DAFT PUNK
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES
2013 – COLUMBIA
Produced By THOMAS BANGALTER, GUY-MANUEL DE HOMEM-CHRISTO, TODD EDWARDS & DJ FALCON
1. Give Life Back To Music
2. The Game Of Love
3. Giorgio By Moroder
4. Within
5. Instant Crush (Feat. Julian Casablancas)
6. Lose Yourself To Dance (Feat. Pharrell Williams)
7. Touch (Feat. Paul Williams)
8. Get Lucky (Feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers)
9. Beyond
10. Motherboard
11. Fragments Of Time (Feat. Todd Edwards)
12. Doin’ It Right (Feat. Panda Bear)
13. Contact
This French electronic duo announced their breakup in 2021, but their last album was released all the way back in 2013. Random Access Memories was that album, and it was absolutely a winner. As in the Grammy Award for Album Of The Year, along with four other awards. This was by far their most successful work, hitting number one in ten different countries, including the US, the UK and their native France. The big hit here was “Get Lucky”, an irresistible dance hit that featured Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. This is an almost perfect dance album, reminiscent of the best disco albums of the late seventies. What a way to not only peak a career, but also to cap it off. This is the definition of going out on top…even if it was almost a decade later.
For me, the only downside is the duo’s use of computerized vocals on almost every track. If you can be okay with that, then this may be perfection for you. The songs here are great, exciting and true dance anthems. Along with “Get Lucky”, Random Access Memories also includes “Doin’ It Right”, “Lose Yourself To Dance”, “Give Life Back To Music”, and “Instant Crush”…all really fine tracks. The drums are mostly live, with plenty of bass and guitar to go along with the electronics, and the guest vocals are all well done. It is a shame that Daft Punk never did a full follow up album, but you have to acknowledge what they were able to accomplish in just four releases. Random Access Memories is definitely worth hearing, digging, and enjoying.
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TRICKY
PRE-MILLENNIUM TENSION
1996 – ISLAND / POLYGRAM
Produced By TRICKY
1. Vent
2. Christiansands
3. Tricky Kid
4. Bad Dream
5. Makes Me Wanna Die
6. Ghetto Youth
7. Sex Drive
8. Bad Things
9. Lyrics Of Fury
10. My Evil Is Strong
11. Piano
Tricky was an original member of the British trip hop group Massive Attack, appearing on their first two albums. He is also a current member of that band, having rejoined in 2016. In between, he embarked on an interesting solo career that began with his excellent album Maxinquay in 1995. A year later, he released his third effort, Pre-Millennium Tension. While Maxinquay (and its follow up Nearly God) had been more dance oriented, this record is increasingly atmospheric and moody. Singer Martina Topley-Bird is featured on several songs, and Tricky incorporates reggae and soul along with a variety of beats that create a strange but very listenable landscape. The album is a mad mix of styles and emotions, with each track being a different adventure.
Pre-Millennium Tension contains “Christiansands”, which is Tricky’s most successful single. “Makes Me Wanna Die” and “Tricky Kid” are also notable, as is the Eric B. & Rakim cover “Lyrics Of Fury”. Most of what’s here works very well, and even the more confused sounding songs (like “Sex Drive”) fit in without sounding out of place. Tricky set out to make a different record, and on that front, he succeeds. He’s made sixteen solo albums along with his work with Massive Attack, and he continues to record on his own as well as work with that band. It’s his earlier records, including this one, that came out the best. Anything from Tricky in the decade of the nineties is worth seeking out. An always interesting and entertaining artist.
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CODEINE VELVET CLUB
2009 – DANGERBIRD
Produced By JON LAWLER & STUART McREDIE
1. Hollywood
2. Vanity Kills
3. Time
4. The Black Roses
5. Little Sister
6. Nevada
7. Reste Avec Moi
8. I Would Send You Roses
9. Like A Full Moon
10. Begging Bowl Blues
11. I Am The Resurrection
Codeine Velvet Club was a very short lived band from Scotland that featured solo artist Lou Hickey and Jon Lawler of The Fratellis. Lawler stated that he did this project as a way to fill time between his band’s albums. Their first and only record was released in late 2009, and after one tour, they broke up. Their sound is very British, with elements of cabaret and baroque pop. Picture The Fratelli’s with lots of horns and both male and female vocals. In a very short time, this album and band had success, and a second album was supposedly started but never finished. Lawler and Hickey are both still active, although Hickey has released just one album (from 2013). Lawler has released a pair of solo discs, along with four more Fratellis efforts.
