What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

COLD CHISEL "twentieth century" vinyl/cd, 1984.

career stats:
studio albums..............9
singles.......................27

this album.....................#1 AU...#18 NZ
singles:
"hold me tight"..............#14 AU
"Saturday night"............#11 AU
"twentieth century"........#91 AU
"flame trees".................#26 AU

fifth and final album from these Aussie rockers prior to their disbandment...
they've reformed several times over the years to record another four albums inbetween their solo projects...
some heavy pub rock on here, some nice blues rock and ballads also...
album contains my two favourite singles of theirs in "Saturday night" and "flame trees", the latter
is also my favourite track of theirs ever...
both of those tacks are slower ballad type tracks, and that's how I prefer Jimmy Barnes vocals as a rule...
album is on par with most of theirs for me, a couple of love tracks and a couple of dud tracks also...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: painted doll
best track: flame trees

[video=youtube;K8KgP2aOXcA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8KgP2aOXcA[/video]

tracks:

1...build this love **
2...twentieth century **
3...ghost town *
4...Saturday night ***
5...painted doll *
6...no sense **
7...flame trees ***
8...only one *
9...hold me tight **
10.sing to me **
11.the game *
12.Janelle *

3s=2
2s=6
1s=4

rating: 1.9

[CRAZY-HORSE]

CHEAP TRICK "dream police" vinyl/cd 1979

career stats:
studio albums..............17
singles........................64

this album....................#6 US...#7 AU
singles:
"dream police".............#26 US...#5 AU...#4 CAN
"voices"......................#32 US..............#12 CAN
"way of the world"...............................................#73 UK
"i'll be with you"......................no chart action

band's fourth and biggest seller...
all round classic rock on here, bordering on the hairbands sound of the 1980s....
their first album to broaden their sound and use orchestrations also...
a very good album from the get-go until the final fade out...
I own ten including the "live at budokan" album, if this isn't my favourite it will
come in a close second...
awesome rock and roll that simply doesn't exist anymore....

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: writing on the wall
best track: dream police

[video=youtube;OPemyipJzAM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPemyipJzAM[/video]

tracks:

1...dream police ***
2...way of the world **
3...the house is rockin' ***
4...gonna raise hell ***
5...i'll be with you tonight ***
6...voices **
7...writing on the wall **
8...I know what I want **
9...need your love **

3s=4
2s=5
1s=0

rating: 2.4

[Jerome]

Tori Amos - Scarlett's Walk - a concept album, even though Tori denies it. I love the first half of this album (Amber Waves, Strange & A Sorta Fairytale) and then the second half does nothing for me. It just sort of falls apart from there on. Pity. Could have been a contender!

[Oceansoul]

Tori Amos - Scarlett's Walk - a concept album, even though Tori denies it. I love the first half of this album (Amber Waves, Strange & A Sorta Fairytale) and then the second half does nothing for me. It just sort of falls apart from there on. Pity. Could have been a contender!

I listen to A Sorta Fairytale from Scarlett's Walk sometimes, but Little Earthquakes is my jam. I also like From The Choirgirl Hotel, and a couple of songs from Boys For Pele.

[Ruby]

The Rides – Pierced Arrow released May 2016. The Rides are Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg – also, notably, drums by Chris Layton of Double Trouble.




Mr Stills and associates have served up a perfectly executed plate of blues rock – seriously – this is the musical equivalent of fine dining, IMHO – well, ok – maybe not quite haute cuisine, but a gourmet burger at the very least, lol! A real pleasure to listen to with just a couple of tracks I could do without (which is not to say they are not well done), and the only slightly bum notes belonging to the now very craggy voice of the man with the plush toy giraffe; that said, it’s amazing how shades of the CSN sound remain discernible in places, cracked vocals notwithstanding. Stills and Kenny Wayne share vocal duty and the whole affair comes across as remarkably relaxed – very nice keys from Barry Goldberg - the musicianship is beyond question IMHO, and the masterful handling makes my heart sing. They’re proud of their old school (analogue) recording and justifiably so - it’s such a relief to know, a mere thirty seconds into the first track, that it’s all gonna be ok.

Some picks ….

