News: I-Level – albums available digitally for the first time

11 05 2019

I-Level were a 1980’s British Funk/Dance band who released two albums and eight singles between 1982 and 1985.

The trio had UK club hits with Minefield and Give Me from their first album, and are also remembered for the rare groove classic In The Sand from their second and final album Shake.

I-Level were Sam Jones on vocals, Joe Dworniak on bass & Duncan Bridgeman on keyboards. Jo & Duncan also appeared on John Foxx’s stunning 1981 album The Garden.

In early 2019 Give Me [U.S. Remix] featured on Gary Crowley’s Lost 80s compilation album, and shortly afterwards the two I-Level studio albums were released digitally for the first time. The albums are not available on CD but can be streamed and purchased via amazon (links below).

Download I-Level (1983) and Shake (1985) from Amazon.

The first I-Level album was a huge part of the soundtrack to my summer of 1982. I was a huge fan of the 12″ mix of single Teacher (sadly not included on this reissue), and I bought the album on vinyl.

There are so many great pop / dance tracks on the I-Level album. From the horn topped Minefield, with its wonderful jazz-funk bassline and the slow-burning ballad Heart Aglow, to the percussive Simmons-drum driven pop of Stone Heart, the debut I-Level album is 80s pop at its very best.

I love the arrangements on the first album, and Sam Jones soulful, often double-tracked vocals work so well with the electronic pop songs.

1985’s Shake has dated a little more than the debut, due to a heavy use of mid-80s sampling technology, but In The River and the more down-tempo In The Sand are classic pop singles, and worth investigating if you love eighties music.

So if you are a fan of early to mid-eighties pop, or are a fan of Level 42 or Seal, I can recommend the two I-Level albums.

Download I-Level (1983) and Shake (1985) from Amazon.

Follow I-Level on twitter @iLevelMusic.


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Thomas Lang – Scallywag Jaz (2 disc 30th anniversary edition)

11 11 2017

THOMAS-LANGFinally available again, in a 2 disc, expanded 30th anniversary edition, is Scallywag Jaz by Thomas Lang, one of the best albums from the late 80s.

You may have seen Thomas and his band supporting Alison Moyet or Suzanne Vega in the late 80s, or caught the band on one of their many tours. You most definitely would have heard the most well-known Thomas Lang song – The Happy Man – on the radio or seen the song performed on The Tube.

But there is much more to Scallywag Jaz than The Happy Man.  A fine version of the Billy Paul standard Me & Mrs Jones, along with the Hart & Rodgers Have You Met Miss Jones? and the original Shoelaces (Mrs Jones Part 2) tell the age-old story of lust and betrayal.

One of the standout tracks (and it still sounds wonderful performed live over 30 years later) is the albums opening track, Fingers & Thumbs.

A dark, brooding piece that really highlights the strengths of the early Thomas Lang material.

The albums pop / jazz feel led to comparisons to Sade at the time, but there was more depth to the material on Scallywag Jaz. Listen to the album and you will find yourselves telling all your friends that you have discovered one of the UK’s finest vocalists, and you cannot believe why he is not a household name. Be warned – don’t say I didn’t tell you.

Injury is lyrically the darkest track on the album, and features one of Tom’s finest vocals.

“If I could choose your injury
I would tear your heart into pieces”

Sleep With Me has long been one of my favourite Lang tracks, and it has not dated at all. Such strong swagger in this one!

Spirit features backing vocals from Sam Brown and some great bass and guitar work from John Murphy. John is now a successful film composer – whose work includes 28 Days Later & Sunshine.

The 30th anniversary reissue pulls together may long-lost Lang tracks from the era – of which the anti-war Sons Of is a particular highlight. The playful, fairground evoking arrangement (a great production by band-member David A Hughes) works so well with the dark, emotional lyrics.

“Sons of true love or sons of regret
All of the sons you cannot forget”

The second disc is a treasure trove for Lang fans. A couple of versions of The Happy Man, including the Robin Millar produced 2nd single version, kick off the disc.

Other notable rarities include a demo version of Sleep With Me, and a track from the rare as hens teeth vinyl only EP, Red, available on CD for the first time.

One of Tom’s finest early songs, The More That You Expect, is a highlight of disc 2. This song could easily have made the final cut on the original Scallywag Jaz release.

A couple of newer songs, recorded a couple of years ago appear halfway through the album. Thomas recently wrote that “Scared is about how difficult and painful it was to come out. Now I know how important it was to be honest and not to be scared, as its only made me stronger.” Scared is powered by a strong bass heavy groove and was co-written in the 90s with the late John Uriel. Vocally Tom sounds better than ever on Scared and the more uptempo Americana of I Believe.

