Music: Mini-reviews
On the last blog post I mentioned that I'd talk about music that I have been listening to. In the last two months I felt like there was little new to get excited about so I bought a few compilations and old albums. Here are a few words about the new additions to my music collection.
A Kind of Magic
1986
I listened to this album on a walkman when I was little. The CD does the production values justice. Great pop-rock with some great ballads like Who Wants to Live Forever and One Year of Love. A Kind of Magic was a big hit in its day and many people heard it as the soundtrack to video-hit, Highlander. Incidentally, the first track One Vision was used in the film Iron Eagle.
Alternatively Deep
2006
Roots Manuva's sister-album to Awfully Deep. Everything sounds new to me but with high production and gold-class rhyming, as always from this artist. He deals with adult themes but without resorting to vulgarity. I would recommend Roots Manuva to anyone who loved Massive Attack or any hip hop music.
Blunted On Reality
1994
This album was a pleasant surprise. I thought The Score was the first and only Fugees album but history proved me wrong! What I love about this group is it's sense of history and perspective to the problems they rhyme about. The thrill of their music is a feeling of empowerment with knowledge. Deep stuff, as only great hip hop can deliver.
Classic James Brown
1958 - 1991
God's gift to music? If Elvis was the SuperMan of rock and roll James Brown is the kryptonite. Every track is bursting with emotion and intent. If James Brown wants to say something he lets you know exactly what he means. At times he has seemed like a patriotic performer and that makes him an American national treasure.
Classic Robert Palmer
1974 - 1985
I do not know much about Robert Palmer. For a while he was a poster-boy for yuppies but that was a fraction of his body of work. He was a cruiser of life, seemingly enjoying the pleasures and learning from the lows; at least that's the image I get from this compilation. Every Kinda People stands out as the deepest song; its lyrics deal with the diversity of lives around the world.
Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best Of George Michael
<1998
George Michael had good intentions after Wham! and the work that followed was the realisation of those intentions. Great pop-rock has been the signature of this artist but age and experience seem to have mellowed him a little. Praying For Time stood out as the best ballad from this two-disc set. Disc 2 contains his dance music and I would argue that George Michael can teach fellow superstar Madonna a thing or two about this genre.
Live from London
2006
The voice of The Verve lead-singer Richard Ashcroft resonates to anyone who loves UK music. There is truth in everything he sings and a sense of gratefulness for the good and bad of life. This album is an iTunes exclusive that was recorded after Keys To The World came out. Music Is Power sounds great live and so does Bitter Sweet Symphony.
MTV Unplugged In New York
1994
I have not been disappointed by any MTV Unplugged album. Kurt Cobain had a rough voice and the live format suited it well. Good versions of Dumb and Come As You Are are included but so are covers of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World and The Vaseline's Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam. This record is another beautiful reminder of the potential Nirvana had.
Rather Ripped
2006
Nirvana may have been labeled as Alternative but there is no better example of this genre than Sonic Youth. There is no point comparing this album to any other; Sonic Youth rock out the same as always and that is a good thing. I can best describe their sound as psychedelic street art made by true rockers. Ironically, the band members are anything but youth ;)
Riot City Blues
2006
I once described Primal Scream as a psychedelic group that turned to "The Dark Side." This is a powerful group can sing about love and beauty as effectively as they sing about war and fascism. In this album they have abandoned technology for a country rock sound. For example, Hell's Comin' Down is a track you can imagine cowboys and cowgirls line-dancing to while the Earth is being destroyed. In short, the country rock style works for Primal Scream.
Saturday, 1 July 2006
