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B PageContents: The B-52s, The Band, The Beach Boys, Beastie Boys, The Beatles, Beck, Adrian Belew, Chris Bell, Big Star, The Blind Boys of Alabama, David Bowie, Bread, Breathe, Bressa Creeting Cake, Sam Brown, Jackson Browne, Lindsay Buckingham, Jeff Buckley, Tim Buckley, Buffalo Springfield, Kate Bush, Buzzcocks, The ByrdsThe B-52sTime Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation(1998)Despite highly familiar songs 'Love Shack' and 'Roam', The B-52s are an acquired taste. I blame it on Aqua; the Swedish popsters nicked The B-52s distinctive style of contrasting shrill female vocals with a campy semi-spoken male voice, and desecrated it with heinous novelty compositions such as 'Barbie'. In contrast, Time Capsule presents a respectable case for musical legitimacy. While their material is quirky, they rarely resort to novelty songs; the only offender on Time Capsule is the inane 'Song for a Future Generation'. In reality, The B-52s even have more authenticity than seminal punk band The Sex Pistols; The B-52s went out to dinner, got drunk and vowed to pool their limited musical expertise to form a band, while The Sex Pistols were manufactured by manager Malcolm McLaren. 'Private Idaho', from 1980's Wild Planet, stands out as the highlight of The B-52s career, but generally their early material is weird and often jarring. 'Mesopotamia' is typically amusing, although I am afraid that the blatant historical inaccuracies are unacceptable: "Turn your watch, turn your watch back, about a hundred thousand years." I prefer their later singles, which are more straightforward but still too weird to be dismissed as commercial pap for the masses. The sweetly harmonised 'Deadbeat Club' and 'Roam' are particularly enjoyable. Although The B-52s embody a lot of qualities that I abhor, like kitschness, campiness and lyrical inanity, I still enjoy Time Capsule. 
 The Band have their own pageThe Beach Boys have their own pageBeastie BoysPaul's Boutique(1989)Paul's Boutique was a commercial disappointment for the Beastie Boys after the enormous success of 1986's Licensed To Ill, despite the fact that it is more palatable, with attractive layers of samples courtesy of the Dust Brothers. A lot of Paul's Boutique is melodic and inflected with pop sensibilities. Even the most hardened rap cynic may enjoy the hilariously countrified 'Hey Ladies'. A further endearing trait of Paul's Boutique is its sense of popular music heritage. Bob Dylan is quoted in 'Johnny Ryall' ("he ain't gonna work on Maggie's Farm no more"), Johnny Cash turns up briefly in the closing suite, while the guitars from The Beatles' 'The End' are sampled in 'The Sounds of Science'. Despite their musical refinement, the Beastie Boys are still as bratty as ever; it's less overtly offensive than their debut, but obnoxious one liners like such as "I'm madder than Mad's Alfred E. Newman," and "I've got the girlies in the Coupe like the Colonel's got the chickens" still abound. Some of the more abrasive material, such as 'Lookin' Down the Barrel of a Gun', is not as enjoyable as the pop oriented songs, and personally I'd prefer an album full of light and catchy material like 'Shadrach' and 'Shake Your Rump'. But there is plenty to admire on Paul's Boutique; the closing suite alone contains enough musical ideas to populate an entire album.
