ROD STEWART
NEVER A DULL MOMENT
1972 – MERCURY
Produced By ROD STEWART
1. True Blue
2. Lost Paraguayos
3. Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind
4. Italian Girls
5. Angel
6. Interludings
7. You Wear It Well
8. I’d Rather Go Blind
9. Twistin’ The Night Away
Rod Stewart is still an active recording artist…but he released his last great album in 1972. That’s 50 years ago, if you’re counting. Never A Dull Moment was the follow up to his great Every Picture Tells A Story, and it’s just as good. Stewart at that time was known for his supporting cast…which included the entire band Faces, most notably Ronnie Wood, and his impeccable taste in songs. Rod The Mod was the coolest…he had the ultimate rock and roll voice, and he sang the best songs. That would begin to slowly change on his next album, 1974’s Smiler, as he began to shift towards schmaltzy weird rooster pop…but at this point, Rod was still on top of his game.
Never A Dull Moment is split between four original songs and four covers, with a 40 second instrumental tossed in. The originals (mostly written with Wood) are great…particularly “You Wear It Well”. “Lost Paraguayos” and “True Blue” are top notch. As for the covers…Stewart used to be the master of picking the right ones. Here, he doesn’t miss, with songs by Dylan (“Mama, You Been On My Mind”), Hendrix (“Angel”), and Sam Cooke (the blistering “Twistin’ The Night Away”). It wouldn’t be long before he stopped working with Wood and Faces and started making bad choices like “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Man” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”. This is Rod at his best…and it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was once this great.
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MANE ROK
THE UGLY TRUTH
2010 – SELF RELEASED
Multiple Producers
1. Troubles
2. Love Is Gone
3. Once (K)Night Falls (PSA)
4. Pair Of Dice
5. This One’s
6. The Ugly Truth
7. Imagine That
8. Falling Down
9. Don’t Know
10. California Dreaming (Feat. Es Nine)
11. Mama Said (Feat. Zome)
Not a whole lot that I can tell you about Mane Rok. He’s a rapper from Denver, and I think that somewhere down the line, he’s a friend of a former friend. And about a decade ago, he released this album and someone gave a copy of it to my ex, who passed it along to me. From finding him online, it looks like this was his first album, and he’d been a busy man ever since…11 albums in ten years, but nothing since 2015. Good for him for being prolific, and good for him for not running out of ideas. As for The Ugly Truth, Mane Rok is the rapper, with Deejay Tense credited with “cuts and scratches”. All of Mane Rok’s music can be found on his page at bandcamp.
The Ugly Truth stays interesting throughout, but there are no hits here…nothing that will remain with you for very long. “Falling Down” and “Love Is Gone” are highlights, and impressive enough for the debut of an independent musician, but it’s clear that at this early stage, Mane Rok still had some work to do. Whether or not his later work showed a lot of improvement I can’t say…this is the only album of his that I have heard. I will say, though, that this is impressive enough for to me want to dive deeper into his career and see how it all panned out. A good, not great effort from a true independent. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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wow! phenomenal thread, hat's off to you Romanelli - been browsing through and there's a little bit of everything here, personal favourites, forgotten gems, stuff I've never heard of and more than a few I'll be adding to my wishlist
wow! phenomenal thread, hat's off to you Romanelli - been browsing through and there's a little bit of everything here, personal favourites, forgotten gems, stuff I've never heard of and more than a few I'll be adding to my wishlist
Hey...thanks for checking this out! It's always good to see that it's been noticed. Hope you find some good stuff here! _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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Of dying history
DELBERT MCCLINTON
BEST OF DELBERT MCCLINTON
1981 – CURB
No Production Credit
1. A Fool In Love
2. The Real Thing
3. I’ve Got Dreams To Remember
4. Heartbreak Radio
5. Givin’ It Up For Your Love
6. Go On
7. Take Me To The River
8. I Want To Love You
9. Who’s Foolin’ Who
10. Shotgun Rider
11. I Wanna Thank You Baby
I’m not always proud of the way I discovered an album. Back in 1989, there was a not so great body switch movie starring the two Coreys (Feldman and Haim), Jason Robards, and the awesome (and why I wanted to see it) Meredith Salenger. Dumb movie, but it was, I swear, the first time I had ever consciously heard the song “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember”. I was blown away and had to have it. I didn’t take the time to realize that I was in need of Otis Redding’s amazing original…and so I ended up with this budget compilation album by Delbert McClinton that has a not so great (but not terrible) version of the Redding classic. And I still have it, after all these years.
