Long Play

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Long Play

'The Modern Lovers'

Friday, 30 November 2012 02:32 |

Written by Karen Marzloff

Beserkley Records, 1976: On nearly every track, Richman sings with humor and sincerity about difficulties with the opposite sex and other indignities of entering manhood as a social outcast. “Well, some people try to pick up girls and get called assholes / This never happened to Pablo Picasso / He could walk down your street and girls could not resist his stare / And so Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole,” he sings conversationally in what is perhaps the band’s most celebrated song, “Pablo Picasso.”

The architect of reggae

Tuesday, 10 July 2012 18:40 |

Written by Matt Kanner

Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, the self-proclaimed creator of reggae, discusses the legacy he’ll soon bring to Hampton Beach with the Wailers

Aston “Family Man” Barrett was already an accomplished bassist who had toured internationally when he started working with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in the early 1970s. The trio had recruited Barrett and his brother, late drummer Carlton “Carlie” Barrett, to serve as their backing band. Barrett remembers sitting down with the group to record a few demos on a cassette tape recorder.

‘Insignificance’

Wednesday, 23 May 2012 13:22 |

Written by Matt Kanner

For reasons never entirely understood by his fans, Jim O’Rourke has always been a black sheep to the music media—and not in that loveable in-and-out-of-rehab sort of way. Many music writers simply despise the man (a 2002 article about him in Stylus Magazine was headlined, “Jim O’Rourke: Fat Soulless Fuck”).

‘Icky Mettle’/‘Vee Vee’

Thursday, 22 March 2012 12:41 |

Written by Matt Kanner

Archers of Loaf: Re-listening to “Icky Mettle” and “Vee Vee” now, I’m struck by how heavy both are. It’s a reminder that there was a time when those in the indie scene leaned far more heavily on punk rock than they do today. Pictures in the liner notes of the recent Merge reissues depict a too-punk-to-live band of road heroes, harnessed in cut-off shorts, body odor almost visible in the photographs. Perhaps it was the proximity in time to the U.S. hardcore scene, but it’s a bummer this is no longer the norm. Turn it up, please.

'Bad Brains'

Wednesday, 28 September 2011 00:00 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Bad Brains, ROIR, 1971: The ’70s punk rock of The Ramones and Sex Pistols was fast, but not this fast. Bad Brains took the music to a new, breakneck velocity that helped set the parameters of the hardcore movement and also informed the genres of speed metal and thrash.

Songs Happen: Folk legend Tom Rush opens Prescott Park season

Thursday, 23 June 2011 15:50 |

Written by Matt Kanner

“New York, everybody wanted to get matching shirts and go on the road. But Boston was just a mix of typewriter repairmen and psycho-pharmacologists and students who were all just playing for the fun of it,” says Tom Rush of his days launching the 1960s folk scene.

Burlesque benefit show for local artist

Wednesday, 11 May 2011 22:06 |

Written by Matt Kanner

A number of local artists, musicians, performers and restaurants will come together on Friday, May 20, at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center for a show to benefit local artist Ali Goodwin, who is battling breast cancer.

'Dr. Octagonecologyst'

Wednesday, 09 March 2011 18:41 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Dr. Octagon, 1997, Dreamworks: How does one describe the surreal aural odyssey that is “Dr. Octagonecologyst”? Previously known throughout the hip-hop underground as Kool Keith, Dr. Octagon is a musical sci-fi creation that nearly defies explanation. Listening to the semi-sensical lyrics, we learn that he’s an extra-terrestrial surgeon with a specialty in gynecology, but with highly dubious ethics and medical competence. Octagon sputters stream-of-consciousness lyrics that rarely make sense but often include mind-bending rhymes and psychedelic colors.

'The Heat Is On'

Friday, 19 November 2010 17:17 |

Written by Matt Kanner

The Isley Brothers, 1975, Epic Records: Upon glancing at the cover of The Isley Brothers’ 1975 record “The Heat Is On,” you may shed a nostalgic tear and wonder, “Why don’t people dress like that anymore?” The Isley gang gazes at you through a smoky haze, sporting afros and sideburns, gold chains and rhinestone-studded vests, like a band of disco cowboys. Only such a motley assemblage could produce this music, a perfect balance of funk and soul designed for dancing and baby-making.

'The Harder They Come'

Thursday, 09 September 2010 22:08 |

Written by Matt Kanner

Jimmy Cliff, Mango Records, 1972: The album begins with one of the most recognizable Jamaican songs of the 1970s. You're probably humming it already.