The BeatlesRevolver(1966)I've been meaning to buy Revolver for years, but I only acquired it yesterday when I found it at a ridiculously cheap price in a second hand store along with The Velvet Underground. I'm afraid I've taken the two best albums from the store's small selection, but I have left the ten copies of Hanson's Three Car Garage: The Indie Recordings intact. I've been maintaining an anti-Beatles-review policy on this site, on the grounds they've already been covered enough, but I've enjoyed Revolver so much that it would be a travesty not to share my opinions. As a landmark recording in popular music, Revolver is virtually unparalleled; psychedelia, Indian influences, studio trickery and obvious signs of drug use are among the milestones covered. But what's truly amazing about Revolver is that The Beatles haven't been carried away with all the new musical devices at their fingertips, and have written a batch of songs so amazing that their quality would transcend any mediocre production or performance thrown at them. Harrison gets Revolver off to a great start with the sardonic 'Taxman', and the quality of the album barely abates over its amazingly diverse set of fourteen songs. If I was to be hyper-critical I could accuse the lyrics of McCartney's 'Good Day Sunshine' of being excessively sentimental, while years of singing in school assemblies has taken the shine off Ringo's vocal spotlight 'Yellow Submarine', but these are petty concerns. Harrison's three tracks are all excellent, while McCartney contributes the infectious 'Got To Get You Into my Life' and three astounding ballads: 'For No One', the string driven dirge of 'Eleanor Rigby' and the beautiful melody of 'Here, There And Everywhere'. Lennon's contributions are far more groundbreaking, but still accessible; 'Doctor Robert' is an blatant tribute to his drug dealer, while 'Tomorrow Never Knows' is an avante-garde composition which just works perfectly; Lennon sings The Book Of Death over an insistent one chord backing. My absolute favourite is probably Lennon's 'She Said, She Said', which is both ground breaking and entertaining. After listening to Revolver I've realised that I've been underrating the Beatles as instrumentalists; Ringo's drumming on 'She Said She Said' in particular stands out as surprisingly accomplished. Without hearing all of The Beatles catalogue, I'm prepared to put my neck on the line and state Revolver is their absolute peak; a balance between the pop instincts of their early career (14 songs in a mere 35 minutes), and the experimentation of their later years.
BeckSea Change(2002)Beck's former girlfriend always complained that his music was too facile and meaningless, but it was only in response to their breakup that he created the sincere Sea Change. In terms of mood, Sea Change recalls The Band's cover of 'It Makes No Difference'; the album maintains a smooth plaintiveness with country tinges for its entire duration. While Beck's previous work was impressive, it's the songwriting and emotional resonance displayed on Sea Change that elevates him to the status of a major and enduring artist. I'm not sure, however, whether posterity will place Sea Change in the same league as Blood In The Tracks; while Dylan displayed a range of emotional responses from anger to reconciliation, Beck's content to put on his glum hat and sit in the corner. Nevertheless, he expresses his emotional state fluently, whether it's the irony of 'Guess I'm Doing Fine' or the heartbreaking line "'Cuz it feels like I'm watching something die." While the songs on Sea Change are fundamentally stripped down and acoustic, producer Nigel Godrich does a tremendous job, piling on ear candy like weird string sections and electronic effects that enhance Sea Change rather than getting in the way. The cover art is an ideal microcosm of this; Beck's face is painted with strange colours, but it's still merely a picture of Beck's face. Beck's never had a problem devising hooks, as the 'Loser' chorus and the keyboard riff of 'Where It's At' are two of the most memorable moments from nineties radio. The gorgeous guitar figure in 'End Of The Day', and the eastern string arrangement and melody of 'Paper Tiger' are the most memorable moments of Sea Change, while the album is so even that it's difficult to find much to complain about. If anything Sea Change is too even, meaning that some of the songs don't register, but that's because everything is so carefully crafted. 'It's All In Your Mind' is slightly out of context lyrically, originally appearing on Neil Young's Bridge School Concerts compilation, but fits in fine musically. Whether or not the songs are appealing, the mood created is so consistently applied that Sea Change works purely as mood music. Sometimes the melodies are overshadowed a little by the atmosphere and lyrics; combined with the soothing monotony, there's justification why this album doesn't quite reach five stars. Still, it's likely to stack up as one of 2002's best albums.
Adrian BelewInner Revolution(1992)King Crimson vocalist Adrian Belew's virtual one man band album Inner Revolution is notorious as a Beatles' imitation, but to these ears it sounds like a second generation Beatles' imitation; a Todd Rundgren imitation, if you will. Inner Revolution sounds a little underwhelming to start with; half of the tracks sound like second rate mellow Todd Rundgren songs, while the other half sound like third rate noisy Todd Rundgren songs. After a while it becomes apparent that Belew is using unconventional chord structures and melodies that take a while to grasp, but when they do they're irresistible. Memorable songs include the gorgeous ballad 'I Walk Alone', which Belew croons through magnificiently, and the funky 'This Is What I Believe In'. 'The War in the Gulf Between Us' and 'Everything' are both reminiscent of McCartney ballads, and they're both wonderful. Regrettably, Belew cheapens Inner Revolution with a few lyrics that are distractingly hokey; the worst offender is 'I'd Rather Be Right Here' with the goofy lines "If you get on a plane, say for New Orleans/And you land in Smithereens, don't call me/Cause I'll be undercover with the girl of my dreams." Otherwise, Inner Revolution is definitely worth digging for in the bargain bin of your used music store, especially if you have an ear for intelligent-but-slightly-hokey off-kilter instrumentally-proficient in-the-grunge-era-but-not-of-it Rundgrenesque pop-rock.
