David Bowie - Ouvrez le Chien (Live Dallas 1995) ISO Records

 

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. 

"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. 

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. 

Declan McKenna "Zero" (Sony Music)

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?

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. 

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."

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.  

Tosh's Favorite Albums of 2020

 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:

The Bachelor Pad -"All Hash and Cock"

Ennio Morricone - "Peur Sur La Ville"

Jack Nitzsche -"Jack Nitzsche"

The Quick - "Untold Rock Stories"

Jarvis Is... - "Beyond the Pale"

Dan Penn - "The Fame Recordings"

Sparks - "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip

Egisto Macchi - "Sud e Magia"

V.A.- "Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults"

A Raincoat - "Digalongamacs"

The Preachers -"Moanin'"

Various ‎– "More Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar"

Charlie Parker ‎– "The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection"

David Bowie - "Is It Any Wonder?"

Extended Organ ‎– "Vibe"

King Crimson ‎– "THRAK"

Vince Taylor & His Playboys* ‎– "Vince Taylor Rocks!"

Marc Bölan* ‎– "Electronic Musik"

Kenny Graham And His Satellites ‎– "Moondog And Suncat Suites

Joe Meek - "The Emotional, The Cosmic & Occult World of Joe Meek (Mississippi Records)

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.

The Bachelor Pad - "All Hash and Cock: The Very Best of The Bachelor Pad" (Emotional Response)

"All Hash and Cock: The Very Best of The Bachelor Pad - The Bachelor Pad (Emotional Response)

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.  

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.  

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.   

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. 

You can get this album on their label's website: Emotional Response. https://emotionalresponserecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-bachelor-pad-all-hash-and-cock

Tosh's Favorite Vinyl Albums in the Year 2019

Tosh’s Top Vinyl:

Sparks - “Gratuitous Sax & Seseless Violins”  (BMG) 2019 reissue

Mortimer - “Mortimer”  (Philips) 1968

Kenny Graham and his Satellites - “Moondog and Suncat (Trunk Records) 2010 reissue

Twice as Much - “Own Up” (Outline Records) 1982 reissue

Mark Hollis - “Mark Hollis” (Universal) 2011, Reissue

The Graham Bond Organization - “The Sound of 65” b/w “There’s A Bond Between Us” (Edsel Records) Reissue, 1988

Extended Organ - “Vibe” (Important Records) 2019

Henry Cowell - “The Piano Music of Henry Cowell” (Folkways Records) 1963

Talk Talk - “Spirit of Eden” (Parlophone) Reissue, 2012

Manfred Mann - “Soul of Mann (Instrumentals) - (Umbrella) 2018

David Bowie - “Mercury Demos” (Parlophone) 2019

The Soft Machine “Jet-Propelled Photographs” (Replay) Reissue, 2018

Daevid Allen - “Banana Moon” (Get Back) Reissue, 1999

Giles, Giles and Fripp - “The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp” (Cherry Red)

 Reissue, 2013

Lesley Gore - “Boys, Boys, Boys” (Mercury) 1964

Annette Peacock - “I’m The One” (Future Days Recordings) Reissue, 2016

Jean-Pierre Melville - “Bandes Originales 1956-1963” (Jeanne Dielman) 2018

Matthew Edwards and The Unfortunates - “The Birmingham Poets” (December Square) 2019

Philip Glass - "Mishima" Vinyl, LP, OST, 1985 (Nonesuch)

One can argue that there are better Philip Glass albums out there, but I'm very fond of his soundtrack to the film "Mishima" directed by Paul Schrader. I think "Einstein on the Beach" is one of the great pieces in classical 20th-century music, but Glass can do different types of music. "Mishima" is full of beautiful melodies, and the way he builds up the tempo as if adding one pick-up stick on to another, you're waiting for it to collapse. Alas, that doesn't happen. 

