THE CRANBERRIES
NO NEED TO ARGUE
1994-ISLAND
Produced By STEPHEN STREET
1. Ode To My Family
2. I Can't Be With You
3. Twenty One
4. Zombie
5. Empty
6. Everything I Said
7. The Icicle Melts
8. Disappointment
9. Ridiculous Thoughts
10. Dreaming My Dreams
11. Yeat's Grave
12. Daffodil Lament
13. No Need To Argue
The Cranberries rock. For exactly 5:06, they rock. That's the time of "Zombie", a great song that shows what they could have been if they had tried...for longer than 5:06. Everything else on their 2nd album sounds lazy and tired...great sleepy music. Which is too bad, because Dolores O'Riordan is something unique. She's got a great and different voice, something that with a band with some fire behind them may have been able to put to good use. Which they do, for 5:06. Everything else is okay, but nothing jumps out at you and says, "that's a great band". Unfortunately, they are exactly the same live.
No Need To Argue gets points for "Zombie". Someone should have told them that there were 12 other tracks to record, and this may have been a very good album. At least 5:06 of it is, anyway. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
BABBLE
THE STONE
1993-REPRISE
Produced By ALLANAH CURRIE & TOM BAILEY
1. The Downward Pull Of Heaven's Force
2. Tribe
3. You Kill Me
4. Spirit
5. Take Me Away
6. The Stone
7. Beautiful
8. Space
9. Sunray Dub
10. Drive
I know you're dying to know...whatever happened to The Thompson Twins? After having a successful career as a new wave band with hits like "Hold Me Now", their record sales were plummeting in the early 90's. They stripped down to a duo, Tom Bailey and Allanah Currie, changed the name of the band to Babble, and changed the music from dance pop to an Eastern influenced ambient mix. The first Babble album, The Stone, is actually quite good. The album sets the mood from the beginning and it never wavers. The Twins pop sensibilities are still there, and the music is beautifully done. "Tribe" is the standout track, but it's all good stuff. It just might take a little getting used to, but once you do, you'll be pleasantly hooked.
Babble recorded a 2nd album (Ether) in 1996, and a 3rd album was partially completed but never finished. Bailey and Currie have since divorced and gone their seperate ways. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
THE CURE
DISINTEGRATION
1989-ELEKTRA
Produced By ROBERT SMITH & DAVID M ALLEN
1. Plainsong
2. Pictures Of You
3. Closedown
4. Lovesong
5. Last Dance
6. Lullaby
7. Fascination Street
8. Prayers For Rain
9. The Same Deep Water As You
10. Disintegration
11. Homesick
12. Untitled
The Cure's 8th album is their best selling, and may be their best overall album. Robert Smith was under a lot of pressure to come up with a winner, was back on the hallucinogenics, and was under pressure from the rest of the band to fire founding drummer Lol Tolhurst, which he did, leaving himself as the only remaining original member. Although the band has always disliked the "goth" label, Disintegration is a goth masterpiece. It's dark, with solid keyboards and great songs. The big hit was "Lovesong", their only US top 10, but the rest is very listenable, well written and played to perfection. A huge step up from their tinny sounding earlier work.
The Cure still rolls on. And, according to Kyle from South Park, "Disintegration is the best album ever". _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
HUMBLE PIE
PERFORMANCE-ROCKIN' THE FILLMORE
1971-A&M
Produced By HUMBLE PIE
1. Four Day Creep
2. I'm Ready
3. Stone Cold Fever
4. I Walk On Gilded Splinters
5. Rolling Stone
6. Hallelujah (I Love Her So)
7. I Don't Need No Doctor
Maybe Peter Frampton should have just made live albums. Before he was a teen idol, he was a member of Humble Pie. On their 5th album, the band, led by former Small Faces guitarist Steve Marriott, recorded 7 songs (only one original) for a sprawling, jammed out, boogie laden 2 record live set. This is about as hard as anyone rocked in 1971...it's loud and the guitar work is sometimes amazing. Frampton keeps Marriott balanced, and the rhythm section is drum tight. Unfortunately, there's excess here...Marriott, with his awful voice, desecrates Muddy Water's "Rolling Stone" with no shame, and the 23 minute "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" proves that Humble Pie was no Allman Brothers Band.
Frampton left just before the album was released to start a puzzling solo career. He never rocked this hard again. It's worthwhile, if for nothing else, to see what he was capable of besides "I'm In You". Marriott died in a fire in 1991, just as he and Frampton had started working together again. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
PETER HIMMELMAN
SYNESTHESIA
1989-ISLAND
Produced By PETER HIMMELMAN
1. Synesthesia
2. 245 Days
3. Difficult To Touch
4. Tug Of War
5. A Million Sides
6. Name
7. Surrender
8. Dirty Reasons
9. Babylon
10. The Sweetest Revenge
11. I Wouldn't Mind
12. Speaking Mouth
13. Brother Joel
14. Second Chance
15. Beneath Your Watching Eyes
The band Sussman Lawrence came out of Minnesota in the 70's, and although they didn't make much of a mark, they did pave the way for the next generation of bands from that state. The band didn't break up, they just became Himmelman's solo band. Synesthesia is his 3rd solo album, and it unfortunately relies way too much on keyboards, giving it a more dated sound than his other solo work. Also, the songs, while not terrible, are well below the standard he has set before and since. It's one of those albums that won't offend you while you listen, but afterward you'll be asking, "did you hear something?" Any of his solo albums are better than this. Himmelman is a very underapprecaited writer...but not here.
