Ain't it somethin' (Lyle Lovett) (LP 3029)

Lyle Lovett  I Love Everybody (CD, MCA Records, 1994) ***  

Genre: Country

Places I remember: Another one from Shona Walding

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Just The Morning

Gear costume: Record Lady

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I wouldn't normally buy an album by Lyle Lovett, not that I have anything against him, just that I prefer my country like Dwight Yokam.

This is a bit of a weird one in his catalogue - it's his fifth album but it consists of his early songs written prior to the recording of his first album.

I don't know enough about his work to consider this as better or worse than others. It's an interesting, stripped back set of songs including some wry observations and some great musical accompaniment.

Lyle has a nice and easy, laconic delivery that sells these songs well. I bet it sold a truckload!!

Where do they all belong? A one-off. As I said, I'm more of a Dwight guy.

Can't explain (Long-View) (LP 3028)

Long-View  Mercury (CD, 14th Floor Records, 2005) ****  

Genre: Indie rock

Places I remember: I'm not sure how I ended up with this album. I can't explain.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Further

Gear costume: Can't Explain

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Long-View are an English indie rock band, or were. This was their only album and I don't know too much about them.

So, to the album. It's pretty cool - tuneful, catchy, soaring, guitar based indie rock that still sounds great many years on.

Looks like Ron McVey is the main man of the foursome. He wrote most of the songs, sings and plays guitar. The band are rounded out by a drummer/bassist and a fellow guitarist. 

All very likeable. Why didn't they kick on and become huge?

Where do they all belong? A real one-off. I wonder what happened to them. An enigmatic presence in the collection.

Like I used to do (Seldom Scene) (LP 3027)

Seldom Scene  Long Time...Seldom Scene (CD, Smithsonian Folkways Records, 2014) ****  

Genre: Bluegrass 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hickory Wind (Emmylou Harris is the guest)

Gear costume: What Am I Doing Hangin' Round (yes, The Monkees song)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I know - I'm currently working through the L's, so what's the happs?

Sorry team, I misfiled this one, thinking the band was called Long Time...Seldom Scene. Doh. 

Never the mind. The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band albums have whetted my appetite for this most American of musical genres. So, when I saw it in the sale bins at JB Hi Fi it was a no-brainer.

Seldom Scene have been at it for many years, since 1971 in fact. They know what they are doing! Apart from the two featured songs above, there are some excellent covers on this set - songs by Dylan, John Prine, John Fogerty and of course, what would a bluegrass album be without a song by Bill Monroe?

Where do they all belong? Needs to go into its proper place in the S's.

Hey now (London Grammar) (LP 3026)

London Grammar  If You Wait (CD, Metal and Dust Records, 2013) ***  

Genre: Indie pop

Places I remember: HMV (Croydon)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Wasting My Young Years

Gear costume: Metal and Dust

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: London Grammar is a trio that are equal parts Hannah Reid's expressive vocals, multi-instrumentalist Dominic Major, and guitarist Dan Rothman. Hannah Reid is also the band's lyricist.

If You Wait is their debut album. Hannah's vocals are fantastic. She sounds a bit like a dialed down version of Florence Welch at times, which is a good thing.

The music fits, but I'm not crazy about electronica especially. No denying the power and beauty in Hannah's vocals though.

Where do they all belong? I took a punt on this while living in England and reading a positive review in Mojo Magazine. I've not felt the need to add their other albums to my collection.

In my mind (John Lodge) (LP 3024 -3025)

John Lodge Natural Avenue (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1977) ***  

John Lodge 10,000 Light Years Ago (Vinyl, Esoteric Antenna Records, 2015) ***  

Genre: Pop, rock

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham on the hill); Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: In My Mind (10,000 Light Years Ago)

Gear costume:  Natural Avenue

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: John Lodge is, of course, the bassist for The Moody Blues and at times part of a duo with fellow Moodie, Justin Hayward, in Blue Jays.

That description doesn't really do him credit as he's an excellent song-writer and vocalist in his own right. These are his only two solo studio albums. I'm not a completist for Moody Blues' solo efforts but I find myself buying them because I generally find them interesting and fun to listen to, so it's not a chore to buy them.

Natural Avenue was released in 1977, during the time The Moody Blues had gone into hibernation. It's a lush set of songs - very close to the Moody Blues in fact. Justin Hayward has a better vocal presence and John is more of a harmony vocalist than a lead singer, so this is a bit of a weakness in a solo setting.

It took a while for the second solo album to arrive - 38 years! The Moodies links are here still, with both Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder making an appearance on one track (Simply Magic). 

The music is a few leaps ahead of Natural Avenue, with Chris Spedding playing some great David Gilmour-esque cosmic guitar solos on the album. John's vocals are also presented better in the mix on this album, except for Lose Your Love where he sounds like latter day Dylan. The album has a really good side 1 and a disappointing side 2.

Where do they all belong? A nice guy (by all accounts) and a nice brace of solo adventures.

Alchemy (Richard Lloyd) (LP 3021 - 3023)

Richard Lloyd  Alchemy (Vinyl, Elektra Records, 1979) *****  

Richard Lloyd  Field Of Fire (2CD, Reaction Records, 1986/ 2006) ****  

Richard Lloyd  The Cover Doesn't Matter (CD, Evangeline Records, 2001) *** 

Genre: Alt rock, pop 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Number Nine (Alchemy)

Gear costume: Alchemy

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Richard Lloyd is one of the key ingredients to Television (more to come on that seminal band in due course). For me, he kind of fulfills the same role in that band as Roger Gilmour did in the Pink Floyd that also included Roger Waters. Although I don't think Tom Verlaine was as prickly a bandmate as Roger. The two were great together but I prefer Lloyd's solo work to Verlaines, as I do Gilmour's solo work to Waters.

Alchemy was Richard's first solo album and it is a doozy! Having been a big fan of Marquee Moon (Television) I snapped up this when working at Marbecks. It entranced me from the off. 

It's got slight echoes of Television thanks to two members being on this album (Lloyd and Fred 'Sonic' Smith) but it is also much poppier and snappier (shorter songs). There are no duds - so a 5-star masterclass it is.

Field Of Fire was his second solo album from 1986. His vocals aren't as brilliant on this one. This version has the initial album and his revisited version from 2006. On the original his hoarse vocal style is a bit off putting at times. They have improved somehow by 2006.

It's still recognisably Richard and there's a tough New York sensibility (he moved there from Pittsburgh in his teens) which I like. The revisited version is probably the better of the two. Those stinging guitar lines are also clearly Richard - he has a singular guitar style (unlike the vocals that sound similar to Warren Zevon at times).

The Cover Doesn't Matter sees Richard in a no-nonsense trio with a drummer and bassist. It's good, he's never going to put out anything otherwise, but it's not essential, as Alchemy is.

Where do they all belong? He'll be popping up again when we reach Matthew Sweet and then Television.