Opal/Warner Bros. 1992
Dull.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Brian Eno - Another Green World
EG CD21. 1975
Out come the instruments for another crack at some songs. Not a patch on Here come the warm jets, but not bad. It just feels a bit safe after its predecessor.
Title track was used as the theme music for BBC's Arena.
Careful, Phil Collins plays drums on a few tracks.
Brian Eno - Apollo (Atmopheres and Soundtracks)
EG CD53. 1983
Delicious electronic lunar soundscapes. You want ambient? I'll give you ambient.
You may recognise such delights as An Ending (Descent), used extensively on the Chris Morris' series Jam. and Deep Blue Day, Eno's interpretation of Flying by The Beatles (or so I assume - it sounds an awful lot like it if not), used in the recovering suppositories from manky toilet scene in Trainspotting.
Loveliness in circular plastic form.
Brian Eno - Discreet Music
EG EEGCD23. 1975
To be played very quietly while dining or falling asleep. Consists of two musical phrases chucked through a tape loop system for 30 minutes. Very nice it is too.
This CD reissue is padded out with Three Variations on The Cannon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel. Some experimental orchestral overlaying conducted by Gavin Bryars, recorded shortly after Discreet. Also canny.
Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
EG CD48. 1981
I used to love this. I now, disappointingly, find it quite tiresome, even silly in places.
Not silly, not 23Skidoo-ish funk, highlights: Mea Culpa, Mountain of Needles.
Monday, 7 July 2008
An apology....
...to dead motherfucker James Brown (see vitriolic entries here and here).
While doing the social thing in a local bar over the weekend, DR the dj played a track that sounded vaguely familiar and quite groovy. It turned out to be The Grunt by James Brown and the J.Bs. It wasn't shit.
Sorry JB, I guess you weren't 100% waste of space after all. Just 99.9%. Anyway, you're dead.
A brief hiatus....
... well, a whole month actually. Moved into a new office space, so spending less time at home during day, so less time to do this. Will continue sporadically. Carry on as you were.
The end of a 17 year quest, and now there's a gaping emptiness that yearns to be filled (oo-oer!)
Following on from the Pampidoo - Synthesizer Voice entry, I can at last report on the closure of a personal quest that has dogged my sleep for many years.
The trilogy of mystery Dancehall tracks is at last complete. That long lost cassette of delights, first plied by PF in 1991, has finally been decoded.
The first was easy - Big Belly Man by Admiral Bailey. Yes, we all know that one. See the Pampidoo post for number 2. Slightly harder (it did take about 14 years longer to find than the Belly beats).
But what of number 3? The track who's lyrics, when Googled, revealed no more than frustration. The elusive track, my cack-mouthed rendition of which fell on deaf ears of every reggae enthusiast in my circle of associates. Step up to the (dub)plate, Mr IC, the genial host of House of Reggae podcast. I'd been enjoying his selections while wasting my time at the gym for a few weeks when the lightbulb flashed above my sweating bonce. He seemed to know his stuff, and I had nothing to lose. An email, a day of hand-wringing in anticipation, and POW! An answer. But that was only the start. No amount of Googling or Limewiring threw up an mp3 to check the authenticity of my distant memory. Bullet-bitten, my hard earned (yes, ok, stop laughing all those who know and love my lazy ways) cash went bleeping down a copper wire to a seller on GEMM.com. One of only three copies of the 12" I could find worldwide. A week and several email prods later, no record. Just a refund. Bugger. OK. Don't panic. There's still that slightly knackered copy in Belgium. But wait! S&EH are taking a long haul jaunt from LA to Toon in a few weeks. SH owes me big time (you know why, mofo). There's a copy in Florida available on ebay. NEAR MINT! The deed was done. All there was to do was wait. And wait. Here they are. Hugs. Drinks. Record? Lost luggage. BAAAAAAAH!
What's another 24 hours in 17 years? Next eve, while being all grown up and social without being in the pub, there was the square envelope of delights. I was nervous, perspiring like a swine and not entirely sure I wanted to play the contents, for fear the quest was not over and the tunes thereon didn't correspond to my mind's recollection.
Dibi Dibi Girl by Bruce Lee and Lideay, on Yammie Records, 1986.
Oh yes.
Thank you IC@HOR. Thank you everyone who has been kind enough to keep their hands from my neck as I bang on and on again about this bloody record I can't find over the years.
And thank YOU Bruce Lee, wherever you are.
Next...
