The Silver World

A1. Delhi Daily

A2. Terre Brulee

A3. Chandigardh

A4. Latin Baroque

B1. Zoma

B2. Cesar Go Back Home

The culturally expansive and forward thinking minds at Saravah have do it again with this brilliant and unique obscurity. 

Playing this groovy number, I’m imagining what it might have been like to discover this record back in the days of raw digging (before the world of reissued packages and blogposts like this one guiding us towards these random records. To bring this hime and lay it on the turntable. 

The Baroque Jazz Trio, though does exactly what it says on the tin, gives nothing away with its vague title and non descript sleeve. But from the onset, we get an instant hit of ancient sounds recorded beautifully, with the entry of both sitar and tabla within the first 20 seconds. 

Harpsichord slamming out melodies and modal chords against the tabla rhythms, deep bass and funky grooves, this album is a beast and a must have for curators of Middle-Eastern sounds and groove based sampling. 

An exquisite record from start to finish. What a journey!

Personnel: 

Jean-Charles Capon - Cello

Georges Rabol - Harpsichord

A1. Some Things Never Change

A2. A Small Mercy

A3, Barrier

A4. Sense of Doubt

B1. The Treasure

B2. Slow Sway

B3. Now and Forever

B4. French Painter Dead

Post-Punk minimalist, experimental music from the Dark reaches of Norway. Fra Lippo Lippi’s second record is stark, poetic and beautiful. 

After their fantastic debut, ‘In Silence’, and with the new addition of Per Øystein Sørensen on lead vocals, the band released a strong follow up with ‘Small Mercies’ again on the Uniton label. 

A slow paced, simplistic album with a more focussed and intentional sound than their preceding recordings, we are hearing the maturity of the song writing from a slightly more refined angle.  Long drawn out Organ drones under a reverberated snare slap that echoes off into a sonic void of clean tone guitars and that rich early eighties bass tone that we loved on things like The Cure’s Faith record or on all the Joy Division recordings. A dense and wet production that is true to the era. 

All songs hold up really well and the album, as a whole travels as a seamless work, however, songs like ‘A Small Mercy’ (the original version of the later recorded single ‘Everytime I See You’) is a highlight. ‘The Treasure’ and the closer ‘French Painter Dead’ are also strong tunes. 

Rune Kristofferson is a hugely talented individual. His ability to straddle the thin line between experimentation and Pop accessibility on this and all the other FLL recordings, is remarkable. His work is greatly underrated in the mainstream West (like that of most little known European Artists), and his musical contribution with this band along with his brilliant record label ‘Rune Grammofon’ is such an accomplished legacy. A true visionary in his field. 

Its one of those records that I originally bought on the strength of the debut and at first, wasn't convinced measured up to its predecessor, but after numerous listens, I’m convinced its a stronger, more focussed record altogether and in some ways, a more enjoyable listen. Highly recommended.

Personnel:

Rune Kristoffersen - Bass, Guitars, Keyboards

Morten Sjöberg - Drums

Per Øystein Sørensen - Vocals, Keyboards 

A1. Thick As A Brick (Part 1)

B1. Thick As A Brick (Part 2)

In this digital age of endless information and limitless online published opinions about almost everything that has/had value in human history, there is very little a humble Gen X record collector from Australia can add to the conversation about this masterwork. 

(except for my own unique experience of first hearing this album)

... circa 1992. 

To myself and many of my comrades, who would regularly trade bragging rights of our so called discoveries of cool bands we have ‘unearthed’ to our little gang of 15 year old rock connoisseurs, ‘Jethro Tull’ was a name we associated with the ‘hip’ dads of the seventies generation. Such a tough sounding name that was often cited by tough older guys while they would shitcan ‘our’ music with statements like Pixies, Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr. would be nothing without Jimi, Led Zep, Black Sabbath and occasionally the more knowledgable dads would add Jethro Tull to that list. Statements which, in hindsight were absolutely true.

It was one late drunken night however, that i stumbled into the living room of a house party and there, beyond the mess of beer cans and sleeping bodies, on a small TV screen, with volume turned completely down, was the most interesting looking performers my 15 year old eyes had ever seen. 

A fiery eyed, crazed looking vagabond, dressed in rags, twitching and sweating under a mess of matted hair and beard, moving to and fro from microphone to flute like a man possessed. His jolting movements seemed almost graceful while our hero stands one foot tucked in above the knee of the other like some kind of ancient elvish piper summoning forest gods with his song. Before even hearing a single note, i was totally mystified. An unforgettable impression was made on me as a tag on the screen some minutes later read the name Jethro Tull...i was hooked. 

