KING’S X
GRETCHEN GOES TO NEBRASKA
1989 – MEGAFORCE
Produced By SAM TAYLOR & KING’S X
1. Out Of The Silent Planet
2. Over My Head
3. Summerland
4. Everybody Knows A Little Bit Of Something
5. The Difference (In The Garden Of St. Anne’s-On-The-Hill)
6. I’ll Never Be The Same
7. Mission
8. Fall On Me
9. Pleiades
10. Don’t Believe It (It’s Easier Said Than Done)
11. Send A Message
12. The Burning Down
If you think King’s X is a good band, you’re wrong. King’s X is a great band. Underrated, misunderstood, overlooked, and often written off as less than what they are. What they are is a perfect example of what a power trio can be. They’re heavy and melodic, and they sound like twice as many people are playing and singing than actually are. Their songwriting is very good, and they have never been popular or cool. Why? They have been mislabled as a Christian rock band, and they were later overshadowed by 90’s bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins. Gretchen Goes To Nebraska is their second album as King’s X, and despite how good it is, it never took off for the band. Just like every single one of their other albums. There is no justice for King’s X.
But “Over My Head” and “Summerland” should have been hits for King’s X. and they simply were not. (In more than 30 years, this band has had exactly one top ten single.) Gretchen does include a lot of religious themes…which does NOT mean that it’s a religious album. But, we labeled them anyway. This album is a really great progressive and hard rock album that is loaded with huge guitars, massive grooves, and some of the best singing of any metal band of their time. King’s X, especially their earlier albums like Faith Hope Love, Dogman, King’s X and of course Gretchen Goes To Nebraska, deserve to be revisited. With an open mind and an open ear. This band helped usher in the 90’s with a really great album that’s a whole lot better than you ever forgot it was. Time for a revisit, I think.
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FRANK SINATRA
FRANK SINATRA SINGS FOR ONLY THE LONELY
1958 – CAPITOL
Produced By DAVE CAVANAUGH
1. Only The Lonely
2. Angel Eyes
3. What’s New?
4. It’s A Lonesome Old Town
5. Willow Weep For Me
6. Goodbye
7. Blues In The Night
8. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
9. Ebb Tide
10. Spring Is Here
11. Gone With The Wind
12. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
13. Sleep Warm
14. Where Or When
If you want to believe that the concept album was invented by 60’s rock bands, you go right ahead. I’m not saying that this Frank Sinatra album from 1958 was the first…but it’s as solid an example of what the concept album could be as you will ever find. Sinatra had actually made two records similar to Only The Lonely in it’s theme of lost love. In The Wee Small Hours from 1955, and Where Are You from 1957. Hey. If you’re on a roll, why mess with success? Sinatra was at the absolute top of his game here, and this collection of sad songs simply oozes the way a lonely night feels. This was one of Sinatra’s favorites out of his many records, and for good reason. The songs are great, the playing is magnificent…and Frank plays the part like no one else could.
There is not a weak moment here. Sinatra croons his ass off on classics like “Angel Eyes”, “One For My Baby”, “Willow Weep For Me”, and “Ebb Tide”. Nelson Riddle’s orchestra never overplays, allowing Sinatra all the room in the world to own the proceedings, something he was always able to do with ease. There was real world sadness attached to this album as well. Riddle had recently lost his mother and daughter, and Sinatra was recently divorced from Ava Gardner. Recordings made surrounded by loss always seem to come out better, and Only The Lonely is no exception. Sinatra, one of the greatest of all time, has a list of greatest albums that can beat almost anyone. And very near the very top of that list is Only The Lonely. Even the two added bonus tracks from 1987 are exceptional. If you’re gonna have some Sinatra (which you should), this is one to definitely have on your list.
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WOODS
SONGS OF SHAME
2009 – WOODSIST
Produced By JEREMY EARL & JARVIS TAVENIERE
1. To Clean
2. The Hold
3. The Number
4. September With Pete
5. Down This Road
6. Military Madness
7. Born To Lose
8. Echo Lake
9. Rain On
10. Gypsy Hand
11. Where And What Are You?
Woods is an interesting folk rock band from Brooklyn that has released eleven albums since 2007. Songs Of Shame is their fourth album, and it’s instrumentally adventurous and exciting. Woods draws from not just folk music, but is also a jam band in the barest sense of the word, psychedelic, and not afraid to take chances at every turn. Guitarists Jeremy Earl and Jarvis Taveniere are surrounded by keyboards, saxophone and a musical saw. They can be gentle as a kitten one minute, then freaking out like Zappa the next. There’s always something new when you listen to these songs, and you’ll never be bored. They would release better albums in the years immediately following this, but on this record, the groundwork had been laid.
