Having seen the band twice, I was slightly surprised to see this album in the book. I've always considered it a bit underwhelming relative to other, more consistent examples of the band's ouevre.
Chloe is not a fan of fretboard wankery, and the opening 40-odd seconds of feedback driven messing about did not sit well with her, and the introduction of an organ took things down still further. Whereas once I may have appreciated that, I now tend to agree with my wife, and just want the song to get started.
Gillan's voice is superb, and one of the saving graces from Chloe's point of view. He fully justifies the band selecting him as their lead sing for their Mark 2 line up with his performance on this album alone. This is captured by the great Child in Time which is the album's strongest track. Although the instrumental section in the middle could be cut with little material loss, the ebb and flow of the rest of the song hint at hidden depths of the band beyond just talented musicians trying to out-do each other. Speed King is a decent if slightly one dimensional song, and Flight of the Rat shows Lord's obvious talents, but the album is often a case of simple songs trying too hard to be clever.
On reflection, I have to say that my childhood memories of the band painted them in a rosier picture than I now would. The music seems a bit too 'by numbers' much of the time, and when it does step outside this domain, it often gets lost. Child in Time is the exception to this rule, although not without blemishes.
Choe's album rating: 4
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Flight of the Rat
Olly's album rating: 5
Olly's favourite track: 3. Child in Time
Next week is 330. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.
I decided I was going to get into the Stones a few years back, having grown up in a fairly R&B-free house. This album was one of the ones that helped me start that journey, and returning to it was like putting on some comfy slippers you thought you'd lost.
The opener is one of the great 'track one side ones' of all time, and certainly one of the most intelligent. With clever historical and literary insight alongside a stunning set of percussion, it grabs hold and does not let up. The album closer is also utterly sublime, with a far simpler structure, but an earnest eagerness that would make it a far better national anthem than that with which we are currently saddled. Imagine a sports team belting out "Raise a Glass to the Hardworking People" before a match - that'd get things fired up.
The songs in between these bookends are generally good, and always clever, but don't reach their heights; if they did this would be the greatest album ever to be fair. Dear Doctor is amusing, and Street Fighting Man paints a great picture, but Prodigal Son and Parachute Woman are just bluesy rip-offs that add little value.
To my ears, this is an album of two halves, with one half at the very beginning, and one at the very end. The rest is a pleasant distraction, but not the highlight of the sandwich.
Choe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 8. Stray Cat Blues
Olly's album rating: 7
Olly's favourite track: 1. Sympathy for the Devil
Next week is 184. Deep Purple in Rock - Deep Purple,
A superb name for an album by an artist taken too young from the world, this was an album where I really didn't know what to expect.
Suba (Mitar Subotic) was from Serbia (before it was Serbia), and emigrated to Brazil following a three month scholarship there. This was earned from success in his home nation, mixing electronic sounds with folk, and this was a pattern he was to follow in Brazil, before his death in a fire a few days after this album was released.
World Music is something I have never been exposed to, and nor have I ever sought it out. It implies a level of pretension that even I cannot abide. The great thing about this project is that I can experience these avenues without having to settle in them.
Brazilian music certainly sounds like it'll be cool, and Suba's take on it undeniably is. This album sounds like it comes from both the future and the past, with a sound quality that maintains authentic musicality, whilst still being effects laden. Tracks like Na Neblina and Felicidade are perfect chillout tracks, with none of the boredom sometimes associated with such a genre. There are also edgier numbers such as Sereia and the superb Voce Gosta that kick things up a notch.
Play this album in the background of a social function, and a lot of people will ask you about it. Whilst I don't think it stands up quite as well to repeat listens as the first intoxicating listen implies, it is still a very well-crafted album, and well worth a listen.
Choe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 7. Um Dia Comum (Em SP)
Olly's album rating: 7
Olly's favourite track: 2. Voce Gosta
Next week is 108. Beggars Banquet by the Rolling Stones.
This was an album I enjoyed when it came out, and even those who didn't like it will still be able to sing along to Dreaming of You, such was its early 2000s ever-presence.
The opener Spanish Main always stood out to me as a superb piece of music, and whilst I hadn't heard it much in the intervening decade or so, it still has that raucous yet tight racket that sets it up as a truly great album opener. Dreaming of You still stands out as a superb single, from its squelchy guitar line to the ska-like beat with little discernible bass.
Unfortunately, many of the songs haven't aged quite as well, with I Remember When and Skeleton Key not as sharp or catchy as I had thought they were. Whilst you can still sense a cheeky bunch of Scousers having a whale of a time recording them (maritime pun intended), many of them lack the core of a decent pop song, with the slow-quick-slow staples overemphasising either end of the scale.