Himmelman continues to record solo albums and childrens albums, and does a lot of TV and movie scores. He was nominated for an Emmy for his work on Judging Amy. He is also married to Bob Dylan's stepdaughter Maria. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON
SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS
1982-HANNIBAL
Produced By JOE BOYD
1. Don't Renege On Our Love
2. Walking On A Wire
3. Man In Need
4. Just The Motion
5. Shoot Out The Lights
6. Back Street Slide
7. Did She Jump
8. Wall Of Death
9. Living In Luxury
Richard Thompson, a founding member of Fairport Convention, is one of the more underrated guitarists of the rock era. Shoot Out The Lights is the 6th and final album he made with his wife Linda, and it's easily their best work. 6 of the songs came from an album they recorded with Gerry Rafferty that was never released because they couldn't get a label to pick it up. After signing with Hannibal, they recorded this in 1981, with Linda pregnant. Richard went on tour without her and met his second wife. After promoting this album, they broke up for good.
Every song on this is beautifully done. They trade off on lead vocals with great harmonies, and Richard's guitar playing is perfect. A classic that you really should have. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
THE WATERBOYS
1983-CHRYSALIS
Produced By MIKE SCOTT & RUPERT HINE
1. December
2. A Girl Called Johnny
3. The Three Day Man
4. Gala (unedited)
5. Where Are You Now When I Need You?
6. I Will Not Follow
7. It Should Have Been You
8. The Girl In The Swing
9. Savage Earth Heart
Bonus Tracks
10. Something Fantastic
11. Ready For The Monkeyhouse
12. Another Kind Of Circus
13. A Boy In Black Leather
14. December (Original 8 Track Mix)
15. Jack Of Diamonds
The debut album by The Waterboys is actually a solo album by Mike Scott, the only permanent member of the band which has, over its history, comprised more than 30 members. Although the album features future members of the band, Scott plays most of the instruments, and several songs are solo recordings. "A Girl Called Johnny" was a near hit, but the album did not sell a lot. But The Waterboys were born.
This is a 2002 reissue, which contains the original 8 song album, 6 bonus tracks recorded at the same time (and chosen by Scott), and "Where Are You Now When I Need You?", which was left off of the original release. It's different stuff, and sounds not a lot like their famous Fishermans Blues album. The songs are very personal, and shows that there were a lot of good things to come. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION
AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
1993-RYKODISC
Produced By FRANK ZAPPA
1. Prologue
2. Progress?
3. Like It Or Not
4. The Jimmy Carl Black Philosophy Lesson
5. Holding The Group Back
6. Holiday In Berlin
7. The Rejected Mexican Pope Leaves The Stage
8. Undaunted, The Band Plays On
9. Agency Man
10. Epilogue
11. King Kong
12. Help, I'm A Rock
13. Transylvania Boogie
14. Pound For A Brown
15. Sleeping In A Jar
16. Let's Make The Water Turn Black
17. Harry, You're A Beast
18. The Orange County Lumber Truck (Part I)
19. Oh No
20. The Orange County Lumber Truck (Part II)
Ahead Of Their Time is a concert recorded by The Mothers Of Invention in London in 1968 and released 25 years later, just months before Zappa died. It's a very strange album (well, it IS Zappa...). The first half is a play that's hard to comprehend, mainly because you can't see what they are doing. The band gets serious at track 11 with "King Kong", and romps through the rest of the show. There are barely any vocals, so the goofiness is very limited. The sound quality being what it was in '68, it's a pretty good recording. And when Zappa plays guitar, it's pretty powerful stuff.
They could have done without the first half. The 2nd half, though, is shining Zappa & his band (as well as 14 members of the BBC Symphony). Zappa's liner notes are great, and the philosophy of rock & roll is made clear..."If you wanna get laid after the show, you gotta play rock & roll music and drink beer". Jimmy Carl Black was a true genius. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
DIONNE FARRIS
WILD SEED-WILD FLOWER
1994-COLUMBIA
Produced By DIONNE FARRIS, RANDY JACKSON & MICHAEL SIMANGA
1. I Know
2. Reality
3. Stop To Think
4. Passion
5. Food For Thought
6. Now Or Later
7. Don't Ever Touch Me (Again)
8. 11th Hour
9. Water
10. Blackbird
11. Old Ladies
12. Human
13. Find your Way
14. The Audition
15. I Know (NY Reprise Mix)
Dionne Farris was a backup singer for Arrested Development. After the group broke up, she made a surprise splash with this album and its top 10 single, "I Know". The album is a surprise mix of soul, funk and rock. Aided by future American Idol judge Randy Jackson (who also plays bass), it's refreshing, risk taking, and adventurous. "Don't Ever Touch Me (Again)" and "Water" are standouts, as well as a nice acoustic guitar and vocal version of The Beatles "Blackbird". One of the sleepers of the 90's, it's a fine album.
Farris did a couple of soundtrack recordings, but didn't release another album until 2007. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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