January 31, 2024

The Smiths - Hateful Of Hollow (1984)

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Hatful of Hollow is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 12 November 1984 by Rough Trade Records. 
The album features tracks from BBC Radio 1 sessions, their first single "Hand in Glove" (a different mix of which had been included on their first album) and two new singles and their B-sides. It was eventually released in the United States on 9 November 1993 by Sire Records, who had initially declined to release the album in the US. Sire instead released Louder Than Bombs in the US in 1987—which is effectively a hybrid of Hatful of Hollow and a subsequent UK compilation album The World Won't Listen plus some tracks which do not appear on either.

The album consists mainly of songs recorded over several BBC Radio 1 sessions in 1983. Tracks shown in bold were included on the album.
  1. For John Peel on 18 May 1983 (broadcast 31 May): "Handsome Devil", "Reel Around the Fountain", "Miserable Lie", "What Difference Does It Make?" (all four songs were later released as the Peel Sessions EP)
  2. For David Jensen on 26 June 1983 (broadcast 4 July): "These Things Take Time", "You've Got Everything Now", "Wonderful Woman"
  3. For Jensen on 25 August, 1983 (broadcast 5 September): "Accept Yourself", "I Don't Owe You Anything", "Pretty Girls Make Graves", "Reel Around the Fountain"
  4. For Peel on 14 September, 1983 (broadcast 21 September): "This Charming Man", "Back to the Old House", "This Night Has Opened My Eyes", "Still Ill"

When first broadcast, these radio sessions mainly featured songs which were otherwise unavailable. All were subsequently re-recorded for singles or for the band's debut album the following year. "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" was recorded in the studio in June 1984, but the only version ever released was the September Peel session.

Hatful of Hollow also features the band's debut single, "Hand in Glove", and their two most recent singles prior to the album's release, "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "William, It Was Really Nothing", along with their respective B-sides, "Girl Afraid", "How Soon Is Now?" and "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want".

"How Soon Is Now?" would receive a separate single release in 1985 in both the UK and the US. It reached No. 24 in the British charts, but failed to chart in the US. Morrissey and Johnny Marr lamented the lack of chart success of what they considered their strongest song thus far. "How Soon Is Now?" also featured on the soundtrack to the 1986 film Out of Bounds, but wasn't included on the accompanying soundtrack album.

In 2000, Q magazine placed the album at No. 44 on its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". 


Tracklist

1. William, It Was Really Nothing  (Single A-side) - 2:09
2. What Difference Does It Make?  (John Peel session, 18/5/83) - 3:11
3. These Things Take Time  (David Jensen session, 26/6/83) - 2:32
4. This Charming Man  (Peel session, 14/9/83) - 2:42
5. How Soon Is Now?  (B-side of "William, It Was Really Nothing) - 6:44
6. Handsome Devil  (Peel session, 18/5/83) - 2:47
7. Hand in Glove  (Single A-side mix) - 3:13
8. Still Ill  (Peel session, 14/9/83) - 3:32
9. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable No  (Single A-side) - 3:33
10. This Night Has Opened My Eyes  (Peel session, 14/9/83) - 3:39
11. You've Got Everything Now  (Jensen session, 26/6/83) - 4:18
12. Accept Yourself  (Jensen session, 25/8/83) - 4:01
13. Girl Afraid  (B-side of "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now") - 2:48
14. Back to the Old House  (Peel session, 14/9/83) - 3:02
15. Reel Around the Fountain  (Peel session, 18/5/83) - 5:51
16. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want  (B-side of "William, It Was Really Nothing") - 1:50

All lyrics are written by Morrissey; all music is composed by Johnny Marr


Personnel

Additional musicians
  • John Porter – electronic percussion on "How Soon Is Now?"
Production
Notes
Released: 12 November 1984 
Recorded: 1983–1984 
Genre:  Alternative rock, indie pop
Length: 56:11 
Producer (s):  John Porter:  The Smiths, Roger Pusey, Dale "Buffin" Griffin
Label:  Rough Trade Records


January 30, 2024

Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith (1984)

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Defenders of the Faith is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 January 1984. 
The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and spawned the singles "Freewheel Burning", "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll", and "Love Bites".
Defenders of the Faith was recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios, Ibiza, Spain, and mixed at DB Recording Studios and Bayshore Recording Studios in Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida. 

