Forever my friend (Ray Lamontagne) (LP 2970 - 2975)

Ray LaMontagne  Trouble (CD, 14th Floor Records, 2004) ***  

Ray LaMontagne  Till the Sun Turns Black (CD, RCA Records, 2006) ***  

Ray LaMontagne  Gossip in the Grain (CD, RCA Records, 2008) *** 

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs  God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise (CD, RCA Records, 2010) ****  

Ray LaMontagne  Supernova (CD, RCA Records, 2014) ****  

Ray LaMontagne  Monovision (CD, RCA Records, 2020) *****  

Genre: Americana

Places I remember: First few - Hope and Walding collections, Supernova (Kings Recording Abu Dhabi) and Monovision from Fopp.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Can Bring Me Flowers (Till the Sun Turns Black); We'll Make It Through (Monovision)

Gear costume: Sarah (Gossip in the Grain) 

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

Active compensatory factors: I've accumulated a lot of Ray's albums. Most came from donations from other collections but I have bought a few too.

Ray LaMontayne is an American singer-songwriter who works in the Americana genre (i.e. a blend of pop, country, and folk). A lot of his debut album, Trouble, reminds me of Ryan Adams - try Hannah on for size. 

Many of the songs share the same kind of mid-pace shuffle which makes it easy to listen to and overall it's an impressive debut. His voice is a real asset!

Second album, Till the Sun Turns Black, is a development musically as strings and a more textured approach dominates, plus Ray's voice is softer, not as sandpapery as the debut. For me the quality control is still a little off but that just may be my preferences are different. My favourite track is the bluesy You Can Bring Me Flowers.

Gossip in the Grain is summed up by that cover image of Ray amid golden natural hues and his eyes closed in contemplation. Sarah is an excellent evocation of the cover images, The music sounds like an outtake from Astral Weeks.

By now, Ethan Johns is a crucial part of the operation. He is again producing (he did the previous two as well) and playing every instrument available it seems - a talented guy. They are obviously sympatico. But wait...

God Willing... is album number four and the first without Ethan Johns. The Pariah Dogs is a band in its own right and they join forces with Ray here. That makes for a unity missing from the previous albums and I like that.

This one is very definitely his truest Americana album thus far. You have to have to hand it to him - each album is distinctly different to the one before.

Supernova is well named - his voice is unrecognisable from earlier and it's like he took acid before the sessions. It's out there! But also brilliant psych-pop.

On Monovision he is like the Jedi master who has conquered and is now the guy!

Every track is effortless brilliance. Again, his voice has developed and he's now in the full bloom of his powers. If he ever tops this album I'd love to hear it!

Where do they all belong? His latest album is apparently like the stripped back Monovision so I'll grab it!

Chasing colours (Lake) (LP 2968 - 2969)

Lake  Lake (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1977) ****  

Lake  Lake II (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1978) ***  

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sorry To Say (not available on Spotify)

Gear costume: Between The Lines (also from Lake and also not on Spotify), Red Lake (Lake II) (again not on Spotify but with Carl Wilson as guest).

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

Active compensatory factors: Lake are a German/British pop rock band. I was hunting through the sale bins at Real Groovy and came across the album - the cover is what drew me in to take a punt. It indicated a vague prog rock vibe which turned out to be accurate in a Barclay James Harvest kind of way.

It was $10 well spent as it turned out. They are just enough the prog rock side of things to be interesting. I'm not a huge fan of the poppy single - Time Bomb, but the rest of their debut album is pretty cool. I'm always a sucker for good harmonies and the lead vocals of James Hopkins-Harrison are on the money in a kind of Steve Perry/ Jon Anderson way.

Their second album isn't as strong overall but it's still a great find from an under-valued seventies band. It aims to be a bit more commercial and is therefore a bit too slick in places. The bands harmonies are still spot on though - sounding at times like CSNY, or later day Beach Boys or even Chicago.

Where do they all belong? I think the band is still going but with different members - at least they were in 2012 but these first two are considered their best, as far as I can tell.

Growin' old with rock'n'roll (Corky Laing) (LP 2967)

Corky Laing  Makin' It On The Street (Vinyl, Elektra Records, 1977) ***  

Genre: Rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: On My Way (By The River)

Gear costume: Growin' Old With Rock'n'Roll

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

Active compensatory factors: I have mentioned Corky already on the blog when I wrote about my love of West Bruce & Laing but this time it's an unlikely (brilliant) solo album that is the focus.

