Day 0941 - The Last Broadcast

Doves "The Last Broadcast" (2002)

This one didn't really hit me on the first listen in the way their first album "Lost Souls" did.   It all just seemed a little less memorable.   It wasn't until I hit the track "N.Y." that it clicked for me.  The song has a nice groove overlaid with harmonised vocals that gets overrun with noise building to a crescendo and then bringing it back down to earth afterwards.   

 

The album really opened up for me after that.   The title track has a nice folk-rock feel to it, almost a bit like Fleet Foxes, but with a few spacey touches.   The last few tracks were solid too so I went back to the start and re-listened to the whole album which I now felt much more in tune with.

Similar kind of vibe to their previous album as far looped musical ideas with some nice vocals and vocal arrangements over the top.

Day 0900 - Lost Souls

It'll be interesting going into the 00s.  With the earlier albums on the list it's a lot easier to justify their place in the list based on longevity or influence on subsequent artists and genres.  I imagine the selection criteria will be less clear as it goes on.

 

0900
 

Doves "Lost Souls" (2000)

The book mentioned something about DJs/dance music so I thought I'd be listening to something in that vein.   Turns out that was Doves' previous incarnation 'Sub Sub' where they worked in the dance genre.   Their studio space burnt down, and the band lost their equipment and the music they'd been recording at the time.  The band used the insurance money to re-start and shift into a more alt-rock sound... and I like it!

They still have a bit of a dance approach to their tracks in that they seem to build a lot of the songs on repeated/looped ideas, and there's some nice production touches in place, but with more of an organic feel that dips into pop, indie, post-punk and even a touch of shoegaze.   They build up layers of sound, which is an approach that I dig.

The title track builds until it feels like a rising wave of voices rolling into shore.   "Catch the Sun" is a catchy, upbeat propulsive pop track built over a fuzzy drone.    "The man who told everything" is a more stripped down alt-rock track that brings strings and clean guitars over the choruses.   

 

Closer "A House" is an almost an alt-country track but with the sound of burning buildings fading in and out of the mix.   It's a musically adventurous and interesting album.

Not bad, 2000.  You're off to a good start.

Day 0867 - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Lucinda Williams “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” (1998)

For Williams’ fifth album, she ended her working relationship with producer Gurf Morlix and worked instead with alt-country star Steve Earle who described it as “the least amount of fun I’ve had working on a record”.  

Whatever the case behind the scenes, the album turned out alright.  It’s loosely classed under the ‘country’ label, but in practise is a mix of rootsy folky country, like on album closer “Jackson”; and melodic Southern-Rock with enough twang and other country affectations to keep it within that camp, such as album opener “Right in Time”.   Similar sound to Sheryl Crow, but (a) more country than that and (b) Lucinda had been releasing music since the 70s so predates Crow.

This didn’t blow my mind, but I found enough to enjoy in there that I’d happily listen to it again.

Day 0852 - Life Thru a Lens

Robbie Williams "Life Thru a Lens" (1997)

My sister loved this album back in the day, she had the first couple of Robbie albums on cassette (because we're getting old) and as all big brothers should do, I suspect I poo-poohed it at the time.   I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Robbie though, and a few years later when I was going through a bout of depression and was feeling like most music just seemed like a wall of grey noise I turned to Williams' greatest hits (and some Kanye West if memory serves) and that seemed to be something that my brain was willing to let in.

As far as debuts go, it is pretty damned good.   Robbie had left boy-band Take That somewhat acrimoniously and teamed up with song-writer/producer Guy Chambers, and worked to recast himself as a cheeky rock n rolling pop star.  

The album seems to lean very heavily on the 'Brit-pop' sound, with Oasisy sneery rock and bouncy Blur-esque pop.  Regardless of the influences on display though, Williams makes it his own through his charisma and voice.   Mission statement, the brassy rocker "Let me Entertain You" lays out what he's about.

It's a fairly even album too without too much filler ("Baby girl window" maybe seems like a bit of a retread of some ideas already covered), with even the overplayed ballad "Angels" seeming entirely bearable in the context of the album as a whole.   The track "Ego a go go" slagging off Robbie's ex-Take That bandmate Gary Barlow feels musically like it's drawing on the Beatles' Revolver album, the title track has a pop-punk bent to its verses. For the most part though it's about melody with a bit of grit, and Robbie having a good time (and occasionally finding himself regretting it).

