This release was limited to 400 copies: 300 on black vinyl and 100 on gold vinyl. My copy is on gold vinyl. Both were pressed in the US. I suppose you might label this music as experimental or electronic. Originally, he was the other half of the duo that made up the groups Mountains, a kind of droneish affair.
The record company posted this, about this record:
Three plush, extended synthdrone compositions orbiting in new age and kosmische spheres with a really blissed out feel
"Liquid Light Forms focuses almost entirely on electronic pieces utilizing predominantly voltage controlled modular synthesizers and sequencers. Liquid Light Forms radiates with pulsating, dense rhythmic patterns that morph and emerge as they compound on themselves. The result is a hypnotic and truly psychedelic listening experience that proves to be one of Koen's most captivating recordings yet."[source]
Sadly, there was never a volume two. That's such a shame because this was a really great experiment. Who would have thought that Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (formerly of Led Zeppelin) could team up with Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, et al., and produce such an unexpected and interesting record? The other sad thing is that this is only an EP, with a mere six tracks.
It's a terrific collection of oldies: I Get A Thrill, Sea Of Love, I Got A Woman, Young Boy Blues, Rockin' At Midnight. The most famous of these tracks was Sea of Love, but the other songs are really great too. Even if you hated Zep, you will like this record.
This is awesome. I love this band. And, they are Canadian! From the Wikipedia:
The band uses live instrumentation and miscellaneous instruments and non-instruments (including a 35 mm film synchronizer, toy keyboards and toy phaser guns) to achieve electronic-sounding effects without the use of laptops or programmed backing tracks.[2] According to Pitchfork Media, "The band was formed with the intent of creating the equivalent of modern electronic music without actually using the techniques—looping, splicing, programming and the like—of that music." [source]
The sole solo album by former Talk Talk frontman Mark Hollis, released on January 26, 1998. Despite being released as a solo album by Hollis, it was originally intended to be credited to Talk Talk, under the name "Mountains of the Moon."
According to release information in Discogs, the first LP was pressed in 2003 in Europe. A US pressing followed 2011. I have the most recent pressing, a European Version from 2019.
Then hype sticker says:
Only solo album by Talk Talk frontman A genuine 'lost classic' reissued on heavyweight vinyl, re-mastered at Abbey Road
Allmusic says that the record is "quite possibly the most quiet and intimate record ever made." In truth, though I pave vinyl, this record is probably better in CD, given the space and ambiance.
As I keep saying, I am big fan of this band. Of course I picked this up as soon as I could. Of course I like it. I'd say that it is a bit better than Thrashing Thru The Passion. I ended up with a back vinyl copy, though there were some coloured versions.
This 10" record was a limited edition release (1,800 copies) for Record Store Day Black Friday 2019. It was evidently only sent to US stores, and I searched in vain for months before I finally found a copy, though I had to mail order it. I got it for a reasonable price from Canadian store with free shipping! The cheapest copy on Discogs was about $44 with shipping. I am a big fan of this band, so I am happy to have it.
Just got it, so I don't have much to say about it. I skipped the limited edition brown and clear coke bottle vinyl editions in favour of the plain black. I saved about $15 by making that choice. I wish there was a download card, but I guess you can't get everything you want.
Rags, I really love ya
I can't forget about ya
You'll be a hard luck woman
Baby, 'till you find your man
- Hard Luck Woman, KISS
This limited edition 10" EP contains five cover tunes, released via Pledge Music. It might be difficult to get a copy of this one. This record was released as a fundraiser for the family of 'Jersey' Mike Van Jura, who passed away unexpectedly. Each band member choose one track, leading to a rather odd collection. But, as a big fan of the band, I like this record.
I once saw a copy in a local shop for $30, but that was soon after it was released. I haven't seen any since then.
The tracks are:
1) All Through The City, the Dr. Feelgood track, written by Wilko Johnson
2) Closer To The Stars, the Soul Asylum track, written by David Pirner
3) Hard Luck Woman, the KISS tune, written by Paul Stanley
4) I Gotta Get Drunk, composed by Willie Nelson
5) The Last Thing I Ever Wanted Was To Show Up And Blow Your Mind, from Those Bastard Souls, written by David Shouse.
My favourite track from this EP is All Through The City, but I love the original too, so that makes sense. Also, I have to say that the band's version of Hard Luck Women is great, even if it a KISS song.
