Reviews by justcoolvinyl

Stillness in motion. I recognize this is considered brilliant by some but in my mind it is a soundtrack for dusk. As the night descends on a fall night overlooking calm waters this album would mirror the calm as a gentle wind sweeps over the water and the sound of Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson‘a falsetto sung in a tribal language floating across the water. Hence, each of these passages slightly alter the mood but not so much to disturb the calm. This is music of reflection- not action. While it is not my vibe, I recognize the talent that underlies these compositions. Each is a conversation with the listener to be examined internally and alone. This is not a shared experience but an individual one examined through the lens of each person’s experience. 4/5

Suede in my mind were always trying to reclaim glam. There are obvious Marc Bolan references particularly on songs like Animal Nitrate, Metal Mickey and The Drowners. I realize that many pointed to Bowie as the influence but I think the T.Rex touch point is more nuanced particularly as it relates to the vocal stylings of Bretr Anderson. And yes, Bernard Butler’s guitar styling appears influenced by Johnny Marr. This is not a bad thing as Suede moves beyond their influences and updates their sound to be consistent with their contemporaries, notably Blur, to produce a compelling and wholly realized debut that is unmistakably English. This is one of the few records that truly is best experienced as a whole. Suede’s sound is immersive in the best possible way with each song designed to highlight Anderson’s vocals. If there is a flaw, and it is a minor nit - the middle of the record suffers from a couple of songs having the same sonic palate creating a bit of a pause rather than building to a strong finish. Sleeping Pills, Breakdown and Metal Mickey could have been broken up by Drowners after Sleeping Pills and switching Metal Mickey before Breakdown would have created some tension. Before being resolved with the run of sings beginning with Animal Lover. Still, a pretty amazing first record for any band and remarkably cohesive. 4/5

Short review for a short record. This record came out at a strange intersection in my life. In 1980 I was seeing shows every week and was seeing Canadian Legends D.O.A regularly along with the Subhumans, Pointed Sticks, K-Tels (soon to become Young Canadians), Active Dog and a bevy of American punk rockers who were always in town among them Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys. Not present were the Circle Jerks. I recall Keith leaving Bkack Flag at the end of 1979 after having met him earlier that year. When the record came out, it seemed cool but it did not really standout among other better records of the pop period including D.O.A.s Something Better Change and the Subhumans Incorrect Thoughts. So, as I run through the tracks on the
Is record 2x because it’s less than 15 minutes long, it is clear that the songs still crackle more than 45 years later. Some songs work better than others such as Beverly Hills, Wasted and World Up My Ass are still catchy and relevant. Others not so much. But because the 14 songs are so short if there is something you don’t like the song is already over. So who cares. Still a good album overall and should be in everyone’s record collection. 4/5

I wrote this about Pretzel Logic: A steaming turd of an album. Starting with Rikki Don’t Lose That Number this may be the album that tipped the balance and inspired punk rock. This is a snooze fest from beginning to end. There are no edges or angularity in this lifeless anti-music designed to torture people in elevators. And then it should come as no fucking surprise that this album advertised as a Countdown to Ecstasy achieves yet another level of pointless masturbation by seemingly gifted musicians. It should then come as no surprise that the name Steely Dan references a dildo and was derived from William S. Burroughs‘ Naked Lunch. This is album is a limp dick of a record with most of it devoted to lite “jazz rock” all sung by Don Fagen. I note that if there ever was evidence that the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is also just another sham, Steely Dan was actually inducted in 2001. Yup, a dildo is in the hall of fame along with a penis (Sex Pistols) that was inducted in 2006. At least the Sex Pistols didn’t show up. This is not rock in any sense of the word. You know it’s not because every descriptor used for Steely Dan includes the word “soft” before the word rock. The qualifier “soft” tells you it’s not rock. It does not rock - at all. This is soulless, lifeless, overproduced wallpaper upon which the lyrics of the seedier edges of Los Angeles mixed with Vegas excess are in-artfully draped. An effort to criticize the “me first” materialism of a generation but mostly just mocking. It reminds me a bit of a less erudite 10cc lyrically as Steely Dan was not as clever by half. I take it they were going for edgy but the lyrics are just mostly awkward self projection. Bodhisattva is an example of a song where the bebop jazz and 60s pop production overlap to create an uninspired ghoul of a song designed to suck the soul from the listener’s body. The lyrics are supposed to be a commentary on If you encounter anyone who professes their love for Steely Dan you should reject them as friends. If you are married to a fan of the band, you are a victim of domestic abuse. No one with any human emotion can possibly listen to this and connect with another human. The critics who praised this turd of an album should be condemned for eternity to hear only thus. There is a reason this album is always available for a $1.00 in the used section of a record store. If you buy it at any price you are over-fucking-paying. Needless to say Countdown to Ecstasy is a 0/5.

