27-07-2019 BALL FAVTRAX_MiX 33 FAVOURiTE tracks 1984-1979

27-07-2019 BALL FAVTRAX:MiX ~ 33 FAVOURiTE tracks 1984-1979  >>Felt, Redd Kross, Sonic Youth, Bauhaus, X, Kip Hanrahan, Echo & The Bunnymen, Peter Hammill, Tom Waits, Gil Scott-Heron, Frank Zappa<<

M U S I C

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1984-1979

Revered English cult band of the '80s, led by expressive singer Lawrence Hayward, creators of cerebral jangle pop. 
Felt
Crystal Ball (Maurice Deebank) 2:55
Spanish House (Maurice Deebank / Lawrence) 4:28
from The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories 1984
After establishing their sparse, dramatic sound with two albums and a handful of singles, Felt exploded into brilliance on their third album, 1984's The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories. Working with producer John Leckie for the first time, the band made a purposeful leap into the world of hi-fi recording: the arrangements are full and layered, Lawrence's vocals pop with confidence and vigor, and Felt have a limber swing to them that they'd never exhibited before. As usual, the record was split between Maurice Deebank's intricate instrumentals and Lawrence's songs, but for the first time Deebank's guitar explorations and Lawrence's tightly wound inner journeys sound like the work of two different visionaries instead of a united front...  The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories may not have the cachet or reputation of albums by the "big-name" bands of the era, but it has the songs and that's what counts the most. This is Lawrence and Felt at their absolute classic best, not to be overlooked or missed for any reason.

Teen trash poppers of the early '80s who tempered their fast and loud sound to become a major alternative rock act. 
Redd Kross
Citadel (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) 2:58
Saviour Machine (David Bowie) 4:22
from Teen Babes from Monsanto 1984
By the time Redd Kross' dynamic siblings Jeff and Steven McDonald hit the studio with drummer Dave Peterson to record 1984's EP of covers Teen Babes from Monsanto, any notions they once had of being a punk band were far in the rearview window. They'd become a kickass rock & roll band instead, giving the rock & roll icons whose songs they cover here a serious run for their money...  they give the Rolling Stones' "Citadel" a pummeling hard rock remake, play the Stooges to a draw on a spookily explosive version of "Ann," and steamroll all the whimsy out of David Bowie's "Saviour Machine" while giving it a doomy Black Sabbath makeover... More of a lark than a serious statement, Teen Babes is a serious good time and cleared the decks for Redd Kross, paving the way for them to start writing great songs of their own.

Pioneers in noise rock who continued creating sophisticated, visceral music long after they became an alt-rock institution. 
Sonic Youth
(She's in A) Bad Mood 5:36
Protect Me You 5:28
Freezer Burn/I Wanna Be Your Dog 3:38
from Confusion Is Sex/Kill Yr Idols 1983
before becoming alt-rock icons, before marriages and children, the Youth were a struggling young noise loving art-rock group from New York with empty pockets.
their first LP (depending on whether or not you consider the self titled EP the first BRUISE PRISTINE :p) , which was joined at the end by an EP of theirs ("Kill Yr Idols") to become one full album, is a hard find, and to the casual listener, a difficult listen. but when one learns to appreciate it, this record is a gem.
so there we go. if you are an SY fan, and you spot this at the record store, BUY IT. it is an extremely good find. keep in mind though, this album is not for everyone. this is an album for the open minded listener, interested in hearing something completely strange and new. i'll give 2 ratings.
for the casual listener: 1.5/5 / for the open mind: 4.5

Founding fathers of goth rock, driven by moody post-punk dynamics and jagged guitar chords, plus the manic mysticism of singer Peter Murphy. 
Bauhaus
She's in Parties (Bauhaus) 5:46
Who Killed Mr. Moonlight (Daniel Ash / Bauhaus / Kevin Haskins / David J / Peter Murphy) 5:01
Burning from the Inside  (Daniel Ash / Bauhaus / Kevin Haskins / David J / Peter Murphy) 9:21
from Burning From the Inside 1983
If The Sky's Gone Out felt like a collection of various recordings, Burning from the Inside really was, due in large part to outside events -- Murphy had fallen victim to a life-threatening illness, so the rest of the band began recording without him, which more than anything else foreshadowed both Bauhaus' breakup and the trio's future work as Love and Rockets... While imperfect, Burning from the Inside has much more to recommend it than many other albums.

