As I wrote on Chalkhills, “I would love this album merely for the sound of the bass guitar in the first track: the best of John Wetton's distorted sounds on King Crimson's Red. But there's lots more to like about this album. Great vocals, varied styles, excellent songwriting. You'll think you remember this album from your childhood, but it's all new.”
134 covers of XTC songs by all and sundry, from the worst acapella karaoke to the best professional performers. There's something for everybody! Oh, right, 134 songs? Yes, this CD contains 134 songs in MP3 format, just right for your iPod. Or your desktop. Or your . . . Suffice it to say that this CD provides hours of listening pleasure. And I'm on it, too. And if my song doesn't make you laugh, there's something wrong with you.
Apparently some people feel shame in admitting that they enjoy listening to Electric Light Orchestra. Not so I. Dude, ELO are great. And this tribute album is downright excellent. Stylistically diverse, sometimes wildly imaginative, and often rockin', if you don't discover the essential beauty and truth in Jeff Lynne's songwriting, well, too bad for you. And Roger Klug rocks hard with a cover of "Turn to Stone" that has to be heard to be believed.
A truly beautiful collection of highly odd tunes. One can hear echoes of John Lennon, Cat Stevens and Jean Michel Jarre (well, maybe not). But this otherworldly album stayed in the deck for much of the year. It's fun to play along on mandolin, too.
Dark ambient classical techno with bonus vocal performance from Evan Dando and a completely appropriate reworking of the classic King Crimson track "Starless". I'm still listening to this one regularly.
"She shoots dead people". Really. Ms. Fox also has a great voice and each track is presented in its own appropriate setting.
Plagiarising from myself again: "I received Mr. Lovely's CD in the post and I admit I expected little. I also admit that it hasn't left my player since! Mr. Lovely can write, he can sing, and he can play the guitar. Though at times reminiscent of Black Sea-era XTC, at other times reminiscent of Queen and Justin Clayton, this is good old middle American power pop just the way I like it. I love the guitar solos, but they are wrapped in hummable pop songs with subjects from the silly to the sappy to the sublime. Get it."
Though this is a compelling, if slow and dark, album, I was ultimately disappointed because their previous, Forty on a Fall Day, was so damn good. 28 Plastic Blue . . . does a great job continuing the atmosphericisms that Francine do so well.
I really shouldn't vote for this one, considering I'm one of the players (one of two), but it's cool. Especially the killer slow soulful rendition of "Done Gone" (in the key of Bb of course!).
Well, perhaps this should be two items in my list, but really, they came out together and I almost always listen to them together. For a while I thought to myself, "Self, half of these songs are worth listening to and the other half are just inferior versions of songs we've already heard". But I listened again the other day and these collections are just nice to have on. Some clever pop songs, some odd instrumentals. He keeps you guessing. Not for fans only.
Reminiscent of Syd Barrett, though perhaps not quite so far out (and that's probably a good thing). Casual psychpop, laid back and relaxed. By the way, this album was written and performed by the drummer of The Sugarplastic. Yep, all instruments.
Mr. Andrews' dark and twisted songs from the seamy underbelly of the city psyche, captured almost-live in his front room. Almost live, almost without a net. Stripped of the layers of studio gloss of the Shriekback years, the performance and songwriting are revealed.
. That's
because I'm a loser.