ALAIN SOUCHON

ALAIN SOUCHON
C'EST COMME VOUS VOULEZ (1985)
320 KBPS

With his 7th album, Alain Souchon gets closer to rock than he ever did before. The arrangements of Michel Coeuriot perfectly fit the sensitive, elegant songwriting of Souchon. As usually, his friend Laurent Voulzy wrote a few musics in here like, for example, "J'veux du Cuir", one of the album's winner. Other highlights include the cinematic "La Ballade de Jim", the Loui Chedid co-written "Vous êtes lents" the gorgeous "Portbail" or the title track, "C'est Comme Vous Voulez" but all the songs are actually quite good.
While he was already well known and successful with his previous works, this album surely defined What Souchon was to become: a leading figure that ultimately influenced the new chanson scene which appeared in the 90s. A must try.

1. C'est Comme Vous Voulez
2. Faust
3. Les Jours Sans Moi
4. La Vie Intime Est Maritime
5. Portbail
6. La Ballade De Jim
7. Pays Industriels
8. Pourquoi Tu T'prépares
9. J'veux Du Cuir
10. Vous Êtes Lents

IQ

IQ
EVER (1993)
320 KBPS

IQ has been one of my all time favorite neo-prog bands and rates on an equal footing to the likes of MARILLION, PALLAS and PENDRAGON in my opinion. Ever is certainly the pinnacle album to have from IQ as it blends all elements delivering a well balanced, full concept like album. Musicianship is exceptionally high here with some great guitar/bass interplay covered by detailed, dark, symphonic synths which are surrounded by the detailed and solid drumming/percussion of Paul Cook. Peter Nichols delivers a solid vocal workout as well and brings in my opinion his best to the band here.

1. The Darkest Hour
2. Fading Senses:
I. After All
II. Fading Senses
3. Out Of Nowhere
4. Further Away
5. Leap Of Faith
6. Came Down

WOODY HERMAN

WOODY HERMAN
THE RAVEN SPEAKS (1972)
256 KBPS

In the 60s and 70s, Woody was always trying out new things with varied results. As a result, the pop arrangements on this album sound a bit dated today, but the jazz-oriented material sounds great no matter what the decade. High points are Alan Broadbent's "Reunion At Newport," "Bill's Blues," and Tony Klatka's interesting reworking of "Watermelon Man." Coincidentally, all three of those tunes feature solos by the underrated trumpeter Bill Stapleton. Pat Martino is also on the album but unfortunately doesn't solo.
It's all typical Woody, and any fans of the Herd will enjoy this outing.

1. Fat Mama
2. Alone Again (Naturally)
3. Watermelon Man
4. It's Too Late
5. Raven Speaks
6. Summer of '42
7. Reunion at Newport 1972
8. Bill's Blues

NEVERMORE

NEVERMORE
ENEMIES OF REALITY (2003)
320 KBPS

Enemies of Reality is an amazing successor to "A Dead heart in a dead world". It’s way different than any other Nevermore album. It sounds way heavier and groovy. Warrel's vocals and Loomis's guitar work is spectacular in this album. The opening track "Enemies of Reality" is a killer. The opening riff is mind blowing. Jeff puts out 3 outstanding solos in the song. The chorus of the song is catchy and addicting. Ambivalent is rather boring but Warrels vocals save this songs dignity. Never Purify has a rather poor start. I personally don’t like songs starting of with vocals, but in this song it keeps significance. Tomorrow Turned Into Yesterday is slow but yet good. Its an average song nothing really worth mentioning about it, I Voyager has a sick solo on it. That made the whole song worth it. Create the infinite is another good track. Who Decides sort of reminds me of the old Nevermore and has its own sound. Noumenon, this song is disgusting. I have no idea why this song was put in. It’s long, boring and slow. Seed Awakening has some sick riffs by Loomis done on it. Warrel's vocals are ok but the guitar and drum work is spectacular.

