You said something will change!

This is from a great album that I recently received as a gift. Andalucia opens with a beautiful echoey acoustic guitar. It's a tender, simple song, with delicate guitar playing, entertaining lyrics (like 'Andalucia - when can I see yer'), and a great melody. The atmosphere is enhanced by a steel guitar and some nice multitracked vocals. I guess Cale's voice is an acquired taste, but I find him rather earnest and charming.

A superb song from Cale's first solo LP after leaving the Velvet Underground. Very melodic, lushly orchestrated and sophisticated, an absolutely impeccably-crafted pop song. I really love the echo effect on the whole thing, coupled with Cale's ultra-fluid viola playing. A great album from start to finish, actually.

Considering how much I like this track, I'm surpised I didn't recommend it earlier. To me this is the standout from the band's seminal 1991 album 'Loveless'. To MBV fans, this track might seem an obvious one to recommend, but I think it sums up their appeal very well, with its beautiful ambient noises and simple but catchy melody. MBV's trademark use of weird echoey effects on the vocals and guitars is in full effect, and it's quite beautiful.

Kind of like a drole walk through rainy streets in Europe somewhere. Light, jangley echoy guitar reminds me of Ocean Blue, The Smiths and more but in a more mello mood. No one seems to know who Brandi Ifrgray is... he sang for Shadowplay before releasing two very cool CD's "Le Mutant" and "Stargazer".

another great from echo

great melodic rock with fine lyrics.

You might be familiar with Francoise's incredible 1971 album La Question, a track from which was recommended by another user almost four years ago (Oui, je dis adieu). I managed to get a friend to copy the album for me at the time, and I recall being very taken by 'Viens', the first song. I put this track on a compilation but somehow never really savoured the album as a whole.

Recently I found I could get the album on CD, so picked it up (along with another interesting Francoise album, 'If you listen').

The difference for me now I have the CD is vast, and I'm now able to appreciate the album in all its glory. The clincher for me is the blend of percussive Brazilian guitar, beautiful strings, and the Melody Nelson-style sparseness of the arrangements.

I chose this track to recommend because of the bizarre extra dimension brought by the fact that Francoise is just scatting - there are no words - and the intermittent moments of complete silence, which are surprising and really hold the attention. Parts of the chord sequence remind me of Henry Mancini (in particular, a track called 'Softly' from the Mr Lucky soundtrack), while the overall effect of the sexy echoey vocal naturally brings to mind Ennio Morricone's work with Edda Dell'Orso.

Gorgeous track off Goldfrapp's latest - a lush slice of 60's tinged sexiness, all breathy vocals, soaring pop strings and hints of Serge Gainsbourgh.

A mere pastiche? More than that I think. The track certainly has strong echoes of times past, but there is also something distinctly modern in the mix too.

There is other good stuff on this album, but it took me a few listens to absorb and appreciate it - which is no bad thing.

This is by no means a new release, but I've recently gotten back in to it. Most people have a misconception about The Misfits. Yes they have recorded some very 'crap' songs, and the newly re-vised band and almost everything Danzig has done lately is complete garbage in my eyes, however the original Misfits early recordings, circa 1975-77 are simply amazing. 'Cough/ Cool' is a Hammond/ Fender Rhodes driven, atmospheric masterpiece. Danzig croons like Jim Morrison in this emotionally charged ballad(?). Granted, the lyrics are kind of dark, "scent of blood when you cough, cool, cool, cool, cough, cool ", and most of the other words are relatively indeciphrable, yet shockingly 'pretty'...at least in their tonal quality. The song is very scaled-down and under produced (organ, electric piano, bass and drums), but this is a good thing, it's part of its charm. The amount of reverb and slap-back echo on Glenn's voice is brilliant. So, I urge anyone who has never listened to The Misfits due to the forementioned reasons to get off their collective 'high horses' and give it a listen, they have some really great songs. Other good tracks from the same era include; "Return of The Fly", "She", "Hybrid Moments", "Come Back", "American Nightmare", etc...

