Best Ever Albums

Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:07:04 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/16/2026 18:07

2447

Reach The Beach (1983) by The Fixx

THE FIXX
REACH THE BEACH
1983 – MCA
Produced By RUPERT HINE

1. One Thing Leads To Another
2. The Sign Of Fire
3. Running
4. Saved By Zero
5. Opinions
6. Reach The Beach
7. Changing
8. Liner
9. Privilege
10. Outside

They’re kind of easy to forget, but seriously…what would pop music have been in the first half of the eighties without The Fixx? This British band was seemingly always on the radio, the charts, and on MTV between 1982 and 1984 with hits that were smart and never sappy. And yet, they never seemed to really stand out, and when their hits began to dry up in the second half of the decade, no one seemed to notice. Reach The Beach, their second album, came in the middle of their streak of popularity, and still stands as their best and most successful album. It’s anchored by two of the strongest hits of the decade. “Saved By Zero” and the endlessly catchy “One Thing Leads To Another” are driven by cool guitar riffs in a world ruled by synthesizers, and the two danceable hits held their own just fine. It appeared, for the moment, that The Fixx was here to stay.

The rest of Reach The Beach is better than you might think. “The Sign Of Fire” failed as a single, but deserved a better fate, while the second half, never played on the radio, will surprise you. Star producer Rupert Hine brings out the best in the band, and the album as a whole is quite satisfying. It’s a shame that The Fixx (who are still together) aren’t better remembered these days. They had five solid hits in that three year window, adding in the excellent “Red Skies” and “Stand Or Fall” from their debut, and “Are We Ourselves?” from 1984’s Phantoms. They did become ordinary as time went by, but their first three albums are all worth seeking out, particularly Reach The Beach. For a while, The Fixx were one of the better bands of the eighties. This one is well worth dusting off and revisiting for sure. Better than you probably remember.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:33:34 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/14/2026 15:33

2446

90125 (1983) by Yes

YES
90125
1983 – ATCO
Produced By TREVOR HORN & YES

1. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
2. Hold On
3. It Can Happen
4. Changes
5. Cinema
6. Leave It
7. Our Song
8. City Of Love
9. Hearts

The dizzying history of Yes includes more spinoffs than you have fingers, a pair of reunions, and more than fifty total albums. The original run of Yes, which began in 1969 and included ten studio albums, ended at the dawn of the eighties with a fractured lineup that included Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles. The band split up after the album Drama, and it appeared that Yes was done. But a new band called Cinema was formed from the ashes, and when Jon Anderson was brought back to sing vocals for the new album, they changed their name to Yes, and the new chapter was born. 90125 (the name is simply the album’s catalog number) introduced the prog rock legends as a synth driven pop rock band. And while they flipped out many of their long time fans, Yes experienced a rebirth as a hitmaking eighties MTV band. Who woulda thought?

And so, 90125, their eleventh album, became their most successful. “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” was inescapable as a hit in late 1983. “It Can Happen” and “Leave It” followed, and the album was fleshed out with “Changes” and the instrumental “Cinema”. It’s a band with great experience playing music that seems to come easy for them, and it’s a pretty good disc. But missing are the thought provoking extended instrumental excursions, the creative themes and dense layering that your father’s Yes was so good at. In truth, the real saving grace of 90125 is the voice of Anderson, who still sounds cool as hell here. It’s a nice comeback after a short absence, but the truth is, this is not much more than a pop record by a band capable of much more than this. Yes soldiers on with only Steve Howe as a classic member (he did not play on this album). Not bad, not great.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 20:55:59 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/14/2026 00:55

2445

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Thank You Happy Birthday (2011) by Cage The Elephant

CAGE THE ELEPHANT
THANK YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY
2011 – JIVE
Produced By JAY JOYCE

1. Always Something
2. Aberdeen
3. Indy Kidz
4. Shake Me Down
5. 2024
6. Sell Yourself
7. Rubber Ball
8. Right Before My Eyes
9. Around My Head
10. Sabertooth Tiger
11. Japanese Buffalo
12. Flow

“We want each of our songs to sound like it’s been written by a different band”. That’s how Cage The Elephant described their second album, Thank You, Happy Birthday. And for the most part…for better or worse, they succeeded in doing just that. This band from Kentucky had a hit with “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” from their self-titled debut, and this follow up was highly anticipated. Which is why, despite not selling as many copies, it’s their highest charting release. And you’ve got to hand it to them…this band has managed to never make the same album twice, which keeps them sounding fresh. But not everything works. In the case of this one, it’s a little better than half and half. There are some great tracks here, but there are also some that could have used a bit more work, or been replaced altogether. In a word…inconsistent.

