tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55460308268768225052024-03-13T10:31:51.633-07:00Tosh Berman's Vinyl and CD CollectionTosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.comBlogger781125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-29377174586152688952020-12-18T15:12:00.008-08:002020-12-18T15:12:56.171-08:00David Bowie - Ouvrez le Chien (Live Dallas 1995) ISO Records<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IiwMRtm4Thpqb0G6y4U-4dlGJOntAYs8Le8CkHW1ef6lX0U7z0W_938Iw-0wZ9-aIKrOkZ1eHme6bXw9qmq7jEDEgEuZkPQaMPVhMzsPMvOHIYQT6xJgD3J5LwHyyuqd-59B8KLnAaw/s605/R-16137314-1604070636-4947.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IiwMRtm4Thpqb0G6y4U-4dlGJOntAYs8Le8CkHW1ef6lX0U7z0W_938Iw-0wZ9-aIKrOkZ1eHme6bXw9qmq7jEDEgEuZkPQaMPVhMzsPMvOHIYQT6xJgD3J5LwHyyuqd-59B8KLnAaw/w396-h400/R-16137314-1604070636-4947.jpeg.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It was not exactly a redesign of David Bowie, but of a re-think, or a new charge of energy and thought into his career and music in 1995. For me, this is when Bowie got back his groove, and he became fascinated with the world around him. After hitting a creative (and perhaps commercially) dead-end in the late 1980s, he started up with a band, Tin Machine. A guitar-driven band that reminds me at times of a rave-up era of The Yardbirds. All that is missing are songs by Graham Gouldman. Still, Bowie actually filtering the great British hitmaker in supplying or co-writing songs with fellow band members that are retro in the sense of the importance of being in a band. In a manner, it is very much Bowie losing himself as a brand being part of a band. The truth is, Bowie has always been a collaborator with every musician he has worked with in the past. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Outside" (1995) was the album that gave him an entrance back to the avant-garde, and re-invent a new approach in recording that album. For example, almost every song is written by all the musicians during the recording of that music. If not, co-written by Eno. It's a late Bowie masterpiece, and when he went on tour to support "Outside," he put together a new band, except for his guitarist (and co-writer) Reeves Gabriel, Mike Garson, and Carlos Alomar. The new star of the show is bassist and backup singer Gail Ann Dorsey, who is amazing. Lucky us there are live tapes of the shows. "Ouverz Le Chien" is a show that took place in Texas, and it's a refreshing listening experience. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">For one, Bowie does only a handful of his older songs, and they are usually not done live at the time or deep cuts in his excellent catalog of material. What is remarkable are the live versions of music from "Outside." In the studio, it sounds very much like work produced in a laboratory. Here, they come off as songs of great force and grace. He does a re-work of "The Man Who Sold The World" without the major guitar riff until the end as a quiet reminder that is faint as a loving memory. This must have been a remarkable show to witness, but at least we have a great recording, for those who weren't there, or a few that lives with that evening as a ghost-image of a wonderful performance. </div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-12611136473369070892020-12-15T12:04:00.000-08:002020-12-15T12:04:25.365-08:00Declan McKenna "Zero" (Sony Music)<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA7eVH9xKWKcCMifFz_MXMk0aZ5sm8fRF3jMvQdpvV2F-zTiVWotyKAeiWZtnqEc9-mXu1wkJZbDWwNnCYSM3kkNgtPx4MFOIy7VKDbP9e9olZ3EDPRFBz4_wmDJ8TDHoaxRnRcvEaS8/s600/R-15868676-1599278918-8282.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA7eVH9xKWKcCMifFz_MXMk0aZ5sm8fRF3jMvQdpvV2F-zTiVWotyKAeiWZtnqEc9-mXu1wkJZbDWwNnCYSM3kkNgtPx4MFOIy7VKDbP9e9olZ3EDPRFBz4_wmDJ8TDHoaxRnRcvEaS8/w400-h400/R-15868676-1599278918-8282.jpeg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div>In a crazed lockdown period in my life (and ongoing, of course), I randomly found Declan McKenna's album "Zero" on the streaming station, as well as seeing his video of his song "Beautiful Faces." Everything is shit, yet hearing a proto-type glam artist in 2020 brought me hope and salvation. What more can we ask from music or an artist?</div><div><br /></div><div>Not knowing anything about McKenna, I was drawn to what to me is, a suburbian glam rock style that has traces of classic Blur thrown in the mix. McKenna and company recorded in Nashville, and it is probably the most unlikely Nashville album ever made. Keep in mind, I'm a Californian, so anything outside the state is a bit of a mystery to me. Every song on "Zero" has a catchy hook and a beautiful build-up to the chorus. If there were still hit singles being made and processed through the music business, then "Beautiful Faces" would be that song. Instantly aware that is a classic song in the lines of Mott and Bowie's "All The Young Dudes." As I write, the earworm chorus is stuck in my brain, and I feel it won't leave me until sudden death. </div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the album is as strong as "Beautiful Faces," especially after repeated listens. I rarely fall in love with a contemporary pop sound, and maybe this is a retro-world. Nevertheless, Declan McKenna is an artist that can go anywhere from this on with "Zero."</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm looking forward to the adventure, but meanwhile, I'm going to play this album a few times a day, for nothing else but to see the world in a better and bright light. </div>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-8929202038650437182020-11-21T09:25:00.000-08:002020-11-21T09:25:03.684-08:00New York Dolls - "A Hard Night's Day" (Norton)<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0jjfK0r_sNVzFx3isvu8cWIbJ-tJRz90AteZdD4Mbh-wtR9CjrbdqQYrIUyxNCE7LsqH2xgiYsYss9NZrgnai93xZLV0uvxOhIbTTqHEEDTQmP_qPO07tQSKAq0zDlz2C2i3t1B5Mqg/s600/R-12249891-1531416664-2288.