|
Random Track of the Day
Wednesday, September 14 2011 First we had metal, then classical, and today some pop/rock. Varied week indeed, and we're only halfway through. Random Track of the Day today comes from Robbie Williams, from his album “Sing when you're winning”, a decent track if not one of the best from that album, this is “Forever Texas”. Forever Texas --- Robbie Williams --- from “Sing when you're winning” on EMI http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...220px-Swyw.jpg A good swinging rocker, plenty of swagger and arrogance as in many Robbie songs. A good time is had by all! Great cheeky lyric as per usual: ”Everybody getting cash for the bung/ Everybody wants to know how I'm hung/ You can read it in the papers...” |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
Ooh yeah, the worm likes to rock, and there's no mistake! Today's Daily Earworm comes to you courtesy of a real rock classic, the unforgettable beat of the Rolling Stones' “Satisfaction”. Who doesn't recognise that opening riff? |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
Once again, the worm brings you another great track that will lodge in your brain and refuse to move out till you call in the bailiffs! This is the Waterboys, and one of their classic hits, the excellent “Whole of the moon”. |
Thursday, September 15 2011
More hard rockin' heavy metal to get us through the week! Today's track comes from Holland's Elegy, this is actually taken from their debut album, released in 1992, it's “I'm no fool”. I'm no fool --- Elegy --- from “Labyrinth of dreams” on T&T http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Of_Dreams.jpg Haven't listened to these guys prior to this, but I do like what I hear. Good power metal, great vocals, excellent guitar solos, and a very decent melody. Rock and/or roll! :) |
http://www.trollheart.com/gonesolo.jpg
Note: thanks once again to post character restrictions, and my running off at the mouth, this section has AGAIN to be split into two. Sorry about that. Time to check out the solo career of another musician. The first edition of this section concentrated on Phil Lynott, which in a way was easy, as he only had two solo albums before his untimely death. Our next guest, however, is still very much alive and has produced, to date, eight solo albums, with more no doubt to come. We're going to concentrate on just four of them here, in order to give you an overall view of his body of work, and how it differs --- if at all --- from his work within the band. http://www.trollheart.com/ric.jpg Yes, it's that man from the Cars, he of the distinctive voice and the weird looks, and indeed weird name, Ric with a “c” Ocasek. In between guiding the Cars through a successful series of top albums and hit singles during the seventies and eighties, Ocasek has found time to record a slew of solo albums. Are they any good? Let's check them out, shall we? Beatitude --- 1982 (Geffen) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...k_album%29.jpg The debut solo is always the hardest, especially if you've been --- or still are --- in a well-known band. Most of your fans or potential audience are going to buy your new album because they like your band, but that's a double-edged sword, as they are more than likely also going to want/expect to hear the same sort of music that they've liked hearing you play or sing in the band. And as a solo artist, you probably want to make a statement, stand out from your work with your fellow bandmembers and do something a little different. Will your legion of fans accept this? And should you then try to pander to their desires, or go your own way, in the hope they will understand, “get it” and follow you regardless? “Beatitude” seems to follow the line of least resistance, at least in terms of commerciality, as it opens with a very Cars-like tune, “Jimmy Jimmy”, with thumping bass and handclap drums, and Ocasek's distinctive vocal, a melody which in fact sounds more than a little like “Shake it up”, from the Cars album of the same name; breathy synth, very new-wave. It almost sounds like a song getting ready to get going, which never actually does. No huge departure then, at least at first. Cars fans will be relatively happy: the band could have played this song. Next up is “Something to grab for”, with more guitars whereas the opener was driven by keyboards and synth. Again it's very much a track in the style of the Cars. No bad thing, to be sure, but it would be nice to see Ric stretching his creativity and (god how I hate this phrase, which has become so overused, but it is appropriate here) stepping outside his comfort zone. (Actually interesting, that, as one of his other solo albums is called “Fireball zone”...) Ric sings, plays guitar and keyboards, and also produces this album, so it's very much his project, though he does call in one of his mates from the Cars, keyboard player Greg Hawkes, to help him out, and in fact Hawkes helps him write one of the songs, though in fairness Ocasek writes every other track on the album himself. “Prove” opens on a spacey, dramatic synth line then gets rather funky with slap bass and dancy keyboards. At least this is not something you'd hear on a Cars album! If anything, it resembles more closely something you might find David Bowie singing, and it's certainly a departure from the norm for Ocasek, the first time he's stepped out of the box and tried something new. There's also some real cool sax on the track, thanks to Deric Dyer. It's back to the comfort of the Cars then for “I can't wait”, with sampled keyboard and tinkly digital piano, and the use of Linn drum machines throughout the album gives it a very Europop feel, not as soulless as their use on some other artistes' albums comes across, but still it would have been nice to have had a human drummer, even on some of the tracks. Next up is probably the standout, “Connect up to me” is also the longest track, coming in at just under seven and a half minutes, with pulsing bass and slithering keyboards, a nice fast beat, again quite akin to a Cars track, most notably I would say “Looking for love” from “Heartbeat City”, but no worse for its similarities. The synth samples work very well here, and the keyboard sections really are smooth and luxurious, building quite the wall of sound. I've noticed that the Cars, both as a band and in solo projects, tend to --- borrow, shall we say? --- themes, melodies and riffs for their songs, and here you can clearly hear the opening riff from Joe Jackson's “Is she really going out with him?” in the opening bars of “A quick one”, which is a nice little song with definite Cars overtones but still individual enough to qualify as one of Ocasek's own. The next one up, “Out of control”, is that song I mentioned on which Greg Hawkes co-writes, and it's understandably keyboard-heavy, as both of them play keys, but with a sort of reggae beat and a little hint of Peter Gabriel in there somewhere. Interesting song, in that it more or less maintains the same melody all the way through, with no real verses or chorus. “Take a walk” maintains and expands on the reggae influence, with keyboards that sound like the effects from an old eighties computer game and a heartbeat bass giving the song quite an infectious rhythm. Another recognisable melody opens “Sneak attack”, that of Billy Joel's “My life”. This time though it's not just the opening, as the basic riff continues throughout the track. It segues directly into the closer, the decidedly weird “Time bomb”. Carried on pulsing, ominous bass and wailing keyboards it moves toward a crescendo, with a good guitar solo, nice to hear after the over-preponderance of keyboards. So, not a bad first effort, though a lot of it could certainly have been done within the framework of the Cars, but perhaps Ric just wanted more control over this project, or to make it more personal. Either way, I would say a good job, but nothing we haven't heard before really. Which is not a problem, as I see it. TRACKLISTING 1. Jimmy Jimmy 2. Something to grab for 3. Prove 4. I can't wait 5. Connect up to me 6. A quick one 7. Out of control 8. Take a walk 9. Sneak attack 10. Time bomb And so it's on to the next in his catalogue, which is in fact his second album, released four years later. This side of Paradise --- 1986 (Geffen) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ofparadise.jpg Ocasek's second album more or less picks up where the debut left off, with an unashamed rip-off of his own “Heartbeat City”: it's staggering how like the title track to their chart-busting album the opener, “Keep on laughin'” is. I suppose you can't be too hard on him: after all, “Heartbeat City”, and indeed most of that album and previous Cars output, was all written by him, so it's not like he's ripping anyone off, other than himself. It is a little disappointing, however, that there's a lack of originality from the outset. Roping in more famous musicians for this album, Ocasek recruited the likes of Steve Stevens, Tony Levin and Roland Orzabal to help him create his second solo opus, as well as most of the Cars: Benjamin Orr sings background vocals, Elliot Easton plays guitar and Greg Hawkes reprises his keyboard and bass role from “Beatitude”, as well as again collaborating on one song with Ocasek, to push this album much closer to being a full Cars album than the previous one. “True to you” is another boppy Cars-like song, while “Emotion in motion” is the first ever solo ballad from Ocasek (“Beatitude has none), a lovely little track with a melody which would later surface in part on a track by Nanci Griffith, on her “Storms” album, released two years later. Again, the album is very keyboard-oriented, with not too much guitar in evidence, despite the fact that there are, including Ocasek himself, six guitarists playing on the album! Not exactly an axe attack, though! “Look in your eyes” has a very Judie Tzuke