Listening to the album certainly took me back a few years, which was pleasant, but I don't think it would be an album I'd pull out to show my children what good, old-fashioned music sounded like. I may pick its lead single, but as I've stated before, that does not necessarily a good album make.
Choe's album rating: 5
Chloe's favourite track: 3. Shadows Fall
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 4. Dreaming of You
Next week is 895. Sao Paulo Tales by Suba.
Singer-songwriters are ten-a-penny, and it is hard to define what makes one superior, or simply preferable, to another. The first time I heard the opening track, Cracking, I knew that this was an artist I wouldn't be able to explain why I liked so much, but that I certainly would.
The guitar sound is utterly superb, with piercing slices of sharp electric tones, and softer, more electro-acoustic lush backdrops. Freeze-tag is a case in point, with the sharper notes juxtaposing with Vega's soft delivery; it's markedly different from your normal singer-songwriter. Undertow's guitars have a sense of cascading water, with different tones and textures washing over the listener, and this taken up a step by Some Journey, with the string section adding a crystalline feel to the song.
The lyrics aren't always clear enough for me, but when they are, they show a real wit and sense of timing, especially on the regal Marlene on the Wall, where the perceived observations of a painting of the owner's night-time behaviour are as well-crafted as they come. The Queen and the Soldier is almost Dylan-esque in its meandering yet captivating narrative, coupled with some insistent strumming, and Knight Moves has some superb observations, such as the Queen turning into a Pawn in "one swift move".
Some of the tracks are more forgettable, such as Straight Lines and Small Blue Thing, but they aren't poor songs in any way, shape, or form; they just lack the magic of the majority. Chloe disagreed with me on my particular choices, which I think demonstrates the strength in depth off this utterly divine album.
Choe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Small Blue Thing
Olly's album rating: 9
Olly's favourite track: 8. The Queen And The Soldier
Next week is 941. The Coral by The Coral.
One of the best names for a musical artist ever, I'd always assumed that they would be too cool for me to actively enjoy, and had never made the effort to challenge this assumption.
A hazy and laidback opener, Nights Introlude is all about creating the right atmosphere for the album, and it broadly succeeds. Sounding like DJ Shadow but with a bit less urgency, NOW enjoy creating intriguing and vivid soundscapes, with every note fully thought out. Pipes Honour encapsulates that, with the rounded guitar sitting alongside the sharp snap of the percussion. Groove St. has an ice cold snare and subtle bassline, with some great vocal samples from Gil Scott Heron. Cruise (Don't Stop) sounds like a car playing disco driving off into the distance as the sun sets - certainly a pleasant image to be left with.
In terms of studio mastery, the album is hugely impressive, with production values that are off the chart. Everything is well defined, and it is an album that sounds significantly better on better equipment - a great hifi tester. Whilst that doesn't mean it is great in itself, it is nice to hear an album that justifies the ongoing purchases of increasingly expensive speakers.
The album works for both background listening and more focussed sessions, although the latter can descend into the former on occasion. On that basis I enjoyed the album, without ever being fully blown away by it. It promises a lot, and possibly with a longer listening period it would have stepped up to an even higher score, but often I felt it was a bit too cool to enjoy as much as I'd hoped.
Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Me and You
Olly's album rating: 7
Olly's favourite track: 3. Pipes Honour
Next week is 561. Suzanne Vega by Suzanne Vega.
I never fully appreciated the Garage scene when I was younger, seeing enjoying it as mutually exclusive to my rock preferences. In hindsight I see that as foolish, but it means that my familiarity with this album was fairly limited.
The opener indicates the soft yet abrasive delivery that Dynamite delivers, with an intelligence and detail in her lyrics that was often lacking at the time. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee was the big seller, and the sample and relatability of the track justifies its popularity. Put Him Out uses a scorching guitar line to play off the chorus, and at times it sounds like it could be a Destiny's Child track. It Takes More has an edge to it that many of these tracks lack, with a pretty innovative sample and a well-crafted message.
Some of the tracks are a bit lugubrious, such as the well-meaning but overly saccharine Brother and Afraid 2 Fly that seem to lack the edge that adds so much to others. At 16 tracks it seems a bit unwieldy, with too much filler that sounds like a clever sample Dynamite just didn't want to cut.
There is a sense that the album lacks some depth, with a lack of real variety. It doesn't feel particularly seminal, just a decent example of the genre. And as it was a fairly short-lived genre, that in itself is slightly disappointing.
Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Put Him Out
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 6. It Takes More
Next up is 805. Smokers Delight by Nightmares on Wax