“Shake Me Down” is the best of the lot, a nifty bit of 2010’s psychedelia. “Aberdeen” and “Around My House” are terrific as well, proving that Cage The Elephant had the goods to stay relevant. “Always Something” is fine as well. But there are also more than just a few also rans, songs that sound like filler and don’t get any better with repeated listens. This leaves Thank You, Happy Birthday as a lesser album in their discography, well behind their debut, the follow up from 2013 (Melophobia), and even 2015’s Tell Me I’m Pretty. Consider this one a sort of a sophomore slump, if you will. That’s okay. There’s enough of value here to make it worth a listen, keeping one finger securely on the skip button. Cage The Elephant continues on, with six albums in the books and a seventh on the way in 2026. A band always worth keeping an eye on.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Tue, 8 Sep 2026 18:47:39 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/08/2026 22:47

2444

Fifty Eggs (1998) by Dan Bern

DAN BERN
FIFTY EGGS
1998 – WORK
Produced By ANI DIFRANCO

1. Tiger Woods
2. One Thing Real
3. No Missing Link
4. Oh Sister
5. Cure For AIDS
6. Chick Singers
7. Different Worlds
8. Everybody’s Baby
9. One Dance
10. Jesus Freak
11. Monica
12. Rolling Away
13. Suzanne

Dan Bern is a folk rock singer who has spent his entire thirty year career on the outer fringes of commercial success. He’s a respected songwriter who has always has a tendency to go way over the top politically. He’s a shameless self promoter, having compared himself to everyone from Dylan to Springsteen, and pretty much every important folk singer in between. He claims to be “undefinable by genre and literary”. Truth is, he was once a promising up and coming artist who settled in as an also ran once he had shown he wasn’t going to become much better than average. Fifty Eggs is his second album, the follow up to his self titled debut that features “Jerusalem”, a song about himself being the messiah that was covered by Ani DiFranco. DiFranco thought enough of Bern to produce Fifty Eggs, which turned out to be a disappointment.

“Tiger Woods” starts things off on a weird note by bragging about the size of his balls. It doesn’t get any worse than that, but it really doesn’t get much better, either. His brand of humor falls flat more often than not, burying his better songs (“Monica”, an ode to tennis star Monica Seles, and “Oh Sister”) in a pile of lyrical rubble. Bern sounds good, but his songs, always said to be his strong suit, carry too much baggage of the times and sound forced and now dated. He has since gone on to a career of invisibility, as his relevance was shut down for good after 2003. He’s since made brash political statements, children’s music, and a lot of songs about baseball that not many people really care much about. Still, Fifty Eggs is one of his better efforts, from a time when he still had a world of promise around him.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Mon, 7 Sep 2026 13:43:13 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/07/2026 17:43

2443

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Trans Europa Express (1977) by Kraftwerk

KRAFTWERK
TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS
1977 – KLING KLANG
Produced By RALF HUTTER & FLORIAN SCHNEIDER

1. Europe Endless
2. The Hall Of Mirrors
3. Showroom Dummies
4. Trans-Europe Express
5. Metal On Metal
6. Fraz Schubert
7. Endless Endless

Kraftwerk deserves a ton of credit for introducing electronic music to the masses in the mid-seventies. This German band started off as a strange krautrock band in 1970, but by the middle of the decade, it was four odd fellows and their keyboards. Their synthesizers, to be accurate. They had a surprise hit song in 1974 with “Autobahn”, a glimpse into the future of synth pop and new wave music of the eighties. Kraftwerk built on that, and in 1977 released Trans-Europe Express, an absolute masterpiece of what was then the future of rock music. It still stands as a stunning and revolutionary work, and one of the most important albums of the 20th century. This was Ian Curtis of Joy Division’s favorite album, and it became a huge influence on bands like New Order, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie & The Banshees and Radiohead.

Outside of “Autobahn”, the title track here is their second biggest US hit. “Showroom Dummies” is great also, as is the deeply creepy “The Hall Of Mirrors”. The first four tracks have lyrics: the last three do not. The lyrics were inspired by a meeting with David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Their robotic presence can seem cold, but it’s really not as icy as you might think. Originally released with German lyrics as Trans-Europa Express (with black and white cover art showing the band looking like accountants) with German lyrics, the later versions didn’t rule album charts or radio waves, but those who got into them found it most satisfying. This remains Kraftwerk’s overall best album, and it sits right at the center of their 1974 through 1981 peak, when they were the forerunners of electronic pop music. This one is an absolute must have.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Johnnyo — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 08:42:25 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 09/05/2026 12:42

