THE POGUES
HELL’S DITCH
1990 – ISLAND
Produced By JOE STRUMMER
1. Sunny Side Of The Street
2. Sayonara
3. The Ghost Of A Smile
4. Hell’s Ditch
5. Lorca’s Novena
6. Summer In Siam
7. Rain Street
8. Rainbow Man
9. The Wake Of The Medusa
10. House Of The Gods
11. 5 Green Queens & Jean
12. Maidrin Rua
13. Six To Go
Nothing makes for a good roof raising than some good old Irish punk. And, for the second half of the 80’s, the Pogues were the best of them all. Not Irish (they were from London), the band combined a fierce punk sensibility with the sneer of singer Shane MacGowan and traditional Irish instruments. Their finest moment was 1985’s Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, a masterpiece of the mid 80’s. But things began to go downhill, mainly because of MacGowan’s relentless drinking problem. By the time of Hell’s Ditch, the band was just a shadow of what they had been. MacGowan was kicked out after this was released, but the damage was done. The magic was gone, and the Pogues would never be the same. Hell’s Ditch has moments that recall their best days (“Rain Street” for instance), but MacGowan’s voice is just too far gone.
The rest of the band tries to soldier on, and you can tell that they are a strong unit…but MacGowan was also their chief songwriter. They can also be heard moving further away from the Irish roots that had made them great, veering into more straight ahead rock. But the tin whistles and mandolins and other traditional instruments are still present. In all, Hell’s Ditch is simply a disappointment of an album by a band that was once on the threshold of greatness. MacGowan was replaced briefly by former Clash singer Joe Strummer, then by tin whistle player Spider Stacy. They recorded briefly, then called it a day at the bottom of their game. MacGowan is still at it, although he has never made it back to the peak he experienced with the Pogues. A once and briefly great band…this is not their best work, by any means.
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1. If Looks Could Kill
2. What About Love
3. Never
4. These Dreams
5. The Wolf
6. All Eyes
7. Nobody Home
8. Nothin’ At All
9. What He Don’t Know
10. Shell Shock
The name of this album could have easily been Changing With The Times. Heart found their audience slipping away from them as hair metal began taking over the rock charts in the mid eighties, so they did the sensible thing: they gave themselves a makeover. The over the top costumes and huge hair were enough to make even the most loyal Dreamboat Annie fan do a double take, and their video focus on Nancy Wilson was pretty shameless, but it was what was inside this album that was the biggest change. Overnight, Heart had begun to work with outside songwriters (half of the songs here were written by others), and they brought in as their new main weapons huge banks of cheesy 80’s keyboards, metal power chords, and a seemingly never ending stream of the one ingredient guaranteed to bring a hard rock band success in the decade…power ballads.
And lots of them. The faster tracks, like “If Looks Could Kill” and “Never”, seemed heavy, but they were really nothing more than dance pop with big chords. The ballads were huge hits. “What About Love” and “These Dreams” brought Heart to what was, surprisingly, their commercial peak. These songs today are empty and dated, saved only, as is the rest of this entire phase of their career, by the exceptional singing of Ann Wilson. Don’t get me wrong…this album is extremely well crafted, well played, and well sung. And for all the metal posturing that was going on in 1985, Heart did it with more grace than most. It’s surprising that they were able to take a successful turn into a young man’s game. But this album, despite how successful it was, is a far cry from the days of “Barracuda” and “Magic Man”. Still, an interesting turn for one of the classic bands of the 70’s.
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SLADE
OLD NEW BORROWED AND BLUE
1974 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By CHAS CHANDLER
1. Just Want A Little Bit
2. When The Lights Are Out
3. My Town
4. Find Yourself A Rainbow
5. Miles Out To Sea
6. We’re Really Gonna Raise The Roof
7. Do We Still Do It
8. How Can It Be
9. Don’t Blame Me
10. My Friend Stan
11. Everyday
12. Good Time Gals
13. I’m Mee I’m Now And That’s Orl
14. Kill ‘Em At The Hot Club Tonite
15. The Bangin’ Man
16. She Did It To Me
17. Slade Talk To “19” Readers
If you grew up in America in the 70’s and 80’s, you can be forgiven if you didn’t know who Slade was. They were huge in Britain, and unknown in the States until Quiet Riot put them on the US radar by covering two of their songs: the unfortunately titled "Cum On Feel The Noize” and “Mama Weer All Crazee Now”. Even then, their fame here was short lived, and by the time Nirvana came along, their entire catalog was out of print stateside. The truth is, Slade is as heavy as their name sounds…and as pop as hard rock can be this side of Def Leppard. Singer Noddy Holder sounds like Quiet Riot’s Kevin DuBrow, only a lot closer to the microphone and deeper inside your ear canal. The truth is, this band is the birth of 80’s Hollywood hair metal, which means that they were highly influential. I’m not saying that this is a good thing, but it is a thing. They were actually more glam than metal, more pop than metal, and more British than most American listeners can usually stand.