I'm surprised to find I haven't recommended this song before. An enchanting piece of futuristic pop written by Ennio Morricone, this great tune was part of the score for the wonderfully stylish Mario Bava movie 'Danger: Diabolik'. Christy, who also sung on some Piero Piccioni scores, was (is?) a heartfelt 'belter', and here she sings the italian lyrics, which are peppered with English phrases, especially passionately. There is a cool echoey effect on her voice, giving the whole affair an other-worldly, underwater feel. Musically, it's a very catchy psych-pop track, with a twangy, rocky guitar. It's quite short, but extremely powerful.

This song makes me want to be a proud american. It's definitely the finest antiwar song I've ever heard. It perfectly sums up my feelings about the bush administration and it conjures up the revolutionary spirit that must have been swirling around before the birth of our country.
That being said, I'm not usually that drawn towards protest songs per se. But this one grabs my attention with its drumcorps-like rhythm and its chanted vocal delivery with many layered voices. The guitar work is incredibly moving dynamic and textural. The meandering flute soloing echoes the lyrical call to "grab your fife and drum!" and then carries the song off into the sunset.
Of course, the lyrics are the most mind-blowing element when you pick them apart. After two poetically scathing verses describing the idiocy of empire, the third verse imagines the unapologetic uprising of the people. I highly recommend downloading the lyrics and getting familiar on that level. Powerful song!!!!

From the much maligned (unfairly) non Mc Cullough lp, a slice of dreamy, aggressive psychedelia with some of Will Sergeant's finest moments on guitar and a vocal to match from "the singer who never was". Should be on every compilation of the band but no doubt will remain hard to find. A pity.

Starting off with the haunting echoing of steel string suspended minor chords, and quickly moving into the feeling of darkness, Floods reigns as one of the greatest metal balladry songs of all time. With a time of 6:59 (minutes and seconds), Floods deals with the internal struggle, elements of corruption, and dissolution of troubles (wash away man/ take him with the floods), that is not dismissed or watered down into a three-minute wad of sound. Pantera's pervasive composing abilities are seen not only in the length of this track, but it its bridges and structured solo set ups. Phil Anselmo delivers this song on the back of Dimebag Darrell's mighty 'steel' guitar effect, and of course the trademark bass drums and top-hat kicks of Vinnie Paul that have made Pantera so famous. The bridge perhaps extracts the greatest meaning from the song; it epitomizes itself on the power chord riff solos and Anselmo's godly muttering of "floods" (in which we can picture a Goliath or force of destruction coming in to obliterate all existence), which echoes throughout the solo. A rather dark song, Floods is characterized by its catchy guitar work (which contains a spectrum of minor and suspended shapes), and staircase wit/reflective backdrop mumbling vocals about the cold, harsh realities of life. Recommended to anyone who doubts this band's ability to do other than scream and wax metallic, Floods will not be a disappointing track. The bleak acceptance of moving onto new horizons or ways of life, leaving the old and dead behind and walking on down the road, is embodied in the ending solo, with the subtle sound of rainfall calming the listener in the end. 5 out of 5 stars for its genre.

A solo single from a member of Japanese space rock collective Acid Mothers Temple. For them she plays Synthesiser (a nice old Roland) Cigarettes and Beer. On this she also sings.
Its a strange sounding thing, theres no bass or even much lower mid range. Echo'd synthesiser, a very old sounding drum box, and vocals all occupying the same accoustic space to very psychedelic effect. But yet, very poppy, the vocals stay with you for ages.
Lovely stuff.

I'm glad that I get the opportunity to be the first to recommend a Bunnymen track, especially since their early work, which I feel is far stronger than anything after "Porcupine," is unknown, primarily Stateside, to many.

"Heaven Up Here" is a car losing it's wheels at full speed while cornering on a high mountain pass. Will Sargeant's opening chick-chick-chicking on guitar gives way to a straight bassdrop, headlong into Pete DeFreitas' insistent pounding on drums, while Ian McColluch's yelps sound utterly desperate, claustrophobic, pleading and angry simultaneously. There's a pause in the careening during the bridge, just long enough for Ian to remind us that "We're all groovy, groovy people...we're okay, we're okay," before it all plunges straight down the cliffside, banging, exploding, scraping and finally, ending succinctly.

