I’ll stray a bit off the beaten path for the second installment and make up a “British 80s/90s” grouping. Our friends across the pond have certainly given my cd collection its fair share of albums and enough fell out of my brainstorming list to include them in their own post.
Echo & the Bunnymen – Heaven Up Here/Porcupine
I’m allowing myself a cheat by naming both albums because I really can’t decide between the two. Historically speaking, “Ocean Rain†has gotten the most airplay among my peers and with songs like “Silver,†“The Killing Moon†and the title track, it’s not hard to see why. Beyond that, Echo is probably best known for their poppy singles – stuff like “Rescue†from the early days and “Lips Like Sugar†from the late 80s. It took me at least five years to realize it, but “Heaven Up Here†and “Porcupine†are far and away the best things they’ve ever released. These albums capture the essence of the band without delving too far into the mainstream pop fold that later puts a stain on their work. These albums are thoughtful, at times dark (particularly “Heaven Up Hereâ€Â), and they deliver Echo’s sound at its fullest. The sound is rich and produces as much atmosphere as any of any of their contemporaries.
Simple Minds – Sparkle In The Rain
As I understand things, this one got more respect across the pond while Simple Minds wasn’t able to do much more than score a Top 40 Hit from “The Breakfast Club†soundtrack in the States. The songs are cohesive, catchy, have a good energy level, and manage to transcend above standard fare 80s pop. This is much more of a pure rock album than most of the things that surfaced in the 80s and the guitar work is actually in the same ballpark as the sound that The Edge achieved with such mastery with U2. It’s even got a Lou Reed cover, and that scores some bonus points. The pop movement of the 80s is as responsible as anything for the downfall of the album and the rise of the single, but this one is an exception. The songs share a common feel and build to appropriate crescendos. This is a solid listen from start to finish.
Catherine Wheel – Chrome
In spite of what some might call “art snob†tendencies in my musical tastes, I’m not above enjoying albums that are just pure plain and simple loud rock n’ roll. Admittedly, my collection is a bit underrepresented in this genre, but this early 90s release that I remember fondly from WHFS days in metro D.C. remains a good standby when it’s time to listen to something loud. The single “Black Metallic†from their first album is a standout, but after “Chrome†their albums never really did it for me and I stopped paying attention. “Chrome†on the other hand, seems to stand the test of time. Their sophomore effort sounds crisp and fresh throughout. This is what Brit-pop bands like Oasis would sound like if they didn’t come off as such a bunch of pansy ass girly men. The album has the same sonic grab, but manages to maintain the rough edge of a true rock n’ roll heritage.
The Verve – Urban Hymns
I always sorta liked “Bittersweet Sympathy†and figured the band who played it with modest acclaim couldn’t be all that bad, but it wasn’t until I heard Ben Harper’s cover of “The Drugs Don’t Work†that I decided that I had to invest seven bucks in this one when I stumbled across it in a used bin. Any song that contains the lyrics “Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown†is certain to pique my interest. Little did I know that it would contain 70+ minutes of unique and outstanding music. As far as I’m concerned, the only album I own that can compete with this one in the early 90s English club scene genre is The Stone Roses debut and maybe Happy Monday’s “Pills N’ Thrills and Bellyaches.†This genre isn’t for everyone, and I myself only give what I consider the best-of-the-best of this music entry into my collection, but this one takes the cake. This isn’t just mindless drug club music. Guitarist Nick McCabe weaves a masterful wall of sound that stands up to “Psychocandy†and actually has better range and more provocative lead riffs. It’s even easy for a lame, non-drug using, no rhythm American white boy like myself to groove to the beats of songs like “Catching the Butterfly.†Many of the songs are in the 6-7 minute range but they don’t feel long or forced.
The Cure – Disintegration
Chalk it up to the impatience of youth, but at the time of its release I didn’t give this album much respect. I loved “The Head on the Door†and even gave “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me†its fair share of play, not to mention the early singles, but for some reason the more subtle rifts and baselines of “Disintegration†escaped my appreciation. I’ll admit that it’s questionable that this album is underrated since Robert Smith himself has been touting it as The Cure’s best since its release, but assuming there are other late-bloomers like me out there, it’s time I finally gave it the credit I deserve. The Cure in general are a bit of an enigma, with a lengthy career and ever-changing style. There are certainly Cure albums I don’t care for one bit, but over time this one has risen to the top.