Old New Borrowed And Blue is their fourth album. It was released in the US as Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet minus the British hit “My Friend Stan”. This version is the 2006 release, which is the original British version plus some bonus tracks. One listen to “My Friend Stan” is all you need to know why they never were big here. This album is pretty much divided between overly campy tracks like “Stan” and heavy rock tracks featuring Holder’s more than annoying screeching. The other UK hit, “Everyday”, is piano driven soft rock that would have never been big in the states. Ultimately, Slade, now together for over 50 years, simply doesn’t work in America. It’s okay…let the British have this one. Because of hair metal and MTV, we know who they are…and that’s enough. As for this album…it’s bearable, but ultimately not memorable at all. My advice…pass if you can.
This is really interesting. I grew up in Germany where Slade (probably) were even bigger than in the UK. I was not a fan but I liked Stan and loved Everyday. Slade were a Singles Band though and one should not listen to a whole album probably. I always wondered why Pop in the US was so different from UK/Germany. But I can not really tell what it is that makes the difference. There used to be a radio show that would play the Top 5 in England, America and Germany. And as a rule I mostly disliked the American songs (not as much as I disliked the German.)
It seemed that for every sophisticated (and great) Steely Dan or Harry Chapin there were a dozen silly Glen Campbells or Debby Boones. And the British Band that did make it (in the 70s) like Supertramp or ELO only did so by starting to make bad records. Why would Americans prefer Breakfast to Crime? Do you know? Is it the production? So what is it with Stan that you (and presumably all Americans) immediately know that it cannot be big in the US? I really would like to know. _________________ When the stewardess is near do not show any fear.
This is really interesting. I grew up in Germany where Slade (probably) were even bigger than in the UK. I was not a fan but I liked Stan and loved Everyday. Slade were a Singles Band though and one should not listen to a whole album probably. I always wondered why Pop in the US was so different from UK/Germany. But I can not really tell what it is that makes the difference. There used to be a radio show that would play the Top 5 in England, America and Germany. And as a rule I mostly disliked the American songs (not as much as I disliked the German.)
It seemed that for every sophisticated (and great) Steely Dan or Harry Chapin there were a dozen silly Glen Campbells or Debby Boones. And the British Band that did make it (in the 70s) like Supertramp or ELO only did so by starting to make bad records. Why would Americans prefer Breakfast to Crime? Do you know? Is it the production? So what is it with Stan that you (and presumably all Americans) immediately know that it cannot be big in the US? I really would like to know.
American popular music in the seventies (and beyond) was notoriously thin. And I believe that a lot of the American tastes were thin as well. Much of the better music during that time was from the UK, and people who were into what was beyond the top 40 understood that. I understand that American music went through a long period in England of being looked down on (and a lot of that, rightfully so), with exceptions like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
Slade was never big in America...and on that one, I believe we got it right. Why? I don't know about everyone else...but for myself, I always found Slade to be...silly. And there was a certain British sound that I can't explain that I don't think Americans related to very well, which Slade was drenched in. It just sounded foreign to us, in the same way that some of what The Kinks did. But The Kinks were different...they also could really pull off that sound that bands like The Stones could make happen. Slade could not. The only reason anyone knows who they are here at all was because of Quiet Riot...and they were not a very good band, either.
I do know that, especially from the seventies and eighties...there were wider differences between British and American rock. I believe that Crime is a far superior album to Breakfast...but Breakfast was more in tune to American ears, including the album title. And I loved the early ELO albums...but the lesser later ones had hit singles. On the other hand...there is Queen. They were huge here in America...they were heroes to all of us trying to make our bands work...the sky was the limit, and even when they sounded over the top British (as on "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon"), it sounded almost death defying. But when The Game came out, we looked at that plain, dull album cover, heard songs like "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites The Dust", heard them using synthesizers, and the love affair was over. Queen became more and more a band that belonged to the UK.
