DIRE STRAITS
1978 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By MUFF WINWOOD
1. Down To The Waterline
2. Water Of Love
3. Setting Me Up
4. Six Blade Knife
5. Southbound Again
6. Sultans Of Swing
7. In The Gallery
8. Wild West End
9. Lions
Dire Straits came from nowhere in 1978, showcasing the incredible guitar skills of Mark Knopfler. The biggest hit from the album, “Sultans Of Swing”, became a guitar anthem, and pretty much every guitar star wannabe over the next twenty or so years tried their hand at playing it. To this day, bands still hear requests for “Sultans”. Unlike most of the other guitar heroes from the sixties and seventies, Knopfler played in a more laid back and pickless style, and his band could rock it out or slay you with an acoustic ballad. Dire Straits (the album) made the band stars, and for good reasons. Not just “Sultans”, this record also includes the excellent “Down To The Waterline”, “Water Of Love”, and “Setting Me Up”.
As great and enduring as those songs are, the other half of Dire Straits is not nearly as memorable. It all sounds great, for sure, but after “Wild West End”, the rest is pretty forgettable. Meaning that the Straits had songs, but they still had a ways to go. “Southbound Again” is basically a Dylan rewrite with different lyrics, and the rest is merely dull. With a few more powerful tracks like “Sultans”, Dire Straits may have been a perfect debut. They did get better…after their second album, Knopfler began to show real growth as a songwriter, but the band was over already within a decade. Both Knopflers (Mark and David) have had varying success as solo artists, but never like they did when Dire Straits got it just right.
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ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS WITH BARNEY WILEN
LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES 1960
1960 – FONTANA
Produced By MARCEL ROMANO
1. No Problem (1st Version)
2. No Hay Problema (1st Version)
3. Prelude In Blue (A “L’Esquinade”)
4. Valmontana (1st Version)
5. Miguel’s Party
6. Prelude In Blue (Chez Miguel)
7. No Problem (2nd Version)
8. Weehawken Mad Pad
9. Valmontana (2nd Version)
10. No Hay Problema (2nd Version)
Dangerous Liaisons is probably best remembered as a 1988 film that starred Glenn Close and John Malkovich. It was actually based on a late 18th century French novel, and is a story that has been told many times. One of those times was the 1959 French language film, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by Roger Vadim. The most interesting thing about this version of the film is the music. Thelonious Monk composed the score, and the soundtrack album was written by American Pianist Duke Jordan, and recorded by drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, along with the French saxophonist Barney Wilen. The music from this soundtrack was recorded for a party scene in the film, which includes some fine soloing and incredible percussion work from Blakey, a pair of conga players and a bongo player.
There aren’t a whole lot of differences between the first and second versions of these songs, which makes it seem more repetitive than it needs to be. But man…these guys can sure jam! Pianist Bobby Timmons is a definite highlight, as is Wilen and cornet player Lee Morgan. But the star of this show is really the percussion…it is, after all, the drummer’s band. And the fact that this set has far, far outlasted the memory of this little French flick speaks volumes as well. Blakey and his Jazz Messengers are always a treat to hear, and this fine soundtrack album is no exception. Blakey, who passed away in 1990, remains a true legend of jazz for good reason. You can hear a lot of that right here.
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INCUBUS
LIGHT GRENADES
2006 – EPIC / IMMORTAL
Produced By BRENDAN O’BRIEN
1. Quicksand
2. A Kiss To Send Us Off
3. Dig
4. Anna Molly
5. Love Hurts
6. Light Grenades
7. Earth To Bella (Part I)
8. Oil And Water
9. Diamonds And Coal
10. Rogues
11. Paper Shoes
12. Pendulous Threads
13. Earth To Bella (Part II)
At the beginning of the 2000’s, Incubus had an impressive run of hits and platinum albums that made them one of the more popular alternative rock bands of the time. That run ended with 2006’s Light Grenades. The album debuted at number one, and then immediately fell to number 37, at the time the largest drop from the top spot in history. It marked the end of their run of platinum records, preceded an extended recording hiatus, and marked a permanent decline in the band’s popularity. So what went wrong here? Despite having four singles hit the US alternative top ten, and two of them (“Anna Molly” and “Love Hurts”) go to number one, the album simply fails to work together as a group of songs. Overall, it just doesn’t click.
