Bowie by Russman

This is something I’ve thought about doing for quite awhile, listen to every David Bowie album start to finish, in order, in one day. I’m sure it is possible to do within a 24 hour period, the count is 26 albums. But it was apparent that this was going to have to happen over a few days. So then it turns out, the day after I got back from vacation was January 8^th, 2012, a Sunday and David Bowie’s 65^th birthday. Sounded like as good a time as any to get started.

Work got in the way during the week. But for 5 days, mostly nights actually, with an average of 6 albums per night, I listened to 33 years of Bowie albums. I have them all on vinyl except “Buddha Of Suburbia” and “Reality” which weren’t printed on vinyl. Also, for “Outside” and “Black Tie, White Noise” they're both missing songs from the original release to fit on one record. I stuck with CD for those two, to keep with the original release.

I’m not a negative guy, there’s not a lot of that. But I am honest and (for the most part) this is what was going through my head when the songs came on. I also stuck mainly to the music, plus my memory and the album cover for details. I think I found some details that may have gotten overlooked or some songs that may have been forgotten. There were plenty of songs that I forgot about and re-discovered. Also didn't want to re-state all the facts that are already there, kept that to a minimum. And each album summary is as brief as I could make it with as many details as possible. David Bowie, album by album, 1967 to 2003, by me.

 David Bowie 1967

I still haven’t heard Anthony Newly, but apparently he sounds a lot like this album. Tubas, horns, strings and 60’s poppy songs. The voice is there and the song writing is unique, but a little silly, he was still pretty young. His producer definitely had more to do with the recording than David, like the German soldier in “We Are Hungry Men”. A definite sign of things to come with the song writing, “Silly Boy Blue” and “Love You Till Tuesday” are actually pretty cool. And I’ve always wished we heard the sound of a shovel thump, then a body drop at the end of “Please Mr. Gravedigger”, it would totally make the song.

 Man Of Words, Man Of Music (Space Oddity) 1969

This was, “Man Of Words, Man Of Music” when it first came out, then re-released as “Space Oddity” in 1972. He’s mainly in his “folk phase” here and the acoustic guitars jingle-jangle all through this album. The storytelling is really starting to take shape, although still quite naïve. There’s a song about a shoplifting grandmother after all, “God Knows I’m Good”. “Janine” is a cool song with a good melody. Plus the mysterious “Cygnet Committee”, the great riff in “Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed” and epic sing along at the end of “Memory Of A Free Festival” are hints at what was to come.

 The Man Who Sold The World 1970

I can’t imagine being a 15 year old fan in 1970 and buying this record when it first came out. It all starts with the crazy cover, the gun toting guy with nothing to say is a liiiiittle creepy. Bowie’s admitted he didn’t have much to do with the recording of this album, he had a hit single and was living in swinging London baby! Producer Tony Visconti handled the bass guitar duties and put together the band that would eventually become the Spiders From Mars, starting with Mick Ronson and Mick Woodmansy on guitar and drums. I’ve always been annoyed by the bass heavy, soft drums-with-reverb and pretty dry sound overall. But the song writing is kicking into gear! “After All” is delightfully wicked…...“Ohhhh by jingo”. “Black Country Rock” and “She Shook Me Cold” are about as bluesy as he’s ever got. “All The Madmen” is cool and creepy, “day after day, they send my friends away”. For some reason, I always think I don’t want to sit through “Width Of A Circle’, but I get hooked in every time. 

 Hunky Dory 1971

Things are definitely starting to fall into place here. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who would soon join Yes, figures quite prominently on this album as several of the songs feature plenty of piano. It’s the one thing that bugs me about this record, I’ve always wished the piano wasn’t so….much piano. It’s like you’re listening to the album and someone is playing along on piano in the room with you. However, the production is sounding more vibrant and the songs are mostly fantastic, some of his best. There’s also a more positive vibe, from the album title to songs like “Kooks”, a silly little ditty for his new son Zowie. He also wears his heart and influences on his sleeve, “Andy Warhol”, “Song For Bob Dylan” and Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground with “Queen Bitch”. Then “Quicksand”, “Life On Mars” and “The Bewlay Brothers” are Bowie at his best and most epic. The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars 1972

There isn’t much that can be said that hasn’t already been said about this one. It’s regarded as a great album and deservedly so. I even like, “It Ain’t Easy”. For some reason, that song has always been derided as a poor choice (it’s a cover song) and Bowie’s never played it live. But it’s always been one of my favourites and I think it fits in quite well with the sound and concept of the record.

 Aladdin Sane 1973

The Ziggy in America album and Bowie’s best sounding to date. More bright, crisp and livelier sounding than the previous 3. “Time” is probably the best pure ‘Bowie’ song and has one of the most underrated guitar solo’s ever. It’s simple but it’s fantastic. The song writing is hitting new peaks with new sources of inspiration, mainly America. Although, I’ve never been really fond of the cover of “Let’s Spend The Night Together” and “Watch That Man”. Almost like they’re attempting something but not quite getting it. Solid effort, but when you’ve got “Jean Genie”, “Cracked Actor” and “Aladdin Sane”, it evens out pretty good.

 Pin-Ups 1973

The covers album and Ziggy cash in. Bowie’s always worn his influences on his sleeve and at the height of Ziggy mania, they released a ‘tribute’ album of songs from some of his favourite artists and main inspirations. A decent album, with some good songs, but not one I listen to often. “Sorrow” is a highlight, featuring the soon to be ever present saxophone, one of David’s first instruments. “I Can’t Explain” is a pretty good version too.

 Diamond Dogs 1974

This was the one for me, like a lot of people, “Diamond Dogs” will always be a favourite. It’s just so good! Production and song writing of the finest quality. I’ve always felt Bowie’s guitar gets under rated on this album. He plays it for most of the record, except Earl Slick on “Rock n’ Roll With Me” and Alan Parker’s wah-wah guitar on “1984”. The sound of the guitar is integral to this album and he plays great, really solidifying the futuristic, desperate, lonely feeling. The guttural moans in “We Are The Dead” and the desperate dance of “Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family” the guitar really helps paint the picture. And then there’s “Sweet Thing”, check out the wicked guitar solo! He hits the crescendo, then wials and fades away into the background like an icy winter wind. The sax is a perfect compliment as well, adding the human element and sounding like lost souls in a desolate world. Bowie at his best.