A bit of a shock this one. I was actually a fan of 10cc starting with Bloody Tourists which was a fully formed version of what made 10cc excellent - an oddball collection of advertising jingles turned into fully formed songs. And that is the primary difference with Sheet Music. The album is mostly still jingles with out the songs. Along with the other weirdos at the time, Sparks, both bands fully occupied the art rock space each trying to squeeze essentially show tunes into the rock space with varying degrees of success. It takes enormous balls to release an album that is pronounced “Shit Music” and put a song called “The Worst Band In The World” and then release that song as your first single from the record. Holy fuck? Who was managing this mess? Did they not want to make any money? All of these are valid, reasonable questions. They still remain unanswered. Even more unfashionable is that this was the first of five consecutive UK Top 10 albums between 1972 and 1978. Godley and Creme left to become more famous and Graham Goldman and Eric Stewart were no slouches either with Goldman playing with Paul McCartney in the 80s and Stewart going on to play with Andrew Gold in Wax. This album is in a word idiosyncratic. Of the tracks on this album Silly Love is the best of the bunch with Clockwork Creep and Somewhere in Hollywood close behind. It does take a few spins for some of these songs to click because lyrically this is a very clever record with engaging vocal arrangements and harmonies. Not perfect and the album takes a nose dive in after Somewhere in Hollywood. This observation should not a matter of some debate because the last three songs are really just mix of quirky jingles and show tunes that are not fully realized. 3/5

I love Big Star! Once I’d discovered the song “Thirteen” in 1979 by some random reference in a long forgotten music magazine, I was hooked. Of course, numerous bands have been influenced by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel who put out 3 amazing records between 1972 and 1978. Teenage Fanclub essentially resurrected Big Star. This is power pop at the highest level. Although in my mind Thirteen (See even TF acknowledged the debt) released two years later in 1994 is a superior over all record, Bandwagonesque has some very fine moments. For me, the best tracks are the simplest and are a little Beatlesque such as What You Do To Me and Star Sign. The vocal harmonies are perfect and although this was an unusual record for Scotland at the time, it comprises elements of late 80s American power pop with Brit pop ala Oasis and Blur. These are subtle influences and likely why this record connected with a broader group as this record was huge on College radio. I’ve revisited this record several times over the years after being in a steady rotation in my car CD player and in my classroom when I was a High School teacher in the 90s. It is a fine record- not perfect but honestly should be in everyone’s record collection. 4/5

Radiohead, for me, are an acquired taste. I still have not been able to acquire a liking for Thom Yorke’s whining and moping which makes this record a chore despite there being some quality tunes. I get that Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry, Planet Telex and Street Spirit (Fade Out) are cornerstones of Radioheads hits coming off of the massive single “Creep”, and I would normally enjoy these but it all comes down to whether you like Thom Yorke as a vocalist. I don’t. None of these are my favorite from this record. Mine is Bones for some reason. A little tedious overall and for all the hype surrounding the experimental nature of the band and its music, little evidence of that exists here. 3/5

A bit of a departure as I was not familiar with Tim’s music but having previously encountered his son, Jeff’s music, it was an interesting musical experience. A funk record with jazz signatures and blues vocals, it is a bit of a mixed bag. I played it 3 times all the way through and what stood out, aside from the pretty distinctive and powerful vocals, were the sexual lyrics more typical of blues. In parts it reminded me of Muddy Waters, particularly on tracks like Get On Top and Sweet Surrender. Nighthawkin also turns out to be somewhat catchy and fun. Putting aside the weirdness of the music which is very competently played, the album is a little stiff for a funk band. That is, not that funky. It’s the vocals that are the most interesting overall, so is it worth a spin or two? Sure. I imagine this is best heard in a large field on a sunny afternoon smoking a joint in a crowd of thousands. 3/5

