Pink Floyd - "The Best Of Pink Floyd" (1970)

As a true Pink Floyd fan, I couldn't resist buying this album when I stumbled upon it the other week in a record store, although it was a bit expensive. But the chance of getting Pink Floyd's early single releases on vinyl was too tempting to resist, songs that are not found on any of their LPs (I have the songs on CD, though, since many years) .

Besides the single releases there are some songs from their first album The Piper Of The Gates Of Dawn. A string of psychedelic creations, most written by Syd Barrett. Why then is David Gilmour on the cover and where is Syd, man of order probably wonders? The songs are from the years 1967-68 and recorded before Gilmour came into the picture. According to sources on the internet, he only appears (in secret) on Julia Dream. EMI, which released the album, probably thought it was better to show the 1970 version of the band, I suppose. But fact is that the album was reissued later with Syd Barrett instead of Gilmour on the cover. After the crazy succcess with Dark Side Of The Moon the record company wanted to earn even more money on Pink Floyd, and re-released The Best Of Pink Floyd under the new name, Masters Of Rock, a serie that was made under the same name with a number of artists. That's when Syd got a spot on the cover.

The songs are of course quite different from the Dark Side Of The Moon and Pink Floyd's other 70's creations. This is the very definition of psychedelia, often with a dark touch, as if the music predicts Syd's future fate. Some might dismiss a few songs as a bit whimsical, but not me. I think all the creations are really groovy. Apples And Oranges is perhaps the song that most reminds of the music on Syd's solo albums that were released a few years later, with a peculiar timing of the vocals. Rich Wright and Roger Waters also contributes with a few songs. One might miss Point Me At The Sky, it was created , however, when Syd in practice had left the band, so perhaps it's OK. But personally, I would prefer it got a spot on the album instead of some song from Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

The Best Of Pink Floyd invites the listener to the band in its younger years, filled with youthful energy and experimentation. Fun, trippy, sad and somewhat dark. Knowledge of Syd's later fate surely enhances this darkness.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Chapter 24 3:36

2. Mathilda Mother 3:03

3. Arnold Layne 2:51

4. Candy And A Currant Bun 2:38

5. The Scarecrow 2:07

Side B

1. Apples And Oranges 3:01

2. It WouldBe So Nice 3:39

3. Paint Box 3:27

4. Julia Dream 2:28

5. See Emily Play 2:50

Jimmie Haskell – ”California ’99” (1971)

Some albums are more fun to own than to listen to. Jimmie Haskell’s California '99 is one of these. The record must be defined as some sort of rock opera with a rather odd content. Recorded in the early 70's it looks into the future, to the faraway 80’s and 90’s. USA is bankrupt, people eat insects that in turn feed on cannabis (which grows in the central region of the country, in the insects and marijuana corridor). USA is also renamed California and love is for the lower classes, almost forbidden. And not to mention, there are no clocks anymore, instead music is played - slow tempo in the morning and then faster and faster as the day goes by. To know what time it is, you just listen to the music.

The main character chooses not to be part of the military, instead he gets an alternative assignment, Situation 19 - Love as your burden. He must love three people simultaneously, namely Claudia, Jessica Stone and Barbara. Moreover, he must find and fall in love with them in that specific order. He gets two years to do this, he fails it will be the military anyway.

Yeah, the story goes something like that. Tom Gamache wrote it. When I’ve read online about the album a lot of people come back to the idea that the creators must have smoked large amounts of dope. Wonder why...

Jimmie Haskell has been a productive person, both as a writer and arranger of music. He has also acted as a conductor a lot during his career. He has received an Emmy and a number of Grammies. Besides various artists, Jimmie has been involved in a lot of soundtracks, such as Big and The Color Purple.

The music at California '99 is nothing out of the ordinary, honestly, and not as weird as the story. The album consists of about as much story telling as music. Personally I think the narration becomes a bit boring after a while, even though the story itself is crazy enough. But if you’ve heard it once, you don’t need to hear it again. Different guests appear - Joe Walsh, Big Wanda And The Wombats, Jimmy Witherspoon and others. Some songs are covers, while others are written by Haskell. An odd bird on the album is The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down where Jimmy Witherspoon sings. A perfectly OK song, but a little odd in this context. The record ends with a cover of Peter Townshend's Underture.

The best thing about the album is the cover. You can unfold it into a poster, as large as six album covers. Some weird photos with accompanying descriptions on one side, and a map of the United States (no, California, of course) on the other. That’s kind of neat.

