Tom Robinson Band - TRB2

 

TRB2 was the highly anticipated follow-up to the outstanding debut album "Power In The Darkness" and was released just 10 months later. However, drummer Dolphin Taylor and keyboard player Mark Ambler had left the band shortly before the recording sessions began and the band split four months after its release.

I don't remember when I purchased the album, but the sticker on the cover shows I paid £1.99 in W.H Smith for my copy, suggesting the store was having a fire sale to get rid of excess stock. I was disappointed with the record and after the first few plays, only played two or three songs from the album.

American singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren was a surprising choice as producer and smoothed out a lot of TRB's rawness. Apart from the death of Liddell Towers whilst in Police custody, which is the subject of "Blue Murder", it sounded like Tom had mostly run out of things to campaign against. The sharp, witty lyrics, slogans and fiery protest anthems were mostly absent without leave, although "Blue Murder" and "Law And Order" were honourable exceptions.

Looking at the track listing before playing again, I could only recognise three of the songs, whereas I could remember every single song on "Power In The Darkness".

The album begins with "All Right All Night" which bounces along, but with a lame vocal low down in the mix you can't really tell what Tom is singing about. There is a half decent chorus but overall its underwhelming. There is a Rock' N  Roll organ solo, which is just about the only time the guitar can be heard.

"Why Should I Mind" is a very bland song but with more Rock N' Roll organ playing

 "Black Angel" has a Chas N' Dave style piano and girly gospel backing vocals but is forgettable, although things improve a little with "Let My People Be" which features swirling organ, a decent chorus and a guitar solo !

 "Blue Murder" closes side one and one of the highlights of TRB2. A slow protest song about police brutality, a death in the cells and the subsequent silence at the inquiry, it has a shouty singalong chorus and a tender guitar solo. "Well they kicked him far and they kicked him wide, he was kicked outdoors, he was kicked inside. Kicked in the front and the back and the side, it really was a hell of a fight. Said he screamed blue murder in the cell that night, but he must have been wrong 'cause they all deny it. Gateshead station - police and quiet. Liddley-die...".

"Bully For You" co-written with Peter Gabriel, opens side two and has a decent guitar riff. Unfortunately the vocal is awful and chorus is virtually unlistenable. It was an odd choice for the first single from the album, and unsurprisingly it failed to chart. The "We don't need any aggravation " singing at the end allegedly inspired the "We don't need no education" line from Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall".

"Crossing The Road" has some jazz funk piano and could be a Chas N' Dave song.

"Sorry Mr Harris" sung in posh, authoritarian voice is about an imaginary interrogation by the Army but is lightweight.. "You know I think it might be wiser if you told us, then you have my word of honour, you can go. I don't mean to twist your arm, we don't mean you any harm. but it's really quite important that we know"

"Law And Order" is sung by pianist Ian Parker in a heavy Scottish accent. With just the piano and voice, it is very much an outlier on the album and is in the best music hall tradition. It has the wittiest lyrics on TRB2. "My mommy held Tupperware parties, had acne when I was a boy. I headed out west, expanded my chest. Now they treat me like the real McCoy" and "But I know Uncle Sam would never settle for less.
Now the town's so damn clean, there ain't nobody left".

"Days Of Rage" is a lively number and one of the better tunes. The organ solo reminded me of Brinsley Schwarz. "Now I'm coming out in the open, I ain't about to step on the rail. Footsteps follow on the tube train. But God help the man on my tail"

"Hold Out" is a slow piano ballad with more gospel backing vocals and a rare guitar solo. It made be think of Carole King. "The kiss on your lips tastes of wormwood, so swing low, Iscariot, my friend. I'm promising you. I'm gonna see it right through. I'm gonna hold out to the bitterest end. Hold out... hold out".

 Power In The Darkness was dominated by Danny Kustow's searing guitar, which is mostly absent on TRB2. As a result, this album sounded more Pub Rock rather than punk and TRB had almost become a Chas N' Dave tribute act rather than successors to The Jam or Sex Pistols. 

The other problem with TRB2 is the quality of the songs, only "Hold Out" and "Blue Monday" are good enough to potentially be on "Power In The Darkness". 

Overall, TRB2 remains a disappointment.  

Track Listing :

Side One :

1. All Right All Night
2. Why Should I Mind
3. Black Angel
4. Let My People Be
5. Blue Murder

Side Two :

1. Bully For You
2. Crossing Over The Road
3. Sorry Mr Harris
4. Law And Order
5. Days of Rage
6. Hold Out

Released 1979
UK Chart Position : 18

Singles :

Bully For You ( - 1979 )
All Right All Night ( - 1979 )

 

Tom Robinson Band - Power In The Darkness

 

Even before signing with a record label, the Tom Robinson Band was receiving plenty of favourable reviews in the music press and building a reputation for campaigning for gay rights, anti-racism, civil liberties and other good causes. They were viewed as very much being part of the punk/new wave scene.

