Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta 1979. Mostrar todas as mensagens
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta 1979. Mostrar todas as mensagens

quinta-feira, 18 de junho de 2020

BOB DYLAN: "Slow Train Coming"

Original released on LP Columbia FC 36120
(US 1979, August 18)

Perhaps it was inevitable that Bob Dylan would change direction at the end of the '70s, since he had dabbled in everything from full-on repudiation of his legacy to a quiet embrace of it, to dipping his toe into pure showmanship. Nobody really could have expected that he would turn to Christianity on "Slow Train Coming", embracing a born-again philosophy with enthusiasm. He has no problem in believing in a vengeful god - you gotta serve somebody, after all -- and this is pure brimstone and fire throughout the record, even on such lovely testimonials as "I Believe in You." The unexpected side effect of his conversion is that it gave Dylan a focus he hadn't had since "Blood on the Tracks", and his concentration carries over to the music, which is lean and direct in a way that he hadn't been since, well, "Blood on the Tracks". Focus isn't necessarily the same thing as consistency, and this does suffer from being a bit too dogmatic, not just in its religion, but in its musical approach. Still, it's hard to deny Dylan's revitalized sound here, and the result is a modest success that at least works on its own terms. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)

sábado, 25 de abril de 2020

NINA HAGEN: "Unbehagen"

Original released on LP CBS 84159
(UK, 1979)

Fun fact about this album - Nina Hagen and her band couldn't stand each other before the recording, so that band wrote the music and recorded it, and Nina wrote the lyrics and recorded the singing separately. (The album title fittingly means "Uneasiness"). Paradoxically, I like this album much better. Yes, Nina Hagen's antics often are just as inane and silly as on the debut, but she seems a little more restrained, which I personally appreciate. One of the best songs on the album is the opener, "African Reggae", a fun reggae parody - yodeling and opera-singing to reggae something unheard of, and yet it works pretty well. Some other songs are also fun too - the hard-rock doggie madness "Wau Wau" is also extremely silly, but pretty funny, as is the schlager parody "Fall in Love mit mir", again with some nice reggae parts. The rest of this album is again not much more than proggish 1970s hard rock, but the band is good at it. And the closers of both album sides are nothing but fillers. After this album, Nina Hagen went on to a solo career, and the band became Spliff and released a few interesting albums. 

sexta-feira, 17 de abril de 2020

J.J. CALE: "5"

Original released on LP Shelter SR-3163
(US, 1979)

As Cale's influence on others expanded, he just continued to turn out the occasional album of bluesy, minor-key tunes. This one was even sparer than usual, with the artist handling bass as well as guitar on many tracks. Listened to today, it sounds so much like a Dire Straits album, it's scary. (Mark Knopfler & Co. had appeared in 1978, seven years after Cale.) (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

sábado, 11 de abril de 2020

ELKIE BROOKS: "Live And Learn"

Original released on LP A&M AMLH 68509
(UK, 1979)

A decent RnB album from Ms Brooks here. Tower Of Power were the backing band on this album, which explains it's superiority over the rest of her albums. Contains a completely beautiful tune called "He Could Have Been an Army" by far the best record she ever made. This track is blue eyed soul at it's peak, a real corker. Also, contains a killer version of the up-tempo monster "The Rising Cost Of Love". This really is a great soulful album, definitely recommended for all old soul-boys/girls. (in RateYourMusic)

quarta-feira, 15 de janeiro de 2020

THE MOTELS Debut Album

Original released on LP Capitol ST-11996
(US 1979, September 17)

1979's self-titled debut release from the California band the Motels comes across as what a less pretentious Doors might have sounded like had they emerged during the new wave era. The Motels is a fairly cold, almost robotic affair which trades in lyrics that explore the darker side of life in Los Angeles. There are a few tracks that bear repeated listens like the frantic "Kix" and "Celia," a warning to a woman involved with the wrong guy. "Total Control," a big hit for the band in Australia and later covered by Tina Turner, is the album's standout with its menacing lyrics of possession delivered by Martha Davis. She is the one consistently redeeming attraction of this dated record. Although she tends to over-sing at times, Davis is a riveting and sensual vocalist and her vocals hint at the potential in the band. (Tom Demalon in AllMusic)


An excellent debut- coherent yet varied, artful yet accessible, tender yet rocking- and of course "Total Control" is a truly classic masterpiece! The songs are mostly broodingly atmospheric, either tense or sad; though track 4 offers a brief bit of wry humour, most of this is probably best listened to at night, preferably a lonely one... This is definitely worth buying if you appreciate New Wave and want to hear something a little more thoughtful and interesting than most music of that kind. (in RateYourMusic)

segunda-feira, 30 de dezembro de 2019

THE POLICE Second Album

Original released on LP A&M AMLH 64792
(UK, October 1979)