The pair trade off vocals within songs, giving the tracks both male and female points of view (Hickey does not sing on “Begging Bowl Blues”). The two singles from the album, “Vanity Kills” and “Hollywood”, are fine songs and garnered the band some surprising attention in 2010. The songs are well written, and Lawler and Hickey’s vocal trade offs are nice. It takes a little bit to get used to how lush the arrangements are, and music this outwardly British can be taxing on the American ear. But it’s ultimately a fun and interesting album, with plenty of rewards for your patience. It would have been interesting to hear what a second album from Codeine Velvet Club could have been like, but I guess we’ll never know. If you like The Fratellis, you’ll enjoy this one.
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HAYES CARLL
KMAG YOYO (& OTHER AMERICAN STORIES)
2011 – LOST HIGHWAY
Produced By BRAD JONES & SCOTT DAVIS
1. Stomp And Holler
2. Hard Out Here
3. Chances Are
4. Grand Parade
5. KMAG YOYO
6. Another Like You (Feat. Cary Ann Hearst)
7. The Letter
8. Bye Bye Baby
9. The Lovin’ Cup
10. Bottle In My Hand
11. Grateful For Christmas
12. Hide Me
I don’t know if Hayes Carll drinks or not…but his description of himself as “boy, you ain’t a poet, just a drunk with a pen” in “Hard Out There” strikes me as completely believable…in all the right ways. This follow up to his excellent Trouble In Mind continues a fun and wonderful journey through the songwriting skills of Carll, a Texas native with not only a great gift of lyrics, but also of humor and storytelling. KMAG YOYO (military slang for “kiss my ass, guys, you’re on your own”) is loaded with gems. The album continues to prove that Carll is no fluke, and that he is a writer fine enough to be mentioned in the same breath as John Prine. This album ranks alongside his best works, and the treasures inside are more than worth seeking out.
So many terrific songs here. “Bottle In My Hand” is a perfect drunken anthem. “Hard Out Here” and the insanity of the title track are proof that Hayes Carll is a master storyteller. The real gem is the duet with Cary Ann Hearst, “Another Like You”, which pits a Democrat and a Republican against each other in a bar with plenty of alcohol that ends with a roll in the hay. It just doesn’t get any better than that, son. The rest of these songs, even the understated ones like “Hide Me” are truly musical diamonds. Carll has the gift of tuneful gab, but he has also mastered making his storytelling artful and entertaining. Country music has always had a great weaver of tales or two in its back pocket, and right now, one of those is Hayes Carll. KMAG YOYO is a fine record by an artist who deserves to be much better known.
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CROSBY, STILLS & NASH
GREATEST HITS
2005 – RHINO
Produced By GRAHAM NASH & JOEL BERNSTEIN
1. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
2. Long Time Gone
3. Just A Song Before I Go
4. Southern Cross
5. Marrakesh Express
6. Helplessly Hoping
7. Shadow Captain
8. Our House
9. Guinnevere
10. See The Changes
11. Teach Your Children
12. Wooden Ships
13. Delta
14. 49 Bye-Byes
15. Wasted On The Way
16. Carry On / Questions
17. In My Dreams
18. Cathedral
19. Daylight Again
I don’t know…maybe a compilation album per decade keeps people from forgetting you? This somewhat strange Rhino collection is credited to Crosby, Stills & Nash but not Neil Young. Even though there are three songs from the CSNY album Déjà Vu, they were able to keep Young’s name off of the album because Neil does not appear on any of those songs. And yet, Young is thanked in the liner notes. Also kind of odd…even though this came out in 2005, it completely ignores the trios last four studio albums. Meaning that this collection includes nothing after the year 1982. Not that they were huge between 1983 and 1999, but not even a single good track from that period seems odd. And really…this adds nothing new to their already crowded discography of compilation albums.
So, really, the only thing that this collection has to offer that’s unique is the omission of Neil Young. Which is strange, as Young’s contributions were quite positive. Kind of like making a Beatles best of, but not allowing anything by George Harrison. Otherwise, hey. The music here is fine. These songs are all great works, and are all worth having. But. They are from just four albums, and if you’re a fan, they are the four you’d be most likely to already own. Also, not only are the tracks not in chronological order, the order they are in makes very little sense. So my recommendation is this: get the first four albums, and if you need a hits disc, go with So Far from 1974, which includes the contributions by Young (as does Déjà Vu from 1970). Do that, and you can skip this. Three stars for content quality only…it’s otherwise not necessary at all.