I saw the Talking Heads for the first time just after the release of this album. September 7, 1978 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver British Columbia. I had just started college and I was attending a slew of shows having been largely deprived having spent high school in the Yukon. I’d loved the first album, 77, but had not fully warmed up to the second as the shift was obvious. It was this show where it all clicked. It’s not the hit - Tale Me To The River that clicked but rather, With Our Love and The Good Thing where I finally pieced it all together. Starting 6 songs in this was the set list : The Girls Want to Be With the Girls
The Good Thing
With Our Love
Love-> Building on Fire
and that was all it took. There was no act like the Talking Heads before or after. The jerkiness of 77 was being replaced by new rhythms and more melody and in my mind a natural progression of the band as they were musically accomplished at this point. The sonic textures were expanding with keyboards and synthesizers more dominant on this record particularly on tracks like The Girls Want To Be With The Girls and Stay Hungry. Take Me To The River and I’m Not In Live closed the show as the encores after Psycho Killer that night in Vancouver. Now, almost 40 years later, that concert still lives with me as does this album. This album is the fully realized Talking Heads as a band. For me, this is peak Talking Heads and a uniformly better LP than Fear of Music and Remain In Light. This recording also still sounds great. Of there is to be a starting point for a discovery of the Talking Heads discography, I’d start with this record, then 77 and then Stop Making Sense. The evolution is both thrilling and dramatic. And that sums this record up perfectly- this is a first rate record that is both thrilling and dramatic but I would note that the band was much better realizing these songs live. 5/5

Ya gotta love QOTSA. I already was enjoying Kyuss and when that band imploded I wondered if Josh would continue in the same vein or branch off into something completely different. And in a way, QOTSA is something different. Definitely the stoner rock/psychedelic edge but with a helping of Krautrock that may or may not have been an influence. Regular John sets up the album nicely as this song foreshadows what is to come. Avon and If Only are clues that this is a sonically different group than Kyuss with Josh on lead contextualizing the songs with vocal hooks and pop choruses adjacent to heavy workouts. Songs like Walking on the Sidewalks, and You Can’t Quit Me Baby are good examples of this upgrade - Josh sounds like he could be fronting Sisters of Mercy until the guitar breaks are unleashed. And these are two remarkably different songs but the approach is the same - let the guitars center the song and then sing over the top as the song nswirls. These Aren’t the Droids You’re Looking For is a workmanlike instrumental but could have been left off the album. And that is the only problem with this record. You get to the end and there are a few songs that could be left off the album as they don’t quite work. Spiders and Vinegaroons is one of those. The foot stomps are cornballish- as if a stoner is going to stomp around. This is followed by a section of low key guitar noodling before the stomping picks up again. I was a Teenage Hand Model is a good finish - mellow vibe interesting vocally and an anti-climax to the album changing up the traditional big finish trope. Overall a pretty enjoyable record but unlikely that you’d revisit this many times. QOTSA‘S catalog has many better records so other than as a curio evidencing the bands origins, this is just an average record. 3/5

Revisiting this record was a surprise as songs that I had previously thoroughly enjoyed came off this time as a little meh. This is not to say that this album is not a thoroughly realized pop album with magnificent vocals, and a gorgeous lush sound creating a vibe that mostly works. The Man Who told Everything still hits as does The Cedar Room. I think this is best described as an after the club driving home record with the electronic sounds giving the right vibrations to a smooth pop record. 3/5

Well, a little unexpected to be honest. A lush sounding record which reminded me a bit of a crossover between Franz Ferdinand and the Byrds at first. Updated 60s psychelia with harmonies and terrific sounding guitar tones. I’d never sat down and actually listened to an entire LP of Django Django previously. I can’t recall actually hearing any of the tracks before although it is possible. One of the failings of age is that you encounter a shit ton of music in a lifetime. And mist of that music you might never revisit. And that might be the primary benefit of this exercise of listening to one album a day - you either encounter a new record, you engage with a record you might know or you might discover new ideas about those that are familiar. This record is like that. A couple of catchy tunes helps this record- Firewater, Default and Life’s a Beach. Otherwise it gets a bit repetitive and loses its immediacy in the 2nd half. Solid record overall and good for a relisten and perhaps a couple of adds to the ever expanding playlist that will never be listened to in full ever. More like a record keeping device for the cognitively impaired. 3/5

You gotta give it to Randy, he is distinctive and he does what he does aimed a specific type of listener. That listener group does not include me. His piano centered music lies somewhere on the spectrum between Billy Joel and Elton John but with a bigger debt to the 40s and 50s than either of those dudes. Much of this record I would expect to hear in a theater as songs from a play. Show tunes for a generation of individuals who would still go to live theater. See a performance. For me, Last Night I Had A Dream centers the record. Catchy orchestral pop that is catchy with just enough of an edge to not grow tiresome. It is certainly a notch up from Billy Joel but only because the lyrics capture the music and every song has a distinct direction sung by Randy. It’s not an album Randy is known for because I’m pretty positive I Love LA and Short People are the only songs anyone recalls in this century. So, it boils down to this - would my life be different not hearing this? Not a fucking chance. 3/5

