Day 0852 - Life Thru a Lens

Robbie Williams "Life Thru a Lens" (1997)

My sister loved this album back in the day, she had the first couple of Robbie albums on cassette (because we're getting old) and as all big brothers should do, I suspect I poo-poohed it at the time.   I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Robbie though, and a few years later when I was going through a bout of depression and was feeling like most music just seemed like a wall of grey noise I turned to Williams' greatest hits (and some Kanye West if memory serves) and that seemed to be something that my brain was willing to let in.

As far as debuts go, it is pretty damned good.   Robbie had left boy-band Take That somewhat acrimoniously and teamed up with song-writer/producer Guy Chambers, and worked to recast himself as a cheeky rock n rolling pop star.  

The album seems to lean very heavily on the 'Brit-pop' sound, with Oasisy sneery rock and bouncy Blur-esque pop.  Regardless of the influences on display though, Williams makes it his own through his charisma and voice.   Mission statement, the brassy rocker "Let me Entertain You" lays out what he's about.

It's a fairly even album too without too much filler ("Baby girl window" maybe seems like a bit of a retread of some ideas already covered), with even the overplayed ballad "Angels" seeming entirely bearable in the context of the album as a whole.   The track "Ego a go go" slagging off Robbie's ex-Take That bandmate Gary Barlow feels musically like it's drawing on the Beatles' Revolver album, the title track has a pop-punk bent to its verses. For the most part though it's about melody with a bit of grit, and Robbie having a good time (and occasionally finding himself regretting it).

Day 0851 - Homework

 Daft Punk "Homework" (1997) 

DP grew from the ashes of the guitar-based band 'Darling'.  One critic slagged them off as "Daft, punky trash" which at least set up Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter with a name for their subsequent band.

The duo moved away from guitars and into synthesizers, drum machines and samplers.  The duo released singles "Da Funk" and "Rolling and Scratching", they went back into the studio to record some more singles but came away with enough material to constitute an album.

The band leaned reasonably heavily on funk sounds, nice deep bass grooves and catchy wah-wah synth hooks.   The tracks definitely follow the dance music format of slowly building on repetitive loops, but the music is catchy, memorable and creative beyond that.

 

Day 0850 - When I was Born for the 7th Time

Cornershop “When I was Born for the 7th Time" (1997)

Cornershop was formed in Leicester by Tjinder Singh.  The book suggests that as time went on, Singh started to incorporate elements of Indian music into the band, but I listened to a compilation of their first couple of EPs and that influence was already pretty clear even back then.

"When I was born..." features production from Dan the Automator, and definitely track "Butter the Soul" has his sound all over it with its mix of retro kitsch and unconventional turntablism.

"We're in your corner" in a full on raga drone, while "Indian Tobacco"  takes elements of drone but puts them in more of a triphoppy frame.   "Candyman" is pure funk, but most of the rest of the album is generally a nice beat-heavy form of indie-pop with "Brimful of Asha" being the most known track.

The album closes with a cover of the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" that takes that band's experimentation with Indian music and puts a spin on it by performing the song in Punjabi.

Day 0849 - A Short Album About Love

Divine Comedy “A Short Album About Love” (1997)

Following the DC album “Casanova” (Day 0818) I was more than ready to hear some more of this band, and “A Short Album About Love” does not disappoint.   The album was recorded essentially live in the Shephards Bush Empire venue with an orchestra.  The band were preparing to play a live show there and got the recording done ahead of this.

Though recorded live, it is still treated as (and sounds like) a studio album.   The orchestra take the Scott Walker-esque vibes apparent on parts of the previous album and increase them tenfold.   I’m Walker fan, and a fan of Chamber Pop (orchestras make everything better) so I have no complaints about this.   Definitely “If” with its passionate, yet nearly comical lyrics feels like something straight out of the Jacques-Brel-via-Scott playbook.

The album’s titular brevity also helps make it an enjoyable and easy listen.

Day 0848 - The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds "The Boatman's Call" (1996) - got it

Cave had described the experience of making previous album "Murder Ballads" as 'a holiday'.   It was an album of twisted stories with gorgeous arrangements that Cave could lose himself in.   

"The Boatman's Call" is completely the opposite.   The cover once again features a picture of Cave, this time a bleak black and white rendering.   The songs are all painfully personal, alluding to breakups (Cave had recently divorced his wife and had a brief relationship with PJ Harvey), religion and a generally cold view of the word.   The Bad Seeds, responded to these songs with sparse arrangements (in some cases, just a piano backing Cave's deep croon) putting Cave even more in the burning spotlight.

The result though is a beautiful collection of songs that somehow manage to take pain and sadness and make something from it (like a rainbow after the fall if you want a trite analogy).   "Into my arms" may be one of the most beautiful songs written by anyone.   "Brompton Oratory" is a suitably hymn-like song for the church of the same name in London (I've been, it is a beautiful building).
"People Ain't No Good", "Where do we go but Nowhere" and "(Are You) the One That I've Been Waiting For" tell tales of heartbreak that almost seem to revel in the pain they're exorcising.

The next few Bad Seeds would move away from this kind of bare honesty back into a more narrative and sometimes character-driven form of writing, but this album is rightly held up as one of the best in the band's canon.

Day 0847 - Buena Vista Social Club

Buena Vista Social Club “Buena Vista Social Club” (1997)

I had heard of this album, and its accompanying film; and had heard BVSC member Ibrahim Ferrer on the track that he collaborated on with Gorillaz (“Latin Simone” from their self-titled album in 2001), but I had never previously listened to this album *self-wrist-slap*.

The album was put together by Ry Cooder, who it seems has worked with nearly everyone, in a music career spanning 6 odd decades (previously featured on this list entry 0774 collaborating with Ali Farka Touré).   Cooder had helmed number of projects working with traditional music styles in different countries.   His plan for this album was to put some African and Cuban musicians together to collaborate, but this plan fell through when the African musicians couldn’t get visas to come to Cuba.

Cooder switched gears and combined some of his Cuban collaborators with an existing project ‘Afro-Cuban Allstars’ to produce this album which revitalised the careers of several ageing Cuban stars and brought some older styles of Cuban music (such as the bolero and Son Cubano) into the international public consciousness, if only for a time.

