DIRE STRAITS
ON EVERY STREET
1991-WARNER BROS
Produced By MARK KNOPFLER & DIRE STRAITS
1. Calling Elvis
2. On Every Street
3. When It Comes To You
4. Fade To Black
5. The Bug
6. You And Your Friend
7. Heavy Fuel
8. Iron Hand
9. Ticket To Heaven
10. My Parties
11. Planet Of New Orleans
12. How Long
On Every Street may be the quietest and most inconspicuous final album ever made. It had been 6 years since Dire Straits released its biggest record Brothers In Arms, and they had dropped a live album and a greatest hits disc in the meantime. Mark Knopfler was getting his solo career on, and everyone just assumed that Dire Straits had died. So when On Every Street came out, no one even blinked. Which is probably a good thing, because in the moment of how do you top your last album, the Straits did a flat out choke.
The single was "Heavy Fuel", a lesser attempt at "Money For Nothing Part 2". And that was it, because there really wasn't another single here. Although there were some good songs...but the real truth was that Dire Straits was never Brothers In Arms, they were the albums that came before it. And this may have been one of those, except that they sound like they're mailing it in. For a lot of bands, this would have been a career high mark. For Dire Straits? This is as low as you can imagine for them. It's listenable, but just don't play it against any of their other work. That way, you won't see it for as disappointing as it really is.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
Calling Elvis and Heavy Fuel were semi-hits in Belgium and they're indeed not in the league of their former albums but the title track is very good and I especially like the very inspired guitar solo.
SHANE MACGOWAN & THE POPES
THE SNAKE
1995-ZTT
Produced By DAVE JORDAN, SHANE MACGOWAN & TREVOR HORN
1. The Church Of The Holy Spook
2. Nancy Whiskey
3. The Song With No Name
4. Aisling
5. Roddy McCorley
6. Victoria
7. That Woman's Got Me Drinking
8. A Mexican Funeral In Paris
9. The Rising Of The Moon
10. The Snake With Eyes Of Garnet
11. Haunted
12. I'll Be Your Handbag
13. Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway
14. Donegal Express
15. Bring Down The Lamp
In the 1980's, The Pogues were an Irish Punk band that took the traditional music and stood it on its head, with great results. The main ingredient in that band was Shane MacGowan, whose street lyrical sense drove the band. MacGowan was also a notorious and very heavy drinker, which caused the end of his tenure with The Pogues in 1991. MacGowan emerged with a new band (the drummers name is Danny Pope), and a voice completely ravaged by alcohol. The result is a disturbing drunken Irish good time.
MacGowan slurs his way through some interesting material "most notably "The Church Of The Holy Spook"), but maybe the strangest is "Haunted". After 10 tracks of MacGowan's drunken rasp, the song opens with the beautiful voice of none other than Sinead O'Connor, and the song turns into the most unlikely (and most uncomfortable) duet you'll hear anywhere. But somehow, it works. And somehow, MacGowan turns The Snake into a triumph. This is not for everyone, but it's definitely an interesting record.
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1. All I Want To Do
2. You Could Meet Somebody
3. Tell It Like It Is
4. The Elevator
5. Watchdogs
6. Rat In Mi Kitchen
7. Looking Down At My Reflection
8. Don't Blame Me
9. Sing Our Own Song
UB40 was an English Reggae/Carribean mix that was very prolific and very steady throughout the 80's, with most of their albums being well played but unspectacular affairs. Rat In The Kitchen is one of these albums. Released in 1986, it didn't do much in the US, but was the band's 7th straight top 15 album in Britain. The high points are "Sing Our Own Song" and "Rat In Mi Kitchen", both hits in the UK. "All I Want To Do" is also strong. As for the rest, it's good, but not great. UB40 with yet another inoffensive, good sounding record.
The band slowed down in the 90's, but they are still around with much of the same original lineup. If you want safe 80's music, you can't go wrong with UB40. Some albums are better than others, but none are really bad.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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Of dying history
BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS
LIVE!