Provacative. This installment isn’t additionally saddled with the label “influential”, which makes it even more interesting. I particularly like this section because of all the entries listed, the only one I really know backwards and forwards would be Echo & the Bunnymen. At first take, I was going to voice my opinion that Ocean Rain should have made it, but since the criteria is under-appreciated, the album selection is spot on. Bravo!
TJM, I am curious to hear how you think Chrome stands up to some of the albums from the time period that I consider icons of straight up rock n’ roll: The Alarm’s “Eye Of The Hurricane”, any of the Hoodoo Gurus albums from “Stoneage Romeos” to “Blow Your Cool”, or one of the Smithereen’s albums like “Green Thoughts” or maybe “Especially for You”. Does Chrome rock like those albums or is it something different?
This is going to be all the more fun for albums to dig up from the bottom of some moving box somewhere so I can give these songs a new listen…
ps: Cu-Cu-Cucumbers, Ca-Ca-Cabbage, Cuh-Cuh-Cauliflower, Memor’s April showers.
pps: Probably slightly mis-heard lyric, but I challenge anybody to give me an authoritativly correct version. From a live version, perhaps?
According to more than one Internet source, those lyrics are actually “Cu-Cu-Cucumbers, Ca-Ca-Cabbage, Cuh-Cuh-Cauliflower, Men on Mars. April showers…”
I never would have gotten the “Men on Mars” part, but I guess I’ll trust it for now.
Chrome – Overall I enjoy the Hoodoo Gurus more than Catherine Wheel and The Alarm is probably all-around better too. I’m not as familiar with “Eye of the Hurricane” as I am with early stuff like “Declaration” and “Strength.” In retrospect, “Declaration” or “Stoneage Romeos” should probably get the nod above “Chrome.” Part of why I chose “Chrome” was because I wasn’t sure if you guys even knew about it and I thought it might lead to some discussion. I’d take it over The Smitherenees. They never did all that much for me.
To compare them might not be easy, but I’ll give it a shot. The Alarm’s energy seems to be drawn more from music with an agenda/angry young man rebel stuff like some early U2. Catherine Wheel might be more like the Gurus, in that they rely more heavily on guitar riffs than chord structure. But the similarities end there and it’s a lot more plain ole fun to listen to the Gurus. They’re a lot more “twangy” too. Catherine Wheel guitar is more lush and distorted. Not nearly as much as My Bloody Valentine or J&M Chain, but just a taste of that style infused with standard rock for those who don’t want to stray too far off the main drag and get lost down the shoe-gazing alley. The vocals are generally clean too and the guy has a pretty good voice. For a bit of trivia – the band’s frontman is somehow related to a guy in Iron Maiden (cousins???) thus the name of the band – also a medieval torture device.
As an aside – speaking of The Alarm, I heard “Sixty-Eight Guns” on the radio the other day, which I found to be both cool and odd.
To two musical juggernauts such as yourselves, this selection might not be underappreciated. But since that term is only relevant with respect to someone who does not know the music you are speaking, or already agrees with the sentiment, I will offer Everything But the Girl’s “Idlewild.” Tracy Thorn never ceases to break my heart when I hear her voice. In the days before my daughter’s birth, I was drawn heavily to this band, and I played “Idlewild” for hours not speaking to anyone. The obvious connection with my emotional state and this CD was the song “Apron Strings,” featured so beautifully and effectively in “She’s Having a Baby.” What held my emotions, though, and kept me pensive, was the fluency of the entire album and Ben Watt’s guitar choices, which are neither complicated or groundbreaking, but complement the vocals so perfectly, they take on lyrics of their own. Their music can be this side of Sade, which is not bad at all, but requires a certain setting and mood.
You nailed it with Simple Minds. They build a song better than anyone, and Jim Kerr’s voice can be alternately powerful and bluesy. The songs you did no hear on the radio were the ones that give this selection so much credibility.
Less can definitely be more. I’d rather have simple guitar work that matched the singing perfectly than someone showing off just for the sake of playing difficult stuff. What intrigues me about the stuff like Joni Mitchell is how downright complicated it really is when you take a closer look. Can’t say that I know anything about “Everything But the Girl” but I do enjoy Sade.