'Ride the Wind'

Wednesday, 12 May 2010 14:37 |

Written by Jared Roberts

The Youngbloods, Warner Brothers-1971

“Ride the Wind” is an exceptional live album that represents all that was good and innocent and fun about the ’60s. It had youth and free spirit and love before those concepts became cliché, and it served as catharsis for the decade’s tumult.

'There's Nothing Wrong with Love' by Built to Spill

Tuesday, 06 April 2010 13:29 |

Written by Chloe Johnson

1994, Up Records

One of Built to Spill’s early albums, “There’s Nothing Wrong with Love,” has a coming-of-age sentimentality that’s fitting for an early recording in a long musical career. It holds all the childish wonder, awkwardness, foolish passion and unchecked creativity of middle school, without the embarrassment or fleeting fashions.

'Fun House' by The Stooges

Thursday, 18 March 2010 10:34 |

Written by Tom Kressler

Elektra, 1970

Remember The Stooge’s ‘Fun House’? Heart-pounding, teeth-gnashing, musical napalm.

A Different Kind of Tension

Tuesday, 29 December 2009 10:27 |

Written by Tom Kressler

by Buzzcocks
United Artists, 1979

Too Far To Care

Friday, 28 August 2009 13:35 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

{moszoomthumb imgid=1134 itemid=74 style_m=2}Old 97's
1997, Elektra Records

the sound: Alt-country is like Americana with bite. It’s country, complete with twangs and yowls and balls-out rock and roll. And Old 97’s is alt-country at its best. The album starts off with a kick to the teeth called “Timebomb,” a raucous tune with rapid-fire lyrics and soulful howling. “I got a timebomb, in my mind, Mom / I got it badly for a stick-legged girl. She’s gonna kill me, and I don’t mean softly / I got it badly for a stick-legged girl.” The next song, “Barrier Reef,” slows down to a square dance beat, with a smartass chorus: “What’s so great about the Barrier Reef? / What’s so fine about art?” All the lyrics on the band’s fourth album, “Too Far to Care,” are bittersweet and funny, giving a sense, like the title, that everything turns out wrong—but so what?

Ummagumma

Friday, 10 July 2009 16:56 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Pink Floyd
1969, Capitol Records

the sounds: Despite giant leaps in sonic technology, few recorded sounds have approached the terrible eeriness of Roger Waters shrieking psychotically during a live cut of “Careful With That Axe Eugene.” It comes as a bit of a shock, arriving after the bassist ominously whispers the song’s title. Like the rest of the double album’s live disc, the song establishes a gloomy atmospheric mood that presaged the goth craze by decades. “Astronomy Domine,” “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” and “A Saucerful of Secrets” are equally sinister and darkly psychedelic. The studio disc of “Ummagumma” includes elaborate instrumental experimentations, with guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright each retreating into their introspective musical laboratories.

Black Letter Days

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 11:58 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Frank Black and the Catholics
2002, SpinART Records

the sound: The album starts and ends with performances of “The Black Rider,” a cover of the title track from a Tom Waits musical. The first version is closer to Waits’, with its jaunty music and menacing take on the “Flintstones” theme: “Come on along with the Black Rider / We’ll have a gay old time /Lay down in the web of the Black Spider / I’ll drink your blood like wine.” The second version is a surf tune, with a Ventures-like guitar riff and Black crooning the lyrics in a velvety voice as accompanying vocals scream in the background. These two songs signify the transformation of Black Francis, shrieking college-radio god of the Pixies, to Frank Black, alt-country rock extraordinaire. The album’s title track picks up speed with a call-and-response chorus and Black singing in a nerdy timbre. “Southbound Bevy” pits Black’s falsetto against a slide guitar, reminding us, “Don’t get your spirits high / they’ll all come crashing down.” In arguably the best song on the album, “If You Leave,” Black sings/talks about what would happen if he lost his love.

Until the End of the World

Thursday, 14 May 2009 16:48 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by various artists
1991, Warner Bros. Records

the sound: “Until the End of the World” is director Wim Wenders’ ambitious 1991 cyberpunk film. It’s 1999, and a rogue nuclear satellite is looming over the Earth, its catastrophic reentry into the planet’s atmosphere predicted. What better way to watch imminent disaster than to see it played out to the sounds of some of the world’s most talented musicians? French composer Graeme Revell has some lovely instrumental bits, but it’s the bands that make this a powerhouse soundtrack. U2 has the honor of the title track, its insidious beats and scratchy guitar tamer than the version that later ended up on their album “Achtung, Baby!” Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds perform a swaggering, saloonish, piano piece, “(I’ll Love You) Till the End of the World,” as Cave waxes poetic about impending doom.