The film itself is one of my favorites as well. Ever since I was a teenager, I had a fascination with Yukio Mishima, not only for his writing but for his crazed life as well. On the surface, his whole lifestyle devoted to a mixture of literature, politics, gay life, and his need to be a performer — one thing for sure he didn't hold anything back. The film captures his character, but it is also the best work on a writer creating his (or her) world. Most movies about writers are dull. Still, Mishima is unique because, due to family overtures, Schrader had to rely on Mishima's writings, and that made this film a stronger piece of art.  The Glass compositions add a sense of melancholy as well as grandness. There is even a surf guitar part in the score that is a mystery to me — one of the unusual aspects in a Glass composition ever. There are classic OST albums that stay with me beyond the film. "A Clockwork Orange, "8 1/2," and "Mishima" is right up there with my other faves. 

V.A. - "A New Sound From The Japanese Bach Scene" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1969 (RCA)

Exotica? As one approaches this album, one would think that's the destination.  But alas, it's more in the tradition of the jazz Bach hybrid recordings by The Swingle Singers and French Jazz pianist Jacques Loussier.  It's Bach most excellent melodies but arranged for two Kotos and a Shakuhachi, plus a stand-up bass, drums and jazz guitar. Norio Maeda arranges the album, and it's very much in the mood of the classic Jazz/Classical overtures of the 1950s. But there is nothing kitsch about the arrangements or the music on this album.

I have this fascination with arrangments of music, that I know, but presented in a new light. When you hear this one doesn't think 'ah, the Japanese take on Western music.'  More of a playful approach that is very organic and presented in a very straight forward manner. There are even some bosa-nova beats here and there — a cool album.

Lou Reed & Metallica - "Lulu" 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, 2011 (Warner Brothers)

Probably due that I'm a regular type of consumer, who follows a brand name, but eventually turn to other interests.  For sure that's within the category when it concerns the solo albums made by Lou Reed.   Like thousands, I have read the great disappointment or disapproval of Lou Reed hooking up with Metallica to make "Lulu."  Which is a work that is based on the German playwright Frank Wedekind's "Lulu" cycle: "Erdgeist" (Earth Spirit, 1895) and "Die Büchse der Pandora" (Pandora's Box, 1904).  The two works focused on the character Lulu, who a young dancer and sexually active in her social circle.  This work is considered to be the foundation for German decadence and expressionism in the early 20th century.  Visualize and captured on film by G. W. Pabst, starring the iconic, smart, and beautiful Louise Brooks.   Alban Berg also made and compose an opera on "Lulu" in 1937.   This is a no-brainer subject matter for Lou, but Metallica?  

"Lulu" had the worse reviews and comments from both Lou and especially from Metallica fans.  They say its vulgar, or over-long, or Lou just riding on his reputation.  The truth is "Lulu" by Lou and Metallica is a masterpiece.  Without a doubt, it is one of the great Lou Reed albums like "Berlin," Street Hassle," and "Transformer."  And that includes the Velvet Underground albums as well.  It's hard for me to analyze the sourness of the critics regarding this album, but I think they didn't really listen to the record; instead, they're just commenting on what they 'think' is a proper Lou album or not.  

"Lulu" is very much into your face with the sheer volume and intensity, as well as the length of all the songs on this double vinyl album.   The songs themselves are beautiful.  Metallica offers a wall of guitar riffing that's majestic as well as being close to a drone hypnotic sound.  The electronics that filters through the mix and layers of sound adds a dimension to the riffs that one can separate the textures, so for me, it's a recording that sounds different to me in each different listening experience. If one likes the riffing of "Sweet Jane" or "White Light White Heat," I can't imagine one not liking the exquisite "Iced Honey" or the intensity of "Dragon."  "Lulu" is very much an angry or aggressive aural experience.  In essence, it reminds me a bit of David Bowie's "Blackstar," or the later works of Scott Walker, where you get the impression of naked fury or acceptance of how things turned out.  The fact that this is Lou Reed's last album project is an interesting gift to the public before bowing out on this physical world.  "Lulu" is an emotional ride for me, and it may be due to my aging process, or just the nakedness of the anger that is so articulated in the mind and voice of Reed.  "Junior Dad" the last song on the album, is over 19 minutes long, and it is one of his best songs.  Reed is relentless in portraying the dad as a major disappointment.  One can see this as a personal statement about his relationship with his father, or a commentary on the role of the dad in our culture.  I suspect both.  If "Lulu" is a failure, I hope more artists will get to this level to deliver such 'disappointment," because I'm bored with the commercial music market these days.  "Lulu" is like a spring bath where one meditates on the evils of the world, and you get it out of one's system.   Art working at its best.  

