UMPIRE2's Semi-Personal MUSIC Thread

[umpire2]

NUMBER 949:


"The Mask and the Mirror"---Loreena McKennitt (1994)


Her best collection, "The Mask and the Mirror" includes 'The Bonny Swans', 'The Dark Night Of The Soul', 'Marrakesh Night Market', 'Full Circle' and 'Prospero's Speech', among others.

Rooted in traditional English folk music, McKennitt encorporates middle-eastern musical themes, new-age nuances and mixes up a sauce that is delightful to the aural palate (boy does that sound hokey....but the album is really, really good).

[richief]

I notice a lot of your choices are of American artists who I don't know, the few I do are good, your British choices are exceptional so far.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by richief

I notice a lot of your choices are of American artists who I don't know, the few I do are good, your British choices are exceptional so far.

Thanks, Rich.

Who are the Americans you don't know? The only ones I would have said were a bit obscure (because of the genres mainly) would be McKennitt and Jerome Richardson.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 948:


"London Calling"---The Clash (1979)


Another great set from Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Paul simonon and the late, great Jor Strummer. These guys were incredible at maing cynicism and wrath sound fun.

If I tried to list all of the top cuts, this mini-review would get too long, but 'Spanish Bombs', 'Wrong 'Em Boyo', 'The Guns of Brixton', 'Brand New Cadillac', 'Four Horsemen' and the title track stand out.

Just a side note (and anyone can feel free to comment): This record always reminded me of the early WHO because of the attitude and energy, I suppose (before the 'Tommy pretentiousness' set in)...just sayin'....

[richief]

Originally Posted by umpire2

NUMBER 948:


"London Calling"---The Clash (1979)


Another great set from Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Paul simonon and the late, great Jor Strummer. These guys were incredible at maing cynicism and wrath sound fun.

If I tried to list all of the top cuts, this mini-review would get too long, but 'Spanish Bombs', 'Wrong 'Em Boyo', 'The Guns of Brixton', 'Brand New Cadillac', 'Four Horsemen' and the title track stand out.

Just a side note (and anyone can feel free to comment): This record always reminded me of the early WHO because of the attitude and energy, I suppose (before the 'Tommy pretentiousness' set in)...just sayin'....

Complete and utter brilliance, To me this should be #1. The album cover od Paul Simonon smashing his bass is quoted as one of the most iconic photo of the modern age.

[richief]

Originally Posted by umpire2

Thanks, Rich.

Who are the Americans you don't know? The only ones I would have said were a bit obscure (because of the genres mainly) would be McKennitt and Jerome Richardson.

Maybe it's my age and the fact that I don't listen to much music outside of my personal collection, so a lot of what you have picked I don't know, or if I have heard it it is on a jukebox.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 947:


"Blizzard of Ozz"---Ozzy Osbourne (1980)

Given up as a waste of time by the other members of Black Sabbath, Ozzy resurrects himself with an album that, while not of the high standards of most Sabbath releases, still shows that the wacky-alky had a lot more left....(30 years more and counting....)

One track after another draws the listener in: 'I Don't Know', 'Crazy Train', 'Goodbye To Romance', 'Suicide Solution' (for all the negative hoopla that surrounded it), and 'Mr. Crowley' all got significant airplay and helped launch a solo career that had many referring to Sabbath as "Oh....you mean Ozzy's old band?"

[umpire2]

NUMBER 946:


"Pickin' Up The Pieces"---Poco (1968)


Something was happening in 1968...the Byrds made a dramatic shift in the direction of Country music (not Country/Rock or Southern Rock, ala the Allman Brothers or Lynyrd Skynyrd, who were yet to come), trying to locate country roots sensibilities in music and update those for the new generation who could not relate to the bouffant and pompadour country music of Tammy Wynette, Ferlin Husky and George Jones.

The Byrds brought in Gram Parsons and the sound he would bring, only the following year, to the Flying Burrito Brothers. Within eighteen months, this genre-meld was spreading through the airwaves and new bands were forming, such as the Eagles and Marshall Tucker and jumping on the bandwagon. By late 1969, country-influenced bands with a harder edge became a new phenomenon, with the aforementioned Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas and others becoming arena sensations.

Why-in-hell is he going over this, you ask?

Because Richie Furay and Jim Messina started it all.

