What Are You Listening To?

[whoispollyanna]

Tom Waits Clap Hands

[whoispollyanna]

No seriously The Temper Trap is one of the best groups out right now

[CRAZY-HORSE]

MEN AT WORK "business as usual" cd/vinyl 1981.

Aussie group's debut album...
they hold the distinction here of being the only aussie act to hold the #1 single and album at the same time on the US charts, also did it on the UK charts also with this one and the single "down under"....
had two #1 hits off this one here though...obviously Down Under and "who can it be now?"....
Down Under also went back to the top of the charts here a couple of years later after aussie yacht Australia II won the "america cup" here in Perth in 1983ish....
three other singles made the charts here, 'be good johnny','catch a star' and 'down by the sea'...
album is a consistant mix of radio friendly tunes and intelligent lyrics(except for tracks 3 and 7 which are simple pop songs)
Greg Ham(writer of the piccalo part in down under) was sued for apparently ripping off another song with that part a decade or so ago...he later committed suicide after losing the lawsuit, personally i cant hear the connection between the original song and the so-called rip off part,
either way this is a very good album from the early 1980s, oh, and by the way...no i dont love Down under, i find it quite annoying at times and is my pick for worst track on this one!

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: down under
best track: who can it be now?

tracks:

1. who can it be now? ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ0iE-t210w live
2. i can see it in your eyes ***
3. down under **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1lsdvMse5o live
4. underground ***
5. helpless automation **
6. people just love to play with words **
7. be good johnny **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImKPzEGCYZI video
8. touching the untouchables **
9. catch a star ***
10.down by the sea ***

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

rating: 2.5

[CRAZY-HORSE]

THE SMITHS "the sound of the smiths" cd,2008.

this best of set contains all twenty three of the Smiths UK released singles, and all are listed in chronological release order...
i love best of sets that are issued like this for the simple reason to see an artists progression(or lack of it sometimes)...
with this one,IMO, they were bloody good at both ends of their career but faultered for three years or so in the middle...not sure why that would be but my guess is that they were trying to evolve and it took a while to achieve it...
all up, a very good retrospective set by the most popular UK band in the UK after the demise of The Jam...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: hand in glove
best track:what difference does it make?

tracks:

1. hand in glove *
2. this charming man ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGnjrTkv1gs video
3. what difference does it make? ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZa8jHi1nkk live
4. still ill **
5. heaven knows im miserable now **
6. william,it was really nothing ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPwOocLxzRE audio
7. how soon is now? ***
8. nowhere fast **
9. shakespeares sister **
10.barbarism begins at home *
11.that joke isnt funny anymore *
12.the headmaster ritual **
13.the boy with the thorn in his side **
14.bigmouth strikes again *
15.there is a light that never goes out *
16.panic **
17.ask **
18.you just havent earned it yet,baby ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf1g00qbv10 audio
19.sholifters of the world unite **
20.sheila,take a bow ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOaiQaHZQsY
21.girlfriend in a coma ***
22.i started something i couldnt finish **
23.last night i dreamed that someone loved me *

3s=7
2s=10
1s=6

rating: 2.0 or 6.6/10

[CRAZY-HORSE]

THE WINTER SOUNDS "runner" cd,2012.

another of my 'end of year' purchases from last year....
reviewed this as a new release when it came out...like it then(obviously), still like it now...
third album by these guys apparently...music is a 1980s UK retro sound, sort of a cross between Big Country(in a big country), The Cure(inbetween days) and Psychadelic Furs (love my way) type sounds...
good album IMO, well worth a listen if youre into that particular era of music...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: young love
best track: bird on fire

tracks:

1. the sun also rises **
2. devils **
3. run from the wicked ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y73KiizHzg audio
4. old man, old woman **
5. bird on fire ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHLygkdp6w0 video
6. shoulders above **
7. young love *
8. dont change it all **
9. everything wounded comes home to die **
10.you had a bad dream **
11.robots marching **
12.carousel **