Fast forward to weeks later when visiting my dads place i find in amongst his small and relatively uninspiring stash of records i find a bizarre looking sleeve in the form of a newspaper. THICK AS A BRICK scrawled across the tattered and torn page with a very boring looking photo of a aging balding man posing in front of a very bewildered looking young boy with his family surrounding. Its not until i check the spine that my enthusiasm rises and take the scratched up copy straight from the sleeve and put it on to the turntable. 

A softly picked English sounding Folk guitar and jig like flute weaves a nice little tune. Ancient and fantastical sounding. Like the sound of a Tolkien novel. Not what i was expecting but then the most alluring, confident and evoking voice swoops into the speakers. Melodious, poetic, eerie and yet soothing. As the he laughs to himself while singing the lines ‘Your sperms in the gutter, your love’s in the sink’, I knew right away I was into something pretty great. Next comes the quick stab of the full band for one short, sharp measure that punches the volume and dimensions of the sound way beyond the barrier. Fucking amazing! It had me right there. 

The band pours in moments later to surround our hero like a burst of radiant colour and energy. From then on, until the needle drags across the dead wax and returns itself back to the start position, i am totally mind blown by this incredible, startlingly dexterous and heart wrenchingly melodic piece of music, that without even considering to flip the record, i play side A once more to fully understand and absorb what i had just heard. 

This is my introduction to not only this wonderful band but also to the sound i would come to know and love as Progressive Rock and the art of concept music. 

The extended organ solo that trades licks with the electric guitars while the bass and drums hammer out a brilliant galloping rhythm adorned with the occasional stop in sound to let an acoustic strum exhale a breath of relief from the dramatic musical onslaught all within the first 5 minutes of play. This album is jam packed with groundbreaking time signatures (for rock), magical vocal lines, and solos made for Rock Gods. This is a massive game changer at a time where other bands of the same ilk and influence miss the mark as a complete package. 

Not that i get any joy comparing bands and releases, but just to put into context  the times we are talking about. Released the same year as the Yes classic ‘Close To The Edge’, Deep Purple’s incredible Machine Head, Genesis’ Foxtrot and Black Sabbath’s Vol 4, Thick as a Brick, as far as i am concerned, is far and away the more complete and all round masterwork. Ian Anderson is the epitome of the power vocalist and multi instrumentalist genius who appears to have never taken himself too seriously. 

Years later, though i inherited my dads beat up copy, i am playing my rebought version (still a little crackly) and i am enjoying the experience just the same as i did almost 20 years later which is why its so hard to find a mint copy of this as those who have it have played it to death. A testament to not only its longevity as a classic but to its massively vast appeal to music fans of all generations. 

Thick As A Brick will never not be in the conversation when discussing the most innovative Rock records of all time and I am so glad to have been the one to introduce some of my high school buddies to this massively cool album.

Personnel:

Ian Anderson - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Flute, Violin, Trumpet, Saxophone, Producer

Martin Barre - Electric guitar, Lute

John Evan - Piano, Organ, Harpsichord

Jeffrey Hammond - Bass guitar, Vocals

Barriemore Barlow - Drums, Percussion, Timpani

A1. Il Mio Show

A2. Supermarket

A3. Pernod

A4. Ho in Mente Te

A5. Sepolto Vivo

A6. Vivo da Re

B1. Contessa

B2. A Disagio

B3. Teenager

B4. Tanti Auguri

B5. Peggio Per Te

B6. Decibel

Italy’s Punk children return with one for the ages. A Post-Punk, New Wave fun filled record that shows class, creativity and is probably one of very few records of this kind to come out of the country. 

It took me a while to get into this one. Its not just the language barrier, (which i am slowly trying to remedy). Its the kooky, quirky-ness of it that is at first, difficult to digest, but, through the layers of jagged synth lines and funny little honky tonk piano, silly arpeggio vocal harmonies is some really cool, at times clever, at times raw and aggressive hooks and always catchy melodies that give these New Wave Pop tunes a bit of meat and a really groundbreaking historical significance.

Originally called ‘Italian Decibel’, ‘Decibel released their first record entitled ‘Punk’ in the midst of the rise of the Punk scene in Europe in 1977 and though the album wasn’t a very strong record (in terms of both global recognition and musical prowess), it certainly gave the Italian youth some fist raising material, and was a welcomed change from the long and drawn out shadow cast by the Italian Progressive Rock institution.

After local successes with support spots for touring acts like Adam and The Ants and Colosseum, and some back and forth line up changes, Decibel return to the market with this, their most successful release. 