As mentioned, the music on the album might not justify a purchase, but the foldable cover along with the generally freaked out content still makes it fun to have in the collection. How the story ends is not revealed here, look up the album for yourselves.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Overture

2. Appopopoulisberg

3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

4. Jessica Stone

5. To Claudia On Thursday

Side B

1. Prelude

2. California Fairy Tale

3. Barbara

4. Underture

Dire Straits – ”Brothers In Arms” (1985)

This is one of the first LPs in my collection. I got it when I turned 13, the same year it was released. I remember it well, my birthday took place at Sweden’s west coast where we sometimes spent a few weeks in the summer. I became a teenager, and began increasingly to say farewell to my childhood. The sun was shining just like the day before, it was hot but something was still different.

Part of getting older was to start creating your own identity and in that process your own record collection. Brothers In Arms was a step along that way. Besides children albums that lingered on the shelf, the album had company by some KISS albums I received from my brother because I sometimes cleaned his room, Magnus Uggla’s Välkommen Till Folkhemmet, and at Christmas -85 Paul Young’s Secret Of Association showed up. Slowly but surely the children albums disappeared to give room to rock 'n ' roll. Brothers In Arms is part of the foundation of my collection, one of my first albums and has accompanied me for almost 30 years.

With that being said, it doesn’t mean I think it's an amazing album that is played daily at home. Truth is that I practically never listen to it today.

Brothers In Arms is Dire Straits fifth album and their most successful. The album is the seventh best selling album ever in the UK, and has spent countless number of weeks at the number one spot on national sales charts all around the world. It has sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide. Brothers In Arms was also the first album that sold more in the CD format than in the vinyl format, for a time in 1985 it was difficult for other companies to release CDs since all the available CD manufacturing was occupied by Brothers In Arms.

Something that helped make Brothers In Arms such a success was the classic video for Money For Nothing. I remember how cool I thought it was, computer-animated and all. It was at the time MTV was new, fresh and cool and music videos were discussed extensively in the schoolyard. And that Sting helped with the singing made it even more interesting.

 

The reason I don’t listen to Brothers In Arms today is not that it's a bad album, because it’s not. It's a good album. It’s rather that I went further in my music listening and left this one behind after some years. After intensive listening in my early teenage years, I have also associated it with this particular period in my life, and have found it difficult to relate to it as an adult. But the truth is, it has now passed enough time since this album was played, so I can actually appreciate it again. When I listened through it before writing this text, I realize it is with new ears I listen to it.

Money For Nothing no longer feels like I’ve heard it too many times. Instead it feels quite fresh and its cool guitar hook really sounds great. The Man 's Too Strong is as good as before and the title track is still beautifully melancholic and slightly suggestive. The opening song So Far Away is actually better than before and the beautiful Why Worry has probably become even more beautiful. And still really dislike the hit Walk Of Life, Your Latest Trick and One World.

 

I will still probably not listen very often on Brothers In Arms in the future, since I have so much else to choose from today. But I have certainly gained a renewed respect for the album and actually think it's really good.

Tracklist

Side A

1. So Far Away 3:59
2. Money For Nothing 7:04
3. Walk Of Life 4:12
4. Your Latest Trick 4:46
5. Why Worry 5:22

Side B

1. Ride Across The River 6:58
2. The Man’s Too Strong 4:40
3. One World 3:40
4. Brothers In Arms 7:00

 

 

Roxy Music – ”Stranded” (1973)

Roxy Music’s third album and the first without Brian Eno. This was one of 2013 Christmas presents for my mother, who had been hunting in the town’s stores for used LPs. This must surely have been a funnier Christmas gift hunting than the usual on Wal-Mart, H & M or the local book shop. I am happy to receive more Christmas gifts like this.

Despite Roxy Music's legendary status, the band is a relatively unexplored area for me. But it feels great that there is still unknown territory even within rockn’ roll’s more well-known areas. On the album cover you’ve got Bryan Ferry's then girlfriend Marilyn Cole, who was also the Playmate of the Year 1973. Ferry had a habit of putting his girlfriends on the band's album covers. Although it’s relatively daring it’s still innocent compared to the cover on the subsequent Country Life, which my wife doesn’t allow lying around when we get visitors at home.

 

There are many who believe that this is Roxy Music's best album, one of these is actually Brian Eno. Personally, I also think it's a very good album. You’ve got a mix between some fast paced numbers, such as the classic opening track Street Life, and quieter pieces like Psalmor the beautiful A Song For Europe. Many of the tracks must be described as almost epical, with its various twists and parts. Epic glam and art rock. The great Mother Of Pearl is an example of this, which after a loud and messy intro takes a completely different turn. Also Amazon takes a somewhat unexpected turn into a more dreamy path after some initial minutes with a completely different sound.