Al’s full time band is a hoot as he adapted his synth pop leanings into a more politico-industrial powerhouse in the early 90’s. Highly creative, for me this is where American rock finally found a crossover band that the masses could love as it was just clever enough, just subversive enough, and with enough repetition that you could get the message being conveyed. It is certainly not subtle. Al’s vocals had improved to the point where they matched the sound coming out of his look and the band’s meticulous layered experiments. Jesus Stole My Hot Rod is the clear favorite but a little time with the record reveals other tales of interest. Opener, N.W.O. Although a little lengthy was a terrific opening track as it transports you directly into the world Al is trying to create. Following it with Just One Fix probably saved the record, as the two lengthy tracks - Scare Crow and Psalm 69 buried near the end of the record are a little exhausting back to back. This is in no way meant to diminish the tracks but their extended length is a bit difficult to carry the back end of the record particularly where Scare Crow builds so slowly to its pretty amazing ending. Psalm 69, in my humble opinion should have closed the record and the last 2 tracks - Corrosion and Grace saved for B-Sides. Awkward end to a pretty solid record. I get drugs played a huge role in this record but I think the inter-band tensions probably played a bigger role resulting in some unevenness in this record. Still very good, but ultimately not great. 3/5

Interesting choice of albums to include from The Residents discography. Among the most accessible of The Residents discography with only the Commercial Album being more “commercial”, Duck Stab possesses all of the elements that make the Residents unique among experimental music creators. Creepy electronic music with weird vocals often highly modulated exemplified here by Birthday Boy, The Residents are distinct in their devotion to off kilter often humorous noise experiments. This is not to say that these songs are not freakin catchy once you realize that the repetitive elements that appear in almost every track are designed as ear worms that stick with you long after you’ve taken the album off the turntable. Snakefingers guitar work is exemplary giving the songs an expanded texture making these sound more expansive. Those who were already familiar with the Residents, as I was in 1978 having just graduated high school and having discovered them with the Fingerrince record at Woolworth’s in Whitehorse Yukon a year earlier. Which really begs the question: how did any Residents record end up in the Yukon? WTF? Whomever was the record buyer for that chain was a high risk taker. Anyway, this is a can’t miss record for experimental fans and a great example of the punk rock nature of The Residents subversion of conventional music. Endlessly fascinating, the run of records from Third Reich and Roll to Eskimo is in my mind the best of the Residents discography. I enjoyed later albums, in particular the aforementioned Commercial Album, but this period highlighted the importance of the Residents as a subversive force of avant- garde music that was both engaging and weird as fuck. The Residents followed their own muse and you either hitched your horses to their wagon or you got off. If you went for the ride you were amply rewarded. Duck Stab/Buster & Glen was a good place to board the ride. 4.5/5

Actually a little surprised that this album showed up in this list. Is Yank Crime deserving to be included as an example of emotional hardcore with its sometimes lengthy tracks filled with a mix of quiet and loud, beauty and savagery? In my mind, it probably does not merit the inclusion in this list. That does not mean that this is a bad album at all. It is immensely enjoyable and having become reacquainted with it, I am likely to return to it in the future. John Reis has since this record’s release put out a ton of amazing records, and this albums finest tracks do stand out from other post-hardcore offerings of the day Luau, Golden Brown, Super Unison all standout as exemplars of what emo meant in 1990s as an outgrowth from Rites of Spring and a logical extension of the punk rock of Reis’ own band Rocket From The Crypt. These are uncompromising blasts of hardcore and still sound relevant today. What is interesting to me is that the genre has evolved since this release but these tracks if released today, would fit right in, and would not seem out of place in the modern post hardcore pantheon. Maybe it’s experience, but the shock value of the original release is not the same more than 30 years later. Still a terrific record. 4/5