 Young Americans 1975

There’s a scene in “Cracked Actor” which shows David in the studio with the backup singers working out the call and response part in “Right”. During the scene, he clears his nostrils with a big coke snort. Cocaine was a big presence on this album and contributes heavily to up and down, jarring atmosphere. Just listen to “Fame”….that has got to be the druggiest song ever! I can just picture Bowie and Lennon amongst piles of cocaine singing “fame…..fame…..fame…..fame” back and forth. He called it “plastic soul”. More to the point, catchy, groovy and smooth R & B tinged music, but very dry and with a cold soul. Still some great songs though, “Win”, “Fascination” and the title track are stellar.

 Station To Station 1976

An extention of “Young Americans” and the “plastic soul” period. Another record that was fueled by piles of Colombian Gold, David says he doesn’t even remember the recording of it. Cocaine, it’s a hell of a drug. In spite of all that, this album is regarded as one of his finest. Some more great songs, but the flat, dry sound bogs it down. Still hard to beat “TVC 15” and “Golden Years” though and the title track is a trip on a funky, runaway train. “Stay” has some great guitar work, but the chorus has always sounded out of place to me. I blame the drugs.

 Low 1977

“Low” was recorded mostly in Paris and in Berlin after he escaped from L.A. and it’s no surprise that this is a great hang-over record, it’s called “Low” for a reason.  However, the snappy, bright drums are back and the musical experimentation is uplifting. It’s an almost cheery vibe with songs like “Sound And Vision”, “Be My Wife” and “What In The World?” and there’s a lot more warmth behind the voice. “Always Crashing In The Car” is a humbling, beautiful song. Then side 2 is the real “come down” part of the trip. Four stark, haunting and beautiful instrumentals perfect for watching the river flow by in Paris on a cloudy Sunday. Listening to this record makes you feel glad to be alive.

 Heroes 1978

This is the most Berlin sounding of the “Berlin trilogy”. It’s sonically similar, but while “Low” is a lush sounding record, “Heroes” reflects a decadent and desperate feeling of (Bowie in?) turmoil. When friends ask me to play them some Bowie, I often put side 1 on. Instantly familiar, incredibly catchy, a little confusing, somewhat strange and oh-so fantastic. Then there’s side 2. The saxophone in “V-2 Schneider” is great and on the most Berlin album, this is the most German song. It’s like a love letter to his adopted home. The 3 instrumentals are even more ethereal, shining and lonely than the previous album. The come down is complete and the wailing saxophone at the end of “Neukoln” sounds like he’s screaming, “demons be gone!” Again with the saxophone, it always seems to be his favourite way to really let it out. Then back on his feet again with, “The Secret Life Of Arabia”. Time to move on.

 Lodger 1979

This is Bowie at his most experimental and neither a Paris or Berlin sounding record, but all over the map… literally. The walls were torn down with the previous two records and they’re starting to be built back up here. A song like “African Night Flight” will actually make people say, “What…..are you listening to?” In fact, most of side 1 with songs like, "Red Sails", “Move On” and “Yassassin” will probably get much of the same reaction. Being a DJ, I naturally like the first song on side 2. “Look Back and Anger” and “Boys Keep Swinging are great tunes and I’ve always loved the last song, “Red Money”. An old riff redone with some enigmatic lyrics and a delightfully mysterious vibe.

 Scary Monsters…and Super Creeps 1980

Along with “Diamond Dogs” this is the album I listen to the most and along with “Heroes”, will play side 1 when friends request Bowie. It doesn’t sound like he’s experimenting so much as letting things happen and having a good time with it. Plus Robert Fripp tears it up on guitar! He buzzes along to the frantic acoustic on “Up The Hill Backwards’, screams behind the barking vocals in “Scary Monsters and check out the wicked guitar solos on “Teenage Wildlife”. It’s a powerful sounding record on songs like “Fashion”, “Ashes To Ashes” and the Japanese vocals on “It’s No Game pt. 1”. A much gentler "It's No Game pt. 2" closes out the album it's like he’s reassuring us that everything’s going to be OK. Right?

This is where I come in. All the previous albums I discovered long after they were released, the only perspective I have on them is musically. I was born the year Ziggy was released (1972), so there’s no way I would know how the music related to life at the time. I enjoy them all, but would definitely have a different (bigger?) emotional attachment to them if I was there when it happened. I say this because it’s a big reason I relate to the following albums differently. I was there and this was my music.

 Let’s Dance 1983

Although, it would take a few years for me to actually DISCOVER Bowie, I was introduced to him along with millions of others through those 3 songs/videos. Those 3 songs/videos, “Modern Love”, “China Girl” and “Let’s Dance” are without question, perfect songs. Great lyrics, music, and production and some killer guitar work, just solid gold. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s licks sound like they’re from another world but totally belong in this one. And “Modern Love” is still my ringtone. There are 5 other songs on this album and aside from “Cat People” they’ve never caught on with me. “Ricochet” is pleasantly quirky and “Criminal World” is a little catchy with a wicked Steve Ray solo, but “Shake It” is just silly.

 Tonight 1984

Widely regarded as one of Bowie’s worst and I’m not going to say it’s a great album by any means, but I’ve always liked “Tonight”. Especially side 1, it has an atmosphere and feel that I really enjoy. The cool sway of “Don’t Look Down”, the sober, pleading version of the Beach Boys “God Only Knows” and the ‘last dance of the night on the balcony’ feel of “Tonight” with Tina Turner. The two major drawbacks to the album are the production and side 2. It’s a typical, slick, 80’s produced record. “Loving The Alien” is a great song, but far too smooth. The whole record is just too slick and at times sounds like a cheesy reggae/south-pacific pop music hybrid. But side 1 is a great listen for a chill evening.