By late 1967, pressures within Buffalo Springfield were starting to tell...strangely because there was too much talent in that one band. Stephen Stills, Furay, Messina and Neil Young could, as individuals, be the primary writer for any band. There was not enough 'room in this town for all of us'. Stills found a more comfortable home in the folk/pop/rock zone of Crosby, Stills & Nash a year and a half later (as the original Byrds, and Crosby, dissolved over the country-shift). Neil Young went solo (although he popped in for a visit with CSN every once in a while) and Furay and Messina founded POCO along with banjo and steel guitar playing Rusty Young and drummer George Grantham.

The idea behind Poco was to explore country music with a fresh, more modern approach. "Pickin' Up The Pieces" was the result and before you could sneeze, the Byrds were doing it (the Bees were probably doing it, too) and so were the Burritos, the Eagles, etc.

Love it or hate it, the modern country-esque sound was born with Poco.

If you think you like 'modern country' because you listen to Rascal Flatts and Lady Antebellum (and I'm not knocking them---they're just NOT country), you should listen to some REAL country music of the latter 20th century (to an extent, Willie Nelson got it; Waylon Jennings certainly got it)...some POCO.

'What A Day', 'Nobody's Fool', 'Calico Lady', 'First Love', 'Grand Junction', 'Just In Case It Happens, Yes Indeed' and the title track are outstanding cuts.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 945:


"Pump"---Aerosmith (1989)


Sometimes 'hits' can make an album. Across the board, "Pump" is a good, but not a great, collection. If you discount the 4 'transition' tracks, there are 7 pretty good tunes---listenable, but not exceptional, and then there are 'F.I.N.E.', 'Janie's Got A Gun' and 'Love In An Elevator'. Any of the three could have helped generate a best-selling album...the three together on one set make this a top 1000 pick.

The shame of this album is that it is the advent of the new way Aerosmith did business over the next 15+ years...writing two or three good songs for an album and then sliding through some standard fare to fill the set up.

[richief]

Jeez man there is a long way to go to the top five, c'mon give us a sneak preview.

Looking at the quality of the albums so far, I have no idea how you can sustain this quality, there will come a point where you drop out a record that will make me vomit.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by richief

Jeez man there is a long way to go to the top five, c'mon give us a sneak preview.

Looking at the quality of the albums so far, I have no idea how you can sustain this quality, there will come a point where you drop out a record that will make me vomit.

I have no doubt that I'm going to make a number of members vomit before this is done.

All I can say is that there is quite a variety on the list...as you will see next...

[umpire2]

NUMBER 944:


"Embraceable You"---Chet Baker (1958)


There were a few women in my parents' circle, including a couple of my aunts, who were not on the 'Elvis' bandwagon. One of them would regularly go on and on about Chet Baker. As a kid, I did not get it at all.

I get it now.

You say you want a 'make-out' record? Here is one.

Trumpeter Chet Baker had a voice that breathed rather than sang. Oh, he could hold a tune very well, but his schtick was BREATHING. Everything he sang sounds like the breath of a lover on a young girl's neck and earlobes.

"Embraceable You" is a set of standards recorded in December 1957, with Baker on trumpet and vocals, David Wheat on guitar and Ross Savakus on stand-up bass. It is laid back, it sounds like it can only be played in the dark or by candlelight and it totally, totally, totally anticipates SEX.

'The Night We Called It A Day', 'Embraceable You', 'There's A Lull In My Life', 'How Long Has This Been Going On' and 'Trav'lin' Light' are the best of the best.

[JayneyRedd]

I am sooo enjoying this thread....like Rich some of them are a bit obscure/unknown to me (it's probably a transatlantic thing) but it's an education, I'm revisiting albums I haven't listened to for ages, and also going looking for albums I've never heard before.

Please keep it going, Ump...

[umpire2]

OK....now it is really time for me to develop a thick skin. Here it comes...



NUMBER 943:


"APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION"---GUNS 'N' ROSES (1987)


Another example of how far a few excellent songs can take you. The bulk of this album, although the musicianship is outstanding, is pretty common and sounds like it could be plucked from any mid-70s to mid-80s bar band. However, 'Welcome To The Jungle', 'Paradise City' and 'Sweet Child O' Mine' are great, great tracks, deserving of the attention they received. 'Rocket Queen' is a better than average cut and drew attention because of the live sex backing track.

Where does G'N'R go from there? Into legendary status...while producing such classics as "Use Your Illusion" I & II (which together don't have enough solid tracks to make a single LP that is half as good as "Appetite"), "G'N'R Lies" (a record that any mediocre bar band could have done), "The Spaghetti Incident" (groan...what a waste of time and to add insult to injury, overdubbing Izzy's guitar when he left the band), and "Chinese Democracy"....(yawn).

