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Random Track of the Day
Thursday, November 10 2011
Something very different today. From my collection the random-o-meter has picked out this from Bruce Springsteen, from one of his early albums, this is the ostensible title track to the 1973 album “The wild, the innocent and the E Street shuffle”.

The E Street shuffle --- Bruce Springsteen --- from "The wild, the innocent and the E Street shuffle" on Columbia


Not by any means typical of the type of song Springsteen would some become famous for, and connected with, this is a mixture of blues, soul, jazz and rock, but this sort of “story of the streets” would resonate through his later work, even as his music turned to harder-edged rock, particularly albums like “Born to run” and “Darkness on the edge of town”.

(Note: after searching for a long time for the right candidate, Trollheart finally has an assistant to help run this section, and you'll meet Stacey-Lynn tomorrow. From then on, she will take over "Random Track of the Day" and be responsible for it. There will be a makeover of the section, which again will be guided by and under the creative influence of Stacey-Lynn. Ah, some help at last! )

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Been a while since we had any instrumental tracks round here. Let's remedy that right now...

A masterclass in guitar here from the one and only Mike Oldfield, from “Tubular Bells II”, this is “Blue saloon”.


A lovely relaxing soundscape from John Williams' Sky, which goes under the name of “Sahara”.


And to close, an interesting little piece from Asia, taken from the second volume of rarities and previously unreleased material that went under the banner of “Archiva”, this is “Armenia”.

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Hi everyone! I'm Stacey-Lynn, and I'll be taking over this section from today. Poor old Trollheart was so inundated with work, trying to keep all those plates spinning, as it were, the grey hairs are beginning to outnumber the black on his head! No such problems for me, as you can see!

I've given the section a little makeover, do let me know what you think of it if you want to. When Troll began this section it was his intention to talk a little about each track, but trying to do that every single day, as well as keep all the other sections going (don't like that worm --- eeew!) he just wasn't able to fulfil that promise. I'll be doing my best from now on to speak about the tracks randomly selected each day. Comments are of course as always invited.

Okay, that's my little introduction over. Enjoy the track, and hope you enjoy the new-look Random Track of the Day feature!

Friday, November 11 2011
Beaujolais --- The Alan Parsons Project --- from "Stereotomy" on Arista

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Hi again, Stacey-Lynn back with today's random selection from Trollheart's Music Library. Today it's the Moody Blues again: not one of Troll's favourite bands, though I don't mind them too much. Not sure I'd listen to a full album, though. Mind you, that Justin Hayward's a bit of all right! Well, he was, when he was younger. Oooh! Coming over all flushed now, better concentrate on the task at hand...

Saturday, November 12 2011
Dr. Livingston, I presume? --- The Moody Blues --- from "In search of the lost chord" on Deram

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Time for some good ol' rock and roll! Many of you will know this from the soundtrack to the movie “An American werewolf in London”, but the more savvy among you will also know that this is one of the dozens of hits that Creedence Clearwater Revival had in the seventies. It's one of their most famous, and is of course “Bad moon rising”.

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Hot fuss --- The Killers --- 2004 (Lizard King)


I first heard the Killers when I saw a video for “All these things that I've done”, loved it and wanted to hear more. But kind of like when I first heard “Ashes” by Embrace, I found that listening to their other tracks didn't seem to measure up to this great single. Over time though, I've heard more than a few tracks in playlists, though I have as yet to listen to the album all the way through, which is a situation I am now going to remedy. Having heard probably about half of the album via playlists, I think I can be reasonably confident that this will be an album I'm going to enjoy, and recommend.

Of course, you probably know it already. It has after all sold over seven million copies, spawned four hit singles, and seems never to be off the radio. But for anyone who hasn't heard it, these are my impressions, for what they're worth. First though, a little background. Far from being an overnight sensation, the Killers, based out of America's adult Disneyland, Las Vegas, were largely ignored by the music press and the public when they released their first single from this, their debut album, and it wasn't until the release of the second single, “Mr. Brightside”, that they clicked, and people began listening to, then buying, their records, and fame and success followed. The album subsequently hit the number one spot, as did the two after it.

“Jenny was a friend of mine” is the opening track, and apparently it's part of a “murder trilogy”. Not too sure what's going on there, but the first part is on a rarities compilation, this is the second, and “Midnight show” is the finale. Seems a bit odd to do that --- I mean, why not have the trilogy all on the one album, or at least on “standard” ones? Anyway, “Jenny” is a good powerful rocker, with great keyboard work from lead vocalist and main songwriter Brandon Flowers, with some good guitar licks from Dave Keuning. Very full keyboard sound making it almost a techno song, but heavy for all that. It leads into “Mr. Brightside”, the song that started it all for them.

Good fast rhythm with cool piano and great dirty guitar, the song of a jealous boyfriend who knows his girl is cheating on him, it's sung with real venom and passion by Flowers, touch of Blondie in there, very catchy, and easy to see how it captured the imagination and attention of record-buyers when it was released as a single. Lots of energy in the song. A little slower then is “Smile like you mean it”, yet another single, led by some jangly guitar, great riffs and fine vocals from Flowers. Some very new-wave style keys adding a real mid-eighties flavour, then a great guitar riff reminiscent of the Edge at his best.