Their label, EMI, decided that the band's first single should perhaps be the most inoffensive song in their set, and "2-4-6-8 Motorway" stormed up the UK charts to reach number 5, helped no doubt by my purchase ! Ostensibly about a long distance all night truck driver, it is still rated as one of the best driving songs every recorded. 

The B-side was a cover of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released", with some lyrics altered and a completely new verse.

EMI were bolder with the follow-up, the Rising Free EP, which contained 4 songs including the anthem "(Sing If You're ) Glad To Gay". The BBC refused to play this song, instead playing one of the other songs, "Don't Take No For An Answer", although Capital Radio had no such qualms. "Glad To Be Gay" was an infuriatingly catchy singalong song, and a friend at school once admitted he was humming the tune on the bus, realised what he was doing and anxiously looked around to see if anyone had noticed ! Capital Radio also frequently played the song "Martin", a witty and charming Ian Drury/Music Hall style song about an elder brother and the scrapes they got into. I thought it was a tremendous song.

The EP reached number 18 in the charts and shortly after, the first album was released. Strangely, neither "2-4-6-8 Motorway" of "Glad To Be Gay" were included, and instead it contained 10 new songs. 

After hearing some of the songs on the radio I went out and bought the album, which I like immensely, especially the rousing protest anthems "Up Against The Wall", "The Winter of '79" and "Ain't Gonna Take It". I didn't think there was a bad song on the album, and with its sharp and witty lyrics, energetic rock and catchy hooks, I thought it was one of the albums of the year, reflecting the social anger of the times with accessible music.

One frequent misnomer though is that the causes TRB were fighting against were a result of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government, but in reality Maggie was only elected in 1979, and this album was recorded in 1978. It was actually Jim Callaghan's out of touch Labour Government running the country at the time, and the Winter of Discontent was just around the corner. 

Another misnomer was that all the band members were gay, whereas it was just singer/songwriter/bass player Tom Robinson. Guitarist Danny Kustow, keyboard player Mark Ambler and drummer Dolphin Taylor were all straight. 

"Up Against The Wall" is considered to be a punk classic and its intro was described by one scribe in the Music Press as "Keef" chords ie something you would expect Keith Richards to play ! A protest song against urban decay and social disorder, with the solution being to line politicians, local councillors and civil servants up against the wall and shoot them. Its a fast paced song with a great guitar solo and fantastic drumming, although the tempo slows for third verse before speeding back up for a return of the chorus. It is chock-a-block with great lyrics, "High wire fencing on the playground, high rise housing all around. High rise prices on the high street, high time to pull it all down !" & "Consternation in Brixton. rioting in Notting Hill Gate. Fascists marching on the high street, carving up the welfare state".

The politics take a back seat with "Grey Cortina", another TRB motoring song that name checks Bruce Springsteen, blazing on an eight track machine. It has a jazzy piano intro but is essentially a routine punk thrash. "Wish I had a grey Cortina, whiplash aerial, racing trim. Cortina owner - no one meaner, wish that I could be like him".

The mood mellows a little with the blues/funk "Too Good To Be True", dominated by Steely Dan style keyboards and the notable absence of any electric guitar until a tasteful solo in middle break. "I've given up reading the papers, I've given up watching TV. Hope in hell I'm able to tell, whatever's happened to me"

It's back to frantic punk for "Ain't Gonna Take It", another protest song with a rousing chorus. The middle section sounds similar to The Ruts "Babylon's Burning". "But we ain't gonna take it ( Ain't gonna take it ). They're keeping us under but we ain't gonna take it no more"

Side one closes with "Long Hot Summer" with the keyboards again to the fore over a driving beat. There is a manic guitar solo for the outro, followed by Emerson Lake and Palmer style keyboards. 

The side two opener "The Winter of '79" is actually a forward looking prediction of the future decay of UK society and is not be confused with the Springsteen-esque "Spirit of '76"  by The Alarm which also had a powerful mix of frustration, bitterness, sadness and determination.This song has a great guitar riff and a nice keyboard line, and there is a sad, melancholic guitar solo. There are so many good lyrics.  "All you kids who just sit and whine, you should have been there in 1979", "Spurs beat Arsenal, what a game. The blood was running in the drains", "It was us poor bastards took the chop, when the tubes gone up and the buses stopped. The top folks still come out on top. The government never resigned", and "When all the gay geezers were put inside, and coloured kids were getting crucified. A few fought back and a few folks died, in the winter of '79".

