Day 1000 - MBV

My Bloody Valentine "MBV" (2013)

Finally made use of that first character. 😉

I don't know that this album really tickled my fancy.   The book trumpets the fact that MBV managed to produce this album after a 20+ year break and have it sound like a continuation of their previous sound.   While I do like it when bands can still maintain their identity after a lengthy break (because it shows that their sound is very much a result of their joint chemistry) I don't know that an album following the same formula as their other releases really warranted inclusion here.   Don't get me wrong, I like what they're doing, but when it's really just more of what they were doing on their other albums on this list then I'd prefer it to have been left off rather than removing albums from artists like Gorillaz, Florence and the Machine and Gnarls Barkley from the 1001.

MBV had signed a huge recording contract after the success of their "Loveless" album (see day 685), but the band struggled through aborted recording attempts, a temporary breakup, and media speculation that vocalist/guitarist Kevin Shields might have had a breakdown and turned recluse a la Brian Wilson or Syd Barrett.   The band reformed after a number of years and toured for a bit before knuckling down to try and get their third album wrapped up.

Opening tracks "She Found Now" and "Only Tomorrow" definitely seem to pick up where the band left off with buzzy swirls of guitar and soft, not always distinct vocals.

"In Another Way" has a nice rolling dance beat to it.   "Nothing Is" builds from a great, repetitive, unrelenting yet kind of off-kilter beat.   The album closes with "Wonder 2" that sounds like it's being recorded in a hangar at a busy airport (in a good way).

As of 2021 the band have not followed up "MBV"... maybe give it another decade or so.

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 0798 - Alien Lanes

Guided by Voices "Alien Lanes" (1995)

Packing 28 tracks in barely more than 40 minutes, this is GBV's eighth full-length album, and their first for Matador records.   The band were given a sizeable advance, yet reverted to type and mostly patched the album together from home recordings and bits.

The songs don't really overstay their welcome, with most being either less than a minute, or at most, less than two minutes.   Many of the songs seem to fade out abruptly at the end, like the band had suddenly grown bored of them and pulled the plug.

The sound is a lo-fi noisy, jangly pop-rock with bursts of punkiness.   Kind of like a mix of Velvet Underground and the Violent Femmes (maybe a touch of John Frusciante's early solo work).   

Enjoyable sounds, though I find it hard to really lock into it with everything being so brief in an almost accidental way.

Day 0747 - Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow "Tuesday Night Music Club" (1993)

Sheryl Crow is another of those who seems to have been a lifelong lover of music.  Her parents both played musical instruments, she studied composition and then made a living mixing teaching work, singing with bands at night, and recording advertising jingles.  Crow also toured with Michael Jackson in the 80s and provided backing vocals on his "Bad" tour.   After that she started singing backing for other artists and laid down a few songs of her own for film and TV.

Crow tried to record an album with Police and Split Enz producer Hugh Padgham, but neither she or the record company were happy with the result and it was shelved.

Crow started a relationship with musician Kevin Gilbert and the two of them were involved with a loose group of musicians and songwriters that called themselves the Tuesday Night Music Group.  The group worked extensively on this album and Crow and her record company were much happy with this mix of country, blues, balladry, and even pop (in the shape of the almost out-of-place hit single "All I wanna do").  

Great collection of songs.  I recognised "Strong Enough" though I think that was through a cover.  Pretty sure I've heard "the na-na song" too.

Day 0685 - Loveless

My Bloody Valentine "Loveless" (1991)

Another enjoyable late-era shoe-gaze album.  Funnily enough, I didn't think too much of this on first listen, but then I gave it another go through headphones and it kind of clicked for me.  Not sure if this is just headphone music, or if I just needed time to get on board with it.

The band spend a lot of time (and money) experimenting with sounds and studio techniques and I'd say it's paid off.  The sounds are almost orchestral, there's a wall of sound that is most likely guitar but (full credit to them) I can't tell for sure.   There's enough melody tucked away in there as well that it's not complete drone.

Day 0623 - Isn't Anything

My Bloody Valentine "Isn't Anything" (1988)

The band had produced a few EPs, had some line-up changes and then buckled down to produce this, their first full-length album.

