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the_eggwhiteI've decided that I'm going to do a grand listen-through of every CD I own, going through the bands in alphabetical order, and each band's albums/singles in chronological order.
This is likely to take me a while. Not least of which because the act of sorting them all into order is no mean feat. Some may not make it to a full listen, and some will end up out of order because I found them late. I have done this once before, and it took me a hell of a long time... I suspect this time will take just as long. I may not end up listening to every CD in full - although I may try to force myself every once in a while.
If I say I've skipped one, and you'd prefer I didn't... well, then you'll have to arrange to come round and make me listen to it.
But here we go - time to start.
Abel Ganz - The Dangers of Strangers (20th Anniversary Edition)
(Original: 1988, This Edition: 2008)
I picked this CD up straight after seeing a 20th anniversary reunion gig at the Summer's End festival in Lydney in 2008. I had a choice at the time between buying their new material or the newly remastered album which made them their name (such as their name is). I went with the remastered one, figuring that I could pick up the new album at a later date. I still haven't done so, but on the strength of this album and that gig, I probably ought to.
They're a lot like a more relaxed Marillion from around the Misplaced Childhood era, but without Fish yelling "Chah!" all the time. If I called them a "like fish-era marillion but a bit more laid back and a little less shrieky", I wouldn't be doing them justice, but I wouldn't be far wrong either.
Listening to this CD I don't get the same "standout performances from everyone in the band" that I notice on Marillion CDs... but that's kind of unfair. In some ways, there's less showing off and more just pulling together good, solid songs.
A brief aside...
At this point, I seem to have lost all of my remote controls. One I could understand, but all of them? The all-in-one and all of the individual ones? That's a stretch. Clearly the universe wants me to listen to this CD in it's entirity in a single sitting. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but I have a thirst that needs quenching and my drinks are in a different room. I did, however, find a large bag of ultrabright LEDs and appropriate resistors. I should do something with them.
So, track by track:
1) The Dangers of Strangers (Part I and II) - A good, solid 12 minute long introduction. Proggy in length and structure, but (unquenched thirst aside) never feels overly long.
2) Rain Again (Parts I, II and III) - Catchy and interesting without being overblown. I didn't really pick out the individual parts, but some of that was probably due to playing "hunt the remote" whilst listening.
3) Hustler 2 - KEEEYBOARD INTROOO! - Yes, this one has a fairly progtastic keyboard intro before kicking in to a pacey number that sounds a little dated (it's older than several of my friends, so that's fair) without being uncatchy. Most of the feeling of "it's of its time" comes from the choice of keyboard sound - it's very, very 80s. Not a problem, merely an observation! If I had no appreciation for 80s Neo-Prog keyboards then I wouldn't like about a third of the bands I do...
4) Dreamtime - I'm not sure what to make of this, other than the keyboard player getting his time in the spotlight for the intro. It's a bit of a slowburner, and at times I just don't think the singer's quite up to what he's trying to do. He's not bad, but it sounds like something that would benefit from being live and having a bit less production and a bit more punch. As it is, it just sounds slightly like it's missing some depth in the sound.
5) Pick a Window, you're leaving - PROGTASTIC INSTRUMENTAL! - Oooh - they let the bassist stand out a bit more than usual. I like it when bands do that. The poor buggers (along with drummers) are so often the ones keeping the whole damned song moving, so it's nice to occasionally hear what they're doing a bit more.
6) The Dangers of Strangers (Bonus Track Version) - I'd have to listen to the two versions right next to each other to spot the differences. Right now, it sounds like a fairly different version of the same song. It's shorter and sounds slightly fuller, but I can't put my finger on the differences much more right now.
There's a bonus video on the CD as well, but I'm not watching that right now, I think. Not unless the player just copes and plays it, which seems unlikely.
Verdict: Keep.
In fact, I could do worse than to pull this one out as a pretty damned good example of 1980s Neo-Prog. It stands up damned well.