I don't ever recall hearing back then, and rarely today, such a beautifully cacophonic melding of swirling psychedelia and assaultive punk/pop. The guitars are cascades of shimmering shards of sound. Les Pattinson's coy, but effective bassline floats beneath the furious energy DeFreitas unleashes on his drumkit. "Mac the Mouth" may be the frontman, but I think this gem is DeFreitas' piece all the way.

After 20+ years of living with this album, and this song in particular, the pump, pump, pump of the bass drum still sends shivers up my spine. Don't overlook this album as a whole either!

With the exception of the silly dropping "daaaaaayyy" at the very end of this track, it's probably my favorite reworking of a Bowie song. The epic, quickly fading strings and strange raising/falling echoing voices pushing thru Bowie's unchanged vocals, wonderful. The strings add more power to Bowies lyrics.

An intense and beautiful epic, this track is the opener on the band's superb 1998 album, 'Deserters Songs'. I'm quite fickle, and usually prefer two to three-minute songs, but this track is so brilliant that it seems short at 6 minutes. It builds up beautifully, starting with just an echoey string aura, with vocals, synth (a Supertramp-like wurlitzer sound) and guitar coming in one by one. The music finally explodes after a couple of minutes, with full drums and eerie oscillating noises. It's incredibly beautiful and dense, and the song has a melancholy air that is very affecting. Mercury Rev have a habit of putting incredible tracks at the beginning of their albums. I'm glad they are now getting more of the attention they deserve.

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".

Alan Price left The Animals in 1965 and began his career as as the lead singer of The Alan Price Set in 1966.

Their first single was a flop. This, their second, made the Top Ten, in England.

It's my personal favourite rendition of this much covered, Screamin' Jay Hawkins song. The most famous version is probably by Nina Simone, which I also rate very highly.

Alan's version is tremendously powerful, helped by his skilful, echoey use of the Hammond Organ.

Price never 'made it' in the USA as a solo performer. He was terrified of flying, so the necessary promotion of his work, stateside, suffered. He also gave this as his reason for leaving the Animals, who needed to spend a lot of time in the USA, as they had a huge following there.

He's one of my favourite British artists, solo & otherwise, of the '60's & I think this is my favourite of his songs.

The leadoff track of the Psychedelic Furs' 1980 self-titled debut LP takes the lead of Brian Eno's influential work with David Bowie and his own Roxy Music and merges it with the energy, attitude, and bombast of punk rock. After a stark and sublimely beautiful synthesizer-soundscape introduction, Vince Ely's drums abruptly pound in with echoing tom toms. The rest of the band launches into a one- or two-chord assault that gives little indication of the poppier direction the group would take on later records. But the power demonstrated here on "India" remained as an undercurrent of almost all of the band's later work, even if only implied at times. And if one listens closely, there is even a bit of melody amidst the Fall-like (and by extension, Stooges and Can-like) rhythmic pummeling. Producer Steve Lillywhite was already enjoying an early peak in his recording career with this album and U2's 1980 debut, Boy, forging a sound that bridged late-'70s punk with 1980s shine and texture.
(AMG)

This song was to be a key moment in the reformation of Echo & the Bunnymen. Ian McCulloch originally wrote "Just a Touch Away" back in the mid-Nineties, in the midst of the Electrafixion era, but felt it inappropriate for that band. Over time, the singer found himself shelving more and more songs, as it became ever more evident that Electrafixion's days were numbered. Eventually McCulloch played a demo of the song for Will Sergeant, who was decidedly impressed; soon after, the pair turned out the lights on Elektrafixion, re-united with Les Pattison, reformed Echo & the Bunnymen, and began work on their new album, 1997's Evergreen. "Just a Touch Away" would take pride of place within, its evocative atmospheres and haunting lyrics creating an eloquent showcase of the band's new styles and sounds. Today, the song is Sergeant's favorite track from the set, proving McCulloch was right to have so much faith in it all along.

