I was just recently thinking about the influence of Fat of the Land which can be felt even today. Think I've heard all of the tracks from the album played in various DJ sets, ranging from the borderline mainstream festivals to random illegal raves and everywhere in between. Originals, VIPs, remixes, edits, mashups... Truly incredible what they did in the 90s. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
JOHN WILLIAMS & ISAAC STERN
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)
1971 – UNITED ARTISTS
NO PRODUCTION CREDIT
1. Prologue And “Tradition” & Main Title
2. Matchmaker
3. If I Were A Rich Man
4. Sabbath Prayer
5. To Life
6. Miracle Of Miracles
7. Tevye’s Dream
8. Wedding Procession
9. Sunrise, Sunset
10. Wedding Celebration And “The Bottle Dance”
11. First Act Finale
12. Entr’acte
13. Do You Love Me
14. Far From The Home I Love
15. Chava Ballet Sequence
16. The Rejection Scene
17. Anatevka
18. Finale
19. Any Day Now
One of the very few memories of my mother that involve her actually being happy was from when I was ten years old. She took me to the movie theater to see Fiddler On The Roof. I have never been a big fan of musical theater, but this film stayed with me forever…and a huge part of that was the music. Which brings me to the soundtrack album, which I obtained many years later. The music for this film is still stunning, amazingly tuneful. And after all of these years, I can still see the scenes as they played alongside the music. I can still see the players, mostly Tevye, who was played by an actor I never saw anywhere else named Topol. For me, the fact that this album can bring to mind so many images of the film it accompanied means that it has done its job very well.
The version I have is a 30th Anniversary edition, which is great because it contains a few tracks that were in the film but not on the original soundtrack album. It also contains “Every Day Now”, which was not in the film because the scene was cut. It is sung by one Paul Michael Glaser (he was in the film), who a few years later became best known as Starsky in the TV series Starsky & Hutch. The orchestra is conducted by John Williams, and all of those wonderful fiddle solos are played by Isaac Stern. So many classic songs here…”Tradition”, “If I Were A Rich Man”, “Sunrise, Sunset”. “Matchmaker”, and “To Life”. The film was fantastic, but for me, this is a masterpiece of how to be able to experience the greatness of a movie at home by simply playing the album. This is a great record, and truly one of my best childhood memories.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
THE ROLLING STONES
OUT OF OUR HEADS
1965 – LONDON
Produced By ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM
1. Mercy Mercy
2. Hitch Hike
3. The Last Time
4. That’s How Strong My Love Is
5. Good Times
6. I’m All Right
7. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
8. Cry To Me
9. The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
10. Play With Fire
11. The Spider And The Fly
12. One More Try
The Beatles were not the only British band to have their early albums be a confused mess between different UK and US releases. Out Of Our Heads is the third British release by The Rolling Stones…and the 4th American album. Both the covers and the track listings are different on each. This is the American version. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were gaining steam as songwriters, with half of the songs here being originals (the other half are American R&B covers). Five of the six tracks on side one are covers, while five of the six on side 2 are originals. The most important tracks here are Stones original compositions: “The Last Time”, “Play With Fire”, and the iconic “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”. The British version also contains “Heart Of Stone”.
