Various - "Babylon Berlin" OST, 3 x Vinyl, 2 x CD, LP, Album, Germany, 2018 (BMG)

Only a few times in my old life have I been affected by a film/show where I needed to get the soundtrack of that work right away.  "Performance" and "A Clockwork Orange" comes to mind that I raced to the record store to get those OST albums after seeing those films in a theater.  "Babylon Berlin" is the third soundtrack album, where I was compelled due to the excellence of the show, and how important the recording was to the images that came on my TV set.  "Babylon Berlin is a German TV show based on a series of detective novels by Volker Kutscher that takes place in the Weimar Republic.  The program is a mixture of noir and the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew.  The soundtrack is mostly composed by one of the show's directors Tom Tykwer and composer Johnny Kilmek.  This three disk set if you play from side one to the last,  is two hours long.   Along with the Tykwer/Kilmek music, you also get the Bryan Ferry Orchestra, with Ferry on vocals on two cuts, the Moka Efti Orchestra, one song by Tim Fischer, and blues performer/guitarist (& wonderfully named) Guitar Crusher.

Like the production of the show, this soundtrack is a form of perfection as well.   When I first heard it, I thought it sounded like electronic music, but as far as I can tell, this is real instruments in a large ensemble, playing very complexed pieces.  It sounds like music composed/made in Germany in the late 1920s, but in actuality, the work is very layered and contemporary, but with one foot in the past, and the other very much in present 21st-century music.    The album by its packaging and theme one would think it will be nostalgic music, but the work is very 'now,' and is very much music based on the past, but with overtures to that's post-modern in practice.  The Bryan Ferry Orchestra is a perfect example of re-thinking one's work (Ferry's songs for solo and Roxy Music)  and placing it in another era.  For Ferry, I think it was another way of bringing life to his melodies or framing it in a new position where one listens to the work in a new way.  Ironically it's remembrances are from the past, but it's old music presented in a new manner.  Tykwer and Kilmek use the same method, but it's modernism that is the engine that makes this music so appealing.  The key track is "Zu Asche, Zu Staub" which is one of the great end-of-credit songs ever.   Also music (video) showpiece for "Babylon Berlin," with a cross-dressing erotic presence of Severija.  The show looks like it cost Millions (and it did) but also the soundtrack sounds as expensive to produce as well. 

Some soundtracks bring up the images from the film/show when you play it, and the music does that when you listen to "Babylon Berlin," but the other aspect is that this is music that can exist by itself.  A vibrant soundtrack to a historically significant (and sad) culture is placed on the grooves of this work by Ferry, Tykwer, and Kilmek. 

John Zorn - "The Song Project" Vinyl, Box Set of Six 45 rpm Singles, Colored Vinyl, Limited Edition (Tzadik)

Photographs cannot express or expose the beauty of this beautifully designed package from the world of John Zorn.  "The Song Project" is a box set of six 45 rpm colored vinyl singles, that comes with a booklet with photos as well as lyrics/introduction by one of the key figures in this project, Jesse Harris.   Zorn commissioned or asked Mike Patton, Harris, and Sofia Rei, to not only sing but also write lyrics to music written and recorded by Zorn and from his vast catalog of goodies.  I'm not clear if Zorn chose the songs, or if the singers went through the catalog to choose the music pieces to collaborate on, nevertheless an interesting and well-developed project.

Zorn strikes me as a community.  Which sounds egotistical, but the way it works is that Zorn carefully picks his artists to work with.  None of them are 'studio' musicians, many of them are composers/artists in their own right, but also are willing to collaborate with Zorn and whatever system he puts in place.  Zorn is the producer/composer/arranger.  Still, I feel each singer/lyricist and musician stamps their own identity to the project.  Zorn's aesthetic is not to close down the world, but to open it up to new possibilities and adventures.  It's impossible to pigeon-hole Zorn musically because he is all over the map, and that is very much part of his appeal/aesthetic.  For one to discover him, the listener will have to really put time into it, because his landscape is huge.  Which again, is part of the Zorn aesthetic. 

