THE KILLERS
SAM’S TOWN
2006 – ISLAND
Produced By FLOOD, THE KILLERS & ALAN MOULDER
1. Sam’s Town
2. Enterlude
3. When You Were Young
4. Bling (Confession Of A King)
5. For Reasons Unknown
6. Read My Mind
7. Uncle Jonny
8. Bones
9. My List
10. This River Is Wild
11. Why Do I Keep Counting?
12. Exitlude
In another lifetime, I despised The Killers. Why? I think it was because the people around me didn’t like them. I have learned over the years to be much more open minded about music, and discovering the early albums by bands like The Killers is one of the great rewards for that. Sam’s Town (I keep wanting to call it Sam’s Club!) is their second album, and it really is terrific stuff. It’s almost as good as their debut, Hot Fuss, and in some ways, it’s better. Brandon Flowers is more assured and stronger as a singer (and there’s no autotune on this one, unlike Hot Fuss), and the songwriting is as solid as they’ve ever been able to muster. But, because it became cool early on to dislike this band, Sam’s Town has become one of those underrated classics that most definitely deserves a second chance. The rewards here are plenty…this is a band maturing and growing into the promise of what everyone expected them to be.
And so, while Sam’s Town has nothing on it to match the commercial success of “Somebody Told Me”, or the other three big singles from Hot Fuss, it does have a more consistent sound, and it has its own fine tracks. “When You Were Young” is the high point here, but you’ll also be satisfied with “Read My Mind”, “Bones”, and “For Reasons Unknown”. The sleeper track here is “Uncle Jonny”, and as a whole, Sam’s Town actually stands up better than its predecessor. The Killers have struggled since this, but they were, for a moment, the great rock hope. Their sound is deep in the classic rock they grew up with in their native Las Vegas (the album is named after a casino there), and this is a fine album to experience what they were once really good at. You should, in fact, have the first two Killers albums, and you’ll be quite happy. Be cautious with anything that came out after this one, though. For a short time, a fine band.
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Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
LUCERO
REBELS, ROGUES & SWORN BROTHERS
2006 – LIBERTY & LAMENT
Produced By DAVID LOWREY
1. What Else Would You Have Me Be?
2. I Don’t Wanna Be The One
3. San Francisco
4. I Can Get Us Out Of Here Tonight
5. 1979
6. Cass
7. The Mountain
8. Sing Me No Hymns
9. The Weight Of Guilt
10. She’s Just That Kind Of Girl
11. On The Way Back Home
12. She Wakes When She Dreams
If you’ve ever wondered what Lucero would sound like without the country influence of their early albums…here you go. It’s their seventh album, and while it’s not bad, there seems to be something missing. Singer Ben Nichols still sounds like he’s been down that dirt road more than a couple of times. Brian Venable still tears it up on guitar. And there are some cool tracks here…”I Don’t Wanna Be The One” and “Cass” stand out well, as does “Sing Me No Hymns”. But that thing that’s missing is what made Lucero so damn charming in the first place. It’s that river of Tennessee country music influence that always ran right down the middle of their music. It’s that just right amount of twang that made Nichols’ raspy and accented vocals so perfect. The part of alt country that was country. Without it, Lucero becomes something that you never thought you’d say about them. On this album, Lucero is…ordinary.