In all, I don't know. It is an interesting question, and I wish I had a solid answer. I can only go with what I know from the time. "My Friend Stan" was a top 10 single in 7 countries...and it did not chart at all in the US. Same with "Everyday". Why? I guess we just have tastes that sometimes differ significantly. _________________ May we all get to heaven
'Fore the devil knows we're dead...
CHRIS ISAAK
HEART SHAPED WORLD
1989 – REPRISE
Produced By ERIK JACOBSEN
1. Heart Shaped World
2. I’m Not Waiting
3. Don’t Make Me Dream About You
4. Kings Of The Highway
5. Wicked Game
6. Blue Spanish Sky
7. Wrong To Love You
8. Forever Young
9. Nothing’s Changed
10. In The Heat Of The Jungle
11. Diddley Daddy
Off the top of your head…can you name two Chris Isaak songs? Most people can’t. And most people can name “Wicked Game”. Isaak, who has been called the Roy Orbison of the 90’s, has a lot of things going for him: he’s always been a great looking guy, he has a powerful reverence for the music of the 1950’s, and the guy can flat out sing. He can rock, and he can bring down the house with a perfectly placed ballad. He can act…he’s appeared in a couple of handfuls of films and numerous TV shows. His music career has mostly been, with the exception of Heart Shaped World, an exercise in flying under the radar. He consistently makes good, but never great, albums. And his one big hit (“Wicked Game”) has been tortured to death by more cover band singers who don’t have the chops for it than just about any other song.
“Wicked Game” is a fine track. Just, please, don’t play it in your band. As for the rest of Heart Shaped World, this is exactly what you get with Chris Isaak. It’s okay. It has moments of real vocal beauty. His guitarist, Calvin Wilsey, is a true gem of a player. And you’ll walk away remembering having heard exactly one song. Because the one thing that Isaak does not have in his favor is a collection of great material. It’s the one thing that’s kept him from consistent mega-stardom. Not that these tracks are bad…they are not, by any means. But many of them are quite snoozy…on the verge of sleep inducing and dull. Isaak is at his best on songs like the title track. Slow song in a minor key that builds quickly, giving Isaak the dramatic room he needs to make a song work. But you can only do that so much. Like mostly everything else by Chris Isaak, this is average, unremarkable, and pleasant enough.
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But when The Game came out, we looked at that plain, dull album cover, heard songs like "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites The Dust", heard them using synthesizers, and the love affair was over. Queen became more and more a band that belonged to the UK.
Thank you for answering. I guess it will remain a mystery what makes music work (at different times and places). I do not understand what you say about Queen though. A quick check confirmed my suspicion that The Game was indeed the most successful album in the US by Queen. https://www.metalcastle.net/the-top-10-...ntil-2022/ That is what I expected, you need to make bad records to be successful in the US – The two songs you mentioned are awful. For the whole album I do not know, I stopped listening to Queen albums with News of the World. _________________ When the stewardess is near do not show any fear.
PIXIES
PIXIES AT THE BBC
1998 – 4AD
Produced By DALE GRIFFIN, MITI & MIKE ROBINSON
1. Wild Honey Pie
2. There Goes My Gun
3. Dead
4. Subbacultcha
5. Manta Ray
6. Is She Weird
7. Ana
8. Down The The Well
9. Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)
10. Letter To Memphis
11. Levitate Me
12. Caribou
13. Monkey Gone To Heaven
14. Hey
15. In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song)
The Pixies broke up in 1993. They pretty much hated each other. Too bad for the rest of us, because this was one hell of a great and innovative band. Five years after they were gone, this collection of live radio tracks recorded between 1988 and 1991 surfaced. It’s nice to have, but it’s also just flawed enough to be non-essential. It’s a live album, but it’s a radio live album…which means that the band had no audience to draw energy from, and no audience to project energy to. What you’re left with is mostly live studio re-workings of already released tracks. This is not a bad thing, it’s just not a great thing. And because these sessions were recorded over such a wide period of time, the performances vary between somewhat inspired and downright bored. However, this IS the Pixies, one of the greatest bands of their time.
