1. Poison Arrow
2. The Look Of Love
3. All Of My Heart
4. Tears Are Not Enough
5. That Was Then But This Is Now
6. S.O.S.
7. How To Be A Millionaire
8. Be Near Me
9. When Smokey Sings
10. The Night You Murdered Love
11. King Without A Crown
12. One Better World
13. Ocean Blue
14. The Look Of Love (1990 Remix)
15. When Smokey Sings (The Miami Mix)
16. Be Near Me (Munich Disco Mix)
17. One Better World (Pickering Park Mix)
Bands in the New Romantic movement of the 1980's didn't come any better packaged than ABC...and they didn't have the songs, either. The main players here are Martin Fry and Mark White, and throughout the 80's, they drove ABC mostly under the radar to quite a bit of success. They tweaked their sound from record to record, but the bottom line always was, they had some great songs in them.
Absolutely is a best of that covers the entire decade. And it's surprising to hear just how much good material they had. The big hits were "The Look Of Love" and "Poison Arrow", but there is also much to be said for "When Smokeyy Sings", "One Better World", and the excellent "Be Near Me". The band changed their sound too often to be consistent big sellers...too bad. This is a good overview of a good band.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
RACHAEL YAMAGATA
HAPPENSTANCE
2004-RCA
Produced By JOHN ALAGIA & KEVIN SALEM
1. Be Be Your Love
2. Letter Read
3. Worn Me Down
4. Paper Doll
5. I'll Find A Way
6. 1963
7. Under My Skin
8. Meet Me By The Water
9. Even So
10. I Want You
11. Reason Why
12. Moments With Oliver
13. Quiet
Rachael Yamagata is a 4th generation Japanese American. She sang with a band called Bumpus for a number of years, then released a solo EP. Happenstance is her debut album, one that got her a lot of work. And for good reason. Yamagata is shown here to be a fine singer with a powerful and emotive voice. The fact that she used John Mayer's producer can be forgiven, as the result is a fine debut.
At first, it seems like just another girl with a piano. But songs like "1963", "Worn Me Down", "Be Be Your Love" and "Quiet" show that she has what it takes. Yamagata is a strong singer, player, and writer, and this debut shows a lot of promise for the future. And it did serve her well. The album got her plenty of work. She's performed on several TV show, as well as singing on albums by Ray LaMontagne, Rhett Miller, and Ryan Adams.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
1. Back In The U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence
3. Glass Onion
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
5. Wild Honey Pie
6. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
9. Martha My Dear
10. I'm So Tired
11. Blackbird
12. Piggies
13. Rocky Raccoon
14. Don't Pass Me By
15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
16. I Will
17. Julia
1. Birthday
2. Yer Blues
3. Mother Nature's Son
4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Helter Skelter
7. Long, Long, Long
8. Revolution 1
9. Honey Pie
10. Savoy Truffle
11. Cry Baby Cry
12. Revolution 9
13. Good Night
This is where the breakup of The Beatles began. This is also still a highly listenable and fascinating album. The band began working apart from each other here, becoming mostly solo artists using the other members as sidemen. The results? Some of the most compelling music of their career. "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" and "Revolution 1" from Lennon, "Back In The U.S.S.R." from McCartney, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from Harrison are just some of the individual highlights, and even Ringo gets a song in "Don't Pass Me By". It's hard to tell sometimes who is playing what, or even who was included on recordings, but The Beatles prove that even under the circumstances, they were still capable of a work this good.
2 years after the release of this, The Beatles were done. It has remained their most talked about album, and for many, their greatest work. Understandably so. 1968? Still sounds like it could have been done a month ago. That's how good it is. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
IVY
REALISTIC
1994-UNFILTERED
Produced By KURT RALSKE & IVY
1. Get Enough
2. No Guarantee
3. Decay
4. 15 Seconds
5. Everyday
6. Point of View
7. Don't Believe A Word
8. Beautiful
9. Shallow
10. In The Shadows
11. Dying Star
12. Over
Realistic, the debut album from Ivy, hints at the sweet melodicism that would follow on later albums, but also shows the band in very much of a growing phase. There are times when you can hear the elements that made Apartment Life such a great experience,; other times there's a garage band feel that they hadn't quite gotten rid of yet. Which gives them more of an edge than they would later have. Sometimes a good thing. Otherwise...