The remainder of the album is made up of live tracks – from the Live in Tokyo 1991 limited release and some more recent, previously unreleased recordings from Liverpool. These tracks will really whet your appetite for the 2018 Scallywag Jaz tour that is on the horizon.

So first off buy the definitive version of the lost 80s classic that is Scallywag Jaz. Then buy the most recent Thomas Lang studio album, The German Alphabet. Ok, all done? Good – now why not follow Thomas Lang on Twitter and look out for the 2018 tour dates. You can now pat yourself on the back for acquiring such fine taste in music. It feels good, doesn’t it?

Buy Scallywag Jaz: 2 Disc Expanded 30th Anniversary Edition from Amazon

Buy The German Alphabet (CD) by Thomas Lang

Buy The German Alphabet (Vinyl) by Thomas Lang

Buy Torch (CD) by Thomas Lang


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Thomas Lang – The German Alphabet

4 09 2016

thomas-lang-the-german-alphabet-webTo say that there has been a long wait for The German Alphabet, the first studio album from Liverpool singer-songwriter Thomas Lang in 20 years, is an understatement. Even Kate Bush has released 3 albums during that period, and Kate Bush albums are rarer than hen’s teeth (insert your own cliche here).

Now that’s out of the way, is The German Alphabet any good? Oh yes its good, you will be pleased to hear.

If you are a fan of Scallywag Jaz, Little Moscow and The Lost Letter Z, you will not be disappointed. *That voice* is still in fine form, but if you are expecting a re-run of the first 3 studio albums, The German Alphabet does not retread old ground. Its exactly the sort of album you would expect to hear from Thomas Lang in 2016, and is not a nostalgia-fest.

Album Theme

The aspect of the album that jumps out straight away is the theme – musically the album is a nod to John Barry, Ennio Morricone and ambitious film soundtracks. In fact, the songs themselves are like short films, with a strong narrative running throughout the lyrics.

Kicking off with the albums title track, flutes and a high in the mix bass-line sit amongst dark electronics. An almost spaghetti western guitar line features on this (and several tracks) and The German Alphabet is topped off with a high-energy vocal performance from Thomas. The arrangement is wonderful on this song – strings and horns dip in and out of the mix, without over-staying their welcome.

After an up-tempo start, Rain slows things down. The arrangement sounds like Portishead meets Massive Attack. Rain is one of the trilogy of very electronic tracks on the album, and contains one of the finest vocal performances from Thomas. I love the breakdown towards the end of this song, with some Robert Fripp-like electronics and sweeping strings. I think this will be one of the most popular songs on the album amongst fans.

Shaken not stirred

Pale Imitation is surely a contender as a future Bond theme. This is a classic Lang tune – with some lovely (almost progressive) organ and smooth percussion under-pinning an emotional vocal performance.

“I’ve got a plan but you won’t get behind it”

Pale Imitation reveals itself to you over repeated plays – with little details rising in and out of the arrangement.

Tom-Parr-St-15.05.16

Film Stars you may already know, as it first appeared on the 1990 (cassette only) Refugees From Little Moscow EP. I’ve always hoped this song would get a wider audience, as it contains one of Thomas’ best vocals.

Just piano and voice, its a delight and Thomas channels his inner Rickie Lee Jones on this track. And I could be wrong, but towards the end, it sounds like Mr Lang lights up a smoke to see him through to the end of the song. Now that’s jazz!

Pulse is the first track I heard from the album, around a year ago. It has evolved from the early take, but remains by far the most electronic track on the album. The rhythm is in the pulsing synths, as there is no acoustic percussion, and it has a late 80s / early 90s feel.

The strings (and vocals) on the chorus are simply heart-wrenching. It remains one of my favourite tracks on the album.

“I touch your face, so cruel”

Vegas baby!

I think Klee records flew Martin Scorsese in to help Thomas write the lyrics for Be Missing, as its a pure 1970’s Las Vegas / Gangster flick-in-a-song.

Be Missing is also the first appearance of a (Scallywag) Jaz(z) arrangement on the album, mixed with some early 90s Portishead thrown in for good measure.

Lyrically, Be Missing is probably Thomas’ finest hour, and I love the crazy toms / mournful vocals on the tracks outro. Its all very high drama, and is definitely Goodfellas in song form.