"The Song Project" is twelve songs, which could easily be one vinyl 12" album, but there is something special about getting up and down toward the turntable to turn the record over, or go to the next 45 rpm disc.  When I hear this box set, I'm hearing an album, not separate twelve songs.   I played all the vinyl in order, but if one chooses to (of course) they can mix it up - but for me, it's a consistent piece from the first single to the last.  There are three singers, and sometimes the other sings harmony or backup to the other.  Same musicians are on all the tracks, and Zorn is set as the conductor/arranger as well as the composer of the music.  The singers are responsible for the lyrics and in most cases sing their own work along with Zorn's music.  Sean Lennon wrote one of the lyrics, and that is sung by Patton and Rei.  There are traces of thrash/noise/rock, but the majority of the pieces are melodic and beautiful.  It's pop music made by adults and a great band of musicians.  

Oddly enough, this box set reminds me of my dad's (Wallace Berman) Radio Either series, which was also a box set of his verox collages.   One can look at them separately as pieces of work, but in actuality, it is one work in separate pieces.  For me, the singles, although separately issued in the box (with each one with a Zorn artwork cover) can be apart from the box set.  It's one work of art, and I think the format of putting them out as singles in a set that's in a box is very much of an object as well as how one approaches the material on this project.   Heung-Heung Chin did the design work, and the backing band is pretty much The Dreamers, who I wrote about before on this blog.  

Tony Hazzard - "Tony Hazzard Sings Tony Hazzard Vinyl, LP, Reissue, 1969/2016 (You Are The Cosmos)

I have favorite songs that I can't get enough of:  "Goodnight Sweet Josephine" and "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown."   Both were recorded by the Jimmy Page era of The Yardbirds, as well as Manfred Mann who actually had the hit with "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown."   My life goal is to get every recorded version of "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown." It's interesting to note that two blues related bands of that time recorded the most pop of the pop song possible at that time.  And I know there are Yardbirds fans who must that song and "Goodnight Sweet Josephine," but I love them to bits because they are provocative in the sense that its throw-a-way pop song, but brilliant at the same time.  The author of those two songs is Tony Hazzard, a songwriter from Liverpool.  

"Tony Hazzard Sings Tony Hazzard" is an interesting album, not only due that he wrote two perfect pop songs, but also he was one of the last songwriters whose existence is to write songs for other artists.  1969 is pretty late in the game for the pure pop songwriter when artists like Manfred Mann and Yardbirds were also writing their own material, and one presumes that the producer or record company made these bands take on Hazzard's professional material.  Also, The Yardbirds and Manfred Mann were slowly fading to of course change to Led Zeppelin and Manfred Mann Chapter Three.  Still, it was the last dying grasp that these bands recorded the Tony Hazzard songs. 

If one needs to compare Hazzard with another singer-songwriter it would have to be Graham Gouldman of 10cc fame, but also a very prominent commercial songwriter for a lot of beat bands during the early 60s, including The Yardbirds, The Hollies, and Herman's Hermits.  I don't know Hazzard's history, but I feel that he was the last 'echo' of that type of British songwriter such as Gouldman. 

Listening to Hazzard's record is odd, and it must have been odder to hear it when the album was originally released in 1969 when things got heavy, yet, this is an album of consistent pop songwriting techniques.  Clearly an album by a man who knows how to put a song together.  One thing that stands out in the recording is the 12-string acoustic guitar which is very strong in the mix.  There is psychedelic phrasing of the electric guitar - which may be a nod to the Jimmy Page touch, and in fact, maybe Page is on this album?   My obsession with British music is very much my interest, and Tony Hazzard fascinates me within that's context.   For those who love British pop, I do suggest checking this album out.  

