Day 0651 - Disintegration

The Cure "Disintegration" (1989) 

Robert Smith plumbed the depths again, facing the realisation that he was growing old because he was turning 30...  my near-40-year-old heart bleeds for him.

Smith felt pressured to follow up on the Cure's prior successes.  They had initially had a Gothic vibe to them, but once people came to expect that, he switched to a more accessible pop vein, but disliked the increased popularity so returned again to the goth fold.

This album certainly doesn't appear to court MTV or commercial radio, with the songs being lengthy morose grooves that take their time creating an atmosphere (though still with a keen sense of melody on display).  Whatever Smith's intentions, the album did reasonably well commercially.

Day 0503 - the Rise and Fall

Madness "the Rise and Fall" (1982)

 
By this stage Madness had released 3 albums, a greatest hits collection, and (most importantly) had made the first of their two appearances on 'the Young Ones'.  Their fourth album is suitably sonically interesting.  Still working within their ska framework, but pushing that sound to its very limits with songs that alternatively bounce, cajole, swing, wallow, and reminisce.

'The Rise and Fall' was designed to be a concept album of sorts, looking at aspects of the band's childhood and upbringing, but that concept fell slightly by the wayside with tracks about New Delhi, and Margaret Thatcher ('Blue skinned beast') being included.  The latter of these two would signal a slightly more political bent in Madness' future albums.

At the moment I have a greatest hits album by Madness, but listening to this one has convinced me that I should probably explore their discography a bit more!

Day 0381 - One World

John Martyn "One World" (1977)

 
Martyn was by this time burnt out on the music industry.  A hippy folkster who'd lived several of these years in a druggy haze.  Martyn took some time out to chill out and clean up in Jamaica with producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

Martyn came back kicking, with this album that meshes his folk background with some modern instrumentation and interesting techniques (some songs were recorded outside at night with additional microphones set up at a distance to capture the ambience). "Big Muff" despite being the name of one of the more popular guitar fuzz pedals, is a beautifully atmospheric and melodic track.