Syd Barrett - “Barrett” (1970)

 

The man, the myth, the legend. The mystic, the madman, the enigma. The man who took the 60's slogan "Tune in, turn on, drop out" seriously, but (probably) too far. Syd Barrett, one of Pink Floyd's founding members, the frontman and creative engine of that band the first years. Then he disappeared into another world and we had to do without his work, while he lived with his mother in Cambridge.

As a fan of Pink Floyd Syd's name soon came up. The articles / texts I read about him gave the impression that this was a mythical figure, and not least, a genius. Most people know his story - a bursting creativity around the years Pink Floyd began (1966-67) which was soon changed to eccentric and unruly behavior, which ultimately led to Syd being ousted from the band. His ill-health was said to have its roots in great fame too quick and massive intake of LSD. He made a couple of solo records in 1970 but then withdrew and more or less broke the contact with the outside world. 2006, he died due to his diabetes. There are books written about this man so anyone interested has a lot to choose from.

I bought my first CD player in 1991 which resulted in a long pause of vinyl purchases, so I problably bought this album the year / years before that which means I was around 18 years old. I was very curios about this man and expectations were high on the album, this had to be the ultimate psychedelic, groovy and cool album. I mean, it was Syd Barrett who had created it. Yes, he had become such a myth for me that I simply could not dislike this album. In other words, it was not with an objective mind I got to know this LP and my mind was for many years influenced by the myths surrounding Syd. I liked this album, I played it quite often. But in the back of my mind there was a doubt, although I barely allowed that feeling in my consciousness.

I’ll be honest with you, with 20 years between the purchase and writing this post, I find this album not so good. Many of the songs feel relatively unfocused and it feels as if they barely have managed to get Syd to sing and play guitar. Just as the myths influenced me earlier in life to feel positive for this music, today, everything I know about Syd and his life problably affects my view of the record, but in the opposite way. Today I know how hard it was to record the album. I know how difficult he was to work with. I know all the interviews and the concerts when he was behaving very strangely, and / or just walked away. I think the madness shines through on the album.

Perhaps it is the knowledge of his mental illness that makes me feel that the album generally has a rather dark tone, in the song Dominoes this becomes most evident. There are also moments of the opposite, the whimsical Syd, Effervescing Elephant is a good example. It also needs to be said that there are a few really good songs too, Love Song was a long time one of my favorite songs and were always on the playlist of the mixed tapes I did for friends and family. Wined and Dined is another song that is OK, a song I still love to play on the guitar and sing (to my wife's complaints).

If it was anyone else than Syd Barrett who had tried to publish this music I don’t think any record company would have responded. Thanks to my interest in the myth Syd, and that this myth gives the music something more than just what comes out of the speakers, I must give this record an “OK”, though. If it was Kris Kristofferson or John Fogerty who had recorded these songs, I might never have listened to it. Well, maybe I would just to amuse myself with the absurdity of that one of them had recorded songs like these.

It may be added that the Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Rick Wright produced the album and also played guitar / bass and keyboard. It is said that the work of creating the record was left to the two producers as Syd couldn’t or didn’t want to participate in the work (except recording his singing and guitar parts).

Favorite Songs

Love Song

Waving my arms in the air

Wined and dined

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. "Baby Lemonade" – 4:10
2. "Love Song" – 3:03
3. "Dominoes" – 4:08
4. "It Is Obvious" – 2:59
5. "Rats" – 3:00
6. "Maisie" – 2:51

Side B

1. "Gigolo Aunt" – 5:46
2. "Waving My Arms In The Air" – 2:09
3. "I Never Lied To You" – 1:50
4. "Wined And Dined" – 2:58
5. "Wolfpack" – 3:41
6. "Effervescing Elephant" – 1:52

 

 

Prince - “Around The World In A Day” (1985)

Is Prince on drugs? Given his general spiritual approach to life and vegetarian diet, probably not. But thanks to this album I, as a young teenager, was convinced of the opposite. Songs like the title track or Paisley Park were so psychedelic that a huge drug intake must be its source. That made the record even more interesting.

Like so many other of my early musical influences, it was my older brother who introduced me to Prince. 1984-85 he lived as an exchange student in the U.S. and sent as a Christmas present a tape with an artist who called himself Prince and his latest creation Purple Rain. It was quite nice beats in a 12-year-old ears, so when Around The World ... was released I obtained it. I don’t remember if I bought it or got it as a gift, probably the latter because as a 13-14 year old I did not have much money to spend.

Prince let the album be out on the market a month before he released a single from it, the reason for this was that he wanted the audience to hear the album as a whole rather than individual songs. In addition, he released it more or less without any marketing. Nevertheless, it became a bestseller.
As I listen to it today, I think the album has stood up well against time. The opening song, also the title track, begins with a flute that vibrates for maybe 20 seconds before Prince gets into the picture and tells you "Open Your Heart / Open Your Mind / A train is leaving all day / A wonderful trip through our time / And laughter is all you pay '. No wonder I suspected the man for using mind-altering chemicals. The following song is the previously mentioned Paisley Park, which takes us even deeper into the psychedelic jungle, this track was and still is my favorite. Look at the beautiful video at the bottom of this post (original video). Tune in, Turn on! Another song the reader may know is the hit Rasberry Beret, a pretty groovy pop song with a nice chorus.

