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Ellen Foley - Night Out [1979]
2008-02-09 14:33:00 The grand opener "We Belong to the Night " is breathtaking and bombastic bliss; a creamy confection of debonair dreams that could only come from the late '70s and the glitter-gutter combo of Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter. The princely poppers provide the perfect atmosphere for Foley 's powerful theatrics on her inaugural flight. The second single, "What's a Matter Baby," soars just as high in the stratosphere: a little bit '50s, but a whole lot cosmic. It's a crime music which hides in the recesses of the past, because this gem is priceless, if only for the first two tracks. Ronson's axe is exemplary throughout: shooting over Mars and then swooping back through nocturnal cityscapes. He twists "Heartful of Soul" into "Young Lust" and makes a break for it in "Hide Away." Obviously haunted by midnight Spectors, kindred spirit Hunter supplies the perfect keyboard counterpart: mission control for Ronson's rockets. The swirling storm whipping through Gram Parker's "Thunder and Rain" bu... More About: Hard Rock , Ellen
Klein Orkest - Het Leed Versierd [1982]
2008-02-09 14:31:00 Nederlandstalige popgroep die voortkomt uit het niet van de grond gekomen theaterprogramma Het Groot Orkest. De Haags/Utrechtse band breekt begin jaren tachtig door op landelijk niveau en houdt het enkele jaren later voor gezien.Een groep van tien mensen werkt in 1977 aan een cabaretprogramma onder de werktitel Het Groot Orkest. Het programma komt niet van de grond en de vier muzikanten verenigen zich in de band Het Klein Orkest. Het viertal heeft vooral succes in krakerskringen. Utrecht is aan het eind van de jaren zeventig het toneel van een strijd om de podia. Het Tivoli-lied is één van de strijdliederen van actievoerders. Het wordt geschreven in 1979, na een brand in Tivoli.In 1982 wordt de eerste single uitgebracht: Laat Mij Maar Alleen. Ook maakt men een Haags uitstapje met O, O, Den Haag. Dit nummer verschijnt onder de naam Harry Klorkestein, de achternaam is een anagram van Klein Orkest. Jekkers is verantwoordelijk voor de zangpartijen op de single en schreef het nummer voor... More About: Nederpop
Madness - Mad Not Mad [1985]
2008-02-09 14:27:00 This ironically peppy set of '80s pop would prove to be Madness ' final studio album, and the band was clearly not in the best of moods while they recorded it. Their previous album had suffered the weakest chart showing of the band's career, and they had recently lost their founding father figure (keyboardist Mike Barson). They had left their record company, setting up their own "Zarjazz" label. Like the Beatles' Let It Be, this record has "One Last Stab" written all over it. The album opens with a bitingly overt declaration of the band's determination to hang on in the cynically mercurial music business ("I'll Compete") and concludes with one of many images of an inevitably approaching ending ("shivering to a halt...no one wants to speak too soon, although we all knew"). Several songs dwell on themes of transience and aging ("Time," "Yesterday's Men, "), and the title track openly broods over the sting of Barson's departure. The album almost seems to fortell its own lack of ...