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0jjfK0r_sNVzFx3isvu8cWIbJ-tJRz90AteZdD4Mbh-wtR9CjrbdqQYrIUyxNCE7LsqH2xgiYsYss9NZrgnai93xZLV0uvxOhIbTTqHEEDTQmP_qPO07tQSKAq0zDlz2C2i3t1B5Mqg/w400-h400/R-12249891-1531416664-2288.jpeg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">"A Hard Night's Day" is my favorite New York Dolls album. The first two official Dolls albums issued by Mercury Records are excellent, but these series of demos they did in 1973, are essential listening experience. Their mixture of classic rock n' roll, 60's girl groups, and blues, with incredible and insightful lyrics, is a combination that never fails me. </p><p style="text-align: left;">At the time of their recording these demos, they did every song that they knew at that point. They are just important as the Velvet Underground, in that they tied in many important communities into one package. The demos are beautifully recorded, and the performances are lively, precise (in that Dolls' manner of preciseness), and inspirational. </p>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-3714861720338281272020-11-17T15:44:00.005-08:002020-11-17T15:46:36.525-08:00Tosh's Favorite Albums of 2020 <p> <span face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep in mind these are albums I purchased in the year 2020. Some of the music is old, but it's new to me. And in no special order - My favorite albums of 2020 are:</span></p><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Bachelor Pad -"All Hash and Cock"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ennio Morricone - "Peur Sur La Ville" </div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jack Nitzsche -"Jack Nitzsche"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Quick - "Untold Rock Stories"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jarvis Is... - "Beyond the Pale"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dan Penn - "The Fame Recordings"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sparks - "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Egisto Macchi - "Sud e Magia"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">V.A.- "Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Raincoat - "Digalongamacs"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Preachers -"Moanin'"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Various – "More Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charlie Parker – "The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">David Bowie - "Is It Any Wonder?"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Extended Organ – "Vibe"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">King Crimson – "THRAK"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vince Taylor & His Playboys* – "Vince Taylor Rocks!"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marc Bölan* – "Electronic Musik"</div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kenny Graham And His Satellites – "Moondog And Suncat Suites</div>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-67826904047351605172020-11-17T08:08:00.003-08:002020-11-17T08:08:38.093-08:00David Bowie - "Metrobolist (Nine Songs By David Bowie)" Parlophone, 2020<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZDpKqCkdssGGZA0lDWGKYSTDTCFlg3N8LJJYB5Q9slt4iFAlMB0MRPk0WkpCaRgXhI__G0KtVQ-ChUitQg-KSOKoYsuM43A5yzIDJcJlpU2mHOxObFG38ddUXQVkC9sIuIZt_xeENOg/s617/R-16135214-1604067952-3001.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZDpKqCkdssGGZA0lDWGKYSTDTCFlg3N8LJJYB5Q9slt4iFAlMB0MRPk0WkpCaRgXhI__G0KtVQ-ChUitQg-KSOKoYsuM43A5yzIDJcJlpU2mHOxObFG38ddUXQVkC9sIuIZt_xeENOg/w389-h400/R-16135214-1604067952-3001.jpeg.jpg" width="389" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In our reality, David Bowie is Elvis Presley. Not only do they share the same birthday and both recorded songs called "Black Star," but also in death, their music is released and looked as new. Tony Visconti, a significant figure in Bowie's career and music, has done a series of classic Bowie work remixes. One may think this is nothing but exploitation or a grasp to make more money in the memory of David Bowie. The truth is, Visconti has done magnificent work as a remixer as well as the original producer of these recordings. It's an artist (as producer) going back to his canvas to clean or refresh the imagery on one level. "Metrobolist" (Nine Songs by David Bowie)" is such a work. Most of us fans and consumers know this album as "The Man Who Sold The World," but it seems that wasn't the original title that Bowie given this record. At the last moment, the label changed titles without Bowie's knowledge at the time. </p><p>"TMWSTW" has always had a muddy sound that made the songs heavy and mono-orientated sounds. It's like someone taking a shovel of mud and throwing it in your face. My first reaction to the album in 1972 was that this is a hard rock record compared to "Hunky Dory," his next album at that time. It's obvious to a listener in the early 70s can see Bowie worked from a broad landscape of different worlds sound-wise. "TMWSTW" is a great album and will always be an essential recording from a legendary artist. Including the contributions from Mick Ronson and Visconti knew how to take Bowie to the next level. "Metrobolist" is a mirror reflection of that album but cleaned up and allowing more textures to be added for the supreme listening experience. </p><p>Nuances show up, more than 'ah-ha' moments while listening to "Metrobolist." The vocals have a touch of more echo. Still, the drums' presence mixed to another volume is especially lovely, and hearing the layered guitars from Ronson and the acoustic guitar work from who I think is Bowie. The Moog is also clearly heard in these new mixes. When you hear "Metrobolist," I hear or more aware of the arrangements. It sounds like a work from a band (Visconti, Bowie, Ronson, drummer Mick Woodmansey, and Ralf Mace, who is credited for the Moog playing and Mick Ronson) than a solo artist. </p><p style="text-align: left;">"The Supermen" is incredible here, with the galloping drums by Woodmansey. If you're a Bowie fan, this is a must-hear or buy. Beyond that, both albums are superb, and now both in print. The world is a better place with "The Man Who Sold The World" as well "Metrobolist." </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-78222620349262276342020-11-12T18:30:00.002-08:002020-11-12T18:32:11.017-08:00David Bowie - "OUVREZ LE CHIEN (LIVE DALLAS 95)"<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyCeabxuAWMOsvGLUGaVnqo5o_PvAL5saecZ8NiLfEKbnG5rT9hTfn1R-tNrfghOeQWuxHifCpPuB_dPAQe-nunAF1xNiNBeznyBQJ90FHpepb_nvTFGCq-ZgQFjgTDiNxuPHnUWRYM8/s600/X3LPDB054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyCeabxuAWMOsvGLUGaVnqo5o_PvAL5saecZ8NiLfEKbnG5rT9hTfn1R-tNrfghOeQWuxHifCpPuB_dPAQe-nunAF1xNiNBeznyBQJ90FHpepb_nvTFGCq-ZgQFjgTDiNxuPHnUWRYM8/w400-h400/X3LPDB054.