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

Prince – ”Parade” (1986)

During the period of my life when I listened quite regularly to Prince I thought this album was a bit difficult. Maybe it was the black and white cover? Album’s covers have often affected my experience of the music. Or maybe it was because the music is a soundtrack to a movie I hadn’t seen (and still haven’t seen)? The knowledge of unseen scenes that belonged to the songs maybe created a feeling that something was missing?

Today I don’t really know why I felt Parade was difficult. When I listen to it now I think it's a pretty groovy album, to be Prince at least. I have always had somewhat of a hard time with Prince’s funky and sometimes bare, dry sound. Just as on the previous album Around the World in a Day you get a lot of funk, sometimes with a psychedelic touch, mixed with some slender sparkling ballads. The psychedelic elements make the music more fun to listen to, I think anyway. Especially in the 80's such a touch in the music wasn’t especially common. Now and then Prince leaves the relatively dry and bare sound and goes to the other side, such as the B-side’s bombastic opening number Mountains.

Parade was Prince’s eighth album and he was 28 years old when it was released. As usual, Prince plays most of the instruments himself. The first four tracks can be seen as a suite, Prince first recorded the drum track to all four songs in a single take, then he recorded the bass, the guitar etc. in the same way. These first four songs flow nicely into each other. The album ends with the sad ballad Sometimes It Snows In April, that I somewhere read was about a dog Prince had, that died. I therefore thought it was a fitting song to listen to when my family's cat died, when I was still in my teens. Skuggan (The shadow) was her name. Parade also contains the hit Kiss, which I have never really liked.

This was the last album Prince released with the backing band The Revolution. The film the album is a soundtrack to is called Under The Cherry Moon, and Prince have a role in it.

Overall, I must say that this album is great craftsmanship, there are good songs with interesting twists, Prince is undeniably a musician and a composer of rank. That I have a hard time with his sound is another matter. Prince belongs to a past part of my life, and I think I'm done with him. But one should never say never.

Prince has some sort of hook-up considering the Internet and that his music is freely offered to mankind, Kiss was the therefore the only video I found on Yuutube (with sound). But there are better songs on the album.

 

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. Christopher Tracy’s Parade 2:11
2. New Position 2:21
3. I Wonder U 1:40
4. Under The Cherry Moon 2:57
5 .Girls & Boys 5:30
6. Life Can Be So Nice 3:12
7. Venus De Milo 1:54

Side B

1. Mountains 3:58
2. Do U Lie? 2:43
3. Kiss 3:38
4. Anotherloverholenyohead 3:58
5 .Sometimes It Snows In April 6:50

Anna von Hausswolff – ”Ceremony” (2012)

 

Anna with the German sounding surname was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is the daughter to the sound artist Carl Michael von Hausswolff. Ceremony is her second album after the debut Singing From the Grave. The church organ is in focus on the album, and since I've always been quite fond of this massive instrument, I like the music.

Anna has often been compared to Kate Bush, and of course some similarities exist - they are both two female singers with the courage to venture outside the box. But I absolutely think Anna has her own expression and her own profile. She moves along her own path and doesn’t blindly follow someone else. If you absolutely want to find similarities with other artists, which for some reason can be fun sometimes, my first spontaneous association was Chemical Brothers and their beautiful song Asleep From Day (1999). And maybe you can hear a hint of Pink Floyd, I think mainly of the guitar playing, and possibly a drop of Mike Oldfield à la Ommadawn in some places. But as said, Anna walks her own path. I guess hearing similarities to other artists' music is inevitable, doesn’t matter what artist you listen to. And in Anna’s case it even takes some good will and imagination.

 

The church organ, appearing in 9 out of 13 songs, has a tendency to give the music a rather dark twist. When I listen to the album I feel like I'm in a church, and would consider playing some of the songs at my funeral. Song titles like Epitaph of Theodor, Deathbed or Funeral for My Future Children hint that death is a theme that pops up regularly on the album. But it’s not a depressing record, the songs are often so beautiful that the beauty of them dominates the experience. The church organ's presence is not a requirement for a fine experience, though, the songs without the organ are just as beautiful.

Sometimes the tempo increases on the album, as in the song Sova, but most songs are quite peaceful and tranquil. Here and there you are treated to atmospheric experiences as the closing number, Sun Rise. A couple of instrumental songs also appear, including the sound experiment No Body, and through out the album it’s a pretty big soundscape. There are beautiful melodies through out the album, and the stroke of genius to let the church organ take the center spot at least works on me.

