Glorious follow-up

Houses of the Holy. Five Stars.

I rank this CD right behind III as my favorite Zeppelin album. It's not as eclectic as the former, but on the other hand... It's a very fun record, lighthearted and with a sense of humour. I don't tend to associate Led Zeppelin with that quality, but it's on hand here.

The opener (The Song Remains the Same) is very immediate and infectious. It rocks with glee. These are the experts, after all... It slows down for a set of verses done in a higher register than Plant usually goes for. You might find it eerie and offputting, but he uses it all through the record, so you'd best get used to it. Meantime... this rocks.

The Rain Song is a bit overambitious, but it has a certain mellow appeal. Heck, it's even romantic. Slow moving, heavily draped with keyboards, very long and winding. It's really a nice interlude, though these two long songs ensure that the CD gets off to a slower start than the previous ones do.

Everything is fixed with Over the Hills and Far Away. It has a folky, appealing intro, before launching into an equally appealing, jaunty rock song. It's fun and has a keyboard solo placed on the end, which is an interesting addition.

The Crunge is an abrasive "song." It's more along the lines of a stand-up comedy act. The lyric is completely ridiculous, made even more so by Plant's ludicrous delivery and the brash, in-your-face instrumentation. It's not really a song, so over-listening to the record will make this one wear thin faster than the others.

Dancing Days returns to the usual Led Zep territory. It does nothing new, but it's cool. Great riff, classic rock attitude is presented, really short and packing a punch. Easiest song on here to like.

D'yer Make'er is weird, but very pleasing nonetheless. It has a sense of... drama, for lack of a better word. It's my current favorite song off Houses of the Holy. It's so well structured, and the music is so sunny, despite the sad lyric; which also contains an upbeat quality in its odd delivery.

No Quarter is the one that doesn't fit. It's a very dark mood piece, and reminds me of When the Levee Breaks, as it has the same majestic quality. It's a quieter track though, stately and dignified. The strange thing is that it doesn't sound that out of place, despite the fact that it should.

The Ocean is the closer. It's a rocker, obviously, but surprisingly layered. Just when you have it pinned, it cartwheels into some sort of pastiche of cheezy pop backing vocals. There's no reason for it, but it's nice.

Houses of the Holy proves that, as of '73, Zeppelin weren't boxing themselves in and repeating the megahit formula. It sounds like a creative, good times record. I don't know if that's true behind the scenes, but I'm too afraid to look, for fear the band will pull a Deep Purple on me. :)

Makes me curious about Physical Grafitti though. I haven't heard it in years...

One of the crown jewels

Led Zeppelin IV. Five Stars.

This is where it's at. The Holy Grail of 70's rock music. Everyone's heard it, knows it, loves it. Even I'll admit it's great. So why am I going to review it, I ask...

Black Dog is a wonderful opener. It's got a lot of panache and confidence, and is complex to boot... I'm trying to avoid saying it sounds like Led Zeppelin, but why not? This record is the pure distillation of their sound.

It moves on with Rock and Roll. Hard not to like this one. It's everything you'd expect - drums, guitars, a beat that never falters, Plant wailing... Great housecleaning tune.

Things wind down for the more artistic, mandolin-driven fantasy The Ballad of Evermore. Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention guest stars. She helps give this song a completely unique flavor in the band's canon, and her voice meshes with Plant's extraordinarily well. Excellent from start to finish.

But it's Stairway to Heaven everyone knows is the centerpiece. It's a casualty of Classic Rock Radio, but if you're very lucky and haven't heard it to death, then you can fully enjoy the breathtaking beauty of it. When I first heard it, I never wanted the song to end, it was that good. Nowadays I'm more cynical. It's Misty Mountain Hop I'm here for.

Misty Mountain Hop is an amusing piece of work. The beat is what everybody will remember, but I just like the poor, confused narrator's encounter with hippies in a park. It's really a fun track, just like Rock and Roll .

Four Sticks is a good song. I like the chorus and John Bonham's percussion. It's oddly forgettable, which left it as my least favorite for years, but now I'm starting to really appreciate the track. Plant's voice is quite eerie toward the end.

Okay, I vote for Going to Calafornia as the real weak link. It's a nice interlude, but somehow quite wishy-washy. A bit overwrought. It picks up as it plays, but really isn't great.

And it's eclipsed by When the Levee Breaks. A positively apocalyptic, unholy blues epic. The whole thing rocks with splendid grandeur. It finishes the record on a very strong note.

It's hard to fault this record. So why isn't it my favorite? Why doesn't it make it onto my top 20? Perhaps it's because there are other albums with more personality quirks, or because I like to root for the underdogs. It certainly isn't because this doesn't measure to its reputation.

Iced tea with lemon zest...

(The title is keeping the silly theme of comparing this band to a variety of beverages...)

Led Zeppelin III. Five Stars

How did they do it? How did Zeppelin go from a band on the verge of becoming a sausage machine of blues/metal riffs to something far more rewarding? This is their acoustic record, and the one where song writing comes to the foreground. It's diverse in both mood and style, and is to my mind their greatest record.

The storming opener, Immigrant Song, is one of their best rockers; short, driven by Plant's phenomenal voice (here finally branching out from the "my baby's such a devil, but I can't stop loving her" motif).

Friends is built on a rather ominous acoustic guitar line. In fact, this whole song has a very dark quality, yet the lyric has a lovely sentiment attached. The moods conflict, and I think it's a fascinating song.

It segues into the more jaunty Celebration Day. Great, weird guitar. Bizarre lyric. It's a lot of fun.

The above three are all short tracks, but Since I've Been Loving You is a real ode to last year's model. A seven minute heartbroken, bluesy piece. The subtlety on display here is great, as it begins in a laid-back, resigned way, building up as Robert Plant bleeds his heart out all over the song. Yes, we've heard it all before on I and II, but I personally feel this is their most successful attempt at the subject, and I love that guitar solo, too.

Out on the Tiles is an upbeat tune (which is a bit of a relief after that last one). It's "traveling man" themed, and the fade-out is my favorite part of it.

Gallow's Pole is a traditional ballad, about a man petitioning to his friends and siblings to save him from the hangman. It builds, via a wonderful arrangement, to a real frenzy. Always a favorite.

Tangerine, after a false start, turns out to be one of the band's finest ballads. I wish they'd indulged in more, but that's another story. This is just a beautiful, finely wrought ode to a lost love.

And it's followed by another gorgeous ballad - That's the Way. Evocative, ambiguous, breathtaking and heartfelt. It evokes a beautiful end-of-summer melancholy to me.

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is an unsurprising footstomper. An uplifting county song, and where I usually stop the record.

Because Hats off to (Roy) Harper is a pointless inclusion. A bizarre blues thing that sounds entirely wrong for the album. I'd never miss it if it were gone, and always think it's an awful way to end Led Zep III.

Despite that minor reservation, it's still a great CD, and to me, it's where they really took off as a band.

Dregs

Led Zeppelin II. Two and a half Stars.

Two albums in one year? Bound to be some superfluous material then.

Still, the opener holds all the promise in the world. Whole Lotta Love rocks, but not as much as you might expect. It's got a weird little midsection that actually works really good at lengthening the track. It's the best song on II.

What Is and What Should Never Be is also very good. Alternating between quiet verses and an easy to remember, slamming chorus.

The Lemon Song has a good riff. It's six minutes long, and functions as a rewrite of the bluesy unhappiness from the band's debut. Only this time, it lacks panache. First time I've wanted to describe one of their songs as angst-ridden complaining. I just find this one boring. It goes nowhere and accomplishes nothing.

Thank You sports acoustic flourishes. It's kind of sweet and romantic. But after the last song, I think an attention-grabbing track would have been better appreciated. I've nothing against this song, but it might have been better served by a later placement.

