This article from 2003 explains it a lot better than I can, but the Executive Summary is that they won't sign to a major label, probably because bands like them always get screwed especially badly by major labels. And while I can say that their latest album (Lovers Rock from 2020) is really good, their two previous albums (Times Infinity Volume One, 2015, and Vol. Two, 2017) were significantly weaker by comparison (at least in my opinion, though they're also bottom-ranked here on BEA among the other Dears albums). So I guess they didn't really build on the success of their earlier stuff... And it didn't help that multiplying numbers by Infinity is really kind of pointless anyway, mathematically-speaking, because you always just get Infinity.
There's a new Murray Lightburn solo album that just came out, by the way, but it's more of a jazzy crooner type of affair.
Thanks for that info. Was not completely familiar with their history...but I do know that the album I wrote about is pretty great. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
VARIOUS ARTISTS
WE’RE A HAPPY FAMILY: A TRIBUTE TO RAMONES
2003 – COLUMBIA
Produced By JOHNNY RAMONE & ROB ZOMBIE
1. Havana Affair – Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Blitzkrieg Bop – Rob Zombie
3. I Believe In Miracles – Eddie Vedder & Zeke
4. 53rd & 3rd – Metallica
5. Beat On The Brat – U2
6. Do You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio? – Kiss
7. The KKK Took My Baby Away – Marilyn Manson
8. I Just Want To Have Something To Do – Garbage
9. Outsider – Green Day
10. Something To Believe In – Pretenders
11. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker – Rancid
12. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend – Pete Yorn
13. I Wanna Be Sedated – The Offspring
14. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow – Rooney
15. Return Of Jackie & Judy – Tom Waits
16. Daytime Dilemma (Dangers Of Love) – Eddie Vedder & Zeke
Oh boy. Some of the greatest bands in the world pay tribute to Ramones, one of the pioneers of punk. How could this not be truly great? Unfortunately, I am going to tell you. Because regardless of how well intentioned this heartfelt tribute album is, it simply doesn’t work. Why? Because the artists who participated are, in complete truthfulness, far more talented than the Ramones ever were…and most of these tracks, as a result, barely resemble the original intent of the original artist. Don’t get me wrong…I firmly believe that bands have every right to cover another artist and put their own mark on the song. But this is a tribute album. And I believe that this kind of release should be accepting of the original artist’s take on the song.
This set, unfortunately, does not. In pretty mush every case here, the intent of the Ramones original is ditched in favor of the covering artist’s reworked and better plan. Why is that a problem? Because as a TRIBUTE album, you should be wanting bands to pay tribute to the original versions, and the original energy that Ramones put into their songs. They were, in truth, not the most talented band…so don’t upstage them, as they are too often done here. These versions are clean. There’s nothing raw or punk about this set. And that’s the problem…because that’s what Ramones was all about. These great bands simply miss the mark. A Ramones tribute is a great idea. Next time, do it live. This simply does not work.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
1. Honey
2. Find My baby
3. Porcelain
4. Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
5. South Side
6. Rushing
7. Bodyrock
8. Natural Blues
9. Machete
10. 7
11. Run On
12. Down Slow
13. If Things Were Perfect
14. Everloving
15. Inside
16. Guitar Flute & String
17. The Sky Is Broken
18. My Weakness
He uses the name Moby because he is a distant relative of Herman Melville, who wrote Moby Dick. Moby had once been an exciting new techno artist, a pioneer in the evolution of dance music in the early 1990’s. But by 1996, he had grown tired of playing just electronic music, and released his fourth album, Animal Rights, a punk album that cost him his audience and almost ended his career. So when Play began to take off 1999, no one was more surprised with its success than Moby himself. It was a return to his electronic music…but more than that, it became a pop phenomenon. Play boasted a massive eight single releases, including a strange take on the old spiritual “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” (“Run On”) and a duet with Gwen Stefani (“South Side”), although her vocals were left off of the album version.
Play gets a little tedious, but there is also a whole slew of great tracks and surprises. Moby shows a lot of versatility here, and manages to keep 63 minutes of electronic music more than just interesting. His songwriting is at its peak, and with eight hit singles, you’ll find yourself recognizing much of what is here, even if you haven’t heard it in a long time. This is Moby at his very best, and although the album made him a pop star, it’s not a trashy pop album. It’s still electronica…it’s the best selling electronica album of all time, but that doesn’t mean that Moby sold his soul to make it. Which is the best part of it. He followed this up with the successful album 18, then slipped somewhat quietly back into the obscure world where the rest of electric music lives. This is ultimately one you may have a good time revisiting.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
“Pioneer” is a little strong, but Moby was certainly making ‘rave’ music at a particularly unfashionable time (for a white New Yorker). (To be fair, the reasons that rave never took off earlier in the States can probably be pretty accurately reduced to the fact that MDMA didn’t proliferate in the same way it did here - definitely not until the 2010s, and probably not at all.)