The last quality album from Judas Priest's commercial period, Defenders of the Faith doesn't quite reach the heights of British Steel or Screaming for Vengeance, in part because it lacks a standout single on the level of those two records' best material. 
That said, even if there's a low percentage of signature songs here, there's a remarkably high percentage of hidden gems waiting to be unearthed, making Defenders possibly the most underrated record in Priest's catalog. 
Musically, it follows the basic blueprint of Screaming for Vengeance, alternating intricate speed rockers with fist-pumping midtempo grooves and balancing moderate musical sophistication with commercial accessibility. 
It's a craftsmanlike record from a band that had been in the game for a full decade already, but was still vital and exciting, and decidedly not on autopilot (yet). 
The record opens high-energy with the terrific "Freewheel Burning" and "Jawbreaker" before moving into lost anthem "Rock Hard Ride Free," the more complex "The Sentinel," the cold, oddly mechanized single "Love Bites," and the slightly darker "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll." 
Coincidentally (both were released the same year), there's a bit of Spinal Tap creeping into the band's approach on side two -- not just in calling a song "Heavy Duty," but also in the ridiculous rough-sex ode "Eat Me Alive," which comes off like an S&M-themed "Sex Farm" (albeit without the tasteful subtlety). 
It wound up getting the band in trouble with Tipper Gore's PMRC, though one wonders if it would have helped or hindered their cause that the song's sexual aggression was, in hindsight, not directed at women. At any rate, Defenders of the Faith charted only one spot lower than its predecessor, and was certified platinum. Hereafter, Priest would have significant difficulties adapting to the fast-changing landscape of heavy metal in the latter half of the '80s.


Tracklist

1.  Freewheel Burning - 4:22
2.  Jawbreaker - 3:26
3.  Rock Hard Ride Free - 5:34
4.  The Sentinel - 5:04
5.  Love Bites - 4:47
6.  Eat Me Alive - 3:34
7.  Some Heads Are Gonna Roll (Bob Halligan, Jr.) - 4:05
8.  Night Comes Down - 3:59
9.  Heavy Duty - 2:25
10.  Defenders of the Faith - 1:30

All tracks are written by Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford and K. K. Downing, except where noted.


Judas Priest
Production
  • Produced by Tom Allom
  • Engineered by Mark Dodson, assisted by Christian Eser, Bruce Hensal, David Roeder, Ben King, and Buddy Thornton
  • Cover design by Doug Johnson, based on a concept by Judas Priest

Notes
Released: 13 January 1984
Recorded: 1983 Studio Ibiza Sound (Ibiza)
Genre:  Heavy metal
Length:  39:45
Producer:  Tom Allom
Label:   Columbia



January 29, 2024

Massada - Live [2LP] (1980)

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"Massada Live" is een van de beste live-albums van Nederlandse bodem. Prima muziek door getalenteerde muzikanten.
Sommige nummers hier vind ik sterker dan de studio-uitvoeringen, en zo hoort dat ook eigenlijk met een live-album. De hits Dansa (don't quit dancing) en Unknown destination klinken hier speelser en gevarieerder en ook Sageru, van oudsher een live-favoriet, komt hier beter uit de verf dan in de wat onderkoelde en matig geproduceerde studio-versie.
De sfeer is vooral opgewekt en energiek, met afsluiter sageru als een van de hoogtepunten.
'Arumbai' is een uitzondering, het enige nummer geschreven door chris latul en wat mij betreft ook het op een na beste nummer [hoewel hier met electrische gitaar gespeeld terwijl het orgineel (semi-)acoustisch lekkerder vind]. hadden ze maar meer van dat soort nummers gemaakt...
'Impulse Of Rhythm/there is no time to return', 19:20 minuten lang, is voor mij het boeiendst. helemaal instrumentaal, zonder dat het een showoff wordt van kijk ons een goeie muzikanten zijn (wat je bij lange nummers nog wel eens hebt in de symfonische of jazz hoek). spannend, speels, fanatasierijk.

