Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Listomania! - 1991

The year 1991 brings back a few memories, none life-altering or earth-shattering, but sometimes boring is OK. We had virtually no money in those days, as Martina was in full-time studies at Western and working part-time at Jenkins, and I was struggling with part-time work at the Loeb grocery warehouse. Martina has vivid images of seeing my feet propped up on the coffee table watching hockey on Saturday nights while she wrote her essays for school. We were horrified by the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which played out on our borrowed 13" TV daily. We would pull the couch up real close to the TV and watch CNN for hours at a time, mesmerized by the first war broadcast live into our living room. Grunge happened that year and, while I was not the genre's biggest fan, I do remember the thrill of hearing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time. I was still pretty much an anglophile as far as my musical tastes went, but American and even Canadian bands had started to make more inroads into my musical consciousness. On to the list then:

10. The Size Of A Cow - The Wonder Stuff

Taken from the year's best-named album, Never Loved Elvis (a sentiment with which I concurred wholeheartedly), this is a thoroughly poppy, goofy, dancehall style song. The main features are the rollicking barroom piano and almost Benny Hill-like swirling organ. The melody is fantastic and singer Miles Hunt's silly lyrics stick in one's head for hours on end. This was pretty much the last hurrah for this band, but it was a great way to go out. "You know that I've been drunk a thousand times, and these should be the best days of my life. Life, it's not what I thought it was." After Friday night, I have now been drunk 1001 times.....buuurrrpppp.

9. On A Plain - Nirvana

As mentioned above, I quite liked Nevermind at the time. But, it really hasn't held up over the years for me. I still like some of the songs, but I consider Nirvana to be highly over-praised. It's tough because there are so many devotees of the late Kurt Cobain who don't like hearing it said, but it's true. He was young and troubled and talented, but he was not overly original or the second coming of Christ. This song though, was always my fave on the record and it holds up to this day. It is a great ride, a 4-minute blast of guitar and drums and melody that gets me shaking my head Dave Grohl-style every time. I love the way it comes blasting in after the opening guitar noodling, its 3- chord spell just rocking out perfectly. Who would have believed back then that the most talented musician in Nirvana would be Dave Grohl? "The finest day that I've ever had was when I learned to cry on command. I love myself better than you, I know it's wrong so what should I do?" I'd rather be on a plain than on a plane.....

8. Until The End Of The World - U2

Achtung Baby was, in my opinion, the last great U2 album. Subsequent records have had a real hit and miss quality for me, but Achtung was killer! It came down to this song and Mysterious Ways, but this one came out on top, mostly because I love the lyrics so much. U2 once again reinvented their sound on this album, going to a much bigger bass and drums sound and letting their rhythm section lead the way musically. It is still familiar enough U2 though, as Edge plays a fairly signature sounding guitar here. The lyrics were supposedly written by Bono as a conversation between Judas and Jesus. I don't go for religion in any way, but these are some powerful words that he sings in this tune. "In the garden I was playing the tart. I kissed your lips and broke your heart. You, you were acting like it was the end of the world." And I feel fine.....

7. Cordelia - The Tragically Hip

For their 3rd record, Road Apples, The Hip decided to travel to New Orleans to try and get a different feel on the album. They used Tom Petty's producers to man the controls as well, and this song is the best example of the stunning results. The sound of this song is magic to my ears, with the guitars roaring and Rob Baker playing a magnificent lead. It has always been my opinion that this band would never have progressed past playing the Queen's Hotel in Kingston if not for Gord Downie. The guy is a lyrical genius, incorporating a wide array of subjects in his own quirky way. He has the advantage of being extremely well-read and his use of metaphor is outstanding. Most of their Canadian-drinking, flag-waving, I'm-a-proud-Canadian fans lack the imagination or the education to really get the meanings of his songs, but they still shake their fists anyway, and this is part of the band's charm. I know that sounds like a pretty elitist view, but I believe it to be true. "Treading the boards, screaming out Macbeth, just to see how much bad luck you really get." Is this a dagger which I see before me?

6. Black - Pearl Jam

Perhaps the biggest of all the Grunge bands, Pearl Jam were not greeted warmly by the critics at the time. I recall them being portrayed as bandwagon-jumping and money-hungry, just seeking to capitalize on the trend of the times. Well, they have proven the critics wrong as they are still around today. While I don't like all of their music, I have a deep respect for them as players and I quite like Eddie Vedder, despite his voice unleashing a million bad imitators over the years. This is an epic tale of loss and regret, which I find always touches me personally every time I hear it. The sound is majestic and soaring, with the guitars chiming and ringing out, the piano sad and melodic, and Vedder really putting his feelings across with total believability. "And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass of what was everything, all the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything..." Blackness, blackness, draggin' me down....

5. Wild Hearted Son - The Cult

Holy power chords! Yes, the ones at the beginning of the song....wow! Billy Duffy was, at this time, one of the best at his craft. I consider this to be their last great song as singer Ian Astbury and Duffy had become too drugged out and full of themselves to continue making worthwhile music after this. But this has all the Cult trademarks - the roaring guitars, Astbury's howling vocals, and just a massive huge sound. I love how the solo guitar line pushes the melody along all through the song, causing the listener to divide their attention between the guitar and voice. Maybe that's what Duffy and Astbury were going for, as it is said that they would not even speak to each other during the making of this record and recorded their parts totally separately from one another. "I live outside of convention, you know the people who stare. I’m just a breed of society, I’m pushin’ hard and I’m stealin’ free." I live outside of Toronto....

4. Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine

This song is from their 3rd and final album, Loveless, considered by many to be a masterpiece of the Shoegaze movement of the early '90s. Upon first listen, it sounds like a bunch of noise. But, once it has been heard a few times, one realizes that there are multiple layers on display here that need to be peeled away to reveal what is essentially a gorgeous song. It is dreamlike, it is druggy, but it is ultimately a classic to these ears. The bass guitar part is almost heavy-metal, the guitars are overdubbed a ton and droning, and Bilinda Butcher's voice is pushed down into the swirling maelstrom of the mix so far as to make the words indecipherable, but, incredibly, it all really works. Fire one up and slap on the headphones and see if you agree! "Speak your troubles, she's not scared, soft like there's silk everywhere." Tripping the light fantastic!

