25 years!!
Seems like just yesterday I purchased this album and had it playing in the background while taking an after-work nap in the Lazy-Boy. [sigh] It sounds even better in this 2006 Remaster over headphones.
If I was a chill latin lover, Gotan Project's La Revancha Del Tango would be the soundtrack of my home
But I'm not.
Nevertheless, I'm keeping this album on my iPhone.
Dagmar Krause | Tank Battles (1988) = a cross between Les Mis and Lili Von Schtupp in Blazing Saddles
Okay, I guess that's a mean comparison, but I did keep picturing Madeline Kahn singing "I'm Tired" in the music hall scene. I couldn't find the Krause album, but there is a recording (in 3 parts) on You Tube.
Not much joy in Joy Division | Closer (1980) but they are masters of melancholy
Distinctive and talented. A "quiet storm of musical restraint and emotive power". [John Bush, Rovi] Ian Curtis' vocals effectively achieve the mood and I really like the guitar's sort of wild thrashing about.
Grant Lee Buffalo | Fuzzy (1993) = music 20 years too early
They received critical acclaim and lead singer Grant Lee Phillips was Rolling Stone Magazine's Male Vocalist of the Year, but they never enjoyed much commercial success. That's too bad. They are really good and I can't help but wonder what would've happened if their debut was 20 years later. Male voiced, country tinged music is in.
I highly recommend this album.
Dexys Midnight Runners | Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980)
If one of their albums appears in the top 1001 list, surely they are under appreciated and should not have been just a One-Hit-Wonder...
No.
They got all the attention they deserved. The lead crying, whiny vocal is so annoying that it was really tough to make it through this thing. It's melodrama, not music.
So let's just remember Dexys for "Come on Eileen" as one of the best, sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs party and dance songs.
Khaled | Kenza (1999)
Khaled apparently brought the Algerian desert blues music called Raï to the international stage. Sounds intriguing? Much of it is. Musical styles are borrowed from all over the world and blended with Raï. I expected this album to be tough to get through on my 1001 Album mission but even if I can't understand a word he's singing, the guy is good.
Richard Hawley | Coles Corner (2005)
The guy has a nice enough voice, but I can't get past imaginIng wide pointy collars on a polyester leisure suit while doing a guest spot on a 70's variety show. His stuff would work on Lawrence Welk.
The Cure | Seventeen Seconds (1980)
“The Cure... made an art form out of dark simplicity.”
You Must Hear Before You Die.
I love the sparse, thin guitar strumming and melodies that predominate on this album. To me, they are not "dark" as much as they are "introspective".
The Cure is a brilliant band: They can make you think, and they can also make you put on your best British accent and sing "It's Friday I'm In Love" at the top of your voice.