Together (The Raconteurs) (LP 4505 - 4507)

The Raconteurs  Broken Boy Soldiers (CD, Third Man Records, 2006) ****  

The Raconteurs  Consolers of the Lonely (CD, Third Man Records, 2008) ***  

The Raconteurs  Help Us Stranger (CD, Third Man Records, 2019) *****  

Genre: Alt rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi, Adam Purdy

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Steady As She Goes (Broken Boy Soldiers)

Gear costume: Bored and Razed, Live a Lie (Help Us Stranger)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Raconteurs are a group of musical mates who joined up to form a new band. Some may call this a supergroup in that all the members come from substantial musical careers: Jack White (vocals, guitar) from The White Stripes, Brendan Benson (vocals, guitar) had a pile of solo albums to his name, Jack Lawrence (bass guitar), and Patrick Keeler (drums) both from the Greenhornes. 

Their debut album kicks off with Steady As She Goes - the first song they worked on together. This album is full of guitar pop smarts and sounds like it was fun to make. It's certainly fun to listen to as well. The guys trade lead vocals as they go, and manage some great Stones-like harmonies.

Second album Consolers of the Lonely was a gift from one of my sons. He knows how much I love blues rock and this album delivers the goods. Jack White is the big name in the band, but he allows the others to shine as well on a more varied set of songs than the debut.

That said, overall, it's a more sprawling album and not as much fun as the debut.

Sidenote: The production is terrific - it sounds like you're in the studio with them.

Their third album, Help Us Stranger, came out 11 years later, and it's a monster. It's back to the sixties/ seventies power pop/rock with many songs around the 2 to 3 minute mark. Everything about it - the guitars, the drums, the bass, everything is dialed up to 11. It's outrageous!!

Where do they all belong? I've written about Brendan Benson before (here) but there is more Jack White coming up in The White Stripes and in the W's. 

Build a world (The Pineapple Thief) (LP 4497 - 4504)

The Pineapple Thief  All the Wars (CD, Kscope Records, 2012) ****  

The Pineapple Thief  Magnolia (CD, Kscope Records, 2012) *****  

The Pineapple Thief  Your Wilderness (CD, Kscope Records, 2016) ***

The Pineapple Thief  Where We Stood (CD/DVD, Kscope Records, 2017) ****

The Pineapple Thief  Dissolution (CD, Kscope Records, 2018) ****

The Pineapple Thief  Versions of the Truth (CD, Kscope Records, 2020) ****

The Pineapple Thief  Give it Back (Vinyl, Kscope Records, 2022) ****

The Pineapple Thief  It Leads to This (Vinyl, Kscope Records, 2024) *****

Genre: Prog rock, Prog metal

Places I remember: FOPP, HMV, JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Simple as That (Magnolia)

Gear costume: The One You Left To Die (Magnolia), The Frost (It Leads to This)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Bruce and the band started the new millennium in great shape following their excellent album from 2010 (Someone Here Is Missing).

All the Wars is a really confident album which develops the thrust of Someone Here is Missing. As the reviewer in Record Collector wrote - Bruce Soord's songs "aren’t mere entertainments; they’re demanding pieces, both muscular and intricate, concerned with conflicts and dislocation, charting personal battles drawn out on large canvases". 

All the Wars delivers on all fronts with some great sounding prog rock songs. The sonic landscape is as carefully considered as the lyrics.

Magnolia is even better. With some judicious editing of the songs - all are reasonably brief (none are over 6 minutes), it's a more streamlined rock sound. Ironically, that allows each song to luxuriate via the more economical songcraft and some excellent hooks. Magnolia is in many ways my go-to album by The Pineapple Thief. It's lean and mean and catchy as hell.

Your Wilderness is their eleventh studio album. The band was essentially now down to a trio (Bruce, Jon Sykes on bass and Steve Kitch on keyboards) with special guests fleshing out the instrumentation. These included Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), John Helliwell (Supertramp), and Geoffrey Richardson (Caravan).

The resulting sound is a return to the band's sound from eight years before. That means it's far less rocky and much more introspective. I do like this side of the band, but I also like the Magnolia version and, truth be told, I actually prefer it as well.

Where We Stood is a live package - CD and DVD. The band are caught live in London on their final show of their 2017 tour. They deliver a terrific set in an intimate setting.

