27. Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba

An artist I'd never heard of, yet one who has clearly been influential once I started to read about her. Not having much knowledge of African singers from the mid-20th Century, it was nice to hear such a different range of vocal tones and textures.

Having been born in South Africa, and turning to singing to raise money after the death of her father, she was effectively exiled from the country in 1960, following her appearance in an anti-apartheid film. She was mentored by Harry Belafonte, and it was his band that backed her debut album. This eponymous album successfully landed her with a US audience, although she would not gain her nickname Mama Africa until later on. 

The Retreat Song starts with Makeba's stunning voice, and as the instruments and backing vocals add to the sound, it becomes an all-encompassing song. The dancing flute juxtaposes beautifully with the more soulful leading voice. Suliram is a slower, gentler song, that acts as a beautiful lullaby. The Click Song is catchy as anything, and shows off the diverse sounds that Makeba's voice can produce. Umhome is slightly less of a complete package, whereas Olilili has a breathtakingly good chorus; I can only imagine how powerful it would sound live. Lakutshn, Ilanga has a much more tremulous feel, and this is contributed to by its recording, which sounds decades earlier than many other songs on the album. Mbube sounded instantly familiar, as it contains elements of the song used by REM on the Lions Sleeps Tonight. The Naughty Little Flea is a terrific piece of music, and definitely Daphne's favourite off the album, with its lively tempo and amusing vocal tones. Where Does it Lead is a wonderfully mournful song that is beautifully constructed, yet House of the Rising Sun doesn't come close to the Animals seminal version of this classic. The last track, One More Dance, is a real sore point on the album, with the annoying laughing backing vocals, and gold-digging insinuation just entirely unneccessary. 

It is Makeba's voice that holds this album together, and its vocal range and power indicate a raw range of emotions she must have experienced following the death of her mother. It is an album I enjoyed a lot more than I expected, with a real variety and depth to it I was not anticipating. There are a few tracks that are fairly forgettable, but the good ones are exceptional, and Miriam's voice is one I will certainly be listening out for in the future.

Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 3. The Click Song
Olly's album rating: 7
Olly's favourite track: 5. Olilili

Next week is 288. Mott by Mott the Hoople. No All the Young Dudes on it though.

794. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters

I'm going to talk about this album without mentioning Nirvana. Except for then. I've always had a soft spot for the Foos, having seen a belting live performance at them at Reading Festival years ago, but I didn't know this album too well.  

Foo Fighters were the brainchild of Dave Grohl, who had been a drummer in a band that stopped making new material quite suddenly. The songs were just an assortment that had been written over the previous few years, and he claims it was never meant to be an album. This album was entirely created by Grohl, with the drummer showing off his skills as a multi-instrumentalist, taking the name given to alleged alien aircraft from WWII to allow for his anonymity. Having then signed with Capitol records, he recruited a band to perform the songs live, and the album sold beyond his expectations, going platinum in the US and Canada, and Gold in the UK. 

This is a Call is a simple manifesto of a song, which indicates what the band are about, namely loud, distorted guitars, meaningless lyrics and anthemic choruses. It's not clever, but it is quite big in terms of its sound, and obvious confidence. I'll Stick Around Adds a small element of subtlety, but overall it flows in similar fashion, with big, gritty guitar riffs, driving percussion, and a shout-along chorus. Big Me is a slower number, with an acoustic yet multi-layered feel. It shows off Grohl's voice in a more sympathetic manner, and I can see why people like it, although it's a bit shallow to my ears. Alone + Easy Target is a song I still haven't quite got my head round, despite its simplicity. There are swirling guitars, a slightly identikit chorus, and disconcerting use of symbols in the title - it's probably apparent what threw me off. Good Grief is the best music on the album, with a riff and drum combo that tears out of the speakers from the outset. The urgency contrasts nicely with Grohl's more laid back delivery, until the chorus bites in above waves of crunchy fretboard pounding. Floaty is something of a template for later Foos songs in terms of the variation of pace and volume. Weenie Beenie is a bit of a nothing song, and Oh George doesn't add much either. For All the Cows is pretty bizarre lyrically, even in the context of the rest of the album. X-Static has some great waves of feedback and layers of guitar, with one of the stronger riffs on the album. Wattershed nicely captures some of Grohl's love of punk, but Exhausted is slightly forgettable.

Overall it's a good, enjoyable rock album with a bit of variety in there that demonstrates what Grohl could go on and do. I hadn't realised that the album was created single-handedly, and that makes the whole thing more impressive. Whilst their best work was to come later, this was a good indication of what the band were about. Whilst there is a bit of filler on the album, the strength of some of the songs allow you to forgive it the blips.

Chloe's album rating: 6 
Chloe's favourite track: 1. This is a Call
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 4. Good Grief

Next week we have a very early album 27. Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba, from 1960.  

506. Sulk - The Associates

I vaguely recall reading about this band in Simon Reynold's exceptional book 'Rip It Up and Start Again', but couldn't remember any specifics. Having looked at it again, he labelled them as the best post-punk pop band to never make it. Given the sheer number of post-punk bands that never made it, that is, in a sense, very high praise.