Romanelli wrote:

2442

Mutations (1998) by Beck

BECK
MUTATIONS
1998 – DGC
Produced By BECK HANSEN & NIGEL GODRICH

1. Cold Brains
2. Nobody’s Fault But My Own
3. Lazy Flies
4. Canceled Check
5. We Live Again
6. Tropicalia
7. Dead Melodies
8. Bottle Of Blues
9. O Maria
10. Sing It Again
11. Static

One of the great things about Beck is that he never makes the same album twice. After the multi-Platinum victory of his 1996 album Odelay, he made a sudden right turn away from the electronic and hip hop based music he was having huge success with and came out sounding completely different. His sixth album, Mutations, found Beck as a sudden folk rock and country artist, showing that he was a true musical chameleon. The album didn’t sell as well as Odelay, and it remains fairly misunderstood in the center of the Beck discography, but that does not mean it isn’t a very good album. Beck had originally intended to release it on a small independent label, but Geffen thought it was good enough to back out of that agreement and release it themselves without Beck’s permission. That led to a lawsuit that no one is sure has ever been settled, and to the eventual end of the relationship between the artist and label.

The songs here are more serious in nature than on Odelay. “Nobody’s Fault But My Own” is the best track, with “Cold Brains” and “Tropicalia” being excellent as well. Even though the album won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, it sold far less than Odelay, and didn’t have any US hits. It’s notable also that the album was produced by Nigel Godrich, who had just produced Radiohead’s great OK Computer album. The record was recorded quickly, as Beck and Godrich were trying to capture a more live sound with less studio trickery. The album shows that Beck can handle singer-songwriter territory with ease, and that his song’s don’t have to rely on samples and over production. Mutations is sometimes lost in the shuffle of Beck albums, but it’s well worth seeking out. Not his best, but still very good.

Link

Great write up Rom and Mutations has always been one of, if not, my favourite album by Beck

Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Fri, 4 Sep 2026 13:36:53 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/04/2026 17:36

2442

Mutations (1998) by Beck

BECK
MUTATIONS
1998 – DGC
Produced By BECK HANSEN & NIGEL GODRICH

1. Cold Brains
2. Nobody’s Fault But My Own
3. Lazy Flies
4. Canceled Check
5. We Live Again
6. Tropicalia
7. Dead Melodies
8. Bottle Of Blues
9. O Maria
10. Sing It Again
11. Static

One of the great things about Beck is that he never makes the same album twice. After the multi-Platinum victory of his 1996 album Odelay, he made a sudden right turn away from the electronic and hip hop based music he was having huge success with and came out sounding completely different. His sixth album, Mutations, found Beck as a sudden folk rock and country artist, showing that he was a true musical chameleon. The album didn’t sell as well as Odelay, and it remains fairly misunderstood in the center of the Beck discography, but that does not mean it isn’t a very good album. Beck had originally intended to release it on a small independent label, but Geffen thought it was good enough to back out of that agreement and release it themselves without Beck’s permission. That led to a lawsuit that no one is sure has ever been settled, and to the eventual end of the relationship between the artist and label.

The songs here are more serious in nature than on Odelay. “Nobody’s Fault But My Own” is the best track, with “Cold Brains” and “Tropicalia” being excellent as well. Even though the album won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, it sold far less than Odelay, and didn’t have any US hits. It’s notable also that the album was produced by Nigel Godrich, who had just produced Radiohead’s great OK Computer album. The record was recorded quickly, as Beck and Godrich were trying to capture a more live sound with less studio trickery. The album shows that Beck can handle singer-songwriter territory with ease, and that his song’s don’t have to rely on samples and over production. Mutations is sometimes lost in the shuffle of Beck albums, but it’s well worth seeking out. Not his best, but still very good.

Link

Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Thu, 3 Sep 2026 22:21:15 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/04/2026 02:21

2441

Grace In Gravity (1991) by The Story

THE STORY
GRACE IN GRAVITY
1991 – GREEN LINNET
Produced By BEN WITTMAN

1. Grace In Gravity
2. The Perfect Crime
3. Always
4. Damn Everything But The Circus
5. The Alarm Is On Love
6. Easier Than Sorry
7. Just One Word
8. And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief As Photos
9. Dog Dreams
10. Over Oceans
11. Love Is Thicker Than Forget

Some groups seem destined to fall by the wayside. The Story was a duo that consisted of Jonatha Brooke and Jennifer Kimball. Brooke was the main vocalist, she wrote all of the songs, played guitar and piano. Kimball sang. The uneven workload, along with not a lot of commercial success, led to Brooke leaving for a solo career after just two albums. Grace In Gravity is their debut album from 1991. It’s a fine but unremarkable effort, led by Brooke’s always interesting songwriting. The pair sing just fine, but while the record is good, nothing here really jumps out at you. As with Brooke’s solo career, there’s plenty of promise, but the final product falls just short. Which is too bad, because Brooke is a very likeable presence. Both Brooke and Kimball have distanced themselves from their work as The Story, and there has been no hint of a reunion since they split in 1994.

