SIBYLLE BAIER
COLOUR GREEN
2006 – ORANGE TWIN RECORDS
No Production Credit
1. Tonight
2. I Lost Something In The Hills
3. The End
4. Softly
5. Remember The Day
6. Forget About
7. William
8. Says Elliott
9. Colour Green
10. Driving
11. Girl
12. Wim
13. Forgett
14. Give Me A Smile
A pretty wonderful story. This young German singer and actress appeared in one movie, then moved to America to be a mother and raise her family, leaving show business behind. But her son, Robby Baier, decided in 2005 that it would be a great idea to compile the reel to reel tapes that his mother Sibylle had recorded in her living room between 1970 and 1973, package them, and give them to family as Christmas gifts. One of these fell into the hands of J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., and by 2006, the album Colour Green, which consists of those reel to reel recordings, became a reality. More than 30 years after it was recorded, Sibylle Baier’s debut album was released.
These recordings are spare, featuring only Baier’s voice and a nylon string acoustic guitar (except for the last track, which has additional orchestrations, organ, and steel strings). Her playing is good, and her voice is beautiful. The songs are pretty…nothing jumps out at you as a particularly great song, but as a whole, this is a very satisfying listen. Because it’s simply a girl and her guitar, this album carries a simplistic charm that works quite well. The recordings are raw, but this is not a studio album…it’s from a living room, more than thirty years ago. This is one of those sweet musical stories that’s well worth hearing. A nice, personal blast from an unknown past.
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PAUL YOUNG
THE SECRET OF ASSOCIATION
1985 – COLUMBIA
Produced By LAURIE LATHAM
1. Bite The Hand That Feeds
2. Everytime You Go Away
3. I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
4. Standing On The Edge
5. Soldier’s Things
6. Everything Must Change
7. Tomb Of Memories
8. One Step Forward
9. Hot Fun
10. This Means Anything
11. I Was In Chains
Once upon a time, Paul Young was a pretty big deal. That ended when the eighties ended. Young is a blue eyed soul singer who had a string of four top ten albums in the UK, and for one brief moment in 1985, he was big in America as well. That happened with The Secret Of Association, his second album, which included his biggest hit in “Everytime You Go Away”, a cover of the Hall & Oates song that actually turned out to be better than the original. There were a pair of lesser hits from the album, “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” and “Everything Must Change”, but Young was unable to sustain his popularity in America. His hits in the UK had dried up by 1990 as well.
Young is a good enough singer…he almost pulls off pretending to be Daryl Hall quite well. But The Secret Of Association hasn’t aged well at all. Most of the tracks here are absolutely buried in the pop synth sound of 1985, and most of the songs don’t have the strength to overcome that. He still tries to make this a soul album, with horns and some big background vocals, but Paul Young was never going to be the next Daryl Hall. This album was his commercial and artistic peak, and it was a slow downhill from here. Since the 90’s, he’s put most of his efforts into his band, Los Pacaminos, a Tex-Mex band that tours a lot and occasionally records…without any hits. Those days were few, and long ago.
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JOE COCKER
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
1969 – A&M
Produced By DENNY CORDELL
1. Feeling Alright
2. Bye Bye Blackbird
3. Change In Louise
4. Marjorine
5. Just Like A Woman
6. Do I Still Figure In Your Life?
7. Sandpaper Cadillac
8. Don’t let Me Be Misunderstood
9. With A Little Help From My Friends
10. I Shall Be Released
11. The New Age Of Lily
12. Something’s Coming On
Joe Cocker came from nowhere in 1969 as the great white hope of those who wanted to grow up and be like Ray Charles. He bravely took on The Beatles with the title track, made Traffic’s “Feeling Alright” his own song, and ended both sides of the album with courageous takes on Dylan classics “Just Like A Woman” and “I Shall Be Released”. Cocker was a sight to see, for sure, but he also had the voice and the soul to back it up. Not everything works…his takes on “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” are not up to par, and there are also three Cocker originals (written with Chris Stainton) that show just why Cocker’s legacy was as a great cover artist.
As for the friends Cocker got a little help from…the list of players here is mighty impressive. The opening guitar on the title track (and on half the album) is Jimmy Page. Steve Winwood is here on 2 songs, and you can also hear the likes of Henry McCullough, Albert Lee, Merry Clayton, and some of the best session players in the world. The hits here led to Cocker’s appearance at Woodstock, and his association with Leon Russell. The great songs balance out the lesser tracks, and are still worth hearing today. But the album as a whole is somewhat uneven. Still…this is where it all started for Cocker, one of the greatest interpreters of the rock era. There were plenty of big moments to come, for sure.