Bachelor No. 2 or The Last Remains of the Dodo

Thursday, 19 March 2009 14:46 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Aimee Mann
SuperEgo Records, 2000

the sound: With a voice like candy-infused whiskey, Aimee Mann really fine-tuned her skills as a singer and songwriter on “Bachelor No. 2,” her third solo album. More cynical pop than her two previous releases, Mann is a master of upbeat, sweet tunes with melancholy lyrics that always feature a little something else to give them a magical feel. “Nothing is Good Enough” is a plunky piano waltz in which Mann expresses frustration over her inability to please. “Driving Sideways” is piano-driven, with an angry guitar riff to accompany the lyrics. “If you roll down the window you’ll see / you’re where you don’t belong / and your companion will not help you to navigate / for fear she may be wrong,” Mann sings. She perfectly captures the apathetic tone of Daniel Clewes’ graphic novel “Ghost World” with a song by the same name. “So I’m bailing this town / or tearing it down / or probably more like hanging around,” she narrates.

Dark to Themselves

Friday, 06 March 2009 15:55 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Cecil Taylor Unit
1990, Enja Records

the sound: On June 18, 1976, pianist Cecil Taylor brought his five-piece free jazz unit to the Yugoslavia Jazz Festival in Lubljana. Joining Taylor were Ralphé Malik on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto saxophone, David S. Ware on tenor saxophone and Marc Edwards on drums. As the concert began, the horn players repeated a plaintive six-note wail, while Taylor and Edwards plunked away indiscriminately at their instruments. It seemed like a prolonged sound check at first, but as the music dragged on, it gradually swelled in intensity, rising to a climactic cacophony of noise that continued without pause for over an hour. To the closed-minded listener of the recorded result, the concert is surely a maddening wreck of sonic distractions, like an auditorium full of warped jazz records playing in unison. And yet a finely tuned ear can discern shifting thematic elements to the music, occasional call-and-response sequences between instrumentalists that subtly permeate the subconscious.

Lay It Down

Thursday, 29 January 2009 14:39 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Cowboy Junkies
1996, Geffen Records

the sound: Every album from alt-country band Cowboy Junkies is dark and lovely, but “Lay It Down,” the band’s seventh, is the most ominous and beautiful. Driven by heavy bass lines to match singer Margo Timmins’ low, lush voice, the album plays like a Flannery O’Connor story, full of bittersweet lyrics bemoaning the hardships of love and life. The songs are almost anachronistic, conjuring images of dust storms, flat plains and cars with long running boards. The opening track, “Something More besides You,” has a woman questioning what life would be like if she wasn’t trapped in her marriage. “A Common Disaster” is one of the album’s few up-tempo songs, with three chords resonating over and over as Timmins sings of the lull of temptation. “Going to find me someone to share a common disaster / Run away with me from a life so cramped and dull / Not worry to much about the happily ever after / Just keep the Caddy moving till we’re well beyond that hill.”

Oh Yeah

Friday, 09 January 2009 16:06 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Charles Mingus
1961, Atlantic Records

the sound: Like most of Charles Mingus’ recordings, “Oh Yeah” consists of jazz compositions stemming heavily from old blues and gospel roots. Unlike most of his recordings, Mingus plays piano instead of bass on the disc. He also sings and shouts in hoarse, often stream-of-consciousness vocals on several songs, expressing both his untamed musical exuberance and his dark but jocund sense of humor. With Doug Watkins ably covering for the leader on bass, long-time Mingus drummer Dannie Richmond beating the skins and mad genius Rahsaan Roland Kirk making all kinds of noise, the album is a real treat to hear. Kirk plays tenor sax, flute and a variety of less conventional instruments, while Booker Ervin adds more tenor sax and Jimmy Knepper plays trombone. The album instantly adopts a tense and blood-pumping tone with the opening track, “Hog Callin’ Blues,” and Mingus’ tongue-in-cheek paranoia later finds an outlet in “Oh Lord, Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me.” The music gets a little more lighthearted with “Eat That Chicken” but ends on a heavier strain with “Passions of a Man.”

