okay, it’s time to commit your applause and your eviscerations to virtual paper. I’ll do a series of posts recapping the groups, and please add your thoughts on the mixes you’ve received as replies to the relevant post. We’ll leave this open for a couple of weeks, and then it’s the great revealathon.
Remember, be nice, and if you can’t be nice, at least be entertainingly nasty.
@salwarpe / @el-hombre-malo / @bamber / @kid-dynamite
Thanks, our Kid – I’ll put my reviews in 3 separate comments under this one. Thanks to you for organizing it, and also to you, to the man malo and bamber for your entertaining tunes. I’ll try to do justice to the cornucopia of coolness – the 36 dollops of desire which have been syringed through cyberspace and spooned into my ears over the last month.
Here goes with the first one I received. Thank you, el hombre malo. An intriguing selection, not necessarily inspired by ‘desire’, but possible to interpret through that lens:
Track 1
Stop/start indie guitars and bass, and winsome girly vocals – all playing the same tune. Not my favourite thing, The cowbell section is the best part. Sorry – not a promising start from me
Track 2
I recognize this – it’s an instrumental cover of ‘Rehab’ with cheesy organ replicating Amy Winehouse’s vocals. The drums are good. I don’t like the original, so this is an improvement. Not something I would choose to listen to. Not going well, so far -this ‘nice’ reviewing lark
Track 3
This is better. The first time I heard it, the vocals seemed instantly familiar. Is it Joni? No. Something sad, subdued, slightly haunted. Then I got it – Aimee Mann! It probably isn’t, but it sounds very much like her. It’s a grower, and saps as much energy as it gives – audio celery. There’s a warmth to the sadness. If I felt like I needed a musical blanket, this would be the sort of thing I might turn to. About halfway through it gets rousing – for a bit. Then it really, really meanders until the end where there’s something like marimbas and strings at the very end that are a nice coda – I do like a good coda, even one that rivals Lord of The Rings for stretched-out multiple endings. Nevertheless, best track so far.
Track 4
…And we’re in generic country and western territory from the get-go, pardner. All the tropes, pedal steel, strummed acoustics, hokey female vocals, and a great big chorus to jump into and splash about in. When I was on a road trip in the States, this sort of music was great for the open country roads, echoing out into the night sky as the road went on for ever. Boilerplate stuff, but nothing wrong with something that does what it says on the tin. I’m sure it would be great to be in a concert for, fingers in jeans top pocket, head back and hollering along
Track 5
This is, without a doubt, the best thing in the whole collection – possibly among all 36 tracks. Wonderful eerie instrumentation, just poking through in the right places and the vocals — croaky, elegant female quoting poetry – I think it’s La Belle Dame Sans Merci, though not a verse I know. But it is magnificent. Such words, such confidence and calm in their utterance of words not now commonly used, but such syllabic joy in their sound. Wow. Really impressive.
Track 6
As this was shared on the slave to the song I love thread, I knew instantly what this was. There’s something about listening to songs I already know that marks them apart from those that are completely new. Hard to hear them afresh. I won’t say any more about this, as I know it’s an AW favourite, and I don’t like the chorus at all – too gimmicky for me. Surrey really does seem like the hardest word to say.
Track 7
Plinky-plonky piano jazz. I have heard this often enough now for the jarring central motif to become unheard, which is a relief, as it sets my teeth on edge. Other than that, it’s a mildly interesting partly harmonious, partly discordant scamper up and down the keyboard. It’s got a sense of rhythm, so that if I heard it enough, the piano silliness could be ignored, but that’s too much commitment from me.
Track 8
Not sure what to think of this one. Long stretches of sound not really going anywhere, but at least it soothes my troubled brow after the (everything happening all at once) plinky plonk. I quite like the wibble wobble bits among the synth longueurs, reminds me of Oxygene by Jean Michel Jarre, set to one of Vangelis’s more self-indulgent audio wanderings. Then it just stops.
Track 9
More piano jazz madness – but this time a bit tamer and more calm in its rhythmic flow. This hangs together much better than the plinky plonk. There’s a narrative that is quite intriguing – I’m happy to hear where this goes, unlike the longueur piece which just drifted, like, forever? Here, the instruments are having a party! They are getting on like a house on fire. It’s quite splendid in parts – a real engine at full speed in great sync – something to marvel at. Even the piano riff isn’t too annoying when it repeats every now and again. I must admit, I drifted off a bit in the second half – I should get that attention span thing seen to. It’s a menace. But I’m back in the room for the last minute, and while it doesn’t do anything it hasn’t done in the previous 6 minutes, it is an enjoyable finish
Track 10
Pleasant enough noodlings, though I far prefer the synth washes to the vaguely heroic guitar ambience, which sounds like something Steve Vai or Joe Satriani might fart out after a few insanely fast arpeggios.
Track 11
Clangy guitars ahoy! Again and again. It’s almost hypnotic how the same notes get repeated endlessly – and I like Spacemen 3 and Status Quo. Where is this going? Anywhere? Doesn’t seem like it. Oh well. A bit of a musical shrug
Track 12
As closing track, there is motorik music from the off – stretching off for 10 minute musical journey down an asphalt smooth track, accompanied by dropped in interludes of voices, guitars, bird song and other ambient noise, etc – enough to calm my magpie mind with short distractions. The drift of vocals across the headphones is like a caress. This could be a gentle Can track remixed by The Orb. In safe hands here.
Milky white?
Overall thoughts
All in all and entertaining tour – thanks, EHM. I hope the ‘nice’ was nice and the ‘nasty’ was entertaining in my comments – all it really does is expose my tin ear, rather than any objective fault in the tracks played. Except for the plinky plonk. That was terrible. It’s unfair to rank, but here goes – from superb to dire with a big division after the first half : 5, 9, 12, 4, 3, 1, 11, 6, 2, 8, 10, 7
Next up is kid dynamite, with a wide range of music for my cloth ears:
Track 1
And we’re off – with a group I’m well familiar with – the vocals and the repeated lyrical refrain. There’s always something slightly threatening and intriguing about this singer and what he offers. Often a repeated phrase is to be expected from him. The hammering beat and chords bed it in nicely. In this case, there’s nothing groundbreaking – it’s quite harmless to the ears. Maybe that is the subversion?
Track 2
This is instantly and permanently jolly. Pop reggae, or something like that. Chaka Demus and Pliers? Probably not, but in that ball park. A tonic after the first song which to be honest dragged a bit. I do like a compilation that jumps abruptly between genres like a Peel show. A promising start – here’s to more such transitions!
Track 3
Piano music. And after the EHM piano tracks, I am a bit wary. But no need! It soon jumps into honky horny bliss. My feet are itchy to jump around to this. And the piano interludes, when they come, contrast nicely and don’t slow down the build of a swinging track. What a thrill!
Track 4
And a complete change of scene. A loose, louche fall intro to a laidback sung rap. Very sunny sound. A bit all over the place for my ears, but enjoyable enough and there’s a delightfully sinuous bass threading its way through the loose musical cloth, which hides some delightful moments only revealed after several listens.
Track 5
More sunniness with a reggae singer whose voice I think I recognize from his work with a Bristol band. This does ooze with gentle desire, like the last track, but few others so far in the series. It encourages a relaxed randiness, which is fine and proper in the right place.
Track 6
At the start, the first impression is hard vocals, tough beating and clanging drums, booming bass and needling guitars. A northern sound, though with echoes of some of the minor US grunge bands, e.g. Pearl Jam. A bit lumpen, if I am honest. But then the track develops and (like the first ehm track) has got real earwork tendencies – there emerges a clinging and catchy harmony between the vocals and the guitars that lodges and won’t let go, transforming base metal into something finer.
Track 7
Lovely soul track. Enjoyable, inviting dialogue entry to a song about if-onlys and stymied desire. Classy. Really spreads out to fill the minutes with glorious unfolding sound. I recognize the singer, but haven’t heard this song before – a lovely voice, warm with range.
Track 8
Great crunchy, abrupt guitar and drum combination – turning on a dime to pause for the vocals and tinkly piano to fill the space. And what soaring backing vocals to accompany this. I do enjoy rock that knows how to swing – and this really does. What a combination. Could be my favourite Kid track.
Track 9
More soul music. There was a time, many year ago, when I would have turned up my nose at this. What a prig. Most of my own chosen tracks have female vocals with good reason – far more desire going on there. And there is desire aplenty, yessir, in this track. Stroke it for me? Woof!
Track 10
This is extraordinary, and I think I recognize the singer from a track Kid was kind enough to send me some time ago, in response to some Sisters of Mercy songs.
It just is plaintive – a siren-like voice over a basic repeated piano bed. A sad, sad story that I still don’t quite follow, even though every single word is crystal clear in its enunciation. The repeated refrain of the chorus has a different meaning each time, which as a wordplay, ambiguity and nuance fan, just impresses. Haunting. Competes with track 8 for my favourite bit of Kid – though they are radically different songs
Track 11
Nice and clear country guitar twang, with accompanying rhythm – a good opening. Full of pregnant expectation for what is to come – the sort of thing that KLF might have used in Chill Out. Then the vocals and I know instantly who this is singing. Unmistakeable. It is, of course, gorgeous. I am such a sucker for genre clashes and this does it so beautifully – you can’t see the join. Of course he could be singing about underpants, but it doesn’t matter. If I had a complaint, and I know I shouldn’t, it would be that it is too sympathetic – I like a bit of dissonance in with my assonance (see La Belle Dame track). It does just stop as well – no big finale.
Track 12
The last track. The big conclusion. The culmination. And like EHM, Kid goes for a lengthy one. Will it work? Er, no. It drags, has no momentum and the singer is growly but lacklustre. The bass just plods along, the drummer is just keeping pace. Washy guitar – sorry, but I’m looking at my watch.
Overall thoughts
A real rollercoaster ride with lots of variety. Enjoyable in a different way than ehm’s. Apart from the last song (12), there wasn’t anything I actively disliked, four that were great to listen to (2, 3, 7, 9) and two that were extraordinary and I want to hear more from (8, 10)
Last, but not least, Bamber’s “That Obscure Object of Desire”:
Track 1
A bold tactic – opening with what sounds like film dialogue. I don’t know the film, but one voice sounds rugged like Clint.
Track 2
And then *BAM!* into the first track. Driving guitar, thumping drums, baritone vocals – a bit Ian Mccullough, a bit Julian Cope, even a bit Bono when it gets wry and commenting, and somewhat Tim Booth when it gets soaring and anthemic. Certainly hits the target in repeating ‘Desire’ over and over again – overstating its case, actually. Too much empty bombast for me. Then it just stops.
Track 3
Gentle guitar plucking a la James leads into a cover – Wicked Game with female vocals. I got tired of that song when it was overused one year for Comic Relief. Something that works when played rarely doesn’t survive repeat play, and this is too faithful to the Chris Isaak original to break free from its influence.
Track 4
A song with light vocals over an intrusive bass. It sounds a bit like Neil Hannon and I am not a fan of his whimsy. The song erupts into strangeness about halfway through, and female vocals take over with more force and drive, which Is a big improvement, getting a bit of Tom Tom Club funkiness, but in general it seems caught between two genres that don’t connect anywhere.
Track 5
Oh yes, these vocals are unmistakable, although I don’t know the song. Typical sparse and varied instrumentation underpin a narrative tale like something out of Brecht. It’s schtick, but schtick that works. The clarinet is delightful as is the plucked guitar. A little nostalgia-tinged treat.
Track 6
Cello bowing is an encouraging start. Rhythmic singing leads into a good solid beat. A real confident touch not to hide behind a big music bed. I must say, I am intrigued. A really punchy delivery, which I am enjoying a lot. And plucked strings accompanying a rousing rise into the song’s peak (slight as it is) confirms a favourite so far. As I post this in the thread, I am hearing this again and REALLY enjoying it. It’s GREAT!!
Track 7
Loud driving guitars sounding like an ABBA cover and yes it is. This is vaguely familiar from the 80s. I miss the Madonna stolen piano riff, and the vocals are no match for A&A. The Sisters used to do a cover of this song and it’s better than that, but that is damning with faint praise.
Track 8
And oops, straight into the next song and the vocals already hit out. No loud guitars, it’s a song really led by the voice close up to the mike. I think I would like to hear more by this female singer, just to get to know her voice. Nice variety of timbres, supported by gentle horn honking. Not an instant appeal, there’s enough to warrant hearing it more times to let the resonant sounds get into my gut.
Track 9
Clear voiced singer, accompanied by strummed guitar, with piano slipping in behind doesn’t really grab me. I’m not one for crooners. The lead guitar makes a brief attractive appearance, but then it stops and so does the song shortly after.
Track 10
Ooh, I like this. Whispered baritone vocals over a bed of growling bass and subdued 80s synth chords and gently clattering percussion. It sounds like good goth. I know where I am with this – it’s one of my comfort zones.
Track 11
Clapping rhythm which is followed through in the vocals which know where they are going, leading the instruments – it’s a bit clipped like Bryan Ferry, only softer. Not sure about the Dear Liza, dear Liza part – is this a Hole in My Bucket cover? No idea who this is, but it’s definitely a song that knows it’s a song, with all the parts well connected and intertwined, not just someone singing over music. It builds nicely and has the best ending of all the Bamber tracks.
Track 12
And now the finale! Will this be a capella all the way, a male voice accompanied by waves? I’m buying into this folky waver through a narrative song. There’s vulnerability yet strength in the voice. It’s *gulp* quite beautiful. And the voice is getting stronger and bolder. There’s an awesome silence in every intake of breath, every pause between line. Wow!
Overall thoughts
I was rather nervous listening to this compilation – far less time given than for the other two, and the first few songs I couldn’t really be doing with. But after track 5 which I enjoyed through recognition, there were some great selections (barring track 7, and 9), particularly the last one. And each repeat play makes me appreciate the ones I didn’t really like before (except for Wicked Game).
Thanks @salwarpe for your very fair review. It’s nice to have some hits among the also-rans. I look forward to revealing the logic behind my choices. I can’t help noticing that you missed one. It’s a loud bass-dominated noise with shouty vocals. I’m guessing it wasn’t a favourite.
I must admit, Bamber, I was somewhat confused by the track labelling, that went from ‘Track 3’ to ‘Track 15’, missing out ‘Track 6’. Was it ‘Track 6’ that was the bass-dominated noise with shouty vocals? I like bass, so maybe you can PM me the name of the track and I can find it online?
Thanks to Bamber for forwarding the track I lost en route.
Track 3.5
As promised by Bamber, this is a very shouty, loud track – but it’s the scratchy, grumbling guitar sound that marks this track out as post-punk to my ears. Nowt wrong with that – a really fervent creative pool of diverse music to explore – though I prefer the brittle aggression of PIL or Siouxsie to the drier, academic, sounds of Magazine or Wire – luckily this is more like the former, shrill sounds and tasty discordance to a solid beat.
It fits uneasily between ‘Wicked Game’ and the Neil Hannon/Tom Tom Club though – like a chili pepper burger between two limp slices of Mother’s Pride.
Not my favourite – that would be either 6 or 12, but close. A great slice of rowdiness.
Bamber’s set – I enjoyed this collection, which included at least 3 tracks I own, and made me think I should go and hunt down at least a couple of the contributors.
First Word(s) I thought of when listening :
1) Simple Men
2) Psychedelic Furs
3) Gentle take on a classic
4) Disrhythmic
5) Clever-Clever
6) Could Only Be
7) Agitated
8) Stomping
9) Intriguing
10) I saw them play this live, on the day that they visited the location mentioned
11) 1984
12) College Radio
13) Resonant
salwarpe’s picks – an interesting variety, including several that were outside my regular listening as well as some I know well. Same quickfire responses:
1. Glamour and Glissandos
2. Glam Disco
3. Gitanes and Intensity
4. I’d love to hear this in a bar, on a sandy beach, drinking rum
5. Smouldering
6. Playful (and slightly threatening)
7. Could Only Be
8. Pleasantly dirty
9. Double-O-Seven
10. Perfume Advert
11. Pleasantly Witchy
12. Quintessentially Glamorous
Thanks , ehm – I thought you might know no.7. Many of them probably are familiar to the Afterworderati – I was going for the mood of desire – what I wanted to listen to – rather than necessarily namechecking it in a song, or striving to find obscure novelties for the AW palette.
Though I am curious as to whether any were new to you.
It was a well-compiled selection, and I did know a few of them – some are in my collection. The ones that were new to me were – 2,4,9,10 and 11
Kid Dynamite’s picks – at least one classic (that I wanted to hear again immediately), and a couple where the thing that stood out was a particular sound. Another thoughtful collection
1. Very Retro Keyboard
2. Bouncing!
3. Sunshine!
4. Neo Soul, unusually well-rooted.
5. I’d love to hear the dub of this
6. Unresolved
7. Retro futurism
8. Wants to be Classic Rock
9. SMUT!
10. Wanted to hear this one again straightaway
11. Sitting in the sunshine, shaded by a tree
12. Goths go psychedelic
First up for review is @el-hombre-malo s compilation. After a few weeks of having this playing in a variety of settings, I now feel qualified to sit in judgement…
(1) It’s a jangly slice of girly rock-pop – Rickenbacker sounds and vocals not unlike the wonderful Susanna Hoffs but it’s not the Bangles, though it probably dates from the 80s. Quite enjoyable and the chord progression reminds me of some Foo Fighters number. A bright start.
(2) Starting with Love Shack-esque drums and keeping the tempo and mood up, it’s an organ-heavy not too reverential take on Rehab reminiscent of the JTQ if they’re still in business. Another enjoyable number.
(3) I think I recognise this voice from recent radio plays here in Ireland, though I don’t know the song. On first hearing her I took it to be an Aimee Mann song I had not been familiar with but now that I know who it is I keep meaning to check her stuff out. Having said that this is more impressive in its arrangement than likeable. It would be WISE to reserve judgement until I’ve listened to more of her stuff.
(4) A Modern country, easy listening ballad with female vocals of no great distinction to my ears. I like my country with more wit or more of an edge. I wouldn’t change channel if it came on the radio but it will not linger in the memory.
(5) An oddity – spoken word over an ambient background. I recognise the poem from my school days and I think I can identify the voice – 60’s starlet plus 40 fags a day. She has made some interesting choices in her theatrical career. This fits and who better to fill this Keats with world weariness. I like it. A bold choice.
(6) I recognised this fairly quickly but she’s an artist I know little about. This slice of 70’s Valley sunshine might encourage me to delve a little deeper. Another plus. Likeable.
(7) Jerky piano jazz that had me checking whether the track had downloaded properly. It’s bright and never sits still or repeats itself but it’s not really my kind of music. I’ve had my horizons broadened by some of these swaps but I don’t think I’ll be following this one up on Spotify.
(8) Soundtracky early 80s keyboard sounds meander in circles generating a mixture of unease and mystery. Odder Moogy noodlings creep in later along with sci-fi sounds that make me think of this as some sort of keyboard demo track from an 80s music trade show. Not a hit with me.
(9) More jazz piano. Some of the early chords sound, for want of a better word, Scottish to my ears. There’s a really good groove towards the end when the bassline comes to the fore that I would have enjoyed more of. Again, it’s uptempo and lively and I enjoy the energy of the playing but ultimately this passes me by. I have very few reference points in this area. Bits of it reminded me of some Keith Jarrett I’ve heard but it could be anyone.
(10) Ambient keyboards that are joined later by slide guitar giving an overall sense of desert heat and shimmering landscapes. Possibly from a movie soundtrack. This reminds me of some of the tracks from David Sylvian’s Gone to Earth album which I really like. This doesn’t have the same understated quality. It’s okay but I won’t be hunting down the album it’s from.
(11) Loud mechanical guitar in repetitive cycles – uneasy listening. This reminds me of when I used to arse about with a four-track recorder and a delay pedal trying to create Bambertronics – I was, and remain no Robert Fripp. While I’m curious about who and what it is, I’m not mad about this prog-folk piece.
(12) More 80s or even late 70s style synths over a motorik beat with simple guitar joining in later. I like the groove. It reminds me a bit of those John Carpenter soundtracks from way back. More sci-fi and machinery noises with heavily treated vocal interjections. This is what I imagine Tangerine Dream got up to. I don’t mind that it goes on for ages. This works for me. It’s probably the track on this compilation that I am most likely to still be listening to in a year’s time – once I find out who it is.
So there you have it, not one track that I own and nothing like my own collection. I know you missed the memo on the Desire theme. Recurring soundtrack vibes and more piano jazz than I’d usually listen to in a year, it was an interesting excursion outside my usual musical parameters. Some hits and some misses but honestly there were none I actually hit the skip button for, which is something.
sorry, I’m late with my reviews, real life has been a bit chaotic of late! They are coming I promise…
There’ll be no stones thrown from this glass house! I hope to get another review posted tomorrow.
The next lamb to the slaughter is @Salwarpe s compilation. I’ll be gentle with the bolt-gun…
(1) A classy start. Old school chanteuse with a magnificent orchestral backing. I should know who this is, possibly Julie London? Perfect number for late night chill out listening.
(2) The first few bars had me thinking of Carol King or Janis Ian but once it gets going there’s no mistaking the groove and vocals of County Wicklow’s finest purveyor of quality dance tuneage. I don’t recognise this track and am unsure of whether this is from her group or solo days. Either way, it’s a cracker. An artist I should play more often because I like pretty much everything I’ve ever heard by her.
(3) Straight in with a bouncy jazz arrangement and the usual double-take when I hear this artist. No it’s not her, it’s her! A really nice arrangement of a Laughing Len track I will always associate with being seduced by an ex-teacher I’d fancied since school. It was 20 years later readers so no need to call the cops. I was a consenting adult.
(4) I really enjoyed this track every time. African sounding guitar with Spanish vocals and recurring whistling. Hard to place but this is really happy music that has soundtracked the recent extended sunny spell. I love it and will definitely explore further.
(5) This is an old school soul duet. Two great vocalists, neither of whom I recognise. I’m guessing it dates from the late 50s or early 60s. I love hearing gems like this, usually cropping up on the massive God’s Jukebox playlists on Spotify. I’ll be sure to save this to one of my own playlists once I know who it is. Another hit.
(6) A rigidly played muted guitar groove with muted vocals that sound like proto-Prince, specifically Kiss. I’m finding it hard to tell whether it’s genuinely old (60s) or something more recent produced with a retro sound. Either way, I really enjoyed it as a single although I’m not sure I could listen to an album’s worth of the muted vocals.
(7) This take on a well-known standard has a similar vibe and groove to the last track and I would find it similarly hard to date it. I feel I should probably be able to identify the vocalist throwing Elvis meets Nick Cave shapes over a Jack White style backing but I can’t. Good but not great.
