Archive of

The five hundred and sixty-fourth album: #564 Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85

Cupid & Psyche 85 is a pretty light weight album, mostly formed of some upbeat pop tracks that mostly don't feel like they reach too deep. It fits in with the likes of Wham! that appeared around the same time, as well as some Beach Boys throwbacks. Even so, it feels like it misses some depth that other albums have given and while it's well crafted and fun to listen to, it's not the direction I want to see everything move to.

The six hundred twenty-seventh song: How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths

The darkness that The Smiths bring to their music is present here, a wailing guitar occasionally piercing through the dark bass line. It's evocative and mood setting, encapsulating your emotions completely. It's still a powerful piece, the full version's slow descent adding to that feeling.

The six hundred twenty-eighth song: Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

Rattlesnakes is a throwback rock record, more evocative of the sixties than the eighties. It's a nice rock song like that, but it feels out of place compared to what surrounds it and misses that bit of punch that could really elevate it. The lyrics are intelligent, but not quite easy enough for me to follow along to.

The six hundred twenty-ninth song: Im Nin’ Alu - Ofra Haza

Based on a traditional poem, Im Nin' Alu opens with a sober sound. The pop music kicks in, reminiscent of other sounds from the region, but there's something quite hypnotic about the poppier traditional sound that isn't far off from a Bollywood arrangement. With the lyrics in Hebrew, the text isn't easily accessible to me, but it makes the sounds even more hypnotic, building on that feeling that lures you in.

The six hundred thirtieth song: Purple Rain - Prince & The Revolution

And then there's the better known, more accessible purple rain, the weirdly evocative title invoking its own thoughts and images. It's strong in its repetition, with the lyrics and music merging well. It's long, and not the most intense, but it's powerful enough in what it does.

The six hundred thirty-first song: State of Shock - The Jacksons featuring Mick Jagger

As a collaboration of some music greats, this seems to be missing something for me. There's something missing in how the songs build and a connection that's missing - the back and forth doesn't feel as magical as you'd hope from this. I was hoping for something better.

The six hundred thirty-second song: Private Dancer - Tina Turner

I mentioned how good Tina Turner sounded on the album by the same name, and this song is still one of the highlights, a soulful ballad that feels like it has a an edge and the wisdom of age in it that is otherwise missing. It's still as good to listen to here.

The six hundred thirty-third song: Freedom - Wham!

Freedom is a poppy love song that's uncomplicated in its sound, not looking for a deeper meaning but just staying what it is. It's happy and fun and just a good song.

The six hundred thirty-fourth song: I Want You Back - Hoodoo Gurus

I don't think this is the strongest rock song - a garage throwback that does the pop rock genre quite well, but doesn't have a track here that I really managed to connect with.

The five hundred and sixty-third album: #563 Dexys Midnight Runners - Don't Stand Me Down

Don't Stand Me Down focuses on a few long tracks more than anything, supporting a progression through the music with definite stages to the song. There's a fair bit of spoken word included to set the stage in several tracks, which sets it apart together with the special mix of instruments - a heavy emphasis on saxophone, which makes the album feel closer to jazz, and a fair bit of violin. There's a heavy blues tint that follows from this, repackaged from a new wave era that feels like it creates a unique sound - regardless of whether that really hits or not.

The two hundred and second classical recording: #328 Robert Schumann - Symphony no. 4

It's always great when something simpler can come through from a more complex work - although there is a lot of complexity to this piece, with a lot of beautiful surroundings, the core melody shines through really brightly and it's a treat between the movements, a layering that just works exquisitely well. There's this timeless, enduring quality to this piece that I just really loved.

The two hundred and third TV show: #63 Mister Ed

For better or worse, by now I'm at the point where I know what to expect from certain shows. I remember watching Mister Ed as a kid, so I had a decent idea of where it went, but it is mostly a standard comedy from the sixties, with a lot of the jokes and tropes you expect. It does play them off well - the jokes hit a bit betterthan others. Mister Ed, the titular horse, does stand out - he's well trained and you can see how much affection the remainder of the cast treats him with. Considering how some of these must have been quite tricky to pull off, the show feels surprisingly natural. It might not be a show to seek out, but considering what it sets out to do, for its age it's still quite remarkable.

