PHOENIX

PHOENIX
WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX (2009)
320 KBPS

Realigned with Philippe Zdar, the half of Cassius who mixed United, Phoenix make adjustments on the polarizing characteristics of their second and third albums — the pokey and occasionally listless Alphabetical, the jagged and tune-deficient It's Never Been Like That — with some of the most direct and enjoyable songs they've made to date. The two opening songs, the bopping "Lisztomania" and the buzzing "1901," are so immediate and prone to habitual play that the remainder of the album is bound to be neglected. There is plenty to like beyond that point, including "Lasso," which niftily alternates between a tangled rhythm and tight-spiral riffing, and the labyrinthine "Pt. 1" of "Love Like a Sunset," which serves the same purpose as the extended instrumental passages on Roxy Music's Avalon, at least until its rousing conclusion and shift into "Pt. 2." Beyond containing the band's best, most efficient songwriting, the album also stands apart from the first three studio albums by projecting a cool punch that is unforced. Vocalist Thomas Mars, more bright-eyed and youthful than ever, also sounds more a part of these songs, rather than coming across as a protruding element that clashes against the instruments. Maybe they've just hit their stride.

1. Lisztomania
2. 1901
3. Fences
4. Love Like A Sunset Pt. 1
5. Love Like A Sunset Pt. 2
6. Lasso
7. Rome
8. Countdown
9. Girlfriend
10. Armistice

YES

YES
TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS (1973)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

I might as well wade in on this controversial album and place my two cents down on the progressive rock counter. It's a flawed masterpiece, to be sure, but what an aural adventure! After CTTE I think they couldn't help themselves but to follow the side-long opus trail that they had been so encouraged to follow by the voracious audience that was eating up everything they put out. Me and my friends included. By then we all worshipped at the Yes altar with good reason. Their music was innovative, courageous and inspiring at a time when top 40 radio was still in command of the biz. When this came out we couldn't wait to plop it on the turntable. It was, with the help of mellowing agents (If you know what I mean and I think you do), a religious experience. When I think of this album I recall driving through the Rockies in a funky Audi with a friend on the way to a gig in Estes Park and this cassette blaring through the speakers. If this music is pretentious then so are the mountains in Colorado. All I know is that it fit the scenery (and age) perfectly. Was Yes full of itself? Probably. Did they do the best they could? Definitely. Did they go too far and veer "over the edge?" Well, that's up to the individual listener. To me it's light years better than Tormato, which is when I lost interest in what they were doing, but that doesn't redeem it totally. That being said, the reissued version from Rhino is excellent and makes up for many of the original pressing's shortcomings on vinyl and fans might want to invest in it if they haven't already. "The Ancient" grates on my nerves a bit but once you get through the strange first half of the song it mellows considerably yet it still remains the weakest of the four. But there are moments on "The Revealing Science of God," "The Remembering" and "Ritual" that continue to amaze my ears even after all these decades. TFTO still pales in comparison with the three albums that preceded it and doesn't hold up as good as Going for the One or Relayer but it will forever hold a place in my prog heart as being the right album at the right time.

Disc 1
1. The Revealing Science Of God - Dance Of The Dawn
2. The Remembering - High The Memory
3. The Ancient - Giants Under The Sun
4. Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil

Disc 2
Bonus tracks
1. Dance of the Dawn (studio run-through)
2. Giants under the Sun (studio run-through)

BECK

BECK
MUTATIONS (1998)
320 KBPS

It's unfortunate how much attention has been paid to how this album was recorded--quickly, without the same level of studio fuss that marked Beck's breakthrough album, Odelay. That's a shame because our favorite chameleon has pulled the neatest trick of all: he's dropped the lyrical schtick that sometimes marred his sonic wizardy, leaving listeners to wonder if he even believed in the music he was playing. That's not an issue here. At times, he sounds like Ray Davies updated for the '90s, stripping himself bare with lovely, simple songs that linger long after they've supposedly ended. Beck may have made his initial mark with "Loser," a clever but insincere admission of inferiority; he's more likely to be remembered for the similar but more heartfelt confession of "Nobody's Fault But My Own."

