Sfinx - Zalmoxe (1979)

Sfinx was one of the most appreciated Romanian rock acts in the 1970s, along with Phoenix.
The band was formed in 1963, in Bucharest. It was singer and guitarist Octav Zemlicka who had the idea to start the band. ("Sfinx" is the Romanian for sphinx.)
SFINX began all the way back in 1963 in Bucharest but wouldn't release their first album until 1975 and is one of the few Romanian progressive bands i've ever come across. This second album ZALMOXE is a concept album based on the lyrics of poet Alexandru Basarab which retold the story of Zalmoxis's existence. Zalmoxis, you may be wondering, is a divinity of the Getae (a tribe of the lower Danube) mentioned by Herodotus in his Histories IV, 93-96. I had to look this up so if you want more info I advise you to do the same! Unfortunately the album was ready for market shorty after their first release LUME ALBA in 1975 but due to political censorship by the Communist regime, the album was delayed 3 years and half of it scrapped. The original intent was to have a double album. Once finally released the album was a huge hit in their native homeland but has remained a bit obscure everywhere else. The lyrics are totally in Romanian. This is one that I wish I could understand because it sounds like an interesting concept that warrants comprehension of the story.

As for the music itself, it is eclectic but has a very symphonic sound. It is always dramatic and melodic. To me it sounds like it is most closely akin to symphonic Italian prog like PFM especially in Dan Andrei Aldea's vocal department with the rest of the band harmonizing. He is also the guitarist and plays some great heavy prog sounds with the guitar.  Some of the more pastoral moments can bring Genesis to mind as well. Nicole Enache's keyboards can be bombastic like in ELP but most often not  and band members always complement the other instruments so any one particular member never steals the show for long. At times the keyboards have a new wave repetitive synth approach. There are long drawn out symphonic parts and there are energetic bursts of energy strewn about. Drummer Mihai Cernea keeps the rock in the prog and surely deserves a mention here. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that there seems to be no Romanian folk music influences whatsoever.

Overall I really like this album. It's not quite up to masterpiece level. I am left wondering if the original double-album would bring this altogether a bit better. It sounds like things may have been clipped somewhat haphazardly but also the quality sounds very good like something greater once existed. I am left admiring this album for what is but wishing it could have been what it was intended to be.


Track listing

1.  Ursitoarele (Fatal Sisters) - 5:27
2.  Blana De Urs (Bears's Fur) - 4:00
3.  Mierea (The Honey) - 4:25
4.  Pestera (The Cavern) - 4:10
5.  Epiphania - 4:10
6.  Furtuna Cu Trup De Balour (Dragon Shaped Storm) - 4:54
7.  Calatorul Prin Nori (The Traveller Through Clouds) - 6:26
8.  Kogaion - 5:23
9.  Epilog (Epilogue) - 2:52
10.  Din Nou Acasa (Home Again) - 4:33
11.  Scufita Rosie (Little Red Riding Hood) - 2:58
12.  Fetele Albine (Little Bee-Girls) - 2:45
13.  Zmeul (The Kite) - 2:43


Companies, etc.

• Distributed By – Marquee Inc. – 9333
• Distributed By – Belle Antique – 9333
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Electrecord
• Copyright (c) – Electrecord
• Made By – Disctronics
• Recorded At – Studioul Tomis
• Glass Mastered At – Disctronics S

Credits

• Bass Guitar – Corneliu Bibi Ionescu
• Cover – Alexandru Andrieș
• Drums – Mihai Cernea
• Engineer [Sound Engineers] – Julia Maria Cristea, Theodor Negrescu
• Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals – Dan Andrei Aldea
• Keyboards – Nicolae Enache
• Liner Notes – Aurel Gherghel
• Liner Notes [English Version] – Rodica Rosu
• Liner Notes [Obi] – 内田哲雄
• Lyrics By – Alexandru Basarab (tracks: 1 to 7, 9), Dan Andrei Aldea (tracks: 9 to 12), Mihai Cernea (tracks: 13)
• Music By – Dan Andrei Aldea (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 to 12), Mihai Cernea (tracks: 3, 7, 13), Nicolae Enache (tracks: 6) 

Notes

Released: 1979

Recorded 1978 at Tomis Studios, Bucharest 1978

Genre:  Prog Rock, Psychedelic Rock 

Length: 55:18

Label - Electrecord

Tjens Couter - Who Cares (1975)

De debuutplaat van Tjens Couter, het Oostendse duo waar later TC Matic uit zou ontstaan. Enfin, dat soort geschiedenisles hoef ik niet over te nemen, dat staat lang en breed geschreven en gedrukt in boeken van mensen die daar voor gestudeerd hebben. Voor de gewone muziekliefhebber blijft deze plaat ook belangrijk, omdat ze, samen met de ook al door Starman heruitgebrachte “Freckleface”-plaat, de muzikale roots van Arno illustreert. En die roots liggen, zoals bekend, bij de Blues en de R'n' B.

Tjens Couter moet een heel apart groepje geweest zijn: Arno was altijd al een buitenbeentje, als het op zingen en declameren aankomt, maar het is fraai om vast te stellen dat de beide heren elkaar op muzikaal vlak perfect aanvoelden en aanvulden. Paul Decoutere was veel meer gitarist dan zanger, zo blijkt nog maar eens, terwijl je uit de zang van Arno van toen al kon afleiden wat hij vandaag brengt. Al hoed ik mij ervoor om de geschiedenis te herschrijven vanuit de ervaring van het heden, natuurlijk, maar dat de pianoriedel van “The Javatrot” jaren later model zou staan voor het arrangement dat Arno bedacht voor Adamo's “Filles du Bord de Mer”, zal hij zelf allerminst ontkennen..

