Attacco Decente – The Baby Within Us Marches On
by All or Nothing! Records, 1988 A difficult to describe band and quite obscure it seems, Attacco Decente were around from 1984 to 1996, a long …
Jon
Record collector with a slowly growing online shop (very much a work in progress), post and blog about music, reviews, vinyl and other physical media, restoration of old hifi equipment and happily buying up unwanted records to rehouse them. Also messes about with old computers.
XTC – Skylarking – Virgin 1986
Close your eyes, imagine laying on a rug in a field, mid summer. You can smell the freshly cut grass, the flowers, and hear the insects buzzing around, the crickets and barking dogs. It’s the English Summer perfectly captured in sampled sound and droning organ. Summer’s Cauldron is a perfect introduction to the album. It sets the theme brilliantly and you know something special is about to happen.
Dexys Midnight Runners – Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Forget Come On Eileen and Too-Rye-Ay, forget dungarees and floppy hair. Dexys Midnight Runners underrated classic is a raw, lyrically brilliant, musically innovative masterpiece, and a debut album that deserves wider recognition and acclaim.
Drahla – angeltape
Post Punk band Drahla focus on avant-garde and experimental elements more than most. Post, post punk may be more accurate as they somewhat redefine and disrupt the genre, especially with the outstanding saxophone playing of Chris Duffin.
Dave Evans – Elephantasia
“A glorious folk opus from 1972”, “Long lost and attaining a legendary reputation”, “Timeless record that never got its due” You had me at folk …
BC Camplight – The Last Rotation of Earth
In Manchester, Christinzio managed to resurrect his music career and signed to Brighton based Bella Union a couple of years after the move. People started to take notice. He enjoyed increased exposure and reached many more listeners than he had ever done in the USA.
Toah Dynamic – Movement
I absolutely love this record – I have only played it through twice but I am really impressed. This is avant-garde experimental at its best and it is either a wonderful accident or, as I suspect, these boys know what they are doing all too well. Either way this one is a keeper and I am going to shout it from the rooftops until it gets the attention it deserves.
The Decemberists – The Hazards Of Love
The interviewer was incredulous that an ambitious concept album, let alone a rock opera of all things, had been considered a good idea for release in these modern times. I think he used the word ‘brave’ a lot.
Tenacious D – The Who Medley
“Who better to deliver a tribute to the greatest rock opera of all times? Who? The D! That’s Who!! We’ve been working on this medley …
Paul McCartney – Driving Rain
It must be really difficult constantly being compared to somebody, like your father for example, but even more so if that somebody is your younger self. McCartney set such a high standard with his first solo LP, McCartney, RAM and then the initial Wings offerings including the excellent Band On The Run, that any dip in form seems amplified and somehow more disappointing. I actively avoided a lot of it as I preferred to remember one of my heroes at his very best. Was that unfair? Was I wrong to do so? Let’s find out….