• Contributed Releases (71)

• Pending Submissions (5)

• Browse Collection (1834)

• Private Wantlist

• Contact

Cure, The - Three Imaginary Boys - 02-Apr-09 06:45 AM
I got this record when I was a teenager, and being a devoted fan of the Cure at the time, I thought it was pretty great. In retrospect, it's a weak debut, and probably should have been shelved in favor of the later version "Boys Don't Cry," which replaces some of the less successful tracks with a few singles and marginally better tracks from the same period (although "Killing an Arab," with its silly "middle eastern" scale guitar lines, might be one of the lamest tracks they ever recorded, despite it's ongoing popularity with fans: "I am the stranger!/killing an Arab!" That strange sound you hear is Camus spinning in his grave).

"Three Imaginary Boys" is weighed down by some poor lyrics, hacky production touches, rough and simple arrangements, and adolescent, sophomoric gestures. The lamest moments include the cover of "Foxy Lady," which seems to take cues from Devo's stunning evisceration and reanimation of the Rolling Stones' idiotic chestnut "Satisfaction." The Hendrix tune must have seemed an adequate target, being an exaggerated, hypermasculine declaration of sexual intent, and probably got a few laughs from the band's teenage peers. The result, however, is an embarrassment and should have been cut from the record. Listeners may also cringe when "Grinding Halt" slowly winds down as the tape is slowed, bringing the track to a, um, grinding halt. "So What" features lyrics mostly cribbed from a sugar packet, and silly, deliberately tuneless vocals. "Fire in Cairo" features a chorus that simply spells out the title with a dramatic flourish, and one can't help but think of the Rutles' seminal "Cheese and Onions." Or how about these lyrics from "It's Not You": "I would murder you if I had the alibi here in my hand/ But you just laugh 'cause you don't understand." You might laugh, too.

All of that said, some songs, for example "10:15 Saturday Night," do generate real tension, and others are at least frequently catchy and memorable despite their faults. The band proved with subsequent releases that their talents were at the time of "Three Imaginary Boys" nascent and immature, but nevertheless present.

My copy of this album is actually a vinyl release on Sire, with no other information regarding the country of origin. In addition, the label indicates that Side 1 begins with "Foxy Lady," while side 2 begins with "10:15 Saturday Night." The entire album, including the "Weedy Burton" track, is included. I've owned it for many years, so it's not a contemporary reissue.

Primitives, The - Lovely - 17-Mar-09 07:53 AM
"Lovely" is an excellent record, with a sound that finds the right balance between rough and polished and a style that fuses 60's bubblegum pop, the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Ramones and C86 jangle with catchy, memorable tunes. "Shadow" even manages a clever homage to the cinematic, psychedelic (and slightly goofy) sound of Bollywood. Tracy's vocals are somewhat thin but appealingly sweet and never cloying. The songs are deceptively simple, but like the best music of their influences they stand up to repeated listening. The production is clean and subtle and still sounds fresh today. Given the current recurrence of interest in the sound of the eighties' pop underground, this album might be the undiscovered gem you've been looking for.

Swervedriver - Last Train To Satansville - 12-Mar-09 10:27 AM
This is one of the most interesting and unique items in the Swervedriver catalog. It contains an edit of the title track (the trippy, extended outro excised), along with a radically different reworking of the same track with rolling, surf-style drums. The "revisit" is not as satisfying as the original, but still an interesting surprise. "Land of the Lost" is a totally unexpected love ballad covered in lazy slow motion guitar overdubs. "Cars Converge on Paris" is also downbeat, with a lot of ideas that reach beyond what you'd normally expect from Swervedriver, beginning with a ticking drum machine and evolving a Jah Wobble-esque bassline, layered with delicate chiming, soaring guitars, some of which mimic a string section hovering over twin guitar parts. "The Hitcher" is classic Swervedriver, a mid-tempo shifting groove with signature flanging, effects-propelled guitars and irresistable, melancholy melody. Lastly, their live-in-the-studio-one-take cover of The Who's "In the City" is a loose and fun spin through a left-field track by an important influence and inspiration. The best b-sides on this release ("Cars Converge on Paris" and "The Hitcher" specifically) are available elsewhere, but any fan of Swervedriver should absolutely seek this out; as far as I know, "Land of the Lost" appeared only on the out-of-print UK "Last Train to Satansville" single, and the Who cover appeared elsewhere only on a CD given away with a French music magazine.

Funkadelic - Free Your Mind... And Your Ass Will Follow - 22-Oct-07 12:45 PM
This is a classic album that is essentially ruined by incredibly thin, washed-out sound. This is due, of course, in part to the roughness of the original recording and the limited digital technology of 1990. Regardless, it's one of the worst-sounding CD's I've ever heard. I'm not sure if the 2005 CD reissue corrects the problem since I haven't heard it yet, but Funkadelic fans new and old should avoid this issue.

Fela And Afrika 70* - Zombie - 19-Aug-07 02:45 AM
This review concerns mainly this particular issue of this music, and not the music itself. Most people with an interest in Afrobeat would likely agree that the music represents Fela and Afrika 70 in or near top form, during Fela's most admired period of recording. However, this CD issue features abysmal sound with annoying digital clipping, and for this reason I recommend avoiding it in favor of other editions that feature these tracks. It's initially appealing since this cd is very reasonably priced (in the US); you might think you're saving some money by picking it up, but in the long run you'll spend more when you replace it with an edition that presents the recordings respectfully.

View all 61 reviews...