3. Snail - Smashing Pumpkins

This was the start of the Billy Corgan saga. He has been heavily criticized as an overbearing, self-important twat, which I believe to be entirely true, but he had a great sound there for a few years. From their debut record, Gish, this song is a blueprint that the Pumpkins would follow for at least the next 2 albums. The quiet-loud-quiet dynamic that was big at the time was their calling card back then, and few did it as well. I still would argue that their guitar sound is uniquely theirs as much as, say, Angus Young's is his, or Boston's guitar sound was theirs. Jimmy Chamberlain is, in my eyes, the best drummer of the 1990s hands down. The guy played with such brilliance, so nimble and quick, yet loud and savage at the appropriate times. This was produced by Butch Vig, who also did Nevermind for Nirvana, so he had a fairly good year. Corgan's voice can be annoying and his lyrics a little too angst-ridden, but it is a must to get past it and just let their wall of sound wash over you. "When you wake up you're awake, throwing your life away, Sunday, saw her coming home, saw her. Snail, what you wait for?" Why, I wait for a little garlic butter and cheese.....

2. Miss Freelove '69 - Hoodoo Gurus

This was the first song I ever heard by these Aussies, even though they had been around for years and this was from their 5th album. It is still a fave of mine nearly 20 years later and features on my playlists quite often. It is a parody of an orgy with silly, double-entendre lyrics, but it is such a catchy little tune. It has a '60s sound and sensibility to it with the Leslie organ and wah-wah guitars. The groovy soul-chick backing vocals add to the hippie feeling as well. Singer Dave Faulkner gives it his all and invites one and all to sing along with him to this brilliant melody. You may feel the urge to shake your booty too - don't resist! "Someone called the cops on us, they didn't have the heart to bust the kinky scene they found. They checked their badges at the door and joined the action on the floor when they laid their nightsticks down!" Oo-er missus!

1. There's No Other Way - Blur

Man, do I dig that groovy little guitar part that starts this song off! Graham Coxon would go on to greater appreciation over the years, but what a way to start! This is from Blur's debut, Leisure, and it started them on their way to dominating the U.K. charts for the next several years. They were originally written off as latecomers to the Madchester scene, but they proved their staying power and adaptability on many subsequent records. The bass is funky, the organ purrs throughout and the drums lay down a dance-infected backbeat. Singer Damon Albarn croons the tune in his infectious Cockney accent and you can't deny this song's charms. This was on the mixtape that Craig made me back then and, when I played it at get-togethers, this song was always the biggest hit. "You're taking the fun out of everything, making me run when I don't want to think." Woo-hoo!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Listomania! - 1990

20 years ago. 1990 was 20 years ago. No matter how many times I say that, it just doesn't sound right. It was only 5 days into 1990 that I received the bad news. My Grandfather on my Mom's side, John Wesley Clark, had died of a heart attack at my parents' house. We kids called him Pop. He had shovelled the driveway and did the laundry that morning, as he usually did. The guy liked to keep busy and, even at age 75, nothing could slow him down, or so it seemed. He was a giant of a man, especially in the small town he lived in, my hometown of Capreol, Ontario. He stood about 6'2" and weighed about 250 lbs. I owe my size and much of my temperament to the man. Everyone in the family says I am a lot like him and I suppose I am. He was someone who had strong convictions and beliefs, pretty much dismissing anyone who didn't think things were black or white. My memories of him are quite fond. He and I spent a lot of time together in my childhood and he took me pretty much everywhere with him. He was the Town Foreman in Capreol, meaning he did everything from plowing roads to fixing sewers to digging graves. He literally knew where all the bodies were buried! He was a man from another time who had a million colloquial sayings that live on in our family to this day. He was an Orangeman who professed not to like Catholics, even though his best friends were virtually all French-Canadian and Catholic. He used to take me out to the cemetery when he had a grave to dig, always warning me to stay on the Protestant side of the cemetery and stay away from the Catholic side of the cemetery. It was his way of joking, highly politically incorrect nowadays, but he did have a fantastic sense of humour. He loved to tell ribald jokes and say things that he knew would shock. There were a group of 3 hobos who lived across the Vermillion River in Capreol and word got out that one of them had passed away. Pop took a canoe and paddled across the river to the old abandoned house they lived in. He knocked on the door and went inside. He saw 3 guys sitting around the table drinking cups of tea. His first words to them were, "Alright, which one of you fellers is dead?" because the 2 surviving guys had propped up the dead third guy at the table and placed a cup of tea in front of him. I have so many stories about him and I could fill pages of this blog with them, but let's just say that I'm very glad that he was my friend and Pop, and also that I think of him pretty much daily and will always cherish the years we spent together. Oh yeah, Pop, I do miss you lots too. Here's the list:

10. She Talks To Angels - The Black Crowes

These Georgia boys sounded quite out of place in 1990, with the charts still dominated by synth bands and pop like Paula Abdul and Madonna. The Crowes hailed from Atlanta and sounded like they were steeped in the tradition of bands like the Faces and Stones with their swaggering boogie grooves and dirty rock 'n' roll. This song, taken from their debut album Shake Your Money Maker, is a mostly acoustic ballad about a girl who appears to be a heroin addict and kind of a strange bird. Vocalist Chris Robinson channels the ghost of a young Rod Stewart here, all gravel-voiced and soulful. The element that makes this song for me is former Allman Brother Chuck Leavell's great organ playing, which weaves its way through the song. The guitars are brilliant too, with some very talented finger-picking going on. "She keeps a lock of hair in her pocket. She wears a cross around her neck. Yes, the hair is from a little boy, and the cross is someone she has not met, not yet." Hair of boy, eye of newt......

9. The Only One I Know - The Charlatans

This song is so groovy! The funky wah-wah guitar, the jumpy, driving bass, and the Jon Lord-Deep Purple organ tell my feet to get moving! I'm surprised that Deep Purple didn't sue these guys as this song is a dead ringer for Hush, with a bit less heaviness and more groove. This song is from the same Madchester scene that spawned The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, but it is more exuberant and rocking than those other bands, who were more interested in crafting dance music with a laid-back stoner mentality. Tim Burgess sings in a smooth style, but the music is anything but, stomping along at breakneck speed. This band is still making music to this day and has a very loyal following, especially in the U.K. "The only one I see, has found an aching in me. The only one I see, has turned her tongue into me." But can she pull a rabbit out of a hat?

