That's life (LP 498 - 500)

Michael Bublé Call me Irresponsible (CD, Reprise, 2007) *** 

Michael Bublé Crazy Love (CD, Reprise, 2009) *** 

Michael Bublé Christmas (CD, Reprise, 2012) **** 

Genre: Jazz vocals 

Places I remember: Charity shops in Caterham for the first 2 and HMV Oxford Street for the Christmas one.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Crazy Love (Crazy Love); Home (CMI - bonus CD)

Gear costume: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (CMI) 

Active compensatory factors: I have a great memory of driving from Caterham to North Wales in December two years ago and playing the Christmas CD in the car with Jacky. Magic.

In truth I'm not a huge fan of his work - those first two CDs were picked up for a pound each from the charity shops and they are pretty uneven. His voice suits some cover material but not all.

I definitely understand the appeal - he's a massive star! A global phenomenon. But sometimes that means you're trying to please a very wide range of people and therefore, you're hit and miss.

When he's on though - as he is in those three selections above - he's truly great.

Where do they all belong? And that's it for Mr Bublé.

Nomad (Dave Brubeck Quartet) (LP 492 - 497)

The Dave Brubeck Quartet Jazz Impressions Of Eurasia (CD, Avid Jazz, 1958) ***

Dave Brubeck Dave Brubeck At Storyville 1954 (CD, Avid Jazz, 1954) **

Dave Brubeck Quartet Jazz Impressions Of The USA (CD, Avid Jazz, 1957) ***

The Dave Brubeck Quartet Dave Digs Disney (CD, Avid Jazz, 1957) **** 

Dave Brubeck Quartet Southern Scene (CD, Avid Jazz, 1960) **** 

The Dave Brubeck Quartet The Dave Brubeck Quartet In Europe (CD, Avid Jazz, 1958) *** 

Genre: Piano Jazz

Places I remember: JB HiFi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Calcutta Blues (Jazz Impressions Of Eurasia); Little Rock Getaway (Southern Scene)

Gear costume: When You're Smiling (At Storyville 1954); Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen (Southern Scene) 

Active compensatory factors: This compilation of Brubeck albums also contains the classic Time Out album, which I've written about already.

The Eurasia album has some interesting textures, and is very different to Time Out. 

The 1954 Storyville set isn't all that well recorded - technology for live recordings being what it was back in the early fifties. 

Jazz Impressions of the USA is split over the two sets and is good but not great. 

Where do they all belong? These great value reissue packages are my final batch of Dave Brubeck albums on CD. 

I think my dad would have been impressed by how many Dave Brubeck albums I actually own - many more than he did when he was around.

Put it on the line (Stanley Clarke) (LP 490 - 491)

Stanley Clarke/ George Duke  The Clarke/ Duke Project II (CD, Epic, 1983) ** 

Stanley Clarke  If This Bass Could Only Talk (CD, CBS, 1988) *** 

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Both from the Lindsay Hope collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear Costume: Workin' Man (ITBCOT) 

Active compensatory factors: I love George Duke's work with Zappa and the first Project album from 1981 with Stanley Clarke was fun.

But this is dire in comparison. The date gives it away - by 1983 it was all terrible 80's production. But the songs aren't much either. 

Pains me to say, but it's ultimately a waste of their talents.

If This Bass Could Only Talk is much better, and features some jazz superstars like Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and yes, George Duke on one track, but it's still not up to his seventies output.

The eighties decade was not a kind one to these guys! Actually, was it kind to anyone?

Where do they all belong? That's it for the Stanley Clarke corner of the Fusion Jazz CD section of the collection.

Village Blues (John Coltrane) (LP 488 - 489)

John Coltrane Coltrane Plays The Blues (CD, Atlantic, 1962) ***** 

John Coltrane Blue World (CD, Impulse!, 2019) ****

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records; JB HiFi (Palmerston North)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Mr Day - CPTB

Gear costume: Naima (take 2) - Blue World

Active compensatory factors: These are two albums on the fringes of the John Coltrane canon. 

The blues album, made up from sessions for the My Favourite Things album, was issued on Atlantic after he'd left the label. So it's not something released with his approval. Never-the-less, it's five star genuis all the same!

And Blue World was only released last year. It features material created between the Crescent and A Love Supreme albums that was used in a film The Cat In The Bag (released in 1964 under its French title - Le Chat Dans Le Sac). 

Where do they all belong? That's it for the Coltrane section of my CD Jazz collection. I'm sure I'll be adding to it in time though.