 

Rolling Stone magazine wrote at the time:

 

Roxy Music has been unable to cross the Atlantic so far, but that should change with this album. Stranded is one of the most exciting and entertaining British LPs of the Seventies.

A really great album without any real weak tracks, according to me. Bryan Ferry, the main songwriter, confirms his expertise and talent as a composer. Perhaps it’s the absence of Brian Eno that makes Stranded lacking a little of the previous album For Your Pleasure’s more strange and difficult pieces. If this is positive or negative is a matter of taste, personally I think both albums are great.

 

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. Street Life 3:27
2. Just Like You 3:34
3. Amazona 4:12
4. Psalm 8:04

Side B

1. Serenade 2:55
2. A Song For Europe 4:44
3. Mother Of Pearl 6:53
4. Sunset 6:00

Beatles – ”Beatles For Sale” (1964)

Another album on the theme "rescued from my parents' LP collection". Yes, even a classic like this was heading for an unknown destination - the trash or as a gift to some second hand store. I hope it likes it better in my home.

I have always said I like the Beatles from the album Revolver (1966) and onwards. It was then the Beatles began their serious experimenting, both with their music and their minds. The music they created earlier, I have always regarded as somewhat geeky and lightweight, songs like She Loves You comes flickering in my head, and I've never understood what people have raved about when they praised the Beatles’ early works. I am now prepared to ask for forgiveness.

I haven’t listened to Beatles For Sale since adolescence when I tried it out a few times at home. But since I didn’t think it was much to have, it sounded old and out-dated, it remained in my parent’s shelf and bided its time. When I listen to it today, I realize that it’s really, really great. Now I understand that the Beatles was actually a great band even before Revolver and the songs Lennon / McCartney created were something extraordinary. Yes, I know that countless people since the 60s have argued just this, but some people wake up late.

The album was recorded during an intense period of the Beatles career. It had only been a week after A Hard Days Night had been finished in the studio, when they started the new recordings. Moreover, it was recorded parallel with touring, television appearances, radio shows etc. But according to the contract they were under, the Beatles had to release two albums a year, so what can you do.

Since the pace was so high when it came to recording albums, the Beatles didn’t have time to write enough songs. So they did what they often did back then, they filled out with the album with a number of cover songs. The album includes eight original songs and six covers. In my world, some rockabilly numbers can be done without, but apart from those it’s an extremely strong collection of songs. Most known is perhaps Eight Days A Week, but there are other songs that are even better - No Reply, Baby 's In Black, Words Of Love, Every Little Thing, etc. Especially the cover Words Of Love surprised me as it sounds a bit different than other Beatles creations, it’s more the Byrds than the Beatles.

We are still far from Tomorrow Never Knows or Sgt Pepper, and it's sometimes hard to imagine that it’s only a few years before the Beatles created these psychedelic institutions. At the same time, several of the songs from Beatles For Sale could make it on Revolver or any of their subsequent albums. Everything the Beatles did from 1966 wasn’t fuzzy psychedelia, there were still lots of "normal" songs on the albums. It was also room for some experimentation on Beatles For Sale, in Mr. Moonlight we hear a solo with a Hammond organ, and on Every Little Thing Ringo contributes with punches on a timpani.

 

 

It's a surprisingly dark touch on many of the songs, and the music pros on allmusic.com say that the fatigue as a consequence of the Beatles extremely intense years now was shining through. Obviously I recommend Beatles For Sale, I 'm glad I finally have understood the greatness of the early Beatles.

The cover photo was taken in Hyde Park in London.

Tracklist

Side A
1. No Reply 2:15
2. I’m A Loser 2:31
3. Baby’s In Black 2:02
4. Rock And Roll Music 2:30
5. I’ll Follow The Sun 1:46
6. Kansas City 2:33
 
Side B
1. Eight Days A Week 2:43
2. Words Of Love 2:12
3. Honey Don’t 2:55
4. Every Little Thing 2:01
5. I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party 2:33
6. What You’re Doing 2:30
7. Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby 2:23

 

Bruce Springsteen – ”Born In The U.S.A.” (1984)

I was 12 years old when this album was released, and just like many others, I thought the title song was about how proud Springsteen was to be born in the USA. A patriotic song in true American spirit. I was fascinated by Bruce's voice, which was the roughest voice I had ever heard, it felt more like screaming or bawling. This was new to me, at the age of 12 I had no idea who Springsteen was. Honestly, I didn’t really like what I heard, there was better stuff being played on the radio. But Springsteen undeniable made an impression on me, I thought his voice was totally crazy.