Day 0651 - Disintegration

The Cure "Disintegration" (1989) 

Robert Smith plumbed the depths again, facing the realisation that he was growing old because he was turning 30...  my near-40-year-old heart bleeds for him.

Smith felt pressured to follow up on the Cure's prior successes.  They had initially had a Gothic vibe to them, but once people came to expect that, he switched to a more accessible pop vein, but disliked the increased popularity so returned again to the goth fold.

This album certainly doesn't appear to court MTV or commercial radio, with the songs being lengthy morose grooves that take their time creating an atmosphere (though still with a keen sense of melody on display).  Whatever Smith's intentions, the album did reasonably well commercially.

Day 0551 - Brothers in Arms

Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" (1985)

I think it's safe to say that I'll never be a hardcore Dire Straits fan.  While there are definitely some worthy tracks here (most notably the subtle and moving title track), this album is largely the epitome of MOR.  The album's most known hit "Money for Nothing" is co-written with another eventual MOR star: Sting.

In 'Money for Nothing', 'Walk of Life' and the title track, the album has memorable tracks enough to ensure it would be a hit. 

With Mark Knopfler being one of the only members from the original lineup left, his vocals and guitar dominate; whether it's the riff-heavy 'Money' or the folky, almost country bent of "The Man's too Strong".

Day 0456 - Back in Black

AC/DC "Back in Black" (1980)

 
AC/DC had managed to pull themselves up by their Aussie bootstraps to 'take on the world'. By the time they released "Highway to Hell" they had won over Europe, but hadn't quite cracked the US. Tragedy befell them when their lead singer Bon Scott died after a night of drinking.

The band didn't pause.  They started recording straight away and recruited British vocalist Brian Johnson to take up lead singer duties. The album opens with tolling bells and then slow, ominous guitar, leading you to believe that maybe the band were going to deliver a solemn eulogy to their fallen bandmate... at least you might believe that if you were unfamiliar with the rest of their work. Pretty quickly,  the slow opening gives way to an 'all hands to the pump' rocker, and things doesn't really let up from there.

The band continue with their misogynistic, wild-time lyrics and solid riffing rock. Solid is the word too; apart from Angus Young's flashy lead guitar parts, the music is fairly workmanlike in its simplicity. The rhythm section mainly hold down the most basic groove needed to support the guitar riffs, which in turn provide a bed for Johnson's vocals to bounce around on top of. It is rock economy, and it works really well for the songs.

The album took off in the US. It has since racked up 22x platinum sales, and sits as the sixth highest selling album of all time in the US!

Day 0427 - Highway to Hell

AC/DC "Highway to Hell" (1979)

Apparently this was Acca Dacca's 5th album. The title had come from Angus Young being asked to describe their drunken bus tours, he responded with "like a highway to hell" and it just kind of stuck.

I've obviously heard plenty of AC/DC before, but have never really sat down and listened to an entire album in one sitting before.  All in all they make pretty solid rock n roll (though I guess that should go without saying).  There's just not quite enough variety for my tastes. Looking forward to 'back in black' presumably coming up on this list though.

This was Bon Scott's last album with the band before his alcohol-related death.

0266 - All Directions

The Temptations "All Directions" (1972)

 
The Temps continue to prove themselves to be "more just that band who sung 'My Girl'".  The group continue to explore sounds outside of the standard Motown sound, as already heard in slinky funky wah-wah infused albums like 'Cloud Nine' and 'Psychedelic Shack'.

This album is full of funky grooves, including the nearly 12 minute jam of 'Papa was a Rollin' Stone' and gets in your face with the N-bomb laden "Run Charlie, Run" that definitely draw a line in the sand between this album and the clean, short-n-sweet pop of their earlier material.

It comes with a deceptively run of the mill album cover, featuring a clean-cut band photo that doesn't immediately hint at the interesting directions explored within.

Day 0146 - In a Silent Way

Miles Davis "In a Silent Way" (1969)

 
This one has been on my 'to check out' list for a while. I tend to buy Miles' albums, er... sound unheard, so this is a rare case of doing some research first.

It's a nice bit of fusion-jazz with some great atmospheric moments, and lovely textures.  It totally lives up to its name much of the time with it's gentle minimalism, interspersed with flights of jazzy fun within, yet feels more focussed than his rambling fusion albums like 'bitches brew' and 'big fun'.