 Never Let Me Down 1987

This was the first album that came out after I became a fan and even though it’s one of his weaker efforts, I’ll always have a soft spot for it. There are some bright moments, especially “Time Will Crawl”, one of his best. Plus “Day-In Day-Out” and the title track are pretty good tunes. The fact that those 3 were the singles from the album is a fair indication of the rest of the material, just some unfocused and uninspired songs. Listening now, I honestly don’t mind “New York’s In Love”. But there are some embarrassing moments, “Zeroes”, “Too Dizzy”. Mickey Rourke on “Shining Star” is just baffling. The production is also to blame, typical 80’s, glossy and poppy with no warmth or personality. However, when I didn’t know any better, I listened to this album plenty. It’s still a guilty pleasure and brings back a lot of great memories. I used to write out the lyrics to “The Glass Spider” on my notebooks at school.

 Tin Machine 1989

I loved this one when it came out and still do. The killer riff to start, plus the nod to the past with the “Jean Genie”-esque (How Many More Times et al) bass run in “Heaven’s In Here”, I was all in. To me, this was ‘alternative’ music. The guy who recorded “Never Let Me Down” was singing songs like “Crack City” and “Video Crime” in a rock band! Reeves Gabrels guitar work on this record is stellar. He doesn’t really change the rules, he just stabs them in the eye with his whammy bar. Dig the Reeves sustain at the start of “I Can’t Read”, the ass kicking of “Under The God” and the beauty of “Amazing”. “Pretty Thing” is probably the coolest song you’ve never heard and “Bus Stop” punks in and pogo’s out before you know what the hell just happened. Hate all you want, Tin Machine is my band and this is a great record!

 Tin Machine 2 1991

By the time this came out I had seen Bowie twice on the Sound and Vision tour, where he “retired” his greatest hits. I was 19, had spent the last few years growing up with his music and he wasn’t just my favourite singer, he was like an old friend. When I first heard the “Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby…” intro to “Baby Universe” I thought “Alright, he’s back!” Tin Machine 2 is a little more refined, the band is tighter and it sounds a lot more Bowie-ish than the debut. “One Shot”, “You Belong In Rock and Roll”, “If There Is Something”, “You Can’t Talk”, all pretty good Bowie songs. Hunt Sales does get a couple of turns at lead vocals. The first, “Stateside” is another song that is often panned, but I happen to like. It’s a just a groovy slow blues and even if he’s just the back-up singer, you don’t get to hear Bowie do much blues. Plus he gets to wail a sax solo! If anything, it has too many songs and drags out a little too long, typical of the early CD era. But, it is an essential addition to the Bowie catalog that shouldn’t be overlooked.

 Black Tie, White Noise 1993

At first I only listened this album sporadically over the years, but re-discovered it when I picked up on vinyl a year or so ago. It sounds like what “Tonight” should have been and much more consistent. Although, I never really got into songs like, “Jump, They Say” and the title track, just too slick and silly for me. But “Nite Flights” is a great tune (a cover song at that) with a great sound that makes you feel like you’re driving down a highway by the moonlight. Plus, “Miracle Goodnight”, “You’ve Been Around”, “I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday” (another cover) and the chanting, mainly instrumental “Pallas Athena”. “God…..is on top of it!” It’s hard not to sing along when I’m walking to work, listening on headphones. There are 2 other instrumentals, one featuring his namesake and childhood inspiration, Lester Bowie, “Looking For Lester”. The opener “The Wedding”, reflects his new life with his new wife Iman. Along with the closer, “The Wedding Song” and church bells ringing. What “Tonight” fell short with, this album has, personality, vitality, good songs and lots of love.

 The Buddha Of Suburbia 1993

This one completely passed me by when it came out. It says it’s a soundtrack, but it’s not really and features mainly instrumentals and only 2 proper songs. Two different versions of the title track open and close the album and it’s a pretty cool song. The second version has Lenny Kravitz ripping it up on guitar and the nods to “Space Oddity”, “All The Madmen” and “Width Of A Circle” are great to hear. Then there’s “Strangers When We Meet” which would also show up on “Outside” an obvious connection between the two projects and the experimental mindset he was in. According to the liner notes, “Buddha” was written and recorded in 6 days and the intention was to expand on the idea of stabilized art. The instrumentals reflect that, they’re adventurous, experimental and improvisational. Mike Garson’s piano solo on “South Horizons” is so good, it’s singled out by Bowie on the liner notes. “Sex and The Church” is kinda funky and the synth-voice thing is cool. If anything, this disc should be sought out for the liner notes on the original release. A rare and revealing Bowie manifesto.

 Outside 1994

I’m obviously a fan of theatric, conceptual pieces, because I love this album. It’s the ultimate road trip CD for me, an intense musical journey with peaks and valleys that never lets up until the end. I’ve driven many hours with this album cranked. The segues are weird, but that’s part of the appeal and suspense. You keep thinking, “What’s coming next?”. I’ve listened to it many times and I still get chills when the explosion kicks off “Halo Spaceboy”, gets me every time! Some more fantastic songs, “The Motel”, “We Prick You”, “The Voyeur Of Utter Destruction” (coolest song title ever), “I’m Deranged” and “Hearts Filthy Lesson”. “Wishful Beginnings” is like lying in bed listening to a dripping water tap you can’t turn off, it’s creepy and soothing at the same time. To finish up, “Strangers When We Meet” from the “Buddha” album is an odd choice, but it’s also necessary. If you make it that far, you need something promising and uplifting to pull you out of the psychotic hyper cycle of the Nathan Adler Diaries. I have the LP version, which edits out a couple songs and segues and is much better for home. But for the road, the CD is the way to go! Bowie at his best!

