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Album of the Week - Opinion/Samples

Okay - a thread along the lines of "What are You Listening to Lately". Hopefully this won't get out of hand, but - my thoughts are for thread participants to recommend (on a weekly basis) a single album/CD from their stacks, make a few personal comments, and add a link so people can hear some of the album. Keeping it to a once a week basis should let the pleasure extend indefinitely...

To link - add a mark-up tag to an Amazon page that has a "Listen to Samples" selection.

I'm sure everyone here has GREAT musical taste, and probably know quite a few hidden gems/personal treasures that have yet to hit mainstream consciousness ...

Starting out from my collection, I'm going to dust off the jacket and select:

The Blue Nile - Hats

The Blue Nile puts out an album about once every six years, and god knows I wish they were more prolific. Their first two albums - A Walk In the Rain and Hats from the mid-late 80's - are tone poems more than anything. I'd probably describe these two as "Impressionistic rock" or "smoky cabaret rock". It's sort of haunting and uplifting at the same time, with mournful horns - synthesized beats/keyboards - yearning vocals with a Scots burr. And the lyrics are poetry of an everyman ...

Last heard from with 1996's "Peace at Last". A little less atmospheric than the other two - but still great.

Hoping they release at least once more in my lifetime, because they are so damned good. I assume they were bigger in the UK - but are little known over here. Unfortunately "Hats" and "A Walk In The Rain" only appear to be on import labels now, but they are worth forking over the dough for...
regiolanthe
regiolanthe OP
75 posts
 
Okay - with 10-minutes to go at work I nominate (and only because it's here in the office) World Party's "Goodbye Jumbo" for album of the week, originally released in 1990 (although appears to be re-released with bonus tracks and media tracks).

And - sorry for all you folks who have eagerly followed the snippet links - there don't seem to be any websites with musical samples.

Okay - yes, Karl Wallinger has no problem channeling the Rolling Stones and the Beatles (although he goes a bit Bob Dylan on his latest album), but somehow he makes the homage his own.

Best known song off the album is "Way Down Now" - his Stone's inspired knock-off of Satisfaction with the Sympathy for the Devil woo-woo's(lyric - Some Faceless Git on the screen, the most honest honest man I've ever seen) -
But some how World Party succeeds in re-inventing in their own fashion.

Other notable songs are "Love Street", "Sweet Soul Dream", "Ain't Gonna Come Till I'm Ready" - all terrific stuff.

ben_campbell
1,169 posts
 
I was big fan of that album at the time (as was Paul MacCartney) and saw the subsequent tour,clearly their greatest moment.
It still stands up quite well.
Wallinger was previously in The Waterboys.
danvetc
527 posts
 
Jayhawks, Rainy Day Music. How did I miss these guys?

http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2788038

Charlie
ben_campbell
1,169 posts
 
Charlie I love The Jayhawks but hated this album.
It's very seldom I recycle my new purchases but I got rid of this.
It was also spotted by another Audiogon member that this recording distorts and it does.........
danvetc
527 posts
 
I just bought Rainy Day last week after hearing the Jayhawks on NPR. I have only been listening in my truck where I have been having a ball with it and think others might, as well. Maybe you should have saved it as a road listen. A quick listen on the big rig suggests a typical sibilant mike was used, which I can tame with my eq, thank goodness. Ben, what discs do you recommend from the Jayhawks?
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