#461 – Public Image Ltd., ‘Metal Box’

Metal Box (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: March 23, 1979
Label: Virgin Records (UK), Warner Bros. Records/Island Records (USA)
Genre: Post-punk, experimental rock
Producer: Public Image Ltd

If recent past experiences were anything to go by, I shouldn’t have liked Metal Box, but happily I do. Comparing it to Bunnymen’s Heaven Up Here, there’s more of a point to this album, more anger, more grit, more punk and less self-indulgent nonsense, and this is a much better listen. Don’t get me wrong, this is a dense, self-indulgent, moody, wanky record, but it’s hard not to love the sheer fuck-you of it all. The synth sounds are interesting, the bass is deep and the guitars crash like all hell. John Lyndon/Johnny Rotten’s voice is brilliant – what a sneer.

The fuck-this attitude extends to the concept of the original packaging (ergo the record’s title): a three-record vinyl set, coming in a metal canister, à la a film reel, the records’ so tightly packed that you’d scratch them taking them out, and each side containing only 10 minutes of music so you’d have to constantly change the record to listen to it. There was talk of the album being presented in a sandpaper case, which would wreck anything it was stored next to but this was shelved. Absolute gold.

Top tracks: The opening “Albatross”, all 10 minutes it, and I like “Socialist” with it’s randomised space sounds, and the contemptuous “The Suit”. But “Radio 4” is gorgeous: a diamond in the rough, it’s so British somehow, a bit ageless, sweeping and mournful but still uplifting and a little bit perfect.

This week: Christmas parties have come and gone and it’s days not weeks until Christmas and a short break. New Year’s resolutions will be next. Did I make any this year? How’s my year been? Methinks a retrospective is called for. Oh, and that’s thirty forty albums done!

#483 – Gang of Four, ‘Entertainment’

Released: September 1979
Label: EMI, Warner Bros.
Genre: Post-punk, experimental rock, dance-punk
Producer: Andy Gill, Jon King and Rob Warr

I’ve been looking forward to some punk for a while (ok, this is post-punk, and one day I’ll understand the difference), and on the whole this didn’t disappoint. There’s crashing guitars and some fuck-the-world anger, and I love the Northerners accents coming through, be it sung or spoken. Sneering attitude with political and social lyrics, and heavy bass. Yep, I liked it.

Top track: “Natural’s Not In It” or the album’s opening “Ether” or the very good “Damaged Goods”.

This week: I’m well aware that I’ve been filling this with a weekly account about work, which seems unfortunate, but it’s what’s dominating my headspace at the moment, though this time, at least, not in a very destructive way. And so it continues. But I’ve been back to hip hop class (harder this week!), saw a play and some comedy this weekend, and am preparing to start a part time graphic design course, plus we booked our New York accommodation for September. Sweet.

#485 – Pearl Jam, ‘Vitalogy’

Vitalogy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: November 22, 1994
Label: Epic
Genre: Grunge, experimental rock, art rock
Producer: Brendan O’Brien, Pearl Jam

Obviously I know Pearl Jam, though only from whatever I’ve heard on the radio through the 90’s. And I know that there’s a whole lot of legend around the band and around Eddie Vedder, and their influence on grunge and music in general is massive.

By all accounts this album was huge at the time and must be much loved, but for me it was pretty hard work. There’s darkness in here and not a lot of light (grunge I guess), which is possibly why “Better Man” is my favourite: it’s arguably the most upbeat track, even if it is about domestic violence. It’s alternative for sure, seething with weird noises and experimental samples (psychiatric patients talking, anyone?), and you know there’s a grand-ness to it when you listen, because it’s, well it’s Pearl Jam… but for me, this seemed a bit overblown and alternative to the point of inaccessible.

Overall, too dark and too sad. I need a bit more light than this (at least, right now I do).

Top track: “Better Man”. It’s an almost perfect pop-rock song, and takes me back to my school days. Pearl Jam knocked back the track from their previous album because it was too accessible. “Nothingman” is nice too, more chilled out.

This week: Short working week what with Easter and all which couldn’t come at a better time for Andy and me, and we headed to Hobart for the long weekend. A lot of eating and drinking, riding around the harbour, and a whole day spent at MONA – one of the most interesting experiences of my life. Amazing weekend.

#492 – Eurythmics, ‘Touch’

Touch (Eurythmics album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: November 26, 1983
Label: RCA Records
Genre: New wave, synthpop, experimental rock, electronica
Producer: David A. Stewart

Listening to Touch is like listening to an era –  and if that era was amalgamated into a single sound it would be the sound of the synthesizer  I guess now we laugh at that quintessential 80s sound, but at the time this album was at the cutting edge of experimenting with new, sexy electronic sounds, and we’re all richer for it.

These are great pop songs, clearly lasting the test of time. But the best part of this album, the most rewarding part for me, is listening to it really loudly so Lennox’s voice fills your head. Annie Lennox surely has one of the best female voices in pop, and listening to her belt out some of these songs is really enriching.

Top track: A collection of mostly fantastic tracks! “Here Comes The Rain Again” is gorgeous and a classic, as is “Who’s That Girl?” (probably the best), but I also really like “The First Cut”.

Anyway, moving on…