Corky's real name is Laurence Gordon "Corky" Laing (his sisters mispronounced Gordy as Corky and it stuck!) and he is best known for his stints in Mountain and West Bruce & Laing - Corky is the only surviving member of those bands and still at it, thankfully.

He's also a talented guy as this solo album (his only one I do believe) attests. He sings well and writes some good tunes. He must have been overshadowed by Jack Bruce and Leslie West in those other groups because I was not expecting this album to be as good as it is. But there you go - turns out it's a gem!

Where do they all belong? More to come in the M's (Mountain) and W's (West Bruce & Laing).  

Poker face (Lady Gaga) (LP 2964 - 2966)

Lady Gaga  The Fame (CD, Streamline Records, 2008) *****  

Lady Gaga  The Fame Monster (CD, Streamline Records, 2009) ****  

Lady Gaga  The Remix (CD, Streamline Records, 2010) ***  

Genre: NZ Music, pop 

Places I remember: Virgin Megastore Dubai

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Boys Boys Boys

Gear costume: Poker Face

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

Active compensatory factors: I had to find out what all the Lady Gaga fuss was about (she was impossible to ignore in the late 2000s) and so I picked up The Fame on a trip into The Dubai Mall while living in Al Ain. It went onto high rotate in the Tiida during our travels from then on. 

The hits are brilliant slices of electro pop/ synth pop and dance floor killers (not that I was about to go clubbing anytime though). Not generally my thing but I'll make allowances for Madonna and Lady Gaga! What a voice!!

Of course, I then needed to grab other Lady Gaga albums as a consequence. Turns out these three albums are all sort of linked. 

The Fame Monster is an 8 track EP - a kind of darker addendum to The Fame, in that it looks at the downside of fame, and The Remix is exactly that - an album of remixes of songs from the previous two 'albums'.

Of course, given this was the Middle East, the cover of The Remix was heavily censored with black pen on the CD case but the songs couldn't be censored. It's an interesting set of experiments - clearly aimed at the dance floor, but I prefer the originals.

Where do they all belong? I also bought Born This Way but I didn't like it at all, so I sold that one off when I got back to NZ.

Alone (James LaBrie) LP 2962 - 2963)

James LaBrie Elements of Persuasion (CD, InsideOut Music, 2005) ****  

James LaBrie Static Impulse (CD, InsideOut Music, 2010) ****  

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: Virgin Megastore, Dubai Mall

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Invisible (Elements of Persuasion)

Gear costume: Euphoric (Static Impulse)

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

Active compensatory factors: I have written about his first album before on the blog, but way before I started my collection posts. Having just reread my notes, I stand by my earlier comments: 

I really like James' first solo album - Elements of Persuasion. Only thing is it often sounds just like Dream Theater. He's drafted in some other players who sound awfully like his mates in the mothership [indeed drummer Mike Mangini would eventually end up in DT]. Why couldn't he record with them? The songs are similar - he sounds the same: no acoustic folk or jazz stylings; no urban beats or synth washes here - just great sounding prog rock.

I could add any of the solo tracks to a mix tape with Dream Theater and defy anyone to tell the difference. That's not a bad thing, just a weird thing. 

I wonder what the other guys in the band thought? Or were they off doing 'their own thing' which sounds exactly like the band thing as well?

My present day thoughts on his second solo album - Static Impulse: love the cover! I like the mix of gruff metal vocals and James' more melodic deliver. I like the metallic crunch of the guitars. It presents a different look to the James LaBrie of DT, which is the point of making solo albums, I would have thought.

Where do they all belong? I have enough of this type of music in my collection. It's good to have but I don't reach for it often these days.

Starry eyes (L.A.B.) (LP 2958 - 2961)

L.A.B. L.A.B. (CD, Loop Recordings, 2017) ***  

L.A.B. II (CD, Loop Recordings, 2018) ***  

L.A.B. III (CD, Loop Recordings, 2019) ****  

L.A.B. IV (CD, Loop Recordings, 2020) ****  

Genre: NZ Music, reggae, funk, rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Yes I Do (IV)

Gear costume: In The Air  (III); Starry Eyes (L.A.B.)