A favorite record of mine upon release, 1977 is Ash demonstrating amazing proficiency on a debut record. This is a guitar record filled with brilliant melodies making this a complete album that is catchy as fuck. I discovered this on a CMJ compilation where Kung Fu was the single but once you get to the album, it’s the immediacy of songs like Girl From Mars, Angel Interceptor, Goldinger and the killer intro of Lose Control which presages the entire album. Tight catchy songs and some terrific guitar work fusing metal riffage onto pop punk to produce a pretty exciting high energy record filled with songs you can singalong to as you turn up the volume. In parts, the urge to engage the air guitar is high. There are no skips on this record but the 2nd half is a little uneven as the songs take a little time to engage the listener particularly when the Angel Interceptor is a superbly catchy track. But skipping tracks like Innocent Smile or the last track, Darkside Lightside, would be shortsighted as these tracks are sonically among the best on the record. Honestly, for a debut record, there are few I’ve encountered that would match this for overall excellence. 4.5/5

A beautiful lush record that will surprise you as it is filled with gorgeous instrumentation- a mix of horns and laid back soul with string arrangements giving way to pop and Americana all anchored by Kurt Wagner’s solid baritone vocals. This record is a vibe. You have to be willing to take the mellow church soul journey accepting that these beautiful sounds don’t quite fit with what is going on lyrically. As every album in Lambchop’s discography explores a different point in a musical spectrum seemingly disconnected from the albums that preceded or those that follow, Nixon in my mind sits somewhere at the midpoint of that journey. The songs flow into each other and the 60’s soul which anchors the entire record keeps you engaged even if lyrically you are going WTF? Spend a little time with Nashville Parent and then ask yourself what did I just listen too? What Else Could It Be sung in falsetto could be a 5th Dimension outtake. It is a band firing on all cylinders and you can imagine a smokey night club with the audience gently dancing to the house band. Kurt’s vocals are stunning and the mix is perfect as is the guitar tone. I have no real notes on this. It’s not a traditional indie rock album. It really is its own thing. I also know I needed to grow into this record. I turned 40 when this came out. I had 3 kids and a wife. I still wasn’t ready. It’s 26 years later, I’m about to retire and I’m finally ready. I’ll put the record on the hifi, turn down the lights, and dance with my sweetie. Pick a track, any track, they all could work. I have a couple of favorites but they are mine. You pick yours. It will all be fine. 4/5

Complicatedly uncomplicated. This album is a perfectly realized amalgam of Pavement influence including The Fall (See Hit The Plane Down) Meat Puppets (See Elevate Me Later), Replacements (See Fillmore Jive and Range Life), Nirvana (See Unfair), classic rock and eighties indie rock. Somehow it all works. When this came out in 1994, I was already a fan. Like its predecessor Slanted and Enchanted, it took a few spins in order to catch the groove in this record. Cut Your Hair was immediate as was Gold Soundz. Unfair with its Nirvana sound and Range Life with the clear Westerberg influences were next. Those two songs unlocked the rest of the record. Quickly you begin to realize that it’s not the influences that catch your attention but that Pavement is something unique capturing a west coast vibe that permeates the record, leaving you feeling enamored with the whole thing. You also begin to understand that playing this record would make for a different live experience suited to small clubs and not stadiums. This was underground outsider music for people with short hair and glasses. Lollapollooza demonstrated that. I recall this record being huge on college radio and my playing the CD endlessly in my car. This record has aged beautifully, and on this listen, there are certain tracks that hit me differently than in 94. Elevate Me Later, Range Life and Unfair now standout. I have played this over the years at various points some more than others. This will begin the cycle again. As Young, the original drummer said: That idiot Malkmus is a complete songwriting genius. 5/5

80s disco record. Many reviewers missed the obvious - this is a new wave inflected disco record. This might have been a better record if it had not been Trevor Horned. The production is thin because the drum and bass are buried in the mix so that Martin Fry whose dramatic advertising pitch man vocals can soar on these hyper catchy pop songs. Honestly, there is no denying the catchiness of these songs, particularly on The Look of Love - Pt 1 which puts the whole package together. While the other hits on this track are undeniably catchy - Poison Arrow, Show Me and Tears are Not Enough, the production is distracting because it has not aged well. It sucks the soul out of what could have been a dynamic lively record. Instead it comes off as largely devoid of emotion. This is borne out when watching live versions of these tracks. So, where would it stand in the list of other synth-pop disco records from the period? Recall that other New Romantic disco wavers including New Order, Human League, Depeche Mode and Duran are all from this period and mine similar territory. In thinking about this period, the songs were popular on radio and in the clubs but people quickly moved on as this form of new disco soon faded. On balance, a solid record of you overlook the production. No bum tracks, some pretty good variety for an album of love songs. 4/5