Soit: Paul De Couter kan een heel knap stukje sliden, Arno is -afgezien van z'n lichtjes geforceerde accent- een geweldige voordrachtkunstenaar en kan meer dan een beetje overweg met de mondharmonica, de sax van Jacky Eddyn in “Baby Make Me Feel Alright” rechtvaardigt op zich al de aanschaf van deze LP, die -en dat was toendertijd lang niet gebruikelijk- echt als één geheel geconsumeerd moet worden. Dit is dus geen verzameling singles, maar een echt muzikaal buffet, waarop de je basisingrediënten nog wel ziet liggen, maar dan wel in licht aangepaster en bewerkte versie. Er zitten hele lappen Beefheart en Stones in, de invloed van de oude bluesmeesters als Muddy Waters is onmiskenbaar, maar vooral hoor je een band, die -mede doordat Karel Bogard bij de opnames een flinke vinger in de pap had- een geheel eigen versie van de blues op ons losliet.

Tien nummers, waarvan alleen Willie Dixon's “Little Red Rooster” een cover is en de rest zelfgeschreven, dat is wat U op deze plaat te horen krijgt. Erg veel bekends staat daar niet tussen, toch niet voor mensen die de originele plaat of de CD-editie van een tijd terug niet in huis hebben. Dat belet echter niet, dat dit alweer een belangwekkende heruitgave is. Tjens Couter was als groep beter dan de som van de delen, zo blijkt en je kunt, nu bijna veertig jaar later, nog altijd het belang van die band niet overschatten: het duo stond aan de wieg van wat later een flink deel van onze nationale rocksound zou gaan bepalen. De basis kwam uit de USA en Engeland, maar Hintjens en De Couter hebben er een eigen twist aan gegeven, waar we tot op vandaag kunnen van genieten. Dankuwel dus, alweer, Starman ! En mag “Asking Myself All Day” misschien op CD-single? Het zal alleszins drempelverlagend werken voor onze nationale radio....

Track listing

1. You Give Me Reason To Live - 4:53
     Written-By – A. Hintjens, P. Decoutere
2. Little Red Rooster - 4:53
     Written-By – W. Dixon
3. Sometimes I Wonder - 4:19
     Written-By – P. Decoutere
4. Martha - 2:16
     Written-By – A. Hintjens, P. Decoutere
5. Sittin' In The Park - 2:52
     Written-By – A. Hintjens, P. Decoutere
6. Asking Myself All Day - 4:37
     Written-By – A. Hintjens, P. Decoutere
7. I'm On My Way - 6:18
     Written-By – A. Hintjens, P. Decoutere
8. Baby Make Me Feel Alright - 4:58
     Written-By – A. Hintjens, P. Decoutere
9. Long Long Time Ago - 3:32
     Written-By – P. Decoutere
10. The Javatrot - 2:45
      Written-By – A. Hintjens, P. Decoutere

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Belgium) NV/SA
• Copyright (c) – Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Belgium) NV/SA
• Distributed By – Sony BMG Music Entertainment
• Recorded At – Morgan Studios, Brussels
• Mixed At – Morgan Studios, Brussels
• Pressed By – Sonopress Arvato – 52505363

Credits

• Bass Guitar – Walter Stes
• Cello, Organ, Glockenspiel, Tambourine, Temple Block [Tempoblock], Cowbell – Etienne Delaruye
• Drums – Etienne Delaruye (tracks: 1, 5), Marc Van Herzele (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 9)
• Engineer – Mike Butcher
• Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Siren [Car Horn = Claxon] – Antony 'Claxon' Boast
• Mixed By – Karel Bogard, Mike Butcher
• Photography By – Danny Willems
• Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano, Clavinet, Mandolin – Karel Bogard
• Producer – Karel Bogard
• Tape Op [Tape Operator] – Philippe Delire, Robert Van Hove
• Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jacky Eddyn
• Vocals, Harmonica – Arno Tjens
• Vocals, Slide Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Paul Couter

Notes

Country:  Belgium
Released:  1975
Genre:  Rock, Blues
Style:  Blues Rock
Tijdsduur: 40:55

Label:  Dwarf Records

Paul Carrack - Groovin´ (2002)

Groovin' is the eighth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Paul Carrack, then a member of the supergroup Mike + The Mechanics. It was originally released in 2001 on Carrack's own Carrack-UK label.
This was Carrack's first all-covers album as a solo artist -- he had previously helped create a hard rock covers album as the front man of the ad hoc 1993 quasi-supergroup Spin 1ne 2wo.
  Groovin' has a different feel from that project, as this album features a selection of Carrack's favourite Motown, R&B and pop songs of the 1960s and early 70s.
 Carrack produced the album himself, and played virtually all of the instruments.

Carrack has selected 13 songs. You’ve heard all the tunes before, but you could not say who sung the original. That may be because Carrack’s voice is so familiar on all the songs. He has a perfect voice for singing. The album surprisingly permits a reference to a certain drummer who used to be the singer for a very big band. More on that later.

Paul does without computer-generated effects, which gives his album a well-grounded natural feeling. This flair makes the album also quite old at times. Groovin’ nevertheless is pumping with energy and a youthful relaxed openness. It’s a summer album, but it’s winter, isn’t it? Well, Paul himself explains in the booklet that he had the idea for this record in June when he was merrily singing at the window. So there.     
   