Heartbreaker has a great riff. But just listen to the lyric sometime. How many ways can Plant write a she-devil song before it gets old? There's a definate feeling on II of fishing for material...

That one ends very abrubtly, and Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman) starts in the same way. It's short and pretty fun. Another cool riff.

Ramble On sports more acoustics, a reference to Tolkien, a return to the rambling man theme, another rocking chorus and one of the better lyrics you'll hear on this CD. I'd say it works pretty well.

Moby Dick is filler in every sense of the word. It consists of... another riff, and a drum solo. Yep, I'm serious. Now, I don't find it annoying, but come on guys... if you've got that little material, why not wait a little longer?

Of course, you could look at it as them clearing out the salt cellars for a fresh start with III...

Bring it on Home is a paean to the blues (who's surprised?). It's interesting and weird, before it leapfrogs into a typical Zeppelin tune, that is...

It concludes this unfortunately weak entry in the Led Zeppelin saga. The whole thng has a simpler feel than the debut, a real sophomore effort. A few tracks make it worth a listen, but I know it won't be getting many more plays from me...

No, I don't always agree with AllMusic...

Black coffee blues

I'm back again, this time to review the Led Zeppelin catalouge (In Through the Out Door not withstanding. I don't happen to have a copy.)

Led Zeppelin. Four and a half stars.

The debut of Led Zeppelin has a few detriments to its name (bite your tongue, girl!) and I'll get them over with quickly: a lack of originality and diversity. It's a blues bash with thunderous guitars. Now for that genre it's easily one of the best, thanks to the band's finesse, enthusiasm and power. Also thanks to Robert Plant, one of Rock's classic voices. He brings an awful lot to this show.

Enough with the vagaries... Song by song is my style.

It opens pretty well with Good Times Bad Times. It rocks, has a memorable chorus, and for a two minute track, there's a surprising amount happening in that frame.

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is my absolute favorite track from the early days of the band. It starts with acoustic guitar and some almost flamenco flourishes. Heavy atmosphere is conjured and kept at just the right pitch throughout. It launches into hard rock riffing with Plant just wailing his heart out. The standout track. The masterwork.

You Shook Me is about the same length (six minutes) and states its intention right away - all-out blues. The song (such as it is) doesn't stick around long, serving more as a bookend to a great big blues jam. To Zeppelin's credit, it doesn't try your patience. When all's said and done, though immensely morose, it's quite good.

Dazed and Confused. A signature tune. Need any more be said? Well, it's on a grand scale; another six minute powerhouse with epic guitar soloing and Plant carrying off another miserable lyric. Most people singing this song would sound like a total sap. A credit to Plant that he pulls it off.

Your Time is Gonna Come. Okay, can anyone say athemic rocker? It's a relief to hear something a little more laid-back, as it does open with a stately organ solo; but I'm not fond of anthemic choruses (they just beg for an audience singalong, to my ears). Even with that reservation, this is still pretty good.

It segues into Black Mountain Side, an acoustic folky instrumental. It's short, odd, like a sore thumb on the record, but it points the way to Led Zep III and is a nice little interlude.

Communication Breakdown is a short, classic tune. Frenzied, kind of fun and very direct.

I Can't Quit You Baby is another bluesy, wretchedly unhappy, female devil story. With soloing included. Nothing new here...

Lastly, How Many More Times has some real jive, at last to start. It's not the most memorable track here, as it wanders off course. But it's a good way to end this record, and the quality of the musicians in this band really saves a lot of these longer tunes.

Well, diversity will come later. This early, their enthusiasm for the blues is a bit distracting, but I do like this CD nonetheless. Cover art is a classic, by the way.

A summertime project

The Music of 1973

This summer was spent by my Dad and me (music buffs both) in a spur of the moment experiment. Looking at the family CD collection, we realised just how much stuff we've got from the year 1973. So we sat down and listened on headphones, judging and discussing by album, from Raw Power all the way to Stranded. And now I'm at the end, and I think it would make a good little writing project.

Naturally the genre is popular music - rock and pop. We didn't even think about what jazz, classical, blues, compilations, et cetera, were also released in that year. And we're aware we missed a bunch of stuff, that we just don't have. So you'll find a list of honorable mentions at the bottom of this page.
My Dad will be cashing in on occasion. His comments are all in red.

Now for a word of warning: this is an extremely British set. It actually seems rather comprehensive of what the English were doing for rock that year, but it practically ignores America. Try not to get in a tizzy over it. No offense meant, just one of those things...

I had British-centric taste in music to start with, being an early fan of The Beatles, and just didn't find much from American artists that was interesting to me. Subsequently I'd say the best American music was all produced in the 1930s.

Also, this list is set up from worst to best. It's organised as best as I could manage, though with the five star set I gave up. You can't number the masterpieces, after all. And since this is based on opinion, what I think of as the great works might fly in the face of many, many other people. So please, save the hate mail if you find one of your favorite records of all time only gets a three from me.

These brief reviews are also a consensus opinion arrived at after hashing out what we felt were the strong points and weak points for each record.

There, you see? We'll share the blame.

Without further ado...
1973 in Music

Donovan
Cosmic Wheels : no stars.
No education in sixties folk psycadelia is complete without a Donovan record. Alas, that was the sixties. Cosmic Wheels, which follows a two-year hiatus from the industry, suffers a multitude of ailments. The production is poor, and Donovan is trying to change with the times, it seems. There's some reasonable songs opening the record before it nosedives, but it's all worth complaining about, because no one should spend two years in retirement and then be allowed to put together an album that sounds like it was written in under three weeks...

Bryan Ferry
These Foolish Things : half star
Okay, I love Ferry's voice, and the songs he writes. This is a cover album (not a bad thing) and the material mostly suits his style. But the band is weak, and the production so cornball that most of these songs just don't sound good. And who thought a campy Dylan cover was a good idea?

Deep Purple
"Who Do We Think We Are" : *
Deep Purple is one of those bands where the less you know, the better it sounds. Read their history, and enthusiasm is liable to cool. Woman From Tokyo is a good opener, and I didn't actively mind most of it. It rocks, after all. But the songwriting is so simplistic, the music has the quality of being stapled together and with the exception of the already mentioned song, there's not one that I'd want to hear again. It just doesn't compare to so much of 73's catalouge. A phoned in effort, to my ears.

Alice Cooper
Muscle of Love : *1/2
Juvenile in every way. You've got a band packed with personality, flourishing show tune brass, James Bond riffs and quirky added elements. You've got Alice's wonderful voice. And a bunch of really, really stupid songs. All that wasted talent. Though a few songs (Man With The Golden Gun) manage to rise above the crowd, more or less...

Paul McCartney and Wings
Red Rose Speedway : **
For the longest time, it seemed this was 73's worst album. Paul seems to have spent no time on this record, and though he's not one of the world's great lyricists, I know he can do better than this - when he makes an effort. Musically it does well (it's got Loup on it), there's a few nice little tunes (Big Barn Bed, One More Kiss) and some good bonus tracks. The rest is fluff. It's an empty throwaway. Sorry Paul.

Todd Rundgren
A Wizard, a True Star : **
It might seem cruel and intolerant to cast a very well done, respectable album this far down the list (made sense at the time!) but consider it this way: this is a 50 minute recording, and even the title tells you just how pretentious it's going to be. Yes, it's incredibly well done, but the best of the songs included are all the little one minute, humourous bits on the first half. And Zen Archer, the only normal length song that keeps your interest. Immensely long, very tedious by the end, losing all quirkiness on the second half, containing a 9 minute soul medley done to perfection (I'm still missing the point of its inclusion), too damn long and really overstuffed with Rundgren's genius. Less is more. Did I mention how long it is?