8. More - The Sisters Of Mercy

This tune is a tour de force. It features Andrew Eldritch and his bass voice that sounds at times like a wounded animal, at others like the devil himself. Dynamics are what this song is all about, starting off quietly with synth-strings and then blazing into a sonic maelstrom on the chorus. From the last Sisters record, Vision Thing, it was a return to a more guitar-driven sound, only this time the guitars were turned up to 11. Like the Floodland album, this song was co-written by Jim Steinman and features backing vocals by a gospel choir. The proper word for a song like this would be epic. "Some people get by with a little understanding, some people get by with a whole lot more." Capiche?

7. Halah - Mazzy Star

From their debut album, She Hangs Brightly, this song is like Hank Williams fed through The Jesus & Mary Chain. It is dark and laid-back, with strummed acoustic guitars that give it a kind of psychedelic, Southern Gothic feel. But the star of this show is singer Hope Sandoval. She is from Southern California, but there are no sunny sounds here. Her voice is gorgeous, drenched in echo and reverb, but what a set of pipes. She is not full of bluster or phony histrionics, but rather disengaged and oh-so-sultry. When she sings "Baby won't you change your mind" it makes me wonder what the hell the guy's problem was in the first place. "And close my eyes til I see your surprise and you're leaving before my time." No time left for you.....

6. Dig For Fire - The Pixies

This is Black Francis' stab at the sound of early Talking Heads. Taken from their 3rd album, Bossanova, the song is full of the usual strange lyrics which were Frank's trademark. The sound is bigger on this record though as producer Gil Norton has turned up the drums, really capturing the wallop of David Lovering, and the guitars are loud and rocking and really do sound amazing. The sound is cleaner alright, but it retains this band's signature sound and enhances the areas that made them such a gem in the first place. They were a huge fave of mine back then and I spent too many hours listening to them and playing, or hacking, along on my bass. "There is this old man who spent so much of his life sleeping that he is able to keep awake for the rest of his years." Still looking for the motherlode.....

5. There She Goes - The La's

Holy 1964 Batman! This would fit right in alongside any of your British Invasion stuff from back then, with its languid acoustic strumming and poppy melody. Frontman Lee Mavers has a steely quality to his voice here, especially when he growls for a bit of emphasis. Apparently, part of the reason that they made only this 1 album was that he was a perfectionist and notoriously difficult to work with, but what an album it was! They used 6 or 7 producers and scrapped them all, finally settling on Steve Lillywhite, albeit reluctantly. This is a song that eveybody knows and can sing along with, but it is brilliant in its simplicity. "There she goes, there she goes again, racing thru' my brain, and I just can't contain this feelin' that remains." Someone thought "remains" was "not today"......

4. Black Sheets Of Rain - Bob Mould

This title song from Mould's 2nd album is a return to the angry guy from Husker Du. The guitars are not melodic and acoustic here. Instead, they growl and snarl and howl, ably abetted by Anton Fier's brilliant drumming and Tony Maimone of Pere Ubu on bass. Mould sings about the environment being ruined and causing things like acid rain and he uses the metaphor to describe his mood in a very clever set of lyrics, among my favourite words that he has ever written. Some people have commented that they don't like the production on this album, but I think that he made the sound muddy on purpose to evoke his mood at the time. I am a cynic by nature and this song is a cynic's dream. "Checking in every morning to the sound of steam and caffeine. The sludge in the bottom of the cup, just like the sludge in the stream." One can eliminate coffee sludge by stirring it properly......

3. Blue Sky Mine - Midnight Oil

This is the factory / warehouse worker's anthem. I sang this at work too many times to count and never has a song captured the feelings of a group of people better. Peter Garrett gives a fantastic, impassioned performance on the vocals, all righteous indignation, frustration, and ultimately, hopelessness. This is such a catchy, driving beat, so one feels compelled to belt it out as it plays. I love when the guitar morphs into the harmonica solo around the 3:10 mark - so brilliant! It was written about the Wittenoorn asbestos mine in Australia, which was closed down in 1966 after over 25% of the people who worked there had contracted severe illnesses, despite the company's denial that any dangers existed. "And if the blue sky mining company won't come to my rescue, if the sugar refining company won't save me, who's gonna save me?" Good question.....

2. Vapour Trail - Ride

This may well be the best song ever done by one of the so-called Shoegaze bands. The melody here is just so gorgeous, surrounded by a big, busy, spacey sound. I love the swirl of the instruments as Andy Bell sings about this elusive girl. Bell played guitar in Ride, but switched to bass when he joined Oasis in their later years. I first heard this song when my ex-brother-in-law Craig made me a mixtape with all the cool songs of the day on it. It was love at first listen! It is taken from Ride's first and best album called Nowhere. The best part of the song is the mournful cello that comes in about halfway through and then, as the other instruments fade out, plays all alone to the end of the song. "First you look so strong, then you fade away. The sun will blind my eyes, I love you anyway." I'd rather go blind....

1. Then She Did - Jane's Addiction

Remember the great Ritual de lo Habitual album? Well, this is the best song from it, an 8-minute jaw-dropper of a tune. It's got great musicianship from bassist Eric Avery and guitarist Dave Navarro, before he became a reality TV and tabloid whore. Dynamics were popular in the '90s and these guys did it better than pretty much anyone else. I love this song so much, I really am at a loss for words in how to describe it. My advice would be to grab the headphones, find a copy of it and crank it up as loud as you can stand, then sit back and be transported. Singer Perry Farrell is a true artist, in the artsiest sense, a true weirdo - no playacting, Lady Gaga bullshit - and he pulls off one of his best vocals on this song. Genius! "She repaired legs like a doctor on the kitchen chairs we sat on. She was unhappy, just as you were." Whew!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Listomania! - 1989