The music is an organic delight – that is to say that it’s all live musicians, no hint of a drum machine, synthesiser or even (for the most part) anything as fancy as a guitar effects pedal in the mix.  The music is mostly lively and danceable with brilliant vocals, such as on "De Camino a la Vereda".  Occasional more stripped down tracks such as the latin-jazz piano workout of "Pueblo Nuevo" help to break up the dense, lively album a bit.

Day 0846 - Fat of the Land

Prodigy "Fat of the Land"  - got it

Prodigy dropped the 'the' from their name, got themselves a shiny new ant logo, and got PUNK.  

From Keith Flint's spiky hairdo and punky vocal contributions to the album, to the confrontational nature of opening track "Smack my Bitch up".

The album was a bit of a change up from its predecessors.  It still had the big thumping beats and aggressive razor-blade synth lines but there are a lot more vocals here.    As well as Flint's contributions to hits "Breathe" and "Firestarter" and a couple of other tracks, Prodigy member Maxim Reality is on a couple of tracks and Doctor Octagon himself Kool Keith features on the slightly lower tempo "Diesel Power".

The change worked well for them, with the first couple of singles going to number one and the album in general being a critical and commercial success.  

The band tried to recapture the magic with single "Baby's got a temper" but it was seen as a bit of a weak retread and their next full album would see the focus move from Maxim and Flint back to Howlett's beats and production.

Day 0845 - Dig Me Out

Sleater-Kinney "Dig Me Out" (1997)

Though I was aware of the name Sleater-Kinney, they really came on my radar via singer/guitarist Carrie Brownstein's show "Portlandia" with fellow punk-turned-comedian Fred Armisen.

Sleater-Kinney (named for a road in Lacey Washington) formed in the mid-90s and quickly went from a side project for Brownstein and other singer-guitarist (no bass in the band) Corin Tucker to being their main gig.

The band were recognised as being part of the 'riot grrrl' movement, the underground feminist rock movement of the 90s.   The music is mostly raucous punky rock with attitude-laden vocals and duelling guitar parts over propulsive drums.

Short n sweet album, my only real criticism would be that there's not a lot of variety.  Even ballady track "Buy her candy" has a little rock attitude to it.  Leaves me wishing that they'd maybe turn off the distortion pedal for even just one song.

 

Day 0844 - Let's Get Killed

David Holmes “Let’s Get Killed” (1997)

Belfast DJ/Producer David Holmes started DJing in local bars in his teens, playing a widely eclectic mix of music.  When he was 17 he travelled to the US and recorded overheard conversations on a portable recording device.  Some of those bits of dialogue turn up here.

The dialogue is mixed with dance and hip-hop beats. Sounds of jazz, funk and a range of other genres are wrapped in too.  The title track in particular weaves Holmes' found sounds through a moody electro soundscape that builds into a creepy drum and bass workout.

Holmes' sound was almost cinematic in its narrative approach and mix of styles... not surprising then that he would go onto score a large number of movies, including the "Oceans Eleven" trilogy.

Day 0843 - Shleep

Robert Wyatt "Shleep" (1997)

If you were giving points just for longevity, Wyatt would be doing well.  His last entry in this list "Rock Bottom" (day 325) was released in 1974.  If you were just going based on fun song titles he'd be doing well with doozies like "Free Will and Testament" and "the Whole Point of No Return".   If you were going based on the respect of other musicians, he'd be doing well as Brian Eno helps produce and guitars are provided by Paul Weller and Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera.

The fact is that, beside all of the above, the music is damned good too.  From the naive 60s-esque pop of "Heaps of Sheep" and "Maryan" to the jazzy experimentation of "the Duchess", the extended fusiony jam of "Alien" to the jazzy beat poetry homage to Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" this is just a great collection of songs.   The music brings to mind everything from the Kinks, early Pink Floyd, and Frank Zappa to later interesting and inventive bands like Ween and XTC.

Day 0842 - Vanishing Point

Primal Scream "Vanishing Point" (1997)

I really enjoyed Primal Scream's "Screamadelica" album where they combined rock sounds, dance sounds, and the in between 'baggy' sound.   As much as I enjoy musical variety, I felt that some of the electronic tracks didn't really sit along the more guitar-based songs, possibly it's because it was a fairly new direction for the band and they hadn't quite worked out how to properly integrate everything.   Colour me pleased then that this album still mixes its sounds but seems to have found more of a balance across the album.

The album is named after a film of the same name that the band loved.   They felt that the film's score was a bit too much like hippy music for a film about speed-jacked cross-country car antics and sought to reimagine this at least for the track "Kowalski" (the main character).  

The album also manages to work in the trip-hoppy jazz of "Get Duffy", the rock sound of "Medication", the Krautrock of "Stuka", a slightly dance-infused cover of Motörhead's eponymous track, and the 60s-spy-music-evolving-into jazzy-trip-hop-voyage of penultimate track "Trainspotting".  

Excellent album, liking what I'm hearing and should probably check out at least the album between "Screamadelica" and "Vanishing Point" some time.

Day 0841 - Dig Your Own Hole

Chemical Brothers "Dig Your Own Hole" (1997)

The Brothers Chemical (not their real names, I checked) moved quickly to follow up the success of their debut “Exit Planet Dust”.   They released the EP “Loops of Fury” in 1996 and plunged on with work for their second LP.

Electronic music is not my first love, but even I find this to be an exciting collection of tracks.   From the staccato opening bassline and punchy, ever-changing beats of opener “Block Rockin’ Beats” the album takes you on a journey of big funky bass (“Get up on it Like This” and “Lost in the K-Hole”), quirky 'found sound' laden dance tracks "Piku", to psychedelic looped soundscapes (“Setting Sun” “Where Do I Begin”).  

 The album features guest vocals from Beth Orton and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher.  The latter had met the Brothers (y’know what, they have different names… I’m not even sure they are legitimately related) and complimented them on “Exit Planet Dust”.   They contacted him about singing on the track “Setting Sun” and the result was reminiscent enough of the Beatles' groundbreaking track "Tomorrow Never Knows" that that band's lawyer attempted to sue the Brothers (you know what, they don't even look alike... really don't think they're related) for sampling it... they hadn't.

