Day 0620 - 16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens "16 Lovers Lane" (1988)

Referred to in some quarters as 'the Indie "Rumours"' because romantic relationships within the band were ending (singer/songwriter Robert  Forster and drummer Lindy Morrison) and just taking off (singer/songwriter Grant McLennan and violinist Amanda Brown).  In amongst this changing and potentially volatile dynamic, their bass-player had also left and been replaced.

The album reflects that landscape, with a mix of upbeat pop songs and dole-drum laments.  The band broke up following this album (but reformed several years later).   The songs aren't terrible, but honestly, I listened to the album about 4 times in a row, and aside from vaguely recognising one or two songs when they came back around, it mostly just didn't feel like any of it was memorable enough to stick with me.

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 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.