All is not well on this record, though. I've always been ambivalent to Prince, I sometimes have had trouble with his rather dry sound with a lot of funky drums and bass. In addition, you always get his somewhat cheesy love ballads which I find pretty boring. His funkier side pops up in songs like America and Tambourine while The Ladder and the Condition of the Heart belongs to the cheesy ballads. None of these songs taste well in my mouth, so to speak.
Despite this, I think this is one of Prince's best albums and I think it should be part of anyones recordcollection, if you are serious in calling your pile of records a “collection”.  It should also be noted that Prince himself plays nearly every instrument on the album (except some drums, horns and strings).

A reviewer from yesterday (NY Times, 1985):
"It is Ambitious, complex and stylistically diverse, but at the same time a unified whole – a 'concept album' in the tradition of the 60's classics as the Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’.''

“''Around the World in a Day'' may or may not endure as a rock classic; that remains to be seen. But there can be no doubt that Prince has invested a great deal of creative and emotional energy in it. Overall, whether one approaches it as a concept album or simply a collection of superb pop songs, it is an instrumental and stylistic tour de force, Prince's finest hour - for now.”

Favorite Songs
Around the World in a Day
Paisely Park
Rasberry Beret

Tracklist

Side A
"Around the World in a Day" (David Coleman, John L. Nelson, Prince) - 3:28
"Paisley Park" - 4:42
"Condition of the Heart" - 6:48
"Raspberry Beret" - 3:33
"Tamborine" - 2:47

Side B
"America" (Prince & the Revolution) - 3:42
"Pop Life" - 3:43
"The Ladder" (John L. Nelson, Prince) - 5:29
"Temptation" - 8:18

 

Talking Heads - “More Songs About Buildings And Food” (1978)

I was introduced to Talking Heads through my brother and his album Speaking in Tongues. I think I was around 14 years old when I began to explore TH alone so presumably I bought this album when I was around 15 years old.

 

I have changed my attitude back and forth concerning this album over the years. Initially, I felt the music a bit difficult and not fully accessible, for a 15-year-old Markus this was a challenge. Even today I find that the music demands quite a lot from the listener and put you somewhat to the test. In other periods, I have concidered this album a masterpiece and felt that an extremely small number of other albums reach the same level. Today I'm leaning more towards the latter view, although a bit tuned down.

 

My opinion about TH is that they have a new sound for each album, yet you always hear that it is TH. Maybe a lot of that can be explained by David Byrne's somewhat peculiar singing voice. This was their second album and the first (of three) which was produced by Brian Eno. It starts fast-paced and relatively accessible with one of my former favorites, Thank You For Sending Me An Angel. Then the music starts walking into more difficult roads where you need to concentrate not to be lost, but where a good focus is rewarded. Now I know I am exaggerating a bit, this is not a "difficult" album, though most of it is a little off mainstream radio (unfortunately). Each song is unique and even today I can see new things about them, which is fun. There are not many albums that offer surprises after more than 20 years of listening.

 

Towards the end of the album we get (to my knowledge) the only cover Talking Heads have done on an album, Take Me To The River, and finally the last song, The Big Country. Both songs were released as singles and the first mentioned ended up in the charts (# 26 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart). The latter is a slower track than the rest on the album and used to be one of my favorites. Now I have found other songs on the album that I find more interesting, though. Summary: I have all the Talking Heads albums and I think is the most difficult of them, but also one of the best and most interesting. I can not do anything else but recommend it.

About the name of the record, I quote:
"When we were making this album I remembered this stupid discussion we had about titles for the last album," Tina smirked. "At that time I said, 'What are we gonna call an album that's just about buildings and food?' And Chris said, 'You call it more songs about buildings and food.”

Finally, in 2003 the Rolling Stone magazine published their list of the 500 best albums ever made. More Songs About Buildings And Food got a 382nd place which might be considered a proof that the album is actually really good (if you believe that these kinds of lists mean anything).

Tracklist

Side A
"Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" - 2:11
"With Our Love" - 3:30
"The Good Thing" - 3:03
"Warning Sign" - 3:55
"The Girls Want to Be With the Girls" - 2:37
"Found a Job" - 5:00

Side B
"Artists Only" (Byrne, Wayne Zieve) - 3:34
"I'm Not in Love" - 4:33
"Stay Hungry" (Byrne, Chris Frantz) - 2:39
"Take Me To The River" (Al Green, Teenie Hodges) - 5:00
"The Big Country" - 5:30

 

 

Sunday Funnies (1971)

I go too far if I call this album a rarity, but it is a record that I am proud to own. Although it is possible to find used copies on the web, they are not that easy to find and I have seen prices of $100 asked for one (although I have seen it sold much cheaper too).