1. Enemies of Reality
2. Ambivalent
3. Never Purify
4. Tomorrow Turned Into Yesterday
5. I, Voyager
6. Create the Infinite
7. Who Decides
8. Noumenon
9. Seed Awakening

FREDDIE HUBBARD

FREDDIE HUBBARD
BACKLASH (1967)
320 KBPS

To jazz fans under the age of 30, the name Freddie Hubbard probably won't signify a superstar. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, however, he was the third-best trumpeter in the music (behind Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis). Illness triggered a decline in the 1990s, but, thankfully, there are still numerous reissues that recall his greatness. Backlash, from 1966, finds the former member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in a jazz-R&B hybrid mood with pianist Albert Dailey, drummer Otis Ray Appleton, saxophonist/flutist James Spaulding, and percussionist Ray Barretto. Technically, Hubbard's robust Clifford Brown-influenced chops are in full effect. "On the Que Tee," "Up Jumped Spring," and the title track all reflect the soulful spell of Lee Morgan's hit "Sidewinder." But this date is best remembered for giving the world the first version of Hubbard's lovely jazz standard "Little Sunflower." With the lilting Latin tinges provided by Barretto, Hubbard floats above those rhythms with lyrical ease, reminding us of the majesty of his music.

1. Backlash
2. The Return Of The Prodigal Son
3. Little Sunflower
4. On The Que-Tee
5. Up Jumped Spring
6. Echoes Of Blue

RUSH

RUSH
CARESS OF STEEL (1975)
320 KBPS

After heavily displaying their influences throughout their first two albums, Rush decided on Caress of Steel that it was time to break away from the pack. And seemingly at the same time, Neil Peart's lyrical genius really began to shine through for the first time. This is the first great Rush album, and I have no idea how so many people have overlooked it. As always, the band's playing is stunning (though it would get to be even more so in following years), and their great song ideas were really starting to come through. While the group's compositions would still get better with their next few albums, these were the first signs of their brilliance, and it blows away their first two records.
"Bastille Day" is a fantastic rocker with very meaningful and direct lyrics. The riffs are more powerful than anything they'd done up to that point, and Geddy's vocals are at their most agressive. "I Think I'm Going Bald' may have a catchy riff, but it's really somewhat of an unremarkable, goofy track. This is more than made up for by the mellow "Lakeside Park", which is extremely well performed, and really just a very enjoyable track. However, it's after these three songs that the record gets ambitious. "The Necromancer" is their first 10+ minute song, and while it has some great moments and does a fantastic job at establishing different moods, the narraration really causes me to lose some interest in the track. Still, some of Alex Lifeson's best early guitar work can be found on this track, and it's well worth the time it takes to listen to it. However, it gets blown out of the water by their first sidelong track, the stunning "Fountain of Lamneth". While it doesn't flow seamlessly like their later epics, the band is in top form for the entire thing, and never has Geddy's high pitched screaming worked so well. Add Neil Peart's brilliantly descriptive lyircs to the equation, as well as the always flawless guitar work of Alex Lifeson, and you've got yourself a hell of a song. It doesn't drag at any point, and it made it extremely obvious that Rush had great things ahed of them.
I'm one of the select few who actually preffers Caress of Steel to 2112. While 2112 has one stunning track and then a whole side of mediocre ones, Caress is fairly consistent, and really shows the band coming into their own in every sense. While I don't suggest making it one of your first Rush albums, don't be concerned that you won't like it either.