Things speed back up then for “Somebody told me”, guitar-led with a great hook and some interesting lyrical ideas: ”Somebody told me/ That you had a boyfriend/ Who looked like a girlfriend/ That I had...” Very boppy, good rocker, which leads into the song that started it all for me, “All these things that I've done”. You've more than likely heard it. Starts off on echoey keys and organ and an almost gospel intro, then gets going with solid drumming and a great guitar riff to take the song into its main melody. Halfway through it slows down for the by-now-famous refrain ”I've got soul/ But I'm not a soldier”, helped out by the Sweet Inspirations Gospel Choir. Personally I still see this as the best track on the album, and nothing they've done has come close, though there have been some good songs.

Sharp guitar then introduces “Andy, you're a star”, a slower, bluesy tune kind of in the style of REM with a flavour of Nick Cave too. Peppy synth leads the way for “On top”, a mid-paced tune which sounds like the Cars jamming with U2. “Change your mind” is a breezy, upbeat song which resonates with hope and optimism, keyboards and guitar working in perfect harmony to create a mutli-layered sound and carry the song along. Brandon Flowers has quite a unique voice, and it's used to good effect on this track.

“Believe me Natalie” comes in on a low, keyboard and synth intro, with drums then crashing in and guitar riffing, and some nice brass or synth-brass near the end, then the murder trilogy concludes with “Midnight show”, a fast, almost frenetic track with lots of guitar, desperation and frustration in the lyric, finishing with a nice synthy keyboard run.

The album closes on the slowburner “Everything will be alright”, the vocal kind of warped, as if being routed through some sort of effect, slow organ and clicking, minimal percussion providing a low-key ending to an album that began so powerfully and, in its own way, ends that way too.

As a debut album, it's certainly up there with the better ones. I'm still not a hundred percent sure that I would go out and buy another of the Killers' albums, but I'm glad I listened to this all the way through for once. A rewarding experience, without doubt.

TRACKLISTING

1. Jenny was a friend of mine
2. Mr. Brightside
3. Smile like you mean it
4. Somebody told me
5. All these things I've done
6. Andy, you're a star
7. On top
8. Change your mind
9. Believe me Natalie
10. Midnight show
11. Everything will be alright

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Some songs just have that iconic opening riff, don't they? Like this one, from the then-mighty Joe Jackson (again, the worm asks, what happened to this guy?) and one of his big, big hits. It's “Steppin' out” (always leave the “g” out...).

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You could hardly have two more disparate and diametrically opposed artistes, in music style, lifestyle, age and outlook, and the idea of them ever performing a duet would have been unthinkable before 2001, but everyone was amazed at the Grammys that year when notoriously bigoted rapper Eminem appeared onstage with gay icon Elton John and they performed Eminem's “Stan”.

Itself a sampling of the basic melody from Dido's massive hit “Thank you”, the song concerns a letter written from an obsessed fan to Eminem, angry that he is not getting any reply, and by the time Eminem gets to write back to him the eponymous Stan has taken his own life and that of his girlfriend in despair, thinking no-one cares about him.

Eminem and Elton John --- Stan



Originally a number one hit for Eminem when performed with the abovementioned Dido, the song really came to life as explained above when he was accompanied by Elton John at the 2001 Grammys. The fact that so much of Eminem's music is slanted towards a very homophobic view, coupled with the violent imagery in the song is perhaps all the more reason it was a surprise to see someone who, though something of a maverick and a rebel in his day, never advocated anyone killing another human being, or gloried in violence and misogynism, even if only through his lyrics.

Laying, for the most part, to rest the spectre of anti-gay sentiment and the backlash from the gay community (most of whom could be potential customers!), “Stan” is quite a unique achievement, making several statements all at once. Certainly something that would not be seen as a marriage made in Heaven, it turned out to be less of a mismatch than might have been reasonably expected.

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Can't you just picture it? A boozy, down-at-heel but likeable curmudgeon runs fingers far too elegant and gentle for his hunched-over frame across the keys while a femme fatale stands behind the piano, wreathed in a pall of thick smoke that curls from her loosely-held cigarette holder, the faint aroma of her cheap perfume belying her (no doubt soon to be hocked for another bottle of whiskey) faux fur coat draped with careful abandon across her shoulders. The pianist, enraptured by the lovely woman at his side, tries to chat her up while she, at once haughtily rebuking his advances while inwardly succumbing to his charm, laughs at his pathetic attempt at seduction, her voice icy and sharp as glass, but with just a hint of thawing towards the strange little man on the piano.

And so you have set the mental scene for a song which, though never released as a single, yet ranks as one of the best-matched duets in music history. Perfectly complementing each other's styles, the woman is Bette Midler, singer and actress, while the man who tries to woo her from the piano keyboard through the bottom of a shotglass is none other than Tom Waits.