The album was another success and the brothers (y'know what, maybe it's not strictly familial, more of a term of endearment) were soon in hot demand as remixers, as well as continuing to make great music of their own.

Day 0840 - Supa Dupa Fly

Missy Elliott "Supa Dupa Fly"(1997)

Another musical 'lifer', Missy had been performing since she was a child, then formed a musical group called Fayze (later 'Sista').   She recruited her friend Timothy Mosley AKA Timbaland to help them get some demos together.

They caught the attention of a member of the group Jodeci who got them on board to work on music for Jodeci while they also worked on their own material and songs for other artists including superstar Aaliyah.

Puffy Daddy/Diddy tried to sign Elliott to his Bad Boy label, but she took control of her own destiny and created her own imprint 'Goldmind Records' to release her debut and (as with her future records) got Timbaland on board for production duties.

It's not hard to see why Missy Elliott was lauded as revitalising hip hop.  Entering what was primarily a male-dominated and often misogynistic genre; taking on writing, producing, rapping and singing, and bringing fresh, sparse arrangements, and well placed (though again, not cluttered) rhymes.   Single "The Rain" is probably my favourite track.

Day 0839 - Maverick a Strike

Finley Quaye "Maverick a Strike" (1997) - got it

This is a straight-up summer album.   Quaye's distinctive voice moves between laid-back delivery and ecstatic yells.

The music largely revolves around reggae and dub sounds, with a bouncing, jiving reimagining of Bob Marley via "Sunday Shining", summery reggae pop with single "Your Love gets Sweeter", the long percussion jam of "Red Rolled and Seen" and the deep soupy dub of "Supreme I Preme".

Quaye seems someone who has been dogged by hassles, whether it's a feud with Tricky after claiming that he was the trip-hop star's uncle, being booed offstage by a bunch of football fans for disparaging the team, or being charged with physically assaulting someone.   Separating the artist from the art though, this is an enjoyable listen.

Day 0838 - OK Computer

Radiohead "OK Computer" (1997) - got it

A couple of things I learned reading about 'OK Computer':

1. Most it was recorded with the band playing together, allowing for bleed through of the instruments into each other's feed and using minimal overdubs.  I find that kind of interesting, as I've always pictured the band meticulously layering overdubs and putting together the album piece by piece like that.
   
   
2. A couple of the songs were thrown together fairly quickly at outside requests.  Again, I find that surprising because I assumed the band were a group of perfectionists who would need/want to spend weeks or even months on any given track.

It was one of these quick turnaround songs "Lucky" that started off the writing for OK Computer.  Brian Eno had requested a composition from the band for a charity compilation and the song was recorded in five hours with Nigel Godrich, who had been an engineer on previous album "The Bends".   The band were happy with the experience and brought Godrich on to produce OK Computer, and eventually all subsequent Radiohead albums and Thom Yorke's solo material.

The album moves further away from the rock sound of "Pablo Honey" and "the Bends", with only "Electioneering" really feeling like a 'rock' song.  

The album starts off with an almost 'Bends-esque' track "Airbag", but then track two "Paranoid Android" comes crashing in taking you on a sonic odyssey and setting the scene for the album, from the simple acoustic guitar and vocal that swells to a dense arrangement mixing guitar noises and keyboards, with multiple vocals layered and playing against each other in a melancholic, almost unsettling atmosphere.  A similar approach is used on "Karma Police" and the brilliant "Exit Music (For a Film)" (written at request for the soundtrack to Baz Lurhmann's "Romeo and Juliet" film).

The lovely, delicate "No Suprises" offers a respite from the aural density.  

The album was a huge success, but Radiohead would not rest on their laurels, taking even bigger risks with their next release "Kid A" and flipping the script on their sound yet again.

Day 0837 - Blur

Blur “Blur” (1997) – got it

Blur’s self-titled album was a dramatic sea change for the band.  After three albums of perky, clean, cheeky Britpop, containing plenty of piano and occasional brass bands; they suddenly emerged with this murky, often downbeat, sparser, lo-fi rock album.

The band’s previous album “the Great Escape” had been relatively successful commercially and critically (and it’s the first one really got me into them).  But, with the highly publicised ‘battle of Britpop’ between Blur and Oasis and the success of the latter’s “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory” album Blur faced backlash, being seen as inauthentic middle-class pop, next to ‘working class heroes’ Oasis.

Guitarist Graham Coxon was also feeling increasingly creatively restrained within the band, to the extent that he wrote a letter to singer Damon Albarn urging that they make music that “scares people again”.   Albarn talked to producer Stephen Street about going for a more stripped down sound and the band took a more collaborative approach, jamming together instead of just working on Albarn's compositions.

Right from the off it's a different sound.  Opening track "Beetlebum" starts with muted, struck guitar strings giving way into an almost monotone fuzzy guitar line with Albarn's slow drawl creeping in over top; the overall effect owing more to American indie rock than to the British music hall.   The second track, the imaginatively titled "Song 2" was something they'd thrown together with Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree playing drum kits at opposite ends of studio from each other and Albarn riffing lyrics over the top.  The short rocker ended up becoming a hit for the band.

Most of the rest of the record continues with its scungey alt-rock vibe on tracks like "Death of a party", "Movin' on", the Coxon penned and sung "You're so great" and epic closer "Essex Dogs".    Elsewhere, tracks like "MOR" and "Chinese Bombs" bring a rocking velocity to contrast the more lethargic numbers.   "On your own" flirts with electronic beats, and mixes that with guitar noises and singalong choruses.

The album doesn't completely depart from previous offerings.  As with the previous three albums there is an instrumental track, but instead of being a jaunty brass or piano piece, it's the moody "Theme from Retro", all organs and indistinct vocal samples.   The song that bears the most resemblance to their previous Britpop work (bouncy rhythm and string backing) is, funnily enough, the track titled "Look Inside America".

It's funny in a way: Oasis spent so much time trying to be the Beatles by copying that band's various sounds, whereas Blur ended up being more like the Beatles through their constant reinvention and deconstruction of their own sound.