Fripp and Eno
No Pussyfooting : ***
For sheer innovation (this being the first ever ambient CD) this one merits a three, even though to be honest it goes nowhere, does nothing, required very little effort on the part of Fripp and Eno, is entirely unmemorable, and is basically just a window into the world of what two intellectual musicians do for fun. 73's most eccentric release. Worth a listen every 30 years or so.

George Harrison
Living in the Material World : ***
Sorry George. The slow material is all very good, but why o why must it be so preachy? Two songs in the middle that just got my hackles up, as much from the repetitions of the chorus as the lyrics. And why do I get the feeling the band was just invented for the purpose of making the record?

Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon : ***
This is where a whole bunch of people are going to dismiss me out of hand, right? But I'm telling you all, to me it just doesn't measure up. The sound is perfect, and it's very, very well done. It conjures one epic, grandiose song after another, and never varies that pattern. Somehow, by putting that much behind each song, it saps the power of rock music. It never gets where it's going, to me. I fail to understand the reputation it holds. But then, I'm not one for Pink Floyd.

Jeff Beck
Beck, Bogert and Appice : ***
Strange name, no? It's got a great cover of Superstition on it. Guitar is wonderful. But on headphones, all the songs become indistinguishable. That's all I have to say on that one. I didn't get a close second listen to this one...

Mott the Hoople
Mott : ***
The mix of plain old rock n roll with fey, glam flourishes is great. The album is a real breath of fresh air, especially with all the prog rock running around that year. Good and simple. What's the catch? Two unbelievably boring power ballads.

Frank Zappa
Over-Nite Sensation : ***
Killer guitar on this one. Zappa creamed a lot of people with his style. And I Am the Slime is classic Zappa, and really funny to boot. The rest of Over-Nite is mostly good, with hints of outrageousness that I could have done without. Still might have rated higher, if not for Dinah-Moe Humm, which was just as crass and offensive as he could make it, apparantly. Have to deduct many a point for that one. Zappa's humor isn't to everyone's taste. Like music itself, humor is subjective.

Alice Cooper
Billion Dollar Babies : ***
The definitive party record. Listen with company, junk food and lame Vincent Price B-flicks lined up for later. It'll be a hoot, I promise. And there is seriously some good stuff here. The title track is a duet with Donovan (the coolest thing he did that year) and No More Mr. Nice Guy comes as close as that band got to finesse. All the little flourishes included make even the bad songs worth one listen, and the rave-up ending is hilariously camp and over the top. But of course, it's still immensely juvenile, and it takes ages to get started. Oh yeah, and as I listened, the thought "what am I doing here?" kept cropping up, so it's got its drawbacks.

Paul McCartney and Wings
Band on the Run : ***1/2
Nope, another strike-out from Paul this year. To give credit, the lyrics are way better... but there's still too many choruses. Great melodies, and Helen Wheels is a treasure. The fact that it sounds as good as it does is amazing, considering the stress the band was under. Or was it a band? Given that Paul played something like all the instruments, two members walked out before sessions began and guitarist Denny Laine was only given a five second fade-out solo at the end of track seven, I can scarcely call this Wings. And what is with the choruses? They don't help, they just drag all these songs out two minutes longer. Sorry Paul. I like bass guitar too but I tend to think his records are bit bass heavy in the mix :) Sorry Paul.

Jethro Tull
A Passion Play : ***1/2
These are some of the best lyrics Anderson ever gave the world (and he's great at that). They read well. That's impressive. It's a musical feat, but more prog than rock (it's a common problem in that genre. The musicians fail to realise that a rock record has to rock, just a little bit. Else everyone would listen to jazz improv instead.) And it has the problem of being a bunch of little songs strung together to try and make Thick as a Brick II. They should have been kept seperate, as Anderson now agrees. Anyway, it's still very impressive.

The Rolling Stones
Goat's Head Soup : ***1/2
This is the record that's got Angie on it. That's the hit, by the way. And it's great. Quite a bit of this one is great, actually. Lots of good rock songs included. Could have had more verses and less choruses, myself. And the conclusion we came to was that it was a rather lazy effort. Look what their competition was up to, and then have a listen to this.

Roxy Music
Stranded : ***1/2
Yes, it gets three and a half, but it's a good three and a half, if you take my meaning. Psalm brings the whole thing down (four minute song stretched painfully into eight) and there's a throwaway or two, but I really enjoyed it. Ferry has a great voice and hardly seems to write a bad song. A lot of wonderful stuff on this record, even though as a whole I'd say the albums that bookend it are better.

Iggy and the Stooges
Raw Power : ****
Say hello to punk rock. And a lot of noise. This is a really hard listen, and alternates, we noticed. Every other song is noise. It's short and packed with energy, though the Stooges sound barely together, especially in comparison to Fun House, from earlier. All the lyrics are really disturbing and violent, and Iggy was out of his head at the time. And these things which make it a really difficult, rather unpleasant record, are also the things which make it so unique and interesting.

King Crimson
Lark's Tongues in Aspic : ****
Another progger band. King Crimson manage what Dark Side of the Moon couldn't do, and delivers a lot of power and artistry. Umm... It also fails to be any fun at all. It doesn't loosen up once. Completely intellectualised rock. Everything is so carefully constructed. It never lets its hair down for a moment, and since all the songs are six or more minutes (except the accessable Book of Saturday) it borders on a plough.

Yoko Ono
Approximately Infinite Universe : ****
Two discs, so it's a bit overstuffed. Remove all but the strongest, and this would have been a brilliant album. Judged as a whole, it's one of 73's most interesting moments. Yoko is consistently experimenting on this, and though the extremely feminist moments were a drawback, most of the lyrics were really good. She got a huge range of emotion from her voice, though I'm still really erked by the supreme downer she chose to end with.

David Bowie
Pin Ups : ****
Another breather from prog, another cover album, but this one's really, really good. It's short and a lot of fun, to start. The band handles the material very well, and it's a good set. And David's voice actually brings some emotion to all these shallow pop tunes of old. It's not brilliant, I suppose. (Well, except for Sorrow) But it's very enjoyable, and there isn't a bad moment in the set.

Can
Future Days : ****1/2
How can a record with four songs, two of them being 10 minute long improvs, be this good? Well, nothing in the world sounds like Can. And so, even if you're not in the mood for Can, listening to it puts you there. It's neat, and very gentle, which I like quite a bit. It's got a spacey, druggy atmosphere, and the playing is really good. Plus, the singer is the best one they ever had. Wonderful stuff.

John Lennon
Mind Games : ****1/2
Now John could write a song. He could write confessional, unpretentious, emotional work, without relying on choruses. There's just one song on here that moves into a rather wishy-washy vein, and the rest is all highly effective. I suppose it doesn't rock that much, though the ender, Meat City, seems to have been included precisely to let you know that he could have rocked out if he'd wanted to. Just a very well done piece of work.

Lou Reed
Berlin : ****1/2
There aren't many concept albums that hang a story together this well. God, it's morose. Just spirals down into misery for all concerned. But does so very carefully, and with a great deal of finesse. It's not absolutely brilliant, but as near to it as anything can get. A record that wasn't in my collection but obviously should have been...

Queen
Queen : *****
Now this is one cool record. Considering it as a debut, Queen doesn't hesitate, doesn't falter, not once is a misstep in evidence. They knew what they were doing, and though they certainly rock out, they also try a couple other formats, with the gospel Jesus and a children's pop song at the end. Grandiose statement, perfect vocals, and a promise of great things to come for sure. I missed the first few Queen records and by the time I was aware of them they had stopped doing rock music.