I look back on 1989 with great fondness. Martina and I had moved into our first apartment together. It was a huge, spacious dive-hole on Kipps Lane in the basement of an 11-storey building. It was freezing in the winter as the heat didn't work very well, sometimes not at all, but we had a ton of good times. The kids spent a lot of time with us and the 4 of us shared a lot of fun and laughs. To keep warm one night, we decided to roast marshmallows on the stove with the oven turned on and all of us huddling around it with our feet toasting on the open door. Gord has lots of memories of us listening to CBC Radio on the weekends late at night, tuning in to hear what great new music the host, David Wisdom, would be playing. We also used the cable on the stereo receiver to bring in a great new alternative rock radio station from Detroit called 89X, which we listened to all the time. Martina had started working at a London institution called Jenkins Garden House in addition to doing well at UWO. Jenkins was managed by the pitcher on my Slo-Pitch team, Rick Williamson, and he got Martina the job. She also served as scorekeeper for our team, which was sponsored by the factory that I worked at called Wolverine Tube. We had a great team of very talented players, who were even more talented at partying. We won 3 tournaments that summer and qualified for the Ontario Championships that fall in Unionville. We rented a bunch of motel rooms there and headed down on the Friday. We played that night, winning an exciting game by coming back in the bottom of the 9th inning. Martina and I had the end room at the motel, so it was decided that our room was party central. Our left-fielder and shortstop were drug dealers and our third baseman worked at the beer store, so, needless to say, we were well-stocked for the weekend's festivities. We drank and carried on until 4 in the morning and then drew straws to see who would be responsible to go around to each room and give the 6:30 AM wake-up call for our game at 7:30 the same morning. I drew the short straw, so I crashed for 2 hours and got up feeling a little green around the gills and headed down to knock on all the doors. I opened our door and noticed that there were empty beer bottles strategically placed in the hall, leading from our room to the room of our catcher, Bill "Hooch" Howard, who was 6'3" and about 280 lbs and a former All-Canadian offensive lineman at Western as well as a 10- year veteran of the CFL with Ottawa and Hamilton. He had dutifully left the beer bottle trail after finishing each beer the night before to find his way back to his room. And we thought he was just a big dummy! When I got to the door of the room that our left-fielder and shortstop were sharing, I noticed a distinctly familiar odour emanating from their room. I knocked on the door and when Scott our left-fielder answered, I walked in and was immediately engulfed in clouds of pot smoke. Seems they were already up and at it! We proceeded to win 4 games that day and we advanced to the provincial semi-finals at 9 the next morning. Now, sensible people would have gone back to their rooms and got to bed early to rest up for the big game, but not our pack of animals. We thought it best to go with what we knew, which was drinking and smoking until the wee hours again, as we were superstitious sorts and didn't want to change what had worked thus far. Well, we played the defending champs from the Brantford Fire Department on that early Sunday morning and our good fortune suddenly ran out. We could still catch and throw just fine, but 3 days of heavy partying had finally caught up to our bats. We only managed 3 runs in losing the game 4-3 to the eventual repeat champs. I still say after all these years that if they would have allowed us to use a beachball, we would have hit a lot better that game. We finished 4th in Ontario, which I am still proud of to this day, and I have the memories of one of the best times I ever had in my life. Here's what I was listening to that year:

10. Fool's Gold - The Stone Roses

This is the anthem of the Madchester scene of '89. Raves were all the -err-rave and this song was raverrific! Just listen to that funky bass laid down by their great bass player, Mani, while guitarist John Squire gets to play that funky wah-wah. This was not on the U.K. release of their self-titled debut album, but those of us on this side of the pond were lucky that the 12" version was included on the North American edition of the record. Singer Ian Brown sings this in an oh-so-cool and detached way, making this one of the best laid-back dance tunes of all time. "These boots were made for walking. The Marquis De Sade never made no boots like these." That's for sure! I had a pair of his and they were extremely uncomfortable!

9. No More - Neil Young

This was Neil's return to form after spending the '80s wallowing in mediocrity. Taken from the album Freedom, this song isn't as famous as Rocking In The Free World, but I like it so much better, especially since Free World was co-opted by hockey teams for playing during breaks in the action. Tony Marsico and his brilliant descending bass line set the tone here, with Neil's great guitar soloing putting the cherry on top. The solos on this song are among his best in my books, restrained but rocking all the same. I love the way they double-tracked the vocal too, giving his usually fragile voice some added power. "Like singin' the same old song and twistin' the words in a different way." Old farm a MacDonald had, ee-i-o-ee-i.........

8. From Out Of Nowhere - Faith No More

From their great breakthrough album, The Real Thing, these guys were among the pioneers of Nu-Metal. This song is heavy, but it has a catchy melody. New singer Mike Patton added a touch of zany to the band and his sneering, punky vocals gave the band a strong frontman that people could identify with. I love the beginning of this song, especially the snare drum shots at the 11-second mark that kick everything into high gear. I saw them play this in Detroit in 1990 as the opening band for Guns & Roses and Metallica, and it was the best song I heard all night long. "Tossed into my mind, stirring the calm. You splash me with beauty and pull me down." She's messin' with my mind man......

7. I'll Be You - The Replacements

Most critics consider the album Don't Tell A Soul, which this song comes from, to be the weakest 'Mats album. I disagree as I always found them to be a bit grating on the ears, but producer Matt Wallace has smoothed out the ragged edges and reined in their exaggerations, especially on this rocking anthem to disillusionment. Westerberg sounds a bit more mature, dealing with tougher subject matter here and I think there's nothing wrong with that. It is a signature Westerberg song though, with his scratchy voice sounding as good as ever. The guitars rock out and it is my fave song by them for sure. Upon first hearing it, you will be compelled to sing along for the rest of the day. "A dream too tired to come true, left a rebel without a clue." I wish I'd written that!

6. Here Comes Your Man - The Pixies

With an album like Doolittle, it is quite a chore to pick just 1 song for this list. I settled on this one because it is the most accessible song they ever did. The melody is fantastically memorable, with a brilliant and catchy guitar line augmenting Black Francis' restrained vocals - well, restrained for him anyway. (See Debaser from the same album for evidence of this restraint.) The band referred to this song as their "Tom Petty song" and I suppose Petty could have written this, but it still has some Pixie-isms that Petty could never have done. especially the "cool-chick" backing vocals of Kim Deal and the messy drum and guitar bit near the end. "Outside there's a box car waiting, outside the family store, out by the fire breathing, outside we wait 'til face turns blue." Whatcha waiting for?