A Scottish two-piece, it was The Associates' hit, Party Fears Two, that catapulted them to fame. Their first two albums had achieved murmurs of acclaim, and they spent a significant sum on the third, with some pretty extravagant recording studio antics. It seemed to pay off with Top of the Pops performances of the aforementioned single culminating in it reaching number 9 in the UK charts, and bringing along with it all the associated (sorry) trappings. Their success in the US never really came about, and when member Alan Rankine left the band just prior to the tour to promote Sulk in the US, major label interest dried up, and the band never recaptured their moment.

Arrogance Gave Him Up is an instrumental opener that undersells the band. No is a brilliant piece of music, with a crisp, cutting synth line. It is the best track on the album for me, with the simplicity of the riff contrasting with the multiple layers of other instruments. Bap de la Bap is an interesting and lively piece of music, that is just too angular for me to get comfortable with. Gloomy Sunday has all the components of a great 80s track, but the vocals just come across as too lethargic against the high intensity synths. Nude Spoons has a powerful chorus, and Skipping has some driving drumming, although also contains an annoying vocal effect. It's Better This Way is Boy George meets the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but with more affectation. Party Fears Two was the group's major hit, and Chloe knew it though I didn't. It has an extremely catchy tune, and the sound quality is delightfully crisp, with each instrument adding something to the overall. Club Country is another catchy number, and certainly warrants its place as a single release. Love Hangover is an intriguing cover version, and it almost seems that the band work well when modifying a more conventional pop song, rather than creating songs as edgy as they would otherwise attempt.

Overall it is an enjoyable album, but possibly coming along straight after another experimental pop album did not serve it well. There is almost too much depth and thought in this album, with every tone and texture clearly agonised over; sometimes that level of details kills some of the enjoyment. Listening to it over a longer, slower period may have served it better too. For what it's worth, Daphne did seem to enjoy a few of the tracks, but then that could have been coincidence, so we're not at the point of her getting a rating. Yet.

Chloe's album rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 8. Party Fears Two

Olly's album rating: 6

Olly's favourite track: 2. No

Next week is certainly simpler fare, with 794. Foo Fighters and their eponymous debut. 

254. Roxy Music - Roxy Music

I know enough about Roxy Music to know that any pop music fan should appreciate the impact they've had on other groups. My own experience is limited to the big hits, and so a chance to listen to their debut excited me, as I was expecting to hear the embryonic sounds of a great act.

A hugely influential group including Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, Roxy Music had a major impact on music in the 70s and 80s. Commercial success came at a bit of a price however, with illness and drug addiction affecting various members of the group over the years. Their debut album was a slow-burner until the runaway success of the single Virginia Plain, itself not included on this album as was traditional in the UK at the time.

Re-make/Re-model is based on a work of art from the time, and has a decent combination of guitar, sax and bass to keep things rumbling on, but the overall song never fully meshes itself. Ladytron is a better overall song, but still tries to do too much in too short a space of time, moving in a fairly abrupt manner from the intro noise to the body of the piece. Manzanera's guitar sound is cracking, but it doesn't seem to fit in with the regular change in tempos. If There is Something is sort-of country, and has a pleasant enough lilt to it. However, I'm never going to love a country track with synths and overly dramatic vocal delivery. Virginia Plain (yes, I chose to listen to the US version) is a great song, with one of the most sudden endings ever produced in a recording studio. I have no idea what it is about to this day, but the waves of guitar and bass, along with Ferry's glam/croon delivery and Eno's sound effects makes for a bizarre but thoroughly enjoyable hit. 2HB is an interesting track that pines for Humphrey Bogart (not a pencil as I'd guessed originally) in a well-observed manner; it makes you want to watch clips of the man himself. The Bob (Medley) starts with Eno at his worst; all noodling and no substance. When the drums kick in near the end it picks up markedly, but it's too little to save a song that has, frankly, pissed me off by this point. Chance Meeting has a decent narrative, which sets it apart from most of the songs on this album, and the piano intro is compelling enough. Would You Believe? has elements of a real pop song in it, but this is diluted by the other effects throughout. Sea Breezes is one of the better tracks, with a delicacy about it through Ferry's vulnerable vocals. It is when the band are trying to organically build something that I think they work best, rather than just throwing everything at a track in the hope that enough sticks. Whilst the latter may influence others, it doesn't always make for a great album. Bitters End sounds like the Kinks creating a track for a Heinz advert - bizarre, yet frustratingly captivating. 

Overall I was fairly disappointed with the album, as I'd expected real pop numbers with ice-cold synths, scything guitars, and absurdist lyrics, and instead got something that sounded like the pieces were in place, but not yet directed properly. Virginia Plain aside, I cannot imagine listening to any of these songs again. They're not bad, and there's clearly some impressive sounds and textures there, but overall it just left me feeling cold.

Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 3. If There Is Something
Olly's album rating: 5
Olly's favourite track: 4. Virginia Plain

Next week we have 506. Sulk by the Associates. More 80s post-punk on the menu.