The CD begins with a kind of spring hit. Harvest For The World is an unspectactular but catchy number. The instrumentation reminds one of Did You See Me Coming from the latest Mechanics album. Paul links all the songs on the record by the selection of instruments. Except for the odd brass group here and there the basic instruments remain the same. Sunny – this song has been made a live classic by jazz-meister and comedian Helge Schneider. Paul’s version is, of course, very different, no jazz but solid pop-rock. But Paul sure knows how to play the jazz. Take, for example, Anyday Now, a song that really brings out the best in Carrack’s voice. It is quite possible that avid Collins fans will be reminded of a certain melody: Too Busy Thinkin’ Bout My Baby -

Sounds familiar? Phil covered it in 80’s style with a band called Manhattan Transfer. Paul’s version goes back beyond that and still sounds modern, perhaps a bit like Travis or Starsailor. This may be because many new bands abjure the clinical sound of the 80’s and avoid electronic escapades of the 90’s. The songs are becoming more musical again – which will certainly please Paul Carrack! In the middle of the album the music slows down a bit (e.g. on Cover Me and What Does It Take) which enhances the jazz feeling. For the finale, the record goes back to full power. Ain’t No Sunshine is a major gem on this album, and Groovin is a real summer morning hit. The last song offers a positive message that is probably more suited for winter: You’ve Got A Friend.

When you listen to the album you get the impression that Paul Carrack simply cannot release a bad record. Just like Satisfy My Soul, however, it lacks a smash hit. But then the album is a unity and Paul himself may see it as something relaxing between his other musical works. There are more difficult things to come, e.g. the new Mechanics release without Paul Young. Many songs will keep to hide their original performer – listing the composer does not do much in that way. It should also be mentioned that Paul Carrack recorded and produced the whole album himself. A tour through Germany would be the right thing to do. But we all know that Paul hardly leaves the isle so that there’s just one thing left to do: Groovin!

There are two versions of the CD currently available. A Special Edition features five Bonus Tracks.


Track listing

1. "Harvest for the World"  (The Isley Brothers, Chris Jasper) - 3:12
2. "Sunny"  (Bobby Hebb) - 3:19
3. "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby"  (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Janie Bradford) - 3:17
4. "Crazy Love"  (Van Morrison) - 2:44
5. "Baby I Need Your Loving"  (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr.) - 2:51
6. "Walk On By"  (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 2:49
7. "What Does It Take"  (Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock) - 2:52
8. "Any Day Now"  (Bacharach, Bob Hilliard) - 3:40
9. "Cover Me"  (Eddie Hinton, Marlin Greene) - 2:56
10. "With You In Mind"  (Allen Toussaint) - 3:31
11. "Ain't No Sunshine"  (Bill Withers) - 2:29
12. "Groovin'"  (Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati) - 2:44
13. "You've Got A Friend"  (Carole King) - 3:21

Bonus tracks on Still Groovin' (2002 re-release)
14. "Into The Mystic"  (Morrison) - 3:35
15. "People Get Ready"  (Curtis Mayfield) - 2:35
16. "Warm And Tender Love"  (Bobby Robinson, Ida Berger) - 3:17
17. "It's Growing"  (Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore) - 2:49
18. "I Wish It Would Rain"  (Whitfield, Strong, Rodger Penzabene) - 2:51


Credits

• Executive Producer – Peter Van Hooke
• Mastered By – Nigel Bates
• Mixed By – Nigel Bates
• Producer – Paul Carrack
• Saxophone – Steve Beighton

Notes
Released:  2001
Genre:  Pop, Blue Eyed Soul
Length:  55:51

Label - Carrack-UK 

Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds (2005)

Dirty Diamonds is the seventeenth solo studio album by Alice Cooper, released on July 4, 2005 internationally, and August 2 in the US.

When the big fat advances from big fat record companies dried up, Alice Cooper pared down his sound and came to terms with his inner garage on the nearly overdubless The Eyes of Alice Cooper. The album was worthy redemption from the big-money blandness of his mid-'80s recordings and a nice return to form after flirting with the industrial-flavored metal that defined his late-'90s material. Dirty Diamonds stays the course, and while it's not Killer or Love It to Death, it at least sounds like it's from the guy who was responsible for those classics. Fortunately, Alice is well aware of his age, and without teen angst as his focus, he turns to hedonism, sexy women, and sly, sicko humor played bar band style by one of the tightest crews he's ever fronted.
Delivered in an exaggerated Johnny Cash style, "I'm in jail in a Texas town/In my sister's wedding gown" opens the bizarre "The Saga of Jesse Jane," a tale of a trucker who drives his rig all night listening to Judy Garland. It's inspired, as is the cover of the Left Banke's "Pretty Ballerina" (harpsichord, flute, and all), the reckless party tune "Steal That Car," and the slinking "Six Hours," which smells a lot like Cooper during his Bob Ezrin heyday until the dramatic bridge comes along and makes the likeness uncanny.
The album is filled with surprises, but recalling his Flush the Fashion era with the robotic snarl on "Your Own Worst Enemy" takes the cake for Cooper fanatics. The catchy "Perfect" is a worthy single and the filler is clearly marked "bonus track."
Ending the album with the Southern-fried, horror show "Zombie Dance" would have made more sense, since "Stand" with rapper Xzibit -- lifted from Unity: The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album -- is silly and forced.
Those are traits the rest of this fine album avoids like they were poison, or for that matter, "Poison."


Track listing

1. "Woman of Mass Distraction" (Alice Cooper, Damon Johnson, Ryan Roxie, Chuck Garric, Rick Boston) - 3:59
2. "Perfect"  (Cooper, Johnson, Roxie) - 3:30
3. "You Make Me Wanna"  (Cooper, Roxie, Garric, Boston) - 3:30
4. "Dirty Diamonds"  (Cooper, Johnson, Garric, Boston) - 4:02
5. "The Saga of Jesse Jane"  (Cooper, Roxie) - 4:15
6. "Sunset Babies (All Got Rabies)"  (Cooper, Johnson, Roxie) - 3:28
7. "Pretty Ballerina"  (Michael Brown) - 3:01
8. "Run Down the Devil"  (Cooper, Mark Hudson, Mike Elizondo, Benji Hughes) - 3:29
9. "Steal That Car"  (Cooper, Johnson, Roxie, Garric) - 3:16
10. "Six Hours"  (Cooper, Roxie) - 3:24
11. "Your Own Worst Enemy"  (Cooper, Roxie) - 2:15
12. "Zombie Dance"  (Cooper, Roxie, Boston) - 4:27