* I also made commentary on Lou Reed and Metallica's "Lulu" on my "Tosh Talks" program.  You can see it here:  https://youtu.be/2-BqJGdjvVU

Tosh Berman's 2017 Favorite New (for me) Albums

For the world, a total nightmare of a year.  For me, standing near my turntable and stereo speakers, an excellent year.  Here, and in no special order, are albums that I  have heard for the first time in 2017.  Some of the releases are very old, and some came out this year - but all, were first listening experiences for the year 2017.  The Ork Records and Webern box sets, I may have heard some of the music some years ago, but these are new packages for me.  Even though I believer the Webern box set came out in the 1960s.   The majority of the albums (all vinyl) I purchased are used, but some I did buy if they were reissued, or I was lucky finding it online or more likely in a record store, either here in Los Angeles or in Tokyo.   Nevertheless, for me, this was totally new music for the year 2017.  So, again, in no special order, here are the albums.  And keep in mind, that I did write reviews of some of the titles, but there are albums here that I haven't had a chance to write on, or about the recordings.  So here it is:

"Ork Records New York New York" on Tosh Talks

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

Tosh Talks - Joe Meek part1 The Honeycombs

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

Sparks - "Islington N1" CD Single, Special Edition, 2008 (Lil' Beethoven Records)

Perhaps my most prized music object.  The very limited edition of Sparks' "Islington N1."  Not sure how many were made.  I got one because I got the Gold Ticket to their series of concerts that took place in Islington London in 2008.   I wrote all about it in my book "Sparks-Tastic."  Which is more of a memoir of a Sparks' fan than a Sparks bio - but it does cross that line within the book.   Besides having such a special CD, the song is one of the great tunes from Ron Mael and Russell Mael.  It's dramatic, it's funny, and somewhat moving.  Perhaps because it is a song dealing with a real time, with respect to the area around the concert hall where these concerts took place.  It's a snapshot of a time and place, and anyone who received this CD at that particular time, it's very much like watching an event on Live TV.  Listening to it now, it brings back memories of all the shows and even what my mood was like at that time.   On another level, it's a drag that this song is not more available to the masses.   You can find the recording on YouTube, but the time of its release (or giveaway), it seemed no one posted it on the Internet.  Which was unusual, because everything gets posted as soon as possible.  It seemed that the fans who did receive this CD pretty much kept it to themselves.  

The song is brilliant.  Lyrically it's in the Noel Coward/Cole Porter world.   No one writes songs like Sparks.  I often mentioned it (maybe too many times) but their music harks back to a literate world - especially in songwriting.  There is nothing abstract in their writing, nor is it realistic. It's impressionistic that people can tie themselves into the narrative or wordplay.   I have come upon music that is inspired by Sparks, and even some imitated them, yet, their originality is unique and of course, rare.   Sparks is an endless amount of interest for me because what they do is delicate like eating sashimi with chopsticks, not stabbing food with a fork.  It's music that is sensitive and perfectly balanced.  I often wonder how they can keep it up.  In one word: Genius. 

Donovan - "Sunshine Superman" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Mono, 2005, Originally 1966 (Sundazed)

"Sunshine Superman," I think is the first Donovan album that I purchased in the year of its release 1966.   You can't get more 1966, than "Sunshine Superman."   The song was a big hit on the radio and very hard to avoid if one even dared to do so.  Everyone loved that song.  I clearly remember driving with my dad on Sunset Boulevard and hearing this song in another car's AM radio speaker.  Once on the radio, everyone put the volume up.   Very summer-like soundtrack. 