The description in the book sounded really interesting.  It said that they would pile effects on the guitars, and then take the clean guitar signal out of the mix, leaving only the guitar-shaped outline of the effects.   It has its moments, but the overall effect is just of a slightly more aurally interesting take on the shoegazer sound.  Perfectly listenable, but not something I would specifically seek to revisit.

Day 0563 - Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners "Don't Stand Me Down" (1985)

Described by the book as being the Pet Sounds of Northern Soul; and that seems pretty apt.  Some great vocals and with some sassy horns, but still with remnants of the strings that had peppered the band's previous release "Too-rye-ay".  Lush arrangements and occasional meanderings into spoken word passages make the music cinematic and a bit more interesting.

The album is not afraid to explore a few different sounds; to step on the accelerator in some places, but to ease off on it for others.  Apparently the album didn't fare well commercially on release, though it garnered some good reviews.  It went on to be revisited and re-evaluated by fans in later years.  I think it's bloody good, personally.

Day 0501 - Too-Rye-Ay

Well that brings me officially over the halfway mark so...

Dexys Midnight Runners "Too-Rye-Ay" (1982) - got it

Following the relative success of "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" subsequent singles failed to landand, and several of the band members left.  Kevin Rowland responded by taking on 3 violinists who specialised in Irish folk music and getting the horn section who were formerly his bandmates in as hired-hands.

The gutsy northern soul sound of the first album is still present to a certain extent, but with strings, folksy Celtic elements, the odd ballad, and even a sudden explosion of jazz in the middle of "Until I believe in my soul".

The album wasn't faring particularly well until the single "Come on Eileen" suddenly picked up steam and went on to be (deservingly) the biggest selling single of 1982 in the UK, even making headway on the US charts.

Day 0491 - Mask

Bauhaus "Mask" (1981)

 
I don't know if I'm maybe not in the mood, but this one seems just 'okay'.  On the face of it it seems like something that I'd be into; a gothy post-punk offering that mixes skittish whiteboy funk, electronic elements, gothic backing vocals and a number of other elements.  I enjoyed all of it and really wanted to LOVE it, but it just wasn't happening.

This was viewed as being Bauhaus' more poppy accessible album.  They released 2 more albums before going their separate ways with all the members pursuing separate music projects (testament to the combined creativity contained within the band).   They reunited and released an album in the 00s.  

Day 0455 - Searching for the Young Soul Rebels

Dexy's Midnight Runners "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" (1980)

Touché 80s - the goodness continues!

Kevin Rowland and Kevin 'Al' Archer, late of the punk band 'Killjoy' formed Dexy's Midnight Runners at the tail end of the 1970s. The band's name was a reference to the 60s party drug of choice, Dexedrine.

The album opens with a confusing babble of mixed radio programme signals before these are interrupted by a raucous yell, signalling the start of the music proper. My first impression was that this would be another punky ska album (though that hadn't been my experience with the one or two DMR songs I'd heard), it turned out to be more like 'Northern soul... with guts'. Horns and backing vocals that almost have a slight hint of theatricality to their wildness.

Day 0454 - Kings of the Wild Frontier

...and hello the 80s. Bracing self for cheesiness, overflow of synthesisers, big hair, but hoping to discover some good music out of it. In particular the early rap music, most of which I'm not that well versed in.


0454

Adam and the Ants "Kings of the Wild Frontier" (1980)

Well the 80s are off to a good start. I'd heard a couple of Adam Ant songs in the past and liked them; one of them "Antmusic" is on this album.

Reading about this one it's quite interesting. A&tA had released a 1979 post-punk album, Adam wanted to distance himself further from punk and its supposed anti-pop aesthetic. The Sex Pistols' architect Malcolm McLaren suggested using African rhythms and so Adam set about assembling some drummers to make this happened... then McLaren stole them away to form the group Bow Wow Wow.

Adam picked up and started again, assembling a new band and drawing in influences from all over the spectrum, military drum beats, hints of African rhythms, blasting guitars, clean plinky funk guitar, sea shanty melodies with almost glam guitar, and skittish Talking Heads-esque vocals. Definitely keen to check out more from this band!