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

rating: 2.0 or 6.7/10

[Music Head]

^^
you nailed the sound with the Furs

[CRAZY-HORSE]

RED WANTING BLUE "from the vanishing point" cd,2012

another of my "new-new releases" from the end of 2012 buy-up list...
pretty sure Music Head picked this one up also on his list?!?
initial thoughts of this one are...Pearl Jam's quieter moments, and touches of Chris Cornell, yet different from both those artists at the same time...confused?, me too, as it doesnt really explain much does it??? LOL!
a bit more melodic than those two though...
sorry guys,only two proper links available for tracks here...my favourite is not one of those but there was an acoustic version of that track so i linked that one

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: white snow
best track: walking shoes

tracks:

1. stay on the bright side **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9rKD2C6bxE video
2. audition **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBbnLXiUNnY live on letternam
3. white snow *
4. playlist ***
5. love remains **
6. cocaine **
7. walking shoes ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml_i06pzLv4 live and acoustic
8. dinosaur **
9. running of the bulls **
10.ballad of nobodies ***
11.hope on a rope **
12.pour it out **

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

rating: 2.1 or 7/10

[CRAZY-HORSE]

BILLY IDOL "whiplash smile" cd,1986.

UK born Idol was originally a founding member of Siouxie & The Banshees...left to form another punk group Generation-X....no success there, so he relocated to New York and started a solo career...
this is his third solo set and the only one i own...
album made the top10 both here,the US and the UK(plus probably other countries also!)
highest charting single in the UK was 'sweet sixteen'(#17), two top 10 hits in the US(dont need a gun, got to be a lover), two here also(to be a lover, sweet sixteen)...
pretty sure i bought this one on the strength of "sweet sixteen"(only track on here i love)...
just been looking back over his discography and from memory i liked a lot of his early singles) so maybe a best of set would have been more appropriate here....
cant recall if i liked this one when i got it or not, but i sure as hell dont like it now!

I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track:....pick one guys!
best track: sweet sixteen

tracks:

1. worlds forgotten boy *
2. to be a lover *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L9epO3tJT4 vevo video
3. soul standing by *
4. sweet sixteen ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClxXDfvtoj0 vevo video
5. man for all seasons *
6. dont need a gun *
7. beyond belief *
8. fatal charm *
9. all summer single *
10.one night,one chance *

3s=1
2s=0
1s=9

rating: 1.2

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PRIMUS "singles-they cant all be zingers" cd.

supposed best of set by these guys...
also own the "brown album"...nothing on there i like, and this is no different...sixteen tracks and all crap IMO giving a perfect score...

rating: 1.0

[CRAZY-HORSE]

THE WHITE STRIPES "icky thump" cd,2007

Jack and Meg's sixth studio album...
only one i dont have is their debut set for some reason...
i should have known this would be a piece of crap...well, anything with a title like this one should give you the old 'warning bells-a-flashing!", it didnt, and it sure should have!
i like all of their albums(and Jack's solo album), but this is the only one i dont like,infact if it wasnt for the two tracks i love,this would be a real fizzer IMO...
it just sounds too messy for my liking(a lot of their material sounds clumsy and 'bitsy') but this one really takes the cake...
if i'd have started my introduction to these guys with this one,then that is where it would have started and finished,but i didnt, and thats the way it goes...still not bad really, i guess overall theres probably ten studio sets including his solo outing,so eight out of nine i own is a good result!

I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: st.andrew
best track: effect and cause

tracks:

1. icky thump *
2. you dont know what love is ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAcyTsddDww audio
3. 300mph torrential outpour blues *
4. conquest *
5. bone broke *
6. prickly thorn,but sweetly worn **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X69EVJCOKWM audio
7. st.andrew *
8. little cream soda *
9. rag and bone **
10.im slowly turning into you *
11.a martyer for my love for you **
12.catch hell blues *
13.effect and cause ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYLuHUlxRoo live on "a little later...with Jools"

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

rating: 1.5