Day 0902 - Heartbreaker

Ryan Adams "Heartbreaker" (2000)

I've never had a huge urge to check out Ryan Adams.  Not sure why, I think I heard a song or two back in the day that I didn't care for, then heard stories about him being a bit of a dick (not that that necessarily makes for bad music) so didn't really feel the motivation.

After the breakup of his alt-country group Whiskeytown, Adams teamed up with country/Americana artists Gillian Welch and David Rawlings to work on his solo album.

The album was actually pretty good.  It's mostly alt-country with a bit of a Bob Dylan vibe in places (drawling vocal, harmonica and acoustic guitars).   The opening track is wasted on a discussion about which album a particular Morrissey song is on... not exactly going to stand up to re-listens that one.  

After that it bursts into an ambitious rockabilly track "To be young (is to be sad, is to be high) which breaks into more melodic passages.  "Amy" is a gorgeous 60s flavoured ballad that wouldn't be out of place on a later era Beatles album.   "Oh my sweet Carolina" is a smouldering country ballad with guest vocals by Emmylou Harris, whose album "Red Dirt Girl" shows up shortly in this list.  "Bartering Lines" almost has that atmospheric T-Bone Burnett production to it and some lovely vocal harmonies.

Perfectly listenable, and I'd be more than happy to check out further Adams albums based on this.

Day 0842 - Vanishing Point

Primal Scream "Vanishing Point" (1997)

I really enjoyed Primal Scream's "Screamadelica" album where they combined rock sounds, dance sounds, and the in between 'baggy' sound.   As much as I enjoy musical variety, I felt that some of the electronic tracks didn't really sit along the more guitar-based songs, possibly it's because it was a fairly new direction for the band and they hadn't quite worked out how to properly integrate everything.   Colour me pleased then that this album still mixes its sounds but seems to have found more of a balance across the album.

The album is named after a film of the same name that the band loved.   They felt that the film's score was a bit too much like hippy music for a film about speed-jacked cross-country car antics and sought to reimagine this at least for the track "Kowalski" (the main character).  

The album also manages to work in the trip-hoppy jazz of "Get Duffy", the rock sound of "Medication", the Krautrock of "Stuka", a slightly dance-infused cover of Motörhead's eponymous track, and the 60s-spy-music-evolving-into jazzy-trip-hop-voyage of penultimate track "Trainspotting".  

Excellent album, liking what I'm hearing and should probably check out at least the album between "Screamadelica" and "Vanishing Point" some time.

Day 0743 - Emergency on Planet Earth

 Jamiroquai “Emergency on Planet Earth” (1993) – got it

 

Kind of like a combination of Herbie Hancock’s fusion material, and Steve Wonder… in fact, if I were to be uncharitable, I’d say that that’s pretty much all their sound is.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Jamiroquai’s tight funk grooves, danceable beats and Wonder-esque vocals, and I have a few of their releases; but I have to admit that their sound doesn’t change hugely between albums.  They might chuck in a ballad here or more of a disco influence there but generally they stick with what they know.

That aside, I could definitely understand this record and band making a splash when they first appeared.  Their music is lively, their musicians skilled, and lead-singer Jay Kay (who people forever assume is a solo artist called Jamiroquai) was a ball of big-hat-wearing energetic stage presence.

Day 0734 - Suede

Suede "Suede" (1993) - got it

Suede was started by couple Brett Anderson and Justine Frischmann.   They recruited other members, even having an audition with the drummer from the Smiths (an influence on the pair).  They eventually enlisted drummer Simon Gilbert via future 'Office' creator Ricky Gervais.

Anderson and Frischmann broke up and Frischmann started dating Blur's Damon Albarn.  The band didn't survive the break with Frischmann leaving to form Elastica  while Anderson moved forward with Suede.

Something about Anderson's voice reminds me of the Dunedin sound, made famous in the late 70s and 80s.  The music though has that more 90s sound of distortion and indie rock with touches of leftover washy shoegazey guitar flavouring things slightly.

I initially bought this album on the strength of catchy single "Animal Nitrate" though I honestly don't listen to the album much now, it does still have some great tracks like the equally catchy "The Drowners" and the beautiful album closer, piano-based "The Next Life".

Day 0708 - Slanted and Enchanted

Pavement "Slanted and Enchanted" (1992)

Originally started as a studio-only project, Pavenement released a number of lo-fi releases.   They eventually recruited a drummer for more recordings and even some live shows.

