Music Reviews

Long ago in the mists of time, I started my humble radio career at KBBQ, then known as Q-101 (later renamed Q-100.7 for some reasons that probably have something to do with consultants and FCC regs). I was about to start my senior year of high school. And while rap and dance music were reigning supreme among my peers, I sat at the local broadcast end of a canned satellite radio service and soaked up music from the 50s through the 70s. It immediately rendered me astoundingly unhip at school, and locked me into a time warp that engulfed me until I left radio for TV, but I wouldn’t trade for anything the musical education I absorbed by osmosis during that period. I just sat in the room, ran local commercials during breaks in the satellite schedule, and sleepily intoned the weather forecast twice an hour, and spent the rest of the time listening intently. Sure, there were plenty of songs that got on my nerves, but one of the songs I loved more than most was The Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee”, a string-drenched, Beatlesque pop tune with great vocal harmonies and an instantly memorable hook. So, when I happened to spot a single (and actually very inexpensive) CD purporting to be the complete recordings of The Left Banke, I picked it up pretty quickly.

Despite its seeming aspiration toward a British Invasion-inspired sound, The Left Banke was based in New York, and barely recorded two albums. I say barely because, according to the CD’s extensive liner notes, the band had practically broken up by the time “Walk Away Renee” hit the charts. The group’s second album was a cobbled-together monstrosity consisting of songs recorded by various combinations of the band’s members, including at least a couple that would’ve qualified as solo recordings. Thus, the band’s entire catalogue of 26 tracks can be crammed onto a single CD.

“Walk Away Renee” still remains my favorite, and must surely be one of the best pop songs committed to tape during the 1960s. “Pretty Ballerina”, which was the next single issued, comes in a fairly close second with its catchy piano hook.

1. Walk Away Renee (2:42)
2. I Haven’t Got The Nerve (2:10)
3. Pretty Ballerina (2:35)
4. She May Call You Up Tonight (2:16)
5. I’ve Got Something On My Mind (2:47)
6. Barterers and Their Wives (3:18)
7. Let Go Of You Girl (2:51)
8. What Do You Know (3:02)
9. Evening Gown (1:46)
10. Lazy Day (2:23)
11. Shadows Breaking Over My Head (2:35)
12. Ivy Ivy (3:11)
13. Men Are Building Sand (2:19)
14. Desiree (2:42)
15. Dark Is The Bark (3:28)
16. My Friend Today (3:03)
17. Sing Little Bird Sing (3:09)
18. And Suddenly (2:05)
19. Goodbye Holly (2:56)
20. In the Morning Light (2:50)
21. Bryant Hotel (3:24)
22. Give the Man a Hand (2:33)
23. Nice To See You (2:41)
24. There’s Gonna Be A Storm (4:16)
25. Pedestal (3:45)
26. Myrah (3:21)

Released by: Mercury / Polygram
Release date: 1992
Total running time: 75:08

Easily the strangest thing I’ve heard in 1998 (and keep in mind, this is when I include a bunch of Babylon 5 soundtracks and other such oddities), this dandy slice of indie treasure is one punk band’s loving tribute to the songs they had no choice but to grow up with. Well, perhaps “loving” isn’t the best description, and some might even argue with me on the “tribute” part, but it’s hilarious (and quite good in a musical sense!) to listen to. For the most part, the songs start out in the same tempo as the original, but at the first opportunity – usually between verses, or between the first verse and the first chorus – the group kicks into high gear and starts jamming the song in question to within an inch of its life. Some of the songs featured are good songs and are just fun to hear in a strange context – namely Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” – and others are smarmy samples of the 70’s which truly deserve to be musically massacred like this (Terry Jacks’ “Seasons In The Sun”, one of my all-time least favorite songs, is actually far more appealing in this form – I can finally return all the torture I’ve received from years of being forced to hear that song in my first radio job). And the musicianship is uniformly good – despite the wild jamming aspect of the whole thing, the playing and singing are good, even more so when you consider that this is a punk band…they’re not just screaming, notes are actually held! (Though some amusing artifacts of punk rock surface, such as repeatedly screaming “YEAH! YEAH!“ at the end of some songs.) I recommend this rarity to anyone who suffered through the 1970s in person (as opposed to the younger crowd who may think they’ve experienced the worst of it because they’ve watched 8-Track Flashback on VH-1), or to anyone who’s going to have a wild party anytime soon.

1. Danny’s Song (2:09)
2. Leaving On A Jet Plane (2:33)
3. Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard (2:42)
4. One Tin Soldier (2:01)
5. Uptown Girl (2:22)
6. I Am A Rock (2:04)
7. Sweet Caroline (2:54)
8. Seasons In The Sun (2:27)
9. Fire and Rain (1:24)
10. Nobody Does It Better (2:28)
11. Mandy (2:27)
12. Rocket Man (3:17)

Released by: Fat Wreck Chords
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 28:50

This amazing album of vintage late-1930s recordings by American jazz composer Raymond Scott will sound quite familiar if you’ve ever spent any time watching Looney Tunes. Scott, who was considered mondo bizarro in his own day, and was heavily criticized by his session players for asking them to perform his uniquely whimsical jazz numbers as written instead of improvising, lives forever in the annals of American music simply because Warner Bros. cartoon composer extraordinaire Carl Stalling lifted many of his pieces to score the misadventures of Bugs Bunny and friends. Though Raymond Scott’s original recordings of such pieces as “Powerhouse” and “The Penguin” aren’t as raucous and don’t soung as “big” as they later became with Stalling’s help, they are distinctly recognizable and charming in their own right. As the liner notes point out, Scott was something of a technological prodigy as well, recording his works on metallic discs instead of acetate, which means that the music heard here is not only 60+ years old, but is heard exactly as it was recorded (allowing for some audio spectrum limitations of that vintage studio equipment). I have a feeling that it’ll be a while – probably not even in my lifetime – before Raymond Scott takes his place alongside such American musical luminaries as Copland…but after hearing this very unique music, I can’t help but feel that he will eventually attain that status. After all, thanks to Bugs, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and the Road Runner, who among us hasn’t heard and loved his music?

