Day 0637 - Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz "Let Love Rule" (1989)

Lenny recorded his debut album almost single-handedly, playing all of the drums, guitars and vocals, with a few guest musicians overdubbing other instruments. 

He had slowly been building his artistic chops, learning various musical instruments, performing in the California Boys Choir,  acting in commercials, and developing music under the moniker Romeo Blue.  By the time he was ready to release the album, he had dropped his nom de plume and released the album as Lenny Kravitz. 

Kravitz had been in the news around this time for eloping with then-partner Lisa Bonet, who was well known for her role in the Cosby Show.  Not surprisingly she is the subject of songs on the album, and helped write a couple of them.

The ingredients for Kravitz's sound, though it has changed a little throughout the years, are laid out here.  Soulful rock vocals, Beatles-esque backing vocals, funky Hendrix-style guitar, Ringo-style drumming.  It's pretty well laid out in the song that I knew best here before listening through the album "I Build this Garden for us".

This album features some horns and the odd ballad to mix things up.  You could never call Kravitz the most original musician/composer ever, as his influences are worn very much on sleeve, but he still makes some enjoyable music.

Day 0571 - Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg "Talking With the Taxman About Poetry" (1986)

The book talks about Bragg's ability to find the personal in politics and the political in the personal.  As is often the case, I didn't really pay much attention to the lyrics so I didn't really pick up on that so much, but I did enjoy the album musically.

Bragg's reverb drenched guitar manages to accentuate a variety of styles, from rockabilly, folk, pop and country.  I didn't even realise the first time I listened to the album, but there's little-to-no drumming in it, and the songs don't suffer at all as a result.  One or two tracks have limited percussion but that's it.

The album also features contributions from the Smiths' Johnny Marr, and Kirsty MacColl (of 'fairytale of New York' fame.

Day 0559 - Rain Dogs

Tom Waits "Rain Dogs" (1985)

If "Swordfishtrombones" was a drunken left-turn down a dark alley, populated by an assortment of weird and unusual characters; "Rain Dogs" is Waits deciding that he likes the alley-way and setting himself up in his spot around the trash-can fire.

The beat poetry and drunken piano ballads are largely gone in favour of stories about the aforementioned odd characters, backed by honking horns (that occasionally drift into New Orleans jazz territory) and interesting melodic percussion.   Regular John Zorn collaborator Marc Ribot provides guitar for the album with playing that ranges from jazzy surf and twangy lead, to abrasive avant sounds, and everything between.  The music includes remnants of his bar-room piano balladry, and even some country and western, but mostly it's a whole new world.

Waits' voice ranges from his newly adopted barking shout, to a gravelly croon, occasionally even dabbling in a sort of affected nasally cabaret vocal.

Day 0549 - Hunting High and Low

A-Ha "Hunting High and Low" (1985)

You could be forgiven for thinking that this Norwegian pop group found fame solely based on one hit, a pretty singer, and high rotation of a music video using the aforementioned hit and singer.

This album though is so much more than just "Take on me" and Morten Harket's beautiful, beautiful face.  Gorgeous new-romantic synth pop sounds abound.  There are some sections that almost border on orchestral/operatic, while in others it's simple, upbeat power pop.

A strong album, with only one or two slightly more 'filler-esque' tracks.

Day 0476 - Arc of Diver

Steve Winwood "Arc of a Diver" (1980)

Steve Winwood had previously tried to release a solo album and had somehow accidentally wound up reforming his band Traffic and releasing the album with them instead. Winwood then got out a self-titled solo album but it sank link a stone commercially. This one fared much better with the record-buying public. I'd certainly heard opener "while you see a chance" on the radio a bit in the past.

Winwood crafted his catchy, somewhat funky tracks, more or less entirely by himself... which was no mean feat taking into account the late 70s/early 80s study technology.