“They dug a hole in the sand that’s true – and maybe its your size”

Colorado Boulevard is a gem of a tune, and is a beautiful late night torch ballad. Dim the lights, sip on some expensive whiskey (on the rocks of course) and wallow in this song.

Smokey, slow strings and trumpet power this expensive sounding, as powerful as Sinatra, jazz diamond. Over time, I think this song will sneak into my heart as one of my top 10 favourite Lang tracks.

Swing me baby one more time

I Go Wild (BBV) is the big-band version (a more acoustic, stripped back take is available on the LP version of the album). Its dripping with Vegas panache – the song is driven by a joyous ensemble that makes you run upstairs and slip on your tuxedo every time you play it (or maybe that’s just me).

Michael Bublé would pay a million bucks to swing this hard, ain’t that a fact.

Lucky Me dials down the tempo, and is the album’s sweetest ballad. Another top-notch vocal (and lyrical) performance, I’m sure this song will be a favourite on the forthcoming live dates.

“No moonlight and roses, we’ve been here forever”

Lucky Me name-checks some of the musical (and political) heavyweights, and Tom’s vocals ooze class.

Talking of heavyweights – Kiss The Canvas is a love-song to the pugilist arts, and is well-timed, coming in the year we lost “The greatest”, Muhammad Ali.

I remember going to a London Lang gig in the early 90s and the band were all crowded round the TV post-gig watching a Benn / Eubank fight (if my memory serves me well), and Tom’s love of boxing is clear on Kiss The Canvas.

Kiss The Canvas tells the story of the darker side of the sport, more pay to lose than pay-to-view.

The album doesn’t run out of steam, ending on two very strong songs. Sugar Don’t Work has a feel of early Goldfrapp, and is another of those songs that comes into its own after dark.

If David Lynch is looking for a lead song for the forthcoming Twin Peaks series, he should take a listen to the dark beauty of Sugar Don’t Work.

The darkest song on The German Alphabet, Watchman closes the album. The last of the electronic trilogy of tracks, there is a feeling of cold-war paranoia in the lyrics and a little of the spirit of Billy Mackenzie and The Associates in the music of Watchman.

Lost till I found you

An honorary mention must go to Lost Till I Found You, from the vinyl version of the album. One of the final songs from the DA Hughes / John Murphy / Lang partnership, its worth buying the vinyl album for this one song alone. Like the theme tune from a great, lost 80s movie, its no leftover.

Lost Till I Found You captures some of the best parts of the late 80s / early 90s  – the emotive synths and the subtle drums, and would be a highlight of any of Lang’s albums.

It looks as if this song can be bought in digital format from Amazon from 30th September.

“Winds blow through, rains came down – lost till I found you, lost till I found you”

I hope all fans of Thomas Lang’s music get to hear The German Alphabet, as its a vital part of the Lang catalogue of work. The album has clearly been put together by Thomas and the musicians who play on the album with so much love and attention. I hope we don’t have to wait 20 years to hear the next album.

Buy The German Alphabet

Dusseldorf (CD)

The German Alphabet / Rain / Pale Imitation / Film Stars / Pulse / Be Missing / Colorado Boulevard / I Go Wild (BBV) / Lucky Me / Kiss The Canvas / Sugar Don’t Work / Watchman

Buy the CD on Amazon (includes mp3 version)

Munich (vinyl)

The German Alphabet / Rain / Pale Imitation / Lost Till I Found You / Pulse / Be Missing / Lucky Me (alt version) / I Go Wild (alt version) / Sugar Don’t Work / Watchman

Buy the vinyl on Amazon (includes mp3 version)

Find out more about Thomas Lang

Visit the Thomas Lang website / Follow Thomas on Twitter

Visit the Klee Music website


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Jeff Lynne’s ELO – Alone In The Universe

10 11 2015

aloneintheuniverseAlone in the Universe is the first album of new material released by Jeff Lynne under the ELO banner since 2001’s Zoom. The opening track When I Was a Boy sets the stall out straight away. The descending bassline and strings let you know that you are listening to the classic ELO sound.

Love and Rain lifts the tempo, and along with the majority of this album, would not have sounded out-of-place blasting out of your FM radio back in 1977/78. And that’s fine by me – I wouldn’t expect a 2015 ELO album to sound like its of the here and now. That would be just plain odd.

Alone in the Universe works well as it delivers what you would expect – well-crafted pop songs that last around the 3 minute mark.

When the Night Comes serves up the albums first classic Lynne chorus, and the song is underpinned by a late 70s / early 80s reggae infused bass and guitar line.

