What Are You Listening To?

[Tiggi]

Their last studio effort, from 1991.

Where to begin ?? This album defies easy comparison, and it's definitely an Alternative to just about everything. For the most part it's unbelievably delicate music, very quiet and tranquil, with some obvious Jazz influences (Upright bass, and Jazz drums/cymbals) but the music really isn't Jazzy.

It's unusual nature tends to split fans between indifference, and fanaticism. I'm somewhere in the middle...

Decent album, but will need repeated listening to get the most from it.


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

[mtthwibrahim]

Fire of Love-the Gun Club

Another rec I got from Piero Scaruffi. Sounds pretty rad. After I'm done listening to it I'm gonna pump TMR again

[Jerome]

Their last studio effort, from 1991.

Where to begin ?? This album defies easy comparison, and it's definitely an Alternative to just about everything. For the most part it's unbelievably delicate music, very quiet and tranquil, with some obvious Jazz influences (Upright bass, and Jazz drums/cymbals) but the music really isn't Jazzy.

It's unusual nature tends to split fans between indifference, and fanaticism. I'm somewhere in the middle...

Decent album, but will need repeated listening to get the most from it.


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

Try their 'Live in Montreux' DVD - great stuff!

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Was not a big fan of this album when I purchased it around the time it came out. The only one of theirs I have I believe. Seems to be better on this listen, and there were no stimulants involved. Still nothing great on here but I like most of it. This is the groups third album and the first with a major, so the sellout label was quickly applied. Considering that it only reached #76 on the charts, Elektra must have laughed at that. Hugely popular in the L.A. punk scene, X would attempt to bring it to the masses with this one. Some critics call it their best album. Production by Ray Manzarek was a surprise to me. Just doesn't seem like a fit. Didn't follow the group after this, but they made their mark with plenty of albums to follow this one.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Real Child Of Hell

Best Track - The Have Nots

Drink at the Bar Nothing bar anything
But the bottom step of the ladder
It keeps gettin' higher and higher

Dawn comes soon enough for the working class
It keeps getting sooner or later
This is the game that moves as you play
How does it feel to have your own bottle of booze
Behind the bar how does it feel
To play cards with the barmaids while they work
At Jocko's Rocket Ship and the One Eyed Jack
My Sin and The Lucky Star
A steady place to study and drink

Day old days
Ancient bloody mary bastards in a hard-
Core blue collar bar
Here we sit
A shot and a beer
After another hard earned day

Dawn comes soon enough for the working class
It keeps getting sooner or later
This is the game that moves as you play
How does it feel to have your own bottle of booze
Behind the bar how does it feel
To play cards with the barmaids while they work
At Jocko's Rocket Ship and the One Eyed Jack
My Sin and The Lucky Star
A steady place to study and drink

At the Hi-D-Hi and the Hula Gal
Beehive Bar and the Zircon Lounge
G.G.'s Cozy Corner, The Gift of Love
Stop 'N' Drink, Sit 'N' Sip, Rest 'N Pieces
Dexter's New Approach and The Get Down Lounge
The Aorta Bar, Detroit's Main Vein

Dawn comes soon enough for the working class
It keeps getting sooner or later
This is the game that moves as you play
How does it feel to have your own bottle of booze
Behind the bar how does it feel
To play cards with the barmaids while they work
At Jocko's Rocket Ship and the One Eyed Jack
My Sin and The Lucky Star
A steady place to study and drink

1) The Hungry Wolf **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKOikcMpcOg
2) Motel Room In My Bed **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiXsgE6Zhls
3) Riding With Mary **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arkHsLc_ayI
4) Come Back To Me **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoKTfuCZL5o
5) Under The Big Black Sun **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qODh5JrKrk
6) Because I Do **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-abh5vo44
7) Blue Spark **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX8LQBPeEus
8) Dancing With Tears In My Eyes **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2H4abvjqCA
9) Real Child Of Hell *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxUwkisJdvI
10) How I Learned My Lesson *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6Da1d8eRWM
11) The Have Nots **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLlacxEhlRA

3's - 0
2's - 9
1's - 2

Grade - 1.8

[Tiggi]

Their third, from 1986.