The band certainly weren't courting fame and success, with the original version of this album being circulated on cassette with no song titles listed.   The music created some buzz and eventually the full version of the album was released.

It has kind of a Velvet Underground vibe with vocalist Stephen Malkmus' drawling vocals.  The music is vaguely melodic with lots of noisy guitar; so not unlike more than a few other bands active at the time.   It didn't really grab me.  It's perfectly listenable, but not something I'm likely to revisit or investigate further.

Day 0705 - Screamadelica

Primal Scream "Screamadelica"

Primal Scream started as a duo of Jim Beatty and Bobby Gillespie.  As they developed their music and started playing live, they expanded their line-up.   Their flavour of jangly pop-rock did not go over well with punters or critics, with the band being accused of being unoriginal and bland.

The band started to get into the acid house scene and asked DJ Andrew Weatherall to remix one of their tracks.  The resulting remix of "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have" (repurposed as "Loaded") was a success and the band delved deeper into this mix of rock and dance, already being explored by bands such as the Happy Mondays and New Order.

Screamadelica actually lives up to some of the hype laid on it by the book.  It has heart, it has musical exploration, it has some catchy bits, some interesting bits and a wide range of sounds.  If it has any weaknesses for my tastes, it's maybe that some of the more electronic/remixy tracks don't necessarily sit coherently alongside the more "voice and guitar" kind of tracks.  They aren't really completely incompatible or anything though, so it just adds a little extra variety to spice up the lengthy runtime of the album.

The album wasn't a commercial or critical runaway success, but it was certainly a step up for the group, making it to number 8 in the UK charts and gaining a few accolades including the inaugural Mercury Prize.   Speaking of the Mercury Prize, looking at the calibre of the winning albums that I am familiar with I feel like I should put the other winners on my musical 'to-do' list for future investigation.  

Day 0676 - Ragged Glory

Neil Young "Ragged Glory" (1990)

Young had had a bit of a return to form with his previous album 'Freedom' after what was considered by many to be a period of creative decline for him.  For this album he went one step further with taking things back and reunited with his band Crazy Horse. 

The band jammed on sets of songs each day and eventually went and listened back to all of the takes to choose the best tracks to move forward with.  Young said that it was to stop them overthinking, though there is also some suggestion that it was to keep Young from controlling the sessions too much.

It's a pretty straight-ahead set of rockers with Young's fuzzy guitar solos and some nice vocal harmonies going on.   It didn't wow me as much as some of Young's other albums I've listened to on this quest, but I do really love the slow burning album closer "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)".

Day 0655 - Pump

Aerosmith "Pump" (1989)

Aerosmith feel like they combine the riffs of Zeppelin and the backing/harmony vocals of the Beatles, but with a little slease and 80s production shine.   Going further on the Zeppelin thing, Aerosmith are such a quintessentially American band that it's almost like one of those things where someone puts English text through an online translator then translates it back into English.  You get Zeppelin taking American blues and doing their own thing with it, then Aerosmith bringing it back to America but funnelling it through their own unique filter.

The album is reflective of the band's late 80s/early 90s output with some stomping hook-filled rockers and some power ballads that could power half of Massachusetts.  Some interludes break things up interestingly ticking along and the odd, confronting "Janie's got a gun" keeps the listener from getting too complacent.

Aerosmith's creative and commercial slump was well and truly over.  For this album they decided to eschew outside help and assembled at a secluded studio to work on songs, coming up with 19 tracks that they divided into the 'A' and 'B' material.

Day 0645 -L’eau Rouge

The Young Gods "L'eau Rouge" (1989)

The meeting place of the industrial rock of Ministry and NIN, and the cabaret of Kurt Weill (Young Gods would go on to cover some fo Weill's material) and Tom Waits.  With its pounding drums and deep guttural vocals, this is likely to have also been  listening material for artists such as Rammsteinn and Mike Patton.

The Young Gods had named themselves after a track by the experimental band Swans, and managed to get that band's Roli Mosimann to produce this album.   The album veers between ferocious guitar assault, mechanical beats, and orchestral flourishes, showing that this is not your average industrial album.   Case in point, the first track is in waltz time!

Day 0552 - Steve McQueen

Prefab Sprout "Steve McQueen" (1985)

 
Another of the literate/intellectual indie-pop sect of the 80s.  There are occasional hints of bands such as the Smiths and even Pet Shop Boys here, but musically, Prefab are pleasingly all over the map.