1. Cold Brains
2. Nobody's Fault But My Own
3. Lazy Flies
4. Canceled Check
5. We Live Again
6. Tropicalia
7. Dead Melodies
8. Bottle of Blues
9. O Maria
10. Sing It Again
11. Static
12. Diamond Bollocks
13. Runners Dial Zero

MIKE RIMBAUD

MIKE RIMBAUD
RED LIGHT (1993)
320 KBPS

What if Gene Vincent and Bob Dylan had a son? Well, that's biologically impossible, true, but that's exactly what I think Mike Rimbaud sounds like. He has that rocky feeling Gene had with a folk poetry angle that belong to Mr. Zimmerman.
Strangely enough, this album was recorded in France for Boucherie Productions (Pigalle, Garçons Bouchers, Mano Negra, etc.) which was better known for producing French indie/punk. Another expatriated U.S. musician, Elliott Murphy, produced it so it's no surprise it sounds se very American. And it's good which is all that matters.
Now, if you're looking for rock'n'roll with a little more brains than usual, this one's for you.

1. Dying but not dead
2. Black sea red light
3. Romantic depressive
4. Treasure chest cancer
5. K.G. Baby
6. Wild wild flower
7. Money is a sex object
8. A victim once more
9. Unnatural nature
10. Easy pollution
11. You looked good in hell
12. American terrorist

CURTIS MAYFIELD

CURTIS MAYFIELD
CURTIS (1970)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

The first solo album by the former leader of the Impressions, Curtis represented a musical apotheosis for Curtis Mayfield -- indeed, it was practically the "Sgt. Pepper's" album of '70s soul, helping with its content and its success to open the whole genre to much bigger, richer musical canvases than artists had previously worked with. All of Mayfield's years of experience of life, music, and people were pulled together into a rich, powerful, topical musical statement that reflected not only the most up-to-date soul sounds of its period, finely produced by Mayfield himself, and the immediacy of the times and their political and social concerns, but also embraced the most elegant R&B sounds out of the past. As a producer, Mayfield embraced the most progressive soul sounds of the era, stretching them out compellingly on numbers like "Move on Up," but also drew on orchestral sounds (especially harps), to achieve some striking musical timbres (check out "Wild and Free"), and wove all of these influences, plus the topical nature of the songs, into a neat, amazingly lean whole. There was only one hit single off of this record, "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Down Below We're All Going to Go," which made number three, but the album as a whole was a single entity and really had to be heard that way. In the fall of 2000, Rhino Records reissued Curtis with upgraded sound and nine bonus tracks that extended its running time to over 70 minutes. All but one are demos, including "Miss Black America" and "The Making of You," but mostly consist of tracks that he completed for subsequent albums; they're fascinating to hear, representing very different, much more jagged and stripped-down sounds. The upgraded CD concludes with the single version of "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below We're All Going to Go."

1. (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go
2. The Other Side of Town
3. The Makings of You
4. We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue
5. Move on Up
6. Miss Black America
7. Wild and Free
8. Give It Up
Bonus tracks
9. Power to the People [demo]
10. Underground [demo]
11. Ghetto Child [demo]
12. Readings in Astrology [demo]
13. Suffer [demo]
14. Miss Black America [demo]
15. The Makings of You [backing tracks, take 32]
16. (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go [backing tracks, take 1 & 2]
17. (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go [single edit]

BRIGITTE FONTAINE

BRIGITTE FONTAINE
PROHIBITION (2009)
320 KBPS

Whatever you've heard about Brigitte Fontaine is probably true. Yes, she's kind of an old crazy woman. Yes, she sometimes sings out of tune (but that's part of her unique charm). Yes, she handles her lyrics like some people swear (in fact, her lyrics are often full of swearing). And, yes, she's a Great Artist.
So, okay, her glorious time doing avant-folk with her musical companion, Areski Belkacem, are long gone and her music certainly is not as visceral as it used to be in the 70's. Thus, expecting 2009's Prohibition to be anything else than a modern pop album is a lost cause. Since her 90's commercial comeback, heavily supported by admirers from the new chanson scene, Brigitte has produced good music that is not as urgent as her defining albums but remains, all the same, some of the best released in France by a veteran artist. And Prohibition has more urgency than anything else she produced in years which, despite being less inovating music than that of her glory years, make it a must hear for anyone who ever took an interest in the French scene, in Brigitte and in music in general. Get it.