Age of Reason - One Small Act of Defiance
I picked this one up on the strength of a few snippets heard here and there on the Fields of the Nephilim mailing list. At the time there was a bit of a lack of good goth rock - everything was being taken over by EBM, electronica and pre-packaged goth by way of Hot Topic shops in the US. Goth was becoming a twee, teen thing at the time and this lot were a bit of a breath of fresh (or perhaps "stale and beery") air.
Track by Track
1) Public Property - The production sounds a little, I don't know... thin and the vocals are sometimes just not quite up to the task. It's pretty decent, but just needs a bit more impact. It's catchy, but just feels like something's slightly missing.
2) Perfect You - With an intro that sounds uncannily familiar, I expected this to head a slightly different way. Again, the vocals are probably the weak link here. It just sounds like everything else is holding back to avoid drowning them out. Every now and then it all kicks off and it's good, but the rest of the time it's a bit... thin. I get the real feeling that they're a band who are probably better live, in a small venue with a beer soaked floor and full of slightly drunk metallers and gothy types. Which is just fine as far as I'm concerned.
3) How Do You Live - This one has the feel of a song where the lyricist is trying a bit harder, and it pays off. Likewise, it works better for the singer's voice. Some meaty guitars help too. It's not trying to go at breakneck speed, either - it goes at it's own pace and that helps a lot.
4) Killing Time (version) - The band want to be Killing Joke
5) Angelfire - I can't help but think of a late 90s / Early 00s web hosting company when I see this song name. It's almost enough that I can't focus on the song. Shame, as it's not a bad one - it's the "nice, mellow" song on the album. There's an accoustic guitar at the start and everything.
6) Stone Scissors Paper - As a recovering MET player, I feel I'm getting dangerously close to a relapse by listening to this song. I find it odd that I have multiple songs with this kind of theme in my music collection... This is one of them! Driven heavily by the drums and the bass - which I usually like, but I don't think this one quite works. Then again, it's blatantly a "woo, I've got a messed up ex" song, which never entirely work. Oddly in this case, I think it's the verses that work best, and the repeated chorus that doesn't.
7) Revolting Beast - A solid rocker. Another aaaangry song. There's a bit of a theme here. This one feels like one of the stronger songs on the album. It all just hangs together better than the rest, even if it's slightly less adventurous with it.
8) Age of Reason - A bit pedestrian at first, but it does get a bit more adventurous later on. It's clearly meant to be the "high impact" song on the album, but I don't think it quite manages it.
9) Crushed - The vocals arriving on the scene ruined a decent bit of drumming. The song recovers, and the vocals fit when it does, but it was a song that didn't seem to know how to start, so everyone just kind of blundered in when they felt like it. I can get a feel for the intent, but think it fell slightly short with that opening.
10) Seven Kings - Trying to be clever with the intro... and it kind of, sort of works. There are hints in here of the vocals finding something that works, but also hints of not quite getting it yet either. Again, though, the song finds its feet as it goes along. Rough start to a pretty solid song. In fact, this one's growing on me as it goes...
11) Liberation - Strong intro, and vocals that fit nicely in the mix. After the first minute or so of this one, I recall why I saw promise in this band. Interesting drums and guitar that just works... in some of the quieter moments the bass kicks in a bit and keeps things moving. In fact, I'd say this is one of the strongest songs on the album. The vocals are a bit more adventurous in places too, which helps. Actually, I'd say that most of the band are being a bit more adventurous on this one, and it pays off.
Okay, with good bits and weak bits
I'll keep it unless somebody really wants it, or unless I really run out of space. It's nothing hugely special, but it's quite listenable too... A couple of good, standout tracks amidst a perfectly passable album.
Verdict: TO GO (downgraded from "keep if room")
Alabama 3 - Exile on Coldharbour Lane
(1997)
As is traditional, I kind of got into this lot thanks to The Sopranos. They're not always exactly my thing, but when they are... they're damned awesome. I'm still entertained by the fact that a band so associated with Americana come from... Croydon, South London, England. This wasn't the album that got me into them (that was La Peste), but this is undoubtedly a memorable album all the same.
Track by Track:
1) Converted - The faux-gospel acid house country thing just works.