Some of side one takes some work, such as the opener ‘My Show’ and Pernod, though, ‘Supermarket’ is a highlight. But for my ears, side two is where the strongest stuff is. The first single ‘Contessa’ is a funky little Zolo number reminiscent of bands like Devo or Madness but with some grand strings in keeping with the grandiose tradition of Italian dramatics. The awesome track ‘Teenager’ with its surf style guitar and its super catchy melodies is the ultimate Pop song and really sticks in your head. 

Other highlights include ‘A Disagio’ and the anthemic ‘Decibel’ to close the record. Im so glad i purchased this and it will be treasured for many years to come. Pride of place in my fast growing stack of Italian records. 

Personnel:

Enrico Ruggeri - vocals

Fulvio Muzio - guitar

Mino Riboni - bass

Silvio Capeccia - keyboards

Sergio Nicosia - Drums

A1. The Boat in the Mist

A2. The Dark Eyes

A3. The Green Window

B1. The Secret Room

B2. Daughter’s Fever

Melbourne Experimental Jazz Quartet come together to create this beautiful project, Daughters Fever is a one off gem from some of the best in the local biz. 

Like a creaky boat on a gently moving ocean. Or like wind sweeping through a rusty backyard playset. These recordings are dreamlike and atmospheric in the best possible way. Grand Salvo's melodic poetry giving structure and shape to an otherwise (seemingly) swirly randomness. A gentle and minimalist recording approach that is subtle and textured with interplay between percussion, acoustic stringed instruments and piano.

Highlights for me are the tracks with the vocals. Gentle and melodic resting upon the monotonous waltz of the warm band sound these guys have created. The title track is by far my favourite, but ‘The Dark Eyes’, and the way the vocal line is such an off kilter pattern really gets me.

A great listen, though try and purchase a copy with the download or maybe even a cd copy as the recordings, being so subtle and soft, tend to make any cracks and pops in the vinyl a real distraction.

Personnel:

Paddy Mann - Voice Guitar

Peter Knight - Trumpet, Electronics, Bass

Joe Thalia - Drums, Revox B77 reel-to-reel tape machine

Erik Griswold - Piano, toy Piano

Vanessa Tomlinson - Tuned and untuned percussion

Andrew Brooks - Saxophone

 A1. Coming Home to Me

A2. Sometimes

A3. Waves Upon the Ether

A4. Riverboat

A5. Dewet

B1. Railway

B2. Whispering Ned

B3. Pass It On

B4. Kalyope Driver

B5. Till the Morning Comes

B6. Prayer

At the height of the British Folk Rock movement lead by Fairport Covention, this five piece from Coventry created some beautiful music for a short spell before going the way of the folk musicians not the late seventies…Underground.

Dando Shaft’s second record simply titled Dando Shaft is a nice follow up to their gorgeous debut and shows true promise for a great bunch of players. Adding the female vocalist Polly Bolton widens the dimensions and strengthens the sound of the band on these cleverly played folk tunes which highlight both the dexterity and the beauty of these songwriters.

The lack of drums gives the whole record a loose, free flowing, ‘'jamming in the living room’ type vibe which appeals to me and highlights the woody tones of these acoustic instruments and adds a sense of ramshackle fun about the record. The opening ‘Come Home to Me’ is instantly likable and can be appreciated by Folk and Progressive fans alike for its unique guitar lines and odd time. ‘Riverboat’ is where Polly Bolton’s voice truly shines with some gorgeous passages and a haunting yodel outro. The Neon label folded as a company shortly after this record was released forcing Dando Shaft to pick up with another company with the their third record which failed to hit the mark for those us who were spellbound by their first two albums. A shame, but we are thankful they left us with these memorable and unique songs.

A little slice of traditional influence with a progressive edge that stands up over time. A great Folk record.

Personnel:

Martin Jenkins - Mandocello, Flute, Violin, Vocals

Kevin Dempsey - Guitar, Vocals

Ted Kay - Percussion

 Roger Bullen - Bass

Dave Cooper - Guitar, Vocals

Polly Bolton - Vocals

A1. Just One Happy Day

A2. Cold

A3. 2 Cats

A4. Imitating Angels

A5. Wasting My Days

A6. Heaven

B1. Supersonic

B2. Sad and Damned

B3. Death of a Scenester

B4. The River

B5. Revolt

B6. The Highway

A small window opens up in the late eighties/early nineties where the Glam/Hair Metal sound that has reached the peak of its production starts to morph and evolve into what eventually would be labelled as 'Grunge' and then later ‘Alternative Rock’. In this wonderful little period lasting about 3 years we see bands like ‘Alice in Chains’, ‘Mother Love Bone’, ‘The Fluid’ and many more who bridge the two genres to create some really great records. 

