Day 0987 - Brothers

The Black Keys "Brothers" (2010)

There is a lot more to the Black Keys’ history than I was aware; this is actually their 6th album!

  

The two-piece band had formed when singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach asked his friend drummer Patrick Carney to help him record some demos.  The other musicians Auerbach had asked to take part failed to show up so the two guys started jamming and recording together.

They shopped around their demo and were eventually offered a contract.  They weren't living a life of wealth and fame at first.   They had to mow lawns to raise enough money to go on tour and recorded their first few albums themselves.   As other colour-themed-name duo the White Stripes ascended to fame, the Black Keys were left being accused of imitating them or jumping on the bandwagon (an accusation even levelled by Jack White himself).

The duo teamed up with Danger Mouse to produce their album “Attack and Release” (which is one I do own) after an Ike Turner record DM had contacted them about working on fell through.   Following this Auerbach released a solo album which caused a rift between the duo as nobody had told Patrick Carney this was happening.   They eventually made up and got together to record again, which brings us to “Brothers”.  

The duo moved into a famed studio in Alabama and pursued a more stripped down sound for the album (partly to accommodate the technical limitations of their equipment).   The sound is a kind of blues with a 60s vibe to it, while still feeling really contemporary.   Auerbach's vocal track is often distorted giving the recording that hint of lo-fi.   Elsewhere, fuzzed out single-string guitar lines and wah-wah guitar add to the 60s feel.

Opener "Everlasting Light" has Auerbach crooning in falsetto which Motown-esque backing vocals drift in and out.   Single "Tighten Up" is Danger Mouse's sole production contribution to the album, and the looped drum, perky whistling sound and backing keys definitely give him away.   Danger Mouse does tend to be one of those producers where his records sound like him.  I dig his sound, so I don't see it as an inherently bad thing, but I do feel like producers should be more about bringing out the best in their 'clients' rather than making themselves a member of the band.  

Pretty sure I've heard "Howlin' for You" in a commercial somewhere, it's got an easy stomping electric blues feel.   Psychedelic organ in "The Only One" again ramps up the 60s feel.    I actually feel like their laid-back, stripped-down blues with melodic sensibility and simple but effective drumming often brings to mind parts of the Beatles' "White Album" and Let it Be" albums, especially on a track like "Unknown Brother".

In the past I've felt the 'two-person band' thing was a bit gimmicky, but I've got to admit that the Black Keys have a great sound, and Auerbach's lyrics are kind of simple yet effective, both in their emotional impact and their fit with the music.

Day 0913 - Like Water For Chocolate

Common “Like Water for Chocolate” (2000)

I seem to remember Common becoming kind of a big deal in the 00s, so I was quite surprised now to find out that this was his fourth album and that he’d actually been active since the late 80s and recording throughout the 90s (with the first two albums released under the name Common Sense).

“Like Water for Chocolate” was Common’s first major label release and his first with production team the Soulquarians, a loose collective of musical collaborators including Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Mos Def and members of the Roots.

As might be expected from that combination of musicians, the music is inflected with soul, funk and jazz with a through-line to 70s funk over which Common lays his rhymes.   He shows a healthy humility too in collaborating with various other MCs and vocalists throughout instead of trying to make it all about himself.

I did enjoy some of the grooves here, but not always being the biggest lyric person, and with a runtime of nearly 80 minutes, my attention was seriously starting to lag by the end of it all.

Day 0776 - Protection

Massive Attack "Protection" (1994)

 

Things had not been running smoothly for Massive Attack, their tour in the US had not fared well, they had briefly tried shortening their name to ‘Massive’ in order to not ruffle feathers during the first Iraq war, and had parted ways with their main singer Shara Nelson.

Despite these setbacks the group put together a strong sophomore release, with guest spots from 'Everything But the Girl' singer Tracey Thorn, and rapper Tricky.  Tricky had featured on the first Massive Attack album but had since started his solo career, and after “Protection” would not record with the group again for around another 10 years.

It strikes me how simple some of these songs are, the first few tracks (even the sublime and moody title track) are mostly just the same piece of music looped around with the vocals adding points of difference.   There’s sounds ranging from the deep muddy dub of "Spying Glass", through to "Sly" with its strings-and-beat combo, a sound that would become synonymous with trip-hop.

The whole thing is rounded off with a funky, sound-effect laden cover of the Doors' "Light my Fire"

Day 0755 - Strange Cargo III

William Orbit "Strange Cargo III" (1993)

 

William Orbit is now a well known name in music, with production and remix gigs ranging from U2 and Madonna, through Blur, Finley Quaye, P!nk and Chris Brown.   But back in the day he was just starting out as an artist in his own right.

Orbit had been in a group called Torch Song, making music from their home-made studio... learning on the job essentially.  The group disbanded and Orbit started on his solo career.

The book opines that this album sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday rather than decades ago... I'd have to agree.  The trance-like soundscapes and well-aged synth sounds are as fresh as anything out today.

Day 0584 - The Queen is Dead

The Smiths "The Queen is Dead" (1986)

Seems I kind of have this thing with the Smiths, whereby I like their music, but I can't really tell their albums apart.  It all just sounds kind of... Smithy.

This is an enjoyable album though.  Johnny Marr paints the songs with a range of guitar tones from swirling and dreamy to vigorous folk, to country twang and everything in between.  Morrissey's lyrics continue to be intelligent and with a touch of humour.

This was the band's 3rd album in 4 years, and after one more album the band broke up.  Unlike most bands that go through the whole break up thing, they seem to have resisted the urge to reunite, even to revisit their back-catalog for a quick buck.

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 0390 - Bat out of Hell

Meatloaf "Bat out of Hell" (1977)

Take a larger-than-life (not a fat-joke) actor with an operatic rock voice.  Take Jim Steinman, a composer of theatrical rock, frequently epic in style.  Put them in a studio with Todd Rundgren in the control room, and you have an album that stayed in the UK album chart on and off for 10 years!


The duo had started work on the album's songs some time earlier based on pieces that Steinman had written for a course.  They were touring together National Lampoons and took a few of the songs to develop on.





Meatloaf belts out Steinman's tracks with passion, wild abandon and (in places) a little tenderness.
I don't have much more to say except: great album!

Day 0153 - The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground "The Velvet Underground" (1969) - got it

The Velvets aren't doing too badly so far.  This was their third album released, it's also their third album on this list.

A much more straight-ahead, mellower album (and possibly my favourite from VU) than previous outings. "Some kinda love"  is almost like a more languid, loping read on the Beatles' "Get Back". "Beginning to see the light" is cathartic, "Jesus" is lovely, "the murder mystery" is a touch of the older, weirder Velvets (and is brilliant).  Things calm back down for the closing track "after hours" ...which, incidentally, is the first VU song that I ever heard.

According to the book, the band's equipment was stolen when they arrived in town to record, but that didn't stop them from having quite a relaxed, enjoyable recording session.