Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Easy Pieces

 

"Easy Pieces" was the second album released by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. I bought the LP after the release of the first two singles from the album, both of which were top 20 successes, having liked both them, and the first album.

Despite some negative critical reviews I thought "Easy Pieces" was slightly better than "Rattlesnakes" as whilst it didn't quite hit the heights of such songs as "Patience" and "Forest Fire" at the time I thought the overall consistency of the songs was better higher, with no obvious duff songs. There is the expected abundance of clever lyrics.

The up-tempo "Rich" starts side one featuring horns and brass, and some dominant drumming which sets the tone for much of the album, and there are typically insighful lyrics such as "Even Jesus has a price, with credit card donations" 

"Why I Love Country Music" has a slightly slowly pace but has another great melody and lines such as "so we drink Spanish wine, and she plays country records until the morning".

"Pretty Gone" is slower but has a georgeous melody "She is under your thumb, oh you little man, and you don't know what you want til she is gone, gone, gone"

"Grace" is a fairly unsubstantial song but has quite a nice harmonious middle eight. If you like Lloyd Cole you'll love it but it might pass you by otherwise.

Personally, I find "Cut Me Down" to be the best song on the album. A slow pace with a nice bass, keyboards and strings in the background, building up to the chorus.

Side Two opens with the two first singles, both of which were major hits. "Brand New Friend" has  memorable organ lines, quivering vocals and gospel style backing vocals amongst a mid-tempo song. "Jane was in her turtleneck, I was so much happier then"

"Lost Weekend" is a more frantic, roller coaster of a song describing some time spent in Amsterdam. "I was an a king bee with a head full of attitude"

The standard falls slightly with "James" which despite some decent drumming and keyboards is quite a dull track that goes on far too long.

"Minor Character" has a breezy tune but is quite bland compared to the other tracks on the album. "St Christopher Sunday, otherwise uneventful" might describe the song !

The final song "Perfect Blue" has harmonica and twangy acoustic guitars and one of the best choruses on the LP

Side 1
1. Rich
2. Why I Love Country Music
3. Pretty Gone
4. Grace
5. Cut Me Down

Side 2
1. Brand New Friend
2. Lost Weekend
3. James
4. Minor Character
5. Perfect Blue

Released 1985
UK Chart Position :5

Singles :

Brand New Friend ( No 19 1985 )
Lost Weekend ( No 17 1985 )
Cut Me Down ( No 38 1986 )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Rattlesnakes

 

 

 

I'm not exactly quite sure how I became aware of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions but I presume it was due to "Forest Fire" receiving a lot of airplay on the evening radio stations that I used to listen to when living in a bed-sit in West London in the mid 1980s. In any case, the sticker still on the LP shows I paid £5.69 for the privilige of owning their first album.

I remember really liking the album, with side two being played a lot more often than side one. I also liked the clever lyrics, and the clear intellectual writing behind the songs. That said, looking at the track listing, I can actually remember more of the songs on side one !

I had always assumed that Lloyd Cole was Scottish so it was a bit of a surprise to recently learn he was originally from Derbyshire, and was only part of the vibrant Scottish music scene at the time as he was studying at Glasgow University.............

The album opens with "Perfect Skin" which was the first single from the album, but to be honest I always thought the song to be a bit monotonous, and listening again today there is nothing to change my opinion on it. Similarly the low key "Speedboat" only comes alive the the joyous organ break/chorus after the dull, spoken style verses.

However, things improve significantly with the title track, with a brief acoustic guitar intro leading into strings and the name dropping of "She looks like Yves Marie Saint in On The Water Front" and "She reads Simone de Beauvoir and her American circumstance" in a truely memorable melody. "A girl needs gun these days on account of all the rattlesnakes".

"Down On Mission Street" is a slower number but again has a great chorus refrain. "Will you never be contented with your life, will you always be the one who won't think twice".

The side ends with "Forest Fire", the second single from the album and another very slow song with a great toe-tapping beat and a tremendous vocal. There is also a great guitar solo to complete a fabulous trio of songs to end the side.

I had completely forgotten how "Charlotte Street" sounded but remembered immediately when the song started, and it is one of the best songs on the album. "Here comes my train.....".

"2CV" is another slow song with plucked acoustic guitar to the fore, and with another heart felt vocal but the tempo increases with the lively "Four Flights Up" where "we're living four flights up but I swear right now it feels underground".......

"Patience" is my favourite song on "Rattlesnakes" with the "da da da da da da" backing vocals  and more great lyrics. "I get pressures of life through lack of patience", "patience is a girl that I hate to love the way I do, but I do". "She took her bags but left all her clothes".