The Sun Will Shine on You is one of the album’s strongest songs. It packs in more hooks in the first minute than the majority of current albums. The bass and synth are especially effective on this stand-out track.

Lynne likes to throw 50s rockers onto most of his albums, and Ain’t It a Drag has its roots in the era of Buddy Holly and Duane Eddy. But whilst the arrangement of Ain’t It a Drag pays homage to Lynne’s youth, the song is more Tom Petty than Roy Orbison, and it is not locked into just one era.

However the bossa-nova beat of I’m Leaving You IS pure Roy Orbison, and feels more Travelling Wilbury’s than ELO, and is the only slight misstep for me on the album.

Jeff Lynne

Earworm alert! You will probably think that you have already heard One Step at a Time, even if you haven’t heard the song on Spotify, as it draws heavily from the classic ELO sound and feels instantly familiar. As you would expect, the production values are high on Alone in the Universe.

Alone in the Universe feels like a early to mid-70s track, and whilst lyrically Lynne goes all Ground control to Major Tom on us, I really think the arrangement on this final track is a notch above the other tracks and makes you return to the song more than others on the album.

Alone in the Universe does not break new ground by any means, but thankfully its not one of those returns that makes you wish the artist had remained away from the recording studio. Its an album full of very good pop songs, and it sounds just like you would expect an ELO album to sound. It’s also free of excess – coming in at under 40 minutes and so leaves you wanting more.

So if you were a fan back in the 70s and 80s, there is plenty for you to enjoy on Alone in the Universe. Welcome back ELO.

Buy Alone in the Universe on CD from Amazon

Buy Live in Hyde Park bluray from Amazon

Buy The Classic Albums Collection on Amazon


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Gavin Castleton – It Was the Worst of Times, It Was the Worst of Times EP review

12 10 2014

It Was the Worst of Times, It Was the Worst of TimesPortland’s Gavin Castleton has released a new 5 song EP via his BandCamp page. The EP is a collection of songs about unconditional love and loss, but with a twist. If you’ve followed Gavin’s music over the years, you will know who he is singing about, and I won’t need to explain.

If the language of love is universal, then the same thing can be said about loss, it crosses borders and species and it always cuts deep.

Underestimate Me is a piano (and 1950’s sounding guitar) ballad that sets the scene – welcoming the subject of the EP, and the playfulness of youth and the promise of the future is echoed in the instrumentation during the middle section, before the final two lines hit home, signalling that this is an EP reflecting on memories tainted by loss.

“So I’ll just remember how you made me forget the world all around me
while the world still reminds me of you.”

gavin2

Watering the Soil is a beautiful song, with the sounds of night-time crickets providing the rhythm to the saddest of sad songs.

“I put you in the ground tonight
out beside the house
by the window light”

Where is the Fire? is the darkest lyric on the EP, riddled with regret and wishing you could go back and re-live some of the better times.  I love the subtle reverb on Gavin’s vocals on this track.

Expensive Love is a much fuller arrangement than the live take in the video below, but the EP version makes it clear that this is simply one of the best songs Gavin has written.

Rhodes and a nagging beat drive the song, which has some wonderful Venus as A Boy recalling strings underpinning the later verses.

“But then you got much worse when I took the job –
I had to leave work late and get up at ungodly hours to get out of all the debts I owed.
Maybe you couldn’t see the man for the brand new clothes…”

If you have ever experienced deep loss – whether it was the loss of a parent, a relationship, or a close companion or friend, this song will surely resonate. There are no cliches in Expensive Love – no trite “I’m missing you” – the song serves up some of the raw truths of the cost of love, which can be paid in an emotional and a physical sense.

“I knew you had to go but didn’t know how much it’d cost me”

Image by Carrie Vonkiel

The EP ends on an uplifting song in Team Love – with it’s multi-layered vocals and hand-clap beats.

“I’ll be fixing up my inputs and my outputs
I will learn to love and be loved from any direction”

The change in mood at the end of the EP might suggest that if you are going through the worst of times now,  hang in there because you never know, the best of times could be just around the corner.

Gavin Castleton – It Was the Worst of Times, It Was the Worst of Times – buy the EP on Bandcamp

Visit Gavin Castleton’s website.

If you’ve not heard Gavin’s music before, take a listen to his cover of Frank Ocean‘s Swim Good (mixed with the sublime Roads by Portishead).

I also recommend the Home (a zombie love story or is it?) and For the Love of Pete albums as good starting points in your journey. You will become hooked, trust me!