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GIN BLOSSOMS
CONGRATULATIONS I’M SORRY
1996 – A&M
Produced By GIN BLOSSOMS & JOHN HAMPTON
1. Day Job
2. Highwire
3. Follow You Down
4. Not Only Numb
5. As Long As It Matters
6. Perfectly Still
7. 7th Inning Stretch
8. My Car
9. Virginia
10. Whitewash
11. I Can’t Figure You Out
12. Memphis Time
13. Competition Smile
Pretty sad story, this one. Gin Blossoms had to fire their lead guitarist Doug Hopkins near the end of recording their breakthrough album, New Miserable Experience. Hopkins played on that album, and was credited as songwriter on several tracks, including their big hit “Hey Jealousy”. But Hopkins had a drinking problem, and the band couldn’t continue with him. Just as the album was taking off, Hopkins committed suicide. So how do you come back from that, much less continue? The follow up album was Congratulations I’m Sorry, which was how people spoke to them about their success and their loss. Gin Blossoms, to their credit, made a pretty good record with such a big chunk of the band irretrievably gone. It’s an upbeat record, but it’s also obvious that Hopkins was sorely missed.
The best song here is easily “Follow You Down”, which was the band's last hit. Three other singles were released that went unnoticed. “As Long As It Matters” and “Day Job” are good, but the rest of the album shows how important Hopkins was. Try as they did, Gin Blossoms sounds like much less of a band here, which they were. They broke up in 1997, and got back together five years later. They’ve released another three albums, but have never gotten close to being the band they were on New Miserable Experience. That’s really the only record you will need from this once promising group. Congratulations I’m Sorry was a nice try that falls just short. For just a moment, Gin Blossoms was on the verge of great things. This disc comes just after that moment had passed.
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MOGWAI
SPECIAL MOVES
2010 – ROCK ACTION
Produced By JOHN CUMMINGS
1. I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
2. Friend Of The Night
3. Hunted By A Freak
4. Mogwai Fear Satan
5. Cody
6. You Don’t Know Jesus
7. I Know You Are But What Am I
8. I Love You, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School
9. 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
10. Like Herod
11. Glasgow Megasnake
Being a vocalist, you would think that I would not be a fan of post rock music. On the contrary…I love this stuff. Bands like Explosions In The Sky, Tortoise and Godspeed You! Black Emperor that make spacious, intense and brooding mostly vocal free music using rock instruments work very well for me. I guess there’s something about modern music that ignores boundaries that appeals to me. Mogwai is a Scottish band that has had a long and fruitful career. Formed in 1995, they have released ten studio albums, with their latest effort, 2021’s As The Love Continues reaching number one in the UK. Special Moves is their first of three live albums, and it's a really good set from the band. Even better…the version I have also includes an eight track DVD. Nice.
Special Moves contains a number of shorter songs, including the hit “Friend Of The Night”. Longer songs are here as well. “Like Herod” is a live favorite from the band, and is a highlight here along with “Mogwai Fear Station”. The album was recorded in Brooklyn, New York in 2009, and it’s a great example of how post rock can work very well in a live setting. Mogwai had already been at it for almost fifteen years when this was recorded, so it’s a tight and very well played set. Because it does contain some shorter tracks, and because the songs are among the bands better compositions, this is a good introduction to the genre. Post rock is music that has multiple rewards for those who are patient…it’s intricate, dynamic, and highly interesting as a rock alternative. This album is well worth a listen, for sure.
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YEASAYER
ODD BLOOD
2010 – SECRETLY CANADIAN
Produced By YEASAYER
1. The Children
2. Ambling Alp
3. Madder Red
4. I Remember
5. O.N.E.
6. Love Me Girl
7. Rome
8. Strange Reunions
9. Mondegreen
10. Grizelda
Sadly underappreciated is the best way I can think of to describe Yeasayer. Also, sadly not around anymore. This strange experimental genre bending band from Brooklyn debuted in 2007 with All Hour Cymbals, an album that turned world music and psychedelic rock upside down. It was critically acclaimed and commercially ignored. Same for the follow up, Odd Blood. This album is a bit more traditional in its content, but it’s still adventurous and sounds terrific. The best tracks here are pretty incredible, and the lesser songs are still exciting and brave. The album art is even weirder than the debut, but this still should have sold a lot more than it did. Yeasayer was together for just over a decade and released five albums that all should have done much better.
