Music Reviews

Split Enz – The Beginning of the Enz

This album begins with the first two songs written and performed by Tim Finn and Phil Judd, then known, along with a handful of comrades, as a new all-acoustic band in New Zealand called “Split Ends” (also the title of one of those songs). The very sparse sound present in most of the band’s first singles – gathered here on one album a few years after the fact – is haunting, particularly the mysterious “Spellbound”, the rather sad “No Bother To Me”, and the hysterical “Sweet Talking Spoon Song”. As the album goes on, the band gets more electric and employs more studio know-how, but it’s all identifiably Split Enz and makes for teriffic listening. In the case of “Spellbound”, this early version is considerably superior to the later version on Mental Notes in its simplicity! And the sound of Te Awamutu had a truly sacred ring.

1. Split Ends (1:53)
2. For You (3:53)
3. 129 (2:51)
4. Home Sweet Home (3:46)
5. Sweet Talking Spoon Song (3:25)
6. No Bother To Me (3:13)
7. Malmsbury Villa (2:52)
8. Lovey Dovey (3:26)
9. Spellbound (4:35)

Released by: Mushroom
Release date: 1979
Total running time: 29:54

Queen – A Kind Of Magic

This was about as close as the original Highlander film ever came to having an official soundtrack release, and many people didn’t blink an eye in the absence of score material from the movie. Not that this is a bad album – on the contrary, it’s rather good. This is the only place you’ll find the song “Princes Of The Universe”, by the way, as well as my favorite Highlander-themed song, “It’s A Kind Of Magic”. Some of the other Highlander tunes don’t trip my trigger quite as much; “Don’t Lose Your Head” is okay at best, and “Gimme The Prize”, despite its killer mock-Scottish guitar solo, is filled with soundbytes from the movie, and I’m not a big fan of mixing soundbytes in with the music. Worth a listen.

1. One Vision (5:08)
2. A Kind Of Magic (4:23)
3. One Year Of Love (4:26)
4. Pain Is So Close To Pleasure (4:19)
5. Friends Will Be Friends (4:07)
6. Who Wants To Live Forever (5:13)
7. Gimme The Prize – Kurgan’s Theme (4:32)
8. Don’t Lose Your Head (4:35)
9. Princes Of The Universe (3:30)
10. Forever – instrumental (3:20)
11. One Vision – extended vision (6:23)

Released by: Hollywood Records
Release date: 1986
Total running time: 50:31

Fleetwood Mac – Tango In The Night

In a way, it’s ironic that Lindsey Buckingham’s swan song to Fleetwood Mac sounds more like a bunch of solo tunes from the individual members of the band than it does a Fleetwood Mac album in many places, which brings up the question: did Fleetwood Mac assimilate Buckingham’s sound, or vice versa? The line really blurs on this album. It also has the peculiar distinction of featuring a Stevie Nicks song that I actually like, “Seven Wonders” (though I can barely stomach “Welcome To The Room…Sara” and “When I See You Again”…have I mentioned that I really don’t like Stevie Nicks’ songs?), as well as some of Christine McVie’s all-time best contributions, among them “Mystified”, “Everywhere”, “Little Lies” and “Isn’t It Midnight”. Buckingham naturally takes full advantage of his last shot at center stage with the Mac, and shows some of his best work with “Caroline” (credit for which perhaps is more properly given to Mick Fleetwood’s drumming) and everyone’s favorite single, “Big Love”. Nowadays, the question is: did Fleetwood Mac ever recover from losing Lindsey Buckingham? I think they did. But did Lindsey Buckingham ever bounce back from leaving Fleetwood Mac…?

