Category: Music

Let’s turn up the volume a little bit, shall we? This one needs to be played loud. L7’s Bricks Are Heavy, from 1992, is today’s top 100 pick.

L7, apparently slang for “square,” features Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner, Jennifer Finch, and Demetra Plakas. Sparks wrote most of the songs and handles vocals, with Gardner taking lead on “Slide,” “Monster,” and “This Ain’t Pleasure.” Bassist Finch does lead vocals on two tracks, and wrote “One More Thing” and co-wrote “Everglade.”

Coming along soon after Nirvana’s breakthrough, it was tagged “grunge,” though it would have been equally at home in the “metal” category. Continue reading ““Bricks Are Heavy” by L7 (No. 93)”

The Psychedelic Furs‘ 1991 swan song, World Outside has been one of my go-to albums since its release.

The Furs snuck this one in just before grunge, industrial, and second (or maybe third) wave punk took over the alternative music world. Released in July 1991, Pearl Jam’s Ten and Nirvana’s Nevermind came out in September and crowded out the old school new wavers like the Furs.

Critically, World Outside was dinged (basically) because the band had the audacity to mature a bit, and because it didn’t have another “Pretty in Pink” on it. While it’s fair to say none of the songs are quite worthy of a John Hughes film, it’s a solid album from start to finish.

[youtube https://youtu.be/dNEDY9I_wOk]

World Outside is a lush and complex album, there’s a lot going on in each track and it rewards repeated listens. “Valentine,” the first track on World Outside sets the tone perfectly. Butler’s trademark rasp rides on layered guitars and a lazy, steady beat.

“In My Head” picks up the tempo a bit, a no-frills crowd-pleaser that wouldn’t have been out of place as a single. (But wasn’t.)

The two singles on the album “Until She Comes” and “Don’t be a Girl” show a softer side of the band. “Until She Comes” is synth-heavy and melodic. “Don’t be a Girl,” keeps the same pace, but replaces the acoustic guitar with a undercurrent of heavier guitar and bleating sax that echoes earlier Furs tracks.

On album, World Outside feels introspective and at times sleepy. “Better Days” is the only cut where the band really cuts loose. It has the trademark warbly sax, unrestrained guitar, and Richard Butler tearing into the vocals with abandon.

Live, though, there’s plenty of room for the Furs to open up and tear the songs open at the seams. While this may not be the Psychedelic Furs best album, I have a strong fondness for it because I had the opportunity to see the band touring for the album in early 1992. The Furs played Mississippi Nights, an all-ages music club that ran from 1979 to 2007 in the Laclede’s Landing area of St. Louis.

[youtube https://youtu.be/pzIgeOh36_I]

The opening band, Pale Divine, was a local favorite at the time. Butler nabbed Pale Divine’s guitarist (Richard Fortus) for his next project, Love Spit Love.

“All About You,” the final cut on World Outside, is one of those songs that really needs an album format to support it. It never really takes off, just sort of glides along and takes you with it. It’s a fitting closer for the album and the Furs’ discography, leading off with Butler pronouncing “Now the time is almost done, the race for last is almost run, and almost paid.” Of course, the song seems to be about love gone cold, but also reads as shutting the door on the band as well.

The Psychedelic Furs’ World Outside is like a coda for 80s “new wave” bands. Along with Duran Duran’s second self-titled album, it was the last good album from a band that helped define the 80s.

The difference is, Duran Duran kept recording, while the Furs wisely went out on a high note. Sure, the Furs are touring again, but World Outside was the last studio output from Butler and company. After 25 years, I’d be skeptical of fresh output from the band. (But, hey, what do I know? Despite all odds, The Monkees managed to whip up a decent comeback album this year.)

Mark Knopfler has a tendency to make magic when he picks up a guitar. If he’s written a bad song or recorded a dud, I’m not aware of it. His work with Dire Straits, his solo work, and work composing film scores (I love the Wag the Dog soundtrack) is all fantastic. So when I say that All the Roadrunning is a stand-out in Knopfler’s career, that’s saying something.

I’ve been familiar with Knopfler since “Money for Nothing” was a big hit, but hadn’t delved into the Dire Straits catalog or his solo work deeply until about 2010. 

Harris is generally categorized as a country artist, which is a genre I don’t generally find interesting. (Johnny Cash notwithstanding, and I put Cash in a category all his own anyway…) I’ve checked out some of her work since discovering Roadrunning, and been impressed with her work as well.

But the mash-up of Knopfler and Harris is just phenomenal. The opening track, “Beachcombing” is a mid-tempo ballad that melds Harris’ beautiful voice with Knopfler’s bluesy growl to perfection. The guitar is understated but essential.

“This is Us” is an upbeat duet with a driving beat and plenty of Knopfler’s signature guitar work. If you’re not tapping your toes or moving your body to this one, seek medical attention immediately. The live version on YouTube is even better than the album version, and must have been amazing live.

“Beyond My Wildest Dreams” has Knopfler taking the lead with Harris lending harmony. It’s a slow, gentle song that you’ll be humming to yourself when you think you’ve forgotten it.

Harris takes the reins on “Belle Starr,” one of her songwriting contributions to the album. It’s a rollicking piece, showcasing her vocal talents with Knopfler’s guitar providing a solid foundation.

“All the Roadrunning” is another slow ballad that calls to mind the trials of touring life. Harris and Knopfler sell this one with the combined weight of many decades touring. Knopfler’s guitar takes a backseat to the fiddle and the vocal interplay on this one.

There’s not much in the way of outright rockers on Roadrunning. “Right Now” has a bit of a punch, and “Red Staggerwing” chugs right past energetically as a piece that’d be right at home in a country bar on Friday night.

Closing out the album, “If this is Goodbye” is another slow burn duet that brings together all the elements just right. It’s the kind of closer that makes you sad the album is over, because the ride was just that good, and over too quickly.

I deliberately posted the first entry in this series without having the entire list finished. Mainly because I knew that once the list was closed, I’d keep finding albums I had missed or questioning choices. 100 albums? Only 100? Yeesh.

Bat Out of Hell, though. It had to be on this list, somewhere. It has been part of my musical life for damn near 40 years. When Bat Out of Hell was first released, I was just seven years old, and heard it all over the place.

“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night),” and the epic “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” were staples on the local classic rock station. I think I snagged my first copy of Bat Out of Hell as one of my Columbia selections, one of eight cassettes for a penny. Was I disappointed with the non-radio cuts on Bat Out of Hell? Nope. Not even a little.

Bat Out of Hell is the Blazing Saddles or Blues Brothers of albums. While neither movie is, strictly speaking, the most artistic film, if I am flipping channels and find one of them playing… I stick around until the end. Pretty much every damn time.

Likewise, Bat Out of Hell sucks me in every time. “Paradise” is glorious anthem of 70s rock excess, with a few nods to Little Richard for good measure. “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” wrote the book on power ballads long before they were played out.

Meat Loaf was never able to deliver a follow-up half as good as Bat Out of Hell, though the “sequel” was a nice effort with some decent cuts. Still, one legendary album is more than most artists manage in their career.

Interestingly, Meat Loaf’s magnum opus was produced by Todd Rundgren, who produced at least one other masterpiece on my list. Oddly enough, Rundgren’s solo work has never really excited me that much – but he must be one hell of a producer.