1. Bastille Day
2. I Think I'm Going Bald
3. Lakeside Park
4. The Necromancer:
I) Into The Darkness
II) Under The Shadow
III) Return Of The Prince
5. The Fountain Of Lamneth:
I) In The Valley
II) Didacts And Narpets
III) No One At The Bridge
IV) Panacea
V) Bacchus Plateau
VI) The Fountain

SLOY

SLOY
PLANET OF TUBES (1996)
320 KBPS

This, my friends, is one of the best bands ever created in France. One of the rare bands we French people can be proud of. Nothing less.
Shellac, Rapeman, Big Black or also Devo lovers will be fond of this album of crazy noise rock. Idolize and Chocolate Sperm tracks are opening the album : that's it, welcome to Sloy's World. I can't explain precisely with technical words (I'm French, hey) but if you like big sounds from whipping snare drums, noisy side of guitars and bass guitars directly inspired by the Stranglers, then this is for you. You'll appreciate the production by Steve Albini (yeah, the big one), giving this not-so-famous band a role in first parts of Shellac gigs and PJ Harvey's tours.
Believe me, even if it's not as excellent as their first album, it's very good anyway.

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1. Idolize
2. Chocolate Sperm
3. Bull
4. Air
5. Spraying With 1.6 KHZ
6. Red
7. Saw
8. Eat Your Toy
9. Lick Me
10. Tubes
11. Arms

RAE & CHRISTIAN

RAE & CHRISTIAN
NORTHERN SULPHURIC SOUL (1998)
320 KBPS

Northern Sulphuric Soul features the duo navigating the slender divide between jazzy hip-hop, mid-tempo nu-soul, and mainstream house. Nine of the thirteen tracks feature guest vocalists, from Texas and Veba (the latter a Rae & Christian regular) to the Jungle Brothers, Jeru the Damaja, and JVC Force. Surprisingly, R&C are equally masterful on the dance tracks and the hip-hop cuts; though most of the songs aren't exactly barnburners, it's obvious that every aspect of these productions have been labored over. Dance listeners can always count on deep basslines, but hardly ones that are as intricate as they are on Northern Sulphuric Soul.

1. Divine Sounds
2. Anything You Want
3. Swansong (For A Nation)
4. Now I Lay Me Down
5. The Hush
6. All I Ask
7. Swimming Pool
8. Fool
9. Catch A Rude Awakening
10. Play On (Grand Central)
11. Bring The Drama
12. Flip The Mic
13. Spellbound

ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO

ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO
BITTER (1999)
320 KBPS

Bitter is an appropriate title for Me'Shell Ndegéocello's third album. Inspired by a torturous romantic relationship, Bitter surges with emotions, and most of them are shaded with regret, remorse, or bitterness. Undoubtedly, the relationship was painful, but it has given Ndegéocello an artistic focus missing on her two previous albums. It provides a sorrowful, meditative emotional template that she matches with moody, slow songs that flow into each other. It's the kind of album that demands close listening, otherwise it has the tendency to fade into the background. For some listeners, concentrated listening may be a little difficult, given the bleak emotions of the music, but Ndegéocello's subtle songcraft truly reveals itself upon close inspection. And, with repeated plays, Bitter reveals itself as the most personal — and in many ways, most rewarding — album of her career.

1. Adam
2. Fool Of Me
3. Faithful
4. Satisfy
5. Bitter
6. May This Be Love
7. Sincerity
8. Loyalty
9. Beautiful
10. Eve
11. Wasted Time
12. Grace

DAVID BOWIE

DAVID BOWIE
HUNKY DORY (1971)
320 KBPS

The precursor to Bowie's masterpiece, The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, Hunky Dory points in many of the same musical directions as Ziggy, with Bowie camping it up outrageously through a mixture of cabaret piano, coquettish lyrics and soaring vocals. After the hard rock "The Man Who Sold The World", Mick Ronson's guitar is turned down in favour of plenty of piano and acoustic guitar, as Bowie proves his mettle as a masterful singer-songwriter. Not a dull note is struck on the whole album, which flits from opener "Changes" to the vampy "Oh! You Pretty Things" to the heart-wrenching "Life On Mars?" with a seemingly impeccable ear for a tune. Flirty, sexy and irresistibly seductive.

1. Changes
2. Oh! You Pretty Things
3. Eight Line Poem
4. Life On Mars?
5. Kooks
6. Quicksand
7. Fill Your Heart
8. Andy Warhol
9. Song For Bob Dylan
10. Queen Bitch
11. The Bewlay Brothers