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The David Bowie estate is releasing numerous albums, both remixes (by Tony Visconti on some) and unreleased live albums. Cynics will think of these reissues and 'new' releases on the same wavelength as Bowie's one time RCA label mate, Elvis. On the other hand, that may be true; "OUVREZ LE CHIEN is a magnificent live recording of Bowie and band in 1995. Bowie finished an ambitious album "Outside" and wanted to clear the way to focus on this record with a much more challenging but textural sound. I love this record because there are traces of "Diamond Dogs," I think, due to the backup singing of George Simms, who gives it a Broadway feel to the material. I suspect that he was the secret ingredient or weapon in that touring band. The songs are newly arranged, and "Andy Warhol" is a tough piece with a beautiful melody. A great selection of tunes with a superb band backing the master. And on top of that, we get The Walker Brothers (Scott) "Nite Flight." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-54554184561880685142020-10-26T10:09:00.001-07:002020-10-26T10:09:48.912-07:00Joe Meek - "The Emotional, The Cosmic & Occult World of Joe Meek (Mississippi Records)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiWiv1bRL5dh_k-AW_PyfxlHTyJxP1H90gNm6fO_HzmiDEGBl9CzzmG3qW3DKfC8ZgRA8wOBQDVB7mDG1cN9f8imbbaqLqQTL5fmT-bLyvo5JP7fHlgqGN1jxMgOX917ubVINKDVsApU/s599/R-12010362-1527284250-8834.jpeg.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiWiv1bRL5dh_k-AW_PyfxlHTyJxP1H90gNm6fO_HzmiDEGBl9CzzmG3qW3DKfC8ZgRA8wOBQDVB7mDG1cN9f8imbbaqLqQTL5fmT-bLyvo5JP7fHlgqGN1jxMgOX917ubVINKDVsApU/s320/R-12010362-1527284250-8834.jpeg.jpg"/></a></div>
For the past 30 years I have been obsessed with the sounds and narrative of Joe Meek. There are many compilations out there, but what I suspect is a bootleg, "The Emotional, The Cosmic & Occult World of Joe Meek" is magnificent. Not a bad cut here, and extremely well curated collection of Meek's productions, mostly from the early to mid 1960s.
My favorite is Blue Rondos's "Little Baby" which is Roy Obrison magnified in the Meek surroundings into something huge and beautiful. The compressed sound of Meek's production makes it sounds like the band are in a box with tiny air holes to keep them alive. Therefore there is an aural intensity of the sound. The Moontrekkers's "Night of the Vampire" is the ultimate horror instrumental, from the creeking of a casket opening to the female screams, a superb marching riff which I suspect on guitar is played by Richie Blackmore.
There is only one mega-hit on this compilation and it's John Leyton's "Johnny Remember Me," a death song bordering on Meek's sense of eros. If you look hard enough one can find this 12-song compilation online. I'm not sure what the sound source is from - CD? Master tapes? Still, it sounds good on my hi-fi. A must for the Joe Meek fan. Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-33786580298376278812020-10-23T11:45:00.006-07:002020-10-23T11:47:03.528-07:00MATTHEW EDWARDS AND THE FUTURISTS "The First Song of the Revolution EP" (Static Caravan Recordings)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCZ68y4OXP3aWTHqpY0TTJHuRSaynBiHj9TCXBC93eNqXldodejWGTcvd_v_jtJZ3x0hSgQgNW78Ld_OVhIPF6mqBo8Q9uQio1Xe3cAp3s3-dx5xMcdPAwX6tzpJL51mi43g-nvNkfIk/s700/a2403095673_16.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCZ68y4OXP3aWTHqpY0TTJHuRSaynBiHj9TCXBC93eNqXldodejWGTcvd_v_jtJZ3x0hSgQgNW78Ld_OVhIPF6mqBo8Q9uQio1Xe3cAp3s3-dx5xMcdPAwX6tzpJL51mi43g-nvNkfIk/s320/a2403095673_16.jpg"/></a></div>
MATTHEW EDWARDS AND THE FUTURISTS "The First Song of the Revolution EP" (Static Caravan Recordings)
Listening to Matthew Edwards's new EP "The First Song of the Revolution" reminds me of all the things I like about music. Music that is textured and performed with taste, precise musicianship, and a reflection of one's past as well as the present. The title song reminds me of The Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City" in its intense sense of place and time. The tune is not the same, but the sense of urgency is very much of those two songs. There are traces of Jack Thackery and early Scott Walker, not due to the voice, but more of the narrative snapshot images in these four songs. Edwards is an artist who takes you to an aural sensuality pool, with the added presence of beautiful lyrics. I bring up the past a lot when I write about music, and it is because I feel I live many lives in songs, and I think Edwards has the same aesthetic or approach to music as well. He's fantastic and very much a treasured and shared artist.Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-40526954496312781152020-10-03T17:28:00.001-07:002020-10-03T17:28:28.267-07:00The Bachelor Pad - "All Hash and Cock: The Very Best of The Bachelor Pad" (Emotional Response)<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wwWYY2MBBo0rLEzH70N0YQVYjQWeMp728kJ6S9u32LyY6FL9MlPY6-bCV5rVoPpkqaS8aJp37FC9_A7zd8Z0IOoGX6sRrdj4bgUvmEaExa6UKbVRmhVhU0zJnOGNpeGM8utqGku6EFM/s549/COCKweb_540x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wwWYY2MBBo0rLEzH70N0YQVYjQWeMp728kJ6S9u32LyY6FL9MlPY6-bCV5rVoPpkqaS8aJp37FC9_A7zd8Z0IOoGX6sRrdj4bgUvmEaExa6UKbVRmhVhU0zJnOGNpeGM8utqGku6EFM/s320/COCKweb_540x.