(8) There’s no mistaking this artist and I know the track well. I really liked his singles output around this time and this was a favourite. Another hit.
(9) All aboard the ska train. I tend to play a lot of ska around this time of year. It takes me back to my summers in Ladbroke Grove. It’s a good track but not exceptional enough to make any of my playlists.
(10) Contemporary pop with a confident female vocal. I hear a lot of this on the radio and I find it hard to differentiate between them. This is good but wouldn’t stand out for me. I’m guessing it’s Dua Lipa and I like some of her stuff but this passes me by.
(11) Lovely plucked, almost medieval sounding guitar starts with acoustic bass joining in for a very tasteful folkie arrangement. The pure restrained female vocals suit this perfectly, letting the song shine rather than the performance. Short, sweet and very lovely. No idea who it was but I’d like to hear more.
(12) There’s no mistaking the song or the singer. It bookends the collection along with the similar vibe of track 1 but I’ve never been a fan of this. It’s also difficult to separate it from that unfortunate relationship with JFK and the ensuing tragedies for both of them. I also can’t help noticing what a tiny nursery rhyme of a song it is beneath the orchestral padding.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable compilation with far more hits than misses. Hopefully the great reveal will steer me towards artists I haven’t known previously. A hearty thanks to Salwarpe for sharing this collection.
Thanks, Bamber! It gave me a great deal of pleasure to put together, and I’m glad you enjoyed it (mostly).
finally, some thoughts on @salwarpe‘s mix!
1 – some easy listening, seductive and a warning. I know the song of course, but no idea who is offering this rendition.
2 – turns into funky disco with some deliciously squelchy bass. Have a feeling it’s modern rather than authentically 70s, but can’t put my finger on why.
3 – an obvious songwriter for the theme, but not an obvious version. Nicely jazzy
4 – breezy Euro(?) pop. I’m enjoying it now the sun’s shining, but I fear it would drive me up the wall in winter
5 – some very lascivious sax here, think I need to go and have a lie down
6 – an early RnB feel, but the vocals and something about the whole manner make me think it’s more recent. No idea who it is, can imagine some hipster DJ playing it at a tiny club you’ve never heard of and wouldn’t be let in to anyway under some arches somewhere
7 – let there be light!
8 – another artist perfectly suited for this theme. You could have selected twelve tracks by him and we still wouldn’t have scratched the surface of what he had to say about desire.
9 – a bit of rocksteady, particularly enjoying the prominent organ here (oooh missus) (well, it is a desire themed mix)
10 – bang up to date now, with modern pop. I’m in my fifties, so no idea who it might be, maybe Dua Lipa or someone. Decent for what it is, but not one I’m likely to go back to often
11 – quite the stylistic shift back to some folky singer songwriter affair. I find it difficult to get through an album of this sort of thing, but as a stand alone track this is very nice, like the nature imagery (becos I am an old hippy)
12 – another familiar song, another arrangement I don’t know, bringing us back to the beginning.
thanks for this, almost every track here was outside my comfort zone and not the sort of thing I’d listen to on any given day. Which is kind of the point, isn’t it? 11, 9 and 2 were my favourites, with 6 a dark horse coming up on the inside.
Thanks for your patience with these comments (same goes for Bamber and EHM of course). I’ve had a series of work crises over the last month that show no sign of going anywhere, and a daughter stressing about GCSEs, so relaxation time has been at a premium! I’d love to get the last two reviews up this weekend, but we’ll see…
Thanks, Kid. As you are the last to review my selection, I can post it now.
1. Julie London – That Old Feeling
2. Moloko – I Want You
3. Madeleine Peyroux – Dance Me to the End of Love (I thought it was K.D.Lang)
4. Bomba Estéreo – To My Love
5. Etta James & Harvey Fuqua – If I Can’t Have You
6. Boss Hog – I Idolize You
7. The Cramps – Fever
8. Prince – Cream
9. Justin Hinds & the Dominoes – For Your Desire
10. Dua Lipa – Physical
11. Kirsty McGee – I Burn For You
12. Marilyn Monroe – I Wanna Be Loved By You
A few reflections – this was an interesting exercise and I found at least one excellent song in the other compilations. But I kept coming back to my own, because the choice of songs just spoke to me so much – I had never played many of those songs before and, in combination and in the order I put them, it was just magical, particularly the ‘wrapping’ that Julie and Marilyn provided, but also the move from Julie into Moloko. I wasn’t trying to find songs that nobody else would know, but just lovely slutty, desirous tracks- the Prince track for example – everyone knows that, but it just expresses desire so much. And the OTT Dua Lipa track that nobody else liked – fantastic crash of melodies and rhythm – leaves me panting every time.
I hope you get to take it a bit easier soon, Kid – and thanks for your part in organizing it all.
At long last, it’s the review of @kid-dynamite s compilation. Artwork is a picture of an elegant streetcar with Kid Dynamite graffiti on it. Light the fuse and stand well back…
(1) I’d forgotten this track existed but immediately recognised it as a recently failed Irish Eurovision outfit’s early 80s output. The same phrase repeated over and over again was probably quite edgy and provocative at the time, possibly two fingers up to the record company. Didn’t they released an album called Album? As it goes, I quite liked the moody synth beds with goth-lite arpeggios but it’s more background music than a standout track. I don’t hear a single!
(2) The sound of the Notting Hill carnival in the late 90s to my ears. I like the energy and creative use of old-sounding clarinet and brass samples. The toasting is largely unintelligible to me but works well. This strikes me as more street than chart material. Good stuff. A hit.
(3) From Notting Hill to Rio Carnival. Smooth jazzy piano leads into a very lively brass ensemble doing their stuff with an uptempo latin number segueing back into piano and trumpet/saxophone exchanges. I like this too but have no idea of the vintage or who it is. I’d like to listen to more whoever it is.
(4) A laidback early 90s or early 00s hip-hop vibe. Lovely stuff. Sweet vocals with hints of Prince and Kendrick Lamar to my ears. The instrumentation is so tastefully restrained and the reverb laden background choral effect works really well too. Another winner that will send me exploring.
(5) 80s sounding Lover’s Rock taking me back again to my Ladbroke Grove days. An ideal soundtrack for the recent heatwave. It’s not particularly distinctive as a tune and I have no idea who it is but it’s a lovely little number.
(6) An odd number this (obviously 6 is an even number but you know what I mean). This sounds like commercial 90s grunge by numbers – my wife’s type of music. I’m thrown by the voice as it’s so close to the late, great Cathal Coughlan. It’s not odd enough to be him so who is it as it seems more British Isles rather than USA. I’m not too keen on it but it scores high in mentions of “desire”, though not a patch on my track 1 in that respect.
(7) More laidback hip-hop that sounds like it dates from the late 90s or early 2000s sitting somewhere between TLC and Erykah Badu to my ears. Goes well with track 4 without being quite as catchy or well put together. A minor hit for me.
(8) I’m not sure what to make of this. First impression is that it has the feel of a demo rather than a finished track. The very basic drums (machine?) and a lame guitar sound don’t help. The occasional piano and backing vocals are an improvement but I’m more confused by this than any other track. Is it 90s? Indie or mainstream? UK or US? For me it doesn’t justify its inclusion.
(9) Vocoder intro, then this quickly settles into a catchy, poppy almost latin groove with classy vocals. Could this be Janet or one of the other two from Destiny’s Child? It’s easily the horniest track on this, or the other two, compilations. It works for me on a number of levels.
(10) This is, by some distance, my favourite track of the three compilations. A deceptively chilled sounding murder ballad, really well written, constructed and performed with a brilliantly memorable chorus. I’m keen to hear who this is so I can hear more. I repeated this a few times on first listen because I was so impressed and intrigued. A real keeper. I’ll be sharing this.
(11) I think that I can figure out who the two quite distinctive collaborators are here although I didn’t really latch on to this when it was released. It’s a nice slice of World Music (probably an outdated term) that I could happily have playing away in the background for an album’s worth. It would work well playing away while I do my late night kitchen chores when the wife and kids are asleep. It doesn’t really go anywhere but I’ll assume that was the point.
(12) And so to the final track. It was probably a kindness putting this on last as it goes on a bit and I didn’t feel so bad hitting the stop button. This vies with track 6 as my least favourite. An 80s goth dirge that plods along with ambient keyboard squiggles and broad guitar-effect shapes to no great impact or effect. The vocals are dramatic but not delivered with any gusto and the whole thing feels like a slice of audio- Purgatory to me.
So there we have it. Many more hits than misses and overall an enjoyable collection that will send me to Spotify when I see the great reveal. Apologies for the delay in posting this. Like yerself, it’s hard to find the time to sit down and do a proper review. I resolved to get it done before we head off on holiday this weekend. Thanks for putting this together and for your administration of this particular edition of the swap. I look forward to seeing the tracklist.
at last, I can discharge my remaining duties! Thank you for your patience.
First up, @el-hombre-malo…
1 – bubble gum fun
2 – pretty sure I know this tune, but not this version. This kind of thing walks a fine line between infinitely groovey and just plain cheesy, and even after several listens I’m not sure what side of the divide this one ends up on.
3 – absolutely convinced I recognise this voice, but the song isn’t familiar at all. Maybe Weyes Blood? If so, mad to think this is the sort of thing Sub Pop puts out now. In my day it was all distortion and heroin.
4 – country, bit honky tonk, doesn’t do much for me I’m afraid.
5 – it’s gone a bit wicker man, this is more like it. I recognise some of the lines without knowing what the source text is, probably from their reuse in other things (there’s a famous(ish) James Tiptree story called “And I awoke and found me here on the cold hill’s side”)
6 – I’ve listened to this one quite a few times now, and I honestly can’t think of anything to say about it. Sorry. It’s alright, not especially brilliant nor a real stinker.
7 – and now jazz rears its head. I like the piano, not so keen on the rhythm section and their refusal to settle into a groove for longer than a few seconds. I am interested to find out who this is though.
8 – tomorrow’s world synths and an unearthly vibe, this sounds very Ghost Box-y
9 – more jazz, much more likeable than 7 from the off. It’s brighter, sparkier and just…bigger than that one
10 – ambient with bursts of electric guitar, the kind of thing Michael Rother has done throughout his solo career, although this is a bit more jagged than that. Bit of a soundtracky vibe, the camera is low to the desert floor watching a lone car drive the winding road, it’s sole occupant about to do bad things but not feel good about it
11 – a very simple piece given interest by the the treatment with the jarring guitar tone. It’d be about a hundred times less interesting played straight on the piano. I reckon it would still drive me mad if it was much longer though.
12 – oooh, ten minutes it says here. I do like a good long groove and this starts promisingly, with a pulsing motorik beat and big squelchy synths. Some of the interjections work better than others, but somehow I am predisposed to like this music. Perhaps it’s in the genes. Haha, who am I kidding, my dad used to make me listen to John Denver in the car. Maybe my favourite on the mix, so we’re ending on a high.
3, 5, and 12 are the podium tracks here, with honourable mentions for 7, 9 and 10.
and @bamber
1 – sets the scene with some intriguing dialogue. We get to the D word and then
2 – comes in with some ringing guitars, a very effective transition. The song itself is very Big Music, with a faint air of gothiness to some of the guitar parts. I’ve seen what EHM has written and I can’t disagree with it
3 – know the song, but not this cover. I’m pretty sure it’s not the Tenacious D version at any rate. It’s okay, but can’t make up its mind whether it wants to be a faithful cover or a John Lewis Christmas ad soundtrack, and falls between two stools in the end
4 – ah, a bit spikier from the outset. Spiky is good. Smashing discordant guitars on top of an almost industrial bass and drum bed. In the running for my favourite on the mix this one
5 – a bit too twee for me, this one – at least until the halfway mark when it reveals itself as some sort of mutant disco beast. Drop the opening weediness and this could be great
6 – very sure I know who this is despite never having really listened to any of his records after bouncing off the one about the sword, the fish, and the brass band. Funny one, I love the naked artifice in, say, a Wes Anderson movie, but it really puts me off here.
7 – despite the completely different sound palette, this really reminds me of Sparks. Something about the dynamics and energy.
8 – another one where I know the song. This is almost brilliant, it starts off all galloping and wild haired, but then just kind of stays there. Could / should have really stepped up for the chorus, and then we’d have a winner.
9 – good voice, some nice production touches, but not really my bag.
10- Singer / songwriter stuff, nice but just a little too earnest for me. Aztec Camera maybe? Would have liked them to make more of the piano
11 – subdued and moody, much like myself. I like this one a lot. Not quite full on goth, but it’s definitely got a copy of Floodland and a lot of black clothes.
12 – a well constructed tune, with an excellent build. Probably the grower of the mix.
13 – really like this one, but I do think the singer should just find a nice girl to settle down with.
Of all the mixes in this round, this is the one that’s closest to my own taste, rooted in the alternative end of the 80s and all the journeys that music went on. Perhaps that means I’ve been a bit more pernickety, but even if my comments read back as a bit unenthused, I did like this one a lot.
Here’s my great reveal. I’m glad there were some that connected with each of you and there’s usually some satisfaction when you all preferred different ones.
(1) I like to start these with a suitable film clip. El Hombre successfully identified Simple Men, the Hal Hartley film as the source. A movie my girlfriend at the time described as full of people who dressed like me and talked like me with a main character called Bill (my real name). Trouble and Desire.
(2) the opener is a Ton of Love by Editors, chosen for its high “desire”, count. I really like this and regard it as part tribute, part parody of the mid 80s stadium rock of bands from U2 to the Mission.
(3) I love this cover version of Wicked Game by Gemma Hayes, first of a few Irish entries. I think this is a huge improvement on the original but I see I’m in the minority there.
(4) A live take on a monster riff by Gang of Four called What We All Want – the best of numerous versions I own. I love this racket.
(5) Not much love for Jacques Derrida by Scritti Politti here. Again this is a track I absolutely love from their finest album. Sure it’s clever but I love the groove and the proto-rap.
(6) A familiar voice to all with an obscure track I regard as as near to Leonard Cohen as he has ever been. It’s called the Part You Throw Away. This made the list largely because of the annoying lyric “time is just memory mixed in with desire”. Surely memory is just time mixed in with desire.
(7) This seemed to go down well. Ezra Furman with Love You So Bad. This caught my ear on late night radio to the extent that I had to listen back online because I missed who it was. One of my favourite tracks of recent years. I’m not sure he’s ever matched it.
I’ll try to post the second half later. I’m on holiday with the kids! No peace.
Right @salwarpe @el-hombre-malo and @kid-dynamite it’s time for the second half.
(8) This is in as a so bad it’s almost good cover by fellow Swedes the Leather Nun. The runt of my litter but I threw it in for comedy value although I seem to remember liking it back in the 80s. For me the concept is better than the execution – the idea that it was Lou Reed’s kind of Man they were hoping for after midnight. Dreadful cover.
(9) Anyone by Joan as Police Woman from her great first album. This was our first dance at our wedding and is a song that I never tire of. Her vocals are just so idiosyncratic and the arrangement is perfect.
(10) I was going to include the original as a long term Aztec Camera fan but I’ve grown to like this cover version of Killermont Street by Fountains of Wayne as much as it. The production on the Knife album puts me off.
(11) it’s This Big Hush by Shriekback familiar to anyone who’s seen the first Hannibal Lecter movie Manhunter. 1985 El Hombre but good guess. I’ve never regarded Shriekback as goth before but it seemed to tick that box for you correspondents.
(12) This was Ribs of a Broken Umbrella by Irish band Bell X1. I love this song and it totally changed my attitude to the band when it came out. I could also do without the Dear Liza bit but it’s still a modern Irish classic. I’m not sure if they have any profile in the UK. Try the Flock or Blue Lights on the Runway albums if you go exploring.
(13) Last and from your reviews not least was Marrying the Sea by Declan O’Rourke, much lauded by Paul Weller. Last track from his first album. I edited out the instrumental coda that’s on this track in the album as I feel it adds nothing.
So there you have it. My own observations are that this features way more tracks that I really like than previous compilations, is less varied or obscure as a result and I shyed away from including anything really raunchy from the longlist e.g. Closer to You by Momus, the last track to be cut. Thanks Lads.
and my tracklisting
1 – Public Image Ltd – The Order Of Death
Absolutely love the cascading synths in this. Saw it used soundtracking a shower scene in a movie once, and it was perfect.
2 – Mungo’s Hi-Fi – Send Di Water
Scotland’s premier reggae outfit!
3 – Soil & “Pimp” Sessions – WE WANT MORE!!!!!!!
A modern Japanese jazz band. I saw them live once, and it was probably one of the best gigs I’ve ever attended.
4 – Anderson Paak – Heart Don’t Stand A Chance
The Malibu album this is from is outstanding, one of my favourites of the decade. Everything else he’s done has left me cold, but somehow he touched magic on that one record.
5 – Horace Andy – Natty Dread A Weh She Want
Sal correctly recognised the artist. A very distinctive voice, one of the greats
6 – New Model Army – Aimless Desire
Sal was again bang on the money when he said it sounded Northern!
7 – Erykah Badu – Next Lifetime
Probably the sexiest ever song about people not actually having sex.
8 – The Afghan Whigs – Something’ Hot
The Whigs’ run of albums that goes Gentlemen > Black Love > 1965 is as good a three album set as anyone put together in the nineties. Fantastic rock and soul.
9 – Aaliyah – Rock The Boat
fans himself
10 – Phoebe Bridgers – You Missed My Heart
This seemed to be a unanimous hit, and I’m glad because I love it very much. Although I very nearly didn’t include it – can’t remember now what I was tossing it up against, but looks I made the right decision. This is actually a cover of a Mark Kozelek tune, but this version is far superior in every respect
11 – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook – Longing
12 – Fields of The Nephilim – Wail Of Sumer / And There Will Your Heart Be Also
“Goths go psychedelic” pretty much nails it, well done EHM.
Thank you all for your attention and comments, and your patience with my tardiness.
Oh, and the artwork was a terrible pun on A Streetcar Named Desire of course.
My tracklist
1. Juliana Hatfield – Everyone Loves Me But You
2. Trio Valore – Rehab
3. Weyes Blood – Children Of The Empire
4. Karen Jonas – Throw Me To The Wolves
5. Marianne Faithfull & Warren Ellis – She Walks In Beauty
6. The Staple Singers – Stoned Soul Picnic
7. Zoe Rahman Trio – Friday 13th
8. Bitchin Bajas – Lanquidity
9. Fergus McCreadie – Law Hill
10. SUSS – Ashfork, AZ
11. Bill Orcutt – Out Of The Corner Of The Eye
12. Stereolab – Simple Headphone Music
I missed the memo that gave it a theme – thanks to everyone for listening, these were 12 tunes that had been on heavy rotation in Casa Malo
1 – the great Juliana, from an excellent Ace compilation, Girls Go Powerpop
2 – picked via Radio 6, a soulful / cheesy cover
3 – well spotted KD! An album that bears repeated listening
4 – Karen Jonas, from the excellent LP The Restless
5 – Marianne Faithfull reciting glorious poetry over Warren Ellis soundscapes, the LP is She Walks In Beauty
6 – The Staple Singers from an LP of bands covering the wonderful Laura Nyro, Sassafrass and Moonbeams
7 – I saw Zoe Rahman playing piano as part of Jerry Dammers Spatial/ Arkestra, a massive band covering Sun Ra – and she managed to stand out in that!! Steve Turner was at that gig. This is from a live CD of hers. Wonderful pianist.
8 – From the LP Switched on Ra – synth covers of Sun Ra tunes. Beautifully daft.
9 – Prizewinning Scottish pianist, from the marvellous LP Forest Floor
10 – Ambient Country, by the band SUSS from the magnificent Pat Irwin (ex 8 Eyed Spy, Raybeats, B-52s, PI Power Trio). This is from the LP SUSS.
11 – Another ferocious guitarist, Bill Orcutt, I love his dynamics and his attack. This is from his LP Music For Four Guitars.
12 – we all love Stereolab, don’t we ?
@moseleymoles / @Ron-Cucumber / @lemonhope
@moseleymoles/Desire
1. Here we go – a nice bit of something classical – I won’t pretend to know what it’s called, but it’s instantly familiar
2. Track two, however, is a slice of D&B – I won’t pretend to know what this is called either, as I have no idea, this genre not being my go-to music of choice – however, I hear a lot of this sort of stuff around the house as the youngest daughter is very much into it and while I don’t seek it out, I enjoy it when she plays it [could I sound any older ?]
3. Ok, so we’re spanning all the genres. Guitars to the fore, it’s ok, nice and short
4. More guitars, – I was listening to Anna Calvi this morning on my alarm clock [6Music] and this reminds me of her. Or it could be Patti Smith
5. A strange song now, came on all faux reggae, but then strings, a kazoo, a quirky vocal – this is my favourite so far
6. Back to the guitars – 60’s ish vibe, slow, surf twang
7. Slow, piano led, a bit dull
8. I know this one! – I had this album [might still have it somewhere] I never got the hype around it to be honest, I enjoy a lot of it, but it falls into the category of ‘I don’t really get what everyone else seems to get’ – although listening to this I’m wondering if I need to go back to it…
9. This has an early eighties vibe – not a million miles from early U2 [musically] but more ethereal, swirly, atmospheric – like Felt crossed with Cocteau Twins – joint favourite so far
10. Funky, stuttering rhythm, feisty vocal – this is now my favourite
11. Another one that I recognise – a decent pop song, if a little bit whiney, it’s much better musically than vocally, I’d rather listen to an instrumental version than this – but the whole point was to sound like his old band, I guess [is it about his old band?]