Tracklist

Side A
1. Epitaph Of Theodor 5:25
2. Deathbed 8:38
3. Mountain Crave 3:35

Side B

1. Goodbye 6:16
2. Red Sun 3:17
3. Epitaph Of Daniel 3:10

Side C

1. No Body 2:33
2. Liturgy Of Light 5:01
3. Harmonica 4:22

Side D

1. Ocean 5:44
2. Sova 3:24
3. Funeral For My Future Children 4:42
4. Sun Rise 4:52

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros - "Here" (2012)

  

Sometimes you just want to be taken care of, wrapped up in cotton and let all worries float away into the distance. At least I feel that way in moments when I feel really sorry for myself and nobody, absolutely nobody, cares for me. Then I can let Here spin the turntable and it immediately feels better.

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zero is a collectivistic band formed in 2007 in Los Angeles, consists of a dozen people and is led by singer Alex Elbert. Alex is a former member of the band Ima Robot. Here is their second album of three so far. The band's music has a distinct touch of the 60's and 70's hippie music, with a slightly more modern sound. Hippie music may here be defined as psychedelic folk with elements of gospel and other cool stuff. I discovered the band through their first album Up From Below which I have on CD. Some of you have probably heard the song Home from that album.

Here is equal to their debut album and a logical continuation. Both albums have the quality to contain some really beautiful creations mixed with some a little more dull. Favorites on Here is the opening track Burning Man and side A’s closing number Mayla, also the whole album’s highlight. If you listen to that song one can’t feel depressed, wrapped in cotton as you get. Jade Castrinos also contributes with vocals on some songs which make them duets. The B-side is really good all the way through and with a higher lowest level but without side A’s clear peaks.

Edward Sharpe ... seems to be a relaxed bunch of people who are surely nice to hang out with. I have "liked" their Facebook page and therefore regularly receive beautiful and positive messages from them. This is reflected in the music. Sure, you recognize some stuff in the music from past decades, but which band doesn’t re-use ideas from earlier and/or other artists? A visit with to the band and this album is recommended.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Man On Fire 4:19

2. That's What's Up 3:52

3. I Don't Wanna Pray 3:27

4. Mayla 5:43

Side B

1. Dear Believer 4:47

2. Child 3:10

3. One Love To Another 3:32

4. Fiya Wata 4:13

5. All Wash Out 4:41

Tommy James – ”Tommy James” (1970)
 

Today's theme is a pretty fun album. Many of you probably know Tommy James and the Shondells, a band which produced many hits in the late 60's. Who doesn’t remember Crimson And Clover? Excellent pop psychedelia. 1970 Tommy James released his first solo album which feels like a natural extension of the Shondells time, semi psychedelic pop not too inaccessible. If I didn’t know about it, it would be difficult to guess that the second half of the band name was gone, as it sounds pretty much like the creations from the 60s. In this case, it’s not something negative.

Actually, there are really no weak tracks on the album, and the A-side is a string of great songs. The record’s highlight is the opening track on side B, Come To Me. Here, Tommy is joined by a female choir that takes the music to even greater heights, in a chorus that you can’t help but sing along in. The listener is invited to some soulful, fast paced and danceable songs, some slower and more druggy creations and finally, the punky Quicksilver. But Tommy stays constantly within the frame of easy access, groovy songs with nice hooks and a healthy touch of psychedelia.

 

The album was released on Roulette Records. Apparently it was a front the Mafia used, not least for money laundering. According to Tommy James himself he never got royalties for a sum up to 30-40 million dollars, and at one point he had to leave New York and instead record in Nashville because of an ongoing mob conflict. Tommy didn’t want a bullet in his head, or a resting place in the East River. 2010 he released his autobiography Me, the Mob and the Music, a book Tommy didn’t dare to write until everyone who was deeply involved in Roulette Records were dead.

In any case, this album can be recommended, a fun mix of songs with a distinct Tommy James touch. Of course it's a pretty commercial record, Tommy James and the Shondells were one of the bands that sold most records in the late 60's, and Tommy continues on the same path. Nevertheless, the album is really enjoyable. All the songs clock in at between 3-4 minutes, except Come To Me which is 4 seconds short of the magic 3-minute limit. No mind bending, radio hostile long jams on this record.

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. Ball And Chain 3:30
2. Meet The Comer 3:35
3. Midnight Train 3:29
4. Light Of Day 3:46

Side B

1. Come To Me 2:56
2. I Lost My Baby 3:07
3. Lady Jane 3:40
4. Quicksilver 3:21

 

 

Giorgio Moroder – E=mc² (1979)

1979. Disco. Studio 54, cocaine and dancing. Ahhh , those were the days ... But as I was only seven years old the year this album was released I was blissfully unaware of all glamorous nightlife. And Sweden's jet set wasn’t quite in the same league as New York's ditto.

