Shoutout to my dad for making me realize how great an album this is. J Geils Band somehow created their most obscure songs and their biggest hits on the same album, and up until last year, I had only known the hits. Centerfold and Freeze Frame both have a certain commercial 80s charm (or smarm) to them that have given them their timeless classic rock radio status. But it's the other songs on this album that keep me coming back. First of all, let's talk about three things that make this album standout.
#1 Peter Wolf is a great frontman, and he always has a great delivery and charisma on this album.
#2 That bass by Danny Klein (I don't ever hear this guy's name brought up, but the bass on a lot of these tracks is killer.
#3 That overdriven and almost obnoxious Harmonica played by Magic Dick.
(Oh and the Blues Brothers horn players are on here too)
The J. Geils Band had been around for a long time at this point. They had scored a hit with "Love Stinks" on their last album, and it seems like that was partially the idea when they must have went in to record this album with the radio-friendly hits that I've already mentioned. However, with songs like "Rage In the Cage" "Insane, Insane Again" and "Flamethrower", it's clear that they also wanted to bust out their musical chops as well. It mostly sounds like they've been listening to a bunch of Devo and Oingo Boingo, because that's how those three tracks come off. They've got this undeniable and energy and manic sensibility to them that's just plain fun. Which is really what this album boils down to for me. It's a good time. I listen to a lot of esoteric stuff on a regular basis, so I deserve a chance to deflate and listen to something that is not exactly as challenging, but is still as exciting. "River Blindness" is probably the strangest of all though; it almost has some qualities of Wall of Voodoo or Yello. It's strange to me that almost half of this album is certainly against the same kind of songwriting of the two hits. "Do You Remember" and "Angel In Blue" are more on that poppy side, but the closing track "Piss On The Wall" was probably not meant for that. I could almost hear Ween singing this one. (Piss Up Rope is maybe a spiritual successor.)
Top Tracks: Freeze Frame, Rage in the Cage, Insane, Insane Again
Awesome write-up, 1Chief!!! I only know this albums for the hits. Will have to change that.
Since Mercury was kind enough to include it in his tournament, I figured that "Take A Picture" would be the next on my list for me to give a little review.
For the most part, I crave variety in an album-length work. However, in the case of Margo Guryan's "Take A Picture" the one note that this album strikes is so good, that it more than makes up for that lack of variety. Beautifully orchestrated 60s sunshine pop from a Jazz musician turned songwriter that scratches a certain musical itch. This is music that could've only been made at this time with these musicians. It's very much of it's time, but because of that it is also timeless. The most famous track on here is "Sunday Mornin" which has never sounded better than performed by the person who actually wrote it. The last 30 seconds in particular are grooviness personified. (These session musicians work their ass off on this thing.) I'd also classify this album as Baroque Pop due to tracks like the titular "Take A Picture" a tender and nostalgic tune that wouldn't sound out of place Something Else by The Kinks. Which, is not a bad comparison for this album actually. A lot of these songs have the quick and breezy nature of a Davies tune from the same time period. Melodic and catchy. "What Can I Give You" even has a bit of a British music hall feel. I enjoy the organ-led "Think of Rain" which is one of the bigger changes of pace on the album. Although the biggest derivation comes from the much more psychedelic track "Love" at the end of the album. It kind of makes you wish that there was some more experimentation in that vein on the rest of the album, but sometimes a 2:30 pop song is all you need, and this album delivers on that front. Oh, and Guryan's voice strikes a perfect chord of accessibility and musicality that perfectly compliments the music.
Top Tracks: Sunday Mornin, Sun, Take A Picture, Think of Rain, Love
"Plays Well" is an improvisational guitar album from New York-based artist Alan Licht. It is composed of two 36 minute tracks. The first is a piece that contains only Licht's guitar loops and improvisations. Heavily inspired by artists like Henry Flynt, "Remington Khan" is about as good a free improvisation track you will find. It's transfixing loops blends together seamlessly to create a hypnotizing & twangy atmosphere. Licht himself says that Flynt was a big inspiration; this track certainly is a continuation of his country-raga fusions.
"Remington Khan" is a wonderful track, but it is the B side that I keep coming back for.