12. Comes on like a Prefab Sprout tribute band – but becomes something quite lovely
This comp is a little bit all over the place for me, I love all the genres as much as the next person, but sometimes, less is more. [Or maybe it’s just a running order issue]
Nevertheless, there are some good tracks here and a couple I will seek out once I have the reveal
@Ron-Cucumber/Desire
1. Nice start, chugging, propellant, intriguing – this feels like the main track has been augmented, do I hear Jarvis? Perhaps it’s all one song, but my gut tells me otherwise. I like it
2. Strong second track – guitars! Drums! Bass! And an urgent female vocal – I believe her every word
3. Nice switch of tone into soul/hip hop, but still keeps the compilation moving along at a fair lick – 3 strong tracks, this is my favourite so far
4. I like the unmistakable teasing guitar note dropped onto the fade of the previous track – lovely stuff – it could only be this song, and although it’s a tad over familiar, it works
5. I had this song on my shortlist but I couldn’t make it work with my other choices – it works really well here
6. A nice segue into track 6 and we have an upbeat disco flavoured track that has the feel of 70’s white soul
So, it’s half way and damn! This is a good comp
1. Ooh, a discordant segue into track 7 and the discord continues into the song – this is the first track that does nothing for me
2. A groovy soul number gets us back on track, this has that Hi Rhythm Section/Willie Mitchell produced sound – if it’s not authentic then it’s a bloody good version of it. Great track
3. Distorted guitar rudely drags me out of my soul reverie… It’s bloody good though. Distinctive in the way that good music is. These days I don’t listen to much that sounds like this, preferring a smoother sonic cathedral [of sound], but good is good and it could only be who it is
4. Back into slinky soul sounds for track 10, another quality choon
5. This sounds like The Avalanches, it has that slightly woozy, fairground vibe. I like it, but it’s a bit repetitive and could have done with being 2 minutes shorter
6. And finally, a blues classic to end on. Not sure who’s singing, I haven’t heard this version before
Overall, a cracking comp with a number of tracks that I’ll be investigating come the reveal. I would have preferred it if side two had been sequenced differently, but I’m being picky
Cheers @Lemonhope
Agree with side 2, I was going to drop one of the soul tunes, but those two just do ‘desire’ the best!
A1. All one song. Yes, it’s him, but not in the day job. Track comes from a Magazine…
A2. Not an obvious team up, bonus points if anyone guesses the vocalist and guitarists…!
B1. I thought this might be divisive! Bonus point for the Bowie connection…
B2. Spot on, deffo authentic.
@ron-cucumber
Better late than never…I thought this was always listenable, but perhaps there was one too many funky soul, or soulful funky tracks which by the end of side two did blur slightly into one. Five the standout track for me Clive, with seven the most interesting.
One
Big beat central – this is practically wearing cargo pants and a bucket hat. Thinking bra – but in a musical way. Tons of fun.
Two
Slightly helium-voiced singer over some garage rock. Yes this is ok, not a clue who it is, but not that enamoured. The bass playing is the best part.
Three
Some righteous gospelly soul heavy on the big fat horns, at least two singers involved and a rapper. Lots of genres fighting for space in this and am guessing it is a current ‘enigmatic’ band.
Four
Yes, is there anyone who doesn’t know this. It works brilliantly in the movie (which i recently rewatched and would probably say is very B-grade).
Five
Shoegazy, I may have this track. The vocalist is very distinctive, particularly in the ‘still awake’ phrasing. Damn.
Six
More soul, unlike three I don’t like it as it sounds not a million miles away from a certain ‘prat in hat’ act. Hey, I once put a Simply Red track on a swap CD so you can argue to just judge the song. Song is not good.
Seven
Now this is bonkers, early seventies funk. Lots of krazee keyboard action, key changes, really everything all at once everywhere.
Eight
More straightforward soul, not unpleasant at all and like the refrain. You do like a blazing horn section.
Nine.
Know this, a particular form of desire here from him.
Ten
We are back to funk and soul with some ‘big mama’ energy. I like she has a slight Schteve Mclaren Dutch accent phrasing.
Eleven
Back in the arena of opening track – much more downbeat – this would be a shoe-in for ‘Chilled coffee bar vibes’ around 1997, possibly Justin Robertson’s mob.
Twelve
Some mixmastering (completely beyond me, can’t even join my tracks together) and some more blues-based late night soul. Very appropriate lyrics for an end track.
@lemonhope Scores on the doors for your mix. Overall I enjoyed it more on second and third listens, which is a good sign. I think your musical centre might be sixties/seventies whereas mine is late seventies/early eighties. Several tracks I really enjoyed (2,3, 8,9), two I know and some that I’ll no doubt have dissed despire owning their records..
One
Some sarf London sounds – underwater and backwards tracks behind some fairly standard girl grooves full of dissing others and positivity about myself. I can see why you put it first but not doing much for me here.
Two
More spoken word, but now its the magic mushroom Bernard Cribbens over the top of some acoustic guitar. If I didn’t know their catalogue I would say this has the smell of Lemon Jelly all over it. Anyway it segues into some African percussive music not at all LJ-like. Intrigued to know who combines all this in such a musical salmagundi.
Three
It’s a gravelly-voiced close cousin of the Thin White Duke. Uber-eighties production with the Stevie RV guitar and flat drums. Concise, and gets better.
Four
Starts in female singer-songwriter territory, just a girl and her piano, before a lilting rhythm brings the band in. If this lot were playing at the local artisan market Summer Fayre you’d nod your head along pleasantly while the Pimms hit that soft spot. So not unpleasant, but pretty backgroundy
Five
A bit unfocused, again a slight underwatery vibe to the rather lovely tune. If William Orbit produced prime Beach Boys the results might sound a bit like this. Grown on me the more I have listened to this track.
Six
Tempo picked up, with some sixties fuzz guitar beat pop. I suspect its a retro sounding band – in fact it might even be a part-time pastiche band if the vocals are who I think it is. If it is them this is one of their better tracks, but they’ve never quite displaced the day job version of the band in my affections, if that makes sense.
Seven
As with Stevie Ray Vaughan earlier, this has a signature guitar sound onboard, here George Harrison. Got a general air of Travelling Wilberries about it, though not them, some late-period solo outing of someone very famous. Not that inspiring.
Eight
Know this, one of the best late-era tracks from new romancers turned studio boffins. The sense of space and dynamic range is astonishing. Top track.
Nine
Know the artist, but not this great slice of jazz-soul-blues. Probably my favourite track so far, indeed it pleases me.
Ten
Whereas this does not. Sorry, sounds like white men trying very hard to get soul.
Eleven
Pratically a klaxon, but this delicious piece of early eighties new romantic disco from France can never get old.
Twelve
Goth! Industrial! But it’s a bit of a Frankenstein creation with bits of the song not quite cohering.
@moseleymoles
1. Desire – Little Simz – E.D.G.E
2. Freedom – 1 Giant Leap [feat Feat. Nana Tsiboe & African Show Boys] – What About Me? [spoken word snippet at the start – Alan Watts on Desire]
3. Desire – Yello – Stella
4. The First Taste – Fiona Apple – Tidal
5. Royal & Desire – Animal Collective – Time Skiffs
6. Desire Be Desire Go – Tame Impala – InnerSpeaker
7. Real Desire – Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
8. Desire – Talk Talk – Spirit Of Eden
9. Do I Move You – Nina Simone – …Sings The Blues
10. A Little Honey – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
11. Voyage Voyage – Desireless – Francois
12. Native Love [Step By Step] – Divine – Native Love
@lemonhope
1. I recognise the vocalist (or “MC” as da little’uns might say), but not heard this track before. Reminds me a bit of New Kingdom, with the slow reversed drums/sounds. I like psychedelic hip hop, so this is up my strasse, as the Germans might say.
2. Starts off very ‘Beatles in India’ vibe. Clear desire reference, no messing. Once it gets going (is this two different tracks perhaps?), it has an enjoyable raga? groove and I like it. Not a clue who it is!
3. First thought is Bowie in the 80s (was expecting the vocals to break into “I know when to go out, I know when to stay in”), but pretty sure it’s not him. Intrigued. But not for me, this one.
4. Sophisticated pop. Don’t recognise voice or song. Got a sort of ‘Tom’s Diner’, early 90s feel. Quite like it but it’s a little bit forgettable. Might be a grower.
5. Trippy pop. This is the sort of blissed out hazy pop I like. Feel like it’s familiar, but can’t place it, so keen to find out more once revealed.
6. Yep, this one popped up in my initial search for ‘Desire’ in my iTunes, too! Become quite a different sounding band these days. Like it and fits in nicely here.
7. Recognise the voice… took me few listens to place it, but I don’t think this is with his main band. He seems to dabble in various other ventures, so could be one of them. I found it okay, but I prefer his voice in a different… key.
8. Ahh! Love it and it sits nicely here. Took me ages (and Guy Garvey constantly banging on about the album on 6-music!) to finally succumb and ‘get it’, but what a piece of work this and the whole album is. I’m just getting into Laughing Stock, too.
9. Know this one, too. Cracking track. Perhaps not what she’s best known for, but I like her groovier, bluesy, funky stuff best.
10. No idea. Not something I’d skip, but no desire to hear it again.
11. Les Eurythmics?! I’m getting a whiff of white jeans, Babycham and a keytar., but not in a good way (if there IS a good way?). Now this I deffo would skip. Not for me.
12. Early 80s electro disco? Never heard this before. The voice sounds a lot like an 80s actress/actor? Clearly fits the theme and a divine ending to the mix, though not one I’ll be searching out to listen to again.
Overall, enjoyed this a lot as a mix. Always nice to discover something new and unexpected (2, 4 & 5 caught my attention the most), so thanks Lemon!
@Ron-Cucumber
1. Desire – Little Simz – E.D.G.E
2. Freedom – 1 Giant Leap [feat Feat. Nana Tsiboe & African Show Boys] – What About Me? [spoken word snippet at the start – Alan Watts on Desire]
3. Desire – Yello – Stella
4. The First Taste – Fiona Apple – Tidal
5. Royal & Desire – Animal Collective – Time Skiffs
6. Desire Be Desire Go – Tame Impala – InnerSpeaker
7. Real Desire – Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
8. Desire – Talk Talk – Spirit Of Eden
9. Do I Move You – Nina Simone – …Sings The Blues
10. A Little Honey – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
11. Voyage Voyage – Desireless – Francois
12. Native Love [Step By Step] – Divine – Native Love
2. Ah, I do vaguely remember that Robbie Williams one they did. Interesting.
3. I only know them from The Race and the ‘chicka-chick-ahh’ one from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, so would never have guessed this in a million years!
5. Ah-ha, that makes sense. Not massively familiar with their stuff – just the Merriweather one, though have been enjoying the Panda Bear & Sonic Boom album. This is something to investigate further – thanks!
12. I thought I recognised the vocals, but yet still surprised!
@moseleymoles
1. Strike up the choir! No idea who or why, but it’s pleasant enough. Certainly an unexpected beginning… where’s this going to go?
2. …not where I was expecting it to go, that’s for sure! Now in drum and bass territory. Again, pleasant enough. I do enjoy some of the jazzier, more melodic D&B, though this leaves me a bit cold and is not one I’d go back to.
3. …and we’re now onto modern rock with “the boy’s bad news”. Fun little blast, and certainly continues the surprise element of the mix. Don’t recognise the track or artist. Good in context. On its own – not a keeper for me.
4. I recognise her voice – it’s got that Patti Smith-ish gutsyness – but can’t think of her name. A very ‘6-music’ sort of tune.
5. “Barking Boys”? Or barking mad? Could be both. Don’t recognise it, but it’s certainly memorable! Could it be someone like Kevin Ayers? Diverting, but not somewhere I’d revisit.
6. Moody, twangy guitar. Like a more rocky Mazzy Star. I like this.
7. Moody, but this time with a piano. I like this, too. Sounds like a modern ivory tinkler, someone like Nils Frahm, that kind of thing (but I don’t think it’s him as there are discrete drums and bass in the background, and his stuff seems more solo).
8. Man with very deep, monotonous voice followed by woman with a Kirsty MacCol sounding voice. Each to their own and all that, but a tad painful to my ears.
9. An 80’s indie-janglepop sound. I don’t recognise song or artist, but it has a familiarity to it. Feels like it’s in the House of Love/Lloyd Cole/Bunnymen ballpark. Could be a grower, this one.
10. Oh, what’s this? Sounds like some sort of modern funk. Not heard this before, but I like it. Could be Kelis or TuneYards? My fave of the lot.
11. Ah, I certainly know this one. I really like it, too. A side project, but sounds so much like his (then) day job I nearly typed the artist as being ‘N** O****’. Better than Bad Lieutenant!
12. A sort of mid-naughties boy/girl indie duo feel. Ticks along sweetly, then a blast of (Diet) My Bloody Valentine at the end which gives it a bit more wallop. Enjoyable, and a good track to end on.
Overall, an enjoyable mix with some VERY unexpected turns – which is what I like from a mixtape. My ears enjoyed the second half more. 6, 7, 9 and 10 I’ll be keen to look into further, so thank you.
Ok reviews are in…here is the track listing @ron-cucumber @lemonhope
Jesu Joy of Man’s Desire – Frederick Handel
Atlantis (I Need You) – LTJ Bukem
I Want You So Hard – Eagles of Death Metal
Desire – Anna Calvi
Acrobats of Desire – Parking Boys (this is an incredibly obscure post-punk jewel in the Sheffield city compilation Dreams to Fill The Vacuum).
Lust – The Raveonettes
Years of Yearning – Esbjorn Svensson Trio
Papa Was A Rodeo – The Magnetic Fields (from 69 Love Songs which is perhaps as canonical to this theme as say any Sisters of Mercy album would be to a black theme)
He Holds Her, He Needs Her – Kitchens of Distinction
I Need You to Be Sweet Like Sugar – Ibibio Sound Machine
What Do You Want from Me? Monaco
Dead Hearts – Stars
Cheers, Moley
Ibibio Sound Machine – heard the name, but know nothing more… I will now investigate further. That’s what’s great about these ‘mixtapes’, finding new avenues to explore, so cheers for that.
Here’s the tracklist @moseleymoles & @lemonhope
1. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Pelvis – Barry Adamson (ft. Jarvis Cocker)
2. Desire – Graham Coxon, Paloma Faith & Bill Ryder-Jones
3. Push – Pharoahe Monch (from the album Desire)
4. Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
5. Mission Desire – Jane Weaver
6. I Got The Fever – Rob Galbraith
7. I Am the One – Annette Peacock
8. Slipped, Tripped, Fell In Love – Ann Peebles
9. I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges
10. Shoo-B-Doop And Cop Him – Betty Davis
11. Strangers on a Train (Instrumental) – Nathaniel Merriweather presents… Lovage (Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By)
12. Need Your Love So Bad – Little Willie John
Cheers, Ron
You’re welcome! And thanks for yours, too.
@myoldman / @Mike_H / @tinydemon
Getting the ball rolling. No spoilers.
@tinydemon‘s WeTransfer “Desire” mix.
Received on 19th May. No cover art accompanying.
1. Grunge-y indie thing somewhat reminiscent of Nirvana but not them, I think. Typical of that genre which is not at all my kind of stuff. No idea who it is.
2. Odd string intro into funky guitar-heavy rock. Good singer well-recorded and good guitar fills and solos. Sounds like he’s describing a total nightmare of bad love. Like it and want to know who it is.
3. Singer sounds a little like Jackie Leven on a Nick Lowe-esqe song about frustrated desire for a girl who’s tangled up with a really horrible guy. Good songwriting really well-executed on the recording. Like it and curious about who it is.
4. Funky guitar and great vocals over horns and girly BVs. Twin lead guitars being very flash while staying entirely melodic. Trading solos which all have coherent beginnings and endings and don’t bore. Outstanding. Who is it?
5. High-energy mindless RockAndRoll! with completely nonsensical vocals not particularly well sung but in tune. Not bad for it’s kind of thing until they deploy some totally unnecessary autotune on the chorus. I don’t care who it is, after doing that. Next!
6. Sixties American throwback-sounding shoegazey song with acoustic guitar, bass and drums and a good string arrangement. A good tune but somehow rather unmemorable.
7. I know this one well. Recognised it immediately. One of the world’s great modern songwriters, back when his voice was better than it is these days. Beautiful orchestral arrangement. Sad and rather unsettling, as no doubt intended. Good choice.
8. Recognised this one too, though I have no idea who it is. It was used to great effect in a memorable sequence in one of US TVs great drama series. Classy stop-start funky stuff with spoken lyrics. The rise and ultimate fall of a human predator. Another good choice.
9. Know this one too. A musical style that is synonomous with this particular band. Plaintive voice and sparse backing with very clever use of samples and a tiny bit of scratching. Always good to hear this. That’s three good familiar choices in a row.
10. Like a cross between The Darkness and Queen if they were Americans. Queen would probably have rejected it as below standard. Typical hair metal guitar playing, typical rawkk vocalising over heavily multitracked chorus. Preposterous pomp-rock. Nothing there, really. Next!
11. Shoegaze miserabalism. Repeated hopeful phrase over sparse backing. He doesn’t sound like he really believes it though. They’ve been listening to classic Burt Bacharach and “This Guy’s In Love” particularly, judging by the brass phrase that crops up in the middle. Not bad but not my thing. Another unmemorable one.
12. Recognised the very distinctive vocalist immediately, but this is your trick one isn’t it, because he’s guesting here on someone else’s record. No idea whose. Classy, dramatic stuff possibly a co-write by said singer as it fits so well with his own more recent material. Slow plod rhythm with a little swing to it. Strings and organ mainly, a nice little bit of vibraphone and a tiny touch of harp featured. Another in the mighty canon of Ended Love Affair goodbye songs. Like it and curious to know it’s origin.
To sum up, a pretty good collection from Mr Tinydemon.
Only three that I really disliked. And two I was a bit indifferent about.
The other 7 were all good choices and I’m curious to find out about the four (and a bit) that I was unfamiliar with.
First I’d like to say that I really enjoyed listening to these. Some very good stuff there.
So here’s a few thoughts on the @tinydemon mix
1. the poppier end of grungey guitar stuff and not really something I’d choose to listen to but a clever enough song
2.I knew this one, artist and song. It did chart in the UK although in the funkier and less rocky single mix which I preferred. I’ve got it somewhere. Must dig it out
3.Really good poppy tune this one. Liked the production. No idea who or what it is. I’d probably try some more of this when I find out who it is
4.Loved this. Simultaneously retro and modern soul. Very funky. No idea who but I’m guessing they’d be on Daptone.
5.Couldn’t get on with this at all, couldn’t even get to the end unfortunately. The treated vocals and the whackiness drove me nuts. I’ve no clue as to who this is and it’s really not the sort of thing I search out. Sorry
6.I really enjoyed this and would like to find more of it. Mellow jangly folky thing with some great subtle strings in there. Wouldn’t be able to even have a rough guess as to who it is
7.I have a feeling I know the singer/pianist but not the singer. I’m really not familiar with his stuff although he’s got a very distinctive voice and style. A guy I’ve been meaning to investigate. If it’s who I think it is.
8.This is great and right up my street. Don’t know who it is but I want to hear more. Very funny as well as very funky. Great stuff
9.Knew this artist and song straight away. I bought the album on release. They did 3 brilliant albums, completely distinct from each other
10.Very generic rock thing and not something I’d ever listen to. In fact generally of this sort of thing comes on the radio I’d turn it over. But I do appreciate that people enjoy this sort of stuff, so fair dos.
Can’t identify it, sounds like a lot of other bands of that ilk
11.Enjoyed this very Burt Bacharachy tune. This instrumentation gets more interesting as it goes on. I’d be interested to know who it is.
12.I know this and Mike H is on the right track. It’s a collaboration with another great musician who he sang with many years before. And it’s on a soundtrack that I bought years ago. I never saw the film (I’ve done that a few times)
So
2 things on there that I really couldn’t bear (one of which I couldn’t get through and I tried a few times)
3 things I knew and own.
1 who I think I knew the singer/pianist
1 track, the opener, I wouldn’t really bother with although it didn’t make me skip it.
And that leaves 5/6 that I’d like to hear more of when the great reveal is revealed. Which is a pretty good return I reckon consider none of us have any idea of the others tastes. Thanks loads. Really enjoyed it
Completing my end of the deal.
@myoldman‘s WeTransfer “Desire” mix.
Received on 21st May. Good photo cover art accompanying.
1. Train-like electronic percussion and proper percussion mixed together. Vocals over this and a wash of keyboard then twangy guitar and tape/electronic effects. Started to get a bit dull mid-way and then a spoken-word bit brought relief. It’s naggingly familiar but I just can’t place it. Pretty long (a bit too long, really IMO) so maybe it’s an extended mix version. A good start.
2. This came within a gnats of being on mine. If she’d played piano on it as well as sung, it could well have replaced what I eventually chose to start mine off with. She’s someone I’ve liked for a very long time, since she used to make occasional appearances on UK TV variety shows in the ’60s. Presumably when she was touring in Europe.
3. Bluesy female soul screamer over a fine old-style R&B backing. Stax-style horns, churchy organ and twangsome guitar. A good song that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome but the singer is too screechy and overdramatic for my taste. Etta James would have made a better, more subtle job of it.
4. I recognised the singer straight away but unfamiliarity with her records means I don’t know if it’s her solo or with her longstanding partner. I did see her once at a WIYE event, but she was talking about her book, not singing. Her un-flashy singing voice has mellowed nicely with a little bit of age. A very good song delivered well. World-weary pleading for things to return to how they were. Nice rolling rhythm with good strings and brass. A hit.
5. Unintelligible decent but unexciting female vocal, over what sounds like either a ukulele or a mandolin, with multitracked treated BVs and strings/synth strings obscuring whatever it is she’s singing about. Short and sweet. Not very memorable.
6. I know who this is but it’s either a song I’ve not heard before or one I’ve not heard for so long that I’ve forgotten it. Very distinctive growly vocalist. I have a few of their albums and haven’t played them since before the millennium. They made a bit of a stir in the early ’80s, even having a Hollywood movie named after one of their songs. Then they just seemed to fade away. Saw them at Glasto on the Pyramid Stage in ’82, I think it was. The Saturday, just as it was getting dark.They were very good. Must dig our those old albums.
7. Another voice I recognised straight away. A really clever songwriter in his day, sadly this is not one of his better efforts IMO. Typical lush all-stops-out production typical of his long-standing label but again not the best example of what they could produce in their heyday.
8. This sort of thing with plucked reverb-y guitar notes over keyboards, multi-tracked wordless voices and synth washes fading in and out has become rather commonplace in recent years and I have become a bit inured to it’s charms. Maybe this is by an originator of the style and I’m doing him a disservice by disparaging it. Nice stuff to drift away to or as background to other activities. Quite short for a piece in this style. Doesn’t really go anywhere but then maybe it’s not supposed to.
9. Sixties multitracked girl group harmonies on a rather clunky song with pretty basic instrumentation and production. The lead vocalist is very good but her talent is wasted on this one. At least it’s short. Nope.
10. Familiar voice, or maybe it’s just that this kind of half-spoken vocalising by singers who can’t, really, is pretty common. Generic indie misery. It does nothing for me. Ignorable, not offensive.
11. This song is familiar but I’ve no idea who it is by. Almost a female version of the last track but more dynamic, not nearly so miserable and with better guitar. Not unpleasant but not something I’d choose to listen to either.
12. Another unmistakeably distinctive voice. This was an ’80s (or thenabouts) hit and was a bit of a change of style for this band, not long before the singer went for a solo career, if I remember correctly. He’s worked in the commercial side of the music biz since stopping performing but these days he’s mostly known as an environmental campaigner on a particular issue. Not a single I particularly liked at the time. The song just doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Inoffensive.