samengevat:
arumbai: het gevoeligste
sageru: het energiekste
impulse of rhythm/there is no time to return: het boeiendste

nog een pluspunt: met zorg gemaakte live-registratie, zowel de muzikanten spelen lekker en ook de technici hebben het lekker opgenomen met een lekkere stereobeeld met veel microfoons, wat zeker met veel percussie erg lekker is (vooral hoofdtelefoon is een aanrader).


Tracklist

A1. Tumbu - 1:50
A2. Akar Bahar - 4:56
A3. Dansa (Don't Quite Dancing) - 5:46
A4. I Never Had A Love Like This Before - 6:22

B1. Arumbai - 4:34
B2. Mother Of My Origin/Ibu Dari Adzal-Ku - 5:47
B3. Unknown Destination - 8:56

C1. Impulse Of Rhythm - 3:45
C2. There Is No Time To Return - 15:35

D1. Fathers Within One Father - 4:38
D2. Discrime - 3:49
D3. Feelin' Lonely - 6:39
D4. Sageru - 3:45


Companies, etc.

Credits
Notes
Released: 1980
Format:  2LP
Genre:  Latin Jazz, Fusion
Tijdsduur: 1:16:07
Label:  Kendari Records


January 28, 2024

Chic - Les Plus Grands Succès De Chic - Chic's Greatest Hits (1979)

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Les Plus Grands Succès De Chic: Chic's Greatest Hits, also known as The Best of Chic, is a greatest hits album by the American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in late 1979. 
It includes the biggest hits from their first three albums: Chic (1977), C'est Chic (1978) and Risqué (1979).

Chic infused a production savvy, an elegance, and a rockish, full-bodied nature that informed all of the dance essentials on this late-1979 greatest-hits set. 
Taking tracks from their three albums from 1977-1979 does sound a little confining, but Greatest Hits more than works and shows the strides the band effortlessly made. 
The group's first single, "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)," possesses the class and propulsive nature of prime dance music, with Bernard Edwards' basslines and Nile Rodgers' rhythm guitar giving the band its singular sound. 
Divorced from the '20s holdover kitsch of megaphones and "yowsahs," the ebullient "Everybody Dance" put them in a more contemporary setting, if not slightly ahead of the times. 
Greatest Hits doesn't trouble itself with getting earlier essentials from the band like "Falling in Love With You" or "Est-Ce Que C'est Chic," and squarely sets its sights on the most successful singles. The entries from C'est Chic include the moody and insistent "I Want Your Love" and the five-million-selling "Le Freak," which features the wry interplay between Edwards, Rodgers, and drummer Tony Thompson. 
Greatest Hits takes the sure shots from Risqué, the phenomenal "My Feet Keep Dancing" and the brilliant and sly "Good Times." In many respects this greatest-hits set, while rock-solid, also ended the Chic commercial era a few years before its time. 
In fact, this compilation, with its great cover and song selection, might be preferred to the subsequent overviews.

All tracks produced and written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, except "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" co-written by Kenny Lehman.


Track listing

A1.  Le Freak (7" Edit) - 3:30
A2.  I Want Your Love (7" Edit) - 3:28
A3.  Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) (7" Edit) - 3:40
A4.  Everybody Dance" (12" Mix) Chic 8:25

B1.  Chic Cheer - 4:42
B2.  Good Times (12" Mix) - 8:13
B3.  My Feet Keep Dancing - 6:46


Personnel


Production
  • Bernard Edwards - producer for Chic Organization Ltd.
  • Nile Rodgers - producer for Chic Organization Ltd.
  • Kenny Lehman - co-producer (track A4)
  • Jackson Schwartz - engineer
  • Jeff Hendrickson - engineer
  • Jim Galante - engineer
  • Peter Robbins - engineer
  • Ray Willard - engineer
  • Burt Szerlip - engineer
  • Dennis King - mastering
  • All songs recorded and mixed at Power Station in New York. Mastered at Atlantic Studios, N.Y.