‘Nymphs’ are a great example of this period with their sole self-titled album. Glam Metal oriented riffs, that with the massive production make it sound almost neo-psychedelic, with a gritty and sensual female vocalist (Inger Lorre), who sings catchy hooks and melodies that hold the classic song form that verges on very polished Punk Rock. 

The band picked up interest early on for their wild and sometimes shocking stage antics and became synonymous with the then evolving wave of ‘grunge/punk’ acts who employed the anti-fame approach to rockin' out.   The standout tracks are the opener ‘Just One Happy Day’ and of course the single ‘Imitating Angels’, along with the awesome ‘Supersonic’ which has a guest vocal appearance from Iggy Pop,  but the whole record is consistently good and of the same ilk.  It rocks pretty hard and has some pretty memorable tracks. 

For fans of L7, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden. This sound lead the way for bands like The Smashing Pumpkins,Garbage and Hole. A Decent record.

Personnel:

Inger Lorre - Vocals, Harmonica, Percussion

Alex Krist - Drums

Bobby Belltower - Guitars

Geoff Seigel - Guitars

Cliff D - Bass

Sam Merrick - Guitars

A1. RockWrok

A2. Frozen Ones

A3. Fear in the Western World

A4. Distant Smiles

B1. Man Who Dies Everyday

B2. Artificial Life

B3. While I’m Still Alive

B4. Hiroshima Mon Amour

I guess I really am a decade too late to this music. There’s something about the glam period that, mixed with the Punk and Post-Punk sounds, doesn’t blend effectively. There are somethings this band does exceptionally well. The electronic synth-pop tracks are amazing and deserve some kudos for being truly unique, cutting edge and highly engaging. 

On this, their sophomore record, Ultravox! have given us a side A of bombastic, dirty ‘Punk’ inspired material that is really quite hard to listen to. The annoying ‘RockWrok’ was almost enough to make me tear the thing from the platter. But i am an enthusiast and so so wanted to like this record. Listening on.....‘Distant Smile’ is the only track i liked from side A. 

Side B, however, is a totally different beast and really should have been the opening side in my opinion. From track 5, the sounds recall their first record which was much more Electronic and less Punk driven and is more in line with the Ultravox! I wanted to hear. 

‘The Man Who Dies Everyday’ is great second side opener and ‘Artificial Life’ is a fantastic track. Dark and gritty with the attitude of a more aggressive ‘The Cure’ from their early period. Billie Currie lets loose with some awesome synth effects over a blinding guitar solo from Shears. This track is the highlight for me and well worth the wait through side A.

The other great track with its exceptional arrangements of minimal, hypnotic synthesizers underneath a very soulful and ghetto sounding saxophone blaring away between the bars of John Foxx’s dead pan vocal stylings leaves us wanting more of the same as the album closes with ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’. A stunning track.

It’s the cold, dark mechanical, Kraftwerk inspired stuff that i really like about this band and it shows up in parts throughout the second side of this album, but unfortunately, ‘Ha! Ha! Ha!’ is an uneven mix of material that tries to juggle two very distinct genres on the one record, leaving a mixed last impression. I don’t know whether to play it again or take it back to the record store and trade it in.

An album that, all together, hasn’t aged well, but then has a charming few songs that make you feel as though it’s you, the listener that is flawed, not the song. 

Personnel:

John Foxx - Vocals

Billy Currie - Keyboards, Synthesiser, Violin

Warren Cann - Drums, Vocals

Stevie Shears - Guitar

Chris Cross - Bass, Vocals

A1. Achtung Achtung A2. Ja Ja Ja A3. Kummer A4. Broken Hearts For You And Me A5. Nasty A6. Energie A7. Los Paul B1. Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha B2. Ya Ya B3. Ja Ja Wo Gehts Lank Peter Pank Schönen Dank B4. Sunday You Need Love Monday Be Alone B5. Halt Mich Fest Ich Werd Verrückt B6. Sabine Sabine Sabine B7. Trio

Neue Deutsche Welle. A scene in Germany in the late seventies and early eighties which explores mostly New Wave but elements of Punk Rock and Post-Punk, Rockabilly, Synth Pop, Punk and Industrial music. A melting pot of styles and artists embracing the sounds of the globe and abandoning any temptation to strictly adhere to any ‘one’ genre. 

Alongside bands like Fehlfarben,  Grauzone and Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, Trio are considered the fore runners of the scene in Germany and are often cited as ‘the best Neue Deutsche Welle‘ band, representing the genre most accurately. 