David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust: the Motion Picture Soundtrack : *****
Well the concert is one of the greatest ever recorded, but even seperate from that, this holds up very, very well. Sound quality is respectable, and the renditions of some of the songs beat the studio takes. The band is in top form, so's David. I tell you, it holds up even without the visuals.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Brain Salad Surgery : *****
Unfailingly good. I doubt any other record that year had as much thought poured into it as this one. This is prog at its height. It's got a 20 minute song on it, after all. Yes, the keyboards sound impossibly dated, but as played by virtuoso Emerson, accompanied by virtuoso Palmer on drums, it's awe-inspiring. They even cover Ginastera and yet never come across as pretentious, because just when you think you've got them pegged, along comes Benny the Bouncer...

Ringo Starr
Ringo : *****
A good-natured, self-deprecating album. I think it's wonderful that Ringo beat all his comrades that year in making the best record. This is just so much fun. Every song is a footstomper, there's a lot of humour and all the Beatles are on it at some point and contribute a really strong song each (which I think was terribly nice of them). And Photograph is on this record.

The Who
Quadrophenia : *****
A majestic rock opera of the highest order. It's got a concept, which follows a Mod down the drain, and it's not slightly happy, but it's got enough power for ten albums. Two CDs, but it never feels overstuffed, and it goes full circle as you listen. Epic stuff. Probably the Who's masterpiece.

Led Zeppelin
Houses of the Holy : *****
This one's great. It rocks, it's got Robert Plant singing, and it goes through a fair number of moods. From dark and ominous to stand-up comedy. Easily wins a place among the best of 73. You can't fault it.

Gong
Angel's Egg : *****
When this starts up, you know you're in for a weird, trippy time, but it isn't until the second song that it dawns on you: this is silly as well. Gong takes nothing seriously. Playing is great, it's impossibly dense, and the lyrics (and liner notes) are impossibly silly. Vocals are buried down in the mix, which is worth complaining over, but really, it just demands a bit more attention and rewards you for it. Gong is severely under-rated

David Bowie
Aladdin Sane : *****
Now has there ever been a record as cool as this? From the cover art right to the last track, this is one of those albums that sounds like no other. Dense musically, with some of the best guitar and piano on the planet, and a great list of songs. It even gets away with using doo wop backing vocals on the first half. Superb.

Brian Eno
Here Come the Warm Jets : *****
Well, it's 73's most eccentric outing perhaps. It's also a wonderfully well constructed listening experience. The guitar work trounces Zappa (sorry), the lyrics rival Angel's Egg for sheer silliness, and Eno is a master with keyboards. His don't sound at all dated (sorry E.L.P). I wouldn't say the guitar work was better than anyone elses, but I have always counted Fripp's guitar solo in Baby's On Fire as one of the very best on record anywhere.

Roxy Music
For Your Pleasure : *****
This is a great band. Musically, a work of staggering genius. Lyrically, it veers between camp/kitsch, and otherworldly evocations. Ferry has one of the most unique voices in rock music, and Eno runs riot over the last track. Another superb number.



That's all she wrote
There you have it. 1973 was a groundbreaking year. It had ten five star CDs in it. That's pretty damn good. Not everyone gave it their best, but by far, most of the CDs on this list I would be happy to hear again. I'm glad we took the time to listen.

Honorary Mentions
Well, we could hardly hear it all, even so. I'm certain there are some real gems in here, and at least two important artist's debuts. But it's just not possible to go around collecting it all. If anybody reading this does not find an album they know on either list, feel free to post a note and I'll edit it aboard.

Otherwise, best wishes to those who've taken the time to read this. :)

I've just noted with an * the records listed below that were at one time in my collection, and ** for the ones I enjoyed at the time. Of course I've heard parts of all of these listed below but (not having heard them recently) we couldn't include them in our study.

For me this study of 1973 was fascinating because I grew up with most of these records and have heard them (some of them) to death. So we were listening with new ears and very old ears and coming to remarkably similar conclusions.


John Cale
Paris 1919 *

Yes
Yessongs

The Eagles
Desperado

ZZ Top
Tres Hombres **

Elton John
Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player

Elton John
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road *

The Band
Moondog Matinee

Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert

Peter Frampton
Frampton's Camel **

The Allman Brothers
Brothers and Sisters *

Little Feat
Dixie Chicken

T. Rex
Tanx

Tom Waits
Closing Time

The New York Dolls
New York Dolls

Genesis
Selling England by the Pound

Stevie Wonder
Innervisions **

Aerosmith
Aerosmith

The Wailers
Catch a Fire

Gong
Flying Teapot **

Some wacked out music for a dull day...

I'm sorry for the incredible dirth of movement on my blogs. Really, people like me shouldn't even have blogs...

But in the meantime, I've heard a lot of music. (I'll be posting more on that in a bit.)

And a few days ago, I heard The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Five stars.

It's certainly crazy. It even forms a vague concept to start with. Only the concept is something to do with a man in a nightmare and Hell - in the classical sense...

Sounds weird, and the music and Arthur Brown's manic, sometimes high, shrieking delivery accent it perfectly. One thing's sure: he's a unique artist.

The CD includes the mono mixes of the first five songs, which are put in before the proper record starts. Listening back to back, they aren't all that similar, so if you really like the CD, go back for the repeats, by all means.

Prelude - Nightmare opens with stately chamber music and raspy breathing before going to bouncy rock and Arthur's voice (which has great range) starts a well-nigh incomprehensibe description of something weird. Punctuated with shrieks. This song reprises a few times down the road, so stay alert.

Next is Fanfare - Fire Poem, which starts with a trumpet fanfare before leaping into another bouncy rock tune. Arthur describes a visit to Hell, and though he starts calmly, he quickly dissolves to maddened hysteria (he's very good at that) and it ends as fast as it began at only two minutes long.

Fire (noticing the concept?) is pretty fun, though it's really odd. Going back and forth between a chipper chorus and gentle verses, not to mention the total mania it descends into as it goes. This is one weird show.

Come and Buy moves more slowly (which is good for a breather). Like Fire, it seems to be told by the Devil, only he's trying to barter in this episode. It almost verges on silliness, with a superfast delivery at points. Good cello. Arthur just has a perfect voice for this sort of stuff.

Time/Confusion is a dark, dreamy, waltzing tune, so I love it. I'm not sure what it's about, but it's a great mood piece. Creepy to boot.

After that, concept is dropped for a ton of odds and ends. A moody rendition of I Put a Spell on You. Great job of it, I think.

Spontaneous Apple Creation is totally silly. Comes close to whimsy, but Arthur is just too disturbing to pull that off without adding weird things to the mix.

Rest Cure actually does pull it off. It sounds really nice and oddly comforting. Provided this isn't actually the Devil talking. He sings this one differently and I like it a lot.

I've Got Money is a James Brown cover. I didn't realise, because Arthur squawks like a deranged parrot throughout, putting his own stamp on a funk tune. Bizarre.

Child of My Kingdom settles down the record. It's the longest song here, and holds a good deal of interest, as everything has.

You know, I don't think I've ever heard a person who could sing in such a nice, woody baritone and then start shrieking like a female mental patient at the drop of a hat. And apparantly this guy had a really incredible stage persona, so in a way he was the forerunner to all the over-the-top acts that came in the early seventies. Reason enough to have him around. I'm glad we do, because he's great in his own right. Weird and wrong, totally out there and deranged, but also really cool.

A vivid show

Neutral Sons. Four and a half sounds about right.

This sounds exactly like it is: an internet collaboration, a slice of cyberspace music. Nothing like Ariel Piccolo. There was scarcely an organic sound on this record.

Anyway, after a very silly opening bit, the CD kicks off with Drop Out, a rocking pop song. Energetic fun, catchy chorus. Can't find anything profound to say about it.

Russian Girlfriend is one of the highlights. Great lyric, melody and music gel nicely. A bit of silliness thrown on the end, but before that it's one of those "furrowed brow" songs. Keep an ear out for the yowl of one of the family cats, included three times.

