Dalis Car - "The Waking Hours" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1984 (Paradox Records)

Dalis Car is truth in advertising.  Mick Karn from Japan and Peter Murphy from Bauhaus.  Both talented musicians from bands with the worse names.  Dalis Car is just as bad as a name for a band, but if we ignore that little fact, the music is quite awarding.   Both Murphy and Karn have/had an aesthetic that is very much based on East European or Asian sounds.  Listening to their album "The Waking Hours" is very much like going to a great metaphysical bookstore that covers spiritual practices not only in the West but also other parts of the world.  Murphy as the vocalist moved from the goth/Bowie world into a figure that's exploring other worlds.  I think of the relationship between Karn and Murphy such as Jean Cocteau's two main characters in his film "Orpheus."   Murphy playing the Orphée role and Karn as Heurtebise.  Leading one to another world.

The Waking Hours" (very Cocteau like) is very much Mick Karn playing all the instruments, including the magnificent fretless bass, that he mastered with sparse instrumentation to give Murphy a lot of room for his vocals.  It's interesting to note, as a Japan fan, to notice the differences between the David Sylvian (Japan's main writer and vocalist) and the Karn solo/project works.  Sylvian opens up his recording where there's a lot of space, but Karn sounds like he's working in a very small room which contains the sound.  It's not Mono, but the sound comes from one direction. Like in Japan, the bass is the lead instrument, and Karn had the knack to make his instrumental skills very punk-like (although not in sound) in that there is a DIY mentality in his recordings.  Dalis Car is not a band, but Mick Karn doing all the music and Murphy adding the vocals. 

I don't know if Dalis Car was meant to go on after this album, but for me, I don't think there was a need for another album from the Karn/Murphy duo.   This is very much a great listening experience and I miss the late Mick Karn greatly. 

Bob Lind - "Photographs of Feeling" Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, 1966 (World Pacific)

The third album by Bob Lind that was issued in 1966.  This album like the previous "Don't Be Concerned" is produced and arranged by Jack Nitzsche.  Lind must have signed a record contract made in hell, nevertheless the key thing for me at the very least, is not Lind, but Nitzsche.  "Photographs of Feeling" is very much the ultimate folk singer doing a pop album circa 1966.  If there is no Nitzsche here, I wouldn't be interested in Bob Lind's songs on this album.  I much prefer "Don't Be Concerned."  Still, as I listen to this album, I'm struck by the idea that we don't have the classic arranger doing a pop album anymore.  Well, at least one who works in the recording studio, with strings, guitars, various percussion instruments, and magnificent strings.  Nitzsche doesn't overwhelm the songs,  he accents and beautifully back up Lind's voice.  There are no backup vocals, it's Lind and his guitar - and of course, the remarkable noise that is Nitzsche supporting Lind's performance/songs. 

There is the electric bass sound that is very Nitzsche like, and I really don't hear it on any other recordings of that time.  Everything is contained, and this is the most 'mono' sounding record I have ever heard.  I hear traces of Stones' "Aftermath," but it's very much of an afterthought here.  There are only ten songs on this album, and time goes by quickly.  If you use the restroom while playing this record you can easily miss two songs.   There is something very light and airy about Lind's songs.  He is clearly a folk singer in a pop format. Nitzsche brings in another element or ingredient in the soup.  For those who must have everything by Jack Nitzsche, this album is a must.  It's neither the best Lind or Nitzsche record, still, it is a marvel to hear the master arranger at work. 

"Ork Records New York New York" on Tosh Talks

A new "Tosh Talks" episode on the greatness of the "Ork Records: New York New York" (Numero Group) vinyl box set with book.

Buffalo Springfield - "Buffalo Springfield" 2 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1973 (Atco)

The one word that comes to my mind when I hear the name "Buffalo Springfield" is frustration.  This is a band that should have gone to a higher level of greatness, but I suspect ego got in the way of the direction to go upwards.   Still, they left three albums that are very good, but this compilation of those three records are the best introduction to the Buffalo Springfield world.  