Their self titled debut ‘Trio’ is not only an explosive mix of all the aforementioned genres but it is also more than likely,supposed to be a bit of a poke at those who take these genres too seriously. 

The album opens with the dynamic and high energy punk/Rocakbilly ‘Ja ja ja ja’, which introduces comic elements of Schlager letting us know right away what this group is all about. Fun, party, music with a good sense of humour. Moving on to some sweet Reggae ballad ‘Energie’ and then closing the second side with the great ‘Los Paul’ with the megaphone vocal over some great Garage style rock. 

The album overall, is a fun, dancey, energetic slice of German Post-Punk culture and while not very consistent, there is plenty to like about these catchy little ditties. 

Personnel:

Stephan Remmler - Vocals, Keyboards

 Gert "Kralle" Krawinkel - Guitar, Vocals

Peter Behrens - Drums, Vocals 

A1. Grow Wild

A2. Eskimo Song

A3. Fancy

A4. Harpers

B1. Scream Tall

B2. Country

B3. Eureka

B4. Second Skin

B5. My Favourite People

Musical Artistry...

For every commercial ‘Pop star’ the industry throws up the of oh so fickle ladder of popular music’ there are a hundred bands and artists who are somewhere in out in the wilderness and wastelands making beautiful art and not giving a shit about the so called successes of the music industry. 

Somewhere in the backwaters of this musical wasteland back in the late eighties, Hugo Largo were creating their unique musical explorations that celebrate the beauty and vastness of the female voice (Mimi Goese) which acts as the heavy brush strokes upon a sparse and minimal backing from this gentle and ethereal sounding band. 

The band sound is made up of predominantly a melodic plectrum plucked Bass that reminds me of the darker stuff from The Cure (Faith, Pornography era), and the sweetness of a meandering reverberated Violin that skirts around the swelling and pulsing vocal swooping of Goese through these very free sounding arrangements. 

‘Drum’ is the debut release from Hugo Largo and was recorded in Athens Georgia, known more commonly to music fans as the home of the great R.E.M whose fearless leader Michael Stipe produces and plays on 4 tracks of this record, originally released as a 7 track EP, but later reissued with two bonus tracks which are also fantastic. 

A sound akin to acts like Cocteau Twins and The Cure with a vocal sound that draws from the eccentricities of Kate Bush while being a totally unique sound and character. The songs move seamlessly into one another like a canvas  displaying various landscapes that blend through subtle and seasonal changes as the eye follows the work along the length of a great wall. Subtle, ambient while being quite dynamic. ‘Drum’ is wonderful release and is highly recommended. 

Personnel:

Mimi Goese - Vocals

Tim Sommer - Bass

Adam Peacock - Bass

Hahn Rowe - Violin

A1. Bad Note for a Heart

A2. Missing Presumed Drowned

A3. Melt Against Yourself

A4. Headwind

A5. Down in Splendour

A6. A.P.S

B1. Quiet Come

B2. Such a Daze

B3. Skin to Wear

B4. Hand in Mine

B5. Roller Ride

B6. Cast Stone

The record in the middle of their discography at a time when the New Zealand bands were making waves OS, the Straightjacket Fits put this great bunch of songs together on a major label.

My introduction to this band, unfortunately, comes too late in the game to be able to use any of their other work or live sounds as reference points. Fans of the earlier work have run this down as being ‘too overproduced or stiffed by reverb’, of which, admittedly,  there is a shit ton of, swirling around in the mix and muddying up the songs to a degree. Others refer to this as a classic in the catalog, boasting that ‘the best of The Fits material landed on this record’.

Retrospectively, we can describe this music as Jangle, Noise Pop or something of the like. A cross blend of bands like The Church, Galaxie 500, The Clean, Slint and hints of other ‘Shoegaze/Slowcore’ bands that were floating around at the time. But only really in terms of the masses of guitar layering. The actual sentiment of the songwriting remains in ‘Jangle’ land in my opinion. Which is what makes these songs really come alive. 

There is an element of ‘Pop-ish-ness’ with great hooks and really singable songs that make this more than a reverby guitar mess, that some seem to describe it as. Songs like ‘Headwind’, ‘Down In Splendour’ and the opener ‘Bad Note for a Heart’ are really well done songs that would stand up in any format and are a testament to the superior song craft of these guys. Many talk about the creative conflicts between the two songwriters in Andrew Brough and Shayne Carter but as we listen to the contributions from both artists on here, they seem to sit fairly consistently in ‘the sound’ of the band. 