"Man You Never Saw" is another frantic punk song with a manic guitar solo. "Don't repeat this conversation, don't let on we've met before. Try and make like I'm a stranger, I'm a man you never saw"

"Better Decided Which Side You're On" is a return to blues/funk but with faster beat that Too Good To Be True", and then accelerates into a toe-tapping chorus. Against there are plenty of clever lyrics "If left is right then right is wrong", "pretty soon there'll be no room for sitting on the fence" & "Too bad for the gay revolution, this is as far as you get. And if you think you're free, well listen to me, you ain't seen nothing yet. We're all gonna feel the backlash, of puritanical power, and kicking us down while we're on the ground, gonna be their finest hour".

"You Gotta Decide" is another funky song with a tasteful guitar lick. "Every single house has been looted, every single city's been burned. Every can of food has been opened, every single stone has been turned".

"Power In The Darkness" has a percussion intro, before the organ and then the bass come in with a funky beat. The middle section has a spoof BBC News Radio reading during an organ solo, then spoken words by Tom giving a supposed right-wing rant reminiscent to Pink Floyd's " In The Flesh" on "The Wall". "Freedom from the reds and the blacks and the criminals, prostitutes, pansies and punks. Football hooligans, juvenile delinquents, lesbians and left wing scum. Freedom from the niggers and the Pakis and the unions, Freedom from the Gipsies and the Jews. Freedom from long-haired layabouts and students. Freedom from the likes of you !" It wouldn't be allowed today !!

"Power In The Darkness" remains a great listen whilst being a powerful commentary on the times in which it was written. Whilst some of the themes are a little dated now, many of them are still relevant today.

Track Listing :

Side One :

1. Up Against The Wall
2. Grey Cortina
3. Too Good To Be True
4. Ain't Gonna Take It
5. Long Hot Summer

Side Two :

1. The Winter of '79
2. Man You Never Saw
3. Better Decide Which Side You're On
4. You Gotta Survive
5. Power In The Darkness

Released 1978
UK Chart Position : 4

Singles :

Up Against The Wall ( No 33 - 1978 )
Too Good To Be True ( - 1978 )

 

 

R.E.M - Out Of Time

 

"Out of Time", the 7th album by R.E.M, was released over two years after their global breakthrough "Green". Four singles were released in the UK, all of which were Top 30 successful, and the album was their first to reach number 1, all of which helped to cement their position of one of the biggest bands on the planet at the time. 

In many ways "Out Of Time" followed the "Green" blueprint, whilst making improvements. For "World Leader Pretend" see "Losing My Religion", for "Stand" read "Shiny Happy People" and more bubblegum pop, for "Pop Song 89" read "Radio Song", and three were slow songs.

The B-52's Kate Pierson, also from Athens, Georgia, was in roped to add vocals to four tracks, which can never be a bad thing, and it sounded like R.E.M had been listening to The Beach Boys and INXS.

Being released in 1991, this might be the last vinyl LP I purchased. I liked the album when it was released but over time thought there were two great songs, three very good ones, but like "Green" looking at the track list now there were six songs I couldn't remember. I was surprised that "Losing My Religion" only reached number 19 in the UK, whereas I thought it was a monster hit. Even Mrs Fatbear knows it !

"Radio Song" opens the album, with spoken words and a jangly guitar intro but then moves on to a heavy beat before bursting into a nice chorus. There is a lot going on here, with strings, a "Hey, Hey, Hey" chant, and a rap outro by KRS-One. It made me think of INXS, and also "Turn You Inside Out" from "Green". Ironically, the song is unlikely to be played much on the radio !

"Losing My Religion" is the only mandolin dominated song on the album and became very popular despite Michael Stipe's unco style dancing in the accompanying video. It is apparently not a song about religion, but rather the phrase means I've lost my patience or composure. "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight, losing my religion"..."Oh no I've said too much, I haven't said enough"

"Low" is the first slow song, with a bass intro, a sombre organ with the vocal, then strings. The tempo increases with the strummed guitars for chorus. "I skipped the part about love, it seemed so silly and low. Low, low, low"

The mood dramatically changes with"Near Wild Heaven", light and summery with a gorgeous melody. It is sung by bassist Mike Mills, with Stipe on the "ba ba ba ba" backing vocals and Beach Boys style harmonies on the final chorus. I saw the song described somewhere as ear candy, which I thought was an apt description.

Side one closes with the wordless "Endgame" which has a "Stairway To Heaven" type acoustic guitar intro, "da da da" vocals, and strings then a mellotron repeats the melody. Again there were Beach Boys harmonies towards the end, and the track might be described as lullaby music.