1. Powerhouse (2:56)
2. The Toy Trumpet (3:00)
3. Tobacco Auctioneer (2:36)
4. New Year’s Eve in a Haunted House (2:22)
5. Manhattan Minuet (2:40)
6. Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals (2:56)
7. Reckless Night on an Ocean Liner (3:06)
8. Moment Musical (2:17)
9. Twilight In Turkey (2:43)
10. The Penguin (2:38)
11. Oil Gusher (2:39)
12. In an 18th Century Drawing Room (2:39)
13. The Girl at the Typewriter (3:02)
14. Siberian Sleighride (2:52)
15. At an Arabian House Party (3:21)
16. Boy Scout in Switzerland (2:50)
17. Bumpy Weather in Newark (2:51)
18. Minuet in Jazz (2:51)
19. War Dance for Wooden Indians (2:31)
20. The Quintet Plays Carmen (2:40)
21. Huckleberry Duck (2:51)
22. Peter Tambourine (2:55)

Released by: Columbia / Sony
Release date: 1992
Total running time: 61:45

Despite all my ravings about the wonders of GNP Crescendo’s original soundtrack releases, this is an example of how nice it would be to have more than one party releasing Star Trek music (do you hear me, Silva America?). This Varese Sarabande compilation of newly recorded suites from the original series is a vast improvement over Label X’s over-long extended suites, and also features music from episodes that GNP Crescendo hasn’t touched, such as The Corbomite Maneuver and Charlie X, both of which generated some of the best-remembered musical cues in the entire series. Very highly recommended!

1. Star Trek main title & closing theme (1:19)

   Suite from The Corbomite Maneuver

2. The Corbomite Maneuver (5:03)

   Suite from Charlie X

3. Kirk’s Command / Charlie’s Mystery / Charlie’s Gift (3:37)
4. Kirk Is Worried / Card Tricks / Charlie’s Yen (3:23)
5. Zap Sam / Zap Janice / Zap The Cap / Zap The Spaceship (4:18)
6. Charlie’s Friend / Goodbye Charlie (2:44)

   Suite from The Doomsday Machine

7. Goodbye Mr. Decker / Kirk Does It Again (5:39)

   Suite from Mudd’s Women

8. Three Venuses / Meet Mudd / Hello Girls… (3:10)
9. Hello Ruth / The Last Crystal / The Venus drug (4:30)
10. Planet Rigel / Eve Is Out / Space Radio (4:09)
11. Eve Cooks / Pretty Eve / Mudd’s Farewell (3:17)

Released by: Varese Sarabande
Release date: 1986
Total running time: 41:09

I’m still not sure what to think of this one. I’ve always suspected that I liked Return Of The Jedi – both the movie and music – more than most people do. It’s become fashionable to blast Jedi for a crime no worse than featuring the Ewoks (but hey, so long as George Lucas never again does anything with Howard The Duck, I don’t give a crap if he loads Star Wars Episode III with a malicious herd of Jedi-slaying Ewoks doing the bidding of Emperor Palpatine). Jedi also has the dubious distinction of being one of the two films from the original trilogy which received the most extensive revisions when Lucas unleashed the Special Editions in 1997 – and from a musical standpoint, Jedi was revised quite extensively indeed.

For one thing, the Sy Snootles Band number Lapti Nek (still available on the Jedi portion of the Star Wars Anthology) was replaced by a new tune, “Jedi Rocks”, executed in an even more cartoonish style. I’ll be the first to admit that I only fail to skip “Lapti Nek” on CD once a decade, but “Jedi Rocks” really gets on my nerves. I find it doubly irritating since John Williams himself didn’t even compose it.

The other major musical revision occurs at the end of the movie. New CGI scenes were grafted into the Ewok celebration showing victory/freedom shindigs taking place in other parts of the galaxy, from Tatooine to Coruscant. This then leads into a radically different outcue leading into the end credits – but truth be told, even though I prefer the original music from the movie, I like the new piece of music on its own. And I have a feeling we’re going to hear it again in the new trilogy as a theme for Anakin Skywalker.

For me, personally, the jury’s still out on the “tweaked” versions of the Star Wars films – as well as their soundtracks. This one would’ve gotten four stars, but “Lapti Nek” and the original version of the final cue leading into the end credits weren’t even included as archival bonus tracks. I only let Lucas off the hook so much for his revisionist filmmaking.

