Day 0984 - It's Blitz

 Yeah Yeah Yeahs “It’s Blitz!” (2009)

Whereas the YYY’s debut “Fever to Tell” (day 950) leaned on a Riot Grrl-esque art punk approach; “It’s Blitz” takes things in more of a poppy, new-wave sound, which was presumably right in the wheel-house of their producer (and TV on the Radio member) Dave Sitek.   Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ producer Nick Launay was also in the mix (so to speak).

The new sound is obvious from the off, with first track “Zero”, opening with a pulsing synth-line.  More polished than ‘Fever to Tell’ but without becoming toothless in the process.

“Soft Shock” showcases a kind of propulsive, anthemic pop, while “Skeletons” has a dreamy pop sound.  There’s a nice alt-rock groove to “Dull Life” while “Runaway” is straight-up cinematic.

Impressive that they can shift gears from their original sound like this and come up with an album that is (to my tastes) even better than what they started with.

Day 0950 - Fever to Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Fever to Tell” (2004)

I’ve been aware of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their singer Karen O for a while, but I’ve not investigated much of what they do outside of what I ran into on music tv.  

Listening to this album, while I don’t know if they deserve every scrap of hype they’ve received, I can certainly see the appeal.  The band play wild arty punk rock with drums, guitar (no bass as was the style at the time) and Karen O’s wild vocals that run the gamut from coy croons to hot-blooded yelps.

O and guitarist Nick Zinner had originally put together an acoustic duo but decided to form a noisy avant punk band like the ones O had experienced via art school.   They enlisted an acquaintance of O’s, Brian Chase on drums who was studying jazz (usually a good skill-set on a drummer).  They quickly built up a ‘buzz’ and did tours with hot-tickets the Strokes and the White Stripes and landed a spot at the SXSW festival.

The band opted to fund their debut recording themselves and enlisted Dave Sitek from the often brilliant TV on the Radio to produce the album.

In amongst the art punk stylings there is enough variety to keep things ticking along with some catchier parts and a song like "Man" which has an almost dangerous bluesy slant.  “Maps” offers up a mellower, more melodic reprieve from the maelstrom, as does the dreamy closing track “Modern Romance” and the subsequent ‘secret track’

 The music is complemented by the band's strong visual, from their arresting album cover, to O’s on-stage fashion which mixes punk, catwalk and fabulous.

Day 0907 - All That You Can’t Leave Behind

U2 “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” (2000)

It’d be easy enough to write this one up as “Famous rock band finally stop faffing about with pop/dance music and gets back to rocking” but that would sell short the band's growth.

As outlined in my write-up for “Achtung Baby” (day 702) the band had moved away from their more ‘meat n potatoes’ melodic-rock sound and experimented with dance, funk, and alt-rock, culminating in their album “Pop” where they fully embraced the dance and pop scene.  That album was not a favourite among fans and the band felt that it was rushed and not their best work.   I personally think it’s one of their better ones, but there we go.  One person’s trash…. and all that.

So the band decided to get back to their roots of “band playing together in a room”.  They reunited with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois who had helmed their biggest 1980s albums.

The sound is fairly straightforward, with guitarist the Edge mostly sticking to clean tones with less sonic experimentation than he’d previously indulged in.  That’s not to say the album is a straight reversion to their “Joshua Tree” sound though.  They seem to have retained some of their more European melodic ideas.  Single “Elevation” sounds like it could be the younger cousin of “Mysterious Ways” from the Achtung Baby album with its effect-laden guitar, dance elements and slightly sexual lyrics.  There are still some dance beats to be had elsewhere too.

I was interested to see what the album as a whole would be like as the first 3-4 songs are its singles (Beautiful Day, Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out of, Elevation and Walk On), so I wondered if they’d front-loaded the album in the hopes that side A would sell side B.   That kind of is the case too.  

There are some other good songs besides the singles, “In a little while” is a nice simple pop song, and “Grace” lives up to its name. But, much of the second half of the album is a bit forgettable, or self-important (“Peace on Earth”).

