Reviews by justcoolvinyl

Undeniably good songwriting but I can’t help but wonder what this album would have been like if they had actually kept the punk influences from the Los Angeles scene they had sprung forth from. I saw them a couple of months after this record was released opening for the Fleshtones in Vancouver at the Commodore Ballroom and the show was wild. Payolas opened the fiesta. They were energetic and fun and these songs played live struck differently than on the record. The record is meticulously crafted in its production. After listening to this album for the first time since the 80s, I’m struck by how good the non-singles are on this record. For me, This Town and Skidmarks on My Heart are the two best songs on the LP. And that’s why this record is enduring- the hit singles We Got The Beat and Our Lips Are Sealed are indelibly etched in the pop pantheon but the rest of the record might be better.

It’s the harmonies. Crowded House formed from the Ashes of Split Enz when Tim left the band he had formed with Phil Judd to go solo. Neil who had joined Split Enz later started Crowded House. Tim and Neil singing together is what makes this record of melodic acoustic pop exceptionally well recorded and produced resonate with the listener. The Songwriting is solid and it sounds like a band having fun. Many records lose their energy by the midpoint - not so here. Whispers and Moans, Four Seasons in One Day, and There Goes God are a savory middle point following the singles It’s Only Natural and Fall at your Feet. Not a duff track on the record. As I listen to the record now, what is striking is the guitar tones on this record. Clean with a warm glow the guitar highlights the vocal harmonies with the rhythm section always in the pocket. The only outlier on the record is the crooner throwback All I Ask. Still enjoyable, it changes the sound to a more orchestral/chamber pop vibe. I might have finished the album with this song as it might be a better placement especially if it came after the wonderful How Will You Go/I’m Still Here. Anyway, that’s just nitpicking. Terrific pop record. Better for Sunday morning than Saturday night.

Beguiling. When this came out in 1982, post punk was reaching a fervor. This record has always reminded me of a combination of early Sparks (before the disco shift) and Siouxsie & The Banshees. Kate’s remarkable voice with the use of piano and Fairlight and left field lyrics were difficult to absorb as it seemed this was designed to bewilder the listener. For me, it was Suspended in Gaffa that unlocked the record for me. I did not revisit the record often because the post-punk explosion and the morphing of punk into new sub-genres held a fascination that continues to this day. Revisiting this record in 2025 is rewarding perhaps because some of the sounds seems more familiar having been incorporated into several artists sounds (Bjork comes instantly to mind) and perhaps my experience with music has built a knowledge base where I appreciate experimental records much more so than as a 24 year old. Here, Night of the Swallow is compelling and The Dreaming is more comprehensible than the original record. The shifting time signatures and multitude of sounds create both sensory overload and tension - making this record sound much darker than probably intended. It could also be All the Love with its opening Lyric - “The first time I died…” and the eerie sounds creating an allusion of fog. All that said, even if this record is not in your wheelhouse, it is an interesting experience worthy of some time exploring the multi-faceted sounds highlighted by Kate’s incredible (as that word actually means) vocals.

Interesting choice as I remember hearing Zuton Fever, which was not a single, and thinking this was like a less frenzied cramps either it’s swampy blues riff and tremendous vocals. It was this intro that lead to the discovery of the rich musically diverse record. Pressure Drop and Long Time Comin are unmistakably catchy standouts in a record full of them. The Ian Broudie (Lighting Seeds) production is crisp and textured with the vocals up in the mix making this one of those debut records timeless. At the time the comparisons to the Coral who were on the same label overshadowed the genius of the genre experiments on this record. Hints of the 80’s - the Specials and English Beat come to mind, with throwback’s to do wop and the Beatles (The Liverpool influence is there but not cloying) Check out Not A Lot To Do and Remember Me where this is truly evident. For so many different musical style experiments this album is remarkable for its cohesive.

I'm sure for some listener's Van Morrison is great. His unique voice and tremendous playing are likely the reason he was popular for a while. Time has moved on and yet Van's 1973 show was probably magnificent for its time, it no longer represents a high water mark as either a live album or frankly, music. There are better live recordings and many of them are more compelling. I say this not to diminish Van's artistry. It's just in 1973, the rock underground was still underground. The seeds of punk were being planted and not until 1976 would be there an explosion of sound and vision that would shake the foundations of rock, and as a consequence diminishing the importance and relevance of numerous rock/folk acts - Van being one of them. This is a snooze-fest after 53 years of more exciting music being unleashed. I have no idea why it is still on the list unless the selection was made by someone who is now in their mid 70's.

While I’m not surprised that this is still on the list given the hype and myth surrounding Hendrix and his unique and very accomplished playing, I find it hard to justify its continued presence in these sorts of lists. Is it a perfect record? No. Who starts a record with a 2min drone with warped unintelligible vocals? It’s all over the map both lyrically and genre - pop, funk, blues and psychedelic rock but the true gems stand out. And maybe that was the point. Some of the best tracks come after some rather bland songs. A great example is the amazing “Crosstown Traffic” which follows the rather dull, lyrically uninspired and derivative “Have you ever been to Electric Lady Land”. It’s truly a mixed bag until the last two tracks which are genius in both sound and spirit: All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Chile (Return). In my mind Hendrix took an hour of basically noodling to achieve the sound that we recognize as deserving of fame. With Crosstown Traffic, Voodoo Chile and perhaps, Come On (Let the Good Times Roll) this would have been a tight record that you could play all the way through without the snooze in the middle.

When this came out in 1977I bought it because it was on Stiff Records and that label had already developed a reputation for music that was different. Releases by former Rockpile member Nick Lowe, the Damned!, Elvis Costello, Motorhead, Pink Fairies, made this an easy buy. Then you put the needle down on the first track and go WTF? “I come awake …” And then Side 1 Track 2 Sweet Gene Vincent as the two openers to a very diverse musically inspired album all sung by a man who gives hope to all of us who cannot sing or carry a tune. And yet it all works. Chaz Jankel’s piano work is inspired and the tunes with lyrics that are funny, off-color at times, but all designed to highlight his love for the characters that inhabit his world. Is the album perfect? No, unfortunately. The 3 stand alone singles that followed - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Inbetweenies and Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt. 3 - would have made this complete. It’s all catchy and a mix of pub rock, punk rock and dance hall. And there really was nothing that sounded like this at that time. And there still isn’t.

Still an amazing live show - basically a live greatest hits album from beginning to end. At this point the band were a touring monster and super tight. Album has a breakneck pace and the original version is the perfect length leaving you satisfied excited and perhaps wanting 1 or 2 more songs.

Revisiting this record after more than 50 years finds that I have moved on way past this classic sound. Immigrant Song is still vibrant, and Celebration Day remains interesting but the rest of this largely folk rock record is, frankly, dull.