1. Dura Lex
2. Entre Guillemets
3. La Fiancée De Frankenstein
4. Prohibition
5. Il S'En Passe
6. Harem
7. Pas Ce Soir
8. Soufi
9. Just You And Me
10. Partir Ou Rester
11. Je Suis Un Poète

SUPERGRASS

SUPERGRASS
LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS (2002)
320 KBPS

Supergrass makes music so effervescent and so effortlessly joyous that it's easy to take them and their skills for granted. Surely that was the case around the release of their third album, 1999's eponymous effort, which in its labored fun and weary ballads illustrated just how much hard work it was to craft records as brilliant as I Should Coco and In It for the Money. It suggested the group might have burned too bright and flamed out, but, happily, 2002's Life on Other Planets is a smashing return to form, an album giddy with the sheer pleasure of making music. What makes this all the more impressive is that this is the record that Supergrass attempted to be — a perfect balance of the sensibility and humor of I Should Coco with the musicality and casual virtuosity of In It for the Money. Where that album felt labored and a little weary, Life on Other Planets is teeming with life. The tempos are sprightly, the hooks tumble out of the speakers, the band mixes up styles and eras, and they never, ever forget the jokes (Gaz's fleeting Elvis impression on "Seen the Light," an allusion to Spinal Tap's "All the Way Home," or the chorus of "Evening of the Day"). Sure, it's possible to spot the influence all the way through the album — most clearly T. Rex on "Seen the Light" and "Brecon Beacons," where Gaz's warble is uncannily like Marc Bolan's — but it never sounds exactly like their inspirations — it all sounds like Supergrass. And Supergrass hasn't offered such pure, unabashed pop pleasure since their debut; there hasn't been an album that's this much fun in a long time. Since they've been away for a while and have never broken in the States, Supergrass has been curiously overlooked, even though they're better than 99 percent of the power pop and punk-pop bands out there (plus, their everything-old-is-new-again aesthetic can be heard in such albums as the Strokes' Is This It?). But, as this glorious record proves, there are few bands around these days who are as flat-out enjoyable as this trio. The world is a better place for having Supergrass in it.

1. Za
2. Rush Hour Soul
3. Seen The Light
4. Brecon Beacons
5. Can't Get Up
6. Evening Of The Day
7. Never Done Nothing Like That Before
8. Funniest Thing
9. Grace
10. La Song
11. Prophet 15
12. Run

PEARL JAM

PEARL JAM
VS (1993)
320 KBPS

Pearl Jam took to superstardom like deer in headlights. Unsure of how to maintain their rigorous standards of integrity in the face of massive commercial success, the band took refuge in willful obscurity — the title of their second album, Vs., did not appear anywhere in the packaging, and they refused to release any singles or videos. (Ironically, many fans then paid steep prices for import CD singles, a situation the band eventually rectified.) The eccentricities underline Pearl Jam's almost paranoid aversion to charges of hypocrisy or egotism — but it also made sense to use the spotlight for progress. You could see that reasoning in their ensuing battle with Ticketmaster, and you could hear it in the record itself. Vs. is often Eddie Vedder at his most strident, both lyrically and vocally. It's less oblique than Ten in its topicality, and sometimes downright dogmatic; having the world's ear renders Vedder unable to resist a few simplistic potshots at favorite white-liberal targets. Yet a little self-righteousness is an acceptable price to pay for the passionate immediacy that permeates Vs. It's a much rawer, looser record than Ten, feeling like a live performance; Vedder practically screams himself hoarse on a few songs. The band consciously strives for spontaneity, admirably pushing itself into new territory — some numbers are decidedly punky, and there are also a couple of acoustic-driven ballads, which are well suited to Vedder's sonorous low register. Sometimes, that spontaneity comes at the expense of Ten's marvelous craft — a few songs here are just plain underdeveloped, with supporting frameworks that don't feel very sturdy. But, of everything that does work, the rockers are often frightening in their intensity, and the more reflective songs are mesmerizing. Vs. may not reach the majestic heights of Ten, but at least half the record stands with Pearl Jam's best work.

1. Go
2. Animal
3. Daughter
4. Glorified G
5. Dissident
6. W.M.A.
7. Blood
8. Rearviewmirror
9. Rats
10. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town
11. Leash
12. Indifference

AIR

AIR
LOVE 2 (2009)
320 KBPS

A decade ago, when Air was delivering its extraordinary debut, "Moon Safari," the notion of French pop was a punch line. Since then, there's been a gold rush of distinctive French music made by Daft Punk, Cassius, Phoenix, M83, Mellow, Justice and others. Air is still at it, with Nicolas Godin and JB Dunckel continually refining their delicate matrix of electronic cool, vocal androgyny and silken melody.
The immediacy of "Moon Safari" is lacking on the duo's fifth studio album, "Love 2," with a couple of exceptions: the space-age lullaby "Sing Sang Sung" and the propulsive mantra "Be a Bee." But the rest is more than just the idle purr of background synthesizers. Godin and Dunckel patiently array pastel-colored textures and then trace graceful melodies across them like Renaissance artisans.
"Love 2" is not a make-out album in the traditional sense. It's about the love of silence, stillness, of being a conscious human being and watching the world float by.