Incubus sounds tired here. Their inability to put together a cohesive sound makes the album pale in comparison to their earlier albums like Make Yourself, Morning View and A Crow Left Of The Murder. The playing is great, the production is fine…it’s just that this group of songs as a whole doesn’t work. Who knows what happened? Maybe these guys simply were running out of gas. Maybe they were running out of songs. Maybe they were trying to expand their sound by so much that it started to not sound so much like a single band anymore. At any rate…there are tracks here worth hearing, but you’re just not going to get the same level of excitement that Incubus brought on their previous (and most successful) three albums. Average at best.
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MY BLOODY VALENTINE
ISN’T ANYTHING
1988 – CREATION
Produced By MY BLOODY VALENTINE
1. Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)
2. Lose My Breath
3. Cupid Come
4. (When You Wake) You’re Still In A Dream
5. No More Sorry
6. All I Need
7. Feed me with your kiss
8. Sueisfine
9. Several Girls Galore
10. You Never Should
11. Nothing Much To Lose
12. I Can See It (But I Can’t Feel It)
Mention the band My Bloody Valentine to most anyone and they will start to ooze with praise over the band’s second album. And with good reason…Loveless is one of the greatest records ever made. Which is why it’s understandable that almost no one remembers their first album, 1988’s Isn’t Everything. Led by budding studio whiz and guitarist Kevin Shields, the band replaced their lead singer with the dreamy yet spooky vocalist Bilinda Butcher, and began their studio journey in 1988. Described later as a kind of scary pre-grunge, what Isn’t Anything really turned out to be was the blueprint for Loveless. And it never gets it’s due as a fine album in its own right.
Before their brand of shoegaze and droning guitars was perfected on Loveless, MBV presents here sharp, piercing, almost difficult yet somehow beautiful noise that can initially seem brutal, but will have won you over before the end. “Feed Me With Your Kiss” and “I Can See It (But I Can’t Feel It)” are the best songs here, but it’s all worth hearing, especially when taken into consideration what this album would soon grow into. The band split after Loveless, which is too bad, because they were really on to something big. Isn’t Everything isn’t the end result of their work, but it’s an important part of what made this band so special for such a short time. This album is far from perfect, but it’s also been sadly forgotten in the shadow if what followed. Well worth at least a listen.
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THE WAILIN’ JENNYS
LIVE AT THE MAUCH CHUNK OPERA HOUSE
2009 – RED HOUSE RECORDS
Produced By DAVID TRAVERS-SMITH
1. Deeper Well
2. Summertime
3. Intro To Driving
4. Driving
5. Bold Riley
6. Intro To Glory Bound
7. Glory Bound
8. Arlington
9. Bring Me Li’l Water Silvy
10. One More Dollar
11. Racing With The Sun
12. Paint A Picture
13. Intro To Begin
14. Begin
15. Motherless Child
16. Calling All Angels
17. Intro To One Voice
18. One Voice
This is one of those live albums that just makes you wish you’d been there. This isn’t a collection of best tracks from a tour…it’s a start to finish live show at one of the favorite venues of Canada’s The Wailin Jennys, the Mauch Chuck Opera House in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. It’s their first recording with new singer, alto Heather Masse and instrumentalist Jeremy Penner. And it’s truly a thing of beauty, as the voices of Masse, Ruth Moody and Nicky Mehta fill this small venue (it hold about 400 people) find themselves in a perfect setting. The group plays some new material, along with some traditional music and songs that inspired them. The sound here simply could not be better.
It’s the more upbeat material that’s the best here. Things do begin to drag a little bit on the slower tracks (“Arlington”, for instance), but the highlights are plenty. The best track is the opening Emmylou Harris cover, “Deeper Well”. It sets the stage for a wonderful evening. Also noteworthy are an acapella version of Leadbelly’s “Bring Me Li’l Water Silvy”, Gillian Welch’s “One More Dollar”, and Jane Siberry’s “Calling All Angels”. Masse’s “Driving” is the highlight of the original songs, and there’s even a bit of friendly chatter between some tracks to keep the concert experience alive. This is a fine live album, and it will make you want to know just when the Jennys might be coming to your town…