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

Active compensatory factors: I like NZ reggae/funk bands generally - Katchafire, Fat Freddy's Drop and Herbs have all appeared already in my collection countdown. Now it's L.A.B.'s turn (and no, I don't know what that stands for either - maybe nothing).

L.A.B. (always pronounced with the letters, never as lab) are a band from Whakatāne built around the Kora brothers, who work a more poppy end of the reggae street - so Katchafire more than Fat Freddy, if you like.  

Their first album (I like the numerical approach to album titles and their unifying approach to cover art btw) sets out their modern funk/reggae sound and establishes lead vocalist/guitarist Joel Shadbolt as the star of the show. 

Album number II has a bit more of the same, some more mellow vibes at times, and even some rock (Free Fall in a Dream). It was originally seeing the band on the TV doing a guitar wig out that alerted me to their existence. Overall, I think II is more poppier than album one but their eclectic mix of blues, rock, reggae, roots and dub is their calling card.

Album number III made it three albums in three years - no mean feat in the NZ musical climate.

They sound a bit more relaxed and in the flow on III as they connect again with their reggae/ roots origins. Maybe it's not as commercial as II but it still has their breakthrough single, In The Air, on it.

Joel's vocals are at their soulful best on Running and they even include what sounds like strings to the track - a nice development.

Number IV made it four albums in four years. By now you know what you are getting with an L.A.B. album. Why Oh Why was another massive single in Aotearoa. It seems to sum up the NZ summer vibe with its loping beat and clever reggae style keyboards.

Where do they all belong? I have yet to feel motivated enough to buy V or VI but it's early in the summer and these boys make perfect summer music.

Feeling groovy (Paul Simon) (LP 2957)

Al Kooper/ Michael Bloomfield  The Live Adventures of Michael Bloomfield and Al Kooper (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1969) ***  

Genre: NZ Music, pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:  Sonny Boy Williamson (written by Jack Bruce/ Paul Jones)

Gear costume: Green Onions

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

Active compensatory factors: The super session idea yielded a classic featuring Al, Michael and Stephen Stills (although I don't have a copy) and this sequel - which I bought largely for the cover by Norman Rockwell.

It's a double album recorded live at the Fillmore West over three nights. It's a good example of blues rock sixties style with a whole slew of cover songs, and jam style workouts.

Michael Bloomfield only appears on sides 1 and 2, Carlos and Elvin Bishop play on sides 3 and 4. The various guitar styles are a strong appeal.

Where do they all belong? I'd certainly grab a copy of the previous Super Session if I come across it - not making a special effort though.

That's it for the Ks. Onto L next.

Mature angst (Kitsch) (LP 2956)

Kitsch  The Burning Ground (CD, ElevenfiftySeven Records, 2005) ***  

Genre: NZ Music, pop, punk 

Places I remember: The Hope's collection.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sue Me

Gear costume: Inevitable 

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

Active compensatory factors: Kitsch are a band who originated in New Plymouth (there was a thriving punk scene there back in the day) and been based in Auckland since then (yes, they appear to be still going strong). Auckland is NZ's London as far as music scenes go, although tiny in comparison.

Kitsch take their inspiration from bands like Offspring, Blink 182, and (especially) Green Day.

The Burning Ground is full of Green Day-esque pop punk which translates to layered guitars, melodic bass lines, driving drums, sneery vocals and great choruses.

Where do they all belong? A nice side street off the boulevard of NZ pop dreams.

Razz (Kings Of Leon) (LP 2951 - 2955)

Kings of Leon  Aha Shake Heartbreak (CD, RCA Records, 2004) **** 

Kings of Leon  Because of the Times (CD, RCA Records, 2007) ****

Kings of Leon  Only by the Night (CD, RCA Records, 2008) **** 

Kings of Leon  Come Around Sundown (CD, RCA Records, 2010) ***

Kings of Leon  Mechanical Bull (CD, RCA Records, 2013) ****  

Genre: NZ Music, pop 

Places I remember: Charity shops in Caterham (yes, all of these CDs)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sex On Fire (Only by the Night)

Gear costume: Pistol of Fire (Aha Shake Heartbreak); On Call (Because of the Times)

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

Active compensatory factors: The Followell brothers and a cousin make up Kings of Leon. Their blend of American southern rock and UK indie rock is a winning combination, plus they have the distinctive drawly vocals by Caleb Followell unifying their sound.

