Posted in Album Reviews

The Cure – Three Imaginary Boys (Deluxe Edition) (2004)

Posted on by Michael

It was exactly 45 years ago that The Cure released their UK debut album, Three Imaginary Boys.  The three school friends, led by singer Robert Smith, created an album of raw post punk that can be both gloomy and energetic.  The first three tracks are all fine examples of this. “10:15 Saturday Night” starts with a distant guitar and tapping of drums that mimics the tapping of water from a leaky faucet. The song written when Smith was just 16 creates the image of sitting in a lonely bedsit and waiting for someone to call. The lowkey riffing of “Accuracy” is still tuneful before the upbeat and bouncy “Grinding Halt”.

“Subway Song” is an eerie slice of life with a great bassline from original bassist Stephen Dempsey and a harmonica that mimics a train.  It lasts for just one verse then ends with a blood curdling scream. “So What” takes the absurd lyrics of describing a cake decorating set and sets it to a punk blast. “Fire In Cairo” is a standout with a deep groove held down by the rhythm section including drummer Lol Tulhurst and Smith’s poetic lyrics, this one seems like there was more thought taken into the recording.  The title track adds reverb and produces a haunting atmosphere while Smith sings “close my eyes and hold so tightly/scared of what the morning brings”. An almost heavy metal sounding lyric.

These songs stand in contrast to filler songs that also appear including the atrocious cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and the in joke “Meat Hook”.  It would be reported later that the band had little say in what ended up on the album.  North America and Australia were better served by the compilation Boys Don’t Cry that keeps the good tracks from the UK debut and adds the stellar single “Boys Don’t Cry”, the controversial (and misunderstood) first single “Killing An Arab” plus the energetic song about chasing fads “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”.

In 2004 the band released the deluxe version of Three Imaginary Boys that adds demos, outtakes and a few live tracks all of which appear in varying sound quality.  Crucially it adds two of the three singles released around that time including the aforementioned “Boys Don’t Cry” that is considered one of The Cure’s finest songs. “10:15 Saturday Night” appears in a home demo recording that uses a Casio keyboard and electronic beat for backing music on a version that greatly amps up the despair and isolation.  “Fire In Cairo” appears in demo form with Smith making the song sound sexy before a couple of decent outtakes appear including “Winter” and the Undertones soundalike “Play With Me”.

Three Imaginary Boys – 8.5/10

Extras – 6/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Stevie Wonder – Music Of My Mind (1972)

Posted on by Michael

Music Of My Mind was a turning point in Stevie Wonder’s career.  After several Motown hits in the 60s, he was given full creative control for the first time with this album.  That meant he was able to bring in electronic music pioneers, Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff along with their TONTO synthesizer.  The results are immediate on the dirty funk synths and bass of “Love Having You Around”, a groovy track about a partner with the mantra “everyday I want to fly my kite”.

The first single was an edited version of the heartfelt 8 minute album version “Superwoman”. The first half of the song, Wonder sings of a partner who wants to be a movie star then the second he sings of not having her around. With the first couple of tracks coming in at extended times, there is still room for pop songs.  The hard to believe it was not a single, “I Love Every Little Thing About You” is joyous soulful pop confection. 

Second single “Keep on Running” is excitement from the get go. An underlying piano noise keeps the tension until the funky chorus appears. It’s an exhilarating soul track to get people moving.  Album closer “Evil” has an epic sound, like a Sunday morning gospel song put through synthesizers. On Music Of My Mind, It’s not only remarkable that Wonder plays most of the instruments but that these warm, joyful, and beautiful songs rarely appear on Greatest Hits albums.  They are instead mostly confined to this 1972 album that kicked off his run of classic albums. 

9/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us (2024)

Posted on by Michael

“F**ck the world” are the first lyrics heard on Vampire Weekend’s fifth album, Only God Was Above Us. Even with that lyric, the song starts off slow then really picks up with a galloping beat and furious strings a stringing. Like several songs on the album, “Classical” has a rap beat at it’s heart then adds some jazzy horns. The Surfer, cowritten with former band member Rostam Badmanglig, also has a hip hop feel though this time it’s more of a lazy, hazy beat. Koenig’s art school lyrics reach their heights on Mary Boone, the New York art dealer and collector on a track that also incorporates Soul II Soul’s smash “Back to Life”.

Where the album really shines on Ezra Koenig’s songs is the instrumentation of the main trio, including drummer Chris Thomson and bassist Chris Baio. The piano break on first single “Capricorn”, the jazzy bass of “Connect”, the excellent drumming of “Hope” is what really stands out on the 10 track album. While the second half drags slightly, the album never really falls off the tracks and there are plenty of terrific moments like the ones mentioned.  The preppy New York aesthetic is still there but they also travel downtown to add excellent jazz and rap elements as the band expands their sound.

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Siouxsie and the Banshees – Kaleidoscope (1980)

Posted on by Michael

After releasing Join Hands in 1979, it’s safe to say Siouxsie and the Banshees were in disarray.  Both guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris left the band on the day the album was released. Siouxsie and Steven Severin would then regroup and bring in new drummer Budgie who became a mainstay along with guitarist John McGeoch for their first release of the 80s,  Kaleidoscope.

The first single was a sarcastic take on the drama the band had endured.  “Happy House” is one of their best tracks – gloomy with pop sensibilities that went into the UK top 20.  Here, Siouxsie deadpans that that happy house is “such fun” and that “it never rains”. A bass riff played through electronics powers “Tenant” that dispenses any of tongue in cheek joy that precedes it, it’s the happy house at night when the squatters move in.  Downbeat with glitchy beats, “Lunar Camel” could have come out in the last 10 years and been hailed as innovative.

“Hybrid” puts the drumbeat front and centre, with a ringing guitar and wailing horn. While there is a lot going on musically, the song is always locked down and the quieter moments are quite lovely.  Second single “Christine” is another highlight. Lyrics by Severin, the song chronicles the split personality of Christine Sizemore over an acoustic guitar strum and chugging bassline.  It’s just one of many tracks that create an atmosphere all their own on a highly influential album. Kaleidoscope would see Siouxsie and the Banshees continue to move well past their punk origins into helping form the underground music world of the 1980s.

9/10