1. Big Love (3:37)
2. Seven Wonders (3:38)
3. Everywhere (3:41)
4. Caroline (3:50)
5. Tango In The Night (3:56)
6. Mystified (3:06)
7. Little Lies (3:38)
8. Family Man (4:01)
9. Welcome to the Room…Sara (3:37)
10. Isn’t It Midnight (4:06)
11. When I See You Again (3:47)
12. You and I, part II (2:40)

Released by: Warner Bros.
Release date: 1987
Total running time: 43:37

Crowded House

The debut album from Neil Finn’s very own post-Split Enz trio was quite a surprise in the synthesizer/drum machine-dominated mid-1980s. Instead of veering to the opposite extreme – thundering hard rock – Crowded House embraced a unique sound of only a few instruments and Finn’s trademark vocals. The biggest hit Crowded House ever had, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, comes from this album, as do its moderately successful follow-ups, “Something So Strong” and “World Where You Live”, a somewhat less well-known number. Other tracks to listen for are “Hole In The River”, a harsh song inspired by the suicide of Finn’s aunt (this could also be the basis of the later song “Catherine Wheels” from the band’s fourth album), “Mean To Me”, which Neil wrote after a particularly amusing incident with a rabid American fan who crossed the globe to see him, and “I Walk Away”, a cover of a song that originally appeared on the final Split Enz studio album only a year earlier. CDs of the Crowded House album also contain a bonus track, “Can’t Carry On”, which is obviously a remnant of those final Split Enz sessions, as it sounds almost nothing like Crowded House. A very good album, though Temple Of Low Men may be a better introduction to Crowded House.

1. Mean To Me (3:16)
2. World Where You Live (3:04)
3. Now We’re Getting Somewhere (4:06)
4. Don’t Dream It’s Over (3:57)
5. Love You ‘Til The Day I Die (3:32)
6. Something So Strong (2:52)
7. Hole In The River (4:00)
8. Can’t Carry On (3:57)
9. I Walk Away (3:07)
10. Tombstone (3:30)
11. That’s What I Call Love (3:39)

Released by: Capitol
Release date: 1986
Total running time: 39:00

Art of Noise – Below The Waste

This final burst of new music in the 1980s from Art of Noise continues to reinforce the notion that there is no such thing as a typical Art of Noise album. It also makes it real clear that, at least as of ’89, the group’s cohesiveness was no more. Anne Dudley claims the spotlight for herself a number of times on this album with beautiful orchestral interludes that, while they are wonderful to listen to, are not what the Art of Noise is about. Also featured heavily on this album are a vocal group that seem to be of African or Swahili origin, whose singing and chanting liven up a number of tracks, my favorite being “Chain Gang”, a poundingly heavy track of thunder, and the very strange but fun “Yebo!” A good album in the final analysis, but also final proof that you can never judge the Art of Noise by any one of their albums, let alone any one song by itself.

1. Dan Dare (5:50)
2. Yebo! (6:02)
3. Catwalk (5:30)
4. Promenade 1 (0:38)
5. Dilemma (3:04)
6. Island (5:50)
7. Chain Gang (3:06)
8. Promenade 2 (0:40)
9. Back to Back (3:50)
10. Flashback (1:50)
11. Spit (3:30)
12. Robinson Crusoe (3:47)
13. James Bond Theme (5:30)
14. Finale (2:40)

Released by: China Records
Release date: 1989
Total running time: 52:45

Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel IV (a.k.a. Security)

If for no other reason than “Rhythm Of The Heat”, I have to recommend this album right off the bat. I always love some exotic percussion, and while Peter Gabriel’s always very good about including that element in his music, this song uses all of its elements and elevates itself to something barely short of a spiritual experience. Boy…let’s see, what else? Oh yeah, there are seven other songs on this album too, including the single “Shock The Monkey”, and none of these other tracks are anything to sneeze at, but it’s hard to top “Rhythm Of The Heat”. I almost wonder if it shouldn’t have been the last song on the album instead of the first, because all that musical exhilaration always leaves me a little exhausted. Whew.

1. The Rhythm of the Heat (5:15)
2. San Jacinto (6:21)
3. I Have The Touch (4:30)
4. The Family and the Fishing Net (7:00)
5. Shock the Monkey (5:23)
6. Lay Your Hands On Me (6:03)
7. Wallflower (6:30)
8. Kiss of Life (4:17)

Released by: Geffen
Release date: 1982
Total running time: 45:19

Crowded House – Woodface

There really aren’t enough words with which to praise this band’s third album. It was really the best of all possible worlds – Tim and Neil Finn, formerly the front men of Split Enz, united again and lavishing their quirky one-of-a-kind vocal harmonies on a number of marvelously concocted (and some decidedly strange) songs. There’s little about this album not to like. Specific cuts to listen to: “Weather With You”, “Whispers and Moans”, “She Goes On”, “As Sure As I Am”, and my favorites, “Fall At Your Feet” and the Tim-tries-to-be-Sinatra tune with the orchestral backing, “All I Ask”. Quite simply a solid and highly enjoyable collection, and one of my favorite albums of all time! Sadly, Tim and Neil had a falling-out during the tour for this album, and did not collaborate again until 1995, after Crowded House broke up. This is unfortunate, because the two Finn brothers harmonizing tend to out-Everly the Everly Brothers, and then some.