Both of their albums are pretty interchangeable. Grace In Gravity got them a deal with Elektra Records, and their second release, The Angel In The House, was critically acclaimed. But the future didn’t look bright. The title track on Grace In Gravity is a highlight, one of Brooke’s better early songs. This is enjoyable, a better disc than how history has treated it. But her writing is better on her solo discs 10 Cent Wings and Steady Pull. The 1995 album, Jonatha Brooke & The Story, is actually her solo debut. Her career has slowed considerably, with her last full studio album coming in 2016. Kimball has put out just three records since The Story, the last being in 2017. The Story is worth a revisit, but there’s nothing here that will blow your doors off. A better than average debut album that unfortunately did not lead to greatness.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Tue, 1 Sep 2026 13:25:34 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/01/2026 17:25

2440

Beethoven's Last Night (2000) by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
BEETHOVEN’S LAST NIGHT
2000 – LAVA / ATLANTIC
Produced By PAUL O’NEILL & ROBERT KINKEL

1. Overture
2. Midnight
3. Fate
4. What Good This Deafness
5. Mephistopheles
6. What Is Eternal
7. The Moment
8. Vienna
9. Mozart
10. The Dreams Of Candlelight
11. Requiem (The Fifth)
12. I’ll Keep Your Secrets
13. The Dark
14. Fur Elise
15. After The Fall
16. A Last Illusion
17. This Is Who You Are
18. Beethoven
19. Mephistopheles’ Return
20. Misery
21. Who Is This Child
22. A Final Dream

If your thing is symphonic neo-classical prog metal, then you’ve come to the right place. Formed by Paul O’Neill and members of Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra took progressive rock to new levels. As strange as their albums have been, they have always maintained solid sales and a reputation for putting on one hell of a great live show. After a pair of Christmas albums, they released the very ambitious rock opera Beethoven’s Last Night in 2000. This is a fictional account of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s last night and the struggle for control over his soul and music with the Devil. There is also a version that includes narration and a companion book. More carefully written than Tommy or most other rock operas, this one sticks faithfully to the story at hand. It also includes pieces of music from Mozart, and especially Beethoven. You can do that when you have an actual orchestra.

This is a long work, and it’s an admirable undertaking. It’s also fairly inconsistent, and despite the story line, it wanders off into progressive overindulgence pretty often. This band is a chore for the casual listener…and a joy for the die-hard fan. Live shows are really where it’s at for these guys, and Beethoven’s Last Night is no exception. It’s heavy, well played, and takes itself far too seriously. The band released their final album in 2015, which was followed by the deaths of three members between 2017 and 2024, including O’Neill. But the band somehow soldiers on, touring with a full orchestra and making prog fans happy the world over. Beethoven’s Last Night is their best album…one that’s best taken in small bites. Their live shows, and their considerable influence on other prog bands, lives on.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:01:15 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/27/2026 17:01

2439

Trampoline (2007) by Steel Train

STEEL TRAIN
TRAMPOLINE
2007 – DRIVE-THRU
Produced By MARK TROMBINO

1. I Feel Weird
2. Black Eye
3. Kill Monsters In The Rain
4. Dakota
5. Alone On The Sea
6. Firecracker
7. A Magazine
8. Diamonds In The Sky
9. Leave You Traveling
10. I’ve Let You Go
11. School Is For Losers
12. Women I Belong To

Steel Train existed for a decade before quietly breaking up in 2013. Frontman Jack Antonoff has since gone on to a quite successful career fronting the band Bleachers, and as a producer for the likes of Taylor Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey. Before his twelve Grammy Awards, Steel Train was a promising but mostly unremarkable band that made three albums between 2005 and 2010. The best of those three was the second, 2007’s Trampoline. It’s ultimately a decent enough effort, well played, and mostly forgettable. The band moves away from their earlier jam band roots and into a more indie rock groove, blending folk rock and an almost Arcade Fire like sound. But Steel Train always lacked hits, and hits sell records. It didn’t help that they were the only band on their now defunct label that sounded like they did, making promotion a tough sell.