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Thomas Lang – Torch

19 02 2014

Thomas Lang - "Torch"Torch is the first new album from the Liverpool singer-songwriter Thomas Lang since Versions in 1996. Like Versions, the majority of the new album consists of cover versions. But where Versions was in some ways a homage to soul music, this pays tribute to late night, smokey jazz. For an artist so well known for his electrifying live performances, this is surprisingly only Lang’s second live release.

Torch opens with a cover of the Paul McCartney classic Maybe I’m Amazed. Recorded live in the studio, with just piano and no overdubs, stripped of the full band of the Macca original, it’s a powerful performance of one of the finest McCartney solo songs.

The rest of the album was recorded live during an intimate show at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in April 2011. As someone who attended the live concert, Torch is a great reminder of the evening, though sadly Lang’s between song quips are not part of the live album, which would have necessitated a double or triple album release to accommodate the often lengthy Lang tales!

The performances on Torch are subtle and restrained – listen to the end of the Torch version of Me & Mrs Jones below. The raw emotion in the performance seeps through, making this my favourite version of the song (surpassing the studio version from the debut Thomas Lang album, Scallywag Jaz…).

Masquerade (previously recorded by Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye to name but two) is a highlight of the album. The arrangement with just piano, sax and Lang’s powerful, rich vocals feels so right – see what I did there, Lang fans?

Torch has a real feel of the late 50s and early 1960s, especially on Billie Holiday’s tale of addiction, Good Morning Heartache. Some wonderful sax and guitar interplay from Paul Thomas and John Wheatcroft on this song.

My Prayer, a huge hit for The Platters in 1956, has a bossa-nova feel that takes you back to a long-lost era of our parents and their music collections that were filled with Elvis, Neil Sedaka and Connie Francis records. Younger listeners will recognise My Prayer from the David Fincher film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

© Brian Roberts

God Bless the Child was previously included as a studio cut on the Versions album, but this live recording is closer to the Billie Holiday arrangement. The band get a wonderful laidback groove going on this song. Another great take of God Bless the Child is a wonderful 1980s version by Billy MacKenzie and The Associates from a Radio 1 session. But I digress…

The album ends with Shoelaces, from Scallywag Jaz… continuing the Mrs Jones story and the only Lang original song on the album.

Hopefully the release of Torch will see Thomas taking the band on tour, so we can hear more Lang originals given jazz re-workings, maybe with some other long-lost classic songs re-worked (I’ve always thought a Thomas Lang version of Rickie Lee Jones On Saturday Afternoons In 1963 or Steely Dan’s Dirty Work would be worth hearing).

But for now, dim the lights, pour a glass of your favourite tipple and enjoy Torch. It’s good to have you back Tom.

Torch tracklisting:

Maybe I’m Amazed
In The Wee Small Hours
He Needs Me
Me and Mrs Jones
My Prayer
Masquerade
Loverman
Good Morning Heartache
God Bless The Child
Shoelaces

Buy the CD from Amazon UK

Other Thomas Lang releases
August Day / Scared mp3 single on Amazon

Scallywag Jaz and more – the best of Thomas Lang mp3 album on Amazon

The Lost Letter Z mp3 album on Amazon

Live in Tokyo mp3 album on Amazon

Versions mp3 album on Amazon

Feels so Right mp3 EP on Amazon

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood mp3 EP on Amazon


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Suzanne Vega – Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles

3 02 2014

Suzanne Vega - Tales from the Realm of the Queen of PentaclesTales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles is the first album of new material from Suzanne Vega since 2007’s Beauty & Crime. Following on from Suzanne’s reclaiming of her back-catalogue, with the Close Up series, this is the longest gap between new albums.

The album was produced by long-time David Bowie guitarist, Gerry Leonard, who looms large on the album, adding most of the albums electric guitar and more than a hint of the alt-rock experimentation of Bowie’s excellent The Next Day from last year.

King Crimson/ Peter Gabriel bassist Tony Levin is joined by recent Bowie band-members Sterling Campbell, Gail Ann Dorsey and Zachary Alford to underpin a lot of the songs on Tales from the Realm…

Album opener Crack in the Wall is not a hybrid of two key tracks from Suzanne’s debut album but a delightful new track, with mandolin underpinned acoustic guitars, and a real live feel. It’s almost a statement opener – this is the sort of sound you would expect from a Suzanne Vega record in 2014. The surprises slowly start to seep through on the album’s second song, Fool’s Complaint, with a very early 70s sound (the backing vocals remind me of Transformer era Lou Reed).