However…vocally, Woods does themselves no favors here. Thankfully, most of these songs contain sparse singing. Earl’s voice is high…very uncomfortably so. He sounds most times like he has a certain part of his body clamped in a vice. He also doesn’t have much control over his voice, so it sounds as if he is simply struggling…and you wish he would stop. Fortunately, he does. It’s the playing that wins the day for Songs Of Shame, particularly on “The Number” and “Rain On”, along with the centerpiece “September With Pete”. If you like this one, check out At Echo Lake, Bend Beyond, and City Sun Eater In The River Of Light, all released after 2010. This is a band that rewards you with repeated listens, so be patient with them.
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TORI AMOS
SCARLET’S WALK
2002 – EPIC
Produced By TORI AMOS
1. Amber Waves
2. A Sorta Fairytale
3. Wednesday
4. Strange
5. Carbon
6. Crazy
7. Wampum Prayer
8. Don’t Make Me Come To Vegas
9. Sweet Sangria
10. Your Cloud
11. Pancake
12. I Can’t See New York
13. Mrs. Jesus
14. Taxi Ride
15. Another Girl’s Paradise
16. Scarlet’s Walk
17. Virginia
18. Gold Dust
On her seventh album, Scarlet’s Walk, Tori Amos showcases a softer and more friendly sound. She utilizes more live instruments over samples, and the result is a warmer and more organic feel. Coming off of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Scarlet’s Walk is a personal and heartfelt look at the aftermath of America’s greatest tragedy. She also looks at the treatment of Native Americans, and touches on quite a lot of pain and sorrow. This makes it one of her more understated albums…and one of her best works. Both her singing and her piano work feel much more personal than her prior recordings, leaving you feeling closer to the artist than ever before. This is all very good, as we learn here that a kinder and gentler Tori Amos is worth having in our lives.
“I Can’t See New York” is mostly her voice and piano taking center stage, and it’s wonderful. “Taxi Ride” is about a friend of the artist who had recently died. “Don’t Make Me Come To Vegas” is terrific, and “A Sorta Fairytale” was the lead single for good reason. Scarlet is a recurring character whose journey across post attack America is a fascinating one, for sure. The thing you’ll most take away from Scarlet’s Walk is just how capable Amos is at making really beautiful music. This is her most mature recording and her best lyrical work. For all of the live instruments used, it all comes back to what attracted us to her in the first place…it’s a girl and her piano making music that commands our attention. This is one of Tori’s best…don’t miss it!
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PATRICK WATSON
WOODEN ARMS
2009 – SECRET CITY
Produced By PATRICK WATSON
1. Fireweed
2. Tracy’s Waters
3. Beijing
4. Wooden Arms
5. Hommage
6. Traveling Salesman
7. Big Bird In A Small Cage
8. Down At The Beach
9. Man Like You
10. Where The Wild Things Are
11. Machinery Of The Heavens
Patrick Watson is a Canadian musician. Patrick Watson is also the name of his band. They play an interesting mix of psychedelic folk and dream pop, and have been compared to the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley and Pink Floyd. Wooden Arms is their fourth album, and it is, at first, a cool and mellow musical trip. It does work better as background music, and it can, if you’re not careful, put you right to sleep. The better moments here are very good, and the album contains some interesting percussion moments that are entertaining. But if you are looking for music with any kind of an edge, then this may not be the record for you. It’s well played, well written, and it is, from start to finish, mellow to its absolute core. That said, it’s also quite good.
The best songs on Wooden Arms are top notch. “Tracy’s Waters”, Big Bird In A Small Cage”, and “Fireweed” are excellent. Maybe the best track is “Beijing”, which imagines one living someone else’s life in another place. Their previous album, Close To Paradise, was a bit better, as was their next one, Adventures In Your Own Back Yard. But Patrick Watson (the band and the individual) do have a lot to offer, and their music is definitely worth hearing. They have gone on to make five more albums since Wooden Arms, including 2022’s Better In The Shade. If the world of dream pop is for you, then this will be a perfect fit. Otherwise, it may take some time for this to grab ahold of you, but when it does, it’s worthwhile. Better than average overall, but just short of great.