Friday, 6 June 2008
Brian Eno - Here come the warm jets
E'G. 1973
What Roxy Music would have been like without Brian 'my son's a countryside alliance little piss-on' Ferry, i.e. really good.
Eno's strained singing fits the dark glam tone well. Robert Fripp injects some nice guitar without taking over.
NF owns a VCS3 (the synthi model that came in a plastic case) that belonged to either Eno or Hawkwind - I can't remember which. I borrowed it many years ago and never managed to get anything but squelches out of it.
Sixteen Deluxe do a good version of Here come the warm jets (Eno's homage to being pissed on) on Backfeedmagnetbabe. Worth getting. Have a listen on here.
But for now, there's track 10 coming on now - lie back, close eyes, enjoy the flow!
'Oh cheeky cheeky, oh naughty sneaky'
Everlast - What It's Like (single)
Tommy Boy TBCD7470. 1999
I hate radio edits with their creative obliteration of sweary bits.
This is all a bit self-righteous. Ooh, walk a mile in that tramp's shoes. I wonder how much he gives to hobos.
Not exactly House of Pain.
Electrafixion - Never (single - CD1 of 2)
Warner WEA022CDX. 1995
Was it compulsory to do big beats and over-effected guitar back then?
Didn't really get them. Bring back the Bunnymen.
18 Wheeler - Crabs ep
Creation CRESCD232. 1996
I think this was the first 18W I got. I liked his silly high voice.
Despite my hatred of remix frenzies, second track of this is quite good - The Aloof knock out a version with a 2 minute beatless intro that goes into acceptable techno territory.
Track 3 is a DnB mix by Ultra Living which stands up quite well too.
Tim Brown can fuck off with his funk-infused effort on track 4.
Remixes. I still shit 'em.
18 Wheeler - Stay (CD1)
Creation CRESCD249. 1997
Five mixes of one song. I'm not even going to say anything.
18 Wheeler - Grease ep
Creation CRESCD255. 1997
Again, three mixes of the same track, as well as the remix on the previous single. Christ almighty - just write some tunes. Track 2 - they've just taken the beats from Prodigy's Firestarter (the rhythms, not actually sampled) and stuck it over elements of the melody. Once again, that's not a remix, it's an entirely different track as far as I'm concerned. Lazy. Remix no.2 is all over the place, off it's tits, and awkward for the sake of it.
Bentley Rhythm Ace contribute a remix of some other shite as track 4 just to piss me off and spoil my day.
Original song is ok though.
18 Wheeler - Stay ep
Creation CRESCD249x. 1997
I must have liked this, as I've got both disks in the 2 CD set.
Ok, but 3 mixes of the same track, plus a remix of another single. Poo-pah.
18 Wheeler - Prozac Beats ep
Creation CRESCD21. 1996
Passable big-beat indie.
Won't make it onto the deck regularly, but too good for the charity bag.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
Relapse RR6427-2. 1999
Get Rhythm review box escapee. What a rowdy bunch.
Where were this lot when I was 18? I had to make do with Napalm Death before they could play their instruments.
This is manic, difficult and compelling. Not just some numpties thrashing around. It has complex time signatures, mental riffing and interestingly different guitar and drum sounds. I'd pretty much given up the noisy stuff by the time I got this, so it hasn't been played much. Good though. I'll mp3 it and take it to the gym. It'll sit nicely with the At The Drive In stuff. Feel the burn!
Funeral bookends
At FK's funeral yesterday, we entered the crematorium to the strains of Hot on the heels of love by Throbbing Gristle. Quite appropriate.
There was a power cut shortly before the service finished, which meant we didn't get the closing music. I still haven't found out what it was going to be, and the mood was lifted slightly on the way to the pub by much hillarious speculation as to what would have sent him on his way. Anyone who knew FK would go for the obvious - My Cock's On Fire by Whitehouse. It's what he would have wanted.
Better get yours in writing now, otherwise you could be seen off by McFly or Tiffany.
Desert Sessions 9
Island. 2003. There's a big Special Edition sticker on the front, but I don't know what that involves.
I never really understood the Desert Sessions series. A lot of it just sounds like Queens of the Stone Age out-takes, as most Josh Homme stuff does.
This has PJ Harvey all over it, so has another element to it. Quite listenable, but not essential by any means. Just some musicians fannying around. Has a version of In My Head though, possibly my favourite QOTSA track.
Some silliness (I'm gonna get me some shepherd's pie!), I presume courtesy of Dean Ween.