Then along comes I Never Wear White – and this is the point where the album really shifts to new sonic territory. Built on a Stonesey riff, and a very in your face rock sound – just raw guitar, bass (from Levin) and drums (guitar/bass/drums – the killer formula). This is unlike anything else in the Vega back catalogue. Not a keyboard or acoustic guitar in earshot on this track.

“My colour is black, black, black…”

Portrait of the Knight of Wands is my favourite song on the album. Delicate layered guitar and discordant keyboards provide the palette for this moving tale. A subtle reverb on the lead vocal and a wide mix give this song space to breathe.

“His mission, the transmission of technology”

Don’t Uncork What You Can’t Contain features a 50 Cent sample, the sampled becoming the sampler! A shifting arrangement throws in some Zeppelinesque, arabic-sounding string parts, and a very unique vocal phrasing. This track cries out to be a single.

Jacob and the Angel really benefits from the Gerry Leonard production, with a guitar riff bubbling under the song that Mr Bowie would be proud of. Hand-claps provide the nagging beat, as the song slowly builds as it progresses.

The musically nostalgic Silver Bridge (which reminds me a little of the late 70s new wave of The Cars mixed with Springsteen’s sublime I’m on Fire) is another standout track that reveals hidden textures on repeated listening.

Song of the Stoic is a powerhouse of a song, and for me, the album’s centrepiece. Referencing the production experimentation of 99.9F° (my favourite Suzanne Vega album), the early instrumentation sounds like 19th Century, Deadwood era America, with rustic guitar and percussion that evokes the clanking of early industrial machinery. An intensely moving vocal line and cinematic arrangement make this one of the best songs Suzanne has ever recorded. I’m never going to grow tired of listening to this track.

Laying on of Hands / Stoic 2 has a wonderful dirty Velvet Underground sounding guitar line, and a very percussive backbeat. The album finishes with the optimistic Horizon (There Is a Road), offsetting the darkness of some of the albums preceding tracks.

Releasing a folk sounding record would have been a safe and unimaginative option but thankfully, Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles is a million miles away from being safe, and should prove to be a career highlight for Suzanne Vega fans.

Visit the Suzanne Vega website

Buy Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles on Amazon UK

Buy Tried & True: The Best Of Suzanne Vega on Amazon UK

Buy 99.9 F° on Amazon UK


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Producers – Made in Basing Street

30 06 2012

Producers are Lol Creme (Godley & Creme, 10cc), Trevor Horn (producer known for his work with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal, ABC‘s Lexicon of Love, Grace Jones Slave to the Rhythm and singer / bassist in The Buggles and for one album, Yes), Stephen Lipson (guitarist / engineer / producer who worked with Horn on a lot of ZTT recordings) and Ash Soan (former Del Amitri / Squeeze drummer, now an in-demand session drummer).

The band started out as a live covers band, albeit made up of multi-million selling producers / musicians! The Producers initially existed as a way for the musicians to escape from the confines of the studio environment, and they rehearsed a set of songs by other artists that they had produced over the years.

The project soon grew into something greater and the band released a couple of singles (Freeway & Barking Up The Right Tree) in 2007, but this is their first full-length release, almost six years in the making.

Album opener Freeway is ushered in with Frankie-esque synths, and is a love-song to driving around Los Angeles.  Freeway introduces the two main vocalists on the album – singer / songwriter Chris Braide and Ryan Malloy (former vocalist in the short-lived post Holly Johnson Frankie Goes to Hollywood).

Geoff Downes (The Buggles / Asia) is another key player, appearing on every track, contributing keyboards, piano and rhodes.

Your Life is the first of three songs featuring Trevor Horn on lead vocals. As a big fan of The Buggles and the Yes Drama album, I had hoped for more Horn lead vocals. Maybe the next album? Ryan Malloy takes over lead vocals on the chorus of Your Life.

An extended version of the track can be found on the 2 disc version of the album, and it works well in an extended format, with some lovely trademark Trevor Horn heavy reverb on the vocals. There is a lovely pace to the song in this extended mix.

ZTT regular Luís Jardim also appears on Your Life, and the extended version on the second disc features Ryan Malloy on vocals throughout the song.

copyright Producers

Man on the Moon is a mid-70s FM radio style ballad with a fine vocal performance from Malloy and an outstanding guitar solo from Steve Lipson.