Wings is a druggy end-of-June song. Very dreamy and soft-spoken.

New York Doll is about as close to commercial as I've every heard Knutson get (not sure about Cottrell). Knutson's voice and the music are perfectly synchronised. It's entirely electronic, but I can't really find anything to complain about here. Ah well.

Morose country music coming right up with RM 101. It's kind of creepy, almost morbid. Makes me wonder what it's actually about...

CD takes a tremendous dip in quality with Picasso Truffle. It's art for art's sake, it's irritating, tuneless, even pretentious. Sorry, but it strikes out.

Everything's made right with Vanilla Bean. Great lyric, but for me it's the waltz timing. I'm such a sucker for waltzes... Sophisticated song, like a lovely dream.

Then it leapfrogs into the really bizarre with Crooked Man. Mark telling a surreal little story with a budgie squawking in the background. Noisy little bird, weird little interlude for the album.

When We Go Hunting has a relatively short lyric, but the hook it provides more than makes up for it. I never tire of hearing this one.

Something organic finally appears on If You See Her Muse. Great lyric, but I really don't care for the presentation involved. It's a real dirge with great big pauses. Hard to get through.

Don't Worry returns to high quality. Cool lyric, lots of Big Brother overtones. The child's voice echoing the title phrase is a nice chilling touch. Understated music, melodic and elegant.

The Room Above is sunny, harmless pop music. It's kind of sweet in a weird sort of way. A real breather at any rate.

Roxy Stew is more of the same. It's even stranger, a bit livelier. Good piece, which I can't imagine anyone disliking.

Orchid Show Sunrise is impossible to recall, an off-the-wall instrumental that just happens to have Mark singing some bizarre piece of nonsense. Great song title though.

And Dark Universe is a spacey, stately ending. Zone out and draw pictures in your brain. Actually, do that for the whole album; it's great for that. I could write whole books just based on the images I've picked up from listening to Neutral Sons.

In the long run, Ariel probably outdoes this one, by being more cohesive, organic and stronger in the writing department. Neutral, an excellent debut, is just a little bit light. It's got some outstanding gems, two dreadful moments, and as a whole is an inventive electro-cyberspace fantasy trip. Really neat in a lot of ways. I wish them luck on any future projects they attempt.

Now, what shall I review next?

Something good

The Ballad of Ariel Piccolo. Five stars.

This collaborative effort is a winner. CDs this likable are a rare blessing, to be sure.

Neutral Sons is comprised of an englishman (Mark Cottrell) and an american (Richard Knutson, visiting England at the time this was made). Their first attempt at music was respectable, I recall. Obviously I'll have to review that next. But it's Ariel Piccolo I'm talking you through now...

ESP is a tranquil, pastoral opener. It's a perfect way to let the audience know they're in good hands. There's a certain elegance to the music and the lyric borders on romantic. Very lovely.

That's all well and good, but Angels Matter is better still. I can think of no better way to describe it than groovy. I can't make heads or tails of the lyric, but my feet couldn't be still while the song played. Great fun.

King of Dreams has that killer attitude I love in rock and roll. Great backup vocals, brilliant lyric. Richard's delivery is spot on, and it's pretty short, delivering a fast punch as it were.

Ariel Piccolo is a very wistful, 1:00 minute track. An immediate look at a homeless man, done sparely and somehow poetically.

Where would a Richard Knutson project be without a weird ambiant track? Long Fong is the one included here. It's freaky, full of looped voices you can barely make out. However, for me it wore thin about halfway through. The weak point.

Things pick up with Muscle Soul. Meaning no disrespect to Knutson's voice here, but Mark Cottrell completely upstages him. It's a slow moving song, but very entertaining.

Paris Shoot is a discordant, almost paranoid song. I find it very interesting, a little disturbing, and lyrically sounding like the narrator has reached the end of the line. It's grim.

Devices sounds totally adolescent, like something a bunch of college kids enthusiastically cooked up together in a garage. It's just a good time. A very good time.

Bong Song is not another instrumental. It's an unmemorable, though sinister, tune. Good lyrics, sounds like something bad is on the way...

Ariel Piccolo Said Hello starts as an intense rocker. You don't have to take it too seriously though. Listen to those backups; sounds like a couple of hobgoblins got brought in for the job. Just when it starts to get a little monotonous, it switches to a reprise of Ariel's earlier cameo. Melancholy acoustic guitar, wistful lyric, odd extra tagline at the end.

Don't Walk features prominent recorder. Great lyric, actually makes some sense! Melody line is excellent. Another winner.

3 Steps Forward (It Didn't Happen) requires close attention. Mark and Richard share the lyric at the same time... but it's all a little askew. Then a marching tune strikes up and it all seems to be deadly serious, but again it doesn't quite match up... Some songs are so bizarre and eccentric that they just win you over with a sort of oddball charm. This is a good example.

Cutting Off Zen sounds like a dark, empty room. Sinister again, with a creaking rocking chair added for good effect. Interesting atmosphere, but I prefer Bong Song myself.

Hello My Dear is mournful, with a tape loop voice or two and a soft piano. It's quite effective, makes me feel alone. Not a cheery end to the Ballad of Ariel Piccolo. But why should it be?

There you have it. Like Richard Knutson's other recent record Travelian Pets, it's a bit long, but it makes up for the fact by being very high quality. It's mostly a cheerful piece of work, sounds like they had fun doing it. I'll be interested to see how it compares to their debut. Wait for it...

And now for something completely different...

Well, late yesterday was my intro to The Residents. My dad enthusiastically played The Third Reich 'n' Roll for me. I somehow wound up with a splitting headache. Might just be a coincidence...

Musically it was apalling. However, it was funny at points. It was basically a messy bunch of covers, done purely from memory. It was mostly sixties pop hits, I think. Didn't recognize most of it. Therefore, a lot of the joke passed me by. I did laugh pretty hard when Hanky Panky, Yummy Yummy Yummy I've Got Love in my Tummy, and In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida came under the slate. Far as I'm concerned, they kinda deserved it. (Meaning no offense to anyone who likes those songs).

Unfortunately, there wasn't much else that was actually funny. It sounded more or less like nightmare music. Interesting, horrible, amusing and agonizing by turns. First thing I said when it was over was "I need a bath." Actually, I needed a mental rinse. Thank heavens it was not the sort of music that could ever get stuck in my head.

So why am I even wasting my time writing about it? Because it was (at times) entertaining. It's a pity that it was lumped into two long tracks, forcing you to listen to the whole thing if you ever want to hear the good moments again. I don't, but there are others who really enjoy the Residents.

Like my Dad, who was bopping, laughing, happy as a clam while this was playing. It's nice that someone gets something out of it.

As for me, it was educational. But it did not leave me a fan. I didn't think it would.

Pop music as done by The Banshees

Superstition.Three stars, more's the pity.

The Banshees sound changes completely yet again on their first nineties album. And it's sad that it makes use of the cheezy synths and slick production they'd mostly avoided before. This is quite a disappointing turn of events, but if you accept it as it is, you may get more out of it.

The opener is Kiss Them For Me, one of the best songs on Superstition. It's a pop song, but it works and has a great melody. It's very enjoyable and I always like hearing it. Unfortunately, it's so commercial it feels like a guilty pleasure.

Fear (of the Unknown) goes way over the edge. It's incredibly cheezy, and nothing can save it.

Cry is better. It's got a serious quality and the melody is easy to like. It's an aquired taste, shall we say.

Drifter is honestly one of the record's standouts. Dark, atmospheric, slow-moving and with a good lyric. This is one of the reasons to own Superstition.

Little Sister is another. It moves faster but has the same haunting and beautiful quality. My other favorite song from here.

