Day 0704 - Blue Lines

Massive Attack "Blue Lines" (1991)

Massive Attack had gravitated towards each other and been developing music together for months.  Some of the group were involved in the production of Neneh Cherry's "Raw Like Sushi" album, and Neneh in turn had been motivating the group to make and release their own music.  In the words of Daddy G:

"We were lazy Bristol twats. It was Neneh Cherry who kicked our arses and got us in the studio. We recorded a lot at her house, in her baby's room. It stank for months and eventually we found a dirty nappy behind a radiator".

The group produced music with an electronic vibe, but throwing live instruments into the mix and with much slower tempos than typically found in the electronic genre.  Hiphop beats and rapping mix with an almost loungey soul, strings and brilliant vocals from Shara Nelson, Horace Andy and rapper Tricky, who would go on to have an extensive solo career.

Viewed as one of the first/cornerstone albums in the yet-to-be labelled 'trip-hop' genre.

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 0422 - Stardust

Willie Nelson "Stardust" (1978) - got it

Riding on the success of "Red Headed Stranger" Willie was given a reasonable degree of freedom by his record company.  But they must have still had their doubts when Willie went outside of his country background to release a collection of covers of classic tin pan alley songs.  It's a musical gamble that works though.  Willie seamlessly blends the jazzy tunes like "Georgia on my mind", "Blue skies", "Somebody to watch over me" and Moonlight in Vermont" with a hint of his country background, similar to the mix of styles that Norah Jones would later toy around with in her first two albums (but then it's known that she's a big Willie fan).

The real star here is Willie's voice.  It's so distinctive, somehow strong and frail at the same time.  He makes these familiar songs come alive in a new way. Will definitely keep an eye out for this one next time I'm out shopping.

*as you can see from the top of this post, I have since found a copy too

Day 0007 - Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra "Songs For Swingin' Lovers!" (1956) got it

Something of a companion piece to "In the wee small hours".  Where that was the breakup album you play at night and cry bitter tears into your scotch; this is the bright sunny flipside, as you revel in joys and wonders of love!

Frank has never been in better voice, and Nelson Riddle's arrangements are once again top-notch with brilliant little jabs of horns or pa-pows of drum fills that catch you unawares and put a smile on your face. Apparently after the band had run through Riddle's arrangement of "I've got you under my skin" they gave him a round of applause.

The book points out that the album's 45 minute runtime over 15 tracks shows that the 3 minute pop song was already well established here.

See this is where I'm glad for this listening 'quest' because I love this album but it seems there are always so many things I want to listen to , that it's easy enough for great albums like this to slip my net for a while.