X-RAY SPECS
GERM FREE ADOLESCENTS
1978-CASTLE
Produced By FALCON STUART
1. Art-I-Ficial
2. Obsessed With You
3. Warrior In Woolworths
4. Let's Submerge
5. I Can't Do Anything
6. Identity
7. Genetic Engineering
8. I Live Off You
9. I Am A Poseur
10. Germfree Adolescents
11. Plastic Bag
12. The Day The World Turned Dayglo
Bonus Tracks
13. Oh! Bondage Up Yours!
14. I Am Cliche
15. Highly Inflammable
16. Age
17. Genetic Engineering
18. Art-I-Ficial
19. I Am A Poseur
20. Identity
21. Germ Free Adolescents
22. Warrior In Woolworths
23. Age
It could only have happened in the 70's. And in England. These punk pioneers recorded one album before disappearing into the strange land of wherever weird bands go. Germ Free Adolescents was left unreleased in the US until 1992, and it's pretty strange stuff. Led by lead singer Poly Styrene, the songs are as quirky as their titles, and they do rock. Even though her vocals were a bit...screechy, the songs show a band that was leading a movement. Punk wouldn't have been the same without them. It's a great document of the formation of a genre.
Had it been left at just the original album, I would put this in the strange but classic category. Unfortunately, the 12 song album is augmented in this 2005 issue with 11...ELEVEN...bonus tracks. 11 more songs than you'll ever need from this band. Have I mentioned that for the most part I hate bonus tracks? This is why. If you can find the 12 song version, get it. It will be much better than this. It's just too much Poly Styrene. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
AL GREEN
I GET JOY
1989-A&M
Produced By AL GREEN, PAUL ZELESKI, EBAN KELLY & JIMI RANDOLPH
1. You're Everything To Me
2. All My Praise
3. The End Is Near
4. Mighty Cloud Of Joy
5. I Get Joy
6. As Long As We're Together
7. Praise Him
8. Blessed
9. Tryin' To Do The Best I Can
10. Tryin' To Get Over You
Al Green began concentrating on gospel music after his heyday in the 1970's. I Get Joy is a gospel album, so if you're not into the religious side of music, this may not be for you. But it IS Al Green, and this guy can sing the crap out of anything. Even with the occasional overuse of 80's synthesizers, I Get Joy has some great moments. "Mighty Cloud Of Joy" and "I Get Joy" are as the titles suggest...joyous gospel romps. I Get Joy is Green's 21st album, so he knows what he's doing, and is still one of the better R&B singers you'll ever find.
Green has released 7 more albums after I Get Joy, and had his first top 10 record since 1973 in 2008 with Lay It Down. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
FAIRPORT CONVENTION
THE FIVE SEASONS
1990-ROUGH TRADE
Produced By DAVE MATTACKS & SIMON NICOL
1. Claudy Banks
2. All Your Beauty
3. Cup Of Tea!/A Loaf Of Bread/Miss Monahan's
4. Gold
5. Rhythm Of The Time
6. The Card Song/Shuffle The Pack
7. Mock Morris
8. Sock It In
9. Ginnie
10. The Wounded Whale
Fairport Convention was once a great English folk rock band. Formed in 1967, they had many talented members, including Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson. By 1990, they were down to one original member, guitarist Simon Nicol. The Five Seasons is the 24th album from Fairport, by now just a shadow of what they once were. But it's actually not bad. The Celtic influences that have always been with the band are very strong here. And while no single track stands out, the album is very solid. These guys have been around for a long time, and they made a quality, if not outstanding, album.
Fairport is still sodiering on with Nicol. They released 2 albums in 2008 still release an occasional live album, and still tour after over 40 years. This is nothing like their trailblazing early work, but you still can't go wrong with this band after all this time. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
ASHLEY MACISAAC
HI HOW ARE YOU TODAY
1995-A&M
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. Beaton's Delight
2. Sleepy Maggie
3. Rusty D-con-STRUCK-tion
4. The Devil In The Kitchen
5. MacDougall's Pride
6. Spoonboy
7. What An Idiot He Is
8. Sophia's Pipes
9. Sad Wedding Day
10. Wing-Stock
11. Hills Of Glenorchy
12. Brenda Stubbert
Celtic punk fiddle music. Ashley MacIsaac was only 19 when he recorded this, his 3rd album, and his first for a major label. He grew up with fiddlers in Canada...his father and his siblings all play, so he's got it in his blood. MacIsaac became more well known for his controversial acts than his music, including a tendancy to scream obscenities from the stage and once accusing an Asian audience member of spreading SARS. Hi How Are You Today is his best and most well known album. His fiddle playing is great, and the album shines on "Sleepy Maggie" and "What An Idiot He Is". It drags at times...how much can a punk fiddler do? But he's a genuine talent, and this is worth a listen.
MacIsaac continues to tour and record, although he hasn't attained much success outside of Canada. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
LEE FELDMAN
LIVING IT ALL WRONG
1997-PURE
Produced By ROGER PELTZMAN
1. Stride In
2. Living It All Wrong
3. Carolyn
4. Always Till Always
5. Suburban Song
6. Fragments Falling
7. We Now Have Time
8. On The Moon
9. If I Were You
10. Way Over The Hill
11. Stride Out
Lee Feldman is the Great White Hope for the older musician. A classically trained pianist, he was signed to his first record deal at the age of 38. Living It All Wrong is his promising debut album. Using a minimal approach (piano, bass & drums), Feldman shows that he's kind of a modern day Randy Newman, except without the gruff voice and the sour disposition. Songs like "On The Moon", "If I Were You", and "Carolyn" are tuneful, melodic surprises. It's hard to imagine listening to a debut album from a 38 year old that shows a bright future, but this is that album. It doesn't rock, but it's still pretty cool stuff.