5. Sun King - The Cult

This is what is called balls-out, full-bore, giant codpiece heavy metal. From the opening "This is where it all ends" spoken vocal, this is about as big as sound ever gets. Produced by Bob Rock before he did the Black Album for Metallica, this is The Cult going over the top and making the '70s album they always had in them. I mean, the album is called Sonic Temple, so they left no mystery as to what the sound would be like. Billy Duffy plays the full-on guitar hero very well, all ringing power-chords and ear-splitting solos. ably aided by the best frontman around at the time, Ian Astbury, who channels his best Jim Morrison. The lyrics mine the usual metal subjects of slutty women and the guys who can or cannot tame them, so no big surprise there. It was their last record with underrated bassist Jamie Stewart as well. "Strutting 'round with your head held high, what you trying to prove girl?" Yeah, you should be slinking 'round with your head sunk low already!

4. Fascination Street - The Cure

This song is all about the fantastic crawl-on-your-belly-through-the-gutter bass guitar playing of one Simon Gallup. What a monster riff! No, it's not complicated, but hot damn does it ever growl and snarl! Robert Smith was apparently at a low point in his life when writing the album this comes from, Disintegration. He had begun using hallucinogenic drugs heavily and was bummed-out because of the success of the band and the perception that they were peddlers of soft love songs for 14 year-old girls. That perception was true to some extent, but it also allowed Smith to live in whatever lifestyle he liked, so I don't have much sympathy for his so-called plight. This song is gloomy and Gothic, but it is also a great dance song, perhaps The Cure's best. The really ironic part is that this album turned out to be the most commercial one they ever released, despite Fat Bob's efforts. It made them huge megastars the world over and was probably the last really great record they put out. "So just pull on your hair, just pull on your pout, cut the conversation, just open your mouth" Wig? check...Lipstick? check...

3. Breath - Pere Ubu

Another great band from Cleveland, this album, Cloudland, was their attempt at being more radio-friendly and perhaps making some money. They failed miserably at being commercial, but, in my eyes, this is their best record. It was produced by Stephen Hague (New Order, Pet Shop Boys) and it does have a cleaner, poppier sound than most of their stuff, but that is a good thing here as the guitars sound great as usual, but much more melodic, and I loves me a good melody. The song uses dynamics very well, kind of working as a precursor to the sound of the early '90s with Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins. The vocals by leader David Thomas are smoother than usual, but it is still his distinctive yelp that is heard. It reminds me of house-sitting for the Bilys in July of '89 and playing the hell out of this record. "Don't let's talk about tomorrow, baby, standin' at the edge of sorrow. Let's watch the whole world goin' slow. let's watch the whole world goin'." Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll love ya tomorrow.......

2. See A Little Light - Bob Mould

I was never a big fan of Husker Du in the '80s as I found there songs all sounded pretty samey, but I sure grew to love Bob Mould and his solo work. I've seen him live 6 or 7 times in his various incarnations and I remain a massive fan of his work, especially from this album, his first solo outing called Workbook, through his '90s stuff with Sugar. Gone is the punk sound of Husker, gone are the ferocious speeds that they played at, having been replaced by jangly guitars and very melodic and memorable tunes. This song is considered to be his version of Husker Du's breakup, but I see it more as a song of a guy who is OK with who and where he is in life. The great Anton Fier played drums on Mould's first 2 solo albums, a great added bonus to me anyway. "I see a little light, i know you will, I can see it in your eyes, i know you still care. But if you want me to go, you should just say so." It's not you, it's me......

1. Sowing The Seeds Of Love - Tears For Fears

Man, I do love the sound of this record! It is joyful, it is hopeful, it is the best Beatles song never done by the Beatles. The guys in TFF moved away from their '80s sound, which was dominated by synthesizers and drum machines, and created this masterpiece of psychedelia and melody. I love the pastiche of swirling sounds - the organ, the bass, the drums, the guitars - that they make. I remember Gord liking this song very much when he was 11 and the 2 of us singing along while watching the video. It even has a Beatles' Penny Lane trumpet solo! And The Beatles didn't even sue them! Now this is a song that will stick in your head for days on end, so I hope you like it too, or else you will be terminally annoyed. I adore this lyric where they call out Thatcher and Paul Weller in the same verse. "Politician Granny with your high ideals, have you no idea how the majority feels? So without love and a promised land, we're fools to the rules of a government plan, kick out the Style, bring back the Jam!" That's entertainment!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Listomania! - 1988

Having been a working stiff for about 12 years already, in 1988 I decided that I would try my hand at going back to school. Steve had just finished his degree at UWO and Martina was just starting there herself. I wanted to see if I could free myself from the factory life, so I enrolled part-time at UWO in the fall of '88. While I enjoyed parts of it, I was too used to a certain lifestyle and not disciplined enough for university. Money was too tight and I couldn't just be like a normal student and just concentrate on my studies with nothing else to worry about. I attended UWO for 2 years, but, ultimately, it wasn't really for me. But, in '88, it was an exciting new chapter in my life after 10 years in the factory. Things were pretty unsettled for me still, but Martina and I forged ahead with our lives. We were pretty much together all the time and it was very interesting to get to know her family and learn completely different customs and ways of looking at things. When I look back on those times, we were quite poor, but we had a lot of fun with the kids. I remember buying Gord a Nintendo and we would spend hours with him and Taylor playing Donkey Kong and laughing our heads off. Music maintained a role of great importance to me and one of the perks of compiling these lists is looking back on those times and realizing how these songs evoke exact memories of how I felt or what I was doing then. The list goes like this:

10. Suedehead - Morrissey

Leave it to Morrissey to call his first solo album something like Viva Hate. This song was the lead single from the record and it ended up higher in the U.K. charts than anything by The Smiths ever did, reaching #5 on the singles chart. The song is a lament about trying to end a relationship with someone who won't let go and in typical Morrissey fashion, the ex-lover is dismissed with the acerbic line "It was a good lay." It still sounds a lot like The Smiths, but there are subtle differences, such as producer Stephen Street's guitar playing, which has more oomph than the languid tones of Johnny Marr. This tune proved that Morrissey could still write a great melody though and I often walked around with this song in my head back then. "Why do you come here ? And why do you hang around ?" I come for the melody, I stay for the lyrics......