1. Chocolate Cake (4:02)
2. It’s Only Natural (3:32)
3. Fall At Your Feet (3:19)
4. Tall Trees (2:20)
5. Weather With You (3:44)
6. Whispers and Moans (3:40)
7. Four Seasons In One Day (2:50)
8. There Goes God (3:50)
9. Fame Is (2:23)
10. All I Ask (3:56)
11. As Sure As I Am (2:54)
12. Italian Plastic (3:40)
13. She Goes On (3:15)
14. How Will You Go / We’re Still Here (4:46)

Released by: Capitol
Release date: 1991
Total running time: 48:11

Crowded House – Temple Of Low Men

Far surpassing their debut album, this collection went on to be something of an odd failure sales-wise in the States. Most probably remember it as being the album that spawned “Better Be Home Soon”, a bittersweet ballad very much in the style of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (with a very similar video to match). In actuality – at least from my own perspective – this album was far better, with some wonderfully intricate guitar and vocal work courtesy of Neil Finn. The songs tend to lean in the direction of very sparse, haunting atmosphere that listeners of Together Alone may be a little more familiar with. Highly recommended: “Into Temptation”, a nearly-sinister ballad with a small string section, “Love This Life”, somewhat similar to the former, “Never Be The Same” and “In The Lowlands”.

1. I Feel Possessed (3:48)
2. Kill Eye (3:14)
3. Into Temptation (4:34)
4. Mansion in the Slums (3:45)
5. When You Come (4:46)
6. Never Be The Same (4:29)
7. Love This Life (3:36)
8. Sister Madly (2:53)
9. In The Lowlands (3:58)
10. Better Be Home Soon (3:07)

Released by: Capitol
Release date: 1988
Total running time: 38:10

Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever

Naturally, the thing that drew me to this album was the post-Traveling Wilbury association of Petty with ELO’s Jeff Lynne, and this album is proof that this combination may have been more interesting than the combination of Lynne and George Harrison. The songs “Free Fallin'” and “A Face In The Crowd” are just a couple of the examples of the unique synergy, with Lynne contributing music and lyrics as well as his skills in the production booth. More typical Petty tunes include “Running Down A Dream”, “A Mind With A Heart Of Its Own”, and “Yer So Bad”, but even those songs sport Lynne’s trademark production.

1. Free Fallin’ (4:14)
2. I Won’t Back Down (2:56)
3. Love is a Long Road (4:06)
4. A Face in the Crowd (3:50)
5. Runnin’ Down a Dream (4:23)
6. Feel a Whole Lot Better (2:47)
7. Yer So Bad (3:05)
8. Depending On You (2:47)
9. The Apartment Song (2:31)
10. Alright For Now (2:00)
11. A Mind With A Heart Of Its Own (3:29)
12. Zombie Zoo (2:56)

Released by: MCA
Release date: 1989
Total running time: 39:04

Jellyfish – Bellybutton

It’s really too bad Jellyfish split up, because from the sound of this album and its solitary follow-up, they could have amassed a following as the premiere pop group of the 1990s. These guys really enjoyed making their music, and their joy in doing so is evident just from listening to it. If you need proof, listen to the goofy song “Now She Knows She’s Wrong”. I remember hearing “The King Is Half-Undressed” several years ago on MTV and disregarding the entire song until the bridge, which consists of some absolutely entrancing Beatlesque-going-on-ELO harmonies, and it turns out the rest of Bellybutton was at least as good as that one song, if not better. I have to single out “The Man I Used To Be”, “Bedspring Kiss” and especially the sobering “She Still Loves Him” – about a woman trapped in an abusive relationship – for special praise. These guys could make some music. Sadly, after one more album, Jellyfish broke up, though some of its members are still active, even if their output is somewhat obscure. I highly recommend this album to you, and it’s hard to miss – it’s got the ultra-colorful, trippy cover featuring the band members looking for all the world like they’re auditioning for a live-action movie about the Smurfs!