The beauty of the band was the perfect set-up or relationship between the dueling lead guitars of Steve Stills and Neil Young, and Richie Furay's superb vocals and rhythm guitar.  With the soul/Stax drumming of Dewey Martin, and who I suspect is the real star of the group, Bruce Palmer on bass.  Part of the sadness I feel is that this is a band that lost an opportunity of making a permanent presence on the stage.  What I have seen from one clip of them playing live on TV, is incredible.   The tension between the players reminds me of the original set-up of Television with Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd.  All play guitars, but at times it seems that they were having a communication between themselves, and us listeners were allowed to listen in.    The fact that Stills/Young tried to do something with the Springfield, and then with the terrible CSNY, and then the Stills/Young album/tour, well, I guess they tried.  The fact is these were two different type of musicians/songwriters, and I think they genuinely needed each other, to make their work more consistent and robust.   I'm not a fan of solo Neil or solo Stills, but when they combine their talents in Buffalo Springfield, it was magnificent.  The sad thing is that there is no film footage of them on stage, and worse, no live recordings.   Just hearing the extended version of Stills' "Bluebird" is fantastic.   One of the great guitar rave-ups in recorded history!

The band playing together was equal, but again, I think their recordings are a hit and miss.  The first album, produced by Greene and Stone, miss the intensity of the songs and their performance.  Still, "Mr. Soul" and "For What's it's Worth" are amazing records.  The other secret weapon is Richie Furay, who is an incredible singer.   Both in harmony and lead vocals.   And there should have been a full-use of the genius Jack Nitzsche, for instance, he should have arranged the entire works of Buffalo Springfield, not only on the Neil stuff but all the other material as well.   After the first album, it became a situation where each band member produced his composition and so forth.   So in a sense, you have a series of solo recordings within the Buffalo Springfield landscape.   

Buffalo Springfield was a super band, but due to its character, it burned itself out before doing something incredible.   This double compilation album is pretty great.  Still, I feel that there was more work to be done.  The story is not over yet. 

Brian Wilson - "Caroline, No" b/w "Summer Means New Love" 7", Vinyl, 45 rpm, Single, 1966 (Capital)

A great song period.  The mystery here for me is why is this specific 45 rpm single of "Caroline, No"   under Brian Wilson's name and not The Beach Boys?    For one, none of the other Beach Boys are on "Caroline, No" and I wonder if Brian was thinking of life outside the Beach Boys?   One thing consistent with Brian Wilson is that he often composed music, even with a happy motif, often sounded sad.  "Pet Sounds" is a very dark album which hints of a troubled life.  The great irony of something like his masterpiece "Smile," which according to stories was a miserable time for him and the band, is very happy as an album.  On the other hand, even though the early songs were about cars/surfing, the melodies strike me as sad, which to my mind, makes the Beach Boys the greatest white blues band ever.  Mike Love likes to present 'his' band as happy-go-lucky lads in search of surf, sun, girls,  and hot wheels, but in fact, there is a desperation behind these recordings.  Beach Boys are one of the few bands that I can't listen to a lot because it really depresses me.

"Caroline, No" is one of those songs that I put on, just to reflect on life, or a meditation of sorts on what went wrong in one's life.   Even the b-side "Summer Means New Love" is not a happy melody. It's looking back at that summer that 'had' promise, but the romance didn't really happen.   I wished Brian Wilson at this time, ditched The Beach Boys and made more music under his name.   His main instrumentation at this time was really the recording studio.  The vocals of the lads are remarkable, but still, it is Brian Wilson all the way.  

Ronnie Spector - "Try Some, Buy Some / "Tandoori Chicken" Vinyl, 7" 45 rpm, 1971 (Apple)

Ronnie Spector's "Try Some, Buy Some" is the last great Phil Spector recording.  Or I should say the last bit of greatness on vinyl with Spector's participation.  He co-produced the 45 rpm single with George Harrison, who also wrote the song.  Must credit the arrangement of the song to John Barham, who with Harrison had/has a deep interest in Indian music.  Spector is normally a collaborative artist, but one wonders how he really felt giving co-credit to another producer, even though that person wrote the song.  The same goes for John Lennon/Yoko.   Nevertheless "Try Some, Buy Some" is not only a great Spector sounding disc but one of Harrison's best songs.   His version on "Living in the Material World" is totally fabulous as well.   David Bowie's version is great too.  