I absolutely hate the album cover. I simply cannot believe that the best rock band in America allowed this as the cover for its new record. Such a great band; such a horrifying cover.
Someone is trying to sell a copy of this LP on Amazon for $161.71. Copies of this record a readily available in many places for a fraction of the cost (I have even seen copies for $9.99 a few months back). I guess if you pay inflated prices, you have only yourself to blame. In any case, this is a great record. I read one bad review from some internet loser, but don't believe that guy. This is great. The whole record is great, and I would say it's a bit better than Heaven is Whenever.
The original album was released in 2010. In 2020, the record was rereleased as a limited edition with an additional record containing 9 tracks. As a big fan, I had to grab it. Both records are pressed on red marked vinyl. The sleeve is described and follows: Spot varnished sleeve with embossed title. The studio version of Ascension Blues appears on the bonus disc. Here's a live version of that track.
There are two pressings of this LP: 2010 and 2015. I have a copy from 2010. There were also a couple of limited edition releases for Record Store Day in 2015, one of which was on orange vinyl.
The first time I heard this record, I was a little disappointed, but what I was really feeling was the absence of Franz Nicolay, the band's keyboardist. I have adjusted to the change, and am happy to say that I can recommend this record without reservation. I saw this tour in Toronto when the band passed through. The Hold Steady is the best band in America, and currently my favourite band.
The original 2LP version was released in 2008, and this 10th anniversary edition came out in 2018. It has a bonus disc:10th Anniversary Reissue of Stay Positive on 3LP Triple Gatefold with Die Cut Jacket / cut at 45RPM for audiophiles. Includes original album, rarities, plus 3 never before released tracks.
Discogs goes on to say this:
The lyric sleeve for the second LP has a misprint; though the text reads "LP2 Side C / Side D", the lyrics for the songs on LP1 are reprinted.
However, this is not true in my case. Everything is correct.
The three bonus tracks (Ask Her For Adderall, Cheyenne Sunrise, and Two Handed Handshake!) appeared on the CD, which I have, but they were not on the 2008 LP, which I also have. But, we do get a number of other tracks, like:
Me and my friends are like the drums on "Lust for Life"
We pound it out on floor toms
Our psalms are sing-along songs
- Constructive Summer
At the time, I felt that The Hold Steady's fourth record was something of a disappointment. Happily, the intervening years have changed my opinion. After all, it contains one of my favourite Hold Steady tunes, Slapped Actress, which is in my top five tunes from this band. Stay Positive was released after the wonderful Boys and Girls in America and the truly amazing Separation Sunday, which just might be my favourite record of all time. As such, I may have been hoping for too much.
This record has a bunch of great tunes: Stay Positive, Sequestered in Memphis (wait, I might list them all if I do that). There are simply no bad tracks on this double LP.
This record was released in 2008 in the US and Europe. I have the American pressing. My understanding is that this LP will be repressed soon. In the meantime, finding a copy of this record will probably be challenging. Right now, there are two copies for sale on Discogs, one for $50.84 and the other for $231.28 (The UK pressing is about $55.00). If you think that is expensive, just have a look at amazon.ca! At the time of writing, there were three vinyl copies for sale for $5284.00, $5782.78, and $7005.29! These re-sellers must think we are all idiots.
Boys and Girls in America was something of a breakthrough album for the Hold Steady, I think. It seems to be the first time many people heard the band for the first time. It's no wonder, since this is another truly stellar record, right up among my fav THS records (though I have a slight preference for Separation Sunday).
Has it really been ten years since this came out? Wow.
On this record, Craig drops a few more names, like Sal Paradise, John Berryman, Izzy Stradlin, Tennyson, Judas, the Devil, and Jesus. A few regulars (Charlemagne, Gideon, and Holly) show up. There are a whole bevy of great tuners, all seemingly radio-friendly, but the radio is garbage these days.
I finally got a copy on vinyl, the deluxe edition, reissued on two LPs. It includes four b-sides and six demos. It's awesome to have this on vinyl, though I still have no idea why any fan would want demos of anything from any band. I have various CDs with bonus demo tracks and they are all generally underwhelming. The best of the b-sides is probably Girls Like Status.