Here(1994)Belew followed Inner Revolution with Here, this time playing all of the instruments himself. It's a dreamier and more summery work, that's more consistent than it's predecessor but doesn't have as many high points; the lesser songs are smoother and less irritating than those on Inner Revolution. Belew's lyrics are more disciplined as well; it helps that the social comment songs, particularly 'Brave New World' and 'Color Futurevision', are among the strongest musically on the album, while there are only a few embarrasing couplets. Perhaps the worst example is 'I See You', with lines like "When I went to sleep in Japan/I saw your face on the ceiling fan/I see you everywhere I go." Belew does pull out a perfectly formed lyric in 'Dream Life', a concise and sensitive love song that would be appropriate for James Taylor. Here starts wonderfully with the mini-epic 'May 1, 1990', a song about how Belew met his wife (named Martha, which is appropriate when Belew is such a Beatles' fan; he presumably addresses her as "my dear"), where Belew is able to show off his skills on the cello. 'Dream Life' is an agreeably gentle ballad, while 'What A Brave New World' rides into a memorable chorus. The absolute highlight is the mini-masterpiece 'Color Futurevision', where Belew pulls out his bag of guitar texture tracks and rocks funkily. I especially like the lines "Black...for a black man on a black rock/On a black night when America forgot to say "It's alright to be who you are"/White...for the white robe of Jesus Christ/Whose message was each one of us is equal in the eyes of God." 'Never Enough' is entertaining, mostly because it sounds uncannily like a Smashing Pumpkins impersonation, while the concluding 'Postcard From Holland' is more effective than any song that uses the word "cookie" twice has the right to be. Here is an enjoyable effort that demonstrates that Belew's solo career is well worth listening to; while he's not historically significant in the slightest, he makes his albums in a style that classic rock fans will appreciate with personal idiosyncracies like little guitar tricks and goofy lyrics. I find it difficult to choose between this and Inner Revolution so they'll have to share the same grade.
Chris Bell can be found on the Big Star pageBig Star have their own pageThe Blind Boys of Alabama have their own pageDavid Bowie has his own pageBreadRetrospective(1996)I know that I'm not supposed to like these guys, but before I started buying CDs I used to listen to classic pop radio a lot, and when I stopped listening I found myself missing Bread ballads like 'It Don't Matter To Me' and 'Everything I Own'. Just before Christmas one year, when I'd been working long hours in my part-time supermarket job, I gave into temptation and bought this anthology on sale. It's pretty obvious why Bread are loathed by critics and serious music fans alike; they're stuck in mid-sixties British Invasion pop mode in the late sixties, moving onto singer-songwriterisms a few years behind the eight ball, they're moralising enough to be a Christian band, and lots of their songs are soppy as an igloo on Sunset Boulevard and are plastered with overbearing string arrangements. Leader David Gates is the antithesis of a rock star; moustachioed, married to his childhood sweetheart for 40 years and writing lyrics lamenting sexual permissiveness ("in this day and age.........people changing partners like they change their underwear") and advising his daughter to be sensible in courtship ("don't fall in love with the first man that you see"). The lengthy liner notes attempt to revise Bread's place in history, emphasising the contributions of the other band members, but it's hard to buy this due to the sizeable talent imbalance between Gates and the Robb Royer-James Griffin writing team; Gates' plaintive ballads are the group's most memorable songs, and even his occasional attempts at rock songs overshadow Griffin's and Royer's contributions. You have to love the exhaustive booklet; Gates remarks that