 Earthling 1997

A sonic evolution from the “Outside” album, this is the leaner, cleaner version. It’s the 90’s Ziggy with orange hair, Union Jack-ish jacket and space-rock wrapped in a digital blender. “Little Wonder” and “The Letter” are phenomenal! “Seven Years In Tibet” still sounds more Nine Inch Nials-ish than some NIN songs. It’s a great tune though and the spacey keyboards are a very nice touch. I’ve never been into “Dead Man Walking”, too techno for me, although the Mike Garson piano outro is cool. And “I’m Afraid Of Americans” is kind of boring and watered down, but the rock saves it somewhat. “Telllllling Lieeeeesss” is still great. “The Last Thing You Should Do” is a mainly instrumental like no other, with some vicious Reeves guitar work. “You little wonder you”

 Hours 1999

The first time I heard “Thursday’s Child”, I saw the video and didn't know what was happening, but I liked it. It was soft and melancholy, yet so strange and cool. I taped it the next time it came on because I had to watch it over and over. Still sounds great, every time. “Survive” is another cool song, nice melody, lyrics and guitar solo. Songs like “I’m Dreaming My Life”, “Seven”, “Brilliant Adventure” and “New Angels Of Promise” are all very reflective. He’s saying goodbye to or reminiscing about the past and the mood is toned down and mostly mellow. I still say the verse to “What’s Really Happening” sounds a lot like “You Keep Me Hanging On”. Try singing the words of the latter over the former and tell me what you think. “The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell” is a good rock song, but a little dry. Although, it doesn’t sound as out place now as it used to. The instrumental, “Brilliant Adventure” is very reminiscent of side 2 of “Low”. I really like the last song, “The Dreamers”. The ‘badump-bump’ bit at the beginning is great.

 Heathen 2002

I’ve always loved the fact that the drums don’t kick in on the first song, “Sunday” until near the end. It’s such a great dynamic and a perfect way to open the album. “Heathen” is a really good record, one that I prefer to listen to as a whole instead of the individual songs. I don’t mind “Slow Burn”, but I’ve never really connected with it. There’s something about that ‘harmonic-whammy’ guitar part I’m just not into. “I Would Be Your Slave”, “I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship”, “Everyone Says Hi”, and “5:15 The Angels Have Gone” are great tunes. Still enjoy listening to this one a lot, even with “Slow Burn”. “I demand a better future” indeed!

 Reality 2003

I never connected with this album for some reason at first. I liked, “Never Get Old” and “New Killer Star” but nothing else really stuck with me. Now, after listening to 25 Bowie albums, some great… some not, I’m enjoying number 26. “Pablo Picasso” is a cool song, great lyrics and melody. “Looking For Water” has a great funky spirit, you don’t know what’s going to happen when the drums kick it off, then everything falls into place. I don’t even remember this “Days” song, it’s pretty cool. ”Try Some, Buy Some” is a nice slow burner and “Reality” rocks! To close it out, “Bring Me The Disco King” is a fantastic little jazzy number and the first Bowie song where the drummer uses brushes. It’s fitting that after 33 years of music, he finishes with something he's never done before. And of course, the song finishes out with a tasty Mike Garson piano solo. If this indeed the last goodbye, well played Mr. Bowie, well played.

“Dead or alive, bring me the disco king, bring me the disco king”

A realization during Bowie-athon, even though there are plenty of similarities, almost every song is unique. Bowie is instantly recognizable but you rarely hear a Bowie song and think, “This sounds like that other song”. They just sound like Bowie songs from Bowie albums.

My favourite albums of 2011

2011 was a pretty damn good year for new music, if you looked hard enough. Pop still rules the roost, but time is ticking on the Gaga, Perry and Bieber’s of the world as you generally get 3 albums as a pop star and then the world moves on. Rock is still struggling, but some good things are slowly happening. We did see high profile albums from Pearl Jam, the Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Pearl Jam release was a soundtrack/compilation album of rarities and the Foo and Chili efforts were decent enough, but just didn’t stick with me.

I did however, manage to find some great new albums this year. A few from some old friends and a few from some brand new ones. Things started promising when I heard Tyler the Creator’s “Yonkers” in late 2010 but the album wasn’t coming out until the spring of 2011. I pre-ordered a copy and had to wait 3 months for it to show up. Then I heard Adele, went out and bought "21" and thought, “Cool, my first 2011 album, I wonder how many more I’ll find”. Turns out, it was 5 more, 7 in all. I’ve put them in order of when I discovered them, 7 albums over 12 months, not a bad year indeed. I highly recommend any and all of these albums and if you’re wondering, I have them all on vinyl. It’s how everyone should listen to music! 

Tyler the Creator – Goblin

It’s everything a good hip-hop album should be, catchy, confusing, offensive, different and new. It’s also not bling, phat beats, silly skits, cristal or gansta in any way. Rap is a genre that definitely needs a new guard and the cool kids are starting to take over again. Representing the new breed of hip-hop, Tyler is part of the Wolf Gang/Odd Future crew and their biggest name so far. It is a good double album, but would be a great single record. They could’ve taken taken off 3 or 4 songs to make it more cohesive, but that’s probably the point to begin with. As Tyler would likely say, “Fuck cohesive”. The song “Yonkers” is as good as it gets and the video is an exclamation point on “This is what the fuck is going on right now!”

Adele – 21

There’s no way to deny a great song and there’s no denying “Rolling In The Deep” is a great song. With just that song, “21” is a good album, but there are several good songs. Admittedly, there are a couple of slow moments, the cover of the Cure’s, “Love Song” comes to mind. But, there are plenty of awesome moments too. It’s not all retro soul sounding either, “Don’t You Remember” sounds like it would fit right in on a Dixie Chicks album. Not the whiny, George Bush bashing Dixie Chicks either, the cool red dress wearing, “Cold Day In July” Dixie Chicks.

Gorillaz – The Fall

Technically this album was released in 2010, but that was on December 25^th and only as a free download to members of their Sub-Division fan club. The physical release was on April 18^th, 2011 and I came across it at a record store in Paris in late June. At the time I didn’t even know it existed, or whether  it was a new album, or outtakes or remixes or what. The sticker on the front was in French so I couldn’t understand it. But I could tell that it was a Gorillaz album on vinyl, I didn’t recognize any of the songs and that was good enough for me. Turns out, the album was written and recorded by Damon Albarn during the Gorillaz Oct-Nov 2010 North American tour. Like really, he did the whole thing on his Ipad in hotels rooms while on tour in the fall, hence the album’s title. It’s definitely a road album and a fantastic portrait of travelling through the country. Being only a single record, it’s shorter and more introspective than the previous 3 albums. Also, there’s no real upbeat songs to give it that radio single, which is the best part. It’s experimental, flows together seamlessly and gives you a feeling of being on the bus, staring out the window as the world rolls by. And at times, stuck in a station waitng for the train. A definite highlight is the love letter to Arizona’s biggest city, “Bobby In Pheonix” featuring Bobby Womack. He dropped by Damon’s hotel room before the show that night, played him a song on his guitar and they put it on the record.

