OK, got a new turntable, an Audio-Technica, from Tacoma's HI-VOLTAGE RECORDS. The old $20 Goodwill turntable was dragging badly, and I was tired of hearing stuff play at 30 rpm's. Plus our cheap tissue-box speakers didn't put out much bass.
Now, with the turntable hooked-up to the CD player's way-better speakers, you can actually HEAR things. Including some bits I don't think I've heard before. And it was pretty cheap, too!
I'm still testing it out. So....
* Argent -- Dance in the Smoke, from their first album (1970). Even cranked up, the CD player's speakers perhaps show the limits of 1970 recording technology. I still love this song, and it still builds nicely in its hypnotic, mantra-like way. But it should be louder, stronger. So I'll crank it up to 11....
* Starcastle -- Shine On Brightly, from CITADEL (1977). I like this, and the speakers really bring out the trebly tones. Nice. But the following "Shadows of Song" still sounds like a not-very-inspired Yes song. "Can't Think Twice" is a step up, though it still sounds like Yes. And "Wings of White" is even MORE commercial-Yes-sounding.... Even so, a quick side, and fairly painless.
* Greenslade -- Melange, from their first album (1973). Found a $3 water-damaged-but-playable copy of this at HI-VOLTAGE. OK bubbly keyboards and bass, with airy wordless vocals, OK background music if not exactly stunning. Hadn't heard them since 1981, couldn't remember what they sounded like. Not bad....
* Alison Moyet -- Where Hides Sleep?, from ALF (1983). Moody, synth-washy, dreamy, occasional sparkly keyboards. Alf's vocals build in drama.... Fades out too soon.
* Alison Moyet -- All Cried Out, from ALF. You can sure tell this is 1983. Heavy beats, lotsa keyboards, takes a long time to get to the vocal.... But I like her throaty vocal -- she sounds a little like Annie Lennox. The lyrics are kinda clever.... Kinda slow and predictable, tho.... In a PLEASANT way....
* Jane Siberry -- The Waitress, from NO BORDERS HERE (1984). Silly, annoying song about OCD. Is this New Wave? I read somewhere she did some rather Strange stuff later....
* Jane Siberry -- I Muse Aloud, from NO BORDERS. Too much coffee, Jane. Metallic, computerized sound. The lyrics are a little silly. Her voice is a little whiny. Am I being a snob? $2 at Half-Price Books. Whadda ya want for $2?
* Jane Siberry -- Mimi on the Beach, from NO BORDERS. This starts off a little too cute, but it gets better as it goes -- tho I'm not sure I can take 7-1/2 minutes of it. Her voice sounds a little like Lisa Loeb, and when her band is permitted to up the drama it gets better. The choruses are pretty good, tho they're not repeated often enough. Mimi's going surfing, and I expect disaster....
* Jane Siberry -- Map of the World (Part 1), from NO BORDERS. Airy vocals and drumming.... Very lite album-closer.
* Osibisa -- The Dawn, from their first album (1971). Have wanted to hear this African/West-Indian band ever since seeing the flying-elephant album-cover artwork in Roger Dean's book VIEWS. Opens with dawn-in-the-jungle noises and a brief narration. Then light drumming and nice airy flute, leading into a heavier groove, joined by bass and organ. The organ ROCKS. Then guitar solo with more drumming and chanting. Nice, and VERY different. Tony Visconti produced. $1 at Half-Price.
* Osibisa -- Music for Gong Gong. Nice riff, excellent horn work. With a killer guitarist they could almost be Santana. More good organ work. Bet they were great live. This has a solid beat and some force. Makes me wanna dance around the room....
* Osibisa -- Ayiko Bia. More great riffs, this time with lots of chanting. Solid, involving. That's the whole side. This was well worth a buck.
* Osibisa -- Akwaaba. Nice riffs with solid horn and organ work. Lively. Good happy music. Guitarist Wendell Richardson is pretty good. So why didn't these guys get rich?
* Osibisa -- Phallus C. Their singing is actually their weak point, tho I rather like their chanting. But they sure can play. More great low-key organ work here from Robert Bailey. And some nice sour baritone sax from Loughty Lasisi Amao. Not to mention the guitar. And the great drum riffs. This is good stuff -- they sound like no one else. Worth tracking down.
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2 comments:
Boy, you've been busy! Glad to hear you're enjoying a new turntable. I'm gonna just mention some stuff from all over your blog here. Gaucho is good. It's not great, but ya know, I hear the young 'uns love it. Like it's their favorite one (and everyone knows that's Katy Lied), but I guess they love it. It's kind of sterile and bleak, but I think that's what they were going for. Everything Must Go is their worst. Mostly because you can't remember any of the songs, even ten seconds after you finish hearing them.
The La's is an album that I genuinely like, but it's like T. Rex's Electric Warrior if you ask me. What I mean is that the more you listen to it, the less interesting it gets. I don't play either of those very often, even though I like them.
I haven't decided what I think of Caravan yet. I've got the Dunston's one and Cunning Stunts and I think I liked Cunning Stunts more than Dunston's. Tormato would have been where I left Yes behind, but I like some of 90125, so I can still find some things worthwhile on pretty much everything prior to that. Tormato kind of sounds like the whole band can't wait to get away from each other, though. Some of it is kind of dumb, too.
Speaking of dumb - Days of Future Passed literally made me laugh when I found one awhile back. I was laughing out loud thinking, "WHAT did I see in this when I was in 8th grade?" "Cold 'earted orb that rules the night, removes the colours from our sight," Jeebus, that's stupid!
Yeah, the poetry readings on DAYS are a little ... uh ... self-consciously "cosmic." But I think the SONGS are pretty strong, most of 'em. Course the mostly-pretty-slushy orchestra sections sound like TV commercials or worse....
On Caravan, I think ST. DUNSTAN'S is pretty strong -- there's some dumb stuff in the middle, but the last two tracks especially locked it up for me. And I loved their light romantic side anyway. I think STUNTS is weak, except for the opening and jazzier parts of "Dabsong Conshirtoe."
I'm all over the place about Yes -- when they're good I think they're awesome. When they're dicking around.... But I came at them backwards -- heard the live stuff on YESSONGS and "Your Move" and "Roundabout" on the radio before I ever heard their studio albums, so I tend to downgrade much of their studio stuff ... tho 90125 has some nice stuff on it. Love "Changes" and "It Can Happen" and "Leave It."
Thanks for dropping in. Write! The music-blog world misses you.
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