Men Without Hats - Rhythm of Youth [1982]
2008-02-08 20:01:00 The new wave synth pop collective Men Without Hats were formed in 1980 by brothers Ivan and Stefan Doroschuk. Ivan was the leader of the group, writing the majority of the songs and providing the lead vocals; Stefan was the guitarist; and other members changed frequently throughout the course of the group's career. They independently released their debut EP, Folk of the '80s, in 1980; it was reissued the following year by Stiff in Britain. During 1982, the band consisted of Ivan, Stefan, another brother Colin Doroschuk (keyboards), along with drummer Allan McCarthy; this is the lineup that recorded Men Without Hats' 1982 debut album, Rhythm of Youth . Taken from their debut, the single "The Safety Dance" became a major hit, peaking on the American charts at number three in 1983. Driven by an insistent three-chord synthesizer riff, the song was one of the biggest synth pop hits of the new wave era. The group wasn't able to exploit its success, however. Folk of the '80s (Part III)... More About: New Wave , Synth Pop
Tubeway Army [Gary Numan] - Replicas [1979]
2008-02-08 19:57:00 By the release of their second album, Replicas, Gary Numan was the undisputed focal point and leader of icy electro-punkers Tubeway Army . And the move proved to be massively successful back home in the U.K., where both the album and the single "Are 'Friends' Electric?" topped the charts. The band had made a conscious effort to streamline the sound heard on their 1978 self-titled debut ? the distorted guitar riffs were played on Moog synthesizers instead, and Numan had perfected his faux-space-age persona. And the paranoia that is very evident in the lyrics and vocals on Numan's next release, The Pleasure Principle, can be detected on Replicas. Another near-perfect album by the band, highlights are many ? "Me! I Disconnect from You," "The Machman," "You Are in My Vision," and one of the most underrated new wave/synth-driven compositions of the whole era, the chilling ballad "Down in the Park." And out of all the Gary Numan/Beggars Banquet reissues, Replicas contains the strongest ... More About: Synth Pop
Swans - Children of God [1987]
2008-02-08 19:53:00 Kicking off with "New Mind" ? which, while having the same general pace of most earlier Swans songs, also sounds distinctly different with its clearer, inventive arrangement, call-and-response vocals, and Gira's declamatory but not screamed lead vocal ? Children of God finds the band making their own particular great leap forward. The simmering changes that were apparent in the albums just before this one's release fully come to the fore, as Swans take the courage to explore both their huge-sounding, bombastic side and gentle, if often still disturbing, delicacy (due credit especially to Westberg, Kizys, and Parsons, possibly the best musical lineup Swans ever had until the final years). The results are fascinating, ranging from the spare piano melting into ambient feedback of "In My Garden" and the twisted gospel blues of "Our Love Lies" to the acoustic guitar and organ on "You're Not Real, Girl" and the raging pounder "Beautiful Child." Equally importantly, if not more so, Jarb... More About: Post-punk
Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster [1983]
2008-02-08 19:49:00 Seminal Orange County punk band Social Distortion 's first full-length album Mommy's Little Mons ter is the epitome of early-'80s suburban California punk and provided inspiration for many future Californians, including the Offspring and Rancid. Mommy's Little Monster finds the band supplying plenty of attitude and aggression as they rip through nine tracks worth of hard, fast, power chord-filled tracks loaded with snarling anti-establishment lyrics and themes. Songs like "The Creeps (I Just Want to Give You") and "Telling Them" show a young punk group that is very angry, and they were going to let society know it whether they wanted to hear it or not. The title track, "Mommy's Little Monster," with its descriptions of the girl with blue hair and the unemployed young punk who loves to drink and fight, gives you a good idea of the characters Social Distortion was surrounded by in the scene of the day. Although the low budget production gives the album a genuine early genre feel, i...
Eric Burdon & The Animals - Winds Of Change [1967]