It's very much the sound of Harrison at the time.  Either he was swept up by the idea of a classic Spector wall of sound - especially in his first proper solo (song orientated) album "All Things Must Pass."  An album that I have a hard time relistening due that the production makes the material sound lifeless and stiff.  On the other hand, the Spector touch is fantastic on "Try Some, Buy Some."  Harrison was very much in tune with the orchestration of his voice fighting out with the amazing amount of strings, horns, and whatever there was in the studio at the time.  A beautiful melody, but Ronnie Spector's take, is the best, just due to the strength of her fantastic voice.  One can also imagine the horrible existence of Ronnie at the time of this recording, with respect to her marriage to Spector.  

Not the easiest record to find, but this is a fantastic single.  The B-side is "Tandoori Chicken, written by Harrison and Spector, and it's a great throwaway song that's perfect for the b-side of things. 

Morrissey - "Low in High School" (Apple Music )

Morrissey's "Low in High School" is a very odd album. For one, he's an incredible lyricist, but this album is not a work of a great lyric writer. He is a fantastic observer of moods and the character of a place he knows, such as Manchester. When he leaves that world, he's basically a tourist and commenting from a travel guide. I can't tell if the song "Israel" is a political commentary or a song he wrote for their tourist board. And if he is praising Israel as a country or culture, how can he, on the one hand, put down a soldier who is fighting in a war ("I Bury the Living"), and yet praising a country that has the largest war merchandise with respect to military power in that region? People join the military for various reasons, perhaps financial, social, or family practice. Morrissey doesn't go into the subject matter with much insight into the soldier's mind. 

His fascination with Tel-Aviv is basically a mystery to me. But then again, he was like that with Rome, but at the very least he mentions his love for Pasolini and Morricone's music - but what does he say about Tel-Aviv? How does he feel about the Gaza? If he was writing about a location as if it was in a journal that is one thing, but he's making a huge statement that's "Israel."

Musically and style wise "Low in High School" reminds me of a bit of Jacques Brel, but without the intellect or his life experience. The album is very 'produced' with no space or silence. It's like a TV commercial where one stops thinking, and you are just being preached upon, but in a manner that's annoying. Still, some musical delights come and go throughout the album. 

Which comes to mind his singing on this album is superb, but the great voice can't hide the mis-thinking and naivety of his political stance. If, and or if he is making a political position. He's not Woody Gutherie that's for sure. His attack on 'mainstream' media is basically a conformist blaming others - in fact, he blames others a lot. What's disappointing to me is that I admire Morrissey's work. When he's great, he's really great. The sad thing and the great irony is that he sort of became a Donald Trump. There is a bullying aspect of his recent work, that is unsettling. One time he was with his audience, but now I feel that he's making judgments on other's culture without understanding that specific society or grouping.

Unlike Trump, Morrissey eroticizes his passions. There is a sexual manner where the brains stops and the body takes over. And I presume his take on race, war, diet, is very fetish orientated in that he fetishizes his likes that are not really true in nature or everyday life. As an artist, I think this is perfectly OK. On the other hand, when there is so much suffering in the world, he could show more compassion for those who have to do what they do to exist. At one time I felt he had a feel for those not in power - but now, things change. Life does change. We will see what tomorrow brings and what his reactions will be with the world in crisis.

Thelonious Monk Trio - "Bemsha Swing" Vinyl, 7", EP, 45 RPM, France, 1960 (Barclay)

I found this slightly battered copy of this French 7" EP at Rockaway Records this evening.   These are four songs that were selected from his 1952 recording with the great drummer Max Roach and bassist Gary Mapp.   This is 7" of magic.  Offhand, I'm having dirty sexual thoughts tying this, but alas, I'm talking about the aural pleasure that comes with the name Thelonious Monk.  

There are four songs on this EP, and they are "Bemsha Swing," Reflections" and then go to side two, for "Trinkle Tinkle" and classic beautiful "These Foolish Things" written by Strackey and Link.  Monk wrote the other three and they are brilliant.   There are three great pianists that I'm aware of, one is Glenn Gould, the other is Ron Mael from Sparks, and then there is Monk.   This is an artist who sees music as a piece of sculpture, and what he does is gently trace the melody as if it was on thin rice paper.   I never heard another pianist who had this approach to melody and treating it like a beautiful lover.   

I'm imaging that this EP was once owned by someone like Juliette Gréco, who played it while drinking wine in a juice glass and looking outside her window and watching the leaves fall from trees.  I imagine a lot of things, but I always have a soundtrack to my fantasies.  Here's one of many. 

