Bob Dylan - "Blood on the Tracks" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1975 (Columbia)

The great thing about Bob Dylan is that it's almost impossible to write or discuss him without losing the iconic stance he has on pop culture.  From day one it seems Dylan was made to be great, especially when he changed his name from Zimmerman to Dylan.  In my world, Dylan is very much the pop entertainer and more in tune to someone like David Bowie than the 1960s Folk Music scene. He used the landscape, like Bowie using whatever he read or saw, but the truth is, both characters made themselves up to be what they are - not only great songwriters but a theatrical presentation as well. 

"Blood on the Tracks" is often seen as a personal work by Dylan.  Perhaps due to his divorce or the after-effects of the separation that took place at the time of the recordings.  One can fish into the words of these songs for a clue, but I suspect that Dylan doesn't think in that manner.  A bad incident or day for him is a springboard of imagination and various narrations, and at the end of the day, Dylan wants to tell a tale that will be enjoyed, and therefore he's more of a music hall performer than a raw rock n' roll soul.  Dylan is not a journalist, but more of a short story writer, with an incredible amount of details in his narratives.  "Blood on the Tracks" as an album, can probably be made into a film, or a narrative novel. 

Oddly enough, it was only a week ago that I heard this album as a whole piece.  Before that, it is just what I heard on the radio, and there are favorite songs here: "Tangled Up in Blue," Simple Twist of Fate," and of course, "Idiot Wind." Listening to side one of "Blood on the Tracks" is similar to listening to a greatest hits album.  It's interesting to hear this work as an album, instead of separate songs.  All stand by themselves, but the mood that runs through the collection is consistent, and there is no 'loose' cannon here, it all fits like a well-designed puzzle. 

"Idiot Wind" stands out because it is so angry, or I should say the character in the song is angry, yet, the humor is very tongue-in-cheek.  One can think it's a song from a psycho killer.   On the other hand, it may be my favorite Dylan vocal.  The way Dylan sings he reminds me of Lotte Lenya, in a very Bertolt Brecht method of separating the listener from the emotion, and one hears the intelligence behind the words. The character is angry, but the song itself is not furious.  There is a distance between the character in the song and what he's singing about.  His technique makes the words sting, because of its setting.  Dylan looks at his songs like a scientist looking at an object in a test tube.  There is a strong sense of objectivity, and for the listener, it's a subjective experience, as well as presuming that the character in the song is causally commenting on the 'facts.'

A very melodic record, and oddly enough it reminds me of the softer material on the  Rolling Stones' "Aftermath."  Only in texture, not in the style of songwriting, but one could imagine the Stones doing a version of "Idiot Wind."  There's real beauty between Dylan's voice and the strumming of the guitar, and the minimalist organ.   It's beautifully recorded by engineer veteran Phil Ramone, which brings to mind Sinatra's great ballad albums he made for Capitol Records in the 1950s.   Dylan takes from the past, and he manages to twist it in the fashion of a Teddy Boy using Edwardian design to say something new.   A great album. 

Popera Cosmic - "Les Esclaves" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1969/2018 (Finders Keepers)

Going into the world of Popera Cosmic is like going into a strange foreign neighborhood without a proper map.  I want to say Popera Cosmic is a band, but it feels more like a theatrical experience than a rock band.  What I do know is that the music is arranged by William Sheller, a noted musician/songwriter in France, but unknown outside of French-speaking countries.  The producer (or 'artistic direction') is Jean Eckian, and the rock band is the French progressive rock group, Alice.  Beyond that, it's still a mystery to me.  Still, there is something wonderful about French psychedelic rock, in that when it's trippy, it's really a trip. 

The opening track "Les Esclaves" sounds like a free-form version of The Doors' "Hello, I love You."  "Batman" is what you think it is, but again, approached in a trippy manner that's all nuances and of course, like every song or piece on this album, a groover in the ultimate groove sense of the word.  In such a manner, it reminds me of Gil Evans working with Miles Davis,  that there are two separates thinking patterns at work.  Alice is doing what they are doing, but working in a conceptual model.  I keep thinking that this is a musical like "Hair" but somehow failed to make it big. Still, if one is into French arrangement music, for instance, Jean-Claude Vannier, or admire the conceptual albums of Serge Gainsbourg, one is going to find "Les Esclaves" a fascinating album. 