There are some fine tracks on this. His biggest hit, “Givin’ It Up For Your Love” is here, as is “Go On” and “I Wanna Thank You Baby”. But some tracks, like his cover of Al Green’s “Take Me To The River” and “Dreams To Remember” are more stiff than you’d like them to be. And truth be told…McClinton’s output was much better in later years. This covers mostly the seventies, when his records didn’t do as well. But to be fair…this is a budget compilation, which means that not the greatest care was given to song selection. For me, this served as an okay intro to McClinton’s work…but there are much better collections to start with from him. Not that this isn’t good…there’s a reason why his career has spanned six different decades so far. It’s just that this isn’t as fine as it could be.
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MOTHER LOVE BONE
APPLE
1990 – STARDOG / MERCURY
Produced By BRUCE CALDER, TERRY DATE, MARK DEARNLEY & MOTHER LOVE BONE
1. This Is Shangrila
2. Stardog Champion
3. Holy Roller
4. Bone China
5. Come Bite The Apple
6. Stargazer
7. Heartshine
8. Captain Hi-Top
9. Man Of Golden Words
10. Capricorn Sister
11. Gentle Groove
12. Mr. Danny Boy
13. Crown Of Thorns
How different would the 90’s have been? Before there was Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains…and before anyone outside of Seattle knew who Nirvana was, there was Soundgarden…and Mother Love Bone. From the ashes of Green River, guitarist Stone Gossard and bass player Jeff Ament joined forces with Malfunkshun singer Andrew Wood, and Mother Love Bone was born. Wood, along with Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, became the voices of the growing Seattle scene. They recorded their debut album in 1989, and seemed well on their way. But Wood died of an overdose just days before Apple’s release in 1990, ending Mother Love Bone and altering in huge ways the future of 90’s music. Cornell joined forces with Gossard and Ament for the Wood tribute band Temple Of The Dog, then Gossard and Ament formed Pearl Jam…it’s like the biblical “begats”.
As for Apple…the album won high praise, but was soon forgotten in the whirlwind of the early 90’s grunge movement. “Stardog Champion”, “This Is Shangrila” and “Stargazer” give a glimpse of what this band could have become…and the reality is that if Wood had not died, there would have never been a Pearl Jam. What would that have sounded like? The roots of it all are right here on Apple. Discover what a cool talent Andrew Wood was. Hear these fine songs that were lost in the shuffle of the sudden Seattle explosion caused by the emergence of Nirvana. Mother Love Bone was the real deal. They just never got the chance to show us all what they could really do. Well worth hearing!
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REGINA SPEKTOR
BEGIN TO HOPE
2006 – SIRE
Produced By DAVID KAHNE & REGINA SPEKTOR
1. Fidelity
2. Better
3. Samson
4. On The Radio
5. Field Below
6. Hotel Song
7. Apres Moi
8. 20 Years Of Snow
9. That Time
10. Edit
11. Lady
12. Summer In The City
I had heard of Regina Spektor, but I had never really heard her. That changed one night about a decade ago (in another life) when I saw her as the opening act for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The Petty crowd didn’t seem to have much use for her, but I was quite intrigued by what I heard from this very unique woman. Spektor was born in the Soviet Union, and her family emigrated to the United States during Perestroika. She was originally into classical music, but later became fascinated and influenced by the works of Joni Mitchell and Ani DiFranco. Her first three albums sold slowly, despite her gaining status as an opening act for bands like The Strokes and Keane.
And then, in 2006, Begin To Hope brought her to fame. And rightfully so. “Fidelity” was a hit, as was “On The Radio”, “Better” and “Summer In The City”. The music here is gentle, yet adventurous, as Spektor’s lovely voice and her piano playing carries these songs very well. “Samson” is also a big highlight, as is “Edit” (with its references to The Beatles’ “Doctor Robert” and McCartney’s “Uncle Albert”). She’s more pop than Tori Amos ever was, but there’s also a charm and intelligence in these songs that separates her from the crowd of piano playing female indie stars that came along before her. Begin To Hope is a pleasant, and very cool album. It’s Spektor’s coming of age, and it’s a fine listen. Not perfect (it should be, after all, a little broken), but very recommended.
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IMOGEN HEAP
ELLIPSE
2009 – RCA
Produced By IMOGEN HEAP
1. First Train Home
2. Wait It Out
3. Earth
4. Little Bird
5. Swoon
6. Tidal
7. Between Sheets
8. 2-1
9. Bad Body Double
10. Aha!
11. The Fire
12. Canvas
13. Half Life
Imagine what Enya might sound like if she wasn’t a robot. That’s pretty much all you need to know in advance before listening to the music of British electronic musician Imogen Heap. Ellipse is the third album from the classically trained Heap, who possesses not only exceptional instrumental skills, but also a voice that enables her music to pop with emotion. Not the most prolific artist (she’s released a grand total of four studio albums over the last 25 years), she does seem to make the most of her studio time. Ellipse is a highly enjoyable album, with lots of interesting ideas and a sound that is never repetitive. A big plus for an artist who plays this kind of music.