2) Speed of the Sound of Loneliness - It still just works. Strong basslines, bleepy bits, harmonica and piano. Can't go wrong.
3) Woke up this morning - If you've only heard this as the Soprano's theme music, stop and listen to the full version on this album. Take in the intro, and grok the song for what it is. It's a love song to the blues, and an expression of loss - that so many blues voices are now gone. It's also a f*$king awesome song.
4) U Don't Dans 2 Tekno - I still love this song. It entertains me every time, which is odd, given the subject matter!
5) Bourgoisee Blues - I can't tell if I like this one or not. It's a catchy song that occasionally just loses me slightly - particularly as the "gospel" bits just seem tacked on.
6) Ain't Goin' to Goa - Catchy and listenable, and I get a vibe of "let's avoid the hippy stoner nonsense"... but I try to not read too much into it beyond that.
7) Mao Tse Tung Said - It's not often you hear words from Chairman Mao's little red book set to "sweet country acid house jazz music".
8) Hypo Full of Love (the 12 step plan) - Entertaining as part of the underlying story of the album, and with some strong steps along the way. It's a catchy song and with many strong moments, but with enough about it that bugs me a bit that it's not in my front runners for "best Alabama 3 songs"...
9) The Old Purple Tin (9% of Pure Heaven) - Old school, laid back and melancholy blues/gospel crossover.
10) The Night We Nearly Got Busted - it's getting late... my comments are starting to flag a bit!
11) Sister Rosetta - There's a guitar part in here that sounds eerily familiar, but which I can't place. It's initially heralded by somebody saying "Geetar!". My brain is saying "Grange Hill Theme" at me, but that may just be because it's late.
12) Peace in the Valley - A melancholy start, but the song picks up to a strong beat. Possibly too strong for the song, in fact... until about another minute in when the rest of the song kicks in to match it.
Verdict: Keep.
It's not great all the way through, but when it is, it's a fantastic album. As far as I know, there isn't really another band like them... and if there is then they need to get their own act - this one's taken.
...and I think three CDs is enough for tonight, especially as the last one was quite a long one!
Next up:
Alabama 3 - La Peste
All About Eve - All About Eve
All About Eve - Scarlet and Other Stories
This is likely to take me a while. Not least of which because the act of sorting them all into order is no mean feat. Some may not make it to a full listen, and some will end up out of order because I found them late. I have done this once before, and it took me a hell of a long time... I suspect this time will take just as long. I may not end up listening to every CD in full - although I may try to force myself every once in a while.
If I say I've skipped one, and you'd prefer I didn't... well, then you'll have to arrange to come round and make me listen to it.
But here we go - time to start.
Abel Ganz - The Dangers of Strangers (20th Anniversary Edition)
(Original: 1988, This Edition: 2008)
I picked this CD up straight after seeing a 20th anniversary reunion gig at the Summer's End festival in Lydney in 2008. I had a choice at the time between buying their new material or the newly remastered album which made them their name (such as their name is). I went with the remastered one, figuring that I could pick up the new album at a later date. I still haven't done so, but on the strength of this album and that gig, I probably ought to.
They're a lot like a more relaxed Marillion from around the Misplaced Childhood era, but without Fish yelling "Chah!" all the time. If I called them a "like fish-era marillion but a bit more laid back and a little less shrieky", I wouldn't be doing them justice, but I wouldn't be far wrong either.
Listening to this CD I don't get the same "standout performances from everyone in the band" that I notice on Marillion CDs... but that's kind of unfair. In some ways, there's less showing off and more just pulling together good, solid songs.
A brief aside...
At this point, I seem to have lost all of my remote controls. One I could understand, but all of them? The all-in-one and all of the individual ones? That's a stretch. Clearly the universe wants me to listen to this CD in it's entirity in a single sitting. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but I have a thirst that needs quenching and my drinks are in a different room. I did, however, find a large bag of ultrabright LEDs and appropriate resistors. I should do something with them.
So, track by track:
1) The Dangers of Strangers (Part I and II) - A good, solid 12 minute long introduction. Proggy in length and structure, but (unquenched thirst aside) never feels overly long.