1. Do the Joy
2. Love
3. So Light Is Her Footfall
4. Be a Bee
5. Missing the Light Of The Day
6. Tropical Disease
7. Heaven's Light
8. Night Hunter
9. Sing Sang Sung
10. Eat My Beat
11. You Can Tell It to Everybody
12. African Velvet

DANIEL BARENBOIM

DANIEL BARENBOIM
BRAZILIAN RHAPSODY (2000)
320 KBPS

On this splendid recording, the Argentinean pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboim extends the thin line between Brazilian popular and classical music. He's joined by bassist Robert Kassinger, violinist Nikolaj Znaider, flutist Emmanuel Pahud, oboist Alex Klein, clarinetist Larry Combs, and Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. They skillfully meld American jazz, classical genres, Portuguese choros, and African-derived sambas into a New World sound. Barenboim's piano lines are furious on the title track and florid on his Debussyan solo renditions of Darius Milhaud's "Corcovado" and "Sumaré" from Saudades do Brasil. Antonio Carlos Jobim reshaped the samba into the cool bossa nova, and this album's version of "Wave" reveals his melodic genius. The phenomenal singer and songwriter Milton Nascimento provides the high point of the CD, with his angelic tenor on his ebullient ballad "Travessia." Powered by Baptista's hypnotic caxixis and cuicas and guided by Barenboim's wide artistic vision, the sounds on this disc reveal the past, present, and, hopefully, the future of Brazilian music.

1. Tico Tico No Fubá
2. Travessia
3. Corcovado
4. Manha de Carnaval
5. Tristeza
6. Pedacinhos do Céu
7. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5
8. Wave
9. Avarandado
10. Sumaré
11. Aquarela do Brasil
12. Song of the Sabiá
13. Brazilian Rhapsody
14. Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar
15. Bahia

PAUL MCCARTNEY

PAUL McCARTNEY
FLAMING PIE (1997)
320 KBPS

Just when everyone had given up on Sir Paul's ever releasing another decent pop song, he turned around and surprised us all with his best album since the mid-'70s. After working on the Beatles' Anthology series, he was reminded of the standards of music he'd long forgotten and was pressed to meet them. Even Jeff Lynne, who helped on much of it, kept himself very much in the background, and let Mac do the right thing, playing and singing most everything, with some help from Ringo and guitarist Steve Miller, whose presence was a mixed blessing. Even if the songs don't scale the heights of the Glory Years, they remind us of the true talent that was McCartney once again. A pleasure to the ears.

1. The Song We Were Singing
2. The World Tonight
3. If You Wanna
4. Somedays
5. Young Boy
6. Calico Skies
7. Flaming Pie
8. Heaven On A Sunday
9. Used To Be Bad
10. Souvenir
11. Little Willow
12. Really Love You
13. Beautiful Night
14. Great Day

THE CURE

THE CURE
BLOODFLOWERS (2000)
320 KBPS

The Cure edged into new territory with Wild Mood Swings, but nevertheless drew scorn from certain quarters because it eschewed goth rock for pop, both pure and twisted. For 2000's Bloodflowers, Robert Smith decided to give the people what they wanted: a classic Cure album, billed as the third part of a trilogy begun with Pornography and continued with Disintegration. That turns out to be more or less true, since Bloodflowers boasts all of the Cure's signatures: stately tempos, languid melodies, spacious arrangements, cavernous echoes, morose lyrics, keening vocals, long running times. If that's all you're looking for, Bloodflowers delivers in spades. If you want something transcendent, you're out of luck, since the album falls short of the mark, largely because it sounds too self-conscious. As one song segues into the next, it feels like Smith is striving to make a classic Cure record, putting all the sounds in place before he constructs the actual songs. That makes for a good listening experience, especially for fans of Disintegration, but it never catches hold the way that record did, for two simple reasons: there isn't enough variation between the songs for them to distinguish themselves, nor are there are enough sonic details to give individual tracks character. While Disintegration had goth monoliths, it also had pristine pop gems and elegant neo-psychedelia; with a couple of exceptions, the songs on Bloodflowers all feel like cousins of "Pictures of You." The album is certainly well made, and even enjoyable; however, its achievement is a bit hollow, since it never seems like Smith is pushing himself or the band. Nobody else can come close to capturing the Cure's graceful gloom, but it's hard to shake the suspicion that Bloodflowers could have been something grand if he had shaken up the formula slightly.

