Reviews by declaniom

Spacemen 3 were an important band they launched two careers (J Spaceman and Sonic Boom) that are always engaging.

It’s cool, relaxed and elegant music.

Not the most exciting Bjork lp. But still pleasant.

Raw and powerful

This is a good album. British R&B with Afrofuturist and hip-hop elements sliding in. The soundscape is kind of understated and impressionistic.

The subject matter feels very 2020. Back when we thought we thought the struggle against racism was to challenge ingrained structural racism and unconscious personal biases and naively thought we could see positive change. In 2026, though, the racists are on the streets in Britain and the liberals and the left are in an existential battle.

For this project (listening to 1001 Albums) there's an issue with latter albums in that there hasn't been the time between release and publication of the book to see how an album stands the test of time. Sault definitely deserve a spot in the 1001 Albums to hear before you die. They've had an impact on the contemporary music scene in the UK and the Modern Black British experience is a welcome inclusion in the culture breadth of the project. However, the band are very prolific, 13 albums since 2019) and is this the album that will stand out as their definitive recording? I'm not so sure!

OK

It would have been fun live. Unstructured and unformed here. Perhaps too soon after previous lp?

If you forget about all the showbiz stuff that surrounded Ozzy and that they mistakenly gave birth to Heavy Metal, this is a great heavy psyche record.

It's nice to hear again after all these years. But it's pretty bland, which is probably why I bought the CD then hardly played it back then.

A lovely album about negotiating crappy relationships in your twenties

The 2018 remaster on spotify doesn't do it justice. I prefer the denser, hissier, lo-fi version on my old tape.

Surprised to find the lp in my collection. I might never have played it certainly don’t remember.

Side 1 is standard early 70’s singer songwriter stuff elevated by a strong band of mostly British sessioners.

Side 2 starts with a wank cover of a Badfinger song. The sort of mulch you would hear on Manx Radio in the 80’s and 90’s. Not song is about a coconut and is novelty advert music.

Then he decided he’s John Lennon and it’s good. But why listen to this when Plastic Ono Band exists and uses some of the same lads on the backing.

Then the last song is more of the “BC Camplight sings a shit song” stuff that’s the Nilsson trademark.

Still Jump into the Fire is worth an extra star alone.

Super and Fly.

It is supreme. The rhythm section is so loose then Coltrane all nurdy and angsty, solos on top,

Johnny Cash at his most show-bizzy. (slagging off the screws, playing the same song twice and saying it's popular request). But despite the stage craft it retains a sense that things could go wrong. Crowd earn it an extra star they're raging and (on the vinyl at least) high in the mix and as important to the feel of this record as the drummer.

At my first job after school my and this Goth girl used to go for a pint and a chip bap in the pool room of a local pub and play the jukebox. Rise by Public Image Limited, Iggy's Wild One and Johnny Cash's Boy Named Sue were played until they wore out. Johnny Cash and AbbA being the only act your parents liked that goths could stomach. It was the version from this lp and I'm pretty sure it's the humour and rage in the performer and crowd that made it so powerful.

By the time he got to Pheonix, she'd divorced him and married his cousin!

Isaac Hayes takes the long way round and it's a bit boring at times but when he gets there it's worth it.

I love this album. Dark paranoic urban soundscapes.

Check out the dub version Echo Dek. It's as a great too.

In fact this is two five star albums.

I liked them more when they were pretending to be Native American Goths and when they went grunge and hung out with loaghtan sheep.

But that said if this project is going to force me to listen to American Glam Metal I'd sooner it was played by Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury than 2nd division cheesemongers like GNR or Motley Crue.

Good album. I hear of them as a precursor to the Paisley Underground round like Green on Red and Dream Syndicate.

Strong singer-song writery pop.

Good brittle atmospheric electronica.

Solid performances. Are you listening Creedence?