Preoccupations: Preoccupations (2016)

The woke brigade got this band. Ultimately I think it's better that they opted to change the name of the band from Viet Cong to Preoccupations. But, shouldn't the market dictate things like this? I mean, if the name is so offensive, won't people stop supporting them? Well maybe not. From Wikipedia:

The band frequently faced controversy over their original name, involving accusations of both racism and cultural appropriation because of the name's association with the original Vietnamese Viet Cong. In March 2015, the band was set to perform at Oberlin College, but the show was cancelled due to their "offensive name".

In September 2015, the band announced that they were going to change their name, posting to their Facebook page, "We are a band who wants to make music and play our music for our fans. We are not here to cause pain or remind people of atrocities of the past". On March 29, 2016, the Canadian music magazine Exclaim! reported that the band were still booking shows under the name Viet Cong, and began running a real-time "Days since Viet Cong promised to change their name" counter on the magazine's website.

On April 21, 2016, Flegel announced in a Pitchfork interview that the band would henceforth be performing and recording under the name "Preoccupations". Their second studio album, Preoccupations, was released as a self-titled album under the name Preoccupations on September 16, 2016.

I have some sympathy because I am sure they would have lost some momentum with the name change, but maybe they also gained some fans who knew nothing about them previous to the kerfuffle? My copy is the limited edition pressing on clear vinyl that was packaged with a bonus 7' single. 

Prefab Sprout: If You Don't Love Me (1992)

It's really difficult to listen to this from start to finish, because it has 5 versions of the same tune:

If You Don't Love Me (Extended Mix)

If You Don't Love Me (Deep Field Mix)

If You Don't Love Me (Stateside Swamp Mix)

If You Don't Love Me (Dubbish Mix)

If You Don't Love Me (7" Mix)

It's too much, though it's a fine song.

Prefab Sprout: From Langley Park To Memphis (1988)

 

My kids love two of the tracks on this LP. Amazing! They usually hate my music. This is the third record from the band. They release five singles from this record! Were they trying for a Born in the USA? 

Prefab Sprout: Appetite (1985)

There are three tracks to found on this UK pressing: Appetite, Heaven Can Wait (Instrumental Version Of When The Angels), and Oh, The Swiss! Cool.

Prefab Sprout: Johnny Johnny (1985)

On the LP Two Wheels Good, this track is known as Goodbye Lucile #1. On the 12" single, the track is renamed Johnny Johnny (Full Version). It's bizarre, but I guess it makes sense. After all, the name Lucille is not mentioned anywhere in the song, while Johnny is named maybe 40 times. The other three tracks were new and unreleased. They are Wigs, The Guests Who Stayed Forever, and Old Spoonface is Back.

Prefab Sprout: Two Wheels Good (1985)

Sometimes, Discogs has good information. For example, I never knew, until I looked up this record on Discogs (when I added my collection to Discogs some years ago) why this record was entitled Steve McQueen all over Europe as well as in New Zealand, Israel, Japan, and Australia. In North America, we got the title Two Wheels Good. Discogs has an answer:

The album "Steve McQueen" was released in North America as "Two Wheels Good" due to a legal conflict with the estate of American actor Steve McQueen.

And, from Wikipedia:

The album cover references Steve McQueen's lifelong passion for Triumph motorcycles and the 1963 film The Great Escape, starring McQueen and featuring prominent motorcycle chase scenes (with stunts performed by himself on a Triumph motorcycle). [source]

There you go.

I hated the song When Love Breaks Down the first few times I heard it, and for years after. But one day I heard it, and thought, hey this is pretty good. It turns out that the album is simply beautiful. I suppose I should have liked it more initially, because it was produced by Thomas Dolby.

Prefab Sprout: When Love Breaks Down (1984)

As I said, I hated this song when I first heard it. It took some years (decades?) for me to come to terms with it. Now, I quite like it. There are four other tracks on this UK pressing, making this more of an EP than a 12" single. The other tracks are: The Yearning Loins, Diana, Donna Summer, and Cruel.