1. Out of This World
2. Watching Me Fall
3. Where the Birds Always Sing
4. Maybe Someday
5. The Last Day of Summer
6. There Is No If...
7. The Loudest Sound
8. 39
9. Bloodflowers

ERIC CLAPTON

E R I C ...C L A P T O N
M E G A P O S T

CROSSROADS (1988)
320 KBPS

A four-disc box set spanning Eric Clapton's entire career — running from the Yardbirds to his '80s solo recordings — Crossroads not only revitalized Clapton's commercial standing, but it established the rock & roll multi-disc box set retrospective as a commercially viable proposition. Bob Dylan's Biograph was successful two years before the release of Crossroads, but Clapton's set was a bona fide blockbuster. And it's easy to see why. Crossroads manages to sum up Clapton's career succinctly and thoroughly, touching upon all of his hits and adding a bevy of first-rate unreleased material (most notably selections from the scrapped second Derek and the Dominos album). Although not all of his greatest performances are included on the set — none of his work as a session musician or guest artist is included, for instance — every truly essential item he recorded is present on these four discs. No other Clapton album accurately explains why the guitarist was so influential, or demonstrates exactly what he accomplished.

Disc 1
1. Boom Boom - The Yardbirds
2. Honey in Your Hips - The Yardbirds
3. Baby What's Wrong - The Yardbirds
4. I Wish You Would - The Yardbirds
5. Certain Girl - The Yardbirds
6. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl - The Yardbirds
7. I Ain't Got You - The Yardbirds
8. For Your Love - The Yardbirds
9. Got to Hurry - The Yardbirds
10. Lonely Years - John Mayall and Eric Clapton
11. Bernard Jenkins - John Mayall and Eric Clapton
12. Hideaway - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
13. All Your Love - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
14. Rambling on My Mind - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
15. Have You Ever Loved a Woman [Live] - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
16. Wrapping Paper - Cream
17. I Feel Free - Cream
18. Spoonful - Cream
19. Lawdy Mama - Cream
20. Strange Brew - Cream
21. Sunshine of Your Love - Cream
22. Tales of Brave Ulysses - Cream
23. Steppin' Out - Cream

Disc 2
1. Anyone for Tennis - Cream
2. White Room - Cream
3. Crossroads [Live] - Cream
4. Badge - Cream
5. Presence of the Lord - Blind Faith
6. Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith
7. Sleeping in the Ground - Blind Faith
8. Comin' Home - Delaney & Bonnie
9. Blues Power - Eric Clapton
10. After Midnight - Eric Clapton
11. Let It Rain - Eric Clapton
12. Tell the Truth - Derek And the Dominos
13. Roll It Over - Derek And the Dominos
14. Layla - Derek And the Dominos
15. Mean Old World - Derek And the Dominos
16. Key to the Highway [Live] - Derek And the Dominos
17. Crossroads [Live] - Derek And the Dominos

Disc 3
1. Got to Get Better in a Little While - Derek And the Dominos
2. Evil - Derek And the Dominos
3. One More Chance - Derek And the Dominos
4. Mean Old Frisco - Derek And the Dominos
5. Snake Lake Blues - Derek And the Dominos
6. Let It Grow - Eric Clapton
7. Ain't That Lovin' You - Eric Clapton
8. Motherless Children - Eric Clapton
9. I Shot the Sheriff [Live] - Eric Clapton
10. Better Make It Through Today - Eric Clapton
11. Sky Is Crying - Eric Clapton
12. I Found a Love - Eric Clapton
13. (When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too - Eric Clapton
14. What'cha Gonna Do? - Eric Clapton
15. Knockin' on Heaven's Door - Eric Clapton
16. Someone Like You - Eric Clapton