It found its way to my record collection in a way that one might perceive as dishonest. My mother bought the album in the early 70's. When I at the age of ten first heard it (it was the second track It's just a dream), it was among the most beautiful music I had ever heard. Later I began to explore the rest of the album and found it very good. One day in my 20s I moved away from home, and in some strange way this record followed me to my new home. Now it has lived with me for 20 years so probably I can call myself the rightful owner.
My mom makes the following comment regarding this:

"I bought the record Sunday Funnies at Kvantum in Uppsala (Sweden) for a very reasonable price. I had no idea what kind of music it was but thought the album cover was nice. I have not played it so much and don’t miss it at all. So consider it yours! Love, Mom. "

Good to hear! Well, the album is Sunday Funnies first album on the Rare Earth label (the Sunday Funnies are thus the name of both the group and the record). They released a second album in 1972, Benediction, which was their last.The label Rare Earth existed between 1969-1976, the music fans may also know the band Rare Earth belonging to the label, who also gave it its name. I should also mention that there was an earlier and different Sunday Funnies - a band existing in the 60s. The band this text is about came from Detroit and consisted of Richard Fidge (vocals), Ronald Aitken (guitar), Richard Kosinski (keyboards) and Richard Mitchell (drums).

Definitions are often difficult, especially when it comes to music. If you read about the Sunday Funnies, often pop-rock and psych-rock is mentioned. Actually it doesn’t matter much what you call a certain music, but the problem still pops up when you want to describe your music to someone else. Then it's nice to be able to use a well established label, which in this case is difficult.
The album opens up with a pretty tough rocker, Walk down the path of freedom, and continues with the earlier mentioned It's just a dream, which is much calmer. In general, I think that the record has the sound of the late 60s and early 70s (no wonder when it was recorded in 1971!) and some tracks have an element that is almost gospellike, or at least reminds me of religious music. By that I mean the rather epic / bombastic verses or choruses, which I personally like very much, and with texts that can be interpreted religiously. The name Sunday Funnies could well mean that the members have a Christian faith, but this I leave unsaid. Simultaneously there is a strong taste of 60's psychedelia in the songs, which makes it all even more interesting.

I highly recommend this album as it is one of my favorites, maybe it’s the sweet and magic memories of childhood which helps create this feeling. But even when I am objective to the content of the album it is very good, so if you manage to get your hands on a copy, I can only congratulate you.

Favorite Tracks
It's Just A Dream
You & I
Let The Sun Shine In

Tracklist

Side A
1st Walk Down The Path Of Freedom
2nd It's Just A Dream
3rd You & I
4th Tell Me

Side B
5th The Axe
6th Crack In A Bell
7th Let The Sun Shine In
8th Child Of Mine

 

Kate Bush – “The Kick Inside” (1978)

Why not let Kate Bush's first album be the theme of this blogg’s first post? I discovered Kate Bush in 1989 when her album The Sensual World was released, as quickly as possible I bought her other records so I probably bought this one when I was around 18 years old.

Kate made The Kick Inside when she was only 19 years old, which is impressive considering the songs' quality. Kate's first song on her first album starts with 20 seconds of whale song, in other words - she rides into the music business on one of the giant mammals of the sea. I don’t know what that says about Kate or her future career, but it turned out good. This song Moving is a fantastic start to her career and is one of my favorite songs with Kate. The first time I heard it I was extremely happy because I realized that I had bought a really good album, at that time a record purchase was a big deal, especially as the private economy at the age of 18 didn’t allow too many excesses.

The big hit from this album, and one of Kate's biggest hits at of all time, is Wuthering Heights. This song can still be heard on the radio and is side A’s last song. Personally, I like this song with a quite bombastic chorus. I think she a few years later re-recorded it with a new voice track. The song went number one. Kate was just 13 years old when she wrote this song and I must sadly admit that it makes me wonder whether I really ought to like it. Can I as a 38-year-old man like music and lyrics a 13 year old girl has written? Apparently I can.

The B-side starts with the rockier James And The Cold Gun. This song has never been a favorite of mine but was the song EMI wanted to be the single. It was probably lucky that Kate was so stubborn and strong willed that she pushed for Wuthering Heights as a single instead.
My favorite song on the B-side is Them Heavy People, which apparently bears some inspiration from the teachings of Gurdjieff.
The album also contains some other great tracks, many of them should probably be called ballads. At the same time there are some tracks that I feel is rather dull, for example, Man With The Child In His Eyes or L'amour looks something like you.

Many of us know that David Gilmour gave Kate a helping hand at the beginning of her career, and he also participates on this album (guitar solo on Wuthering Heights). Producer of the album is David Gilmour's friend Andrew Powell.

Favorite Tracks
Moving
Wuthering Heights
Them Heavy People

Tracklist:
Side A
1 "Moving" - 3:01
2 "The Saxophone Song" - 3:51
3 "Strange Phenomena" - 2:57
4. "Kite" - 2:56
5. “The Man With The Child in His Eyes "- 2:39
6 "Wuthering Heights" - 4:28

Side B
1. “James And The Cold Gun "- 3:34
2 "Feel It" - 3:02
3 "Oh to Be in Love" - 3:18
4 "L'Amour Looks Something Like You" - 2:27
5 "Them Heavy People" - 3:04
6 'Room for the Life "- 4:03
7 “The Kick Inside "- 3:30