Bonus Tracks
13. "Stand"  (Cooper, Boston, Bridget Benenate, Xzibit) - 4:04
14. "The Sharpest Pain"  (bonus track on Russian and Australian releases) (Cooper, Roxie) - 3:59


Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright (p) – New West Records, LLC
• Copyright (c) – New West Records, LLC
• Recorded At – Future House Studios
• Recorded At – Westside Independent Studios
• Mixed At – Way Station Studio
• Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
• Recorded At – Phantom Studios
• Manufactured By – MCOM – 59926AM

Credits

• Art Direction, Design – Katherine Delaney
• Bass, Backing Vocals – Chuck Garric
• Coordinator [Project] – Katrina Plam
• Design [Cover Logo] – Cürt Evans
• Drums, Backing Vocals – Tommy Clufetos
• Engineer – Adam Hawkins, Gabe Veltri
• Engineer [Assistant] – Anthony Lee, Daniel Lee, Ray Lindsey, Tyler Hewitt
• Guitar, Backing Vocals – Damon Johnson, Ryan Roxie
• Management – Alive Enterprises, Inc., Shep Gordon, Toby Mamis
• Management [Assistant To Alice Cooper] – Brian Nelson
• Mastered By – Gavin Lurssen
• Mixed By – Dave Way
• Photography By – Mando Gonzales
• Producer – Rick, Steve
• Recorded By [Basic Tracks & Guitars] – Rick
• Vocals, Harmonica – Alice Cooper

Notes
Released: July 4, 2005
Genre: Rock
Length: 46:46

Label - New West, Spitfire

David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees (1984)

Brilliant Trees is the first solo album by the British singer-songwriter David Sylvian, released in 1984.

Now free of his straining relationship within Japan, David Sylvian began to etch out his own eclectic spot within pop music in the 80's. He had already began flirting with distant musical influences on Japan's final album Tin Drum, but Brilliant Trees marked an even larger step towards the strange. Alongside an eye-opening set of collaborators (Holger Czukay of CAN fame, Ryuichi Sakamoto of YMO fame, acclaimed Zappa and Roxy Music producer Steve Nye), David brought in elements of jazz, funk and ambient music to create a varied yet incredibly punchy debut record which perfectly balanced the line between accessible and experimental.

Side A is noticeably catchier and more packed in terms of instrumentation; opener "Pulling Punches" throws in a slapped bassline alongside blasts of synths to create this groove-heavy banger grounded by Sylvian's impeccable vocal melodies. "Red Guitar" was a relatively big hit and understandably so, the track is filled with so much energy thanks to a jumpy piano line and a killer hook. The other cuts on this first half are slower ballads, but they further display the talents of each piece involved. The production and mixing shines so perfectly on "Nostalgia" where the whole moment is so well balanced and pleasant from the crisp drum hits to the soothing bed of synths that act as a perfect groundwork for Sylvian's gorgeous vocals and contemplative lyrics.

Whilst the second side is much more loose and experimental, it is no less grabbing. Here we have a stronger focus on textures and soundscapes which would become the backbone of his future work. I will say that these moments maybe drag on a little too long for me, but there's still a ton to enjoy, especially thanks to the interesting trumpet manipulations on "Weathered Wall" and "Brilliant Trees", and Ryuichi's ever-gorgeous synthesisers. We still do get incredible stand-out moments like the closer, which uses so little instrumentation compared to those first few tracks, yet it holds so much emotionality and tensity from what it has. That's just how incredible the individual talents shine through on this record and how well they mesh together.

Whilst David would continue down the path of making each record more ambitious than the last, this record has to be highlighted as a real feat within the world of pop music. Not only a one-of-a-kind listen, but a record that will have you coming back thanks to its power as a pop record.


Track listing

1. "Pulling Punches" - 5:02
2. "The Ink in the Well" - 4:30
3. "Nostalgia" - 5:41
4. "Red Guitar" - 5:09
5. "Weathered Wall" (Sylvian, Jon Hassell) - 5:44
6. "Backwaters" - 4:52
7. "Brilliant Trees" (Sylvian, Hassell) - 8:39


All tracks are written by David Sylvian, except as noted.


Personnel

• David Sylvian – lead vocals, guitar, piano (treated), tapes, synthesizer, percussion instruments
• Steve Jansen – drums, synthesizer, percussion
• Holger Czukay – French horn, voice, guitar, dictaphone.
• Wayne Braithwaite – bass guitar 
• Ronny Drayton – guitar 
• Richard Barbieri – synthesizer 
• Danny Thompson – double bass 
• Kenny Wheeler – flugelhorn 
• Phil Palmer – guitar 
• Steve Nye – synthesizer 
• Ryuichi Sakamoto – synthesizer, piano 
• Mark Isham – trumpet 
• Jon Hassell – trumpet 

Production

• Yuka Fujii – photography
• David Sylvian – producer for Klangfarben Productions, mixing assistant
• Steve Nye – record producer for Klangfarben Productions, sound engineer, audio mixing
• P. Williams – sound engineer, mixing assistant mixer
• Nigel Walker – mixing tracks

Notes
Released: 25 June 1984
Recorded: 1983–1984, London, Berlin Studio Hansa Tonstudio, Berlin, Germany
Genre:  Art rock, avant-pop
Length: 39:37

Label - Virgin Records

Robert Palmer - Heavy Nova (1988)

Heavy Nova is the ninth studio album by English singer Robert Palmer, released in 1988. His first album for EMI Records after a 15-year association with Island Records (both with the band Vinegar Joe and as a solo artist), it followed Palmer's very successful album Riptide (1985).
Heavy Nova continued Palmer's popularity with the single "Simply Irresistible", which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. The name Heavy Nova derives from Palmer's love of both heavy metal and bossa nova rhythms.
The album was recorded at Logic Studios in Milan, Italy and Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas.