vibe, with a decent amount of guitar, but despite the fact that this time there is a human drummer, Chris Hughes, the percussion on this track still sounds very mechanical, as if created on a Linn or somesuch drum machine. “Coming for you” is a big, brash, dramatic track with heavy, stomping drums and ominous keyboards, and some rather heavy guitar. Reckon that's our Steve Stevens there: has his sort of style and flair. “Mystery” brings everything back to synth-pop/electronic with an inoffensive little tune without very much to remember it by, then we're into another standout, and the second ballad on the album. “True love” is a great little song, with many Cars touches, nice keys and samples, good little bass line and some great backing vocals, not to mention a gorgeous Spanish guitar solo. The really weird “P.F.J” --- stands for, would you believe, Pink Flag Joe? --- is very much a Ric Ocasek creation, as he sings ”Pink flag Joe/ With his wealthy lips/ He goes to movies/ That don't exist.” “Hello darkness” is the one track not exclusively written by Ocasek, the one Hawkes helps him out on, but to be fair you wouldn't know, as it's not that much different to anything else here really. The title track closes the album, and it's a powerful and assured ending, the longest track on the album at just barely over eight minutes, and as such, the longest Ocasek solo song to this date. “This side of Paradise” comes in on gentle, almost Doors-ish keyboards with tom-toms and guitar, loping along at a nice mid-pace, with a really infectious keyboard hook. Some pretty frenetic drumming ensues about halfway through, and the track ends on a nice dirty guitar riff to fade, before there's a reprise of the theme from “True love” to finish off the album. On balance, although “This side of Paradise” (the album) is better than its predecessor, it doesn't differ from it that wildly, in that most of the tracks could have gone on a Cars album, so we're not seeing any signs of Ric Ocasek suddenly breaking out into other genres or bringing in outside influences. Still, as albums go, and indeed as solo albums go, neither of these can be faulted really. Of course, there's nothing that actually marks them out or makes them stand head and shoulders above any others, but they're at least holding their own. TRACKLISTING 1. Keep on laughin' 2. True to you 3. Emotion in motion 4. Look in your eyes 5. Coming for you 6. Mystery 7. True love 8. P.F.J 9. Hello darkness 10. This side of Paradise (Stay tuned for part two, coming right up!) |
According to Wikipedia, what happened next seems weird. After his third album, “Fireball zone”, Ocasek was supposed to release “Negative theater” as his fourth, but for reasons unexplained his new record company refused to release the album in the US, taking only seven tracks from it and getting him to record a further eight, and releasing the result under the title “Quick change world” in the US, the same year as “Negative theater” came out in Europe, which is the only territory in which it was released. I guess artistic control over his project was not in Ric's hands!
Negative theater --- 1993 (Warner) http://img.over-blog.com/300x300/3/8...s-4/rico93.jpg So here is where we pick up on Ric Ocasek's solo career again. The year is 1993, seven years after “This side of Paradise”, and we can see a big change in Ric's music. The opener, “I still believe”, is a short, keyboard-led intro really, less than two minutes long, and leads into “Come alive”, a heavy, fast, almost punk-like track that hurtles along, and would be reprised stylistically by him on the Cars' original last album (before they got back together again last year), “Door to door”. Ocasek seems to have dispensed with the “guest stars” that populated “This side of Paradise”, though it does seem as if longstanding contributor and Cars member Greg Hawkes is still on board. The sound is definitely heavier, rockier, more urgent, relying rather more heavily on guitar sounds where his last two albums (at least, the first two, the ones covered above) were more or less saturated with keyboard and synth. Things go poppy, almost dancey for “Quick change world”, the title given by the record company to his previous album, I guess you could say the alternative or US version of this one. It's funky, boppy and somewhat in the mould of Bowie, with good guitar and handclap drums. Pretty damn catchy, to be honest. “Ride with Duce” is more in the heavy rock mould, a good mid-paced rocker, guitar again leading the way, whereas “What's on TV” is pretty experimental, almost Porcupine Tree in its use of samples, recordings and snippets, but ultimately it comes across as a little laboured. “Shake a little nervous” is more funk, “Hopped up” is a sort of dance/rock crossover, a good fast beat and a decent melody, and “Take me silver” is general pop/rock with some nice guitar and keys. A short track then based on nice echoey guitar, “Telephone again” lasts less than a minute, and is followed by “Race to nowhere”, the longest track on the album, and a new contender for longest solo Ocasek song, at just over nine minutes long. It's something of an opus, containing several different styles and themes, and coming close to standout track on the album. More keyboard and piano-oriented than previous tracks, there's still some very good guitar going on there. Weird Tom Waitsesque monologue near the end, too. Odd, quirky and very different. “Help me find America” comes in on some beautiful synth and slide guitar, with a breathy vocal from Ocasek. A slow, majestic, entrancing song. Another contender for top spot. Sort of a cross between Woodie Guthrie and Michael Moore... It's followed by “What is time”, a sort of post-progressive industrial rock/pop track, if you can imagine such a thing, driven by a really funky bass line and some seriously cool organ. Closer “Fade away” is a nice atmospheric ballad with lovely violins and an understated vocal, taking the album out on a gentle note, similar to the way it began. As a solo album then, this one stands far more apart from Ocasek's previous work, marked definitively as his own output: there's very little, if anything, here that I could see on any Cars album. I suppose in some ways a lot of it is quite experimental, for him, and perhaps that's why Reprise blocked his release of it in the USA. Still seems a strange thing to do. I'm glad he managed to get it released here though, and if you're from the US and haven't been able to obtain this album, I can tell you it is worth it. TRACKLISTING 1. I still believe 2. Come alive 3. Quick change world 4. Ride with Duce 5. What's on TV 6. Shake a little nervous 7. Hopped up 8. Take me silver 9. Telephone again 10. Race to nowhere 11. Help me find America 12. Who do I pay 13. Wait for fate 14. What is time 15. Fade away Our last look at his solo career is via his last album, released in 2005. There are of course eight albums in his catalogue, but I wouldn't have the space or patience or time to go through each one individually, so we're taking something of a cross-section of his output to give us an idea of where he is musically as a solo artist. This, then, is his latest. Nexterday --- 2005 (Sanctuary) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi.../f3/Ocanex.jpg After his disagreements and problems with Reprise records, detailed above, on his fourth album, Ric seems to have gone through a succession of labels for his next three albums, four if you include the Europe-only release, which was on the Warner label. This, his last and so far current album, released six years ago now, is on the Sanctuary label. What this constant changing of labels signifies I don't know: perhaps a dissatisfaction with some aspect of each one as he recorded for them, or maybe he's a hard artist to work with? Could be a number of things, I guess. At any rate, “Nexterday” opens with “Crackpot”, a low-key mid-paced rocker, with again another “borrowed” riff, this time from Dylan's (well, Hendrix's, really) “All along the watchtower”. Greg Hawkes is once again on board, as is his guitarist from the debut album, Roger Greenawalt, though Ocasek himself as usual plays guitars and keys, and sings, and this time he writes every track himself. A much rockier track than some of the more pseudo-pop/electronica material that has characterised his previous albums, “Crackpot” is a good opener and something of a change of style for Ric, that rocky element retained for “Bottom dollar”, a more Cars-ish song, very in the mould of “My best friend's girl”, while “Don't lose me” kicks the tempo up a gear with a song in a sort of fifties vein, but yet modern enough. Things get all reggae then for “In a little bit”, reminding me of nothing more than 10CC's “Dreadlock holiday”. Hey, I know I'm noting a lot of comparisons here, but take my word for it, Ocasek and indeed Benjamin Orr on his solo album, is not averse to borrowing the odd melody, chord structure, riff etc. They're usually used well --- they don't rip off full songs, they're rearranged and reused --- but it does unfortunately point to a certain lack of originality. This is a good song all the same, as is “Silver”, a slower, more introspective song with a certain Nick Cave vibe to it. “Come on” gets things moving again, another Cars-type song, and “Carousel”'s ok too, but the problem I'm having with this album is that, so far, nothing has stood out, nothing has leaped out and grabbed me. The tracks are all good, none great and certainly none that I expect to remember later, unlike the other three albums I've so far reviewed for this section. Running out of steam? Too many changes of labels? Boredom? Ideas drying up? Who knows, but “Please don't let me down” is at least a nice little ballad, but again it could feature on any Cars album. As indeed could the closer, the boppy “It gets crazy”. As a solo album, from what I've heard of Ric Ocasek's catalogue, this would be the