The haunting Every Single Night In Jamaica features Trevor Horn as the sole vocalist, and builds towards a killer chorus. Maybe this is how The Buggles would sound in 2012 if they were still recording?

“I know it’s you I should call
But my hearts not in it at all.”

Stay Elaine would not sound out of place on a mid-70s Rod Stewart album (that’s not a criticism by the way), and at times has hints of Del Amitri. Lovely guitar harmonics see out the song.

Barking Up The Right Tree is the only song to feature Lol Creme on lead vocals. A different version from the 2007 release, it’s one of the strongest songs on the album and is sequenced well to follow the previous track, which has a similar 70s feel. Gorgeous layered harmonies on top of Steve Lipson’s slide guitar make this song a personal album highlight.

Garden Of Flowers is the final song to feature Trevor Horn on lead vocals, and has touching lyrics, which possibly reference a personal tragedy that has been well documented. Despite it’s subject matter, it’s a very uplifting song, and highlights that although he is known primarily for his production skills, Horn is a unique vocalist and a damn fine bass player.

The album ends with a couple of uptempo songs – Watching You Out There and the album closer, You & I, another track with Chris Braide on lead vocals. Although Chris features throughout the album, he is no longer part of the band, but continues to record his own music, as well as writing for artists such as Lana del Rey and Sia.

I would recommend the 2-CD version of the album, which contains a hidden track at the end.  I won’t give too much away, but it goes back to the beginning of the band, with a live cover version of a key song by a band I’ve already mentioned.  That’s all I’m saying…. Ha!

Made in Basing Street is an excellent rock / pop album.  Hopefully it won’t take six years for Horn / Creme / Lipson & Soan to put together a follow-up release.

Made In Basing Street (2 CD version) at Amazon
Made in Basing Street (single CD) on Amazon


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Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man in the Universe

23 06 2012

Bobby Womack’s albums The Poet (1981) and The Poet II (1984) were two of my favourite 80s releases, but I’ve not heard much else from Womack apart from the wonderful Across 110th Street, the mid 80s When the Weekend Comes and the co-write of The Rolling Stone’s It’s All Over Now.

The Bravest Man in the Universe is the first album of new material since the mid 1990s, and follows on from his 2010 Gorillaz appearance.

Damon Albarn and Richard Russell have to take a lot of credit for the direction this album has taken. Free of old-time soul cliches, the arrangements and instrumentation underpin some of Womack’s finest vocal performances.

The 68 year old soul singer has a new gritty tone to his vocals, that sit perfectly with the glitchy electronic backing to most of the songs.

Please forgive my heart could easily have sat on one of the classic Poet albums from the 80s, but where those tracks were quite conservative in their arrangement, the 2012 Womack tracks rely heavily on drum machines, decaying piano and dub bass.

Womack’s guitar playing on the end of Please forgive my heart and it’s following track, Deep River is sparse, honest and under-played. My only criticism is that his guitar playing should have featured more on the album.

Lana Del Rey duets with Womack on one of the albums key tracks, Dayglo Reflection. A sample of Sam Cooke speaking also features on the song, which has echoes of trip-hop’s finest band, Portishead.

Whatever happened to the times is build around a cheap, haunting organ refrain, and distorted, echo-laden vocals and has a spirit of experimentation rarely heard in the soul genre.  This is the second time Womack has recorded this song – the first version was on 1985’s So Many Rivers album.  The 2012 take simply blows the original out of the water.  Stripped of Van Halenesque lead guitar and a gutteral vocal on the 80s original, the 2012 version pushes the emotion to the fore, and is no doubt the definitive recording of this song.

The late Gil Scott-Heron features on the intro to Stupid, a breakbeat driven song featuring bittersweet lyrics that appear to take aim at corrupt preachers.

The album fades a little toward the end, with Love is gonna lift you up feeling a little too light in comparison with the preceding tracks.  Luckily the album picks up again with Nothin’ Can Save Ya, featuring Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara and the albums closing track, the soul standard Jubilee (Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around).

So whilst both Poet albums will always hold a special place in my heart, The Bravest Man in the Universe has already become my favourite Bobby Womack album, and is one of my favourite albums of 2012.  A career highlight, you bet!

Buy Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man In The Universe from Amazon


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Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow

15 11 2011

So here it is, the 10th studio album from Kate Bush and the second release this year.  The last time Kate released two albums in one year was in 1978, when The Kick Inside & Lionheart were released.