Not such a good hitrate on this one, Mr Myoldman.
Only a couple that I actively disliked, #9 and #10.
Only a couple I liked enough to want to know more about, #4 and #8.
Two I knew and already had.
The rest were OK but either not really my kind of thing or else flawed in some way, to my ears. Sorry.
I appreciate your taking the time to pick your tracks and put them together for us. That cover photo is a stunner, BTW.
All good Mike, my tastes tend to be a bit all over the place and that’s generally the reaction I get from people if I make mixtapes or recommend stuff.
Spot on with 4, it’s and fairly early one of theirs. And for 8, yes you could say he’s THE originator of that sort of thing. You’d normally know him with having a very distinctive vocal on it. It’s from and ep so if you did want listen to more of that strain of his music you could without getting overwhelmed!
I thought the last one was interesting as it’s the much less heard and more lush single version (that I’ve always preferred) rather than the short jangly album version.
You’re right with number 6 as well but it’s a non-album single that was put out to promote a greatest hits. Very much a jangly indie version of the bands sound and a throwback to their earlier stuff (they’d gone a bit bland and stadiumy by about 86)
Mike H Desire CD
Very fetching eastern mystical design for the cover.
1. Old style jazz track. Would guess 1940 s. I know the voice I think (a classic crooner?) but not an area of expertise for me. Great guitar and piano solos
2. Early Rock and roll country style! So I am guessing 50s. For some reason it’s is bringing to mind a song from one of Elvis’ films in terms of style and backing (but it ain’t Elvis).
3. Okay I know this one. In fact it was one one of my previous cds (“future” I think). On the day Mikes cd arrived I had been learning the guitar part for a possible performance – synchronicity!! So…. A brilliant jazz cover of a song by a now passed Buddhist. Better than the original IMHO. Clearly a selection of which I strongly approve.
4. I know I know the song but don’t know who did it or whether this is the original or a cover! Would guess 60s. Bo diddly rhythm. Unison singing . A classic.
5. Another great choice. Was on the long list for my cd so it was lucky I got Mikes cd before I finalised mine. I am prepared to be corrected but would guess that this song is the only time a “live” kosmiche musik performance has troubled the TOTP studio.
6. Great call and response vocal. Jive (as in jumpin’) type track (I am somewhat hazy around a musical form I enjoy when I hear but have done little to investigate beyond the Joe Jackson album and Tom and Jerry doing “is you is or is you ain’t”! Louis Jordan?
7. A very distinctive female voice. (I think she was briefly cat woman). Not a song I know. A great performance and lyric. Again 40s/50s great American song book style!
8. They are very clear that they want to Mambo! So I don’t know if this means it is likely to be Cuban in origin. Recording sounds old again 40s or 50s.
9. A change in gear – Jazz funkish. 70s fender rhodes , jazz guitar solo. Again recognise the singer without being able to put a name to it ( the guitar solo is pushing me to George Benson if I have to make a guess) but I like
10. Classic track by the quintessential disco band. To my ear the funk guitar riff could be no one else. Great choice.
11. I have no idea. Squelchy synths to the fore, particularly in the breakdown before the fuzzed guitar wig out! I don’t know why but it is making me think of a song from a musical. The spoken word satire on consumerism over the outro reminds me of 60s era Mothers ( but definitely not Zappa). Going to pin it down to the 70s but have no idea beyond this.
12. More crooning. Possibly 50s cowboy style. I have heard the song but have no idea who it is.
I really enjoyed this because it did a great job of introducing me to tracks in genres I am unfamiliar with so wouldn’t know where to start listening. Will definitely use some of the signposts from this to explore further.
Using Mike Hs scoring system I don’t think there were any I actively disliked. There were 3 that I knew (and whole heartedly approved of ) with another 2 that I have heard but have no idea who they are! The “cowboy” song and the early rnr of 2. I can take or leave! The rest though firmly hit the spot!
Thank you
Thanks for your review, TD.
The artist on #1 was a very fine pianist as well as a singer, shown here in a version of his drummerless jazz trio featuring Oscar Moore on guitar. Apparently he was a reluctant singer at first as he suffered from a very slight lisp. He became so popular as a singer that he was given a mainstream TV show, no mean feat for a black entertainer in early ’60s America. Died fairly young in ’65.
#2 and #12 came from a gargantuan collection of Rockabilly and early Rock & Roll, “Bluecat’s Rockabilly Box” that I stumbled upon (and illicitly downloaded) around the time of the millennium. 100 CDs worth (1965 tracks) of the stuff! mostly by artists I’d never heard of and have never heard of since.
Think I agree that #3 is a cover version that outshines the original – just. It’s an example of what you need to do to make a cover interesting. She puts her own stamp on it and the band are exceptional. A studio recording that sounds live, with the way the band interacts.
#4 has been done by quite a few artists. I don’t know if this is the original or not. Classic garage rock.
I really like the insistent jangly guitar sound between the verses, reminiscent of “Toshin-Doi” by The Surf Champlers, which is a completely bonkers classic. Check it out, if you’re unfamiliar.
I wasn’t entirely sure if #5 fitted in, apart from it’s title, but I like it and it’s good that you like it too.
Correct about the Artist on #6. I love his stuff.
#7 artist was described by Orson Welles as “the most exciting woman on earth”. A very, very talented, interesting and forthright woman. There’s a completely jaw-dropping interview (one of the many such that she did) by Terry Wogan on YouTube.
#8 came from one of those NME cassette compilations you could send away for in the ’80s. Recorded in the USA, in the very early ’60s I think, when there was a Latin dance craze for a bit.
#9 is an artist who started out as a blues/R&B singer guitarist in the ’50s and managed to sustain his career right into the ’90s when he died in Japan while on tour. Frank Zappa was an admirer of his guitar playing. He actually started out as a piano player. On this recording he plays all instruments and did all the vocals. He also produced and arranged it. Only the drums and the brass are by others. His ’70s albums are all in this style and a bit samey, to be honest. The album containing this is really the only one anybody needs, but well worth having.
On #10 it’s the amazing bass playing that pleases me most. So inventive. The wasy the strings and brass build, sustaining the tension, and the tubular bells come back in to put the icing on the cake. Disco heaven.
#11 is a band known for very lavish stage shows. Their output is a bit patchy and only their first album, produced by Todd Rundgren, really satisfies me. Odds and ends from other albums are pretty good. They were/are a bit show over substance really.
An exceptionally good rock drummer in this band.
#12, see #2 above.
Okay. My review for Myoldmans “Desire”. (Lovely cover photo too)
1. It has become clear to me as I was doing the review for Mike Hs cd that the first thing I do with tracks I don’t know is try and date them. So, don’t know this song but the production sounds very 80s. And is that a fairlight in there? The lead vocal is breathy in a Chris Rea / Robbie Robertson sort of way and the guitar solo could fit wit either. A solid opener but slightly out stays its welcome!
2. Jazz drums , bass and guitar backing (great chording!). Female vocalist. 50s ? I don’t know it but what’s not to like?
3. The vibe of this song brought to my mind Python lee Jackson’s – In a broken dream. Partly for the descending semitones section as well as the instrumentation. This is a good association to have in my book. Female vocalist. Late 60s or early 70s and a good find.
4. Okay I know this. In fact another track off the same orchestral album by this band was on my long list. Always preferred the early stuff to there later, much more popular, dance remixes. Great choice.
5. I have no idea. Folky in a Wickerman proggy sort of way. Fingerpicked guitar. Lots of flutes, which I think are the real thing rather than a mellotron. Dreamy vocals. A pleasing interlude. Intrigued to find out who this is.
6. 80s indie. I seem to recognise the band but not one I know well. Okay but not one of my favourites from this collection.
7. Lovely mellow soul / Motown song. Classic voice but not one I know offhand. Lovely song and recording.
8. An instrumental. Slow guitar arpeggios, Big reverby choral samples initially but adds new instrumentation and melodies as it progresses. If you want me to date I would plump for late 80s possibly shading into 90s. A nice palate cleanser between 2 soul tracks!!
9. Another soul track about which I can offer no insights. Female lead vocalist. I could take or leave this one to be honest. I prefer No.7! Having said that the recording of these old tracks is such a joy to listen to.
10. More indie. For some reason it reminds me of the waterboys though I don’t think it is them. The vocalist either struggles to stay in tune or that is his singing style!
11. Starts with birdsong. Starts with strummed guitar into before the vocalist and band kick in. Female vocals. Indie vibe with nice chiming accompanying guitar. I would not want to hazard a guess.
12. Great song to finish and only the second I know. Not typical for this band or singer and whilst I have heard it before I don’t really know it very well so this was a nice chance to rediscover.
Thanks myoldman. Really enjoyed your cd . There was nothing I really didn’t like (perhaps no.9!!). Over half the songs are going to prompt further investigation after the reveal.
The duo on track 1 are much better known for more electronic pop. And it is a 12” mix as well.
3 was mainly known as a backing vocalist for Elvis and really didn’t make many records herself, this always reminds of that 1st Portishead album in some ways.
You’re correct with 4 and I prefer their earlier stuff too!
5 is a Portuguese folk-psyche band, fairly recent.
7 you’re spot on, a lesser known one of his but a real favourite of mine
9 is from a very nice Bob Stanley comp of girl groups and singers which is quite hard to find now at a sensible price for some reason
10 are an Australian band who had links which a much better known Australian band
I think I’ll just leave it there for now until the big reveal
OK, here’s my review for Mike H’s mix. Again another really enjoyable listen,
1.A pleasant enough song and not something I’d turn off but really not my thing so I wouldn’t be trying to actively find anymore of this guys stuff. Although he does a have lovely voice. Not really sure who he is but I could guess at a few piano playing crooners and they do all tend to blend in to one for me.
2.Wasn’t sure at all who the rockabilly thing was but I did like it. It’s a genre I need to explore more but there’s never time for me to do.
3.I knew the song and artist straight away for this as she’s got a very distinctive voice and my wife’s got a few of her albums. And the song came to my attention when we were having a meal in a restaurant in Istanbul about 20 years ago, the background music all night was his 80s albums (which I subsequently went out and bought).
Great song and singer
4.This was on the Nuggets compilation (or was it Rubble or Pebbles) so I knew it well. And it was a much bigger hit in the UK for a band in the early 80s
5.Took me about 30 seconds to recognise this. The vocals came on sounding like Funkadelic, then when the synths came in I identified it straight away. Not one of my favourites of theirs but it does sound good when it’s alone. And they did a frat ToTP as well
6.The piano sound on this one was familiar from something else. No idea really, and again not my sort thing. I didn’t like it much to be honest.
7.I’m pretty sure the singer’s first name on this is almost one of the planets in our solar system. It’s a really distinctive voice. I don’t know the song but it was quite amusing. Don’t really know her stuff at all but what I have heard before always screams out “novelty” to me. It was OK
8.The woman’s blank and flat backing vocals on this really irritated me. Otherwise I’d have enjoyed it more. Not a clue who it is although the guy singing sounds familiar.
9.Quite enjoyed this slice of jazzy funk apart from the guitar soloing on it which came across as very 80s blues. I’d be interested to know who he is as I reckon I’d might like something else by him if there wasn’t so much rock guitar.
10.I knew this from the first few seconds. Brilliant record. I hadn’t heard it for a long time and it’s sounds a bit like a 12” mix. Great to hear it again. A disco classic
11.This was so odd and I couldn’t really get a handle on it all. Did Billy Joel really make and shelve and shelve a weird art rock album in the 80s produced by Jeff Wayne?? Can’t wait to hear who this is so I can find out more.
12.Not generally up my street at all this sort of 50s (?) country music but I did really like it. There’s a good chance of I heard some more of his stuff I think I would really enjoy it and it would set me off down a large rabbit hole. Great way to finish the mix as well, very chilled after track 11’s wiggging out!
So on the whole.
I knew 3,4,5 and 10. And I’m pretty sure I knew the singer for 7. So I’m going to give myself a big pat on the back ;). All great tunes. I’ll need to dig out my wife’s albums of 3 and also probably hear later stuff from 5 (like a lot of people I really only go MM to SOB). Might be tempted to hear more of 7 just to see if my preconceptions are all wrong so I’d appreciate a recommendation of an album to start on, Mike.
2 and 12 are whole genres that are blind spots for me so that rockabilly compilation you mentioned might be a start just to dive into. And I liked the last track a lot, did The The cover a few of his songs in the 90s? (I’m still trying to guess!).
6 and 8 are things I probably wouldn’t bother listening to more of. Just not my thing and 8 was something I couldn’t get on with at all because of those spoke sung BVs.
9 might be interesting I go further back so I’ll give him a go with some caveats
Standout on there was 11 which was all over the place. Loved it. Musically it reminded me a bit of what Avi Buffalo was trying out a couple of years back (have a listen to Skeleton Tree).
Great listen on the whole and beautifully sequences and mixed as well. Many thanks Mike
Looks like Billy Joel’s art-rock album was so out there he decided to shelve it twice!
And Mike H, I didn’t read your comments and clues above about your mix before I wrote my review there as I’d listened to it a fair few times when you first sent it though and had my thoughts fairly clear on it all.
Interesting reading just now what you’ve put and I was way off on a few things!
Now that all the reviews are in for this group..
Just for the crack and because I can, here’s a link to my anonymised playlist for anyone else who wishes to listen and scoff at my selections.
https://we.tl/t-5nW6Bk6nzk
Reveals next week?
Thanks for this, Mike – I will listen with pleasure. When I get home, I will put a link to my own playlist for general consumption.
I think the group I’m in is far from finished, btw.
Having listened to it, I think you shared myoldman’s playlist.
Yep, that’s mine. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.
And thanks for saving me the bother of doing it Mike!
Oops!
Wrong zipfile unpacked.
This should be the correct one.
https://we.tl/t-04BFaAcsOZ
Hurrah! Double bubble! Have you got tinydemon’s there, while you are at it?
#winkemoji
Here’s a coincidence – your number 3 is also my number 3, Mike.
Always suspected that behind your bluff exterior was a man of good taste.
I’m reluctant to steal TD’s thunder as well as MoM’s so I’ll leave it to him to post his mix.
Always suspected that behind your bluff exterior was a man of good taste @salwarpe.
..and here’s my reveal.
1. After You Get What You Want You Don’t Want It – Nat King Cole Trio – The Great Nat King Cole
2. Born To Love One Woman – Ric Cartey – Bluecat’s Rockabilly Box CD39
3. Dance Me To The End Of Love – Madeleine Peyroux – Careless Love
4. I Want Candy – The Strangeloves – Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968
5. I Want More – Can – Rough Trade Shops: Electronic 01
6. I Want You To Be My Baby – Louis Jordan – Let The Good Times Roll: The Complete Decca Recordings 1938-1954
7. I Want To Be Evil – Eartha Kitt – The RCA Recordings 1953-1958
8. She Wants To Mambo – The Chanters – NME Cassette 009: The Ace Case
9. Tarzan – Johnny “Guitar” Watson – A Real Mother For Ya
10. I Want Your Love – Chic – C’est Chic
11. What Do You Want From Life? – The Tubes – The Tubes
12. Young Love – Sonny James – Yesterday’s Gold Vol. 2
thanks Mike *points down*
Already grabbed yours, Tom. Most enjoyable.
Yeah, loved that. Great stuff.
I haven’t done my ‘big reveal’ yet. I guess I’d better get on with it. Out and about just now so I’ll try and do when I get home
1)Desire 12” – Yello
2)you’ve got something I want – Blossom Dearie
3)sure as sin – Jeanie Greene
4)come on home – Everything But The Girl
5)sorceress – Beautify Junkyards
6)all that money wants – The Psychedelic Furs
7)more love – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
8)red moon rising – Robin Guthrie
9)love made a fool of me – The Carolines
10)all you wanted – The Apartments
11)archie, marry me – alvvays
12)julie ocean (single mix) – The Undertones
Hi
Sorry to be so late to the reveal. I have been distracted by other things and was waiting for a separate reveal thread!
1) Sink to the bottom – Fountains of Wayne
2) Love rears its ugly head – Living Colour
3) She loves the jerk – John Hiatt
4) I want my crown – Eric Gales
5) Doritos and Fritos – 100 gets
6) Toxic girl (Monte Carlo 1963 version)
7) In Germany before the war – Randy Newman
8) The Jackal – Ronny Jordan and Dana Bryant
9) Only you – Portishead
10) Do ya wanna taste it – Wig wam
11) Sky holds the sun – The Bees
12) Sweetest embrace – Barry Adamson (feat Nick Cave)
Have you ever heard the “soul power mix” of Love Rears Its Ugly Head, which was the singing release? It’s really very good and quite different
@vulpes-vulpes / @gary / @deviant808
@vulpes-vulpes / @deviant808
First off, I have to say I far preferred Vulpes’s compilation to Deviant’s. Deviant’s is more the sort of music I used to listen to in my younger daze (energetic and vibrant, like I used to be!) whereas Vulpes’s selection is a whole newer world to me, especially the two jazz tracks. I don’t know much jazz, have listened to very little. Which is strange really, because what little I have listened to (Kind of Blue, Django Reinhardt, the soundtrack to ‘Round Midnight and two of the tracks on The Style Council’s Café Bleu, to be precise) I really like a lot.
Deviant’s selection was a more frustrating listen because a few of the choices had me thinking “now, what does this remind me of?” and unable to pull out an answer from the deepest recesses of my memory. Also, there is nothing on Deviant’s selection that makes me curious for more. I hope that doesn’t sound unkind, but tastes is tastes and I have to be honest: I found it quite a difficult listen overall.
Anyway…
Deviant’s compilation:
1. Great rhythm, both drumming and bass. I’ve no idea who it is, but if I had to guess I’d say Killing Joke. Or PIL. It has a bit of an Open Up vibe, but it’s not Lydon’s voice. Someone like that. Someone post-punk.
2. Another great rhythm with a fast, wobbly synth. It has a sort of ‘Blue Monday done by Heaven 17′ feel. Very eighties. The bassline reminds me a bit of The Cure’s A Forest. Totally different sound but a couple of notes in common? And the refrain bit reminds me rather incongruously of the Rolling Stones’ Shattered, but again having a completely different sound. So, to recap: New Order meet Heaven 17 meet The Cure meet The Rolling Stones. At an 80s disco.
Again, it’s ok, but would I ever listen to it on purpose? Nope. Would I bop to it at a party? Sure.
3. A cover of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love (though at the start it reminded me very much of Patrick Hernandez’s Born to Be Alive). And again, it’s got a Blue Monday-type bit. Not as good as the original. The only reason to do a cover version is to transform it and make it your own. This one fails to do that, the original being a gazillion times better.
These first three tracks have a very similar vibe that screams 80s disco.
4. Once again, strong rhythm, powerful drumming. 80s again? But closer to punk than disco this time. Maybe 70s? An end-of-the-disco track. I can just about make out the lyrics “I just want to… ” something. Surely not “be your dog”?
5. I assume the song is called Passion. The most conventional rock track so far, but still with an 80s pop vibe though. Sort of a Blondie sound. Wouldn’t surprise me to find out it’s by someone like Martha & The Muffins. Or The Photos. But it’s less poppy than either of those.
6. More laid back than the previous tracks. As it alternates between male/female voice, it could be a The Beautiful South song, but doesn’t sound like at all like Heaton. A nice enough melody, but it’s a bit bland. I wouldn’t particularly investigate further.
7. One of my favourite albums ever. By far the best song of the selection. Could that be cos it’s the only one I was already familiar with? Nope, it is definitely by far the best.
8. I’m going to guess it’s Sandie Shaw. Simply because it reminds me of Always Someone There to Remind Me (but not as good). Pleasant enough.
9. Short, sharp, punchy power-pop. The Buzzcocks? The Vapors? Don’t know if it was a single but doesn’t sound catchy enough to have been a hit.
10. Short, sharp, punchy power-pop. A bit grungier than the previous track, but similar. Might even be the same song.
11. Starts a bit like The Prodigy’s Firestarter. Is it someone like James or The Charlatans? A bit space rock.
12. A punky dancey bash that turns into a cover of Elvis Presley’s Burning Love. I’d much rather hear Presley’s version.
————————————
Vulpes’s compilation:
1. Great start! Superb jazz piece. Absolutely no idea who it is but would like to hear more. Love it. Can imagine it soundtracking a Woody Allen film.
2. Folky with a bit of a ‘novelty song’ vibe. Pleasant enough but doesn’t really grab me.
3. Another excellent jazz track. I wouldn’t know where to start in guessing who it is. I’ll say Blue Note label, cos that might make me look as if I know what I’m talking about. I’d happily listen to this all day while doing the housework (if I were ever to do housework).
4. A beautiful voice. Backed by some Ladysmith Black Mambazo type harmonies that remind me of Paul Simon’s Homeless. Very lovely.
5. Quite arty, with its slow build. Again, I like it a lot. Beautiful instrumentation. Is it a synth playing the haunting melody bit? Over a repetitive Jew’s harp, I assume. Very pretty and quite calming.
6. Has a nice sloppy feel to it, the voice is a bit shrill and annoying at first, but it’s a very catchy chorus. Makes me think of Breaks Co-Op, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Alabama 3. That kind of vibe. I wouldn’t be averse to hearing more.
7. Nice, languid but forceful beat. A bit too country for me. I know less about country than I do about jazz. Wouldn’t have a clue who it is and I must admit I find it a little boring. American, that’s for sure.
8. Another instrumental jazz piece. I don’t like it as much as the other two. It’s ok, but a bit too guitar solo reliant, too much like “elevator muzak”. The weakest track on the compilation.
9. Squeaky voiced female folky with an acoustic guitar. They are legion. I’m guessing Fenne Lilly. It sounds very much like her. I like it, it’s sweet, pleasant, but not compelling.
10. Not sure how this fits with the theme of desire, tbh. I would have preferred another unfamiliar tune. Of course it’s great, but not sure why it’s here. In terms of the song: magnificent, natch. In terms of this compilation: jarringly out of place.
11. Guitar riff time. With some ferocious drumming. Not my thing. This would fit on Deviant’s compilation. Where’d the laid back vibe go?
12. Ah, it’s back! Mellow. Not sure who it is. Someone like Gordon Giltrap? Like track 9, it’s sweet and pleasant, enjoyable without exactly being a must-have.
————————————
Deviant, I’m sorry I didn’t like your selection much. I hope you don’t mind my honesty. I’m guessing we inhabit quite different musical worlds. I was yearning for some more laid back sounds afterwards. Due to health issues (headaches and hearing problems) I tend to prefer quieter, softer sounds these days.
