Day 0647 - Stone Roses

Stone Roses "Stone Roses" (1989)

When I lived in the UK, the music fans whom I knew seemed to rave about the Stone Roses.  I've never been quite able to understand the appeal based on the songs of theirs that I'd heard.   Oddly (given that they appear to only have 2 full-length albums) I had never heard much of the material on this album before.   

I was much more used to their sound being a stripped down almost funky dancy take on rock; but this album seems to have its roots more in 60 pop-rock and folk (even featuring a reworked version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair").   There is a good deal more melody than I was expecting, and some sonic experimentalism with track "Don't Stop" seeming to be the music for previous track "Waterfall" played backwards with different lyrics.    

As a fan of reversed music, I wholeheartedly support this approach.  Reversing a piece of music really does produce an entirely different sound, often with a different mood to it.   When I was younger, I had a Beatles cassette that got twisted.  Once I rolled the tape back in, half of the album played backwards.  It honestly cracked my mind wide open, and I loved it.

Day 0566 - Planet Rock - the Album

Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force "Planet Rock - the Album" (1986)

Amazing achievement, in that Bambaataa manages to be an early pioneer of hiphop, but also, through splicing various synth-heavy beats (including cuts by Kraftwerk) he also laid the groundwork for House music and other forms of electronic experimentalism.

I could easily see this being a reference point for bands as varied as early Red Hot Chili Peppers through to the Chemical Brothers.   Rage Against the Machine would go on to cover "Renegades of Funk" and the Beastie Boys would sample Bambaataa.

A true visionary musical force.

Day 0374 - Heavy Weather

Weather Report "Heavy Weather" (1977) - got it

 
I read that Jaco Pastorius favoured the fretless bass because he viewed frets as "speed bumps" and while, some of the tracks attest to that.  His playing is often quite languid and serene, supporting the work of his bandmates.  Quite reserved, given that he got his gig with the band after walking up to them and proclaiming himself to be the best bass player in the world!

But it's unfair of me to act like Pastorius is the only shining light here, it's just that I'm a bit of a fan of his (I discovered the band through him rather than the reverse) and this is his first full release with Weather Report, though he had played on a couple of tracks on the previous release "Black Market".

'Rumba Mama' highlights the group's drummer and percussionist (Alex Acuña and Manolo Badrena).   Original instigators of the band Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter had been in Miles Davis' early fusion bands and they both shine throughout this album too.  All in all it's an accessible and digestible fusion record.