most disappointing in my opinion. It's just basic Cars with a few bells and whistles (and sometimes not even that) --- there are no epic tracks, no quirky pieces, and frankly nothing that grabs the attention or stands out as anything special. Basically, this is as close as Ocasek has come to recording another Cars album. TRACKLISTING 1. Crackpot 2. Bottom dollar 3. Don't lose me 4. In a little bit 5. Silver 6. Come on 7. I'm thinking 8. Carousel 9. Heard about you 10. Please don't let me down 11. It gets crazy So, the conclusion then. There's no doubting Ric Ocasek's talent: he is after all the driving force (sorry!) behind the Cars. The trouble seems to be that a lot of the time he seems to be unable to separate his work with the band from his own solo material, and make his own stuff stand out on its own merits. There are of course exceptions, moments where his brilliance and innovation shine through: the title track to “This side of Paradise”, “Help me find America” and “Race to nowhere” on “Negative theater”, and “Connect up to me” from “Beatitude”, but the instances are too few and far between. Of course, I have only sampled half his repertoire for this article, and there are four albums I haven't touched, but it seems rather unlikely that they are going to reveal anything these four have not, and “Quick change world” is, as mentioned, basically half of “Negative theater”, with the other half admitted Cars-styled songs, so I don't anticipate any huge surprises from that album at least. There's nothing wrong, of course, with a solo artist carrying his band work into his own material: plenty have done so and very successfully. Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore and Fish from Marillion to name but a few, but then there are those who have forged a totally separate identity through their solo work than that which they presented when with their band. I'm thinking in particular of Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and yes, already-covered Phil Lynott. Listening to their solo albums is generally not the same as listening to them in the band, whether they're still with them or not. Sometimes we buy solo albums to hear something different, sometimes in the hope of hearing “new material” from the band, as was basically the case with Fish's early albums, and indeed Roger Waters doesn't stray all that far from his work with Pink Floyd on his solo efforts. So there's nothing wrong with it at all. But it would certainly seem that, although he is capable of quite startling musical insights and expressions from time to time, the bulk of Ric Ocasek's solo work appears to be treading the same ground as his material with the Cars. It's not a bad thing, especially if you're a fan of the band, but then, it's also fair to say that it's less than original. Next time, we'll be looking at the work of Debbie Harry, and comparing her solo output to that practiced by her within Blondie. |
Quote:
The Waterboys are one seriously underrated band and Dream Harder is one hell of an album. Great track: |
Just wanted to pop in an say I love this journal, dude. Always good, random stuff being posted. :)
|
Random Track of the Day
Friday, September 16 2011 Oh yeah, keep on rockin'! Another heavy track to bring the working week to a close, this is Savatage, from the album “Power of the night”, displaying none of the later prog-rock/metal tendencies that would surface on albums like “The wake of Magellan”, “Streets: a rock opera” and of course in a new incarantion as Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Nothing terribly special about it, a standard metal track, from a very early lineup. Unusual --- Savatage --- from "Power of the night" on Atlantic http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._the_Night.jpg Not a lot to say really. In some ways, the title is misleading, as this track is nothing like unusual. Could have been recorded by any metal band of the time. Doesn't particularly stand out, but it doesn't suck either. |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
Ah, class tells! Even twenty-five years later, this song still resonates as one of Queen's best songs from their later catalogue. And a great video too, taking them back to the top of the charts in 1986 with “A kind of magic”. |
Thanks man! Nice to have someone else comment. We aim to please.... ;)
Just heading off to check out your own journal now, as I see you've started one. Keep in touch! TH |
Quote:
BTW keep an eye out for a review of a John Martyn album soon enough... :):wave: |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
As may have been already mentioned, the worm likes to rock! And what better way to do so than all over the planet? Yep, today the Daily Earworm brings you the mighty Quo, with “Rockin' all over the world”. Shake that head, baby! |
Random Track of the Day
Saturday, September 17 2011 As the vagaries of fate would have it, today's Random track comes from an album I already reviewed (and was less than impressed with), Snow Patrol's “Songs for polar bears”. The album was only selected for review by me as part of the “Spinning the wheel” section, where I promise to review the album that comes up randomly, no matter my feelings on it. Hey, if this music really is for polar bears, no wonder they're in danger of becoming extinct! This is one of the slightly better tracks on the album, but it sure doesn't make me no fan! Starfighter pilot --- Snow Patrol --- from "Songs for polar bears" on Jeepster http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...albumcover.jpg Like most of the material on the album, this just did nothing for me. I begin to wonder if “Chasing cars” is one of those rare songs where it's the only good one by the band? This is a sort of indie-rock bopper, and if you want to read more about it check my review earlier, under “Spinning the Wheel”. |
http://www.trollheart.com/new2wall.jpg
It's the weekend, and it's raining outside, so time to cross the rickety rope bridge to that dark and foreboding castle on the hill, sidle past the three-headed guard dog (do you realise what it takes to feed a dog with three heads?) and enter the dark, dank vaults of my record collection, to see what other sort of weird and off-the-wall stuff I sometimes listen to. The management will not take responsibility for any nervous breakdowns which may occur as part of this section. You have been warned. Let's have something really weird to start off. If you thought “Star Trekkin'” from the last edition was strange, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Here's my favourite character from the Simpsons (and, I suspect, most people's), the villianous Charles Montgomery Burns, and one of the very best Simpsons musical numbers, “See my vest”. With German subtitles: how's that for weird?! My favourite song ever, full stop. I just love “Summertime”, and there have been so many, many versions of it down the years, but this is probably the most authentic and evokes the real feel of the song. It's two legends --- Louis Armstong and Ella Fitzgerald, from a simpler time... Ooh, I really don't like Britney Spears! I hate everything her music stands for, but this song forces me to like it, so make of that what you will. I'm going to hide in a dark place now till you all go away.... This is just so weird! Whatever happened to Landscape? Here they are with their big hit, “Einstein a-go-go.” You really can't get much weirder than Hawkwind, but this is just way out there. From the album “Church of Hawkwind”, this is “Fall of Earth City”. Freaky! Okay, that's enough weirdness for one weekend. I'm off back to my home planet, but the journal will continue to be updated by my cyborg attendants. Until next time.... http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...2I-wbfRPTj9bwp |
http://www.trollheart.com/softer3.jpg
Gary Moore (Note: that image restriction thing again! Have to split this up into two sections once more. Apologies...) Anyone who knows me will know I like to headbang with the best of 'em --- though I've considerably less hair these days! --- but I am also very partial to a nice slow song. And they don't just crop up on those “Love is...” type albums, either. Nearly every artist whose music I own has written at least one slow song, and the aim of this new section is to take a particular artist and give you an idea of the sort of slower, ballad-like songs they do. To present, as the title says, the softer side of that artist. First up, it's the late Gary Moore, known for his frenetic guitar playing, rocking anthems and of course that solo from “Parisienne Walkways”. But that isn't the only slow song he possesses in his collection. Oh my, no.... Let's take a journey through his extensive catalogue and see what delights we come across. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ding_Stone.jpg Grinding stone (1973) Technically released as “The Gary Moore Band”, this was nevertheless Gary's first real solo album, and has one good slow track on it, a really nice track entitled “Sail across the mountain”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eets_Album.jpg Back on the streets (1978) Where it all began, really, with the solid gold classic “Parisienne walkways”, written by Gary and Phil, who are no doubt jammin' in Heaven right now. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ower_Cover.jpg Corridors of power (1982) A great ballad from “Corridors of power”, this is “Always gonna love you”. Another excellent ballad, one of three on this album, “Falling in love with you”. Without question the best track on “Corridors of power”, this is the epic “I can't wait until tomorrow”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rtyfingers.jpg Dirty fingers (1983) There's only the one ballad on “Dirty fingers”, but it's a hell of a track. Here it is, the heartrending --- especially in the light of the loss of Gary --- “Rest in peace”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ftheFuture.jpg Victims of the future (1984) Gary's excellent 1984 album “Victims of the future” does however only contain one ballad, but it's a true classic, and one of his best: “Empty rooms”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...29_coveart.jpg Run for cover (1985) Really the closest Gary ever came to writing a pop song, and the closing track on the "Run for cover" album, “Listen to your heartbeat” really should have been a hit single. It wasn't, though. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ldFrontier.jpg Wild frontier (1987) “Wild frontier”, in addition to being a rocker of an album, boasts no less than four slower tracks, and this is Gary's celtic-themed lament, “Johnny boy”. The excellent “Crying in the shadows” And the equally excellent “Strangers in the darkness”. And ending up with the heartrending instrumental, “The loner”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...fterTheWar.jpg After the war (1992) Sounding very like “The loner”, and with definite elements of “Parisienne walkways”, this is “The Messiah will come again”, an excellent instrumental taken from the album “After the war”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ottheblues.jpg Still got the blues (1990) The title track from this album is a total classic blues ballad. And this is a track I featured in my recent 9/11 anniversary tribute, another great blues track, “As the years go passing by”. And let's not forget “Midnight blues”... |
http://img.noiset.com/images/album/g...ver-52200.jpeg
After hours (1992) From “After hours”, this is a great little blues number, rather appropriately titled “The story of the blues”. And another great ballad, with some cool horns, this is “Separate ways”. Another great blues track, this is “Jumpin' at shadows”. Probably the best slowie from “After hours”, the lovely “Nothing's the same”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_Paradise.jpg Dark days in Paradise (1997) A beautiful track from “Dark days in Paradise”, truly magnificent. “Like angels.” A powerful ballad from “Dark days in Paradise”, this is “Where did we go wrong?” Very Heart-like vibe to this. Fan-tastic solo at the end! The epic closing track from “Dark days in Paradise”, it's called “Business as usual”. I think this has to qualify as one of, if not the longest Gary Moore tracks, clocking in at a massive 13:30! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...erent_beat.jpg A different beat (1999) Gary Moore in a cool, funky mood for “Surrender”. Oooh yeah! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...BluesCover.jpg Back to the blues (2001) A real blues tune from “Back to the blues”, called “Stormy Monday”. Can't find a studio version on YT, so this is live from the Montreaux jazz festival. Another great blues track, with melodies very reminiscent of his huge hit “Parisienne walkways”, this is “Picture of the moon”. And a great instrumental called “The prophet”. A nine-minute epic, total laid-back ease and grace in “Drowning in tears”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...BluesCover.jpg Power of the blues (2004) If you had asked him when he was alive, Gary would have told you “That's why I play the blues”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lladsBlues.jpg Old, new, ballads, blues (2006) If nothing else, this proves Gary was an Irishman! “Gonna rain today”. A beautiful little ballad, sounds like it was written for his daughter, this is “Flesh and blood”. Perhaps a message to his heartbroken fans? “No reason to cry”, though we did. Cool with a capital “C”, it's “I'll play the blues for you”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ouGetCover.jpg As close as you get (2007) Another great blues track, this time from “As close as you get”, some great organ work too on “Have you heard”. Another from “As close as you get”, this is called “Evenin'”. The truly excellent “I had a dream”. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ForYouBaby.jpg Bad for you baby (2008) Gary's final album before his untimely death earlier this year, “Bad for you baby” features some good slow tracks, including this one, “Holding on”. This amazing ten-minute blues slowburner, a cover of the old Blood, Sweat and Tears classic, “I love you more than you'll ever know”... … and this one, another blues ballad, this is “Did you ever feel lonely?” The last track on the album, so technically the last studio song Gary Moore ever recorded, and man is it a good one! “Trouble ain't far behind” is a fitting legacy left by a man who lived, ate, drank and slept the blues. |
Random Track of the Day
Sunday, September 18 2011 Ah, like I said with Queen a few days before, you can't keep true class down! Our last RTOTD for this week comes from just the sort of band you want to listen to on a quiet, peaceful Sunday afternoon. Yeah, it's what Sundays are made for! Iron Maiden, from their second album, “Killers”, with “Wrathchild”. Wrathchild --- Iron Maiden --- from "Killers" on EMI http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...en_Killers.jpg The only thing about it is that it's Paul Di'Anno on vocals, and while he's good, he's nowhere as good as Bruce Dickinson. But this is from “Killers”, the second Iron Maiden album and the last to feature Di'Anno, and one which really put them on the metal map during the eighties. Songs like “Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “Drifter” and of course the title track all helped earn Maiden a whole legion of fans, and lift them to superstardom among heavy metal acts. “Wrathchild” is typical of the Maiden songs of that period, before they extended themselves into more progressive areas with deeper and more thoughtful themes on albums like "Number of the Beast", "Piece of mind" and "Powerslave", but this is a good, heads-down, out-and-out rocker. Watch for an in-depth feature on Maiden soon... |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
The worm, having rocked till he dropped for the last few days, goes all electronic pop today, with the great Eurythmics (probably one of the most misspelt band names since Lynyrd Skynyrd!) and a track that although it didn't feature in the film, was shown before it (at least on the video I watched), “Sexcrime (Nineteen eighty-four)”. |
http://www.trollheart.com/runcover.jpg
(Disclaimer: anyone under 30 years old will not get the following reference...) Who loves ya, baby? Everyone, apparently. Although surely one of the worst choices for a cover version ever, Telly Savalas' version of David Gates' “If” reached number one, higher in fact than the original version by Gates' own band, Bread! But here's the kicker: Savalas' version was spoken, not sung! Now, I love “If”. It's a great, great love song and one of my favourites, and it has been covered many times. The version by TV's “Kojak”, Telly Savalas, was in fact the first time I heard the song, and so I was completely blown away when I heard Bread's version, and realised it could be sung! Retrospectively, Savalas' version is terrible: he sounds bored, half asleep, and reading from a cue card. There's no emotion in the song (such as it can be called a song), and though the instrumentation is great, it does a huge disservice to a major classic love song. I can only assume that with “Kojak” popular on TV around the mid-seventies, people bought this as a novelty record, wondering if he could sing. On the basis of this cover version, no he can't, or if he can, he doesn't here. Anyway, here are the two versions, original first. Make up your own mind as to whether or not Kojak committed a crime... |
http://www.trollheart.com/nicesong.jpg
Scarlet and other stories --- All About Eve --- 1989 (Mercury) http://www.trollheart.com/aboutevescarlet.jpg After the excellent self-titled debut from this band, I was really looking forward to their follow-up, which appeared in 1989, a mere year later. But this is a far different album to the debut. It's far darker, heavier and well, less accessible than “All About Eve” was. Since it's starring in this slot, you can probably work out that I didn't like it. Unfortunately, for me it was a real disappointment, though it starts out well, with the opener “Road to your soul”, which keeps up the quality and songwriting from the debut. As indeed does “Dream now” But then you get “Gold and silver” Not to mention the title track Followed quickly by “December” Now, I know there were personal issues clouding the making of this album, hence its dark tone, but really, this sounds like the band just weren't trying! When you end up with tracks the likes of “Tuesday's child” “Hard Spaniard” and the closer, “The pearl fishermen” you just can't help but be disappointed, when you compare the albums. I'm not saying this is a terrible album, but after the excellent debut it's a huge let-down, and I can really only say I like (or at least, don't hate!) the first two tracks. It's just not what I expected, and I was really sorry I bought it, which doesn't happen very often. One clear indicator that you're not going to enjoy an album is when your attention starts to wander, songs and tracks slip by unnoticed, and before you know it the album is over, and you haven't really heard it. This is how it was first time I listened to “Scarlet and other stories” --- after the first two tracks I began to slowly and increasingly lose interest, till by the end I really couldn't care. This, sadly, is how I again feel, having listened to the album through again. My opinion has not changed. |
http://www.trollheart.com/words.jpg
Let's finish up Sunday evening and bring the week to a close with some nice relaxing instrumentals, eh? Starting off with prog-rock band Arena, and a great track from their album “The visitor”, here's “Elea”. More prog from Mostly Autumn, from the album “Passengers”, a great little track called “Distant train”. And to finish up, a great little piece from an album previously reviewed by me, Savatage's “The wake of Magellan”, this is “The storm”. Enjoy! |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