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: large;">"All Hash and Cock: The Very Best of The Bachelor Pad - The Bachelor Pad (Emotional Response)</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are moments in life when one is confronted by something familiar but so beautiful. The Batchelor Pad is a band from Scotland, who released a handful of singles and one album "Tales of Hofmann." They recently released "All Hash and Cock: The Very Best of The Bachelor Pad," a compilation of their old recordings from 1987 -1991, but sounds like a solid album, not a collection of old recordings. It starts off with the song "The Album of Jack" that references "She Loves You" by the Fab Four and ends with "I Want To Hold Your Head," which lightly comments on "I Want to Hold Your Hand." In-between those two songs, you are taken on a ride through the 1960s/1970s UK pop music but never losing the touch of The Bachelor Pad's originality and humor. To define their sound, I could say they're noisy with irresistible pop melodies. Psych-rock in the most real sense, but their canvas is much larger than that. </span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Listening to this compilation, I can hear various artists' presence, but not necessarily a full-end tribute. It's more like a Richard Hamilton college or a Joseph Cornell box sculpture where there are individual pieces that tie to a specific visual or sensibility, but as a whole, it becomes an original artwork. The Bachelor Pad is the same in that they are part of their influences, but the way they put their songs together, it becomes un unique aural sound piece. </span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All the songs are layered with guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums, but merge into a sound that is partly Joe Meek meets classic Move (Roy Wood) when they did their early singles. The songs are written by Tommy Cherry and Martin Cotter, and both are credited for guitars and vocals. Due to the sonic qualities, I can't tell who or what guitar is playing; it all blends in such a style as an early Associates recording. They throw in the bathtub and sink, but the sound is chaos with plenty of hummable melodies. "Do It For Fun" sounds like a demented Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich song, but even crazier. </span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are no weak cuts on this compilation, but the stand out is what I believe was their last recording, and it was solely written by Cherry "Meet the Lovely Jenny Brown." The definition of this song is 'Perfect Pop." A beautiful build-up to the catchy chorus, it's a hit song that somehow fell through the cracks of time. A remarkable song on a perfect compilation that sounds like an amazing album. -Tosh Berman. </span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can get this album on their label's website: Emotional Response. <a href="https://emotionalresponserecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-bachelor-pad-all-hash-and-cock">https://emotionalresponserecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-bachelor-pad-all-hash-and-cock</a></span></p>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-90483810768153255962020-08-08T07:41:00.000-07:002020-08-08T07:41:23.064-07:00JARV IS... (Rough Trade) LP, Album, Vinyl, 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUXrWheLPFzfk8b7ELGyHkM9yZXu0GCc8u6VrW4qWk-WOp8b_lv1JsUIBkUxwrYXHpXvMhyKfRUXBn4NDjFZnd1CciDAhfgk8wMDxYdB6llujci_O5b2tFWGKmkrsohfcqi5eXq2LhN8/s600/R-15633736-1594919356-3606.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUXrWheLPFzfk8b7ELGyHkM9yZXu0GCc8u6VrW4qWk-WOp8b_lv1JsUIBkUxwrYXHpXvMhyKfRUXBn4NDjFZnd1CciDAhfgk8wMDxYdB6llujci_O5b2tFWGKmkrsohfcqi5eXq2LhN8/s0/R-15633736-1594919356-3606.jpeg.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUXrWheLPFzfk8b7ELGyHkM9yZXu0GCc8u6VrW4qWk-WOp8b_lv1JsUIBkUxwrYXHpXvMhyKfRUXBn4NDjFZnd1CciDAhfgk8wMDxYdB6llujci_O5b2tFWGKmkrsohfcqi5eXq2LhN8/s600/R-15633736-1594919356-3606.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">The new Jarvis Cocker project is Jarv Is... It's a relief of sorts that he has his groove back. For Cocker to do his best work, he needs a great band behind him, for instance, Pulp. Here, he has a brand new group, and they are different from Pulp, but the robust electronics and violin are put in good use in the arrangements. The mixture of real instruments and 70's-era moogs gives it a vintage touch, but also a platform for Jarvis to shine. All the songs are co-written, mostly with Serafina Steer, who plays harp and keyboards. Emma Smith plays violin, and both the back up vocals of Smith and Steer add a lot to the textural quality of the songs. Jarvis mostly plays guitars here, and more used as a sound texture than anything else. A wonderful album. </span></a></div>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-82228887996331987032020-07-13T09:46:00.001-07:002020-07-13T09:47:36.490-07:00Sparks: "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip" Double 45 rpm 12" Vinyl, 2020 (BMG))<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCX4nth6vMOYx29YVgpmSb-iZ8FCCT1XKf3Ug9wbcSe5P7pObnfaM6CA6JUYZIGYEFGVH1fukhLpn0hXVLGUOFQW2Tnx-emi7XH3wuX5YuT-5vU0ttqZHboNYjY1DlEOKKFp2BwkrduIU/s608/R-15558341-1593600490-7290.jpeg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="600" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCX4nth6vMOYx29YVgpmSb-iZ8FCCT1XKf3Ug9wbcSe5P7pObnfaM6CA6JUYZIGYEFGVH1fukhLpn0hXVLGUOFQW2Tnx-emi7XH3wuX5YuT-5vU0ttqZHboNYjY1DlEOKKFp2BwkrduIU/w494-h500/R-15558341-1593600490-7290.jpeg.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sparks is the portrait of Dorian Gray. As they go on, their music never ages, yet I, as a listener, is clearly getting older. Their bite is still energetic, and the melodies that they make seem effortless. "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip" is a remarkable work, due that its excellence is forward-thinking but without tainting their past. For me, Sparks's albums are just a chapter in a long (and so far endless) novel. Ron Mael's lyrics are the most literate in pop; in a sense, one notices the craft that goes into his writing, and then beyond that format, which makes it art. I never think of Sparks in the terminology of rock n' roll. To me, their work belongs to the Great American Songbook tradition of songcraft and writing. Each Sparks album is a multi-media presentation, but for the ears. Sitting in front of my speakers, I can see the entire show taking place. "Lawnmower" is one of those Mael's Raymond Queneau type of songs, where the words are playful as well as adding a catchy beat. Russell Mael's voice takes character and is clearly one of the great vocalists of the last 40-something years. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are no 'weak' cuts on this album. The songs flow from one to the other as if they all belong to the same and close family. What I do hear that is new is a sax here and there, and some songs have a loud acoustic guitar driving the melody hard. "A Study Drip, Drip, Drip" is an exceptional album in horrific times. May Sparks bring light to our world. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-86447202266124508922020-06-03T12:30:00.002-07:002020-06-03T16:18:23.692-07:00James Brown and The Famous Flames - "I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me" Album, LP, Vinyl, 1968 (King Records)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">First of all, one of my favorite album covers. I love the three women, and Brown in that mid-century non-existent background. Beyond that, this is an album of 45 rpm singles. When I hear this album, I hear a series of songs—still, a remarkable album. I'm of the opinion that Brown didn't make any bad records during the 1960s. Some I like more than others, but "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me) is one of the great Brown tunes—an existential existence on the sexual hysteria series of moments. The rest of the album is a consistent groove that one can play at a party, and no one is going to turn blue because of its relatedness funk. </span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">"Time After Time" has strings behind a horn arrangement, with a potent mix of drums, and it's a pop song, which in actuality it's written by </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/341663-Jule-Styne" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">J. Styne</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> and </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/255312-Sammy-Cahn" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">S. Cahn</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. Oddly enough, it sounds like The Stones "Satisfaction" in parts. "The Soul of J.B." has an organ solo, which I believe is Brown himself. Solid work from beginning to end. The album is a bridge between the soulful and funk that is Brown. </span></div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-87981866918943338132020-06-02T09:55:00.000-07:002020-06-02T09:55:08.243-07:00Reinbert de Leeuw/Erik Satie - "Vexations" LP, Album, 1983 (Philips)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Album of the day: "Vexations" written by Erik Satie, and performed by Reinbert de Leauw. There are a few editions of this remarkable piece of music. This is the 40-minute version by de Leauw, but there are at least two other versions that last for 80-minutes on the CD format. Either way, you can't fail with this piece of music. Ambient by design, but in actuality, it's a very demanding listening experience. When times get tough (and it's super-duper tough now) this music doesn't exactly calm me down but makes me think in a deeper mode. It's almost another layer of the brain is used when listening to Vexations. If I was going to hit the streets, this would be the music in my headphone.</span></div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-80977638045076082212020-05-17T17:33:00.001-07:002020-05-17T17:33:47.751-07:00Sparks - "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip (BMG)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span data-offset-key="amuth-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The brilliant aspect of Sparks is not only their way of writing the most catchy melodies, but how they take a subject matter and make it with weight and profound intelligence. "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip" is such a work that touches greatness with no great effort. Take "Lawnmower," for instance. A song about the love of owning and riding on a lawnmower: it's the obsession of having an object is similar to John Cheever's short story "The Swimmer," where the character goes into the pool after swimming pool to get home, which of course, he never makes it. In all cases, there is a world without Sparks, which is a very blue and bleak world indeed, and then there is a presence where you have Sparks among your favorite items, so the lawnmower is Sparks. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="97mcl-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The songs of Ron and Russell Mael, in theory, play in the medium of pop or rock, but in actuality, I think of them as songs set as a chamber piece or a theatrical piece of staging, without the stage. When I sit down in front of a pair of speakers, or on my computer earbuds, I feel like I'm reading either a short story collection or an absurd novel of some design. To me, Sparks doesn't really have a collection of songs, but more of a singular piece of work where the songs fit into a specific format. Like their other albums, all the songs on "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip" flow one to another in an organic sensibility as of putting peanut butter and jam together. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ep6v3-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The sound that rings out to me on this album is the sound of the acoustic strumming guitar. The album is beautifully orchestrated with textural sounds of what sounds like un-electronic instrumentation. Or the sound of a synth that is very Moroder-like in touches here and there. On the other hand, Sparks are masters of illusions, but what I hear is beautiful oriented pop music, in its most natural existence. Perfection is an art, but for Sparks, their music is also business as usual. The big mystery is, how do they keep up their standard of excellence, for so many decades?</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="duso-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">This is a big album full of more massive sounds. If one makes comparisons, I would think of the theatrical songs by Weill/Brecht or even Stephen Sondheim. The articulate words meet the well-defined melody, and that, in a nutshell, is Sparks' sense of magic. - Tosh Berman</span></div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-32729703748202510062020-05-03T11:28:00.001-07:002020-05-03T11:28:16.596-07:00The Marmalade -"Man In A Shop" b/w "Cry (The Shoob Doroorie Song)" 45 rpm Single, 1967 (Epic)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This 1967 recording of "Man In A Shop" by the British band Marmalade is my favorite record of the Trump Virus Year. I rarely spend $10 for a single, but after hearing it on YouTube, I must have this record at any cost. Perfection is mind-boggling when something so beautiful is in your presence. The song is structurally textured with various melodies coming and leaving, but the hook that gets me is the backward electric guitar, trumpet, and chorus. There are two lead vocals and the song is arranged with immense skill and charm. Parts of it remind me of early David Bowie (pre-Space Oddity) with the then-charm of baroque pop. A fantastic record that hasn't left my turntable. </div>