2) Rain Again (Parts I, II and III) - Catchy and interesting without being overblown. I didn't really pick out the individual parts, but some of that was probably due to playing "hunt the remote" whilst listening.
3) Hustler 2 - KEEEYBOARD INTROOO! - Yes, this one has a fairly progtastic keyboard intro before kicking in to a pacey number that sounds a little dated (it's older than several of my friends, so that's fair) without being uncatchy. Most of the feeling of "it's of its time" comes from the choice of keyboard sound - it's very, very 80s. Not a problem, merely an observation! If I had no appreciation for 80s Neo-Prog keyboards then I wouldn't like about a third of the bands I do...
4) Dreamtime - I'm not sure what to make of this, other than the keyboard player getting his time in the spotlight for the intro. It's a bit of a slowburner, and at times I just don't think the singer's quite up to what he's trying to do. He's not bad, but it sounds like something that would benefit from being live and having a bit less production and a bit more punch. As it is, it just sounds slightly like it's missing some depth in the sound.
5) Pick a Window, you're leaving - PROGTASTIC INSTRUMENTAL! - Oooh - they let the bassist stand out a bit more than usual. I like it when bands do that. The poor buggers (along with drummers) are so often the ones keeping the whole damned song moving, so it's nice to occasionally hear what they're doing a bit more.
6) The Dangers of Strangers (Bonus Track Version) - I'd have to listen to the two versions right next to each other to spot the differences. Right now, it sounds like a fairly different version of the same song. It's shorter and sounds slightly fuller, but I can't put my finger on the differences much more right now.
There's a bonus video on the CD as well, but I'm not watching that right now, I think. Not unless the player just copes and plays it, which seems unlikely.
Verdict: Keep.
In fact, I could do worse than to pull this one out as a pretty damned good example of 1980s Neo-Prog. It stands up damned well.
Age of Reason - One Small Act of Defiance
I picked this one up on the strength of a few snippets heard here and there on the Fields of the Nephilim mailing list. At the time there was a bit of a lack of good goth rock - everything was being taken over by EBM, electronica and pre-packaged goth by way of Hot Topic shops in the US. Goth was becoming a twee, teen thing at the time and this lot were a bit of a breath of fresh (or perhaps "stale and beery") air.
Track by Track
1) Public Property - The production sounds a little, I don't know... thin and the vocals are sometimes just not quite up to the task. It's pretty decent, but just needs a bit more impact. It's catchy, but just feels like something's slightly missing.
2) Perfect You - With an intro that sounds uncannily familiar, I expected this to head a slightly different way. Again, the vocals are probably the weak link here. It just sounds like everything else is holding back to avoid drowning them out. Every now and then it all kicks off and it's good, but the rest of the time it's a bit... thin. I get the real feeling that they're a band who are probably better live, in a small venue with a beer soaked floor and full of slightly drunk metallers and gothy types. Which is just fine as far as I'm concerned.
3) How Do You Live - This one has the feel of a song where the lyricist is trying a bit harder, and it pays off. Likewise, it works better for the singer's voice. Some meaty guitars help too. It's not trying to go at breakneck speed, either - it goes at it's own pace and that helps a lot.
4) Killing Time (version) - The band want to be Killing Joke
5) Angelfire - I can't help but think of a late 90s / Early 00s web hosting company when I see this song name. It's almost enough that I can't focus on the song. Shame, as it's not a bad one - it's the "nice, mellow" song on the album. There's an accoustic guitar at the start and everything.
6) Stone Scissors Paper - As a recovering MET player, I feel I'm getting dangerously close to a relapse by listening to this song. I find it odd that I have multiple songs with this kind of theme in my music collection... This is one of them! Driven heavily by the drums and the bass - which I usually like, but I don't think this one quite works. Then again, it's blatantly a "woo, I've got a messed up ex" song, which never entirely work. Oddly in this case, I think it's the verses that work best, and the repeated chorus that doesn't.