This is a record I saved from my parents' LP collection a few years ago, where it rested in the attic headed for the trash. Although I am not a big Springsteen fan I couldn’t let the album be thrown away.

Born In The USA was Springsteen's seventh album, but fact is most of the album was recorded already a few years earlier, at the time of the recording of the more dark and acoustic Nebraska. On Born In The USA Springsteen's music takes a more commercial road and it became 1985's best-selling album in the U.S., and Springsteen's best-selling album ever. Springsteen also managed to get seven singles from the album on to America's top 10 list, an almost unique achievement (only Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson makes him company in this). During his career Springsteen's had twelve top 10 singles altogether, more than half of them from Born In The USA. And if you like statistics it can be mentioned that its 84 weeks in a row on the top 10 list is the world record, and that it is 3rd in the contest concerning the total number of weeks in the top -10.

 

Despite all these confirmations of the album’s greatness, it’s not entirely to my taste. I can’t deny that it's pretty good songs, accessible and with their own characters. But straightforward rock n' roll of this kind is simply not my thing. Personal favorite on the album is undoubtedly the calmer and darker Fire. However, I’m happy to have saved the album from death in the trsh, I'd rather see the record in my collection than burned up and recycled as energy in my radiators.

It may be added that the title song is not the patriotic song I thought as a child, supposedly it’s about the Vietnam War’s impact on the United States and the country's lack of ability to take care of the veterans of this war. Although the Reagan administration misunderstood the song at first, and wanted to use it in their election campaign.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Born in the U.S.A. – 4:39
2. Cover Me – 3:27
3. Darlington County – 4:48
4. Working on the Highway – 3:11
5. Downbound Train – 3:35
6. I'm on Fire – 2:37

Side B

1. No Surrender – 4:00
2. Bobby Jean – 3:46
3. I'm Goin' Down – 3:29
4. Glory Days – 4:15
5. Dancing in the Dark – 4:00
6. My Hometown – 4:34

Sufjan Stevens – ”Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State” (2003)

This was Sufjan Stevens’ third album and his first in the supposed serie about all the U.S. states (a claim he later admitted was only a promotional gimmick). And the state in focus is of course Michigan, which also happens to be Sufjan’s birth state.

The first time I heard this album was at my neighbour’s place in Quebec, the musician on top, Marc Vallée. He liked the album and thought that I too would find it interesting, and he was right. On Michigan Sufjan offers beautiful, often relatively calm and melancholy, songs with banjo, piano, horns, and other oddities. Sufjan plays most of the instruments himself and the album is recorded on, in this context, rather simple equipment. The vinyl version is a double album, which is nice. However, being a father to a couple of small children makes it difficult to play a full double album since the kids, when the stereo is turned on, suddenly demand to hear Sean Banan or other equally good artists.

Michigan contains mostly quite beautiful and delicate songs and sometimes I actually get some Simon & Garfunkel vibes, while a more druggy and floaty song like Oh God Were Are You Know makes me think of Spiritualized and their über druggy tunes. There are relatively sparse arrangements and Sufjans voice is far ahead in production, he's not hiding behind his instruments.

But sometimes the calm and melancholy is broken of by more fast paced numbers. In these, it’s often rather odd rhythms, never ending loops and a different song structure, giving you more of a progressive feel. And the institution allmusic.com has indeed progressive folk as one of several definitions of the album, and has allmusic.com said that it’s progressive, that’s the way it is.

 

Overall, a really good album, fun to listen to, easily accessible yet challenging. Maybe not a record for the violent pre-party, rather for the thoughtful after-party. Or a day when the kids are gone somewhere and you have the stereo to yourself for an hour or two.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Flint (For The Unemployed And Underpaid
2. All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!
3. For The Widows Of Paradise, For The Fatherless In Ypsilanti
4. Say Yes! To M!ch!gan!
5. The Upper Peninsula

Side B

1. Tahquamenon Falls
2. Holland
3. Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)
4. Romulus
5. Alanson, Crooked River

Side C

1. Sleeping Bear, Sault Saint Marie
2. They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For The Homeless In Muskegon)
3. Oh God, Where Are You Now? (In Pickeral Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)
4. Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)
5. Vito's Ordination Song
 
Side D
1. Marching Band
2. Pickerel Lake
3. Niagara Falls
4. Presidents & Magistrates
5. Wolverine