The interesting thing about most of these albums is that I’m
able to identify these as personal favourites despite the acts having lengthy
catalogues. But there are some acts
which cause me headaches whenever I try to nominate a single album. These would include at the very least Neil
Young, Sonic Youth, John Coltrane, Patti Smith, P.J Harvey, Mudhoney,
Kraftwerk, Can, Elvis Costello, Prince, R.E.M., Paul Kelly or Nick Cave and I’m
sure there’s more. But these perhaps could be issues for future postings. Today I shall be lavishing praise upon:
(# 604) Randy Newman –
12 Songs (1970)
It’s only 30 minutes long but this album is crammed full of
quality tracks and possibly is the best way to enter the daunting Newman
catalogue. For the most part the tracks
contain minimalist backings which allow you to focus on Newman’s always great
lyrics, his unique voice and sheer mastery of melody. It includes some of his
best known tracks including his own versions of Mama Told Me Not To Come,
Yellow Man and My Own Kentucky Home. (I
remember the latter track being sung by the 4077th in an episode of
M.A.S.H, which is remarkable feat given it hadn’t yet been written at the time
of the Korean War.) Have You Seen My
Baby is a rollicking opener but it is the slower numbers that are absolutely
stunning. Let’s Burn Down The Cornfield,
If You Need Oil and Uncle Bob’s Midnight Blues all pitch Newman, his voice and
his words against the wonderful understated guitars or either Ry Cooder or
Clarence White. All in all it is an
essential listen.
(# 605) Ry Cooder –
Paradise And Lunch (1974)
Ry Cooder’s stretch of albums released during the 1970’s
consisting of what we would now call “roots” music or Americana is one of the
greatest sequences high quality albums released by any artist. For me, this is the absolute highlight, a
deft mixture of blues, jazz and other stuff without a dud track anywhere to be
heard. The traditional number Tramp ‘Em
Up Solid is a great start, feature some intricate guitar work. A cover of Blind Willie McTell’s Married Man’s
A Fool is an up-tempo delight which
should be the anthem of divorced men everywhere. Another traditional number,
Jesus On The Mainline starts off as a gospel driven number which blends
beautifully with some stinging guitar and a cover of It’s All Over Now is great
fun. But the absolute highlight is the
stunning Ditty Wah Ditty in which Cooder goes head to head with jazz pianist
Earl Hines. If you want an introduction to Cooder’s work,
start here.
(# 606) The Cure –
Pornography (1982)
A howl from the absolute darkest of places, this is the true
downward spiral. It is a dark and thoroughly
claustrophobic album with little light and shade and NO respite. And yet, it is an album I’ve never stop
listening to in absolute fascination as I try to pick apart the dense
instrumentation from Robert Smith’s anguished vocals. As a result every listen reveals something
new, sort of like being locked in a completely dark building and bumping into
new items as you grope towards finding an entrance that never quite appears. There’s
almost no point in distinguishing between tracks, so tightly do they link into
each other. However, One Hundred Years
is a heart stopping opening, The Hanging Garden somehow provided a hit single
and the title track is truly a wallowing in the dark epic.
(# 607) 2ManyDJs – As
Heard On Radio Soulwax Part 2 (2002)
So far there has not been a better
album released this millennium. This
album is the high water mark of mashing, the practice of taking element from at
least two different tracks and somehow making them fit. Only on this, the Dewaele Brothers from Belgian rock outfit Soulwax, take all
of their inspired mash ups and run them together to form a seamless 60 minute
triumph that will win over even the most suspicious anti dance music
punter. The album starts magnificently;
the brothers contribute a circus ringmaster introduction over a live Emerson
Lake And Palmer version of the Peter Gunn theme that is mashed perfectly with elements
of the vocal track from Basement Jaxx’s mighty Where Your Head’s At. (Actually this isn’t the opening track. The Dewaele’s have placed a hidden track – a remix
of Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind – at the start of the album. You’ll
need to hit the back scan on your CD player and keep it going past the first official
track in order to find it.) From there
the highlights come thick and fast utilising a strange mixture of tracks, many
of which you’ve probably never heard. Peaches gives way to The Velvet
Underground, French act Polyester goes to battle with Sly And The Family Stones
Dance To The Music and an acapella number called Oh Sheila by Ready For The
World and The Stooges No Fun is brilliantly combined with Salt N’Pepa’s Push
It. But the most inspired bit comes when
a mash up of another French number and Nena’s 99 Luftballons gives way to the vocal
track from Destiny Child’s Independent Woman which becomes the vocal to a mash
up with 10CC’s 70s hit Dreadlock Holiday only for it to be gradually replaced
by Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5. From there you’re
taken through tracks including The Breeders Cannonball, The Cramps Human Fly, weird
covers of ELO’s Don’t Bring Me Down and Kiss’s I Was Made For Loving You and New
Order’s The Beach before ending with, naturally, a countdown. It’s a rarity and a novelty item to be sure,
but it’s funny, memorable and has stood the test of time. And I cannot even estimate the number of
copies that have been sold just on people hearing my copy.
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