Disc one:
1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (0:22)
2. Main Title / Approaching Death Star / Tatooine Rendezvous (9:21)
3. The Droids Are Captured (1:17)
4. Bounty For A Wookiee (2:50)
5. Han Solo Returns (4:01)
6. Luke Confronts Jabba / Den Of The Rancor / Sarlacc Sentence (8:51)
7. The Pit Of Carkoon / Sail Barge Assault (6:02)
8. The Emperor Arrives / The Death Of Yoda / Obi-Wan’s Revelation (10:58)
9. Alliance Assembly (2:12)
10. Shuttle Tyderium Approaches Endor (4:09)
11. Speeder Bike Chase / Land Of The Ewoks (9:38)
12. The Levitation / Threepio’s Bedtime Story (2:46)
13. Jabba’s Baroque Recital (3:09)
14. Jedi Rocks (2:42)
15. Sail Barge Assault – alternate (5:04)

Disc two:
1. Parade of the Ewoks (3:28)
2. Luke and Leia (4:46)
3. Brother and Sister / Father and Son / Fleet Enters Hyperspacee… (10:40)
4. The Emperor’s Throne Room (3:26)
5. Into The Trap / Forest Ambush / Scout Walker Scramble… (11:50)
6. The Lightsaber / The Ewok Battle (4:31)
7. Leia Is Wounded / The Duel Begins / Overtaking The Bunker… (10:03)
8. Superstructure Chase / Darth Vader’s Death / Main Reactor (6:04)
9. Leia’s News / Light Of The Force (3:24)
10. Victory Celebration / End Title (8:34)
11. Ewok Feast / Part Of The Tribe (4:02)
12. The Forest Battle – concert suite (4:05)

Released by: RCA/Victor
Release date: 1997
Disc one total running time: 73:16
Disc two total running time: 74:47

Still John Williams’ most towering musical accomplishment bar none, the score from The Empire Strikes Back has long existed in various stages of incompleteness – until now. One of the few truly good things to come out of the special edition releases it this comprehensive two-disc remastered version of the soundtrack. Correcting all of the gaps and curious omissions of previous releases, it’s also the soundtrack (and the film) that was screwed with the least of the classic trilogy. (If I recall correctly, Empire‘s big revisions were a major cleanup of the Hoth battle special effects, the Wampa got a facelift, lots of new windows were installed in Cloud City, and a single non-sequitur scene with Darth Vader was added.)

I’ve already waxed rhapsodic about this one in the past. Do get it. I know some purists have avoided anything to do with the special editions, but this version of the Empire soundtrack proves that some good can come out of the least likely things.

Disc one:
1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (0:22)
2. Main Title / The Ice Planet Hoth (8:09)
3. Wampa’s Lair / Vision Obi-Wan / Snowspeeders Take Flight (8:44)
4. The Imperial Probe / Aboard The Executor (4:24)
5. The Battle Of Hoth (14:48)
6. The Asteroid Field (4:15)
7. Arrival On Dagobah (4:54)
8. Luke’s Nocturnal Visitor (2:35)
9. Han Solo and the Princess (3:26)
10. Jedi Master Revealed / Mynock Cave (5:44)
11. The Training Of A Jedi Knight / The Magic Tree (5:16)

Disc two:
1. The Imperial March: Darth Vader’s Theme (3:02)
2. Yoda’s Theme (3:30)
3. Attacking A Star Destroyer (3:04)
4. Yoda And The Force (4:02)
5. Imperial Starfleet Deployed / City In The Clouds (6:04)
6. Lando’s Palace (3:53)
7. Betrayal At Bespin (3:46)
8. Deal With The Dark Lord (2:37)
9. Carbon Freeze / Darth Vader’s Trap / Departure of Boba Fett (11:50)
10. The Clash Of Lightsabers (4:18)
11. Rescue of Cloud City / Hyperspace (9:10)
12. The Rebel Fleet / End Title (6:28)

Released by: RCA/Victor
Release date: 1997
Disc one total running time: 62:43
Disc two total running time: 61:44

Let’s have a show of hands. How many people became soundtrack-collecting addicts after listening to the original Star Wars soundtrack on vinyl approximately seventeen gazillion times in the 1970s? Thought so. Not only is George Lucas credited with salvaging the science fiction film genre from the clutches of pretentious high-concept 2001 wanna-bes and B-movies, but John Williams is credit for reinvinting the art of scoring movies. With Star Wars, it shows – the London Symphony Orchestra is in fine form, and seldom has a composer so thoroughly (or correctly) assessed the dramatic and emotional needs of the movie’s score.

This is the 1997 re-re-re-release, which was unleashed not only to cash in on the premiere of the Special Editions of the original trilogy, but to put the complete score, every note of music recorded for the entire movie, on the record for soundtrack fans. There’s even music that wasn’t heard in the movie: some bonus archival material is included at the end of disc one’s final cut, with several alternate takes of the main theme – but after hearing the umpteenth take on this track, one’s ready to skip to disc two and leave the endless alternate takes to the music students.

Disc one:
1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (0:23)
2. Main Title / Rebel Blockade Runner (2:14)
3. Imperial Attack (6:43)
4. The Dune Sea of Tatooine / Jawa Sandcrawler (5:01)
5. The Moisture Farm (2:25)
6. The Hologram / Binary Sunset (4:10)
7. Landspeeder Search / Attack Of The Sand People (3:20)
8. Tales Of A Jedi Knight / Learn The Ways Of The Force (4:29)
9. Burning Homestead (2:50)
10. Mos Eisley Spaceport (2:16)
11. Cantina Band (2:47)
12. Cantina Band #2 (3:56)
13. Binary Sunset – alternate version (2:19)