"Appetite For Destruction" deserves its place; G'N'R doesn't.

If you love them, that is your choice....many, many people do. It really doesn't matter, but if you are interested in seeing who Axl Rose unsuccessfully tried to imitate to make it big, check out Jim "Dandy" Mangrum and Black Oak Arkansas---a band at least as good as G'N'R, who produced twice as much good material and received less than 1/10th the attention...

[JayneyRedd]

Originally Posted by umpire2

OK....now it is really time for me to develop a thick skin. Here it comes...

Thick skin Yup, you better develop one, ah'm gonna whup yo ass, boy! (I think that's how they say it, isn't it?)




No, as you say Ump, it's just a matter of personal taste. Me, I think Appetite is one of the best albums ever, and the two 'Illusion' discs are glorious masterpieces, but that's just me.
You're right about 'Lies' though, that was a heap of rubbish built around one good song ('Patience') and got a bit of controversy for 'One In A Million' where Axl rants about gays and immigrants.
The covers album was a bit pointless, but shows that G'n'R were also influenced by Nazareth, as witnessed by their nigh-on note perfect cover of 'Hair Of The Dog'.
I like Chinese Democracy as well, but I don't think it was worth the wait (17 years? Sheesh, I'll be headbanging on my zimmer frame by the time the follow-up comes out!).

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by JayneyRedd

Thick skin Yup, you better develop one, ah'm gonna whup yo ass, boy! (I think that's how they say it, isn't it?)




No, as you say Ump, it's just a matter of personal taste. Me, I think Appetite is one of the best albums ever, and the two 'Illusion' discs are glorious masterpieces, but that's just me.
You're right about 'Lies' though, that was a heap of rubbish built around one good song ('Patience') and got a bit of controversy for 'One In A Million' where Axl rants about gays and immigrants.
The covers album was a bit pointless, but shows that G'n'R were also influenced by Nazareth, as witnessed by their nigh-on note perfect cover of 'Hair Of The Dog'.
I like Chinese Democracy as well, but I don't think it was worth the wait (17 years? Sheesh, I'll be headbanging on my zimmer frame by the time the follow-up comes out!).

Jayney, my argument is: "Appetite" is an excellent album over-all, but G'N'R's rep is based on that and a lot of 'oh, what might have been's', rather than anything they did (oh, there are some great songs here and there, but you have to wade through a lot of crap to find them) since.

And Axl has always bugged me the way anyone who is famous for being famous bugs me. There is a guy who has probably wet himself while drunk more often than he's had an original idea in his head....

[richief]

I never really understood the whole GnR thing, were they over rated, yes to some degree, did they produce some good tracks, yes some, where are they now, who the fuck knows.
Individually Slash is a decent guitarist, Axle as a generic rock voice.
So as a choice I would have put this lower down the list.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 942:


"Hogwash"---Groundhogs (1972)


The last of three Groundhogs albums on the list, and the best. Starting with the strangely hypnotic 'I Love Miss Ogyny', every track on this LP is worthwhile. The lyrics are not the greatest, but the blues/rock feel is outstanding. 'You Had A Lesson', '3744 James Road', 'Sad Is The Hunter', 'S'One' and Tony McPhee's tribute to John Lee Hooker, who gave the 'Hogs their first real break as an opening act for him, all shine.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 941:


"Lizard"---King Crimson (1970)


How to describe King Crimson...hmmm...quirky, brilliant....um...quirky....?

Robert Fripp likes money as much as anyone, I suppose, but not enough to make the slightest attempt at being commercial. He is what he is, and that is fully enough.

With "Lizard", King Crimson essentially introduces what will later be called 'industrial' music. Oh, not as hard edged as some industrial bands would become...20 years later (i.e., Nine Inch Nails, Pop Will Eat Itself, Rammstein, etc.), but crossing boundaries into a new arena of sharp-edged chords, disconcerting rhythms and melodies that could be sung by non-singers (in this case, Gordon Haskell).

"Lizard" benefits from the continuance of Mel Collins on saxophone and flutes, something that will shortly disappear from the Crimson repertoire and the lyrics of Peter Sinfield. The 23 minute + track 'Lizard' has some ups and downs, but the rest of the album, 'Cirkus', 'Indoor Games', 'Happy Family' and the ballad 'Lady Of The Dancing Water' are magnificent.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 940:


"Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs"---Derek & The Dominos (1970)


It would be foolhardy to try and psychoanalize Eric Clapton, despite the fact that it it well known that he is basically shy, has a difficult time getting close to people, and he at least used to lack a great degree of confidence.