Vulpes, plenty to explore, especially the jazz (1 and 3), the world music (4) and the arty track (5).
Many thanks to both.
Wow, I’m so pleased you enjoyed a good portion of my selection @Gary!
As regards being stumped by my inclusion of track 10, I thought I’d put one track in here that everyone would know, as it’s the name of the song in each case that reveals how it fits into the overall theme. This one starts with ‘S’ – one of the letters of the theme – and the inside cover art has 12 such letters down the left hand side, like little clues, scattered in reflections…
Such printed vanities are often lost on the resolute streamer of course.
PS I’m going to be off-grid for a week – I’ll post my impressions here on my return.
Absolutely no problem with that feedback Gary, was actually more positive than I’d expected after hearing your offering & it becoming clear we have different tastes (mine have never “grown up”!), and it shows that you’ve given it a proper listen which is all that can be asked really, so that’s appreciated.
You did guess one act right (in addition to 7 that you knew for definite). 8 is not a million miles away, 11 is *much* earlier than your guesses, the “I Feel Love” cover might well have been a mistake to include TBH, it was a bit of a curveball thrown in for curiousity value – rather than the original that everyone knows – but you’re right that it doesn’t reach those high standards and isn’t a huge transformation either.
OK, review time. I’ve clearly got very different tastes to the pair of you so – being absolutely honest – I didn’t really like very much of anything I heard, really sorry, I did try! These things are about hearing new stuff, and I only recognised one song from the two dozen received so it fitted that bill. Anyway the feedback might be a bit lightweight as I don’t really have the right context for any of this stuff, but here goes.
==GARY==
1) Mournful piano piece – “Do you want to be happy?” – Goes a bit Jazzy – better when the vaguely trip-hoppy vocal picks up – interesting in parts but it never really *does* anything – not for me really
2) A bit of country twang, thought it was going to turn into that Fleetwood Mac instrumental thing, “Albatross” is it? More Indian sounding Vocal joins in and it livens up a bit. Decent enough.
3) Clean crisp vocals over a skittery backbeat, breaks into a bit French, yeah quite like this
4) Something about a Sexy Mutha, “Girl I want to hold you, you look so fine” – Sparse But Funky backing, a little bit too laid back to be a big favourite, but nice enough
5) Anther sultry shuffling selection that plods woozily along like it’s taken too much cough medicine. Again, a bit too smooth / laid back for me, with the mournful sax break sealing that.
6) Reggae – lovers rock about “turning me loose”. I prefer my reggae a lot heavier to be honest.
7) Sultry start, ramps up halfway into something more soft / glam rocky (like Suzi Quatro, but not as good), very Seventies
8) Another slow offering with twangy Spanish guitar, this really is the polar opposite of my mix isn’t it? 🙂
Vocal’s a bit Kate Bush like I thought on initial listening (but without much in the way of being anywhere near as distinctive) but I didn’t get that second time round. Pleasant enough, but I could probably hear it again in ten minutes and not recognise that I’d ever heard it before.
9) Slow Acoustic strum, earnest vocals that go a bit falsetto. Precision tooled to be Not My Sort Of Thing unfortunately.
10) Uptempo (relatively anyway!) African number, nice percussive underpinning – I like this, someone to follow up on
11) A bit Paul Simon, but not him. Country / soft rock, with bonus points for twisting the subject matter around as “Mama’s got a girlfriend” now. Curious who this might be, there’s a chance I might know the name.
12) Shouty soft rock plodder. Very much the sort of stuff that has me turning the radio off, sorry.
So, urm, my turn to apologetically admit that this really wasn’t my thing. 3, 10 & 11 were OK, 9 & 12 were good examples of stuff that I actively dislike, the rest just washed over me a bit to be honest. No clue who any of them were. Ah well, the point of these things is to give some different stuff a go and it fitted that bill, so thanks.
== VV ==
1) Nice enough piece of jaunty swinging Jazz instrumentalism. Goes a bit self-indulgent at the end.
2) Urm, I honestly don’t know how to describe this. It’s horrible.
3) More spritely Jazz, a little more structured than the earlier one I thought at first, then a sax starts squawking away and it just keeps going. Not for me.
4) Something African, nice vocals but it’s a bit slow paced and light on any of the percussive elements that I like in my African music
5) Starts off with Digeridoo or similar, interesting stuff.
6) Some kind of Seventies soft/yacht rock Blue Collar singer-songwriter thing about everyone being a star? Really not my thing.
7) Maudlin folky American thing. Nothing wrong with it as such, it’s just a bit dull.
8) Oh good. More noodly Jazz 🙂 Slower and smokier than the earlier ones, but less memorable.
9) Clear and crisp female vocal over minimal strummed acoustic guitar. Not something I particularly enjoy.
10) Hey! I know this one! One of my favourite songs by this Wonderful singer.
11) Hard guitar rock wig out with Big Drums, quite fun if you ignore the gratuitous guitar soloing
12) Singer-songwritery stuff in the vein of 6, but not as good. The singer no doubt has magnificent facial hair.
Given that seventies soft-rock and light-Jazz are two of my list favourite types of music, I was on a bit of a loser here! 4 was quite nice, and 11 had it’s moments.
Ha! That was fun to read and made me chuckle. “…plods woozily along like it’s taken too much cough medicine” – brilliant! And your succinct review of Vulpes’ track 2 – lols!
And I absolutely love that you found some tracks too laid back. “Laid back” is only ever a positive in my musical world, where it’s pretty much impossible for anything to be “too laid back”!
Paradoxically, I think the fact that we clearly have such different musical tastes actually makes your verdicts all the more interesting to me. It’s almost like my aim was to send you to sleep, (with me seeing that as a good thing), whereas you were out to wake me up (with you seeing that as a good thing). I think it’s probably best that we never attempt to live together!
I hate to tell you this, but the track you’re most inclined to follow up on -number 10- is not at all typical of the artist. He’s generally much more laid back!
Heh, thanks for taking that in the spirit that it was intended (and hopefully Vulpes takes my level of “succinctness” for track 2 in the same way!).
I did set myself little challenge during the week about whether I could come up with something a bit more “compatible” while still reflecting my more indie/alt sensibilities. Didn’t spend a lot of time on it so it might still be wide of the mark, but see what you make of this :
I’m away from home at the mo and what with my ears being a bit rubbish I’ll need to wait till I get back home and listen with headphones. But I already know the acoustic version of Steve McQueen, which I like, but not as much as I like the original. Constant Craving I know and like (much better than that Rolling Stones song that pilfered from it.) Missing I know, though when it comes to EBTG I’m an Eden fan. And Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden I very much admire. The others I’ve never heard of. I’ll give them a listen when I get back next week. Cheers!
No problem, as I say, I mainly did it as a little experiment for myself, but obviously if you do find something new you like on there that’d be nice.
@vulpes-vulpes
Awaiting your reviews with sleepless anticipation, prior to reveals.
@Gary and @Deviant808
OK then, finally. I’m really sorry this has taken SUCH an age to come back to. I’ve been rather poorly for the last few months, but with some time to spare today I’ve managed to track down the notes I made when you sent through your choices, and I’ve also found the note of the track listing I sent to you, so here we go:
Gary’s CD:
1 – a hesitant muttering starts this track, with some really nice instrumental flourishes, but I lose interest after a while as the vocal doesn’t really go anywhere interesting that I hadn’t already almost anticipated. Then it fades away. Nice but inconsequential.
2 – ah, I’m pretty sure I have this, and it’s phenomenal. Needs plenty of ooomph and preferably ‘phones. Is this from Star Rise?
3 – Nice skippy backbeat, lovely clear voice with excellent enunciation. Really interesting song. Presented a bit like something from Portishead but with much better vocals. And then a Spanish interlude – love it! You’re going to have to tell me who this is, as i have no clue, but I will be buying this. Want more from her.
4 – Head nodder. Soulful vocal and a clean production with plenty of jazzy detail. Really super bass lines. Could easily be a single take job – very alive sound, with occasional little details that suggest it’s done live. Like it a lot.
5 – Starts like a seventies soul number, almost coming to a halt between lazy wah-wah chords. Simple chord sequence that isn’t really developed. Pretty good vocal, but not much going on after the first cycle round the verse structure. Nice little trumpet solo interlude, very laid back soul jazz feel. Shame it just meanders to a fade. Coulda shoulda but didn’t.
6 – It’s Bob, is it? Or another Bob-alike more likely. Could be one of the many vocal groups that proliferated in JA back in the mid-late 70s day. Obligatory Jah/slavery references. Obviously fine musicians in the studio, and all quite relaxed and pleasant, but not quite there in the scheme of things. They are not Culture!
7 – Is this the Sarah Brightman person? Is this an out-take from the Rocky Horror show? It’s fun, not my cuppa, but intrigued to know who this is – must be from a show I’d guess.
8 – Goa-lite amble through the surf at sundown. I may have this somewhere on one of those Ibiza themed collections, or maybe a bliss-out compo on some strange label that no-one has seen since the second summer. OK but rather unremarkable. Probably mainland european in origin? Background music for when you’re making the cocktails.
9 – Annoyingly I have heard this before somewhere or other but can’t think where or when. Closely recorded pleasant instrumental backing and a soft baritone voice that struggles a little to comfortably reach the high notes. Curious mixture of political commentary and dreamy thoughts. Finishes nicely, which is a good thing in a world of too many lazy fades.
10 – A distinct African feel to this one; in the persussive drive, the twangy backing instruments (kora?) and the backing vocals in particular. I’d guess that this was maybe recorded in France (just because so many Francophone artists have used high tech Paris studios, and this sounds like it was made that way). Gentle and charming.
11 – Now there’ a cajun vibe going on. I don’t know the artist, but there’s some nice Cooderesque playing happening here and I’d venture there’s a lot more from thsi guy out there that I’d enjoy. Humourous lyric and lovely bouncy accordion and drum over a plonking bass make this a swiftly gone pleasure.
12 – This sounds like a band who know The Band. Rings a lot of bells. Not for the first time, I’m pretty sure I have this, but I can’t place it, so its an album I haven’t revisited for some time. Great dynamic range. A band not afraid of using silence, which is usually a great indicator of musical understanding. Plenty of chops present. Stonking vocal. Let me know who it is! Like this a lot.
Deviant808’s CD:
1 – I have no idea who this is. It’s monotonous, somewhat entertaining, but I wouldn’t particularly want to hear it again anytime soon. Emotionless vocals are rather like a phoned-in Fun Boy Three does jungle drums – of which there are lots – number.
2 – it’s the Cabs! Everything plus the kitchen sink is being hit, put through a synth and hammered. I liked them a little at the time. Headache music.
3 – the classic obvious Moroder beat, but not the version I know from Donna. Maybe an obscure remix of some kind?
4 – Oh God, more frantic driving beats and rubbish vocals. Is this post-punk, or just punk? Not sure I care either way. Far too much caffeine being drunk ’round here. Next.
5 – very 80s feel – some Smithsy jangle-guitar vibes, though the band are not quite in that class instrumentally (dull, monotonous drums, the bass is mixed far too low) yet the lyric – what I can hear of it – sounds interesting. I think I might even own this, but I can’t recall who they are.
6 – This is more like it. At first I thought this might be The Divine Comedy, but the male vocal isn’t our Neil. This has a grand sweep, strings, the lot. Like it a lot.
7 – the Sprout – unmistakably that’s Paddy, and this will repay careful listening, as know very well. There’s a Triumph here!
8 – Instantly, this is Dusty – I’d know that tambourine anywhere. Glorious 60s brilliance.
9 – Ouch! What a contrast! At least this is the ineffable Buzzcocks, so it may be a brutal change, but they always deliver something different and worthwhile, so that’s allowed. This is on the first album, I think.
10 – Oh dear. Another clueless bunch of VU wannabes. Good luck to them, playing to a sweaty, echoing youth club full of amphetamined angsty teens, but not in my living room, thankyou very much. Next.
11 – gert lush, the unmistakable vowels of our Reg vrum down our way in the South West, moi darlin’. No idea if this is 60s, 70s, or any particular decade, but it’s a blast of randy nonsense. Time to light the barbie and burn zum sausages to ‘ave with that zider.
12 – Let’s just fast forward past this dirge shall we? What a waste of ones and zeros the last track is!
So there we have it – one I very much enjoyed, one I had to wade through to find the gems!
And, to put you out of your misery, here’s my reveal, for what it’s worth:
1 – Dancin’ Pants – Quincy Jones
from the album Go West, Man!
2 – Everything’s Fine Right Now – The Incredible String Band
from the album Relics Of The ISB
3 – Sister Sadie – Fat John Sextet
from the album Honesty
4 – In The Land Of Zulus – Miriam Makeba & Harry Belafonte
from the album An Evening With
5 – Ritus – Marco Ambrosini & Ensemble Supersonus
from the album Resonances
6 – Everyone’s A Star – Francis Dunnery
from the album Fearless
7 – Everywhere I Go – Willie Nelson
from the album Teatro
8 – Return Of The Candyman – Charlie Hunter
from the album Return Of The Candyman
9 – I Am – Martha Marlow
from the album Medicine Man
10 – Superstition – Arnold Thrubwell
from the album Surely Not?
11 – Earthquake – Jeff Beck
from the album You Had It Coming
12 – Distances – David Crosby
from the album Oh Yes I Can
Hope you both had some pleasure from one or two of my choices, the track names of which spell out DESIRE forwards and backwards.
Vulpes, you star! I thought you’d forgotten. Goes without saying I’m sorry to hear you’ve been feeling poorly and wish you the best. A platitude, but true and all I’ve got. Your review of my selection is quite astonishing in its knowledge and perception. Really. Even though you don’t know most of the tracks you’ve homed in on some really insightful details.
The reviews where our tastes seem at odds are for the first track (It’s my favourite) and the last track (see below). I’m extremely pleased to read your review of Track 3, (again, see below) and with your permission I’d love give the artist your review.
Here’s the tracklist:
1. Intro by John Cole (from his 2014 album 2014 Forest Hills Drive)
My favourite of my 12 choices. I like the video too. Reminds me of the 20 years I lived in a city and used to cycle everywhere.
2. Longing by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook (from their 1996 album Night Song)
A really fantastic album.
3. Desire by Caroline Trettine (from her 2011 album Tears)
Caroline is a friend of a friend and we’ve met up a few times. She used to play with The Blue Aeroplanes. A wonderfully talented singer-songwriter who deserves much wider recognition.
4. Sexy Mama by Darondo (from his 2011 album Listen to My Song)
I think the album was recorded in the early 70’s. Not sure. It wasn’t released until 2011.
5. Too Much Waters by Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers (from the 1999 album Spirit of Music)
I bought the album after hearing the song One Good Spliff. This was a hidden bonus track on it.
6. Turn Me Loose by The Meditations (from their 1978 album Wake Up)
7. Hot Neon by Rock Follies/Little Ladies (from the 1976 soundtrack album Rock Follies
From the episode where the ladies get involved in softcore porn movie to help pay the bills.
8. Kissing by Bliss (from their 2003 album Quiet Letters)
A Danish band who veer between New Age and World Music.
9. Creating a Dream by Xavier Rudd (from his 2012 album Spirit Bird)
An Australian whose music is not dissimilar to Jack Johnson and to Mishka (the latter a real favourite of mine.) All three are beach-loving surfers and all three are stoners. Small wonder I like their music.
10. Banana by Vieux Diop (from his 1995 album Vieux Diop)
Very untypical of this Senegalese Kora player, a former member of Youssou N’Dour’s band. A bit of a novelty track. (”You make me go banana!”). He now lives in New York, where he teaches music and hosts a World Music radio show. His album Traditional Songs of West Africa is well worth checking out.
11. Mama’s Got a Girlfriend Now by Ben Harper (from his 1994 album Welcome to the Cruel World)
12. You’re the One by Greta Van Fleet (from their 2018 album Anthem of the Peaceful Army)
I was unsure about this. I couldn’t find a 12th track for the theme of the compilation and was undecided between this and David Sylvian’s ’How Little We Need To Be Happy’. I like both, but neither really suited the vibe of the compilation.
And seeing as we’re so late to the thread, i think a video is in order.
Heh. No problem, hope you’re on the mend from whatever was ailing you.
Interesting reading on the feedback, didn’t expect universal approval of everything but glad you unearthed a few gems.
Some sketchy commentary I sent to Gary below.
1) TWISTED – Korova Milkbar
This is from the only single by them that I’ve ever heard, it’s ripped from a 12” I bought a long while ago. Included for the opening sample mainly. “It’s been an eternity, since I’ve felt such desire”.
2) ”I WANT YOU” – Cabaret Voltaire
The Future Sound of Sheffield. From 1985 🙂
3) ”I FEEL LOVE” – Curve
Last minute change to go from the original to the cover from the NME ”Ruby Trax” compilation. Did you catch my terribly witty reference to it being a ”curve-ball”? 😉
4) ”LUST IN THE MOVIES” – The Long Blondes
Also from Sheffield I think?
5) ”WITHIN THE DAZE OF PASSION” – Kitchens of Distinction
Daft name, massive sound.
6) ”MANHATTAN” – Cinerama
David Gedge’s side-project when not being noisy in The Wedding Present. Love the American spoken bit (”He’s soooo sexy…”) and the tale of him not quite believing he’s turning down the advances of someone so far out of his league.
7) APPETITE – Prefab Sprout
You all know all about this
8) ”I’LL TRY ANYTHING” – Dusty Springfield
Slightly surprised Gary didn’t recognise her voice, I’d have thought she was quite distinctive.
9) ”JUST LUST” – Buzzcocks
Original Punksters, and yeah a bit of stylistic lurch. I tend to build these things from each end, and there’s often a point in the middle where the join shows 🙂
10) ”DYING FOR IT” – The Vaselines
Scottish Indiepop royalty and great favourites of Kurt Cobain
11) ”I’M ON FIRE” – The Troggs
Was fresh in my mind at the time as it’s on a Bob Stanley compilation that I’d bought recently. B-side to something better known.
12) ”BURNIN’ LOVE” – Killdozer
Well known for their Unique cover versions. ”American Pie” has to be heard to be believed. Wasn’t expecting this to go down well on here, but it’s all about hearing something different isn’t it?
@gary @deviant808
Thanks both!
Some great stuff to follow up there, from (shock! horror!) both of you!
Gonna start by looking up that Caroline Trettine lead – prob my fave of all the stuff that was new to me.
@gary @deviant808
Turns out I do have that Ben Harper album and a copy of the Darondo album which I’d forgotten about, so they will get a listen again as a result of this swap.
I’m investing in that Gedge side-project called Cinerama too.
Oh, and a copy of the Caroline Trettine album ‘ten light years’ popped through my letterbox this very morning. Hoorah! I may even ignore my ‘physical discs only’ rule and grab that ‘Tears’ album too, which seems only to be available as a (shudder) download.
It’s all about the music.
Cinerama are excellent. If you like that track then are plenty more things you’ll love. They’re one of those bands with lots of non-album singles (and good b-sides) but there are handy compilations of those that’re easily on a par with the “proper” albums.
@vulpes-vulpes
I’ve passed your review on to Caroline. Haven’t had a reply yet.
Ten Light Years is beautiful. The song Leaving is a particular favourite. She also sings with Koral Society. Their recent album, Waters Wide is gorgeous.
https://koralsociety.bandcamp.com/album/waters-wide
I was playing the compilation (“Three Day Week: When The Lights Went Out (1972 – 1975)”) from which I lifted that Troggs song just now, so can report that it was the b-side to “Strange Movies”, which was apparently their final single on Pye.
Bob Stanley describes it in the sleevenotes as “a savage piece of sexual frustration which updated ‘I Can’t Control Myself’ for the age of Slade”.
So now you know 🙂
@rigid-digit / @Fatima-Xberg / @Bogart
Now what am I doing in the Amazonas, full of piranhas, floating on a river while I’m trying to convince them that I haven’t done it.
Really, I just opened that E-mail in my inbox that promised an hour or so of interesting music from @rigid-digit. (Never met the sender, and don’t know his real name.) Anyway, there’s a playlist on my laptop now, and yes, the tracks are all untitled. And now the men with the unknown names are asking questions.
Does that bother me? No, it doesn’t; I quite like untitled music! I’ve listened to the tracks several times during the last few weeks, and I think I recognize some songs. You what?… No, I’m not supposed to tell you. But I can share my thoughts on the music, if that’s OK.
»Turn it down! I’m calling the police!«
So, here I am in the Amazonas, full of piranhas, and listening to Rigid Digit’s playlist.
TRACK ONE |||| Some sort of orchestral overture, which sounds like a movie soundtrack. Knowing the clever wit of the average Afterworder it’s probably from some movie with »Desire« in the title. (No! That’s not a secret code…)
TRACK TWO |||| And we dive right into the late seventies and New York new wave – except that it’s from the early 2000s. But it sounds like one of those weirdo ZE Records tunes with spiky guitars, tooting sax, half-spoken vocals and a rocky disco beat. This shows that either (a) ZE was ahead of its time, or (b) the 2000s really were crap.
TRACK THREE |||| More new wave – probably from a former prog band that jumped on the new music bandwagon and dressed up their tempo changes with a bit of Punk attitude and angsty vocals.
TRACK FOUR |||| Now it gets metal. A sturdy guitar riff, weedy screamin’ vocals and a trebbly production all point to late-seventies indie, not NWOBHM.
No please, not my shoes! How am I supposed to survive in the Amazonas, full of piranhas, without decent shoes? And by the way, your choice of trousers is very questionable…
TRACK FIVE |||| Straight from the Budokan come the chequered hitmakers with the fat drummer. Yeah right, that’s probably Japanese schoolgirls screaming in the background.
TRACK SIX |||| Well let me see… certainly not »the first song from our new album«… haha. This is turning into some sort of Smash Hits Yearbook compilation, isn’t it? But I know the song very well, we used to jump up and down the school hallway to this song when I was a kid.
TRACK SEVEN |||| The pop perverts from Basildon with one of their earlier chart tunes. Sounds remarkably modern among these tracks here.
TRACK EIGHT |||| Proper eighties umpah-chart music – boy and girl vocals, a big production with a plonking »funky« bass guitar, and lots of cheesy synths. If this song has a video it most certainly feature a couple of blokes with mullets. And a guy playing a key-tar!
No, I don’t want a drink, and definitely not something that I haven’t mixed myself. Well yes, I just don’t trust people who travel across the Amazonas, full of piranhas, in a long leather coat; that’s all!
TRACK NINE |||| Back to 1977 obviously, for a track that nearly ended on one of those giveaway tapes from the NME. (No, not the enemy… – and it’s not a password, it was a newspaper!)