Brian Jones was still a fully contributing member of the band at this time, and you can hear the trademark dual guitar work of him and Richards in full swing. Out Of Our Heads is an album that begins their transition from being a blues cover act to full blown rock and roll stars. The hits here remain among their best songs, while their always well-chosen cover songs are great to hear as well. The Stones were still a full three years away from hitting their stride and becoming the biggest band in the world, but you can hear the beginnings of that here. The early work of this band is sometimes lost in the world of how huge they were from 1968 through the mid seventies, but these early albums are important as well…and it’s always good to remember just how important Jones was to the early days of the Stones.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
ORQUESTA ARAGON
CUBAN ORIGINALS
1999 – BMG US LATIN
NO PRODUCTION CREDIT
1. El Bodeguero
2. Suavecito
3. Sabrosona
4. Al Vaiven De Mi Carreta
5. Noche De Farra
6. Espiritu Burlon
7. Ritmo De Azucar
8. Calculadora
9. Culpable Soy
10. Los Fantasmas
11. Yo Tengo Una Muneca
12. El Enfermo
13. Senor Juez
14. La Gloria Eres Tu
15. No Te Vuelvas Loco
16. Los Tinosos
Orquesta Aragon is a traditional Cuban band that was formed in 1939…and is still active today. They are known as one of the greatest chachacha bands ever, and their legacy as one of the greatest Cuban bands of any genre is set in stone. Over many decades, they have evolved and stayed current with the times, while also staying true to the traditions of Cuban music. Their first album was released in 1956, and since that time, they have put out well over 100 records. This is a true legend in world music, especially for Cubans. While they peaked during the 1950’s and 1960’s, they have managed to stay relevant and important in their home country. And fortunately, their music can be heard in every part of the world now, thanks to exceptional compilations like this one.
In 1999, there were six Cuban Originals albums released from artists like Beny More and Desi Arnaz…Orquesta Aragon was one of those six. This series is such a treasure, giving us the chance to hear music that had been hidden from the world outside of Cuba for so many years. The liner notes are vague…there are no dates given for when this material was recorded, although it does note that the opening track is from 1956. But the only important fact about this disc is that the music on it is simply magnificent. We have learned over the years that Cuban culture is a wonderful thing…we also learn from records like this that their musical history has been amazing as well. If you happen to see this, or anything from the Cuban Originals series…grab it, listen to it, and love it for how awesome it really is.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
TOWNES VAN ZANDT
FOR THE SAKE OF THE SONG
1968 – POPPY
Produced By JACK CLEMENT & JIM MALLOY
1. For The Sake Of The Song
2. Tecumseh Valley
3. Many A Fine Lady
4. (Quicksilver Dreams Of) Maria
5. Waitin’ Around To Die
6. I’ll Be There In The Morning
7. Sad Cinderella
8. The Velvet Voices
9. Talkin’ Karate Blues
10. All Your Young Servants
11. Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls
One of America’s greatest songwriters is also one of its more underrated and lesser known. Townes Van Zandt is best known for his classic song “Pancho And Lefty”, but there is so much more to him than that. He went to Nashville from Texas by way of the University Of Colorado, and he began performing at coffee houses and writing songs. In 1968, he was signed to Poppy Records and released his debut album, For The Sake Of The Song. And while it showcases how great, even early on, the songwriting of Van Zandt was, the album was kind of a mess. The word that’s most often used to describe this record is “overproduced”, something you would not expect from a solo acoustic guitar player and singer. But the album is drenched in background singers and strings and vocal echo. Thankfully, these things don’t ruin it.
Some of Van Zandt’s greatest songs are here. “Waitin’ Around To Die” and “For The Sake Of The Song” are brilliant, but the best song here is “Tecumseh Valley”. Van Zandt proves himself to be not just a country artist…he’s a pure folksinger, and an inspiration to many (including Steve Earle, who named his son after him and who once proclaimed that Van Zandt was a better songwriter than Dylan). Van Zandt’s career was slowed in the nineties by drinking way too much, and he passed away on the first day of 1997 at just 52 years of age. But his music is still loved, and his songs are still covered by artists who love him. This first album is far from perfect, but it’s still a stunning showcase of this man’s writing ability. Don’t pass on anything Townes released in his lifetime. A songwriting treasure, without a doubt.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
HAPPY MONDAYS
PILLS ‘N’ THRILLS AND BELLYACHES
1990 – FACTORY
Produced By PAUL OAKENFOLD & STEVE OSBOURNE
1. Kinky Afro
2. God’s Cop
3. Donovan
4. Grandbag’s Funeral
5. Loose Fit
6. Dennis And Lois
7. Bob’s Yer Uncle
8. Step On
9. Holiday
10. Harmony
Welcome, first of all, to the most hideous album cover ever made. Happy Mondays are a product of the British Madchester scene, which gave us bands like Inspiral Carpets, The Stone Roses and The Charlatans. The music of Madchester was the soundtrack for drug fueled raves that were happening in the city at the time. Happy Mondays were one of the major bands of this era, releasing four albums between 1987 and 1992. Pills ‘N’ Thrills is their third album, and was their most successful. Led by singer Shaun Ryder and produced by British DJ Paul Oakenfold, Pills ‘N’ Thrills was the soundtrack of the beginning of the nineties…in Manchester. Outside of England, this music never really took a major hold. That’s okay. It served its purpose.