Prefab Sprout: Swoon (1984)

Although the band had released some singles prior to Swoon, this was the first LP from the band. About the band's name, Wikipedia states this:

Several inaccurate stories have circulated about the origins of the band's unusual name. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, the band's name was a mondegreen from the song "Jackson" ("We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout"), misheard by frontman Paddy McAloon. McAloon has maintained that the name was entirely made-up, stating in a 1984 interview; "I was asked about the name so many times I used to invent stories about it. The truth of the matter is that I made it up. Around that time all the groups were supposed to mean something ... and when you are 13 you think it's profound, that there must be some secrecy. I liked the idea and so thought of two odd words, put them together and have kept it, basically because it reminds me of how I used to look at things". [source]

I read that the Monkees were once referred to as the Prefab Four, but I guess that this is unrelated. This is a good yet mellow record, although I did not appreciate this band when I first heard them. 

The Power Station: 33⅓ (1985)

From Discogs:

The Power Station was formed in 1984 and consisted of Andy Taylor and John Taylor of Duran Duran with Tony Thompson of Chic and singer Robert Palmer. When Robert Palmer quit the group in mid-1985, Michael Des Barres was recruited as the lead singer. The band folded in late 1985 as the members turned to other projects. The band reunited in 1995 with its original members. The group worked together on writing and arranging a new album, however, personal issues forced bassist John Taylor to withdraw from the project and leave the band before any recording took place. Producer Bernard Edwards (Chic bassist) stepped in to become the Power Station's bassist and new fourth member, playing all bass parts on the album "Living in Fear" (1996). Bernard Edwards died of pneumonia in April, 1996 and the group disbanded permanently in 1997.

This is a pretty good record. I'm too tired to say anything else. 

Portishead: Third (2008)

I was once near Portishead. We were in Bristol, and I recall seeing a directional sign pointing to Portishead, but I can't remember if we went near the place. In any case, I saw the sign and exclaimed something like "Hey! Portishead!" This is a cool record. 

Some people have reported a lot of issues with the vinyl version like pops and kicks and warping. My copy is quite good and this is doubly impressive, since I paid $9.99 for my copy. 

Iggy Pop: Blah-Blah-Blah (1986)

Of course, when you have Bowie on your side, good things might happen. This was a huge record for Pop, and I think his most successful. 

The collection included a cover of Johnny O'Keefe's "Wild One" (here titled "Real Wild Child (Wild One)" and three original songs co-written with ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. The remaining tracks were co-written by Bowie, who also produced the album with David Richards but, unlike his previous work with Pop, The Idiot and Lust for Life (both 1977), did not play any instruments. Bowie biographer David Buckley has reported that Pop "virtually disowned" the record, calling it "a Bowie album in all but name". It has never been specified what tracks on the album, if any, originated during the sessions of Bowie's 1984 album Tonight (that album's co-producer, Hugh Padgham, has recalled that Bowie and Pop collaborated on some songs that Bowie ultimately rejected for inclusion on Tonight). [source]

The Teenage Head cover version of Wild One is much much better, IMHO. 

Iggy Pop: Party (1981)

I agree with this:

Party has been poorly received by critics.

Charlotte Robinson of PopMatters called it "a bizarre train wreck of an album". Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote "Part of Iggy Pop's unique sort of integrity is that the man doesn't seem to know how to sell out, even when he tries, and Party, one of the strangest albums of his career, is living proof." [source]

Yeah, it's sad. Just check out this video.

Somewhat bizarrely, my copy is from Germany, even though it was pressed in Canada and the USA. I paid under $3. Even that may have been too much. 

The Police: Synchronicity (1982)

To me, this record is slightly better than the previous one. The songs really connected with me, both lyrically and musically. There are so many great tracks, like Wrapped Around Your Finger, King of Pain, the title tracks. I was never enraptured by Every Breath You Take, though I recognize that it is good. I don't think that the police were ever as popular as they were with this record. Biggest band in the world? Maybe. 

I should have mentioned this with the last record: "The album's title was inspired by Arthur Koestler's The Roots of Coincidence. Frontman Sting was an avid reader of Koestler, and also titled the Police's prior album Ghost in the Machine after one of his works." [source]

I think I have read every book by Koestler along with some biographies. I have an entire shelf of books by Koestler. I will argue that the Roots of Coincidence is dire, but the rest are great, especially Darkness at Noon. 