Disc 4
1. Hello Old Friend - Eric Clapton
2. Sign Language - Eric Clapton
3. Further on up the Road [Live] - Eric Clapton
4. Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton
5. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
6. Cocaine - Eric Clapton
7. Promises - Eric Clapton
8. If I Don't Be There by Morning - Eric Clapton
9. Double Trouble [Live] - Eric Clapton
10. I Can't Stand It - Eric Clapton
11. Shape You're In - Eric Clapton
12. Heaven Is One Step Away - Eric Clapton
13. She's Waiting - Eric Clapton
14. Too Bad - Eric Clapton
15. Miss You - Eric Clapton
16. Wanna Make Love to You - Eric Clapton
17. After Midnight - Eric Clapton

CROSSROADS 2:
LIVE IN THE SEVENTIES (1996)
320 KBPS

Crossroads was a box set that appealed to both beginners and fanatics. Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies only appeals to fanatics. Spanning four discs and consisting almost entirely of live material (there are a handful of studio outtakes), this is music that will only enthrall completists and archivists. For those listeners, there is a wealth of fascinating, compelling performances here, as well as a fair share of mediocre, uninspired tracks. The key word for the entire album is detail — it is an album for studying the intricacies of Eric Clapton's playing and how it evolved. For example, it's easy to hear the differences and progressions between the four versions of Robert Johnson's "Rambling on My Mind." And it is Clapton that evolves, not his supporting band — although they are proficient, they are hardly exciting. However, their static, professional support provides a nice bed to chart Slowhand's growth over the course of the decade, simply because he is always the focal point. Crossroads 2 may only be for a collector, but for those collectors, it is a treasure, even if some of the tracks are fool's gold.

Disc 1
1. Walkin' Down The Road
2. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
3. Willie And The Hand Jive/Get Ready
4. Can't Find My Way Home
5. Driftin' Blues/Rambling On My Mind
6. Presence Of The Lord
7. Rambling On My Mind/Have You Ever Loved A Woman
8. Little Wing
9. The Sky Is Crying/Have You Ever Loved A Woman / Rambling On My Mind

Disc 2
1. Layla
2. Further On Up The Road
3. I Shot The Sheriff
4. Badge
5. Driftin' Blues
6. Eyesight To The Blind/Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?

Disc 3
1. Tell The Truth
2. Knockin On Heaven's Door
3. Stormy Monday
4. Lay Down Sally
5. The Core
6. We're All The Way
7. Cocaine
8. Goin' Down Slow/Rambling On My Mind
9. Mean Old Frisco

Disc 4
1. Loving You (Is Sweeter Than Ever)
2. Worried Life Blues
3. Tulsa Time
4. Early In The Morning
5. Wonderful Tonight
6. Kind Hearted Woman
7. Double Trouble
8. Crossroads
9. To Make Somebody Happy
10. Cryin'
11. Water On The Ground

DAVID BOWIE

DAVID BOWIE
REALITY (2003)
320 KBPS

Instead of being a one-off comeback, 2002's Heathen turned out to be where David Bowie settled into a nice groove for his latter-day career, if 2003's Reality is any indication. Working once again with producer Tony Visconti, Bowie again returns to a sound from the past, yet tweaks it enough to make it seem modern, not retro. Last time around, he concentrated on his early-'70s sound, creating an amalgam of Hunky Dory through Heroes. With Reality, he picks up where he left off, choosing to revise the sound of Heroes through Scary Monsters, with the latter functioning as a sonic blueprint for the album. Basically, Reality is a well-adjusted Scary Monsters, minus the paranoia and despair — and if those two ingredients were key to the feeling and effect of that album, it's a credit to Bowie that he's found a way to retain the sound and approach of that record, but turn it bright and cheerful and keep it interesting. Since part of the appeal of Monsters is the creeping sense of unease and its icy detachment, it would seem that a warmer, mature variation on that would not be successful, but Bowie and Visconti are sharp record-makers, retaining what works — layers of voices and guitars, sleek keyboards, coolly propulsive rhythms — and tying them to another strong set of songs. Like Heathen, the songs deliberately recall classic Bowie by being both tuneful and adventurous, both hallmarks of his '70s work. If this isn't as indelible as anything he cut during that decade, that's merely the fate of mature work by veteran rockers. So, Reality doesn't have the shock of the new, but it does offer some surprises, chief among them the inventive, assured production and memorable songs. It's a little artier than Heathen, but similar in its feel and just as satisfying. Both records are testaments to the fact that veteran rockers can make satisfyingly classicist records without resulting in nostalgia or getting too comfortable. With any luck, Bowie will retain this level of quality for a long time to come.