John Zorn's The Dreamers - "The Gentle Side" Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Picture Disc, 2010 (Tzadik)

When I hear or read the two words put together John.  And then Zorn.  One is going on an adventure and never knows what turns or exits on that road will be.  You just hold on for dear life and go with the Zorn flow.  Zorn composed, conducted, and arranged "The Gentle Side" with his band The Dreamers, which by the way is a perfect name for a group that does this type of music.  Which is dreamy of course, but it has traces of jazz, exotica, and lounge, but not in a gimmicky fashion.  The Dreamers is profound music made by great musicians, which I need to credit: Marc Ribot on guitar, Jamie Salt on keyboards, Trever Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums, Cyro Baptista on percussion, and on vibraphone Kenny Wolleson.

Ribot's work on "The Gentle Side" is a combination of surf, cinematic noir, and maximum taste in adding his sound to the mixture, which is always a soft groove.  All the musicians play as if they are one brain but with many arms and hands.   This I think is due to Zorn's approach to these songs on the album.  They are written compositions, and I don't know the working method to "The Gentle Side" is,  but it's very sophisticated lounge music that is true to its tradition. There is an edge that lurks underneath the surface.  A tension that swims in the under-currents of the songs and arrangements.  That's the beauty of this album.  Also, Zorn writes strong melodies.  The Dreamers take that aspect and expand on it as jazz musicians focusing on an idea or concept.   They never make a false move, and of course, there is great respect for the composer and his work.   Also noted is the great graphic design from Heung-Heung Chin.  It's lovely to watch this picture disc go round and round on one's turntable.

Andy Newman -"Rainbow" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1972 (Track Records)

Eccentricity is not appreciated enough in the mainstream pop music world.   Andy Newman was in the band Thunderclap Newman, which included him (of course), Speedy Keen (the chief songwriter) and teenage guitarist Jimmy McCulloch.   An odd trio of music makers, but Newman added surprised touches to Keen's compositions by adding his turn of the century style of boogie-woogie piano, and the punk instrument that is a Kazoo.   What made Thunderclap Newman so wonderful was the Newman touch and he took the songs to another level. Especially with the song 'Accidents" which has an incredible middle part that is pure Andy Newman solo artist. 

After the band split up, Newman made this very strange solo album "Rainbow."  It's all him playing the instruments and mostly instrumentals.  It's like all the weird parts of Thunderclap Newman, leaving out the singing and the pop side of things.  "Rainbow" is very much music rooted in the 1920s, there is a touch of the British Music Hall, but it's more of a scaled down version of big band jazz of the early 20th century.  The most dominant instruments are Newman's piano and kazoo playing.   He also plays various saxes as well, and my only complaint is that I wished to hear a full-blown arrangement with him playing all the horns, piano, etc.  And he does in spots, but a lot of the songs/arrangements are just for piano and kazoo.  

I lost track of him as a musician after Thunderclap Newman, and only recently discovered this solo album by Andy.   I regret that he didn't make more music or albums in the later years. It seems he put together another version of Thunderclap Newman to play the old songs, but as far as I know, no new music.  Still, "Rainbow" and the first and only Thunderclap Newman album "Hollywood Dream" are amazing.  Also do note that the b-side to Thunderclap Newman's only hit song in the U.S. "Something in the Air" is "Wilhemina" which is a superb Andy Newman song.  A classic.  Look out for it!  

Keiichi Ohta and Koji Ueno - "Jingai Daimakyo" Vinyl, LP, Album, Japan, 1983 (Yen)

Japan has a dark history, and the pre-war years of Tokyo was an exciting time of politics, but also a great period for then-contemporary literature, visual art, and various movements that were taking place.  Some inspired by the West, but still rooted in Japanese aesthetic.  In the 1980s various members of the underground Japanese pop world were obsessed with the 1920s/1930s such as the band Guernica, Koji Ueno, and the great vocalist Jun Togawa.  "Jingai Daimakyo" (the savage terrifying places) is a separate solo album by Ueno along with lyricist/visual artist Keiichi Ohta, based on the writings of mystery/horror writer Oguri Mushitaro (1901-1946). 

