Album Reviews – Page 76 – The Light Appears

Minor Victories – Minor Victories (2016)

Posted on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 by Michael

The term “super group” gets thrown around from time to time in the music press whether its warranted or not. In the case of Minor Victories, it deserves a caveat as we’re not exactly talking about the music equivalent of Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors. Having said that, this is an interesting group of musicians that decided to join forces and record an album (although never in the same studio at the same time). Minor Victories includes Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), and Justin Lockey (Editors) along with his brother James.

The self titled debut album sounds like about what you would expect from a band made up with those members. Shoegaze elements mixed with moody atmospherics and dramatic musical crashes. Goswell’s voice is highlighted on “Breaking My Light” before the utterly beautiful “Folk Arp”. Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon appears on the charming duet “Love at First Sight” which details the missed opportunities with Goswell over the years. At times Minor Victories can veer into Evanescence territory but otherwise this debut is what you would expect… a solid outing from the b-team.

8/10

Album Reviews

The Rolling Stones – England’s Newest Hit Makers (1964)

Posted on March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 by Michael

4133B659Z0L As most collectors know, the mid 60s catalogue of The Rolling Stones is a bit of a mish mash of UK vs US versions featuring different track listings and album covers. It’s one of the reasons that Let It Bleed has been the only the Stones disc I’ve owned for many years. Wanting to start at the beginning of their career, I knew where to start but not where to go from there. Having recently finished reading Keith Richards’ entertaining Life autobiography, I went back and did research on how to build an album collection of The Rolling Stones. Taking cues from more knowledgeable fans online, I went out and bought the first five US versions of their albums starting with England’s Newest Hit Makers and man does it not disappoint.

“Not Fade Away” swings the door wide open of what to expect for the next 31 minutes. A stuttering guitar gives way to a Bo Diddley strut with handclaps and a swaggering Mick Jagger vocal. Sparks fly off of Chuck Berry`s “Carol” as well as Holland Dozier Holland’s “Can I Get A Witness”. Three original Stones tracks announce the new songwriters with the slower “Tell Me” being the definite highlight. “Walking The Dog” is all foot tapping, heading nodding, whistling greatness.

While The Rolling Stones would move onto great things, this has the sound of the best covers band in the country hitting on all cylinders. Its timeless music played impeccably well with an energy that fizzles throughout. And while there is surely no comparison between hearing this in 2016 and actually being there to see it live in 1964, England’s Newest Hit Makers does an excellent job of capturing the youthful energy of the band. You can practically feel the sweat dripping off the walls.

10/10

Album Reviews

Madonna – Madonna (1983)

Posted on April 5, 2015April 5, 2015 by Michael

With her new album, Rebel Heart, Madonna recently appeared on the cover of Mojo magazine and Stereogum.com published an article on her worst to best albums. This all coincides nicely with a Christmas present that I bought for myself of Madonna’s box set containing all of her CDs in slipcase form up to 2008’s Hard Candy.

While I’ve lost touch with her over the last couple of years, in general I’ve always been a Madonna fan. From seeing the video to “Lucky Star” as an impressionable eight year old right up to the ABBA sampling “Hung Up” from Confessions on a Dance Floor. Having said that, the only purchases I had ever made from her over the years were the two greatest hits collections – The Immaculate Collection and GV2. The Immaculate Collection is absolutely flawless and a constant in my top 30 albums of all-time list. While GV2 doesn’t quite live up to that, it’s only about half a step behind. But even with these collections there were several memorable tracks still missing; “Dress You Up”, “True Blue”, “Oh Father”, “Rain”, etc.

So with that in mind, I started to tackle her box set last month starting with the 1983 self-titled debut. Most will be familiar with sparkling singles “Lucky Star” “Borderline” and “Holiday”. The first half of the album really shines with those three tracks along with club single “Burning Up” and the simple yet catchy “I Know It”. The next three songs are a bit more problematic. “Think of Me” and “Physical Attraction” are instantly forgettable and the first single released on the album, “Everybody” only slightly improves things.

Like a Virgin shot Madonna into superstardom while True Blue, and Like a Prayer were inescapable through the 80s. Through that decade Madonna appeared in films, recorded soundtracks, and was a constant in tabloids but on Madonna it was just about the music… and that music was very, very good.

8/10

Album Reviews

Tune-Yards – Nikki Nack (2014)

Posted on October 14, 2014October 15, 2014 by Michael

A few years ago Tune-Yards was blowing up with the critics. Rave reviews, appearing on year-end best of lists, etc. They sat my list of things to check out but I never got around to picking up any of their music and missed them when they came through town. When their third album, Nikki Nack, came out I jumped in. I’ve been listening to it off and on for a couple of months and took forever to form any sort of opinion on it.

The good stuff – “Hey Life” and “Sink-O” are both great, the former with a soulful chorus and the latter with a smattering of drums and scat singing. “Wait For A Minute” sounds like Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby” if remade by Soul II Soul and the dance elements of “Left Behind” really shine. Where things really fall apart is on the absolutely abysmal “Why Do We Dine On The Tots” which is in the running for worst song of the year. In the end, it’s an album not just of songs but a collection of moments that vacillate between great and awful. There is a feel in places of it being like a mid-80s United Colors of Benetton commercial. “Let’s mix up all these elements into an international stew!” Works in some places but fails in others.

6.5/10

Reminds me of…

Album Reviews

Neil Diamond – The Very Best Of (2011)

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Michael

Buying a greatest hits package for Neil Diamond is harder than one might think. Over the years, most have been littered with live versions or re-recorded versions of key tracks. So the search went on for many years. Now, usually I’d eschew Best Of collections in order to go straight to the actual albums but some artists lack a sure fire 5-star album. While boasting an arm’s length list of classic songs, you’re not going to see a Neil Diamond album in any Top 100 Greatest Albums lists.

The first half of The Very Best Of Neil Diamondis a nearly flawless collection of pop, folk, and singer-songwriter stories. The run of tracks from “Cherry, Cherry”, “I AM… I Said”, “Sweet Caroline”, and “Cracklin’ Rosie” is sublime; 60s and 70s pop does not get any better than this. The dizzying heights continue as “I’m a Believer” and “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” appear soon after. One of the few new tracks to this writer is the Robbie Robertson produced “A Beautiful Noise” which, as the lyrics say, “has a beautiful beat”.

The pacing/order of the tracks for the most part works like a charm. Many slower tracks such as “Love On The Rocks” are surrounded with their more upbeat brothers so there is hardly a letdown… almost. The album sags right at the midway point when “Song Sung Blue”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “Hello Again” take some of the air out. After that, the album is a bit hit and miss and isn’t fully redeemed until the one two punch of “Kentucky Woman” followed by “Shilo”.

Back in the 90s, the movie Pulp Fiction suddenly made Neil Diamond cool again. Brooklyn born Diamond is so beloved that there is not even a sniff of irony in Boston fans singing “Sweet Caroline” during Red Sox home games (even if that tradition is getting a bit tiresome). While there is some schmaltziness that appears here and there, for the most part this is all well- crafted, life-affirming perfection.

9/10