Heavy Nova is a mix of pop/rock and r&b done in a slightly quirky style thanks to some unique vocal arrangements and unusual rhythms. 
Why were so many people looking forward to hearing HEAVY NOVA? Partly because it was the first album he’d released in three years, but mostly because it was the follow-up to his hugely successful 1985 album RIPTIDE.
In other words, expectations for HEAVY NOVA were running pretty darned high, and Palmer knew it, so he did exactly what someone who wants to maintain as much of their new audience as they possibly can: he gave them a new album that wasn’t so terribly far removed from the previous album. Granted, that’s exactly the sort of thing that inspires rock critics to giddily begin sharpening their knives, but it’s also very much the sort of thing that tends to make an artist’s new fans happy, which is precisely what HEAVY NOVA did.
While it didn’t in any way find Palmer stepping outside his musical comfort zone, HEAVY NOVA nonetheless spawned three Hot 100 hits: “Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming” (#60), “Early in the Morning” (#19), and “Simply Irresistible,” which climbed all the way to #2, a feat which was aided immeasurably by the song’s video, the visuals of which borrowed heavily from “Addicted to Love.”


Track listing

1.  "Simply Irresistible" - 4:14
2.  "More Than Ever" - 3:25
3.  "Change His Ways" - 2:56
4.  "Disturbing Behaviour" - 3:45
5.  "Early in the Morning"  (Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor, Charlie Wilson) - 4:42
6.  "It Could Happen to You"  (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 2:32
7.  "She Makes My Day" - 4:23
8.  "Between Us" - 4:49
9.  "Casting a Spell" - 3:57
10.  "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming"  (Michael Omartian, Bruce Sudano, Jay Gruska) - 3:46

All tracks written by Robert Palmer, except where noted.


Personnel

• Robert Palmer – lead and backing vocals
• William Bryant – keyboards
• Misha Schneider – keyboards
• Jeff Bova – additional keyboards
• Richard Gibbs – additional keyboards
• Garth Hudson – accordion, additional keyboards
• Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – accordion
• Eddie Martinez – guitar
• Dennis Budimir – additional guitar
• John Grey – additional guitar, additional percussion
• Frank Blair – bass
• Barry "Sun John" Johnson – additional bass
• Dony Wynn – drums
• Ricky Fataar – additional drums
• Dom Um Romão – percussion, additional backing vocals
• Robyn Lobe – additional percussion
• Chuck Findley – trumpet
• Luka Belak – violin
• Clare Fischer – strings
• Rick Danko – additional backing vocals
• B.J. Nelson – additional backing vocals

Production

• Robert Palmer – producer, art direction
• David Harper – executive producer
• Richard Cobble – production coordinator
• Tim Kramer – engineer
• Bookie Epsie – assistant engineer
• Scott Forman – assistant engineer
• Roy Sweeting – assistant engineer
• Eric Thorngren – mixing
• Henry Marquez – design
• Terence Donovan – photography
• Tony Baglio – management
• Pino Pischetola – management

Notes
Released: 22 June 1988
Recorded: 1987 Studio Logic Studios (Milan, Italy); Compass Point Studios (Nassau, The Bahamas)
Genre: Pop, Rock
Length: 38:29

Label - EMI, Manhattan

The Orb - Moonbuilding 2703 AD (2015)

A decade after they delivered Okie Dokie It's the Orb on Kompakt on...Kompakt, Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann return to the stalwart Cologne label with an album bearing a less sportive title and it sounds like serious sci-fi business.
The standard edition consists of four tracks, each one between nine and 15 minutes in length. Not one of them is humorously titled "Captain Korma" or "Komplikation," unless "God's Mirrorball" triggers a recollection of the first Tad album. Unlike Okie Dokie, this is all new, not an amalgamation of tweaked, previously released tracks and new material.
Lest this be seen as the Orb's "most mature work to date," within seconds of the opener, a mild-mannered voice from a colorful documentary about Sumerian gods intones, "If you believe in evil, then you probably need a whack on the back of the neck with a big fucking stick." After four-and-a-half minutes of ambience that intensifies in gradual fashion, a fluid, sturdy beat and light chime-like accents enter to set the tone for the remainder of the 50-minute program. Both "God's Mirrorball" and "Moon Scapes" contain several sections that tug and drift with a calm but steady flow (one of Fehlmann's favorite terms).
The latter is heavier and more propulsive than the former, trucking dub techno filled with thrumming and thwacking drums and sections highlighted by electric keyboard fillips and string-sample flickers. The relatively brief "Lunar Caves" would be ideally suited for one of Kompakt's restful Pop Ambient compilations if it weren't for some radio interference and a couple intensely rhythmic components. The album's vinyl edition contains an explicit tribute to J Dilla, but "Moonbuilding 2703 AD" itself -- the finale -- acknowledges the genius producer as well, most obviously through the bit of Donald Byrd composition "Think Twice," once covered by Dilla, that pokes through.
As with the album's first two cuts, it incorporates several movements, yet it's hip-hop much more than techno and never fades into the background like a fusty Mo' Wax scrap.


Track listing

1.  "God’s Mirrorball" - 14:44
2.  "Moon Scapes – 2703 BC" - 14:40
3.  "Lunar Caves" - 9:16
4.  "Moonbuilding – 2703 AD" - 13:04

Japanese Version (Bonus Tracks)
5.  "Moon Quake 1" - 3:22
6.  "Moon Quake 3" - 2:14


The Orb

• Alex Paterson – production
• Thomas Fehlmann – production

Companies, etc.

