BABES IN TOYLAND
PAINKILLERS
1993-REPRISE
Produced By JACK ENDINO, KAT BJELLAND, LEE RANALDO & LORI BARBERO
1. He's My Thing
2. Laredo
3. Istigkeit
4. Ragweed
5. Angel Hair
6. Fontanellette (Live At CBGB's)
During the early 90's, Babes In Toyland were pretty exciting. A heavy, scary all girl band that actually rocked so much they barely knew how to play their instruments...and they sounded great. One of their early bass players was Courtney Love, who was fired after two weeks. Painkillers is an EP in name, but it runs full album length. The first track is a remake of an earlier song, and the next four are outtakes from their best album, Fontanelle. But track 6 is the clincher...a 34 minute live show covering all of Fontanelle.
Painkillers was assembled mainly as a promo tool for the band's appearance at Lollapalooza. And while this is as good as they got, there's nothing amazing here. If you;'re a fan of the Babes, you'll enjoy it. Other than that, go for Fontanelle instead.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
PRETENDERS
BREAK UP THE CONCRETE
2008-SHANGRI-LA
Produced By PRETENDERS
1. Boots Of Chinese Plastic
2. The Nothing Maker
3. Don't Lose faith In Me
4. Don't Cut Your Hair
5. Love's A Mystery
6. The Last Ride
7. Almost Perfect
8. You Didn't Have To
9. Rosalee
10. Break Up The Concrete
11. One Thing Never Changed
9 albums in, and Chrissie Hynde's voice still makes her maybe the sexiest female singer on the planet. Would not have known about this record had I not gone to see them at the Paramount Theater in Denver a few years ago. Strange to see Chrissie with a pedal steel player, but on stage, she can still bring it. And when she rocks on this album, she shows that she hasn't lost a step. Unfortunately, she only kicks it out a couple of times...the rest is pretty mellow stuff. Not that it's bad...she shows that she can handle a ballad as well...it's just that there could have been a better balance.
That said, the high points are "Boots Of Chinese Plastic" and the title song, which grooves like a jackhammer in full swing. And even though the label and the venues have both gotten smaller, Chrissie Hynde remains what she has always been, and what she always will be. Just don't expect Pretenders II or Learning To Crawl. This is how rock & roll royalty can actually grow older with grace and dignity. They've released one album since: 2016's Alone.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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Of dying history
BOB DYLAN
DESIRE
1976-COLUMBIA
Produced By DON DEVITO
1. Hurricane
2. Isis
3. Mozambique
4. One More Cup Of Coffee
5. Oh, Sister
6. Joey
7. Romance In Durango
8. Black Diamond Bay
9. Sara
How do you follow up an album like Blood On The Tracks? Bob Dylan made huge changes in his follow up album, Desire. 7 of the 9 tracks were co-written by lyricist Jacques Levy. The record is graced not only by a lot of violin from Scarlet Rivera, but also by some great backup vocals (uncredited on the original release) from Emmylou Harris. The result was a triumph...not his best work, but his last really good album for a long time.
The album is anchored by 3 tracks: "Hurricane" is the story of boxer Ruben "Hurricane" Carter, who was jailed for murder. "Joey" is a biography of gangster Joey Gallo, and "Sara" is a rare personal song written for his wife. The album has a very different feel than Blood on The Tracks...more upbeat. Desire is a fine record, lost in the shuffle of his masterpieces, but well worth having.
My Rating: **** _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC
THE TV ALBUM
1995-SCOTTI BROS>
Produced By AL YANKOVIC & RICK DERRINGER
1. Bedrock Anthem
2. I Can't Watch This
3. Frank's 2000" TV
4. Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies
5. Ricky
6. Talk Soup
7. Here's Johnny
8. The Brady Bunch
9. Cable TV
10. I Lost On Jeopardy
11. UHF
In 1995, Weird Al's label, Scotti Brothers, demanded an album. Yankovic had nothing recorded, so the label put out this collection of songs about TV. Unfortunately, while Al has had some success with TV songs, it's nowhere near as strong an area as food has been for him. Yankovic was dead set against this being released, and for good reason. As funny as his music can be, Weird Al takes his craft seriously, and doesn't feel that theme compilations show him in the best light. And he's got a point.
Unfortunately, his TV songs aren't strong enough to carry this all the way through, so you end up with duds like "UHF", "Here's Johnny", and "Cable TV". Stick with the original albums instead.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
ROBERT FRIPP & THE LEAGUE OF CRAFTY GUITARISTS
SHOW OF HANDS
1991-EG
Produced By ROBERT FRIPP
1. Listen
2. Eye Of The Needle
3. Askesis
4. Bicycling To Afghanistan
5. Here Comes My Sweetie
6. An Easy Way
7. Scaling The Whales
8. The Moving Force
9. A Connecticut Yankee In The Court Of King Arthur
10. This Yes
11. Are You Abel? (Ready And Able To Rock & Roll)
12. Spasm For Juanita
13. Hard Times
14. Burning Siesta
15. Empty Magazine
16. Circulation
17. Chiara
18. Asturias
19. Ease God's Sorrow
Yeah, this is some odd stuff. The mastermind behind King Crimson, Robert Fripp, puts out a record that includes 17 guitar players, one female vocalist and one viola. This is what's called musician's music. Play it live, and your audience will include pretty much nothing but guitar players curious about how this works, and no one else.