Legendary Stardust Cowboy - "Launch Pad Favorites" 2 X Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 2016 (Munster Records)

Ziggy Stardust came out of Legendary Stardust Cowboy.  David Bowie discovered him in America when he first came to the country as a Mercury recording artist.  Going through the other artists on this label he found a 45 rpm single of "Paralyzed," probably one of the more unusual releases from a major U.S. label ever.  Perhaps two or three minutes of noise, that one would gather had roots in rockabilly music.  Bowie thought it was a work of genius, and clearly, he's a man who not only has taste but knows 'weird' like no other artist at that time. 

There is a school of art called Brut, or better known in English as 'outside artists.'  Legendary Stardust Cowboy, real name is Norman Carl Odam may be a cowboy from outer space.  Which makes him very outside artist.   There seem to be two interests in Odam's life - rockabilly music and space travel.  It's not unusual for 1950s musicians to be obsessed with outer space life, but Legendary Stardust Cowboy brings it to another level.   For instance, he's not really what we call a singer.  Yet, there is something about his voice, especially with the addition of his songwriting.   He's a great songwriter.   You have to go through the most shocking sound of his records, and really (REALLY) listen to his music, but there is nothing more beautiful out there than his "I Took A Trip (On A Gemini Spaceship)."  Probably the most romantic outer space song ever.  Up their with Bowie's "Space Oddity," which by hook or crook, Odam did a cover of that song.  Either as a tribute to Bowie's support or a genuine appreciation of Bowie's interest in outer space songs.  Bowie eventually did a cover of "I Took A Trip" on "Heathen."   If you hear the Bowie version and not look at the credits, you would think, "of course Bowie wrote this."   Perhaps Bowie was influenced not only by Odam's song, but his lyrical writing as well.  "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" is a combination of Legendary Stardust Cowboy and Vince Taylor.  Two outside and perhaps 'insane' artists who went too far off the map.  Norman Carl Odam is  still here with us, and his remarkable work is represented so well in this compilatiion "Launch Pad Favorites."   

There is not a bad cut on this album.  The other classic songs beside "I Took A Trip" is "Radar" and "Linda."  Still, one can admire "I Hate CD's."   There are a few compilations of Legendary Stardust Cowboy's work, but this collection put together by Spain's Munster Records is superb.  Also nice packaging with a lyric sheet.   As mentioned, Odam is a very good and talented lyricist.  

Mickey Spillane/Stan Purdy - "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Story" Vinyl, 10", 331/3, 1954 (The Fifth Corp.)

There is nothing artistic about Mickey Spillane's work or even his almost 'performance artist' level of being a writer.   For me, and I'm sure there were others, but I'm just not aware of them, Spillane is the first public image of what a writer should act like.  There is no reason why one should separate the writer from their work.  It was obvious to me that Spillane was not writing fiction, but an autobiography.   That is not the case whatsoever.  He was a fictional writer, and he went beyond that and made himself "Mickey Spillane" as a fictional character.  

At the height of Spillane's fame and glory, he made this 10" album where side one is a short narrative by him, and with the author reading the text.  The background is music by Stan Purdy, a composer that Spillane discovered somewhere in the music world.  As far as I know, this is Purdy's only recorded work.  In other words, he was Spillane's music composer under his wing or company.   As mentioned, I don't think his work as a writer is that artistic, but on the other hand, Spillane was an artist in the sense he made himself bigger than his literature.  The only writer I can think of who did something similar is Yukio Mishima.   I wonder if Spillane knew of Mishima, as a writer, and in the same sense as the noir author, a performance artist? 

Beyond the identity issue, this 10" album is great.  The first side is entertaining because Spillane gives his story a sense of character in his performance.  Side two is all music.  And it's very much the Jazzy Crime TV/Film soundtrack that was very common during the 1950s.  Not as cool or brilliant as Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" but still, a cool snapshot of that time and period.  The packaging is brilliant.   The front cover painting is by G.R. Wilson, and at this time and moment, I can't find anything else by this artist.  Like Purdy, it seems he existed all for Mickey Spillane's purpose and vision. 