1. New Killer Star
2. Pablo Picasso
3. Never Get Old
4. The Loneliest Guy
5. Looking For Water
6. She'll Drive The Big Car
7. Days
8. Fall Dog Bombs The Moon
9. Try Some, Buy Some
10. Reality
11. Bring Me The Disco King

MIOSSEC

MIOSSEC
A PRENDRE (1998)
320 KBPS

Third album for Christophe Miossec and stil my favorite of his discography. After "Boire" (1995) and "Baiser" (1997) is a more lyrically mature and musically refined album. Still working with the same team of musicians, Miossec seems to be more appeased, happy with his life yet still displays his anger on some of the songs displayed here. Serene yet lucid, Miossec gives us a great album that'll please all those looking for quality new chanson.

1. Le Chien Mouillé (En Silence)
2. A Table
3. Le Voisin
4. Les Bières Aujourd'Hui S'Ouvrent Manuellement
5. Le Déménagement
6. Retour à l'Hôtel
7. L'Auberge Des Culs Tournés
8. Tout Compte Tout Compte Fait
9. L'Assistant Parlementaire
10. La Maison
11. Au Haut Du Mat

HÜSKER DÜ

HÜSKER DÜ
NEW DAY RISING (1985)
320 KBPS

For New Day Rising, the follow-up to their breakthrough double-album Zen Arcade, Hüsker Dü replaced concept with conciseness, concentrating on individual songs delivered as scalding post-hardcore pop. New Day Rising is not only a more vicious and relentless record than Zen Arcade, it's more melodic. Bob Mould and Grant Hart have written tightly crafted, melodic pop songs that don't compromise Hüsker's volcanic, unchecked power. Mould and Hart's songs owe a great deal to '60s pop, as the verses and choruses ebb and flow with immediately catchy hooks. Occasionally, the razor-thin production and waves of noise mean that it takes a little bit of effort to pick out the melodies, but more often the furious noise and melodies fuse together to create an overwhelming sonic force. It's possible to hear the rivalry between Mould and Hart on the album itself — each song is like a game of one-upmanship, as Mould responds to "The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill" with "Celebrated Summer." Neither songwriter slips — both turn in songs that are catchy, clever, and alternately wracked with pain or teeming with humor. New Day Rising is a positively cathartic record and ranks as Hüsker Dü's most sustained moment of pure power.

1. New Day Rising
2. The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill
3. I Apologize
4. Folk Lore
5. If I Told You
6. Celebrated Summer
7. Perfect Example
8. Terms Of Psychic Warfare
9. 59 Times The Pain
10. Powerline
11. Books About UFOs
12. I Don't Know What You're Talking About
13. How To Skin A Cat
14. Whatcha Drinkin'
15. Plans I Make

GORILLAZ [REPOST]

GORILLAZ
GORILLAZ (2001)
320 KBPS

The Gorillaz claim to have found their motley crew of cartoon characters sleeping in Leicester Square, but Blur's Damon Albarn (a.k.a. 2-D) and cult cartoonist Jamie Hewlett (Murdoc) aren't fooling anyone. As the ultimate experiment in manufactured image, the Gorillaz are a virtual cartoon-character-based hip-hop band who bring together witty, silly lyrics and talented musicians. Infectious old-school hip-hop rhythms, rhymes, and effects courtesy of Deltron 3030's Kid Koala and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (Russel) are combined with Albarn's passion for chugging lo-fi and edgy melodies to create a seemingly raw but ultimately slick blend of styles. This is nowhere more evident than on the hit single "Clint Eastwood," which is carried along by the sound of 2-D's slurred voice and a bluesy harmonica melody interrupted by Russel's punching rhymes. But the surprises don't stop there: Ibrahim Ferrer's appearance on "Latin Simone" could have come straight from Buena Vista Social Club but for the obvious Blur-influenced piano style, while the spooky intro to "M1 A1" wouldn't sound out of place on Michael Jackson's Thriller. Backed by Jamie Hewlett's death-wish character on bass, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori (Noodle) on guitar and occasional hyperactive vocals, and produced by Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, it's hardly surprising that Gorillaz is marked both by a sense of playfulness and a passion for experimentation.