Castaways and Cutouts

Wednesday, 12 November 2008 18:34 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by The Decemberists
2003, Kill Rock Stars

the sound: “Castaways and Cutouts” opens with “Leslie Anne Levine,” a sorrowful ghost tale told by a girl who died at birth. “Fifteen years gone now / I still wander this parapet / And shake my rattle bone. / Fifteen years gone now / I still cling to the petticoats / Of the girl who died with me.” The album’s fastest and catchiest song, “July, July!” has lead singer Colin Meloy gleefully singing, “And I say your uncle was a crooked French Canadian / And he was gut-shot running gin / And how his guts were all suspended in his fingers / and how he held ’em / How he held ’em, held ’em in.”

Fuzzy

Thursday, 09 October 2008 07:56 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Grant Lee Buffalo
Slash Records, 1993

the sound: Grant Lee Buffalo was one of the leading bands of Americana and alt country back in the day, known for socially aware lyrics, profound love songs and heartbreaking rhythms played on 12-string guitars. Lead singer Grant Lee Phillips has a deep, rumbling voice that works equally well when snarling or singing lullabies. Many of the 11 tracks on “Fuzzy” are lush and thick with piano and the hiss of a brush on a snare drum. The album’s opening track, “The Shining Hour,” sounds like something from a player piano. “Jupiter and Teardrop” is a romantic “Romeo and Juliet”-type ballad about a young girl and her convict boyfriend. “The Hook” is a gracious and mesmerizing tune about a relationship going bad. “Stars n’ Stripes’ is a sorrowful, Neil Young-esque look at the country, which starts out slow, with the discussion of “the red and white and the blue disease” and ends with the strange but lovely repetition of “Got you on my Handycam / fits in my hand.”

New Parade

Thursday, 21 August 2008 09:02 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by The Sheila Divine
1999, Roadrunner Records

the sound: Singer Aaron Perrino’s voice has a Morrisey-esque timbre and his band’s songs are reminiscent of “The Bends”-era Radiohead, with strong and similar lyrics. On a smaller scale, The Sheila Divine pulls together tight, guitar-driven songs about life and love. The album’s opening track, “Automatic Buffalo,” is a solid rock song that ends with a rousting chorus of “automatic buffalo.” (Don’t ask, we don’t know what that means.) “I’m a Believer” beats The Monkees’ song of the same title, starting slowly and building to a screechy cry for love: “To my surprise / I’m hypnotized / by the sight of flesh / and the scent of skin. / Give me a chance.” The album’s best track, “Opportune Moment,” predates and outshines any Killers “losing the girl” song: “I call her (ring, ring), she’s not there. / At the opportune moment / she tells me (fling, fling), ‘I kissed him.’ / Now it’s out into the open. / I go out (drinks, drinks), I can’t stay in.” Rocking, jangly fun all around.

Cracker

Thursday, 05 June 2008 09:02 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Cracker
1992, Virgin

the sound: Lumped under the category “alternative” in 1992, Cracker’s first album would probably now be considered “alt-country.” Really, it should be given its own description of “smart-ass rock,” the often sarcastic and funny lyrics playing a role that’s as important as the music. It’s definitely a rock album with a country twinge. Almost all of the songs have a serious twang, probably influenced by singer David Lowery’s Texas upbringing. Lowery has a voice like honey laced with broken glass. It sounds almost hoarse, like he’s shouting, without actually being too loud. It could have gotten that way from singing his damnedest. In the album’s first and fastest track, “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now),” he howls, “’Cause what the world needs now / is a new Frank Sinatra / so I can get you in bed / ’cause what the world needs now / is another folk singer / like I need a hole in the head.”

Paranoid

Saturday, 10 May 2008 10:03 |

Written by Nate Groth

by Black Sabbath
1970, Warner Brothers/Vertigo

the sound: Almost unanimously viewed as the fathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath pioneered a crushing, powerful sound that was unlike anything else being performed at the time. Sabbath’s classic second album welded detuned guitars to loud, pounding drum beats and expanded the band’s lyrical content away from the occult themes of its debut. The album was originally slated to be titled “War Pigs,” but the label forced the band to rename it, fearing backlash from supporters of the Vietnam War. The cover art still reflects the band’s original concept, however, and a song by the same title opens the album, immediately setting the tone with its ponderous guitars, melodic bass, dark lyrical imagery and, of course, future reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne’s wailing vocals. The title track was supposedly written in just 25 minutes, but the double-tracked, chugging guitar riff has become a classic part of the band’s lengthy catalog. “Planet Caravan” shifts gears; its uncharacteristically clean, spacey guitars and heavily processed vocals show the influence that the psychedelic scene of the time had on the band.