Notes
Released:  December 1979 
Recorded: 1977–79 
Genre:  Disco, funk
Length:  38:44 
Producer(s):  Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards
Label:  Atlantic Records


January 26, 2024

Meco - Meco Plays The Wizard of Oz (1978)

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Meco Plays The Wizard of Oz is a studio album that was released in 1978. The album sold around 400,000 copies.

How could a review of this LP not first include that word? For fans of Meco, this is a stunning find. 
Most people will know of his disco take on the George Lucas and John Williams universe of Star Wars & Other Galactic Funk. The first single from that album went to number one and was followed by takes on super heroes (Superman) and other sci-fi (Close Encounters of the Third Kind). 
Few know that he also did a disco version of this famous 1939 film. The album is gloriously ridiculous! Meco puts the merry back into the Merry Old Land of Oz. 
It sounds very similar to his Star Wars work but with even more Donna Summer cheese thrown in for good measure. 
Released in 1978 by Millennium Records, The Wizard of Oz also features Harold Wheeler and, amazingly, Meco's Cantina Band. Standout tracks include "Cyclone," "Munchkinland," "Poppies," and, of course "Over the Rainbow." 
What am I talking about? 
It's the Wizard of Oz done in a disco style! Every track is hilarious. Of course by the reprise of "Over the Rainbow" most people over the age of ten will be sick of this experiment. 
But that is an important strength of Meco's work. It is meant for the young and young at heart. 
Wizard of Oz is a great record for kids, and parents bemoan the lack of good children's records all the time. 
So go to the used record store and track down some Meco. Star Wars & Other Galactic Funk may always be the best place to start. But this album get my vote for Meco purchase number two. Oh, "Optimistic Voices" is great too. 
It is a real shame that this record does not sync up to the film the way Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon does. That is a missed opportunity for genius. Oh, and "If I Were King of the Forest" is great. Ah the 1970s...


Track listing

  1. "Over the Rainbow"  (Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) - (1:58)
  2. "Cyclone"  (George Bassman, Herbert Stohart, George Stoll) - (3:43)
  3. "Munchkinland" - (1:19)
  4. "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead"  (Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) - (2:00)
  5. "We're Off to See the Wizard" (Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) - (3:32)
  6. "Poppies" - 1:05
  7. "The Spell" - 1:49
  8. "Optimistic Voices" - 1:30
  9. "The Merry Old Land Of Oz" - 1:14
  10. "The Haunted Forest"  (Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) - (1:22)
  11. "March of the Winkies"  (Herbert Stohart) - (1:20)
  12. "Dorothy's Rescue"  (Herbert Stohart) - (1:11)
  13. "If I Were King of the Forest" (Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) - (0:57)
  14. "Over The Rainbow" - 1:02
  15. "The Reprise: Delirious Escape/Over The Rainbow/Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead/Munchkinland"  (Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) - (3:17)


Companies, etc.

Credits

Notes
Released: 1978 
Genre:  Disco Tribute album, Novelty, Instrumental Pop 
Length: 17:53 
Producer(s): Meco, Tony Bongiovi, Harold Wheeler 
Label:  Millennium Records / RCA 


January 07, 2024

Timothy B. Schmit - Day by Day (2022)

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An icon of American music since the early 1970s, Timothy B. Schmit has spent the past half – century in a creative whirl, blurring the lines between rock & roll, blue – eyed soul, California country, and folk. 
From his long run with the Eagles (who showcased his lead vocals on hit songs like “I Can’t Tell You Why” and “Love Will Keep Us Alive”) to his work with Poco, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Steely Dan, the California native has more than earned his spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (he was inducted in 1998 with the Eagles). 
Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s stopped breaking new ground. “I’ve had a great ride,” says the bassist , singer and songwriter, “and I’m still hungry.” 