"Jingai Daimakyo" is very much a Guernica album but without the vocal talents of Togawa.  Each song has a different vocalist, and the most noted singer on this album is Haroumi Hosono, who at the time was a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) and he and fellow YMO member Yukihiro Takahashi ran the Yen record label.    Ohta, the lyricist as well as producer for this album is a noted artist/illustrator in Japan, and his work captures the sexuality/violence of the pre-war mentality.  Retro to the extreme, both Ueno and Ohta make music and images that are unique, and could only come from Japanese pop culture.  

The album is a small masterpiece because it captures a passionate part of history, and convey it to an aural assault of the senses.   Ueno's music is very much in the manner of 20th-century music history. In a fashion, this album reminds me of Van Dyke Parks' "Song Cycle" album, if one needs a reference to their aesthetic.   Not an easy album to find, especially outside of Japan. Still, one can locate the album on YouTube. Happy hunting! 

Cream - "Fresh Cream" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 1966/2008 (Vinyl Lovers)

The greatest contribution Eric Clapton made to Cream, is not his guitar work, but vocally backing up the magnificent Jack Bruce.  Clapton's voice comes almost as an inner-thought to Bruce's narration or words.   in an odd way, Cream was a band that had two separate identities or approaches.  One is live on stage, and number 2, is the studio.  Ginger Baker, Bruce, and Clapton made magnificent music in the studio, their live performances is another matter altogether.  There is confusion instead of clarity in Cream.  For one they are for sure a blues-based band, but what makes their work interesting is the experimental side or their occasional approach to pop.  Their blues material is OK, but it's the pop side that I find interesting and that's mostly due to Bruce's (and Pete Brown the lyricist) approach to the song.   "Fresh Cream" is their first album, which has many charms, but for me, it's all Jack Bruce. 

The other star in the trio is Ginger Baker.  He plays drums with character and personality.  In no fashion is his work session-like.   Heavy on the cymbals, but with a jazz feeling, him and Bruce are unique rhythm section that sounds different, but in theory close to the Entwistle and Moon combo in The Who.   The outstanding song here is Bruce's "Dreaming" which is a beautiful ballad, with Clapton's voice following Bruce, like chasing a faint dream.  It's the song that made me re-buy this album.  That song, plus "The Coffee Song," "I Feel Free," and the magnificent "Wrapping Paper" are almost forgotten works of songwriting craft and vision. 

Cream is important, I think due to their approach of being a trio power band, but again, it's the soft moments that I think are their strength.  As Cream went on (not that long, I think the band lasted just a bit over two years), it's Bruce being the multi-instrumentalist, with Clapton backing him in a conservative manner musically speaking.   Also, another trio was making the rounds around the same time as Cream, which was The Jimi Hendrix Experience, where I think making comparisons between the guitarists, made Clapton re-think his career.   Still, Clapton served Cream well.  Jack Bruce/Ginger Baker was the entrance and Clapton closed doors. 

Jacques Dutronc - "Les Play-Boys" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 1966/2016 (Disques Vogue)

Jacques Dutronc is up there with the great Serge Gainsbourg, as a cultural force and music-making in 20th-century France.  Since I don't know the French language, I have to just presume what Dutronc's songs are about.  I understand the title "Les Play-Boys."   What is provocative for me is his handsomeness but mixed in with a great deal of humor.  Also, I'm intrigued by his songwriting partner and is responsible for the lyrics, Jacques Lanzmann.  A poet and lyricist.  I believe Lanzmann was in his forties when he wrote songs with the much younger Dutronc, who was in his twenties.  Not a great difference of age these days, but in the 1960s, there was a generation difference between those two decades, and unusual for someone much older, working with a youngster (in theory) to write for the teenage/youth market. But perhaps I'm thinking too much of the American or British, who had a distrust of anyone over 30!