This was a birthday present off MW. Ta.
Del Bloods - Black Rabbit (single)
Seminal Twang TWANG6. September 991
Starts off all Walking Seeds-y, second track sucks, third track is twangy skuzz rock.
Two out of three ain't bad, and judging by the Google results, no-one has this. I'm officially obscure.
Daddylonglegs - Horse
Pussyfoot CDLP016. 1999
It's Howie B with some other blokes.
It's alright, but it just sounds like Howie B, so I'm wondering what the other blokes actually do..?
Dillinger - Cocaine
Charly CPCD8020. 1993
Classic fucked up reggae.
A knife, a fork, a bottle and a cork - that's the way we spell Nu York.
Desmond Dekker - The Israelites
Tring JHD112.
So much more than just The Israelites and You can get it if you really want.
Jolly chart-friendly ska.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
The Dandy Warhols - Boys Better (single)
Capitol. 1998
This is what got me into them.
Pretty damn canny.
The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You (single)
Capitol. 2001
Perfect indie pop. Haven't bought any of their albums for a while. Must catch up.
Shame Vodafone killed it.
Miles Davis - Milestones
Columbia/Legacy CK85203. 2001
I can take or leave MD. Mostly leave. I only really need this and Kind of Blue.
Straight up bebop/hardbop. V good.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Danger Mouse - The Grey Album
Entirely illegal download. Does this count? I didn't pay for it. It's on the shelf though. If I could buy it I would.
Why did anyone bother with mash-ups after this? A work of pure genius.
If you don't know what it is, look it up. Get hold of it. Never look back. Still one of the most exciting releases of the last, erm, ever.
Daddy Longhead - Cheatos
Touch and Go T&GLP74CD. 1991
So Jeff Pinkus left Butthole Surfers as he didn't like the direction they were heading in (who did?). Shouldn't have bothered.
The only two vaguely listenable tracks, Driftwood and Pine Box, both have King and Paul from BS on them, and both sound a bit BS-ish.
I see teh Buttholes are touring with what they're advertising as the original line-up. I'd have been tempted, but Paul Leary isn't even playing with them, other than the New York shows. Butthole Surferws without Paul Leary isn't Butthole Surfers. I'll skip it, thanks kids.
Dopplereffekt - Gesamtkunstwerk
International Deejay Gigolo Records 7243 5 24436 2 8. 1999
Beware of those repetative beats.
Utilitarian, spartan techno that works, except on the tracks when they have stupid voices on top. Not something I'd play regularly, or at family gatherings as background hiss.
'I want to fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck a mannequin. I want to make love to a mannequin. I want to fuck it. I want to suck it.'
Biological Socialism Leads Towards Victory (apparently)
The Doors - Waiting For The Sun
Elektra 7559-74024-2. 1968
At least this isn't just blues, and Morrison was still making an effort to sing. Still overrated and barely worth the bother though.
Doors - L.A. Woman
Elektra 7559-75011-2. 1971
Contenders for the most overrated band in history. Mostly bland white-boy blues with a fat drunk that couldn't sing blurting over the top.
I like the chord change on LA Woman, when it goes into the bridge - 'city at night, city at night....', and Crawling King Snake is sufficiently sleazy sounding to warrant a listen now and again. The soft, whispered vocal in the background in Riders on the Storm is well done, and it's an ok song, but I still think it's more revered than it merits.
Depth Charge - Nine Deadly Venoms
Vinyl Solution STEAM100CD. 1994
Slotting into the unnattractive gap between Bomb The Bass and Coldcut. Annoying, instantly recognisable, unimaginative samples, triggered ad-infinitum over sub-big-beats.
Got to let the guy off for being one of the main chaps behind Vinyl Solution records. I always loved The Stupids.
Neil Diamond - Serenade
CBS 902195 2. 1974
Some of my earliest musical memories are of Marty Robbins, Johnny Mathis and Neil Diamond blaring out from the remarkably decent stereo at home. My brother had built up a good system in the early 70s and left it at my parents when he went off da'arn sa'arf. So the drumming bit in Soolaimon on Hot August Night rattled the walls. And on that note, my copy of HAN isn't on the shelf. Fucking hell.
Anyway, I've always had a soft spot for NDs voice. I can't remember buying this, but here it is. It doesn't have anything particularly outstanding on it. No Song Sung Blue, Sweet Caroline, Cracklin' Rose, Solitary Man, and definately no I am.. I Said, but pleasant enough.