Slow strings start the side two opener "Shiny Happy People" until it bursts into the main melody. There is a nice gimmick with Mike Mills, Kate Pierson then Michael Stipe taking it in turns to sing the chorus refrain, and the video has a cheesy dance routine for the outro similar to the one in the video for Stand. The song also has a short waltz like string interlude in the middle break with an unexpected change in time signature, before a "here we go" return to the main structure. 

"Belong" has a bass intro, then a slow, spoken vocal over a picked electric guitar. The harmonies and piano in the wordless chorus feel quite spiritual.

"Half A World Away" is another highlight of the album, with its spiralling organ and strings, and the mandolin and harpsichord are also in the mix. It is a beautiful, but sad song. "This could be the saddest dusk I've ever seen"

"Texarkana" has a toe-tapping beat with pedal steel guitar to the fore, a growling bass line, and is the second song where Mills sings the lead vocal. It reminded me of the bridge section of "World Leader Pretend".

"Country Feedback" is another slow number and again features the pedal steel guitar. Part of it reminded me of Chicken Shack's "I'd Rather Go Blind". "I was central, I had control, I lost my head. I need this, I need this"

"Me In Honey" is the closing track with mid-tempo guitar riff and drums. Kate Pierson sings some backing vocals until Stipe's main vocal comes in. Essentially it is a filler and the weakest track on the album.

Listening again now, "Out Of Time" is a far better album than I remembered ! 

Track Listing :

Side One :

1. Radio Song
2. Losing My Religion
3. Low
4. Near Wild Heaven
5. Endgame

Side Two :

1. Shiny Happy People
2. Belong
3. Half A World Away
4. Texarkana
5. Country Feedback
6. Me In Honey

Released 1991
UK Chart Position : 1

Singles :

Losing My Religion ( No 19 - 1991 )
Shiny Happy People ( No 6 - 1991 )
Near Wild Heaven ( No 27 - 1991 )
Radio Song ( No 28 - 1991 )

R.E.M - Green

 

R.E.M's sixth album Green" marked a move away from jangle pop/college rock towards the mainstream and "Orange Crush" became their first single to break the UK Top 30. Despite a delightfully cheesy dance routine in its video, "Stand" only reached number 48.

My clear favourite track was "World Leader Pretend", which I would play over and over, and in addition to the two singles, I liked "Pop Song 89" and "Get Up".

However, I had no recollection of the other 6 tracks, so re-playing "Green" now would almost be like playing the album for the first time.

There are a couple of oddities on the album sleeve, track 4 appears as R Stand rather than 4. Stand, and Untitled, track 5 on side 2, is not listed on either the cover nor on the disc. For an album titled "Green", the cover was orange !

The album begins with "Pop Song 89", a pop song about a pop song, in a similar vein to Wreckless Eric's "Pop Song", and I like the backward guitar riff.  The lyrics of the verses give a nod to The Doors "Hello, I Love You" but instead with "Hello, I saw you, I know you, I knew you. I think I can remember your name" whilst the chorus of "should we talk about the weather ? should we talk about the government ?" pokes fun at much of the lyrical themes in R.E.M's earlier songs. 

"Get Up" is jovial and has a staccato guitar riff. "Dreams they complicate my life"

"You Are The Everything" is the first of three songs featuring a mandolin, and this track also includes an accordion. The melody is beautiful in parts

"Stand" has a brief organ intro before the fun, bouncy beat, and it has a psychedelic guitar solo in the middle. "Stand in the place where you live, now then face north"

"World Leader Pretend" is an archetypal R.E.M tune and in some ways a precursor to "Losing My Religion". A steel guitar figures prominently in the bridge section, and a piano is played during the final verse and ending. There are even some castanets in the background. It remains my favourite song on the album. "This is my mistake, let me make it good. I raised the wall, and I will be the one to knock it down".

"The Wrong Child" has no intro and goes straight into the vocal and mandolin. Its gentle and melancholic. "I'm not supposed to be like this, but it's OK"

The power pop "Orange Crush" opens side two and is not a song about a fruit drink.but rather the toxic herbicide Agent Orange used during the Vietnam war, as referenced by sounds of army marching chants and a helicopter in the middle break. "Follow me, no follow me, I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush".

"Turn You Inside Out" is a mid-pace stomp with heavy drums but is a bit of a dirge. In parts it reminded me a little of INXS.

"Hairshirt" is another slow song and the third with the mandolin but the vocal is a bit annoying, and the tune is not memorable.

"I Remember California" has a slightly menacing guitar and bass, and a gloomy critique of The Golden State. "I remember traffic jams, motor boys and girls with tans. Nearly was and also rans. I remember this".