9. A Wish Away - The Wonder Stuff

These guys were the darlings of the NME in 1988. They were featured on the cover and lead singer/guitarist Miles Hunt played the press like a fiddle with his controversial quips about fellow musicians and life in general. Their debut album, The Eight-Legged Groove Machine, was a big seller in the U.K. and this song was the best on the album in my opinion. It's only 2:29 in length, but it packs a poppy, punky punch in that short amount of time. Hunt's voice is sassy, but the melody is brilliant and guaranteed to make you sing along. The bass line played by the late Rob Jones stands out as well, propelling the song along with its bubbly groove. "I remember the sound as I hit the ground and somebody called it fear."Not so much fear as....THUD!!

8. She's So Young - The Pursuit Of Happiness

Led by the bespectacled long-haired genius, Moe Berg, TPOH put out their debut album Love Junk in '88. The lead single, the novelty tune I'm An Adult Now, generated a lot of buzz and airplay for the band, but they were much more than a one-off novelty act. The album was produced by Todd Rundgren, whose fingerprints can be found throughout the record. This song is the most Todd-like on the album with it's melodic guitars and great female backing vocals provided by Leslie Stanwyck and Kris Abbott, who also doubled on guitar with Berg. It is jangly Power-Pop at its finest and a true Canadian classic. I took Taylor to see them at Victoria Park and that was her first concert. "She's so young, she's got the answers. She doesn't need to question herself like I do." Certainty is wasted on the young.....

7. Angel Of Harlem - U2

U2's infatuation with America that had begun on the Unforgettable Fire album reached its nadir on their 1988 record and movie release Rattle And Hum. During the tour for The Joshua Tree, they had visited several historical locations, including Graceland in Memphis. While in Memphis, they arranged some recording sessions at the legendary Sun Records. This song, an homage to Billie Holiday, was one of 3 they recorded while there. Bono gives a soulful performance on this song, clearly moved by the subject matter and the surroundings. He refers to several places in New York City here, including JFK airport and the radio station WBLS. Also name-checked are Jazz greats John Coltrane and Miles Davis and the renowned club named after Charlie Parker called Birdland. The Memphis horns give the song texture and punch and it has to be one of their best singles. "Blue light on the avenue, God knows they got to you. An empty glass, the lady sings, eyes swollen like a bee sting." I prefer Bud Light myself.....

6. Coldsweat - The Sugarcubes

This album, Life's Too Good, was the world's introduction to Bjork. This band was all the rage in hipster circles that year and I was lucky enough to score tickets to see them in Toronto. It was extremely hot that day and Martina and I went into the sweltering, packed club and witnessed an amazing show. The band was great and Bjork, despite her tiny size, could really belt out a tune. This was always my fave song by them, even though Martina would vote for the more iconic Birthday. I love the chunky guitar, the funky bass and the driving rhythm of this song. Bjork's vocals are haunting on the verses, but she amps up the power on the chorus, sounding as though her very life depends on it. Her phrasing is quite ESL, but that just adds to the charm here. "This is hot meat, this is metallic blood. This is hot meat, this is open sweat." Sweat - now there is a subject I am an expert on.....

5. Sulphur - The House Of Love

I think this song would best be described as Jesus And Mary Chain meets Big Star. From their self-titled debut, these Englishmen were led by singer/guitarist Guy Chadwick with his yearning, too-cool-for-school vocals. Their sound lacked any of the '80s touchstones really and they sounded like a '60s band. Chadwick's phrasing is fantastic and the band is very together and they just hit the groove on the sweet spot and ride it for all its worth. This album is still a big favourite with Marrtina and me and if you don't know it, go grab a copy because it is so good!
"That's the sound of my head, and the texture of gas, and the wolf in skin, And the touch in sheep." Don't you be touchin' no sheep!

4. Horizon - Let's Active

This great song is taken from Let's Active's final album, Every Dog Has His Day. The record company wanted them to have a hit sound, so they brought in hotshot producer John Leckie (XTC, Echo, PIL) to twiddle the knobs, even though Mitch Easter himself was one of the best around. Easter reluctantly agreed to this, and the album does sound bigger. I feel it is the weakest of their 3 albums, but that doesn't mean I think it's bad, just not as great as the first 2 were. This is co-written by Easter and keyboard player Angie Carlson, who provides the lead vocals on this song. It is quite keyboard-driven, but Easter plays a wicked Southern-sounding guitar solo in the middle, just to change things up a little. The lyrics a superb and it is a memorable and insidious tune. "Fortune take me, I'm getting lost. I feel the world turning even though I stand still." Stop the world, I wanna get off!

3. Dreamworld - Midnight Oil

From their breakthrough LP, Diesel And Dust, these Aussies had been around for quite a while, but were virtually unknown outside their homeland. Singer Peter Garrett, a bald-headed giant of 6'8", literally stood out above the rest of the band, with his political leanings carved on his sleeve. His emphatic, passionate delivery is so convincing that when he sings "Your dreamworld is just about to end", I feel like my dreamworld IS just about to end! The song is about the destruction of the environment for the purpose of commercial progress, just one of many left-wing causes near and dear to Garrett's heart. This is a powerful song that gets the message across and makes you tap a toe as well. "So farewell to the Norfolk Island pines, no amount of make believe can help this heart of mine." Just close your eyes and click your heels together 3 times.....

2. Throwing The Election - Game Theory

The big organ sound at the beginning of this song bring to mind The Band's great tune, Chest Fever. It soon morphs into a Scott Miller song though, with chiming guitars and a great melody, but the organ maintains a presence throughout. This is from their final album, 2 Steps From The Middle Ages, which Miller saw as a play on his turning 30 in 2 years time. 30? Middle-aged? Give me some of that anytime! This song is about the disillusionment most of us feel when we reach adulthood, upon the realization that things are even less in our control than ever and the lack of a voice we have in the grand scheme of things. Among Game Theory fanatics, (myself and 4 other homeless guys) this is considered to be their best song and I would find it hard to argue with that assessment. I love the last verse, which Miller sings as an almost-rant:
"I've got a feeling it's all rigged
I've got a feeling it ended a long time ago
Nobody tells me
I've got a feeling it's over now
I've got a feeling it's over now
I've got a feeling the votes are in and I got none
And all I want is one."

