What Are You Listening To?

[Tiggi]

I have dozens of albums on the laptop for review at the mo, and this is one of them.

1997 release from the prolific Holly Golightly Smith (real name, apparently !!).

She's known partly because of her affiliation (romantic, & creative) with minor enfant terrible of the British art world Billy Childish. She's released a series of rough & ready Bluesy Garage Rock albums which also feature an obvious love of Country music.

This is good, and makes the Buy List.


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

[TraceNspace]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]793[/ATTACH]
Elvis Costello - This Year's Model

[evilB]

[quote=Music Head]from my library (vinyl)



I needed a great album today. I got it with this fifth release from Andy and the boys. Another pleasant break from what was popular in the era. The british invasion continued it's run with me. XTC was formed in 1976 by Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding. The rest would come later. Signed by Virgin in '78 the band had a greater impact in the U.K, than here, as this one only made it to #48 with the spectacular track of Senses Working Overtime not even touching the top 40. Love a total of 5 tracks on here making it a LOVE album. XTC was not a band that enjoyed performing live with Andy having some stage fright issues, refusing to go on at their U.S. debut in California on the release of this album. Their appearance was canceled (due to illness) and the band would never play another live gig. Cool story. The last I heard from these guys was the '92 Nonsuch release, but I see they've had 2 more. Anybody have those? any good? Damn it, I feel cheated. While researching this I see this was originally a double album in the U.K. and was released as a single album here, which of course is what I have. Missing 5 tracks from the U.K. version.


The CD version of English Settlement has the 5 tracks you are missing MH - nice choice by the way!
The next albums were Apple Venus Vol 1 and Apple Venus Vol 2 (Wasp Star) - there were also demo cds (homespun & homegrown) released. I enjoyed them a lot, clever lyrics and great hooks.
I'd Like That from AV -1
[video=youtube;Y51qsYUPSRc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y51qsYUPSRc[/video]
Stupidly Happy - from AV 2
[video=youtube;djAkW_c8oeA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djAkW_c8oeA&feature=related[/video]

[CRAZY-HORSE]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]793[/ATTACH]
Elvis Costello - This Year's Model

i love this album, find it pretty hard to fault much of his material...very underrated writer/performer IMO

[TraceNspace]

I agree ^^^ I somehow missed out on a lot of his stuff and I'm just catching up now. Really enjoying it though.

[Tiggi]

2011 release from man previously known as Smog.

On the laptop. Didn't make much impression.

Melancholy-sounding Alt-Folk with some Jazzy overtones. Goodish deep voice, butI think I'd need to hear this over the hi-fi to get a good feel for it...


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

[Tiggi]

Their debut from 1973. Not really Punk, but as near as dammit...

Trashy Glam Rock & Roll that inspired both UK Punk (via one Malcolm McLaren briefly acting as their manager. There's more than a hint of this album to be found on Never Mind The Bollocks), and Kiss (their '70s manager, Bill Aucoin spent time around the Dolls in the early '70s).

They didn't last long in this incarnation, but made a couple of fine, ramshackle albums.


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

[Tiggi]

On the laptop.

2008 album from HG.

Country & Blues seem to be the chief influences here, and at times this one is eerily reminiscent of Tom Waits' approach to music-making. Holly's voice is nothing like Waits', but the music can be similar.

Borderline for the Buy List.


AllMusic 3+/5 stars.

[Music Head]

from my library (cd)



Had really latched on to these guys after that first album. I was here for the ride. Rare, but this follow up actually lived up to my expectations. The music buying public thought so too, sending it to #1 in multiple countries. The U.S. lags a little behind making it #5. For me this band quickly became one of my U.K. favorites. The album won a grammy for best alt album, as did the debut. Also a grammy for record of the year with Clocks. Sometimes them grammy voters come through. Love six songs on here with The Scientist taking my top. A Whisper is the throw away. I'm sucked in from the start of this with Politik just kicking butt.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - A Whisper

Best Track - The Scientist

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I've set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads on the science apart

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Oh tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I’m going back to the start

Oh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ah ooh ooh ooh ooh
Oh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Oh ooh ooh ooh ooh

1) Politik ***
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8wCJ9A0TUg
2) In My Place ***
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEoHFzEmld0
3) God Put A Smile Upon Your Face ***
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Kcg_8gK30
4) The Scientist ***
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqWLpTKBFcU
5) Clocks ***
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KkWGy7W3_o
6) Daylight **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIQ6cjP-IZQ
7) Green Eyes **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmyq9tIiu8g
8) Warning Sign **
live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNtkOSuck2M
9) A Whisper *
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1nT513b6zc
10) A Rush Of Blood To The Head ***
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoyyr1SFPCY
11) Amsterdam **
audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDM2372EuUg

3's - 6
2's - 4
1's - 1

Grade - 2.5

[CRAZY-HORSE]

great album that one MH