  

Can - "The Singles" Vinyl, LP, Compliation, 2017 (Spoon Records)

I purchased my first Can album this year (2017).  "Singles" is my second purchase of the year with respect to Can.  I mostly know Can from Holger Czukay's work with David Sylvian, Jah Wobble, and his superb solo album "Movies."  Why it took me so long in obtaining two Can (at the very least) is a mystery to me.  Nevertheless, late as I am, I greatly admire their music.  Jaki Liebezeit is the glue that keeps the groove on, with respect to their recordings.  They could have called this collection of singles "Can Dance Party."   

Liebezeit is an incredible drummer.  There is something mechanical about the beat, but it has a touch of eccentricity as well.   I especially like it when there are bongos or some sort of hand drums added to the mix.  "Singles" cover the entire Can career, and therefore an introduction to their basic sound.  What's left out are the experimental/noise of some of the "Taga Mago" pieces, and more of a focus of their driven funk/groove with superb melodies on top of it.  There are four stages of Can:  The first with lead singer Malcolm Mooney, then Japanese vocalist Damo Suzuki took over those duties.  He left, and then the band's guitarist Michael Karoli did some vocals, and toward the end of Can, they added Rebop Kwaku Baah on additional percussion and Rosko Lee on bass.  Czukay was very much the bass player, but later added electronic touches as well as engineering and editing the music afterward the recording.   Irmin Schmidt was the keyboard player - and all went in the same direction and page as the others.  

Some of their instrumental passages remind me of Miles Davis during his electric band period. Especially with Kwaku Baah and Lee in the band.  Not with respect to the free form of the music but the tightness and focus on the rhythm and groove.  Also like Czukay, Miles' producer/engineer Teo Macero was famous for editing and splicing the long jams.  So there is a live aspect to the band, but also equally devoted to the studio as an instrument with the help of the engineer (Czukay in Can's case and Macero in Miles world).  

"Singles" is a collection of all the Can 45 rpm 7" records.   So, in theory, this is music for commercial/radio or DJ's.  It's an incredible entrance to the Can planet, and one can also explore the differences between Mooney and Suzuki as well as when they worked as a four-man band, and of course, the addition of Lee and Kwaku Baah.   The strong sense of melody is the sweetener and its catchiness is pure candy that is digestible and still leaves you hungry for more.  

V.A. - "Ork Records: New York, New York" Box Set, 4 x Vinyl Compilation, Book, 2015 (Numero Group)

"Ork Records: New York, New York" is a crazed pandora's box. Once opened, it's hard to keep that energy contained within its packaging.  One of the best thought-out box sets ever in the vinyl world, "Ork Records" exposes the foundation, and how everything changed from the floor and up.  The record label had to happen due to the dynamic music being made in New York City in the mid and late 1970s.  With respect to Terry Ork and Charles Ball's label, Ork Records, it was ground zero for a literal rebirth of rock n' roll, when rock almost lost its roll.   It's a label that attracted brilliant and troubled characters as well as visionary geniuses who used the sonic abilities to capture inspiration as it was being made and processed through the local NYC presses at the time. 

Terry Ork sounds like he would make a great Patricia Highsmith character.  Gay, with numerous name changes to avoid the law, and an obsessed fascination with the cinema also had a thing about drugs and sleeping with young men.  What brings him to our attention is his cultivated taste for great music and the artists who committed themselves to their music.  The band that opened up the world of possibilities was Television.   It was Television's idea of doing an independent single release of one of their great songs, "Little Johnny Jewel."  Both Television members Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell were into poetry and printed their own book of poems, which was not an unusual practice for poets at that time (and still), but in that fashion, why not put out a record in such a manner as printing up a book of poems.  Terry Ork helped financed the move, and as a tribute to their manager, they named the label Ork Records.   Later with Charles Ball, who had more financial smarts, released a few dozen   45 rpm singles of various bands and artists.   This box set is the result of those releases.  The tremendous and weird thing about all of this is that there isn't a stinker in any of their releases on Ork Records.  Terry and Charles had the touch of genius in choosing their artists.  

With Terry (and Charles) being the center of the perfect storm, Ork Records was the springboard for New York City punk and new wave music at the time.  Television release of their single, brought Richard Hell's first record, and which meant Hell's guitarist Robert Quine making a record with rock writer legend Lester Bangs recording, which drew on Television's Richard Lloyd recordings, which got Chris Stamey, which led to Alex Chilton and so forth.   Ork was the head engine struggling to get over the steep hill, and they were carrying all these great musicians in their train compartments.  