Tom Waits and Bette Midler --- I never talk to strangers



Taken from the album “Foreign affairs”, one of Waits' least famous and criminally less regarded, “I never talk to strangers” is the story described above, where Waits and Midler meet in some seedy downtown bar, she wanders over to where he is tinkling the ivories and he tries an old line on her, which she rebuffs coldly as he plays the piano. He points out that he ”Ain't a bad guy/Once you get to know me”, and she asks him ”Who asked you to annoy me/ With your sad, sad repartee?” By the end of the song of course, they've come to know each other better through their exchanged barbed banter, and decide to go off together.

Waits is as ever perfection as the barfly playing the piano for the price of a Johnny Walker and a pack of Marlboros, while Midler is at her most acid and uppity, her voice a perfect foil for Waits' gruff, booze-wrecked singing. It really is a joy to listen to, almost out of another time --- you almost expect Humphrey Bogart to wander in and say “You played it for her, so you can play it for me. Play it Sam,” and Waits to turn a withering eye on him and slur “My name's not Sam, buddy!”

A great example of two icons getting together to play a very low-key, laidback and quite sad in its way song, a tale of broken lovers and two people who are looking for someone to assuage the pain of their lives, if only for a short time. Any port in a storm, as they say.

Waits seldom duets, but when he does he chooses only those who will work best with him, people he admires and who get his music, and who can provide him the sounding-board he needs to bring the best of out both performers. On this song, Midler does just that, and it's to the credit of both that the song turns out as it does. Should have been a classic.

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Ha-har! Time to climb on board, splice the --- yes, okay, point taken. Enough with the annoying pirate and/or maritime references. But it has been a while since we last searched out some of the unsigned and largely unknown talent out there, so once again we're featuring three acts who you more than likely have never heard of, but whose music is good enough for me to think that perhaps you may want to hear it, and even maybe seek out more on the artistes involved. As ever, our repository of talent comes from SoundClick - Free MP3 music download and much, much more., and these are just the best of what I have heard to date, still going alphabetically.

Yeah, I know. We're still on A. What can you do? There's that much undiscovered talent out there. And this is all just from one website: the Great Pixie only knows how much more I'll find when I eventually finish up on Soundclick!

A Minor Project
No picture at all of this band, but they say on the site that they're a cover band, although they forget to say what that band's name is. This is, as the title suggests, a small side project that the two guitarists are engaging in, but for a sideline it's pretty damn good. It's only a pity they didn't clarify what the name of their actual band is, because if their other stuff is as good as this, they seem to have quite a good future ahead of them.
SoundClick artist: A Minor Project - A minor rock pop project jut for fun
Genre Rock/AOR
Nationality Swedish
Gold Driving, Umbrella

A Monster Named Hugo
They go one better (or worse): no picture and not a scrap of information about themselves. Way to get signed, guys! In style, it's a little hard to pin them down, but I see them as a sort of cross between the Travelling Wilburys and Fleetwood Mac, with a nice poppy sound. They do however obviously have a penchant for long song titles...
SoundClick artist: a Monster Named Hugo - page with MP3 music downloads
Genre Soft rock/pop
Nationality American (Illinois)
Gold You knew it all along, I'll understand if you say to go, Let's keep this journal always, I'll take my curses this time
Silver I promised I could survive all alone (See what I mean?)


Angeles Negros (AN)
Hooray! Finally, someone with a picture! Look, don't be fooled: the last two bands are outstanding, it's just a pity I couldn't carry their image here too, but they didn't provide one. But that doesn't in any way take from their music.

AN (Angeles Negros) are a band from Spain who suffer (or benefit) from the unlikely coincidence of all having the same surname. Unlikely, you say? Surely not. Maybe they're all related? Yeah, to Dracula perhaps: their surname is Nosferatu! So you have Yahve Nosferatu, Shiva Nosferatu, Cristo Nosferatu, Venus Nosferatu and Hades Nosferatu. Noticing a pattern?

Yeah, they're obviously stage names, all chosen to jar with the surname. Given that the rough translation of their name is “black angels”, you should have a fair idea of what to expect. But what of the band themselves? Great stage names are all well and good, but let's not forget Venom: doesn't necessarily guarantee the music is going to live up to the promise of the names. Oh yeah, be warned: they sing in their native Spanish.
SoundClick artist: A N (Angeles Negros) - A N es una banda de metal alternativo compuesta por Yahve Nosferatu, Shiva Nosferatu, Venus Nosferat
Genre Metal, possibly black, could even be progressive. There's a lot going on in there...
Nationality Spanish
Gold Caro o cruz, Principe negro, Fuego frio
Silver Musicalmente 0

So that's it for the last Treasure Chest before Christmas. We'll be back in the New Year to ferret out more unknown bands and artistes who don't deserve to be, and let you have a chance to hear them. Until then, take care and remember, undiscovered gems are out there all over the net, just waiting to be discovered. As ever, if you're an artist on Soundclick, or even not, but want to get your music over to more listeners, get in touch with me and we can arrange a feature here for you. You never know where it may lead!

Now, would someone please tell these seagulls there is no food onboard this ship?

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