Still, one of the most enjoyable albums to come out of France is "Les Play-Boys" which is 12 songs that seem to be absurd, light on the touch, but I suspect that they are also a deep commentary on culture in Paris and elsewhere in France at the time.   Music-wise, Dutronc reminds me of Ray Davies during the 1960s.  I sense he's very disciplined and focused artist and there is a learned or studied charm in his work.   Like Davies, Dutronc (and Lanzmann) are cultural humorists commenting on the fads ("Mini Mini Mini") and the self-absorption of the young generation("Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi").  Superb entertainment!

The Stone Roses - "The Stone Roses" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1989 (Silverstone Records)

The Stone Roses first album came out in 1989, and it took me 29 years to finally hear this record.  I avoided them for two decades due to their hype.   I must remember not to run away from the hype, but to accept the hype, because "The Stone Roses" is an exceptional rock n' roll classic.  They're a great band because if you separate them they are not as good as when they are in this band.  When all the parts fit and make a beautiful aural expression, it is magic. 

The drip painting by John Squire expresses wildness, but the music he writes with Ian Brown is very formal with strong or catchy choruses.  There is a structure in place with the sound of a strong bassist, Mani, and an imaginative drummer/percussionist Reni.  Square's guitars are multi-tracked and dreamy but can have the intensity of a Steve Stills/Neil Young guitar dual in the classic Buffalo Springfield.   Brown's vocals are whispy with a great deal of masculinity melted into his soft singing.  At times it reminds me of early Simon and Garfunkel records, with its expression of its surroundings, that is folk music like in its intimacy.    

Many consider "The Stone Roses" an incredible and classic debut record for a band, and I have to admit that is true.  The fact that they couldn't really make a follow-up album, or self-exploded is interesting because their talent or genius was caught in a jar, but it's hard to reproduce that jar or moment.   The thing is an artist or musician shouldn't study it too carefully, because it is magic, and sometimes you just have to admit that this is great and move on with one's life. 

Gavin Bryars ‎– "The Sinking Of The Titanic" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1978 (Obscure)

Probably the most 'reflective' album in my collection.  'The Sinking of the Titanic" is an aural documentary composed by the British composer Gavin Bryars.  The Titanic is such an iconic incident, that it has no meaning for me until I heard this album.   Extremely sad, and very moving, and basically one is living through the experience of a ship sinking, where one can hear traces of the ship's band playing as it disappears into the sea.   Also, there is a faint voice in the mix, that is a person who survived the Titanic's sinking. Which gives the whole record a sense of hope and beauty, even though it's heading toward the entrance of death. 

Side two is another composition by Bryars "Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet" that starts off with a recording a loop of a man singing a hymn with additional instrumentation added on as the piece progresses to a large orchestration.   For me, the work has an educational value that it seems to be a textbook study on arranging and how important that craft is to a music piece.  It's a pretty melody, but "The Sinking of the Titanic" is such a 'wow' piece of work, that makes it hard for me to turn the record over right away to hear "Jesus Blood.."   As a package, it's two albums in one disc.  

Speaking which, I can't overemphasize how important the label Obscure was when one purchased them in the 1970s.   Started by Brian Eno, it was a label devoted to experimental British composers, but of all sorts.   One can think of it as a school, but it covered a lot of musical ground within its limited releases at the time.  For me, in the late 1970s, it was a great introduction to new music being made in England, and it's one of the great projects that Eno brought to this world. 