TRACK TEN |||| Old leather skin and one of his classics. But it’s not the original – maybe some kind of celebrity duet dreamed up by his managers? Was a charity involved? Or an advertising deal? Anyways, not bad.
TRACK ELEVEN |||| And back to movie music. I would certainly not refuse a dance with John Trvolta if this was on the jukebox… (but you’d have to give me back my right shoe first). In an ideal world this song would have been a worldwide smash hit for Willy DeVille, who would have given it the proper Duane Eddy/Lee Hazelwood touch.
TRACK TWELVE |||| And finally some new music, or rather, a new-ish cover of an old song from the vegetarian country singer. (There’s only one, as far as I know?) Unfortunately, a bar band eliminates all traces of elegance, allure and sophistication from the original tune, and makes it sound like one of those »From the TV series…« cover jobs.
Look out momma, there’s a white ship coming up the river! And our boat is still gently spinning on the Amazonas, full of piranhas, and the men with the unknown names don’t look any friendlier. They just found out that there’s yet another file on my harddrive with the same keyword: DES*RE. This doesn’t seem to make the situation any easier for me.
1. Correct
2. the latter choice applies
3. Pretty much
4. Not NWOBHM, but not 70s either. The revolution in the music industry (and their split) never happened
5. Fairly obvious choice on my part
6. Seemed to fit, and break the “obvious” flow
7. Spot on
8. see 7
9. Close, but 1978
10. Not Old Leather Face, but a bloke who says “Hurr” a lot and a kinky ex-girlfriend who could be her own tribute act
11. Like the Willy DeVille thought
12. I’m only aware of one vegetarian country singer too
One collection delivered by Dropbox and one shiny disc in the letterbox.
First impressions of both was that my offering of a silvery disc with a faint scrawl, 2 attempts at getting Dropbox right, and a collection of fairly obvious/easy choices pales against the work that you have both obviously put in here.
First up, the Dropbox delivery: @fatima-xberg
The included cover artwork states Food, Desire and Telephone Wires. Possibly a clue to the content of the one long track. And as it is one long track I shall work through and identify where I believe the gaps to be:
Track 1 is spoken word I’m thinking is possibly a radio intro or live intro to a Jazz Drummer (?). Which then gives way to a discordant industrial guitar opening Track2 – not sure English is the true first language (thinking someone like Rammstein perhaps) – pretty sure this one is expressing desire (and not Food or Telephone Wires). Long fade and build into Track 3 (except it ain’t Track 3 – it’s still number 2). Di O dislike it? No, but would I listen again. Possibly if I’m in a bit of a metal mood.
And now we have Track 3 – and there’s a telephone, and a French voice obviously not making a connection. Forgive me I though the CD stuck – it’s a repetitive one, and doesn’t really go anywhere. I’m going to call it “ambient” – it’s just there. I’ll be honest I didn’t really listen, it just sort of happened.
Track 4 (if I’m keeping up and getting the splits right) has a hoedown feel – it’s one of those voices that I think I recognise but could be anyone (it might even be someone I’ve heard of).
Track 5 is (stand by for an idiot redux thought process) a bit breathy, jazzy, new romantic. Sade? No, but it’s of that style and era (perhaps)
Track 6 speeds up with the synths – is it a horrible thing to suggest it’s a bit Europop (but with less mullets and a bit more thought in the delivery). I want to say Yello, but I would no doubt be wrong.
Cracking bit of guitar work in there too. I think when the soundscape changes and the bongos kick in that’ll be Track 7 (not sure though as the next one arrives, suggesting Track 7 is either very short or is my mistake)
Whatever number this is (it’s 7, I’ve decided), has an almost Gilmour-esque guitar, which goes a little bit eastern, and then a host of different sounds fight over a background drone note.
None the wiser to the author, but it is a relaxing vibe. There is a vocal track (or indeed a voice track) but I’ve no idea what it’s saying.
Is the bass and voice at the end part of the same track? I think it’s Track 8 – and what’s annoying is I think I recognise the voice.
So (if I’m right) Track 9 may well be a continuation of the Track 1 conversation, or maybe just the same speaker.
Track 10 (segueing from the speakers statement of “on piano, Blondie Bill”) is voice not dis-similar to Louis Armstrong (but probably isn’t) and then a jazz piano, trumpet, and sax (I think?).
Track 11 – Leonard Cohen? Although it sounds a bit “full production” for Laughing Len
Track 12 – it’s more of the same conversation from earlier
Track 13 – bright acoustic guitar and some humming – thought it could be Joni Mitchell to start with, now has a touch of Susanna Hoffs (which means it’s neither). Nope – more countryfied. My powers of recognition and deduction fail me, but this one might very well be my favourite here – there’s a definite for the “investigate further” list.
Track 14 – breathy vocal buried in the music. Another where I have no clue to the artist, but some of the intonation sounds familiar. The instrumental passage sounds part of the song, but also detached. Liking this one too.
Track 15 – Allo, are we back to the Frenchie on the phone from earlier? No, unless I’m very much mistaken that is the sound of an Icelandic Pixie expressing love for someone’s eyes. But there’s another voice here – who’s that then? Not sure, but it’s pretty distinctive.
Track 16 – I was quite pleased with myself that I think I have successfully identified one artist in the collection. No such luck here. The voice can soar a bit (like the last unidentified chap). There’s a bit of a Freddie Mercury vibe in the voice and production (I’m sure I can hear multi-tracking going on).
It also seems to be multi-part thing going on. Hang on … I think I know who this is. The multi-voice part is a giveaway methinks Don’t think I’ve heard it (but probably should’ve done) – another one for the “who is it, where can I find it, and will my wallet support it” list
I’ll be honest, for the most part I was intrigued but not enamoured. But as the 1 and a bit hours progressed I was finding more things to enjoy and investigate further.
Even if I did screw the Track numbering up. The back end is a winner for me, and I will be looking deeper when the tracklist comes out.
@bogart
The CD arrived complete with hand written note explaining the possible irregularity in the track list, and also a foil wrapped chocolate – an attempt to win favour perhaps. It might just work.
Track 1 -Opening with pub (?) noise – audience noise nonetheless – and then close harmony vocals attempt to come in, and then restart. A choral song about the UK(?). I’m wondering if this is that well know artist Trad Arr? Sounds like it might have some age to it, but then again could also have been written last week and just confusing me.
Track 2 -Quiet, almost ominous, synth opening, and I’m sure there’s a voice in the background. And then what sounds like a radio recording which gradually fills out. Not sure, but I think I know who this might be. Fine punky-pop with a slight American accent. The playout guitar would I’m sure be best enjoyed at full volume.
Track 3 – More radio tuning attempts before a drum machine thumps and a high-pitched voice recites the theme of the set (and other words I can’t truly pick out). The more it goes on, the more I’m drawn to it.
Track 4 – a folky tale of Adam and Eve in the garden. I quite like the voice on this one, but other than that “Sshumm!” it just goes over my head
Track 5 – got an 80s vibe to it (no idea why, it just feels like it). Now, I think I recognise that half-spoken half-sung vocal. Aah, I got it now – it’s not 80s, it’s 90s. And I must listen again to the album. Another one sitting on the shelf gathering dust.
Track 6 – back to folkiness, possibly by Trad Arr again. Now, I’m guessing as it’s said quite a lot that this one is called The Calico Printer’s Clerk
Edit: 3 days later for no apparent reason this one popped up on auto-play in my head.
Track 7 – this is similar, but less Lancastrian and a bit more country-ish. Actually, it’s a lot fuller sounding. Another where I could probably guess the title (The Hardest Thing Of All) but haven’t got a scooby who may be performing it.
Track 8 – Bowie? Or Bowie impression? Don’t think it is, but the voice is close to Newley-fixated Dave. It’s a chirpy jumpy one this, I’m enjoying it. Who is it? Intriguing …
Track 9 – James Bond theme and the story re-set to Kingston, Jamacia. Is this one of Studio One’s finest, certainly sounds like it could be
Track 10 – This one sounds like it could be my life story – I’ve got the disease for LPs. To my un-educated ear, if pushed for a guess I’d say Jonathan Richman – I bet it isn’t.
Track 11 – erm … medieval madrigal? Perhaps, but a very whispery vocal on top. Sparse sounding, but if there was any more to it, it would ruin the spell/atmosphere
Track 12 – seems to come from a similar blood-line? Similar whispery vocal somewhere in the depths of the mix.
Track 13 – Sounds like some 70s Philly Soul, or at least that’s me first impression. For blokes on a stage, matching suits and harmony vocals. Sorry, it just flew over my head.
Track 14 – I know this one! and is lifted from one of my favourite albums. Is it the best he (or more correctly “they”) have done? The jury is out, but I’d say it’s perm any 1 from 3)
Track 15 – a hi fi advert? It is an advert for Pioneer HPM speakers. I have a Pioneer turntable, but they’re output through (either, or both depending on which switch I press) Wharfedale speakers or Sony floor standing speakers
To answer your question in the note, yes I did find much to enjoy. Not sure about the Pioneer ad though, and not everything tickled me fancy, but looks like there might be some exploring to do (or slapping my forehead that I didn’t recognise voices/tracks, or forgetting to listen to 90s Indie Bands debut albums)
@rigid-digit
Sorry for delay, PC had a hissy fit and lost my ‘review’ so I had to write it all again, I’d like to say the wait was worth it, but I’ve been brung up not to lie….
Rigid Digits desires
1) Open’s with a instrumental that could have come from a 60s film noir or spy caper or maybe it’s the title music Sky Atlantic eagerly anticipated faux 60s detective series ‘Crime and Desire on The Streets of New Orleans’.
2) I know this or should I say I recognise the opening riff, I’m not sure if this recognition is from this particular song or if it’s a sample taken it from elsewhere or maybe this is the original riff and somebody has sampled it for another track. Vocally it sounds like Haysi Fantayzee covering a AC/DC. “high voltage when we kiss” ” a desire to start fires for each other”, Bon Scott could well have sung that. Musically it’s a sort of Disco/Rock-y hybrid that the Stones and their ilk produced in the late 70s early 80s. Not something that would persuade me to explore the artist more.
3) Another opening riff that grabs the attention but unfortunately a rather insipid vocal joins, it’s making me think of “dodgy light weight Who tribute band”. Oh dear and now a terrible guitar by rote solo has just arrived……. and thankfully it’s now gone. The singer seems to be addressing a girl who he ‘desires’ but thinks he’s to rock n roll for. I’d lump it in the REO Speedwaggon camp of AR FM Radio bands, not that I really know much of that genre or REO Speedwaggon, but if I was to produce a reasoned debate as to why |I dislike such bands, it would be because I believe they sound like this. Rock n Roll is not meant to be polite!
4) I know these are …wo-hooo! However despite owning a few of their albums I don’t think I have the one with this on or if I do this track has made no lasting impression. This is my truth, it sounds a bit like what AI would churn out if you asked it to produce a song by them. Funny isn’t that a band who place so much weight on their lyrical content, that so many of the words are open to interpretation due to Bradders vocal delivery, I think the desire here is the over throw of the establishment, I think
5) The initial drum sound and I thought of the Glitter Band, of T Rex, then the guitar and vocals come in and it sounds more like the bubblegum rock of the mid-70s, Arrows or Hello, that sort of band. The singer sounds rather needy in wanting some unnamed person to want him and know him, as I say I could see it being sung by the house band on a Muriel Young produced 4.30pm pop show on ITV during the glam years. Rather pleasant, enjoyable ear candy, but again not something that would me buy their “out this week” album.
STOP PRESS – Earlier today whilst cycling, this came into my head, or more precisely the “I want you to want me ” refrain….. 30 bloody miles of it going round and round my head.
Not going well so far, sorry RD, but….. there’s always side two.
6) Miss Beehive, who coincidental I’ve just seen on a episode of Guy Garvey’s vaults comparing haircuts with Toyah and the bloke from A Flock of Seagulls, seemingly it took two can’s of hair spray for the Mr Seagull look, which may well have something to do with his baldness these days. Anyhow a cracking 60s meets 80s pop song, courted by a seemingly rich guy who gave her all her material desires, but in the end she found that money can’t buy happiness, only the person you really want can fill that desire. Oh and she got her desire for a hit song.
7) Often cited as Basildon’s finest*, for me when they got ‘darker’ as they got older they lost my interest, but during these early days of ‘pure pop’ they produced one cracking single after the another. Like the above another song of desire and dare I say lust for another but in this case is unrequited .
*Although I’d opt for Alf.
8) I’d hazard a guess you were a teen in the 80s as we get another cracker from that era, the opening bars spring from the speakers and the music starts over the synth drum I initially think it’s something by Wham, no bad thing, but the ‘whispery’ synth s tell me it’s wrong and then the male voice comes in and is unmistakably the fella with the wonky haircut, maybe he’s recounting his thoughts on meeting his future wife on the Sheffield dance floor who knows, not sure if it’s Joanne or Susan or both providing the female vocal response. but again like the above, a cracking pop song. .
9) Speaking of cracking pop songs, nobody has made better pop than this lot, I’m sure Mr Nish followed me around in my teenage years and documented my hopeless romantic aspirations as his inspiration. I’d though of putting What Do I Get or I Need on my compilation, but good on you for choosing something less obvious from Manchester’s finest.
10) That intro, immediate thought, by heck this is a bit obvious putting Iggy on a mystery compilation, but then the voice comes in and that’s not Iggy ( can’t get much past me!) no it’s the former Mrs Davies and then Mr Woodward (to his Mum) joins in. A fairly straight forward cover, but to my ears, mostly I will say due the former NME writers voice, I prefer this to the original. For some unknown reason I’ve never bought anything which she’s produced, despite her excellent voice, I think on hearing this I need to remedy that.
11) It’s back to the (possible) move soundtrack tunes, this time it’s a 60’s possibly starring Albert Finney set in the grim smoky North. The guitar sounds as though it could be something by Chris Issak, but vocally it’s not a match. Theme wise it’s possibly touching on dodgy ground these days, the singer appears to be waiting for a young girl to become of age so he can act upon his desire for her.
12) I can imagine being say in the pictures as the latest Bond film as the credits come to an end, this track suddenly booms out as the words fill the screen ‘James Bond will return in Constant Craving’. A cover of the the K D Laing song and a very well done cover as well, no idea of who it is, but just had a thought with Rigid’s 80’s influence and partly because I’ve seen him on the Heritage Show* is it Peter Cox or and I’m not sure why I’m saying this Richard Hawley. Theme wise, seems a bit ambiguous, is a desire to grow older and gain wisdom, a wanting of some answers from a deity or just a desire to know?
*90% of old acts showing how not to grow old gracefully
And that’s that, a game of two half’s as the Jimmy Hill may have said, side one had fleeting moments but didn’t on the whole encourage further investigation of any of the artist. Side two, was more enjoyable partly due to familiarity and also because they were tracks more suitable to my ears. I’ll certainly be looking at getting something more by Ms Hynde and the artist on track 11 is worth investigation.
Thanks for the time of putting it together and sharing it.
1. Definitely a film with “Desire” in the tile (also has the word “Street” in it)
2. “Haysi Fantayzee covering a AC/DC” – marvellous description
3. The singer left a couple of years later, and they’re still going today. Wrong singer for the right band, obviously
4. All words are open to interpretation from Bradders, especially in the early days when he was at his most precociously revolutionary.
5. It’s a definite earworm – does go after a while (honest)
6. You know it
7. And this one (and I agree with your Alf suggestion)
8. Definite 80s – but it it aint FunnyhaircutPhil
(but I can see the reasoning – never honestly made that connection before)
9. see 6
10. Is it wrong to recommend a Best Of? The former Mrs Kerr is worth investigating, and that would be a whistle-stop route
11. Not 60’s, not UK, but directed by a bloke whose record collection is deep and seemingly dominated by the era (or so his other excellent soundtracks to his films would suggest)
12. More late 70s than 80s, and since he left his original band (for which he was the main writer) he’s not had the most stellar career. His albums are often pretty good though.
Number 8 isn’t wonky haircut, I’ll go t’foot of our stairs, I felt rather chuffed with myself when the light bulb pooped and I thought it’s old dodgy haircut and co, you’ve made me question everything I have up until now thought true!!
The best of for number 10 is a good idea.
@Fatima-Xberg
Again sorry for delay, darn modern tech is great when it work and of course any failings are all down to the PC and not the person using it. Anyhow, here we go.
It appears we are in a scuzzy dank dark club, a guide sets the scene, talking of his jazz desire, then the first artist of the evening takes to the stage. Well daddyo it’s not jazz as we know it. It’s the heavy heavy heavy monster guttural sound of nu/death/whatever sub genre of metal. The singer is stridently denying his own desire, and this may well be wrong due to the guttural growl but he seems to suggesting that either Oz has either pissed him off, or somewhat quirkyly “Oz, has pissed me ”. Possibly the singer sees himself as a pint of Stout and that said beverage had been drunk by the erstwhile Oz and the singer is explaining how he escaped Oz’s bladder, anything is possible in metal I guess. Whilst not a great fan of this genre, I enjoy the odd track on a compilation or on the radio but I’ll pass on a full album. I enjoyed it. Artist wise some relative of Slipknot?
2) Listening in to the Berlin Jazz club switchboard, ambient noodlings and ‘old fashioned’ telephone sounds with overheard operator answering calls, maybe it’s the fans of the above band expressing their desire to get tickets to see their next performance. I rather enjoy this, reminds me of Yan Thiersen or Clark.
3) Here in the Jazz club, they must have various themed rooms, we now enter the Singing Cowboy and BBQ bar for an evening of archetypal cow-poke
line dancing. It could have been taken from the soundtrack of a Tex Ritter or Gene Autrey film, as the ‘hero’ sits in a bar singing of the ‘lost love ’ of his life. However I think it’s a lot later than that era golden era of ‘singing cowboy films’. As with track one, the odd track of this type is enjoyable on a compilation such as this but wouldn’t want a full evening of it.
4) A rather spooky soft voice intones Desire is a madness before the song breaks in to a sultry jazzy-lounge sound, the club is now smoked filled with roses and carafes of wine on the tables, resplendent in that ’60s elegant chic. It’s not bad, reminds me Sade.
5) A more upbeat of the last sound, a chitter – chitter guitar riff, a desire for the “unknown night/day” has this clubber had one over the eight and is unable to remember the ‘good time’ he hopes he’s had. Kind of reminds me the early New Romantic funk soul hybrid, something that Spandu Ballet did before they went pop. I rather like it.
6) And into the ambient chill room we move, a student of the Bert Wheedon, Hank Marvin or even David Gilmour style plucks a few notes, it moves into something that wouldn’t be out of place on a Vangelis album before some ‘jazzers ‘join in the cacophony (cacophony in a nice way) The Comet Is Coming comes to mind, no idea if it is or not, does however slightly remind me of an under 8’s football match were all the players want to be on the ball at the same time, some times less is more. Voices, sounds like some Southern American TV preacher, does that indicate a desire to be saved or to rake in the cash? None the whole, not bad.
7 An adolescent Nick Cave-a like vocal, a Godley and Creme style “ahh ahhh ahh” (The hole in Consequences) then a narrator speaking of a child prodigy and now it’s a love song for (Mom’s?) Chicken Pie, hep cat Louis Armstrong type jazz from the 40s that so inspired the likes of Kenny Ball over here?
8 It’s the Godley and Creme Ahh-ahhh to end the previous or begin the next… a male voice informs us that he has no desire for riches, fame and power, he just want his ‘one’ back. I like this.
9 The Beat poet narrator is back for a brief few moments before he gives way to the most Afterword sound so far, I’d guess you’d file this under Americana. I almost put a Victoria Williams track on my compilation, I like this track, the singer’s voice is fine, but I can imagine that with Victoria’s voice it really would be something special. Theme wise it seems to be a sad tale of the narrators life coming to the crisis, suicidal or just leaving town and a ‘useless’ to have a better life. Having just listened to this again, the vocalist sounds really good now, so ignore the ‘fine’ comment above.
10 Tick tock and of we go with Indie navel gazing, bland breathy vocals, rote shoe gazing goes ‘rock’ guitar solo, nope not for me, ‘skip me, skip me’ it shouts, but I listen on in the vain hope it will get better, it doesn’t. First track that I wouldn’t give house room to.
11) Telephone noise, brass or synth impersonation of brass and then there’s no point saying anything further as it’s Bjork and she never puts a foot wrong, even when choosing who to duet with. Excellent.
12) The best pre-punk Manchester band, one of the top 5 Manchester bands of all time. This takes me back to my school days, my buddy Mark lent me copy of the album that this closes, hard to believe that it was recorded in a nondescript building in Stockport, bloody Stockport! Anyhow they appear to be lamenting a lost relationship and a desire to save it.
Really enjoyable selection, only one real duffer as far as I’m concerned, a few that will be worth further exploration and two stalwarts of my own album collection to finish, most enjoyable listen and a wonderfully programmed (mixed?) sit down and listen experience .
@bogart
Finally, back from the Amazonas, full of piranhas, and I find myself in a strange pub at a table with the men with the unknown names. In the room upstairs it’s »Desire Night« for Secret Afterword Club Members only, and what we hear (through the half-closed curtain) is a mix of music and strange sounds, probably from an over-enthusiastic soundman.
TRACK ONE ||| What starts as some kind of pub singalong may actually be some Welsh Miners Choir, singing about Liberty and Football.
TRACK TWO ||| The barman fiddles with the radio dial and picks up New Wave guitar music… which turns into a real track amidst much static, distortion and howling feedback. Great.
TRACK THREE ||| The crowd upstairs meanwhile is in NME Tapes territory with an 80s funk baseline and strange harmonies.
TRACK FOUR ||| No, it’s not the Girl-In-Summerdress-Acoustic-Track from a long-forgotten Word CD – this is indeed quite charming with an interesting arrangement. And what could possibly be wrong with a song that mentions apples, the garden, and the Maharishi?
TRACK FIVE ||| An over-the-top tune that tries desperately to be contemporary (in a mid-90s way, ha ha) with light scratching and a distant brass arrangement. The band members probably wore terrifically coloured oversize t-shirts.
TRACK SIX ||| Back downstairs it’s »Folk Night« at the pub with a ditty about Dorothy. I wish I was back in the Amazonas, full of piranhas.
TRACK SEVEN ||| Another lonely singer, but he has some glorious melodies – and even a middle-eight AND a compact organ solo. This is how melancholy should sound like.
TRACK EIGHT ||| Third guy in a row wearing an »ironic« Donovan cap, and this one really aims high, mentioning a Queen and Shakespeare in the first few lines. Unfortunately it has to be said, he’s no Paddy McAloon or Morrissey, and all his reading work didn’t make this a good song. But he probably earns his bread in a committee writing Spotify songs for thirteen year olds.