Day 0836 - If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian "If You're Feeling Sinister" (1996)

Nobody could accuse Belle and Sebastian of wasting time.  Their first album (see day 0815) was recorded in less than a week.  That release quickly led to them being courted by several record labels and they decided to go with indie label Jeepster.  The band felt that being on an indie would give them more creative control, and Jeepster were willing to accommodate the band's desire to not do any press or participate in promotional photographs or videos to support their releases.
The band then knocked this album out in about a week and released it the same year as their debut.

Sinister continues in a similar vein to the debut, with folky indie-pop.   Something about some of the tracks (maybe the mix of smooth trumpet and piano) brings Burt Bacharach to mind - high praise.   

I still have memories of disliking B&S a few years back, but it's entirely possible that it was just a bit of a knee-jerk reaction.   Indie-pop was a genre that seemed to annoy me at the time for some reason... or maybe they went downhill after the first couple of albums?  I guess I'll find out if any more pop up on the list.

Day 0835 - 1977

Ash "1977" (1996)

Not the first band to name an album or a song for the year they were born, and certainly not the last.   1977 also being the year Star Wars was released, the album opens with the sound of a TIE-fighter and ends with the clear Star Wars reference of track "Darkside Lightside" (the band also recorded a cover of "the Cantina Song" from Star Wars as a b-side for single "Girl From Mars").

The band were still teenagers when they entered the studio to work on the album, stating that they became nocturnal creatures, being introduced fairly rapidly to drugs by their producer.   

Despite all of this, and having put aside some freakout noise tracks they'd worked on in their murky studio state, the album is a gorgeous slice of pop-rock, with catchy singles like "Girl From Mars" and "Goldfinger" showing the young band's already mature songsmithing.  The opening and closing tracks show the band displaying some blistering pop-punk with emphasis on the punk.

Day 0834 - The Score

Fugees "The Score" (1996) - got it

Another of those albums/artists that was everywhere when I was in high school.   The Fugees had evolved from an earlier group featuring members Lauryn Hill and Pras.  They were joined by Wyclef Jean and renamed themselves Fugees (short for Refugees or Refugee Camp).

The Fugees' second album 'the Score' lays out a definite political/conscious hip-hop sound.  Making use of plenty of existing material, but instead of just sampling and working over the top of it, the group chose to largely re-record what they use.  They covered Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly" and Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry", but also utilised (and repurposed) parts of "Ready or not" by the Delfonics for their own song of the same name.

The album was a hit, but then the three Fugees busied themselves with solo projects and, sadly, to this day have never really produced anything further together, save one leaked single.

Day 0833 - Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" (1996) - got it

I actually found it a little difficult to revisit this one.   I picked it up when I was a teenager, and as with a lot of this sort of angry, nihilistic, twisted music it was a good release for me when I was going through a whole lot of my own stuff.   The off-shoot of that is that this music is now largely tied to some pretty uncomfortable memories.

Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor had taken the band under his wing and produced their first couple of releases.   He initially helmed the sessions for Antichrist Superstar too, but was around less in the second half of the process due to his commitments working on David Lynch's "Lost Highway" soundtrack.

The album still has a NIN 'Downward Spiral' vibe to it though with crunchy guitar riffs, roomy drums, bleakness and a touch of ambient treatment to some of the arrangements.   The album starts full pelt with propulsive metal of "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" before seguing into the successful single "The Beautiful People" with its industrial-meets-tribal drumming and simple but effective guitar riffs.

Much of the album has a beaten, feral intensity to it, but the brakes are applied in a couple of places, most noticeably the melodic "Cryptorchid" with its squelchy beats and creepy synths, and album closer (save for the 80+ tracks of silence and the hidden track at the end) "Man that you fear" which almost has a creepy post-apocalyptic triphop vibe to it, like someone trying to emulate Portishead except that person is a crazed serial killer and is unable to hide that in the music.

Musically it is as strong a rock album as you could hope (though trimming a track or two wouldn't harm it).   Apparently there's some lyrical chain throughout the album so that it's kind of a concept album/rock opera, but I never really paid too much attention to that.  All I know is that at a certain time in my life it was the right album for where I was at, but I don't give it many listens these days.

Day 0832 - First Band on the Moon

Cardigans "First Band on the Moon" (1996)

This is a deceptive wee album (and band).   On the face of it, it sounds like an upbeat mix of disco, funk and pop, like a more naive take on Chic.   On closer inspection there is a lot more going on, with the perky music often acting as background to rather depressing lyrics.  On hit single "Lovefool", the catchy danceable track features the rather bleak line "I don't care if you really care as long as you don't go".   I've always quite enjoyed that sort of juxtaposition; a sad message presented in a bright and shiny wrapper.

A couple of the band members Peter Svensson and Magnus Sveningsson, had previously been in metal bands, and there are a couple of riffs here that, with a distortion pedal added, would rock quite heavily.   The band cover Black Sabbath's "Iron Man", and their own song "Heartbreaker" features the main riff from the song "Black Sabbath" from the album "Black Sabbath" by the band.... er well I forget their name.   It starts with the menacing riff but quickly switches into doe-eyed 60s-esque baroque pop before moving back to fade out in Black Sabby sludginess.

This band is definitely much more than just a one-trick pony and this album is more than that one song from a Leo DiCaprio film.

Day 0831 - Now I Got Worry

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "Now I got Worry"

Spencer had started off with noise rock band Shithaus and garagey/noise/punk rock band Pussy Galore.   He stated that those bands were about him kicking against rock music but that JSBE was was him accepting and even celebrating the sound a bit more.

It's been mentioned by critics that the bands sound was not very 'bluesy'... I guess you could argue that maybe their sound is not supposed to be blues but rather the aftermath of the titular explosion.   "Now I got Worry" was recorded while the band were also working on the "A Ass Pocket of Whiskey" album with bluesmen R L Burnside and Kenny Brown and it seems to have injected a little more blues to 'Now I got Worry' which features another blues singer Rufus Thomas on song "Chicken Dog".