My view (and PLEASE, it is only MY VIEW) is that Clapton is also a self-destructive person.

As great a guitarist as he is, as good a songwriter, and as decent a singer, Clapton seems to go out of his way to include at least one horrendous song on all of his albums (and sometimes three or four). There are a couple of exceptions to this 'rule', but "Layla" is not one of them.

Any album that starts off with a piece of drivel like 'I Looked Away' does not initially inspire much hope. If I had not already heard 'Layla', 'Bell-Bottom Blues', 'Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad', 'Have You Ever Loved A Woman' and his tremendous cover of Hendrix' 'Little Wing' before I purchased the album, I would have said "What IS this crap?" and maybe stopped listening.

There are other clunkers on this set: 'I Am Yours', 'It's Too Late' and 'Thorn Tree In The Garden', but if you can get past that rubbish, there are ten brilliant tracks on this record that could have made it one of the truly greatest albums of all time. Unfortunately, I am considering albums in their ENTIRETY, not just the best tracks therein, so "Layla" tumbles quite a bit on the list.

Backed by Duane Allman, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle, Clapton does put his heart into this extensive ode to Patty Harrison, and MOST of it works extremely well.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 939:


"Give 'Em Enough Rope"---The CLASH (197


....and we move along to an album with no waste, no filler, no crap.....just 10 superb tracks.

The Clash rips through one number after another with no let up (and certainly no let down). The first time I heard 'Safe European Home', I said "This is what I'm talking about!"....and then 'English Civil War' kicked in, and I said 'No, THIS is what I'm talking about!"...and then 'Tommy Gun' started and....well, you get the picture.

Everything from the humorous swing of 'Julie's In The Drug Squad' to the inspirational 'Stay Free' just rocks.

Get it if you don't have it.

[umpire2]

Number 938:


"The Kick Inside"---Kate Bush (1978)


There are a lot of people who can't get past Kate Bush's voice...fair enough. There are some people's voices that irritate me. Kate isn't one of them.

"The Kick Inside" is a phenomenal collection, with the wild child stretching aural borders all over the place. It's fun, it's quirky, it's kicky, and it's serious.

Kate is first a poet who uses mythological and religious references with abandon, squeaks them out in her little girl in heat voice, and surrounds them with often off-kilter melodies that can still be charming.

'The Saxophone Song', 'Strange Phemonena', 'Kite', 'James and the Cold Gun', 'Them Heavy People', the title track and particularly 'Wuthering Heights' are gems in a collection that has no bad tracks.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 937:


"Crazy Eyes"---Poco (1973)

After 6 records and 5 years, Richie Furay decides to leave the band and pursue other things (after a couple of solo projects, Furay eventually becomes a minister...), but he leaves with a bang.

"Crazy Eyes" is a generally laid back set, but for me, indespensible. I close my eyes and imagine myself on my island, under a palm tree with the blue-green-white surf rolling gently onto the sandy shore and listening to 'Magnolia', 'Crazy Eyes', 'Brass Buttons', 'Here We Go Again' and the rest.

Of course, there is Rusty Young's rousing banjo on 'Fools Gold' and the swaying rocker 'Let's Dance Tonight', but mainly the album is sweet and gentle, tugging at your heart and bringing peace.

Nice way to go out, Richie....(until the reunion 25 years on, of course...)

[tosca6060]

Chet Baker was a tortured soul and genius. I like to listen to him while I roll up a fatty and get ready to invade my wife's loins.

Originally Posted by umpire2

NUMBER 944:


"Embraceable You"---Chet Baker (195


There were a few women in my parents' circle, including a couple of my aunts, who were not on the 'Elvis' bandwagon. One of them would regularly go on and on about Chet Baker. As a kid, I did not get it at all.

I get it now.

You say you want a 'make-out' record? Here is one.

Trumpeter Chet Baker had a voice that breathed rather than sang. Oh, he could hold a tune very well, but his schtick was BREATHING. Everything he sang sounds like the breath of a lover on a young girl's neck and earlobes.

"Embraceable You" is a set of standards recorded in December 1957, with Baker on trumpet and vocals, David Wheat on guitar and Ross Savakus on stand-up bass. It is laid back, it sounds like it can only be played in the dark or by candlelight and it totally, totally, totally anticipates SEX.