“There Was A Place” – Stills lead vocal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9VbwbQ5osE

“By My Side” – Kenny Wayne lead - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMtWtDEH2V4

“Virtual World” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yp2UIfi8WI

“I’ve Got To Use My Imagination” – KWS again

[video=youtube;VCrbyR_IETc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCrbyR_IETc[/video]

[Ruby]

My goodness – Marillion’s new release F E A R is quite something to get one’s head around; and once you begin to do that, it reveals itself as a gem, albeit a many faceted bauble with some very sharp edges. The album is divided into three movements “El Dorado”, “The Leavers” and “The New Kings”, which are separated by an interlude/interleading track. The website for lyrics, etc., http://www.marillion.com/lyric.htm



Band members:
Steve Hogarth (H) – vocals, keyboards
Mark Kelly – keyboards, backing vocals
Ian Mosley – drums, backing vocals
Steve Rothery – guitars, backing vocals
Pete Trewavas – bass guitar, backing vocals, guitars

It was never intended to be a comfortable, feel-good release, and it most certainly is none of the above! It’s excellent music though, and while the content requires of you that you think, that doesn’t detract from the flow and composition. It’s a protest album - a no-holds-barred political excursion and examination of the present state of the planet, brutal in it its intensity, yet oddly gentle – they’re saying what they want to say, what they feel is important, in no uncertain terms, and the fascinating thing is that it’s all the more powerful because of their maturity - in music and in general. (Steve Rothery in particular, is an amazing guitarist, but they’re all highly accomplished and have been playing together for a long time … it shows.)

They’re not brash, not screaming, not forcefully and angrily thumping their message at you despite the album’s title which is an acronym of F*** Everyone and Run and is also the title of a song in the “The New Kings” movement. It’s the least gratuitous use of the eff word I’ve ever heard in song and is not offensive IMHO (it’s almost tasteful, in fact!), not that they are at all perturbed about that eventuality. Hogarth seems to have developed his voice a bit more and he quietly ‘keens’ this in falsetto which makes you listen harder than if something were just to be shoved in your face. People who don’t raise their voices in order to make a point know this very effective little secret!

Here’s H’s comment on the album title which I just found - ”This title is adopted not in anger or with any intention to shock. It is adopted and sung (in the song "New Kings”) tenderly, in sadness and resignation inspired by an England, and a world, which increasingly functions on an “Every man for himself” philosophy. I won’t bore you with examples, they’re all over the newspapers every day. There’s a sense of foreboding that permeates much of this record. I have a feeling that we’re approaching some kind of sea-change in the world – an irreversible political, financial, humanitarian and environmental storm. I hope that I’m wrong. I hope that my FEAR of what “seems” to be approaching is just that, and not FEAR of what “is” actually about to happen.”

I have to hear the whole album a couple more times in order to properly absorb it, but my feeling is that it’s going to make a splash in certain circles and will be recognised as something of a tour de force for this exceptionally hard working band.

May as well go with that title track ….

[video=youtube;Xiwtl-ljUI0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xiwtl-ljUI0[/video]

[Jerome]

Sounds like it could be a Roger Waters solo album - even the opening vocal reminds me of Waters. A super find Ruby! Really like that retro guitar sound and the keyboards. Why is the 'A' in a box with square corners while the others have rounded corners? I assume it supposed to mean something????

[CRAZY-HORSE]

that Marillion album is going to get played via Spotify tomorrow afternoon based on what you posted Ruby, thanks.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

CHEAP TRICK "one on one" vinyl/cd 1982

career stats:
studio albums.............17
singles.......................64

this album................#39 US...#25 AU
singles:
"if you want my love"......#45 US...#2 AU...#11 CAN...#57 UK
"she's tight"...................#65 US
"Saturday ay midnight".......no chart action

album #6 for Cheap Trick....
contains the classic rock ballad "if you want my love"...
album is a return to simple straight foreward rock and roll...
none of the orchestrations on this one or fancy solos....
album suffered as many thought it was a backwards step after progressing nicely over
the last two or three albums...
not their best album IMO, but pretty reasonable just the same, hey, any album with that
fore mentioned cant be that bad...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: I want be man
best track: if you want my love

[video=youtube;Zzew738f5TA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzew738f5TA&list=RDZzew738f5TA&index=1[/video]

tracks:

1...I want you ***
2...one on one **
3...if you want my love ***
4...oo la la la **
5...lookin' out for number one **
6...shes tight **
7...time is runnin' **
8...Saturday at midnight **
9...loves got a hold on me **
10.i want be man *
11.four letter word **

3s=2
2s=8
1s=1

rating: 2.0

[Ruby]

that Marillion album is going to get played via Spotify tomorrow afternoon based on what you posted Ruby, thanks.

Great! Hope you find it a worthy listen.