There is more of a blues vibe but it's still buried amongst a raft of other noisy, off-the-wall sytles.  "F*ck Sh*t up" has a noisy, beat-backed bit of drawling street poetry with miscellaneous noises jumping out at you.   "2kindsa Love" has almost a funk-metal Janes Addictiony vibe to it.  "Get Over Here" has an aggressive alt-rock groove similar to Mark of Cain or Helmet.  "Cool Vee" has a laidback, cruisy vibe with vocal samples being scratched over the top of it.

Day 0830 - Second Toughest in the Infants

Underworld "Second Toughest in the Infants" (1996)

Another electronic album... though I guess the genre was going through something of a renaissance at this point.    

The members of Underworld had started off playing electro pop in a couple of different bands.  Even the early incarnation of Underworld itself had been more in an electro-rock, electro-pop direction.  The band enlisted DJ Darren Emerson and moved more fully into techno/electronica, working with pulsing beats and repetitive looped musical ideas.

This approach creates the musical bed for the minimalist and again often repeated vocals.   There was a time when I didn't really dig this style of music, I preferred a constant influx of new ideas or at least some regular evolution of the main idea.   I think now I'm less able to absorb that unless I'm focussing solely on the music.   I used to be able to listen to quite complex all-over-the-show music while reading a book or writing etc, but now I find I need to give a lot more attention to my listening.   Having something that loops and repeats that I can wander in and out of has an ever increasing appeal.

Day 0829 - Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem "Logical Progression" (1996)

This one was a bit of an attention marathon, being well in excess of 2 hours.   Electronic music is not my first love, though as with any area of music (yes even country and teeny pop) there are good albums/artists.  But my lack of a natural affinity with the genre does mean I find it harder to take longer albums in this style.

Bukem had been producing tracks himself through the early 90s but by this stage had quietened on that front to concentrate on running his club 'Speed' and his label 'Good Looking Records'.   This album seems to be a way of promoting both those ventures in that its long runtime seems to frame it less as a concise 'album' statement, and more like a DJ's set at a dance club.  In addition, the album features tracks not only by Bukem but some of his label mates on Good Looking Records, so it's a bit like a label sampler.   

It's interesting because I didn't really think that compilations were included on the 1001 Albums list, maybe Bukem's remixed the other artist's tracks enough that they let it slide?

The music is drum and bass, but not the aggressive pounding style maybe more associated with the genre, instead it's more of an ambient jazzy sound but still with the beats.

Day 0828 - Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds "Murder Ballads" (1996) - got it

The album was a bit of change up for the Bad Seeds, with the change of a charming oil painting in place of the usual moody photograph of Cave on the album cover, through to the lyrics being completely narrative and non-autobiographical.

The album, which Cave has described as 'a holiday' had its genesis during the sessions for the "Henry's Dream" album, where the song "O'Malley's Bar" (the near-enough-to quarter hour penultimate track on Murder Ballads) was written.   The band felt it didn't fit on any of their albums, so created an album that would work for it.   Having said that, musically the album isn't a million miles from the gothic blues, folk and lounge stylings of their previous album "Let Love In".

Murder ballads are a subgenre within balladry, featuring songs that recount the gruesome details and sometimes aftermath of murderous deeds.   Cave launches into it with twisted glee, with a foul-mouthed account of the actions of one "Stagger Lee" at the Bucket of Blood Inn.   You can almost hear how much fun he's having as he assumes the role of the mass-murdering schoolgirl Loretta in the wild organ-driven song "the Curse of Milhaven".   

It's not all Cave by himself though, PJ Harvey guests on "Henry Lee" and wildcard Kylie Minogue duets with Cave on the beautifully cinematic "Where the Wild Roses Grow" which provided the band with an unlikely hit and adds a bit of colour amongst some of the low-key groove-based tracks.  On that note "Stagger Lee" is an interesting one in that it doesn't have verses and choruses, just the same groove repeated throughout the entire song (including the freakout section at the end).   

The album closes on what seems like a more positive note, with a cover of Bob Dylan's "Death is not the End" featuring guest vocal spots from Kylie, PJ, Shane Macgowan and members of the Bad Seeds.

Is it the best Bad Seeds' album?   Depends which day of the week you ask me.

Day 0827 - Walking Wounded

Everything But the Girl "Walking Wounded"

Following Tracey Thorn's guest spot on Massive Attack's "Protection" (see day 776) and the popular remix of EBtG's track "Missing", the group decided to delve into more of an electronic sound.

The sound is only cosmetically differently from where the band was at for previous releases.   Sure there are loops, and beats echoing a range of dance genres; but the songs are still based around sparse orchestration and Tracey Thorn's haunting voice.  

"Single" is a mournful tale of hurt at lost love, "the Heart Remains a Child" almost sounds upbeat with it's major chord melody and peppy beat.   "Mirrorball" with its heartfelt acoustic guitar, laidback beat and lovely melody make it sound like a blueprint for a lot of modern pop.

An updated but familiar sound for the band that placed them more in the triphop camp, and it fits them like a glove.

Day 0826 - Everything Must Go

Manic Street Preachers "Everything Must Go" (1996)

Following the disappearance of guitarist Richey Edwards the band relocated themselves to France with producer Mike Hedges to work on the follow-up to "The Holy Bible" (see day 777).

The sound of the previous album was dark, angsty and brittle.   "Everything Must Go" instead brings energy and a cathartic, at times almost euphoric sound.

This album features single "A Design for life" which was my introduction to the band back in the 90s sometime.   I'm not a hardcore MSP fan by any stretch of the imagination, I have a greatest hits album, and that's it.   Having said that I frequently hear sounds from them that I enjoy, and definitely the two albums on this list so far are full of 'good bits'.

Day 0825 - Tellin' Stories

The Charlatans "Tellin' Stories" (1996)

The band had to promote themselves as the UK Charlatans when touring the US due to a band over there having prior claim to the name.   Maybe they should have called themselves 'the New Charlatans'.
 

The music is an organ-heavy rock sound, with nasally vocals... not surprising then that the band had supported Oasis for their 1996 shows at Knebworth.   Kind of like the Oasis sound but mixed with a bit of the 'Madchester' style, more dance-esque beats and swirly guitars.