'Gallowsbirds Bark'

Thursday, 27 March 2008 09:26 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by The Fiery Furnaces
2003, Rough Trade Records

the sound: You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and with its debut album, “Gallowsbird’s Bark,” The Fiery Furnaces hit the ground running, injecting its unique sound into the indie rock scene. On the album’s first track, “South is Only a Home,” singer Eleanor Friedberger talks/sings/chants the lyrics over her brother Matthew’s driving guitar and drum beat, while in the background it sounds like someone’s kitten is running across the piano. Eleanor actually sing-speaks the lyrics over many of the songs, her smoky voice narrating the cacophony of sounds that her brother supplies. Matthew’s guitar riffs and piano are often accompanied by static, zips and whistles. “I woulda had a asthma attack / If I seen the shark bite back,” Eleanor states in “Asthma Attack,” a catchy number with bluesy guitar and a bass line that sounds like someone is randomly grabbing the strings. “Tropical Ice-Land” would make for the coolest Bacardi commercial ever, and “Bow Wow” has the Quaaludy-feel of a theme to a ’70s sitcom. “Crystal Clear” includes a thump to rival The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” plus the added bonus of the chant, “Filthy, dirty, cloudy, muddy, messy, mucky, crystal clear.”

Stanley Stole My Shoelace and Rubbed It In His Armpit and Other Songs My Parents Wont Let Me Sing

Wednesday, 12 March 2008 17:27 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Barry Louis Polisar
1982 Rainbow Morning Music

the sound: When was the last time you dug out a Raffi album from your childhood, not because you were feeling nostalgic, but because it genuinely still rocked? We’re going to assume probably never, because “Baby Beluga” is for babies, and Raffi sounds like a cartoon dog’s sneeze. But Barry Louis Polisar is a man with a name like a truck driver and an attitude to match, and “Stanley Stole My Shoelace” is an album of catchy children’s songs you can still get behind. Think of it as “Anarchy in the Pre-K.” The only instrument featured on this album is an acoustic guitar. But, because it’s a children’s album, it’s really more about the words than the music. Polisar has a strong voice with a slightly nerdy timbre, and he uses it not only for lead vocals, but also to provide “backup singers,” who sound like a chorus of crazy housecats. He also changes his voice, à la “Peanuts,” to sound severe or admonishing when singing the part of grownups. It makes them sound dopey, which works, because, as all kids know, grownups are stoopid.

Weather Report

Thursday, 21 February 2008 07:52 |

Written by Alan Chase

{moszoomthumb imgid=698 itemid=74 style_m=2}by Weather Report
1971, Columbia

the sound: Weather Report was a classic early jazz fusion band that featured the super-charged Rhodes electric piano of Joe Zawinul surrounded by the driving grooves of drummer Alphonse Mouzon and percussionist Airto Moreia, as well as the incisive bass work of Miroslav Vitous and the probing soprano sax work of Wayne Shorter. The group’s debut album is a rich palette of musical colors and textures, beginning with “Milky Way,” a Zawinul-Shorter duet that utilizes soprano sax, acoustic piano and subtle recording manipulation to create an eerie, spatial sound. Later comes the pulsating samba groove of “Seventh Arrow,” followed by the lovely rock influenced ballad “Orange Lady.” The record closes with the straight ahead swing of “Eurydice.” Due to the open mindedness of the musicians and their spontaneous, collective approach, the overall sound is cohesive without sounding sterile.

Son of Schmilsson

Thursday, 07 February 2008 08:52 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

{moszoomthumb imgid=685 itemid=74 style_m=2}by Harry Nilsson
1972, RCA Victor

the sound: Not a single song on “Son of Schmilsson” is similar to another. Nilsson had a most impressive set of vocal chops, which he used to wail one minute and purr the next, and the album utilized almost every instrument in existence, plus a few that were improvised. The album opens with “Take 54,” a jazzy, sax-laden number that starts with Nilsson bemoaning the loss of a girl he was trying to impress (“I sang my balls off for you, baby”) and ends with a bizarre bit involving a creepy voice spooking a snoozing sound technician. Following that is the lovely tune “Remember (Christmas),” in which Nilsson waxes poetic about the past to the tune of violins and piano. Later on in the album, he spoofs the saccharine sweetness of “Remember” by again playing the intro and then belching loudly as he bursts into “At My Front Door,” a guitar-riddled rock song.