"Untitled" is a a fairly pretty but insubstantial pop song "I made a list, of things to say. But all I want to say. All I really want to say is"

"Green" is an eceletic album, containing two great political songs ( World Leader Pretend and Orange Crush ), some dumb, almost bubblegum songs ( Stand, Pop Song 89, & Get Up ), three pastoral folk songs ( You Are The Everything, The Wrong Child and Hairshirt ) and the rest being outliers.

Side One works much better, containing all the stronger material except for "Orange Crush", after which the album tails off. 

Track Listing :

Side One :

1. Pop Song 89
2. Get Up
3. You Are The Everything
4. Stand
5. World Leader Pretend
6. The Wrong Child

Side Two :

1. Orange Crush
2. Turn You Inside Out
3. Hairshirt
4. I Remember California
5. Untitled

Released 1988
UK Chart Position : 27

Singles :

Orange Crush ( No 28 - 1988 )
Stand ( No 48 - 1989 )

R.E.M - Eponymous

 

Early in their career R.E.M received a lot of favourable comments from the UK music press for their jangle-pop alternative rock but were steadfastly ignored by the radio stations, at least by the one's I listened too. This started to change with "The One I Love" and "Finest Worksong" getting airplay in the evenings as I drove home from work but didn't get a wider exposure so both failed to chart.

A short while later I heard an interview with the band on a late night radio station, which also played "Fall On Me" and "The End Of The World As We Know It" and I liked both of them as well. Browsing in a local record store I came across the "Eponymous" album, which contained all the R.E.M songs I knew so I bought it. The sticker shows I paid £7.49 in Our Price Records for it.

It was only later I realised it was a compilation of material from their early years, with three of the songs having different arrangements, but it served as a good introduction to R.E.M's back catalogue.

At the time I didn't think there was a bad track on "Eponymous" but as the songs were in chronological order the band's development was obvious here. Although side one was good, side two was outstanding. The first two tracks made R.E.M sound like a garage band, but the production values were increasingly more sophisticated as the years went by.

Looking at the track listing now I surprised that there were two songs I couldn't remember, "Cant Get There From Here" and "Romance".

The album starts with "Radio Free Europe" which has a tinny guitar sound, a driving bass and toe tapping beat. It sounds like a garage band demo and might also be considered to be punkish.

I like the guitar intro to "Gardening At Night" which has a nice beat and is one of my favourite tracks on "Eponymous".

"Talk About The Passion" starts with just the guitar riff for the intro and has a cello playing towards the end.

"So Central Rain" is a ballad with a cool vibe and nice bass lines.  "Did you never call ? I waited for your call. These rivers of suggestion are driving me away. The ocean sang, the conversation dimmed. Go build yourself another home, the choice isn't mine. I'm Sorry"

"(Don't Go Back To ) Rockville" is almost a country song with piano and singalong chorus "Don't go back to Rockville, and waste another year". The Scottish football fanzine The Absolute Game once did an article on Falkirk, with a sub-heading of Don't go back to Brockville, which was Falkirk's ground at the time !

"Cant Get There From Here" has funk rock rhythm and is my least favourite track. It's not saved by horns & sax towards the end, and the poor grammar by not having an apostrophe !

Country-rocker"Driver 8" opens side two with a great train guitar riff and there is some harmonica playing deep in the bridge section to give the impression of a train's whistle.

"Romance" has a jerky guitar riff but it wasn't surprising I had forgotten this one as it is the least memorable tune in this collection. "That's worth saving up for, put our heads down on the chest. Mustn't even race for rest. Easy come, easy go"

"Fall On Me" is probably my all-time favourite R.E.M song. It's gorgeous and simply perfect from the verse, pre-chorus, chorus and the middle bridge where bassist Mike Mills provides the vocal. Apparently, it also Micheal Stipe's favourite R.E.M song from the IRS label years. "Buy the sky and sell the sky, and bleed the sky and tell the sky. Don't fall on me".

"The One I Love" has a jangly guitar intro, one verse is sung almost identically three times,and a blistering guitar line after the "Fire !" chorus. It's almost new wave. 

"Finest Worksong" is slower than a usual R.E.M song, with heavy drums, the usual jangle guitar, and horns.

"The End Of The World As We Know It ( And I Feel Fine )" is well-known for its quick-fire delivery of the lyrics, almost a rant, in a blazing rock song. Apparently Micheal Stipe had a dream that he was at a party where everyone had the initials LB, hence Leonard Bernstein, Lenny Bruce Lester Bangs and Leonid Brezhnev. I love the "Time I had some time alone" counterpoint vocal in the closing choruses.

In summary, Eponymous remains a good introduction to R.E.M's early years and contains several outstanding songs. 