There are some keepers here. “Firecracker” is the best Steel Train song, and “Alone On The Sea” and “Women I Belong To” are strong. But ultimately, Steel Train hadn’t figured out their sound yet, resulting in decent songs sounding thin and almost unfinished. That development never really happened, as the label folded in 2008. Steel Train released their final album in 2010 (and also an interesting companion disc of covers of the songs on that record by female singers called Terrible Thrills, Vol. 1). Singer Scott Irby-Ranniar hasn’t done much (he’s also an actor), and Antonoff’s career has kept there from being any thoughts of a Steel Train reunion. Not that anyone would really notice if it happened. Trampoline is decent enough, but it most likely won’t be your favorite record. Slightly above average at best.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:06:03 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/24/2026 15:06

2438

The Dirty Boogie (1998) by The Brian Setzer Orchestra

THE BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA
THE DIRTY BOOGIE
1998 – INTERSCOPE
Produced By PETER COLLINS

1. This Cat’s On A Hot Tin Roof
2. The Dirty Boogie
3. This Old House
4. Let’s Live It Up
5. Sleepwalk
6. Jump Jive An’ Wail
7. You’re The Boss (Feat. Gwen Stefani)
8. Rock This Town
9. Since I Don’t Have You
10. Switchblade 327
11. Nosey Joe
12. Hollywood Nocturne
13. As Long As I’m Singin’

Brian Setzer is moved by two kinds of music. He became famous as the front man and guitarist for the rockabilly trio Stray Cats in the early eighties…an unlikely hit band for the time. Later, beginning in the nineties, be started combining rockabilly with swing music, forming The Brian Setzer Orchestra. They had a timely hit from their third album, The Dirty Boogie, with Louis Prima’s “Jump, Jive An’ Wail”, giving the swing revival of the second half of the decade its shot of adrenaline. Setzer writes fewer songs here than he did with the Cats…only five of the thirteen tracks are his, as he seems content to cover older tracks. The Orchestra is basically a revised Stray Cats lineup with a ton of horns. The rockabilly of his older band was never going to have staying power, and the swing revival was no different.

But kudos to Setzer for sticking with this one. They are quite famous as a live act, but their albums lean towards same sounding and interchangeable. And like the rest of his revival brethren, studio recordings don’t really carry the same energy as live sets do. “Jump, Jive An’ Wail” is fine, but these guys aren’t known for doing much else. Setzer and Gwen Stefani perform the old Elvis and Ann-Margret duet “You’re The Boss”, and “Rock This Town” is a remake of the Stray Cats biggest hit, which this one was not. Setzer had a nice idea here, and he did get a big hit song out of it, but more hits never came, and the albums never got better than this…and this one was barely above average at best. It’s curious that artists like Setzer, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Squirrel Nut Zippers are still doing this, but they do have an audience somewhere.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 15:23:55 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/16/2026 19:23

2437

To Venus And Back (1999) by Tori Amos

TORI AMOS
TO VENUS AND BACK
1999 – ATLANTIC
Produced By TORI AMOS

1. Bliss
2. Juarez
3. Concertina
4. Glory Of The 80’s
5. Lust
6. Suede
7. Josephine
8. Riot Poof
9. Datura
10. Spring Haze
11. 1000 Oceans

1. Precious Things
2. Cruel
3. Cornflake Girl
4. Bells For Her
5. Girl
6. Cooling
7. Mr. Zebra
8. Cloud On My Tongue
9. Sugar
10. Little Earthquakes
11. Space Dog
12. The Waitress
13. Purple People

Tori Amos absolutely ruled the nineties. But all things must come to an end, and the end of making hits for Amos came with To Venus And Back. It was also the end of the nineties. This two disc set is a long one, but that’s okay. It’s actually two different albums. Disc one is a studio album of new material, continuing in the direction of her previous albums, 1998’s From The Choirgirl Hotel with increased use of electronics. The second disc consists of live material from her previous year’s tour, and is the better of the two. In all, the two CD’s combined run over two hours…a lot of Tori to digest in one sitting. Thankfully, one thing Tori Amos never has been is boring. She’s in fine voice here. and her songwriting remains sharp. Unfortunately, she does veer further away from her acoustic piano and vocal sound.