Side B "The Old Victrola" consists of a pastiche of several live performances. The first few minutes are devoted to one of the better spoken word passages from Captain Beefheart's seminal album Trout Mask Replica, "Well". Smatterings of Licht's guitar play over the gravelly- voiced Beefheart, but it is soon overtaken by Donna Summer's "Dim All The Lights". I can confidently say that I was not expecting that when I first listened to this album. The consistent beat of the track makes a great jumping off point for Licht's improvisational stylings, and the 15 minutes or so of this part of the track are transcendent. The last 10 or so minutes are dedicated to a more droney affair, but the track as a whole is great ride.
Top Tracks: Both sides are great, but Side B has a slight edge.
Sexiness (and an incredibly charismatic frontman to administer said sexiness)
FUZZ
Nonsense lyrics
Slightly off-kilter blues rock riffs
Strings that mimic Marc's guitar lines
Flo and Eddie background vocals
Repeat echo vocals
(Occasionally replace FUZZ with solo acoustic guitar)
Add a dash of rock god guitar soloing every third track.
Use one Tony Visconti to reign it all into a finely-crafted piece of Pop Rock that's still completely unique today.
Electric Warrior, this album, and Tanx make one of the best trilogies by any artist ever, and it wasn't even that complicated of a formula. There's very few albums that bring me as much joy as this one. One of the albums that will always have me grinning like an idiot throughout the runtime. While I'll admit that this formula is essentially repeated throughout the whole album, it still finds a way to do something different with the same ingredients on every track. (How's this extended baking metaphor going at this point? I feel like I'm starting to write some lyrics that Marc would write 😄 There's just so much fun to be had with this album from the hard rocking numbers like "Buick Mckane" and "Chariot Choogle" to the slower burns of "Rabbit Fighter" and "Ballrooms of Mars". Small moments make this album a blast like the way Marc yells "Rock!" before he goes into his guitar solos on "Ballrooms of Mars" or how the background vocals on "Rock On" seem to get progressively more manic. By the way, "Flo and Eddie" for those not aware are the great duo of Mark Volman and Howard Kaylyn from the Turtles. (They were also working with Frank Zappa during this time period, too!) Their background vocals are always some of my favorite parts of a T. Rex song. I also like how vaguely 50s inspired a lot of the songs are on this album. Like "Baby Boomerang" sounds like Elvis somehow got a hold of a fuzz pedal in 1956. Before I forget, I need to mention Tony Visconti and the production which is what really made T. Rex what it was. The repeat echo effect on the vocals and the string production are what makes these seemingly simple songs really pop. It makes it sound huge when there's not much going on except for the typical guitar drums and bass of any other rock album. And I can't end without discussing the brilliance of the opening track "Metal Guru" which is probably as good as anything that Marc Bolan ever wrote where all of the aforementioned elements are turned up to 11. Bottomline is this album exudes fun and creativity which everyone could use some more of in their life.
Top Tracks: Metal Guru, The Slider, Rabbit Fighter, Ballrooms of Mars, Chariot Choogle
Sexiness (and an incredibly charismatic frontman to administer said sexiness)
FUZZ
Nonsense lyrics
Slightly off-kilter blues rock riffs
Strings that mimic Marc's guitar lines
Flo and Eddie background vocals
Repeat echo vocals
(Occasionally replace FUZZ with solo acoustic guitar)
Add a dash of rock god guitar soloing every third track.
Use one Tony Visconti to reign it all into a finely-crafted piece of Pop Rock that's still completely unique today.
Electric Warrior, this album, and Tanx make one of the best trilogies by any artist ever, and it wasn't even that complicated of a formula. There's very few albums that bring me as much joy as this one. One of the albums that will always have me grinning like an idiot throughout the runtime. While I'll admit that this formula is essentially repeated throughout the whole album, it still finds a way to do something different with the same ingredients on every track. (How's this extended baking metaphor going at this point? I feel like I'm starting to write some lyrics that Marc would write 😄 There's just so much fun to be had with this album from the hard rocking numbers like "Buick Mckane" and "Chariot Choogle" to the slower burns of "Rabbit Fighter" and "Ballrooms of Mars". Small moments make this album a blast like the way Marc yells "Rock!" before he goes into his guitar solos on "Ballrooms of Mars" or how the background vocals on "Rock On" seem to get progressively more manic. By the way, "Flo and Eddie" for those not aware are the great duo of Mark Volman and Howard Kaylyn from the Turtles. (They were also working with Frank Zappa during this time period, too!) Their background vocals are always some of my favorite parts of a T. Rex song. I also like how vaguely 50s inspired a lot of the songs are on this album. Like "Baby Boomerang" sounds like Elvis somehow got a hold of a fuzz pedal in 1956. Before I forget, I need to mention Tony Visconti and the production which is what really made T. Rex what it was. The repeat echo effect on the vocals and the string production are what makes these seemingly simple songs really pop. It makes it sound huge when there's not much going on except for the typical guitar drums and bass of any other rock album. And I can't end without discussing the brilliance of the opening track "Metal Guru" which is probably as good as anything that Marc Bolan ever wrote where all of the aforementioned elements are turned up to 11. Bottomline is this album exudes fun and creativity which everyone could use some more of in their life.