"Get Enough" was the song that got them noticed in the first place. Dominique Durand is a good enough singer, and the band is more than capable. Bassist Adam Schlessinger is also in Fountains Of Wayne. Their better recordings came after this, but if you're a fan, it's pleasant enough.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL
IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA
1998-MERGE
Produced By ROBERT SCHNEIDER
1. The King Of Carrot Flowers Pt. One
2. The King Of Carrot Flowers Pts. Two & Three
3. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
4. Two-Headed Boy
5. The Fool
6. Holland, 1945
7. Communist Daughter
8. Oh Comely
9. Ghost
10. Two-Headed Boy Pt. Two
In 1998, the unknown Neutral Milk Hotel released In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, a soon forgotten album that was pretty much seen as a dud. Ten years later, alongside Radiohead, this album was viewed as the savior of music sales, vinyl in particular, world wide. What happened? Okay. Jeff Mangum, a co-founder of Elephant 6 Records, moved to Denver and reportedly began writing songs while living in a haunted closet. He recorded this album, which does sound like the ramblings of a completely crazy person. And after its release, Mangum disappeared from public view, his band never to be heard again for over a decade, and he eventually reportedly had a nervous breakdown. Oh...and rumour has it that the album is about Anne Frank. The music on Aeroplane bears all of that out. It's hard to tell if Mangum is a genius or just nuts.
Me, I'm going to lean towards the latter. There are some cool moments on this record, but for the most part, it's Mangum singing way too loud while strumming his acoustic guitar way too hard. There's something here, but it's hard to figure out what it is, and it's taken time to let this grow on me enough to find out. In the meantime, it's an interesting album for sure, but I do have reservations about this being the best album of 1998...the 4th best album of the 90's, and the 18th best album of all time? Listening to Mangum howl over 8 minutes of "Oh Comely" almost without breathing makes it hard to believe in those lofty heights. On the other hand...there is something here. I just think it might not be as much as people are thinking it is.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL
IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA
1998-MERGE
Produced By ROBERT SCHNEIDER
1. The King Of Carrot Flowers Pt. One
2. The King Of Carrot Flowers Pts. Two & Three
3. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
4. Two-Headed Boy
5. The Fool
6. Holland, 1945
7. Communist Daughter
8. Oh Comely
9. Ghost
10. Two-Headed Boy Pt. Two
In 1998, the unknown Neutral Milk Hotel released In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, a soon forgotten album that was pretty much seen as a dud. Ten years later, alongside Radiohead, this album was viewed as the savior of music sales, vinyl in particular, world wide. What happened? Okay. Jeff Mangum, a co-founder of Elephant 6 Records, moved to Denver and reportedly began writing songs while living in a haunted closet. He recorded this album, which does sound like the ramblings of a completely crazy person. And after its release, Mangum disappeared from public view, his band never to be heard again for over a decade, and he eventually reportedly had a nervous breakdown. Oh...and rumour has it that the album is about Anne Frank. The music on Aeroplane bears all of that out. It's hard to tell if Mangum is a genius or just nuts.
Me, I'm going to lean towards the latter. There are some cool moments on this record, but for the most part, it's Mangum singing way too loud while strumming his acoustic guitar way too hard. There's something here, but it's hard to figure out what it is, and it's taken time to let this grow on me enough to find out. In the meantime, it's an interesting album for sure, but I do have reservations about this being the best album of 1998...the 4th best album of the 90's, and the 18th best album of all time? Listening to Mangum howl over 8 minutes of "Oh Comely" almost without breathing makes it hard to believe in those lofty heights. On the other hand...there is something here. I just think it might not be as much as people are thinking it is.