“Bliss” was the star track here. It became her last song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, and this is also her last Platinum certified album to date. Other highlights here are “Concertina”, “Glory Of The 80’s”, and the closer, “1000 Oceans”. More electronic based songs like “Datura” (which is about hallucinogenic plants) and “Juarez” (about the murders of female workers at the Mexican border) are interesting as well, but also show she was beginning to more than drift from her audience. The second disc is actually her first live album, and is much better. These versions of past hits like “Cornflake Girl” and “Cruel” make To Venus And Back worthwhile. Amos is still at it, with 2026’s In Times Of Dragons being her eighteenth studio effort. This one is not her best, but it’s also not bad at all. Worth at least a spin, and the live disc is a keeper.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:09:48 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/12/2026 17:09

2436

Horizon And Main (2008) by Mike Addington

MIKE ADDINGTON
HORIZON AND MAIN
2008 – SELF RELEASED
No Production Credit

1. First Day You’ve Been Gone
2. Horizon And Main
3. Roped Yourself A Stray
4. Forever And A Day
5. Baby Please Don’t Go
6. I Could Write You A Letter
7. One Lonesome Cowboy
8. Feelin’ Blue, Blue, Blue
9. Sweet Liar
10. Walking Midnight
11. Fool In Your Eyes
12. Turned Loose
13. Living Proof
14. Spill A Little
15. If You’d Come Back
16. In This Heart Of Mine

There isn’t much to say about this one. Mike Addington is a country artist who moved around between Texas and California before settling in New Mexico. Addington released just this one album, Horizon And Main, in 2008. It was recorded in Colorado, which may be how I came across it. His website, which is just about all of his online presence outside of a rarely used facebook account, is still there. It states that there is a second album due out in 2012…that obviously never happened. As for Horizon And Main, not much is known about it. Who played on it, or any other details are simply not out there. It’s a decent enough album, but as a musician who never rose above a local level, I know how hard it is to carry on a career that doesn’t take off to another level. So making just one record is quite understandable, especially when it doesn’t sell as much as one would have hoped.

Addington claims to be a distant cousin of Maybelle Carter, and to have opened for the likes of Asleep At The Wheel and Leon Russell. Those days are apparently in the past for Addington. Horizon And Main is a good but not spectacular country album, a decent enough debut album that brings to mind Guy Clark, Steve Earle and John Prine. But it’s tough to achieve a big audience when your hometown of choice has a population of less than a thousand. Addington still plays live on occasion, but you’d have to travel into New Mexico to see him. His website is still out there, but it looks like it hasn’t been updated in over a decade with an empty calendar and just this album for sale. Worth taking a listen to, but there’s nothing else out there by him. Would have been interesting to hear that 2012 follow up that unfortunately never happened.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 20:06:57 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/11/2026 00:06

2435

Passage (1981) by William Ackerman

WILLIAM ACKERMAN
PASSAGE
1981 – WINDHAM HILL
Produced By WILLIAM ACKERMAN

1. Remedios
2. Processional
3. The Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit
4. Pacific I
5. The Bricklayer’s Beautiful Daughter
6. Hawk Circle
7. Anne’s Song
8. Passage

One sure way to avoid the headaches of trying to secure a record deal is to do it the way William Ackerman did: simply start your own label. Ackerman founded Windham Hill records in 1976, and by the mid-eighties, it had become the home to what is now known as New Age music. New Age became popular at that time, and Ackerman became quite the success story. In addition to records by the likes of George Winston and Michael Hedges, Ackerman also released his own records. Passage was his fourth album, and it did fairly well in the eighties before New Age became unpopular in the nineties. His acoustic guitar playing is fine, never exceptional, and the music is intended as easy listening. Like most of his recorded legacy, you won’t be wowed by what Ackerman does. The saving grace is that he does it well.

Most of the album is solo Ackerman. He is joined on four songs recorded as instrumental duets. Darol Anger (violin) on “Remedios”, Robert Hubbard (English horn) on “Pacific I”, Dan Reiter (cello) on “The Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit”, and Winston (piano) on “Hawk Circle”. Ackerman left Windham Hill as owner in 1984, and the label has been mostly dormant as a subsidiary of larger labels since 2007. He still records, having made nineteen albums since 1976. But his biggest claim to fame will always be as the face of New Age music, and the label that made it a thing for a decade or so. His biggest discovery was Winston, and he was also the man who launched the careers of Alex DeGrassi, David Cullen and Andrew York…hardly household names, but about as big as smooth jazz artists get, I guess. Passage is okay, but it won’t rock your world

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Rhyner — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:51:22 GMT

Author: Rhyner

Posted: 08/10/2026 17:51

I unabashedly love "What's Up?". It's so damn fun to sing along with. I currently have it ranked as my 21st favorite song of all time.
But you're right, they didn't do anything else really worth mentioning.

Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 14:48:09 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 08/08/2026 18:48

2434

Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992) by 4 Non Blondes

4 NON BLONDES
BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER, MORE!
1992 – INTERSCOPE / ATLANTIC
Produced By DAVID TICKLE

1. Train
2. Superfly
3. What’s Up?
4. Pleasantly Blue
5. Morphine & Chocolate
6. Spaceman
7. Old Mr. Heffer
8. Calling All The People
9. Dear Mr. President
10. Drifting
11. No Place Like Home

There aren’t may people in the music industry more annoying than Linda Perry. As a recording artist, she’s the very definition of a one hit wonder. As a writer, she’s contributed blatant pop trash to artists like Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Kelly Osbourne. Her weird obsession with hats and her wildly over the top vocal delivery make her an unpleasantry whose stardom is questionable at best. Her band, 4 Non Blondes, surfaced in 1992 with their debut and so far only album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! This record would have died a silent and painless death, if not for their one hit. “What’s Up?” became an inescapable smash, and remains a karaoke staple to this day. The hook on the chorus makes Perry’s over singing and her attempt at relevant lyricism almost forgivable. It’s a decent hit, but the fact that it’s made an entire career for Perry is a mystery for sure.

4 Non Blondes was an all female band until the recording of this album, when two members were dismissed and lead guitarist Louis Metoyer finished the record. A pair of singles failed (“Spaceman” and the overly political “Dear Mr. President”), and the rest of the album has been overly praised to death. Aside from “What’s Up?”, there’s very little to recommend here. If you must have that song, it’s available on several episodes of American Idol and most nineties compilations, surrounded by much better songs than you’ll get here. The Non Blondes broke up shortly after this, leaving this album and an absolutely wretched cover of “Misty Mountain Hop” that they recorded for a Led Zeppelin tribute album. They got back together in 2025, and may finally have new music on the horizon. Let’s hope that the second time is the charm…

Link

Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:30:06 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/27/2026 15:30

2433

New Slaves (2010) by Zs

ZS
NEW SLAVES
2010 – THE SOCIAL REGISTRY
Produced By ZS

1. Concert Black
2. Acres Of Skin
3. Gentleman Amateur
4. Don’t Touch Me
5. Masonry
6. New Slaves
7. Black Crown Ceremony I: Diamond Terrifier
8. Black Crown Ceremony II: Six Realms

The line between free jazz and experimental rock is a blurry one. Zs lives squarely on the center of that line. Formed in 2000, this New York ensemble has had a fluid membership, led by founding member and saxophonist Sam Hillmer. They have released eight albums, none of which is popular in any way, building a reputation as a fine experimental group. The closest to fame they’ve been was in 2007, when Howard Stern referred to their music as “mood music…if you’re in a mental home”. New Slaves came out in 2010, and was highly praised. It was named Album Of The Year by Tiny Mix Tapes. Zs was a quartet at the time, consisting of Hillmer, guitarist Amnon Freidlin, Ben Greenberg (electronic & guitar), and percussionist Ian Antonio. This is most definitely not pop music. It can be a tough listen, if you’re not open to experimental albums.

There are, of course, no hits here, and nothing you’ve likely heard on the radio. Zs has stated that their goal is to “make music that challenges the physical and mental limitations of both performer and listener”. That’s a pretty wide challenge, and one that can be exhausting. The title track runs over twenty minutes, and the two part “Black Crown Ceremony” is 23 minutes long, but everything else is shorter and not as rambling. Along with their 2015 album Xe, New Slaves is their most accessible and critically acclaimed work. All has been quiet from Zs since their 2018 live album, Noth. Like Xe, New Slaves is a challenging soup of different genres and sounds, music that is nearly impossible to pin down. This band may not be for everyone, but if you can be open to it, there are endless rewards waiting on this strange and experimental disc.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:36:38 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/24/2026 17:36

2432

Tomorrow's Sounds Today (2000) by Dwight Yoakam

DWIGHT YOAKAM
TOMORROW’S SOUNDS TODAY
2000 – REPRISE
Produced By PETE ANDERSON

1. Love Caught Up To Me
2. What Do You Know About Love
3. Time Spent Missing You
4. Free To Go
5. A Promise You Can’t Keep
6. A Place To Cry
7. The Sad Side Of Town
8. Dreams Of Clay
9. For Love’s Sake
10. The Heartaches Are Free
11. A World Of Blue
12. I Want You To Want Me
13. Alright, I’m Wrong
14. I Was There

In 2000, Dwight Yoakam had slipped into a place where his acting career was taking priority over his music career. So while he was concentrating on minor film roles, his music took a temporary back seat. At the center of this time for Yoakam was his final album for Reprise, Tomorrow’s Sounds Today. It’s not nearly as futuristic as the title of his eleventh album suggests…if anything, this was Yoakam treading some water. There are some definite high points here, but it seems to be missing that level of energy and songwriting that had made Yoakam one of the brightest lights in country music. These problems were fortunately temporary, but they are evident here. This is Yoakam at a time when his commercial appeal was at a low point, a snapshot of an artist distracted and not at his very best.