drummer Mike Botts made "a significant contribution on the percussion side" and confesses that not only that he never actually found a diary underneath a tree, but if he had he would have turned it in to the authorities without reading it. For Bread fans this double set's terrific; covering about 50% or 60% of the group's studio output and throwing in a whole bunch of Gates' solo work. For me it's a bit too exhaustive; I could make a really enjoyable single album out of it, but I'm not too interested in hearing the Gates' sappy solo ballads or mediocre Robb-Griffin blues rock. But I think that a lot of their best songs do stand up to scrutiny; sure Gates is a wet blanket, but he's a wet blanket with great melodies, and Bread's best material does have a strong emotional undercurrent. It's mostly love songs but with Gates as a rare example of a celebrity with a successful first marriage, maybe he's some kind of guru whom we should all be listening to for advice. The liner notes try to draw a contrast between Bread's self-titled debut and The Band's early work. Surprisingly, they might have something; Bread are far too straight pop for the comparison to be very valid, but it's more eclectic and less overtly commercial than their later work. Gates is already demonstrating strong melodies and pop sense with 'Dismal Day' and 'London Bridge'. On the other hand, the material from their breakthrough second album Manna is weaker; apart from the hit 'Make It With You' and Gates' epic 'Been Too Long On The Road' there's nothing too impressive. Single 'It Don't Matter To Me', a reworking from their debut, is another highlight, with a terrific middle eight from Gates. On The Waters features another mellow Gates ballad, 'If', as well as the fun tossed off rock song 'She Was My Lady' where Gates lets his hair down a little. 1972's Baby, I'm A Want You stands out as their strongest effort with a string of classic Gates ballads (the title track, 'Everything I Own', 'Diary'), a pair of really pretty Royer/Griffin songs ('Games of Magic', 'Just Like Yesterday'), Gates' dopey McCartney-like 'Daughter', and 'Mother Freedom', a surprisingly aggressive political rock from Gates. The band's also strengthened by the arrival of sixties sessionman Larry Knechtel, famous for his piano in 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters', who helps bring a more solid band feel to the record. Final record Guitar Man seems disappointing in comparison; only the title track with Knechtel's weird guitars leads and the moody ballad 'Aubrey' really stand out. The compilation noticeably tails off about ten tracks into the second disc; despite a couple of highlights, most of Gates' solo songs make Bread's work look hard edged and cynical in comparison. The absolute lowlight is 'Took The Last Train', Gates' attempt at a crossover disco hit in the late 1970s; so horrendous that it's due for a kitsch comeback, it finds Gates dropping phat rhymes like "Took the last train to St Tropez/had the mind to dance the night away" over a fat synth bass line. Among other innovations is the chorus repeated in pairs- once in French and then repeated in English - and an extremely unique slow pace that perfectly complements the disco style. There are a couple of highlights among the solo tracks though; 'Clouds' is a pretty piano ballad with some terrific analog synth widdling in the background, and 'Never Let Her Go' is a nice strumalong that Gates wrote back in 1964. There's also material from Bread's 1976 comeback album Lost Without Your Love; the title track is one of their best moments, a pretty piano ballad that suddenly goes into a funky guitar break, but the rest of the material is pretty underwhelming. Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this record; I do feel embarrassed having it lying round in my CD collection, and I often toy with the idea of condensing it down to a single disc, but just occasionally I get into this bizarre unrequited love type state where Bread's the only thing that will help.
