Cosmic dancer (T. Rex) (LP 4730 - 4731)

T. Rex  Electric Warrior (CD, Fly Records, 1971) *****  

T. Rex  The Slider (Vinyl, Fly Records, 1972) *****  

Genre: Pop, Glam rock, rock 

Places I remember: Taupo music shop, World Record Club (The Slider)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Get it On (EW)

Gear costume: Jeepster (EW)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: T. Rex formed a key part of my entry into teenagerhood with two massive singles (read about them here) and these two albums. Electric Warrior I came to after the singles, but The Slider was a purchase in 1972.

Electric Warrior was a change in style for Marc Bolin as he embraced glam rock with this classic album.

I bought The Slider on release back in the early seventies. It was my first T. Rex album. Up to that point, i.e. 1970 - 1971, I had been buying T. Rex singles pretty regularly. Hot Love, Jeepster and Bang a Gong (Get It On) were early purchases when I was 12 - 13. Singles cost a little over a dollar so they were accessible, whereas albums took a bit of saving up for so I had to be picky. For that reason I didn't buy Electric Warrior until after The Slider. 

It would be fair to say that I know this album inside out, having owned it for 50 years, and played it a lot - especially back in those early days of collecting when I only had twenty or so albums in the collection. Putting it on this week took me back in time and place - to my teenage bedroom at 18 Korma Ave.

The crisp production by Tony Visconti is particularly stunning. It still sounds like it was recorded yesterday!

The songs? Each one shines a different light on Bolan's weird world. His word play and love of language is there for the world to share. I don't think it's dated one jot either. Given it's deeply embedded in the glam genre of the early seventies - that's pretty re-marc-able (geddit?).

The two stunning hits lead off each side but it's the deeper cuts like Ballrooms Of Mars (the only song title that's not a two worder) that keep rewarding with every play - I mean 'John Lennon knows your name and I've seen his'. What does that even mean?? I've often wondered. Endless speculative fun.

Where do they all belong? I do have a couple of el cheapo compilations as well and although they are quite spotty they are helpful and worthwhile for the early stuff.

Bach porch bluegrass (Paul & Colleen Trenwith) (LP 4728 - 4729)

Paul & Colleen Trenwith  Fresh from the Country (Vinyl, Kiwi Records, 1976) ***  

Paul & Colleen Trenwith and Friends  Brand New Day (Vinyl, Kiwi Records, 1985) ** 

Genre: Bluegrass, country, NZ music

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, Viking Haul

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Back Porch Bluegrass (Fresh from the Country). Only available on vinyl. 

Gear costume: Bluegrass Breakdown (Fresh from the Country). Only available on vinyl.

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: These are two albums from the stalwarts of The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band (you can read my reviews these legends of the NZ music scene here). Paul plays the banjo and Colleen the country fiddle.

The first album is from the mid-seventies after Colleen and Paul had left the band. It's okay as it goes, but the other contributing musicians aren't in the same league as the HCBB. So it's pleasant with some good moments but lacks edge and grit.

The second album is from the mid-eighties and has a Christian centric approach, which lends the album an even more polite sheen that was never present in the HCBB sound. I'm not a huge fan but you can't doubt their sincerity.

Where do they all belong? I'll continue to shell out for anything this pair produced - you never know. There are two Trenwiths and Friends albums still out there in the wild.

She moved thro' the fair (Trees) (LP 4726 - 4727)

Trees  The Garden of Jane Delawney (CD, CBS Records, 1970) **** 

Trees  On The Shore (CD, CBS Records, 1970) *****   

Genre: Folk rock

Places I remember: FOPP

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Soldiers Three (On the Shore)

Gear costume: Geordie (On the Shore) 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: I was fascinated by the cover of Trees' On the Shore album when it was featured in a Hipgnosis album cover book that I still gaze at from time to time.

I was thrilled to track down that album and the band's debut album on a visit to FOPP.

Trees is a folk rock band, active from about 1969 to 1972. They only released the two albums and...they are superb. The band's five members for that first album sound very accomplished. They were bass and keyboard player Bias Boshell, lead guitarist Barry Clarke, acoustic guitarist David Costa, drummer Unwin Brown and singer Celia Humphris. 

Celia is basically the reason they were labeled as folk rock and it's her superb vocals that make the band stand apart from the others (yes even from Fairport Convention).

Both albums are great, with On the Shore being the better album as it sounds more confident and more coherent as a complete album.

Where do they all belong? Love both albums and they sit in an elevated position in the folk rock section.