Today the worm feels like heading down to Echo Beach and taking the rays. Unfortunately, this is Ireland, and it's pissing rain! No matter: still a great song from Martha and the Muffins... |
Random Track of the Day
Monday, September 19 2011 Another Monday, another week begun, and a totally inappropriate (perhaps) track for Random Track of the Day, it's the Moody Blues from “Sur la mer”, and “Here comes the weekend”. I'm not trying to rub it in, honest! :D Here comes the weekend --- The Moody Blues --- from "Sur la mer" on Polydor http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...1/Surlamer.jpg Really makes you wish it was Friday huh? A good, boppy and lively track from the Moodies, with more than a hint of “Gemini dream” in there! Lots of cool sax, which is never bad, and although I'm an on/off Moody Blues fan (check my review of their “Every good boy deserves favour” album on the very first “Spinning the wheel”), this one I like! Again, apologies to those of you who are only starting your working week, but blame the random—meter, not me! |
Night castle --- Trans-Siberian Orchestra --- 2009 (Lava)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ght_castle.jpg Essentially a side-project, and then the continuation of Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) have carved themselves out a name for accomplished blend of classical, symphonic rock music and metal that somehow meshes to become something which is more than the sum of its parts. Created by producer Paul O'Neill, with ex-Savatage members Jon Olivia and Al Pitrelli, TSO have to date sold over eight million albums and as many concert tickets. This is their fifth album, and to date, their most recent, released in 2009. It's a double album, so there's a lot to get through. Let's get started then, shall we? If you're sitting comfortably, we'll begin. Actually, I don't care whether or not you're sitting comfortably: I have a job to do, you know! :) It starts with a reworking of Verdi's “Requiem”, which they title “Night enchanted”, with lots of keyboards and choral voices, and of course guitars. It's really impressive to hear heavy metal and classical mixed together so well, and working one off the other. It gets very quiet and restrained in the middle then, with a female vocal and another classical piece, which I know but can't place, then back to the “Requiem”. The choir is really powerful and expressive, and adds a real punch to the music. And this is only track one! Next up is a quiet piano-driven ballad called “Childhood dreams”, with strong solo male vocal from Jay Pierce, joined by guitar, but there's an unnecessarily forceful moment in the song which detracts from the pure beauty of it. Pity. It should have been a tender ballad but feels a little forced. Tim Hockenberry does a great impression of Joe Cocker on “Sparks”, a straight rock song with no classical leanings, while “The Mountain” is a brilliant fusion of Grieg's “Hall of the Mountain King” and Holst's “Mars, the bringer of war” from the “Planets suite”. This was previously featured under another title on the Savatage album “Hall of the Mountain King.” There are a huge number of people involved in this album, so it's hard to pick out individual performances or comment on the guitar playing of one or the keyboard skills of another, and as the album is a double I won't be going through every track, though I will try to mention most if not all of them, even if in passing. Rather than pick out musical contributions then, I intend to review this on the basis of its entireity, and how the songs and pieces fit together. So far, I'm damn impressed, I can tell you! The title track is next, and it's the closest to material from Savatage's “The wake of Magellan” that I've heard on this album so far, with “The safest way into tomorrow” another male vocal ballad, Jay Pierce again. The guy has a very operatic voice, enunciating every word and sounding very cultured indeed, like one of those three tenors or something. Great guitar work in this too. “Mozart and memories” is an excellent reworking of Mozart's Symphony No. 25, and “Another way to die” is another rocker, again in the style of “Magellan”. Spellbinding piano solo on this one, then we're into “Toccata --- Carpimus Noctern”, another great reworking of a classical piece. I first heard Bach's “Toccata and fugue” when Sky interpreted it on their “Sky 2” album, and I loved it, but this gives it real teeth and claws! “The lion's roar” interprets the traditional Irish ballad “The minstrel boy”, with just trumpet for about a minute and a half, then the drums and guitar blast in to take the rest of the track, with keyboards cutting in too, the whole thing getting a little funky without losing its basic rock core. “Dreams we conceive” is an organ and piano-led ballad, Jeff Scott Soto this time taking vocal duties, stabbing guitars soon taking it up a notch to end up a real power ballad, one of the best tracks on the album so far, to these ears. “Mother and son” is forty seconds of talk between I guess a Vietnamese or possibly Japanese mother and her child, as there is then the sound of an aircraft flying overhead, then the first disc comes to a close with the longest track on it, “There was a life”, with yet another vocalist, this time Tim Evan. It's another power ballad, with a lovely piiano melody running through it that closes the “first act” in fine style. (Goddamn it, this could qualify as best track too! Good complaint, I guess). And so on to disc two we go. An instrumental gets us under way, “Moonlight and madness” is pure classical at first, great piano work (though don't ask me from who, as there are so many talented people involved with this project!) then rock guitar cuts in and the piece becomes a pure rock tune, then we have “Time floats on”, another mid-paced ballad with some nice classical piano but otherwise a rock song, and on to the longest track on the entire two discs. At almost eleven minutes, “Epiphany” is a powerful song that go through several changes, starting off balladic but soon getting more powerful, with a lot of anger at injustice in the lyric. Another powerful vocal from Rob Evan, and a melody section near the end very reminscent of “Wake of Magellan” again. “Bach lullaby” is a lovely forty seconds of marimba or vibraphone, or something similar, very gentle as the title suggests, then there's the first female vocal, by Jennifer Cella, in “Father, Son and Holy Ghost”, a song which starts off slowly and gently but soon Cella is able to show off her considerable vocal talents as the song gets heavier and more intense.And she stays with us for “Remnants of a lullaby”, carried on a gentle acoustic guitar line. There's a short return for Jeff Scott Soto then, for “The safest way to tomorrow (reprise)”, then “Embers” is a nice little acoustic guitar instrumental, with a certain echo of “Horizon” from Genesis' “Foxtrot” album, then another female voice on “Child of the night”. This time it's Alexa Goddard, with an interpretation of another classical tune I know, but can't place. Lovely voice indeed. Tim Hockenberry makes his second and final appearance on the ballad “Believe” (it's really quite incredible how like Cocker he sounds!), with a great guitar solo. “Nutrocker” features the legendary Greg Lake on bass, and then there's a superb version of Carl Orff's famous “O fortuna” (although here it's credited as “Carmina Burana”: rookie mistake. “Carmina Burana” is the whole hymn, whereas the well-known part (think --- oh God no! --- “The X Factor” --- or if you're older like me, the “Old Spice” ad from the eighties) is called “O fortuna”, which is what we get here, though the slip on the title is easily forgivable due to the excellent job the band make of the piece. And things wrap up with another instrumental, the almost prog-rock flavoured “Tracers”, bringing the curtain down on one incredible musical experience. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, despite having no connection to Russia, certainly live up to their name. This is a huge, sprawling masterpiece, replete with great singers, musicians and choirs, an album full of ideas and concepts, and doing a very good job of melding classical music with rock and metal. Hopefully, TSO will open up the world of classical music to perhaps some of the younger generation, who have not yet had that pleasure, and they will be able to broaden their musical horizons. In every way that could possibly count, there is only one word that truly encompasses this album, and this band, and is progressive. Oh yeah: I really liked it, in case you didn't realise! TRACKLISTING DISC 1 1. Night enchanted 2. Childhood dreams 3. Sparks 4. The Mountain 5. Night castle 6. The safest way into tomorrow 7. Mozart and memories 8. Another way you can die 9. Toccata – Carpimus Noctern 10. The lion's roar 11. Dreams we conceive 12. Mother and son 13. There was a life DISC 2 1. Moonlight and madness 2. Time floats on 3. Epiphany 4. Bach lullaby 5. Father, Son and Holy Ghost 6. Remnants of a lullaby 7. The safest way into tomorrow (reprise) 8. Embers 9. Child of the night 10. Believe 11. Nutrocker 12. Carmina Burana 13. Tracers Suggested further listening: Well, I haven't heard any other of their albums, but I intend to listen to them all. So “Beethoven's last night”, “The lost Christmas Eve”, “Christmas attic” and “Christmas Eve and other stories” are all on the list. You might want to check out Orff's “Carmina Burana” too, though don't expect it all to be like “O fortuna”! Perhaps some Mozart... |
http://www.trollheart.com/culturebug.jpg