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AL GREEN
LET’S STAY TOGETHER
1972 – HI
Produced By WILLIE MITCHELL
1. Let’s Stay Together
2. La-La For You
3. So You’re Leaving
4. What Is This Feeling?
5. Old Time Lovin’
6. I’ve Never Found A Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)
7. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?
8. Judy
9. It Ain’t No Fun To Me
Al Green is simply one of the greatest soul singers of all time. His peak, which lasted from 1972 through 1975, began with his fourth album, Let’s Stay Together. The album is best known for two songs: the amazing title track, and his stunning cover of “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” by the Bee Gees. Green had been a rising star, but these two songs put him on top. And for good reason…”Let’s Stay Together” is a wonderful and soulful dance groove that you never want to end, and “Broken Heart” proves that Green could take a song by a rock band and turn it into a gorgeous burning ballad dripping with emotion. These two songs made Green an undisputed star.
The rest of Let’s Stay Together consists of some lesser material…most of which is written by Green…but the album as a whole is saved by the stunning talent that is Green’s smoking voice. This is maybe the best male singer of all time, with an almost scary ability to turn an average song into a moving experience. He had yet to reach his peak…that would come the next year with his amazing album Call Me. This is the start of a great six album run that ended with his star beginning to fade at the end of the seventies, followed by a move to gospel music in the eighties. But the hits he had in his prime…you just can’t beat Al Green when he was on his game. One of the best there has ever been.
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THE BAND
THE LAST WALTZ
1978-WARNER BROS.
Produced By ROBBIE ROBERTSON
1. Theme From The Last Waltz
2. Up On Cripple Creek
3. Who Do You Love? (With Ronnie Hawkins)
4. Helpless (With Neil Young)
5. Stage Fright
6. Coyote (With Joni Mitchell)
7. Dry Your Eyes (With Neil Diamond)
8. It Makes No Difference
9. Such A Night (With Dr. John)
10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
11. Mystery Train (With Paul Butterfield)
12. Mannish Boy (With Muddy Waters)
13. Further On Up The Road (With Eric Clapton)
1. The Shape I’m In
2. Down South In New Orleans (With Bobby Charles & Dr. John)
3. Ophelia
4. Tura Lura Lural (That’s An Irish Lullaby) (With Van Morrison)
5. Caravan (With Van Morrison)
6. Life Is A Carnival
7. Baby Let Me Follow You Down (With Bob Dylan)
8. I Don’t Believe You (With Bob Dylan)
9. Forever Young (With Bob Dylan)
10. Baby, Let me Follow You Down (Reprise) (With Bob Dylan)
11. I Shall Be Released (With Bob Dylan)
12. The Well
13. Evangeline (With Emmylou Harris)
14. Out Of The Blue
15. The Weight (With The Staples)
16. The Last Waltz Refrain
17. Theme From The Last Waltz
Breaking up the band in style, is what this is. In 1976, The Band threw a farewell concert at the Winterland in San Francisco. They invited 5000 fans, and an impressive group of musicians they had worked with in the past. They also got Martin Scorsese to direct the film of the concert, which came out in 1978. Ultimately, this wasn’t the last waltz for The Band…five years later, they were back to touring again, but without guitarist Robbie Robertson, who would never again be part of the group. On this Thanksgiving concert document, The Band is in exceptional form, and the triple live album serves as one of the three must have albums by them…although what you’ll really want is the DVD so you can see it all unfold.
The guest stars are all great (the singers are shown in the track list above). They began as the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins, and later played famously with Bob Dylan, and everyone in between gives great performances. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison…how could you go wrong with this? Neil Diamond and Muddy Waters also give great performances. And the songs The Band plays by themselves are wonderful versions as well. The last album side (side six…the last 6 tracks on disc 2) were recorded outside of the main concert. The DVD is a better experience…but this continues to stand as one of the greatest all star concerts in rock history.