So, one of alt-country’s best bands makes an album that is straightforward rock. Is that a bad thing? What this does is leave Lucero sounding flat, except when the songs are at their best. It makes them seem one dimensional, which is a pity because Lucero is capable of so much more. So, while the magic of their early work turns out to be in their Southern leanings, the absence of that here stands out more than anything and makes this Lucero album a disappointment. There’s enough good material here to keep this from being a total loss, but not enough to make it an overall triumph. So, stick with The Attic Tapes and Lucero and Tennessee, everything up to this. Because a Lucero album without country is kind of like beer without the alcohol…it’s not nearly as satisfying without the good stuff in it. There are many other Lucero albums that will deliver the goods, and that are a lot more fun than this one.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
FRANZ FERDINAND
2004 – DOMINO
Produced By FRANZ FERDINAND & TORE JOHANSSON
1. Jacqueline
2. Tell Her Tonight
3. Take Me Out
4. The Dark Of The Matinee
5. Auf Achse
6. Cheating On You
7. This Fire
8. Darts Of Pleasure
9. Michael
10. Come On Home
11. 40’
The first thing you need to know about Franz Ferdinand is that “Take Me Out” is one helluva monster song. Without question, the highlight of their career, and it probably always will be. Also, the name Franz Ferdinand came to them while researching the name of a racehorse called Archduke Ferdinand…they found that the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914 was a major factor in the start of the first World War. That’s how you come up with a band name! And lastly…these guys know how to rock. This Scottish band make rock music you can dance to, just like the good old days (ask your parents). So, what’s not to love about their debut album? It’s pretty terrific. Has a bit of filler, but otherwise, this is the debut of a pretty exciting band. It’s not just the glory of “Take Me Out” that makes this work (although it would be completely understandable to own this for just the one track). There’s plenty more here.
Other highlights here include “This Fire”, “The Dark Of The Matinee”, “Darts Of Pleasure, and “Michael”. The material thins out a little after that, but this is mostly a very good album. Their next effort, You Could Have It So Much Better, continued in this direction for the band, but after that, they went in a different direction, focusing more on the dance part of their sound and less rock…which takes away a good chunk of their appeal. But this, and the second album, work well, with the songwriting team of singer Alex Kapranos and guitarist Nick McCarthy bringing the goods. It’s hard to ignore this album and this band, which helped to usher in the mid 2000’s in fine style. Recent albums haven’t been as strong, not even a supergroup pairing with Sparks in 2015. Stick with the early stuff…the first two Franz Ferdinand albums should be all that you need. And, of course, you’ll have “Take Me Out” in your collection.
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Of dying history
MARC FORD
FUZZ MACHINE
2010 – BANDCAMP
Produced By MARC FORD
1. Cool Heads
2. Half Dead
3. Bolero In Red
4. Next To Me
5. Long Gone
6. The Way It Goes
7. My Love
8. You’re The One
9. Bluebird St.
10. Future Too
Marc Ford is best known as the lead guitarist for The Black Crowes during their most successful period, from The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion to By Your Side. His tenure in the Crowes was short, which has become the signature of Ford’s career…he’s the victim of a short attention span. Over his career, which began with the short lived Burning Tree, Ford has been in the Crowes, been in countless other bands that came and went quickly, tried his hand as a solo artist more than once, rejoined and left the Crowes, and is now a producer, collaborator, and well respected player. Fuzz Machine, released on BandCamp, is an album recorded during the blurry lines between this band and the Neptune Blues Club. It’s a much heavier affair, and might actually be the best of Ford’s solo work…unfortunately, it’s also an avenue that he chose not to pursue much beyond this recording.
What makes Fuzz Machine work is that Ford simply gets heavy. He turns his amp up high and let’s his signature…that great tone…take over the album. And when it works, it works well. “Cool Heads” and “Next To Me” showcase Ford’s greatest asset, his exceptional guitar playing. “Bolero In Red” is good, but he seems to be trying to sing it like Chris Robinson would. Vocally, the album is better than most of Ford’s solo work, thanks in part to help from his son Elijah and bassist Muddy Dutton. Ultimately, what makes this maybe the best Ford recording outside of The Black Crowes is that he remembers what got him here…his guitar. Ford can really wail, and on this album more than any other in his discography, he does just that. It makes up for a lot…his voice, his sometimes marginal songwriting, and his career indecisions. If you only spring for one Marc Ford album, this would not be a bad choice at all.
