Missing Persons – Spring Session M

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1982 Capitol Records

I know some of you are laughing at me for this, but your laughs fall upon deaf ears.  Yes, Missing Persons was unabashedly commercial new wave pop, but there was something about their debut album that was just miles ahead of the other image-based pop of the early 80’s era.

Lead singer Dale Bozzio attracted more attention for her very revealing stage attire than for her voice.  I have to admit that her quirky, hiccupy singing has a certain personality to it that I think works magic here.  Or it could be the hormones talking as she was the very first fully naked woman I ever saw as an adolescent boy in a certain girly magazine.

I remember as a teenage metalhead walking into Record Bar (anyone remember THAT store?) just as the first notes of album opener “Noticeable Ones” came forth ethereally from the store sound system and being riveted first by the sound of heavy guitar on a new wave song then by the sight of Dale Bozzio in all her new wave glory on the cover of the album.

It was a great leadoff track for one of the greatest new wave albums.  “Windows,” “Walking In LA,” “It Ain’t None of Your Business,” and CD bonus track “Mental Hopscotch” provide some of the catchiest melodies and atmospheres, while the classic “Words” always finds itself on any given 80’s pop “Best of’ list.

The individual talent in the band is undeniable, drummer Terry Bozzio being a Zappa veteran, Warren Cuccarullo later adding his talent to the Duran Duran sound and bassist Patrick O’Hearn going on to make a name for himself in the realm of new age music.  All of this talent combined to create a truly magic moment in new wave pop.

It was all downhill for the band after this, as neither ‘Rhyme and Reason’ nor ‘Color In Your Life’ did anything to build on the promise of ‘Spring Session M.’   There were some charming qualities to the new wave sound, and all of them are on this disc…testimony to commercial music being crafted in the hands of really good musicians.

Rating:  4 out of 5

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Andy Summers & Robert Fripp – Bewitched

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1984 A&M Records

Andy Summers and Robert Fripp are undoubtedly kindred spirits, albeit in ways that have manifested themselves differently throughout the years.  The similarities in creative brilliance and experimental spirit are on full display on their first album ‘I Advance Masked’ and this, its equally creative but superior follow up.

This is an instrumental album consisting more of soundscapes than traditional song structures, which one would expect given the eccentric personalities who created it.  The closest they come to the familiar verse/chorus song structure is on the playful 11-minute “What Kind Of Man Reads Playboy.”

The swirling sonic consummation of guitars, guitar synthesizers, keyboards and programming is at once breathtaking and purifying.  Truly, this album brings me an overwhelming sense of calm and everything being just right every time I listen to it.  Sure it goes off on tangents sometimes, which again you should expect from Summers and Fripp.

The mantra-esque title track provided suitably esoteric background music in portions of The Police’s documentary “Police Around The World,” recorded on their ‘Zenyatta Mondatta’ world tour.  Originality and creativity win the day.

Rating:  4 out of 5

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Swell – Too Many Days Without Thinking

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   1997 Beggars Banquet

This album narrowly edges out their brilliant ‘…Well?’ as the best Swell album and is perched comfortably in the 10 Best of the Abyss.  I’ve heard people compare Swell to the Velvet Underground and sonically they’re kinda close, except that Swell has better songs and a singer who can sing.

I still can’t believe Swell wasn’t better received commercially during the early 90’s alternative boom, what with their sound being quite ‘alternative’ and smoky in all the best possible ways.   David Freel’s intimately compelling baritone slacker drone weaves melodies effortlessly through the alternately electric and acoustic atmospheres the band creates.   His is a voice that represents, with all due respect, how Lou Reed might sound if he sang on key.

“(I Know) The Trip” is probably my favorite of this batch of songs, as well as being my second favorite song the group has done (second only to  “At Long Last” from ‘…Well?’).  Freel’s airy sound and melancholy sense of humor is on full display here, especially on tracks like “Throw The Wine,” “Fuck Even Flow,” “At Lennie’s” and “Bridgette, You Love Me.”

Man, when I listen to this disc I can just close my eyes and feel the sand and ocean breeze of a southern California sunset…much like on drummer Sean Kirkpatrick’s cool paintings.