Top Tracks: Metal Guru, The Slider, Rabbit Fighter, Ballrooms of Mars, Chariot Choogle
Great write-up, brother! Love your thoughts on it. One of my faves too. Psyched you gave a shout out to Tanx!!! So underrated!
Here's a track by track breakdown I casually did as I was relistening to this album last night.
To Sheila- One of the best songs Billy Corgan has written from a lyrical perspective (the whole album I think has some of his better lyrical turns of phrase) It's also one of the better singer/songwriter kind of songs he's written.
Ava Adore- Perhaps one of the best moments of blending the darker and lighter qualities of the Pumpkins' music together in one song. The foreboding verses and plodding rhythm mixed with the brightness of the chorus. That little guitar part after the bridge is also brilliant.
Perfect- Kind of similar to "1979" in feel and that's why it's a great song. Post-Chorus part is really great and the whole song flows really well.
Daphne Descends- I love the big tremulous chords that make this song sound massive. Also, Billy Corgan really doesn't want you to fall in love with somebody too hard.
Once Upon A Time- Besides "For Martha" this is another song with Billy Corgan dealing with his mother's death . A nice song, but not one tha immediately springs to mind when I think of the album. Production is top-notch though along with the rest of the album.
Tear- Dynamics baby. This ones got it.
Crestfallen- A nice follow-up to the previous song. A piano ballad with just enough electronic texture to give it a cohesive feel with the album.
Appels + Oranjes- One of the several songs on this album that don't exactly make an impression, but they are enjoyable while listening to the album as a whole.
Pug- Maybe my favorite song on this album. I wish "Eye" was also on this album to compliment this darker more guitar driven track. The chorus is brilliant and that guitar lick from James Iha makes this song complete.
The Tale of Dusty And Pisol Pete- Similar to "Once Upon A Time" a song I forget about, but I like hearing when I listen to the album.
Annie-Dog- The production here is so much different than anything else on the album. Billy Corgan is uncharacteristaclly not theatrical on this track. It might be the most subdued vocal performance he's ever delivered, and it's definitely a weaker track.
Shame- I actually get having "Annie-Dog" and this track back to back. Because as the previous song may be Corgan at his most subdued vocally, this song may be the Pumpkins at their most subdued musically. It's as close as the Pumpkins came to doing a slowcore song.
Behold! The Night Mare- Kind of forget about this one, but it works well within the album.
For Martha-Excellent and legendary song. That piano melody will stick with you and the soaring guitar at the end of the track is wonderful.
Blank Page- A nice coda after For Martha to close out the album with it's shifting piano chords and gloomy subject matter.
The problems in Corgan's personal life and in the studio are well-documented at this point, but for those that don't know, his mother died, he got divorced, their touring keyboard ovderdosed and died, and Jimmy Chamberlain could've died just as easy at the same time. The studio mis-marketed the album at points saying that it was going to be acoustic or a hard rocker. So for as terrible time it must've been for Billy Corgan, he still pieced together a really great album. I love the production on this album from Fish and Brad Wood, and I think that it's aged relatively well.
I do wish some of the lesser tracks would've been replaced with a few other Pumpkins songs that were written during that time like "Eye" or even the Batman and Robin classic "The End Is the Beginning Is The End".