'The Night We Called It A Day', 'Embraceable You', 'There's A Lull In My Life', 'How Long Has This Been Going On' and 'Trav'lin' Light' are the best of the best.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by tosca6060

Chet Baker was a tortured soul and genius. I like to listen to him while I roll up a fatty and get ready to invade my wife's loins.

Thanks, Tosca!

[umpire2]

NUMBER 936:


"Don't Believe The Truth"---Oasis (2005)


Eight long years and two fairly poor studio efforts after the Gallagher's decided to stop trying to be the ghosts of the Beatles, Oasis finally gets its chops back with 2005's "Don't Believe The Truth". Eleven tracks without a weakness that show originality, a fairly wide range of material, great instrumentation, spot-on vocals and even good production values for a change.

It is difficult to pick out a few exceptional tracks, because the entire package is so good, but look for 'Turn Up The Sun', 'Love Like A Bomb', 'The Importance of Being Idle', 'The Meaning Of Soul' and 'Keep The Dream Alive'.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 935:



"The Waterboys"---The Waterboys (1983)


Originally released on three EPs in 1982, the eight songs that make up this set were compiled on a general release by Ensign Records, through Chrysalis in 1983.

I did not hear anything from it until 1984, when I was in college, but heard 'A Girl Called Johnny' and 'December' within a couple of days of one another and I had to track down the LP.

Essentially a band built around Mike Scott, over the years the Waterboys changed members routinely, at times a three piece, at other times six, and everything in between, but the music was mainly his.

An excellent debut, "The Waterboys" also contains 'I Will Not Follow', 'The Girl In The Swing' 'It Should Have Been You' and 'Savage Earth Heart' as outstanding tracks.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 934:


"The Firm"---The Firm (1985)


One of Paul Rodgers many projects, 1985's "The Firm" was pretty much a one-shot (even though a second Firm LP followed, there was never any intention for this to be a permanent band). Full of 'blue-eyed soul'/rock that is characteristic of Rodgers, this is a solid set of songs, although only one, 'Radioactive' received regular airplay.

'Satisfaction Guaranteed' also received some attention and the collection contains a good version of 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 933:


"Rocket Cottage"---Steeleye Span (1976)


Maddy Prior & Company serve up a set of modern arrangements of traditional British folk songs in one of the best sets of their 40 year history.

From choral rounds like 'Bosnian Hornpipes' to ballads ('The (Bonny) Brown Girl), reels ('Orfeo/Nathan's Reel'), mercenary tales ('Fighting For Strangers') and warning tales like 'The Twelve Witches', every track songs fresh as it did 400 years ago.

Just coolness.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 932:


"Rumours"---Fleetwood Mac (1977)


By 1977, the transition of Fleetwood Mac was complete---from Blues Band to AM Radio Pop. A lot was lost in this transition, but a lot was also found...mainly money.

Is "Rumours" the greatest album of all time? Don't make me laugh. Is "Rumours" even the best Fleetwood Mac album? Not even close....BUT...

As easy as it can be to trash pop, this album IS good. With three excellent pop songwriters on board, FM found the formula for success after more than a decade of working-class sales and minimal recognition.

There really isn't a bad song on the entire album, although some were played to death on the radio. Keeping enough distance from it---say, listening to it a couple of times a year---it is easier to see the quality beyond the veneer.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 931:


"Meddle"---Pink Floyd (1971)



Just a question....why is 'Seamus' on this record? Other than that waste of time, this "middle period" Pink Floyd trick is darned good. It is about half psychedelia, half rock, with the jumpy/poppy 'San Tropez' thrown in for good measure.

Far from PF's best effort, it is still too good to leave behind. 'One of These Days', 'A Pillow Of Winds' and 'Echoes' are just good, good tracks. I still crack a smile after hearing this album for nearly 40 years when the post football match sing-a-long begins...

[umpire2]

NUMBER 930:


"Steppenwolf 7"---Steppenwolf (1970)


Strangely enough, Steppenwolf's three years of high-level popularity were starting to fade when they produced their best overall album. "Monster" is a close second, and all eight 'original' Steppenwolf studio albums are very good, but (in MY opinion), "7" tops the list.

Unlike earlier albums, "Steppenwolf 7" did not contain a mix of FM-oriented hard rock (despite coining the phrase "Heavy Metal" in the song 'Born To Be Wild', the 'Wolf was hard rock, not heavy metal) and two or three top 40 hit singles, but was more evenly balanced.