Rating:  5 out of 5

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Entombed – Wolverine Blues

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1993 Earache/Columbia/Sony Music

Man, how this disc didn’t get more mainstream notoriety (given the success of bands like Sepultura) is beyond me.  I remember this one coming out roughly around the same time as Sepultura’s ground breaking “Roots” and believing it to be an equally important (if not superior) release.

I was doing a new music show on WTGE-FM 100.7 The Tiger back in 1993 when this came in the mail.  I was already stoked after hearing the “Hollowman” EP and I turned this one up so loud in the production room that I blew one of the speakers.

This is the album where Entombed’s buzz-saw guitar fueled ‘death n roll’ sound first came to fruition, and to this day there is no one who sounds like them.   At their best, Entombed rivals the mighty Slayer for pure electricity and aggression, for this is truly the sound of chaos…barely harnessed chaos.

L G Petrov is a vocalist like no other, his voice evolving from a cookie cutter death growl to the most melodically abrasive and hell-raising voice on earth.  Sample the pounding mercilessness of “Rotten Soil,” the venom of the title track, the machine-like coldness of “Hollowman” or full-on fury of opening track “Eyemaster” for highlights of this band’s power no matter what the velocity of the song.

There’s this strange classic rock feel that oozes through Entombed’s brutal sound, most notably on this disc and its long-delayed follow up “To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth.”   Strange because lurking underneath the sonic brutality there’s a certain familiarity that makes ‘Wolverine Blues’ a frighteningly easy album to warm up to.

Rating:  5 out of 5

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Machines of Loving Grace – Concentration

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   1993 Mammoth/Atlantic Recordings

I was working at a classic-rock-turned-alternative radio station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana when this CD was released in 1993 (long live 100.7 The Tiger!).   The Seattle grunge sound had taken hold and the alternative radio format was starting to include other genres like electronica in the wake of Nine Inch Nails’ success. 

Being mostly a guitar guy (but a lover of great songs no matter what instruments are used), I was turned off by most of the electronica and electronica/rock hybrids of the time, and indeed most of them found only limited (if any) success.   What made this disc stand out as one of my favorites of the time is that it incorporates what I feel are all the best elements of dance/electronica and hard rock.

While not nearly as heavy as White Zombie, the danceability of the tracks brings to mind the vague comparison.  But while White Zombie was a metal band first and then added the dance element to their sound, Machines of Loving Grace was the opposite, bringing a hard guitar edge to their dance-oriented songwriting while keeping melodic pop sensibility.

The pulsing rave groove of opener “Perfect Tan (Bikini Atoll)” allows for perfectly placed distorted guitar accents and riffs which complement the decidedly dance music-oriented vocals of Scott Benzel quite nicely.  However, three songs in a row on the second half of the disc make it indispensible:  “Cheap,” “Acceleration” and “Ancestor Cult.”  The disc is strong throughout, but this triplet comprises their most shining moments in my opinion.

They’ve never matched the strength of this album before or since, but all that matters is that this disc is an album any band should be proud of.

Rating:  4 out of 5

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Hanoi Rocks – Two Steps From The Move

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  1984 Epic

Everything every 80’s glam band wanted to be, from the pop sensibilities of Poison to the debauchery of Motley Crue to the street-wise attitude of Guns N Roses, is right here wrapped up in the package of one band…Hanoi Rocks. 

Now I know Guns N Roses isn’t a glam band per se, but the success of “Appetite for Destruction” in my thinking brought to fruition the massive recognition that would have belonged to Hanoi Rocks if not for their tragic demise.  Indeed, the photos of Guns N Roses from this era (before Axl tried to become Elton John) exhibit a band who were effectively an American-born incarnation of Hanoi Rocks, a fact respectfully exhibited by the Gunners overseeing the American release of the entire HR catalogue on their own UZI Suicide label.