Then there's Shadowtime. It's an innocuous (?) pop song. Though not on Kiss Them For Me's level. Demand nothing edifying from it and it's kind of enjoyable.

Silly Thing is the song most people hate, and I'll admit it doesn't sound like something Siouxsie would do. It's filler, but really no worse than Fear was, so I've no cause to dislike it.

It's Got to Get Up I can't stand. The beginning is full of promise, but it's got a feel-good lyric. I mean come on; what's it even doing on a Siouxsie record? And her voice aggravates me to no end here. Like I said, I can't stand it.

Silver Waterfalls has a nice melody. It's a bit like Shadowtime really. A nice moment in its own way.

Softly. It should be called Slowly. It's really long, the tempo never shifts, nothing happens, and Sioux sings so slowly and quietly I can hardly hear a word. I tend to tune this one out.

The Ghost in You is a nice ending. It's pretty and soft, reminiscent of the cover art. It provides a bit of interest after Softly. Provided you're still awake to hear it.

I've never had the slightest interest in anything Siouxsie and the Banshees did after this, so I neither own or have heard The Rapture. If you're a real completist, by all means keep going, but this is where I disembark. I own the first ten CDs, and the Singles Collection (which I'll review at first opportunity). That's more than enough for me.

I don't always agree with AllMusic

Peepshow. Five stars.

With Peepshow, the Banshees finally return to form with a set of songs that all have their own individual sound and aren't buried under ham-fisted production. Plus, there's ony ten of them, so filler is non-existent.

Peek-a-Boo is a truly weird song. It's mostly indescribable, and there was a time when I couldn't stand it. It's grown on me a lot since then, however I must say it gives you no clue as to the album's sound. It doesn't fit in at all, but it easily gains your attention for the rest of it.

The Killing Jar is a solid follow-up. The lyric is pretty awkward, but the melody is good. And the band is great. There's a lot of depth to the music on this record, yet another reason I enjoy it so much.

Next is Scarecrow, one of my favorites. It starts very slow and low key, with vivid imagery. Then it leaps into a propulsive chorus before slowing down again. It rises up beautifully as it progresses. A standout.

Carousel changes gears entirely. The music easily evokes an empty, haunted carnival. It's not eventful -- taking almost the entire song to start building up to the chorus -- but it makes up for it with atmosphere.

Burn-up is nearly the best song on Peepshow. It's a country-western styled song, with typical Siouxsie subject matter. It's a joyous celebration of a pyromaniac and the song structure mimics a raging fire to its best ability. It's super fast-paced and is great fun to listen to

Ornaments of Gold is lush and elegant, along with being emotionally distant. It's also very memorable. Fourth in a row of great songs.

Turn to Stone has some vocal effects I don't much care for. The song has a very romantic flavor, though the lyric makes no sense. The chorus is easy to remember and there's some nice guitar work. A lovely interlude.

Rawhead and Bloody Bones is a freaky little experiment. Use your imagination, it's worth it.

I think the worst track onboard is The Last Beat of My Heart. It's musically quite uneventful and flat, and the lyric is pretty overwrought. Still, Siouxsie's voice is nice enough to carry it off. I don't get any emotion out of it, though. As far as I'm concerned, this is just the pause for breath before the finale.

Rhapsody eclipses the whole album. Siouxsie's voice arrests you instantly, backed by cold, mechanical music. Then it begins to rise up into a powerhouse of tragic majesty. The lyric is beautiful and Siouxsie soars with it. The very first time I heard it, Rhapsody was my instant favorite in the Banshee cannon. It's one of the finest examples of a crescendo I've ever heard, and it makes for a glorious finale.

For months, this was my favorite record by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Now I'm not so sure, but it's easily in my top three and is better than any of their previous work for Geffen.

(And in explanation of the title of the post, I thought most of AllMusic's Siouxsie reviews hit the nail on the head. However, they cursorily dismissed Peepshow as "the sound of a once-great band treading water" or some such hogwash. Everyone has their opinion, but they could at least make an effort to explain things. That review wasn't even as long as this footnote!)

Wavering...

Through the Looking Glass. Three stars.

I had never intended to buy this particular album, but I did so anyway, because I have a completist nature. It's the Banshees doing a cover album, and though not a complete success, it makes for an interesting listen.

One thing it has going for it is individuality. None of these songs blur together as some of the last two records did. Unfortunately, a lot of them aren't good enough to hear more than once. Win some, lose some...

It's got a decent opener with This Town's Not Big Enough for the Both of Us. It's frantic, fast-paced and Siouxsie's voice falls over itself as she pours out the words. It's a good way to start.

Hall of Mirrors is also quite good. It's got the lush, gothic beauty that I love about Geffen-era Banshees. I do wish the chorus didn't show up so often, but that can't be blamed on them. For a cover, it's really good.

Trust in Me is actually from Disney's Jungle Book, believe it or not. For all that, it's darn good. It reads like a sinister lullaby anyway, and Siouxsie emphasizes that quality with her voice. It's a beautiful, sparkling inclusion, one of the best moments on here.

This Wheel's On Fire is a fast-paced, easy to like song. Good string arrangement. I can see why it was chosen as a single. I like it a lot.

Things bog down afterwards, more's the pity. Strange Fruit has the most obnoxious violins I've ever heard. The lyric is pointlessly dark. I find it a total waste of time.

You're Lost Little Girl is forgettable even as you listen to it. It's pleasant at first, but it's not all that interesting.

The Passenger is next. If I'd never heard the original, I'd certainly like it more. Interesting addition of a horn section... But let's face it; the Passenger is just one of those songs you aren't supposed to cover. Ah well, it's not like Siouxsie slaughters it, so why am I complaining?

Gun has a very interesting lyric and a footstomping beat. It's one of the best songs on side two. I don't love it, but it's certainly worth a listen now and then.

Sea Breezes starts good, but there are way too many pauses, dragging proceedings out. I don't like the original too much either. Bryan Ferry did it best solo.

Anyway, last track is Little Johnny Jewel - a hard to remember song with an eye-rolling climax. It ensures that Through the Looking Glass fades away, instead of going out with a bang. Every band have a few clunkers. (If they don't, it means they haven't made enough records) This is one of Siouxsie and the Banshees'. I don't get much out of it.

Falls short of potential

Tinderbox. I've never been sure of my rating for this one. I always have the feeling that it's better then I thought. However, after careful consideration, I'm content to give it a three and a half.

Hyaena was hurt mostly by over-production. Tinderbox has a different problem: a lack of dynamics (especially on headphones). Allow me to clarify...

It gets off to a fastpaced start with Candyman. The lyric is very dark and the music is quite good, though the backing vocals never fail to irritate me.

The Sweetest Chill is rather pretty. It's carried by Sioux's fine voice and the backing forms a nice compliment. But it has no staying power whatsoever.

It morphs into This Unrest. It's harder-edged, and designed for speakers. On headphones it's not very interesting and never adds up to anything important. And it's a bit overlong.

After that comes Cities in Dust, a real breath of fresh air. The melody is great and it's very enjoyable to hear. Easily one of Tinderbox's best.

Cannons drives home the album's emphasis on really bad weather. Its structure is interesting and it's a quick listen, but again it falls just short of its potential. And sounds worse on headphones...

I'm probably the only person to hear this CD that doesn't love Party's Fall. It's pretty, and I like the lyric, though the melody isn't very strong. Again.

92 (degrees) is more interesting. It finally gets some dynamics and goes through a few segments. Maybe I'm being too harsh on this record, as is does sweep you along in a way. But the background soundscape doesn't change very often and the five bonus tracks really drag it out.

Land's End is the standout. It's melodic, soothing, darkly beautiful and paints a lovely picture. This one is my personal favorite, and the end of the original record.