• Licensed To – Kompakt
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – The Orb
• Copyright (c) – The Orb
• Published By – Kobalt Music Publishing
• Published By – Flow Publishing
• Published By – BMG Music Publishing Ltd.
• Recorded At – Lab Studio, Berlin
• Produced At – Lab Studio, Berlin
• Mastered At – Scape Mastering
• Pressed By – MPO

Credits

• Booking [Agency] – BK
• Design, Art Direction – The Designers Republic
• Management – Mike Andrews 
• Management [Japan] – Shin Yamada
• Mastered By – Pole
• Painting – Cristabel Christo
• Written-By, Recorded By, Producer – Alex Paterson, Thomas Fehlmann

Notes

Released:  22 June 2015
Genre:  Electronica, dub, IDM, chill-out, trip hop
Length: 57:25

Label - Kompakt

AC/DC - Fly On The Wall (1985)

Fly on the Wall is the tenth studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, released on 28 June 1985 by Albert Productions, and Atlantic Records.

The sessions for Fly on the Wall took place in Montreux, Switzerland at Mountain Studios in late October 1984. Released on 28 June 1985, it was AC/DC's first album since the original Australian version of High Voltage not to include drummer Phil Rudd, who was replaced by Simon Wright (although Wright appeared in music videos for Flick of the Switch tracks), making it the first AC/DC album with all band members born in the UK.
It was the second and last album to be produced by band members. But in contrast to the preceding Flick of the Switch – produced by the band as a whole – Fly on the Wall was produced by guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, who hoped to capture the rawness and simplicity of their early work in a time when pop-oriented glam metal had become popular. In a 1985 interview with Sky Channel for the Monsters of Rock show, Brian Johnson explained: "In my experience, the lads went in with a producer, but they were still really telling the lad what they wanted, so in a round-about way all it is an extra pair of ears. An expensive extra pair of ears."

Instead of issuing your usual run-of-the-mill video clips advertising your new album, AC/DC decided to try something a little different for their 1985 record, Fly on the Wall.
A storyline was created that would run through five of the album's songs, and while the story wasn't exactly on par with Citizen Kane (it centered around the band playing away at a city bar, while strange characters were introduced per song), it proved to be a rather original idea amidst the usual corny clips of the '80s.
The most popular video was for the mid-paced rocker "Danger" (which showed a sleazy photographer snooping around the band), which was played regularly on MTV's heavy metal programs.
Other clips included "Shake Your Foundations" (as the title hints, the band reduces the bar to rubble), and a rather embarrassing one for "Sink the Pink" (in which a disco dancer shimmy's away to AC/DC's thunderous heavy metal...come on!). Like their 1986 home video, Who Made Who, Fly on the Wall suffers from an all too short running time, but still manages to be enjoyable viewing.


Track listing

1.  "Fly on the Wall" - 3:44
2.  "Shake Your Foundations" - 4:10
3.  "First Blood" - 3:46
4.  "Danger" - 4:22
5.  "Sink the Pink" - 4:15
6.  "Playing with Girls" - 3:44
7.  "Stand Up" - 3:53
8.  "Hell or High Water" - 4:32
9.  "Back in Business" - 4:24
10.  "Send for the Man" - 3:36

All tracks are written by Malcolm Young, Angus Young and Brian Johnson.

Personnel

• Brian Johnson – lead vocals
• Angus Young – lead guitar
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Simon Wright – drums, percussion

Credits

• Produced by Angus and Malcolm Young
• Mark Dearnley – engineer
• Bob Defrin – art director
• Todd Schorr – cover illustration
• SMAY Vision - booklet design (reissue)
• Ebet Roberts, George Bodnar, Barry Plummer - photography

Notes

Released: 28 June 1985 

Recorded: October 1984–February 1985, Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland 

Genre: Hard rock 

Length: 40:30 

Label - Albert Productions, Atlantic Records 

Rotjoch - Bad Boy (1981)

Band uit Hilversum met o.a. zanger Ronald Welgemoed (ook in Rebel en Liquid Breakfast) en Pim Bilderbeek (ook in Rebel).

Rotjoch is een new wave band uit Hilversum, voortgekomen uit jamsessies in de Tagrijn. In de bezetting onder meer songschrijver, gitarist en zanger Ronald Welgemoed en gitarist Pim Bilderbeek.
De band speelt korte, melodieuze songs met een stevige rockbasis. De eerste single Tomorrow/Rock & Roll Rendezvous verschijnt in 1981 bij Egmond Records, een sublabel van Polydor, en is geproduceerd door Jos van Woudenberg en Ronald van den Brink. Muziekblad Oor noemt de muziek op de single een kruising tussen The Rousers en The Searchers.
Later in hetzelfde jaar komt het debuutalbum Bad Boy uit, gevolgd door de gelijknamige single. 'Te leuk om te negeren,' oordeelt Oor in september 1981 over het album.
Rotjoch werkt met producer Joel Komkommer aan een tweede elpee, maar die plaat zal niet verschijnen. De tracks Baby Baby Baby en No Use Crying komen later wel terecht op een single van Rebel, de voortzetting van Rotjoch.


A1.  Too Many Weirdos - 3:12
A2.  Another Lonely Night - 3:54
A3.  No Expectations - 3:07
A4.  Shame On Me - 2:44
A5.  Ghostride - 3:06
A6.  Danger In The City - 3:04

B1.  Bad Boy - 2:55
B2.  Where Is Justice - 2:15
B3.  Accident - 1:53
B4.  San Salvador - 3:16
B5.  Losers And Thieves - 2:54
B6.  Hungry Loving - 2:49
B7.  So Unreal - 1:55
B8.  Tomorrow - 1:52


Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – Stable Studio

Credits

• Bass, Backing Vocals – Michiel ten Veen
• Drums – Minze Koopman (tracks: A2, A6, B1, B8), René van den Velden (tracks: A1, A3 to A5, B2 to B7)
• Engineer – Roel Toering
• Guitar, Backing Vocals – Pim Bilderbeek
• Vocals, Guitar – Ronald Welgemoed

Notes
Released: 1981
Recorded at the Stable Sound Studio, Arnhem
Genre: Pop, Rock
Tijdsduur: 39:08

Label - Polydor Records

Herman & Angie - When Two Worlds Colide (1976)

Herman & Angie zijn het echtpaar Herman van Keeken en Anneke Monnereau uit Hilversum.