I don't think there's any need for him doing a ragga-man vocal in Reggae Strut though.
Dinosaur Jr - Green Mind
Blanco Y Negro 9031-73448-2. 1991
It's quite self indulgent, making an album when you don't actually have a band. Lou had long gone. Murph was barely present.
This is Mr Mascis backed up by Don Fleming and Jay Spiegel (B.A.L.L.), playing a somewhat restrained set.
Doesn't do much for me. Never really takes off, other than on first track The Wagon, the equivalent of Bug's Freak Scene.
The stepping stone to mainstream.
Monday, 2 June 2008
Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me
SST CD130. 1987
See below re recording. I think I prefer this to Bug. It isn't trying to be MTV friendly. The more shambolic-sounding approach offers a relaxed, raw energy not present in the follow-up. I can imagine them shuffling into the studio at 3pm, hungover, smoking, with no real pressure to perform.
Dinosaur Jr - Bug
Blast FirstBFFP31CD. 1988
Freak Scene was always a great Friday night floor filler.
To be honest I think most of DJr's recorded output is a bit under-par. It mostly sounds like it's been smeared onto the master tapes. They were much better live.
Better in the memory than in the CD deck. I'm looking forward to getting up to the Just Like Heaven 12" though.
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
Island. 2000 (1968)
I need a drink.
Effortlessly miserable. Morose and melancholic.
If ND was such a depressive, how'd he ever learn to play guitar so well? When I get into a funk I can't be arsed with anything, especially plucking at an instrument.
I wish I'd managed to write something like this at 20 years old. Or now, for that matter. Not so bothered about the killing myself bit though.
Essential.
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
Island. 2000 (1970)
Almost cheery compared to his first outing. I must say I prefer his finger-picky folksy misery to this.
That said, it's only the music that's upbeat. The anguish in his delicate vocal screams louder than the voice.
I can do without most of this. Only One of these things first, Fly, and the chokingly beautiful Northern Sky keep this on the shelf.
Sly Dunbar - Sly Wicked and Slick - Extra Version
Frontline/Virgin CDFL9018. 1991
Dub version of Sesame Street anyone?
This has it's moments, but mostly just not very good at all.
Abysmal version of Nigger Whitie. Embarrasing.
Dub Syndicate - Classic Selection Volume 2
On-U CD6. 1991
Adrian Sherwood boils my piss.
Why does he insist on having those stupid spoken bits all over this, or having annoying, unnecessary samples (the looped 'I'm gon shout it out!' on Shout It Out for example) shouting on. It ruins what would be perfectly decent tracks. Consequently only half the tracks on here will ever be played again.
Adrian - sometimes less is more. Leave shit alone.
Dr Octagon - 3000
Mo Wax MW068CD. 1996
I just hate rap today.
This is nothing special at all. Dull trip-hop-ish beats. Tedious waffle over the top. Bin it.
Drugstore - Sober (single)
Roadrunner RR2230 3. 1998
I bought this because El President was quite good, and thought they might be a decent band.
Track 2 is about the England football team being shite and Brazil being good. Why?
Bored.
Drugstore - Say Hello (single)
Roadrunner RR2224-3. 1998
Big indie. I only bought it for track 2 El President (Portugese version), but it's all alright.
Paul Dolden - The Threshold of Deafening Silence
Tronia Disc TRD0190. 1990
Electroacoustic compositions. Hard work to listen to, and must have been hard work to produce in 1990. Up to 400 tracks of digital mutitrack going on at once, with no electronic processing, which results in often cacophanous assaults on the ears. I suppose it saves having to pay 400 musicians.
Difficult.
De La Soul - Is Dead
Tommy Boy/Big Life BLRCD8. 1991
I just can't be bothered with people talking at me.
Not so bad: Ring Ring Ring
De La Soul - Three Feet High and Rising
Tommy Boy/Big Life DLSCD1. 1989
When they actually get into a song it's ok, but there's far too much messing around. I don't want to listen to stupid little skits or irrelevant samples. Play some damn music.
Good bits: The magic number, Jenifa taught me, Eye know. That's about it.
Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
Mute CDSTUMM5. 1981
See below.
Apart from New Life, which I've a soft spot for, this is toss.
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
Mute CDSTUMM19. 1984
Eeh, that's just rubbish. Even the single (People are people, Master and servant) have aged really badly.
Possibly the worst printing I've ever seen on a CD cover.
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