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APHEX TWIN
SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS 85-92
1992 – APOLLO
Produced By RICHARD D. JAMES
1. Xtal
2. Tha
3. Pulsewidth
4. Ageispolis
5. I
6. Green Calx
7. Heliosphan
8. We Are The Music Makers
9. Schottkey 7th Path
10. Ptolemy
11. Hedphelym
12. Delphium
13. Actium
Aphex Twin is the performing name used by British musician Richard D. James. Selected Ambient Works is his debut album, consisting of techno recordings he had made over a seven year period, dating back as far as when he was just 13 years old. It is considered to be one of the greatest electronic albums of all time, and it made James a legend. Although he has released just six studio albums as Aphex Twin, there are three more under other names, and he has put out nearly fifty extended plays. The album is recorded using simple equipment, and the quality is not great (these are cassette recordings, and they were supposedly damaged in some way by a cat). But the music here is pretty amazing. This is not the throbbing techno you hear in a club. This is music you can actually chill to, and groove to. A major step forward for electronica.
The opening track, “Xtal”, is a stunning invitation to James’ musical world. “Ageispolis” and “Pulsewidth” are also standouts, and the closing song, “Actium” is sprawling, melodic, and groovy as all get back. James does utilize some samples here, but this is a true solo album, as everything is arranged, performed and produced by the artist. His second album, Selected Ambient Works II, did not fare well initially, mainly because it was nearly three hours in length. But he has maintained a solid and impressive career, and he remains one of the leading lights in electronic music. He took a few years off in 2018, but is back now, most recently with an EP called Blackbox Life Recorder as well as a live EP. Thank goodness for that, as anything new from Aphex Twin is always welcome.
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BELLE & SEBASTIAN
TIGERMILK
1996 – ELECTRIC HONEY
Produced By BELLE & SEBASTIAN & GREGOR REID
1. The State I Am In
2. Expectations
3. She’s Losing It
4. You’re Just A Baby
5. Electronic Renaissance
6. I Could Be Dreaming
7. We Rule The School
8. My Wandering Days Are Over
9. I Don’t Love Anyone
10. Mary Jo
Just because you’re a pop band doesn’t mean that you will have pop success. Just ask Scotland’s Belle & Sebastian. Named after a children’s book, this group’s brand of pop has translated to almost no commercial success…but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a great band. Tigermilk is their debut album, recorded at a college studio where drummer Richard Colburn was attending, in just three days. The band had just gotten together, and had barely spent any time playing as a band when they recorded this. It didn’t sell a lot, but it sold enough, and was critically acclaimed. Led by the softer vocals of Stuart Murdoch and backed with members who play cello, trumpet and violin, along with a lot of nice jangly guitars, Belle & Sebastian had found a good recipe for making solid albums.
Tigermilk went gold in the UK despite having no singles released. “The State I’m In”, “Expectations”, and “She’s Losing It” are highlights, as is the guitar led joy of “I Don’t Love Anyone”. Tigermilk is a pretty and smooth album that set the stage for their upcoming career. Their next album, released just a few months later (If You’re Feeling Sinister) was maybe the best album of the year, and they have been steady and reliable ever since. Tigermilk is one of those lightning in a bottle moments. Belle & Sebastian found the right chemistry and sound despite having just formed, and they were able to tu1rn it into a beautiful work in a really short period of time. In a day and age when albums can take months, sometimes years to get right. An impressive start to a fine career.
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ARCTIC MONKEYS
FAVOURITE WORST NIGHTMARE
2007 – DOMINO
Produced By JAMES FORD & MIKE CROSSEY
1. Brainstorm
2. Teddy Picker
3. D Is For Dangerous
4. Balaclava
5. Fluorescent Adolescent
6. Only Ones Who Know
7. Do Me A Favour
8. This House Is A Circus
9. If You Were There, Beware
10. The Bad Thing
11. Old Yellow Bricks
12. 505
In 2006, the debut album from Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s what I’m Not, was a beast. Heavy, fast and exciting, we couldn’t wait to see what this band would do next. The next year brought Favourite Worst Nightmare, which surprisingly ended up being one of the more overrated records of the mid 2000’s. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s also certainly not what the critics hailed it to be…even better than their debut. Nope. Not even close. It was cool to be on this bandwagon in 2007, but while the Monkeys delivered a solid disc, it was not a masterpiece. It’s actually surprising that this album was not panned, not that it deserved to be. Sometimes, the critics get it wrong. As they do here…just don’t have your expectations set too high.