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Hear it here: <a href="https://youtu.be/jMLIFbvFJAw" target="_blank">"Man In A Shop" by The Marmalade</a></div>
Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-18747744061054128442020-04-30T11:05:00.000-07:002020-04-30T11:05:08.482-07:00The dB's - "Stands for Decibels" Vinyl, Album, UK, 1981 (Albion)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is something criminally wrong when a band like The dB's are not considered to be one of the great groups that came out of the U.S. in the early 80s. Their good friend's REM became mega-successful, yet The dB's are thought of as an afterthought than a group of musicians and songwriters who were crucial in their time and place. Those who know the band's music loves them. The question is why are they not huge in their time, and more importantly why are there records out-of-print?</div>
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"Stands for Decibels" always struck me as a greatest-hits album, because that is what this record sounds like. Every other song either sounds like a magnificent A-side to a single, or a very interesting B-side. Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple are the songwriters in the group and Gene Holder and Will Rigby are the rhythm section. A too-easy comparison is with The Beatles era "For Sale/Beatles '65", but like the Fab Four album, these are songs with twisted emotions and intense deliveries. Stamey and Holsapple have their distinctive way of writing songs, which makes them stand out, so one can tell which is a Chris or Peter song. Still, this variety pack is equally fantastic in the mix that is "Stands for Decibels." Broadly speaking (or listening) Stamey's songs are dreamy and biting in that John Lennon sense, while Peter's work is straight forward with great choruses. Very much an underrated band, and this album is a masterpiece. </div>
Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-27276723093742081212020-04-29T14:13:00.000-07:002020-04-29T14:13:01.893-07:00Jeff Beck -"Love is Blue" (L'amour Est Bleu) b/w "I've Been Drinking" 45rpm 7" single, Blue Vinyl, 1968/2015 (Sundazed)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For a few months after leaving The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck was unpredictable. He could go heavy, Psych, blues, but I wouldn't suspect him doing Middle-of-the-Road music. "Love is Blue" is a MOR standard, and to me, it's a crazy concept between him and the producer Mickie Most. Still, at its best, there is a trace of a Shadows influence, regarding how Beck handles his guitar duty on this French pop song. The first 20 seconds must have people look at the record label to see it wasn't a mistake. Once the guitar kicks in, it's Beck, but a weird Jeff. On a kitsch level, it's masterful. But Beck and kitsch really doesn't really mix well. Especially when the backup chorus kicks in. Did Mickie Most really see Jeff Beck as the guitar hero for the granddad set in the middle of the swinging 1960s?</div>
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The B-side (thank god for B-Sides) is "I've Been Drinking" a co-write between Beck and his vocalist at the time, Rod Stewart. I have to imagine that this is the classic Jeff Beck Group lineup with Ron Wood on bass, Mickey Weller on drums, and Nicky Hopkins on piano. I like the echo effect on Rod's voice and the underhanded backup vocals. Sturdy, workman-like, but not on a genius level. Still, there is something always cool about Jeff Beck. It's in his DNA. </div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-36712008634440823342020-04-21T16:27:00.000-07:002020-04-21T16:27:24.793-07:00David Bowie - "Is It Any Wonder?" Vinyl, EP, Limited Edition, 2020 (Parlophone)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A six-song 12" EP is another must-have if one is a David Bowie fanatic. Bowie is resembling after-life as a version of Elvis's reissues. Still, the quality is high, and I wonder if it is even possible for Bowie to make a truly bad record? The answer is no! The songs here are not totally new, but they are recent recordings made between 1995 and 1998, during his come back, quality-wise, after his "Outside" album and the next underrated "Earthling" recordings. There are two songs from Tin Machine "Baby Universal" and "I Can't Read," as well as "Stay" from "Station to Station," and "The Man Who Sold The World." The new songs (at least for me) are "Nuts,' which sounds like the technique of bass n' drums of "Earthling," but has the darker mood of a selection from "Outside." The other tune "Fun (Clownboy Mix)" is not familiar to me. The song has a nice flow, in fact, the entire collection melts from one song to another. </div>