Track Listing :

Side One :

1. Radio Free Europe
2. Gardening At Night
3. Talk About The Passion
4. So Central Rain
5. ( Don't Go Back To ) Rockville
6. Cant Get There From Here

Side Two :

1. Driver 8
2. Romance
3. Fall on Me
4. The One I Love
5. Finest Worksong
6. It's The End Of The World As We Know It ( And I Feel Fine )

Released 1988
UK Chart Position : 69

Singles :

The One I Love ( No 16 - 1991 re-release )
It's The End Of The World As We Know It ( And I Feel Fine ) ( No 39 - 1991 re-release )

Rainbow - On Stage

  

A friend at school was into Deep Purple, and over time I borrowed all of the albums to listen to. I didn't like them much apart from the honourable exception of the live "Made In Japan" double album, and the title track on "Burn".

I was aware of guitar player Ritchie Blackmore but didn't pay too much notice when he split from Purple to form his own band.

Rainbow had made two studio albums before deciding to release a live double album. At this point I wouldn't have been able to name any Rainbow song, but "Kill The King" and "Man On The Silver Mountain" got some late night airplay on Capital Radio and I quite liked both songs.

Sometime later, despite not a big fan of "heavy" rock music I purchased the album and thought it to be pretty good, and I thought singer Ronnie James Dio had a great voice alongside Blackmore's masterful guitar playing.

The double album contains just 6 tracks, and was criticised in some quarters for its short run time despite the padding out of most songs.. Four of the songs were taken from the eponymous first album Rainbow, "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Catch The Rainbow", "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" and "Still I'm Sad". However, the versions here were all extended, usually twice the length, and the cover of The Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad" was an instrumental, but live included the lyrics.

The only song from "Rainbow Rising", the second album was a shortened version of "Starstruck", as part of the medley, whilst the studio version of "Kill The King" only subsequently appeared on their third album "Long Live Rock N' Roll". "Mistreated" was an extended version of the song on Deep Purple's "Burn" album. 

The album begins with a spoken intro of "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow" from the Wizard Of Oz song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", before the band play the opening chords of the song leading into pounding drums and organ to kick start the fast paced "Kill The King" . Despite all the mystical lyrics and violent imagery, it is apparently about a game of chess, well, queen and pawn do get a mention somewhere in there ! Ignoring the individual components of the medley, at 5.32 it is the shortest track on the album but has a mazy guitar solo.

Side One concludes with a medley of three pieces. "Man On The Silver Mountain" has a toe-tapping riff  and is my favourite song on the album. "Get down with fire, lift my spirit higher, someone screaming my name, come and make me holy again", 

The instrumental "Blues" has a slow, standard blues riff and starts with the guitar and organ and drums in the background before drifting off into what sounds like improved jam before the guitar and keyboards attempt to mimic each other, similar to the guitar and Ian Gillan's vocal from Deep Purple's "Child In Time" on the "Made In Japan" album.

"Starstuck" is a standard boogie until the annoying "you're the man" vocal solo in the middle, which leads into a reprise of "Man On The Silver Mountain".

Side Two consists of just "Catch The Rainbow", at 15 and a half minutes long, whereas the studio version is only 6.40. It has a gentle plucked guitar to begin with, then a tender vocal and a melodic chorus. The pace hots up around the 6 minute mark as Cozy Powell's heavy drums and a screeching guitar start but it all slows down after 8 minutes to just the gentle guitar. The drums come back around 10 minutes to restart the heavy riff. There's some shouty, but thankful brief, vocals near the end  before the gentle guitar drifts to the conclusion. I had forgotten how good this song was. "We believed, we'd catch the rainbow, ride the wind to the sun. Sail away on ships of wonder but life's not a wheel, with chains made of steel. So bless me, come the dawn".

There is also just one song on Side Three, the cover of Deep Purple's "Mistreated" at 13 minutes long, compared to 7.28 by Purple. Again the extended song commences with a soft guitar for a minute until some screeching guitar eventually leads into the main riff and a forceful vocal comes in a 2:13. The extended instrumentalisation starts around 4.30, being mostly just guitar and handclaps from the crowd. It was probably great if you were there, but it's all a bit tedious in the comfort of your living room. The main riff returns after around 9 minutes.

Side Four has two songs, beginning with "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves", which probably should have been titled "Twentieth Century Greensleeves" ! It begins with some of the notes from Henry VIII's composition but with some frilly jazz variations. The main riff comes in at 2:34 and the guitar solo in the middle is great. ! "Meet me when the sun is in the western skies. The fighting must begin before another someone dies. Crossbows in the firelight, Greensleeves waving, madmen raving, through the shattered night".