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Of dying history
ROBERT EARL KEEN
LIVE AT THE RYMAN: THE GREATEST SHOW EVER BEEN GAVE
2006 – KOCH
Produced By ROBERT EARL KEEN
1. Feeling Good Again
2. Gringo Honeymoon
3. What I Really Mean
4. Shades Of Gray
5. Amarillo Highway
6. Merry Christmas From The Family
7. Corpus Cristi Baby
8. Furnace Fan
9. Broken End Of Love
10. Long Chain
11. Train Trek
12. I’m Comin’ Home
13. The Road Goes On Forever
14. Farm Fresh Onions
Country music is not dead. Not as long as there are songwriters like Robert Earl Keen protecting the integrity of what this music should always be. But Keen is not just a songwriter…he’s also a great performer, and there’s no place better to hear this than on Live At The Ryman. Not only is Keen in the finest of form here, but his band is off the charts. The subtitle “The Greatest Show Ever Been Gave” is not far off…these guys simply tear it up through a great set of Keen’s best. Things get off to a mellow enough start with the excellent “Feeling Good Again” and “Gringo Honeymoon”, but by the end of the classic “Shades Of Gray”, Keen’s band is a wrecking crew. “Merry Christmas From The Family” elicits the best kind of audience participation…when you have the crowd screaming “tampons and Salem Lights”, you’re really in the zone you want to be in. Just the best kind of fun.
The second half gives you the back to back excellence of “Furnace Fan” and “Corpus Cristi Bay”, and by the end of “I’m Coming Home”, the crowd is chanting the artist’s name for an encore. Mr. Keen does not disappoint…the eleven minute burner “The Road Goes On Forever” is just perfect, and the finale, a romping version of “Farm Fresh Onions”, leaves you wanting more and more and more. If you’ve had it with the current state of mainstream country, then you should visit this classic live album. Robert Earl Keen is one of the brightest lights in country, has been for years, and a performance like this could definitely serve the rest of Nashville well…quit trying to be the Eagles, quit singing the same damn song over and over again, and put your twang to some good use. Robert Earl Keen does, and this, one of the great live albums of its time, should stand as a lesson on how this needs to get done…all heart, all soul, all out music.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
FRANZ FERDINAND
2004 – DOMINO
Produced By FRANZ FERDINAND & TORE JOHANSSON
1. Jacqueline
2. Tell Her Tonight
3. Take Me Out
4. The Dark Of The Matinee
5. Auf Achse
6. Cheating On You
7. This Fire
8. Darts Of Pleasure
9. Michael
10. Come On Home
11. 40’
The first thing you need to know about Franz Ferdinand is that “Take Me Out” is one helluva monster song. Without question, the highlight of their career, and it probably always will be. Also, the name Franz Ferdinand came to them while researching the name of a racehorse called Archduke Ferdinand…they found that the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914 was a major factor in the start of the first World War. That’s how you come up with a band name! And lastly…these guys know how to rock. This Scottish band make rock music you can dance to, just like the good old days (ask your parents). So, what’s not to love about their debut album? It’s pretty terrific. Has a bit of filler, but otherwise, this is the debut of a pretty exciting band. It’s not just the glory of “Take Me Out” that makes this work (although it would be completely understandable to own this for just the one track). There’s plenty more here.
Other highlights here include “This Fire”, “The Dark Of The Matinee”, “Darts Of Pleasure, and “Michael”. The material thins out a little after that, but this is mostly a very good album. Their next effort, You Could Have It So Much Better, continued in this direction for the band, but after that, they went in a different direction, focusing more on the dance part of their sound and less rock…which takes away a good chunk of their appeal. But this, and the second album, work well, with the songwriting team of singer Alex Kapranos and guitarist Nick McCarthy bringing the goods. It’s hard to ignore this album and this band, which helped to usher in the mid 2000’s in fine style. Recent albums haven’t been as strong, not even a supergroup pairing with Sparks in 2015. Stick with the early stuff…the first two Franz Ferdinand albums should be all that you need. And, of course, you’ll have “Take Me Out” in your collection.