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This EP is not a rehash but a fresh approach to some of his older songs or re-thought out in a manner for his electro-rock aesthetic at the time. Nevertheless, it's classic Bowie and does show the talents of Reeves Gabriel (now in The Cure) and Mark Plati. Both contribute a lot to the mixes and their fingerprints on the work come up splendidly. The Bowie estate is really doing a nice and thorough job in putting out these releases. When you can, I suggest you buy "Is It Any Wonder? on the Rhino website, here: <a href="https://store.rhino.com/artist/david-bowie.html" target="_blank">David Bowie Is It Any Wonder?</a></div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-83986137088556484072020-04-18T11:50:00.000-07:002020-04-18T11:50:29.246-07:00Haruomi Hosono - "Philharmony" Vinyl, Reissue, Album, 1982/2018 (Light in the Attic)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Techo-pop as perfection. Haruomi Hosono, who is no stranger on my blog here, is a combination of Van Dyke Parks and Brian Eno. His stance in Japanese contemporary music is vast and of great importance. Hosono is active as a producer, songwriter, arranger, and solo artist, as well as being part of the YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra). There is something late 20th-century Japan that fits in perfectly with the sound of analog synths and the way music is used in public areas, such as train stations and retail shopping areas. Often, and to this day, one can hear interesting electronic music being in the background while traveling or shopping. "Philharmony" is the ground zero of this type of aesthetic. Hosono has made pure electronic ambient albums, but "Philharmony" is based on pop songs done in an electronic manner. </div>
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There's a touch of purity in its approach, but Hosono is very expressive in that framework. This album is light, airy, but with a strong sense of melodies. At the moment it is either difficult to find, or very expensive, but I do swear that it is worth the game of searching this album down. </div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-58650792696231301442020-04-15T10:42:00.000-07:002020-04-15T10:42:49.203-07:00Ennio Morricone -- "Le Foto Proibite Di Una Signora Per Bene" OST, Vinyl, LP, Album, 1970/2014 (Dagored)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The genius of Ennio Morricone's score for "Le Foto Proibite Di Una Signora Per Bene" is the mixture of easy listening samba beats with threatening orchestration that something bad is going to happen around the corner. Morricone is a master of tension being built up, and then the blissful melody or beauty arrives. Featuring the eternal vocals of the great Edda Dell'Orso, this is one of the important soundtracks by the Italian master. As I have written before, I think of Morricone as one of the great composers of the 20th-century. Here he also orchestrated the music as well as writing the score and incidental music for the film. </div>
Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-42554447543593462592020-03-27T16:24:00.000-07:002020-03-27T16:24:05.276-07:00The Modern Lovers - "The Modern Lovers Vinyl, Album, Reissue, 2019/1976 (Music on Vinyl)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first time I heard the words "Modern Lovers" was in Interview magazine, and there was an interview with Jonathan Richman, the lead lover in this band. It was before I heard any music by them, and they were a band that mostly played in the Boston/NYC area. I was equally intrigued and amazed about Richman's stance on rock n' roll as a highly poetic/romantic platform but through his unique eyes. Not precisely innocence, but one who ruled out anything negative by taking ugly and making it beautiful. If rock n' roll is deformed in the sense of its decadence, then Jonathan only sees enlightenment that is borderline spiritual. Still, there are emotional feelings in every song. The way he portrays "Pablo Picasso" as a stud-in-the-make, in it's Velvet Underground minimalism. The juxtaposition of Picasso's image as an artist, human being, and Richman is treating him like a Velvet's subject matter. His observation strength is through, and his guitar playing is glued to the Lou Reed/Sterling Morrison aesthetic. If Reed is cynical, Richman is hopefully in the most profound manner. "Roadrunner," of course, is the ultimate car and get on the highway song. An essential album because it's a unique voice, which artists like Morrissey and others used as a springboard for their angst and work. John Cale's production is never fussy, just reporting the fact. With Jarry Harrison (Talking Heads), David Robinson (The Cars), and Ernie Brooks supply the foundation for Jonathan's flight into the genius level. </div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-702929735787970662020-03-23T10:26:00.001-07:002020-03-23T10:26:54.233-07:00V.A. -"History of British Rock" Compilation, 2 x Vinyl, 1974 (Sire)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Music became a force for me during my childhood. I was nine or 10-years old when The Beatles made their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and the impact of that event or spectacle had made a great impression for me. I wasn't aware that there was British English in the landscape until I heard them speak Liverpool English. The Beatles, for me, besides being a great band, also were the heavenly gate to the entrance of British music culture for yours truly. The Stones came upon me at the same time as the Fab Four. However, it was the Honeycombs that made an impression on me in a very insightful manner that still gives me goosebumps when I hear their recording "Have I The Right." In 1974 when I turned 20, I purchased "History of British Rock," due that they have The Honeycombs' hit song on this compilation.<br />
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Alas, this collection brought memories back to me in the same manner as Marcel Proust's character taking a bite of the French cookie. Billy J. Kramer, The Mindbenders (great name for a band by the way), Troggs, and so forth had a magnificent presence in my childhood. Therefore even in my 20's and thinking of the present, I was taken to my childhood in a pleasant manner. The album also introduced me to new music that wasn't popular in Los Angeles in the early 60s, such as Cliff Richard's "Blue Turns To Grey," a remarkable song by Jagger/Richards and an excellent recording. Also, Status Quo's "Pictures of Matchstick Men," Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You," and The Pretty Things "Don't Bring Me Down." Those were new songs for me. I have read about these artists in teenage magazines, but never had the opportunity to hear the songs, until I purchased "History of British Rock."<br />