The Italian Giorgio Moroder must almost be considered a legend within the music world, especially the dance and disco world. He has produced artists such as Donna Summer, David Bowie, Blondie, Bonnie Tyler, Freddie Mercury, The Three Degrees etc. He founded Musicland Studios in Munich, where ELO, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Elton John have recorded. He has also recorded ​​numerous solo albums including a number of soundtracks, not the least the soundtrack to the epic masterpiece Scarface, all gangsters favourite movie - Say hello to my little friend! And this year he turned up on Daft Punk's new album Random Access Memories.

E= mc² is a pure electronic disco album. No guitars, bass or drums. No horns. No triangle. This was unusual in 1979. Although electronics had long been used in disco, it always shared its place with strings, horns and groovy guitar rhythms. Sure, there were bands like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream that solely used electronic instruments, but they were hardly in the disco world.

Personally, I have never been a big disco fan, so the album shouldn’t be to my taste, I think disco music usually is too superficial. But I can’t lie – this is a pretty fun record! The falsetto song gives you Bee Gees vibes, it's uptempo and danceable. Allmusic.com gives the album 4 stars and writes:

“This is the electronic dance music that preceded the rise of techno, house, and industrial noise, and it came at a time when hip-hop was in its infancy and the rave subculture had yet to be invented. Even though the songs themselves are average, Moroder and Faltermeyer's futuristic production makes E=MC2 a historically interesting LP that anyone who has enjoyed electronic dance rhythms needs to check out.”

And since I in the 90's was totally lost in goa trance (as it was called at the time) I suppose E = mc² has its place in the collection.

My record was bought in Quebec, Canada, and was released by Casablanca. Since that is KISS old label I always think that I'll be hearing Detroit Rock City when I put it on the turntable. The closing song, also the title track, ends with Moroder telling us who helped out making the record, all to a disco beat. Pretty fun.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Baby Blue 4:53
2. What A Night 4:55
3. If You Weren’t Afraid 5:16

Side B

1. I Wanna Rock You 6:30
2. In My Wildest Dreams 4:37
3. E=mc² 4:32

Small Faces – ”Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake” (1968)

This album is a little gem. A psychedelic creation that’s fun and enjoyable to listen to, even if it’s a little too funny and whimsical at times. Most people believe that Ogden's Nut Gone Flake was Small Faces’ best creation.

The A-side is of the traditional kind in that it is a set of individual songs, while the B-side consists of a cohesive theme where we hear the story of Happiness Stan, who embarks on the search for the answer to where half the moon has gone. As an additional plus, he also gets the answer to the meaning of life after an encounter with Mad John. The spoken story is interspersed with groovy music.

Personally, I like the A-side best, which consists of a row of fantastic songs. It opens up with the somewhat bombastic and instrumental title track and then continues towards even greater heights. At the moment the A-side belongs to one of my absolute favourites when it comes to music from the psychedelic era. Really great creations.

The B-side is also good, the songs are nice but I think the story of Happiness Stan is a little bit too whimsical. I probably would have liked it better if they had told the story with music only. The spoken narrative takes up a little too much time, also. But as I said, the songs are good when you finally get to hear them.

From the start, the cover of the LP was round as the tobacco tins it parodies. But it was too expensive, so after a while it was changed to an ordinary, quadratic, cover. I have of course a quadratic cover, when a LP with the original cover for once shows up it usually costs around 200 USD (here in Sweden), a vinyl record trader told me.

 

Small Faces could never play the whole Ogden's Nut Gone Flake live as the music was a bit too complex, especially the B-side with a lot of studio work and additions. 1969 Steve Marriott left the band and was later replaced with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart. The band then shortened its name to Faces.

Odgen's Nut Gone Flake is a record that can be recommended, especially if you like music from the 60s later half with a psychedelic touch. That it becomes a little too whimsical at times, one can survive. I had to look for quite a while before I finally found it in a vinyl record store in Uppsala, but surely it's quicker through the internet if you’re interested.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake 2:26
2. Afterglow Of Your Love 3:31
3. Long Agos And  Worlds Apart 2:35
4. Rene 4:29
5. Song Of A Baker 3:15
6. Lazy Sunday 3:05

Side B

1. Happiness Stan 2:35
2. Rollin’ Over 2:50
3. The Hungry Intruder 2:15
4. The Journey 4:12
5. Mad John 2:48
6. Happy Days Toy Town 4:17