China Crisis “Flaunt the Imperfection”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#396 in the Series) is China Crisis, Flaunt the Imperfection Flaunt the Imperfection is the third studio album from one of my favorite acts, China Crisis. I love their What Price Paradise album. Like I’ve mentioned before, it seems like my favorite albums coincide with the tours that I’ve seen, having said that, this is probably a better album. This one has a big name attached to it. That name is Walter Becker. Who? Many of you know that name. He’s one half of the famed duo that fronts Steely Dan, the other half being of course, Donald Fagen. Mr. Becker produced Flaunt the Imperfection. He also ads some synthesizer touches along with...
The Cure Play 43 Song Show in Sydney. Three Albums Are Covered in Their Entirety.
The annual Vivid Live Festival is still going strong in Sydney Australia, but they’ll have a hard time matching the excitement of May 31st. Not only did the Cure show up, but they treated their ‘Down Under’ fans to a 44 song set. They played their first three albums, from 1979-81 in their entirety along with a tasty encore. The covered their first three albums,Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds, and Faith albums completely. We have the set lists below. This is the set list from May 31st.. (Another show was scheduled for June 1st) Three Imaginary Boys 1. 10:15 Saturday Night 2. Accuracy 3. Grinding Halt 4. Another Day 5. Object 6. Subway Song 7. Foxy Lady 8. Meathook...
Sinéad O’Connor “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#392 in the Series) is Sinéad O’Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got When I started doing this write-up I noticed one thing that I had pretty much forgotten. I really could have saved this album for a ‘Whale Wednesday.’ You know, on Wednesday’s we featured the big, big whale sellers. This album was a number seller on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and sold more than 7 million units worldwide. That sounds pretty ‘blubbery” to me! This album featured her huge selling single, the Prince penned, “Nothing Compares 2 U.” It also had a lesser hit with “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” As every reader hear knows however, that’s not what...
Steve Kilbey “Unearthed”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day(#379 in the Series) is Steve Kilbey, Unearthed Steve Kilbey, Steve Kilbey….where have I heard that name you may be asking yourself. Well, he’s British born lead vocalist for the Australia band, The Church, as in “Under the Milky Way Tonight” fame. This was released in 1986. It was the first of eight solo albums that Steve has done to date. This was from a period when a few members of The Church decided to do some solo efforts. Guitarist, Marty Wilson-Piper would release In Reflection as well. One of the reason’s that I’m featuring this album is because one of the great songs on the disc is called “Judgment Day.” I figured I’d...
Rejyna “Solo Sojourn Live”
As composer, guitarist and vocalist for the band Citadel, Rejyna’s sonic work ranges from searing to serene. Her lyrics and vocals present phonic ponderings and philosophical premises that contemplate dreams and inner intuition as the source for true peace and happiness. Rejyna often strays from standard song structure, such as using silence as a chorus, or putting two or three short songs into one interwoven full-length piece, straying from 4/4 whenever a chance presents. The harmonic interplay and moods are intended to match lyrics and guitar phrasings to the message of the song. Taking time to return to her hometown for some overdue reunions presented Rejyna the opportunity to play some solo acoustic sets. She put together a set...
Morrissey “Vauxhall And I”
Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#354 in the Series) is Morrissey, Vauxhall And I Morrissey is, for many, the best singer and lyricist to emerge in the last 30 years. And Vauxhall And I is his greatest album. “How can you tell?” I hear you cry, “They all sound the same!” That’s a pretty common accusation from non-Moz fans and, to be fair, there’s a grain of truth in it. Stylistically, he doesn’t change things too much, he’s found his groove and he’s staying in it. There’s been the occasional foray into experimental territory (almost exclusively confined to extra tracks on his singles) but, by and large, his stuff sounds pretty much the same as it did way...
The Screaming Blue Messiahs “Bikini Red”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#346 in the Series) is The Screaming Blue Messiahs, Bikini Red Now, this is one of those titles that you might not be familiar. Well, except for “I Wanna be a Flintstone.” That song did bring the band some notoriety. I’m hoping you check out the playlist below. The Screaming Blue Messiahs were a darn good band!! One that I’d have a real hard time trying to fit into a category. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I like them. One description of read of the band was “Rampaging Rockabilly.” Maybe? “I’ve read “Rockabilly from Hell” as well. Don’t let the title “Rock a billy” define them however. They had more pub rock...
Ministry “Twitch”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#343 in the Series) is Ministy, Twitch Ministry was quite the big deal in Chicagoland in the early 80s. They released a number singles and EPs while still a club band. Some of them got them some nice air-play. It was big news when they signed with Arista and and in 1983 when they pumped out their debut album, With Sympathy? Supposedly, band leader Alain Jourgensen was never happy with that album. Maybe he was trying to tell us something with that title? Me, I loved With Sympathy. I don’t think they ever released a better album. After its release, Jourgensen had an ugly break up with Arista. He turned Ministry into a...
Drive-By Truckers “Southern Rock Opera”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#324 in the Series) is Drive-By Truckers, Southern Rock Opera This is really an interesting project. Drive-By Truckers had been around since 1996. They had released three albums. None that would make them household names, not even “trailerhold” names. For years they (actually mostly band leader Patterson Hood) had been thinking about a project that would eventually go a long way to raising their popularity to what it is now. That would be the double album Southern Rock Opera. It was a tribute to the rock music of the south, leaning heavily toward Lynyrd Skynyrd. It would not just feature Skynyrd, but southern rock and southern lifestyles in general. As alluded to earlier,...
The Walker Brothers “Night Flights”
Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#314 in the Series) is The Walker Brothers, Night Flights What do David Bowie, Brian Eno, Midge Ure of Ultravox, and Iggy Pop all have in common? One unlikely musical hero: Scott Walker. Okay, let’s dispense with the shameless yellow journalism right out of the gate: no, it’s not THAT Scott Walker. In fact, none of the Walker Brothers, the subject of today’s Cool Album, are actually Walkers by birth, but, rather, took the Ramones approach to pop stardom, way back in the early 60s. A little history: The Walker Brothers started as a pop group in pre-British Invasion Los Angeles, and found themselves positioned as a unique (and somewhat feeble) American “counter-strike”....