Sometimes you quote my feelings about albums exactly: it's not a bad album but why do people think it's one of the best albums of the 90's while this decade counts so many other masterpieces
ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
ELDORADO
1974-JET
Produced By JEFF LYNNE
1. Eldorado Overture
2. Can't Get It Out Of My Head
3. Boy Blue
4. Laredo Tornado
5. Poor Boy (The Greenwood)
6. Mister Kingdom
7. Nobody's Child
8. Illusions In G Major
9. Eldorado
10. Eldorado Finale
Bonus Tracks
11. Eldorado Instrumental Medley
12. Dark City
The growth of Jeff Lynne as both a songwriter and producer changed from album to album...the place where both were in the perfect place was on 1974's Eldorado. Lynne was not yet the hit writing machine that he would become shortly after, and his producing skills had not yet reached the glossy perfection of his later work. Eldorado, as a result, is the best of the early ELO albums. "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" was the hit, but the highly underrated "Boy Blue", "Laredo Tornado", "Nobody's Child", and most of the rest make this a fine listen.
The next album, Face The Music, and it's hits "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic", changed everything for ELO. It would have been interesting had they stayed along the track of Eldorado, the only concept album in ELO's catalog in the period where they actually employed strings and were trying to achieve the melding of orchestra and rock band. A long forgotten album, and a pretty good one.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
LAURA NYRO
ELI AND THE THIRTEENTH CONFESSION
1968-COLUMBIA
Produced By CHARLIE CALELLO & LAURA NYRO
1. Luckie
2. Lu
3. Sweet Blindness
4. Poverty Train
5. Lonely Women
6. Eli's Comin
7. Timer
8. Stoned Soul Picnic
9. Emmie
10. Woman's Blues
11. Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)
12. December's Boudoir
13. The Confession
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession is the second album by songwriter extraordinaire Laura Nyro. Some of her best work is on this album, including "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Eli's Comin'" and "Lonely Women". Her growth between her debut and this, and from this to the followup New York Tendeberry, shows a fast maturing writer with a style all her own. And even though she is best known for recordings others have made of her songs, her own versions are pretty special as well.
Again, Nyro's style is not for everyone. But she does posess a passion and a writing ability that should not be ignored or forgotten. If she's an artist you can listen to, then this (and her other early albums) will be a great treasure for you. If not, then at least you know where some of the great songs of the late 60's came from.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
BOB DYLAN
THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLS. 1-3 (RARE & UNRELEASED) 1961-91
1991-COLUMBIA
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
So, what's so impressive about 3 discs worth of Bob Dylan castoffs that didn't make it to the original albums? We can start with the fact that this set is better than the entire careers of most artists. That what we've seen from the stunningly prolific Dylan is, based on the fact that The Boottleg Series is now up to double digit volumes, is more than just an amazing body of work. And that Dylan left much of his better work on the studio floor, particularly into the 1980's.
This box set contains a stunning amount of music, and does right by running chronologically from 1961 through 1991. Many of the songs were covered by other artists while these versions lay in cheap bootlegs or unheard. A few are alternte versions of famous songs, others are new to the listener. In all, this is a great journey, a series that never gets old. A fine addition to any Dylan collection that stands on its own. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
INXS
ELEGANTLY WASTED
1997-MERCURY
Produced By BRUCE FAIRBAIRN & ANDREW FARRISS
1. Show Me (Cherry Baby)
2. Elegantly Wasted
3. Everything
4. Don't Lose Your Head
5. Searching
6. I'm Just A Man
7. Girl On Fire
8. We Are Thrown Together
9. Shake The Tree
10. She Is Rising
11. Building Bridges
Elegantly Wasted is the tenth album for INXS, and the last featuring singer Michael Hutchense. It's a comeback of sorts...the band had taken four years off and found that it still had its chops...it was just the audience that had forgotten about them. This is almost as good as any of their previous albums, and on some songs (the title track, especially) they show that they had plenty of fire left in them. But, a lot of time had passed, music had changed, and despite the album being pretty good, it sold almost nothing.
7 months after the release of Elegantly Wasted, Hutchense was dead, and INXS was no more for a number of years. They soiled their name on the hit TV show Rock Star: INXS, and stumbled around until 2012 wondering why nobody had told them to give up yet. But in the 80's and 90's, this was a solid band. This album is the end of that time.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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