So, having less than inspired versions of songs like “Monkey Gone To Heaven”, “Wave Of Mutilation”, and “There Goes My Gun” can still be considered a victory. Hearing Black Francis and Kim Deal interact is always a good thing, and this does have its moments. Being less produced and more spontaneous gives the music its own unique life. And there are a couple of surprises. Opening with a mess of a version of The Beatles’ “Wild Honey Pie” is perfect, and ending with a track from the film Eraserhead (“In Heaven”) gives you two non-originals worth having. Pixies did reunite a decade after this, but they were never the same, and Deal left in 2013. You can’t go back again with a band…it’s been proven time and again. So, this was really the last release by a truly original and gifted group that was really ahead of their time. Worth at least a listen or two.
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SHELBY LYNNE
LOVE, SHELBY
2001 – ISLAND
Produced By GLEN BALLARD
1. Trust Me
2. Bend
3. Jesus On A Greyhound
4. Wall In Your Heart
5. Ain’t It The Truth
6. I Can’t Wait
7. Tarpolean Napolean
8. Killin’ Kind
9. All Of A Sudden You Disappeared
10. Mother
It took Shelby Lynne a long time to find success. It happened on her album I Am Shelby Lynne, which resulted in her strangely winning the Grammy for Best New Artist for her sixth album. So, now that she had finally found success, what did she do next? Shelby Lynne, for her seventh album, and hugely important follow up to her breakthrough, changed everything. Gone were the sweet country sounds she had been building on for years (except for just enough twang to induce a twinge here and there). And in came producer Glen Ballard. You remember Mr. Ballard. He’s the one responsible for inflicting Alanis Morissette and her Full House daddy issues on us six years earlier. The results are pretty much unfortunate, not only for the listener, but also for Lynne. Success has pretty much eluded her since, even though she did return to her roots for her next album…aptly titled Identity Crisis.
Love, Shelby has some great songs. “Killin’ Kind” is a fine track. And it has Lynne herself, who has a pretty terrific voice. The problem here is Ballard. He’s trying to remake Jagged Little Pill with a country singer. And it does not work. Almost everything here is drenched in Ballard’s signatures…dry production, loud yet lifeless guitars, and arrangements that simply do not suit the star. The only thing that makes this album tolerable is Lynne and her voice, which somehow survives Ballard’s hatchet job. Shelby Lynne had just reached stardom, and was poised to become a real force in country music. Unfortunately, Love Shelby brings her back down to earth…for good. Completely changing your musical direction at such a critical point in your career is not a good move. Making that move with Ballard as your guide? Even worse. (Even worse than THAT...the closing track is a John Lennon cover...and it is not good.)
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VINCE GILL
THE BEST OF VINCE GILL
1989 – RCA
Produced By EMORY L. GORDY, JR., RICHARD LANDIS & BARRY BECKETT
1. Turn Me Loose
2. Oh Carolina
3. Victim Of Life’s Circumstances
4. Lucy Dee
5. Oklahoma Borderline
6. Cinderella
7. Let’s Do Something
8. The Radio
9. I’ve Been Hearing Things About You
10. I Never Knew Lonely
Vince Gill first gained national notice as the lead singer for Pure Prairie League in 1979, well after the band’s heyday. The band was a revolving door of players, and Gill left to play with Rodney Crowell and to begin a very successful solo career. He’s not a typical country artist…he’s a multi-instrumentalist with more than 50 Top 40 hits. He recently joined the Eagles as a replacement for the late Glenn Frey. This is his first compilation album, released after only four solo albums. And it’s a keeper. Gill shows that he can sing, that he can flat out play, he can write, and that he has excellent taste. He’s one of country music’s most decorated stars, and for good reason. This is a great introduction to a man who, despite his star power, has remained humble and excellent for decades. You will not be disappointed here.
This album contains three previously unreleased tracks…another bonus. “Lucy Dee” is a Steve Earle song, and the last two tracks are fine originals that would be well at home on any studio album. Gill also takes on Delbert McClinton (“Victim Of Life’s Circumstances”), and co-wrote “Oklahoma Borderline” with legends Crowell and Guy Clark. He sings with Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, and Bonnie Raitt. After hearing this, you’ll want to get his early albums to hear more of what he’s about. There’s nothing cornball or crass or cheesy here. This is good old fashioned country music by one of the very best in the business. His career since has been exceptional, too. And he’s even married to Amy Grant, for good measure. One of the really good guys in country music, one who really does deserve to be heard.
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'Fore the devil knows we're dead...
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– The two songs you mentioned are awful. For the whole album I do not know, I stopped listening to Queen albums with 