TRACK NINE ||| The barman gets busy with the radio dial again – and somehow this turns into a Ska/Bond Theme mash-up. And all the better for it.
TRACK TEN ||| Now the Secret Club upstairs play their (Afterword?) Manifesto, a song about LPs and CDs that sounds a bit like a forgotten track from a Stiff Records compilation.
TRACK ELEVEN ||| Someone is lonely, lazy, and whispering into a microphone. The men with the unknown names are taking notes.
TRACK TWELVE ||| The snail’s pace continues. Before I nod off some voices enter from the ether and this is finally rescued by a nice cello.
TRACK THIRTEEN ||| The wilfully idiosyncratic music continues with artfully constructed non-melodies. This would only be acceptable if it came from the soundtrack of some kind of Wicker Man arthouse movie involving disfigured corpses.
TRACK FOURTEEN ||| It’s »Piano Night« at the pub now, and if you have a half-decent song it’s always a good idea to end it with a knees-up shuffle until someone cuts off the microphone. As we leave we hear a word from our sponsor about »incredible« speakers.
And here’s the reveal:
FATIMA | Food, Desire and Telephone Wires
1. Celtic Frost: Os Abysmi Vel Daath
2. Jam & Spoon: V. Angel Is Calling
3. Asleep At The Wheel: Yearning Just For You
4. Caroline Lavelle: Desire
5. Yello: Desire (Messages 12” Version)
6. Rich Ruth: Thou Mayest
7. Charles Mingus: Eat That Chicken
8. Willy De Ville: Vampire’s Lullaby (My One Desire)
9. Patty Griffin: Useless Desires
10. Lush: Desire Lines
11. Bjørk & Anthony: The Dull Flame Of Desire
12. 10cc: Don’t Hang Up
Excellent swap mix
@Fatima-Xberg / @Bogart
And here’s my track list:
1 Alex North – Streetcar Named Desire Main Title
2 Electric Six – Danger! High Voltage
3 Iron Maiden – Burning Ambition
4 Manic Street Preachers – A Vision Of Dead Desire
5 Cheap Trick – I Want You To Want Me
6 Mari Wilson – Just What I Always Wanted
7 Depeche Mode – See You
8 Animotion – Obsession
9 Buzzcocks – Just Lust
10 Tom Jones/Pretenders – Lust For Life
11 Urge Overkill – Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon
12 Glen Matlock – Constant Craving
@rigid-digit @Fatima-Xberg
Apologies for delay, been on my holidays, here are the artists and tracks that entertained or annoyed you!
Afterword Desire
1) The Skelmanthorpe Flag Song – Commoners Choir ( formed by ex-Cumbawammba member Boff Whalley, they describe themselves as a radical choir melding political singing with political activism)
Theme – A desire for equality for all
The Skelmanthorpe Flag is one of the most impressive survivors from the early days of organised labour. It was made in Skelmanthorpe near Huddersfield in 1819 to honour the victims of the Peterloo Massacre who had been attacked and slain by the yeomanry during a peaceful demonstration at St Peter’s Fields in Manchester.
A specially-written Boff Whalley piece of choir music based upon the lines written on the flag:
‘May never a cock in England crow
Nor never a pipe in Scotland blow
Nor never a harp in Ireland play
Til Liberty regains her sway’
2) Chaos of the Galaxy/Happy Man – Sparklehorse
Theme – To be a happy man.
3) Walls – Crass
Theme – personal freedom
4) Old Mother – Emily Portman
How the desire for an apple led to to the apple being available all over the world. OK this may not be strictly true
5) Dark Clouds – Space
Theme – desire to escape ‘everyday life’
6) Calico Printers Clerk – Harp and a Monkey
A traditional Manchester Broadside, rearranged by the band, an entitled Dandy desired Dorothy Drew but despite throwing all his money at her, he lost out to the ‘poor’ Calico Printers Clerk.
7) The Hardest Thing of All – Michael Weston King
Possibly better known these days as the ‘other half’ of My Darling Clementine, taken from his first solo album in 11 years, a tale of depression and the desire to do just the simple every day things that it takes away from you.
8) England is Unwell – L A Salami
The desire for a better life that brings people to this land.
9) 007, A Fantasy Bond Theme – Barry Adamson
Every child desired to be Bond or Captain Scarlet or Modesty Blaise or…
Former Magazine and Good seeds bass player and owner of a tremendous solo catalogue
10) LP’s – Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage
The deisre of every Afterworder?
11) Saint Mary – Sparklehorse
Linkous desire’s as he lay in a St Mary hopsital bed following the complications following his accidental overdose.
12) Emissary – Clark
Sung from the perspective of the inheritors of global warming desiring to return to the ‘old world’
13) In Bloom – Moses Sumney
Locust put a Moses track on the last Afterword swap, I was intrigued, I bought the album. A desire for friendship.
14) Mary Anne – Alice Cooper
A simple tale of of lust and desire, according to Alice it was written for Mary Whitehouse….
The Pioneer advertisement
Taken from an Alice Cooper King Biscuit Hour show….. the desire of every afterworder to have something that make their music sound even better….. possibly
@SteveT / @NigelT / @craig42blue
Review of @NigelT – Desire cd. ( @SteveT review to follow).
We three have stuck with burning those silver discs.
It may be a sign of my gradual slide into dementia, or just being a year or two older, but my memory is like ‘one of those kitchen utensils with holes in’.
I am pretty sure that I own copies of 7 of these 12 tracks – hopefully my guesses won’t spoil things for SteveT. Steve, read no further if you don’t want to see spoilers.
NigelT – “An Observation on Desire”
The title makes me think there maybe King Crimson involved; but here goes…
#1. It’s Sand! No, Joni? Nope – must be a certain ‘MullAgrarian’ (anag). and Take Your Time?
#2. Unsure but I do like this. This sounds like a UK folk/blues guitarist/singer – is it Michael Chapman who has found a pearl??
#3. As refreshing as any cool drink – if this isn’t ‘the ShakyJaw’ (anag), then it must be Golden Smog?
#4. I feel I know this artist but I “Don’t Know What (he) Was Thinking” could this be the pretender himself? Or some Southern U.S. band?
#5. Another Southern U.S. band? – a feel of Little Feat featuring a little operator? Who knows, not me!
#6. This cruel sweetheart sounds more modern and angular – I have no idea as to who this is! U.K. or Australian not U.S.? Me, I like it!
#7. Another one that I have no clue about, this is driving me mad!
#8. Someone is counting on love, one of the best tracks here.
#9. A folky female cuts both a cover and the lawn, but stands accused of selling England by the £1.
#10. Having cleared my ears with ‘cotton buds’, this sounds like a blue eyed soul cover by a UK singer, but not the one found at the sad cafe. Mr Redding shouldn’t spin in his grave over this tribute..
#11. A duet – if this is from the guy forever in blue jeans, then why do I not know this song or the other singer?
#12. A gentle restrained and ponderous tune and another that I really cannot even guess as to who it is by!
I enjoyed more tracks than I think I know here. I desire the truth about these tunes.
Thanks @craig42blue !
1. I don’t think you will know who this is, and it certainly isn’t your anagram! We saw her recently live and bought the CD.
2. Again, I would be amazed if you have come across this artist as it is someone else we saw recently….in a blues club in Billericay of all places! Actually American, but lives here.
3. You spotted them!
4. UK artist – has a famous dad.
5. You couldn’t be further from the truth here. I think this will surprise you from a band of this vintage.
6. Yep, a very famous UK band doing a cover.
7. Really??! I would have thought the voice was obvious. You will kick yourself.
8. They just missed out on being quite big a few years ago. Appeared at Glasto and everything.
9. I like this cover, but I think any Genesis fan will hate it. Fairly obscure UK singer.
10. Yeah, you have it I think. I have a soft spot for this chazzer shop staple.
11. A later track from the the singer spotted correctly. From one of his albums made with Rick Rubin, which are terrific.
12. Much lauded here by certain AWs, so I had to include a track from this West Country based chanteuse. I once helped carry her gear into a gig, fact fans!
My review of the @craig42blue selection (still to receive yours @SteveT..?)
Overall, I enjoyed it and no real clunkers…well, except maybe at the end! A lot of these have had repeated listens.
1. Nice swampy blues track with a touch of the duelling banjos. Surely must be American. Great female vocalist. I feel I must have heard this before, but I really can’t place the artist. This is firmly up my street genrewise, but it does sort of go on a bit without getting quite as far as I feel it should… if that makes sense. A strong opener. 6/10
2. Another female vocalist, this starts off with a simple piano figure and then a full band comes in. Quite ethereal, I’m guessing 90s, I can almost see the video they would have made for this. Not bad – like to know who this is. 6/10
3. Sort of jazzy, has a touch of late Steely Dan or the Blue Nile about it. This is a classy production. It has grown on me. Needless to say I am clueless as to who this is! 8/10
4. I thought this was another female voice at first, but the odd phrase makes me wonder. Another terrific production job, but not really my cup of tea – the vocals actually quite annoy me – all a bit over the top. 3/10
5. A couple of bars in and I know who this is going to be! I’m only a casual fan and I don’t know the track, but it is classy as one would expect. 8/10
6. A bit of simple guitar comes as a palette cleanser after the previous few tracks. This sound like 70s soft prog to me with those vocal harmonies, but the production is a bit all over the shop. A bit sub Moody Blues. I have no idea who it is, but the vocals have a familiarity. Possibly something I heard 50 years and not since! Intrigued, as I bet I’ve heard of them. 6/10
7. I thought I knew who this was and that I owned it, but after hearing track 9, I assume it can’t be the same artist. Has to be English though. Very 2000s sound. 7/10
8. Late night jazz/blues café territory here….the bartender is clearing up and there are just a few of us left. Again…it must be me….is this a female or male vocal??! Very classy, I should probably know who this is. 7/10
9. I know this and DO own it. Love it. 9/10
10. This sounds like it ought to have been on The Old Grey Whistle Test in the early 70s. Sort of Faces vibe, but he’s no Rod Stewart. I probably saw this lot back in the day and loved them, but it hasn’t worn well. 4/10
11. Nice track. A great understated female (definitely!) vocal, the track really builds nicely with a great arrangement that brings in middle eastern flavours. This is really good. 9/10
12. This is a bit proggy – surely we are in the 70s again..?? This doesn’t do much for me….there isn’t really much of a tune, and it goes on and on for over 8 minutes! 2/10….sorry!
Just to add that I do love doing this and getting music I HAVE to listen to to review is a great exercise for me who gets stuck in musical ruts!
Apologies @craig42blue and @NigelT – the cd’s are at work waiting for packaging and should have gone out today except I had tooth extraction and worked from home.
Definitely in mail on Wednesday.
A review of @craig42blue
1) Love this one – pretty sure I might have this. Very strong female voice. Hurray for the Riff Raff or Amethyst Khan? Certainly of that ilk.
2) Quiet piano intro reminiscent of a film score. Then a female voice – not sure who but I like it.
3)A change of mood – some soul but a little bit smooth for me.
4) More Soul – voice not unlike Mick Hucknall but suspect not. Decent song delivered well.
5)More soul – this time Philly sounding – I know the song but not this version.
6) Great acoustic opening – like late 60’s early 70’s prog with some definite Zep influences in it’s construction.
7) More like it – bit of a banger. Goldfrapp or Christina and the Queens. Fvourite so far.
8) Bluesy – should know this but can;t put a finger on it. Decent
9) Definitely know this one – got much airplay – A spirit in the sky riff with a strong
female voice. Gonna drive me nuts working out who it is. Top choice.
10) Back to the blues – can imagine the Faces covering this but it aint’ Rod.
Cant tell if it is British or US – Allmans maybe?
11) I know this one – very sexy. If it is autobiographical consider me shocked.
12) Dont like this one – shame it ends like this. 80’s perhaps. but very light.
Not for me.
Overall more hits than misses. Very decent.
Here is the review for @NigelT
1)Sultry Folk – maybe Eddi Reader or Emily Barker – it’s a thumbs up from me.
2) I think it is a cover of a Dylan song. Great keyboard and slide guitar. When I find out who it is I will be investigating more – another winner.
3) Great Harmony vocals – it was bugging me because I knew the song then worked out I ave the album. A nice slice of Americana from stalwarts of the genre.
4) Same genre and vaguely familiar lead vocal. Very good.
5) Know this one but this ain’t the original. Sticks fairly close to it but missing a little bit of oomph.
6) Good Krautrock type keyboard intro – but slips a little bit after that.
7)Roxy like – maybe even Roxy. Very good.
8) Like this one – no idea who it is but driving back beat and great female vocals.
9) A prog classic given a female makeover. Not sure about this one but then dont much like the original song.
10) I know this song too – if the singer is who I think it is it is from a few years back as his voice isn’t this good now.
11) My favourite – male and female exchanged verses – great mood, great voices. I need to know who this is.
12) Love this song but not sure it is the original. I guess all will be revealed,
A well compiled selection mostly in tune with what I like.
If I had a cd player in my car these days this would be on it.
Thanks @SteveT
1. As with @craig42blue above, I doubt you will know this singer/songwriter, but she is good, isn’t she?!
2. Not a Dylan cover, and again you won’t know the artist I’m sure. Recently discovered in a little blues club in Essex!!
3. Indeed.
4. I love this guy….has a famous dad.
5. You’re right, not the original.
6. I’m surprised neither of you spotted the song or band (it’s a cover).
7. Very warm indeed.
8. Big faves of mine – from a terrific album.
9. Spot on.
10. Yes, not his imperial period but not recent either, but I like this a lot.
11. You are right, it is brilliant, but can’t you spot the male voice? Huge star.
12. No, an original. She walks amongst in the AW.
Glad you liked it!
My review of the @SteveT disc!
1. We are in somewhere like the Appalachians with this – a great country flavoured track with a male and female duo singing throughout about Adam & Eve. Reminds me of several artists but I’m pretty sure I don’t know them. They have to be American. I like this a lot, a strong opener. 9/10.
2. Lots of reverb on the background guitar riffs and on the vocals give this a swampy feel. If this is typical of the artist then I think I would get a bit fed up with this sound as it so indistinct. Maybe it is atypical..? Interesting, but I don’t think I’d return very often. 5/10
3. This reminds me of something but I can’t place it! Sort a rockabilly shuffle with a half-spoken lyric. It’s OK, but doesn’t really rock my boat. 5/10
4. I know who this singer is but I can’t place the track and I have a lot of his stuff. A good upbeat track with some nice slide – nothing outstanding, but good. It is a live track…I wonder if it was recorded in a small hamlet..? 6/10
5. This is much better. The same singer as the last track (I think!). One of my favourite singer/songwriters, and this is a great song – typical drive and attack. 10/10
6. Now, I know this song and this a cover of the Lucinda Williams original. A very different take on it, with a very simple arrangement – is it a harp? Not sure about that. It’s fine, but I do prefer the original. 6/10
7. More countryish sounds, but not your typical country song! A hand written note from Steve said this disc had a parental warning on a couple of tracks, and this is a really filthy version of this well known ditty. No idea of the artist (as per). A novelty, not one for repeated listens. 4/10
8. I have loads of versions of the song, and I know whose this is and, although not my favourite, this is terrific. 8/10
9. 80s synth pop homage perhaps..? Comes as a bit of a shock after the earlier tracks. The voice sounds very much like Ian Dury, but I don’t think he did anything like this, so I’m stumped. It’s OK, but not really my thing, although I am intrigued as to the vocalist. 4/10
10. I feel I should know this – electronica and sounds very late 70s to me. I don’t listen to much like this, but I enjoyed this track. 7/10
11. A bit of reggae now – sounds very vintage to me, but I’m no expert in this field. I have heard the song before I’m sure. It’s OK. 5/10
12. More filth. I recognise the voice and know who this is, but not the track. Not one to play on the radio! It’s a great track instrumentally but, call me old fashioned, the explicit lyrics get in the way a bit. 8/10
Overall, despite reservations about certain tracks, there are no real clunkers here – an enjoyable set and I’m looking forward to the reveal! Thanks @SteveT !
@NigelT – no6 I agree I much prefer the original – this version has lost all of the smoulder.
Hi @SteveT and @NigelT
Sorry that I have not found time to give Steve a proper review. Like with Nigel’s CD this is front loaded with Americana but has more interest on the flip side.
1 I enjoyed this but I have no clue here…
2 Sounds like a deep cut from Richard Hawley but not…
3 Sounds like a deep cut from Tom Petty but then again no…
4 Sounds like a deep cut from a Dylan wannabe – Steve Gibbons?…
5 I like this a lot but again have no clue as to who…
6 A weaker track than those so far.. Not for me but who is it?
7 No Idea as to the artist – but this is a version of The Good Ship Venus (18)
8 Dark end of the street by Richard and Linda Thompson – a nice choice
9 This is fine but again I have no idea who this is…
10 This is CAN and their hit tune – I Want More (and More….) and I love this!
11 A Pure Guess here – Misty in Roots
12 Marianne Faithful – good choice but I prefer the groove of Broken English’s title track.
Thanks to you both, sorry for the delay.
I think it’s about time for the reveal @SteveT and @craig42blue !
1. Take Your Time – Katie Spencer. We saw her at a festival in Ibiza earlier this year where she played just an acoustic, but the album ‘The Edge of the Land’ is better with lovely production. Highly recommended, and I know you were both taken.
2. …as you were with this – Pearl by Guy Tortora. Again, we happened across his band in a small blues club in Billericay and we liked him a lot.
3. A Break in the Clods – The Jayhawks. One of my favourites from my favourite album of theirs, Smile.
4. Don’t Know What I Was Thinking – Teddy Thompson. I really like his lyrics. I think it is a shame he hasn’t really broken through.
5. Switchboard Susan – The Searchers. They made a couple of ‘comeback’ albums at the end of the 70s and there are some great tracks hidden away on them.
6. So Cruel – Depeche Mode. I am amazed neither of you seemed to spot this. The Mode cover U2. This is from a Mojo freebie album which features covers of Achtung Baby.
7. Driving Me Wild – Bryan Ferry. From the Avonmore album, which is very good indeed.
8. Love You More – The Pierces. From the fantastic You & I album. God knows why they didn’t make it bigger, they made one more album and then seemed to give up.
9. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) – Sally Barker. I really like her voice, and I do quite like this cover.
10. Now I Know What Made Otis Blue – Paul Young. I have a soft spot for the chazza shop frequenter. This is after his imperial period, but I love this.
11. Another Day (That Time Forgot – Neil Diamond & Natalie Maines. From his second album made with Rick Rubin ‘Home Before Dark’. Good, isn’t it?
12. Time To Love – Sarah McQuaid. @sarahmcquaid walks amongst us here on the AW and this is from the If We Dig any Deeper album – highly recommended!
Thanks again you two for making this fun!
@NigelT and @craig42blue here is my reveal:
1) Kasey Chambers – Adam and Eve
2) The Affair – Curse of Lono
3) Headstrong Crazy fools – Alejandro Escovedo
4) She runs hot – Ry Cooder
5) Real fine love – John Hiatt (Live)
6) Right in time – Ane Brun
7) Good ship Venus – Loudon Wainwright III
8) Dark end of the street -Richard and Linda Thompson – live
9) Pleasure -Baxter Duty
10) I want more – Can
11) I’d love you to want me – Horace Andy
12) Why’d ya Do it (Explicit) – Marianne Faithfull
Thanks @SteveT – what album is the Ry Cooder track on? I thought it might be Little Village as it sounded like John Hiatt singing.
I need to check that Neil Diamond album out because that is very good indeed.
As is the previous album, 12 songs. I have an affection for Neil Diamond – a great song writer, and also my Mum’s favourite! He has done some fairly awful stuff, but these two albums are great.
Again better late than never..
CRAIG42BLUE – Desire
1 Rhianon Giddens – Come Love Come
2 Delgados – Come Undone
3 Eg&Alice – Crosstown
4 Jeff Buckley – Everybody Here Wants You
5 Marvin Gaye – I Want You
6 Sweet – Laura Lee
7 Jane Weaver – Mission Desire
8 Robben Ford – Need Somebody
9 Goldfrapp -Ooh LaLa
10 Patto- See You At The Dance Tonight
11 Suzanne Vega – Stockings
12 Todd R – The Verb “To Love”
Patto – there is a name from the past.
I do like that Suzanne Vega song.
@twang / @retropath2 / @wilson-wilson
Should I have received anything yet? (Although, equally, should I have sent anything yet?) Must do better and will get cracking this w/e…..
I’m still deliberating* too! I found my blank discs though, that’s a start. Hoping to get them away this weekend.
*being easily distracted by work, weans, etc.
I’m behind schedule – bear with me…
I think it’s quite clear at this stage who are the efficient, dynamic, enterprising go-getters here and who are the slothful ditherers. Who are the Mike Baldwins and who are the Stanley Ogdens.
Can I be Bet Lynch?
*Pins up hair and applies lippie*
Photo, please.
No – I now feel shame at taking part in the besmirching of another group’s review section.
Thank God we found each other!
At last, in the can, as they say in Tin Pan Alley. Should get ’em in the post tomorrow.
The @wilson-wilson has arrived!
So, let’s get this show on the road. @wilson-wilson : the second time Wilson squared and I have been paired, and so I should know what to expect? Let’s see
1. Some excitable build-up sets the scene, seemingly/probably from the equally excited singer, who wails a lo-fi version of the James Ray hit later covered by the quiet one. File under odd. Who? Not a clue
2. Electronic chug bass and some sub-Jimbo baritone crooning
makes for a pleasant enough jangle, when the guitars chime in. Is that a touch of Caledonia in the accent? Again, out of my band width, so a complete guess, querying whether it could be the Daddy’s Gone hitmakers? Don’t like the Flo and Eddie type backing vocals, which, are largely (thankfully) held back in reserve. OK in an OK sorta way. How’s it fit into Desire? Pass.
3. Thumpy drums and root note bass introduces a shouty punky thrash, which develops more melody than you might expect, if still needing concentration to spot. A slow bit middle eight tries to add gravitas, but it isn’t, I fear, my bag, even if I liked it more by the end, than at the beginning.
4. Churchy organ start is promising, with some sort of synthetic tones alongside, ahead the piano chiming in, double bass and horns a gentle breeze in the background. A guitar is limbering up gently and I recognise that voice immediately, if not the song. It breaks into a rocker, with enough r’n’b in the piano to maybe suggest I am incorrect. Good drums/percussion. A guess, on consensus, suggests a lesser known song from the Hole In My Shoe hitmakers? (Still no hints much toward why any of these to do with Desire)
5. A murky old mix that could well be a voice I recognise. Is this trumpet Don’s daughter, maybe that album she did with a scandi experimental trio, name unremembered? ( I have it on the shelf, unplayed since downloading from e music, and can’t be arsed to check.