"Still I'm Sad" is fairly faithful cover, albeit must faster, for 3 minutes, before the instrumentalisation starts, with the keyboards reminiscent of the ELP's "Pictures At An Exhibition" era. The guitar riff and the verse come back at 5.52 and the Gregorian style chant from the original is introduced after 7 minutes. It ends with a foot stomping final two minutes.

In summary, it was nice to replay "On Stage" and most of it still sounds good, although I could have done with some editing of the over long extended instrumental sections. 

Track Listing :

Side One :

1. Kill The King
2. Man On The Silver Mountain/Blues/Starstruck Medley

Side Two :

1. Catch The Rainbow

Side Three :

1. Mistreated 

Side Four :

1. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
2. Still I'm Sad

 

Released 1977
UK Chart Position : 7

 

 

 

The Proclaimers - Sunshine On Leith

  

" Sunshine on Leith" was the second album from unfashionable Scottish twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid, who with their NHS glasses and dress sense made you feel comfortable with your choice of fashion.

I saw them play "I'm Gonna Be ( 500 miles )" on Pebble Mill At One when I should have been studying, and thought it was really good. I had previously only heard "Letter From America" but I had read somewhere that they had acquired a rockier edge, playing with a full band sound, adding guitar, drums and keyboards. 

I really didn't know what to expect when I purchased the album but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was excellent, with a mix of love, drinking and protest songs, in particular in favour of Scottish Independence. There were plenty of catchy, sing along song, a few tender ballads, and the lyrics mixed insight with humour. The brothers were capable of strong harmonies, as well as frequent counter-point vocals. 

Many people don't sing with an accent, but that is something the Proclaimers could never be accused off, being unmistakably Scottish. They were labelled by some as a Scottish Billy Bragg.

Five songs on this album were used in the Dexter Fletcher directed "Sunshine on Leith" film/musical, which I found pleasantly entertaining when I saw it on TV a few years ago as a late night Christmas offering, as long as you didn't apply too much critical thinking to the plot, especially near the end when hundreds of people in Edinburgh spontaneously break into a choreographed dance routine to I'm Gonna Be ( 500 miles ), as we all do !

I could remember all twelve songs on the album and whilst just about everyone knows "I'm Gonna Be ( 500 miles", "I'm On My Way", "Cap In Head", "It's Saturday Night" and "Sunshine On Leith" were also very strong songs. 

Side One begins with "I'm Gonna Be ( 500 Miles )", and I was surprised to learn it only got as high as number 11 in the UK charts. It introduced the Scots word "haver" to the wide public, which apparently means to talk foolishly or to babble. The electric guitar riff and drumming immediate catch the attention, as do the "Da-da da da (Da-da da da), Da-da da da (Da-da da da). Da-da dum diddy dum diddy dum diddy da da da" in the post chorus, in what underneath it all, is a song about undying love.

"Cap In Hand" is a jaunty protest song in which the singer explains many things they understand, like telling the difference between margarine and butter, can pronunce Saskatchewan without starting to stutter, and why Stranraer lie so lowly, they could save a lot of points by signing Hibs goalie, but can't understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand.

"Then I Met You" is a sweet story of how a couple met and how pointless the singer’s life was until that moment, whilst "My Old Friend The Blues" is a cover of a US Country singer Steve Earle song. It's slow and mostly just acoustic guitar.

"Sean" makes a reference to Elvis Presley, "I’d say the best one came from Tupelo, Mississippi" and has another recurring refrain of "Irish girls are pretty". There is also a soaring pre-chorus of "uh, hi-ya, hi-ya, hi-ya".

Side One closes with the piano ballad "Sunshine On Leith", a song about their home district in Edinburgh, but which apparently is now often played at funerals, probably due to the repetition of "my heart is broken". A violin is also prominent, in both the middle break and the final chorus and outro.

The joyous "Come On Nature" opens side two but with the Scottish accents sounds like "come on Nietzsche !"

"I'm On My Way" is a sing along toe-tapper with a jazzy piano. "I'm on my way from misery to happiness today. Ah-hah (Ah-hah), ah-hah (Ah-hah)" whilst the chorus goes "And now that I don't want for anything (Ooh), I'd have Al Jonson sing I'm sitting on top of the world".

"What Do You Do" is the second protest song and has a plucked acoustic guitar intro and features a whimsical country slide guitar. "What do you do when democracy fails you","Pat votes the Scots way just like her mother, but the South takes all, just liker her brother", & "what do you do when minority means you". 

"It's Saturday Night" is one of my favourite songs on the album, with a slow pace similar to "King Of The Road" but is a drinking song, "the drink that I had three hours ago, has been joined by 14 others in a steady flow". The middle break has a whistling solo.