Like most Longplay albums from this era, there’s a hole in the middle. Meaning, a handful of tracks that stand in the way of it being a complete and concise masterpiece. But i really love the first side of this record. Songs like ‘Quiet Come’, ‘Such a Daze’ and ‘Roller Ride’, probably could’ve been left off. But then in among the second side is the poignant and lush ‘Hand in Mine’, a great ballad tune form the period and the absolute monster of a closing track ‘Cast Stone’, which I’m guessing, is a more true reflection of the creative stuff the Fits were about outside of the studio. 

The pressure on bands at this time (and probably always and forever), to walk that fine line between creative freedom and commercial appeal is a big factor in the recording process, that I’m certain most are unaware of. It’s so easy to point out where a band ‘lost it’, ‘sold out’, or ‘caved in’ to record execs, and it would be so great to be able to say that the ‘truly great bands’ rise above this stuff, but it simply ain’t true. The expectation of success and what that looks like, looms like a shadow over every recording artist in what critics refer to as ‘the most important periods of an artists career’. Bla bla bla!

‘The Straightjacket Fits’ are indeed one of the ‘great’ bands to come from the scene and period and i really like this record. I would have to agree with most in that thee is something a little ‘airy’about the mix which makes me wish i’d heard these songs live in the day, but still a classic bunch of tunes by a real kick ass band. 

Personnel:

David Wood - Bass

John Collie - Drums, Percussion

Shayne Carter - Vocals, Guitar

Andrew Brough - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards

Kalju Tonuma - Trumpet

A1. Dumb Waiters

A2. Pretty in Pink

A3. I Wanna Sleep With You

A4. No Tears

A5. Mr. Jones

B1. Into You Like a Train

B2. It Goes On

B3. So Run Down

B4. All of This & Nothing

B5. She Is Mine

I know I'm not alone when i say that i wish i was born to be a teenager in the 70's and grow up among the greatest music period of all time. But its now, in my 30's, that i am starting to realize the cycles in which music and pop culture moves and that while i had my head buried in a bucket of mum and dads music, this was happening in the world. 

I was 3 years old when this album was released and while my parents were playing their Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel records, bands like the Psychedelic Furs were doing there thing. When I was 12 and starting to appreciate music, Nirvana was releasing their second album. I missed a big chunk of great stuff and now I’m playing catch up. I feel a little ripped off.

The second record from the ‘Furs’ is this masterpiece of gritty new wave or Jangle, Post Punk. This music is both aggressive and melodic. Cynical and warm-hearted. Brutal and beautiful. Talk Talk Talk, it seems to me, is one of those albums that pushes music forward. Past the Pub Rock into Jangle Pop. Past the Punk Rock into what is known as the Post- Punk movement (funnily enough lasting longer than the Punk movement itself). 

All tracks have a Pop element and were all potential singles with catchy melodies, great arrangements and dynamic and snappy instrumentation. A great production too. Most would remember the track ‘Pretty In Pink’, which is the massive hit from the movie with the same name, that put The Psychedelic Furs on the map for the mainstream radio listeners. 

Its a brilliant follow up from their excellent and almost flawless debut. The sounds and songs on this record are up there in quality among the very best of the era and genre. There was PIL, The Cure, Wire, Talking Heads and The Psychedelic Furs were right up there IMO. Essential Pop/Punk Music. Highly recommended.

Personnel:

Richard Butler - Vocals

Tim Butler - Bass

John Aston - Guitar

Roger Morris - Guitar

Duncan Kilburn - Horns, Keyboards

Vince Ely - Drums, Percussion

A1. Summertime Blues

A2. Rock Me Baby

A3. Doctor Please

B1. Out of Focus

B2. Parchment Farm

B3. Second Time Around

Essentially, ‘Vincibus Eruptum’ is a total ‘sludge fest’ of a record that would probably have been right at home in the nineties ‘Grunge’ scene but 30 years previous, these three bold musicians belted out a genre defining album that would stand the test of time as being innovative and timeless.  Call it Heavy Psych, Proto-Heavy Metal, Blues or Hard Rock, there is no denying it was ‘X’ to the extreme and it is impossible to underestimate the affect it had on young people at the time. Which in turn, makes it a game changer as far as albums go. 

Blue Cheer’s debut release from 1968 is as bold a statement as anything else that was being pushed at the time. Raw, Fuzzed out to the extreme, with a strong vocalist and a massive sound for a three piece. ‘Vincibus Eruptum’ helped the band earn their reputation as being ‘The Loudest Band that ever was’, and while there were loads of bands that presumably got some influence from this Blues Rock style of Heavy Psych, this is indeed, a groundbreaking record.