Their next studio album was Dissolution, again with Gavin Harrison onboard (he was also on Where We Stood).  

As the black and white cover image and the title suggests this one is looking at a dissolving world. Specifically, the subject matter concerns the dark side of social media and hyper-technology; exploring the ways in which they contribute to isolation, alienation, and the disintegration of relationships.

Although the subject matter is pretty bleak, the music isn't. Instead it is, as AllMusic summarised, 'poetic, erudite, emotionally powerful, and chock-full of musical imagination'.

Their 13th album, Versions of the Truth, maintained the stable lineup of Soord, Harrison, Kitch and Sykes and it also maintained the high quality. The theme this time is how we now live in a post truth world thanks to American politicians and leaders.

Give it Back continued the forward momentum by revisiting the past. Specifically, it means 12 new versions of  songs taken from the albums 137 to All The Wars. 

The re-recorded versions feature new  drum parts by Gavin Harrison (who wasn't in the band when those three albums were released initially). Bruce Soord also took the opportunity to tutu with song arrangements. 

It sounds superb, as you'd expect, and is nice to have (I love the cover image), but it's still a kind of holding operation during the covid lockdowns.

The final album on my list, It Leads to This, is also the band's 15th and latest - from 2024.

Bruce Soord's world view can be quite bleak and who can blame him in the 2020s. I sometimes feel that modern life is rubbish and Bruce provides the sounds to go with that sentiment. It Leads to This is superb - clear eyed (like the cover) and thoughtful. This one is up there with their best, maybe even THE best? Time will tell.

Where do they all belong? That's it for The Pineapple Thief for now. Their albums certainly deserve repeat listens as there are always new discoveries to be made. 

Remember us (The Pineapple Thief) (LP 4490 - 4496)

The Pineapple Thief  One Three Seven (CD, Kscope Records, 2002) *** 

The Pineapple Thief  Variations on a Dream (CD, Snapper Music, 2003, released 2023) *** 

The Pineapple Thief   Little Man (CD, Snapper Music, 2003, released 2023) *** 

The Pineapple Thief   What We Have Sown (CD, Kscope Music, 2007) ****

The Pineapple Thief   Tightly Unwound (CD, Kscope Music, 2008) ****

The Pineapple Thief   Someone Here Is Missing (CD, Kscope Music, 2010) ****

The Pineapple Thief   3000 Days (CD, Kscope Music, 2009) ***

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: FOPP, HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Nothing at Best (Someone Here is Missing)

Gear costume: Shoot First (Tightly Unwound)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Back in February 2019 I wrote about One Three Seven in the countdown as album #295. For the sake of completeness, I've included it here again, but not counted it. Given Bruce Soord plays and sings everything on it - it's a remarkable album and worth rediscovery.

Anyway, it's time for another multi-post approach for The Pineapple Thief as I have a lot of albums by this fine band. First up - the 2002 to 2010 albums.

The origins of Bruce Soord's The Pineapple Thief are similar to Steven Wilson's Porcupine Tree, in that each band started out as a solo venture by their principal songwriters and morphed into actual bands.

In the case of The Pineapple Thief, after three albums (including One Three Seven and Variations on a Dream), Bruce Soord is joined on Little Man by Jon Sykes on bass, Wayne Higgins on guitar, Matt O'Leary on keyboards, and Keith Harrison on drums.

First though - Variations on a Dream, and in some ways, I find it tough to distinguish between it and One Three Seven. It's like they are a double album in my head. Both are very confident, accomplished albums. During both, it is amazing to think that it's the work of one guy.

Little Man is the first band album and it's a much rockier outing in some ways. The familiar Bruce Soordisms - lyrical passages with almost dream pop like vocals, are still a welcome presence. The lingering feeling of Bruce plus friends persists with the album though.

What We Have Sown was his/their sixth album. It's a kind of strange one as they released the album as a thank you to the label they were leaving and it also served as a clearing of the decks before joining Kscope as the songs were held over from previous releases, mostly Little Man outtakes.

That doesn't mean that it's a lesser album in any way as the band fully charge into these songs. Clearly it was a beneficial exercise and necessary for a fresh start with the next album - Tightly Unwound.

