690. Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers

A couple of my mates worship at the altar of this album, but I've never known it that well. I was concerned that it would simply be more meaningless lyrics and funky basslines - one good, one not so much. I know that Under the Bridge is clearly different, but that always struck me as being the exception that proved the rule.

This was the band's fifth album, and their first with Warner Bros. The previous album, Mother's Milk, had some reasonable success in reaching number 52 in the US, but this album would blow that out of the water, selling 7 million copies to date. Rick Rubin produced the album, with the band living and recording in Harry Houdini's former mansion for the duration of the 30 days it took to record, with the presence of ghosts apprently bringing 'warm vibes' to proceedings. The success of the album took the band by surprise, and the stress of touring took its toll on Frusciante, who left the band due to a combination of the stresses of performing and his drug habit.

The Power of Equality hints at things I would normally not put as central to the RHCP thesis, but clearly they are proper liberals at heart.The opener has all you would expect of the band in terms of being funk driven, and that then flows into the second track - If You Have To Ask. Now, say I read too much into this, but going from talking about equality to implying that you don't need to ask about gettin it on seems slightly contradictory. I mean, I think asking is quite important in this sort of context Mr Kiedis. And then Breaking The Girl, which is just hugely 'meh' - I didn't notice it until writing this review. Funky Monks is at least catchy, but doesn't do enough - it merely advertises some strong falsetto credentials. Suck My Kiss is one of the better known songs off the album - it is more interesting than most, but I just can't imagine listening to it again once this week is over. I Could Have Lied is overly sappy, but does inject a bit of real emotion to the album. Mellowship Slinky in B Major is frankly crap, as is the Righteous & The Wicked. You've got a good bassist and sex-obssessed lead singer - I get it; there's no need to constantly ram the point home with mediocre songs. Give It Away is a decent song, with a catchy chorus and a sharp, funky bassline that doesn't entirely dominate the rest of the song, with Frusciante's guitar riff and tight drumming contributing significantly. The title track has a strange vocal delivery - nothing much else to say there. Under the Bridge is a brilliant piece of music; sitting in the middle of this album it seems to confirm the infinte monkeys-infinite typewriters theory single-handedly. I'm not going to comment on any of the remaining songs - I don't have anything really to say about them over than they exist, and you may like them, but I don't.

Overall, you may have gathered that I didn't enjoy this album much - the songs merged into one, a couple of examples aside. Whilst there is some real talent there, so many songs seem to be created on autopilot, and lack the variety that would really help this album stand out. Under the Bridge is so much better than any other song on the album, and is so different, that it really makes me wish they spent more time working on the slower but purposeful songs. The faster ones are just a decent bassline, and the slow, sappy ones are pale imitations of much better bands.

Chloe's album rating: 5
Chloe's favourite track: 11. Under the Bridge
Olly's album rating: 4 
Olly's favourite track: 11. Under the Bridge

Next week is 912. Punishing Kiss by Ute Lemper. Not a scooby, but early indications suggest it's not sex-obssessed funk rock.

60. Aftermath - The Rolling Stones

I do love a bit of the Rolling Stones, but hadn't taken a sufficiently exacting approach to experiencing their albums, and so this one had passed me by somewhat. Having said that, there are a large number of singles off this album that I know, and definitely enjoy.

Aftermath was the first full Rolling Stones album, in the sense that the previous ones were effectively singles packed with some offcuts and others, rather than a cohesive whole. The album demonstrated not only the variety the band could attain, but that they were willing to be experimental in their approach. All songs were written by Jagger and Richards, and the album clocks in at over 50 minutes - a rarity at the time. The US version starts with Paint It Black, a number one single at the time, and the album reached number one in the UK, and number two in the US.