Feldman has recorded three albums since, all very highly regarded. He's definitely worth a listen, and this album will make you want to hear more. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
DRAMARAMA
LIVE AT THE CHINA CLUB
1990-CHAMELEON
Produced By VAL GARAY
1. Anything, Anything (I'll Give You)
2. Last Cigarette
3. Some Crazy Dame
4. Spare Change
5. Private World
6. Would You Like
Dramarama, from California, released their first two albums on a French label, but got lots of airplay in the US thanks to KROQ in Los Angeles. They were always something of a cult band, but everyone seemed to know who they were, thanks in large part to the hit "Anything, Anything". The best Dramarama album you'll find is this 6 song live EP. Clocking in at under 30 minutes, Live At The China Club is a perfect picture of the band playing their best material, capturing their great live energy. "Anything Anything" and "Last Cigarette" are the songs people know, but the rest are excellent as well. "Private World" is a New York Dolls cover. This disc will leave you wanting more, a perfect introduction to the band.
They broke up in 1994, but got back together in 2003 thanks to the VH1 special Bands Reunited. They have since released an album, but no word on anything more coming. Grab this one if you can find it! _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
T. REX
TANX
1973-RELATIVITY
Produced By TONY VISCONTI
1. Tenement Lady
2. Rapids
3. Mister Mister
4. Broken Hearted Blues
5. Shock Rock
6. Country Honey
7. Electric Slim & The Factory Hen
8. Mad Donna
9. Born To Boogie
10. Life Is Strange
11. The Street & Babe Shadow
12. Highway Knees
13. Left Hand Luke
After the success of Electric Warrior and The Slider, T. Rex had exectly one more good album left in them. Marc Bolan started to move away from the glam rock sound of the previous albums, causing this one to be critically trashed and ignored by fans...but the worst was yet to come. Tanx is not bad at all. It does show a change in direction, but there's still enough of the old Bolan to carry this. It's not as good as the two before it, but it's also nowhere near as bad as the albums Bolan would release before his death in 1977. Consider this a last gasp. A good album. Not great, but what should have been a decent farewell.
Bolan and T. Rex released 4 more albums before he died in a car accident. None of them are even worth looking at the covers. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
VAN HALEN
BALANCE
1995-WARNER BROS
Produced By BRUCE FAIRBAIRN
1. The Seventh Seal
2. Can't Stop Lovin' You
3. Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)
4. Amsterdam
5. Big Fat Money
6. Strung Out
7. Not Enough
8. Aftershock
9. Doin' Time
10. Baluchitherium
11. Take Me Back (Deja Vu)
12. Feelin'
Balance is the tenth album by Van Halen, the fourth, and final, album to feature Sammy Hagar on lead vocals. It's an indication that the time had come for him to leave. Easily the weakest album from the band to this point, the songs offer little, although they do manage to sound not bad. There just seems to be no life left in the band. None of the tracks really stand out, and it shows the band as simply shadows of what they once were. Not a strong effort at all, and not really worth picking up.
The version I have is a Japanese release, which features a different album cover. Hagar left afterward in favor of David Lee Roth, a reunion which lasted exactly two songs. The next album, featuring Gary Cherrone, was even worse, and then Roth returned again. Since this album, Van Halen has released just two albums over a twenty year span. Balance is truly, and thankfully, the end of an era. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
P. FUNK ALL STARS
HYDRAULIC FUNK
1995-WESTBOUND
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. Pump Up & Down
2. Pumpin' It Up
3. Copy Cat
4. Hydraulic Pump
5. Throw your Hands Up In The Air
6. Generator Pop
7. Accupuncture
8. One of These Summers
9. Catch A Keeper
10. Pumpin' You Is So Easy
11. Generator Pop (12" Mix)
12. Hydraulic Pump (Parts I & II) (12" Mix)
Hydraulic Funk is is a reworking of the P Funk album from 1983 called Urban Dancefloor Guerillas. It features longer versions of the songs, and funks just as hard as the original. After the demise of George Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic empire, this short lived band was formed and eventually became Clinton's backing band for his solo projects. "Hydraulic Pump" features a devastating hook of a harn line, and the entire album is some get down funkiness. It's a great disc to throw on at a party where people want to dance, and it's loaded with Clinton's heavy funk.
The band features members of Parliament, Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Brides, and the Horny Horns. Clinton has survived and changed with the times since the 50's, and this is no exception. A solid effort. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
HARRY NILSSON
COLLECTION
2006-SONY
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. Everybody's Talkin'
2. Without You
3. Joy
4. You Made Me Love You
5. Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)
6. Lazy Moon
7. Spaceman
8. Makin' Whoopee!
9. Coconut
10. Subterranean Homesick Blues
In which our hero makes a huge mistake and buys a cheap budget collection. Harry Nilsson was a huge talent, and he recorded a lot of really great music. This collection looks like someone who knew a couple of his hits just grabbed some other titles at random and threw it out there. "Everybodys Talkin'" and his definitive take on Badfinger's "Without You" are pure gold, and "Coconut" is worth having only to weird out your friends. The rest? "Joy" is just odd...he didn't even use his real name on this. His take on Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is just weird. The rest is Tin Pan Alley stuff. Missing? More great songs than there are crappy ones here. Skip this. I'm sorry.
Nilsson was a drinker, but well respected in the music industry. And for good reason. His take on Randy Newman material is great, and his friendship with John Lennon resulted in a fine album, 1974's Pussy Cats. Please skip this, though. If you want his hits, pony up for a decent collection. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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Romanelli