1975-TUFF GONG
Produced By STEVE SMITH & CHRIS BLACKWELL
1. Trenchtown Rock
2. Burnin' & Lootin'
3. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
4. Lively Up Yourself
5. No Woman, No Cry
6. I Shot The Sheriff
7. Get Up, Stand Up
8. Kinky Reggae
By 1975, Bob Marley had not only become the first 3rd world rock star, but he had also brought his music to the masses in America and proven himself as good a political writer as Bob Dylan himself. And with this album, a stirring concert of songs from his first 3 albums, he shows that he can bring the goods on stage as well. These are the songs that made Marley the legend he is, and the live versions are just as good. The Wailers are loose, and the music flows nicely. "Kinky Reggae" is a 7 minute addition to the original album, making it even sweeter.
Marley's career and subsequent death has been well documented. But don't forget about this early live record. It still ranks as one of the best works from one of the best.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
MARSHALL CRENSHAW
1982-WARNER ARCHIVES/RHINO
Produced By MARSHALL CRENSHAW & RICHARD GOTTEHRER
1. There She Goes Again
2. Someday, Someway
3. Girls...
4. I'll Do Anything
5. Rockin' Around In NYC
6. The Usual Thing
7. She Can't Dance
8. Cynical Girl
9. Mary Anne
10. Soldier Of Love
11. Not For Me
12. Brand New Lover
Bonus Tracks
13. Starlit Summer Sky (Demo 1979)
14. Whenever You're On My Mind (Demo 1979)
15. You're My Favorite Waste Of Time
16. Somebody Like You
17. Rave On (Live 1982)
18. The Usual Thing (Live 1982)
19. Stop Her On Sight (SOS) (Live 1982)
20. Look At What I Almost Missed (Live 1982)
21. I've Been Good To You (Live 1981)
It's pretty much impossible to say which is correct...was Marshall Crenshaw years too late, or was he years ahead of his time? Maybe he was both. Marshall Crenshaw was maybe the most critically loved debut album of all time...and for good reason. This was the resurgence of rock and roll, and the perfection of power pop all in one bespectacled package. This is a stunning album, and songs like "Someday, Someway" and the magical "Cynical Girl" make this pretty much the power pop bible. It was, however, 1982, and rock & roll was in a flux...New Wave was rushing in, born of punk, hair metal was pushing ourt what is now known as classic rock, and Marshall Crenshaw was out of place. Too bad, because this is a truly great album that was lost in the shuffle.
The 2000 reissue has some amazing bonus tracks...something bonus tracks usually are not. "Whenever You're On My Mind" is a demo, but it's still one of the great lost pop songs, and to have it here makes it even sweeter... and it saves you from having to get the much lesser follow up album Field Day. "You're My Favorite Waste Of Time" is just as good. And the live tracks are great as well, including the Buddy Holly track "Rave On". (Crenshaw is forever compared to Holly for his looks, his appearance as Holly in "La Bamba", and his music). Crenshaw never came close to his debut album, partly because he didn't want to be nailed down to one specific sound. But you should definitely have this record. Because 1982 was the year of Marshall Crenshaw, and it doesn't get much better than this.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
THE BEST OF THE DECCA YEARS VOL 1: THE SINGER
1989-MCA
Various Producers
1. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
2. That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls AroundHeaven All Day)
3. Gone Fishin' (with Bing Crosby)
4. A Kiss To Build A Dream On
5. (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You (with Louis Jordan)
6. La Vie En Rose
7. Blueberry Hill
8. In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree (with The Mills Brothers)
9. The Gypsy
10. Lazy River
11. I Surrender Dear
12. It's All In The Game
13. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
This collection consists of songs recorded between 1937 and 1956., and feature Armstrong as mainly a vocalist. Durinhg most of this period, Armstrong's lip was damaged, making his legendary trumpet playing just a sidebar, and making this great master of jazz almost a novelty. But Armstrong handled it all with style, and turnes in some great, warm and perfect vocals. His duets with Bing Crosby and Louis Jordan are funny and very well done, and his takes on great songs like "Blueberry Hill", "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", and "La Vie En Rose" are well worth having.