Disc two:
1. Princess Leia’s Theme (4:27)
2. The Millennium Falcon / Imperial Cruiser Pursuit (3:51)
3. Destruction Of Alderaan (1:32)
4. The Death Star / The Stormtroopers (3:35)
5. Wookiee Prisoner / Detention Block Ambush (4:10)
6. Shootout In The Cell / Dianoga (3:48)
7. The Trash Compactor (3:07)
8. The Tractor Beam / Chasm Crossfire (5:18)
9. Ben Kenobi’s Death / TIE Fighter Attack (3:51)
10. The Battle Of Yavin (9:07)
11. The Throne Room / End Title (5:38)

Released by: RCA/Victor
Release date: 1997
Disc one total running time: 57:33
Disc two total running time: 48:15

Hey, admit it. You, like myself, probably remember Simply Red mainly for “Holding Back The Years” – right? Sure, we all do! But I also remember the lesser-known but tremendously appealing 1992 single “Stars”…and what do you know, it’s on here too. Amazing how record companies do that with best-of albums, eh? Of course it is! And for the much larger majority that loved Simply Red’s droning rendition of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”, it’s on here too. Not a bad slice of hits and relative obscurities from Mick Hucknall and company.

1. Holding Back The Years (4:29)
2. Money’s Too Tight To Mention (4:28)
3. The Right Thing (4:22)
4. It’s Only Love (3:53)
5. A New Flame (3:58)
6. You’ve Got It (3:55)
7. If You Don’t Know Me By Now (3:27)
8. Stars (4:08)
9. Something Got Me Started (4:00)
10. Thrill Me (5:04)
11. Your Mirror (4:00)
12. For Your Babies (4:17)
13. So Beautiful (4:58)
14. Angel (4:01)
15. Fairground (4:23)

Released by: Atlantic
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 63:25

Outside of catching the last half of a TV special about the Kronos Quartet, this was my first exposure to them, and even though I liked what I’d heard enough to seek out an album, I have to admit to you that this may not be the one to start out on. Oh, it’s good, but perhaps you should get your feet wet with the Released “best-of” collection before you wander further into the Quartet’s very eclectic world. Favorites here include “Digital” – which is a lot of pounding and clicking, but for some reason I find it terribly soothing – and John Zorn’s “Cat O’ Nine Tails (Tex Avery Directs the Marquis de Sade)” (what a title…!), a cartoonish composition which will truly grate on your nerves unless you are in just the right mood for it.

1. Digital composed by Elliott Sharp – (1:39)
2. Spoonful composed by Willie Dixon – (4:33)
3. Spectre composed by John Oswald – (5:48)
4. Cat O’ Nine Tails composed by John Zorn – (12:48)
5. Quartet Euphometric composed by Henry Cowell – (1:54)
6. Physical Property composed by Steven Mackey – (14:31)
7. Soliloquy from How It Happens composed by Scott Johnson – (13:13)
8. Quartet No. 2 composed by Sofia Gubaidulina – (8:31)
9. Abe kee tayk hamaree composed by Pandit Pran Nath – (10:57)

Released by: Nonesuch
Release date: 1993
Total running time: 74:58

And here we are with Severed Dreams – wow, that’s two more of the episodic Babylon 5 CDs than I’d originally planned to buy. The Hugo-winning episode of the same name sees Captain Sheridan and the crew of Babylon 5 declaring independence from the government of Earth, something which is not taken lightly, and a monstrous firefight ensues between the newly-independent rebels and their former leaders. This CD is worth its price almost for that eight-minute-long battle cue alone, though some of the quieter, uneasy passages are just as effective. Of the first wave of five episodic scores released by Sonic Images for Babylon 5, this is one of the only two discs I can really recommend.

1. Status Quo (0:47)
   First Engagement (1:44)
   Set Course For Babylon 5 (0:29)
   Main Title / narration by Claudia Christian (1:29)
2. We’re In Trouble (1:04)
   The Arrival of the Alexander (1:22)
   The Speech (0:52)
   Major Ryan Arrives (0:54)
   Mars Attack (0:30)
3. Station Intro (0:26)
   The Arrival of the Churchill (0:41)
   The Attack on ISN (1:04)
   Sheridan and Hiroshi (1:20)
   The Flight (0:32)
4. Mobilization (2:05)
   Delenn Breaks the Grey Council (1:24)
   Sheridan and Father (3:31)
   Final Countdown (2:12)
   The Big Battle (8:07)
5. Aftermath (0:20)
   What The Future May Hold (1:38)
   End Title (0:37)

Released by: Sonic Images
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 33:15

If it weren’t for a couple of interesting tracks, this CD would certainly live up to its name. Supposedly, Daft is a document of the unusual singles and EP tracks released by the Art of Noise prior to and near their first album, and while there are a few interesting moments of noise to be found on Daft, it’s nothing that would interest anyone outside of serious Art of Noise fans. Still, that said, I quite like “Bright Noise” and “Flesh in Armour”.

1. Love (7:05)
2. A Time For Fear (Who’s Afraid?) (4:45)
3. Beat Box (Diversion 1) (8:32)
4. The Army Now (2:05)
5. Donna (1:45)
6. Memento (2:13)
7. How to Kill (2:42)
8. Realisation (1:45)
9. Who’s Afraid (of the Art of Noise?) (4:21)
10. Moments in Love (10:20)
11. Bright Noise (0:05)
12. Flesh in Armour (1:24)
13. Comes and Goes (1:18)
14. Snapshot (2:35)
15. Close (to the Edit) (5:39)
16. (Three Fingers of) Love (4:44)

Released by: Zang Tuum Tumb
Release date: 1984
Total running time: 61:19

If you’ve ever longed for your own power bands while kicking back and watching the hooded one, Brak and Zorak, this CD is for you. It’s a meaty, chewy chunk of idiocy that should fascinate anyone capable of sitting entranced by Space Ghost: Coast To Coast or the “host” segments on Cartoon Planet. Kids who like the TV show should gravitate toward it easily, while those of us above the age of eight or so should probably just absorb it in small bites. As with the first Ren & Stimpy CD, there really is some funny stuff on here, surprisingly since a lot of it is nonsensical in nature. I love the “Hero In His Own Mind” sketch.