"Kid Charlemagne" sounds like it's starting in the middle -- a little instrumental passage between stanzas, or the middle of a drug bust. Whatever it is, it works: the song drops you right into a seedy, sun-soaked, coke-fueled, sour-tasting hangover of a scene, populated by "Day-Glo freaks" and "low-rent friends."

What makes the song most memorable for me are the two all-too-brief soaring guitar solos unleashed by Larry Carlton (and drums by Bernard Purdie!), particularly the one that still echoes in the ears of the listener on the way out. That and the unforgettable couplet, bracketed in the last verse (and sung by Donald Fagen with a half-faltering note that makes it sound like undisguised joy) for maximum effect:

"Is there gas in the car?
Yes, there's gas in the car."

Sometimes it's just the slightest detail that turns a song into a masterpiece.

Is it just me or are the original compositions on Command LPs almost always the best and most adventurous? Here is one my all-time favorite Command recordings. A far-out, moogy masterpiece by Hyman. It's about 8 minutes long, not nearly as pop as the rest of the record, and totally brilliant. According to the liner notes, Kolumbo was improvised on the Moog and the Maestro Rhythmaster, "a mechanical drum device," fed through a Echoplex-tape reverberation unit. Improvised Moog? Is that possible? This is very strange stuff. From the liner notes: "[...] there is an effect of a battery of African drummers following an improvised soloist. The listener can provide his own scenario of what seems to be a musical battle, as a second soloist abruptly materializes, challenging the first man. At the end, the original soloist states a brief epilogue, packs up his horn, and splits."

El mejor cover hecho de Family. Del disco incluido en Rockdeluxe Dic. 2003 es el track m�s valioso.
La canci�n por si sola es absolutamente hermosa. En su sencillo pop, Family creo un mundo plateado que ahora Ana D texturiza.

I love music that can make you visualize in your mind what the song is trying to convey. This is one of those songs that always makes me feel nostalgic and wistful whenever I hear it - nostalgic not because it's a song from my childhood but because it talks about happy times gone by. When I hear it, I can picture in my mind a group of friends driving in a car through their hometown with an orange sunset in the sky. This is a song about happy memories which is something that everybody can relate to.

The instrumentals are nice too. I like how the guitar flares up at the chorus, and the steady beat of the drum, and how the singer's voice seems to echo throughout the song even after he's sung a word. This song might not seem very special, but it's amazing to listen to!

I am a connoisseur (er, fan) of Japanese pop music, not just young further-out acts/groups like Cornelius (lost w/o his tape loops) and Love Psychedelico (think Beatles Meets Velvet Underground). But also that strain of Japanese pop which draws heavily on the stylistic traditions of the usual Brill Building suspects. i.e. Solo Nihogo artists like Mariko Takeuchi, especially those tracks with arrangements by the great Tomaji Sogawa. Also Chage and Aska, Eichi Ohtaki, (sometimes called Japan's Phil Spector), Gospellers, Rag Fair and, of course, Pizzicato Five. I am especially drawn to the efforts of Tatsuro Yamashita as a solo artist, and of his tracks with his wife, Mariya Takeuchi, released under her name. On their own and as a team they have been recording since the 1980s and in (affectionately known by his fans as) Tats' case since the late seventies (his first album was co-produced and arranged in the U.S. by the 4 Seasons' Charles Callelo). There are a number of other artists like this in Japan with uncommonly lengthy---by U.S. standards---careers. And believe it or not, a hit record in Japan sells in numbers that are generally far larger than the U.S. despite a population that is roughly half as large.

One of my favorite Takeuchi - Yamashita collaborations (she writes and sings, he arranges) is "Let's Get Married," which would not be perceived as being retro or sixties or somesuch by (IMHO) the more flexible and openminded Japanese music audience. Even though, admittedly it does draw upon such musical conceits. Instead, Let's Get Married would merely be regarded as a great record, case closed.