"Teardrops" is just the two voices and an acoustic guitar. "Teardrops, they're running down your face"

The album closes with "Oh Jean", another love song. "I'd never been lucky with girls I confess, don't know who to blame for my lack of success. Cause even with ones up the back of a bus there was always the risk of a slap in the puss. But Jean, Oh Jean, You let me get lucky with you".

Track Listing :

Side One :

1. I'm Gonna Be ( 500 Miles )
2. Cap In Hand
3. Then I Met You
4. My Old Friend The Blues
5. Sean
6. Sunshine On Leith

Side Two :

1. Come On Nature
2. I'm On My Way
3. What Do You Do
4. It's Saturday Night
5. Teardrops
6. Oh Jean

Released 1988
UK Chart Position : 10

Singles :

I'm Gonna Be ( 500 Miles ) ( No 11 - 1988 )
Sunshine On Leith  ( No 11 - 1988 )
I'm On My Way ( No 43 - 1989 )

 

  

The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta

 

I'm not really sure why I bought this album. Whilst I like their debut album, I didn't buy the follow-up "Regatta De Blanc" until several years after this album, and I wasn't overly sold on the two singles from Zenyatta Mondatta. 

Unlike "Regatta", where Stewart Copeland received writing credit on six tracks, here it is just two, as Sting compositions dominate. 

Even as a teenager, I thought the lyrics for "Don't Stand So Close To Me" were a little bit too pervy, whilst "De Do Do Do, De Do Da Da" was at best pleasant nonsense. Despite this I bought the album, but didn't think much of it, and looking at the track listing now, I had no recollection of any of the tracks apart from the two singles, and that I liked "Canary In A Coalmine", even if I couldn't remember it now.

It would be interesting to see if I remembered any of it, or thought it was better than a dud !  

Actually. on replay, it is slightly better than a dud but still a poor album. For me, the four traditional The Police reggae influenced songs work best, and whilst they try to explore new territories, the tunes on the funk/dance tracks simply aren't strong enough, and the two instrumentals are basically fillers. 

Side one opens with "Don't Stand So Close To Me", song about a teacher having sex with one of his teenage students. Sting was a teacher before joining The Police. It possesses a typical Police reggae beat and the weird synthesizer in the middle is actually quite good.  There is a Lolita reference, "It's no use, he sees her, he starts to shake and cough. Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" and the backing vocals in the outro chorus are very similar to that which Sting sang afterwards on Dire Straits "Money For Nothing". This should have been a Covid anthem !

Now that I have had a chance to read the lyrics "De Do Do Do, De Do Da Da" makes sense and I liked it much more than I thought I would. "Poets, priests and politicians have words to thank for their positions, words that scream for your submission, and no-one's jamming their transmission" 

"Canary In A Coalmine" has a lively ska beat and a very short piano piece in middle. It's about the most fun The Police had over their first three albums !

"Man In A Suitcase", a song about life on the road, also has a toe-tapping reggae beat. "Another key for my collection, for security I race for my connection. Bird in a flying cage you never get to know me well. The world's my oyster, my hotel room a prison cell, must I be man in a suitcase ?" 

Apart from these there isn't a great deal to recommend. "Driven To Tears" is funky, there is some nice high-hat drumming, but the manic guitar solo doesn't really fitting with the rest of the song. and the lyrics sometimes don't fit the tune. The "Driven To Tears" refrain is quite catchy, but overall the song is pretty dull. 

The Police moved into Disco/Night Club territory, not my favourite genre, with "When The World Is Running Down", and I found it boring. Likewise "Voices Inside My Head", with a long funky instrumental before chanted vocals come in.

"Bombs Away" is a Copeland written song and is pretty ordinary, with a self-indulgent guitar solo that  wouldn't be out of place from a dire progressive rock band, whilst the 5 minutes long "Shadows In The Rain" has a funky bass and piano intro, but overall it's awful.

Of the two instrumentals, Andy Summers' "Behind My Camel" is OK and could be a James Bond theme or something from a low budget horror movie. Sting apparently hated it and refused to play the bass. I've already forgotten Copeland's "The Other Way Of Stopping", apart from there was some nice guitar at the end.

 

Track Listing : 

Side One

1. Don't Stand So Close Me
2. Driven To Tears
3. When The World Is Running Down......
4. Canary In A Coalmine
5. Voices Inside My Head
6. Bombs Away

Side Two

1. De Do Do Do, De Do Da Da 
2. Behind My Camel
3. Man In A Suitcase
4. Shadows In The Rain
5. The Other Way Of Stopping

Released 1980
UK Chart Position : 1

Singles :

Don't Stand So Close To Me ( No 1 - 1980 )
De Do Do Do, De Do Da Da ( No 5 - 1980 )