The Kills – Blood Pressures

Much like their duo brethren the Black Keys, the Kills keep getting better with every album. Unlike the Keys, they remain a duo and have subscribed to the quality over quantity approach, with only 4 albums in 8 years and each one an improvemement on the last. Their sound is established but the song writing is getting better and even bordering on anthemic at times.  Without adding to the band, they add to the music while maintaining their minimalistic cool. Plus, “Pots and Pans” is one of the best album closers you’re going to hear.

Rival Sons – Pressure and Time

I can’t say enough about these guys and this record and how awesome it is. Whether or not they save rock and roll remains to be seen. But, they did save me with a great rock and roll album. Do yourself a favour and buy this album, either on itunes, at the CD store or (what I did) vinyl from ebay. Best rock album in years!

Black Keys – El Camino

It’s safe to say that the Black Keys have hit their stride. Putting together a full band (plus growing musical mileage) has opened up a bottomless pit of great songs, killer riffs, vicious hooks and stellar performances. “Brothers” is a really good album, but “El Camino” is shorter, faster and even better.

Mayer Hawthorne – How Do You Do

Actually bought this album without hearing any of it before hand, but I did read about this dude in Spin magazine just a few days before. He sounded like a cool cat and I decided to check out some of his stuff on youtube when I got a chance. I never did do that, but I did find myself in a record store with a 20 dollar gift certificate and came across the record. A total score! Great collection of way cool, white boy, groove soul tracks. It sounds like music you’ve heard before, but feels brand new. The album doesn't neccessarily remind you of the good old days, but confirms these are the good new days! It is a little tongue in cheek, which adds to the appeal, it's music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even the name, Mayer Hawthorne is a pseudonym for the all around DJ, producer, multi-instrumentalist guy named Andrew Cohen who put this together. He’s clearly having fun with it. But it’s fun without being ridiculous, aside from the picture inside the gatefold that is. Bonus, Snoop Dog appears on one song but doesn’t rap and it sounds a lot better than you would think a song with Snoop not rapping would sound like.

 

This is the blues

Howlin Wolf – Howlin Wolf

I really got into the blues during my second wave of musical discovery. I found out most of my favourite bands were influenced by bands like The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Led Zeppelin. I then found out those bands were influenced by bluesmen like Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed. Luckily I worked at the Tuning Point. The coolest CD store in Prince George and my boss was a bona-fide blues specialist, he was from Chicago. The store also featured, for the first time, the opportunity to listen to the CD’s ahead of time and see if you liked it or not. Which also meant we could listen to any CD in the store when working! It was a win win kinda job. I dove head first into everything and really got into the blues.

Although I quickly found out, the blues tends to be limited as far as songwriting goes. It’s a very simple form of music and more for an emotional connection more than philosophical. Instead of great songs, it’s a genre for great performers playing the same songs over and over. Guitar playing singers for the most part and the real stuff comes from guys who don’t just sing the the blues, they live it.

I tended to lean more towards the delta style. I really got into Robert Johnson, thanks to the Rolling Stones who covered two Johnson songs. For the electric blues, it was Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and B.B. King. A little more laid back and old school.

And of those, for me…Howlin Wolf is the guy. There’s plenty of info about Wolf on the net. If you want to see some great footage with the story told by people closest to him, check out, “Moanin At Midnight: The Secret History Of Rock And Roll”. It’s an excellent docu/bio movie on the Wolf. And really, Muddy was great and all, but Wolf was the man. ALOT of rock and roll comes from him.

As far as the music goes, the “Howlin Wolf” album, also known as the “rocking chair” album because of the cover, is simply the greatest blues record I’ve ever heard. It’s a collection of 12 songs recorded between 1957 and 1961 that came out in 1962. I got my first copy on cassette around 1990/91. I still have it, but tapes have since been retired. Luckily I picked up the record a few years ago so I could spin it again regularly.

If you’re going to own any sort of real blues, this is the album to get. It’s from the greatest blues singer ever with enough songs to be amazing, but not too many to be boring. They cover the depth of the blues, from the lowest lows to the highest highs…..“Shake For Me”, “The Red Rooster”, “Down In The Bottom”, “Howlin For My Baby”, “Spoonful”….them’s the blues right there.

It certainly helps that I’m a big Howlin Wolf fan and also love the sound and production of music from the late 50’s, early 60’s. Everything had that fresh, new, iconic, larger than life feel about it. And with advances in technology since, it’s definitely music from another time.

Listen to this song!

Rolling Stone magazine released another, “Best Albums of the 80’s” list recently. I remember when the first one came out in 1989! They’ve been basically the same list every time since and for good reason. Good music is good music and a good album is a good album. For the most part, this list is always going to be the same. I don't agree with alot of these choices, but I certainly agree they're all great records loved by many.

Best Albums of the 1980s Chosen by Rolling Stone readers (March 2011)
01. U2: The Joshua Tree
02. Guns N' Roses: Appetite for Destruction
03. Michael Jackson: Thriller
04. Bruce Springsteen: Born In The USA
05. Prince: Purple Rain
06. AC/DC: Back In Black
07. The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
08. The Clash: London Calling
09. The Cure: Disintegration
10. Metallica: Master Of Puppets

It’s unscientific, by basic common knowledge that our most impressionable years are between, say….12 and 18, give or take a year or so. By 19, 20 we take shape and start to define ourselves, who we are and our independence (or lack thereof) in the world. In other words, they’re the greatest (or worst) years of our lives and the musical soundtrack that we hear is what gets us through those years and sticks with us forever. There’s a whole lot of “firsts” going on and the music captures each moment like a time capsule. For the rest of your life, whenever you hear that song, you’ll remember when you first heard it for whatever reason. By the late 20’s, most people are longing for their days of youth when times were simpler and the music was always better. When I see a list like that (again) it leads me to believe that still holds true. But I’ve always loved to discover music and although I still love (most) of the music I loved when I was 16, I get also get bored very easily….