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 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 0701 - Spiderland

Slint "Spiderland" (1991)

At first I felt the need to push against this album, just because the reviewer for the book was so incredibly effusive about it.   Going with the old "this less famous band is so much better than those bands that everyone else knows" spiel.  After a few listens though, it has made its way under my skin.  I don't view them as the second coming or anything, but it's an interesting grunge/alt-rock record.

The band released only 2 albums and had changing membership within that time, which I guess is not surprising as they were all fairly young and were going to college in between albums.  They recorded their first album with no-nonsense punky producer Steve Albini, recording an EP's worth of songs around the same time (released later).

For second album "Spiderland" the group decided to go for a slightly more polished sound.  They jammed out songs in the basement, working at repeating the same riffs over and over again, slowly evolving them.

Singer Brian McMahon would take rough recordings to his parents' car to listen and work on vocals.  Said vocals range from soft, spoken-word through to bloody curdling screams.  Likewise, the music swings between cold, but delicate clean guitar lines, and crashing fuzzed-out walls of rock.

The band broke up by the time the album was released, leaving no tour, interviews or videos to promote the release.  However, critical acclaim and word of mouth built the album's status and prevented it from sinking into the fog of musical history.

Day 0609 - The Joshua Tree

U2 "The Joshua Tree" (1987) - got it

Love or hate them, this really is U2 at the height of their powers.  They still had their earnestness and honesty, but hadn't become insufferably preachy.  They had mastered their instruments and embraced studio technology without being overly reliant on it.  With one Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois-produced album (the Unforgettable Fire) under their belt, they had found their groove with the producers and were able to trust them and take risks with their sound.

I'd obviously heard a lot of this music (even before I'd bought the album), but I was still pleasantly surprised what a strong overall 'package' the album is.  You have the awesome pop trio of "where the streets have no name" "Still haven't found what I'm looking for" and "With or without you" followed on by the atmospheric rock of "Bullet the blue sky".  The quality doesn't dip on the second side with "Red Hill mining town" and the NZ-inspired "One Tree Hill".

As someone who isn't a rabid U2 fan, but appreciates parts of their oeuvre, I would still point to this as their pinnacle.   Passion meeting studio-savvy without getting too far up their own arses in either of those aspects.

Day 0536 - Out of Step

Minor Threat "Out of Step" (1984)

Minor Threat, a band that only produced around 50 minutes worth of music yet heavily influenced modern punk rock and, through their song "Straight-edge" helped to both christen and kickstart the lifestyle movement of the same name.

This album has all the aggression and speed associated with the hardcore movement, but also the sense of humour and ability to laugh at themselves that bands like the Dead Kennedys displayed.

The band released one more EP after this and then split, leaving Ian McKaye free to form Fugazi and continue his musical explorations.

Day 0532 - Welcome to the Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1984)

Much more than just "Relax".   Produced by gloss pop maestro Trevor Horn (ABC, Spandau Ballet and Malcolm McLaren's Duck Rock), this album takes that gloss and rubs it in the smutty dirt.

The album manages to deliver some catchy pop while also delving into sonic experimentation such as on the meandering cover of "War" or the sprawling, bouncy epic "Welcome to the Pleasuredome".

Elsewhere the album has fairly loyal covers of Bacharach/David's "Do you know the way to San Jose" and Springsteen's "Born to run".  It's a bit of a musical smorgasbord and I'd happily listen to it again.  Might even pick up a copy at some point.

Fun fact: the band's name was taken from an entertainment headline regarding Frank Sinatra.

Day 0515 - The Violent Femmes

The Violent Femmes "The Violent Femmes" (1982)

The band were discovered while busking.  That stripped-down 'playing on the street' sound remained relatively untouched by studio gloss on this album.  Sticking largely to Victor DLorenzo's minimal drum kit, Brian Ritchie's upright bass and Gordon Gano's guitar and vaguely strung out vocals, the Femmes' sound came pretty fully-formed.