1. Smells Like Cartoon Planet (1:41)
2. The Cartoon Planet Story (0:39)
3. Big Head (0:21)
4. I Love You, Baby (1:17)
5. A Nugget of Joy from Zorak (0:23)
6. Zingor (1:20)
7. Hero In His Own Head – part one (0:55)
8. Don’t Touch Me (1:51)
9. Ordinary Guy (1:11)
10. The TV (0:46)
11. I Love Beans (1:06)
12. Minkey Boodle (0:36)
13. Everyone Needs Loving (1:36)
14. Brak’s School Daze: Trust a monkey? (0:34)
15. What Day Is It? (1:16)
16. I Love Almost Everybody (2:06)
17. The Song That Doesn’t End (0:40)
18. Down to the River (1:43)
19. Oh Fun Kee Bay Bee (1:13)
20. Fluffy (0:28)
21. Hoodleehoo (1:14)
22. Everybody Wants To Be Space Ghost (1:12)
23. Another Nugget of Joy from Zorak (0:33)
24. Put Your Sox On Mama (0:49)
25. Ramblin’ and Wanderin’ (1:36)
26. Brak’s School Daze: Gym class (0:32)
27. Crazy Lovesick Fool (1:50)
28. Hero In His Own Mind – part two (1:00)
29. Water (1:00)
30. It Stunk (0:30)
31. Don’t Send In The Clowns (2:00)
32. Muh Nuh, Muh Nuh (0:15)
33. Highway 40 Unplugged (2:39)
34. Space Ghost’s “Something To Think About” (0:46)
35. De Der Down (1:10)
36. I Love You Baby – karaoke version (1:16)
37. Zingor – karaoke version (1:27)
38. Bye Bye, Goodbye Goodbye Everybody (0:39)

Released by: Kid Rhino
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 41:47

The first effort by this bizarre trio wasn’t as cohesive as Whatever And Ever Amen, but still offers some of the band’s best ouput. “Best Imitation Of Myself” is a very upbeat, Jellyfish-esque pop tune, and the hilarious “Underground” offers a satirical take on the 1980s’ “I want to look/act/be different – just like everyone else!” wave of mass-nonconformity. But perhaps the greatest selling points of this album are the ballads “Alice Childress” and “Boxing”, the latter a bizarrely touching tale of the symbiotic relationship of Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell. “Alice Childress” is a despairing fish-out-of-water story of a long distance friendship. Many of the other tunes, on the other hand, are almost too effervescent to distinguish themselves; the performances are more than satisfactory, but the songwriting was better honed on the next album.

1. Jackson Cannery (3:23)
2. Philosophy (4:37)
3. Julianne (2:31)
4. Where’s Summer B.? (4:07)
5. Alice Childress (4:35)
6. Underground (4:11)
7. Sports & Wine (2:58)
8. Uncle Walter (3:52)
9. Best Imitation Of Myself (2:38)
10. Video (4:08)
11. The Last Polka (4:34)
12. Boxing (4:45)

Released by: Caroline
Release date: 1995
Total running time: 46:21

This is one of the very few live albums I have ever really liked. The audience is plenty noisy, but the band revels in the feedback. Some of the classic Enz tunes have never sounded better, represented by “Time For A Change”, “Bold As Brass” and an absolutely beautiful rendition of “Charlie”. Tim Finn rejoined the group for the farewell tour that sparked this album, and the lively banter between he and Neil is often almost as entertaining as the music itself. There are few albums I can think of – not even the aforementioned Parsons live CD – that are almost like being there. This one definitely qualifies. It’s reasonably easy to find – despite being an import and a double disc, it’s generally easier to find than most Australian manufactured Enz releases – and I highly recommend it! It serves as a sweeping overview of the band’s body of work, played with enthusiasm and a genuine sense that they’re loving it. It’s also a much better introduction to some of the better Enz songs – though more early favorites would have made it even better – than the existing best-of compilation.

Disc one
1. I Walk Away (4:43)
2. One Step Ahead (3:35)
3. Bold As Brass (5:35)
4. Ninnie Knees Up (3:39)
5. I See Red (4:15)
6. Message To My Girl (4:27)
7. I Hope I Never (4:53)
8. Dirty Creature (5:58)
9. Hard Act To Follow (3:08)
10. Time For A Change (3:57)

Disc two
1. Strait Old Line (4:16)
2. Walking Through the Ruins (6:41)
3. Pioneer (2:01)
4. Six Months in a Leaky Boat (5:24)
5. Take A Walk (4:21)
6. Small World (4:57)
7. Lost For Words (3:43)
8. Years Go By (4:18)
9. Charlie (5:47)

Released by: Mushroom
Release date: 1985
Disc one total running time: 44:12
Disc two total running time: 41:30

This girl’s just now hitting it big, and this album has been out for two years!? Amazing. Her presence on Atlantic seems to make it likely that the label sought her out as a kind of folksy Tori Amos clone, but Jewel is much more than that. I will admit that the single “Who Will Save Your Soul” mesmerized me into buying this album, and I’m glad it did. There are several live tracks that really come across as average, but the last song, “Amen”, is really where Jewel comes into her own and proves that she could indeed be the next Tori Amos without being a Tori clone. She abandons the folky style that has come to be her trademark and does some truly beautiful singing, particularly as the tune draws to a close. Even if you don’t particularly care for her singles or her album so far, I think this is one to watch in the future. Highly recommended, even if only for the last track on the album!