The two single releases, 'Forty Days And Forty Nights' and 'Who Needs You' made the Top 100, but not much better, but are in the middle range of quality for Steppenwolf 45s; 'Ball Crusher', 'Fat Jack', 'Renegade', 'Foggy Mental Breakdown', 'Snowblind Friend' and the misnamed 'Earschplittenloundenboomer' are all excellent tracks.

Definitely worth a listen or seven.

[richief]

Originally Posted by umpire2

NUMBER 931:


"Meddle"---Pink Floyd (1971)



Just a question....why is 'Seamus' on this record? Other than that waste of time, this "middle period" Pink Floyd trick is darned good. It is about half psychedelia, half rock, with the jumpy/poppy 'San Tropez' thrown in for good measure.

Far from PF's best effort, it is still too good to leave behind. 'One of These Days', 'A Pillow Of Winds' and 'Echoes' are just good, good tracks. I still crack a smile after hearing this album for nearly 40 years when the post football match sing-a-long begins...

I never quite understood the hype around Pink Floyd and found a lot of there stuff over rated.

[umpire2]

Originally Posted by richief

I never quite understood the hype around Pink Floyd and found a lot of there stuff over rated.

Good evening, Rich!

Once again, it is all a matter of taste. There is a big difference between the Syd Barrett "early Floyd", the middle period and the "Dark Side of the Moon" and beyond era.

For a brief moment, the Barrett era was brilliant, and then, a-la Syd, it fell apart quickly. The middle period was quite uneven, with a pattern of one good album, one bad album, and then "Dark Side of the Moon" struck and all the 'Money' (no pun intended) that came with it. Floyd became imitators of themselves, and while "Wish You Were Here" was still a great album, you can see that it is an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle twice. "The Wall" has a number of exceptional moments, but it is what it is---an opera---which means that fully half of the (I believe) 85 minutes is filler.

Unless Floyd (at least in ONE of their periods) grabs you, it is very easy to see them as druggies who are unbelievably redundant.

If you LOVE them, redundancy is a good thing.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 929:


"Talk Talk Talk"---Psychedelic Furs (1981)


'Pretty In Pink', 'All Of This and Nothing', 'It Goes On', 'No Tears', 'I Wanna Sleep With You', 'Mr. Jones', 'She Is Mine'...it goes on and on...This Ain't No Disco, he said.....This rocks.

The Furs were one of the best bands of the 1980s...no big hair, no super-synth and drum machines, but just good, solid rock. Richard Butler and company rarely disappointed.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 928:

"Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac"---Fleetwood Mac (1968)


My first 'semi-exposure' to Fleetwood Mac was in a record store about a mile and a half from my parent's apartment. I had started going there on my own shortly after I had gotten my paper route and had 'cash money' to spend on one of my favorite, favorite things...music.

This was shortly before the 'Buckingham-Nicks' Fleetwood Mac of the mid-70s, and I say 'semi-exposure' because I only SAW the "Mick-Fleetwood-In-Drag" cover of "English Rose" in the bin at the record store. I remember staring at it and thinking, 'what kind of a goofy record is this'?

It was not until, oh, maybe two or three months later that I was at my cousin's, who was about 7 years older than me, and saw among his records "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac". I remembered the name from the goofy album cover and I asked him if he could play it.

"Holy shit" (I thought....or the 10-year-old equivilent) It was GREAT! Over the next year or so, I bought it and about five other Fleetwood Mac albums.

Anyway, British blues at it's best, eh? No 'Buckingham-Nicks' here....

Peter Green (who I later discovered had been Eric Clapton's replacement in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) contributed 5 original blues to the set, which also includes Robert Johnson's classic 'Hellhound On My Trail', Elmore James 'Shake Your Moneymaker', Howlin' Wolf's 'No Place To Go', James Williamson's 'Got To Move' and three original blues by Green's fellow bandmember, slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 927:


"Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory"---Traffic (1973)


Often overlooked in the wake of "The Low Spark of Hi-Heeled Boys", "Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory", while not in the same class, is still an excellent album in its own right. Most of this record was written and partially recorded in the same long session that produced "Low Spark" and there are many similarities.

Traffic's line-up for "Shoot Out" is the same as the previous release, which was very unusual for the band. The five tracks that make up this set were all written by Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi, and reflect Traffic's (then) current interest in jazz/rock.