"Philadelphie Story" is a remarkable and haunting ballad that comes out of nowhere on this album.  They don't make songs like this in the 21st-century.  It's lush but goes with this gorgeous orchestration with the lone female backup vocal that brings everything back to Earth.  "La Chanson du Liévre de Mars" is a mixture of Love era "Forever Changes" mixed with a slow build up of the chorus which is "Whee."   Recorded in 1969, this is very much an album of that era, but that's a great thing.  Listening to Popera Cosmic (they only made this one album) is to marvel the skills and visions of the arranger William Sheller.   It goes from camp to sweet melodies, and it's a bizarre mixture of what can be a soundtrack to a soft-porn film, or a big budgeted counter-cultural (French-style of course) musical.  My favorite album of the year. 

Serge Gainsbourg - "Théâtre des Capucines" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2018 (Jeanne Dielman)

A very important, and therefore a priceless document of Serge Gainsbourg's French nightclub performance in the year 1963.   Gainsbourg never had that awkward moment when he wasn't a genius.   Backed by a stand-up bass and an electric guitar, Gainsbourg covers his iconic 'jazz-like' songs, such as "Intoxicated Man," "Maxim's," and the ultimate ballad of all-time, "La Javanaise." In my opinion, there are better eras for Gainsbourg than others, and I think most of the listeners who live outside of France, probably prefer the Jane Birkin/Bardot recordings.  Which is understandable, because they are great songs, but I tend to fancy the jazz-era Serge.   I feel he was at the height of his songwriting skills, and he knew how to convey complex feelings into what seems to be like a love song.  In truth, he is expanding those emotions to express a world-view of the landscape that humorous, but also deadly serious at the same time. 

This was the tour before he released his album "Confidentiel," which this live album is a reflection of that official studio recording.  The sound is not that different due to the simple set-up of the guitar (Elek Bacsik), bass (Michel Gaudry), and voice.   Gainsbourg is not known as a great singer, but the truth is, he's unique, which makes him a superb vocalist, especially in the early years of his music career.   For me, this live album is like listening to The Beatles at the Cavern, or The Heartbreakers at CBGB's.  Not only is the band of great importance, but even more so, the theater or concert all.  Gainsbourg didn't tour much.  He did tour during the late 50s to early 1960s, and then again, in the 1980s.  One gathers that he preferred to be in the studio or composing than being in front of an audience.  Still, he never lost his iconic cool, and "Thêâtre des Capucines" captures an important moment in the Serge Gainsbourg world. 

Like the mysterious record label Doxy, Jeanne Dielman seems to be a European record label that specializes in re-issues of recordings that somehow fell between the cracks of copyright laws.  Therefore many of their releases are in limited editions.   I gather that the sound source came from digital or the medium of the CD.  Still, the packaging and sound are good.  

Erik Satie/Reinbert De Leeuw - "Vexations" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1983 (Philips)

Not the easiest piece of music by Erik Satie to find, especially on vinyl, still, this is one of the remarkable works that came out of the 19th-century.  Music historians think that Satie wrote"Vexations" in either 1893 or 1894, but no one knows for sure.  At times, seen as a joke, or at the least, exposing Satie's sense of humor.  The piece as it is written or notated is that the theme is played 840 times, which in theory, can last for 24-hours if one performed this work in a live setting.  John Cage did that and organized the first public performance of "Vexations" in 1963.

There are only a handful of recordings of "Vexations," and easier to find on CD. Perhaps that is the best medium because a CD can last for 80 minutes.  I have some of those recordings, but I'm a fan of Reinbert De Leeuw's recording of "Vexations" which lasts 26 minutes on each side of the album.  The music was recorded in 1975, and this edition of the LP was released in 1983.  I'm not sure about this, but I suspect that this may be the first recording of "Vexations."  It's a work of mystery, with no real notes from Satie, except that it should be played 840 times, and there is no mention or instructions beyond the score itself.