Not too bad, a few catchy numbers, but not one that has really stuck with me too much after listening to it.  The track "How can you leave us" kind of reminded me in places of the equally catchy rock of "Long Grass" by the New Zealand band Pan Am.

Day 0824 - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite" (1996)

I remember checking this one out when I first flicked through the 1001 albums book back in 2009 or whenever, because I was on a bit of a Marvin Gaye kick at the time and the album features a guitarist and songwriter who had worked with Marvin.

The album is in the neo-soul genre, much like D'Angelo (entry 804) and Erykah Badu with that sort of funk-based soul sound.  The track "Whenever, whatever, wherever" sounds like the kind of 'giant heart on the sleeve' style of ballad that Michael Jackson would frequently indulge in.

When I listened to it those years ago, it didn't inspire me to want to check out anything else Maxwell had done or to listen to this album again, and unfortunately that assessment has not changed.   It's not a bad album, just not really my bag.

Day 0823 - Come Find Yourself

Fun Loving Criminals "Come Find Yourself" (1996)

The band had formed in 1993.  They were working at a club and when the scheduled act failed to show they would step in and play the gig.  During one of these shows they caught the notice of the right people and got signed.

Their album "Come Find Yourself" has a bit of a club vibe in it, but in the main it feels to me like someone cruising around the city (presumably the FLC's hometown of New York).   Opening track "Fun Loving Criminal" feels like a daytime cruise about.   The next track "Passive Aggressive" has an evening, loungey vibe with some laidback raps which suddenly erupts into horn-backed heavy rock riffs with a yell-along chorus.   The album settles back into its silky groove for the next couple of tracks, singles "the Grave and the Constant" and "Scooby Snacks" before busting out the rock again for "Bombin' the L".

The cover of Louis Armstrong track "We have all the time in the world" is a nice touch, but not a scratch on the original.   Love the almost Cream-esque vibe of the riff from "Crime and Punishment"

The album mixes rap, rock, soul, and loungey vibes in a way that works more often than it doesn't.

Day 0822 - Oedipus Schmoedipus

Barry Adamson "Oedipus Schmoedipus" (1996)

 

I really enjoyed Barry's "Moss Side Story" (see day 654) and its mix of soundtrack composer vibes (Bernard Hermann, Angelo Badalamenti et al) and sonic experimentation.

Barry continues with that sound here, but with a bit more vocal input this time around.   From the opening choir at the start of the Jarvis Cocker-featured "Set the controls for the heart of the Pelvis", the sultry "Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls", the spoken word of "Vermillion Kisses" and Barry's former Bad Seeds bandmate Nick Cave featured on "the Sweetest Embrace"

Possibly less cohesive than "Moss Side Story" but still an enjoyable collection of sounds.

Day 0821 - Roots

Sepultura "Roots" (1996) - got it

Following the integration of traditional Brazilian percussion into their music on previous album “Chaos AD” (see entry ), Sepultura decided to plunge further into this direction.   They travelled and met with the Xavante Tribe to record the track “Itsári”.

Many of the other tracks feature interesting, tribal-style percussion, including "Ratamahatta" and "Roots Bloody Roots".   The band still had vestiges of their thrash metal sound in distorted hellish dervishes like “Dictatorshit", but mostly it leans more into the 'groove-metal' and 'nu-metal' sounds of slower, angrier, down-tuned riffs with the thumping tribal drumming.

If the album has any problems it's a lack of editing.   The band were trying a lot of different things and they didn't want to to leave any stone unturned.   The resulting 16 tracks across 72 minutes can get to be a bit too much Sepultura for one sitting.. even with the mellower tracks like "Itsári” and "Untitled" mixing up the pot.

Day 0820 - Being There

Wilco "Being There" (1996)

Following the dissolution of his band Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy and the majority of his bandmates formed the new band Wilco.

 

Initially Wiclo carried on Uncle Tupelo's alt-country sound, but with this, their second album they branched out, both stylistically (genres) and sonically (production).   The opening track "Misunderstood" mixes mellow piano with loud, fuzzy guitar... kind of starting off by letting you know that this is going to be a different kettle of fish.  There is brash rock in "Monday" which, with its bluesy rock and sassy horns doesn't sound a million miles from the Rolling Stones.  

The album is not without its alt-country tracks though.  "What's the world got in store" is a nice bit of banjo heavy balladry.   "Red-eyed and blue" is a beautiful song with almost a sort of jazzy undertone to its mellow country.  The bridge features an atmospheric roomy sounding whistle solo (love a good a whistle solo).  

The penultimate track "The lonely 1" starts with lush strings, letting you think that the album will end on a gentle emotive tack, until the closing track "Dreamer in my Dreams" comes crashing in with its raunchy honky tonk and rocks you out to the close.

A double album and probably a bit long for me, but another one where there no songs I actively disliked and I could happily listen to this in bits and pieces (my wife has a few Wilco albums so this one might even be around the house somewhere).   Actually it'd probably be quite a good road-trip album with its mix of reflective and rocking tracks.

Day 0819 - Tidal

Fiona Apple "Tidal" (1996) - got it

It is my opinion that Fiona Apple improved with each of her releases, peaking with "Extraordinary Machine".   I mean all of her albums are brilliant, but that one just hits the right songwriting and production sweet-spot for me.

Apple was classically trained on the piano and had been writing songs since she was 8 years old.   Apple got some of her compositions in front of Sony records thanks to a friend who babysat for a music publicist ('who you know' and all that).

This is Apple's debut, and she comes with her sound pretty well formed (I guess working on songwriting from childhood gets you good and ready).   Apple's love of jazz, particularly artists like Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald translates into beautiful, jazzy, moody piano with her voice that ranges from a gentle croon through to almost a passionate roar.

Right from opener "Sleep to Dream" she comes out shooting (featuring the brilliantly caustic line "you say love is a hell you cannot bear, and I say give me mine back and then go there for all I care"), raging over its jittery percussion and its string-like oblique background sounds.  "Criminal" also feels vaguely unsettled and dangerous.   But there are moments of serene beauty too with "Slow like Honey" and "Pale like September".