'Tragic Magic' is the only track that is a bit weak, while the title track, 'Roll Right Stones', 'Evening Blue' and '(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired' are very well done.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 926:


"The Black Angel"---Freddie Hubbard (1970)


Freddie Hubbard's umpteenth album, "The Black Angel" is his combination of the still-relatively-new fusion sound and his traditional brand of hard bop. The 17 minute 'Spacetrack' is dominated by Hubbard's soaring trumpet and Kenny Barron's electric piano. Strong support is also given by bassist Reggie Workman, who had worked closely with John Coltrane in the saxists free jazz period.

The other Hubbard compositions, 'Eclipse' and 'Gittin' Down' are more traditional bop and Barron's 'The Black Angel' and a cover of Walter Bishop's 'Coral Keys' have quite a bit of Latin swing to them, with percussionist Patato Valdes joining Louis Hayes and Workman in the rhythm section.

[richief]

~Still rolling along well, some great albums, some fritters and some I never heard of, but an excellent thread.

[umpire2]

Thanks, Rich. I calls 'em as I sees 'em!

[umpire2]

NUMBER 925:


"Dirty Little Secrets"---My Life With The Thril Kill Kult (1999)

If you don't like techno/industrial/dance music drenched with steamy and sloppy sex and with total S & M overtones, you won't like this.

'Operation Sex Trip', for example, comes at you like a glistening stripper slowly crawling on her hands and knees, licking her lips in anticipation of...well, you get the idea...

"Dirty Little Secrets" is a collection of 'B' sides from dance EPs the band released between 1991 and 1996, and 'B' sides or no, the songs are fantastic. A few of the other top numbers are 'Eight of Space', 'Wasted Time', 'Hungry Venus' and 'Naked In The Grass'.

Slip into your vinyl catsuit and do the crawl....

[umpire2]

NUMBER 924:


"Midnight to Midnight"---Psychedelic Furs (1987)


The driving beat of 'Shock', 'Torture' and the title track are infectious; 'Heartbreak Beat', 'Shadow In My Heat' and 'No Release' rock; 'Angels Don't Cry' is a great ballad. Another set with no weak moments, the Furs were at the top of their game in the late '80s. By 1991-1992, it was over; the release of their weakest set "World Outside" in 1991 did not help the band deflect the tide of grunge as it swept through the airwaves previously dominated by new wave and punk...but in 1987, the Furs were still the Furs.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 923:


"Infinity"---Lee Morgan (1965/1978)


By the time Lee Morgan had developed into an outstanding songwriter in the mid-1960s, jazz was reaching its nadir as far as record sales were concerned. Major jazz labels were going out of business and others, like BLUE NOTE were cutting back on signing new artists, limiting recording sessions and holding back albums in their archives, waiting until times got better before releasing them.

Such was the case for "Infinity"; recorded in 1965, but not released until over a decade later...and after Lee Morgan's death.

A brilliant harp bop session, Morgan penned four of the five songs, the fifth being Jackie McLean's 'Portrait of Doll', a song he wrote for his wife. Morgan's stellar trumpet is joined by McLean on alto sax (relatively subdued on this set), Billy Higgins, strong and steady on drums, Reggie Workman (mentioned above on Freddie Hubbard's "Black Angel" album, and Larry Willis, whose piano is crisp and flawless, particularly on the title track and 'Miss Nettie'.

If you don't like jazz, do not listen to this album, because if you DO listen to it, it will MAKE you like jazz before you are through.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 922:


"Nude"---Dead or Alive (1989)


Just when it appeared that Pete Burns and Dead or Alive WERE dying with the release of the weak "Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know", they showed they still had some fun left in the gun with 1989's "Nude".

Dead or Alive were never the same again, as Burns became more interested in his next and next and next plastic surgery, but as a capstone for the band in the 80s, "Nude" is just a fun, fun record.

'Stop Kicking My heart Around' is a scathing rant that still makes you want to dance; 'Baby Don't Say Goodbye' has a great melody as well as a toe-tapping beat. 'I Don't Want To Be Your Boyfriend' spins you (round like a record?) while broaching the inevitable question "does Pete want to be your GIRLfriend'???

Every song on this set is a winner, including 'Turn Around And Count To Ten', which became the band's biggest seller in Japan, where their sales overall skyrocketed afterward.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 921:


"Tango In The Night"---Fleetwood Mac (1987)


This is clearly Lindsey Buckingham's album, and it stands out among the records that this version of Fleetwood Mac offered. Buckingham produced the set, wrote or co-wrote seven of the songs, and his hand is clearly seen in most of the others. This is still pop, but with a harder edge. It also clearly anticipates Buckingham's solo albums to come, as Fleetwood Mac becomes the side project to his and Stevie Nicks solo careers.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 920:


"Tamboo"---Les Baxter (1956)


While Baxter accomplished many things in several genres of music, he is best remembered for his role in the development of 'Exotica', a post-World War II movement that encorporated Polynesian, 'jungle' (read: Filipino and Malaysian as well as African) and 'island' melodies, sounds and instruments into the jazz/pop medium. Popular from about 1949 to 1960, there are literally thousands of 'Exotica' albums out there, and Baxter himself produced about two dozen, while also making albums of straight jazz, movie soundtracks, and 'electronica'.