Day By Day , his seventh solo album and first since 2016’s Leap of Faith , highlights Schmit’s enduring appetite for new sounds and timeless melodies.  He recorded the album ’s 12 songs during breaks in the Eagles’ busy schedule, utilizing his home studio known as Mooselodge — nestled into a rural pocket of Los Angeles County, with the Santa Monica Mountains looming outside — to capture a sound that’s as eclectic as its creator. 

On Day By Day , his third consecutive self – penned album, guests like Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham , John Fogerty, Benmont Tench and Kenny Wayne Sheppard all make appearances, as well as many other fine musicians and singers. 
“I still think of myself as a developing songwriter,” he admits. “When Jackson came to the studio, we talked about how he wrote ‘These Days’ when he was 16 years old.


1.  Simple Man -5:36
2.  The Next Rainbow - 4:58
3.  Heartbeat - 6:18
4.  Mr. X - 5:00
5.  Question of the Heart - 6:59
6.  Something You Should Know - 3:45
7.  I Come Alive - 5:28
8.  Feather in the Wind - 4:49
9.  Grinding Stone - 6:20
10.  Taste Like Candy - 6:55
11.  Conflicted - 5:37
12.  Where We Belong - 6:26


January 06, 2024

October 8 - October 8 (mini-album) (1987)

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posted by all-musicrecords

Indie rock band from the Dallas, Texas area, formed October 8th, 1986. Originally a trio, vocalist Bruce Gregory Dickinson joined later. 
The band broke up in summer 1988 when drummer Brian Earl Bergesen moved to Chicago. Bruce Gregory Dickinson and William Paul Hitri went on to work together in the band Pop Poppins.

Here’s a recent favorite, chock full of summertime jangle pop/indie rock vibes. 
This LP was released in 1987 on the E Pluribus Unim imprint. 
The band was a four (sometimes five) piece from Dallas, Texas, and this is their only LP, and what a humdinger it is… 
Dreamy, melodic guitars reminiscent of early R.E.M, Grapes of Wrath, Winter Hours,  Ups and Downs, etc. – heavier on the jangly side, but just gloomy enough to catch my interest. 
Amy Farrington provides vocals on a few tracks and serves as an excellent ethereal counterpoint to Bruce Gregory Dickenson’s more grounded vocals. 
Dickenson would join power pop band Pop Poppins shortly after recording this LP.


A1. Capitalism - 3:45
A2. Tomorrow's World - 2:43
A3. The Love I Want - 4:03

B1. A Place To Go - 3:33
B2. Corrupt Means - 4:48
B3. Killing Time - 3:50


January 04, 2024

The Moments - The Moments On Top (1971)

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posted by all-musicrecords

The Moments’ On Top is a perfect example of symphonic soul. Amongst true heads, this is considered the most valuable of all their albums; an original copy of this LP, if you can find one, starts at around $75. 

Alongside contemporaneous acts from the early 70s - The Chi-lites, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, The Futures, Blue Magic and The Main Ingredient - The Moments exuded all that was compelling about deep, harmony-drenched, string-laden soul.The standout here is undoubtedly "To You With Love", a floating, tender ballad sung by Harry Ray that features the group’s patented handclap-tambourine combo, sweetly repetitive strings, serene guitar and gentle piano. It was famously sampled by J Dilla for “Last Donut Of The Night” - the gut-wrenching finale to his seminal Donuts.
Listening to The Moments albums I have, it has come to my conclusion that a greatest hits collection is all you need.
The album here is nice, and quite frankly, every Moments song sounds the same, but good soul is timeless, and what you have here is good standard soul of the era.
Nothing out of the park phenomenal, just good harmonies and soft singing throughout.
Yet still, this is the last record you want to reach for to set a mood…outside of the opener there are no real bangers here.


A1. All I Have - 4:00
A2. I Can't Help It - 3:10
A3. To You With Love - 3:03
A4. That's How It Feels - 4:00

B1. Lucky Me - 3:08
B2. I Lost One Bird in the Hand (While Reaching for Two in the Bush) - 4:00
B3. Sweeter as the Days Go By - 4:08
B4. The Ice Is Melting - 3:08
B5. Candy Shack - 3:09