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Over the years, I lost this compilation but recently purchased a copy at Rockaway Records, which was under $5. Now, the album not only takes me back to the early 60s but also 1974, when I originally bought the album. A record is not only a listening experience but also an entranceway to one's past.Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-90965860753344994392020-03-22T12:33:00.001-07:002020-03-22T12:33:54.824-07:00Pierre Bachelet & Hervé Roy - "Emmanuelle" OST, CD, Japan, 1974/1990 (Warner Brothers Music)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I bought my CD copy of the OST "Emmanuelle" some years ago in Tokyo. For whatever reason, it seems to be the perfect city to buy the ultimate Euro soft-porn soundtrack. The score is by Pierre Bachelet and Hervé Roy, and it reeks of 1970's swingers' scent. The album is a favorite of mine because it's basically the same melody played in various styles and settings. Luckily, the melody is pretty and of course, flexible for the needs of the producer(s) of the film "Emmanuelle." With song titles like "Emmanuelle Song," Emmanuelle in Thailand, "Emmanuelle Swims, " and the controversial "Rape Sequence," mostly due that the composers borrowed from a King Crimson composition. </div>
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An album like this I feel can't be made in the 21st-century, not only for its eros but the focus on one theme as it is played out throughout the album and movie. One of my (guilty) faves, and a trip back to a world that's different then from now. </div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-27526675391299406902020-03-21T10:48:00.001-07:002020-03-21T10:48:07.706-07:00Walter (Wendy) Carlos - "Stanley Kurbrick's A Clockwork Orange" OST, Vinyl, LP, 1972 (Warner Brothers)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A beautiful icy cruel album for our brutal times at the moment (Trump Virus). Wendy Carlos, who made most of the music on this album, adopts Beethoven and Sir Edward Elgar, as well as a memorable version of Rossini's "William Tell Overture." The thing about Kubrick is that he was always two steps ahead of a lot of other mainstream artists. Stanley's approach to using music, such as classical, is unique and bold. Kenneth Anger comes to mind as a fellow genius in using music/songs to convey the mood of the images. The soundtrack to "A Clockwork Orange" is very much not only fits the images of the film exceptionally well but also expresses the rot that is the 20th and 21st-century. This is music that reminds you of a rich past but in a bleak present. Mostly due to the skill and vision of Carlos in making something new out of old material. As I look at images of the virus and how it has affected various parts of the world, I hear this soundtrack in my head. This is the music that announces that we are fucked. </div>
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Kimley and I have a podcast called Book Musik, and we did an episode focusing on Wendy Carlos. You can hear it here: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/bookmusik/book-musik-014-wendy-carloss-switched-on-bach-by-roshanak-kheshti" target="_blank">BOOK MUSIK: Wendy Carlos</a></div>
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Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5546030826876822505.post-66649007028353419552020-03-20T12:00:00.000-07:002020-03-20T12:00:45.637-07:00Jazz in Paris, Vol 3 -"Saint-Germain-Des-Prés (1946-1956) 3 x CD, Compilation, 2004 (Gitanes Jazz Productions )<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love everything French ever since I was a tot and my dad took me to see a Bardot movie in Larkspur California. Over decades my love of Parisian aesthetic came to fruition with the music of Serge Gainsbourg, Boris Vian, Les Rita Mitsuko, and many others. I also love French Jazz, which sometime sounds like American Jazz, but with a French twist to the sound. In 2004, they released a "Jazz in Paris" series that is excellent. Eventually, they then made CD boxsets with an additional book in the package. One can't go wrong with the quality of the book as well as the music of course. Volume 3 is "Saint-Germain-Des-Prés (1946-1956), and it's a compilation that goes beyond excellence.</div>
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Saint-Germain was the focal point of those years for writing and music-making. Think of it as Liverpool in the early 1960s or Height Asbury in the Psychedelic Era, or NYC from the 1930s to 1970s. It seems that brilliance was from the air and landed on the grand boulevard of Saint-Germain.</div>
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Boris Vian and some others introduce American Jazz into Paris, by releasing recordings as well as arranging tours for various Jazz artists such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and others. This collection mostly focuses on French jazz musicians like <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/253481-Django-Reinhardt" style="color: #98158b; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Nimbus Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none;">Django Reinhardt</a>, <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/1598054-Ren%C3%A9-Urtreger-Trio" style="color: #98158b; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Nimbus Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none;">René Urtreger Trio</a>, and including my hero Boris Vian. </div>
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There are also Americans such as <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/373922-Sidney-Bechet-And-His-New-Orleans-Feetwarmers" style="color: #98158b; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "Nimbus Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none;">Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Nimbus Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">, </span></span> Don Byas, and so forth. Still, the magnificence of the playing and the communication between the two cultures are breathtaking. Beautiful moments of time and this boxset takes you to ground zero of French greatness. </div>
Tosh Bermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303116458264444064noreply@blogger.com0