By 1979's "Reggatta de Blanc" (translation: White Reggae), nonstop touring had sharpened the Police's original blend of reggae-rock to perfection, resulting in breakthrough success. Containing a pair of massive hit singles - the inspirational anthem "Message in a Bottle" and the spacious "Walking on the Moon" - the album also signaled a change in the band's sound. Whereas their debut got its point across with raw, energetic performances, "Reggatta de Blanc" was much more polished production-wise and fully developed from a songwriting standpoint. While vigorous rockers did crop up from time to time ("It's Alright for You," "Deathwish," "No Time This Time," and the Grammy-winning instrumental title track), the material was overall much more sedate than the debut - "Bring on the Night," "The Bed's Too Big Without You," and "Does Everyone Stare." Also included was one of Stewart Copeland's two lead vocal appearances on a Police album, the witty "On Any Other Day," as well as one of the band's most eerie tracks, "Contact." With "Reggatta de Blanc", many picked Sting and company to be the superstar band of the '80s, and the Police would prove them correct on the band's next release. (Greg Prato in AllMusic)

sábado, 4 de maio de 2019

SCORPIONS: "Lovedrive"

Original released on LP Harvest 1 C 064-45 275
(GERMANY 1979, February 25)

Prior to "Lovedrive"'s recording, the Scorpions' lineup had a major change when their lead guitarist, Uli Jon Roth, quit the group (not to mention, the rock genre was rapidly changing). With this in mind, the band not only highlighted the album with the licks and riffs of three guitarists (Rudolf Schenker, Michael Schenker, Matthias Jabs), but they also dramatically changed their style to sound more like that of Van Halen. This change is quite welcome; not only are the performances more unpredictable, but the lyrics and melodies are better written. In fact, some of the Scorpions' best songs, such as "Always Somewhere," "Holiday," "Is There Anybody There?" or "Lovedrive" are found here, making it one of their finest. And the sleeve is one of the most iconic of all time!

quarta-feira, 1 de maio de 2019

MARIANNE's "Broken English"

Original released on LP Island ILPS 9570
(US 1979, November 2)


"Broken English" is the seventh studio album by English singer Marianne Faithfull. The album marked a major comeback for Faithfull after years of drug abuse, homelessness, and suffering from anorexia. It is often regarded as her "definitive recording" and Faithfull herself described it as her "masterpiece". "Broken English" was Faithfull's first major release since her album "Love in a Mist" (1967). After ending her relationship with Mick Jagger in 1970 and losing custody of her son, Faithfull's career went into a tailspin as she suffered from heroin addiction and lived on the streets of London. Severe laryngitis, coupled with persistent drug abuse during this period, permanently altered Faithfull's voice, leaving it cracked and lower in pitch. She attempted to make a comeback in 1976 with the release of "Dreamin' My Dreams", which noted only a small success. Shortly afterwards, Faithfull began working with musician Barry Reynolds who initially produced the songs "Broken English" and "Why D'Ya Do It?". The demos attracted the attention of Chris Blackwell who signed Faithfull to his record label Island Records.


Faithfull's immediately preceding albums, "Dreamin' My Dreams" and "Faithless", had been in a relatively gentle folk or country and western style. "Broken English" was a radical departure, featuring a contemporary fusion of rock, punk, new wave and dance, with liberal use of synthesizers. After years of cigarette smoking, Faithfull's voice was in a lower register, far raspier, and had a more world-weary quality than in the past that matched the often raw emotions expressed in the newer songs. The backing band of Barry Reynolds, Joe Mavety (guitars), Steve York (bass) and Terry Stannard (drums) had been formed in 1977 to tour Ireland with Faithfull promoting "Dreamin' My Dreams". Marianne Faithfull recounted how Mark Mundy was brought on as the album's producer: «I don't think I could have handled "Broken English" without a producer. You can't imagine what it was like. There I am with no respect at all within the music business. ...So I found somebody who wanted the break, and that was Mark Mundy. He wanted to be a record producer, and he had some great ideas.»


The album's title track took inspiration from terrorist figures of the time, particularly Ulrike Meinhof of the Baader-Meinhof group. "Guilt" was informed by the Catholic upbringing of the singer and her composer Barry Reynolds. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", originally performed by Dr Hook, is a melancholy tale of middle class housewife's disillusionment; Faithfull's version became something of an anthem and was used on the soundtracks to the films Montenegro (1981) and Thelma & Louise (1991). "What’s the Hurry?" was described by Faithfull as reflecting the everyday desperation of the habitual drug user. Her cover of John Lennon’s "Working Class Hero" was recorded as a tribute to her own heroes such as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, and Lennon himself.