The Police: Ghost in the Machine (1981)

This sums it up:

Ghost in the Machine was the first Police album to feature heavy use of keyboards and horns. All three members played synths to varying extents: Sting used an Oberheim OB-Xa (although he can also be seen with the Prophet-10 and Minimoog in photos from Andy Summers’ I’ll Be Watching You book) while Summers used a Prophet-5 to blend with the high guitar melody on "Spirits In The Material World"and Copeland played a Roland RS-505 Paraphonic synth on songs like "Darkness" and "Rehumanize Yourself". Besides keyboards, the following twenty minutes of the record—"Hungry for You (J'aurais toujours faim de toi)" through "One World (Not Three)"—include many saxophone harmonies, while the opening to "Secret Journey" showcases the Roland GR-300 Guitar Synthesizer. [source]

So, in general there is some change -- or progression -- in sound. The first track I heard from this LP was Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, and I did not love it but it has grown on me. It was overplayed to be sure. This record as a classic. Side one alone is another masterclass. 

The Police: Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)

OK, I will admit it: I thought that the Police were done when I heard De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da. I mean, WFT? The record was redeemed in my mind when I heard the whole thing. I resisted buying it, but when I did, it grew on me quickly. I think my fav tune on the LP is Driven to Tears. 

But, here is something astounding: I had never seen the video for Don't Stand So Close to Me before today! 

I still don't really like De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da.

The Police: Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

This was the first Police record I bought. When it came out, there were no record stores in my home town. Occasionally, I would hitch a ride with my sister to a larger urban center to pick up records while she shopped for shoes and clothes. But, sometimes, I just asked her to stop at the record store to get me what I wanted. That's how I got this one, probably for $6 or $7.

Unbelievably, after I opened the record, I was disappointed to see that parts of the record were covered in some sort of while gluey material. An audible noise was present on each revolution on the platter. Who knew when she would be going back? Who knew where the receipt ended up? I tried to clean it, but nothing worked. I stuck with that copy for years, and I finally replaced it with a much better copy. 

Allmusic, a site I read frequently, awarded 4.5 stars to the first record by the Police. The same reviewer gave this record only three stars. That's pure insanity and the review offers no explanation about what is so wrong with the record. The subsequent record is probably my favourite record by the band, but this would be a close second. 

By the way, I once read this article some time ago: There’s A Scientific Reason You Love The First Album You Heard From A Band The Most. Since I read that article, I have often thought about this and I find that this does not hold true for me. I'll just give a few of examples.

First Police record I heard: Reggatta de Blanc
Fav Police record: Zenyatta Mondatta

First Bob Dylan record I heard: Highway 61
Fav Dylan record: Blonde on Blonde

First Leonard Cohen record I heard: The Best of Leonard Cohen
Fav Cohen record: The Songs of Leonard Cohen

First Robert Palmer record I heard: Secrets
Fav Robert Palmer record: Riptide

First Genesis record I heard: Duke
Fav Genesis record: Selling England by the Pound

First Led Zeppelin record I heard: IV
Fav Zeppelin record: III

First XTC record I heard: Drums and Wires
Fav XTC record: Skylarking

First Black Sabbath record I heard: self-titled debut
Fav Black Sabbath record: Paranoid

First Smiths record I heard: self-titled debut
Fav Smiths record: The Queen is Dead

First Supertramp record I heard: Breakfast in America
Fav Supertamp record: Crime of the Century

First Tom Petty record I heard: Damn the Torpedoes
Fav Tom Petty record: Full Moon Fever

I could go on and on. In some cases, the two match up. I'm thinking about The Clash and Kate Bush here, but that's because my favs from those two are also their best.

By the way, I once had an argument about Stewart Copeland in which I argued that he should be listed on any definite list of top ten drummers. The other person disagreed, but this is the truth. He is an excellent drummer.

The Police: Outlandos D'Amour (1978)

"The Police became globally popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s and are generally regarded as one of the first new-wave groups to achieve mainstream success, playing a style of rock influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz. They are also considered one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the U.S." [source]

Outlaws of Love? Is that the correct translation? Who knows for sure? I think the first Police song I ever heard was Message in a Bottle. The first Police record I owned was Reggatta de Blanc, an album I like better than this one. I might have heard Roxanne before Message in a Bottle, but I honestly cannot remember. Of course, Roxanne was used to great effect in 48 Hrs.