This 1984 cut track is timelessly, and extra-territorily infectuous. But with the exception of Kyu Sakamoto in 1963 with his fluke number one single, Sukiyaki, to the best of my knowledge no Japanese artist of any musical inclination has been able to crack the U.S. charts in any significant way. General garden variety xenophobia coupled with a hard time wrapping the tongue around those hard-to-pronounce names with two many vowels and and syllables. It is doubtful that LGM, even though it is sung by Takeuchi in perfectly accented English, was ever released in the U.S.

Starting with a full blown fanfare of the Wedding March played on organ, after twenty seconds, Let's Get Married abruptly switches gears and mood and becomes an ever-ascending excercise in neo-Spectorian pop, replete with castinets, chimes, a swirling ooh-wah background chorale (courtesy of an overdubbed Yamashita), multiple drumkits, a full complement of string players and plenty of good old fashioned Gold Star Studio-style echo. A paen to the joys of marriage, my favorite moment happens at 1:42 way down in the mix right after Takeuchi sings the line "You and me with a small house and a dog," where, if you listen carefully you can hear the sound of a dog yapping for joy. Homage to the "Pet" at the end of Brian Wilson's "Caroline, No" perhaps?

Both Yamashita and Takeuchi had number one albums in Japan last year. Unlike most of their 70s and 80s U.S. rock/pop counterparts, they have not been cast aside by the bulk of Japanese record buyers, but continue to peak at the top of the charts with every new issue. A listen to this perfectly crafted, classic, three minute (well. . . 3;45 actually) track should help illustrate why this is so.

Bill Reed (new to this list)

The vocalization of a persistent daydream delivered with a truly ethereal sound. I find this song hauntingly beautiful. I was also lucky enough to come across a promotional-only CD single that features two great house mixes by Jonathan Peters although sadly, they are both edits that clock in around 4 minutes each.

Travelling music if there every was any. No matter the vehicle, you roll with this in the deck and it's just nice. Guitar in overdrive, Echo effect in full effect, vocals... hey we've been there. The lone guitar note break is the bomb if you are playing air guitar.

If someone would have asked me say ten years ago what artist's oeuvre I would take with me to a desert island, I would with dead certainty have answered: everything by Joni Mitchell, please. I'm not so sure anymore, although it could well be that I, when push comes to shove, would still make that choice. So it may not come as a surprise now that for a long time my all time best album was one of Joni's, Don Juan's Reckless daughter, where her cooperation with Jaco Pastorius really took off, for instance on this song where she's questioning her love for a man who's new sweety has already moved in while still keeping poor Joni (assuming the song is sort of autobiographical) on the side as his Off Night Backstreet. Jaco's warm bass carries the whole song and is almost like a second voice to Joni's singing, it blends marvelously with her cold metal guitar, some nice echoey and spacy flageolets too, great additional vocals - "Backstreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!"- by JD Souther and Glenn Frey, drums by John Guerrin, subtle and tight. PS Be warned that the soundfile is quite big (500 Kb).

Clocking in at around 2 minutes, this B-side is very simple, but beautiful. It was something of a 'holy grail' to me as a young Smiths fan, hidden as it was on the rare 'Suedehead' single (cassette and CD singles only!). I managed to procure a tape of it via my brother, and was instantly entranced. Morrissey has recorded many songs which are catchier and more intense than this, yet it has a unique power. The lyrics are entertaining - 'I found the fountain of youth and I fell in', and the accompaniment is delicate and sparse, with some great guitar playing from Vini Reilly. It ends with something rather lovely - it's nothing really, but it's one of those little details which when I was young, I used to pick on in songs - as Morrissey repeats 'I'll never learn', a spooky, echoey sound comes in and envelopes the entire song. Such little things used to please me...

This sounds very different from most of what I've recommended. In fact, there are days when I wouldn't want to listen to this song at all. It is pretty incredible, however. I like it both for its remarkable mood and instrumentation (this is a Phil Spector production), and for its lyrical content (a melancholic but resigned tale, remembering a love affair). Leonard sings 'A heavy burden lifted from my soul/I learned that love was out of my control', with a reverb effect on his voice, accompanied by a sweet string arrangement and a faint, echoey backing choir. His delivery is casual, yet committed - a style that definitely influenced Nick Cave.