I picked up all of these albums (their second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth) cheap from various charity shops in Caterham. CDs are now seen as poor cousins to digital these days obviously. No matter - my gain!

I like Kings of Leon without loving them - i.e. I wouldn't actively pursue them and complete their catalogue. Mainly because they sound quite samey on the surface. 

That said, Aha Shake Heartbreak is very indie rocky compared to Because of the Times which settles into a more spacious rock approach. I like both!

Only by the Night is also a quality rock album - the upward trajectory continues. This is the one with Sex On Fire as the big hit, but the rest of the album is on fire as well. Caleb's vocals are to the fore now and he is enunciating more as well (these things are relative - he still garbles words in a unique way). 

Come Around Sundown is a bit of a holding pattern as the guys aim to replicate the big sound from the previous album and they largely succeed, although there aren't any huge hits on this one.

Mechanical Bull was a good refresh to the Kings of Leon sound. It doesn't try too hard and sounds a bit freer - Comeback Story is a good example - a poppy, countryish feel with catchy chorus and melody. 

Caleb also sounds great throughout. His voice has undergone changes over the years. This album should appeal to people who previously discounted Kings of Leon.

Where do they all belong? I'll pick up their other albums if I stumble upon them. 

Singing softly to me (Kings Of Convenience) (LP 2950)

Kings Of Convenience  Quiet is the New Loud (CD, Astralwerks Records, 2001) ***  

Genre: Folk, alt-pop 

Places I remember: Charity shop in Caterham

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Don't Know What I Can Save You From

Gear costume: Winning A Battle, Losing the War

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

Active compensatory factors: I heard the Fab, and other... track on an acoustic chill album and loved it. Typically, it turns out to be the best song on this album - the Norwegian folk duo's debut album (that's the two blokes on the cover).

The rest of the album does what it says on the tin - quiet, alt-pop tunes that make for terrific background music on a balmy day. It's pleasant but not a lot lingers in the memory.

Where do they all belong? A potential album for WTWMC at some point as the amigos would probably like it (probably more than I do).

I feel the earth move (Carole King) (LP 2949)

Carole King  Tapestry (CD, Ode Records, 1971) *****  

Genre: pop 

Places I remember: The Warehouse

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: It's Too Late

Gear costume: (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman 

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

Active compensatory factors: It took a while for me to catch up with the delights of Carole King's mega successful solo album. Back in '71 I was listening to other things yunnerstan.

It's a classic, of course, and one of the best selling albums of all time. Aside from that, it ranked 25th on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Tapestry won four Grammy Awards at the 14th Annual Grammys in 1972, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. In 1998, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

So we're talking big deal. Her voice is a bit of an acquired taste I guess but I like the fact she's singing her own songs after providing so many hits for others.

She maintains a really confident presence throughout and the highlights are many. And it's not just the well-known classics - Smackwater Jack is one song that has slowly grown on me over the years. The genius tag is often over-employed but Carole is clearly a worthy recipient. 

Where do they all belong? A legend in singer-songwriter ranks.

Easy money (King Crimson) (LP 2942 - 2948)

King Crimson  In The Court Of The Crimson King (Vinyl - 2 copies, Island and Vertigo Records, 1969) *****  

King Crimson  Epitaph Volumes One & Two (2CD, Virgin Records, 1970) *** 

King Crimson  In The Wake Of Poseidon (CD, Virgin Records, 1970) ****  

King Crimson  Lizard (Vinyl, UMG Music, 1970) ****  

King Crimson  Lark's Tongue In Aspic (CD, Virgin Records, 1973) ***** 

King Crimson  Red (CD, Island Records, 1974) *** 

King Crimson  Beat (Vinyl EG Records, 1982) **** 

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy, Spellbound Wax Company (Lizard)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Epitaph (In The Court Of The Crimson King)

Gear costume: Exiles (Lark's Tongue In Aspic)

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

Active compensatory factors: The band and their catalogue are not for the faint hearted. Line-ups, the complex music, the albums, reissues, archive material - all labyrinthine in the extreme.

I have quite a few King Crimson albums, but I am really just scratching the surface.

Formed in London in 1968 by leader Robert Fripp with Michael Giles (drums), Greg Lake (bass and vocals), Ian McDonald (various horns, flute and keyboards) and the lyricist - Peter Sinfield, it was a great start with In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969) - still their most commercially successful album.