Hanoi Rocks had the melodies and hooks to rival any great rock bands and a street punk mentality that was off the hook.  Imagine the New York Dolls with more fun, better songs and the ability to actually play their instruments and you’ve got a good idea of what you’ll find here.   They were perched on the precipice of success in the US when it all came to an abrupt halt after drummer Nicholas Dingley (aka Razzle) took a fateful December 1984 ride to the liquor store with Motley Crue’s Vince Neil at the wheel, resulting in Dingley’s drunk driving death.

The album kicks off with one of the greatest remakes of all time, Hanoi Rocks giving CCR’s “Up Around The Bend” such an enthusiastic and adrenalized treatment that the song might as well be their own.   The rock rocks and the honest emotions flow on the more atmospheric tracks like “Underwater World” and sweetly sentimental “Don’t You Ever Leave Me.”  The spoken word parts on the latter come across as sincere rather than cheesy.  “Underwater World” includes the phrase ‘…welcome to the jungle’ which would see the light of day some 4 years later as a signature track on GNR’s “Appetite For Destruction.”

Lead vocalist Michael Monroe has a baritone wail that clashes nicely with his bleach-blonde androgynous image, providing undeniable shock value while he wraps his red lipstick-covered lips around the saxophone for a nasty solo on album closer “Cutting Corners.”   This is everything glam SHOULD be, from the melodies and hooks to the fun and sense of danger.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Y Kant Tori Read – Y Kant Tori Read

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  1988 Atlantic Recordings

I remember being introduced to this disc when it was first released by a girl I worked with (and had a major crush on) at a music store back in my college days.  I was a metalhead and was just beginning to really branch out and diversify my listening tastes, and of course I was attracted by the dolled-up, sword-wielding Tori Amos on the cover.

The album was critically butchered upon its release, most notably by Billboard magazine.  So bad was the press for Y Kant Tori Read‘s first and only album, that Atlantic records deleted it within 6 months of its release.  Tori Amos herself avoids discussing the album as it brings back a traumatic part of her life, chronicled on the chilling “Me and a Gun” from her magnificent ‘Little Earthquakes’ CD.

It’s a shame, really, as the songs are really quite good.  If you can look past the cheesy imagery of the cover and the over-produced nature of the music, you’ll find many of the intimate elements that would bring Tori Amos much-deserved success on ‘Little Earthquakes’ and subsequent releases.

“The Big Picture” and “Cool On Your Island” admittedly have more in common sound-wise with Pat Benatar than Kate Bush, while possessing far more intimacy and vulnerablility than Benatar ever showed us on her recordings.  At times, you could say it’s a guilty pleasure.

“Floating City” has just a mesmerizing chorus, and album closer “Etienne Trilogy” begins to hint at the direction she would ultimately follow.  Throughout this disc, Tori Amos’ voice sweetly finds its way to the front of the mix, most majestically on the aformentioned “Etienne Trilogy,” ultimately proving that the critics who so mercilessly slagged this album weren’t able to get past her image on the cover.

Is it Tori Amos’ best work?  No.   Was it deserving of its critical slaying?  No.  Is it deserving of a good listen by you?  Yes.

Rating:  4 out of 5

Tricky Woo – Sometimes I Cry

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1999 Sonic Unyon

On any given day, this is my favorite album of all time.  If every band in existence had the sheer energy, conviction and sense of reckless abandon contained on this disc, the world would be a better place.   Everything Jet, Wolfmother and all the other hip retro bands are doing was done better and done first by Tricky Woo right here on this collection of chaos disguised as songs.

The best way I know of to describe the sound is the energy and intensity of Jimi Hendrix’s classic “Fire” juiced up with crisp modern production values and undoubtedly a whole lotta beer.    Seriously…this is the kind of insane racket your parents were afraid you would create when they bought you your first guitar or drum set.

Yep, the whole thing just explodes out of your sorry woofers (thank you Martin Popov) with a relentless drunken conviction that is absolutely infectious on opening instrumental kicker “Altamont Raven” and doesn’t let up for even a second.  The whole thing clocks in at about a half hour and leaves you absolutely exhausted in the best way possible.

If you’ve had a bad day or are dreading your drive to work in the morning, put this on the ol’ car stereo and it’ll put a smile on your face…guaranteed.  You’ll find yourself singing along to some of the dumbest (and I mean that with the utmost respect!) lyrics you’ve ever heard…and loving every minute of it!