Herman van Keeken (Baarn, 15 augustus 1939 – Hilversum, 2 juni 1995) was een Nederlands zanger, vooral bekend vanwege zijn nummer "Pappie Loop Toch Niet Zo Snel".
Anneke Monnereau uit Hilversum, geboren 1944. Was lid van het duo Peggy & Patty, bekend van hun enige single "Goodbye Mama / Is Er Iets uit 1973.
In 1973 ging Van Keeken definitief solo, zonder nog echt veel succes te hebben. Tijdens de rest van de jaren 70 en nog later tot zijn vroege overlijden trad hij samen met zijn vrouw op als "Herman en Angie".
Als het country duo Herman & Angie brachten ze hun enige album "When Two Worlds Colide" in 1976 uit.
Van dit album kwamen "Sing Me Back Home" en "What About Me" (geschreven door Scott Mckenzie) ‎op single uit. Het werden helaas geen hits.


Track listing

A1.  North To Alaska - 2:36
        Written-By – Mike - Philips
A2.  Till I Get It Right - 2:34
        Written-By – L. Henley, R. Lane
A3.  When Two Worlds Colide - 2:45
        Written-By – Anderson, Miller 
A4.  Anymore - 2:48
        Written-By – Wilson, Drusky, Mc Alpin 
A5.  He Thinks I Still Care - 4:23
        Written-By – D. Lee 
A6.  The Great Pretender - 3:26
        Written-By – M. Dinner 

B1.  Hudson Bay - 3:18
B2.  If I Could Only Win Your Love - 2:22
        Written-By – Louvin Ch + J, Louvin Ch + J 
B3.  Sing Me Back Home - 3:47
        Written-By – Merle Haggard 
B4.  Too Many Memories All Around - 2:14
        Written-By – C. Johnson 
B5.  I Call Your Name - 2:51
        Written-By – J. Lennon - P. Mc. Cartney 
B6.  What About Me - 3:09
        Written-By – Scott MacKenzie 


Companies, etc.

• Distributed By – Dureco
• Manufactured By – Dureco
• Recorded At – Relight Studios
• Copyright (c) – Dutch Record Company

Credits

• Arranged By, Conductor, Producer – Cor Willems
• Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, 12-String Acoustic Guitar – Kid van Ettinger
• Cover, Design – Studio Myosotis-Baarn
• Drums, Backing Vocals – Harvey Van Straten
• Engineer – Robin Freeman
• Leader [Strings Ensemble leader] – Benny Behr
• Photography By – Frits van Swoll
• Steel Guitar – Frans Doolaard
• Strings – Strings Ensemble

Notes
Country:  Netherlands
Released:  04 Apr 1976
Genre:  Country
Tijdsduur:  35:44

Label - Pink Elephant ‎Records

Mooi Wark - Rock & Rodzooi (2009)

Bert Koops en Henk Oosting beginnen in 1992 de Drentse band Mooi Wark.
Ze componeren Drentse nummers, die in de begindagen sterk lijken op het repertoire van de boerenrockband Normaal, waar ze overigens ook groot fan van zijn.
Het duo wordt al snel uitgebreid tot vierkoppige band. De samenstelling van de band is tot 2002 meerdere keren veranderd.

Het album bevat naast een aantal herkenbare feestkrakers, uiteraard weer de zo herkenbare boerenrock muziek en ook een tweetal ballades. “Een gevarieerd album dus, waarop in totaal 13 nieuwe tracks staan!

Nee, de jongens zijn niet slechter geworden in het spellen van woorden: Rodzooi refereert aan Hot Rod, het thema van de nieuwe toer. Drummer Dennis Hendriks (Lookie) werd vervangen door oud Jovink en de Voederbietels-drummer John Roffel. Verder is er eigenlijk totaal geen verschil met vroeger. Niet heel intelligente, lichtelijk ordinaire, maar niettemin toch goed bekkende zinnen (onder invloed van minimaal een tray Grolsch) als "Ik weet daj bliede bent aj mij ziet. Want tepels liegen niet" en "Altied ant wark met de trekkes op de boerderije. Of met een wichie bij de heuj pakkies een beetie vrijen" schreeuwzingen de siepelrockers (plattelandsjongens die van bier en meiden houden) nog steeds vol overgave over de eenvoudige akkoordenschema’s.

Een soort Nederlandse Bloodhound Gang met bier en tietenrock is Mooi Wark. Het kan ze dan ook niet echt donderen dat de nieuwe cd qua uitvoering toch net wat onder doet aan de Paradiso DVD set. Hierbij vertrok heel Noord Nederland en achterhoek per bus om in een uitverkocht Paradiso te gooien met ladingen bier. De cultstatus is inmiddels toch al vastgesteld zoals ik laatst op een “boerenbruiloft” kon merken. Als stadse jongen stond ik nietsvermoedend aan de rand van de dansvloer toen opeens ‘In de blote kont’ voorbijkwam. Voorzien van een geperfectioneerde choreografie danste iedereen zich een slag in de rondte. Het fenomeen Mooi Wark bevindt zich, als bruiloftsknaller, dus nog steeds op de weg naar boven. Rock & Rodzooi is een aanvulling die past bij het eerdere werk en daar niet per sé iets aan toevoegt, maar ook niet aan afdoet. Als je houdt van bier gooien, bezopen meelallen en eenvoudige aanstekelijke muziek is en blijft Mooi Wark jouw band.