I was 10 years old in 1982, the 80’s were my decade. My mom bought me the Back In Black tape when 8 or 9, so I had a good start, but didn’t really get into tunes until 1984, the year and the album. It was a huge year in every way, when the decade really took shape and I watched it all T.V.! I didn’t really like most of the music I heard, but I was very limited to what I could hear as a kid in a small Canadian town. When Much Music took shape in 1984, I never got to see it, it was a new cable box that was an extra charge my parents weren’t willing to fork over for. But, Much Music did come through on cable stereo and I got to hear it. I listened to it for as long as I could, even faking sick from school some days so I could listen all day. I absorbed a lot of music, but could only afford a little. Rap was what I first got into, I heard the video for Run DMC's "Rock Box" and I was like, this is it! I totally got into breakdancing and movies like Beat Street and Breakin'. But then......I discovered Van Halen. 

Pretty soon I had Eddie Van Halen hair, VH were my favourite group and I was a self proclaimed metal head. Although you could say I was more into hard rock than metal, but in 1984 Judas Priest was heavy. My little record collection slowly grew between 84 and 87. I had to be selective with what I bought on my meager allowance earnings. Then by 87-88, I was starting to feel ripped off by a few records from my favourite bands that weren’t quite up to par.

By 1988, I discovered I could get Vancouver radio on cable and started listening to CFOX and Rock 101 constantly. I would fall asleep and wake up with the radio on. It was then I discovered David Bowie, the Stones, Floyd, Zeppelin, etc. I became friends with the guys that worked at the record store, hanging out there almost daily. Picking their brains for music knowledge until they finally just gave me a job and I was off.

So, I thought it would be interesting to compare what I considered my favourite albums of the 80’s when I was 16, B.R.S. (Before Record Store) to what I now consider to be my favourite records of the decade. I went with 7 just because. And they’re in order of what came to me when I thought about it, with a little help from some record flipping.

Favourite Albums’s of the 80’s in 1987

Van Halen – 1984

First record I ever bought. Although I never really liked “House Of Pain” and “Girl Gone Bad” I still went through 3 copies of this record in 3 years. Side one is “1984”, “Jump”, “Panama”, “Top Jimmy” and “Drop Dead Legs”, that's as good as a great album it gets.

Judas Priest – Defenders Of The Faith

My second album. I didn’t know anything about music at the time, I was 13, but I saw the video for “Love Bites” and thought it was the coolest song I’d ever heard. Listening to the album now, some of the lyrics seem pretty cheesy. And considering Rob’s since revealed team, I really don’t want to know where a lot of the lyrics come from. But I totally dug the imagery of songs like “The Sentinal”, “Jawbreaker” and “Freewheel Burning”. Not to mention the Hellion on the front cover! Talk about ass kicking metal!

Motley Crue – Shout At The Devil

Out of my first 3 records, this is the one I still listen to regularly. It’s same one I first bought and it’s since been autographed by Mick and Nikki. “Looks That Kill” was the best video ever when I first saw it on the Much Music “Power Hour” at my friends place! The Crue, Halen and Priest were my first 3 big bands. This album stills kills and it's still my favourite Crue.

Cinderella – Night Songs

It’s always easy to look back and judge bands like Cinderella in hindsight. But at the time, this is what rock bands were. And out of all the new Crue wannabe bands that sprouted up between 85 and 86, Cinderella were the only one I really got into. Tom Keifer’s voice was a little cooler than the guy from Ratt, the riffs were way cooler than Dokken and they had some really good songs. Plus, only one ballad and it wasn’t too sucky, ballads were really starting to suck by the mid/late 80's. I used to play guitar with this record daily after school and knew every tune, “Night Songs”, “Shake Me”, “Push Push”, “Somebody Save Me”, “Hell On Wheels”…great tunes!

The Cult – Love

I was introduced to the Cult when “Electric” came out. I dug some of the other the tunes off of that record, but when I saw the video for “She Sells Sanctuary”, I bought “Love” instead. It was probably the first record that really introduced me to atmosphere instead of just rocking out. I had a light show in my bedroom, with some cool red and blue lights shining through some posters and desk light thing that changed colour. This album is perfect for bedroom light shows! Songs like “Brother Wolf, Sister Moon” and “Black Angel” were made for the dark. And it was very easy to play most of the songs on guitar, I was Cult riff master. Got to see them play the album on the “Love Live” tour in 2010, very cool!

Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation

I first got into Aerosmith when “Done With Mirrors” came out in 1985. A friend of mine had the record and we used to listen to it at his place all the time. “Permanent Vacation” was my first ‘new’ Aerosmith record and I bought it the day it came out. I had a huge sense of local pride with the record being recorded in Vancouver, a place I’d actually been too! The whales from the Vancouver aquarium even provided the intro! Then the songs were (and still are) fantastic. “Hearts Done Time”, “St John”, “Permanent Vacation”, “Hangman Jury”, “I’m Down” and one of my favourite instrumentals, “The Movie”. Although I never did (and still don’t) like “Angel”, but I wanted my mom to buy me the leather trench coat Joe Perry wore in the video.

David Bowie – Never Let Me Down

I discovered Bowie at the same time as my best friend. We listened to a lot of music together, even used to skip school and go to the second hand stores downtown to search for records. We saw the video for “Day-In, Day-Out” and he ended up getting the record. We listened to it all the time at his place and I eventually got a copy on tape. I wore that tape out. It’s regarded as one of his worst albums now and I would agree with that….somewhat. I still think some of the songs are great, “Day-In…”, “Time Will Crawl”, “Never Let Me Down” and I even like “The Glass Spider”. Instead of doing assignments and home work, I used to write the lyrics to the intro of that song in my note book.

Favourite Albums of the 80’s in 2011

Neil Young – Landing On Water

Already wrote a blog about how much I love this album and don’t hesitate to call it my favourite.

Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love

I loved “Running Up That Hill” when it first came out, it was so different and out of this world. But I was 14, into Judas Priest, Motley Crue and Van Halen and couldn’t afford to be buying Kate Bush records. A few years later I came around and bought her next album, “The Sensual World”. I listened to that CD to death and it’s still a favourite. But I finally picked up “Hounds” on vinyl in the early 2000’s. Side one was as great as I expected with “Running…”, “Hounds Of Love”, “Cloudbusting”, etc. But then I discovered “The Ninth Wave”!! A fantastic musical roller coaster ride into Kate’s dreamland  that takes up side two....with instruments of all sorts, incredible vocals, witches and demons, a foot stomping Irish jig and even the helicopter from “The Wall” makes an appearance! It’s best heard sitting comfortably, with the lights low and the left speaker on the left side and the right on the right side. When I first listened to it that way and she hit the “I put this moment…here” part, I had goose bumps!! You have to hear it to truly understand what I’m talking about and I strongly suggest you do.

David Bowie – Scary Monsters…and Super Creeps

By 1989 I had all the Bowie records and I was a bona fide Bowiephile. That’s why 1987 was cut off year for this list. After I discovered Bowie a whole new world opened up to me and the following years were periods of immense discovery (and still are). This is the one released in the 80’s that I definitely listen to the most.

Prince – Purple Rain

My friend was the Prince fan and I was the Van Halen fan. I dug Prince and heard it all at his place, so I never felt the need to get any of his stuff. I did always have the Black Album on CD and even the Gold Experience at one time, but got rid of that along the way. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I finally discovered Prince for myself though. This is simply a great record that you can put on anytime.

Eurythmics – Savage

Another band I dug in the 80’s, but avoided because I was metal head/rocker dude. I’ve just blogged about this one and it’s an album everyone should own.

Aerosmith – Rock In A Hard Place

Last blog I did. I enjoyed this one a lot when I first discovered it in the 80’s, but it was after 1987. Actually wrote my first song way back when based on the melody to “Bolivian Ragamuffin”.

Men At Work – Cargo

My sister had the “Business As Usual” record when these guys were the band in 1982/83. I dug the tunes, but was more into the sillyness of “Dr Heckyll & Mr Jive” than “Down Under”. I didn’t understand why “Dr Heckyll” wasn’t on my sister’s record, not knowing it was from the album that had just come out called, “Cargo”. What can I say, I was 11. In the early 2000’s I got a box of records from a friend and this was in there. I realized one of my favourite songs, “It’s A Mistake” is also on this album. The album grown on me since, especially side two. Some very cool tunes throughout, “Heckyll” and “Mistake” of course, plus “High Wire”, “I Like To”, “No Restrictions”, etc. And there’s a great guitar solo on “I Like To’, the dude really tears it up! That’s right, there’s a great guitar solo on a Men At Work record! Plus the cover is great, a deserted island kinda beach scene with tons of stuff to discover every time you look at it.

Aerosmith down and out and brilliant!

Aerosmith "Rock In A Hard Place" is the band at their worst….at their best. Only three fourths of the original band remained, Joe Perry split in 1979 and Brad Whitford played rhythm on “Lightning Stirkes” before abandoning ship as well. The early 80’s was also the time that the drugs stopped working for most of the heavy 70’s rock star user. Steven Tyler would really show the effects of years of abuse during the 1982/83 Rock In A Hard Place tour. But for the album, he managed to pull it together to record one the most underrated rock records of all time.

Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay were the guitar slingers that had to fill Perry and Whitford’s shoes. Crespo came up with some killer sleazy, struttin, boogie-rockin guitar riffs to play off of Tyler’s drug and booze drenched lyrics, “I’ve been drinkin just to make this here song rhyme”. The album was recorded at the Power Station in NYC, where an engineer named Tony Bongiovi worked. His young cousin Jon would often help out in the studio and was present during some of the recording of Hard Place. That kid would go on to become Jon Bon Jovi and years later he would say that watching Steven Tyler sing “Cry Me A River” was one of the greatest moments of his life. And it’s easy to see why, Tyler practically rips his lungs out in the song.

And the ballad is even more heart wrenching considering the mess Steven Tyler was. Plus, not putting a 70’s style big symphony behind “Cry Me A River” strips it down to the blood sweat and tears of the band and it comes through in volumes. Throughout the album I can barely understand what Tyler is singing, but you know exactly where he’s coming from. Remember, this was still a time when there was no such thing as drug abuse, Betty Ford was a few years away and the only priority for a rock band was record an album and hit the road, repeat. The drugs were used to keep the machine moving.

Fittingly, the album ends with a smash in a back alley scene and fades out. Or as Tyler would have known it then…..Thursday. “Rock In A Hard Place” is the album that “Draw The Line” should have been. The songs are stronger, the grooves are fatter, it’s more cohesive and there’s no Joe Perry vocal. It’s full of wasted abandon, probably their sloppiest, and sleaziest performance on record. But that what makes it work! And with all due respect to the singer, the rest of the band wasn’t exactly in great shape either. Each had substance problems of their own and Rick Dufay was less the new guitar player and more the new drug buddy for Tyler. 

During the following tour he began often missing lyrics, launching into drunken rants. He sometimes fell down, passed out and generally destroyed what was left of Aerosmith on stage. Several hard fought years later, the original band would reform to become the kinder, gentler corporate version we know today. But before they crawled out of the gutter, they squeezed out a masterpiece of blitzed proportions rarely achieved.

Listen to this song right now!

My new favourite album

Went to the wreck-a-stow the other day. Had a few things in mind that I wanted to look for, but went with a budget in mind so I didn’t want to go over 30 bucks. Started off with a few cheap scores in the used section. Three of them for 5 bucks a piece, so had another 15 dollars of cap room. Decided to check out the lower rack with the newer records, with multiple copies of most of them. That’s where I came across “Rockferry” by Duffy.

I remember hearing her debut song a few years before and kinda digging it, but had totally forgot about her. At the time, she was labeled as one of the new Amy’s, as in Winehouse who was at the height of cracked out success when “Rockferry” was released in 2008. There were at least five copies of the record, most of them priced 19.99 and one was even 21.99?! But the last one was only 17.99. It would put me a little over my budget, but I just had a feeling about it. I put it back at first and went through the rest of the section. Didn’t find anything else and did a little more browsing. But I had that feeling, I needed to buy the Duffy record.