We mix our own mythologies. We push them out through PA systems
We dictate our doxologies and try to get sleeping kids to sit up and listen
I'm not saying that we could save you
But we could put you in a place where you could save yourself
If you don't get born again at least you'll get high as hell
- Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night, The Hold Steady
Though I often find it difficult to make lists and to ranks records or musicians, I would say that Separation Sunday is probably my favourite record of all time. I have praised other records, like those from Leonard Cohen, Joy Division, et al. But, this record is nothing short of a masterpiece. At first, I considered the record to be a pleasing affair with a great bunch of tunes. After a few listens, something clicked and I found that I had a hard time not listening to it. For a long period of time, whenever I grabbed a CD from the shelf or fired up the iPod, this is the album I always chose.
Wikipedia has a good summary of what the record is all about:
Separation Sundayis the second studio album by The Hold Steady, released on May 3, 2005 through Frenchkiss Records. A concept album, Separation Sunday
follows the stories of Craig (the narrator), Holly (short for
Halleluiah), a sometimes addict, sometimes prostitute, sometimes born
again Christian/Catholic (and sometimes all three simultaneously);
Charlemagne, a pimp; and Gideon, a skinhead, as they travel from city to
city and party to party. (All three characters made appearances on the
band's previous album, Almost Killed Me, and reappear in "First Night", and "Same Kooks" on Boys and Girls in America, and then again in "Ask Her For Adderall", a bonus track from Stay Positive.)
Separation Sunday is lyrically dense, full of Biblical allusions,
intertextual and self references (e.g., in "Don't Let Me Explode," when
Holly is asked about Charlemagne, "she just smiled all polite-like and
said something vague"; in Almost Killed Me's
closing track, "Killer Parties," the narrator instructs listeners, "If
they ask about Charlemagne/Be polite, say something vague"), word play,
and puns ("Stevie Nix": "She got screwed up by religion/she got screwed
by soccer players"). Vocalist/songwriter Craig Finn typically delivers these lyrics in a distinct flavor of sing-speak.
Musically, Separation Sunday engages Classic rock motifs -- guitar solos, riff-based structures, use of piano and organ, and guitar harmony.
Structurally, however, most songs eschew the standard
"verse-chorus-verse" song structure, frequently foregoing choruses or
refrains altogether. In a review of the album, Blender described The Hold Steady as "sound[ing] like the best bar band in the world." [source]
I'd second that best bar band line, so it's truly bizarre that Allmusic awards the record only 4 of five stars. This, in my mind, is a perfect record. So, let's see what Allmusic has to say:
It is a much darker record [than Almost Killed Me], revolving around drug casualties, broken
lives, a hoodrat fixation, spiritual and physical dissipation, and
general despair, and there aren't as many easy laughs this time out --
but instead the listener gets lots of head-shaking wonderment at Craig Finn's
genius lyrics and voice. His gruff, in-your-ear vocals negotiate the
twisting torrent of words like a world-class skater kid. He is insanely
literate and insanely insistent: he's like the guy who calls at 2:30
a.m. in a frenzy to holler about his latest disaster of the heart, the
bar-stool poet with a religious obsession, or the guy who corners you at
a party and just won't shut up about how Boston are the missing link between the Beatles and Derrick May -- only you don't mind because he is strangely brilliant. He is also just about the best rock & roll frontman since Bob Pollard. In fact, the group sounds a bit like Guided By Voices at times, only a Guided By Voices that want to kick your sorry can up and down the length of the bar. Or maybe a GBV that worship Springsteen instead of the Who. Whipping up a classic rock-inspired frenzy of monitor-straddling guitar riffs, dual harmony leads, E Street piano flourishes, and galloping horns, the band behind Finn sounds like nothing less than Jim Steinman's
dream group. You could talk about great individual songs (the epic "How
a Resurrection Really Feels," the piledriving album opener "Hornets!
Hornets!," the weird and almost funky "Charlemagne in Sweatpants"), but
the strength of the album is in the flow from song to song and the way
the intensity level (which starts off at a near fever pitch) elevates
until your head is just about ready to burst from the thrill of it all.
Call it a quaint idea in 2005, but Separation Sunday
is truly an album, one that sounds almost perfect when played from
beginning to end in the proper running order. Block out about 42 minutes
sometime, hold steady, and get ready for indie rock -- no, rock &
roll -- at its sweatiest, most intense, and most impressive. Long live
the album; long live the Hold Steady.