Can I count on your vote?

1. World Leader Pretend - R.E.M.

This album, Green, was their first for the major label Warner Bros. after the band left IRS. It was a good, not great album, but this song is probably my fave by them. It has great feeling in Stipe's vocals, great playing by the band, especially Mike Mills' work on the piano and the pedal-steel guitar played by Bucky Baxter, and maybe the best lyrics of any of their songs. These lyrics were the first the band allowed to be printed on the album's sleeve as Stipe felt they had an important message and was pleased with the job he did in writing them. The key is his clever use of military terms to describe the inward battle we fight with ourselves on a daily basis. Upon having listened to this song, I have been known to spend the rest of the day singing it, as I undoubtedly will tonight. Good thing Howie and Riguez like my singing! "I sit at my table and wage war on myself. It seems like it's all, it's all for nothing." War is usually all for nothing.....

Monday, October 4, 2010

Listomania! - 1987

"She is the torch and she is the theme.
She could be a dream, but, oh boy, is she real!"

- Torch by Soft Cell


1987 started off much the same as 1986 ended. I was living in an apartment with my sister Jondah, who had moved in with me in October of '86. She needed to get out of my parents' house and I needed help with the rent. While we were incompatible in many ways, we worked opposite shifts and didn't see each other that much. I was hanging out with the guys from work a lot and Steve and I spent a lot of time together going out to clubs and listening to music. I had the kids every Friday through Sunday and we took a lots of trips to Springbank Park on Sunday mornings, playing in the fall leaves and going to see the animals at Storybook Gardens. My lease was up at the apartment on March 1st, so I began to look around at other places to live. A guy I worked with, Mike Hoyt, had split up with his wife and needed someone to move into his house to help alleviate his costs. I decided to move in with him. He had a nice semi-detatched place with an in-ground pool, so with summer coming, it seemed like a great idea. I basically had the whole downstairs to myself, which allowed for some privacy as well. I moved in on March 1st and it was a long and tiring day. He had some buddies of his come up from Detroit that day to help with things and they wanted to go out and see if they could get lucky with some of the local women. Now, there were 4 of them, including Mike, and they were in the mood to party. I didn't really want to go, but decided I should join them for the sake of appearances, not wanting to seem like a party-pooper. Mike wanted to go downtown to a London landmark called the Ridout Tavern, which was known as a sort of meat-market at the time. We got to the club and were enjoying a few beverages when I noticed this young cutie staring a hole through me from the dancefloor. I had no interest in women much that whole past year and I was with 4 black guys who were seriously on the make, so the idea that someone was interested in me was kind of strange. Mike came over and commented on how it looked like that girl was checking me out and I became quite nervous all of a sudden. I took off for the washroom, followed by Mike. I just wanted to settle my nerves and he didn't help, giving me a hard time about it and poking fun at me. He told me to go out there and ask her to dance. I said I would if she was still staring at me and we headed back to where the other guys were standing at the side of the dancefloor. As we approached our group, I noticed that this girl and her friend were standing right next to them. I walked up and asked her to dance and we had a great time on the dancefloor for the rest of the night. Her name was Martina and we spent the whole night sitting and talking in her parents' driveway. We became pretty much inseparable from then on and as most of you are aware, we are still pretty inseparable 23 years later. By that fall, we had moved in together and we began our journey through life. The kids loved her right away and, despite the fact that she just turned 20 that June, she was an excellent Mom-type-person for them all through the rest of their childhood. She is my confidant, my best-buddy and I can't imagine ever being without her. I truly believe that she saved me and I know I'm a much better person because of her. Thank you, my darling. You are undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to me. Oh yeah, here's the list:

10. A Crack In The Clouds - Julian Cope

It begins with a rainstorm and starts off almost Arabian-sounding with a soprano saxophone. This is the last song on Cope's great 4th album, St. Julian. I had been a fan since the Teardrop Explodes days and I liked his quirkiness and twisted worldview. This is a gorgeous, sad song, augmented by a big, full production job. The synths on the chorus sound quite a lot like The Who's Love Reign O'er Me, which, in my books, is not a bad thing. Cope's vocals are so sincere and real and they really evoke that period in my life when I play it now. "And hold you up for all to see, for I can't put you down." My arms are getting a little tired though......

9. This Corrosion - The Sisters Of Mercy

This is one of the best examples one could find of an epic song. It has all the hallmarks of the epic: dramatic lead vocals, a 40- piece gospel choir providing backing vocals, and the huge theatrical production of Jim Steinman of Meat Loaf fame. The Sisters were mainly one Andrew Eldritch, who hailed from Leeds, one of the bleakest and most downtrodden of England's industrial cities, crippled by high unemployment and a huge influx of heroin. His dark vision and sound emerged from Leeds in the early '80s and this album, Floodland, was his masterwork. He had ditched the heavier guitars of his earlier work for more synthesizers here, but the result was a bigger and fuller noise. This song clocks in at 10-plus minutes and was a big fave of mine and Steve's at the time. I'm not sure, but I think the first time we heard it was at an Indian Restaurant on York Street that turned into a dance club after 9 at night. It wasn't there for long, but that night is fuzzily stuck in my mind. "Kill the King, when love is the law, and the wheel turn round." The King is dead boys and it's so lonely on a limb.......

8. Just Like Heaven - The Cure

When Martina and I started going out, I took her to Toronto for her birthday. Of course, I brought lots of music along on the trip. One album we played a ton was The Cure's latest, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. It was a double-album and this song may be the best love song that Robert Smith ever wrote. This is a wistful and romantic little song, perfect for a new and blossoming relationship. It has that great descending guitar line running all through it, anchored by the brilliant bass guitar of Simon Gallup. This is the biggest-selling single that The Cure ever released and that is no surprise as the melody is terrific and so catchy. The nice, simple piano part really adds to the tune as well. I know it is one of my sister Shannon's top songs too. "You, soft and only. You, lost and lonely. You, strange as angels, dancing in the deepest oceans, twisting in the water, you're just like a dream." I had too much to dream last night.....