Emotional winter (Anathema) (LP 485 - 487)

Anathema Judgement (CD, Music For Nations/Sony, 1999) ***

Anathema A Fine Day To Exit (CD, Music For Nations/Sony, 2001) *** 

Anathema A Natural Disaster (CD, Music For Nations/Sony, 2003) ***  

Genre: Progressive Rock

Places I remember: The Warehouse (New Plymouth); Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: One Last Goodbye (Judgement)

Gear costume:  Closer (A Natural Disaster)

Active compensatory factors: The first Anathema CD I bought was A Fine Day To Exit - based on a recommendation from my then hairdresser at Headquarters in NP. As we chatted over a haircut we got to talking about music we liked - and she seemed to like the same prog metal bands I did.

Anyway, I got a copy based on the cover - reminded me a lot of Hipgnosis' approach and really liked the sounds - not metal at all really - more progressive and therefore more to my taste.

I backtracked and bought the other two over time.

I don't spend much time listening to the messages - they have a doom metal background which still surfaces in the themes and lyrics on these albums. Instead, I'm a day person! I let the sounds wash over me - my choices above are good examples of that.

Where do they all belong? Four more CDs to come from them after a seven year gap from A Natural Disaster. 

Tropical hot dog night (Captain Beefheart) (LP 483-484)

Captain Beefheart Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (CD, Virgin, 1979) *****

Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band Ice Cream For Crow (CD, Virgin, 1982) ***

Genre: Alternative pop/rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (Auckland)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Bat Chain Puller (I'm always a sucker for his spoken vocal style); When I See Mommy I Feel Like A Mummy - both on Shiny Beast. Ice Cream For Crow.

Gear costume:  You Know You're A Man (sounds clearly Zappa influenced to me); Owed T'Alex (featuring great Beefheart harmonica) - both on Shiny Beast

Active compensatory factors: There were lots of legal wrangles around this album and the original tapes for Bat Chain Puller. 

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, this is quality Beefheart material after the previous lack lustre efforts for Mercury Records: Unconditionally Guaranteed and BlueJeans and Moonbeams.

Coming off the peak of the Bongo Fury tour, Shiny Beast has an amalgamated approach, in that it successfully combines different strands from his past and adds some obvious Zappa influences (and a couple of former Mothers - Bruce Fowler and Art Tripp). Check out my highlighted tracks for exhibit A, B, C and D. My favourite Beefheart album then.

Ice Cream For Crow is my second favourite album by Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band (I like that they are credited on this album). It's also his last before retiring to concentrate on his painting.

Where do they all belong? Captain Beefheart occupies a unique place in the Alternative musical universe. Sho nuff yes he do.

What you are (Audioslave) (LP 482)

Audioslave Audioslave (CD, Sony Music, 2002) *** 

Genre: American pop/rock 

Places I remember: Gifted from the Hope family's CD collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Am The Highway; Bring Em Back Alive

Gear costume: Cochise; Exploder 

Active compensatory factors: I was dubious when this came out. 

I love Chris Cornell's vocals in Soundgarden, and I love the first and third Rage Against The Machine albums. I was worried the supergroup thing wouldn't work, and that I was too invested in the original bands, so I backed off buying this in 2002.

When Lindsay Hope very generously gave me his family's CD collection this was amongst the loot. 

Now, I'm not sure what to think really. Audioslave deserve to be heard on their own merits - but I find that difficult to do. My opinion sort of stands that Cornell is better in Soundgarden, and The Rage boys were better with Zack De La Rocha fronting them. 

However, there is no denying the power of the music here. It's one of those albums that grows better with repeat listens.

Where do they all belong? The band released two more albums before calling it quits. I don't own them. Maybe I should.

Berry pickin' (Chuck Berry) (LP 481)

Chuck Berry After School Session  (CD, Chess, 1957) ***** 

Genre: Rock'n'Roll 

Places I remember: Fives (Leigh on sea)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Wee Wee Hours (Chuck gets the blues)

Gear costume: No Money Down (car songs - this is one of Chuck's best, therefore one of the best of all time); School Days

Active compensatory factors: This was Chuck's debut album (and Chess Records' second) released in the year of my birth, which makes it 63 years old!

My CD edition is a 50th anniversary edition with three killer bonus tracks attached.

At the time Chess collected all the singles Chuck Berry ('our rock-a-billy troubadour') had released, adding two more tracks from the sessions that produced the singles and - there you have it - the first Chuck Berry album dressed in a suitably period cover shot of a hunched and pigeon toed Berry.

Given the liner notes seek to present the versatility of the star on show, there is a variety of approach on display but the whole package holds together remarkably well.

Where do they all belong? Still sounds like it was recorded yesterday! Timeless brilliance.