To wit:  “Fly the Orient” (‘I’m not a man, I’m a coastline.’), “Let the Good Times Roll” (‘And I know where I’m goin’, I’m gonna let the good times roll.’), “Born Due” (‘I get up in the morning just to get down.’), and the immortal chorus of “Sad Eyed Woman” (‘I’m gonna save you with rock and roll, rock and roll, rock and roll.’).

All of this could be cause for eye rolls if not for the fact that the energy and conviction are off the charts and the songs themselves are so damn good and full of hooks.  The opening riff of “Born Due” has to be one of the coolest riffs EVER, and the aforementioned chorus of “Sad Eyed Woman” just stomps relentlessly with a crazed confidence.

Do yourself a favor and order it online, as it was never released in the US.  This disc is Fun with a great, big, fat capital ‘F’.

Rating:  5 out of 5

Tiamat – Wildhoney

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   1994 Century Media

The best testimony to the greatness of this Tiamat album is the fact that people I know who aren’t fans of heavy music (much less heavy, dark metal) liked this disc.  It is by all means heavy and dark, but the classical elements and orchestration are absolutely breathtaking, this being the first recording I ever heard that I felt paid tribute the symphonic elements of Celtic Frost’s monumental ‘Into the Pandemonium’.

The opening title track builds on a symphonic and almost operatic arrangement that melds darkly and strangely with the heavy guitars and abrasive vocals.  ‘Whatever That Hurts’ and ‘Gaia’ are a couple of high points, while “Do You Dream of Me?” and “Planets” bring to light a darkly romantic otherworldliness that permeates every second of music here.

7 years prior, Celtic Frost released the classic and seminal Into the Pandemonium, wherein they were the first of the dark/death metal bands to incorporate female operatic vocals, symphonic elements and sheer gothic drama into their music.  I’ve always felt that CF never got the credit they deserved for their innovation, but rest assured their influence is evident with releases like this.  And I mean that as a definite compliment to Tiamat, as they’ve taken that innovation and woven their own tapestry-like masterpiece in their own unique way.    From the dramatic background voices (think of the intro to This Corrosion by Sisters of Mercy) to the arrangement and orchestration of the music, this is a deep, challenging and truly unique listen.

It’s hard to describe, really, Tiamat creating a truly magic atmosphere on this disc which is widely regarded by fans as their very best.   They offered something different from their inception, ‘Wildhoney’ being the culmination of years honing their sound into something heavy beyond the mere heavy distortion of their guitars.

Rating:  4.5 out of 5

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Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning

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   1983 Warner Bros.

This album proved to be Thin Lizzy’s studio swansong, any hopes of a reunion dashed when band leader Phil Lynott died after years of heroin abuse within 2 years of its release.  Fortunately for all of us, it’s a fine final testament to a band that, while being headliners in Europe for years, was never able to live down the notoriety of that song in the U.S.  That song, of course, being “The Boys Are Back In Town” from the classic ‘Jailbreak’ album in 1975.

Kicking off with the relentless “Thunder and Lightning,” Thin Lizzy rocks harder than ever on this disc with the addition of keyboards not diminishing the power of the sound one bit.  In fact, Darren Wharton’s keyboard work adds some nice textures to some of the tracks.

“This Is The One,” “The Sun Goes Down,” and “The Holy War” form a trifecta of texture, diversity and pure rock that rivals a similar trifecta on the previous album ‘Renegade,’ while Phil Lynott’s heart is on his sleeve throughout every song.

Sense of humor is a welcome part of the mix, too, as evidenced on the playfulness of “Bad Habits”:  “Boys will be boys and girls will be trouble…and I’m a man of bad habits.”  You just can’t get any more honest than that.

If all you know of Thin Lizzy is ‘Jailbreak’ or their mid-70’s output, I encourage you to experience what I think are Thin Lizzy’s 2 finest albums…’Renegade” and this one.  You’ll be glad you did.  I know I am.

Rating:  4.5 out of 5

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