Mother's Little Helper opens the album with a catchy tale of domestic drug use and abuse. Whilst there are certainly tones of sexism and a lack of awareness of mental health when viewed from a modern context, it is well observed, and the guitar really drives things along. Stupid Girl takes this attack on women to another level, but without the musical backing to at least distract from this. I would imagine that it was written with a particular individual in mind, and the song would have been better had she been named - at least then the accuracy of the statements could have been tested, rather than being clearly unjustified. Lady Jane takes things in an awkward direction, with a medieval pastiche that may have been fashionable at the time, but just sounds boring now. Under My Thumb is all sinewy instrumentation and Jagger taking centre stage; the combination of hand claps, bass line and glockenspiel works well as a backing to the narrative of the tables being turned in a relationship. Doncha Bother Me again shows the variety of instruments upon which the band (primarily Brian Jones) were adept, from harmonica to slide guitar. It is an enjoyable enough romp, but also fairly forgettable, in contrast to Goin' Home, the following song, which could never be called a romp, at a Pink Floyd bothering 11 minutes long. It's a stripped back bluesy epic that that doesn't really build into much, and whilst it may suggest a long train ride over the mid-West, it wouldn't make the journey feel much shorter. Flight 505 is a piano-centred number with some delightfully deep bass lines thrown in. The slightly ramshackle feel to the song gives it a sense of authenticity, but I feel it would work much better live than in recorded form. Honky tonk is the main theme of High and Dry, and is not a genre I now wish to explore. Out of Time is a more complete song than most on this album, and the conventional verse-chorus structure just seems to suit the group more. It's Not Easy adds some energy and strong backing vocals, and I Am Waiting has some pleasant harmonies, although is a bit lightweight. Take It or Leave It was actually released as a single for the Searchers before appearing on this album, with Think being recorded by Chris Farlowe three months prior to the album release as well. This demonstrates the fluidity of recording and song-writing at the time, but they are decent rather than exceptional efforts.

The influence of the USA is so palpable on this album that the band's identity as British seems irrelevant. This love in with Americana clearly influenced the band's later work for the better, but in this condensed form, it lacks the cohesion and originality I was expecting. This album is revered, and had a huge impact at the time, but it just sounds like a band finding their feet rather than standing astride the globe, and that is what I've grown to expect from the Stones I guess. Add the singles they recorded around this time (Paint it Black, 19th Nervous Breakdown), and remove some of the filler, and you'd have a sharper, more direct album.

Chloe's album rating: 5
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Under My Thumb
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 4. Under My Thumb

Next week it's 690. Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. More meaningless lyrics and funky basslines; we'll call that one-all.

400. Dire Straits - Dire Straits

Dire Straits are a band where the default setting is to hate. A minority will find themselves feeling ambivalent towards the group, and a hardcore handful will describe themselves as active fans. Having created these arbitrary divisions, I will know place myself outside of them - I don't know their back catalogue well enough to be a real fan, but I do love some of their albums and singles. This, their debut album, was one I didn't know well at all, and the only song I'd heard of was Sultans of Swing.

The band were formed around the brothers Mark and David Knopfler in Deptford, South East London. Many of their songs reflect the move from Newcastle to the capital city, and their first break came by being played on BBC Radio London. They were eventually signed to Vertigo Records, and released their debut album in 1978, before touring as a support act for Talking Heads, and then a series of sold out dates in the US under their own name. Whilst their biggest selling albums were to come later, this album did catapult them into being a player on the global stage.

Down to the Waterline is a very light, slightly swingy pop song, with some great Mark Knopfler licks embodying what would really become his trademark sound. It doesn't promise much, but is enjoyable enough, and with more depth to it than Water of Love, which is quite forgettable - catchy chorus aside. Setting Me Up left me feeling fairly cold - it doesn't do anything, it's Country Honk style not really sitting well with the rest of the album. Six Blade Knife made little impression on me at first, but I grew to enjoy by the end. Whilst I have no idea what it is supposed to represent, the slow, brooding sound suits the band. Southbound Again has an upbeat, driving feel to it, and appears to be straight out of the Chris Rea songbook; no bad thing. Sultans of Swing is the clear standout track, and it shines even after repeated listens. The meta approach of a song about a band enables each of the musicians to impress individually and collectively. The combination of a catchy chorus alongside some great solo works and narrative verses make for a great overall song. In the Gallery is much more interesting, exploring the world of modern art from a fairly cynical perspective. The guitar sound has an almost Ska feel to it, which works well with the meandering bass and drums. Wild West End has a lilting sound to it, and the almost spoken word nature of the vocal delivery works well. Lions has a slight swagger to it, and tells of Knopfler's experiences upon moving to London, and is reasonably pleasant.

This album is one that could be a flag-bearer for Middle-of-the-Road if it had enough conviction to even pull that off. It is real background music, and whilst that is helpful when you have a newborn baby around all the time, it isn't really what I look for. I really hoped to come across some hidden gems whilst listening to it, but in reality the best song by a mile was the only one I knew before. As an album it not only can't touch Brothers in Arms, but it falls short of Love over Gold too. It is highly inoffensive, and certainly not bad music per se, but just too forgettable to warrant a higher score.

Chloe's album rating: 5

Chloe's favourite track: 6. Sultans of Swing

Olly's abum rating: 5

Olly's favourite track: 6. Sultans of Swing

Next week we have 60. Aftermath by The Rolling Stones; not one of their albums I know too well.