Donovan always had that ultimate hippie white robe thing going, but the truth is, he's a masterful pop songwriter and an incredible singer.  His appeal for me is that he has a jazzy vocal, but that is blended into his beautifully orchestrated pop music mode.  He has a very unique sound, that goes beyond the image of flute, guitar and bongo drum.  Even his earlier folk recordings had more of a jazz cafe quality than New York's Washington Square.   The other great ingredient in his overall sound of his albums is the talent of hitmaker Mickie Most.   He often used Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones on his recordings, and I suspect (especially Jones) are on "Sunshine Superman."

"Season of the Witch" is the other outstanding track beside the title that is iconic like. Druggy, groovy, and hypnotic; one would think this would be the ultimate laid back garage rock recording of all time.  It hints of exotic overtures, which makes it irresistible.   The truth is, the whole album is on that train of thought.  It flows like pouring a beautiful glass of wine into a large wine glass.  The other highlight is the closing song "Celeste" which is Donovan's most beautiful melody and delivery.  

Glenn Gould - Bach/ "The Art of the Fugue, Volume 1 (First Half)" Vinyl, LP, Remastered 2015 (Vinyl Passion Classical)

Originally recorded in 1962, this album by Glenn Gould performing and recording Bach's "The Art of the Fugue" on the organ is a sound that pretty much have been in my life for the past 50 or so years.  My parents used to play this album at a very high volume.  As far as I know this is the only recording with Gould playing the organ.    These compositional pieces of music were Bach's exploration in monothematic instrumental works.  Never written for any particular instrument, it is many ways Bach's thinking out a problem from a notebook.  Gould I suspect was a musician who tackled music as an ongoing concern than a finished work of art.  The process or the journey is very much of great importance to Gould, and it is intelligence as well as his skills on the keyboard that makes him such a fantastic artist. 

The description above sounds cold, but the truth is, I often hum this melody in the bathtub.  The ultimate riff builds on other riffs.   It's like building a sand castle, and there is a wave coming in any second to tear down your structure.  Trying to find the original mono Columbia Masterworks version is tough for me.   I want one because that was the version that we had as a child, and I'm trying to recapture my childhood through the medium of vinyl.  To recapture the past is a foolish activity because the memory is always the winner.  Even over physical objects such as a vinyl from one's past.  A European label, Vinyl Passion Classical, put this out in 2015 on vinyl.   Not sure if it's a high-end bootleg label or an official release.   The sound is great.  And there is something magnificent about this music on vinyl.   Gould has done so many superb recordings, but due to emotional reasons, this is my favorite Glenn Gould album. 

Kevin Rowland - "My Beauty" CD, Album, UK, 1999, (Creation)

The very strange Kevin Rowland solo album.  "My Beauty" when it came out, was quite controversial in the U.K.   Eleven covers (no originals) of Rowland twisting rock n' roll standards (of sorts) and pop oddities (of sorts).   I was never a fan of Dexy's Midnight Runners, but I was amused by reading interviews with Rowland, who in fashion, reminds me a bit of a  classic Morrissey.  Not musically, but a great individuality expressed through his image and words.  And of course, there's the music.  I bought this CD in Tokyo because it was the only place on this planet that one can find it.  Rumor is that it was the worst selling title put out by Creation.  I didn't believe the hype because anyone who does a cover of Unit 4 + 2's "Concrete and Clay" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" on one album, had at the very least has a sense of genius. 

And this is a work of genius.  "My Beauty" is a very personal statement by Rowland.  It is like he is coming up from an emotional storm and these songs are the only things in his life that mean something to his life.   Fully orchestrated and no irony even doing a Whitney Houston song ("The Greatest Love of All," this is a man on a mission to get himself better.  The beauty of "Concrete and Clay" is that he adds his own lyrics into the mix as well as on others. There is a self-help aspect to "My Beauty" that is unnerving, and it's not really a comfortable listening experience.  It's music that gets into your face. 