1. The Man I Used To Be (4:34)
2. That Is Why (4:16)
3. The King Is Half-Undressed (3:47)
4. I Wanna Stay Home (4:06)
5. She Still Loves Him (4:32)
6. All I Want Is Everything (3:44)
7. Now She Knows She’s Wrong (2:36)
8. Bedspring Kiss (5:03)
9. Baby’s Coming Back (2:57)
10. Calling Sarah (4:03)

Released by: Charisma
Release date: 1990
Total running time: 39:38

Culture Club – The Best of Culture Club

Oh, the horror! Yes, I actually liked these guys (well, maybe I should replace “guys” with something a little less gender-specific) in their heyday. Sure, they had a bizarre appearance, but if you turn off the TV and put away the album cover, what difference does it make? Regardless of the performers’ appearances, I really liked “Time (Clock Of The Heart)”, “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”, and a few of these other songs way back when. My feelings about Culture Club are best summed up with another of my dreaded anedotes here. Upon my comment that I actually liked some of Culture Club’s music, a former co-worker once said that he’d read an article once in which lead singer and seemingly-would-be chanteuse Boy George claimed that the whole point of Culture Club was “to make good love songs for gay men.” I have no idea if this quote is accurate or not. But the point of it is: if I have heard these songs for years, and never equated their lyrics with any particular sexual orientation, it’s a good love song, period, and who cares anyway? Anyway, I’ll step down from my soapbox now, and I’m sure if you were offended by this, I’ll certainly hear about it.

1. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? (4:25)
2. White Boy (4:41)
3. Church of the Poison Mind (3:33)
4. Changing Everyday (3:19)
5. The War Song (3:58)
6. I’m Afraid of Me (3:18)
7. It’s a Miracle (3:25)
8. The Dream (2:30)
9. Time (Clock of the Heart) (3:44)
10. The Dive (3:48)
11. Victims (4:54)
12. I’ll Tumble 4 Ya (2:35)
13. Miss Me Blind (4:32)
14. Mistake No. 3 (4:35)
15. The Medal Song (4:15)
16. Karma Chameleon (4:03)

Released by: Virgin
Release date: 1989
Total running time: 61:35

Electric Light Orchestra – Early ELO

This British double disc is quite a nifty item, despite the fact that it duplicated the entire contents of ELO’s first two albums (though that too is understandable, as those albums had been out of print in the U.K., never having seen a CD pressing). Why did I splurge on this? Because, like Afterglow, it has some neato extra stuff, including very interesting quadrophonic mixes of some songs from the first album (which, in stereo, simply reveal different aspects of the existing performances that are inaudible in the original stereo album mixes), some On The Third Day out-takes, and a never-before-heard song – rather a silly sounding one, actually – called “Baby I Apologise”, supposedly from the Third Day sessions. The informative booklet also adds to the package. I recommend this to serious ELO scholars, and those who really liked the group’s early sound.

Disc one
1. 10538 Overture
2. Look At Me Now
3. Nellie Takes Her Bow
4. The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644)
5. First Movement (Jumpin’ Biz)
6. Mr Radio
7. Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)
8. Queen of the Hours
9. Whisper in the Night
10. First Movement / quad mix
11. Mr Radio / quad mix
12. Nellie Takes Her Bow / quad mix
13. Whisper in the Night / quad mix
14. Roll Over Beethoven / radio edit

Disc two
1. In Old England Town (Boogie No. 2)
2. Mama
3. Roll Over Beethoven
4. From the Sun to the World (Boogie No. 1)
5. Kuiama
6. In Old England Town / instrumental
7. Showdown / single version
8. Baby I Apologise
9. Auntie
10. My Woman
11. All Over the World
12. Bev’s Trousers

Released by: EMI
Release date: 1991
Disc one total running time: 65:20
Disc two total running time: 67:22