There seems to be a cut off age where people either recognise this tune immediately, or have never heard it. I'm not sure what year Sesame Street stopped using this cartoon, but my guess is somewhere between 1980 and 1985. Having said that, for those of you who do recognise the track, it may bring back images of a cartoon pinball racing around a pinball machine with you following closely behind. I never realised that this track was by The Pointer Sisters (no surprise there), nor appreciated how funky it was as a toddler (no surprise there either). This track was never released on any Sesame Street records, but a label called "Legacy" has recently released a 3CD box set of tracks from Sesame Street, mostly including the celebrities that have visited over the years (check Stevie Wonder's funky toon), but with this track on it also. This re-edited track was also released as a 12" (with two versions of "C is for Cookie" on the flip) at the same time that the box set was released.

Sesame Street expanded into many countries, some of which created their own versions ("Vila Sesamo" in Brazil, "Sesamstraat" in the Netherlands, "Iftah Ya Simsim" in Kuwait and "Rechov Sumsum" in Israel to name a few), and I'd be interested to hear comments as to whether or not Pinball Number Count was shown in these countries also.

great 80's band

Unreal.
First of all, there's Jill Scott. With as much respect I have for her songwriting and singing abilities, I've never thought of her as a musical genius. Her music was, and stays, consistently the best soul music being released. And I'm sure that in twenty years I'll still have great fondness listening to her tunes. Yet, I don't hesitate to state that she is not a genius.

"Slowly Surely" is a great track off Jill Scott's "Who is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1" album. The track, itself, is a departure from the rest of the album in composition. It is lyrically and melodically experimental, and deosn't perform as a very commercially radio friendly tune. Having said that, this is probably my favorite track on this sublime album.

Theo Parrish is a genius, however. There are no two ways about it. His music is difficult to understand. His path to fame and stardom seems as intentional as Donald Trump's efforts at staying unnoticed. He has a tendency to compose electronic dance music with beats so slow, they'd make Big Daddy Kane half step. This isn't a salmon swimming upstream. This fish is out of the water wondering why he can't fly.

The remix, in the commercial music industry, has been tainted ever since the digital age. Starting off as a tool for DJs in night clubs, a track would have been remixed to have extended beats in the beginning and the end of the track. Thus, early remixes were plainly titled, "Extended Version". However, remixes on commercial radio are merely an effort to milk the popularity of whatever is popular at the moment. These remixes usually include a guest vocalist singing, or rapping, along the original track. Another version of the remix is the time filler. When albums were made with consideration to program times for opposing sides (as well as cassette tapes), remixes were often added when material was scarce. This practice would eventually wipe out the addition of the "Reprise" track. These remix tracks were usually the chosen radio friendly track with extra production on top of the original track.

The remix for "Slowly Surely" is none of the above. It is very unique as it's own being. It pulsates to it's own heartbeat. It moves on it's own, in no predictable direction, as if Theo Parrish had little control over his artistic output. That's his genius. That's his art.

One of a handful of Quebec artist Michel Pagliaro's (unsuccessful) stabs at the American charts, "Some Sing, Some Dance" is a breezy, acoustic-led pop trifle, lighter than air, with rudimentary lyrics apparently provided by William Finkelberg. A sample:

Ooh you
How would I know just to hold you
How could I show that I want to
'Cause I do wanna hold you
Yes I do

And the following verses expand ever so slightly on that very simplistic base, except by the 3rd terse verse, Michel has sped along from desiring the girl to doubting she could be true, to realizing she, in fact, WAS untrue. Nothing profound here lyrically (and one wonders how comfortable Pagliaro was in 1971 with the English language to keep things this simple), but no matter: The whole package is wrapped in an upbeat, spare but energetic arrangement featuring Pagliaro's acoustic guitar chording, and nice little touches sprinkled throughout, like castanets, shaken tambourine, echoey hand claps, an elegant string arrangement (by Ben McPeak)providing a wonderful counterpoint, and a flamenco-like guitar figure finishing out the brief chorus:

Some sing, some dance
Some like-a romance
I love lovin'

So, even though Michel's been chastened by his lover, he's still coming back for more and longing to still hold this woman...and he loves lovin'...obviously, the magic's in the music here, instead of the lyrics, and it's a little gem of a song. Listen and see if you aren't charmed as well.