So, why only four stars? Of course, not every one agrees. On Amazon.com, someone said this:
I bought
that last cd and it SUCKED! The singer sings monotone the whole entire
time and doesn't have any variations of tone. The music isn't half bad,
it isn't great, but it certainly isn't so good that i can ignore the
lame-o singer. its just terrible terrible terrible. if you listen to
anything that i say hear this: do not buy this album, you will regret it
for all of eternity!
I truly feel sorry for the person who wrote that. I'm not a religious person and there is a deeply religious theme to this record, so it might be odd that I feel so strongly about it. I can suspend my disbelief in fairly tales long enough to enjoy this record.
I saw him at the riverbank
He was breaking bread and giving thanks
With crosses made of pipes and planks
Leaned up against the nitrous tanks
And he said take a hit
Hold your breath and I'll dunk your head
Then when you wake up again
Yeah, you'll be high as hell and born again
- Banging Camp, The Hold Steady Like the first record, there are lots of names dropped, like: Humbert Humbert, Cain, Abel, McKenzie Phillips, the Four Horsemen, Jesus, St. Theresa, Stevie Nix [sic], Mary Tyler Moore, Rod Stewart, Nelson Algren, Paddy (Patrick Costello), William Butler Yeats, William Blake, Saint Paul, and St. Peter. Prices for the original pressing of this LP are as insane as those sought for the debut. The two copies for sale now on discogs are listed at about $250 and $405 Canadian. I opted for this 2016 re-pressing.
"All the sniffling indie kids: hold steady. All the clustered up clever kids: hold steady."
- Positive Jam, The Hold Steady
Yes, finally! I have said many times that The Hold Steady is the best band in America. I know that's a difficult statement to endorse, but I genuinely believe it is the truth. Others may disagree. I know that some people are not enamoured with Craig Finn's vocals, but, to me, they add an interesting dimension to his poetic and vivid lyrics. Sometimes, it's as though he is half-shouting, half-singing, but I think it works. And, just what is he singing about? Wikipedia's summary is spot on.
Noted for their "lyrically dense storytelling," and
classic rock / bar music influences, the band's narrative-based songs
frequently address themes, such as drug addiction, religion and
redemption, and often feature recurring characters based within the city
of Minneapolis. [source]
The two most interesting recurring characters are Holly and Charlemagne, but let's not forget Gideon.
I did not know anything about this band when this record came out, and now prices for the original LP are quite high. There are two copies for sale now on Discogs at $268 and $400 Canadian. There is no way I would ever pay that much for any record.
Thankfully, the album was just re-released on vinyl and I snapped up a copy. The only downside is that it is on blue vinyl. I prefer black vinyl, but this will do. The good news is that the digital download came with several bonus tracks, which were originally only available on the Australian CD. Those tracks are:
Milkcrate Mosh Hot Fries Curves & Nerves Modesto Is Not That Sweet You Gotta Dance
This is an excellent debut record, with a bunch of fabulous tunes. If I had to rank my favourite Hold Steady records, this would be second or third on the
list. The band has so many awesome records, it makes ranking difficult. Allmusic refers to this record as the band's "hands-down masterpiece." That's flowing praise, but Separation Sunday is a better record. That's the band's masterpiece.
I learned a lot from this record. For example, I had never heard of Feminax or Ybor City before.
"Hold steady Ybor City. you're up to your neck in sweat and wet confetti"
- Most People Are DJs, The Hold Steady
This, and later THS records, also increased my knowledge of Minnesota geography.
One of the curious things about Craig's lyrics is the use of place
names and the names of people, some of whom I had never heard of. For
example, these name are mentioned on this LP: Patty Smythe, Beverly
Sills, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Elizabeth Shue, Steve Perry, Neal
Schon, Nina Simone, Andre Cymone, Billy Joel, Meatloaf, Rocco Siffredi,
Phil Lynott, Ellen Foley, Freddy Knuckles, Right Said Fred, Freddy
Mercury, Drop Dead Fred, Johnny Rotten, Freddy Fresh, Mickey Mantle,
Porky Pig, Alice Cooper, Solomon, Jesus, the Holy Ghost, the Father and the Son
(some of the people are fictitious), James King, King James, and Jada Pinkett.
If you include the bonus tracks, we also get Phil Spector,
Judas, Jack Kerouac, and Elliot Smith.
I cannot pick a favourite track because they are all favourites. This is as killer record.
"it's hard to hold steady when half your friends are dead already."
