Posted in Album Reviews

David Bowie – Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) (2018)

Posted on by Michael

A few months after releasing the wildly successful Let’s Dance album in 1983, David Bowie followed it up several months later by recording a live show in Vancouver, BC that was  released on VHS at the time with the two-disc audio CD later included in the Loving The Alien (1983-1988) boxset. Mixing songs from throughout the 70s along with a few tracks from Let’s Dance, Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) does a very good job of mixing with the old and the new, the experimental with the hits.

“”Heroes”” gets tossed out early as the second track on the album, thrillingly a few songs later “Fashion” segues beautifully into “Let’s Dance” eliciting loud cheers from the crowd.  The menacing rock and roll of “Scary Monsters (Super Creeps)” pushes the concert into a new direction before the glam guitar of “Rebel Rebel” gatecrashes the affair.

The last half of disc two really sees things start to cook.  His 1980 UK #1 single “Ashes to Ashes” is followed up by “Space Oddity”, the oldest track here.  An excellent version of “Young Americans” is well received before the one two punch of “Fame” and “Modern Love” (recorded at another concert) wrap up the show.  Oddly, there is nothing from the The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars album but minor quibbles aside, this is set that surely would have pleased both his older fans of his 70s material and new fans of Bowie’s MTV area.  Great stuff.

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Olivia Rodrigo – you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (2026)

Posted on by Michael

The list of accomplishments Olivia Rodrigo has attained over the past few years is staggering.  Music awards, streaming records, appearing on business magazine lists of one to watch, etc. Her indie rock credentials are quite impressive – A few months ago she posted on Instagram using an obscure Broken Social Scene track and at this year’s Lollapalooza festival she appeared on stage with The Smashing Pumpkins.   In mid June she released her third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.

First single “drop dead went to #1 across the world, the uber pop song references The Cure with the line, “you know all the words to “Just Like Heaven””.  She does one better later with Robert Smith appearing on “what’s wrong with me”.  While there are more rock music like tracks on the album, this one sees Smith bending towards Rodrigo’s world vs the other way around. The aforementioned indie rock sound is most notable on the zippy guitar led “maggots for brains”.

“the cure” starts off as quiet and acoustic before a dramatic building in sound, she sings that “I thought I found the antidote with you” over thundering drums. “stupid song” uses a similar trick, quiet first verse that unleashes a sky reaching chorus. “less” is a slower piano track before the bouncy synths of “expectations” sees Rodrigo use different vocal styles to attack the song. It’s just one of the thirteen tracks on the album that Rodrigo co-wrote, mostly with producer Daniel Nigro. you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is a well crafted soaring pop album.

8.5/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Ryan Holiday – Right Thing, Right Now

Posted on by Michael

The third book in Ryan Holiday’s “Stoic Virtues Series” was published in 2024.  Right Thing, Right Now focuses on the Justice virtue which is illustrated through Holiday’s usual method of telling the stories of historical figures and events. In this book, Mahatma Ghandi and Harry Truman play prominent roles as does Frederick Douglass and Thomas Clarkson. The stories of their lives to show good values, character and deeds.

Like Holiday’s other work, this book can skim a bit on history and breaks things down into simple consumable snippets.  It should not be an end to learning, but rather a starting point in the direction of reading more about some of these people, their lives and events. Others may complain about a vanilla approach but with all the negative noise in the world, Holiday helping show people how to be good people is refreshing.

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The Alan Parsons Project – Best of Alan Parsons Project (2011)

Posted on by Michael

After working on some of the biggest albums in rock history (Abbey Road, Dark Side of the Moon), Alan Parsons teamed up with composer Eric Woolfson to form UK band The Alan Parsons Project.  More successful in North America, the duo enjoyed several hits, peaking with top 10 hit “Eye In The Sky”. The soft rock classic about a relationship falling apart went to #1 in Canada. With a bit more oomph and a Phil Spector like wall of sound, “Don’t Answer Me” was another hit.

This 2011 compilation collects those two tracks plus 15 others.  What the duo did well across this collection is mix soft rock with prog and the occasional disco beat on songs like “Games People Play”.  “I Robot” is a funky celestial instrumental and the bright sound of “Lucifer” gets the speaker tweeters working. “Time” is a floaty, Pink Floyd number before the disc closes with the wistful “Old and Wise”. After giving the Essential Yacht Rock playlist a workout, Best of Alan Parsons Project is a solid listen for a deeper dive.

9/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Metric – Romanticize The Dive (2026)

Posted on by Michael

Romanticize The Dive is Metric’s 10th studio album. The band is currently out on a massive tour with fellow Canadians Broken Social Scene and Stars. The album is filled with their signature twinkling indie rock. First single and brilliant opener “Victim Of Luck” sees singer Emily Haines counting down from five and declaring “it’s time to live my life like it’s never been done. “Time Is A Bomb” has a deeper sound and shiny chorus to boot. “Crush Forever” adds effects to the vocals over a bed of synths.

After a breather on the slower “Moral Compass”, the Torontonians pick up the pace again with James Shaw’s chiming guitar meshing with synths on “Loyal” before finishing on “Leave You On High”, which the band do.  Metric have been around since the early 2000s and with this new album, they add several more tracks to their ever-growing list of sleek, danceable indie rock.

7.5/10