Don't really have a lot of time for this anymore, but I was very much in the right place at the right time for this band. Saw them live on their first mid-sized (1000+ venue) headline tour, but had also seen them supporting somebody else earlier (The Libertines? I struggle to remember). 'Darts of Pleasure' was, I believe, their debut single, and I just remember that all of us found it hilarious that they'd included some German-language stuff in it (something about salmon and/or shampoo, if I remember correctly). 'Take Me Out' was massive here, potentially a #1 single (certainly top ten) - it really paved the way for Arctic Monkeys to storm the charts a couple of years later. Despite its ubiquity among people my age, my music teacher certainly didn't know it - my friend got an A for composition, simply for playing the riff on guitar. All of us recognised it immediately, despite the fact he was fucking useless at guitar, but nobody said anything (obviously). Pretty funny. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
THE CURE
WISH
1992 – ELEKTRA
Produced By DAVID M. ALLEN & ROBERT SMITH
1. Open
2. High
3. Apart
4. From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
5. Wendy Time
6. Doing The Unstuck
7. Friday I’m In Love
8. Trust
9. A Letter To Elise
10. Cut
11. To Wish Impossible Things
12. End
During the eighties, The Cure was a powerhouse. Especially from 1983 through 1989, the band released an impressive line of fine albums. From ‘83’s The Walk and Japanese Whispers to 89’s Disintegration (with the amazing compilation Staring At The Sea in the middle of it all), The Cure rolled out some of the best music of the decade. The Cure of the 90’s was a different story altogether, as Robert Smith seemed to lose his songwriting mojo and the band all but fell off the face of the earth. The last gasp of their best period is Wish, a surprisingly more upbeat album than what the band had done in the past. It went on to become their biggest seller and most popular album, but it also marked the end of an era for a great band. This album, while quite good, shows all of the cracks that broke wide open for the band on their following albums, cracks that have taken a long time for them to try and repair.
The big hit here is “Friday I’m In Love”, which may be the most non-Cure like song of their career. And, of course, people ate it up. Tracks like this one and “A Letter To Elise” showed the pop side of The Cure, and the later effects it had on them are pretty obvious. But Wish is not, by any means, a loss or a train wreck. Particularly the longer tracks, “From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea” and “Apart” show that they were still capable of what made them The Cure in the first place. Consider Wish to be the final Cure album to be really worth having…the next one, Wild Mood Swings, was basically a disaster that they are still trying to recover from. They are still at it, playing lots of shows with an impressive enough back catalog to keep the crowds coming in. As for their albums…a good rule of thumb is to avoid any studio efforts released post-Wish. A last gasp by a band that had more than its share of great releases.
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Of her mystery
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Of dying history
YES
FRAGILE
1971 –ATLANTIC
Produced By YES & EDDIE OFFORD
1. Roundabout
2. Cans And Brahms
3. We Have Heaven
4. South Side Of The Sky
5. Five Per Cent For Nothing
6. Long Distance Runaround
7. The Fish (Shiundleria Praematuras)
8. Mood For A Day
9. Heart Of The Sunrise
Fragile is the fourth album by Yes, and the second of three during their musical peak. It’s also the first Yes album to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who replaced Tony Kaye at the beginning of the recording sessions. Kaye was let go because he was reluctant to incorporate new instruments (synthesizers) into his playing, which Wakeman famously has never had a problem doing. Wakeman has also never had a problem with excess, which may be the biggest thing he brought to the Yes table. Fragile features three different types of what Yes does. First of all, “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround” are about as pop as prog can get. “Roundabout” has remained a mainstay of classic rock for fifty years now, with that opening acoustic guitar riff having become one of the most unkillable moments in rock. Lyrically, of course, it’s about as dumb as rock ever gets, but Jon Anderson sounds cool doing it.