Three songs per side, it is said, so that they could fit the tracks onto the vinyl without compromising the volume from the groove space, this is a hard hitting succinct package. Opening with the well known ‘Summertime Blues’ but taking it a few gears higher than the original from 1958 by Eddie Cochran, really capturing the spirit of youth and rebellion of the time. with solos where the anthemic words would usually be.  Parchment Farm is another highlight. And then finishing with the massive ‘Second Time Round which highlights an impressive drum solo. 

A must hear for those interested in the roots of Heavy Metal and Rock music. 

Personnel:

Leigh Stephens - Guitar

Dick Peterson - Bass, Vocals

Paul Whaley - Drums

A1. Mandingo

A2. Black Rite

A3. Medicine Man

A4. Jungle Wedding

A5. Chant of the Virgins

B1. Sacrifice

B2. Tiger in the Night

B3. Black Fire

B4. Moon Goddess

B5. Pagan Ritual

A dollar bin gem that is an essential for all samplers, DJ’s and audiophiles everywhere. 

Mandingo is essentially the brain child of British Band Leader and film score arranger of the late fifties, early sixties, Geoff Love who managed to amass a cast of rhythmic, percussive and brass session players to bring this massive album to full life. 

‘The Primeval Rhythm of Life’ was released during the same year as the debut under this moniker ‘Sacrifice’ only it was signed to a different label, obviously offering a totally new audience. Although both albums are fantastic examples of the then current Exotica themed Library influenced Jazz- Funk, its this one that is the most accomplished and well known. 

It fires at on all cylinders from start to finish with an onslaught of tribal rhythms (that are produced masterfully in this quadraphonic stereo mix), accompanied by  some rootsy bass and funky horn sections. Given a psychedelic flair with the use of Electric Guitars and Synthesizers, creating a spacey backdrop. The list of instruments used on this is massive and alongside the expert work of producer Norman Newell, this album is absolutely explosive and doesn’t really let up. 

Admittedly, it does somehow, even with all its funky tribal rhythms, ‘Afro’ influences and “Primitive” themes, it still somehow comes off as a very British sounding record. Like the soundtrack of some action movie starring white dudes, but set in West Africa or something. However, all of that aside, throw this on at a party and you’ll have the blood pumping and sweat pouring on the dance floor in no time. Its a sure thing!!

Epic and dramatic Funky Exotica, with hints of Blaxploitation String/woodwind sections here and there and even a touch of library Psych-Funk. A very strong record and stylistically very unique. 

Personnel/Credits:

 Produced by - Norman Newell

Recording Engineer - Peter Brown

All arrangements by - Geoff Love

A1. 100

A2. Pleasure Circles

A3. Anybody Anyhow

B1. Brain

B2. Outgrown This Town

Australia in the mid to late eighties, was a peak period for commercial sounding Pop/Rock music. There was plenty of money around, there was access to world class recording and there were labels galore, always scouting new talent via the very active A&R program. There was a healthy live music scene in every major city. It was a great time for music in Australia.

There are some unique subtleties in the music that, when you listen to enough Aussie records, you can start to recognise in the sounds, production, attitude and musicality of the different scenes across this country. Which stands to reason given the vast distances between cities. On any other continent you’d be in a foreign land and speaking a different language. But, I digress.

Late eighties Sydney seemed to have embraced the ‘Jangle Pop’ sound more than anywhere else in Oz. Labels like ’Red Eye’ and ‘Phantom’ Records who produced major radio hits from acts like ‘The Church’, ‘The Hoodoo Gurus, and ‘The Sunnyboys’, made it possible for bands such as the little known ‘Even As We Speak’ to produce and press their well written Indie Pop sounding ditties and release them to major audiences while playing on line ups which featured some bigger names. 

‘Outgrown This Town’ is the second release from the band, an EP of 5 strong tracks which display a quality and maturity that far exceeds their first 7″ release ‘Small Fish in a Big Machine’ released three years previous. Reverberated clean tone guitars over sleek and Jangley rhythms with that crystal clear high hat on a 4/4 quick beat.  Shared male and female vocals which adds a nice and refreshing vibe. Tracks like ‘Anybody Anyway’ and ‘Brain’ are wonderful and the Instrumental title track permeates something truly Australian with musical imagery. In fact the whole thing exudes the inner Seaside City essence.

Perhaps you have to be an Aussie to get it, but there’s something poignant about hearing Matthew Love and Mary Wyer trade lines with each other singing ‘Im looking forward to the rain’, over and over again in their sweet Australian accents that just takes my mind out into the hot sticky concrete wilderness of the Sydney city Summer.