The best tracks on this album stand up alongside anything on their debut. “Teddy Picker”, “Brainstorm”, “505” and “Fluorescent Adolescent” are simply great. But after that, there is a significant drop in song quality. In fact, much of the second half almost drags it way to the conclusion. But mostly, Favourite Worst Nightmare is very good, and it’s a purchase you won’t regret making. The Monkeys sound here was already changing, something they have continued to do since this record. That’s mostly a good thing, both for them and for us. This is a high energy band that’s fast and loaded with hooks when they are at their best. You won’t go wrong with Favourite Worst Nightmare…just don’t expect it to be as advertised. It’s good, but it’s not as good as their debut.
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THE REPLACEMENTS
TIM
1985 – SIRE
Produced By TOMMY ERDELYI
1. Hold My Life
2. I’ll Buy
3. Kiss Me On The Bus
4. Dose Of Thumder
5. Waitress In The Sky
6. Swingin’ Party
7. Bastards Of Young
8. Lay It Down Clown
9. Left Of The Dial
10. Little Mascara
11. Here Comes A Regular
The Replacements were an absolute eighties band…never mind the short lived reunions in 2006 and from 2012-2015. In the ten years between 1981 and 1990, the ‘Mats released seven albums of punk driven rock and roll, and they were one of the coolest bands of the decade. Never overly famous, they made their music on their terms, and forged a legacy that lives to this day. Tim is the band’s fourth album, and it marks (along with its predecessor Let It Be) their peak. This is the last album with the original lineup of Paul Westerberg, Bob & Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars, and after this, it was a slow downhill for them. But Tim (they named it Tim because Westerberg “thought it was a nice name”) is magnificent…it’s brutal, hard, fast and perfect.
There aren’t any hits here (the early Replacements didn’t have hits), but there are some truly great moments. “Bastards Of Young” became legendary after a performance on SNL, and “Kiss Me On The Bus” includes a guitar solo by producer Tommy Ramone. Alex Chilton also adds vocals on “Left Of The Dial”. The closing track, “Here Comes A Regular”, is also pretty terrific. As for the rest, this is The Replacements at their very best, so you can’t go wrong with any of it. Lead guitarist Bob Stinson was kicked out after this album, and things were never quite the same. The last three albums sold more copies, but they didn’t pack the punch of the earlier days. And so, as ended the eighties, so ended The Replacements. But we’ll always have their excellent first four albums.
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STEVE EARLE
LIVE FROM AUSTIN, TX
2004 – NEW WEST
Produced By GARY BRIGGS & CAMERON STRANG
1. Sweet Little ‘66
2. Goodbye’s All We Got Left
3. Guitar Town
4. Hillbilly Highway
5. Good Ol Boy (Gettin’ Tough)
6. My Old Friend The Blues
7. Think It Over
8. Little Rock ‘N’ Roller
9. State Trooper
10. Nowhere Road
11. The Week Of Living Dangerously
12. Angry Young Man
13. Fearless Heart
14. I Love You Too Much
15. San Antonio Girl
16. The Devil’s Right Hand
17. Down The Road
For far too many years, the early live recordings of Steve Earle that we had available were quite limited. And to be truthful, not very good. The 1991 album Shut Up And Die Like An Aviator was drenched in substance abuse, and Earle’s voice is not only shot, but you wonder how he makes it from one song to the next. BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert from 1992 was just as bad. Thankfully, this was corrected with the 2004 release of Live From Austin, TX (there’s also one with the same title released 2 years later). This was recorded in 1986, when Earle was still strong and moving forward. He had one album out (Guitar Town) and one on the way (Exit 0), and he sounds terrific here. This is a single show with 17 songs, and there’s also a DVD out there for the full experience.
You don’t get any of his later material, but that’s okay. This is all about the experience of hearing Steve Earle live touring his first record. His voice is strong, the songs are tight and they put on one hell of a show. “Guitar Town” is an obvious highlight, but you also get fine performances of “Goodbye’s All We Got Left” and “Nowhere Road”, which had yet to be released. “The Devil’s Right Hand” is here, but maybe the coolest track is a rocking reading of Springsteen’s “State Trooper” (Earle has always had elements of Bruce in his music). Everything else is original material, showing that even this early on, Earle already had a house made of songs. Thanks to this, we now have a solid full show from Steve Earle as an artist still on the rise. Don’t let this one pass you by.
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