"Ork Records" is a work of perfection.  The box set consists of four vinyl LP's and a hardcover book.  The book alone is worth the price of the whole package, but the music is exceptional.  As a teenager in Los Angeles, I have found New York as this mystical land where great things happen. When I hunted down the original Ork Records singles, such as the Hell and Television recordings, it was like getting a message from another part of the world.  I got the same feeling when I purchased the Chris Stamey recordings as well - his Ork release as well as music from his own label, Car Records.  It was an extraordinary world at the time, and re-listening to these recordings on this box set does not disappoint.  They were indeed excellent recordings of their time, and they still kick ass.  It's great to hear the Alex Chilton records in the context of this box set, because it's part of the narrative and it's essential that it is part of the story or Ork and the others who were involved in this world.  

By however anyone looks at this package, it's essential for those who will study NYC cultural history of the 70s.  For instance, if you are studying the arts such as conceptual art, painting, and especially poetry, you must have the Ork Records box set.  It's part of the puzzle or piece that when you look at it, the story becomes more evident. It shows how a group of individuals can make marginal music (due to the financial and structional cultural world of its time) and how in its weird way is sort of the mirror image of Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes. 

Tosh Talks - Joe Meek part1 The Honeycombs

My talk on the great British record producer Joe Meek.  Part 1

Barry Ryan - "Eloise" b/w "Love I Almost Found You" Vinyl, 7" Single, 1968 (MGM)

At the length of 5 minutes and 26 seconds, this is not your average 45 rpm single, but more of a statement of purpose.  There is the wall of sound, but the arrangement and direction by Johnny Arthey are similar to containing a typhoon in a recording studio.  "Eloise" is a song/recording that will not be forgotten once heard.  On one level it's about a loss of a girl named "Eloise," but the song is more about naked emotional feelings, and this is the landscape where excellent pop music is made.  

In 1967 there was a partnership made from the very beginning.  England's Paul and Barry Ryan were identical twin brothers, and both had the strong vocal talent of such artists like Tom Jones.  Paul became the songwriter of the duo, and eventually, he got burned out being on stage, touring, and made a new arrangement that he will be the songwriter, and Barry will be the solo singer.   Out of this partnership came "Eloise."  

Without a doubt one of the great 45 rpm single release from the 1960s.  This is a record that was going to be tremendous or fails miserably.   I recommend playing this at full volume and surrender to its big sound that is one huge sonic aural organism.   The b-side "Love, I Almost Found You" is almost as wonderful as the A-side. 

Brian Eno - "Rarities" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1983 (Editions EG)

I'm such a total record/vinyl geek these days.  I often wake up ashamed of my passion, but then I think of the enjoyment I get from hunting, looking and of course, listening to these damn types of vinyl.  We live in such a horror landscape that even for a few minutes (which I turn to lasting for days) I love being lost in a world that is both exotic and obsessive.  For one, I  have been looking for a vinyl release of Brian Eno's single "Seven Deadly Finns"(1974) and one he did around "Another Green World" "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which was originally a folk song.  I did find copies of the 45 rpm singles but were way too expensive for me to buy.  Then, suddenly I came upon the "Rarities" disc that was part of a large package "Working Backwards: 1983-1973, which at the time of this boxset release was the entire discography of solo Eno.  Since I have all the albums in this box set, all I wanted was the "Rarities" disc.  It took years, but someone on the Internet was willing to sell just the "Rarities" EP.   Moving like a Seal Navy soldier of fortune, I snapped the record from the other collector.  

"Seven Deadly Finns" is very much the aesthetic of the first two Eno solo albums.  It's a sonic rush of pure mayhem.  I don't know who plays on the recording, but it's such a perfect blend of action - it reminds me of Jackson Pollack doing a painting in front of a movie camera.  If one wants to put the recording in a category I would call it 'hyper-glam.'   "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is minimal in a sense, but somehow sounds maximum.   Eno overdubs his vocals which is a tribute to a 20-century take on folk, which became a hit pop song with the group The Tokens in the 1960s.  Eno loves vocal music and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is the perfect piece of canvas for him to do his painting on.  

The other side is three instrumentals, and all sound like it was recorded during his time working with David Byrne and Talking Heads.  Electro-funk and I haven't the foggiest idea who is on the recordings besides Eno.   The songs are "Strong Flashes of Light," "More Volts," and "Mist/Rhythm."  All three are excellent works. 