The songs are actually songs, and you won't find much in the way of solos, which is good...it's not a wankfest. The vocals are sparse, sung only on a few songs a capella. Show Of Hands is really a lot better than it sounds on paper, but you probably won't dig it much unless you play yourself. Still, surprisingly listenable and far more entertaining than the lineup would suggest.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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Of dying history
JOY DIVISION
UNKNOWN PLEASURES
1979-FACTORY
Produced By MARTIN HANNETT
1. Disorder
2. Day Of The Lords
3. Candidate
4. Insight
5. New Dawn Fades
6. She's Lost Control
7. Shadowplay
8. Wilderness
9. Interzone
10. I Remember Nothing
The debut album from Joy Division is exactly what you would expect: depressing. But in a strangely tuneful and haunting way. Ian Curtis broods his way through ten songs that may be really sad, but he also is creating something that wasn't REALLY there before...a kind of gothic, creepy, low and raw emotional nerve ending that the really down kids could relate to. And you could sing and dance to it.
"She's Lost Control" is the highlight here, but it's all pretty much equally as good. This might not be for you if you like your music...happy. But Joy Division was an important band. After 2 albums, the suicide of Curtis ended the band and gave birth to New Order. But the two records they left behind are still, almost 40 years later, important documents of the time. This is angst and the depression of youth in one neat little package that's hard to ignore.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
BILLY JOEL
THE STRANGER
1977-COLUMBIA
Produced By PHIL RAMONE
1. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
2. The Stranger
3. Just The Way You Are
4. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
5. Vienna
6. Only The Good Die Young
7. She's Always A Woman
8. Get It Right The First Time
9. Everybody Has A Dream
With very few exceptions, the work of Billy Joel has been massively overrated. Sure, he has a knack for the hit single, but that doesn't mean that they are all for everyone, or that his albums are filled with great material. He got it right only a couple of times in his long career. The Stranger is one of those times. And while not perfect, there are a lot of strong points that were absent from his earlier works...and that were discarded afterward. This is the best place to hear Billy at his least bombastic (although the annoyance level on "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" is kinda high).
There were four hits from The Stranger, but the best tracks now are the non-hits (the popular stuff is not aging as well). "Vienna" is one of his best songs, along with "Everybody Has A Dream" and the title track. And from the hits, the mellow songs are better..."Just The Way You Are" and "She's Always A Woman" stand as his best hit songs. Billy Joel went on and on to become an increasing annoyance, but The Stranger can't be denied as a very, very good breakthrough album.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
THE REPLACEMENTS
LET IT BE
1984-TWIN TONE
Produced By STEVE FJELSTAD, PAUL WESTERBERG & PETER JESPERSON
1. I Will Dare
2. Favorite Thing
3. We're Comin' Out
4. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
5. Androgynous
6. Black Diamond
7. Unsatisfied
8. Seen Your Video
9. Gary's Got A Boner
10. Sixteen Blue
11. Answering Machine
In 1984, The Replacements had grown tired of playing exclusively loud and fast songs, so they decided to concentrate on songs rather than noise. And, apparently, balls as well. Naming their third album after The Beatles classic (Paul Westerberg has said that they had planned on calling the next one Let It Bleed) and including a KISS cover ("Black Diamond"), this was not going to be a typical record in any way.
And, luckily, it's not. There are bits that are annoying, but it's all washed away by the strength of songs like "I Will Dare", "Sixteen Blue", "Unsatisfied", and "Answering Machine". Stange bits like "Androgynous" offset rockers like "Gary's Got A Boner" quite well. This is a band growing into themselves and realizing that they had a lot more to offer than just fast punk. One of the better albums of the 80's. Gotta love tha Mats!
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
1. I Will Follow
2. Twilight
3. An Cat Dubh
4. Into The Heart
5. Out Of Control
6. Stories For Boys
7. The Ocean
8. A Day Without Me
9. Another Time, Another Place
10. The Electric Co.
11. Shadows And Tall Trees
Before there was all the hype for U2 to believe about themselves, there was their debut album, Boy, and the terrific breakthrough single "I Will Follow". This is the sound of a band that is not yet taking themselves so seriously, or trying to look like they are taking on all of the injustices of the world. U2 began by taking on the injustices in their own CORNER of the world. They also played lean, powerful rock & roll. Not perfect, but good enough to jump start their soon to be monster career.
"I Will Follow" is, of course, the highlight, but there are other very worthy tracks here as well. The band is in fine form, and hungry. The stars are more Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton, and The Edge over Bono...the three piece instrumental part of the band was already becoming adept at making things sound much bigger than they were. Boy is where they started, and it's a good album that shouldn't be forgotten.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
EAGLES
HOTEL CALIFORNIA
1976-ASYLUM
Produced by BILL SZYMCZYK
1. Hotel California
2. New Kid In Town
3. Life In The Fast Lane
4. Wasted Time
5. Wasted Time (Reprise)
6. Victim Of Love
7. Pretty Maids All In A Row
8. Try And Love Again
9. The Last Resort
The Eagles were already dripping in hits when Hotel California dropped in 1976. This album made them, until Rumours came out shortly afterward, pretty much the biggest band on the planet. The album boasted two great songs, the almost reggae title track (maybe their most complete song ever), and "Life In The Fast Lane". But what people tend to forget is that while these songs and "Victim Of Love" rocked (with much help from the addition of Joe Walsh on guitar), the rest of the album is pretty snoozy. Even more so than their previous effort, One Of These Nights.
"New Kid In Town" and "Try And Love Again" were hits also, and the vocals were, as always, first rate. But the album is ultimately dragged from it's perceived classic status by the duller tracks "Wasted Time" (and its pointless orchestral reprise) and "the overly long "The Last Resort". A large part of what made Hotel California such a huge hit was the greatest hits album that was released around the same time. Hotel California is a great picture of life in the mid 70's...but as an album, it's not quite as great as we remember it to be. Still, a good effort. But not quite an indispensable classic.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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