The only song I don't really like on this LP is Be My Girl - Sally. I liked it the first few times I heard it, but then it got boring. On the other hand, the rest of the tracks are top notch.

The Police were a very interesting band. With the fourth record, a change in sound is obvious but that didn't diminish my love for the the band. Stewart Copeland remains one of my favourite drummers of all time, after John Bonham.

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 3: Hannah Georgas / Les Sœurs Boulay / Little Scream (2017)

From 2017, on red vinyl, we have three more cover versions:

Hannah Georges - Crown of Love
Originally by Arcade Fire from the 2005 album Funeral, a 2016 Slaight Family Heritage Prize winner.
Recorded at The Woodshed, Toronto, April 26, 2017.
Hannah Georgas appears courtesy of Dine Alone Records.

Les Sœurs Boulay - Complainte pour Sainte-Catherine
Originally recorded by Kate and Anna McGarrigle on the 1976 album Kate and Anna McGarrigle, a 2016 Slaight Family Heritage Prize winner.
Réalisation, prise de son ("Studio PM"), mixage (Studio de l'Est)
Les Sœurs Boulay appears courtesy of Dare To Care Records.

Little Scream - Anew Day
Originally by Mary Margaret O'Hara from the 1988 album Miss America, a 2016 Slaight Family Heritage Prize winner.
Produced [...] at Fixed Hinge in Stittsville, Ontario, April 28, 2017.

I like the Mary Margaret O'Hara cover the best.

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 2: Arkells / Joel Plaskett / Zaki Ibrahim (2016)

Number 2, from 2016, has:

"I'm Not Afraid"

Originally recorded by Owen Pallett from the 2014 Short List album In Conflict.
Recorded September 7 and 9, 2015 at Revolution Recording, Toronto, Ontario.
Arkells appear courtesy of Universal Music Canada.

"Bittersweet Memories"
Originally recorded by Feist on the 2012 Polaris winning album Metals.
Recorded January 19, 2016 at New Scotland Yard, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Mastered... at Archive Mastering, Mineville, nova Scotia.
Joel Plaskett appears coutesy of New Scotland Yard / Pheromone Recordings.

"Show Me The Place"
Originally recorded by Leonard Cohen from the 2012 Long List album Old Ideas.
Produced May 16, 2016... at The Hive, Toronto, Ontario.

This one is also a 10" record on blue vinyl. The best track, IMHO, is the last, the cover of Leonard Cohen's Show Me the Place.

Polaris Cover Sessions No. 1: Whitehorse / Sarah Harmer / Great Lake Swimmers (2015)

"The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label." So, the Polaris Cover Sessions are a series of cover records."

This one is as 10" record, containing three cover versions:

1) Whitehorse covering Bones Of An Idol, originally recorded by the New Pornographers;

2) Great Lake Swimmers covering I'm A Mountain, originally recorded by Sarah Harmer;

3) Sarah Harmer covering Odessa, originally recorded by Caribou.

Here are the details from Discogs:

"Bones of An Idol" originally by The New Pornographers from the 2006 Short List album 'Twin Cinema.'
Recorded July 9, 2014 at Revolution Recording, Toronto.
Whitehorse appear courtesy of Six Shooter Records.

"I'm A Mountain" originally by Sarah Harmer from the 2006 Short List album 'I'm A Mountain.'
Recorded July 9, 2014 at Revolution Recording, Toronto.
Great Lake Swimmers appear courtesy of Nettwerk Productions Inc.

"Odessa" originally by Caribou from the 2010 Short List album 'Swim.'
Recorded July 22, 2014 at Revolution Recording, Toronto.
Sarah Harmer appears courtesy of Cold Snap Records.

By the way, this 10" record was pressed on orange vinyl. Many were given away free in local records stores. In some cases, you had to purchase a shortlisted records; in other cases, any purchase would do. I think my copy was free with no strings attached. I cannot find any of these cover versions on Youtube.