2008-02-06 19:14:00 Winds of Change opened the psychedelic era in the history of Eric Burdon & the Animals ? although Burdon's drug experiences had taken a great leap forward months earlier with his first acid trip, and he and the group had generated some startlingly fresh-sounding singles in the intervening time, it was Winds of Change that plunged the group headfirst into the new music. The record was more or less divided into two distinctly different sides, the first more conceptual and ambitious psychedelic mood pieces and the second comprised of more conventionally structured songs, although even these were hard, mostly bluesy and blues-based rock, their jumping-off point closer to Jimi Hendrix than Sonny Boy Williamson. The band's new era opened with waves washing over the title track, which included sitar and electric violin, while Burdon's voice, awash in reverb, calmly recited a lyric that dropped a lot of major names from blues, jazz, and rock. "Poem by the Sea" was a recitation by Bur... More About: Psychedelic , Winds
The Cats [5 Albums]
2008-02-05 19:58:00 Pop group from the village of Volendam that became famous with the music style 'paling pop'. The Cats scored hits in the Netherlands as well as abroadIn 1965 The Cats release their first single Jukebox and sign to the Imperial label and in 1966 the band has their first hit single with What A Crazy LifeIn 1968 the band goes professional. Up until now the singles released by the Cats have only just failed to enter the charts. But that's about to change. The next six-and-a-half year the band will score no less than sixteen Top 10 hits, beginning with the number two hit Times Were When. The Cats' success is attributed to their new musical style. Whereas their music was initially rather rough, the focus is now on melodic compositions and close harmonies. The Cats spearhead the so-called 'paling sound', a term made up by prominent Dutch DJ Joost den Draaijer. Other groups in this genre are BZN, Canyon, Jen Rog, Left Side and Next One, but also the George Baker Selection, Ferrari and... More About: Albums
Sandy Nelson - In Beat [1966, Vinyl]
2008-02-03 13:30:00 Sandy Nelson was the biggest ? and one of the few ? star drummers in the late 1950s and early 1960s era in which instrumental rock was at its peak. He landed two Top Ten hits, "Teen Beat " (1959) and "Let There Be Drums" (1961), which surrounded his Gene Krupa-inspired solos with cool, mean guitar licks that were forerunners of the surf sound. Nelson had only one other Top Forty hit, "Drums Are My Beat" (1962). He ground out a quick series of instrumental albums in the early 1960s ? eight within 18 months, as a matter of fact ? with several other top Hollywood rock and pop session musicians. Nelson was not that great a drummer, although he was good. His principal importance is that he found a place for drum rock solos in hit instrumental singles, and the more reckless elements of his style no doubt influenced other musicians, such as surf drummers and, later, Keith MoonNelson started to play rock'n'roll as a teenager in Los Angeles in the 1950s, forming a group that included Jan Be... More About: Roll , Vinyl , Sandy
Boston - Boston [1976]
2008-02-03 13:27:00 Boston is one of the best-selling albums of all time, and deservedly so. Because of the rise of disco and punk, FM rock radio seemed all but dead until the rise of acts like Boston, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen. Nearly every song on Boston's debut album can still be heard on classic rock radio today due to the strong vocals of Brad Delp and unique guitar sound of Tom Scholz. Tom Scholz, who wrote most of the songs, was a studio wizard and used self-designed equipment such as 12-track recording devices to come up with an anthemic "arena rock" sound before the term was even coined. The sound was hard rock, but the layered melodies and harmonics reveal the work of a master craftsman. While much has been written about the sound of the album, the lyrics are often overlooked. There are songs about their rise from a bar band ("Rock and Roll Band") as well as fond remembrances of summers gone by ("More Than a Feeling"). Boston is essential for any fan of classic rock, and the album mar... More About: Boston , Hard Rock , Arena Rock , Pop-Rock
Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle [1973]
2008-02-03 13:24:00 Bruce Springsteen expanded the folk-rock approach of his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., to strains of jazz, among other styles, on its ambitious follow-up, released only eight months later. His chief musical lieutenant was keyboard player David Sancious, who lived on the E Street that gave the album and Springsteen's backup group its name. With his help, Springsteen created a street-life mosaic of suburban society that owed much in its outlook to Van Morrison's romanticization of Belfast in Astral Weeks. Though Springsteen expressed endless affection and much nostalgia, his message was clear: this was a goodbye-to-all-that from a man who was moving on. The Wild , the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle represented an astonishing advance even from the remarkable promise of Greetings; the unbanded three-song second side in particular was a flawless piece of music. Musically and lyrically, Springsteen had brought an unruly muse under control and used it to make a matur... More About: Bruce , Roll