This album produced a pair of hits for the band. “Kinky Afro”, which contains elements of the Labelle hit “Lady Marmalade”, and “Step On”, a cover of a 1971 song by John Kongos. “Loose Fit” did well also, but there was otherwise not much to this band. Pills ‘N’ Thrills is loaded with filler, and after one more record, both Madchester and Happy Mondays had slipped into oblivion. The band are back, but they have released just one album since returning at the end of the nineties, and are basically a British “remember these guys?” act. Pills ‘N’ Thrills is their best work (and by far their worst album cover). If this brand of 80’s-90’s dance music appeals to you, then this may be for you. Otherwise, this is an average record by an average band.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
GOO GOO DOLLS
A BOY NAMED GOO
1995 – WARNER BROS
Produced By LOU GIORDANO & GOO GOO DOLLS
1. Long Way Down
2. Burnin’ Up
3. Naked
4. Flat Top
5. Impersonality
6. Name
7. Only One
8. Somethin’ Bad
9. Ain’t That Unusual
10. So Long
11. Eyes Wide Open
12. Disconnected
13. Slave Girl
Early in the band’s career, Johnny Rzeznik publicly admitted that Goo Goo Dolls was “kind of a stupid name”. On this, I agree. I also am not a fan of the band riffing on the Johnny Cash tune “A Boy Named Sue” for the title of this album. But whatever. They have chosen to live with this name for going on 40 years…their cross to bear. Otherwise, Goo Goo Dolls had some pretty terrific success for a couple of decades, and it started with A Boy Named Goo. It’s their fifth album, and their breakthrough. “Name” was their first real hit, and the album boasts five singles that helped to put the band (finally) on the map. Their biggest hit, “Iris” and their biggest album, Dizzy Up The Girl, were still on the horizon, but this is the beginning of the band’s peak, which would last for a full decade.
In the world of 90’s rock, Goo Goo Dolls were a mid shelf name at best. This album boasts a few of their better songs beside “Name”. “Only One”, “Long Way Down” and “Naked” were examples of what the Dolls could do when they were on…but they were not always at their best. A Boy Named Goo contains as many really promising tracks as it does duds, which ended up being the story of this band. Their hits keep them remembered…their album tracks keep them from being memorable. Their band name kept them from being cool, and this album title helped keep them from the consistency a band like this needs to be remembered as great. A Boy Named Goo shows promise that the band never was able to live up to. Average, like almost everything else they have done.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
SIA
COLOUR THE SMALL ONE
2004 – ASTRALWERKS
Produced By JIMMY HOGARTH
1. Rewrite
2. Sunday
3. Breathe Me
4. The Bully
5. Sweet Potato
6. Don’t Bring Me Down
7. Natale’s Song
8. Moon
9. The Church Of What’s Happening Now
10. Numb
11. Where I Belong
Sia is Australian singer Sia Furler. Colour The Small One is her third album, and it was not a very good seller. She was still relatively unknown at the time, but the album did give her a significant break. “Breathe Me” became popular more than a year after the album was released when it was used as the closing song in the final episode of the HBO series Six Feet Under. It’s a fine track, but it would be another six years and two albums later before Sia hit it big with We Are Born and 1000 Forms Of Fear. At this point in her career, she had made a pair of records that had gone almost completely unnoticed, and had it not been for “Breathe Me”, it might have been over for her before her 2010’s peak. This is a much different record from her electropop hits years later, and that’s a good thing.