Driftwood (Travis) (LP 4724 - 4725)

Travis  The Man Who (CD, Independiente Records, 1999) ***** 

Travis  The Boy With No Name (CD, Independiente Records, 2007) *** 

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Music shop in St Lukes, The Warehouse.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

Gear costume: Turn, Writing to Reach You

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Travis are a band from Scotland composed of Fran Healy (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dougie Payne (bass guitar), Andy Dunlop (lead guitar, banjo) and Neil Primrose (drums).

Most people were alerted to the band's presence by the single hit, Why Does It Always Rain On Me? I was no exception. It's a wonderful song and as it turns out, it was one of many wonderful songs on their second album, The Man Who (daft title), like Writing to Reach You, Driftwood and Turn. 

Fran Healy sells these often moody, melancholy songs in a thoroughly convincing way throughout. So much so that I bought other Travis albums as a consequence, only to be disappointed by them. Seems like they peaked on that second effort.

I have continued to hang on to their fifth album, The Boy With No Name, even though it's not as strong as The Man Who. It's a much more indie rock sound, with eclectic songs which is fine, but I prefer the softer sounds of The Man Who.

Where do they all belong? The Travis singles from The Man Who period are fantastic. I've written about them previously and you can find them here and here.

Crash and burn (Pat Travers Band) (LP 4723)

Pat Travers Band  Crash and Burn (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1980) ***  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Snortin' Whiskey

Gear costume: Crash and Burn

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: I had a thing for Canadian rock guitarists like Pat Travers and Frank Marino for a while in the late seventies.

Crash and Burn was his sixth album and the most successful, thanks to the song Snortin' Whiskey. It's easily the best thing on the album but most of the rest is damn fine as well. That includes the two covers - Born Under a Bad Sign and Bob Marley's Is This Love.

Things go slightly astray towards the end of side two when synths rear their ugly head. Nevermind. The album has managed to survive various culls over the years.

Where do they all belong? Along with Neil Young, Randy Bachman and Frank Marino, Pat Travers flies the Canadian guitar hero flag with honour.

Reaching for the sky (Transatlantic) (LP 4721 - 4722)

Transatlantic  Kaleidoscope (CD, InsideOut Records, 2014) ****  

Transatlantic  The Absolute Universe - The Breath of Life (CD, InsideOut Records, 2021) *** 

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: FOPP

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Shine (Kaleidoscope) on YouTube

Gear costume: Black as the Sky (Kaleidoscope) on YouTube

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: The modern prog world loves to dabble in multiple side projects. The supergroup Transatlantic is a good example. Transatlantic is made up of Neal Morse (ex–Spock's Beard), Roine Stolt (Kaipa, the Flower Kings), Pete Trewavas (Marillion) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater).  There's a lot of prog pedigree in that assembled collection of talent.

Kaleidoscope was the band's fourth album together. My copy is an enhanced bonus one - 2CD and a DVD. The first CD is the album, the second has eight cover versions of artists from Yes to The Moody Blues and the DVD is a collection of bonus videos,

Being prog it has two lengthy suites and some shorter songs that display the band's range, from what AllMusic calls 'gentle, '70s-hued pop hooks ("Shine"), richly detailed ambient soundscapes ("Beyond the Sun"), and thunderous, ELP-kissed stadium anthems'.

Their fifth, and final album is called The Absolute Universe. It came in three different lengths - mine is the 64 minute abridged version, called The Breath of Life. I'm a less is more guy.

It's good in an AOR prog kind of way but this one feels more like a Neal Morse solo album or else a latter day Yes album without Jon Anderson than Kaleidoscope. No denying the guy can write and sing some quality prog songs.  

Where do they all belong? That's it for Transatlantic, a good companion to all those parent band albums.

Me too (Meghan Trainor) (LP 4720)

Meghan Trainor  Thank You (CD, Epic Records, 2016) ***  

Genre: Pop, Dance pop 

Places I remember: Shona Wilding collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Woman Up

Gear costume: NO

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Although I do own multiple albums by Lady Gaga and Madonna, I wouldn't have bought Meghan Trainor's second album, Thank You. Indeed, I wouldn't have ever made its acquaintance without finding it in Shona's collection.

I'm glad I did though, as it's dance pop that Lady Gaga would approve of, I'm sure. The album is full of bright shiny pop moves and Meghan comes across as a real hoot - I'm thinking all the FIGJAM stances are meant in an ironic, self-deprecating way. I hope so.

Where do they all belong? My one and only album by her.