I put it on and "spell-binding" is what first came to mind, her voice is just incredible. As with most great music, I didn’t really know what to think of it at first. I kinda liked it, but wasn’t sure if I was just thinking that because I wanted to be right about buying it, or if I actually did like it. But……there was just something about her voice and some of the songs were pretty cool. I listened to it again, at first just side one a couple of times. Then I flipped it over and listened to side two. It finished and I flipped it over again, then it started to hit me and I couldn’t stop listening. There were a few songs that stood out at first, such as “Rockferry”, “Mercy” and “Distant Dreamer”. But soon enough it all just came together!

It is a little mellow in parts, but her voice is just incredible and there are some great grooves to keep the album moving. The Amy Winehouse comparions are understandable, but not entirely accurate. They’re both female singers from the U.K. who have a throaty retro style. But while Amy has a horn led Stax-soul type of sound, Duffy is far more lush and contemporary. Instead of horns, Duffy has strings and keyboards, with a sweet R&B rhythm section behind her. All with 21^st century production and like I mentioned, this girl can sing. And while Amy definitely reminds you of a certain sound from the past, Duffy isn’t so easy to pin down. She does have lyrics like, “When I drop you boy, you’ll need another toy”. Not exactly something that would appeal to the male demographic. But with these melodies, songs and production, she could sing the phone book and it would still sound great.

It definitely turned out to be the right decision and the best 17.99 I’ve spent in a long time. Been listening to the record almost non-stop for two days. I should actually be in bed right now, but I just had to blog about it. It also gives me a chance to listen to it a few more times. Side two is mid way through at the moment (for about the 20^th listen) and I’ll probably give side one another go before I call it a night. The quicker I get to sleep, the quicker I can get up in the morning and put Duffy on again.  

The first single off the album and song I first heard in 2008 is “Mercy”. But if you want to hear your first Duffy song, you should listen to "Rockferry"

Check out the video here

The Doors at their best!

I love the Doors and the Danbury 67 bootleg is one of my favourite live recordings of any band. This is why...

October 11^th, 1967.  It was less than a month after Jim Morrison got the Doors banned from Ed Sullivan for singing the word “higher” during “Light My Fire” and less than 2 months before he becomes the first rock star arrested on stage in New Haven, the Doors played Danbury High School in Danbury, New York. They were arguably the biggest band in the country and riding their initial wave of success. On the same day as the Sullivan show, the band and Jim Morrison had took part in 2 photo shoots while in New York. Known as the “Young Lion” photo session, these pictures would go on to define the band and Morrison’s image. This quote from doorshistory.com sums it up.

“The Doors are packing every place they play. The "young lion" photos are appearing everywhere and Jim's layout in Vogue comes out in the middle of the month (October). Both Time and Newsweek run articles on The Doors. The Doors are now mainstream news. Jim is becoming masterful on stage turning concerts into seances evoking cathartic experiences with his calculating moves and control of the audience. The Doors are playing at or near their best. Jim is treating each show as if it's his last giving all out performances.”

For the show at Danbury, legend has it that a member of the faculty recorded the show with a reel to reel set next one of the PA speakers, or possibly above the stage. However they did it, what they recorded that night is simply rock and roll legend.

They start with “Moonlight Drive” and Jim puts in a stellar version of "Horses Latitudes" in the middle. Then comes a very poignant moment. The Four Seasons were originally supposed to play the show, but didn’t. Some of their fans were in the crowd, disappointed at missing their favourite band and not fans of the Doors. Leading into the second song, Morrison does his usual, “let me tell ya about something I haven’t seen in a long time, something I need reeeeaaaal bad” then asks the crowd, “Do you know what it is?”, some guy responds, “A bath” and laughter ensues. Morrison dives into the song , ignoring the heckler and delivering a fierce version of “Money”.

A killer “Break On Through” follows with more poetic improv, then “Back Door Man” in full featuring “Got The Right”. I kinda prefer the full versions of this tune instead of when they chopped it into a medley. It’s followed by probably the best recorded version of the rarely performed, “People Are Strange”.  Another great moment comes next with a mesmerizing version of the “Crystal Ship”. Then just when everyone is hypnotized he screams, “WAKE UP!” The intro poem leads into “Light My Fire” and it’s an inspired version to say the least. Even down to Jim’s “Persian night babe……see that light…” poem, it’s perfectly timed.

Jim is very reserved physically, but hitting all the right notes musically. Plus Ray, John and Robby are in top shape this night, the solos on “Light my Fire” are some of their best. By the time they reach the beginning of “The End” the band is practically chomping at the bit to get into it. The version that follows is easily my favourite and considered by many to be their best. The band clicks with rare abandon and is firing on all cylinders. The part where Jim sings accapella, “He walked on down the hallway baby” and the band explodes back in is incredible. Robby’s guitar scream after the “father I’m going to kill you” part is bone chilling. Then Ray plays a couple of notes on the keys at about the 16 minute mark that have never appeared in another recorded version. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard and I wish it would’ve become a much bigger part of the song. But, it only exists for a few brief seconds which almost makes it sound that much better. Then…..for the final climax, Morrison jumps off the stage, screaming into the shocked crowd. He gets back up and proceeds the smash mic stand into the stage repeatedly. If you listen closely, you can actually a few of the hits. He then falls to knees in a heap before slowly getting up to mass applause and finishing the song.

It’s a listening experience unlike any other. There are only a handful of Doors live recordings from 1967 and Danbury is the only complete show and simply an incredible document of their first creative peak. The sound quality is a little distorted, but still quite superior for an amatuer recording. I did make some small improvements to the original mp3’s. The right side dropped out for a few portions of “Break On Through”, plus a couple of smaller spots in “People Are Strange” and “Light My Fire”. I’ve corrected those, but there are still some volume fluctuations, tape hiss and such that I didn’t mess with. And I fixed the skip at the beginning of “Light My Fire”.

The rarity of so many moments and Morrison delivering one of his most consistent performances ever recorded make Danbury one of a kind. But don’t take my word for it check it out for yourself by clicking here.