The album kicks off with dose of rockabilly, it veers from delicate pop to hot blooded soul-rock (not a million miles from the sound of Crowded House).  There are hints of Elvis Costello here and there, some dreamy pop, even a taste of bossa nova.

If anything, the album's weakness is that it doesn't have much of an identity.  It showcases a variety of sounds, and the songs are enjoyable, but there's nothing here that if I heard it on the radio I'd think "that definitely sounds like Prefab Sprout" like I would with other diverse bands like Ween or even 10CC.

With the album's title, legal action was taken against the band by McQueen's estate, forcing them to release the album under the title "Two Wheels Good" (maybe an Animal Farm reference?) in the US.

Day 0508 - Thriller

Michael Jackson "Thriller" (1982)

The highest selling album of all time, sold a million copies per month for its first year of release, 6 of its 10 songs were hit singles.

What more could you really want from an album: it was produced by Quincy Jones with a seasoned collection of studio players (check out the videos of Michael's drummer playing some of the hits from this era, the groove is tight like you wouldn't believe), a guest vocal by Paul McCartney, a guitar solo by Eddie van Halen and even some backing vocals from his sister Janet.

I won't say that it doesn't sound dated, there are some production and instrument sounds here that are unmistakably 80s.  That being said, there are other sounds on here that have aged nicely and wouldn't be out of place in contemporary pop, particularly given the number of artists who Jacko has influenced directly or indirectly.

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 0453 - Specials

The Specials "Specials" (1979)

The Specials kind of came out fully formed here; from their image (suits and narrow ties, shades and porkpie hats - referencing UK 'mods' and Jamaican 'rude boys'), to their music which was a brash and rocky take on ska, dub and rocksteady... all with a hint of the recent punk movement reflected in it.

A number of the band members sing, but it's the combination of lead singers Neville Staple with his warm round Jamaican accent and Terry Hall with his punkish holler that really help carve out a unique sound amongst the then burgeoning ska scene in the UK. "Too much too young" is a favourite of mine here.




....well goodbye 1970s. You have been an education.

Day 0444 - Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young "Rust Never Sleeps" (1979)

Neil survived the 70s, was even nominated as "artist of the decade" by the Village Voice. He finished out the 70s with a film and an album both titled "Rust never sleeps" (the title a phrase that Young coined to urge himself to keep pushing in new creative directions to avoid stagnation).

The album itself was recorded live with overdubs added later and audience sound removed as much possible. The songs are half solo acoustic, and half 'rawk', recorded with Young's band Crazy Horse.

With the album being bookended by two stylistically different versions of the song "hey hey my my", it really shows off what Young could do back then.

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.

Day 0371 - The Stranger

Billy Joel "The Stranger" (1977)

 
Billy had apparently played in piano bars during his high school years to help support his single mother (good boy) which must have been a help in both refining his chops, and increasing his confidence as a performer.

This isn't his first album, and he had had a hit with "Piano Man" previously, but this album was considered by many to be his commercial breakthrough. It makes me feel like I should check out more of his albums too because, yes the singles ("Movin' out (Anthony's song)", "Just the way you are", "Only the good die young", "She's always a woman") are great, but there are some tasty deeper cuts here. The title track opens with a moody noir piano piece with Morricone-esque whistle over the top that segues into an upbeat pop-rock track and then back into the piano and whistle at the end, as though the whole song has emerged from and then vanished back into the fog in some Humphrey Bogart film.

"Scenes from an Italian restaurant" sounds almost like Billy Joel meets Paul McCartney with the growly vocal and bouncy baroque-tinged pop.

"Vienna" is delicate and lovely, "Get it right first time" has an almost fusiony world-music feel to it informing a bright and brassy pop song.

The album wraps up with the gospel tinged rager "everybody has a dream", that gives way to a reprise of the title track's intro/outro section. An enjoyable listen all round.

Day 0164 - Elephant Mountain

The Youngbloods "Elephant Mountain" (1969)

I really enjoyed this.  Laidback, pop and folk with bits of funky rock along the way.  It has a lot of kind of 'familiar' sounds.  At times there are hints of Led Zep's mellower moments, at other times you can hear various stages of the Beatles.

Some really beautiful melodies and chord sequences. Sunshiney acoustic songs.  "Double sunlight" in particular is gorgeous,

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.