The beat goes on (Beady Eye) (LP 480)

Beady Eye Different Gear, Still Speeding (CD, Beady Eye Records, 2011) ***

Genre: British pop/rock 

Places I remember: Dubai Mall's Virgin Mega Store

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Millionaire (nice mid paced offering without the bombast) 

Gear costume: The Roller (Instant Karma homage - let's be charitable); Beatles and Stones (another homage)

Active compensatory factors: Three thoughts: Liam is a great singer; Beady Eye is not a great band, but it's good enough; that's one crap cover!

We'll get to Liam's far superior solo albums in due course, meanwhile this is rollicking fun for the most part, with some spirited moments (as noted above).

Unfortunately, there are also moments like Bring The Light that shouldn't have been and some uninspired filler.

Where do they all belong? I didn't bother with the second Beady Eye album, so it's onto Noel's High Flying Birds next in this on-going soap opera between the brothers.

Rock zone (Scorpions) (LP 478-479)

Scorpions Sting In The Tail (CD, Sony Music, 2010) *** 

Scorpions Comeback (CD, Sony Music, 2011) *** 

Genre: European pop/ rock 

Places I remember: Both came from my time in the Middle East - an Al Ain music store and Dubai Mall's Virgin Mega Store

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Blackout (Comeback); Raised On Rock (SITT)

Gear costume: Winds Of Change (always great hearing this); Tainted Love (both Comeback)

Active compensatory factors: Appropriately, I developed a thing for Scorpions during my stay in the Middle East (2009 to 2012). We did come across a few of the real thing in the desert and around an oasis in Al Ain. 

As for the German rock group: there was something great about blasting their brand of hard rock while driving to and from the school where I was advising.

Sting In The Tail is the band having one last hurrah (almost) in 2010 as they subsequently said their goodbyes during a farewell tour. My only quibble: even though it's only got 12 songs, it feels too long (a common problem in the CD years).

Comeback is the actual last hurrah and on the surface sounds a dubious proposition: one last visit to the studio to re-record their high points and pay tribute to bands and songs that had inspired them (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, T Rex, Small Faces, Soft Cell). 

The redone songs sound great and of the uneven cover versions Tainted Love is massive and a perfect fit for them. On the whole this is a worthy package.

Where do they all belong? Concludes the European section of my CD collection.

Remember (Air) (LP 477)

Air  Moon Safari (CD, Source, 1998) *** 

Genre: European pop/ rock

Places I remember: CDs sent to me by the Hope family 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: La Femme D'Argent 

Active compensatory factors: Once upon a time I owned a copy of this but flicked it off in one of the purges (mainly because of Sexy Boy - an annoyingly catchy song that just became annoying).

For me, Air are at their cool French best when channeling their inner Pink Floyd as they do through most of this album.

Then Adam's sister-in-law sent me a box of CDs she didn't want anymore and so, here it is in all it's Euro-prog/pop glory.

Being re-acquainted with it is nice - it all sounds very familiar and reminds me of life back at the turn of the millennium, when I was living in Auckland with access to actual record shops.

Where do they all belong? Back leading off the European pop/rock genre.

Tall trees (Crowded House) (LP 472 - 476)

Crowded House Woodface (CD, Capitol, 1991) **** 

Crowded House Afterglow (CD, Capitol, 2000) *** 

Crowded House Farewell To The World (CD, Capitol, 2006) **** 

Crowded House Time On earth (CD, Parlophone, 2007) *** 

Crowded House Intriguer (CD, Universal, 2010) *** 

Genre: NZ pop/rock 

Places I remember: These have all come from various Warehouse stores - Cambridge, New Plymouth, Taupo, Hastings. There was a time there that these were the only places I had access to for CDs and they were cheap!  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Woodface is chocker block with fab songs - Weather With You, Four Seasons in One Day, Fall At Your Feet. Afterglow has a terrific version of Private Universe (another brilliant live version is on the Farewell To The World album).  

Gear costume: Don't Stop Now (Time On Earth); Either Side Of The World (Intriguer)

Active compensatory factors: I feel that my Crowded House collection, as presented here, without either a Greatest Hits collection or three of their early studio albums, is on balance quite wilfully obscure.

There's only Woodface carrying the load - the amazingly brilliant third album that includes Tim Finn in the lineup and contains hit after hit. BTW: I've deducted a star for the length for Woodface - it needed to be pruned of at least two tracks for my money. 

The rest...

There's Afterglow (with the awful cover)- an odds and sods/ waifs and strays compilation of discarded tracks, the live Farewell To the World double which doubles as a de facto Greatest Hits of Crowded House Mark 1, and then the two post farewell reunions with new musicians augmenting Crowded House: Time On Earth (dedicated to Paul Hester) and Intriguer (a double as well - with the album twinned with a DVD of live stuff). 

These last two are different, less immediate and no hits but with a more mature sound.