Track listing

1.  Laot Maor Gaon - 3:19
2.  Rock En Rodzooi - 3:57
3.  Tepels Liegen Niet - 4:05
4.  Ik Doe Wat Ik Doe - 4:25
5.  Prettig Gestoord - 3:01
6.  Warkende Helden - 3:44
7.  Oh Wat Een Loser - 3:40
8.  Wie Hef D'r Zeepsop In Mien Flessie Bier Daon - 3:31
9.  Ik Bin En Blief Een Boer! - 3:17
10.  Op Vakantie - 3:02
11.  Das Mooi Wark - 4:13
12.  Waj Ruukn Is Gien Deo - 3:00
13.  Niet Op Dizze Manier - 4:26


Credits
Bert Koops (zang en gitaar)
William Bossong (basgitaar en zang)
Arnold Kuik (gitaar en zang) 
John Roffel (drums)


Notes
Released: 16 Jul 2009
Genre: Rock
Tijdsduur: 47:24

Label - Cd-hal

Foster The People - Sacred Hearts Club (2017)

Sacred Hearts Club is the third studio album by American indie pop band Foster the People, released on July 21, 2017, through Columbia Records.
The album was preceded by the extended play III, which is composed of three tracks from the album. Departing from the organic, acoustic sound of their previous 2014 album, it draws upon soul, dance, and electronic genres while maintaining their signature indie pop sound.
The lyrics address themes of love, politics, fame, and youth, and, similar to their previous albums, are often at odds with the upbeat musical production. This is also their first studio album to feature long-time touring musicians Isom Innis and Sean Cimino as official members.
It received primarily mixed reviews upon release, with many critics praising the experimentation while disliking the album's lack of musical consistency.
Despite the mixed reception, the album's single "Sit Next to Me" has reached a peak of number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over two million copies across North America.

Neon-toned and deliciously funky, Foster the People's third studio album, 2017's Sacred Hearts Club, finds the group eschewing its pleasant indie pop sound in favor of an album of lightly experimental, fluorescent-lit, groove-based tracks.
Produced by lead singer/songwriter Mark Foster and keyboardist Isom Innis, along with Josh Abraham, Lars Stalfors, and Oligee, the album is the Los Angeles band's biggest departure yet from the amiable, youthful vibe of 2011's Torches.
These are kinetic, hip-hop-inflected tracks rife with '80s-style synths, finger-snapping basslines, skittering dance beats, and club-ready, falsetto-tinged hooks. If there's any contemporary touchstone for the band's approach here, the album-ending ballad "III," with its dreamy, pulsing synths and angelic, cloud-light melodic hook, certainly makes the case that Foster have been listening to a lot of M83.
As if to announce the new direction, they kick things off with the steamy, new wave-cum-hip-hop jam "Pay the Man," which finds Foster diving headlong into a hip-sway-inducing rap. Similarly, cuts like the stadium-sized anthem "Doing It for the Money" and the sparklingly buoyant "Sit Next to Me," with their icicle guitar hits and bubbly keyboards, bring to mind an inspired mix of '80s Tom Tom Club and Prince, with just enough modern EDM flourishes to keep things from getting too nostalgic. Along those lines, we get the spacy electro-Motown of "Static Space Lover," the buzzy, blacklight-drenched house music anthem "Loyal Like Sid & Nancy," and the sexy, crystalline, digital hip-hop and R&B flow of "Harden the Paint."
Ultimately, the beauty of Sacred Hearts Club is that it sounds like a Foster the People album without unnecessarily rehashing the sound that made them famous.


Track listing

1. "Pay the Man"  (M. Foster, M. Pontius, I. Innis, J. Abraham, O. Goldstein, J. Mohrle, Keinan Abdi Warsame) - 3:53
2. "Doing It for the Money" (Foster, Innis, Adam Schmalholz, Ryan Tedder) - 3:46
3. "Sit Next to Me" (Foster, Abraham, Lars Stalfors, Johnny Newman, Goldstein) - 4:03
4. "SHC" (Foster, Innis, Pontius) - 4:16
5. "I Love My Friends" (Foster, Innis, Abraham, Goldstein) - 3:45
6. "Orange Dream" (Innis) - 1:20
7. "Static Space Lover" (Foster, Innis, Jena Malone, Patrik Berger) - 4:00
8. "Lotus Eater" (Foster, Innis) - 3:02
9. "Time to Get Closer" (Foster, Innis) - 0:57
10. "Loyal Like Sid & Nancy" (Foster, Innis) - 4:40
11. "Harden the Paint" (Foster, John Hill, KNA, Frans Mernick) - 3:54
12. "III" (Foster, Innis) - 4:09


Foster the People

• Mark Foster – lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, piano, programming, synthesizer, vibraphone, production
• Mark Pontius – drums, percussion
• Sean Cimino – guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals
• Isom Innis – piano, keyboards, drums, bass, percussion, backing vocals, production

Additional personnel

• Austin Mensales – guitar
• Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mix engineering
• Manny Marroquin – mix engineering
• Chris Galland – mix engineering
• Rich Costey – mix engineering
• Martin Cooke – mix engineering
• Nicolas Fournier – mix engineering
• Jeff Jackson – engineering assistance
• Robin Florent – engineering assistance
• Cyrus "Nois" Taghipour – engineering assistance
• Tyler Page – engineering assistance
• Greg Calbi – master engineering
• Steve Fallone – master engineering
• Josh Abraham – production
• Oliver Goldstein – production, drums
• Lars Stalfors – production
• Jena Malone – guest vocals ("Static Space Lover")

Notes

Released:  July 21, 2017 

Recorded:  2015–April 2017 

Genre:  Indie pop, neo-psychedelia, indie electronic

Length:  41:37 

Label - Columbia Records