Top Tracks: To Sheila, Ava Adore, Perfect, Tear, Pug, For Martha
I do my best to not only describe things in the terms of "X sounds like Y", but it's hard not to for this particular album. Bark Psychosis is one of the first things that comes to mind, and the Slowcore Gods Low, but this group manages to create their own unique little slice of downer-rock all of their own. Like the hazy cover image, this album is content to drift along at a delicate pace, sometimes sounding like all of the members must be on dramamine. It's like that feeling when you first wake up in the morning and your vision's a little blurry and all stimuli seem to kind of mix into one. So, it's that feeling but for around 45 minutes. This album does an excellent job of mixing the best elements of slowcore, post-rock, ambient and similar genres while not going overboard with any one kind of sound. It's all deeply rooted in this melancholic, meandering, but never static, tone. Varied instrumentation including strings and vibes dot the landscape of the music occasionally, providing great texture to the plodding drums and twinkling guitar. The vocals are properly treated with a dreamy reverb that is typical for an album like this, but also appropriate for the overall feel. Everything seems to be exactly where it's supposed to be. If there were an album that I would say is "finely crafted", then this album would fit that definition. To make another comparison to Low, and to connect it to myself, Good Night & Good Morning are a Midwestern band. Hailing from Champaign, Illinois, which is not a small town by any means, but still smack in the middle of Illinois. (Which, if I'm being honest, I find to have some of the most boring topography of any state in the US. And that's quite a statement coming from a Kansan:) It's also flatter than Kansas by a great margin, If I can throw some more shade in the direction of Illinois. Why do you think the Native Peoples had to build those giant Mounds!?) But that's not to say it's not beautiful, because it is in it's own way. There's a kind of beauty to loneliness that you find in this part of the country. Solitude can either make you go nuts or it can give you time to think, and I think a lot of people that live in true isolation have to do the latter to pass the time. Every summer (starting a few years ago) I try to take a drive across the state of Kansas and take in this kind of feeling. And ever since I discovered this album, it's been the soundtrack for part of those drives. Total bliss-out kind of time. The final track, "Abroad & Neutral" could go on for hours, and I wouldn't have a care in the world. Too bad this album seemingly disappeared and disbanded after making this. It's got over a thousand ratings on RYM now, and I can only see it getting more popular overtime.
Top Tracks: Philadelphia, Median I, Abroad & Neutral
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Great Pumpkins review. Although, oddly enough Shame is one of my favorite tracks, as is Annie-Dog, it lends itself to this really depressing album really well, in my book. Never thought as it as slowcore, rather slow tempo stuff, but makes sense. I also get it's not "peak" performance material either. Just my taste. But yeah, even if Shame's great in my mind, that chord change for the Chorus is like almost purposely unsettling. It's fade away outro often makes me pensive.
And yes, in some ways Ava Adore is a stand out track from the album that doesn't quite fit... perhaps if Eye or the two beginning/end tracks were added it would've changed Ava Adore from being a "one off" electronic [insert cohesive phrase here].
Also T. Rex... hot take here, but as much as I like Bowie's later years, his glam rock years I don't like as much as T. Rex. I get Bowie is god and this isn't a popular opinion, but I agree, what a great time for his music. Also FUZZ and sexiness... haha.
After giving it a lot of thought, and listening to more than a dozen or so albums within the genre, I've come to the conclusion that "neoclassical darkwave" is probably the dumbest name for anything that's ever existed. When I'm thinking of "darkwave", I'm thinking of offshoots of gothic rock and post punk music like Clan of Xymox or something. And if I'm thinking neoclassical, I'm thinking of composers near the turn of the 20th century. But, "oh it's dark sounding", and "oh they've got instruments with strings" makes it neoclassical darkwave. If we're talking Dead Can Dance, they've got more in common with medieval influences than neoclassical, and if were talking Black Tape For A Blue Girl, they've got more in common with highly emotional romanticism or sacred music than neoclassicism which was in direct opposition to most of what romantic music stood for. (And there's sure as hell no song structures akin to a rock track on this album. Except for my least favorite song on the album, the title track. But I'll get to that later.) I guess the minor key tonality counts for something, but that's about it.
Sorry, rant over, I just needed to get that off my chest.
So, what's the music like on Black Tape For A Blue Girl's Remnants of A Deeper Purity? In a word, devastating. In two words, rrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllllllyyyyyyyy devastating. Like staring at a wall for 2 hours devastating. Or counting the individual fibers in your carpet devastating. This is a sedative in album form. There's a physical pressure that I can feel weighing me down when I listen to this album. It's just brutal. The religious themes on the album are certainly the cause for some of it I imagine. Elsewhere on this list there are two works that are of lamentation and repentance. This album could pair with those other two to make the ultimate Catholic maschoist trilogy. (Although, as one RYM user mentioned, I hear some influence from the Orthodox church in here as well. Two sides; same coin.)
(Lyric alert! Rare for me to mention lyrics, but here I go again.)