And I think your use of the term “electronica” here really speaks to American attitudes towards rave music. (A music it invented, but never truly bought into - Juan Atkins should be a superstar.) It wasn’t house or techno that really broke in America (outside of the odd single or attempted crossover - Madge’s ‘Vogue’ springs immediately to mind); it was essentially a version of rock music with synths and samplers and drum machines and breakbeats. The acts that crossed over were the likes of The Prodigy (who had an actual frontman), the Chemical Brothers (who openly admitted that they made “songs”, not “tracks” - a potentially minor but ultimately vital distinction), Björk (a pop artist who released pop songs with unusual textures), and Moby - but only with this album, and its readily recognisable, comforting use of blues and gospel samples.
In reality, this album has less in common with house and techno than with Nine Inch Nails. This is neither a positive nor negative, just a thought.
Nice review, Dino. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
“Pioneer” is a little strong, but Moby was certainly making ‘rave’ music at a particularly unfashionable time (for a white New Yorker). (To be fair, the reasons that rave never took off earlier in the States can probably be pretty accurately reduced to the fact that MDMA didn’t proliferate in the same way it did here - definitely not until the 2010s, and probably not at all.)
And I think your use of the term “electronica” here really speaks to American attitudes towards rave music. (A music it invented, but never truly bought into - Juan Atkins should be a superstar.) It wasn’t house or techno that really broke in America (outside of the odd single or attempted crossover - Madge’s ‘Vogue’ springs immediately to mind); it was essentially a version of rock music with synths and samplers and drum machines and breakbeats. The acts that crossed over were the likes of The Prodigy (who had an actual frontman), the Chemical Brothers (who openly admitted that they made “songs”, not “tracks” - a potentially minor but ultimately vital distinction), Björk (a pop artist who released pop songs with unusual textures), and Moby - but only with this album, and its readily recognisable, comforting use of blues and gospel samples.
In reality, this album has less in common with house and techno than with Nine Inch Nails. This is neither a positive nor negative, just a thought.
Nice review, Dino.
Thanks, Neil. I do appreciate your input. Any time. My knowledge is, at times, self-admittedly sketchy, so it is helpful for me to get some input from others who know certain artists and genres better than I do. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
MARY CHAPIN-CARPENTER
STATE OF THE HEART
1989 – COLUMBIA NASHVILLE
Produced By MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER & JOHN JENNINGS
1. How Do
2. Something Of A Dreamer
3. Never Had It So Good
4. Read My Lips
5. This Shirt
6. Quittin’ Time
7. Down In Mary’s Land
8. Goodbye Again
9. Too Tired
10. Slow Country Dance
11. It Don’t Bring You
I have always loved the music of Mary Chapin Carpenter. And I have always appreciated State Of The Heart, her second album. But this album is a different kind of animal for me. It was very popular, landing four top twenty singles in “How Do”, “Never Had It So Good”, “Quittin’ Time”, and “Something Of A Dreamer”. The album made her a star, and it’s one of the crown jewels in her wonderful career. But, this is an album that I don’t bring out very often. Not because of the hits, which are beautiful. And not because there’s anything wrong with it…there’s really nothing weak about this record at all. It’s for a different reason altogether that I…savor this one, and keep it mostly on the shelf.
The very last track on this album is “It Don’t Bring You”. It was not a hit, and it’s not talked about as being one of her better songs. But this song moves me beyond words. “It Don’t Bring You” is, to me, not only everything that is great about this album, and this artist…to me, it’s as close as there will ever be to me having an actual favorite song. I don’t know where I first heard it, or how this album, back in 1989 when I was as far away from enjoying country as I ever was, came to me, or when (or why) I was first moved by it. This is the only instance where my judgement of an album is based on a single song. I love this track for my own personal reasons, and so State Of The Heart will always be perfect for me. I play it sparingly, so that I will never tire of it. Strange.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
CROWDED HOUSE
TOGETHER ALONE
1993 – CAPITOL
Produced By YOUTH & CROWDED HOUSE
1. Kare Kare
2. In My Command
3. Nails In My Feet
4. Black And White Boy
5. Fingers Of Love
6. Pineapple Head
7. Locked Out
8. Private Universe
9. Walking On The Spot
10. Distant Sun
11. Catherine Wheels
12. Skin Feeling
13. Together Alone
The best thing about Crowded House is that they never sucked. Together Alone is no exception. This is their fourth album, and it’s the follow up to the ridiculously great Woodface from 1991. And even though Neil Finn’s brother Tim had come and gone by the time of this disc, the momentum from Woodface carries on quite well here. This is not as perfect as Woodface, but it’s not far from it. Finn’s songwriting is growing by leaps and bounds here, and while there’s and added maturity, he doesn’t have to sacrifice the fun and the hooks to achieve it. Also, like its predecessor, Together Alone is massively underrated. Even though the album boasts seven singles…it’s mostly a forgotten gem.