After the two really accessible songs, Yes made a strange decision. Each member takes a short solo track. The point of this is not known, and it really doesn’t work very well. Wakeman’s track is simply a classical piece. Anderson’s is some pointless nonsensical vocal noodling. And Bill Bruford can only come up with a 38 second instrumental. And then there’s the foreshadowing of what was to come on future Yes albums. “South Side Of The Sky” and “Heart Of The Sunrise” take up twenty minutes of fragile, and it’s the birth of the Rick Wakeman keyboard noodle. The last track, in particular, has been described as Wakeman “exploring his classical background”, which basically means he’s starting to move into overkill. Yes didn’t completely go there on Fragile, which, along with “Roundabout” makes it pretty much their best album…although Close To The Edge is also in the ballpark. Yes (and prog music) isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, then you’ll enjoy this as much as anything by Yes.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
FRANZ FERDINAND
2004 – DOMINO
Produced By FRANZ FERDINAND & TORE JOHANSSON
1. Jacqueline
2. Tell Her Tonight
3. Take Me Out
4. The Dark Of The Matinee
5. Auf Achse
6. Cheating On You
7. This Fire
8. Darts Of Pleasure
9. Michael
10. Come On Home
11. 40’
The first thing you need to know about Franz Ferdinand is that “Take Me Out” is one helluva monster song. Without question, the highlight of their career, and it probably always will be. Also, the name Franz Ferdinand came to them while researching the name of a racehorse called Archduke Ferdinand…they found that the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914 was a major factor in the start of the first World War. That’s how you come up with a band name! And lastly…these guys know how to rock. This Scottish band make rock music you can dance to, just like the good old days (ask your parents). So, what’s not to love about their debut album? It’s pretty terrific. Has a bit of filler, but otherwise, this is the debut of a pretty exciting band. It’s not just the glory of “Take Me Out” that makes this work (although it would be completely understandable to own this for just the one track). There’s plenty more here.
Other highlights here include “This Fire”, “The Dark Of The Matinee”, “Darts Of Pleasure, and “Michael”. The material thins out a little after that, but this is mostly a very good album. Their next effort, You Could Have It So Much Better, continued in this direction for the band, but after that, they went in a different direction, focusing more on the dance part of their sound and less rock…which takes away a good chunk of their appeal. But this, and the second album, work well, with the songwriting team of singer Alex Kapranos and guitarist Nick McCarthy bringing the goods. It’s hard to ignore this album and this band, which helped to usher in the mid 2000’s in fine style. Recent albums haven’t been as strong, not even a supergroup pairing with Sparks in 2015. Stick with the early stuff…the first two Franz Ferdinand albums should be all that you need. And, of course, you’ll have “Take Me Out” in your collection.
YES
FRAGILE
1971 –ATLANTIC
Produced By YES & EDDIE OFFORD
1. Roundabout
2. Cans And Brahms
3. We Have Heaven
4. South Side Of The Sky
5. Five Per Cent For Nothing
6. Long Distance Runaround
7. The Fish (Shiundleria Praematuras)
8. Mood For A Day
9. Heart Of The Sunrise
Fragile is the fourth album by Yes, and the second of three during their musical peak. It’s also the first Yes album to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who replaced Tony Kaye at the beginning of the recording sessions. Kaye was let go because he was reluctant to incorporate new instruments (synthesizers) into his playing, which Wakeman famously has never had a problem doing. Wakeman has also never had a problem with excess, which may be the biggest thing he brought to the Yes table. Fragile features three different types of what Yes does. First of all, “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround” are about as pop as prog can get. “Roundabout” has remained a mainstay of classic rock for fifty years now, with that opening acoustic guitar riff having become one of the most unkillable moments in rock. Lyrically, of course, it’s about as dumb as rock ever gets, but Jon Anderson sounds cool doing it.
After the two really accessible songs, Yes made a strange decision. Each member takes a short solo track. The point of this is not known, and it really doesn’t work very well. Wakeman’s track is simply a classical piece. Anderson’s is some pointless nonsensical vocal noodling. And Bill Bruford can only come up with a 38 second instrumental. And then there’s the foreshadowing of what was to come on future Yes albums. “South Side Of The Sky” and “Heart Of The Sunrise” take up twenty minutes of fragile, and it’s the birth of the Rick Wakeman keyboard noodle. The last track, in particular, has been described as Wakeman “exploring his classical background”, which basically means he’s starting to move into overkill. Yes didn’t completely go there on Fragile, which, along with “Roundabout” makes it pretty much their best album…although Close To The Edge is also in the ballpark. Yes (and prog music) isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, then you’ll enjoy this as much as anything by Yes.
This was the album that sold me on Yes. That said, it's probably about third in their Canon for me at this point and I would call it their second in the sequence of five that comprise their musical peak. That odd overall flow works very well for me and I hear mighty impressive music where many hear noodling. But yeah, I love prog and Yes are among its elite practitioners.
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