Influential L.A. punk band known for an exhilarating blend of punk, rockabilly, and blues, with a sound and style that outlived the movement. 
X
The Hungry Wolf  (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 3:46
Motel Room in My Bed (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 2:40
Riding With Mary (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 3:41
Under the Big Black Sun (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 3:23
from Under The Big Black Sun 1982
X's first album issued on a major label, 1982's Under the Big Black Sun, is arguably their finest record. All 11 songs are exceptional, from both a performance and compositional point of view. Ray Manzarek's production is more akin to hard rock bands than their earlier punk works, but the songs still pack quite a punch. Before the recording of the album, singer Exene Cervenka's sister was killed by a drunk driver, and the band decided to work out their grief in the music, as evidenced by two of the album's best tracks: the melodic "Riding With Mary"...

Contemporary producer who creates eclectic Latin-tinged musical melanges utilizing the best New York musicians. 
Kip Hanrahan
Whatever I Want (Kip Hanrahan) 5:44
This Night Comes Out of Both of Us (Kip Hanrahan) 5:42
Shadow to Shadow (Kip Hanrahan) 7:07
from Coup de tête 1982
Fittingly enough, the first sound heard on Kip Hanrahan's premier release is that of the conga and the first word sung is "sex," two leitmotifs that would appear consistently in his ensuing work. Coup de Tete burst on the scene in the early '80s as an entirely fresh, invigorating amalgam of Cuban percussion (much of it Santeria-based), free jazz, funk, and intimate, confrontational lyrics. Hanrahan had worked at New Music Distribution Service, a project run by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler (both of whom appear on this album), and had established contacts with numerous musicians from varied fields who he threw together in a glorious New York City melting pot. With the percussion and electric bass laying down thick and delicious grooves, the cream of the younger avant saxophonists in New York at the time wail over the top, accompanying some of the most brutally uncomfortable lyrics ever put to wax...

One of the most acclaimed British alternative groups of the 1980s, a band of gloomy post-punkers inspired by the darker aspects of '60s psychedelia. 
Echo & The Bunnymen
Show of Strength  (Pete de Freitas / Ian McCulloch / Les Pattinson / Will Sergeant) 4:48
With a Hip (Pete de Freitas / Ian McCulloch / Les Pattinson / Will Sergeant) 3:15
Over the Wall  (Pete de Freitas / Ian McCulloch / Les Pattinson / Will Sergeant) 5:59
from Heaven Up Here 1981
Following their more psychedelia-based debut, Crocodiles, and subsequent "Puppet" single, Echo & the Bunnymen returned in 1981 with the darkest and perhaps most experimental album of their career. Heaven Up Here lacks the signature hooks and melodies that would make the Bunnymen famous, showcasing instead a dirge-like songwriting approach built around the circular rhythms of bassist Les Pattinson and drummer Pete DeFreitas. In this setting, the band remarkably flourishes, although they would go on to greater heights by scaling back the album's extremism...

Founder of Van Der Graaf Generator, and solo artist who has covered styles ranging from progressive to lo-fi rock. 
Peter Hammill
Breakthrough (Peter Hammill) 4:01
Ophelia  (Peter Hammill) 3:15
Sitting Targets (Peter Hammill) 5:26
from Sitting Targets 1981
Peter Hammill again plays the same trick as he did in 1978-1979, when, after the strange, experimental The Future Now LP, came the more straightforward pH7. The same relationship exists between A Black Box and Sitting Targets. The latter LP, released in 1981, is often overlooked because of its cold, very early-'80s production, but it has yielded many classic songs that would grow out of their rather square studio arrangements and go on to provide fans with many memorable live moments. And once you get used to the sound (something a lot easier here than with Skin), Sitting Targets is actually a pretty strong record -- and the presence of drummer Guy Evans on most tracks is no stranger to that...