7) Revolting Beast - A solid rocker. Another aaaangry song. There's a bit of a theme here. This one feels like one of the stronger songs on the album. It all just hangs together better than the rest, even if it's slightly less adventurous with it.
8) Age of Reason - A bit pedestrian at first, but it does get a bit more adventurous later on. It's clearly meant to be the "high impact" song on the album, but I don't think it quite manages it.
9) Crushed - The vocals arriving on the scene ruined a decent bit of drumming. The song recovers, and the vocals fit when it does, but it was a song that didn't seem to know how to start, so everyone just kind of blundered in when they felt like it. I can get a feel for the intent, but think it fell slightly short with that opening.
10) Seven Kings - Trying to be clever with the intro... and it kind of, sort of works. There are hints in here of the vocals finding something that works, but also hints of not quite getting it yet either. Again, though, the song finds its feet as it goes along. Rough start to a pretty solid song. In fact, this one's growing on me as it goes...
11) Liberation - Strong intro, and vocals that fit nicely in the mix. After the first minute or so of this one, I recall why I saw promise in this band. Interesting drums and guitar that just works... in some of the quieter moments the bass kicks in a bit and keeps things moving. In fact, I'd say this is one of the strongest songs on the album. The vocals are a bit more adventurous in places too, which helps. Actually, I'd say that most of the band are being a bit more adventurous on this one, and it pays off.
Okay, with good bits and weak bits
Verdict: TO GO (downgraded from "keep if room")
Alabama 3 - Exile on Coldharbour Lane
(1997)
As is traditional, I kind of got into this lot thanks to The Sopranos. They're not always exactly my thing, but when they are... they're damned awesome. I'm still entertained by the fact that a band so associated with Americana come from... Croydon, South London, England. This wasn't the album that got me into them (that was La Peste), but this is undoubtedly a memorable album all the same.
Track by Track:
1) Converted - The faux-gospel acid house country thing just works.
2) Speed of the Sound of Loneliness - It still just works. Strong basslines, bleepy bits, harmonica and piano. Can't go wrong.
3) Woke up this morning - If you've only heard this as the Soprano's theme music, stop and listen to the full version on this album. Take in the intro, and grok the song for what it is. It's a love song to the blues, and an expression of loss - that so many blues voices are now gone. It's also a f*$king awesome song.
4) U Don't Dans 2 Tekno - I still love this song. It entertains me every time, which is odd, given the subject matter!
5) Bourgoisee Blues - I can't tell if I like this one or not. It's a catchy song that occasionally just loses me slightly - particularly as the "gospel" bits just seem tacked on.
6) Ain't Goin' to Goa - Catchy and listenable, and I get a vibe of "let's avoid the hippy stoner nonsense"... but I try to not read too much into it beyond that.
7) Mao Tse Tung Said - It's not often you hear words from Chairman Mao's little red book set to "sweet country acid house jazz music".
8) Hypo Full of Love (the 12 step plan) - Entertaining as part of the underlying story of the album, and with some strong steps along the way. It's a catchy song and with many strong moments, but with enough about it that bugs me a bit that it's not in my front runners for "best Alabama 3 songs"...
9) The Old Purple Tin (9% of Pure Heaven) - Old school, laid back and melancholy blues/gospel crossover.
10) The Night We Nearly Got Busted - it's getting late... my comments are starting to flag a bit!
11) Sister Rosetta - There's a guitar part in here that sounds eerily familiar, but which I can't place. It's initially heralded by somebody saying "Geetar!". My brain is saying "Grange Hill Theme" at me, but that may just be because it's late.
12) Peace in the Valley - A melancholy start, but the song picks up to a strong beat. Possibly too strong for the song, in fact... until about another minute in when the rest of the song kicks in to match it.
Verdict: Keep.
It's not great all the way through, but when it is, it's a fantastic album. As far as I know, there isn't really another band like them... and if there is then they need to get their own act - this one's taken.
...and I think three CDs is enough for tonight, especially as the last one was quite a long one!
Next up:
Alabama 3 - La Peste
All About Eve - All About Eve
All About Eve - Scarlet and Other Stories
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2011-11-30 01:13 (UTC)