Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence - ROBERT FRIPP.
Information is not knowledge;
knowledge is not wisdom;
wisdom is not truth;
truth is not beauty;
beauty is not love;
love is not music;
MUSIC IS THE BEST - FRANK ZAPPA.
I think we're a little happier when we have a little music in our lives - STEVE JOBS.
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe - LAO TZU.
Rock and Roll is fire, man. FIRE. - DAVID BRIGGS.
Music grips you, gets into your soul -
GEORGE MARTIN
The BeatlesRevolver(various copies on Vinyl and CD, Apple and Parlophone, 1966) *****
Genre: Beatles pop Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Kings Recording (Abu Dhabi), The Warehouse and elsewhere since the early seventies Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Love You To
Gear costume: Everything else! Active compensatory factors: A contender for best Beatle album, therefore often a contender for best album of all time, Revolver often fights it out with Sgt Pepper for those honours, The Beatles (a.k.a. the white album) is my all time fav from the fabs. Then there's Abbey Rd. It's all subjective isn't it, relevant to how old you are, when you chanced upon these glorious albums, what you associate with listening to them and so on. What is beyond subjectivity is how these songs STILL sound cutting edge. Chuck on Doctor Robert, or Taxman, or Love You To (sic), or I'm Only Sleeping, or Got To Get You Into My Life, and wind up the volume! See what I mean? George Martin's genius for a suitably exploratory sound landscape complements the brilliant songs, singing and playing. Note well: I didn't even mention Tomorrow Never Knows in that revelatory song list above. Or Eleanor Rigby. Or Yellow Submarine. Maybe it IS the best album of all time!
Where do they all belong? That heading comes from Eleanor Rigby btw. Capitol were still playing silly buggers in the U.S. with Beatle releases. That would finally end with their next release: Sgt Pepper.
Atlanta Rhythm SectionAre You Ready!(Vinyl, Polydor, 1979) ****
Genre: American pop/rock Places I remember: Marbecks Records Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Angel (What in the world's come over us)
Gear costume:So Into You Active compensatory factors: I was into my second year of working atMarbecks Recordsin my University holidays when Roger Marbeck played this album in the shop a few times. It's a slick amalgam of southern rock like Marshall Tucker Band were playing (I fell for the MTB big time). Rhythmic guitars, extended jams, good ole boys: fun!!
Where do they all belong? This is the only ARS album I possess but really, that's enough. The Marshall Tucker Band discography is a different thing though - I'm a completist as far as they go. Not sure why as they plough the same furrow to a large extent.When I think about it I guess it's the more romanticised version of the western hero that I like (The Long Ride was my way in).
Genre: German pop/rock Places I remember: Real Groovy Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:Hard to go past their number one hit: 99 Luftballons
Gear costume: Nur Geträumt, Leuchtturm Active compensatory factors: I searched for years for this album, containing as it does the German language version of 99 Luftballons. The English version (99 Red Balloons) appeared on Say Cheese, an eighties compilation of one hit wonders. It pales in comparison to the German one. The rest of the album is more of the same Germanic electronic eighties pop, but nothing is as catchy as 99 Luftballons. Previous single to 99 Luftballons was Nur Geträumt and it's the next catchiest song here. Third single, Leuchtturm, is also pretty cool - it builds well. Nena, the person rather than the band, (a nickname for the lead singer - Gabriele Kerner, btw) is still performing (and still looking great incidentally).
Where do they all belong? That's it for Nena, the band - a true one hit wonder!
Genre: pop/rock Places I remember: Marbecks Records (Auckland) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Country Mile
Gear costume:Moonchild Active compensatory factors: Roger Glover (yes, the bassist for Deep Purple) came on board for this album and added some finesse and clarity to proceedings for Rory: Moonchild and Calling Card are good examples. It's quite a varied album from Rory this time. Calling Card is a nice change of pace, Moonchild is almost a love song (as much as Rory ever does a love song), Barley and Maple Rag is folk, I'll Admit You've Gone is an accoustic beauty and there are some rock songs in the mix as well. Thanks to the band being on top form (Lou Martin plays some lovely piano on Calling Card and Rod de'Ath is also at his best) with Glover producing, Rory can excel on vocals and guitar.
Where do they all belong? The last with this line up - only Gerry McAvoy remained beyond this one.
Genre: English pop/rock Places I remember: RCA Victor Record Club (yes, it arrived in my letterbox back in 1972 with the el cheapo cover as pictured) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:Andy Warhol
Gear costume:Life On Mars, Queen Bitch Active compensatory factors: Apart from budget concerns, I have no idea why NZ went for this crappy cover (light brown annotated lithograph like picture and same image and writing on front and back). The copy appears to be written by Bowie (I played some guitar...) but the crossings out and the amateur lay out (left and right is cut off on each side) add up to tacky! Hunky Dory is a weird mixture of styles that somehow hang together. Queen Bitch looks forward to Ziggy, there are name checks for zowie Bowie, Dylan and Warhol (and Lennon's on sale again on Mars, sic), The Bewlay Brothers is spooky, Kooks is kooky, and so on. But it's Bowie, so it all works!
Where do they all belong? Ziggy was itching to emerge from that yonder star.
Genre: Australian pop/rock Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Auckland Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Khe Sanh
Gear costume:One Long Day, Daskarzine, Home And Broken Hearted Active compensatory factors: I started collecting Cold Chisel and backtracked from Swingshift to this album and East (which is a much superior album). At the time, I was drawn to Chisel's album rather than Midnight Oil's debut which also came out in 1978. Something about the blues shout of Chisel and the pub rocker/Aussie battler syndrome rather than the social consciousness of the Oils was the magic ingredient for me. I know the band are kind of embarrassed by this album but I like its rough and ready sound and, what the heck, it's got Khe Sanh on it so, sorry boys, it's worthy of respect!
Where do they all belong? The debut album - it was onwards for Jim Barnes (as credited on this album) and the boys.