The Quarterdrawing of the Dog is the only complete instrumental the Banshees ever did. That gives it a certain extra interest for me, though it doesn't exactly uphold that.

An Execution starts with an ominous instrumental section before Siouxsie speaks of a gruesome execution for a thankfully short time. Then it wraps up with a surprisingly wistful and melodic ending. If the middle wasn't so absolutely horrendous, it would have been a successful moment.

Lullaby calls up shades of the other soft, gentle tracks heard here. The inclusion of a wind instrument is a good touch, as is the sudden darkness hinted at towards the end. And it's short too.

Umbrella is very similar to This Unrest, though with scarcely any vocals. It's interesting enough.

Last is a totally pointless inclusion. Cities in Dust (Extended Version). It amounts to little more than a remix and is a whole three minutes longer than the original! It's the longest track on Tinderbox and doesn't do any good.

Okay, Tinderbox is worth a listen. ON SPEAKERS. Don't forget that. The lyrics are good and it's got some gems on it. Siouxsie sounds great and it isn't swamped by the production team as badly as Hyaena was. Still, it lacks strong melodies and individuality, and it's way too long. It is unable to achieve greatness, which is a pity, as it could have.

Maybe I'm missing something. After all, the reviews on Amazon universally adore it.

The Geffen era begins

Hyaena. Four stars.

Hyaena does not hold the same edge previous Banshees records had. It's lush, neo-gothic romanticism with psuedo art-house production. Yes, it is softer than what's gone before, but it still retains the dark lyricism that is their trademark, and Siouxsie's voice just keeps gaining depth and range.

It's also got Robert Smith from The Cure onboard as guitarist. Some people might find that important. However (never having heard The Cure) it makes little difference to me.

My only complaint with this CD is a certain similarity the songs suffer from. They blend together musically a little too much. It's a noticable problem, and my main reason for only giving it a four.

Dazzle is one of the Banshees' all time great moments. It starts with a swirl of strings before kicking into high gear. Siouxsie fills the song with strange, darkly beautiful imagery. It's an immensely satisfying moment and just flies along.

I don't think so highly of We Hunger. The lyric is empty and grotesque and I don't find much of interest in the arrangement. The only thing I really like is the way Siouxsie sings it.

Take Me Back is a unique track. It's quite sparse (compared to the rest of it)and the lyric is the only one on here that actually makes any sense.

Belladonna has a lovely melody, it's rather pretty. An understated gem that always seems to sound better on the record than off. It's one of the moments I look forward to.

Swimming Horses is very refined. I didn't like it too much on first hearing it, but Siouxsie's voice carries it. At this point I usually start to notice the similarities in the "sound" of each song. Taking them off Hyaena tends to help. Might just be me.

Back to the songs... Next they cover Dear Prudence. It can't match the haunting quality of the original, but they put their own distinct interpretation on it. They give it a bouncy, radio-friendly quality and it's quite an enjoyable listen.

Bring me the Head of the Preacher Man is a dark, gothic track. It flows effortlessly from line to line, from one strange image to another. It rises and falls, smooth but turbulent. Another favorite.

Running Town is jauntier. I think it's trying for frantic, but it can't achieve that. I like it anyway, but it's not a standout.

Pointing Bone has an atmospheric beginning, then it launches into a fast-tempo song that seems to be some sort of sacrificial rant, full of typically bizarre imagery. For what it is it's not bad, but I find the best moments in the song to be when it slows down for the title phrase. I rather wish it had been more like that.

Anyway, it ends on a really strong note (ironically it used to be my least favorite). Blow the House Down. It's nearly seven minutes but really keeps your interest, and it comes closer than anything else on Hyaena to the exaustive ferocity of former days.

So Hyaena starts and ends wonderfully and has plenty of strong material in the middle. There are some things worth complaining about, but all in all it's a good album.

My intro to the Banshees

A Kiss in the Dreamhouse is the most experimental album the Banshees ever did. It's full of odd little bits and pieces that form cohesive, structured songs. And every song does something different, tries something new. It also sounds like Juju's exorcism. And Siouxsie's voice on the entire thing has an extraordinary beauty that it really never had before.

Cascade is one of my favorite songs of theirs. It builds into one crescendo after another, carrying you along in a sweep of strange majesty. The lyric is bizarre in the trademark sense, not the stomach-churning sense of the last record.

A recorder is the first of many odd stylistic choices on Green Fingers. I get visions of pagan rites when I hear it. I never tended to pay much attention to it before, but it's really surprisingly good. There's a lot going on in it.

Obsession is our main hangover from Juju. It's a vivid and totally twisted track about...well, obsession. What else? The music drags like a funeral dirge except for a surprisingly beautiful (though short) cello solo.

She's a Carnival is set up like a more typical rock tune, but it's a really irrepressable song. I love the picture it paints and the off-the-wall organ solo just thrown on the end.

I do not like Circle at all. It's tape-loop experimentation, and has a really depressing lyric. I think the loop is effective if it's supposed to drive you insane from the endless repetition. But I could do without it.

Melt! on the other hand... The melody is beautiful, enticing and really ominous. Siouxsie's voice is at its peak of expression. The music in entirely complimentary and the lyric is a huge slice of eroticism. A standout.

Painted Bird is very close to my heart. It's a wonderful song, but it ran heavily in my head last winter (Dec 07 - Feb 08) when my life wasn't going so well. So every time I hear it all the memories and emotions come flooding back. Obviously I can't quite look at normally, so I'll refrain from commenting.

Then there's the Banshees first and only foray into jazz -- Cocoon. For that reason alone I love it. The lyric is more bizarreness and it has a cool feel to it. You can listen to this one with your feet up and relax as it winds down.

Slowdive is not a favorite, but it's an important harbinger of the future: it's got a string arrangement. I don't like it for two reasons. One is the pointless, empty lyric which seems to be weird for the sake of it. Two is that it's a twisted commercial pop tune, and that just sort of grates on my nerves. I like the music toward the end, but it's far from great.

Despite those two less than perfect tracks, I love this album. It's one of their absolute best, and it is also the first of their albums that I heard.

Horror album 101

I'm not going to say Juju is the Banshees best album (even if I do give it five stars), nor do I agree with the 'goth' tag it usually gets. This is a horror record, plain and simple. And it's one of the darkest and scariest things I've ever heard (though Outside really gives it a run for its money).

Spellbound just about equals Happy House as a brilliant opening number. Great pummeling drums and metallic guitars. It's invigorating to hear.

But Into the Light is what gives you the real introduction to Juju's sound. The lyric is quite normal, but the way it's done makes it sound a trifle claustrophobic and sordid.

Spellbound was a great single. But Arabian Knights is even better. Beautiful melody that's easy to remember, and ominous tribal drumming. It's the last breather you'll get on this record, so savor it. Everything is insane from here out.

Halloween has Siouxsie return to her flat singing style on a melody that doesn't...quite...work. The guitars have a certain manic quality to them.

Then there's Monitor, with a super cool beginning. It has a really thick and claustrophobic quality to it, especially when the backup vocals start repeating different parts of the song at the same time. It's also got a merciless quality to it: when Siouxsie says "sit back and enjoy the real McCoy" it sounds like an order/threat.

Next is Night Shift. Am I the only one who gets visions of Jack the Ripper? Anyway, it's a really creepy, slow-moving, distasteful song. Six minutes long with a few accents on squealing guitar feedback.

Sin in my Heart is a hidden gem on this record. The music is great, and almost jaunty. The lyric is simple, but Siouxsie's voice is astounding. It's full of energy and makes her come across as a werewolf. Very good track.

That one sounds pleasant compared to Head Cut, my least favorite track. By this point, the album is starting to come across as distinctly unhealthy, and it's no longer just a coincidence that all these songs are showing up here. Head Cut pushes the envelope too far and just doesn't hold up musically to what came before.