Bruce Palmer - "The Cycle is Complete" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1970/2010 (Verve Forecast)

With respect to the Buffalo Springfield, there are those who greatly admired Neil Young, and his solo recording career and others liked Steve Stills, or if you are a connoisseur, Richie Furay.  For me, I prefer Bruce Palmer, the bassist in Buffalo Springfield, who in most cases refused to be photographed with the Springfield, and was on live TV with his back to the camera facing the band.  To me, that was punk rock before punk rock.   Palmer had a mystique that the others in the band didn't have.  When he left the band, I think due to a pot bust, one would think he disappears into the mist.  And he did. Except in 1970, he released a solo album.  "The Cycle is Complete" is very much an improvised work, with soulful singing from Rick James.   Stong congas playing by Big Black, who at the time was considered to be the king of Congas and played with Thelonious Monk and Sun Ra.  Palmer handles the bass and guitar, also a violinist Templeton Parcely who played with the band Kaleidoscope.   Four songs that are more mood pieces made for late night listening.  There's an Indian or Eastern influence, which is not uncommon for music made in the late 60s or early 70s. In actuality, the Bruce Palmer album is my favorite Buffalo Springfield solo album. 

In parts, it reminds me of Miles Davis "In a Silent Way" in that there is a quiet groove that goes through the album.  It is also interesting that the record was engineered by the legendary Dave Hassinger who did the classic Stones cuts at the RCA building in Hollywood.  For those who have a taste of adventure, this is a good album for you.  I'm not sure if Buffalo Springfield fans will like it, but they should.  It is really the best solo album from that group. 

T. Rex -"T. Rex" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 1970/2016 (Reprise Records)

Where have I been for the last 40 or so years? I purchased "Electric Warrior" and "The Slider" numerous times over the years, yet, I somehow missed "T. Rex."   I just recently purchased it, and this album is incredible.   At the moment it's my favorite T. Rex album, and to hear something new from a band that I thought I knew... And to be honest I don't know the recordings Bolan made with Steve Took - so that's another avenue I need to explore.  But now...  What impresses me about the album is the songwriting is superb, as well as the performance.  The minimal sound of Bolan's guitar work, but with the added textures from Tony Visconti's production, is a great combination.   In fact, I think this may be Visconti's best work in the studio, sound wise.  Sun Records is surely the model to study from, and Bolan, Mickey Finn, and Visconti studied very well under the beauty of that Memphis label.   Also noted the king of the big sound (for Queen among others) Roy Thomas Baker was the engineer.  

Also, as far as I know, I don't think there are any drums on this album, just percussion work from Finn.   Yet, the sound is full, and Visconti's tasteful use of strings here and there is a loving campanion to Bolan's croon.   If like me, and you overlooked this album, get it now.  Bolan is the real deal. 

Jun Togawa (戸川 純) - "Suki Suki Daisuki (好き好き大好き) Vinyl, LP, Album, Japan, 1985 (HYS)

Without a doubt one of the great albums from the 1980s, and a work that is still as fresh as the first day of spring.  For one, the production does yell out the 1980s, but like Sun Records is from the 1950s, this is almost a militant version of that era.  Jun Togawa is a vocalist that is very difficult to explain because she is a rare artist that goes beyond her limitations of the pop (Japanese) world.  Most Japanese pop music exists to please, but there is something dark and disturbing about the Togawa sound, which is hyper-emotive and one feels traces of Bi-polar expressions within its groove.  

One thing that is very noticeable is that a Jun Togawa recording is very unique.  There is nothing like it in this world.  To make comparisons is always a fun sport, but I'm not sure if comparing her to other artists would be accurate.  Saying that "Suki Suki Daisuki" has traces of French Yé-Yé sound, but updated to the 80s, and she does cover Serge Gainsbourg's  "Comment te dire adieu," yet it sounds very much like her own material.   The song is sung in Japanese, and I'm not sure if it's just translated lyrics from French to Japanese, or she may have written her own words to the song.  The sound is more Togawa than Gainsbourg, yet respectful of the original melody/song.  