- Knuckles, The Hold Steady
After Supertamp's Famous Last Words, which turned out to be neither famous nor last, Hodgson recorded his first solo record. The casual listener might be convinced that this is a Supertramp record. It has a familiar voice and sounds like later Supertramp. It's just lacking the counterpoint provided by Rick Davies. Still, for a Supertramp fan (and that was me, for a while), this record is a must have. It's certainly a progressive record, and it's as good as anything Supertramp did in its later career.
"The lush production, intelligent lyrics, and precise songcrafting qualities of Hine still make it an enjoyable record, but the weird sounds, bleak atmospheres, and daring artistic choices found on the 1981 Immunity are now history." [Allmusic]
The above is probably an accurate description, especially if you are listening to the original pressing and not the bastardized pressing that was released in Canada. The Canadian pressing (and others) was mangled, with a different track listing, and it includes I Hang On To My Vertigo from Immunity. I hate it when the record company people mess around with records. Someday, I shall have to locate an original first pressing as it was intended. On this topic, Allmusic, again, notes:
"The album's release history is confusing and deserves to be straightened
out. It first appeared worldwide, excluding North America, in May 1983.
A different version, with one extra song ("Blue Flame") and two missing
("Victim of Wanderlust" and "The Saturation of the Video Rat") replaced
by tracks from Immunity,
was released in the U.S. and Canada in March 1984. A third version was
released in the U.K. in February 1985 with "Blue Flame" taking the place
of "Living in Sin." Other tracks had also been remixed, re-edited, and
even partly re-recorded."
This is insane. In any case, I like this record, but I wish the record company had adhered to the original track listing.
Waving Not Drowning was the first Rupert Hine record I ever heard from end-to-end. I have to thank Pete, my residence-mate, who always supplied me with a constant stream of interesting music. It's a really fabulous record, and I recall being immediately captivated by track one on side one. Hine's music is filled with all sorts of bizarre moments and odd production, topped with what I can only describe as an enigmatic voice.
Sadly, I cannot find a youtube video of Eleven Faces, the track that I like best from this record.
Hine's three records from the 1980s are easy to find and bizarrely cheap. I routinely see them in bins for $2 or $3. It pains me to see them languishing in bins while so many people flip past them. I have never understood why they have no value and why Hine doesn't have more fans. It's perplexing, especially considering his success as a producer.
This record was released after Quantum Jump, Hine's previous band, disbanded. Immunity is a great record, commencing with the fabulous I Hang on to My Vertigo. If you see this record, you should buy it.
This is a great record. It's a little strange, like most of Hine's music, but there is something very captivating about it. The best thing is that I paid absolutely nothing or this record, and it is not an LP one sees very often. In fact, I have never seen it in the wilds. The LP was released in Germany (where my copy comes from), France, and the UK. It was also released on CD in Germany and Japan.
I have never seen the film High School High. The soundtrack contains R&B and hip hop tunes from a mix of artists like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, The Braxtons, Lil' Kim, RZA, etc. Apparently, five singles from this record charted. Allmusic says this: "Though its momentum sags in a couple of places, High School High
remains a thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly eclectic listen, and is
easily one of the finest soundtracks of 1996. It's certainly more fun
than the film it supports" [source] Since I have not seen the film, I am forced to accept this conclusion.
This album is not really my scene, though I certainly do like parts of it. Perhaps I need to see the film for it to coalesce.
Four singles were released from this record. Sadly, none were anywhere near as good as the tracks Heyward wrote with Haircut 100, although Whistle Down the Wind comes close. I wanted another record like Pelican West, and this isn't it. There are some great moments and good songwriting, but it can't escape the shadow of Haircut 100's pop masterpiece. I paid $1 for this record.
Out on the road today I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac.
A little voice inside my head said:
"Don't look back, you can never look back."
I thought I knew what love was.
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever.
I should just let 'em go, but
- Boys of Summer, Don Henley
This is a strange record for me to own, since I was never a big Eagles fan. For some reason, I acquired a copy of this record, and then I lost it and a bunch of other records in a vinyl loaning experience in residence. I don't like to think about that. Years later, I found a free copy, with a cover that is a bit rough.
I think that Boys of Summer is a good track, and I think it holds up today. I think the video is pretty good too. Unfortunately, UMG has blocked youtube access to that video, so screw them.
The remainder of the album is uninteresting, if you ask me.