Tina Turner - Private Dancer [1984]
2008-02-03 13:19:00 In 1984, a 45-year-old Tina Turner made one of the most amazing comebacks in the history of American popular music. A few years earlier, it was hard to imagine the veteran soul/rock belter reinventing herself and returning to the top of the pop charts, but she did exactly that with the outstanding Private Dancer. And Turner did so without sacrificing her musical integrity. To be sure, this pop/rock/R&B pearl is decidedly slicker than such raw, earthy, hard-edged Ike & Tina classics as "Proud Mary," "Sexy Ida," and "I Wanna Take You Higher." But she still has a tough, throaty, passionate delivery that serves her beautifully on everything from the melancholy, reggae-influenced "What's Love Got to Do With It" to the gutsy "Better Be Good to Me" to heartfelt remakes of the Beatles' "Help," Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," and David Bowie's "1984." A reflection on the emptiness of a stripper's life, the dusky title song is as poignant as it is depressing. Without question,... More About: Tina Turner , Pop-Rock
Hall & Oates - Voices [1980]
2008-02-02 17:33:00 At the close of the '70s, Hall & Oates began inching toward a sleek, modern sound, partially inspired by the thriving punk and new wave scene and partially inspired by Daryl Hall's solo debut, Sacred Songs, a surprising and successful collaboration with art rock legend Robert Fripp. While 1979's X-Static found the duo sketching out this pop/soul/new wave fusion, it didn't come into fruition until 1980's Voices, which was their creative and commercial breakthrough. Essentially, Voices unveils the version of Hall & Oates that made them the most successful duo in pop history, the version that ruled the charts for the first half of the '80s. During the '70s, Hall & Oates drifted from folky singer/songwriters to blue-eyed soulmen, with the emphasis shifting on each record. On Voices, they place their pop craftsmanship front and center, and their production (assisted by engineer/mixer Neil Kernon) is clean, spacious, sleek, and stylish, clearly inspired by new wave yet ... More About: Soft Rock , Pop-Rock
Huey Lewis & The News - Sports [1983]
2008-02-02 17:28:00 Picture This found Huey Lewis and the News developing a signature sound, but they truly came into their own on their third album, Sports . It's true that the record holds together better than its predecessors because it has a clear, professional production, but the real key is the songs. Where their previous albums were cluttered with generic filler, nearly every song on Sports has a huge hook. And even if the News aren't bothered by breaking new ground, there's no denying that the craftmanship on Sports is pretty infectious. There's a reason why well over half of the album ("The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Heart and Soul," "I Want a New Drug," "Walking on a Thin Line," "If This Is It") were huge American hit singles ? they have instantly memorable hooks, driven home with economical precision by a tight bar band, who are given just enough polish to make them sound like superstars. And that's just what Sports made them. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 - The heart of rock & roll. ... More About: The News
Lobo [5 Albums]
2008-02-02 17:11:00 Best remembered for soft-rock perennials like "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" and "I'd Love You to Want Me," Lobo was the alias of singer/songwriter Roland Kent LaVoie, born July 31, 1943 in Tallahassee, FL. At 17 he joined the Rumors, whose ranks also included future luminaries like country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons, country-pop cut-up Jim Stafford, and noted drummer Jon Corneal. From there LaVoie attended the University of South Florida, joining the Sugar Beats and making his recorded debut on their 1964 single "What Am I Doing Here?" Although the group proved short-lived, it inaugurated a lengthy collaboration between LaVoie and bandmate Phil Gernhard, who would later produce all of Lobo's hits; together they also helmed the Jim Stafford favorites "Spiders & Snakes" and "Wildwood Weed." Stints in the Little-Known Uglies and Me & the Other Guys followed before LaVoie issued his debut solo single, "Happy Days in New York City," in 1969. Two years later, he recorded "Me a... More About: Albums , Soft Rock
Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret [1981]
