Music – Page 11 – Zonker.net

September 2, 2016

“Going Somewhere” by Colin Hay (No. 39)

Going Somewhere by Colin Hay album cover

Colin Hay is a storyteller. This is immediately evident if you have the opportunity to see him perform live as a headliner, as the stories between songs will be just as interesting and entertaining as the songs themselves. The songs, of course, are also stories.

Other 70s and 80s kids will recognize Hay from Men At Work, a damn good rock band out of Australia that managed three studio albums before breaking up in 1986. (They reunited for some touring between 1996 and 2002, but didn’t produce any new studio albums.) Hay’s voice will be immediately recognizable from his Men At Work days here, but Going Somewhere is a different beast entirely. Continue reading ““Going Somewhere” by Colin Hay (No. 39)”

September 1, 2016

“Excitable Boy” by Warren Zevon (No. 40)

If it weren’t for Warren Zevon, I’d have almost nothing to sing at the Karaoke bar. Whether this is laudable or something he should be ashamed of is left as an exercise to the reader. But give me a drink or three, and a mic, and I’ll be happy to belt out most of the songs on Excitable Boy.

Sad to say, I didn’t really follow Zevon’s career until it was late in the game. I knew several tunes, but I didn’t dig into Zevon’s catalog until his collaboration with R.E.M. on the Hindu Love Gods in 1990. You just haven’t lived until you’ve heard Zevon belting out a bluesy take on Prince‘s “Raspberry Beret.” Come to think of it, I also owe Zevon and the Love Gods (in part) for actually paying closer attention to blues music. Continue reading ““Excitable Boy” by Warren Zevon (No. 40)”

August 31, 2016

“Psonic Psunspot” by Dukes of Stratosphere / XTC (No. 41)

Psonic Psunspot is the best collection of 60s psychedelia ever recorded in the mid-80s. The members of XTC, working under the pseudonym Dukes of Stratosphear basically channeled some of their musical influences from the 60s and delivered 10 outstanding replicas that easily stand alongside XTC’s best work.

Psunspot is actually XTC’s second venture back in time under the Dukes name, the first release was an EP called 25 O’Clock. I prefer Psunspot not just for length, but also because the lyrics are a little sharper and it has a few truly outstanding tracks. Continue reading ““Psonic Psunspot” by Dukes of Stratosphere / XTC (No. 41)”

August 30, 2016

“Life’s Rich Pageant” by R.E.M. (No. 42)

It’s almost by accident that I wound up being a big fan of R.E.M. A happy accident, I might add.

Earlier in this series I talked about my early obsession with Robyn Hitchcock. Not long after I became a big fan of Robyn Hitchcock, a friend of mine turned up with tickets to R.E.M.’s Green tour. Was I interested? “Dunno,” I responded, “I’m not really a big R.E.M. fan” – and threw out an unlikely scenario “unless Robyn Hitchcock is opening or something…” Turns out, yes, he was. So… I decided to brush up on my R.E.M. Continue reading ““Life’s Rich Pageant” by R.E.M. (No. 42)”

August 29, 2016

“O, You Sinners” by Eliza Rickman (No. 43)

A few years ago, I went to see Welcome to Night Vale, expecting to be moderately amused. Instead, I was blown away by the WtNV cast, and their supporting musical act Eliza Rickman. At first I was thinking “well, this lady with the toy piano should be interesting.” And then… she sang.

Having almost no expectations, I was absolutely blown away when Rickman began singing. Her voice is lovely, powerful, and entrancing. If she were a siren, I’d have gladly steered my ship towards the rocks. Instead, I steered myself to the merch table and snagged O, You Sinners.

Continue reading ““O, You Sinners” by Eliza Rickman (No. 43)”

August 28, 2016

“Rust Never Sleeps” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse (No. 44)

Rust Never Sleeps is another album I experienced mostly through radio until I was in my late 20s. Experienced piecemeal, the songs are great. Pulled together, and given the dichotomy of the first and final tracks, it’s even better.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse have a strong track record, but this is the one I’d run back into a burning building for – assuming it was the only copy, and I couldn’t just head to Vintage Vinyl and pick up a new copy. Also why are they leaving the only copy with me? That’s just irresponsible. Continue reading ““Rust Never Sleeps” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse (No. 44)”

August 27, 2016

“Pretty Hate Machine” by Nine Inch Nails (No. 45)

Nine Inch Nails album cover for Pretty Hate Machine

When I wrote about Hallucination Engine by Material I alluded to two albums on this list being purchased solely on the strength of a review. Nine Inch Nails‘ debut, Pretty Hate Machine is the other, and it was love at first listen.

The first few seconds of “Head Like a Hole” grabbed me, sort of like Depeche Mode‘s Black Celebration had a few rough years and bought a few Skinny Puppy albums. Continue reading ““Pretty Hate Machine” by Nine Inch Nails (No. 45)”

August 26, 2016

“Vs.” by Pearl Jam (No. 46)

Pearl Jam‘s Vs. hits all the sweet spots for me as a fan of the band. All the band’s metaphorical engines are firing at full, and there’s not a wasted track on the album. You certainly can’t credit MTV for this album’s success – the band decided not to create videos for the album, and didn’t release singles either.

Vs. represents a band that got super-successful all at once and freaked out a little bit. Long-term I think this resulted in some self-sabotage (e.g. some unlistenable tracks on Vitology and shying away from “Better Man” which is one of the band’s best), but Vs. actually turned out quite well. Continue reading ““Vs.” by Pearl Jam (No. 46)”

August 25, 2016

“Wings Over America” by Paul McCartney & Wings (No. 47)

Wings live album Wings Over America is another one of those albums that I pretty much wore out the cassette tape. Thank goodness for CDs and being able to play something hundreds of times without wearing out the media!

As a rule, I’m not a big consumer of live albums, but I’ll make a big exception for Wings Over America. I don’t recall what year I first picked this one up, but I was somewhere in my mid-teens and still massively obsessed with The Beatles and their solo careers. Paul McCartney and John Lennon in particular. Continue reading ““Wings Over America” by Paul McCartney & Wings (No. 47)”

August 24, 2016

“Little Earthquakes” by Tori Amos (No. 48)

Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos album cover

What’s not to love about Tori Amos‘ debut album, Little Earthquakes? Amos’ command of the piano, her lovely and haunting voice, and the incredibly well-written songs make for an incredibly compelling package.

If you’ve never listened to Amos before, you realize with “Crucify” that you’re not in for a standard pop record. Her voice, her piano playing, the dynamics of the song… everything comes together like nothing else you’ve heard before. Or if you have, you need to tell me what I’ve been missing out on! Continue reading ““Little Earthquakes” by Tori Amos (No. 48)”