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AIMEE MANN
I’M WITH STUPID
1995 – GEFFEN
Produced By JON BRION
1. Long Shot
2. Choice In The Matter
3. Sugarcoated
4. You Could Make A Killing
5. Superball
6. Amateur
7. All Over Now
8. Par For The Course
9. You’re With Stupid Now
10. That’s Just What You Are
11. Frankenstein
12. Ray
13. It’s Not Safe
Aimee Mann’s lasting image will always be the powerful conclusion of her band ‘Til Tuesday’s 1985 video of the song “Voices Carry”, in which she stands up and reveals her true self to a shocked Carnegie Hall audience by declaring her independence from an abusive boyfriend by singing “He said, shut up! He said, shut up! Oh, God, why can’t you keep it down?”. Unfortunately for Aimee Mann, this image has been her defining career moment. And so, what a whole lot of people don’t realize is that since the demise of ‘Til Tuesday, she has been making really terrific music ever since. Her solo debut, 1993’s Whatever, was critically acclaimed and sold barely 100,000 copies. Same with her 1995 follow up, the excellent “I’m With Stupid”.
So…was Aimee Mann typecast as a feminist martyr? Whatever it is, we have all been seriously missing out. I’m With Stupid is a really terrific and catchy and smart and fun album, maybe the most underrated disc of 1995. Guest stars include Difford & Tilbrook of Squeeze, Michael Penn and Juliana Hatfield, and this album is loaded with songs that should have been big hits. “Superball”, “That’s Just What You Are”, “Frankenstein” and “Ray”…why was this not a huge album? Unfortunately, it was not. But fortunately, it IS still out there for you to discover. Aimee Mann has truly gotten a raw deal as far as the popularity of her albums. You should pick this one up…there are so many cool tracks here. Very highly recommended.
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THE FLAMING LIPS
YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS
2002 – WARNER BROS
Produced By THE FLAMING LIPS, DAVE FRIDMANN & SCOTT BOOKER
1. Fight Test
2. One More Robot / Sympathy 3000-21
3. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 1
4. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 2
5. In The Morning Of The Magicians
6. Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell
7. Are You A Hypnotist??
8. It’s Summertime
9. Do You Realize??
10. All We Have Is Now
11. Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia)
Attention all musicians my age: Two words. Wayne Coyne. His band, The Flaming Lips, were becoming a hip and cool band in 2002, just as their frontman and founder Coyne was turning 41 years old. At pretty much the exact age when most of us older guys figure we’ve got no chance and decide to turn it in, Coyne’s band, which had been around for twenty years, had their biggest commercial breakthrough with Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, an album of emotional stories built around a character named Yoshimi, who battles pink robots. It became a huge victory for this trio, which sounds like a twelve piece band, and for old guys in music everywhere.
“Do You Realize??” has become an anthem for a generation that Coyne and his band had no part of growing up with. “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1” is a marvelous journey. “Fight Test” is similar in many ways to “Father And Son” by Cat Stevens. And “Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell” is as trippy as the title would suggest. Flaming Lips shows became quite an adventure, and the songs here are a big reason why. Yoshimi has quietly become a true classic. The trio created a run that made them a top live act for many years, and Yoshimi was a huge part of that. This album sounds terrific to this day…layers of great sounds built around great songs. For me, this is the Lips greatest achievement. A truly fine album.
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CAM’RON
PURPLE HAZE
2004 – DIPLOMAT / ROC-A-FELLA / ISLAND DEF JAM
Produced By SKITZO, THE HEATMAKERZ, CHAD HAMILTON, NASTY BEAT MAKERS, KANYE WEST, BRIAN “ALL DAY” MILLER, TY-TRACKS, CHARLEMAGNE, POP & VERSATILE, STAY GETTING PRODUCTIONS, BANG, THE LEGENDARY TRAXSTER, SELF SERVICE, MUSIC MYSTRO & AMADEUS
1. Intro
2. More Gangsta Music (Feat. Juelz Santana)
3. Get Down
4. Welcome To Purple Haze (Skit)
5. Killa Cam
6. Leave Me Alone, Pt. 2
7. Down And Out (Feat. Kanye West & Syleena Johnson)
8. Harlem Streets
9. Rude Boys (Skit)
10. Girls (Feat. Mona Lisa)
11. I’m A Chicken Head (Skit)
12. Soap Opera
13. O.T. (Skit)
14. Bubble Music
15. More Reasons (Feat. Jaheim)
16. The Block (Skit)
17. The Dope Man (Feat. Jim Jones)
18. Family Ties (Feat. Nicole Wray)
19. Adrenaline (Feat. Twista & Psycho Drama)
20. Hey Lady (Feat. Freekey Zekey)
21. Shake (Feat. J.R. Writer)
22. Get ‘Em Girls
23. Dip-Set Forever
24. Take ‘Em To Church (Feat. Juelz Santana & Un Kasa)
Cam’ron, a rapper from East Harlem in New York City, has been around for what seems like forever. He’s released seven solo albums, as well as a trio with his hip hop group The Diplomats. Purple Haze is his fourth album, and maybe his best known work. It was a commercial success, driven by six hit singles, and is the album that the artist has called his best work. There are indeed some truly fine moments...but as a whole, Purple Haze can be a tedious listen. It’s as long as a single disc can be, clocking in at over 77 minutes and 24 tracks. It’s sound is all over the map, which is a risk you take when you have 16 different producers on board. It also suffers from the use of cartoon voices on many tracks, and when Cam’ron uses a sample for a song, he rides it into the ground.