Hooky alt Rock band from London England, Two song Writers Henry Gomez and Peter Martin with there band bob and johnathan stoute. Music with alot of energy and feeling. Check Them out. www.myecho.co.uk

'Bright Eyes' O'Connor Oberst is a gifted lyricist and probably the best for his age (19 at record release). With his literary references and unconventional recording, listening to Bright Eyes is quite an experience. In this instance we meet the protagonists of the novel, 'The Unberable Lightness of Being,' and find in their weightlessness the desire to escape. Slow acoustic struming by O'Conner steady his intense vocals and between the chimes and reverberating forte piano we experience a disjointing storm used to great effect. The song has us drifting at sea with a delicate melody until we are at last erased like a skeleton in chalk. Bright Eyes sings - 'Let's sail away disappearing in a mist. Let's sail away with a whisper and a kiss. Or vanish from a road somewhere, like Tereza and Tomas, suspended in this bliss.' We feel his expressive words and sound pass through us, and late in the day we find it echoing softly in our heads. Quite an accomplishment for someone who couldn't drink yet, I look forward to following his career.

glorious piece of alternative pop. Catchy as hell.

On �The Cutter� fellow Liverpool natives, Echo and The Bunnymen successfully wed the Eastern influenced psychedelic sounds made famous by hometown heroes, The Beatles. Crafting Eastern influences into a new post-punk hybrid that was sweeping England in the Early 80�s. It was songs like �The Cutter� that would help define the newly coined Neo-psychedelic sub-genre, practiced by such group�s of the period as The Chameleons U.K., Psychedelic Furs and Simple Minds amongst others. The track opens with a keyboard approximation of Indian strings, whirring briefly before the band kicks into a percolating groove of popping bass, driving straight drums and chinking guitar accents. Ian McCulloch adds another layer of �60 nostalgia, employing his expressive, slack-jawed vocal delivery that conjures aural images of the late Jim Morrison as he unfurls lines that drip with apprehension �Who�s on the seventh floor? / Brewing alternatives / What�s in the bottom drawer? / Waiting for things to give�. The Eastern strings re-enter at strategic points, filling in space between verses and McCulloch�s esoteric pleas to �spare us the cutter!�, which sounds like a good idea in any case. The arrangement also veers into epic territory quite unexpectedly in the second half, signaled by a sweeping wave of keyboard and McCulloch�s more subdued delivery as poses a string of rhetorically poignant questions, �Am I the happy loss? / Will I still recoil? / When the skin is lost / Am I the worthy cross? / Will I still be soiled? / When the dirt is off� -as the music swell behind him. Like any good single, the track never looses steam, cruising through each section with power and grace. A nod is in order for Ian Broudie, who�s smooth production helped The Cutter become Echo and The Bunnymen�s first top ten single in Britain and a linchpin track for the Neo-psychedelic movement.
(AMG)

In an easy listening mood today.
From the oft-panned disk two of the frank black francis release, comes this brilliant reinterpretation of the holiday song from the Pixies' glory days.
This version is driven by dubby, spacy trumpets and echo effect, with a lone guitar taking the back seat. I like how Frank's voice is mixed way in front, and the overwhelmingly happy tone of the whole thing. The Pixies for cocktail parties.

A great song that describes the joy in reuniting with the one you love after being separated. Two versions of this song were recorded. This version appeared on Dusty's album of the same name, and the other version was used in the film 'Casino Royale'. This album version is superior simply for the fact that the sound engineer put a slight echo into the vocals and it gives this song a haunting sound that makes the beautiful words even more lovely than before.