The Best of Spirit

Thursday, 24 January 2008 09:34 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Spirit
1973, Epic Records

the sound: In the sleeve of Spirit’s self-titled debut album, the playing time for “Mechanical World” is listed simply as “very long.” Actually, it’s five minutes and 19 seconds, which, by modern standards, isn’t that long at all. But, when it was released as a single in 1968, songs that lasted more than five minutes were exceptionally rare. “Mechanical World,” which appears as the second track on “The Best of Spirit,” has a bizarre stop-and-go sound, with distant lyrics that seem to drift surreally in the background. “Death falls so heavy on my soul,” Randy California sings. Later, the song builds to a climactic guitar solo that echoes the peak years of psychedelia. The greatest hits disc also includes some peppier rock songs that reflect the band members’ California roots, but all the songs are lyrically loaded with literary references and social messages. Both are exemplified in “1984,” the ominous homage to George Orwell’s masterpiece that warns of a bleak future. Songs like “Morning Will Come” and “Animal Zoo” have a more light-hearted hippie sound, while “Nature’s Way” is striking in its soft, almost mournful eloquence. Throughout, the disc showcases a tripped-out, experimental sound that, at first listen, might now sound like standard ’60s psychedelic rock.

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

Thursday, 10 January 2008 08:53 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by The Monkees
1967, RCA Records

the background: In 1965, NBC brought together musicians Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork to act and perform on its new nightly sitcom, “The Monkees.” The show was a comic take on a hip, funny, struggling band with a look and sound somewhat similar to The Beatles. Based on the popularity of the first season in 1966 and the obvious talent of the actors, The Monkees began actually recording music, releasing albums and touring—and almost immediately butting heads with NBC. The band released three albums in 1967, and by the time “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.” was released in November of that year, it was obvious that the television producers had lost their control over the band. Trying hard to break free of its “pre-fab four” description, The Monkees injected the album with a more California-hippie influence, reflective of the band members’ surroundings and lifestyles. (Unlike The Beatles, The Monkees never hid the fact that they did drugs and loved to rock the paisley hard.)

the sound: Nesmith, who the producers had chosen to be the mature leader-type of the show, embraced the role and became a more prominent presence on “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.” A fan of Frank Zappa and Tim Buckley and a seriously talented guitarist, Nesmith sings on a few tracks, a job usually reserved for Dolenz or Jones. He lets loose with his twangy country-blues style in “Salesman,” the album’s catchy first track, and “What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round,” a sweet banjo-infused love song. “Star Collector” proves ahead of its time, with Jones singing about a girl who fits the description of a star whore way before the label of “stalker” was given to obsessed fans. “Goin’ Down” showcases Dolenz’s talent for jazz scat singing, which he went on to display more of on later albums, and “Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky” gives Tork a chance to show … well, that he’s just plain weird. Sure, there are still some poppy songs about girls, but on “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.,” they have a trippier sound and the lyrics seem a bit naughtier. While “She Hangs Out” has a chorus sounding much like a Beach Boys tune, Jones sings of someone’s Lolita-esque sister, and “Cuddly Toy” is about a girl being used and discarded, all while a piano plinks prettily in the background. It’s fun and sinister.

Live From The Middle East

Thursday, 27 December 2007 09:05 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

{moszoomthumb imgid=636 itemid=74 style_m=2}by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
1998, Mercury

the sound: Formed in 1985 in Boston, the Bosstones heavily reflect the influence of earlier 2-tone ska bands, such as The Specials, Madness and Bad Manners. Comprised of all the usual band elements, plus horns, the Bosstones turn out songs that large, tattooed men are unashamed to dance around to. On its own, a Bosstones album is lots of fun, but you can’t beat a live performance. Singer Dicky Barrett has a voice like a rock tumbler, and he knows how to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Boston fans are the most voracious in the country. They love their city, and they love to hear it mentioned over and over again. Simple, fierce drumbeats accompany thick bass lines while Barrett snarls poetic.

King

Thursday, 13 December 2007 09:38 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Belly
1995, Warner Bros

the sound: Belly’s first album, “Star,” was pop with a twinkly, fairy tale spin. The CD made Belly a huge hit on college radio and MTV and earned the band two Grammy nominations in 1993. “King,” released in 1995, has a more mature, thicker sound. Where “Star” sounds haunting and plinky, “King” grinds and kicks out catchy, jangly tunes. Gone are lyrics about dolls and squirrels and demanding frogs—replaced with a feeling of raw sexuality. “Where should I not touch? / What should I not kiss?” purrs lead singer Tanya Donnelly. You get the sense that Donnelly has outgrown her baby doll dresses and now uses combat boots to pin her love to the floor by the throat while she sings to him.