This limited edition 2 LP set contains tracks Hendrix recorded for a double album right before his death. According to Wikipedia, many of the tracks appeared an other compilations, but in 1997, all of the tracks were assembled as Hendrix had originally conceived them. I wish I had more Hendrix on vinyl. I have many CDs. I have yet to hear a Hendrix tune that I do not like.
This is a good record. I don't have much to say about it. It's probably a tad less interesting than the previous efforts, but Heaven 17 fans probably like this LP just as well as the early stuff.
I guess you could say that this is more of the same synthy goodness from Heaven 17. They were never my fav 80s band, but some tracks bring back memories.
I have a first UK pressing, which is the very first pressing of the second LP from Heaven 17. There was an embellishment of sound with this record. If you lived through the 80s, you know the track Let Me Go and some others.
"Where the Heaven Seventeen are at number 4 in the charts with Inside."
- Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange
After Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware departed from The Human League in 1980, they formed Heaven 17 with Glenn Gregory. The first album gets off to a fantastic start with (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, a really fantastic electro-pop tune. This record is nowhere near as good as the first two Human League records, but there are moments that I like.
I suppose I should dedicate this track to Donald Trump
I was lucky enough to see Jeff Healey in concert three times. On two occasions, the concerts were in a large venue, but the last time I saw him was at Grossman's Tavern at 379 Spadina Ave. in Toronto. Jeff was just a few feet away from me. It was an intimate and interesting evening and there was no cover charge. Sadly, Jeff is another musician who died way too soon at age 41.
Many people will know Angel Eyes, a cover song, and See the Light, which might have one of the best opening riffs in the history of rock music. Confidence Man is also a great tune. I'll include a live clip (with Dr, John), because it is really interesting to see hm play the guitar. Make sure you watch the solo midway through the track.
This is a disappointing record. One would have thought that an ex-Clash member would have produced a real rocking record. However, this is not the case. Instead, Headon put out a boring record and called it quits, at least on releasing records. Maybe I am being too harsh, but I wasn't expecting this soul/jazz/R&B thing. The record sounds great (polished, professional, slick) but the style didn't do anything for me at all.
Ronnie Hawkins is best known for having formed the group that would become known as The Band. The Band were, at one time, Bob Dylan's back-up band and then they had a excellent career of their own. Nevertheless this record does nothing for me. I should expunge it from my collection.
The Hawaiian Pups were a kind of unknown band, unless you listened to college radio or the good old CFNY, when it was a truly great and ground-breaking radio station. The band was best known for the track Baby Judy. Others will remember Spook Opera from the year before. Split Second Precision is an EP that contains only 6 tracks, with Baby Judy appearing twice, once in extended form. The extended mix of Baby Judy was collected on volume three of Hardest Hits, which I have on CD (I have all of the Hardest Hits CDs). By the way, I was stunned to see the prices of the Hardest Hits CD compilations. Volume One is listed on Discogs for $45 to $145. That's amazing and rather perplexing.
Anyway, I really liked this band, but they only released one single and then this EP. That's too bad. This fan video is pretty good!
I'll just include two things. The first is printed on the back album jacket:
"MAGIC REALISM • Like the video technique of "keying in" where any background may be electronically inserted or deleted independently of foreground, the ability to bring the actual sound of musics of various epochs and geographical origins all together in the same compositional frame marks a unique point in history. • A trumpet, branched into a chorus of trumpets by computer, traces the motifs of the Indian raga DARBARI over Senegalese drumming recorded in Paris and a background mosaic of frozen moments from an exotic Hollywood orchestration of the 1950's [a sonic texture like a "Mona Lisa" which, in close up, reveals itself to be made up of tiny reproductions of the Taj Mahal], while the ancient call of an AKA pygmy voice in the Central African Rainforest — transposed to move in sequences of chords unheard of until the 20th century — rises and falls among gamelan-like cascades, multiplications of a single "digital snapshot" of a traditional instrument played on the Indonesian island of JAVA, on the other side of the world. • Music which is to this degree self-referential, in which larger parts are related to and/or generated from smaller parts, shares certain qualities with "white" classical music of the past. AKA/DARBARI/JAVA is a proposal for a "coffee-colored" classical music of the future — both in terms of the adoption of entirely new modes of structural organisation [as might be suggested by the computer ability to re-arrange, dot-by-dot, a sound or video image] and in terms of the expansion of the "allowable" musical vocabulary in which one may speak this structure — leaving behind the ascetic face which Eurocentric tradition has come to associate with serious expression. • JON HASSELL"
The other is from Allmusic:
The beautiful cover painting by Mati Klarwein serves as an appropriate visual analogy for the music contained herein: an abutting of two worlds, an insinuating blend of early-'80s high tech with ancient Southeast Asia. Over varying, non-specific rhythms supplied by Abdou Mboup, Jon Hassell weaves a music both evocative and plaintive, his modified trumpet sighing like an old Javanese horn pulled into the digital age on its way to what he calls a "coffee-colored" future where all ethnic traditions become one. The astonishingly vocal sound he gets from that treated trumpet is certainly one of the signatures of this album and one of the more lovely sounds heard anywhere. His compositions have a bit too much direction and drive to comfortably settle into the term ambient, but they remain as relaxed and gently meandering as a jungle stream. One especially nice feature is the subtle electronic burblings that whisper in the background, creating an enticingly busy sense of space. Aka/Darbari/Java is an early high-water mark at the juncture between world and ambient musics.[source]
I bought this CD when it came out, not the LP, since I had forsaken records at the time. That LP is now pricy, but the first vinyl repress since then is pretty darned good.