BreatheDon't Stop The Revolution(2000)I'm only a degree of two of separation away from this band; they were a few years ahead of me at high school, where the drummer's mother was an English teacher. As much as I'd like to therefore enjoy it, this record is an almost perfect example of the intangible yet crucial difference between competent music and worthwhile music. Technically this album is fine; the singer has a powerful voice, the musicianship is solid, it's well produced, and carefully written; all the ingredients of a solid rock album, but it's almost devoid of the qualities that make music worth listening to in the first place. Sure, music appreciation is subjective, and maybe it's unfair to throw blanket statements like this around. But music's not just about technicalities; like other art forms it's about capturing something - a time, a place, a feeling, a flight of imagination - and capturing it, whether the process is spontaneous or crafted. For every band or musician that is able to do this, there are thousands that never manage to; it's what separates the wheat from the chaff. I guess it's hard to tell whether the cream does rise to the top; some musicians, whether Bach, Gershwin or Stevie Wonder have justified their fame with excellent bodies of work, while others of the same calibre remain the properties of cult followings or languishing in obscurity. Anyway, it is unfair to pick of Breathe when there are millions of bands just as mediocre (and to be fair, they certainly could be worse; it's not like they're the Little River Band Tribute Band), but they do exemplify this divide much too neatly for their own good. There's nothing in this recording that suggests where or when Breathe are from, what they're feeling or what they have to contribute to popular music; Don't Stop The Revolution could have been made anywhere from upstate New York to the backwoods of Zaire. The song titles in themselves are a give away to this blandness - 'She Said', 'Get Yourself Together', 'Landslide', 'Sick and Tired' - none of these songs sound interesting in the least, and it's borne out through the course of the record. When Breathe do shoot for the big statement in 'Too Late For Salvation', it's downright embarrassing: "The rain comes/Down at the same time each year/I wonder if you care." They're playing rock stars too, with the poses, the media hype and the big sound, which makes their shortcomings more apparent. There are a few decent moments; 'Landslide' is a catchy enough rock anthem, 'Let Them Know' has a slight atmosphere of paranoia that stands out on a record devoid of feeling and 'In The City' has a few interesting parts which hardly justify its ten minute running time. It's kind of irrelevant, since I'm not recommending this album in the slightest, but in case I neglected to describe what it sounds like, it's a regular old five piece pop/rock band with a keyboard player and a vaguely soulful singer. There are worse records out there, but if you're resorting to buying generic albums like this, it's time to conduct some musical research or find something better to do with your disposable income.
Bressa Creeting CakeBressa Creeting Cake(1997)Three obscure New Zealanders named Bressa, Creeting and Cake created a minor scandal by naming their debut album Breast Secreting Cake. So they renamed it Bressa Creeting Cake, which doesn't really make any difference if you say it aloud; it could be a conspiracy, because I consulted in the Lower Hutt phone book, and there's no one listed under Bressa, Cake or Creeting except for the Cake Decorators Guild. Then they broke up, regrettably because Bressa Creeting Cake, their sole contribution to posterity, is a fine effort. Edmund Cake engineers and plays drums, Joel Bressa sings and plays guitars, bass and keyboards, while Geoff Creeting sings and plays guitars and bass. Bressa Creeting Cake was my first exposure to an act from vilified New Zealand Indie label Flying Nun, but it's not as loud as I expected. They rock out on a few tracks like 'Papa People' and 'Wood For Her', but most of the time they use nice dinkly keyboards and nice plucky acoustic guitars. While Bressa Creeting Cake is almost exclusively low key, it's playful, quirky and varied in texture. 'Greasy Grandma' features the fantastically evocative lyrics "She's a rock'n'roll priestess/And she likes to die a million deaths," while the protagonist in the sweet 'Rocky Mountain' announces their intention to cut their nails before they go. 'Zenax' features Mongolian lyrics, while the catchy 'Palm Singing' is driven by glockenspiel. Most of the songs have strong ideas somewhere, except 'Rocketship' which is just a generic love song. There's way too much talent displayed on this disc for these guys to fade into obscurity, and Bressa and Creeting resurfaced in the critically acclaimed and excellent Goldenhorse in 2002, while Edmund Cake has recorded as a solo artist
Sam BrownStop!(1988)The most obvious strength of Sam Brown is her remarkable voice, which can switch from a full-bore Aretha Franklin (with Brown sounding incredulously black) to an ethereal whisper at the drop of a hat. There is also a theatrical element present in Brown's vocals; apparently her parents were famous as stage musicians. Regrettably it is easy to see her debut album designed as a vehicle for that voice, as parts of Stop! would be rather uninteresting without it. At least it's impossible to deny Brown's enthusiasm as her liner notes blink like starry eyes: "Also, the world should know that Clive Cuming is the best bank manager in the world. I suggest you put your account with him immediately." Accordingly, the best tracks are the most vivacious; 'Walking Back To Me' swings along charmingly, while 'Ball and Chain' and 'Sometimes You Just Don't Know' also possess an infectiousness that other songs on the album lack. There's also the throwaway music-hall track 'Tea', which turns out to be one of the best moments of the album; "Oh how I love my tea/Tea in the afternoon". Most of the other tracks are languid, but are solid enough and are kept short so that they seldom completely lose attention. The title track is arguably the most famous song in Brown's catalogue, but it comes across more as a vocal showcase than as a particularly outstanding composition. Brown's lyrics are never particularly interesting, although at least they're always wholesome and don't have the femi-cringe factor of her fellow piano-playing contemporary Tori Amos. Furthermore, Stop! doesn't offer enough layers for continuing listening pleasure; it comes across as a nice album on first spin but never rises in stature. Stop! is a pleasant debut, but is clearly eclipsed by its followup April Moon. Guest musicians include Sam's brother Pete, who plays guitar and produces, Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour (who doesn't do anything particularly interesting; Brown has also done some backing vocals for Pink Floyd) and Pentagle bassist Danny Thompson.