The five hundred and sixty-second album: #562 Simply Red - Picturebook

Through its tracks, Picturebook floats between funk and blues, the music gaining and losing energy depending on the mood of the song. It works well, the lyrics of the tracks being well served by it, and there's some real feeling and emotion in the songs that feels like it would have gotten lost in the production in a lot of other cases. Hucknall's voice is quite specific, but it's well suited to these tracks. It might not feel like as much of a powerhouse album, but tracks like Holding Back The Years hit as much as a lot of other singer-songwriters accomplish.

The six hundred nineteenth song: The Killing Moon - Echo & The Bunnymen

Aside from being a decent rock song, the lyrics of this song hit the most. They are evocative and expansive, with a lot of analogies that hit quite well. It just works so well giving you that darker experience, as contemplative as it can be.

The six hundred twentieth song: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive

And then there's the joy of You Spin Me Round. It's upbeat, fun and just as synthy as you'd expect at this point. It just sells it all so well, it's delightful.

The six hundred twenty-first song: The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

I think there are some sounds that I've come to associate with a previous generation, and The Boys of Summer is that. Not too hard rock, synthy, sound effects, this is so emblematically eighties that it's hard to hear much else in it. It's incredibly expressive, even as I'm not sure how much would have actually reached the audience.

The six hundred twenty-second song: Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions

Rock You Like a Hurricane is a strong metal anthem. It positions itself well, it makes its statement and bowls you over with its force. It's strong, wild, and all you need from it.

The six hundred twenty-third song: Plateau - Meat Puppets

Plateau is a shorter, simpler rock song. It feels like it hits its beats, still a sad track, but the contemplation works.

The six hundred twenty-fourth song: Tenderness - General Public

There's something sweet in the lyrics of this. It shows a softer side in a world where that still felt rare, a need for tenderness that may not have lasted. It's an incredibly sweet and loving new wave track that worked better than I thought for me.

The six hundred twenty-fifth song: Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) - Scritti Politti

There's a lot mixed into this track here. There's a feel of Michael Jackson in here, with some Beach Boys harmonies, a funky track that has poppy lyrics to go along with it. It jumps and stays difficult to pin down. It works for me, but I'm not entirely sure how.

The six hundred twenty-sixth song: I Will Dare - The Replacements

There's a simplicity to a lot of this song that works well. The pop rock sound is nice and accessible and does the trick, while giving me more to go with. It's simple, but it works.

The five hundred and sixty-first album: #561 New Order - Low Life

There's just nothing to suggest that out of the ashes of Joy Division we got New Order, going from dark gothic rock to a synth-heavy pop album. The bass still features prominently enough to stand out, but it's not all depressing either at this point. There are exceptions - the second side opener Elegia is a lot darker - but even that has a synthier backing that keeps the brighter tone of the album. Fundamentally, though, it sticks to the more upbeat sound even when there's that bit of darkness.

The two hundred and first classical recording: #559 Claude Debussy - La Mer

It's been a while since I've been in a position to listen to a classical piece. It's one that gives feeling of water, calmer at first, more animated in the second movement and a bit darker later. It plays with that gentler feeling though, with a stormy crescendo that doesn't last as long as most. It's lovingly constrained, with that right build up at the end that doesn't overdo it, but limits itself really nicely.

The two hundred and second TV show: #322 Police Squad

It's easy to understand why Police Squad didn't last - the humour feels so ahead of its time, it's dense even by today's standards, with the gags coming fast and hard. There are recurring gags - probably the best the 'freeze frame' at the end of each episodes, which has the actors stop mid-action regardless of what they're doing. There's a massive number of non sequiturs, some of which feel like they're a lot of effort for just a single joke. It's a delight to watch, but I also wondered if it was good this didn't last for ages - I can't see how you'd keep this pace going for this much longer. What's there, though, is its own perfection and absolutely worth a watch, one of the best comedies from the time.