One thing the recent rounds of Random Track of the Day has done is reminded me that there is some excellent classical music out there. And let's face it: without classical music there would be no rock, no metal, no punk, no rap, no hip-hop, no country, no pop … no music at all. If it wasn't for the pioneers of music sitting down at pianos and working with orchestras more than four hundred years ago, and more, who knows how music might have gone, or if it would even have become popular? Classical music allowed the ordinary folk to enjoy the wonders of music, and laid the groundwork for everything that has come after. So, this section is going to feature some of the best, well-known and least-known classical music that I know of. I'm no classical buff, but I know my Mozarts from my Mendelssohns, and I can tell a Chopin from a Grieg, so sit back and have a listen, and those of you who know no more of classical than Beethoven's fifth symphony or the theme to “The Onedin Line”, or anything you've heard on telly or in the movies, or indeed any piece of classical that has been sampled by modern artistes, may learn something here, and perhaps even gain an appreciation for the oldest known form of popular musical expression. Music, maestro, please! We start off with something just about everyone will know, but where do you know it from? You've heard it in movies, on TV ads, perhaps even in videogames. It's called “Mars, the bringer of war”, and it's the opening movement from Gustav Holst's (1874-1924) “Planets suite”. It conveys brilliantly and in no uncertain fashion the dark power and hostile stance of not only the planet Mars, but the Roman god of war, after which it is named. It starts low, gets louder as it goes and builds to a pretty deafening crescendo to the end, so be warned if you have your amp/speakers up high! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...stav_Holst.jpg After that, something to calm down. How about some nice piano? Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827), with another piece you'll have heard, even if you didn't know who it was. It's called “Piano sonata no. 14 in C Sharp Minor”, but it's better known by the name “Moonlight sonata.” http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-Beethoven.jpg Let's get things moving again with a bit of ballet (how often do you hear anyone say that??) --- This is the waltz from “Sleeping Beauty”, Ballet Suite Op 66, by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...40-1893%29.jpg Now how about a nice violin concerto? Here's Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), with Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...art-Detail.jpg And to finish things off, everyone knows “William Tell overture”, by Gioachino Antonio Rossini (1792-1868). This is the finale, the bit we all know. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...esRossini1.jpg Okay, so none of those particular pieces will have surprised you, and many if not all you will have known of, if not actually heard, but I thought it might be best to just ease you in gently (those of you who are lacking in your knowledge and appreciation of classical music, that is) with some old favourites. As the section grows, I'll add more obscure and less well-known, but equally brilliant and noteworthy compositions and extracts. So, if after that all you're doing is humming the “Lone Ranger” theme, that's not a bad start! http://www.trollheart.com/conduct.jpg |
Quote:
Also, props for featuring the Buffy theme song earlier too! Oh...and "Summertime"... :love: |
Thanks as always for the kind comments, nsw: anything I can do to make your day a little easier...
Any suggestions, I'm sure the worm will be happy to listen (hey, do worms even have ears?) :D |
Random Track of the Day
Tuesday, September 20 2011 Something totally different for Tuesday, as September heads towards a close, and people speak in hushed whispers about Christmas (shut UP!), it's a track from the excellent “Blue is the colour”, the only album I ever listened to by The Beautiful South. True story: I bought this album from one of those dodgy geezas who call at your door with a holdall full of CDs, but I was very glad I did, as it's a great album. Blackbird on the wire --- The Beautiful South --- from "Blue is the colour" on Go! Discs http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...the_Colour.jpg Without doubt, one of the best tracks on a really great album, “Blackbird on the wire” is probably one of the least dark tracks on the album, whose overall tone is very melancholic. It's a lovely little ballad, with gorgeous piano from Damon Butcher and just the right amount of guitar, not too much, not too little, along with impassioned singing from --- well, I'm not sure, as the Beautiful South have two vocalists, but it's probably Paul Heaton, as he seems to have been the driving force behind the album. |
Empire --- Kasabian --- 2006 (BMG)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_-_Empire.jpg So what's all this about Kasabian then? What do you mean, I'm coming to the party a little late? I'm a busy man, you know! But I've heard a lot about these guys --- some people giving them the kiss of death and proclaiming them to be the future of rock'n'roll --- but I've heard nothing from them. Time to put that right. Let's see if these upstarts can measure up to the hype. This is their second album, and by all accounts sold over a million copies, so it should be good, right? Well, opener and title track doesn't exactly blow me away, in fact I'm sort of left wondering what the fuss is about. Good catchy song, yes, but I've certainly heard better rock songs. Well, it's only the first track, so let's see if it gets any better.... Oh yeah, this is a lot better! “Shoot the runner” is powerful, catchy and an instant hit with me. Much more cohesive as a track than “Empire”, this has quality stamped all over it. Could have something to do with the fact that lead guitar has been switched from Chris Karloff on the opener to Sergio Pizzorno for this, and it does show. Kind of reminscent of Gary Glitter's “Rock and roll (part one)” in its beat, it's an infectious beat and melody, and the vocals are a little less shouted and more sung this time by Tom Meighan. Great synth work from Pizzorno too. Better, guys, better. Now let's keep it up, eh? “Last trip (in flight)” has a great little bass line carrying the track, and some great backing vocals, though there's a certain punky vibe to the song, kind of similar to Lostprophets, whose album I reviewed a while back. Not bad though. Pizzorno takes over lead vocals for “Me plus one” and also does guitar, though I think I prefer the vocals of the mainman: Meighan just has a voice that's better suited to this kind of music. As a result, the track is a little bland, a shade forgettable, but a worthy effort, not the last we'll hear from him on this album. The song has a nice little keyboard run which gives it an eastern feel, then we're into “Sun rise light flies”, with Meighan back on vocals and Pizzorno where he is at his most effective, working that guitar. Organ helps the track along, and some nice solid synthwork too, which really, prior to the keyboards breaking in, the song was lacking. The oddly-named “Apnoea” is just confusing noise really, then Pizzorno is back on vocals for “By my side”, which has some nice guitar and bass, but fails to impress really. A good synth passage about a minute from the end does its best to rescue the song, but it's not enough. Not a bad track, per se, but not a standout by any means, and once it's faded into the background I can't even remember how it went, whereas the melody for “Shoot the runner” is still loping through my head. But so far, that's not only the best, but the only good track I can speak about on this album. Let's see what develops as head into the concluding part of “Empire”. It's still Pizzorno on vocals as “Stuntman” gets going, but right away this song impresses me. It's got a very cohesive feel, which a lot of the other tracks didn't --- they felt confused, fragmented, half-finished ideas. This is very tight, and works very well, and I have to say Pizzorno does well on the vocals here. I shouldn't be too hard on Karloff either, as I see that on this and the previous track, as well as the title one, in addition to playing guitar he also handles keyboards, synth and omnichord. Talented guy! You can certainly hear his influence on this song, no doubt about that. Second good track I've heard so far. “Seek and destroy” is a clear, straight-ahead rock song with good use of the keys, and what sounds like drum machines (though drummer Ian Matthews will probably angrily set me straight, if he should ever read this review: yeah, about as likely as me getting six numbers on the Euromillions tonight!), but it's a catchy, almost new-wave song in the mould of Depeche Mode or Tubeway Army, and it shows how good a vocalist Meighan is compared to his guitarist. Speaking of Pizzorno, “British Legion” is his last turn on the mike, and it's a nice little guitar ballad, a nice changedown in pace with some lovely piano too, and a good vocal performance in fairness. The album closes on “The doberman”, the longest song on the album. It's quite epic, featuring something of a drum solo halfway through and then a mariachi-style keyboard run against choral backing vocals, building up the intensity and managing to finish the album off on a high note. So, am I blown away? Absolutely not. But am I bored and do I think this album is rubbish? Not quite. There are good moments on it, certainly, and some decent tracks, but it does amaze me that this sold as many copies as it did and made these guys virtually superstars. I would have forgiven the naivete and confusion of ideas if this were their debut album, but it's their second, and Kasabian really should have had it together by now. Not a terrible album, but in no way a classic. In the end, all I can say is I'm glad I listened to it, so that I could hear what all the hype was about and decide myself if it was deserved (it's not, in my opinion), but this is one album I'll be putting away after this review and it's unlikely to come out again. Well, maybe to hear “Shoot the runner” a few times, but that's about it. TRACKLISTING 1. Empire 2. Shoot the runner 3. Last trip (in flight) 4. Me plus one 5. Sun rise light flies 6. Apnoea 7. By my side 8. Stuntman 9. Seek and destroy 10. British Legion 11. The doberman |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
