What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

SONIC YOUTH "goo" 1990, cd. #96 US, #94 AU, #32 UK.

this is my only album of the Sonic's, it doesnt contain much of the sonic feedback drenched sounds that have been their trademark over the years, instead it is a good album of 3 minute songs, mostly in the same vein as a lot of the White Stripes music.
there is one track on here that is made up of their sonic feedback called "scooter and jinx", a one and a half minute instrumental, which is about long enough to keep my attention, thus it gets "**", any longer and it would be as crap as Neil Young's "arc" album.
"tunic" is sung by the female member of the group and is a dedication to Karen Carpenter, this one almost got "***" but for some unknown reason it didnt, "mildred pierce" has an almost punk like quality about and is quite different from the rest of the album.
the best track here for me is "titanium expose" which has small sections filled with sonic guitar work but still sounds almost 1980ish New Wave in the form of early Simple Minds.
only one bad track on this one IMO,one great one and nine good ones.....

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: cinderella's big score
best track: titanium expose

tracks:

1. dirty boots**
2. tunic**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reSOp1domrU video
3. mary christ**
4. kool thing**
5. mote**
6. my friend goo**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfwIFTsx8WE video
7. disappearer**
8. mildred pierce**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMgY_x4TigA video
9. cinderella's big score*
10.scooter and jinx**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W69cTdiDSwQ video
11.titanium expose***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWwdpBeZd0 video

3s=1
2s=9
1s=1

rating: 2.0

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



I was swept away by Television (the group, not the medium). That didn't last long, two albums, with Marquee Moon being far superior to Adventure. Tom Verlaine on a solo career had to be great, right? Not so fast. Proof once again that the sum is greater than it's parts. I thought Veraline was Television but I guess not. Could it have been the Richards (Hell and Lloyd)? This is Toms second solo album. Can't recall my opinion of the first but I'm sure it will come up in my listening rotation. This one just barely gets a passing grade. Nothing great and a few that I will pass on. Still that distinctive great guitar sound, but lyrics are weak and vocals are more strained than usual. Was interesting to read that my favorite here of Without A Word is a rewrite of a Television song, Hard On Love. Worst Of The Blue Robe is an instrumental other than the word Hi-Fi thrown in there. The album cracked the Billboard chartat #177. Think I went with one more Verlaine album before I bailed.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - The Blue Robe

Best Track - Without A Word

I've been given a fortune
a fortune in lies
so spoke Laura
as she closed her eyes
One by one
the lights are going out
Names are forgotten
There's darkness in the house

So Laura came to the water
without a word on her breath
so Laura came to the water...

where is the fellow who knows her by heart
who cares not a thing for those dealing in part
There comes coolness
to the palm of her hand
as she watches the lilies
blooming in the sand

So Laura came to the water
without a word on her breath
so Laura came to the water...

1) There's A Reason **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdevyHU9f44
2) Penetration **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrxmqdCb4uM
3) Always *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noJ2H19Qh8A
4) The Blue Robe *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwpSss8RHZA
5) Without A Word **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJAgd42HXKY
6) Mr. Blur **
7) Fragile **
8) A Future In Noise **
9) Down On The Farm *
10) Mary Marie **

3's - 0
2's - 7
1's - 3

Grade - 1.7

[Music Head]

from my library (cd)



Was late on the scene discovering these guys but once I did I came on board quick. This is the debut and I was hooked. Guess it was Yellow but other tremendous tracks on here with Trouble being my best. Only throw away is the title track, if you can call that a song at 46 seconds. Love Chris Martins vocals and the dreamy music. I can melt with most of it. The London group was an instant success in the homeland but us American blokes were slow to catch on, #1 there, #2 down under, and #51 here. Won best album in the Brit Awards and a Grammy for best Alt Album here. Sometimes them grammys get it right. Yellow, Shiver, and Trouble were all singles, with only Yellow achieving mass market play and the others only on the Modern Rock chart. I hear they have a new one on the way. Probably burnt out by now after 10 years, normal life span.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Parachutes

Best Track - Trouble

Oh no, I see,
A spider web is tangled up with me,
And I lost my head,
The thought of all the stupid things I'd said.

Oh no, what's this?
A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle,
So I turn to run,
The thought of all the stupid things I've done,

And I never meant to cause you trouble,
I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
And oh no, I never meant to do you harm.

Oh no, I see,
A spider web and it's me in the middle,
So I twist and turn,
Here am I in my little bubble,

Singing I, never meant to cause you trouble,
And I, never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh, no I never meant to do you harm.

They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me.