Dog Years in the Fourth Ring (box set)

Wednesday, 28 November 2007 18:41 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Rahsaan Roland Kirk
1997, 32 Jazz Records

the sound: Saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a man of truly rare musical talents. His exceptional gifts included playing up to three saxophones at once, using circular breathing techniques to hold interminable notes, and playing flute with his nostrils. All of these feats can be heard on the three-disc box set, “Dog Years in the Fourth Ring,” which consists of 33 live and studio tracks, including original material and covers. The first disc begins with Kirk’s distinctive voice describing a whistling ring—a vivid illustration of his lifelong fascination with wind instruments of all types. He plays flute on the first song, introducing his indefinable style. Listening to the music on all three of the discs, it is not surprising to learn that Kirk drew much of his inspiration from dreams he had while sleeping. At times surreal, at others intensely passionate, and at others nearly unlistenable, the sound belongs exclusively to Kirk, an eccentric mad scientist of jazz. Although it is difficult to compare him to any other musician, Kirk paid frequent homage to his influences, covering songs like Count Basie’s “Lester Leaps In” and John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.”

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Wednesday, 21 November 2007 13:56 |

Written by Matt Kanner

{moszoomthumb imgid=311 itemid=74 style_m=2}by Genesis
1974, Atlantic Recording Corporation

the sound: In the first line of Genesis’ seventh release, lead singer Peter Gabriel recites the album’s title with a tense buildup that kicks off an epic hour and a half of music. “And the laaamb … lies dooown … on Broooaaadway,” Gabriel sings in the title track. The double disc album consists of 23 songs, ranging in length from 30 seconds to eight minutes, each characterized by mounting whirlwinds of sounds and words. Alternating between instrumental noise experiments and inspired progressive rock songs, the two-disc album tells the story of a young man named Rael, ostensibly based on Gabriel, who is swept into a bizarre and schizophrenic world of introspection. With dense lyrics that, at times, acquire Tolkein-esque qualities, the narrator invokes vermillion snakes, ravens and “slubberdegullions,” but also references controversial figures from pop culture, such as Lenny Bruce, Marshall McLuhan and Howard Hughes.

Friday Night in San Francisco

Wednesday, 24 October 2007 15:09 |

Written by Matt Kanner

{moszoomthumb imgid=279 itemid=74 style_m=2}by John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucía
1981, Columbia Records

the sound: About two minutes into this live album’s first song, “Mediterranean Sundance,” guitarist Al Di Meola unleashes a torrent of acoustic notes that leaves the audience reeling. Listening to the CD, stripped of the visual aid of actually watching him pick the strings, it is difficult to fathom that one man is producing such a rapid expulsion of notes on a normal, six-string guitar. Trying to imagine Di Meola’s fingers as they race across the frets is like picturing a humming bird flap its wings. One audience member eventually lets out a whoop of approval, and several others follow suit, as if emerging from a hypnotized stupor. When it comes time for Paco de Lucía to take his turn in the spotlight, it seems unlikely that he will be able to match his partner’s intensity. But, de Lucía manages, galloping through a lengthy improvisation while Di Meola provides punctuating rhythm support. By the time the song ends and legendary fusion guitarist John McLaughlin takes the stage to join Di Meola for a follow-up, the crowd is in a state of elation.

1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 2

Wednesday, 10 October 2007 17:39 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Velvet Underground
1988, Mercury

the sound: The opening chords of “Ocean” fade in slowly, like a rising tide creeping up the shore, but soon swell into a turbid sea of entrancing music that works on you like an opiate. Lou Reed’s vocals skim precariously over the surface, sometimes off key, but always with a mundane clarity that draws listeners into the forlorn substrate of his words. The tone continues through the second track, “Pale Blue Eyes,” although the background music is simpler and less ambient. Guitarist Sterling Morrison, drummer Maureen Tucker and bassist Doug Yule later open the flood gates to unleash long noise experiments in the middle of songs like “Sweet Bonnie Brown,” “White Light/White Heat” and “I Can’t Stand It.” The second volume of Velvet Underground’s 1969 live recordings sounds, at times, like a 1950s rock ’n’ roll band playing on a tour bus as it crashes into an industrial park.