The final song on the album is considered to be a bit of a cult classic but I've always been a little underwhelmed by "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken". There is nothing wrong with it, but I've never felt it to be worthy of all of the critical acclaim, especially when there are at least half a dozen better songs on the album. However, the acoustic guitar playing is quite nice.

That said, "Rattlesnakes" remains a really good album and continues to be well worth a listen to.

Side 1
1. Perfect Skin
2. Speadboat
3. Rattlesnakes
4. Down On Mission Street
5. Forest Fire

Side 2
1. Charlotte Street
2. 2cv
3. Four Flights Up
4. Patience
5. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken ?

Released 1984
UK Chart Position : 13

Singles :

Perfect Skin ( No 26 - 1984 )

Forest Fire ( No 41 - 1984 )

Rattlesnakes ( No 65 - 1984 )

 

 

 

The Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll

 

The Cocteau Twins first came to my attention after a flat-mate had a copy of the "Pearly Dewdrops Drops" single, which I quite liked. I probably purchased Blue Bell Knoll after reading a favourable review in a Sunday newspaper, but was glad I did.

The Cocteau Twins were ( and still are ) unlike anything else in my record collection, with an atmospheric, dream-like sound, with jangly guitars, delicate organ and a soaring voice. It was once described as the music you would hear when you entered heaven. Indeed the term "Dream Pop" was coined to describe the music of The Cocteau Twins and their ilk. 

Famously, the words to the songs, if they are indeed words, are indistinguishable and are often just sounds. This doesn't help remembering the names of the tracks, especially when many of them are jibberish, "Ella Megablast Burls Forever" anyone ?

My memory of the album was that Side 1 was excellent but after "Cico Buff" Side 2 was nothing special. It was probably no coincidence that the three songs I clearly remember are the ones with the most ordinary titles, namely "Blue Bell Knoll", "Carolyn's Fingers and "Cico Buff, and I couldn't remember how any of the others sounded. After all, Cocteau Twins song rarely have sing-along words in a catchy chorus !

The title track "Blue Bell Knoll" opens the LP and begins with a harpsichord, leads into a soaring vocal and ends with Cure style guitar. It's a dramatic piece although the Hee-Hee-Hee pretend laughter is slightly annoying.

"Athol-Brose" has a plodding beat and a slow rising vocal. It is nice but unremarkable but is followed by my favourite track on the album. "Carolyn's Fingers" starts with crisp, individual plucked guitar notes, and the song shows the full range of Liz Frazier's voice, spiralling to the high notes then descending to lower notes for the chorus. The multi-layered vocals are beautiful and guitar leading to the crescendo is brilliant. It's the outstanding track on the album, and was a minor hit in the US.

The tempo drops for "For Phoebe Still A Baby", which is a slow and dreamy lullaby. The chiming guitars and a prominent bass add to the beauty of the song.

 "The Itchy Glowbo Blow" has a much more darker sound, more in line with some of their earlier releases. The guitar break until the fade out is perhaps the highlight.

Side 2 begins with "Cico Buff", which was used in a shampoo advert in the 1990s. There is a slow piano and a heavenly vocal. It is joyous and melancholic at the same time, and it's probably a love song, but without knowing the words you never can tell ! The rising guitar leading to the vocal crescendo before sweeping back down to a lower range is just wonderful. The song is far too short and it could go one forever.

Suckling The Mender" drifts slowly but has quite a catchy chorus and the instrumental play-out is nice whilst "Spooning Good Singing Gum" also has a slow, dreamy vocal over the guitar.

The intro to "A Kissed Out Red Floatboat" is a jerky, squeaky synthesizer blending into guitars and then another angelic vocal

The closer "Ella Megablast Burls Forever" is another ethereal piece of music and has a gorgoeus melody. I was surprised I couldn't remember it !

It was a joy to listen to Blue Bell Knoll again and several of the songs sounded much better than I remembered, especially those on side 2 ! It is hard to believe this is over 30 years old and it doesn't sound dated at all.

 

Side 1
1. Blue Bell Knoll
2. Athol-Brose
3. Carolyn's Fingers
4. For Phoebe Still A Baby
5. The Itchy Glowbo Blow

Side 2
1. Cico Buff
2. Suckling The Mender
3. Spooning Good Singing Gum
4. A Kissed Out Red Floatboat
5. Ella Megablast Burls Forever

Released 1988
UK Chart Position : 15

Singles :

Carolyn's Fingers ( 1988, -  )