Ellipse was her biggest hit as an album, becoming her first of two electronic number one albums in the US. “First Train Home”, a minor hit in Canada, was the only single released from the album, and it’s a fine track. The song “Canvas” was given a video release, but was never put out as a single. The rest of Ellipse is good…it’s well played, well sung and well written. It just doesn’t jump out at you very much, so it has just above the effect that Enya’s work does…meaning that Heap’s vocals are a true notch above. It might fade into the background, but a closer listen will reap rewards. Perhaps if Heap were more prolific, she might gain some momentum with her music. Ultimately, this is above average, pleasant, and if you have the patience, a rewarding listen.
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MEGADETH
RUST IN PEACE
1990 – CAPITOL
Produced By DAVE MUSTAINE & Mike CLINK
1. Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
2. Hangar 18
3. Take No Prisoners
4. Five Magics
5. Poison Was The Cure
6. Lucretia
7. Tornado Of Souls
8. Dawn Patrol
9. Rust In Peace…Polaris
10. My Creation
11. Rust In Peace…Polaris (Demo)
12. Holy Wars…The Punishment Due (Demo)
13. Take No Prisoners (Demo)
Dave Mustaine as a human being has done little to win me over…he’s one of those people who says an awful lot without thinking first. That being said…after having drank his way out of Metallica in just two years, Mustaine formed Megadeth in 1984. And he’s had considerable success. He’s a great player, and a decent singer. He’s battled sobriety, found religion, fired a ton of band members, and he still soldiers on. Rust In Peace is the band’s fourth album, and it stands as one of Megadeth’s best albums. Mustaine was at the top of his game as a songwriter, and with second lead guitarist Marty Friedman on board, the band had more than enough weapons to rock your socks off. And they did.
The first two tracks are the best…”Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” and “Hangar 18” are Megadeth at their very best, and are well worth the price of the album. The rest is barely half a notch below that…and while Metallica was preparing to move towards a more hard rock sound, Megadeth was still firmly in the camp of thrash metal. And by now, it was clear that the vision of this band belonged to Mustaine…and was held together with whatever musicians he decided not to fire that day. So the fact that Rust In Peace holds up as well as it does is a testament to the vision and talent of Dave Mustaine. Along with Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings, this is Megadeth it their best.
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BLACKALICIOUS
NIA
1999 – QUANNUM PROJECTS
Produced By CHIEF XCEL, LYRICS BORN & DJ SHADOW
1. Searching (feat. Erinn Anova)
2. The Fabulous Ones
3. Do This My Way (feat. Lyrics Born)
4. Deception
5. A To G
6. Cliff Hanger
7. Shallow Days
8. Ego Trip By Nikki Giovanni (feat. Nikki Giovanni & Errin Anova)
9. You Didn’t Know That Though
10. If I May (feat. Errin Anova & Lateef)
11. Dream Seasons
12. Trouble (Eve Of Destruction)
13. Smithzonian Institute Of Rhyme (feat. Lateef)
14. As The World Turns (feat. Errin Anova)
15. Reanimation
16. Beyonder
17. Making Progress
18. Sleep
19. Finding (feat. Errin Anova)
This is pretty cool. Gift Of Gab and Chief Xcel met in high school, then reconnected in college to form the duo Blackalicious. They released their debut album, Nia, in 1999. And while they’ve had more success with their three later records, this one still stands as their best work. Nia may come across as mellow for hip hop, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. What’s good about Nia is that Blackalicious didn’t follow the trends of the time and made their own music their own way. This album is more soulful than most hip hop discs, it’s wicked smart, and it’s just plain cool…like a great jazz album is cool. And that doesn’t come across in popular styles of music every day. So, these guys deserve a listen.
A good example of what this duo can do is “Reanimation”, a why wasn’t this a hit track. “Deception” and “If I May” are also stand out songs. The thing that makes Nia cool is this. This may be the closest thing there is to smooth hip hop, that you can not only groove to, but that you can slide into and really chill. Blackalicious did their own thing here, and while it didn’t result in a million seller, it did make for an album experience that is smart and simply cool. You may not be aware of it, but Blackalicious lasted until 2021, when Gift Of Gab died. Four albums in twenty years isn’t a lot, but know that when they did put one out, a load of thought and groove had gone into it. I’m really good with that.
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