Day 0818 - Casanova

The Divine Comedy "Casanova" (1996)

This has a heavy '60s Scott Walker' vibe to it and.... no, in fact that's probably about the entirety of its vibe... but with Scott himself having abandoned that sound in pursuit of a more avant-garde approach, it doesn't feel quite as much like stealing/copying.

The sound is poppy, 60s, orchestral, and a little bit cheeky.   Hints of Serge Gainsbourg, and references to Michael Caine's 1966 film "Alfie" add to that period feel.

"Middle-Class Heroes" is pure Walker with the crooning vocal and orchestral flourishes and a little middle-section cinematic freakout.  "Charge" goes from tango to Latin jazz rock to a kind of subtle jazz groove with vocals mixing from falsetto to a low rumble, then back into the crazy rock chorus.
Then you hit "Songs of Love" and you realise "oh wow, that's the Father Ted theme tune" (Divine Comedy's only constant member singer Neil Hannon had written the theme tune the previous year and repurposed it as a song here, he also wrote the song "My lovely horse" featured in an episode of that show).

The album continues its high-theatre vein, wrapping up with "Theme from Cassanova" the Bacharach-esque tones of which feature a polite, plummy spoken word introduction.  Before ending with the incredibly Walker-esque "The Dogs & the Horses".

I really enjoyed this album and it is definitely going on my mental record store watchlist.  Hopefully I'll get around to checking out some more of DC's music after I'm done with the 1001 albums.

Day 0817 - Beautiful Freak

Eels "Beautiful Freak" (1996) - got it

If the Eels' sound seems to come somewhat fully formed, perhaps that's because the band was always more or less centred around singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett.  Prior to forming the Eels with drummer Butch and bassist Tommy Walter, Everett had honed his skills across two solo albums under his moniker 'E'.  

Lately I've been more focussed on the more recent Eels albums like "Hombre Lobo" and "Wonderful Glorious" (good) and "End Times" (less great), so it's been nice revisiting this great album.

On the face of it, it's a kind of downbeat indie pop and rock album, but there's plenty more here.   Opening track and single "Novocaine for the soul" features a sample of Fats Domino, some tinkling piano, strings and looped beats.   Track "Flower" opens with what sounds like a church choir then drops in some tasteful slide guitar, giving the track a hint of country.

E and his rotating cast of musicians would go on to plumb emotional depths, investigate harder rock sounds and string-backed mellowness but this album is already just bursting with musical information.  E lays out self-analysis, observations of the world around him and his offbeat take on love songs (as on the title track).

Day 0816 - Endtroducing...

DJ Shadow "Entroducing..." (1996) - got it

Surely, one of the most impressive debut albums ever.  True, Shadow had been DJing and recording singles for 6-7 years by this stage, but this was his first full-length.   In addition to that, the record is composed entirely of samples from old records, and in addition (again) to that, the album was put together largely just using three pieces of kit: a sampler, a turntable and a tape recorder.

Shadow recorded the album in Dan the Automator's home studio which (as per entry 0811) was also being used around this time to put together Kool Keith's Dr. Octagon album.

Shadow combines everything from Metallica basslines to "Twin Peaks" dialogue, there are film scores, funk beats, synth patterns, odd noises and a blizzard of scratching.   

Despite (or perhaps because of) the disparate range of sources, and despite the longish runtime, this album sucks me in every time and leaves me wanting more.

Day 0815 - Tigermilk

 Belle and Sebastian "Tigermilk" (1996)

Belle and Sebastian was formed by Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David, who had enrolled in a course in Glasgow for unemployed musicians.  Their drummer Richard Coburn was in a music business course that would release a single each year as part of their programme.  Not only was the Stuarts' single chosen, but the music business course were impressed enough to back them for a full  album release.
The players the two Stuarts had been working coalesced into a band proper and the album was recorded quickly.

The songs were all written by Stuart Murdoch and have a great sort of indie-pop vibe which delves alternatively into folk and rock sounds.   The track "Expectations" is great and sounds like a blueprint for the band Beirut (who I also enjoy).   About halfway through the band takes a bit of a left-turn into electronic pop just to keep you guessing.

My main link to Belle and Sebastian's music had been through now-former band member Isobel Campbell's excellent albums with Mark Lanegan.   I'd previously been so-so about what I'd heard from B&S themselves, but this album was definitely enjoyable.

Day 0814 - Odelay

Beck "Odelay" (1996) 

Early on, Beck was ensconced in the folk scene (and would return to a folk/alt-country vibe on several albums after this one) but found himself experiencing and experimenting with other genres.   Beck also spiced up his live performances with visual and aural oddity to keep people from getting complacent and ignoring him.

That splicing of styles comes to the fore on "Odelay" which, as it turns out, is Beck's fifth album.   He joins forces with the Dust Brothers (them of Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" album fame) for production of the album.   

There's blues guitar, rap, beats, fuzzy 60s-style rock and even some easy listening 1950s commercial sounding stuff on the intro to "New Pollution".   All of these styles are mixed in with a range of odd non-musical noises.  Beck's vocal delivery too runs the gamut, ranging from drawling laidback collage-style rap (e.g. on "Devil's Haircut"), to more melodic moments and a few distorted yelly bits thrown in, again, just in case you were getting complacent.

Interestingly, that image on the cover was not created specifically for the album.  It's taken from a 1970s dog magazine and features a rare breed of dog called a Komondor.

Day 0813 - Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" (1996)

So the age-old question "what's the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?" is answered.  Turtle is a 60s psychedelic rock band, and Tortoise is instrumental post-rock.

The band was formed by a group of multi-instrumentalists, including two separate rhythm sections.   The liner notes for their albums just list the band members and not what instruments they place which suggests that either they either mix it up a bit, or they are just mysterious mofos.

The music is subdued, hypnotic repetitions, often with Krautrock vibes to them (such as on the epic "Djed").  There are John Zorn-esque jazz-flavoured rock grooves ("the Taut and Tame") and almost Morricone-esque soundscapes ("Restless Waters").

Day 0812 - Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Stereolab "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" (1996)

Knew the name, hadn't really heard the music.

Stereolab was formed from the ashes of the band 'McCarthy' by lovers Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier.  The latter, having become disillusioned with the French pop/rock scene moved to the UK where she met Gane.