This was recorded five years earlier than Laughing Stock mentioned above, but it could easily be a different band. This is a much more conventional record.

Contemporaries of Tears For Fears, there are some similarities between both their music, and the arc of their careers. Both started as Synth Pop bands, but both soon progressed to much more sophisticated music. Talk Talk pushed the envelope much further, though...

When we were listening to Laughing Stock, Mrs Tiggi commented that there's a bit of Traffic going on, with Mark Hollis's vocals bearing more than a passing resemblance to Steve Winwood's, and the music having some similarity. Ironically Winwood plays Organ on about half of the tracks here.

Very good album.


AllMusic 4+/5 stars.

[Tiggi]

On the laptop.

1997 debut from short-lived nearly-all-girl band from the North East of England.

The music is slick Pop-Punk, with the emphasis on the Punk bit. The songs never outstay their welcome, and there's a strong melodicism to pretty much all of them.

Guitarist/vocalist Lauren Laverne is now firmly ensconced as a BBC TV arts presenter .

Good album which easily makes the Buy List.


AllMusic 4+/5 stars.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

OASIS "definately maybe" 1994, cd.

this album ,their debut set, was a kick in the arse that music needed IMO back in the day after a decade of sub-standard music...
hard hitting drums, good guitar work and gnarly vocals by Liam Gallagher were all sublime.
their second best album IMO after the follow up "morning glory" which launched them worldwide.
from the opening of "rock and roll star" you know that you are in for one hell of a rock & roll ride!
this one only sold in the UK, barely denting the charts elsewhere, but it has stood the test of time now, spent just over three years in the UK charts, spawning a handful of hit singles including the classics "live forever" and "supersonic".
its a shame that Liam lost his 'edge' after this one and became a bloody idiot in the press!

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: bring it on down
best track: live forever

tracks:

1. rock & roll star***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMYDwXOoegA live
2. shakermaker**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqlY6l7C5hI live
3. live forever***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awf4y4nXiJ0 live
4. up in the sky**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ark7XiYmIz4 live
5. columbia***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGer9xv69MU live
6. supersonic***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq_vSC04Ssc live
7. bring it on down**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5J0mWoZn7g live
8. cigerettes and alcohol**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33KLEbjJM9s live
9. digsy's dinner**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut4iv4HAaZM live
10.slide away**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSWhugtwsKA live
11.married with children**

3s=4
2s=7
1s=0

rating: 2.3

[Tiggi]

A freebie from Robbie. He received two copies of this after ordering only one, so he passed one on to me.

Montreal band's self-released debut from 2003.

I found it quite difficult to draw parallels with this album, but there's a definite touch of influence by '60s Brit Psychedelia about the vocals, which are buried well back in the mix. The music has a droney quality about it, which works well, and use of what sounds like a Farfisa organ adds to the '60s sound. Despite all the '60s influences, the album still sounds fresh and modern.

Good album.


AllMusic hasn't scored this one.

[Tiggi]

On the laptop.

Their second from 1988.

This band's signature sound is all about scorched-earth guitar noise, yet the songs are all fairly leisurely and melodic. In comparison with this one's successor Loveless, the vocals here are easily discernible.

The songs are fairly dark in subject matter, which I usually like, but this won't be making the Buy List.


AllMusic 4+/5 stars.

[Tiggi]

Side project for two members of Post-Punk band The Opposition (No, me neither...), from 1987.

The album is a polished Alt-Pop-Rock record that reminds me strongly of late-period Prefab Sprout. There are also traces of Tears For Fears, & U2.

Not a great album, but it has grown on me considerably over the years.


Not scored by AllMusic.