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.