There seems like a pretty straight line between the Velvet Underground and the Femmes, though the Femmes seem potentially a bit lighter.  Less heroin and BDSM, and more run-of-the-mill sexual desperation.

The album would go on to sell over a million copies but never troubled the charts too much in the process, as it took them a gradual 4 years to amass those numbers.

Day 0485 - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

David Byrne and Brian Eno "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" (1981)

Having enjoyed the individual works of Eno and Byrne; I was keen to hear this one.  The album, described by Eno as "psychedelic Africa" was delayed in its release due clearance issues with the various copyrighted materials sampled.  As a result, the Talking Heads'  "Remain in Light" album (also produced by Eno), though recorded later, was released before this collaboration.

Whereas that Talking Heads album was built on a foundation of jam sessions among the various musicians, this is much more a studio construct, formed around samples and based heavily on Holger Czukay's "movies" album.  An interesting album to be sure, but I'd say I really prefer Byrne in more of a traditional song-based vein, whether it's with the Heads, with St Vincent or as a solo artist.

Day 0456 - Back in Black

AC/DC "Back in Black" (1980)

 
AC/DC had managed to pull themselves up by their Aussie bootstraps to 'take on the world'. By the time they released "Highway to Hell" they had won over Europe, but hadn't quite cracked the US. Tragedy befell them when their lead singer Bon Scott died after a night of drinking.

The band didn't pause.  They started recording straight away and recruited British vocalist Brian Johnson to take up lead singer duties. The album opens with tolling bells and then slow, ominous guitar, leading you to believe that maybe the band were going to deliver a solemn eulogy to their fallen bandmate... at least you might believe that if you were unfamiliar with the rest of their work. Pretty quickly,  the slow opening gives way to an 'all hands to the pump' rocker, and things doesn't really let up from there.

The band continue with their misogynistic, wild-time lyrics and solid riffing rock. Solid is the word too; apart from Angus Young's flashy lead guitar parts, the music is fairly workmanlike in its simplicity. The rhythm section mainly hold down the most basic groove needed to support the guitar riffs, which in turn provide a bed for Johnson's vocals to bounce around on top of. It is rock economy, and it works really well for the songs.

The album took off in the US. It has since racked up 22x platinum sales, and sits as the sixth highest selling album of all time in the US!

Day 0435 - Fear of Music

Talking Heads "Fear of Music" (1979)

Hmm, another Talking Heads album that I don't own. This one is really interesting, Eno's influence seems to be creeping in even more than on 'More songs about buildings and food' with additional sonic trickery.

David Byrne took the nervous energy and anxiety that popped up in places on the first two albums and just smeared it all over the songs here. Even the serene 'Heaven' (rendered as an ethereal ballad by Icehouse) has a slightly cynical and bleak feel to it.

Eno tweaks the sounds made by the band as well as increasing the nervous energy by throwing plenty of extra little unsettling bleeps and bloops into the mix.

Day 0425 - Ambient 1: Music For Airports

Brian Eno "Ambient 1: Music For Airports" (1978)

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Eno, having produced some great pop-rock records and Bowie's adventurous Berlin trilogy, as well as his own solo albums that mixed traditional song structures with interesting production techniques and background sonic experiments took a few steps further here.

Eno had been moving in more and more ambient directions, here he fully takes the plunge with relatively formless, sparse soundscapes. Eno stated that the music "...must be as ignorable as it is interesting", music designed to have on in the background and drift in and out of, rather than concentrate on intently, and in that, it succeeds beautifully.

Day 0418 - Are we not Men? A" We are Devo!

Devo "Q: Are we not Men? A" We are Devo!" (1978)

Devo mix a vaguely punk sound with sparing use of synthesisers that's not a million miles from the more frantic moments of early Talking Heads (possibly not surprising then that Brian Eno, having finished work on the second TH album, produced this one) mixed with a touch of Blondie's gloss.