2008-01-31 14:27:00 In the U.S., Soft Cell , the British duo of singer Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball, was a classic one-hit wonder, that hit being the remake of Gloria Jones' "Tainted Love," which dominated dance clubs and eventually peaked in the pop Top Ten with its synth-pop sound and Almond's plaintive vocal in 1981-1982. In the U.K., the group not only had a longer career, but also influenced a raft of similar performers. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, originally released in Britain in the fall of 1981, contained both the band's first hit and its follow-up, "Bedsitter," its title referring to what in America would be called a studio apartment. (A third U.K. Top Five hit, "Say Hello Wave Goodbye," emerged from the LP.) At full album length, lyricist Almond's primary preoccupation, only suggested in "Tainted Love," was spelled out; this was a theme album about aberrant sexuality, a tour of a red-light district. The point was well made on "Sex Dwarf," with its oft-repeated chorus "Isn't it... More About: New Wave
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Face to Face (live) [1977]
2008-01-31 14:23:00 (Steve Harley &) Cockney Rebel : Stuart Elliot (drums, percussion, 1973-77, 2006), Jim Cregan (guitars, 1975-77), George Ford (bass, 1975-77), Duncan Mackay (keyboards, 1975-77), Robbie Gladwell (guitars), James Lascelles (keyboards, percussion, dulcimer), Barry Wickens (violin, guitar), Adam Houghton (drums, 1997-2005), Lincoln Anderson (bass)Great live album?.Track list;01 - Here comes the sun. 3:2402 - (I believe) Love's a prima donna. 4:4903 - Mad mad moonlight. 5:1404 - Red is mean mean colour. 5:3405 - Sweet dreams. 2:3206 - Finally a card came. 2:0807 - Psychomodo. 5:0208 - (If this is love) Give me more. 5:4809 - The best years. 5:0310 - (Love) Compared with you. 4:4411 - Mr. Soft. 3:1512 - Sebastian. 10:4113 - Seeking a love. 0:5614 - Tumbling down. 6:1915 - Make me smile. 6:43[128k] More About: Live , Face
Tol Hansse - Moet niet zeuren! [1977, Vinyl]
2008-01-31 14:15:00 Artistieke duizendpoot die met specifiek stem- en taalgebruik zijn eigen eilandje heeft opgespoten in de Nederlandse muziekgeschiedenis.Met Clous van Mechelen als componist en producer debuteert hij als Tol Hansse met de geniale klassieker Tol Hansse Moet Niet Zeuren, waarvan hij de hoes zelf geschilderd heeft. De eerste single, Big City, wordt begin '78 een monsterhit en is meteen een evergreen. De tweede single, Achter De Rododendron, wordt dankzij de aanhoudende hype nog een redelijke hit, maar kan niet meer verrassen. Het ligt dan ook voor de hand dat de twee volgende elpees, In De Bocht ('78) en Ha, Ha, Ha, Ik Lach Me Dood ('79), en de vertegenwoordigende singles weinig potten meer kunnen breken. [Nationaal Pop Instituut]Wie heeft deze LP niet in de kast staan [of op zolder in een doos]?Ik luister nog steeds met plezier naar dit album en het is dan ook een raadsel voor me dat de muziek industrie dit album [nog] niet op CD heeft uitgebracht?.Track list;01 - Big City. 3:3202 -... More About: Vinyl
Polle Eduard - Polle [1980, Vinyl]
2008-01-31 14:10:00 Veelzijdige gitarist/zanger uit Delft, maakt reeds op jonge leeftijd naam bij Tee-Set en After Tea. Later schrijft hij met veel succes nummers voor Nico Haak, waarna hij als solo-artiest Nederlandstalige popmuziek gaat maken. Grootste (solo-) hit is Ik Wil Jou uit 1979.In januari 1980 komt het album Polle uit. Eduard heeft vier nummers samen met Koelewijn geschreven. De plaat wordt een behoorlijk succes. Het contact met Koelewijn is echter verwaterd, Eduard neemt in 1981 een nieuwe single op met Jan Lohman getiteld Cecilia. Het nummer komt niet verder dan de tipparade. [Nationaal Pop Instituut]Track list;01-Ik wil jou. 4:1402-Vogel is gevlogen. 3:5603-Wil. 3:5504-Jongens er achteraan. 4:1105-Vrouw in 't wol. 5:2006-Ik had geen poen. 4:1107-Bennie (hij was een harde). 6:0408-Spoel je mond. 6:2909-Blaf niet maar bijt. 4:1810-Sloof. 4:3611-Geluk, bekijk 't maar. 4:17[128k] More About: Vinyl , Nederpop
Continental Uptight Band - Roots [1971, Vinyl]
2008-01-28 12:15:00 Dutch band from Utrecht who were active in different formations and under different band names, they got their most successes in the early 70ties.Their style is mostly Folk-Rock, great albumOn the blog Muziekpaleis you can find the first album of Continental Uptight Band Track list;01 - Day is near. 3:5002 - Northers islands. 3:2603 - Two of us. 3:0204 - For once in my life. 3:1205 - Window seat. 2:5806 - Susan. 4:0707 - Puppet man. 3:0408 - Never waste away a moment. 2:2109 - My singing bird. 3:4010 - Sweet sweet smile. 3:2611 - Changin' rearrangin'. 3:4212 - Don't look back. 3:14[128k] More About: Vinyl , Roots
Staccatos - Hear and Now [?68] & He Was a Friend of Mine [?69]