The last track, the six-and-a-half-minute "Why'd Ya Do It?", is a caustic, graphic rant of a woman reacting to her lover's infidelity. The lyrics began with the man's point of view, relating the bitter tirade of his cheated-on lover. It was set to a grinding tune inspired by Jimi Hendrix’s recording of Bob Dylan’s "All Along the Watchtower". Poet and writer Heathcote Williams had originally conceived the lyrics as a piece for Tina Turner to record, but Faithfull succeeded in convincing him that Turner would never record such a number. Its plethora of four-letter words and explicit references to oral sex caused controversy and led to a ban in Australia. Local pressings omitted the track and instead included a 'bonus' 7" single of the extended version of "Broken English". The ban did not extend to import copies, and the song was also played unedited on the Government-funded Double Jay radio station and Brisbane community broadcaster 4ZZZ. It wasn't until 1988 when Island re-released the album in Australia that "Why D'Ya Do It" was finally included.


The album was recorded at Matrix Studios in London. Faithfull collaborated with producer Mark Miller Mundy with whom she recorded all songs for the album. After having the whole album recorded, he suggested that the music should be "more modern and electronic" and brought in Steve Winwood on keyboards. Musically, "Broken English" is a new wave rock album with elements of other genres, such as punk, blues and reggae. After its release, "Broken English" received critical acclaim. It peaked at number eighty-two on the Billboard 200, becoming her first album to chart in the United States since "Go Away from My World" (1965) and giving Marianne Faithfull a first nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In the United Kingdom, it reached number fifty-seven and was also successful worldwide peaking into the top five in countries, such in Germany, France and New Zealand. "Broken English" was certified platinum in Germany and France and sold over one million copies worldwide. Two singles were released from the album, with "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" peaking at number forty-eight on the UK Singles Chart. The album was included on NME magazine's list of "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

This deluxe reissue was released in a cardboard sleeve and features the original album remastered by Jared Hawkes with the first disc consisting only of the original album along with a 12-minute film directed by Derek Jarman. The film was designed to be shown in theaters and had never been released for home video before. The second disc features the original mix of the album which, in some cases, sound quite a bit different and, in the case of "Why'd Ya Do It" runs nearly two minutes longer than the album version. Supplemented by single edits, 7, 12 inch remixes and Faithfull's re-recorded version of "Sister Morphine", which had previously appeared on a 12-inch release, the second disc with the original mix was Faithfull's preferred mix of the album. The original mix receives its release for the very first time as part of this reissue. The spoken word track "The Letter" (not to be confused with the song by The Box Tops and Joe Cocker) is not included as it was recorded after the album was completed even though it did appear in some countries on the b-side of the 12 inch remix for "Broken English" (the single also included "Sister Morphine"). The 24 page booklet includes photos of the various sleeves and album cover variations that appeared in different countries.

sexta-feira, 26 de janeiro de 2018

ART GARFUNKEL: "Fate For Breakfast"



Original released on LP Columbia JC 35780
(US 1979, March 15)



"Fate for Breakfast" is the fourth solo studio album by Art Garfunkel released on Columbia Records. It was his first album to miss the U.S. Billboard Top 40 and his first album containing no U.S. Top 40 singles. However, the European release of the album does include a different version of the song "Bright Eyes", which was featured in the film version of the novel "Watership Down", and reached the number-one spot in the United Kingdom, and became the biggest selling single of 1979 there. Likewise, the album itself garnered international success, reaching the top-ten in some European countries. The album was issued in six different sleeves, each with a different shot of Art Garfunkel at the breakfast table. (in Wikipedia)

domingo, 22 de outubro de 2017

ARLO GUTHRIE: "Outlasting The Blues"

Original released on LP Warner Bros BSK 3336
(UK, 1979)

In 1979, Arlo Guthrie was no longer just Woody's kid, having a made his own mark on folk and popular music throughout the '60s and '70s. He was also approaching the age where he would discover whether or not he would be struck with Huntington's chorea, the hereditary nerve disease that killed his father. "Outlasting the Blues" deals with this sense of mortality, as well as faith, family, and time gone by. Guthrie refuses to ignore his possible fate, while examining the way things are, were, and should be. Musically, John Pilla's production, which lacks the vitality of his work on the superb "Amigo", doesn't do much for Guthrie's folk-rock, though the material on side one is all first-rate and certainly strong enough to stand on its own. Guthrie had recently converted to Catholicism, and his beliefs run through much of "Outlasting the Blues". "Which Side," the record's hardest rocker, begins as if it were just another '60s protest song, before you realize that it has more in common with "Gotta Serve Somebody" than "Blowin' in the Wind." "Wedding Song" is a beautiful tale of marriage, while the warm domesticity of "World Away From Me" and the record's best song, "Epilogue," round out the first side. "Epilogue" is a poignant baring of the soul by a man sure of his faith, if not his future, while at the same time at ease with his past. Whereas the first five songs are among Guthrie's best, the remaining tracks, though not without their pleasures, aren't quite as consistent and nearly atrophy under Pilla's lightweight production and the MOR backing of Shenandoah. Despite its flaws, there's plenty to admire about "Outlasting the Blues", which, at its best, is about as honest and mature as folk or pop songwriting gets. (Brett Hartenbach in AllMusic)

sexta-feira, 20 de outubro de 2017

SÉRGIO GODINHO: "Campolide"