Thriller

Wednesday, 26 September 2007 20:05 |

Written by Alan Chase

{moszoomthumb imgid=221 itemid=74 style_m=2}by Cold Blood
1973, Warner/Reprise Records

the sound: From the funky opening guitar riff that starts this album, listeners find themselves drawn into the sounds of the East Bay area of Oakland and San Francisco. The sound reflects the rich diversity of the area—a soulful gumbo of funk, blues, gospel, Latin and jazz. The grooving rhythm section of Raul Matute on keys, Michael Sasaki on guitar, Rod Ellicott on bass and Gaylord Birch on drums blend seamlessly with the powerful horns of Max Haskett and Peter Welker on trumpet and Skip Mesquite on saxophone and flute, lending burning support to the dynamic vocals of Lydia Pense. The ensemble carries listeners on a joyously funky ride through six covers and one original song. Several additional horn players and the Pointer Sisters on background vocals add muscle to the well-crafted arrangements, which include a straight-up funk version of Jerry Ragavoy’s “Baby I Love You,” a lowdown groove on “Feel So Bad,” a soft bossa-nova version of Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” a gospel-tinged version of The Band’s “Sleeping” and a funked out version of Bill Withers’ “Kissing My Love.”

Fathers and Sons Soundtrack

Wednesday, 12 September 2007 10:23 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

Pacific Pictures—Asbury Park Productions & Sony Music
1992

the sound: Like most soundtracks, the songs on “Fathers and Sons” run the gamut of emotions. There’s noise, pop, blues and ballads. Welsh rockers The Manic Street Preachers had just appeared on the scene when they contributed the second track, “Stay Beautiful,” a jangly, three-minute guitar-fest that may actually document the moment in time when the music world’s tastes shifted from Great White to Stone Roses. Indy darling Juliana Hatfield makes us forget how she was pining away for Evan Dando with “Yeh! Yeh,” a fun, poppy song about hanging out on the couch with a boy.

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

Wednesday, 29 August 2007 09:28 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Brian Eno
1974, E.G. Records

the sound: The jerky, loping guitar part that opens the first track on “Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy),” by Brian Eno, introduces listeners to a bizarre auditory experience. The song, like the rest of the album, manages to be poppy and catchy while maintaining an unusual and, at times, downright weird sound. The first track, “Burning Airlines Give You So Much More,” is probably the most radio-friendly song on the record, with vocals that seem to glide along like the jet described in its lyrics. The second track, “Back in Judy’s Jungle,” sounds like something off of Pink Floyd’s groundbreaking “Piper at the Gates of Dawn.” “The Great Pretender” features a stalking intro, supplemented by delightfully trippy background music, ending with a resonant chirping that continues long after the other instruments have died down.

The Lost Trident Sessions

Friday, 17 August 2007 09:50 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Mahavishnu Orchestra
1999, Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

the sound: The cover art on Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “The Lost Trident Sessions” paints a fitting picture for the sound of the music on the disc. Jagged lightning bolts cut through a brilliant reddish-purple sky to strike the surface of dark mountain peaks. In the foreground, John McLaughlin plays a double-necked guitar while the rest of his five-piece band jams around him. The album is crammed with electrified instrumental tunes that produce a celestial lightshow in the firmament of the listener’s mind.

Angel Dust

Tuesday, 07 August 2007 09:16 |

Written by Liberty Hardy

by Faith No More
1992, Slash Records

sound: Infused with more background noise and general weirdness (accordions, organs and ... cheerleaders), the beats on Faith No More’s 1992 album, “Angel Dust,” are harder, the distorted hooks catchier and Patton’s screeching longer than on the band’s previous smash hit, “The Real Thing.” Patton’s voice stands out among the gorgeous chaos. It’s like there are three Mike Pattons performing on the album, sometimes at the same time: Dirty Uncle Mike, who will hit on your girlfriend if you bring her by the house; screechy Aunt Mike, who is on the verge of losing her calm at any moment; and Cthulhu Mike, who shrieks like he’s being slowly disemboweled.

Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Thursday, 02 August 2007 09:19 |

Written by Matt Kanner

by Frank Zappa and The Mothers
of Invention
1970, Bizarre/Reprise Records

the sound: The opening drum beats and trumpet blasts on Frank Zappa’s self-produced 1970 album, “Weasels Ripped My Flesh,” sound like a rhinoceros charging into a crowded circus tent. The song, curiously titled “Didja Get Any Onya?” sets the pace for a recording that spans an amalgam of jaggedly stitched-together styles, often in a deliberately mocking tone, fused with collections of random and sometimes irritating noise.