Blog Musicola

May 19, 2013

Cops on route are hot in pursuit

Is it Kaja or KajaGoogoo? The answer would be both. In 1984 they released their second and best album produced by Colin Thurston who also produced their first album together with Nick Rhodes from duran duran and is also responsible for producing the first 2 albums from duran duran.

Although Limahl left the band in favour of a solo career that only lasted one hitsingle for the soundtrack of the movie “Neverending Story” it didn’t mean their career ended but with NIck Beggs now on vocals scored even more and bigger hits.

The album was titled “Islands” in Europe as KajaGooGoo and “Extra Play” in the USA as Kaja. The US release isn’t reccomendable because many great songs are missing in favour of remixes.

The first single “Big Apple” reaching #10 in the Netherlands and #8 in the UK. “Turn Your Back On Me” was good for a #17 spot in the dutch charts. “The Lion’s Mouth” was less successful. They are without a doubt one of the best New Romantics of the 80’s.

Highlights: “Big Apple”, “Melting The Ice Away”, “Turn Your Back On Me”, “Islands”, “On A Plane”.

Sadly the career of KajaGooGoo ended with the release of their third album which was worldwide released as Kaja maybe a bit too confusing. Perhaps they better sticked to KajaGooGoo. With “Shouldn’t Do That” being not the best choice for a single. The first track on “Crazy People’s Right To Speak” titled “Do I” would’ve been a much better choice.But eventually in 2008 they reunited for another album.

Islands: The Lion’s Mouth / Big Apple / The Power to Forgive / Melting the Ice Away / Turn Your Back on Me / Islands / On a Plane / Part of Me Is You / The Loop

Extra Play: Turn Your Back on Me / The Power to Forgive / Big Apple / Melting the Ice Away / The Lion’s Mouth / Turn Your Back on Me (Flipped Disc Mix) / Big Apple (Metro Mix)

May 12, 2013

1 note

REM File under Fire

This album is an almost forgotten gem of Rapid Eye Movement from 1987 before they really breakthrough worldwide. They pretend to be Bob Dylan as a band singing protest songs. It was almost apocalyptic with songs like “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” (see earlier review of that song in my blog) and “Exhuming McCarthy”. I guess it’s the power of producer Scott Litt who also produces their following albums. “Strange” is cover version of the punk band Wire. We also can hear the use of the mandolin for the first time especially on “Fireplace”. It opens with the finest song of their singles “Finest Worksong”. Micheal opens all emotions on “The One I Love” and A folk pop song “Disturbance at the Heron House”.

The album originally had to be titled “R.E.M. No.5” which is still visible on the sleeve of the album but eventually became “Document”. An original sleeve had the subtitle “File Under Fire”.

Sadly it’s the end of R.E.M. as we know it and I’m not feeling fine with that! They ended the band in 2011.

Finest Worksong / Welcome To The Occupation / Exhuming McCarthy / Disturbance At The Heron House / Strange / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) / The One I Love / Fireplace / Lightnin’ Hopkins / King Of Birds / Oddfellows Local 151

Apr 28, 2013

2 notes

We move like cagey tigers

In 1983 the Cure released an almost forgotten EP/CD titled “Japanese Whispers: The Cure Singles Nov 82: Nov 83”. It was the beginning of a new more commercial sound for the band. Which moves away from their dark gothic sound of their previous 3 albums of which only “Seventeen Seconds” was successful and now becomes happy new wave. Officially they wanted to released 3 exclusive singles throughout 1982 and 1983 but their record company decided to release them also as an EP. It includes everything from the 7”and 12” versions of these 3 singles sadly except for one track. On CD but also on LP there should’ve been enough space to include “Mr. Pink Eyes” also. The album is better then the next official album “The Top” and this new style really evolved on “The Head On The Door” in 1985.

Let’s Go To Bed / The Dream / Just One Kiss / The Upstairs Room / The Walk / Speak My Language / Lament / The Lovecats

Apr 21, 2013

Like a blown-up balloon

A bizarre title for Soft Cell’s second album “The Art Of Falling Apart” but as an album their best. This is also what Marc Almond himself tells us. 8 songs of intense drama coming at us. The album has 2 songs released as a single but they didn’t chart like the singles from their debut album did although the album itself charted #5 in the UK. The combination of Marc Album inspired by Jacques Brel and Scott Walker and the synth beats of Dave Ball underneath it is brilliant. The album holds songs about alcoholism “Forever The Same”, “Numbers” drug abuse, house wives lusting over the paper boy “Kitchen Sink Drama”, strippers “Baby Doll”, and a child growing up to be a murderer (“Martin”). I don’t like their Jimmy Hendrix medley but the rest of the bonus tracks are superiour.