The cross-dressing of Rowland is just eccentric.  Always a dandy he's a guy who pays close attention to his image.  There is something cinematic about Rowland's approach to music.   On songs like "Daydream Believer" it sounds like Karaoke, but with Rowland losing it in the middle of the song.  The thing is he is consistently sincere throughout the album.   His version "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a tear breaker.  Then again, my eyes tear up when I hear this song whoever sings it.  "My Beauty" needs to be reissued.  Or be available for streaming services.  

David Bowie - "Thursday's Child" CD, Single, 1999 (Virgin)

This CD single or EP, since it has four songs on it, is Bowie at his most profound and moving.  "Thursday's Child" is a song of aging, and looking back, but at the present as well.  It's one of the handful of Bowie songs that moves me to tears if I'm under the proper cocktail of red wine and depression.   There are two versions of the song on this CD, and it's worth the purchase even if you have the full album.   The 'rock' version of "Thursday's Child" has a stronger guitar presence, but still the ballad that sways than makes one shake your head up and down.  

"We Shall Go To Town" is the end of the evening, and there is nothing more.   A couple hitting the town not for fun, but as in destiny brings you to a certain point or crossroad.  A beautiful mournful melody with vocals that express both honesty (with respect to the situation) and dread.  "1917" is technically an instrumental, although I hear a faint vocal buried in the mix and electronics.  It wouldn't be out of place on an album like "Low."    The underrated Reeves Gabrels co-wrote, co-produced the album "Hours"  and this EP.  

Paul McCartney - "Chaos and Creation in The Backyard" CD, Album, 2005 (Capital Records)

It was a moment of curiosity that I discovered Paul McCartney's 2005 solo album "Chaos and Creation in The Backyard."   The Paul albums that I loved were "McCartney," "Ram," and Wings' "Wild Life."  Also the hugely underrated Mike McGear album "McGear" is very much the lost great Paul work as well, since he co-wrote and produced his brother's album. The rest, at least for me, was pure wallpaper music.  "Silly Love Songs" became the first thing I thought of when the two words 'Paul" and "McCartney" came together.  Not a good connection.   So the moment of curiosity came I think due to the photograph of Paul taken by his brother Mike, that's the front cover of "Chaos and Creation in The Backyard.  Also the fact that Nigel Godrich, of Radiohead fame, produced the album.  

The album is a Paul masterpiece.   All instruments by the ex-Wing man and there is a focus on the whole LP that is direct and consistent.  At the time I believe there was trouble in Paul's personal life, and the sadness on the record conveys him in a blue mood.  I have read that "Chaos and Creation" is not his favorite album.  I think due to the relationship between him and Godrich.   In theory, Paul is very much a collaborative artist, and if there isn't someone out there challenging him to do better, he will come up with "Silly Love Songs."  I think Godrich aggressively kept McCartney on track, and made him come up with better lyrics and sonically do things that one is reminded of the early Paul solo albums. 

The songs on this album show why Paul is a great songwriter and performer.  One notices the age effect on his vocals, but it's all good for the material on hand here.  Even the Twee song "English Tea" is superb, because, in truth, Paul loves twee - but he was having a hard time distinguishing from good twee from (very) bad twee.   There are touches of McCartney going through his emotions that in hindsight probably made him feel uncomfortable.  Still, with the assistance of Godrich, and McCartney doing all the instruments and voices, this is an excellent album from an aging (in a good way) artist.  If haven't already, Paul and Beatle fans should re-check this album out. 

John Zorn - "Naked City" CD, Album, U.S., 1990 (Nonesuch)

When I was living in Japan in 1989/1990, it was impossible to go to a good music store and not run into a large John Zorn section.  Zorn at the time had a Japanese label and was living in Osaka.  Me, having a lot of time on my hands, started to investigate the world of Zorn, which is (and still) like jumping into Alice's rabbit hole.  One never knows what they will find at the end of that hole.  The one CD I purchased was Zorn's "Naked City," which is also the name of his all-star band.  Fred Frith on bass (mostly known as a guitarist), Bill Frisell on guitar, Wayne Horvitz on Keyboards, and Joey Baron on drums Zorn on sax, with the Boredoms' Yamatsuka Eye on vocals.   At the time, I thought this would be a good introduction to the world of John Zorn, and I still think it's a great starter to the Zorn aesthetic. 