Keeping it all electronic and synthy for another day, the worm remembers 1979, when the likes of Gary Numan were just getting started. This is his first major hit, with Tubeway army, resampled a while back but this is the original, “Are friends electric”? You know, the worm still doesn't know the answer to that question... I suppose it depends on who your friends are! |
http://www.trollheart.com/thchest.jpg
Shiver me timbers! So the good ship “Hunka Junk” has been repaired, and it's time to climb on board and set sail once again to the shores of undiscovered music, to see what gems we can bring back for you landlubbers. (Which is my way of saying that it's time once again for “Trollheart's Treasure Chest” --- so why didn't you just say that? --- Ah, by the ghost of Blackbeard, ye'll walk the plank fer that, ye scurvy dog! Yeah, yeah, get some help....) In any event, here we are again with another three examples of music I believe needs to be heard by more people. As ever you can check any of them out by heading over to the Soundclick page at SoundClick - Free MP3 music download and much, much more., but to be fair, these are the best (in my opinion, of course) while there are some real dogs out there. http://nyc2img.soundclick.com/04/ima....jpg?version=0 A Drive on Lynn I have no idea what the name means: I'm assuming “Lynn” is perhaps a highway in the artiste's hometown? I hope so, as otherwise they're advocating running some poor girl over! There's zero information about the band/artiste, which is a pity, but they really seem to have it together, with great vocal harmonies, a good lead singer and some cool guitar. Very AOR. Sadly, they only have --- or have only put up --- the one song, but it's a killer, see below. SoundClick artist: A Drive on Lynn - .....rock with a softer edge. Genre AOR Nationality American (Newbury Park) Gold Papercut memory Pity there's no more from them: I'll keep an eye on the page and see if they upload any more songs, and if so I'll return and edit this page. Sounds like they could have a very bright future, if only anyone knew about them! http://nyc3img.soundclick.com/27/ima...jpg?version=74 A flash in the pan For some reason, you can only get to the picture of these guys by clicking an “Over 18” link, but I see nothing mature about their page that couldn't be viewed by anyone under that age. Anyway, these guys again have no information about themselves, but are another undiscovered gem with only the one song on the page. Great sax, great guitars, great keys, elements of Roxy Music. Good band. Check them out. SoundClick artist: A Flash In The Pan - page with MP3 music downloads Genre Rock Nationality American (Thousand Oaks, California) Gold Rocker http://nyc2img.soundclick.com/50/pro...pg?version=131 A Glimpse of Death Hard rock, heavy metal outfit from Ohio. Kind of in the style of Metallica, with deep, clear vocals and growling guitars. No doubt these guys have spent many an hour in someone's garage with plenty of beer and cigarettes, playin' it loud! SoundClick artist: A Glimpse Of Death - page with MP3 music downloads Genre Heavy metal Nationality American (Millersburg, Ohio) Gold Hungry (great acapella start!), My life Silver Complex vortex, Prayer So that's the Treasure Chest closed for another while. More unsigned, unknown artistes soon. If you have a struggling band, or are a performer and want to get your music featured here, it's not the NME but I do get a lot of views, so you could do worse. Email me or post a comment and let me know where your music can be heard --- it has to be freely available, as I'm not going to pay for download music I don't even know, nor ask my readers to --- and if it's good enough we'll give it a whirl. Until we meet again then, this is Captain Trollheart, sailing off into the sunset to the strains of “Papercut memory” from A Drive on Lynn. Oooh yeah! (Disclaimer: Trollheart is not a captain, has never captained or even sailed a boat, and is not recognised by the Ships and Captains Guild.) |
Quote:
And, I don't know if worms have ears...the one in your picture doesn't, but he does have eyebrows hovering above his little worm head which I find slightly creepy. |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
Well, in response to nonsubmissivewife's request, I must admit the worm is not a huge soul fan, (nor am I sure he has ears) but he does listen to requests. And so how about this? Gladys Knight and the Pips, from their heyday, with a great soul classic, "Midnight train to Georgia"? |
Glorious fool --- John Martyn --- 1981 (WEA)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...oriousfool.jpg John Martyn. The very name conjures up words like “unequalled”, “perfect”, “original” and certainly, like this album's title “glorious”. About as feted as a musician can be, among his peers, critics and fans alike, the world lost a great talent when he died in 2009, but thankfully he left behind him a wealth of music that stands as his legacy and reminds us all of how massive a talent he was. I suppose I could have chosen any of his albums to review, but this one hit a chord with me when I listened to it for the first time, so this is the one I decided to go with. Whichever it had been, there really is no such thing as a bad John Martyn album, but I find this one just a little bit special. It opens on the ballad “Couldn't love you more”, and immediately you're struck not only by Martyn's distinctive yet understated voice, but also his superlative eye for songwriting. The track is graced with a guest spot by the legendary Eric Clapton, but such a figure is Martyn that, great though it is to have Slowland on the song, your attention is not drawn away from the dazzling vocals of John Martyn, and it certainly does not become a Clapton song. Backing vocals also contributed by Phil Collins, in addition to his drumming gig. It's a lovely, lazy, smooth ballad with a very simple message, in the same way most of Martyn's songs are crafted. “Amsterdam” kicks up the tempo and pace a little, with great keyboards from Max Middleton, and Collins enjoying himself on a vocoder. An upbeat mix of jazz and blues, it's a step away from what will become the overarching theme of this album, slow, graceful, at times unbearably beautiful love songs. In places on this track Martyn manages a fairly good Tom Waits impression! The cool, smooth vibe is soon re-established for “Hold on my heart”, with again great and distinctive backing vocals by Phil Collins, and a really nice line in bass courtesy of Alan Thomson. A truly lovely flugel horn solo by Dick Cutthell really adds to the mood of this song, making it, if such a thing were possible, even smoother. “Perfect hustler” brings a caribbean feel to the album, with some great precussion by Danny Cummings and again that oh-so-cool bass from Thomson. Martyn's voice rises above it all, like a flame jumping from the fire into the night air. And is he having fun! The longest track then, “Hearts and keys”, a seven and a half minute blues ballad, takes slow and lazy to new dimensions, but in a very good way. It's almost an ambient track, with slow, atmospheric drumming (if you can imagine such a thing), moaning bass and evocative keyboards, Martyn almost drawling the vocal. Amazingly, you realise seven and a half minutes have passed, and the next track is the title one. It's another low-key ballad, with that excellent bass again leading the way. Never heard an album where bass guitar was used so well, and shaped the mood of the songs so much. A sort of a “scat” vocal from Martyn, very jazz-like, and at times almost inaudible as he seems to be singing into his chest, but that just falls in with the overall mood of the song. After all these smooth ballads it's a bit of a shock to the system when “Never say never” kicks in, with its opening lines ”Shut up!” repeated, then the heavy drums and Martyn's much more animated vocal taking the song into higher levels. “Pascanel (Get back home)” is a slower, but more forceful ballad, with Martyn taking no chances people are not going to hear him. Some superb guitar from him on this track as well, then we're into “Didn't do that”, the last of the, shall we say, faster tracks on the album. With a very jazzy beat and a fast tempo, it features a tongue-twisting vocal from Martyn that he handles with the ease of the consummate professional. Dick Cuthell cuts loose with some very fine and jazzy trumpet that helps carry the song, The album closes on two more ballads, and there is a wealth of quality to choose from here --- an embarrassment of riches, so to speak --- but “Please fall in love with me” comes very close to taking the plaudits for standout track. At over six minutes long it's the second-longest track on the album, and is a very low-key and laidback ballad, with again a very simple message. The drums do a lot to set the mood here, keeping what we would have to call a very Phil Collins beat (it is him, after all), similar to “In the air tonight” (the quiet part, before the big finish) and taking the song gently along, till he hits them a little harder and the track gets a little louder, a little more insistent and to be totally fair, a little more reminscent of Collins' masterpiece. None of this is surprising, as Collins had only released his debut solo album a few months earlier, and was probably still experimenting with his own individual sound. And one more flawless ballad to end on, the utterly beautiful “Don't you go”, with haunting piano by Collins, and impassioned and heartbreaking vocals by Martyn as he puts every iota of his being into the tragic and forlorn figure presented in the lyric. To some, the often hard-to-hear singing might colour reception to this album, but anything that's worth listening to is worth the effort, so just make sure if you're going to spin this album that you're in a quiet room, preferably alone or with your SO, lights low and volume up --- not too high: this isn't an album you need to play loud, but just nudge the volume up a notch so that you can make out all the vocals and lyrics --- and close your eyes and just drift away on the mellifluous voice that gave us such classics as “May you never”, “Solid air” and of course “Sweet little mystery”. You couldn't be in better hands. John, the world is a little darker and colder without you in it. May you rest in peace, and to quote your own lyric: May you never make your bed out in the cold. TRACKLISTING 1. Couldn't love you more 2. Amsterdam 3. Hold on to my heart 4. Perfect hustler 5. Hearts and keys 6. Glorious fool 7. Never say never 8. Pascanel (Get back home) 9. Didn't do that 10. Please fall in love with me 11. Don't you go Suggested further listening: “The apprentice”, “Solid air”, “Grace and danger”, “Stormbringer”, “Bless the weather”, “Piece by piece”, “One world”.... the list goes on. And on. |