1. Who Will Save Your Soul (4:00)
2. Pieces of You (4:15)
3. Little Sister (2:29)
4. Foolish Games (5:39)
5. Near You Always (3:08)
6. Painters (6:43)
7. Morning Song (3:35)
8. Adrian (7:02)
9. I’m Sensitive (2:54)
10. You Were Meant For Me (4:13)
11. Don’t (3:34)
12. Daddy (3:49)
13. Angel Standing By (2:38)
14. Amen (4:32)

Released by: Atlantic
Release date: 1994
Total running time: 58:56

Hey, admit it. You, like myself, probably remember Simple Minds mainly for “that song from The Breakfast Club” – right? Sure, we all do! You’ll be pleased to know that “Don’t You Forget About Me” is included, as are other frequent airplay fliers “Sanctify Yourself” and “Alive And Kicking”, the latter of which has always bugged me because of the way Jim Kerr sings “aaaaaaah-live and kicking.” It’s a weird hangup, yes, but it’s also an awkward emphasis on an unusual syllable! Overall, it’s a good collection, including a lot of songs that casual listeners will find less familiar, but that’s compilation albums for you.

1. Alive and Kicking (4:46)
2. See the Lights (4:22)
3. Don’t You (Forget About Me) (4:20)
4. Promised You a Miracle (3:58)
5. Sanctify Yourself (3:55)
6. Belfast Child (6:39)
7. Stand By Love (4:06)
8. Up On The Catwalk (4:06)
9. Let There Be Love (4:42)
10. All The Things She Said (4:16)
11. Someone, Somewhere in Summertime (4:36)
12. Waterfront (4:48)

Released by: Virgin
Release date: 1992
Total running time: 54:49

Yet another live winner from Split Enz, this album consists of recordings from the group’s 20th anniversary reunion tour (which, if I might hazard a guess, probably had a lot to do with inspiring ENZSO). Anniversary’s performances seem to benefit from the fact that, unlike The Living Enz, by this time Tim and Neil Finn had both matured and changed their musical outlooks somewhat. Though the material is still faithful to the original Enz studio renditions, one can catch more than a slight hint of Tim’s solo work when Tim reprises old favorites like “Charlie” and “Time For A Change”, and Neil’s Crowded House sound sneaks into such numbers as “History Never Repeats” and especially “Message To My Girl”. One great inclusion is “Split Ends”, the band’s first single in the early 70s, whose lyric “it’s all the same to me, brother” takes on a new dimension when Tim and Neil sing it (since the song was written years before Neil joined Split Enz in 1977). There’s also a lot of fun on-stage banter when Noel Crombie takes a bow after the end of “Strait Old Line” (which ends, curiously, with the piano/spoon solo from an earlier song, “The Woman Who Loves You” – an arrangement which was also used in the ENZSO version). One gets a genuine sense of being there from this album. As with The Living Enz, I rate Anniversary a better introduction to Split Enz than the dull History Never Repeats: The Best of Split Enz album which you may have seen.

1. Shark Attack (3:22)
2. Poor Boy (3:43)
3. Hermit McDermitt (4:54)
4. Years Go By (4:22)
5. Split Ends (2:27)
6. Message To My Girl (4:46)
7. Best Friend (3:19)
8. What’s The Matter With You (4:28)
9. I See Red (4:24)
10. Time For A Change (3:29)
11. Strait Old Line (7:45)
12. Charlie (7:28)
13. History Never Repeats (5:18)

Released by: Fuel
Release date: 1995
Total running time: 59:47

Good grief! Musically, this two-song CD distributed by the official fan club of Claudia Christian (Babylon 5‘s Ivanova) is quite good, but…whew! Those lyrics! Madonna might blush at some of this stuff. (Or, on second thought, she might join in. Doesn’t pay to think about it.) To quote Rick James, she’s a very kinky girl, the kind you don’t take home to mother. Claudia co-wrote the music and lyrics to both songs, the first of which seems to involve various out-of-the-norm activities (namely, S&M and threesomes). Claudia doesn’t actually sing most of the time – to my surprise, most of the actual singing is ably handled by the powerful voice of Julianna Raye, while Claudia chants/raps/speaks her way through the lyrics; in the case of “Taboo” itself, the lyrics shift into French and back to English numerous times, and Claudia basically moans her way through the French lyrics with her sultriest voice. Occasionally, however, Claudia proves that she can, in fact, hit a specific musical pitch. Overall, though it’s a very pricey and very fannish item (face it, Taboo has the content of a CD single and the price tag of an expensive CD at retail), it’s a very tittillating listen, and wouldn’t be out of place belting out of a club’s speaker system.