Bob McFadden & Dor: "The Mummy" b/w "The Beat Generation" Vinyl, 7" 45 rpm, 1959 (Brunswick)

It took me around 40 years to discover Bob McFadden and Dor's "The Beat Generation," and my only interest in this particular novelty song is that Richard Hell based his "The Blank Generation" on it.  Rod McKuen wrote the song and I guess he was sort of a 'Beatnik' for the masses in the late 1950s.   Listening to the recording, I can hear McKuen's vocals, as well as McFadden, who was a voice-over actor for cartoons and commercials.    In such a fashion, McKuen is one of the mainstream artists who hammered the nail into the Beat coffin, but still, this is a good tune.  It's crap, but it has its charm.  Hell's "The Blank Generation" is way better.  Still, I think it's great that Hell got to this record and made his own take on it. 

Procol Harum - "Shine On Brightly" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1968 (A&M)

Procol Harum couldn't do no wrong in my brain and ears.  It's the odd mixture of Gary Brooker's rhythm n' blues vocals singing the baroque type of classical orientated pop.  It's obvious that the band is schooled in classic black American music, but their sound is a twisted version of a mod like psychedelia yet grounded in great musicianship.   One can argue that perhaps they have a prog leanings, but they are more rooted in the arrangement of Bach-like melodies or the way that composer adds layers of melody on top of one another.  On a later album, they worked with Christiane Legrand who was a member of the Swingle Singers.  Not an odd choice of an artist to work with, because like the Swingle Singers who had a jazz background approaching the classics is very similar to Procol Harum, who have a strong R n' B foundation being sucked into something that is very Bach-like in fashion and sound. 

"Shine On Brightly" is Procol Harum's second album, and it's different from their first masterpiece album.  For one, the arrangements are more playful, and there is a certain aspect of joy in these set of songs.  Side two is a very piece called "In Held Twas I" that is similar to the second side of The Beatles "Abbey Road" album, in that it's a suite of miniature pop songs.  Not that far off from The Who's "A Quick One..."  

I always felt the secret weapon in Procol Harum was their drummer B.J. Wilson.  He's perfect for the majestic sound of the band, and there is such a powerful percussion presence on their albums, for instance like this one.   It makes perfect sense that he worked with Lou Reed on "Berlin" which I feel was very much influenced by Procol Harum's approach to dramatic orchestration.  The dynamic tension between Brooker's piano and Morgan Fisher's organ is another aspect of this musical relationship.   Brooker plays power cord piano, and the organ answers his call, in some fashion, its a conversation between these two, with Robin Trower's guitar and Wilson's drumming as sort of being the guys in between the discussion.   Everyone from The Bad Seeds to The Band I think was influenced by this band, not only due to the piano/organ relationship, but also the dramatic quality of telling a tale.  Keif Reid is their lyricist and his surrealistic or impressionistic lyrics adds another element to the package.  Brooker sings his words not with intense passion, but almost in a detached manner, which makes its own intensity between voice and the word.  "Shine On Brightly" is a great collection of songs, and I think it's criminally overlooked in our contemporary times.   

Lewis Furey - "The Humours Of" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1976 (A&M)

Lewis Furey is one of those incredibly talented individuals that oddly enough fell through the cracks of acknowledgment and fame.  Although I believe he's known in France, where he lives, and made recordings in Paris, as well as directing and writing films.   "The Humours Of" is Furey's second album for A&M.  His first album "Lewis Furey" sounds like an off-Broadway collection of songs attached to a small theatre somewhere in the Village.   This album is not cinematic, but more of an expansive Broadway production, with an expensive production by Roy Thomas Baker. 

The early to mid-70s belong to Bowie, Eno, Roxy Music, and Lou/John Cale solo albums.  Furey quickly falls into the world of the Velvets, but only if Lou/Cale were writing songs for a huge Broadway show.   I bring these other artists up because Furey dwells into the urban landscape of decadence or street life.   His first two albums are interesting bookends at the time.  Just due that one had an intimate (the first album) approach, and the second is to wow the listener over.  "Rubber Gun Show" is a great opening song and leads to a very sexualized existence throughout the album.  And there is even a fantastic run-on groove on the end of side two.  The record will never end.