Several tracks do stand out here…”Lord You Know”, “Hey Lady” and “Down And Out” (with Kanye West) are very good, as are “Get ‘Em Girls” and “Shake”. But “Girls” taps Cyndi Lauper’s hit “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” a bit too hard, while “Harlem Streets” repeats the piano riff from the theme to “Hill Street Blues” about twelve times too many. This record brought Cam’ron a lot of success, and it is surely ambitious…but he could have maybe lopped about five tracks off the top and gone for a little bit more continuity overall…while maybe seeking more variety within the individual tracks. It’s an album that’s better taken in small doses, for sure.
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MATTHEW SWEET
GIRLFRIEND
1991 – ZOO ENTERTAINMENT
Produced By FRED MAHER & MATTHEW SWEET
1. Divine Intervention
2. I’ve Been Waiting
3. Girlfriend
4. Looking At The Sun
5. Winona
6. Evangeline
7. Day For Night
8. Thought I Knew You
9. You Don’t Love me
10. I Wanted To Tell You
11. Don’t Go
12. Your Sweet Voice
13. Does She Talk?
14. Holy War
15. Nothing Lasts
Matthew Sweet’s career has always been big on potential, while delivering less success. He worked early on with Michael Stipe of R.E.M., and also with Stipe’s sister Lynda. His first two albums were critically acclaimed but sold very little, leading him to sign with a new label to start off the nineties. His third album, Girlfriend, still stands as his strongest effort. With guitarists Richard Lloyd (of Television), Robert Quine and Lloyd Cole, Girlfriend, which was written following Sweet’s divorce, is loaded with pop rock gems and fine playing. The title track is a real gem, but there’s enough here to make the whole album enjoyable.
Girlfriend is special starting with the beautiful cover shot of Tuesday Weld from the late 50’s on down. “Divine Intervention” is a terrific song, as is “Winona” (written about Winona Ryder). Unfortunately, Sweet didn’t follow the path he was on at the time: his next album went for a heavier sound which had the effect of burying his songwriting skills. Nothing wrong with trying new things, which Sweet has done often, but the downside is that he’s never repeated the success he had here. Even with a few flaws, Girlfriend is the best of what Sweet has to offer. One of the true bright spots from 1991, for sure.
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RADIOHEAD
THE KING OF LIMBS
2011 – XL / TBD RECORDS
Produced By NIGEL GODRICH
1. Bloom
2. Morning Mr. Magpie
3. Little By Little
4. Feral
5. Lotus Flower
6. Codex
7. Give Up The Ghost
8. Separator
The King Of Limbs is the follow up to the very successful album In Rainbows…and it sounds absolutely nothing like that album. Such is the beast that is Radiohead…and thank God for that. While In Rainbows was more of a traditional band album, they built this one around samples and loops. The result is a moody and somewhat troubling sounding disc, which did put some fans off, but hey. Part of what makes Radiohead so good and so unique is that they have no qualms about switching things up and doing the unexpected. And so, The King Of Limbs, while not their greatest record, is yet another winner in the discography of what can’t be denied as one of the greatest bands ever.
This album was released online first, followed by physical releases more than a month later. They also didn’t release any singles from the album, so you had to really listen for the better tracks. “Lotus Flower” is the best song here, but while nothing else will grab you the way much of their bigger tracks will…but like all Radiohead releases, if you give this a chance, you’ll most certainly be won over. Because this is Radiohead, and yes, these guys are really that good. At less than forty minutes, this is a short affair, which actually works in Radiohead’s favor. This ended up being one of the best albums of 2011, and proves that you simply cannot go wrong with Radiohead.
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