The best song here by far is “Ambling Alp”, which contains the kind of irresistible hook that Yeasayer should have become famous for. It became their biggest hit, and rightfully so. Not far behind is “O.N.E.”, along with the fine “I Remember” and “Madder Red”. They sound a lot bigger than the trio they were (they brought in drummers, as they didn’t have one). Lots of keyboards with guitar and bass, along with occasional horns to make all of the wonderful sounds that Yeasayer was capable of. Their weird brand of pop music became, unfortunately, not quite as popular as it should have, and the band made three more albums that went mostly ignored before splitting up in 2019. Their music is well worth seeking out, especially the first two records. This is well worth your time.
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PAUL SIMON
ONE TRICK PONY
1980 – WARNER BROS
Produced By PAUL SIMON & PHIL RAMONE
1. Late In The Evening
2. That’s Why God Made The Movies
3. One Trick Pony (Live)
4. How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns
5. Oh, Marion
6. Ace In The Hole (Live)
7. Nobody
8. Jonah
9. God Bless The Absentee
10. Long, Long Day
11. Soft Parachutes
12. All Because Of You
13. Spiral Highway
14. Stranded In A Limousine
Paul Simon’s solo career hit a sizable speedbump after his 1975 album, Still Crazy After All These Years. Between 1976 and 1980, he had a hit with “Slip Slidin’ Away”, tried his hand at acting, and released no studio albums. In 1980, he wrote and starred in the film One Trick Pony, which bombed at the box office and marked the end of Simon’s serious film endeavors. The album One Trick Pony, which serves as the soundtrack despite having most of the songs in versions that differ from the film, fared slightly better…but it was also the first Simon solo album that failed to crack the top ten. Without question, it was his weakest album at the time, and it was starting to look like, after a five year absence, that Simon was losing his way.
The biggest highlight is the hit “Late In The Evening”, which, not surprisingly, features a Cuban beat…it would become apparent in a few years that Simon could still write great songs as long as they had a world beat. “Oh Marion” was a failed single, and Simon’s more keyboard based sound was growing tired. Two songs (the title track and “Ace In The Hole”) are live and have a bit more bounce. But mostly, this soundtrack to a film about an aging rocker sounds just like that…Simon is almost out of touch. He’d get it all back in just a few years with Graceland in 1986. But for now, it’s Simon sounding like he’s treading water and not really getting anywhere. The 2004 version here contains his film character’s lone “hit” (“Soft Parachutes”) and the fine bonus track, “Stranded In A Limousine”.
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AUSTIN WINTORY
JOURNEY
2012 – SONY COMPUTER EQUIPMENT
Produced By AUSTIN WINTORY, KEITH LEARY & MONTY MUDD
1. Nascence
2. The Call
3. First Confluence
4. Second Confluence
5. Threshold
6. Third Confluence
7. The Road Of Trials
8. Fourth Confluence
9. Temptations
10. Descent
11. Fifth Confluence
12. Atonement
13. Final Confluence
14. The Crossing
15. Reclamation
16. Nadir
17. Apotheosis
18. I Was Born For This
Austin Wintory is an American electronic musician who specializes in film and video game soundtracks. Journey is a game that involves the player wandering in the desert towards a mountain. Sound exciting? I have never seen the game, but it is, apparently, quite the cosmic experience. It is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, and it has won several awards. Also winning awards for Journey was Wintory, whose soundtrack is, not normal for a game companion, quite lovely and stunning. Wintory was nominated for a total of nine awards, including a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media…a first for a video soundtrack. The album won five of the nine awards it was nominated for. Quite the accomplishment.
Journey still stands as Wintory’s musical peak. The sound of the album is lush and beautiful…it’s easy to forget that it’s electronic, and that it’s a soundtrack for a game. The album is all instrumental, except for the final track, which is sung by Lisbeth Scott. Usually, instrumental soundtracks are tedious listens, but Journey is an absolute exception. Again, without having played or even seen the game, I can imagine it to be a marvelous adventure filled with wonder and wild discoveries. It also makes me want to play Journey, something I have never gotten from a soundtrack before. In all, Journey is quite the victory for Austin Wintory, who is now my hero in the world of soundtrack music. Even if you’ve never played it, this is a strong and beautiful album. Well done!
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