The problem is the fact that they got much criticisms from the media that probably infected their career. In the credits of the album they wrote: “There is no musical barrier of people’s acceptance. The only musical barrier is the media (Music press, radio & television). Remember, what people cannot see or hear, they cannot think about - some bizarre ?”

Highlights: “Numbers”, “Kitchen Sink Drama”, “Where the Heart Is” and “Heat”

Forever The Same / Where The Heart Is / Numbers / Heat / Kitchen Sink Drama / Baby Doll / Loving You Hating Me / The Art Of Falling Apart / Hendrix Medley / Martin / Barriers / It’s A Mug’s Game

Apr 14, 2013

Tags:
# Chris Rea

In the whisper of the night

In 1983 Chris Rea returned to the charts with his fifth studio album. It charted #64 in the UK, #33 in the Netherlands, #30 in Germany, #26 in France and #7 in Sweden. This one is a typical 80’s pop album and he probably was urged to do so because his record company lost interest and didn’t even want to mix the album so what was released appears to be the original demo tapes. Anyway strangely enough it sold very well and turns out to be the best and most commercial album of Chris Rea.

The album starts with his love for the sea and beaches in the ballad “Nothing’s Happening By the Sea” which already sets the perfect mood. Rocking modern synths continue in “Deep Water”, The classic Rea song “Candles”, “Texas” a state whe likes to visit one day and later rerecorded for his “The Road To Hell” album in 1989. The next one is “Let It Loose” which was the first single of the album. The most familiar song of the album is of course “I Can Hear Your Heartbeat” reaching #60 in the UK, #25 in the Netherlands, #14 in Ireland and #7 in Sweden. Then we hear the bluesy “Midnight Blue” followed by the last single of the album “Hey You” ending with another synthy “Out Of The Darkness”.

Nothing’s Happening By The Sea / Deep Water / Candles / Love’s Strange Ways / Texas / Let It Loose / I Can Hear Your Heartbeat / Midnight Blue / Hey You / Out Of The Darkness

Apr 9, 2013

76 notes

reblogged from vanessaparadisnews

Love Song
Vanessa Paradis
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Vanessa Paradis :: Love Song

Apr 9, 2013

25 notes

reblogged from vanessaparadisnews

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The official cover for Love Songs!

Apr 1, 2013

Get Carried away by Hall & Oates again

Original album from 1976

In 1976 Hall and Oates released their fifth studio album titled “Bigger Than Both Of Us”. They followed a pattern that also other musicians followed to title the album after a song that will be eventually released on the next album in this case on “Beauty On A Back Street” which became the worst album they ever recorded. Just like Led Zeppelin’s album “Houses Of The Holy” and on the follow-up “Physical Graffiti” the song with that name was released. The song “Bigger Than Both Of Us” is a great classic H&O song. Sadly this album is very out of print in it’s original form. But there is a rather strange compilation titled “Rich Girl” that includes the complete “Bigger Than Both Of Us” album together with the title song and 2 other really interesting songs from “Beauty On A Back Street” and some rather bizarre selections from the albums “H2O”, “Ooh Yeah” and “Change Of Season”

1977 tour programme

But here we go. “Back Together Again” is great starter where the boys perfectly sing in harmony TOGETHER, then their first #1 in the US “Rich Girl” which doesn’t need an introduction, “Crazy Eyes” is probably the best song ever which is sung by John, “Do What You Want, Be What You Are” is a great powerful ballad that was also released as a single and was covered by The Dramatics in 1979. Another hit single “Kerry” carries you on, “London, Luck & Love” is the only bad song on the album, “Room To Breathe” falls a bit out of place as a heavy rock song in this soulful collection but not bad. “You’ll Never Learn” is classic rock sung by John wich fits in better than “Room To Breathe”. A very very very soulful ballad is “Falling” which also has some Vangelis cosmic kinda synths in it near the end to add some nostalgy.

Actually it’s one of the best albums of H&O.

CD compilation “Rich Girl” from 1998

Back Together Again / Rich Girl / Crazy Eyes / Do What You Want / Be What You Are / Kerry / London, Luck & Love / Room to Breathe / You’ll Never Learn / Falling