Last is Voodoo Dolly. Totally creepy, start to finish. It's 7:00 minutes of horror, as the music twists around and speeds up, building and ebbing. Of course, Sioux is busy setting up this final bout of morbid madness and reminding you to listen.

This CD brings out the worst in peoples imaginations. I love it on a musical and technical level, but it's not my favorite Banshee album. I infinitely prefer the ones that bookend it.

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope gets a solid five. This is where Siouxsie and the Banshees really take off. Listen to it right after Join hands; the difference is phenomonal. It's very experimental, very abstract and the drumming is far above the average thanks to new addition Budgie.

Happy House is the alert that they've gone up in the world. It's instantly recognizable and attention-grabbing and Siouxsie's voice has a newfound style and evocation. It's layered, the lyric is vivid, there's cool percussion. This is one great track and the best opener they've had yet.

It's followed by Tenant. Tenant is pure atmosphere. It's unsettling and relaxing at the same time. How often does that combo occur?

I don't have much to say about Trophy. It's a perfectly good song and I like it, but I can't find anything to say about it. That loss of words happens occasionally, to my annoyance.

Hybrid is long and repetitive in a good way. I haven't the faintest idea what it's about but it's got the typical Banshee imagery down -- the macabre, strange, faintly wrong imagery. I wish the lyric sheets would tell me who wrote what on here...

Clockface is a short, repetitious experiment. But I like it, as it calls to mind victorian steampunk, clockwork devices. It's a wordless deviation that fits well on the album.

Lunar Camel is a dreamy, puzzled little tune. It's a really lovely, quizzical piece, and a good follow-up to Clockface. It doesn't make any sense at all.

Christine is neat. It and Happy House made a great pair of singles. But I've heard it so much that there isn't anything new for me to say...

My favorite track is easily Desert Kisses. It's so evocative, and I especially love the wailing background vocals. Marvelous.

Red Light is downright creepy, with a camera sound affect going off and her slow, merciless voice painting a vivid picture.

Paradise Place is another unsettling one, wrapped in a really pleasing melody. It's about plastic surgery, a subject that is kind of grotesque anyway, but when the Banshees get hold of it...

I don't like Skin so well as the rest of this, as Siouxsie's voice is kind of harsh after all the improvements she's made. But it's weird and I like the way it winds itself up to a dervish frenzy before relaxing at the end.

So this is the first truly great Banshee album. It's odd that I never listened to it before writing this review, but better late than never.

A stumbling block

Join Hands. Two and a half...

It's hard to pinpoint what makes Join Hands so terrible. The quality of playing hasn't fallen, but it's most certainly got a lack-luster edge to it. And Siouxsie's voice has lost its earlier passion and just grates for the most part. Though I can applaud them for starting to branch out. Instead of just blindly copying The Scream, they interject a lot of macabre and gothic imagery. But no good melodies really show up and most of the songs fail. Simply put, this is The Scream's hangover and the sound of a band in trouble (proven by the fact that half the members left after this album's completion).

Poppy Day, the short opener, has a cool lyric, but Siouxsie just doesn't pull it off and the music doesn't stay with you from moment to moment.

Regal Zone tries harder, but still limps along, especially on the drawn-out chorus. It's not awful, but it's far from good.

One of the few great moments follows. Placebo Effect stays in your head, despite the too-long opening. This one actually has Siouxsie's voice retaining a bit of the ferocity that carried The Scream. After the grinding intro the music also gains a decent tempo. Easy winner.

Icon starts slow as well, but it's got a bit of atmosphere to it. Then it picks up , and despite its length it's easily another good track.

Premature Burial brings the album back down. With a name like that you sort of expect crawling, nightmare music. Well, you don't get it. You get a really choked up melody and (I'm sorry to say this) a really bad lyric. Can you take a line like "doing the zombierama" seriously?

The best of the whole lot is the single Playground Twist. It's short, powerful and Sioux dishes out commanding atmosphere in spades. Cool sax solo too.

That's the last good track though. Next is the experiment Mother/Oh Mein Pa Pa. It doesn't work. It's got an old music lullaby on endless repeat with Sioux singing two seperate sets of lyrics over it. Never mind the second set because you'll never be able to make out a word of it. This may have been one of the worst things they ever did.

Then there is... The Lord's Prayer. I've tried to find out what's wrong with it, but I can't identify the problem. The playing is energetic improv, and Sioux is belting it out again. The real flaw is most likely that it takes fourteen minutes where four would have sufficed. It's a drag, despite the promising beginning.

So that's the whole turkey carved up. Three fine songs and a bunch of filler. I really can't believe that any of the later Banshee records are as bad as this one ('cept for The Rapture, which I have not deigned to purchase). This is either their worst or runner-up for that title. If you're a fan, it's worth a listen for the three good songs. Rest of you: don't start here.

No time for introductions

My earliest walkthrough reviews are for The Beatles. However, they'd need a great deal of editing before I'd even consider posting them. As do most of my reviews. So I've decided to start with my current project: reviewing all twelve of my Siouxsie and the Banshees CDs. Beginning with their debut...

The Scream by Siouxsie and the Banshees. And it gets four stars...

It's really interesting to note that The Banshees started off as a punk rock group, because they lost that sound in short order. Which is a good thing, but as The Scream proves, they had an impressive amount of talent in that field. The Scream is a rough, mechanical, dark and dripping affair, a ten song study of humanity's vices, from smoking to going postal.

It's not a cheery listen. But it is powerful and affective. Sioux's voice is eternally flat on this record, but the delivery's so ferocious that you quickly forget about how bad it is on a technical level. The musicianship is far above your typical three-chord slam from bands who don't know how to play and won't take time to learn. (I've got a bad opinion of punk rock, can you tell?)

The opener is Pure. It's a good experiment, nearly two minutes of creepy guitar with Siouxsie wailing over it like some just-murdered spirit come back to vent her anger. Works well as an opener, setting the tone.

Jigsaw Feeling does a quick build-up and is a decent rocker. It's about a "cerebral non-event." I like the guitars on this track and on the record in general. It really compliments the whole outfit.

Overground has the same building start (most of the songs do), and the riff is certain to stay in your head all day. I mainly like the song because of that. It's a bit repetitive though. Easy to get tired of.

Carcass is a punkish rocker and it's a really fierce little tune, but I can't stand the annoyingly repetitive chorus. The rest of it is really interesting and the sudden inclusion of handclaps at the end gives the bizarre impression of twisted good cheer. Disturbing lyric...

Then there's the cover of Helter Skelter. The first minute is one of the creepiest I've ever heard in a song, then Siouxsie starts up. Keep in mind that I've never liked this song, but I find this version of it more tolerable than the original (sacrilege, I know...). She's not screaming and the song fits better here than on The White Album.

Mirage is another catchy one. It's one of the hardest to understand, seems to be about a television. It's short and kind of enjoyable because it's a bit nonsensical. Even has some noticable acoustic guitar at the beginning.

Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) is the real standout. This song makes the whole CD. It just sounds cool. Great riff, Siouxsie's delivery is right on the money. This one is the centerpiece. I'm surprised most people think Carcass and Switch are the great ones. Ah well...

Don't like Nicotine Stain so well. It sounds like an amalgamation of the rest of The Scream and doesn't have much melody either. I can never remember it well, it's just sort of there. Filler.

Suburban Relapse has a bit of saxophone that gives it some individuality. So does the lyric, which is probably the scariest of the bunch. It doesn't have a good backing though. It's just another part of the album.

Luckily it finishes on Switch, the most ambitious track on here, longest too. More segments to this one, and it upholds interest all the way. It's a strong end-note and bodes well for what this band can do.

Alas, if you've heard Join Hands you'll know they didn't exactly hold that promise up. But that's another review...