A neo-beatnik songwriter who grew weirder and wilder in the '80s, earning a cult following that only grew larger as the years passed. 
Tom Waits
Jersey Girl  (Tom Waits) 5:11
'Til the Money Runs Out (Tom Waits) 4:25
On the Nickel  (Tom Waits) 6:19
from Heartattack And Vine 1980
Heartattack and Vine is Tom Waits' seventh and final album for Asylum. As such, it's transitional. As demonstrated by its immediate predecessors, 1978's excellent Blue Valentine and 1977's Foreign Affairs, he was already messing with off-kilter rhythms even in the most conventionally structured blues and jazz songs, with nastier-sounding guitars -- he plays a particularly gnarly style of rhythm on this entire album. Five of these nine tracks are rooted in gutbucket blues with rock edges and primal R&B beats. By this time, his singing voice had deteriorated to a gasping-for-breath whiskey-and-cigarettes growl that could make words indecipherable from one another, but his jazzman-inspired phrasing more than compensated...  In sum, Heartattack and Vine reveals just how much Waits had grown during his tenure with Asylum. Though not perfect in sequencing -- the alternating juxtaposition of rowdy blues and heartworn ballads gets old -- almost every song stands on its own as a dusty gem.

Politically charged poet and singer of enrapturing 1970s jazz/R&B polemics, and a huge influence on countless hip-hop incendiaries. 
Gil Scott-Heron
You Can't Depend on the Train from Washington (Gil Scott-Heron) 4:47
Waiting for the Axe to Fall (Gil Scott-Heron) 4:48
The Klan (R. Havens) 4:48
from Real Eyes 1980
In 1980, Gil Scott-Heron had a nice opportunity to promote his Real Eyes album when he became the opening act on Stevie Wonder's Hotter Than July tour. On his own, Scott-Heron usually played small clubs, but opening for Wonder gave him the chance to perform in front of thousands of Wonder fans in major stadiums and sports arenas. Many of Wonder's white fans seemed to be unfamiliar with Scott-Heron (who had never had a major pop hit), while a lot of Wonder's black fans at least knew him for "The Bottle" and "Angel Dust" even if they hadn't bought a lot of his albums. Opening for all those Wonder fans certainly didn't hurt Scott-Heron's career, but it didn't make him a superstar either. While it's possible that some Wonder fans enjoyed Scott-Heron's opening sets enough to go out and purchase Real Eyes, most of the people who acquired this LP were already confirmed Scott-Heron fans. Unfortunately, Real Eyes lacked a hit single, although the material is excellent nonetheless...

The creator of radical rock during the '60s who later pursued even more adventurous avenues, ranging from jazz-rock to classical composition. 
Frank Zappa
Central Scrutinizer  (Frank Zappa) 3:28
Joe's Garage  (Frank Zappa) 6:09
Catholic Girls  (Frank Zappa) 4:19
Crew Slut  (Frank Zappa) 6:40
from Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III 1979
Joe's Garage was originally released in 1979 in two separate parts; Act I came first, followed by a two-record set containing Acts II & III. Joe's Garage is generally regarded as one of Zappa's finest post-'60s conceptual works, a sprawling, satirical rock opera about a totalitarian future in which music is outlawed to control the population. The narrative is long, winding, and occasionally loses focus; it was improvised in a weekend, some of it around previously existing songs, but Zappa manages to make most of it hang together. Acts II & III give off much the same feel, as Zappa relies heavily on what he termed "xenochrony" -- previously recorded guitar solos transferred onto new, rhythmically different backing tracks to produce random musical coincidences. Such an approach is guaranteed to produce some slow moments as well, but critics latched onto the work more for its conceptual substance...