2008-01-28 12:09:00 A 2 LP?s on 1 CD release, when I started searching for this one [Hear and Now] it was a bit confusing, there is also a Canadian band from the 60ties with the same name and I didn?t dig in deep enough at the start.Also there is some confusing with the album title, the request was Here and Now.But some sites on the net mention Hear and Now, lucky there was a cover with the download that solved it for me?Their music is listed as South African Beat/Garage Rock Some other information I found on the internet;Spider Spider ? Best of the Tidal Wave; It all started with a man named Terry Dempsey, songwriter and record producer. Dempsey was born in England and came to South Africa in 1968. He wrote and produced The Staccatos first song, ?Butchers And Bakers? in 1968. This song had originally been recorded by UK freakbeat band Les Fleur De Lys in 1967, though they called themselves Chocolate Frog at the time.The Staccatos supported Peter and Gordon (1965), the Byrds (1970) and Chris de Burgh (1... More About: Friend , Mine , Cato
Plastic Penny - Two Sides of a Penny [1968]
2008-01-27 11:42:00 Plastic Penny were an unremarkable late-'60s British group who made the U.K. Top Ten in early 1968 with "Everything I Am," a labored ballad augmented by strings, that wasn't even one of their best songs. Much of their material was psychedelic pop with hints of encroaching prog-rock, sometimes recalling the Who a bit, elsewhere going into more fey story-songs. Their guitarist, Mick Grabham, would play with Procol Harum for a few years in the 1970s. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 - Everything I Am. 2:2902 - Wake Me Up. 3:0903 - Never My Love. 2:2404 - Genevieve. 2:0805 - No Pleasure Without Pain My Love. 2:4306 - So Much Older Now. 2:3607 - Mrs. Grundy. 5:1508 - Take Me Back. 2:2109 - I Want You. 3:2510 - It's A Good Thing. 2:4811 - Strawberry Fields Forever. 4:2412 - Nobody Knows It (Bonus). 2:3213 - Happy Just To Be With You (Bonus). 2:53[VBR] More About: Sides , Psychedelic , Plastic
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Human Menagerie [1974]
2008-01-27 11:38:00 Indulging for the first time in Cockney Rebel 's debut album ? and one uses the word "indulging" deliberately, for like so much else that's this delicious, you cannot help but feel faintly sinful when it's over ? is like waking up from a really weird dream, and discovering that reality is weirder still. A handful of Human Menagerie's songs are slight, even forced, and certainly indicative of the group's inexperience. But others ? the labyrinthine "Sebastian," the locquacious "Death Trip" in particular ? possess confidence, arrogance and a doomed, decadent madness which astounds. Subject to ruthless dissection, Steve Harley 's lyrics were essentially nonsense, a stream of disconnected images whose most gallant achievement is that they usually rhyme. But what could have been perceived as a weakness ? or, more generously, an emotionally over-wrought attempt to blend Byron with Burroughs ? is actually their strength. Few of the songs are about anything in particular. But with Roy Th... More About: Glam Rock
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Psychomodo [1975]
2008-01-27 11:34:00 If The Human Menagerie, Cockney Rebel 's debut album, was a journey into the bowels of decadent cabaret, The Psychomodo, their second, is like a trip to the circus. Except the clowns were more sickly perverted than clowns normally are, and the funhouse was filled with rattlesnakes and spiders. Such twists on innocent childhood imagery have transfixed authors from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, but Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel were the first band to set that same dread to music, and the only ones to make it work. The Psychomodo was also the band's breakthrough album. The Human Menagerie drew wild reviews and curious sales, but it existed as a cult even after "Judy Teen" swung out of nowhere to give the band a hit single in spring 1974. Then "Mr Soft" rode his bloodied big top themes into town and Rebelmania erupted. The Psychomodo, still possessing one of the most elegantly threatening jackets of any album ever, had no alternative but to clean up. Steve Harley's themes remained es... More About: Glam Rock , Pop-Rock
U2 - Boy [1980]
2008-01-26 15:05:00 From the outset, U2 went for the big message ? every song on their debut album Boy sounds huge, with oceans of processed guitars cascading around Bono's impassioned wail. It was an inspired combination of large, stadium-rock beats and post-punk textures. Without the Edge's echoed, ringing guitar, U2 would have sounded like a traditional hard rock band, since the rhythm section and Bono treat each song as an anthem. Of course, that's the charm of Boy: all of its emotions are on the surface, delivered with optimistic, youthful self-belief, yet the unusual, distinctive guitar textures give it an unexpected tension that makes it an exhilarating debut. The songs may occasionally show some weakness ? the driving "I Will Follow," the dark "An Cat Dubh," and the shimmering "The Ocean" stand out among the sonic textures ? yet the band's musical and lyrical vision keep Boy compelling until the finish. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 - I Will Follow. 3:3702 - Twilight. 4:2203 - An Cat Dubh. 4:... More About: Pop-Rock
