For those who admit (to themselves, if not others) to admiring the song "Moonlight Shadow" - here is a similar but perhaps slightly better song which is much less well-known. This one has a male vocalist and, like "Moonlight Shadow", features a good guitar solo from Oldfield. Not an album track, nor one which appears on most of Oldfield compilations.
Yet another track modelled on "Moonlight Shadow" appears on Oldfield's album "Tubular Bells 3" of 1999. This one is called "Man in the Rain" and again sounds very, very similar, as though time had stood still for 16 years. Never let it be said that Oldfield is short of ideas!
A pop song of epic grandeur. Marc Almond's rather out of tune singing doesn't ultimately detract from what is a great song and a very good recorded performance. The synth player of the duo, Dave Ball, appears to have been a somewhat underrated pop genius.
from Non-stop erotic cabaret, available on CD (Mercury)
01 Apr 04 ·delicado: Yes, isn't this a brilliant, devastating track. I think the out-of-tune vocals are all part of the package! This shares some of the desolate and empty electronic feel of some of Joy Division's work, but puts it into a pop context.
There are many echoes of Morricone here of course, but they're incorporated into a sophisticated, subtle and original musical aesthetic rather than just being lifted.
I'm as unclear as ever about what Alison Goldfrapp is singing about in this song or indeed many others, but musically it's so very good that I am not too bothered.
Point of curiosity/interest: Andy Davis and Stuart Gordon of The Korgis play on some tracks on this first Goldfrapp album; Davis also plays on the follow-up "Black Cherry".
Richly melodic, attractively textured instrumental track at the end of an otherwise rather unassuming album. Nice chords. Nice synthesizer and guitar work. Co-written with the original guitarist of Genesis, Anthony Philips.
Pink Floyd are heard at their best with this piece of film music, keeping it simple and atmospheric. I find so much of their output over-ambitious, but here I think they got it right - a short melodic vocal section followed by a very simple organ chord sequence repeated to a very slow fade. This manages to sound gently, atmospherically organic and hypnotic where so often Floyd sound ludicrously overblown.
23 Sep 04 ·konsu: Indeed. The Floyd records that are best are the soundtrack material. Mainly because they had to adapt to a medium outside their own dreamy minds. This is my second favorite after "A Saucerful of Secrets" LP. But their "Obscured By Clouds" LP is also a soundtrack piece for an unreleased film that has the same fine qualities... I hate to get long-winded about the whole Floyd thing, but I have to mention Hubert Laws LP "Crying Song" (CTI 1002/6000) which features two compositions from "More".