On Colour The Small One, Sia utilizes electronics, but this is also just as much a folk album. She proves herself here to be a pleasant singer, and a somewhat inconsistent songwriter. Along with “Breathe Me”, there are high points. “Sunday”, “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “Numb”, and “Where I Belong” show the promise that Sia would later show on a more consistent basis, but the rest of the album lacks the catchiness and quality of those songs. “The Bully”, co-written by Beck, falls flat, and even while “Breathe Me” was breathing new life into her career by appearing in video games and promos for the 2008 Olympics, it wasn’t enough to lift the album as a whole. Colour The Small One is ultimately an average release at best, worth a listen for the high points listed above. But not her best work, by far.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
DAVID GRAY
A CENTURY ENDS
1993 – CAROLINE
Produced By DAVE ANDERSON
1. Shine
2. A Century Ends
3. Debauchery
4. Let The Truth Sting
5. Gathering Dust
6. Wisdom
7. Lead Me Upstairs
8. Living Room
9. Birds Without Wings
10. It’s All Over
David Gray has been compared favorably to Van Morrison, which is no small feat. He hit it big at the end of the nineties with his album White Ladder, and he remained a big seller through the decade of the 2000’s. A Century Ends is his 1993 debut, the first of three records that would be mostly ignored. His folk rock sound, along with his emotionally tinged vocals, make this first effort well worth a listen. His songwriting was still developing at this time, and his more popular later turn to a more electronic sound was still on the horizon. His accent is strong and intriguing, and he uses his unique voice to create some truly beautiful moments. Even at this early point in his career, it was easy to see that Gray was going to be a force to be reckoned with. It just wasn’t his time yet.
Too bad…because the best moments here are gorgeous. “Wisdom”, “Birds Without Wings”, and “Shine” are strong, and the whole thing is wrapped around the enchanting “Gathering Dust”. A Century Ends is a simple album, wrapped up in a combo of swirling acoustic guitars and Gray’s powerful vocals. Six years later, Gray would become the star he deserved to be, and he continues to record to this day, having released a dozen studio albums. His early work is important, too, as it showcases him in a more stripped down setting, and shows his growth as a songwriter. You’ll want his three UK number one albums…1998’s White Ladder, A New Day At Midnight (2002), and Life In Slow Motion (2005)…but A Century Ends is a prize in itself.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION
ONE SIZE FITS ALL
1975 – DISCREET
Produced By FRANK ZAPPA
1. Inca Roads
2. Can’t Afford No Shoes
3. Sofa No. 1
4. Po-Jama People
5. Florentine Pogen
6. Evelyn, A Modified Dog
7. San Ber’dino
8. Andy
9. Sofa No. 2
One Size Fits All is the tenth and last studio album by the Mothers Of Invention, led by Frank Zappa. You won’t find any hits here, but you will find some very interesting music. Beginning with “Inca Roads”, which may be the most complex Zappa piece ever (and there are a LOT of Zappa pieces), this may not contain songs that would be considered entertaining, but the playing on this record is pretty exceptional. The closest thing to a hit here is “San Ber’dino”, a comedic piece that plays as modern jazz when the lyrics aren’t happening. Zappa was always an acquired taste, and his albums could be trying. One Size Fits All is surprisingly listenable, especially when he isn’t singing. This album contains jazz freakouts, it rocks, and it’s smart as hell.
Johnny “Guitar” Watson adds vocals on the last two tracks, and Captain Beefheart plays some nice uncredited harmonica. The two “Sofa” tracks (one has vocals, one does not) became an important part of Zappa’s shows. As for the Mothers, the personnel had changed a lot over the years, and the band split after this album and the live Bongo Fury (also from 1975). Zappa, of course, remained highly prolific until his death in 1993. While the earlier Mothers albums tend to be more solid, One Size Fits All is maybe the best played of their efforts. The songs aren’t very memorable, but to their credit, they do play the crap out of them. A good, but not great, transitional album from one of the very best. Zappa always was a true genius, and the Mothers were a great compliment to his talent.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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
LedZep
Romanelli
junodog4
1,046
HoldenM
948
paladisiac
706
Brad1770
662
Mercury
659
meccalecca
505
johnner
440