Random Track of the Day
Wednesday, September 21 2011 Back for some rockin' today, with a short-lived offshoot from the Alan Parsons Project, who called themselves Keats. Makes it murder trying to find them on Google: keep getting poetry links! Keats were Ian Bairnson, Colin Blunstone, David Paton, Stuart Elliott and Pete Bardens, most or all of whom have contributed at one time or another to the APP on various albums (you'll know Colin Blunstone's voice from the hit “Old and wise”). They just released the one album, it being self-titled. It's a good effort, but in fairness it's so close to the style and themes of the APP that you would kind of wonder why they bothered? This at any rate is from that album, a rocky little number entitled “Fight to win”. Fight to win --- Keats --- from "Keats" on EMI http://www.trollheart.com/keats.jpg As I say, there's nothing wrong with the track, but you could very easily hear it on an Alan Parsons album. The standard melody and beat prevalent in much of Parsons' work is there, and though Blunstone does a good job on the vocals, it's nothing to write home about. For completist APP fans only. |
http://www.trollheart.com/dailyworm3.jpg
Never a big fan of Michael Jackson, there are nevertheless one or two of the King of Pop's tunes that the worm likes, and it's hard to resist the raw emotional power of “Earth song”. |
Hurricane town --- Stampede --- 1983 (Polydor)
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/4/6/3/8/46388.jpg Trollheart leans back in his rocking chair (which really rocks!) and remembers a time before t'internet and itunes, when you bought albums based on radio airplay, recommendations from friends, or a review in Kerrang! That magazine was the touchstone for us metallers back then: if you wanted to know if such-and-such an album was any good, you looked for it to be covered in the pages of the fabled tome and read the opinion of Mick Wall, Malcolm Dome or any of the other writers. Their reviews were usually spot-on, and based on their assessment, you either sought out that album at your local record shop, or you passed on it. “Hurricane town” was one of those Kerrang! recommended to me. I had no idea who Stampede were, but I liked the things the reviewer was saying about them, so off I went into town, clutching my hard-earned five pounds ninety-nine pence and brought the album home with me. I was delighted to find that, after just one spin, I heartily agreed with Mr. Dome, or whoever had reviewed it. From the opening guitar chords of “I've been told”, I knew this was going to be a good album. The song was catchy, punchy and had all the right elements. Vocalist Rueben Archer was something of a find, and perfectly complemented by guitarist Lawrence Archer (yes, they are related: Lawrence is Rueben's stepson). It's a gutsy, bouncy rocker and it sets the tone for the rest of the album. No shredding here, but then none is needed. It's not that sort of album. A great guitar solo nonetheless fades out the track, bringing in “Love letters”, and the quality is maintained. Even though the opener is a stronger song in my opinion, this is a good slice of AOR hard rock, chugging guitar and solid drums. The vocals are clear and pure, never subsumed in the mix, and the backing vocals just as good. There's no keyboard player credited, but I'm sure I can clearly hear keys on this track at least, unless someone is using a synth guitar... “Casino junkie” is the first point where I feel the quality drops slightly. It's deep, growly and pondering, with a sort of feedback guitar intro, then a Thin Lizzy-ish melody that promptly breaks down into a sort of blues break, then back to the Lizzyesque sound, and again back to blues. It kind of feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be, straddling the two styles. It's not as immediately accessible as the prior two tracks, I feel, but it's a temporary aberration, as “The other side” re-establishes the equilibrium and we're back on track with another great singalong melody and a powerful performance from all concerned. To be honest, that's about it as far as bad tracks go. “Casino junkie” is the only bump in a road that otherwise leads to a great album and a pretty flawless execution. You would think these guys had been at this for years, instead of it being their debut album. Well, they had an EP released the previous year, but this is their first full release. The next track would be the standout, if it wasn't for one other. “Turning in circles” has a great hook, great guitar work and the sort of melody bands who have been going for much longer than Stampede would probably kill for. This is an album of great songs generally, and they just keep coming. A real achievement, considering their youth and inexperience.The title track is also the longest on the album, almost seven minutes, showing that Stampede can also write epics. Oh, there are definitely keyboards of some sort in there! If I had the time, I'd take the boat across the river to my vinyl vault and look for the actual record, but I think Cerberus has to be walked, so he'd be a bit snappy! Anyway, “Hurricane town” comes in on a spacy, atmospheric intro with sounds of wind and classy guitar, then develops into a great rocker telling the story of people who have to abandon their homes when a hurricane hits. Some of Lawrence Archer's best guitar work is evident here; halfway through the song slows down and against that wind sound he pulls off a fantastic solo, reminiscent of the great Gary Moore in his heyday. There's a note of hope at the end, as Rueben sings ”Maybe one day survivors would return/ Rebuild this town called Hurricane/ Now the lesson's learned.” The last two tracks are both contenders for best track! “The runner” is perhaps the fastest, rockiest of the tracks on this album, with yet another great melody, spellbinding drumming and finger-burning fretboard work, but I honestly think the closer edges it. “Mexico” is a power-rocker to take us to the end of what has been a blindingly brilliant album. Taking as its theme the fight for Mexican independence, it's carried on a driving beat that puts you in mind of horses galloping into battle, its only low point being that the production seems to fall down here, especially on the chorus, where the vocals come right up and then fall away, as if the singer is moving away from the mike. Pity. But it's a very powerful closer, and definitely gets my vote as standout track on the album. Although they had had previous experience in other bands, like Lautrec, Lionheart and Wild Horses, this was Stampede's first effort as a band, and I think it's an amazing effort. Unfortunately it was not any sort of commercial success, and as a result Stampede broke up shortly afterwards due to medical problems suffered by Rueben. They recently reformed though and have a new album out, which I have yet to hear. I've been waiting a long time to hear more Stampede, so expect a review of it at some point. For now, I would strongly urge you to familiarise yourself with “Hurricane town”, as I have this sneaking feeling that we have not in any way heard the last of Stampede! TRACKLISTING 1. I've been told 2. Love letters 3. Casino junkie 4. The other side 5. Turning in circles 6. Hurricane town 7. Girl 8. The runner 9. Mexico |
Random Track of the Day
Thursday, September 22 2011 Now this is random! Normally something I would reserve for my “Weird sh*t I like” slot (and may still do so!), this is the soundtrack to one of the cleverest movies in a long time, Tim Burton's “The nightmare before Christmas”. Okay, so Christmas is a little way off yet (93 shopping days, for those interested!) but the random-o-meter doesn't take such things into account. This is what it picked out, and this is what we play. Making Christmas --- Danny Elfman and the citizens of Halloween Town --- from "The nightmare before Christmas soundtrack" on Walt Disney http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Soundtrack.jpg Don't you really hate Danny Elfman? Not only is he a fantastic composer, an accomplished musician, but he can sing too! As he does here, taking the part of Jack Skellington in the movie, in a cutely macabre little ditty called “Making Christmas”. If you haven't seen the movie, do yourself a favour and rent it. It's really worth it, and it could change your mind about Christmas... |
Quote:
Speaking of singing along, here's a clip from one of my fave TV shows featuring a karaoke version of this song: |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:16 PM. |
© 2003-2025 Advameg, Inc.