1. Taboo (4:39)
2. Partners in the Sublime (3:44)

Released by: Zard Productions
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 8:25

If you were as disappointed by Men In Black: The Album as I was, then maybe, this CD should be renamed Men In Black: The Apology. As it is, you will probably have a hard time finding it at the store. Here is a helpful hunt: The Album CD has a picture of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith on the cover and “VARIOUS ARTISTS” on the CD seal, while The Score has MIB prominently on the cover with J and K standing in the I. Even the store clerk at Tower Records was confused, and handed me the album instead of the score.

Anyways, after several months of waiting, and they even missed releasing this CD by the time the Men In Black video was released in late 1997, this CD contains what the MIB movie fan was probably wanting — the complete music score by the talented Danny Elfman. It is indeed worth the wait, as the complete music score from the movie is included. If you turn up the volume, you will even hear some audio hints and cues that may have been overlooked in the movie. Well done, Danny Elfman.

The booklet is minimalist, giving the track listings, CD credits, and the “little dude in the big dude’s head.” 😉

1. M.I.B. Main Theme (2:58)
2. D’s Memories/Chase (3:57)
3. Edgar’s Truck/A New Man (2:58)
4. Imports/Quiet Moment (2:22)
5. J Contemplates (1:18)
6. Headquarters (1:13)
7. The Suit (1:28)
8. Morgue Time (0:48)
9. Petit Mort (1:42)
10. K Reminisces (0:48)
11. Orion’s Belt/Cat Stinger (2:18)
12. Noisy Cricket/Impending Trouble (2:08)
13. Sexy Morgue Babe/Icon (5:41)
14. Take Off/Crash (7:20)
15. Finale (3:02)
16. M.I.B. Closing Theme (2:38)

Released by: Sony
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 42:43

Another project by Jellyfish alumni Roger Manning and Tim Smith, this album sounds more like the first Jellyfish album than 1992’s Spilt Milk did, opting for Bellybutton’s slightly trippy sound rather than the Queen-like melodic hard rock of Spilt Milk. Things kick off with a wonderfully (and strangely) harmonized number, “Daphne’s Disease”. Other highlights include the somber ballad “Mother”, the 60’s-pop-inspired “Onion Umbrella” (well, the tray card says “union,” but the lyrics say “onion”), the excellent “Fly”, a commentary on a certain U.S. president who didn’t inhale titled “American Pipe,” and quite a few others. Though I’m not sure that these former Jellyfish members share Jason Falkner’s ability to come up with a catchy song to go between all the catchy musical hooks, they do manage to sing out-of-this-world harmonies, making Demolotion quite a treat for those who thrive on vocal harmony.

1. Daphne’s Disease
2. Half Man, Half Wrecking Ball
3. Fly
4. The Wannabees
5. American Pipe
6. Mother
7. No Mattress
8. The Middle of Monday
9. The Walls You Walk Through
10. A Girl Named God
11. La Dia De Muertos
12. Bring Back Our Super Hero
13. Matador
14. Union Umbrella
15. Skywriting
16. My Weary Eyes

Released by: Intrigue
Release date: 1994
Total running time: 64:64

It took a while for this music and the movie from which it sprang to grow on me, but I now enjoy both of them immensely. I’ve heard a few complaints about the hodgepodge of styles utilized by Mark Mancina (who also scored Twister director Jan de Bont’s previous hit, Speed) in the space of a single score, but I find the resulting contrasts to be satisfyingly appropriate. The juxtaposition and combination of rock and contemporary classical elements fit the tone and pace of the movie, and the result – which in places bears more than a passing resemblance to Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo” – suits the Oklahoma venue of the tornado-chasing mini-epic. If anything detracts from the experience of listening to the music alone, it’s the scarcity of thematic material (which is more the movie’s problem than that of the score). Three basic themes fill out the score from Twister: a joyous, all-American-sounding motif for the “good guy” storm chasers led by Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, a more urgent and stacatto sound for Cary Elwes’ competing crew of uniformed, professional chasers, and choral overtones ranging from heavenly to menacing for the various tornadoes encountered in the movie. That’s really it. There is no thematic development for individual characters, and perhaps I’m asking too much in hoping for such material. All in all, for the purpose it needed to serve – underscoring a rather less than complex and not-entirely-accurate action-adventure flick – Mancina’s Twister treatment did the job and stands alone as well. It’s a good thing I didn’t hear this album until many months after my own twister experience, or the sound of the choral tornado motif might give me nightmares!

1. Wheatfield (1:19)
2. Where’s My Truck? (0:20)
3. Futility (2:14)
4. Downdraft (1:47)
5. Drive In (2:37)
6. The Big Suck (1:10)
7. Going Green (2:48)
8. Sculptures (3:03)
9. Cow (5:38)
10. Ditch (1:28)
11. Wakita (5:02)
12. Bob’s Road (2:10)
13. We’re Almost There (2:58)
14. Dorothy IV (1:48)
15. Mobile Home (4:38)
16. God’s Finger (1:46)
17. William Tell Overture / Oklahoma Medley (1:06)
18. End Title / Respect the Wind (performed by Van Halen) (9:17)

Released by: Atlantic Classics
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 51:09

This was my introduction to Ben Folds Five and reaffirmed my faith that the 90s could actually produce potentially classic pop music. By now, it is best known for the deceptively jaunty ballad “Brick”, a completely atypical Ben Folds Five tune in every sense (the gentle march rhythm, the bowed bass), but there are much better songs here. The album kicks off with the cathartically rip-roaring “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces”, another hysterically funny/angry tune. Also included are “Battle Of Who Could Care Less”, the album’s first single (shunned by many stations due to that pesky F word), which bears more than a passing resemblance to Joe Jackson’s style, the harrowing ballad “Evaporated”, and my personal favorite Ben Folds Five tune, the jazzy “Steven’s Last Night In Town”, a song which begs for a video with a goofy Busby Berkley production number. Though some of the language may not be suitable for the faint of heart or the prudish, I highly recommend this album as an example that the 1990s have produced something other than angry folk rock, rap and house music.