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KAISER CHIEFS
EMPLOYMENT
2005 – B-UNIQUE
Produced By STEPHEN STREET & STEPHEN HARRIS
1. Every Day I Love You Less And Less
2. I Predict A Riot
3. Modern Way
4. Na Na Na Na Naa
5. You Can Have It All
6. Oh My God
7. Born To Be A Dancer
8. Saturday Night
9. What Did I Ever Give You?
10. Time Honoured Tradition
11. Caroline, Yes
12. Team Mate
Kaiser Chiefs are another one of those bands that seem to be exclusively British. They are quite popular in their home country of England, and have won numerous music awards, and sell gazillions of albums. In America, Kaiser Chiefs are not well known at all…perhaps because they are so exclusively British. Employment is their debut album, released in 2005. And it made them stars. In Britain. The album is fast and loud, taking its cues from New Wave and Britpop that came before them. Lots of Na-Na-Na’s and punk energy, synths and loud guitars and tight singing. It doesn’t all work, and it can be tedious in spots, but as a debut album, it shows a lot of promise for sure.
The best tracks here are well worth hearing: “Oh My God”, “Everyday I Love You Less And Less”, and “I Predict A Riot” are absolute fun, while “You Can’t Have It All” and “Modern Way” are fine as well. The rest is a step below, but there’s enough here to keep you entertained. They’ve released eight albums so far, each one a top ten entry on the British charts…even though they haven’t seen the top 100 in America in over a dozen years. They’re interesting for sure, just not as palatable to the American audiences. But if British alternative is your cup of tea, then Kaiser Chiefs may just be for you. They’ll sit nicely among your collection of Oasis and Blur albums.
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RUN-D.M.C.
RAISING HELL
1986 – ARISTA / LEGACY
Produced By RUSSELL SIMMONS & RICK RUBIN
1. Peter Piper
2. It’s Tricky
3. My Adidas
4. Walk This Way (Feat. Steven Tyler & Joe Perry)
5. Is It Live
6. Perfection
7. Hit It Run
8. Raising Hell
9. You Be Illin’
10. Dumb Girl
11. Son Of Byford
12. Proud To Be Black
13. My Adidas (A Cappella)
14. Walk This Way (Demo)
15. Lord Of Lyrics
16. Raising Hell Radio Tour Spot
17. Live At The Apollo Raw Vocal Commercial
Hip hop was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore by the time 1986 had rolled around. By the end of the year, it was clear that this music was here to stay, that it had a lot to say, and that it was on a growth trajectory that wasn’t going to end any time soon. Beastie Boys were just coming out…but the most important hip hop event to date was from the third album by Run-D.M.C., Raising Hell. Not just a rap album…this album expands on the trio’s desire to meld hip hop with rock, and features some of the genre’s most innovative and catchy tracks so far. Not only the first platinum hip hop album…the first double platinum as well. As well as an unforgettable string of hits, this is one of the greatest albums of hip hop.
The biggest triumph is the collaboration with the then almost left for dead Aerosmith on “Walk This Way”. This track turned on a whole world that hadn’t noticed to hip hop, and its legacy is still present today. The electric guitars are all over this record, but so are pure rap hits like “You Be Illin’” and “It’s Tricky” and “My Adidas”. Even though the raps are still clunky, as they were through the 80’s, the lyrics, the beats, and the creative instrumentation will win you over. This is one of the most important albums, not only in hip hop, but in rock (for bringing this music to the rock masses) and in music overall. Run-D.M.C. were true innovators, and this is their crowning achievement. A true classic.
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CHICAGO
CHICAGO IX: CHICAGO’S GREATEST HITS
1975 – COLUMBIA
Produced By JAMES WILLIAM GUERCIO
1. 25 Or 6 To 4
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
3. Colour My World
4. Just You ‘N’ Me
5. Saturday In The Park
6. Feelin’ Stronger Every Day
7. Make Me Smile
8. Wishing You Were Here
9. Call On Me
10. (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long
11. Beginnings
In the world of Greatest Hits albums, none seems to be more overlooked than Chicago IX. Also, there aren’t many that can hold a candle to this. Released in 1975, this album covers the band’s most exciting period (their first seven albums), and all of the tracks feature the great Terry Kath on guitar. The band was experimental and upbeat, with their best songwriting. Kath died in 1978, and the band carried on…but they also turned into a ballad machine and were never the same. This is THE Chicago compilation to have, because it has nothing from their weak latter period. And I can guarantee you…if you were a kid and grew up with this band on the radio, you’ll be surprised to find that you know every single word.