The album presents all of the band's strengths - some blistering prog rock guitars amid the dream pop interludes. My copy has a bonus disc of outtakes and acoustic versions which continue to deliver on those strengths.

Someone Here Is Missing from 2010 was the first album that I bought by The Pineapple Thief. I'd been impressed by a song on a Prog Magazine sampler and found this album in FOPP on a visit to London in 2011.

This one is more metal prog than their previous albums. It's a heavy sounding album and I loved it then and I love it now. It's massive!

Where do they all belong? Three Thousand Days is a compilation that covers their first ten years from 1999 to 2009. It's a worthwhile collection for me as it has material from albums I don't have - like their debut in 1999 - Abducting the Unicorn and Ten Stories Down (2005). There are also some alternate takes and alternate mixes that are of interest.

The next post completes the second half of my collection with The Pineapple Thief albums from 2012 to 2024.

Nest egg (The Phoenix Foundation) (LP 4485 - 4489)

The Phoenix Foundation  Pegasus (CD, The Phoenix Foundation Records, 2005) ***  

The Phoenix Foundation   Happy Ending (CD, Flying Nun Records, 2007) *** 

The Phoenix Foundation    Buffalo (CD, EMI Records, 2010) ****

The Phoenix Foundation   Fandango (CD, Universal Music. 2013) ****  

The Phoenix Foundation   Give Up Your Dreams (CD, Memphis Industries Records, 2015) **** 

Genre: NZ Music, alt rock

Places I remember: The Warehouse, JB Hi Fi, Slowboat Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Buffalo

Gear costume: All in an Afternoon (Pegasus), Bright Grey (Happy Ending)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: It was Samantha's love of the band that got me interested in the first place. She'd gone to Victoria University in Wellington and heard the band and played me some of their stuff. She was right! It was good!

Pegasus was their second album (I don't have Horse Power, their debut). It has a smattering of very pleasant-sounding acoustic guitar driven folk rock mixed in with heavier electric guitar alt rock sounds. 

The band at this stage was a six-piece combo: Warner Emery (bass); Will Ricketts (percussion); Richie Singleton (drums); Conrad Wedde (guitar), Samuel Flynn Scott (guitar, vocals, keyboards), and Lukasz Buda (guitar, vocals, keyboards). Along the way they have also enjoyed contributions from many other local musicians.

Third album, Happy Ending, was a turning point in that it expands on the foundation (sorry) of Pegasus. Overseas critics were also starting to pay attention and the album got good reviews in music magazines like Mojo (I was also paying attention).

The album starts strongly with Bright Grey (a single and a video by Taika Waititi) and then meanders along through similar territories as Pegasus but with an expanded musical palette.

Buffalo was a mostly excellent album, although the first half is better than the second half which tends to drift by a tad, apart from Orange & Mango that is. The title track and Orange & Mango are superb but there needed to more of those kinds of songs on the album for my money.

Fandango is a two CD album but it still feels like side one and two, meaning they pull off a double album without any bother. It allowed the band to try a variety of styles and to stretch out on some songs - for almost 18 minutes in the case of Friendly Society.

The final album on my list is Give Up Your Dreams. It's a return to the crisper alt pop of Buffalo in many ways, with some catchy tunes such as Jason. There's also more reliance on synth driven pop (like Flaming Lips) which takes a little bit of adjustment.

Where do they all belong? Apart from Horse Power, their debut, I've also yet to catch up on their last album Friend Ship (2020).

Singing my song (The Partridge Family) (LP 4480 - 4484)

The Partridge Family  The Partridge Family Album (Vinyl, Bell Records, 1970) *** 

The Partridge Family  Up to Date (Vinyl, Bell Records, 1971) ***  

The Partridge Family  Sound Magazine (Vinyl, Bell Records, 1971) ****  

The Partridge Family  A Partridge Family Christmas Card (Vinyl, Bell Records, 1971) **  

The Partridge Family  The Partridge Family Notebook (Vinyl, Bell Records, 1972) ***  

Genre: Pop, Bubblegum

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, Slowboat Records, Viking Haul

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Woke Up in Love this Morning (Sound Magazine), I Think I Love You (The Partridge Family Album)

Gear costume: I Can Hear Your Heartbeat (The Partridge Family Album)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Scoffers and haters beware - The Partridge Family albums are quality products. The 'band' produced some great pop albums that were hugely popular.