She also does a beautiful, but a bizarre cover of "Angel Baby" the great Rock n' Roll ballad of the 1950s originally recorded by Rosie and the Originals.  The original version is a fantastic time-piece of out-of-this-world pop, and Togawa does this song in English, that reminds me of Yoko Ono if she did a cover of this song.  I'm not saying that due that they are both Japanese women, but their voices have a similar vocal range.  Togawa can go for the lower notes to the highest, and she is an amazing singer. In the nutshell, I think of her work as a combination of Sparks, Yoko Ono, French Yé-Yé with a touch of Kate Bush ambition.   I know that both John Zorn and Jim O'Rourke think of her work highly, and it's a shame that she is not better known in the West.  Then again, I suspect that she could care less about the music market outside of Japan.  Truly a unique music artist.  Also, she did the design work for this album, and it's a great package. 

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Haruomi Hosono - "Nokto De La Galaksia" Vinyl, LP, Album, Japan, 1985 (Non-Standard)

Haruomi Hosono is probably one of the great music figures to come out of Japan in the 20th-Century.  A big statement I know, but it's true.  It's hard to compare him and his music with someone from Europe or the United States.  He's all over the map music-wise, but the one thing that matters to me is his intelligence and his respect for world music - not only from 'out' there, but also equally fascinated with his own Japanese music roots as well.   His early albums remind me of someone like Ry Cooder, but then he can make a techno-pop album within months of the 'roots' album.  He's known for his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), but I prefer his solo albums, which I have to admit is an endless entrance with no exit.   Once you're into this world there is no escape. 

"Nokto De La Galaksia" is Hosono's soundtrack to an anime film made in Japan.  It very much shows up Hosono's various skills - as an arranger, electronic artist, and a strong melodist. The album is instrumental and it flows in an ambient fashion, but it has textures that keep one aware of the music. As I listened to the music, I don't think of it as a soundtrack album, except there is a theme that is repeated throughout the album.  Still, this is a very strong work by Hosono, and those who have an interest in electronic pop or instrumental music, this album is a must-have.  Non-Standard is his label from the 1980s, which not only released his solo recordings at the time, but other Japanese artists as well - with exception Lounge Lizards from New York City, and Mikado a band from France, if not mistaken.  Also while having this label, he's the first to release a Pizzicato Five album. 

Nöel (Sparks) - "Is There More To Life Than Dancing?" Vinyl, LP, Picture Disc, UK, 1979 (Virgin)

I only heard about Nöel's "Is There More To Life Than Dancing?" in whispers.  Recorded sometime between Sparks' "No. 1 in Heaven" and "Terminal Jive" during their exploration of the electronic dance medium, the Nöel album is an enticing part of the trilogy.   Perhaps Giorgio Moroder inspired, during, or after working on "No. 1 in Heaven, Ron Mael and Russell Mael had put together their own project where they wrote and produced songs for another artist.  I know nothing about the mysterious Nöel, and to be frank, it is not her that is of interest, but of course, Sparks.  

In a time of countless 12" remixes and the interesting aspect of the Disco era, this album exists only in that framework.  I wasn't aware of the album until the 1990s, and even that, I only heard about it, and not heard one note of it.  On my recent trip to Tokyo, I found a copy at Vinyl Records in Shinjuku, and I couldn't pass it up.  For a Sparks' fan, this Nöel album is a must, but beyond that, this is a very good album.   As a friend once noted to me "there is no such thing as a bad Sparks' album or song."  Which is a strong statement to make, but also perfectly true.   The picture-disc release (did it ever come out as just black vinyl?) is non-stop music, and there is technically five songs, yet, it builds up as a work of one piece.  What comes through is Sparks' brilliance or trademark sound whatever they do.   They can't help themselves being Sparks, and even when they're writing songs for another, it is still a Sparks record.  And that includes them remixing/re-recording other's records, such as Morrissey's "Suedehead."  