It's a five star classic all the way. First song 21st Century Schizoid Man was the kind of noisy thing the band would expand upon later but for now it's that and some beautiful songs that never get old. I don't care how many times I hear Epitaph - it's gorgeous song.

The album called Epitaph Volumes One & Two is a collection of stuff from 1969 - BBC radio sessions and live at Fillmore East and Fillmore West. The set includes 3 different versions of 21st Century Schizoid Man, and 3 Epitaphs, plus other tracks. 

In The Wake Of Poseidon was their second album and the last with Greg Lake before he formed Emerson Lake & Palmer. It starts out with a big noisy moment again and then settles into some quieter songs, including Cat Food (a single) before ending with a bolero style ambient piece. Weird, and very King Crimson.

The third studio album was Lizard, also in 1970. The guys were prolific, as was the turnover in musicians already. It gets pretty crazy and I'm not about to unravel it here.

I love a lot of Lizard - it's willfully experimental and truly progressive in its approach. The packaging is also superb. I bought a re-released version and the vinyl version is the only way to go!

Lark's Tongue In Aspic was released in 1973. It lulls you into a false calm before launching into brutal riffs that shake the foundations. Its tension amid the freeform experimentation is delicious! This is a key album in the band's catalogue as, roughly, the third incarnation of the band gets underway.

This is the formation responsible for the great Lark's Tongue In Aspic (is there a better title to an album ever?): Fripp; John Wetton (bass, vocals); Bill Bruford (drums); David Cross (keyboards, strings, flute); Jamie Muir (percussion). A five star classic!

I've written about two albums elsewhere - Earthbound and Starless and Bible Black, so next up is Red.

Red breaks with tradition and actually has Fripp and two other Crims on the cover! Shock horror!! John Wetton and Robert Fripp are almost smiling for goodness sake!  Bill Bruford remains cool and impassive as great drummers do.  

This one is noisier and more hyper than previous albums so it's not one I reach for especially.

Beat, however, is cool in a Talking Heads kind of funky way. The title reflects the interest in the so-called Beat Poets from San Francisco, so there is a lyrical unity to the album and that helps!

Where do they all belong? Definitely a cornerstone of the progressive rock world. King Crimson stand apart from the other titans, inhabiting their own distinct world.

Snowball king (Kevin Borich) (LP 2939 - 2941)

Kevin Borich Express  Celebration! (Vinyl, Philips Records, 1977) ***  

Kevin Borich Express  Angels Hand (Vinyl, Stunn Records, 1980) **** 

Kevin Borich Express  Shy Boys/ Shy Girls (Vinyl, Stunn Records, 1981) ***

Genre: NZ Music, rock 

Places I remember: Slow Boat Records, Electric City Music (Shy Boys/ Shy Girls)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Celebration!

Gear costume: I Just Wanna Love You

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

Active compensatory factors: Kevin Borich was a member of legendary NZ band the La De Das. When they broke up Kevin went the hard rock power trio route with his Kevin Borich Express.

Celebration! was their debut album and, although instantly recognisable as a seventies sound, it still sounds really good - a kind of nascent NZ Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs with Kevin playing the axe hero role well.  

Unfortunately, neither the record company nor the lineup was  ever settled enough to get any momentum going so the Kevin Borich Express is a bit of a forgotten entity. A pity because a lot of Celebration! is funky and on the money! In a parallel universe he could have been NZ's Robin Trower.

Angel's Hand was the band's fifth album in three years. You can't say they were idle! This is another stunning album. Celebration! has its rough and ready charms, while Angel's Hand is more polished (but not slick) and it rocks out with conviction.

Along the way the power trio sounds a little like Rory Gallagher at times (Full Moon), but also like new wave rockers (i.e. Gary Myrick) at others (One More Dream).

This album should have been huge! 

Line-up changes continued with bass player Michael Deep joining along with drummer Kerry Jacobsen from Dragon for Shy Boys/ Shy Girls in 1981 (candidate for worst cover ever btw). Lobby Lloyd co-produces and helping out on vocals are Renee Geyer and Marc Hunter among others.

Where do they all belong? A sadly neglected corner of the NZ rock music catalogue. I'll continue to gobble up any other Kevin Borich Express albums I come across.