This 45 RPM on 12 inch sounds as fresh today as it did in then and captures the spirit of the time perfectly well. A great and overlooked EP. 

Personnel:

Anita Rayner - Drums

Matthew Love - Guitar, Vocals

Rob Irwin - Bass

Mary Wyer - Vocals, Guitars

A1. The Song of the Sea Goat

A2. Under The Sky

A3. Will It Be You

A4. Wholefood Boogie

A5. Still

B1. Envelopes of Yesterday

B2. The Piper

B3. A House of Hopes and Dreams

B4. The Night People

Peter Sinfield made his appearance on the worlds Music scene as the lyricist for King Crimsons debut and instant masterpiece ‘In The Court of the Crimson King’. His whimsical, image conjuring and masterly crafted poetics were such a major part of that particular album, that it placed Sinfield in as much high regard as the genius musicians who played on it and carved his name into the history books. 

He would go on to become chief lyricist for  KC’s next (and strongest) 4 albums, along with writing for such Progressive greats as ELP, King Crimson side project McDonald & Giles and Roxy Music. A wonderful legacy for a truly brilliant wordsmith and songwriter. 

Perhaps, its these astounding credentials that force us to ask so much of Sinfield’s only solo release. I’m certain many, like myself, were expecting something at least on a par with these aforementioned masterpieces or at least something that resembled their dreamy and otherworldly progressive sentiments. However, ‘Still’, with its mixed bag approach of Soft Prog, Country Rock and crude Glam Boogie Blues, falls over in various ways. 

Its a huge surprise for me, in that the ingredients and recipe was all laid out for brilliance. This incredible ‘dream’ line up together in the studio, ones mind boggles at what could have been created had the almost tyrannical direction of Robert Fripp, (who was either not invited, or refused to join the party on this one), presided. 

Being a huge fan of the sole McDonald & Giles record, i can see here, an attempt to pull off the same kind of Progressive, ‘dark and misty’ intensity that meets the ‘fun and funky’ world of harmonious Soft, syncopated Jazz/Funk Rock that is demonstrated so courageously on that record. But here on ‘Still’ the ideas don’t really mesh. The vocals are a little too comical and lightweight to give any real depth to Sinfields beautiful words, which i should mention are still amazing on this. 

  The opening track, with it softly caressed piano (played by Keith Tippet) offers a hint of promise as it is, only slightly, reminiscent of the dreamlike Mellotron drenched sounds of early King Crimson but pretty soon as we venture into the first side we realise ‘Still’ is quite aimless and that the songs don’t travel very well together. ‘Will it Be You’ which sounds like a Gram Parsons country hoe-down and ‘Wholefood Boogie’ which sounds as though it were lifted straight off of T-Rex’s Electric Wizard, does nothing at all to compliment the rest of the track list. Presenting them on ‘Still’ was a bad idea and so early on in the record, a crime.

There are some nice moments on this however. The outro of the Side B opener ‘Envelopes of Yesterday’ sees Sinfields vocals reach a foreign height and show some real passion and the whimsical-Folk sounding ‘The Piper’ is a nice follow up moving sweetly into ‘The House of Hopes and Dreams’. In fact, the second side almost runs like a suite and flows much more cohesively than that of side A, showing some moments of real beauty and wonderful musicianship.

I haven’t quite made up my mind about this one yet.  While there are some sentimental moments of heartfulness, it really doesn’t measure up to what it could have been and had it not been created by some of the best names on the scene at the time, i wonder if i would have a different assessment of it. 

Stark, lighthearted at times and inconsistently thrown together, but showing brief moments of possibility kept me listening. An obtuse listening experience. 

Personnel:

Pete Sinfield - 12 String acoustic guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals

Richard Brunton - Acoustic and Electric Guitars

Brian Cole - Pedal Steel Guitar

Greg Lake - Electric guitars, Backing Vocals, joint lead vocals on ‘Still’

Snuffy - Electric Guitars

Mel Collins - Alto, Tenor and aritone Saxophones, Flute, Bass Flute, Celeste

Don Honeywill - Baritone Sax

Chris Pyne - Trombone

Greg Bowen - Trumpet

Stan Roderick - Cor Anglais

Tim Hinkley - Electric Piano

Phil Jump - Piano, Hammond Organ, Glockenspiel, Electric Piano

Keith Tippet - Piano

Boz - Bass

Steve Dolan - Bass

John Wetton - Bass

Min - Drums, Percussion

Ian Wallace - Drums

Brian Flowers - Tea, Sympathy and Equipment