1. One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces (3:52)
2. Fair (5:56)
3. Brick (4:43)
4. Song For The Dumped (3:40)
5. Selfless, Cold And Composed (6:10)
6. Kate (3:14)
7. Smoke (4:52)
8. Cigarette (1:38)
9. Steven’s Last Night In Town (3:28)
10. The Battle Of Who Could Care Less (3:16)
11. Missing The War (4:20)
12. Evaporated (5:41)

Released by: Epic/Sony
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 50:52

While I stated in a previous review that Depeche Mode really lost me with Black Celebration, this CD maxi-single contained the only song of theirs that has piqued my interest since then, “Enjoy The Silence” from the 1990 album Violator. This heavily percussive number combines an interesting piece of music with an unheard-of innovation for Depeche Mode: a guitar! Yes, Martin Gore plays a little bit of guitar on this album, which isn’t really all that alien to the group’s sound – prior to recording its first album, Depeche Mode actually had two guitars! – and it has an interesting effect on the typical Depeche Mode sound. But even “Enjoy The Silence” isn’t the best thing on this disc. The piano-heavy instrumentals Memphisto and Sibeling are examples of other interesting avenues Depeche Mode could be exploring.

1. Enjoy the Silence (4:15)
2. Enjoy the Silence – hands and feet mix (7:20)
3. Sibeling (3:20)
4. Enjoy the Silence – bass line (7:40)
5. Enjoy the Silence – ecstatic dub (5:54)
6. Memphisto (4:05)
7. Enjoy the Silence – ricki tik tik mix (5:35)
8. Enjoy the Silence – harmonium (2:39)

Released by: Reprise
Release date: 1990
Total running time: 40:48

This is quite possibly the best solo album McCartney has ever done. It’s hard for me to give a fair accounting of why I like this one so much, because I’m biased toward any album which heavily features ELO maestro Jeff Lynne. Lynne co-produces, plays and sings on several tracks, and his sonic signature is apparent – and perfectly suited to songs written by McCartney, whose Beatles songs once inspired Lynne. Among the best tracks on the album are “Heaven On A Sunday”, which is a perfect combination of McCartney’s and Lynne’s strengths as well as featuring a guitar passage by James McCartney, Paul’s 19-year-old son; “The World Tonight”, “Beautiful Night” featuring Ringo Starr, “If You Wanna” featuring Steve Miller (and it sounds like a Steve Miller tune), and the title track. The whole album is good, my list above merely highlights. Very highly recommended – Paul has finally gotten the rock ‘n’ roll part of his repertoire right without weighing it down with rampant lyrical cuteness. We already knew he’d mastered the ballad, so this new development is more than welcome.

1. The Song We Were Singing (3:52)
2. The World Tonight (4:03)
3. If You Wanna (4:36)
4. Somedays (4:11)
5. Young Boy (3:54)
6. Calico Skies (2:29)
7. Flaming Pie (2:27)
8. Heaven On A Sunday (4:26)
9. Used To Be Bad (4:08)
10. Souvenir (3:38)
11. Little Willow (2:55)
12. Really Love You (5:14)
13. Beautiful Night (5:03)
14. Great Day (2:06)

Released by: Capitol
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 53:46

This handy compilation album features music from the previously unreleased scores of all three Highlander films. Admittedly, the whole disc is worth it just for Michael Kamen’s orchestral counterparts to the original Highlander, which most people just seem to assume was scored by Queen. To the contrary, you’ll probably remember the cue “Rachel’s Surprise / Who Wants To Live Forever?” from the scene where Connor MacLeod has to deliver a fatal stab to himself in order to prove to his leading lady that he’s immortal…yowee, that’s gotta hurt! But the music is a beautiful rendition of the song usually associated with Queen, and that track alone justifies the whole album. Thankfully, the overly synthesized Stewart Copeland pieces from the ill-fated second movie are kept to a minimum and are graciously short. The slightly less ultra-modern music from the only-slightly-better-fated third Highlander movie, scored by J. Peter Robinson, are nice, but it’s hard to beat Michael Kamen’s contributions to the original Highlander.

Highlander by Michael Kamen
1. The Highlander Theme (5:19)
2. Rachel’s Surprise / Who Wants To Live Forever? (4:08)
3. The Quickening (3:14)
4. Swordfight at 34th Street (2:24)
5. Under the Garden / The Prize (4:04)
   Highlander II: The Quickening by Stewart Copeland
6. Finger Dip (2:00)
7. Rebel Troops (2:09)
8. Dam Raid (1:22)
9. White Cloud (1:44)
10. Mac Absorbs Reno (2:51)
11. Shield Shatters / Alan Dies (3:52)
    Highlander: The Final Dimension by J. Peter Robinson
12. Love Theme / Shrine Fight (5:30)
13. Massacre – The Beginning (5:45)
14. Laundry Room / Quickening II (3:30)
15. Revolution (5:30)
16. Final Battle / Quickening III / Epilogue (7:01)

Released by: Edel
Release date: 1995
Total running time: 61:08