Chicago’s greatest song (and Kath’s greatest guitar moment) is “25 Or 6 To 4”. Any album with this song on it is worth having. But here, the hits just keep coming. And coming. Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera were both great singers and writers. Everything here is pure gold. “Colour My World” was the prom song for everyone in the 70’s. Cetera’s “Wishing You Were Here” is a haunting beauty. Some of these tracks were written by members of their excellent horn section (“Call On Me” and “Make Me Smile”. The album ends just as strong as it starts, with Lamm’s epic “Beginnings”. Chicago’s early albums were often long and laden with filler…but there is not a miss on this excellent collection. Truly one of the best hits collections ever. Ever.
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FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
CHICAGO
CHICAGO IX: CHICAGO’S GREATEST HITS
1975 – COLUMBIA
Produced By JAMES WILLIAM GUERCIO
1. 25 Or 6 To 4
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
3. Colour My World
4. Just You ‘N’ Me
5. Saturday In The Park
6. Feelin’ Stronger Every Day
7. Make Me Smile
8. Wishing You Were Here
9. Call On Me
10. (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long
11. Beginnings
In the world of Greatest Hits albums, none seems to be more overlooked than Chicago IX. Also, there aren’t many that can hold a candle to this. Released in 1975, this album covers the band’s most exciting period (their first seven albums), and all of the tracks feature the great Terry Kath on guitar. The band was experimental and upbeat, with their best songwriting. Kath died in 1978, and the band carried on…but they also turned into a ballad machine and were never the same. This is THE Chicago compilation to have, because it has nothing from their weak latter period. And I can guarantee you…if you were a kid and grew up with this band on the radio, you’ll be surprised to find that you know every single word.
Chicago’s greatest song (and Kath’s greatest guitar moment) is “25 Or 6 To 4”. Any album with this song on it is worth having. But here, the hits just keep coming. And coming. Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera were both great singers and writers. Everything here is pure gold. “Colour My World” was the prom song for everyone in the 70’s. Cetera’s “Wishing You Were Here” is a haunting beauty. Some of these tracks were written by members of their excellent horn section (“Call On Me” and “Make Me Smile”. The album ends just as strong as it starts, with Lamm’s epic “Beginnings”. Chicago’s early albums were often long and laden with filler…but there is not a miss on this excellent collection. Truly one of the best hits collections ever. Ever.
Whenever I see thread on topic like Greatest Hits Albums that Best Represent their Artist or Greatest Hits Albums that are All You Need by an Artist, this always immediately springs to mind.
It was also one of the first albums I bought with my own money as a kid. I was impatient on some albums and had to lift the needle to move to a different track, but not so much this album.
Exactlty what a Greatest Hits collection should be.
JEFFREY LEWIS & THE JUNKYARD
‘EM ARE I
2009 – ROUGH TRADE
NO PRODUCTION CREDIT
1. Slogans
2. Roll Bus Roll
3. If Life Exists (?)
4. Broken Broken Broken Heart
5. Whistle Past The Graveyard
6. To Be Objectified
7. The Upside-Down Cross
8. Bugs & Flowers
9. Good Old Pig, Gone To Avalon
10. It’s Not Impossible
11. Mini Theme: Moocher From The Future
First thing about Jeffrey Lewis: if you don’t like the way Bob Dylan sings, then this guy will drive you insane. But, also like Dylan, Jeffrey Lewis is one hell of a great songwriter. His music is defined as anti-folk, which even he admits he has no idea what that means. But if his clunky and almost monotone delivery doesn’t scare you away, then you are in for something of a treat. Lewis, who is also a comic book artist, writes with his influences on his sleeve. You’ll hear bits of Leonard Cohen. The Fall. Intelligent lyrics alongside mostly upbeat musical accompaniment. The songs are what carries this, and all of Lewis’ efforts. You’ll be listening closely to what he has to say…and you’ll be tapping your toes at the same time. Just because the guy is literate doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a few hooks in him as well.
The two best tracks on ‘Em Are I are “To Be Objectified” and the bouncy “Roll Bus Roll”. “The Upside-Down Cross” is a fine eight minute instrumental, written by Lewis’ younger brother Jack. The rest is all wonderfully written, expertly played and almost woefully sung, which is kinda Jeffrey Lewis’ trademark. He’s been a busy man…since his debut in 1997, Lewis has released well over 30 albums and EP’s, and he’s still going strong. That’s a lot of writing, a ton of ambition, and a whole lot of patience from a guy who has never reached a mass audience. Maybe he likes it that way. He does what he wants and says what he wants to say. I can certainly get behind that. Kudos to Jeffrey Lewis!
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