7. Like The Weather - 10,000 Maniacs

This song is from their breakthrough album, In My Tribe. Led by the mercurical Natalie Merchant, the Maniacs were a very good band who could write catchy tunes and play their instruments very well. Merchant was their calling card though, with her distinctive voice and lyrics that spoke to people both literally and metaphorically. The guitar playing on this tune is first-rate, as is the production by Peter Asher, who in the '60s was one half of the chart-topping British duo Peter & Gordon and then went on to produce Linda Ronstadt, among others. This song has such an immediately memorable melody that one feels they have heard it before, even if it is the first time hearing it, and the urge to sing along is too strong to resist. " Well by the force of will my lungs are filled and so I breathe. Lately it seems this big bed is where I never leave." Mickey's theme song on cloudy days....

6. Love Removal Machine (Extended Version) - The Cult

The Cult made a big move away from the psychedelia of the Love album toward a more straight ahead hard rock sound on the Electric album. Guitarist Billy Duffy channels Angus Young of AC/DC on this stomping rocker, all huge power chords and metallic steel. I was a huge fan of singer Ian Astbury, who could belt it out better than anybody this side of Robert Plant. The 12" single is again the version to go for with its extended drum beats at the beginning and the great heavy drum sound with its chunky hi-hats and foot pedals. It is the guitar sound that is king here though and it may be Duffy's best performance on record. The subject matter is the usual cock-rock milieu, painting a picture of the woman as a hot little piece of ass, but it is redeemed by the band seemingly not taking themselves too seriously and sounding like they know that they're in on the joke. "Having trouble with my direction, upside down, psychotic reaction." I never ask for directions....

5. Mr. Malcontent - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

This song is from their 3rd, and last, album, Mainstream. The album was given to me for my 27th birthday by Martina, who had gone and talked to the guys at Dr. Disc and got me an advance copy on cassette. What a great present! The whole album is blindingly good, probably my fave album of '87, so it was hard to choose 1 song from it. I decided on this one because it is still so fantastic, both musically and lyrically. Bassist Lawrence Donegan, now the Golf writer (!!) at the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, does an amazing job throughout the whole album and his sinewy playing anchors this tune. As usual, Cole makes several literary references in this song, this time quoting T.S. Eliot and name-checking My Beautiful Launderette. The guitar playing heightens the melody in a very cool way too, acoustic and folky and then punchy and rocking, especially at the solo part. "Cut off my nose despite my face and i will not more longer wait. Or should I laugh or should I cry, or should I part my hair behind." Laughin' and cryin', it's all the same to me......

4. Never Let Me Down - Depeche Mode

This album, Music For The Masses, is their crowning achievement, in my opinion. I was never a massive fan of these guys. I liked a few singles, but this album is great. The sound is much bigger, eschewing the sparse beeping synths of their earlier work for a robust, full-bodied noise, especially on this track. Slap on some headphones and crank this song up loud and you will see my point. There are even actual real guitars on this song and the piano lead-line is brilliant! I always thought the subject matter to be a little ambiguous, but ultimately I think it's about cruising around, getting high and just feeling good and Dave Gahan's vocals are the perfect instrument to convey that feeling. "We're flying high, we're watching the world pass us by. Never want to come down, never want to put my feet back down on the ground." My feet are firmly screwed to the floor....

3. Exhuming McCarthy - R.E.M.

They hired producer Scott Litt to work on this album, Document, as well as the next 6 albums. He gave them a more radio-friendly sound, bringing Michael Stipe's vocals to the front of the mix. This song draws a parallel between the McCarthy era of the 1950s with the phony-patriotic, flag- waving bullshit of the Reagan era. They even use an excerpt of lawyer Joseph Welch rebuking McCarthy at the Conressional hearings McCarthy held in the '50s, with the famous "Have you left no sense of decency, Sir?" speech. The song's main musical feature is the groovy little 1960s bass line played by the under-rated Mike Mills. For a political song, it sure is a toe-tapper! "You're beautiful, more beautiful than me. You're honourable, more honourable than me, loyal to the Bank of America." The more bucks ya got, the more friends ya got....

2. Amused - The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes were 2 brothers and a buddy of theirs from Kelowna B.C. The Hooper brothers, bassist Tom and drummer Chris, along with guitarist Kevin Kane, were Canada's finest band in the late '80s. This is taken from their 2nd album, Treehouse, which was produced by Tom Cochrane, who did a great job with it. Too bad he put out records himself as it is my feeling that he should have stayed silent behind the control panel instead of inflicting his horrid voice on my ears many times too many. I love the steely, ringing guitar sound and the earnest vocal by Tom Hooper. The melody is stunning and the harmonies are perfect. This is my fave song of any by them and it is one of those that sticks in my head and causes me to sing aloud for hours after just 1 listen. It brings back memories of Martina's parents' basement, where many hours were spent listening to music in those days. "If she starts to think I wonder why I am. She smacks her hands in her head and story's told again." Tell me the old, old story....

1. Red Hill Mining Town - U2

When I was compiling this list, I had trouble deciding on the order of the 10 songs. What would be #1? Well, I picked this U2 classic because it just wouldn't be fair to 1987 if I hadn't picked something from the biggest album of that year, The Joshua Tree. It was the soundtrack to that first summer with Martina, who played the shit out of the album. I took her to see them that October in Toronto, where we froze our asses off at Exhibition Stadium. This was always my fave song off the record. It was a different kind of political song for U2, as it concerned the Thatcher government's closing of coal mines, especially in the north of England. The politics was made personal by Bono's lyrics though, as rather than dealing directly with the loss of one's employment, it gives thanks for having someone to stand with you in hard times. It is a beautiful melody and quite moving and certainly one of my top 5 U2 tracks ever. By the way, they didn't play this when we saw them live, which they never did because Bono apparently couldn't pull off the high notes live. " With hands of steel and hearts of stone, our labour day has come and gone." Now that, my friends, is a great lyric!