Lyrically, the album doesn't always follow those themes, but lamentation and repentance are certainly apart of it. It's an insular journey of someone who is struggling to move forward from their past. They're clearly trying to cleanse themselves of sin and become pure again. (But not quite in the Christian baptismal since.) The speaker is having a conversation with themselves trying to figure out where they went wrong, and who they've done wrong to. A lyric that sticks out the most for me on the second track is "I will die with this guilt..... knowing I betrayed myself". Oof. That's pretty tough. And anyone who has done something terrible to someone else knows this feeling. It's a hard feeling to reconcile. Only shitty people don't feel any regret after they've done something wrong. As bleak as the album starts out, there is a transformative quality of the lyrics and music too. After the gargantuan 26 minute piece in the middle of the album, the music goes from a feeling of self-criticism to self-reflection. On the final track the speaker delivers these lines:
"I know you need to ask of me
I know you need to ask of me
But i......
But i...... have no more
I have no more answers
I have no more answers
I have no more reasons why i lived that way
I have no more feelings
My eyes no longer cry
I've lost my tears
Here i stand
All of me before your eyes
No more lies. no more lies
Just me. pure me"
Yeah, I know, it's not poetry, but I can't help but see a lot of honesty here. And that's more what I'm looking for in good lyrics than anything else. Did this come from a real place? It sure seems so. I've got some people in my life that I should probably say these same things to. But it's a process getting there.
(Lyric talk over. That's about all I can muster.)
To get to the point of why this actually is one of the greatest albums of all time, let's talk about the musical arrangement. A lot of neoclassical darkwave (grumble) can end up coming off as stilted and cheesy a lot of the time, but I don't feel that way at all about this album. (Ok, almost. Remember that damn title track I mentioned? The acoustic guitar and keyboard tone should not be on this album. It sounds like something that came from one of their past albums or maybe something by Death By June, which is not bad, but it just doesn't fit with what else is happening on this album.) The tracks build organically and never give away all of their tricks at once. Maybe the violin or cello will take over for a passage. Or the vocals and strings will take turns speaking to eachother. Or the electronics will kind of wash over everything and clear it out only for it to come back again. I'm in love with the interplay of the acousitc instruments and electronic production on this album. It's rarely been done this well before. Great performances throughout. The atmosphere on these tracks and vocal delivery create that feeling of sacred music that I enjoy so much. (Hey, we even get a bit of Satie-inspiration on "Again, to Drift (For Veronika)").
There are two different vocalists on this album. One male and one female. Reading some other reviews of this album has given insight into the vocals being one of the main turnoffs for some people. Mostly the male vocalist's parts. I'm not on board with that. I think they're both great and totally appropriate for the lyrical content and music being played. The dude can verge on that cheesy melodrama from time to time, but the vocal passages aren't that long, so I think they last for just the right amount. On that 26 minute track is his best performance, and that is only for maybe 2 minutes of the entire track. The female vocalist is really the star here though as her voice has that perfect ethereal wispiness that this music calls for. Especially on the tracks "Fin de siècle" and the incredible closing track "I Have No More Answers", her voice becomes the point which everything else wraps around. It's not that the vocals themselves are that special, but the execution is spot on.
Whoa, that's more than I usually write, so I'm calling it quits there. Great album, give it a shot, and see what you think.
Top Tracks: "Redefine Pure Faith", "Fin de seicle", "For You Will Burn Your Wings Upon the Sun", "I Have No More Answers"
If you were ever interested in what Ninja Tune records sounded like, then this is the DJ Mix for you. Featuring all of the best artists from the label, this over 40 track double album captures a very specific group of musicians creating a niche sound in the mid 90s. While I'd still probably say that albums like DJ Shadow's "...Endtroducing" are the epitome of instrumental-type hip hop, this album comes close. Jazz, hip hop, IDM, Downtempo, and Trip Hop all come together on here to make the perfect soundtrack for a blazed-out late night drive or melting into your couch. (I don't usually say this, but being high is probably the best state of mind.)
Out of the 2 CDs, the first is superior, because of the variety of artists and it's the better mix. Coldcut take over the mix on the first CD and DJ Krush does the second. On side one, you get tracks from Funki Porcini, The Herbaliser, Luke Vibert, Hex, and Amon Tobin. CD 2 mostly features DJ Vadim and the London Funk Allstars. Nothing wrong with either one, but their tracks take up about 80 percent of side 2, so it doesn't have near the variety that CD 1 does.
Not anything overly complicated about this release. It's a great mix just to put on in the background of an evening and let play. If you listen to any of this I'd suggest sitting down and listening to CD 1, and if you're still feeling up to it to try CD 2 later.
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