I'd listened to one or two Devo songs, and knew of their influence on a number of other artists, but was mostly familiar with the big hit 'whip it'. I liked that song (with even more synthesiser than is on show here) and I like this album.

Intellectual electro-punk; what's not to like?

Day 0413 - More Songs About Buildings and Food

Talking Heads "More Songs About Buildings and Food" 1978 - got it

Brian Eno joins the Heads in the studio, bringing his gift of mixing pop with new and interesting production ideas, starting a creative partnership that would help produce some great TH albums, but would also see fractures appear in the group.

The band mixes its skittish brand of art-rock with touches of scratchy funk and danceable disco beats, creating a sound that would be ripped off wholesale (though done very well) by Franz Ferdinand some 25-30 years later.

Byrne sounds like he's recording some of his vocals after drinking several pots of coffee, just a nervous gangly energy to what he's doing.

The husband-and-wife rhythm section of Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth lay down some tight grooves over a mix of styles.

The second-to-last track is a cool-down.  A fairly sedate reading of Al Green's "Take me to the river" that has become a bit of a classic rock radio staple (or at least it has over here).

Day 0412 - Live and Dangerous

Thin Lizzy "Live and Dangerous" (1978)

 
I'm not really familiar with Thin Lizzy outside of a couple of 'hits', so I can't really comment on how this compares to their recorded/studio output.  Whatever the case, it sounds like a killer concert, with some wailing guitar. I had read that TL's guitar harmonies were an influence on Metallica's Cliff Burton and that sounds about right from what I can hear here.

The music is exciting and (literally and figuratively) electric. I've mentioned in the past that live albums are not usually my favourite thing, and long albums are also not usually a favourite of mine -  this is both.

The live part doesn't really worry me here because (judging from the one or two songs of theirs I had heard before)  they seem like one of those bands that probably sounded a bit tamer in the studio but then really unleash live.  For all of the excitement and vitality, the running time did kind of wear me down a bit by the end and I started to lose my concentration on the music.

Day 0369 - Before and After Science

Brian Eno "Before and After Science" (1977)

Eno collaborates with a catalogue of artists including Robert Fripp and even Phil Collins. As with his other solo albums that I've listened to so far, he manages to incorporate interesting audio textures, avant garde techniques and, here, some occasionally virtuosic performances into a cohesive and often quite 'pop' sounding whole.

This album doesn't stand out above the other two of his that I've heard on this list, but that says more about the consistency of quality of Eno's solo output than any particular shortcoming of this album.

Fun fact, Eno would go on to produce the second Talking Heads album, and this record features a track "King's Lead Hat" which is an anagram of that band's name.

Day 0264 - Roxy Music

Roxy Music "Roxy Music" (1972) - got it

 
Roxy Music are almost textbook case of the "strong personalities making interesting music until some of those personalities departs and the other/s take over" thing.

The clash of 50s-style rock n roll mixed with glam, a little punk, a smattering of horns, and Brian Eno's space-aged synth noises is an exciting musical smack in the face!  Eno left early on (I think after the first or second album) and by the time they released "Avalon" half the band had left and Bryan Ferry ruled the roost.  Avalon didn't really match the early material (though having said that 'More than this' is a brilliant tune).

Back to the debut though: it is a bold, brash musical statement which is the opposite of that "Oh I don't want to stand out, I just want to 'serve the song'" idea that mediocres so much music.  The first track even makes space for each member to show off with a bar or two of solo.  The music twists and turns, with Ferry still learning his craft as a singer and lyricist, seeming to have a unique, more defined vocal delivery than in later albums (the reverse of what normally happens).

Oddly my relationship with this band/album started somewhat indirectly when I read about them as an influence on one of my favourite NZ bands Split Enz (who, like RM started in an art rock sort of vein and moved to a slightly poppier sound later on), and when I saw a cover of the song 'Virginia Plain' on the British sketch show "Big Train" (an early break for Simon Pegg, Catherine Tate and Mark Heap) I was hooked in.