elf@utcsri.UUCP (Eugene Fiume) (03/13/85)
[] Rather than argue about my biases regarding electric guitar technique, I thought I'd talk about a few albums I've picked up lately that generally have not been discussed on the net. BTW, thank you Jeff Richardson for the Tears for Fears review. I too am cautious about second albums, and am glad to hear that they're not one-album one-ders. In order of "commerciality": _Centerfield_, by John Fogerty. I'm sure everyone knows about this. Everyone likes it. I especially like the last cut "Zanz Can't Danz", a rather bitter little number apparently aimed at a former manager. A nice video accompanies the current single. _The Ballad of Sally Rose_, by Emmylou Harris. I guess I'm not supposed to like an album this commercial, but I sure do. A "concept" album through and through, it contains a sure-fire bunch of well-produced, sometimes overly sentimental songs that defy you not to hum along. Excellent session players like Albert Lee make for a very satisfying album. _One Clear Moment_, by Linda Thompson. This is Linda from Richard and Linda Thompson fame. Yes, the album has one or two clear moments, but overall it doesn't compare to the works of R&L together or R alone. Some very good singing. Some good songs. Several overly-coy, hip songs as well. Not strongly recommended. If R&L's masterpiece _Shoot Out the Lights_ rates 10/10, then R's _Hand of Kindness_ rates 8/10 and this rates 6.5 . _Small Town Romance_, by Richard Thompson. All of the songs in this very long (about 60 min.) collection were recorded live in 1982. All are just him solo with his guitar. Playing and arrangements are superb. A little more variation and this would be a great album. It's very good as it is, and rates 8/10 on my Thompson-scale. Apparently, R has just released an album of new material which I'll pick up soon. _Fans_ (EP), by Malcolm McLaren. The first cut, "Madam Butterfly", is great. The rest sucks. Buy the single and save a couple of bucks. _Jeffrey Morgan_, by UB40. A return to their characteristic raw, political songs. Certainly less commercial (no less good, in my opinion) than _Labour of Love_. _This Mortal Coil_, by This Mortal Coil. This album is subtitled "It'll End in Tears", and that about captures the tone that pervades every song in this collection. TMC appears to be an ad hoc collection of members from not-so-well-known bands like the Cocteau Twins, Colourbox, and Howard DeVoto. How to describe this album. It's basically dirge-like music with some very haunting arrangements. Acoustic instruments such as violas and celli augment the electronics beautifully. You'll either love or hate this, but if you want one really depressing album (so depressing it's invigorating), pick this one up. For me, the highlight is the second cut "Song for the Siren", sung by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, which somehow sounds electronic, Gaelic, English, and classical Indian all at once. My favourite album of the year thus far. Can someone point me to other groups that do this kind of stuff (I'm familiar with Joy Division, thanks)? Trivia question: what does the group/album name derive from? _Cocteau Twins EP_ (containing "Spangle Maker", etc.), _Treasure_, by Cocteau Twins. Both are recent import arrivals from the UK (well, they've probably been around for 6 months). I like both very much, but, as in TMC, they won't be to all tastes. They're more abrasive that TMC, but Fraser's singing is just as appealing, and the wall of synth/guitar accompaniment fills a listening room very nicely indeed. I'll leave reviews of really strange album purchases to another day. Cheers, Eugene Fiume U of Toronto