1. Re-hash
2. 5/4
3. Tomorrow Comes Today
4. New Genious (Brother)
5. Clint Eastwood
6. Man Research (Clapper)
7. Punk
8. Sound Check (Gravity)
9. Double Bass
10. Rock The House
11. 19-2000
12. Latin Simone
13. Starshine
14. Slow Country
15. M1 A1

VANDEN PLAS

VANDEN PLAS
THE GOD THING (1997)
320 KBPS

After the enjoyable acoustic excursion that was the Accult album, Vanden Plas returned in 1997 with The God Thing, the first "real" follow-up to their 1994 debut Colour Temple. The "Dream Theater meets Dokken" melodic progressive metal style the band displayed on that album is back in force on The God Thing.
The God Thing was my first Vanden Plas album. I paid an exorbitantly high price for a used copy when I was in my "anything that sounds like Dream Theater" phase. Unlike a lot of the bands I tried (and later abandoned) during that time, Vanden Plas remains a favorite today. It's evident on The God Thing that Vanden Plas isn't just another prog metal band. For one thing, these guys wrote actual songs, not just solos, and while the songs average about 7 minutes each, they never feel like exercises in self-indulgent instrumental wankery. This may be a result of vocalist Andy Kuntz's heavy involvement in the songwriting process.
Beyond the band's impressive technical skills and Kuntz's distinct vocals, there is an abundance of great melodies. The songs pull you in and really stick in your head. I tend to skip past the obligatory instrumental introductory track, but after a few seconds of Fire Blossom I was hooked, and it just carried me into Rainmaker. The whole album is strong, but its shining moment is the stirring, emotional Crown of Thorns, which to this day remains my absolute favorite Vanden Plas song.
The God Thing is a great progressive metal album, and the best Vanden Plas release. If you're into this kind of music, I can't imagine this album failing to please.

1. Fire Blossom
2. Rainmaker
3. Garden of Stones
4. In You: I Believe
5. Day I Die
6. Crown of Thorns
7. We're Not God
8. Salt in My Wounds
9. You Fly
Bonus Track
10. Combien de Larmes (How Many Tears, French Version)
11. Spanish Rain
12. Days of Thunder (Acoustic Version)
13. Raining in My Heart

PHILIPPE LEOTARD

PHILIPPE LEOTARD
JE REVE QUE JE DORS (1996)
320 KBPS

"Je Rêve Que Je Dors" is actor/singer Philippe Léotard's third album and places itself in the great tradition of quality French chanson. With arrangements heavily leaning on a jazz influence and his raw poetry, this album proves, if needed be, that you don't need a great voice to be a great singer. The many excesses of his life (alcohol and drugs mainly) have given Mr. Léotard a broken down style which fits his lyrics perfectly. It's a little as if Tom Waits did a Léo Ferré impression while still remaining very personal and emotional. Léotard didn't want to be a star, that much is sure, and his poignant and visceral style gives us much more than just a wannabe singer could. He was real and still is dearly missed. Try this, you will not be disappointed.

1. Lonesome Piéton
2. Magazines
3. Danse Du Grand Wanapi
4. Rhétorique Encéphalée
5. Des Enfants Qui S'Aiment
6. Un Blues
7. Basse Altitude
8. On Ne S'En Va Pas
9. Penguing Song
10. Don Juan Parle
11. Oï Tzigané
12. Je Reve Que Je Dors

FLEET FOXES [REPOST]

FLEET FOXES
FLEET FOXES (2008)
320 KBPS

Exclusive European pressing of their debut album tacks on five bonus tracks, one is the B-side from the mega-limited UK 7-inch 'White Winter Hymnal', 'Isles', while the other four are taken from their debut 'Sun Giant' EP, 'Sun Giant', 'Drops in the River', 'English House', and 'Myknonos'. Seattle's Fleet Foxes traffic in baroque harmonic pop. They draw influences from the traditions of folk, pop, choral, gospel, sacred harp singing, West Coast music, traditional music from Ireland to Japan, film scores, and their NW peers. The subject matter ranges from the natural world and familial bonds to bygone loves and stone cold graves. The Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut is one of the best albums I've heard last year, with its blend of styles and bittersweetly lovely songs. Haunting and truly lovely.

Disc 1
1. Sun It Rises
2. White Winter Hymnal
3. Ragged Wood
4. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
5. Quiet Houses
6. He Doesn't Know Why
7. Heard Them Stirring
8. Your Protector
9. Meadowlarks
10. Blue Ridge Mountains

Disc 2
1. Sun Giant (Sun Giant EP)
2. Drops in the River (Sun Giant EP)
3. English House (Sun Giant EP)
4. Mykonos (Sun Giant EP)
5. Isles (B-side to 'White Winter Hymnal' 7-inch)