"Naked City" is a mishmash of different music styles.  Listening to the album for the first time is like going from one neighborhood to another and not being able to distinguish the differences between the areas, due to the speed of the journey.   Ultra hyper, noisy, and extreme melodic beauty all at the same time.   I never really heard music like this before, and hearing it in a foreign (at the time) land added a unique sense of intensity for me.   The very first Zorn album I purchased was in the 1980s, and it was his tribute/take on Ennio Morricone's music.  This was my first introduction to the world of Morricone, so it's interesting to be introduced to the iconic Italian genius through the medium of another genius Zorn.  

All the pieces here are short, and a burst of energy.  Even Georges Delerue's "Contempt" theme which is a beauty of a melody is done at a faster pace.   I have seen the Godard film but was never aware of the music piece till I heard this recording.  Now, I'm obsessed with getting any version of this melody on vinyl.  That with the theme of "Batman," The James Bond Theme," Mancini's "A Shot in the Dark," and the great "The Sicilian Clan" by Morricone.   Zorn, without a doubt, introduced me to the world of soundtracks.   The Morricone tribute album opened the door, and "Naked City" nailed me down for life. 

The Zorn compositions on the album are soundtracked based, but with distinct experimental or free jazz traces, but still held consistently by the insanely tight playing by the band.  So here you have music of great beauty, punk rock, experimental, and free-form jazz, with a touch of noise, courtesy of Eye the vocalist.   A great album with fantastic graphics (normal with Zorn's recordings) and for me, a wonderful introduction to not only to Zorn's compositions and playing but to the deep-end world of soundtrack music.  

The Music Machine - "(Turn On) The Music Machine" Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, 1966 (Original Sound)

"Talk Talk" is one of the great 45 rpm singles in my life.   As a 12-year-old, I couldn't wait till it came on the radio.  I think it lasted under two minutes which was torture to me.  I remember keeping the radio dial on KHJ or KCRW, or both, in the hopes to hear this song again.  Oddly enough I never had the 45 rpm single.  Reasons why, is in the memory bank of the forgotten.  

It was years later that I purchased an early CD edition of his album, and in stereo.  I thought the stereo mix was terrible.  Not the way I remembered the song, which again, was through the magic of a transistor radio.   At Mono (no pun intended) Records store I found an original 'Mono' pressing of "(Turn On) The Music Machine."   What is there not to like?  A band dressed all in black, and all wearing one black glove.   Fascism, punk rock, religious cult/order?   When I got home and put it on my turntable, I was blown over by the great sound coming out of the speakers.  No separation of the organ from the voice of Sean Bonniwell.  Who also, by the way, wrote the original songs on this album, and the half are covers of songs from that era or year 1966.  It's almost a jukebox of hit songs like "Taxman," Neil Diamond's "Cherry Cherry,' and the other punk garage rock iconic song from Question Mark and the Mysterians'  "96 Tears."   What took me by surprise is that all the songs by Bonniwell, including "Talk Talk" were magnificent and crafted song(wo)manship. 

"Masculine Intuition" and "Come On In" are songs that struck me just as hard as "Talk Talk."  It's a strange feeling to listen to an album made decades ago, and just thinking they were a one-hit wonders for "Talk Talk."  That they had other songs right up there with that piece of music - magic was a wow for me. 

Their version of "Hey Joe" is actually my fave of all the many versions that are out there.  Bonniwell was an excellent vocalist.  His voice can convey a deeper sense of hurt and disappointment.  The banality of a young man yes, but throughout Bonnniwell's composition skills,  the subject matter of the song becomes the status of Shakespeare tragedy through the medium of garage rock.