Imagine, a PJ Harvey record that includes Gillian Anderson! This is from a stage production of All About Eve, from 2019. This is pretty interesting music and not what you might expect from PJ.
This record was supposed to ship with a MP3 download code and a poster. Mine only has the poster. Other people have reported receiving only either the poster or the code. Some lucky people got both. Or, as Discogs reports:
"Comes with A1 fold-out poster and 320kbps MP3 download code. Some copies come without the poster, or without the download code, or with neither of these items at all."
I haven't had much time to soak in this record, but I like it, of course. I think PJ is really great. I have read about the complaints people have made regarding some of her perceptions about Washington DC, but I can't really comment on that.
Bad photo. This album won the 2011 Mercury Music Prize. I'd say that award was justified. By the way, this is the first European pressing. The only other pressing, to date, is the US pressing. I have the CD, which is worth less than $10. The vinyl, on the other hand, is probably worth $35 - $40 US.
Despite PJ's name being listed second, I have filed this under Harvey, not Parish. Oddly, I just noticed that my CD copy is under P, for Parish. I will have to change that. Once gain, I have a reissue, since the original 1996 pressing is expensive, plus I have never seen one anywhere.
The original 1995 pressing of this LP sells for more than I would consider paying. On the other hand, this 2001 pressing was far more reasonable. I found a sealed copy for $15 (no tax). I also have the CD. Sometime after this record came out, I saw PJ play a show in Toronto.
On this record, she moved departed from punk to something more sophisticated.
4-Track Demos is an album of demos by British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. It was released in October 1993 by Island Records. It consists of eight demos of songs from her previous album, Rid of Me, along with six demos of some unreleased tracks which never made it to release with the three-piece PJ Harvey line-up. According to interviews with Harvey, all fourteen of these songs were written and demoed at her home between mid-1991 and autumn 1992. 4-Track Demos was Harvey's first entirely self-produced album; there would not be another such until 2004's Uh Huh Her.
I one saw a pressing of the original release in a record store bin, but passed it by when I noted the price tag. The 2020 remaster will do just fine.
The PJ Harvey reissues continue to flood in, and this is as great as the rest. The original year 2000 pressing of the record goes for stupid money. In 2000, I bought the CD. I am not even sure if there was anyone selling vinyl around these parts back then. This is the first official vinyl release since that time. I think it sounds great.
The 1993 pressing of this LP is now worth a small fortune, meaning that the 2020 version is the one to get for a reasonable price, and for me that was abut $25 CDN. The reissues is very well done. I say that, of course, having only ever heard he CD version.
There's simply no reason to own this record. The first two records are sort of interesting, but this is uninspired and flat. Why was this record even released?
Hart scored another big hit with the track Never Surrender, which appeared on Boy in the Box, his second offense. This album is similar to the first, but I don't think any of the tracks are as catchy as Sunglasses at Night. Still, it's a competent follow-up, but not one that I love. I paid nothing for this record. Once again, he couldn't resist the sappy element. Just try to make it through Everything in My Heart, a truly awful stinking pile of crap.
The title track makes me think of Duran Duran, but maybe that's just because of the video.