For me, "Vexations" is a haunting yet beautiful piece of music.  I love Satie's work, but I think "Vexations" is his masterpiece.   Simple, yes, but an exquisite melody that when played over and over again it puts me in a state where I can both think or concentrate on a work of writing (my main occupation) as well as drift off to the melody of "Vexations."   One can look at it as a Fluxus aesthetic, or a joke, but the truth is, this is remarkable music.   Sometimes a joke can expose the inner-beauty of a work of art.   

Bryan Ferry and his Orchestra - "Bitter-Sweet" Vinyl, LP, Album, 2018 (BMG)

This is the second album by Bryan Ferry where he goes through his song catalog and re-arranges his both, Roxy Music and solo songs into the era of early big band jazz. What sounds like a gimmick on paper, is actually one of Ferry's best album projects.  I would even argue that these recordings stand up, and even exceed some of his original recordings.   Half the album is instrumental, and once, Ferry's aging voice adds emotional overtures to the material.  It's beautifully sung and played by a large group of musicians.  Ferry has always been fascinated with the modern world, and that includes not only the present, future but also the past in such a 'moderne' mode or fashion.

On the surface, one can see this as a nostalgic love for an era that passes away, but for Ferry, I think it's a style of music that never left him.  He has always taken music as a historian, who tried to find new meaning within its framework.  "Bitter-Sweet" is an accurate title for the album (and also one of his great songs from Roxy Music) because the feeling of regret is very much felt. To say this album is romantic is like saying it's sunny in a cloudless day in Southern California.  Repeated listenings bring new rewards, and it is a gift that does keep on giving.   One, I always loved the sound of Roxy Music and most of Ferry's solo recordings, but now, I realize that he's a magnificent songwriter.  These arrangements are great because they are working from a great source, which of course are the songs themselves.

A big band but intimate music is coming from this group.  This is a sound where musicians are looking at each other eye-to-eye, with perhaps a conductor in the middle of the room.   As Ferry has one theme of his work, which is to locate the perfect romantic spot that is blissful and painful at the same time.   It's not about sexual conquest, but more of a situation where the pain of romance-lost is like a beautiful yet distant island.  Ferry is the one artist, who stands at the dock of the bay and looks out to this island, not that far off from a scene in F. Scott Fitzerald's 'The Last Gatsby."

Side one is more danceable or uptempo, but side two is a reflection that is sour, and three of its songs is from the debut Roxy Music album.  A classic, and which on the original recordings it is about the past as a concept, Ferry now re-frames these songs as actually a spirit from an era of the past.  It's similar to the last scene in "The Shining" where the caretaker Jack is placed in a photo of a party from the 1920s.  It's like the future is not really here.  Ferry's "Bitter-Sweet" is a brilliant album.   Just as great as the first Roxy album, and "For Your Pleasure."

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - "Merrie Land" Vinyl, LP, Album, 2018 (Studio 13)

Sad, but a very compelling work from Damon Albarn and the band 'The Good, The Bad & The Queen,' which also has the talents of Paul Simonon on strong bass, Simon Tong on guitar, and the extraordinary drummer Tony Allen.  "Merrie Land" is a very tight focus on the nature of England, and how it looks at its past but also dealing with a sense of loss with respect to Brexit.

 Albarn and company may be the first artist/band to comment on Brexit, and what it means to them as well as to British culture.  The song and title "Merrie Land" is ironic because it deals with the thought of nostalgia, but in fact, it's fantasy.   "Merrie Land" deals with England as a concept, as well as an illusion.  For some reason, whenever I hear or think of Brexit, I think of Jonathan Swift's book "Gulliver's Travels."  England is not only an island, but it thinks culturally like an island as well.  Part of the world, yet separated by water, and again in fantasy likes to think of itself as mental fort set aside by the thought of Britain first.  Nationalism is an ugly neighbor, and I suspect that Albarn and company are exploring the disillusion of a place and time.