It's no matter what you do but how you do it! This is a darker song in the Ladytron repertoire and electro disco pop at its very best. Very synth bass heavy yet melodic thanks to these people who understand the recipe of making me happy! Ladytron succeed in making their highly synthetic music sound very organic. Just like Kraftwerk have always done. Apart from Kraftwerk this reminds me of... The Human League. But with a modern touch, leaving the trademark 8t's echoes out. Get up on the dancefloor!

I love John Barry. Actually he doesn't seem like such a great guy personally, but I love a lot of his music. This track was originally composed for the soundtrack of the 1971 film 'Mary, Queen of Scots'. However, the sound is very modern. The track is built around a recurring piano riff (which incidentally was sampled by the group Chapterhouse on their 1991 indie/shoegazing single 'mesmerize'), and the tune is played by a synthesized, echoey harpsichord. It's a delightfully simple but very catchy track which stands up to repeated listening.

If you are looking for an epic, detailed, scriptured text, infused with the basal roots of death metal, this song is it. Standing at a whopping 11:43 (minutes and seconds), this is one of the longest songs I've ever heard, apart from Dream Theater. Listen to the lyrics here, we don't have a bunch of nihilistic meatheads preaching about death and lost love, it rather contains text from the Pyramid of Unas (known as the Pyramid Texts). These texts are dated in Unas's reign, who was the last ruler of the 5th dynasty- most agree he was alive from 2375 to 2345 B.C., but as is seen on elyrics.net, some date him back to 5330 B.C. This date, combined with it's deific juggernaut of sound (perpetrated in the beginning with an echoed 'vena' intro compimented by an all mighty gong, and again in the bridge which sounds like the intro to the Dark Army from LOTR: Return of the King, with it's French horns and marcato kettle drum foundation), make for a truly musical masterpiece. This is the first death metal band I encountered whose lyrics had real meaning, origin, and context (much like DJ Cheb i Sabah's portrayal of texts from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita). Listen to this the whole way through, the instrumentation is incredible, with a massive orchestrated sound about as subtle as a tidal wave. The bass drums constantly set up the rhythm for the entire work (hold the beginning, and about 8:20 through, as well as the conclusion), and the instinctive deep-throat, albeit gut lyrics add for the dark yet impressive overtone of this piece. I believe I can hear sitar, vena, and even 12-string guitar in this piece. Also, it is critical to acknowledge the chorus in the background- this really highlights the sovereign, godly quality of the song's tone. The arrangement is tight, constantly in rhythm, never behind, and well meshed together, indicating well thought-out composing. Great to listen to before a game of hockey, going to the gym, or if you are feeling weak and helpless- this piece will give you power. Enjoy it for what it is- a new, comforting taste in death metal. Listen to this piece, buy the album, and do research on Unas himself- you'll find a quite interesting history behind this ancient Egyptian ruler, which is the embodiment of Nile- their obsession with the ancient kingdom. 5 out of 5 starts for its genre.

I discovered this work of absolute genius today - it was on a 3 disc Bowie compilation ("The Platinum Collection") which a colleague was playing at work.

The song starts with an echoey 80s drum sound with a repeated guitar riff, behind which we begin to hear a beautiful chord sequence played on the synth. The riff drops out and Bowie sings a fantastic melody over the chord sequence, which takes many subtle and grand turns. The song has a relatively complicated construction and instrumentation.

great electronic effects-laden psychedelia from their 1969 album "an electric storm". a spooky and beautiful track with lots of echo and spacy non-melodic digressions. oddly, it stays quite coherent despite all the insane stuff going on in the background. Female singer, beautyful breathy voice, kind of a "nico light-" thing going on.
the track "firebird" from the same album is also highly recommended.

by the way, i�m pretty sure each member of broadcast have their own copy of this album. The song "marooned" on wire's 1978 album "chairs missing" shares some melodic qualities with this track. would probably sound great if mixed together..

(if you're interested in aquiring the whole album, it�s pretty hard to come by, at least in vinyl form. i think it's been reissued on cd by some obscure label, but as i only have a cd-r copy, i'm not sure. side a is very good, but from what i heard they ran out of studio time, forcing them to make side b a bit more...shall we say, "experimental" in order to make it lp lenghth...)