That said - there is a wealth of great material spread over these five CDs. Neil Finn (pronounced Nil Fun in Nu Zild) is one of our favourite sons, after all.

Where do they all belong? Crowded House: kiwi legends - something so strong! Indeed.

The big hole in my CH collection is Together Alone, which I need to correct post haste.

Stumbling (Jimmy Barnes) (LP 470 - 471)

Jimmy Barnes Bodyswerve (CD, Mushroom Records, 1984) ** 

Jimmy Barnes Psyclone (CD, Mushroom Records, 1995) *** 

Genre: Australian pop/rock 

Places I remember: Both come via my in-laws, the Hopes. They were disposing of their CD collection and sent me a few boxes to sort through. 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Fooling Yourself (Psyclose); World's On Fire (Bodyswerve)

Gear costume: Going Down Alone (Psyclone) - another great version featuring some members of Journey is here.

Active compensatory factors: Basically, I'm a Cold Chisel fan. I like Jimmy Barnes in Cold Chisel. I'm not that fussed with his solo career.

His solo debut, Bodyswerve (good title and cover), was a big hit at the time but in retrospect, it suffers from 1980s production values (those drums - you know of which I speak). But, and here's the thing - if Cold Chisel redid this album* with Barnes it would be so so much better - not 5 star better but I'd certainly add one or two to my rating. *A couple of the tracks were demoed by Chisel. 

Eighth solo album, Psyclone (terrible title and cover) sounds less dated these days, in that the production is much better - cleaner in the nineties, without those tell tale drum treatments. But my point still holds. With Chisel you get a variety of sounds (and vocals). Jimmy is a great vocalist but he's so much more potent within the band.

Where do they all belong? The Cold Chisel albums will continue when we return to the aussie rawk genre.

Keep gettin' it on (Marvin Gaye) (LP 466 - 469)

Marvin Gaye What's Going On (CD, Motown, 1971) *****

Marvin Gaye Let's Get It On (CD, Motown, 1973) *****

Marvin Gaye I Want You (CD, Motown, 1976) ****

Marvin Gaye Here My Dear (CD, Motown, 1978) ****

Genre: Soul

Places I remember: Mixture of places - Real Groovy, Warehouse Cambridge, HMV London

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Sure Love To Ball

Gear costume: Keep Gettin' It On 

Active compensatory factors: Marvin's story is ultimately tragic but also a heroic one as well.

The story of how What's Going On came about is well known and the album has become bigger and bigger over the years - nearly fifty years now and the messages are still current - more tragedy!

It regularly turns up, along with Here My Dear and Let's Get It On on best of album countdowns, and rightly so.

His perseverance is to be commended, as it's a brave album looking squarely at social injustice and was at variance with Motown's well established love themes.

Let's Get It On is pretty steamy still and was also against the grain for Motown big wigs at the time. The musicianship is first class - interesting that the credits lead off with the two bass players!

I Want You is more of the same really - smooth and funky grooves, Marvin's laid back creamy vocals, and the sexual themes from Let's Get It On are continued. There's a hint of disco about the album and the instrumentation has a high sheen polish (in a good way). Sophisticated is the word. BTW one star comes off for the instrumental After The Dance. Track three on an album is a dangerous position.

Here My Dear is his famous divorce album (the 'My Dear' of the title is his former wife Anna Gordy Gaye). Anna got half the proceeds of the album, hence the title, but Marvin poured his heart and soul into the songs never-the-less. BTW - one star deducted for length - this is a looooong album!

It's one of my favourites in the divorce album sub-genre, Dylan's Blood On The Tracks being the all time champ. There's something weirdly voyeuristic in their appeal. Marvin's direct address to Anna throughout the album puts the listener front and centre in their divorce proceedings.

Where do they all belong? All of these albums have become bigger soul album signposts since he was shot dead by his father after an argument.

Happy (Joe Molland) (LP 465)

Joe Molland This Way Up (CD, IA Records, 2001) ****

Genre: British pop/rock 

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown (New Plymouth)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Three Minute Warning

Gear costume: This Must Be Love (this sounds so much like a track on a Ringo Starr album that I had to check - nope. But it sounds perfect for Ringo!) 

Active compensatory factors: The terrible cover likely turned off a lot of potential buyers. If they could find it that is, as it was independently released.

That's a shame, as it's really pretty good - I can definitely justify the four star rating. Not Badfinger clearly - he's much older and experienced now, but at times it's close.

Whatever, it's great to hear those distinctive Molland vocals over classy pop material. I can warmly recommend this one.

Where do they all belong? For some reason, maybe he felt he'd outlived the youthful Joey moniker, he adopted Joe for this one. 

A worthwhile addition to the Badfinger group of albums.