Especially in the US, Together Again missed being a big hit. “Locked Out” was the only track that caught on here, and that was because it was included on the Reality Bites soundtrack. The album did well in the UK, New Zealand, and the band’s native Australia, but it was otherwise ignored. That’s our loss, folks. Excellent songs like “Distant Sun”, “Nails In My Feet”, “Pineapple Head”, and “Private Universe” missed the American radar. And for that matter, much of the rest of the world as well. This is a fine album. Not as perfect, and not as exciting as Woodface or Crowded House, but close enough to be an album you should definitely hear. Neil Finn is as fine a songwriter and performer as there is, and this is an album worth seeking out for sure.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
CROSBY, STILLS & NASH
CSN
1977 – ATLANTIC
Produced By DAVID CROSBY, STEPHEN STILLS & GRAHAM NASH w/ RON ALBERT & HOWARD ALBERT
1. Shadow Captain
2. See The Changes
3. Carried Away
4. Fair Game
5. Anything At All
6. Cathedral
7. Dark Star
8. Just A Song Before I Go
9. Run From Tears
10. Cold Rain
11. In My Dreams
12. I Give You Give Blind
Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young) were massively important and relevant in 1969-70. They played at Woodstock. Their first two albums were so well done that there was a greatest hits album (So Far) released after just those two albums…and it could have been even longer. But seven years after the great Déjà Vu album, after years of duo and solo albums, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash returned with CSN, only to find that time had, indeed, passed them by. Not saying that CSN is a bad album…it is not. But the power and immediacy and the urgency of those first two albums was gone. And it wasn’t coming back. In its place was a new, mellower and soft rocking late 70’s vocal trio who made nice, pleasant music.
Because of who this is, and because there were still some fine songs left in these guys, the album is worth hearing. It has its highs…Stills has his two last gasps as a great writer with “Fair Game” and “Dark Star” (although the latter has an unfortunately uncomfortable line about her “staring at your crotch”). Graham Nash turns in a pair of fine tracks with the hit “Just A Song Before I Go” and maybe the best song on the album, “Cathedral”. But otherwise, CSN is part of the birth of adult contemporary. A lot of strings and uncomfortable keyboards, and it never rises above a certain level of mellow. The album cover says it all…this may be the birth of yacht rock. Still…it has great high moments, thus…check it out. And the vocals are perfect.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
SEALS AND CROFTS
SUMMER BREEZE
1972 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By LOUIE SHELTON
1. Hummingbird
2. Funny Little Man
3. Say
4. Summer Breeze
5. East Of Ginger Trees
6. Fiddle In The Sky
7. The Boy Down The Road
8. The Euphrates
9. Advance Guards
10. Yellow Dirt
Seals And Crofts go way back. They both were members of The Champs in 1959, after the group had their big hit with “Tequila”. They played with Glen Campbell for a while in the sixties, then delved into religion by way of the Baha’I Faith. In 1969, they decided to give it a go as a duo, where they found great success during the 1970’s. Their first three albums didn’t do much, but their fourth album, Summer Breeze, was the beginning of stardom for the duo. The music on Summer Breeze is soft rock, but it’s not the creaming violins and sappy songwriting that a lot of early seventies acts lived by. A big part of that was the instrumentation: the songs are more guitar based, with Jim Seals adding violin and Dash Crofts adding mandolin.
The hits here are the title track, which put the duo on the map, and the surprise hit “Hummingbird”. The rest of the songs are less memorable, but they are also not terrible. These guys show their chops, both instrumentally and vocally, and the songwriting is better than you would expect. It’s better, overall, than we were led to believe back when the album was new. And they were able to carry their talents through the decade, despite being…a bit over fervent about their religious views. The guitar jam at the end of “Yellow Dirt” makes for an excellent closer. “Fiddle In The Sky” stands up against a lot of southern rock, and “Say” is a nice track. Overall, this is better than you might expect. Give it a spin and see what you think.
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
SEALS AND CROFTS
SUMMER BREEZE
1972 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By LOUIE SHELTON
1. Hummingbird
2. Funny Little Man
3. Say
4. Summer Breeze
5. East Of Ginger Trees
6. Fiddle In The Sky
7. The Boy Down The Road
8. The Euphrates
9. Advance Guards
10. Yellow Dirt
Seals And Crofts go way back. They both were members of The Champs in 1959, after the group had their big hit with “Tequila”. They played with Glen Campbell for a while in the sixties, then delved into religion by way of the Baha’I Faith. In 1969, they decided to give it a go as a duo, where they found great success during the 1970’s. Their first three albums didn’t do much, but their fourth album, Summer Breeze, was the beginning of stardom for the duo. The music on Summer Breeze is soft rock, but it’s not the creaming violins and sappy songwriting that a lot of early seventies acts lived by. A big part of that was the instrumentation: the songs are more guitar based, with Jim Seals adding violin and Dash Crofts adding mandolin.
The hits here are the title track, which put the duo on the map, and the surprise hit “Hummingbird”. The rest of the songs are less memorable, but they are also not terrible. These guys show their chops, both instrumentally and vocally, and the songwriting is better than you would expect. It’s better, overall, than we were led to believe back when the album was new. And they were able to carry their talents through the decade, despite being…a bit over fervent about their religious views. The guitar jam at the end of “Yellow Dirt” makes for an excellent closer. “Fiddle In The Sky” stands up against a lot of southern rock, and “Say” is a nice track. Overall, this is better than you might expect. Give it a spin and see what you think.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Romanelli
Skinny
Fischman