Edição original em LP Orfeu STAT 094
(PORTUGAL 1979, Novembro 23)

Um disco, um estúdio, uma história

A imagem é um retrato quase banal: um homem e uma caixa de viola numa estação de comboios, um relógio onde ainda não são duas horas, um cartaz na parede com o mesmo homem e a mesma viola, gente normal em volta. O homem da viola é Sérgio Godinho, a estação, lê-se no painel de azulejo sobre a porta, é Campolide. Há 38 anos, o homem, a viola e a estação tornaram-se num disco com dez canções sem tempo. "Campolide" é o sexto álbum de originais de Sérgio Godinho, quarto gravado e publicado após o 25 de Abril e o regresso a Portugal do compositor. É, também, o segundo e último que grava para a etiqueta Orfeu, de Arnaldo Trindade. "Campolide", porém, não é sequer o título de qualquer das canções deste álbum. Chama-se assim, apenas, porque foi gravado nos estúdios localizados no 103-C da Rua de Campolide, ao tempo propriedade da empresa de Arnaldo Trindade e conhecidos como «estúdios de Campolide», onde gravaram algumas das mais importantes figuras da música portuguesa. Foi aqui, por exemplo, que em 1969 Adriano Correia de Oliveira registou o histórico "O Canto e As Armas", sobre poemas de Manuel Alegre. Adriano cumpria o serviço militar, tal como Rui Pato, que o acompanhou à viola: «O disco foi gravado durante duas noites de patrulha da polícia militar do alferes Adriano, com ele fardado e com a pistola, o capacete e a braçadeira poisados em cima do piano, e o jipe a passear por Lisboa, com a cumplicidade de certos militares amigos», contaria Rui Pato, muitos anos depois. Adriano foi apenas uma das vozes que se fizeram ouvir nos estúdios de Campolide, que durante anos estiveram para Lisboa um pouco como os estúdios de Abbey Road para a capital inglesa. De Zeca Afonso a Fausto Bordalo Dias, passando por Carlos Mendes, Maria da Fé ou Tony de Matos, praticamente não houve nome grande da música portuguesa que por ali não tenha passado. Não admira, pois, que acabasse por ser nome próprio de um disco. Este, de Sérgio Godinho.


"Campolide", publicado em 1979, tem uma ficha técnica de luxo: Carlos Zíngaro, Pedro Caldeira Cabral, Pedro Osório, Guilherme Inês, Luís Caldeira ou José Eduardo são alguns dos participantes, a que se juntam as colaborações especiais de Adriano Correia de Oliveira, Fausto, José Afonso e Vitorino. Dos dez temas desse disco, destacam-se “Arranja-me um Emprego”, “Cuidado com as Imitações”, “Espectáculo” ou “Lá em Baixo”. Ou “Quatro Quadras Soltas”, o único registo que reúne de uma assentada Sérgio, Fausto, Adriano e Zeca. De resto, não é gratuito dizer que a vida musical de Sérgio Godinho está, desde o início ligada a Campolide: foi para a Sassetti, outra editora histórica, sedeada na Avenida Conselheiro Fernando de Sousa, que gravou dois discos a partir do exílio ("Os Sobreviventes", em 1971, e "Pré-Histórias", em 72) e os dois primeiros após a revolução ("À Queima-Roupa", em 74, e "De Pequenino se Torce o Destino", em 76) . Depois, já na Orfeu, é nos estúdios de Campolide que grava o aclamado "Pano-Cru", de que fazem parte algumas das suas canções mais emblemáticas, como “Balada da Rita”, “A Vida é Feita de Pequenos Nadas”, “Feiticeira” e, principalmente, “O Primeiro Dia”. E, finalmente, "Campolide". Criados nos anos 60, os estúdios de Campolide viriam mais tarde a mudar de mãos, mas não de rumo. Como Estúdios Rádio Triunfo, depois Namouche, e finalmente Xangrilá, o 103-C da Rua de Campolide continuou até há pouco tempo a acolher vozes e personagens importantes da música portuguesa. Agora, restam as memórias de algumas gravações que fizeram história. Como o disco de Sérgio Godinho. (Viriato Teles)
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