The album is an odd one. Yoakam wrote the first twelve songs, but none of the last three. “What Do You Know About Love” is the best song here. A minor hit was the surprising Cheap Trick cover of “I Want You To Want Me”, coming on the heels of the more successful Queen cover of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. And the last two tracks are duets with the great Buck Owens. Long time producer Pete Anderson plays some mean guitar on the album, and guests like Chris Hillman, Flaco Jimenez and Jim Lauderdale are definite pluses. Yoakam’s writing brings to mind Hank Williams Sr., with plenty of songs about broken hearts and bad choices. This isn’t a bad album, but Yoakam has done so much better than this, both before and after. If you’re going to skip one of his records, this might just be the one.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:38:57 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/20/2026 00:38

2431

In The Company Of Strangers (2000) by Robin & Linda Williams

ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS
IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS
2000 – SUGAR HILL
Produced By KEVIN MCNOLDY

1. The Hard Country
2. So It Go
3. Rumble
4. Sometime Tomorrow
5. So Long, See You Tomorrow
6. Bar Band In Hillbilly Heaven
7. Allow It
8. This Is The Real Thing
9. The Perfect Country Song
10. Some Peculiar Beast
11. Cold, Cold Heart
12. In The Company Of Strangers

Robin & Linda Williams may not be household names by any means, but they have put together a pretty nice career and life together. This married couple released their first album together in 1975, and they’ve been going strong ever since. Although they haven’t released an album since 2021, they have a new one coming out soon. They are also still playing live, mostly on the east coast. In The Company Of Strangers is the Williams’ fourteenth album, and their second to last on Sugar Hill Records. There aren’t any hits here…there never are. What you get is solid country folk music played and sung by people who truly love what they do…and that’s worth quite a bit. This album did make the top ten on Gavin’s Americana chart, and includes a few interesting guest musicians, including Mary Chapin Carpenter and Tim O’Brien.

This is salt of the earth, real Americana music, without the trappings or expectations of fame. Robin and Linda never made it big, and because of that, no one would have blamed them if they had packed it in a long time ago. Thankfully, they chose not to. The message here is do what you love, and do it for as long as you love it. Let fine songs like “Allow It” find a bit of space in your life…these records by this pair are filled with nice little surprise gems of songs that will make you smile. And while you listen to albums like In The Company Of Strangers, remember that for every famous artist you love, there are thousands more who are just as good and maybe better, who never got that one big break and made it big. This album isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t have all the shiny accessories that major label disc are adorned with, but it’s satisfying just the same.

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Re: The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:26:55 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 07/16/2026 14:26

2430

Everyday (1993) by Widespread Panic

WIDESPREAD PANIC
EVERYDAY
1993 – CAPRICORN / WARNER BROS.
Produced By JOHN KEANE & JOHNNY SANDLIN

1. Pleas
2. Hatfield
3. Wondering
4. Papa’s Home
5. Diner
6. Better Off
7. Pickin’ Up The Pieces
8. Henry Parsons Died
9. Pilgrims
10. Postcard
11. Dream Song

Widespread Panic formed in the mid eighties, and has gained an ever growing reputation as a live band. They are seen as the heirs to the jam band throne left open by the Grateful Dead, and hold records for most sold out shows at more than one major venue. Forty years into their career, they appear to be an unstoppable force. They also do release albums…but it’s pretty clear that albums are not where this band concentrates their energies. In forty years, Panic has released just thirteen studio records, none of which has ever been a big seller, and none of which are considered to be great. Everyday is their third album, and is basically interchangeable with the rest of their recorded output. Their records are not bad, but it’s pretty clear that they are not the main focus of the band. Despite not having a great recorded legacy, this band does just fine.

Really, the thing that stands out the most on Everyday is the cover photo, which features a not yet famous Angelina Jolie. The band plays very well, but the songs themselves are average at best. Nothing here will grab your attention: also, nothing will make you jump up and skip to the next track. Widespread Panic and their many fans are okay with this…after all, it’s their live shows that set them apart from everyone else. Everyday does feature original lead guitarist Michael Houser, who passed away in 2002, and drummer Todd Nance, who also died in 2020. Their Southern jam rock style is on full display here, and Everyday is a fan favorite, but the truth is that if you want to experience what Widespread Panic is really all about, you should buy a ticket and go see them live. Albums like Everyday are okay, but they are also pretty much an afterthought.

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