1) Don't Panic ***
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1horffGyO0
2) Shiver **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpwW4iraV3Q
3) Spies **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1rV3eNcVlQ
4) Sparks ***
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5xZNvMswfQ
5) Yellow ***
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MwjX4dG72s
6) Trouble ***
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHg-PhseKOQ
7) Parachutes *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYZYqkAM9uI
8) High Speed **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv6F5aZU34I
9) We Never Change ***
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZSobH1wiiM
10) Everything's Not Lost **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IywjWWlxF8

3's - 5
2's - 4
1's - 1

Grade - 2.4

[CRAZY-HORSE]

im gonna have to revisit this album as it never got much play on my player because 2.4 is a pretty high score, i do however like their latter albums.
yes, they have another album on the way, the first single from it has just been released this week, theres already talk of plagarism by coldplay to a 1990s song???...stay tuned, im sure it will hit the news soon if that is the case

[CRAZY-HORSE]

KEVIN ROWLAND & DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS "too-rye-ay" 1982,vinyl. #2 UK, #2 AU, #14 US

this was the second album by Dexys Midnight Runners and a superb one it is too.
the songs have a great 'live' feel to them and the mix of soul and folk blend almost perfectly. if you like Van Morrison's music you will love this one as it owes a lot to him, they even cover his classic "jackie wilson said" with a great performance that eclipses Van The Man's version IMO.
it contains the world-wide #1 hit "come on eileen" and four other UK smash hits, the remaining five tracks ended up as "B-sides" of other singles, so i guess that makes 10 singles out of 10 tracks from this one, not a dud track in sight and believe it or not, as good as Come On Eileen is, it does not stand out from the other tracks as much as one might think.
great album,great lyrics and vocals, and great band on display here.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

tracks:

1. celtic soul brothers*** #20 UK, #86 US
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc4RbF_rt6I live
2. lets make this precious***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r4fcnpbYdo live
3. all in all(this one last wild waltz)***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRjR6fMbCpI audio
4. jackie wilson said(im in heaven when you smile)*** #67 AU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvDlx4yvyaI&feature=fvst video
5. old** #17 UK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVB9PpwuTJM audio
6. plan b*** #58 UK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=610Ev8p3lPs audio
7. i'll show you** #16 UK
8. liaers A to E***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1GtVCeBd...CFDEE33915 live audio
9. until i believe in my soul**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkQUd-vskOk audio
10.come on eileen*** #1 UK, #1 AU, #1 US
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ThWaMnlSZM live

3s=7
2s=3
1s=0

rating: 2.7

[Music Head]

^^
damn, what a great album that is

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Akron Ohio's contribution to music, along with Devo.Always want these bands to succeed as I still had Ohio roots at this point in my life. They've pretty much rotted away at this point in my life. No doubt the Pretenders are the better of the two groups. This is their second album. I don't think it is as good as their debut. But it is a good album. Two standouts for me of Pack It Up and Jealous Dogs. Two flops to go along with those of The English Roses and Louie Louie (not that one). Wasn't crazy about Chrissie's take on the Kinks I Go To Sleep, but it'll pass. Chrissie was in the middle of a relationship with Ray Davies. After this album the band took a break following the death of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott. They would emerge with a new lineup and a more commercial oriented band on the next release. The album reached #10 on the U.S. charts.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Louie Louie

Best Track - Pack It Up

You guys are the pits of the world!

Oh, this is no place for me
Burnin' down the interbelt, from jacuzzi to jacuzzi
It's all right for you man
Gettin' smashed, gettin' suntanned
But i know my place
Where's my suitcase?

Pack it up or throw it away
What i can't carry, bury
Oh you remember me, i remember you
But that was a long, long time ago
When i was passin' through

All my family, all my friends, my lover
I got to find them
My enemies, my new family, my new friends
My future enemies, i got to flush them out

Pack it all up, nothing goes in storage
I'm burnin' every bridge
Burn, baby, burn
I see your dog got shot
Well, hell, never mind
That's show biz, big boy
You've got to be cruel to be kind

Oh, give over and admit it
I've been tearing down the interstate
Like some kind of bleeding cat
It's all right for the boss
His gain's my loss
That gets me down, it really gets me down

So pack it up and cut the crap
When the clock starts talkin', i start walkin'
When you pass in your porsche
Please don't offer me a ride
I may be a skunk
But you're a piece of junk, and furthermore
I don't like your trousers
Your appalling taste in women
And what about your mind
Your insipid record collection
That dumb home video center
The usual pronography
And all you scumbags around the world
You're the pits of the world!

1) The Adultress **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUbv-MTAMG4
2) Bad Boys Get Spanked **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B808tB5vmKM
3) Message Of Love **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQxi7BkhgbU
4) I Go To Sleep **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpBI7bxpFPo
5) Birds Of Paradise **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdDwZWG2rGo
6) Talk Of The Town **
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KcqvjSX9R4
7) Pack it Up ***
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSHmvbvRSQs
8) Waste Not Want Not **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COcObxlpOks
9) Day After Day **
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXKXBsZv3r4
10) Jealous Dogs ***
11) The English Roses *
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCsf497WRv0
12) Louie Louie *
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJqmAbrEhIY

3's - 2
2's - 8
1's - 2

Grade - 2.0

[SteveO]

ok I'll confess...I had a deep crush on Chrissie after I saw the Hand in Pocket video ! Decent band !

[SteveO]

I must say I enjoy the PHISH saga of covering whole albums.

Response to Tiggi's comment on the 16 cd set they released way back. Sorry for getting off track !

[SteveO]

COCTEAU TWINS - Lullabies to Violaine - Volume 1 - album cover is mostly white so pic is weird looking. I love listening to this Scottish trio ! They are a real treat to the ear, all sorts of magical soundscapes and surprises.