April Moon(1990)While Stop! was a perfectly adequate record in its own right, April Moon marks major artistic development for Brown. Her songwriting and arrangements are far more subtle and interesting, while Brown takes charge of far more keyboard parts than on her debut. April Moon is also less dated than its predecessor, relying on conventional textures of piano and guitar, and featuring plenty of excellent musicianship. With sixteen songs running for more than an hour, and no songs that are anything less than competent, there's plenty of April Moon to enjoy. With so many songs fighting for listener attention, different songs are going to jump out on different listens. The title track recalls Kate Bush with mystical lyrics and ethereal vocals, while the magical 'Kissing Gate' features an innovative string arrangement. There's also plenty of lovely melodies and big catchy choruses; 'Pride and Joy', 'Henry' and 'Eye for an Eye' are just some of the standouts. Additionally 'S'Envoler' is one of a handful of French songs in popular music that I can stomach. April Moon is certainly an accomplished album, although there are flaws that prevent it from being a complete standout. There isn't quite enough variety within the album for its length, meaning that lots of the tracks tend to blur together, even though they're worthy individually. Additionally, while Brown's lyrics have progressed from Stop!, there's still nothing on April Moon that really captivates; the most interesting lyrics are trippy takes on romance in 'Kissing Gate' and the title track. Regrettably April Moon has been deleted, so if you want a copy you're going to need to liberate it from the second hand bin. According to the person who introduced me to her, April Moon is the best of Sam Brown's first four albums.
Jackson BrowneLate for the Sky(1974)Jackson Browne was obviously dealing with major issues in 1974: among his preoccupations in the eight songs on Late for the Sky are death ('For a Dancer') and the apocalypse ('The Road and the Sky', 'Before the Deluge'). The best songs meander gently through issues, such as the title track which ponders the death of a relationship. I don't know what issue 'Farther On' addresses, but it seems profound: "Heavens no closer than it was yesterday." While 'The Late Show' is shallow in comparison, it has a nice call and response part where Jackson sings: "It's like you're standing in the window of a house nobody lives in/And I'm sitting in a car across the way," and the background singers reply "Let's just say," then Jackson sings "It's an early model Chevrolettttett". The riff driven 'The Road and the Sky' turns up the amps for a half-time intermission, to prevent listeners from falling asleep from too much contemplation. Most intriguing from a thematic perspective is 'After the Deluge', which is set after a flood has destroyed civilisation, although the organ introduction is horribly pedestrian. While a couple of the songs ('Walking Slow' is the worst offender) are mundane, Late for the Sky is a fascinating piece of work that explores issues beyond the scope of most popular music. Late for the Sky is enhanced by Browne's backing band, especially guitarist David Lindley who tastefully decorates the album with his gentle leads and occasional fiddle.