There is not a bad moment on this album, but the masterpiece is "I Want a Man" which I think is up there in Sparks' melodic genius work.  The one thing that strikes me as odd, is that they use a real saxophone in the mix, due that the rest of the album is electronic.  At the moment, I can't think of them ever using a solo saxophone in their songs or arrangements.  Although the album yells out 1980 Disco, there are textures here that can only belong or made by Sparks.  Which makes this an essential listening experience. 

Leisure Process - "A Way You'll Never Be" b/w "Love Cascade (Dance Mix)" 12" Vinyl, 45 RPM, 1982 (Epic)

Leisure Process, sometimes billed as Leisure Process International was a duo consisting of studio musician Gary Barnacle and Max Middleton.  As far as I know, they only made two singles, with "Love Cascade" being the song that had a special dance mix.  The early 1980s was the era of the dance mix for British recordings, and one could go broke in collecting these delicate releases from the record companies of that time.   My favorite of those in that special time of perfect haircuts and big shoulders on the suit, is Leisure Process' "A Way You'll Never Be," which is a fantastic piece of music.  If I have to compare Leisure Process with another band, it would be Magazine.  Not as brilliant as Howard Devoto and company, but they share a sense of darkness in a very 'pop' orientated landscape. 

Barnacle was the sax player of choice for a lot of artists in that time, including The Clash.  In fact, if you heard a sax in a British release in that era more likely it's Gary Barnacle.  Middleton is a mystery to me and for some reason, I think of him being a music journalist of that time, but I can be wrong.  Nevertheless, this is a remarkable record, and "Love Cascade" is also a fantastic song - and a good length dance mix of this song.  They were produced by Martin Rushent, who was a great sound maker for a lot of artists such as Pete Shelley, Human League, and including the classic Buzzcocks recordings.  Not easy to find, but worth the trouble.  

Japan - "Quiet Life" Vinyl, LP, Album, Japan, 1979 (Hansa)

As I mentioned in an earlier review of a Japan album, I would never buy one of their albums due to their name.   It's a general rule that any band that names themselves after a country, a state in the United States, or even a city, are usually terrible.  The two exceptions are the bands the United States of America and of course, Japan.   I first discovered Japan from their album "Tin Drum," which was also their last studio release before splitting up.  "Quiet Life" is an important album for the group.  Their third album and the one that broke off their previous two albums in sound and vision. 

David Sylvian gets his crooning voice in order and the band plays with textures that at first reminds me of Roxy Music, and obviously influenced by Bryan Ferry and company, but took that sound to another place.  I was going to say another level, but Roxy Music and Japan are very different from each other.  Ferry is very much focused on the ideal female - not even a woman, but a presence that is almost ghost-like in his imagination.  Sylvian is more spiritually inclined and in many ways more sensual than Roxy, but also quieter.  I think Eno's "Another Green World" is another influence on the band, in that it is making music for reflection than action.  Mick Karn's presence is felt strongly, and it's interesting to note that Sylvian on the Japan releases is always the cover figure and Karn lurks in the back cover, the placement for a writer or arranger.  Still, this is a fantastic band that blends the sounds in a natural manner, that is suitable for Japan.  

The songs on "Quiet Life" is uptempo in parts, but the future sound is clearly marked.  The song "Quiet Life" is a quiet anthem, and it has a glam overture with the phrase 'Boys..' - and the beautiful string arrangement by Ann O'Dell on "The Other Side of Life" is exquisite.   There is also a cover of The Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties," which is suited to the Sylvian croon.  Simon Naiper-Bell managed Japan, and the early Sylvian career, which strikes me as an odd relationship. Only considering that the great Napier-Bell (I'm a fan) went on to manage Wham! and George Michaels, as well as The Yardbirds, and early Marc Bolan.  He co-produced this track, but most of the production work is from John Punter, who worked on the solo Bryan Ferry recordings.  

Ironically I bought this album in Tokyo and this version of "Quiet Life" is the Japanese vinyl edition. It comes with a poster, liner notes (in Japanese) as well as the lyrics both in Japanese and English.