U2 - October [1981]
2008-01-26 15:02:00 U2 sounded so confident and assured on their debut that perhaps it was inevitable they would stumble slightly on its follow-up, October . The record isn't weaker than its predecessor because it repeats the formula of Boy. It's because the band tries too hard to move forward. Bono, in particular, tries too hard to make big political, emotional, and religious statements, but the remainder of the band isn't innocent. In general, the music is too pompous, with the sound overwhelming the actual songs. But when U2 do marry the message, melody, and sound together, as on "Gloria," "I Threw a Brick Through a Window," and "I Fall Down," the results are thoroughly impressive. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 Gloria. 4:1202 I Fall Down. 3:4003 I Threw a Brick Through a Window. 4:5504 Rejoice. 3:3805 Fire. 3:5106 Tomorrow. 4:3907 October. 2:2108 With a Shout. 4:0309 Stranger in a Strange Land. 3:5610 Scarlet. 2:5411 Is That All. 3:00[192k] More About: Pop-Rock
U2 - War [1983]
2008-01-26 15:00:00 Opening with the ominous, fiery protest of "Sunday Bloody Sunday," War immediately announces itself as U2's most focused and hardest-rocking album to date. Blowing away the fuzzy, sonic indulgences of October with propulsive, martial rhythms and shards of guitar, War bristles with anger, despair, and above all, passion. Previously, Bono's attempts at messages came across as grandstanding, but his vision becomes remarkably clear on this record, as his anthems ("New Year's Day," "40," "Seconds") are balanced by effective, surprisingly emotional love songs ("Two Hearts Beat as One"), which are just as desperate and pleading as his protests. He performs the difficult task of making the universal sound personal, and the band helps him out by bringing the songs crashing home with muscular, forceful performances that reveal their varied, expressive textures upon repeated listens. U2 always aimed at greatness, but War was the first time they achieved it. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 - Sun... More About: Pop-Rock
Kraftwerk - Autobahn [1974]
2008-01-26 12:14:00 Although Kraftwerk 's first three albums were groundbreaking in their own right, Autobahn is where the group's hypnotic electronic pulse genuinely came into its own. The main difference between Autobahn and its predecessors is how it develops an insistent, propulsive pulse that makes the repeated rhythms and riffs of the shimmering electronic keyboards and trance-like guitars all the more hypnotizing. The 22-minute title track, in a severely edited form, became an international hit single and remains the peak of the band's achievements ? it encapsulates the band and why they are important within one track ? but the rest of the album provides soundscapes equally as intriguing. Within Autobahn, the roots of electro-funk, ambient, and synth pop are all evident ? it's a pioneering album, even if its electronic trances might not capture the attention of all listeners. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 - Autobahn. 22:4502 - Kometenmelodie 1. 6:2603 - Kometenmelodie 2. 5:4804 - Mitternacht. 3... More About: Electronic
Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express [1977]
More articles from this author:2008-01-26 12:05:00 Although Autobahn was a left-field masterpiece, Trans -Europe Express is often cited as perhaps the archetypal (and most accessible) Kraftwerk album. Melodic themes are repeated often and occasionally interwoven over deliberate, chugging beats, sometimes with manipulated vocals; the effect is mechanical yet hypnotic. Thematically, the record feels like parts of two different concept albums: one a meditation on the disparities between reality and image ("Hall of Mirrors" and "Showroom Dummies" share recurring images of glass, reflection, illusion, and confused identities, as well as whimsical melodies), and the other the glorification of Europe. There is an impressive composition paying homage to "Franz Schubert," but the real meat of this approach is contained in the opening love letter, "Europe Endless," and the epic title track, which shares themes and lyrics with the following track, "Metal on Metal." The song "Trans-Europe Express" is similar in concept to "Autobahn," as it mimic... More About: Electronic 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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