Based on the real-life family group The Cowsills, and like The Monkees, this was a manufactured pop group for a TV show, and like The Monkees - I loved the show. I knew at the time that there wasn't an actual band. Even I wasn't naive enough to think that six-year-old Chris Partridge was a real drummer.

The actual music is superb thanks to the iconic Los Angeles–based session players popularly known as the Wrecking Crew. This group of musicians included Dennis Budimir, Louie Shelton, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Osborn, Max Bennett, Larry Knechtel, Mike Melvoin and Hal Blaine.

The background singers featuring members of two bands - the Ron Hicklin Singers and the Love Generation provide the so so harmonies and they have two very ho-hum solo moments on two tracks.

That leaves Shirley Jones and David Cassidy representing the actors on the TV show. And whaddaya know! David Cassidy not only looked great, but he could sing great too. 

The huge hit was I Think I Love You, but there are some excellent songs elsewhere on the debut, like I Can Hear Your Heartbeat.

The second album, Up to Date, repeated the successful formula from the previous year with the Wrecking Crew, but this time they doubled the hits: I'll Meet You Halfway and Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted. The whole album was more consistent than the debut and it emerged only four months after it.

Album number three, also in 1971, is Sound Magazine. All the same session musicians appear again, so the high quality is maintained. The songs are terrific and David Cassidy's vocals had grown in confidence and were more nuanced. The big hit from the album was I Woke Up in Love this Morning.

Their third album of 1971 was A Partridge Family Christmas Card. The majority of songs on the album were Christmas standards like The Christmas Song (with Shirley Jones on lead vocals). The Wrecking Crew were again on board. As with the other three albums, it was hugely successful commercially.

Notebook is the last one on my list (so far). The album is the first indication that their time was up. No hits came from it, but the same musicians didn't suddenly forget how to play, so this album is an under-rated PF offering, I feel. We Gotta Get Out of this Place is a fun version of the Animals' hit.

By this stage in their career David Cassidy is the only real participant on the records. It wouldn't be long before that sham had run its course and he continued with a successful 'solo' career (begun in 1972 while he was also performing on The Partridge Family albums).

Where do they all belong? I'm missing a couple of albums that are on my wants list: Shopping Bag (1972); Crossword Puzzle (1973); Bulletin Board (also 1973). I have no Cassidy solo albums, nor any plans to collect them.

Utah (The Osmonds) (LP 4479)

The Osmonds  Crazy Horses (Vinyl, MGM Records, 1972) ****  

Genre: Pop, rock

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Crazy Horses

Gear costume: Life is Hard Enough Without Goodbyes

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I bought this mainly for the novelty value of the title track. The rest of the album is a good attempt to toughen up the band's image. Donny Osmond's vocals don't get much attention as a result.

Merrill and Wayne Osmond are the vocalists most used for their rockier delivery. To their credit they and Alan Osmond in various combinations, write all of the material on the album. It's a strong effort. 

However, while it's a worthwhile attempt, the band can't really shake off their cutesy, wholesome image fully. It's too ingrained in their psyche.

Where do they all belong? I do own a Greatest Hits compilation as well and maybe that's a better place to start, as it provides a comprehensive overview. 

Metallic spheres (The Orb) (LP 4478)

The Orb  Metallic Spheres (CD, Columbia Records, 2010) ****  

Genre: Prog rock, electronica

Places I remember: FOPP

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume: Metallic Spheres   

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I managed to find this on a visit to Covent Garden's amazing FOPP store in 2011. I am not a fan of electronica, but I am a fan of Pink Floyd and David Gilmour. He features prominently on Metallic Spheres so I had been looking for a copy.

The Orb is basically Alex Patterson who provides 'sound manipulation', and keyboards plus a revolving series of partners. In the case of Metallic Spheres it is Tim Bran. Youth also contributes his unique skills to the album.

Ambient techno is the order of the day as the album meanders along very pleasantly. It's perfect album to relax to on early morning commutes, or late evening relaxing at home.

Where do they all belong? A great addition to the ambient techno collection which includes Bass Communion, Eno and Bonobo.