Armstrong's brilliant trumpet work can be found elsewhere, but it's important to not forget that he was an engaging and very entertaining singer as well. This documents that side of him quite well. Volume 2 concentrates on his work as a composer.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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NITZER EBB
BIG HIT
1995-GEFFEN
Produced By FLOOD & AL CLAY
1. Cherry Blossom
2. Hear Me Say
3. Kick It
4. I Thought
5. Floodwater
6. Border Talk
7. In Decline
8. Living Out Of A Bag
9. Boy
10. Our Own World
Not all of the albums in my collection are good recommendations. It's also my duty to warn you away from extremely bad music. Big Hit by British electro band Nitzer Ebb is one of those. The album was recorded after a four year hiatus, and they decided to be experimental and add non-electronic instruments to the mix. Problem was, they didn't really seem to know how to accomplish this...nor did they seem to care. By the end of the recording, the members of Nitzer Ebb hated each other and this turned out to be their last album.
What a terrible way to say goodbye. Big Hit flat out stinks. There are no good songs here, and the sound is so teutonic and bland that you may want to hurt yourself if you make it more than halfway through. Simply put...avoid this album. It's really not good at all. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
VARIOUS ARTISTS
AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE 202
2006-WILD HARE
Produced By DAVE MOORE
1. We're Gonna Rock (Amber Lee)
2. Devil Doll
3. Let Me Be Your Baby
4. Let's Rock
5. Give A Little Lovin'
6. Have A Ball
7. Uptown
8. I'm Gonna Break A Heart (Jerry King & The Falls City Boys)
9. Epilepsy Betsy
10. What I've Got
11. Trouble Follows Me
12. Lonesome Trail
13. Hitch Hiker
14. Long Haul Trucker
15. Last Word In Lovin' (Joe Penny)
16. Real Live Doll
17. Operation Complication
18. Slim Jim Sadie
19. Break Loose
20. Jambalaya
21. A Single Tear (Screamin' Scotty)
22. My Puddin' Pie
23. Loud Mouth
24. Midnight Train
25. My Love
26. I'd Want Your Lovin' Anyway
27. Don't Talk Back
Man. You think you know a person...Wild Hare Records is a small rockabilly/hillbilly/old time rock & roll label from West Virginia. I'd have never heard of this had it not been for the bass player in my short lived Colorado band, Circle The Drain. That bass player turned out to be Screamin' Scotty, who was not that quiet mild mannered bass player at all, but actually a rowdy rockabilly artist from the east coast known for his "wild, frantic and sultry" performances. Who knew?
The 4 acts on this album all have strengths and weaknesses. Amber Lee has the voice, but the straight ahead 50's rock & roll she sings doesn't seem to be a great fit for her. Jerry King has the songs..."Trouble Follows Me" and "Long Haul Trucker" are terrific, but King's vocals could have used more care in the recording process. Joe Penny was supposedly once a guitarist for Hank Williams, and Screaming Scotty has great energy. In all, an unusual and not too shabby compilation of unknown rockabilly artists.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
AC/DC
WHO MADE WHO
1986-ATLANTIC
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. Who Made Who
2. You Shook Me All Night Long
3. D.T.
4. Sink The Pink
5. Ride On
6. Hells Bells
7. Shake Your Foundations
8. Chase The Ace
9. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
Who Made Who is not really an AC/DC studio album...it's the soundtrack for the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. And strange thing about AC/DC. They had been releasing albums for 13 years, and this was as close to a compilation album as there was until the 1997 release of the box set Bonfire. 3 songs are new: the title track and 2 instrumentals (instrumentals?), "D.T." and "Chase The Ace". Everything else comes from prior albums, and only one song, "Ride On", is from the Bon Scott period.
A strange collection, but it is a soundtrack. Not as necessary as it once was, it's an interesting piece. The best songs can be found on better albums, and if you can afford it, Bonfire is a great box set which makes this album completely out of date.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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