Musically the album reminds me of Madness, who also sung of British characters, and maybe even a cousin to The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society."  "Merrie Land" and "Village Green" deal with the concept of England that's partly cinematic but also being thrust to the present, and the feeling of insecurity that goes with change.  Michael Redgrave on the cover of the album is a perfect visual for the sounds inside the jacket, which is theatrical in a British music hall manner.

The band itself is restrained and working together to make mood that's dread, with a touch of The Specials' "Ghost Town" thrown in the mix.  Tony Visconti co-produced the album, and there are traces of the vibe from David Bowie's "Blackstar."  "Merrie Land" has great beauty, like all things sad.  I feel that there should be a Criterion DVD added to the package, as if "Merrie Land" was already a film or book.   It feels like a classic work, and I think people will listen to this album thinking what was the beginning of the Brexit years were like?   Art is giving an impression of a feeling or writing something down on the sand before the tide takes it away.

Scott Walker - "Scott Walker Sings Songs From His T.V. Series" Vinyl, Album, Stereo, 1969 (Philips)

A phenomenal, great album on many levels.  Scott Walker is one of the handful greats in contemporary music.  Which sounds like an overblown statement, but the fact is that he has the combination of intelligence, vocals, compositional skills, and vision that doesn't seem possible in a mere human being.  From his career in The Walker Brothers to the classic Scott solo albums, (from "Scott 1" to "Scott 4") to the artful albums of his later career, including his work with Sunn O))) is a remarkable musical (and perhaps) life journey.   "Scott Sing Songs From His T.V. Series, an album that Walker doesn't admire much, is in fact, at least in my opinion, just as important as his renowned masterpieces.  

The thought of Scott Walker having his own TV music series in the UK is mind-boggling in itself, but if he was following the steps of crooners like Jack Jones (a singer he admired) his selection of these songs on this album are by no means hack work.   The core Scott orchestration is in place with the production of John Franz (who did the classic early Scott solo albums) and the arrangements of Peter Knight.  Both men worked with Scott at his solo height in the 60s, and this is not a minor project for any of those involved.

The album is a selection of songs that are from stage shows and film themes.  I'm not familiar with a lot of the songs, but I do know "The Look of Love by Bacharach and David, "The Impossible Dream," and "Lost in the Stars."  None of the songs on this album is Scott phoning in his vocals. I sense he is front and center with the recordings.  I don't know if he was ordered by his management or record company to make such an album, but to my ears, this is an extraordinary artist tackling not exactly the Great American Songbook, but covering some old and contemporary songs at that moment and time in his career.  Frank Sinatra comes to mind, especially the first track on side one, "Well You Still Be Mine" but perhaps his role model on this particular cut was Jack Jones.  Jones I feel was an underrated singer and was often thought of as a middle-of-the-road artist, but I suspect he had more depth than that.  And Scott recognized his talent, but I feel he took that inspiration and moved it into another plane or landscape. 

His version of the great Kurt Weill/Maxwell Anderson song "Lost in the Stars" is exquisite.  For me, I think of Scott as making sound sculptures.   The melodies are important, and maybe even the words are even more essential, but the way he performs his songs I can see it being a visual interpretation of his sounds.   I think his later work is very much in the sculpture mode, but I think he had this idea ever since The Walker Brothers and it just became more profound in his early solo albums.  Although "Scott Sings Songs" seems to be a work that is not part of his overall big picture, I feel it is part of the bridge between his early and later years.  To remove this album from his catalog is like removing "Rubber Soul" and not seeing the jump from "Beatles for Sale" to "Revolver."  This is an essential album by a major artist. It swings hard (in that Jack Jones/Sinatra mode) but also the ballads are crooned so perfectly that he puts others of his generation to shame.  At this time, Scott Walker was very much a songwriter.  So, in the sense of Bowie's "Pin-Ups" or Bryan Ferry's "These Foolish Things" this is a work that is commenting on the nature of popular music, and re-thinking it as not as a business plan, but more as of an artist.  Scott Walker rules.