Stereolab were named after a division of Vanguard Records who delved into hi-fi effects.

I really loved this album.  In some ways it reminded me of another British band with a French connection, Saint Etienne.   Both bands have a 1960s pop vibe, with a more modern beat and sample-based approach applied.

The book makes comparisons to Nico, (both her solo releases and her work with the Velvet Underground) and I could certainly hear that.   There's a kind of naive, almost childlike 60s pop charm to the vocals and some of the music, but again through that modern filter.

Day 0811 - Dr Octagonecologyst

Dr Octagon "Dr Octagonecologyst" (1996)

Originally a founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith started working on solo material.  He completed a couple of tracks with collaborator Kutmasta Kurt which they sent out to radio stations and local DJs.   The tracks got into the hands of producer Dan 'the Automator' Nakamura who came on board and recorded the album with the two KKs in his home studio in his parents' basement.

It's a concept album featuring (particularly for a rap album) surreal lyrics about Kool Keith's alter-ego, a time-travelling gynaecologist Dr Octagon.   Though Keith would go on to downplay the input of Kurt and the Automator on the sound of the album, Nakamura is a sorely underappreciated producer.   From his own projects such as Handsome Boy Modelling School, Lovage and Got a Girl, to his production work for bands like Kasabian and Head Automatica, to his collaborative work such as Peeping Tom, the first Gorillaz album and several projects with Del tha Funky Homosapien.

The music here is inventively produced, loaded with film samples, and cinematic production, mixing strings, sci-fi/horror cues and interesting beats.

I'd say that as a fan of the Automator I wanted to like it more than I did.  I enjoyed the music and didn't actively dislike Keith's rhymes but for some reason the whole thing didn't really 'capture' me.

Day 0810 - Better Living Through Chemistry

Fatboy Slim "Better Living Through Chemistry" (1996)

Norman Cook was the bass player for an indie rock band called the Housemartins.  Following the breakup of that band he formed the electronic group Beats International, Cook already had a few years of clubbing and DJing under his belt by then.

Cook then adopted the moniker Fatboy Slim to begin his solo career proper.    

This first Fatboy Slim album features tracks already recorded and released by Cook at different times throughout his career, but, despite this and the mix and match of sounds, it's a fairly cohesive collection of fun and funky big-beat tracks.   It already has that Fatboy Slim feeling of mixing a little bit of old with a bit of new to create something fun enough to dance to, but universal enough it its appeal that non-dance fans can get in on it too.   

Pretty sure I recognised "Going out of my head" from different tv shows and/or commercials.   I'm guessing that that commercialism may have earned Cook some criticism.   Accusations of 'selling out' and all that.  Who cares though, when the music is good.

Day 0809 - Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals "Fuzzy Logic" (1996)

 
I am smitten.   This is another band where I'd heard their name enough but wasn't really sure who they were or what they were about.

Turns out they're a band from Wales who had initially been into techno, got signed by Creation Records (along with every second Brit-rock band at the time, it seems) and then produced an album of brilliant pop rock.

"Fuzzy Logic" is equal parts David Bowie and Blur.   Fuzzed out guitar in "God! Show me Magic" collides with the gentle folk-pop of "Gathering Moss" which itself sounds suspiciously like something that Damon Albarn might have borrowed from for his the "Good, the Bad and the Queen" album.   The most prominent sound though is glorious baroque pop like on tracks "If you don't want me to destroy you" and "Fuzzy Birds".   

The album closes off with a strident slice of singalong fuzz-rock that wouldn't sound out of place on an early Weezer album.

Definitely interested in checking out more from SFA. 

 

Spoiler: because I'm further through the list in my listening than my posts here show.   There is another SFA album in the list and it is somehow even better!

Day 0808 - Dust

Screaming Trees "Dust" (1996)

Screaming Trees and their dust-throated vocliast Mark Lanegan have always drifted in and out of my orbit.   I first heard the Screaming Tress through their brilliant song "Nearly lost you" from the soundtrack Cameron Crowe's grunge-centric film "Singles".   Even though I loved that song I didn't really think to check out any more of their music.

A few years later a friend was well into the Mark Lanegan band and I listened to a couple of their albums but left it at that again.   Then a few years later, I saw Lanegan perform with the band the Soulsavers and a friend who is very much a Lanegan afficiando helped me discover a lot more of his work (solo, with Belle & Sebastian's Isobel Campbell, with Duke Garwood, Gutter Twins, Twilight Singers...).   Basically, sometimes I'm a slow learner.

Anyway, back to "Dust".   The basic foundation of this album seems to be the Beatles' Revolver and Rubber Soul albums, it has that mix of hard rock with middle-eastern sounds and a wash of psychedelia.   I guess those sounds, mixed with a little more distortion and with Lanegan's gravelly voice somehow manages to sound rock hard, the album is too good to fob off as "just another grunge record".

Great songs with occasional touches of gospel backing vocals that seem to signpost what was to come as far as Lanegan's work with the Soulsavers goes.

Day 0807 - Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette "Jagged Little Pill" (1995)

Another of those albums that was EVERYWHERE while I was in high school.

I remember being vaguely aware even at the time that Alanis had had albums before this.   Reading up on it, her self-titled album and "Now is the Time" were Canada-only releases in more of a dancey pop vein.  The release of those two records completed the two-album deal she was signed to and she was free to move to Toronto, get together with producer/writer Glen Ballard to put together "Jagged Little Pill".

A lot of people view it as her debut, and certainly it is her first international release and her first album in the more raw, alt-rock vibe.

Morissette seemed to be up for trying different things.  The single "You Oughta Know" was given to Dave Navarro and Flea (at the time both in Red Hot Chili Peppers) to essentially jam out a new arrangement over the existing beat and vocal.    

My favourite track "Head Over Feet" has fuzzy and acoustic guitars blending over a drum-machine beat that gives it almost a hint of the UK's 'baggy' scene.   Lyrically, Morissette covers topics from sexual guilt, predatory music industry types, hope, a little humour, and that lyrical stalwart: the ex-relationship. 

Yep, let's not even talk about "Ironic" and whether it's actually ironic (don't ya think?)