"Tamboo" is THE one I would recommend as a 'starter' if you are at all interested in 'Exotica', or if you already own albums in that genre (perhaps Martin Denny or Arthur Lyman, who had the biggest single hits with "Quiet Village" and "Yellow Bird" respectively), you NEED to get this record.

In my opinion, it is the best single collection---all great tracks, not a single miss. There are a couple of oddities (although they are excellent songs), though. 'Havana' and 'Rio' are very URBAN-sounding songs in the middle of this collection of island and jungle music, as the titles probably attest.

The best of the other tracks include 'Simba', 'Oasis of the Dakhla', 'Wotuka' and 'Zambezi'.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 919:


"My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult"---MLWTTKK (1990)


A number of sleazy and danceable selections from the perennial pervs. This set contains one of their best, 'A Daisy Chain 4 Satan', as well as 'The Smash-Up', 'Something New' and 'Farout 1'. Not their best, but not one to pass up.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 918:


"Third Season"---Hank Mobley (1967/1980)


Another of the suberb BLUE NOTE sessions that sat in a vault for over a decade before release because of generally declining jazz sales.

While Mobley has played much better on other sets, his writing skills were at their peak in 1967, at a time when he was pressured to perform more covers of popular songs.

This set sees Mobley as leader of a septet, including Lee Morgan on trumpet, James Spaulding on flute and alto sax, Walter Booker on bass, Cedar Walton on piano, Sonny Greenwich on guitar and Billy Higgins on drums.

The highlights of the album are all Mobley compositions, two swinging numbers, 'Don't Cry, Just Sigh' and 'Give Me That Feelin' ', the strong title track, and 'Boss Bossa', a grooving Bossa Nova that is very unusual for the tenor sax master.

Mobley, while well respected in the jazz world, never gained the recognition that many of his contemporary saxophonists reached...nor their sales. In the shadow of John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and others, Mobley was one of the most prolific performers and writers of the mid-1950s to late 1960s.

[umpire2]

NUMBER 917:


"A Black & White Night"---Roy Orbison & Friends (1989)


A greatest hits/live/all-star album that celebrates the career of Roy Orbison.

Who's who? Elvis is on this record (Costello, that is), Bruce Springsteen's in the back-up band; Tom Waits contributes along with T-Bone Burnett and J.D. Souther...Background singers, you say? What about Bonnie Raitt? Jackson Browne? kd lang? Jennifer Warnes?

The songs they all perform live along with Roy? Just a few ditties like 'Oh, Pretty Woman', 'It's Over', 'Blue Bayou', 'Dream Baby', 'Only The Lonely', 'Running Scared', 'Crying', 'Dream You', 'Ooby Dooby', 'Uptown', 'In Dreams', 'Candy Man', 'Leah' and a few others....mere trifles.

This set is freakin' great!

[richief]

Originally Posted by umpire2

NUMBER 917:


"A Black & White Night"---Roy Orbison & Friends (1989)


A greatest hits/live/all-star album that celebrates the career of Roy Orbison.

Who's who? Elvis is on this record (Costello, that is), Bruce Springsteen's in the back-up band; Tom Waits contributes along with T-Bone Burnett and J.D. Souther...Background singers, you say? What about Bonnie Raitt? Jackson Browne? kd lang? Jennifer Warnes?

The songs they all perform live along with Roy? Just a few ditties like 'Oh, Pretty Woman', 'It's Over', 'Blue Bayou', 'Dream Baby', 'Only The Lonely', 'Running Scared', 'Crying', 'Dream You', 'Ooby Dooby', 'Uptown', 'In Dreams', 'Candy Man', 'Leah' and a few others....mere trifles.

This set is freakin' great!

I'm sure I saw a clip from this album on one of those "greatest musician ever programmes", it looked fucking awesome what a line up, the great Roy Orbison just seems to ooze talent whether on his own or in the company of some of the greatest musicians alive and dead, who can forget the Travelling Willorboughrys". Another great choice.