The Directors Cut, a revisiting of material from earlier albums The Sensual World and The Red Shoes, was released earlier this year. The Directors Cut to me was in some ways the soundtrack to a tour that never was, an album that reworked songs in a way that Kate might have done if she had taken the tracks out of the studio environment and onto the live stage.

50 Words For Snow is an entirely different beast – 7 brand new songs clocking in at just over an hour, and unlike The Directors Cut, an album that demands repeated listening.  It’s also unlike any other Kate Bush album.

Opener Snowflakes rides on a soft synth pulse and simple piano, with hushed, reverb-drenched vocals, subtle strings and guitar.

“The world is so loud, keep falling, I’ll find you.”

Previous Kate Bush albums sound as if they have been put together over many months, or even years, whereas this album sounds very organic, with spaces that in the past may have been filled with instrumentation.  50 Words For Snow uses these spaces to create a unique atmosphere, perfectly in keeping with the glacial theme.

Lake Tahoe starts off like a long-lost Blue Nile track, and features male choral vocals alongside Kate’s.  There are a couple of very unique moments during Lake Tahoe, when the song stops, and after Kate exhales, starts again, which give the impression that you are there, in the room, listening to the performance as its being recorded.

“They say some days, up she comes, up she rises, as if out of nowhere.
Wearing Victorian dress.
She was calling her pet, “Snowflake! Snowflake!”
Tumbling like a cloud that has drowned in the lake.”

The song references the story of a woman who fell into the water, and in later years is seen rising from the lake. The songs focus of attention then shifts to a faithful pet dog, waiting for his owner to return, searching for her, pining for her as he gets more frail. Gorgeous minimal strings underpin the middle section of this song to great effect. Lake Tahoe is one of the saddest songs you will hear all year, and a real highlight of the album.

I won’t talk too much about the subject matter of Misty, other than to say I’ll never be able to watch Raymond Briggs The Snowman again without blushing. To some, this may be this albums Mrs. Bartolozzi moment, but Misty really captures that silent, deepest winter feel, and features some lovely double-bass and playful jazz drumming.

“He won’t speak to me.
His crooked mouth is full of dead leaves.”

The strings are sublime on the latter half of this track, which due to its length (over 13 minutes) has the space to develop fully, with off-kilter piano and guitar added to the increasingly frenetic ending, as the subject of the song looks for her now departed ice-cold lover.

Wild Man was released as the first single from the album, and is the most conventional track on 50 Words For Snow.  Sitars, chorused guitar and whispered vocals take centre-space on this song, unlike the piano led arrangements of the rest of the album. It breaks up the intensity, a little light relief from the emotion of the rest of the album. At times, the percussion almost seems to echo Kate’s 1980 single December Will Be Magic Again. I’m not sure if that was the intention?

“Lying in my tent, I can hear your cry echoing round the mountainside.
You sound lonely.”

Wild Man on Youtube

Snowed in at Wheeler Street is my favourite track on the album.  Kate’s voice is now deeper and with a more husky timbre at times, which suits this song, a duet with Elton John, perfectly. A recurring theme of losing people – lost in the London Fog, in the 9/11 attacks, in the city’s crowded streets, run through this powerful, deeply haunting track.

“I still have your smiling face, in a heart-shaped frame…We look so good together.”

I wonder if the title Snowed in at Wheeler Street is a nod to the Thomas Dolby track Cloudburst at Shingle Street?  Both songs have a similar synth sequence underpinning the track as well.

The title track 50 Words for Snow features Kate encouraging Stephen Fry to list 50 different expressions for the word snow. Backed by what sounds like mid-period Siouxsie & The Banshees, this track is heavily percussive and extremely playful, as Kate encourages the wordsmith Fry “Come on man you’ve got 44 to go!”. It works surprisingly well.

The album ends with Among Angels – another song that gives the impression of being an intimate live performance, with just you and the song. As the strings arrive, the feel of the album seems to change, almost as if the first shoots of Spring are arriving. A lovely end to the album.

As a fan of Kate’s music from way back in 1978, it’s comforting to hear an album as ambitious, as lyrically eccentric and as rewarding as this, so far into her history. 50 Words For Snow is an intense listening experience, this is not background music, and it’s not the sort of album to be scattered amongst other tracks in your playlist.

It’s early days yet, but this could turn out to be one of Kate’s finest albums.

Tracklist:
Snowflake
Lake Tahoe
Misty
Wild Man
Snowed in at Wheeler Street
50 Words for Snow
Among Angels

All lyrics & images in this review © Kate Bush

Buy 50 Words for Snow on Amazon

Kate Bush website


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