feel-good song to perhaps lift the sombre, sad mood engendered by “Never tear us apart”, and it's followed by the title track, which comes in on atmospheric keyboards then just explodes into a riot of brass, sax, guitar and drums, with the band bouncing all over the place, everyone having fun. Great hooks, powerful melody and great energy, this would have made a good choice for a single, but was not picked. Pity.

The happy mood continues with “Calling all nations”, more jangly guitar and handclaps, multi-tracked vocals with a sort of combination of “Need you tonight” and “Guns in the sky” and a little piece of “Listen like thieves” in there too, then the album closes on another fast, upbeat, uptempo song, with “Tiny daggers” flying along at breakneck pace, great keyboard hook --- quite similar, very similar in fact, to Rod Stewart's “Tonight I'm yours” --- pulling the song along to its fade.

I didn't buy an INXS album before, or after this, nor do I intend to. I would not in any way consider myself a fan, not even a casual one. But there's something about “Kick” that keeps me spinning it every so often, and unlike a lot of albums I could mention, it's one I can put on and leave to play through from start to finish. If you haven't yet heard this album (PLEASE come out from under that rock!) and want to hear a prime example of a band at their peak, this is the one to go for.

TRACKLISTING

1. Guns in the sky
2. New sensation
3. Devil inside
4. Need you tonight
5. Mediate
6. The loved one
7. Wild life
8. Never tear us apart
9. Kick
10. Calling all nations
11. Tiny daggers

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Anyone living in the worm's native land will recognise this firstly as the theme to the football comedy team “Apres Match”, but for the rest of you, this is House of Pain with “Jump around”. (I told you, I can't jump! I'm a worm! No legs, see?)

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Wednesday, November 23 2011
Fadeaway --- Porcupine Tree --- from "Up the downstair" on Delerium
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What's the link that holds this selection of songs together? Well it's colours. Starting off with Alannah Myles, and a big hit for her (her only hit, I think), this is “Black velvet”.


Would it be cheating to put Yello in? Yeah, it would. Instead, here's Joni Mitchell, with “Big yellow taxi”. We don't take the easy way out here, you know! :)


Must be thousands of songs with blue in the title, so let's avoid the obvious and go for New Order, eh?


And what about this one from Billy Ocean, “Red light spells danger”...


I'm tempted to run “White Christmas”, but I'm old and can't run that fast (!) so how about “White wedding” instead, by Billy Idol?


Not too many songs with purple in the title, so I guess “Purple rain” can be forgiven, if a little obvious.


Green turned out to be harder than expected, but I finally settled on “Green eyes” by Nick Cave.


For pink I went with the Boss...


Violet Femmes? Now you're just pushin' it! Let's try “In the navy” --- nah, just kidding! Here's “Fade to grey” by Visage.


And our last colour (man, this was hard!) is brown, so let's have the Stones take this one.

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Thursday, November 24 2011


T.O Witcher (live) --- Kansas --- from "Dust in the wind" on Disky Communications Europe
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