6. Nice piano scaly intro, very 60s psyche-esque, ahead a vocal I wasn’t expecting. Should I know this? I feel I should. A pastiche, I feel, rather than a true child of the time elicited, try hard as he does to replicate it, ghastly guitar riff middle but and all. The voice gets a bit raw’n’warbly and so, maybe it is from the 70’s after all. The drums are of that time. Sounds like the sort of music I might say I like, even when I don’t really. Can you make it stop now…..
7. Underwater documentary music to start, before a neat little electronic percussion paradiddle, on repeat. Moody swathes of synth before a sepulchral and symphonic vocal, a little muddy in the mix, becoming tracked a time or two on itself. If Enya made an album with Enigma, it would sound like this. A little dull, thus, in truth. (Oh, dear, I’m not seeming to share the love much here for this selection…..)
8. Rock with bleep and booster start, before the vocals slow and show the singers (extremely limited) range. Time sigs are all over the shop and it is truly awful. Makes, I dunno, Bjork sound good, when we all know otherwise. Vile din.
9. Breathy talky female vocals over a synthesised backdrop, all very Bladerunner. At least it shows a strong link to Desire in all its carnal forms. Great percussion, which makes me wonder if this is a remix/revamp of the Papa Don’t Preach hitmakers famous coffee table book with accompanying song. I don’t remember the lyric being so risible, mind. Meringue?
10.Another lickle girl voice trills over some subdued sturm and dramm strumming, bass and strings next to leap aboard. High pitched bass from the half way mark is rather good. Anything to do with the low lying bass player. Without listening to any of it, I note one of his post NO bands had an album called One True Passion, which sounds like a Desire.
11. Apart from stronger singing, this could be the same critique as the track above. Better electronica, tho’, which has me wondering if it is that 90s band who had a few albums then, with one called Two, released only in the last year or so. Again, nominally I have this, but not as memorable as their much better early stuff.
12. This is more like it. The voice is one of my favourites, a band of 2 sets of brothers, the singer the only one who hasn’t a sibling present. Not their greatest song (or record) but there is always another one later, um, Crocodile.
I feel I owe the multiple Wilson an apology for pissing all over his parade. Maybe it shows just how niche my own tastes are going. Hey ho……….
Oh dear! Number 12 was a last minute addition, thank god I made that decision!
And now @twang ‘s Desire has now duly dropped onto the mat!
Comp from @wilson-wilson.
On first listen this didn’t grab me at all but after 4 listens some highlights emerge though it’s fair to say Wilson and I inhabit different musical places. Any why not!
1. Soundtracky voices into drole vocal with acoustic guitar. This has grown on me after a few listens but it’s very mannered and not my usual thing but that’s the idea of this isn’t it? The delivery is so all over the place I struggle to understand how it fits with the theme.
2. Fat bassy analogue synth riff and drums in a standard synth pop vibe, with baritone vocal again in standard synth pop trope. I generally find this stuff annoyingly fey but some scrappy guitars across the groove and some fun vocals and synth lines and decent vocal arrangements mean this one has grown on me.
3. Punky drums and bass to start. Tuneless vocals and an overall sound I can’t penetrate so no idea what it’s about. Has half a hook idea and might have been better with a decent producer but as it is it’s a generic punky thing. Nah.
4. Proggy organ and piano opening. Promising. Intro a bit long TBH, get on with it. 2 minutes in we get a few vocals and guitars crash in, but the mix is so muddy it sounds a mess to me. Another one where a decent producer could have said “Lads, Lads” and got the red pen out. At over 7 minutes of a 2 note riff it feels interminable.
5. Another clattery punky thing, at least has a bit of energy after the past one. Female vocal, but again very dense mix which sounds horribly distorted. Wilson my friend I am getting a good idea of your thang. There is a decent song in here but it just sounds so awful. Skip.
6. Ah now this one I know. Love this band, and this track/album. It stands out by the superb mix, structure, arrangement, tempo changes, just everything I like in a track. Best one on the comp for me.
7. Synthy orchestrations give way to programmed percussion groves and washes of synth. Spectral female vocals float by. Reminds me a bit of Mogwai but I don’t think it’s them. Like it though.
8. Punky guitars and what Retro calls lickle girl vocals. I am not as allergic to this stuff as he is but the sound is pretty awful. Quite like it and I wonder if it suffered in the compilation process? Is it meant to sound like this? I mean, lo fi etc but shit-fi? Shirley not.
9. More spectral washes of synth etc with female voice talking and being quite rude. Twang Jr walked in while this was on and gave me a “U ok hun” look before fleeing. A bit like phone sex with the kid next door doing his drum practice.
10. There’s a pattern here. Lo fi, punky grungy guitars, female LG vocals (thanks Retro). It’s OK but I’m bored with this pallet now though. Skip.
11. Spectral synths…LG vocals…drum loop…OK
12. Picked electric guitar is a nice change, and male vocal. Again lo fi, and I can’t tell what he’s singing but the structure is much better for my tastes and I wonder who it is. Is he singing about Spiderman?
Now to that of @retropath2!
Cheers @twang, glad you enjoyed at least some it. I hadn’t realised quite how much I was leaning on the ‘lickle girl vocals’, although I did originally have 8 and 10 together and even I found that a bit much! Re: track 10 – it might have suffered from the burning process but it is pretty scrappy and noisy. From one of my favourite albums of the last few years, I’ve had no more luck convincing people in real-life of its merits than I’ve had here… I should have your review up in the next few days.
You going to do the reveal then @wilson-wilson?
Here we go! @twang @retropath2
1. The The – True Happiness This Way Lies: ‘the only true freedom is freedom from the heart’s desires, and the only true happiness this way lies’. Uncharacteristically acoustic number from Matt Johnson. The first song that popped into my mind when thinking about this theme. Not a cover, as far as I know?
2. The Phantom Band – The Howling: ‘Leave my spirit ‘cause lust and sin is all that I was’.
3. TV on the Radio – Wolf Like Me: ‘My heart’s aflame, my body’s strained, but God I like it’. I love this song!
4. Talk Talk – Desire: surprised no-one recognised this, I thought this might be klaxon-worthy here, if not in the real world.
5. PJ Harvey – A Perfect Day, Elise: from the album Is This Desire. Probably my favourite of hers.
6. The Decemberists – The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid: Retro’s right, a pastiche of 60s/70s psyche rather than the real thing.
7. Gwenno – Tonnow: the lyrics are in Cornish, I think, but the translation of the first line is ‘Under the waves there is a wild desire’. Another recent favourite, not the most immediate track but she is definitely worth checking out.
8. Pom Poko – My Candidacy: Oh man, I love this band and the album this song’s from. I like the mix of the sweet vocals and the chaotic noisy guitars. No-one except my 8 year old agrees with me. First time I heard them I thought it was Stina Nordenstam (see track 10).
9. Recoil – Want: aka Alan Wilder from Depeche Mode. Vocals/lyrics by Nicole Blackman, a New York poet/performance artist (me neither). Lots of good noises on this.
10. Stina Nordenstam – Down Desire Avenue: Whatever happened to Stina Nordenstam? Again, I like the contrast of the ‘lickle girl vocals’ with the lofi guitar and then the strings coming in.
11. Goldfrapp – Moon In Your Mouth: ‘Life and desire/I wanna stay here now/every moment is a luxury’ from their most recent album, Silver Eye. @retropath2 I’m not sure who the 90s band with a recent album called Two that you referred to are, but I’d probably like them.
12. The National – City Middle: ‘I wanna go gator around the warm beds of beginners / I’m really worked up. The National when they were still great.
Not my most successful swap, but always fun to do these and hope I didn’t traumatise anyone too much…
All worthwhile Wilson, interesting to hear and in some cases have my prejudices (eg Talk Talk are not for me) in a blind tasting.
Fine effort from @retropath2 with whom I share a similar tastes so I’m not surprised I like almost all of it a lot.
1. Mmm nice start, Travis picking acoustic and a female singer I don’t recognise but we’re in country territory here and it’s great. She has that husky voice the older 60s generation of singers had, and when she says she doesn’t want to waste time we know what she means. Great guitar playing too. Promising start.
2. Wow, didn’t expect that. This is early 70s US folk prog, sounds a bit like CSNY doing Ohio – impassioned vocals, lots of harmonies, agile bass and lead guitars. Like it.
3. Finger picking. We like finger picking, with a dusty dry sounding drum kit behind it, and another husky voiced country chanteuse singing about the book called love. There’s something wobbly going on in the mix, maybe a very fast tremolo effect. Sounds great anyway. I’m in.
4. This sounds like Bobbie Gentry, singing a follow-up to “Ode to Billie Joe” crossed with “Son of a preacher man”. Memphis studios for sure. It’s great of course.
5. Some more contemporary (relatively) influences here. Sounds more poppy with the sequenced keyboard babbling away, BVs and lo fi vocal (AKA muffled). Sexy Ronsmith? It’s OK but a bit of a dirge.
6. Ah everyone knows this, and nice it’s the original rather than the slightly overblown and massively successful cover by MCC. Great choice.
7. Change of tempo here, delicate guitars over what sounds like a real cello. Touches of piano. Nice. Could be anyone but I like it.
8. Nice upper mid-tempo intro with the bass/drums/acoustic guitar rhythm section and jangling Telecaster which is my favourite sound. Strong vocal from a singer I don’t recognise. Great song, looking forward to finding out who it is.
9. Slightly limp sounding intro with fey singer saying “everything is all I want”. Clearly thinks we are hanging on his every word. Bigger sounding chorus. They’ve made an effort with the arrangement which is laudable but I can’t hear the lyrics which doubtless he thinks are very important. Sing more clearly.
10. So tremolo electric guitar and male/female vocal harmonies is a great mood change. Don’t know who it is and it’s a bit generic but still lovely to listen to and you can’t knock it.
11. Mmmm, piano led Bruce cover reinterpreting Hungry Heart. Nice idea but I’m not mad about the original so it’s appreciated but not loved.
12. Arrrr paaaarse the cider. Proper folky ending – “If I was single my pockets would jingle, I wish I was single again” is the hook. It’s great. I can hear the folk club joining in. Don’t know who it is – Brit, not Carthy, would fit on the first RT solo album but it’s not him. Ralph McTell? Nic Jones? Could be Fairport? Terrific end. Great anyway.
Your last track was taken from this version.
Presumptuous expectation there. How do you know it wasn’t the later grimecore cover by the Rusty Sixpence? Even if it wasn’t.
Just call me Presuming Ed.
I think the clues were there.
You will love the reveal for 2!
I’m sure!
And so to @twang :
1. Lovely, an oldie I recall, a nice old bit of swede of the Alarming Puce variety. I remember mispronouncing the Goddess’ name the first time around, with just as much relish.
2. Bit of what the US charts might call country, all clanging guitars and strident sisterhood conscious vocals. It sounds like I know it, even if I don’t, as there is only so much you can do with the structure. It’s OK, tho’, feigned by praised dampness.
3. Unmistakeable sound of the Hammer Dentists. With luck they’ll play this on Friday night in the Acoustic Tent.
4. Eek, is this that Yorkshire fella, who I don’t relish one bit, beloved of BBC political magazine shows of the 60s and 70s. I can’t Make Peace, with this, William. (Geddit!)
5. Swoony bossanova of the jazzier end of the spectrum. An itch I can’t quite reach, as I’m sure I have this. Wait a minute, as I dig down into the lyric, it’s one of Burt’s, innit. What a cracking version, not a bit dusty. Live, too.
6. Right up my julep, steel and organ to the fore, sultry southern country. Don’t know it. Singer sounds a bit like the If It Made Me Happy singer, but I don’t know it. Cracking steel.
7. Angsty white prep boy thrash. I’ve heard OF it, rather than the actual song. From a film, is it? Is it the Teenage Dirtbag hitmakers?
8. Arf! You wouldn’t think I know the Rochdale Linnet, would you? But I do and it’s not a bad example of her wobbly warble.
9. A bit of meat and potatoes. Of the UK variety, Thames delta. And, y’know, I recognise the vocalist! It’s the William and Addie hitmaker, innit?!? Love the harp and guitar.
10. Love this one, and one I dare say you and Mr H share similar concerns about. Wonderful song from one of my perennial favourite artists.
11. Something a bit different. (A bit modern for you, Jonathan?) Probably 1980s mind, or with that decade in mind. Not really my preference, however she offers herself. Over, quickly, might be my response to her question.
12. If it ain’t trad, Dad, there’s a chance I’ll listen to it. To be fair, it is quite a lively article. Real or pastiche? Who knows, but I’ll bet the electro-swing stage at Glastonbury would play a version of it. And probably will.
Yes; by and large a decent way to spend 47 minutes. I’ll be wanting to know what the Dusty Burt cover was and the corvid alike country one. Some clear links with the teme and some with no discernible link whatsoever.
I think they all had a link tbh. Maybe oblique, but there!
First up for me, @retropath2
1. Twangy, finger-picking country. Pleasant enough start.
2. Lots going on here, fast paced 70s rock with a familiar sounding voice and a big chorus. Quite frantic in places, in a good way.
3. Instantly recognisable, even as a cover. Pretty enjoyable. I thought for a minute it was Jim himself singing on the chorus, but probably not. Makes me picture Mark Renton not running down Princes Street, but swaying, clicking his fingers. Nice twangy/surf guitar right at the end.
4. Nice, laidback (southern?) soul. Good stuff. Wouldn’t be out of place on a Tarantino soundtrack.
5. Probably my favourite – lo-fi drums, simple guitars, gentle electronic stuff, sweet harmonies, all building really nicely. Reminds me a bit of Midlake but don’t think it’s them.
6. Big 80s (?) production, massive drums overpower quite a pretty jangly song about ‘passionate kisses’. Nice enough, I like her voice but would maybe like a more stripped back version of this. It grew on me.
7. Finger picked guitar against mournful strings and a similarly mournful voice. Didn’t really go anywhere but was big on atmosphere, I liked it.
8. I Love this, I remember liking it when it was out as a single, no idea why I never followed up and bought the album. Big, anthemic British indie, brilliant when done well like this. I’ve just ordered the album from ebay!
9. Not overly fond of this one. Starts with a kind of hushed, bluesy guitar before building to a big chorus. Thought it was Bruce Springsteen for a minute. Don’t really like his voice.
10. Lush, effortless harmonies. Pre-rock, probably one of those bands with ‘brothers’ in the name, but not sure which one. A nice surprise.
11. Another cover – sparse slow version of the Boss, thankfully not in a twee, John-Lewis-Christmas-ad kind of way. Fine, but din’t particularly grab me.
12. Eek. Jokey-folky. I suspect this is some 70s folk-rock legend beloved around here, but I found it incredibly annoying. I didn’t feel the need to skip anything else on the compilation but this tested my patience.
Right, 2 reviews, from @wilson-wilson and @twang and we are ready for the reveal
1. Twangy, fingerpicking/nice start: Freakwater the band, My One DESIRE the song. Glad you liked it, they have a few albums with similar old times fare.
2. I think @Colin-h will be surprised/delighted by your responses! For it is he and his Legends of Tomorrow: All We Need is LOVE. I can commend the album (and did:
https://atthebarrier.com/2023/04/06/the-legends-of-tomorrow-the-weather-at-worlds-end-1997-2022-album-review/ )
3. You’re not wrong with the song, Wilson squared, and surprised you didn’t get it. By a J.D. McPherson, who I know little of, beyond cropping up on my endless search for covers. I think chanteur rather than chanteuse, mind, @twang. LUST for Life.
4. On the right track, with Twang a tad closer to being spot on, being indubitably Ms Gentry. It’s called FANCY.
5. Uncertain why I have this, other than it is inoffensive singer-songwriter with added bleep and booster, finding out he is better than I recall! Newton Faulkner, ACHE for you.
6. 80s big production? That would be MCC’s cover, but, funny, now you say it… Anyhoo, it is Lucinda Williams own version of her PASSIONATE kisses, from her best album, the eponymous one on Rough Trade, all those years ago.
7. The hugely undersung Ben Harper, who, for me, delivers, whether alone, with band or with collaborators that vary between Charlie Musselwhite and the Blind Boys of Alabama. Morning YEARNING
8. I too had forgotten quite how good this album, less so the one that followed, was. Cherry Ghost. As in, whatever happened to Cherry Ghost? The song? THIRST for Romance.
9. I expected drier than the damp praise offered for this one, guys. It comes from the fab duo album by Darden Smith, americana journeyman, and UK songwriter to the star, and @fentonsteve ‘s tall friend, Boo Hoowardine. Fabulous album, Evidence, the song, All I WANT is Everything.
10. Brothers they are, of course, the wonderful Everlys, with DEVOTED. Bit o’ class, right enough.
11. It isn’t my favourite cover of the song, nor that by this singer, whose name will likely surprise, being the actress, Minnie Driver. From her debut record, and the only cover, if then followed up by an all covers 2nd offering. Owned because I like/collect covers, it is better than many other a derided vanity project might often be. HUNGRY Heart, of course.
12. I didn’t expect the reaction received, fully expecting both to loathe. @hubert-rawlinson gave away the game early, such is his unencompassable around the leafy fields of ye olde folk-rocke, and, indeed, the only person to whom I would defer in this specialist subject. The mighty Albion Dance Band, crumhorns to the fore with I WISH I Were Single Again.
Glad it was enjoyed, largely/partly. I have spelt out my thinking as to why chosen.
Now then, now then, now then, off to pack for Worthy Farm. I believe that Newton Faulkner is actually playing at some point…..
I hope I didn’t give too much away I only referenced the notes of the sleeve. Vocals by John Tams.
That is a reveal on song 2. Well done Colin, it’s excellent. I’m afraid the song 9 realisers doesn’t surprise me. I’ve always found Mr. BH to be a bit limp, a few hits aside. And I say that having been on one of his songwriting courses. Nice chap, but always a bit meh for me.
For song 12 I imagine it’s the Hutchings bass playing which suggested Fairport DNA to me.
Cheers retro! I think both Newton Falkner and Ben Howard are people that I would’ve said I knew but didn’t like, must go digging. See also the Saw Doctors on Twang’s selection. All hail the power of the afterword cd swap!
And now @twang
1. I think I knew that Bananarama’s version was a cover, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard this (I assume the original?) Great 60s psych-pop.
2. Big, anthemic pop-rock. A rough guess would be Kelly Clarkson or someone of that ilk. Fine, but I won’t be rushing back to it.
3. I really like this too, punky Irish song about how ‘there’s more than just one way to break a young man’s heart.’ Funny without being a full-on comedy song.
4. Not sure what to make of this, an exaggeratedly plummy accent over classical guitar. The voice is naggingly familiar. If I could tune into it might enjoy the humour but my brain is keeping it at arm’s length.
5. Nice take on a classic Bacharach/David tune. Slightly jazzy without deviating too far from the melody. Great voice. Nice.
6. Modern country, all pedal steel, Hammond, even some fiddle. Nice harmonies and a big chorus. Again, not really what I’m into but this is pretty good.
7. I know this one! American power-poppers with plenty of fans around here. Not my favourite of theirs but they’re so good at this stuff. Thumbs up.
8. Skittery drums, sparse synth bass, sultry female vocal, then some house-y piano as we go into the chorus. Makes me think of Soul II Soul, it’s not them but something from that era. Not too keen.
9. Bluesy, guitar and harmonica, kind of plodding, not convinced by the vocals – shouldn’t he be belting it out a bit more for this kind of thing? Maybe someone known as a guitarist more than a vocalist? Not for me.
10. Thought it was Neil Young for a minute. Rootsy rock. Better than the last couple anyway.
11. 80s, dramatic synth sounds, sparse chorus with a punky bass line and a familiar voice. Very dramatic and jagged at the chorus, and an over-the-top guitar solo. I really like this, and will probably kick myself when I find out who this is.
12. Jazz. I never know how to describe jazz. Is this ragtime? A short, upbeat song, nice vocals, good way to end. As with Retro’s comp, very few I actively wanted to skip and a couple I’m keen to find out about.
Cheers WW, very fair review. Here’s the reveal if anyone is interested in giving it a try.
Very modest to merely list number 9, Jonathan! Um , er, @twang !!
All about pacing Retro!
And if you post your review before the others do can you indicate you know a track without letting title and track out of the bag definitively.
Reading all these fab and enthusiastic reviews makes me want to hear the mixes that I didn’t get
*points down*
Ta!
If anyone would like to get the anonymised version of my (un-themed) mix, it is available here (for the next 7 days) https://wetransfer.com/downloads/ba8a2275c4268d4c0971d39d702085c820230608155441/c5d34996dbaefc8377c93bba148f42b720230608155441/8130e3
…and here is the salwarpe selection (also available for 7 days).
Salwarpe, some of your tracks appeared with the single/album covers on my player for some reason (just thought I’d let you know).
A very enjoyable listen, thanks.
Well, as you are not an official reviewer of my tracks, I hope that doesn’t bother you too much. Any numbers particularly appeal?
I would say tracks 1-3 of your selection were my favourites, particularly 3 – who has a great voice.
Yeah, there’s some good stuff on there. Now having a proper listen, the pics which have shown up on my player are all wrong I think!
A mini review then (if I’m allowed)
The French singer on track 3 was the same track and song on Mike H’s set. As I said, my wife has a couple of her albums so I’ll need to revisit.
5 with the guitar and the guy squeaking and squawking along I quite liked but not sure I’d want to listen to more.
7 is one I knew and appears in the vampire film Near Dark but I knew it from years before that.
8 was a big hit, great tune and I’ve always been a fan of his.
9 skanked along nicely
10 I loved the synthy intro but as soon as the tune/singing started then no for me
11 is track that I reckon if I listen a bit more, I’ll need to hear more of her stuff
12 knew the song and singer, a classic
Thanks!
The singer on #3 is actually American (born Athens, Georgia) but presumably of French descent. She spent her teenage years living in Paris, where her mother relocated after divorcing her father. She started her music career busking in Paris aged 15 and eventually relocated to the USA as her career took off.
How interesting – I had the song mislabelled in my collection – I was sure it was from Hymns of the 49th Parallel – and a completely different singer.
So did I for a couple of seconds until I recognised the track from Mike’s selection
It had the wrong pic against it
Ah! I don’t pay enough attention to my wife’s (very small) music collection obviously
In case you’re not afraid – here’s my Desire mix (available for 7 days):
https://we.tl/t-hPjnD92tqg
Definitely following you into the Amazon for this – danke vielmals!
Thanks very much. I’ll have a listen!
Top comp – ta