Lindsay Buckingham can be found on the Fleetwood Mac pageJeff Buckley has his own pageTim BuckleyGreetings from L.A.(1972)After writing a review for Kate Bush's The Sensual World yesterday, I came to the conclusion that the ratings on this page are far too high for my opinions to be taken seriously. I therefore set out to find an album that allowed me to demonstrate that I am prepared to dispense ratings lower than three and a half stars. It is also much more fun to attack an album than to praise it. Shining out like a malignant ulcer among The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Syd Barrett, The Band, and even his son Jeff's Grace, was Tim Buckley's Greetings from L.A.. My first impression from Greetings from L.A. was to recoil from the amount of libido bravado that Buckley exudes. While this fortunately allowed him to conceive Jeff Buckley, it has little else to recommend it. While I'm not in favour of any form of blatant sexuality in music, Buckley's alpha-male desires are distilled repugnance; the first two lines of the album state "I went down to the meat rack tavern, and found myself a big ol' healthy girl." Even if I wasn't instantly turned off by the lyrics, I would fail to appreciate Greetings from L.A. regardless. The only memorable song is 'Get On Top' (its subject matter is exactly as its title implies), with a fabulous groove, but it is interminably long like everything else on the disc. The only redeeming features of the Greetings from L.A. are Buckley's impressive vocals and a nice gospel style from his backing group. However, icing a mouldy cake is a pointless exercise.
Buffalo SpringfieldRetrospective(1969)According to legend Stephen Stills chased down the black hearse driven by Canadians Neil Young and Bruce Palmer, forming the basis for 60s folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield. While Buffalo Springfield lasted less than two years and three albums and only enjoyed one hit single (Stills' 'For What It's Worth', aka "Stop, hey, what's that sound?", which has been retrospectively adopted as a counter-cultural anthem by TV documentarians and feel-good movie makers), if nothing else they are notable as a training ground. Neil Young went on to a long and varied solo career, Stills formed Crosby, Stills and Nash while third singer-guitarist Richie Furay formed country-rock group Poco. So while Buffalo Springfield were a seminal group in their own right, Retrospective is doubly interesting as a fascinating insight into the development of Young and Stills. Young's restless creativity kicks in right from day one of the Springfield; he's already self-mythologising in 'Broken Arrow' while his six songs on Retrospective presage the amount of musical ground he would cover in his solo career. Young was less than confident about his vocal abilities so Furay takes on the lead vocals on the charming 'Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing'. On the other hand, Stills' material on Retrospective has a degree of charm, but it hardly points the way to his early CSN peaks like 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' and 'Carry On'; 'Go and Say Goodbye' sounds like apt material for a uncool folk outfit like The Seekers or The Kingston Trio. The time in between the demise of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash was well spent in day long jamming sessions with Jimi Hendrix. While Stills arguably turned out as a superior guitarist to the more heralded Young, his skills haven't come to fruition here. Young's guitar lines in 'For What It's Worth' are minimalistic perfection; the solo he produces in the fadeout is modest but it fits the song perfectly. Along with 'For What It's Worth', Young's epics are the most noteworthy pieces on Retrospective; the multi-part 'Broken Arrow' wears its obvious Sgt. Peppers influences on its sleeve, while 'Expecting to Fly' is a beautiful string laden ballad. Stills' 'Rock and Roll Woman', supposedly about Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick, combines David Crosby and Stills voices on record for the first time with excellent results. Furay's sole contribution 'Kind Woman' is nice, but irreconcilable with his current position as a prominent pastor. Elsewhere, some of the material is a little bland and glossed over ('On The Way Home', 'Sit Down, I Think I Love You') but it hardly detracts from the collection. While it may be more sensible to buy Buffalo Springfield's individual albums, Retrospective is an excellent budget priced selection of a slightly overlooked sixties group.
Kate Bush has her own pageBuzzcocksSingles Going Steady(2001 edition)It's difficult to find a compilation that has a better critical reputation than the Buzzcocks' Singles Going Steady. There are mixed opinions about the quality of the Buzzcock's studio albums, but it is virtually unanimous that the collection of singles and b-sides that was originally assembled for their 1979 US tour is one of the most important albums to come out of the punk movement. I have the remastered edition, which bookends the material from the group's 1980 singles. Although the Buzzcock's playing is aggressive and energetic, placing them solidly within the English punk spectrum, their songs also have a poppy sheen and romantic themes that feel like throwbacks to the sixties. However, the Buzzcocks' romantic themes are far from nauseating; surely no rock star has been jilted as constantly as Pete Shelley, as the irony laced 'Everybody's Happy Nowadays' and 'Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)?' demonstrate. The Buzzcocks created a wonderful mixture of punk aggression, catchy melodies and appealingly underdog lyrics, and injected it into a fantastic series of singles. It's hard to tell whether any of the individual songs are classic, as they all pass by in a whirl, but as a body of work Singles Going Steady is highly impressive. The most controversial songs are arguably the most memorable; the hilarious 'Orgasm Addict' is actually surprisingly moralistic, but 'Oh Shit!' is possibly the definitive song for the curse. The catchy b-side 'Why Can't I Touch It?' rides an infectious groove, the only song on the compilation that noticeably extends past the three minute barrier. The Buzzcocks' 1980 singles aren't quite of the same calibre as their earlier work; they retain the energy, but are hampered by overproduction (surprisingly, Martin Hannett is one of the offenders). It's difficult, however, to penalise Singles Going Steady when the 1980 material is listed as bonus tracks, while 'Are Everything' and the synth-laced 'Running Free' are appealing regardless. In any case, it's difficult to view Singles Going Steady as anything other than a virtually indispensable blast of pure musical adrenaline.
The ByrdsYounger Than Yesterday(1967)One of the worst songs of all time is David Crosby's 'Mind Gardens', featuring theatrically pretentious lyrics (including a line from Hamlet) delivered pompously over a droning backdrop. As if once wasn't enough, the good folk at Columbia have generously included an alternate version of 'Mind Gardens' among the bonus tracks. The alternative version is an improvement on the original, but only serves to drag Younger Than Yesterday down even further. Otherwise Younger Than Yesterday is amazingly accomplished and polished for the ten days it apparently took to record. The trumpet laden 'So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star' is a classic single while 'My Back Pages' is another Dylan cover to rate with 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. Chris Hillman contributes some great basslines ('Renaissance Fair') as well as his first four songs for the group, of which the psychadelic 'Thoughts and Words' is the standout. Apart from 'Mind Gardens', Crosby is in sparkling form; contributing the gentle 'Everybody's Been Burned' and the burbling 'Renaissance Fair'. McGuinn contributes 'C.T.A.-102', which isn't a great song but is enhanced with its budget alien effects. The remastered version also contains some important bonus tracks; Crosby's 'Lady Friend' and 'It Happens Each Day' are better than most of the material that made the album, while the organ laden alternate version of 'My Back Pages' is also a keeper. Although 'Mind Gardens' is among the most jarring songs in recorded history, Younger Than Yesterday is almost strong enough to escape unscathed.
The Notorious Byrd Brothers(1968)I'd like to dedicate my rewrite of this review to TJ, who wrote in complaining that I underrated The Notorious Byrd Brothers (along with a handful of other albums) prompting me to reconsider that I love this album a little more than my previous rating suggested. There were lots of musical developments occurring in rock music in the late sixties, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers impressively manages to compile many of them onto one record. Pyschedelia and the emergence of the drug culture, the development of new recording technology and synthesisers, the re-emergence of more traditional country music; they're all stirred into a surprisingly palatable mix, topped off with The Byrds' reliably lovely vocal harmonies and tasteful instrumental performances. The gentle collision of these disparate elements gives The Notorious Byrd Brothers a pleasant and distinctive texture, while the subject matter of the songs is also often straight from the sixties. Vietnam ('Draft Morning'), hippie culture ('Tribal Gathering', 'Change is Now', 'Natural Harmony') and drugs ('Artificial Energy') are all referenced, although often Hillman and McGuinn's perspectives are markedly conservative. It's not surprising that there was conflict with Crosby, who was fired for general deviance midway through recording after tension over his celebration of group sex 'Triad'. 'Triad' is included as a bonus track here, and it's one of the strongest pieces on the album musically, even though it's thoroughly repulsive as Crosby drools over the prospect of two long-haired girls asking him "what can we do now that we both love you?". Two of the strongest songs on the album come from the pen of Carole King, while Hillman continues his solid writing with 'Natural Harmony' and 'Old John Robertson'. The songs all capture specific atmospheres wonderfully; the only real failure is the ambitious closer 'Space Odyssey'. My only complaint about The Notorious Byrd Brothers is that some of the songwriting is mediocre; the album sounds great because of the wonderful production and performances rather than the material. The 1997 reissue appends an amazingly fun studio fight between Clarke, Crosby and McGuinn that's almost worth the price of admission alone.
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Written 2001-2007, Graham Fyfe