Munchener Freiheit – Fantasie

With a single exception, the music on this album is identical to its English language descendant, Fantasy (attributed to Freiheit, a shortening of the group’s name in Germany). The lyrics, however, are in their native German, and the song known as “Keeping The Dream Alive” on the English pressing becomes a less effective pop number called “So Lang’ Man Traume Noch Leben Kann” with synth-pop instrumentation and a drum machine beat (though the vocals follow the same tune and exactly the same meter and rhythm of “Dream”). What very little knowledge I have of the German language tells me that some of the songs’ titles and lyrics do more or less match their English counterparts (“Land Der Fantasie” / “Land of Fantasy”), but others do not. Upon further listening, I’ve deduced that some of the English “translations” have lyrics that have nothing to do with the original German versions. I’d really like someone to help me figure out what the differences, discrepancies and similarities are…not to mention what the band’s name is English (though I believe freiheit is freedom, I could be wrong). Despite the fact that I understood maybe ten or twelve words on the entire album, it’s still a favorite of mine and stood me in good stead until I recovered my beloved English-translated copy of the same songs!

1. Bis Wir Uns Weiderseh’n (3:45)
2. In Deinen Augen (4:42)
3. Diana (4:17)
4. Land der Fantasie (4:54)
5. Mondlicht (3:06)
6. So Heisb (4:04)
7. Zum Allersten Mal (3:22)
8. Du Bist Dabei (3:46)
9. Lasb Es Einfach Gescheh’n (4:05)
10. So Lang’ Man Traume Noch Leben Kann (3:25)

Released by: WEA
Release date: 1988
Total running time: 39:26

Ren & Stimpy – You Eediot!

This debut CD from the steenky cat-and- chihuahua duo was, in places, genuinely funny. In other places, it reeked of cheap marketing tie-in, which is exactly what it was. But at least a benchmark was established, something to allow us to gauge that the other Ren & Stimpy audio antics released in the future pretty much sucked. It’s a thin line sometimes, though. One of the best things going for You Eediot! is the presence of the many catchy, kooky fake commercial jingles used in the early days when the Ren & Stimpy Show was actually funny instead of just gross. I’d heartily recommend this for anyone who could discern between the original episodes and those which were cranked out by Nickelodeon after the ousting of creator John Kricfalusi.

1. The Whistler / Overture (0:42)
2. Dog Pound Hop (2:27)
3. Muddy Mudskipper Theme (0:42)
4. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy (1:46)
5. Firedogs (3:38)
6. Better Than No One (4:38)
7. Nose Goblins (4:20)
8. Smokin’ (3:03)
9. Log Blues / Log Theme (1:23)
10. Captain’s Log / Space Madness (5:02)
11. Sven Theme (3:03)
12. Sven Blues (0:47)
13. Don’t Whiz on the Electric Fence (1:19)
14. Ren’s Pecs (2:52)
15. I’m Gonna Be A Monkey (1:28)
16. Filthy’s Dance (0:24)
17. Jungle Boogie (0:18)
18. Dizzy Monkees (0:29)
19. Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen (2:47)
20. The Whistler / Underture (0:41)
21. Big House Blues (3:00)

Released by: Sony Wonder
Release date: 1993
Total running time: 44:49

Chicago – Chicago’s Greatest Hits

This is another one of those cases where anything I might have to say about an album is superfluous, because surely by now you either like Chicago or you don’t. My favorite thing about this Chicago album? It’s “old” Chicago, before the advent of a lot of synths and sequencers that later reduced the once-great band to merely being Peter Cetera’s soft-rock backing band. I know there are quite a few folks who loved the later Chicago years, and sure they turned out good material then. But you’ll hear something on this album, something that those of us who fell in love with Chicago before the 80s dearly miss about the band’s later years – do you hear all that brass? That, my friends, was Chicago. That is what made them great. Quite a few late 60s ensembles included a little brass, but few made that part of the band so integral as Chicago did. For you youngsters and children of the 80s out there, I strongly advise you to pick this up, and listen to the real Chicago. “Does anybody really know what time it is?” they asked so many years ago…and my answer is, “Far too long since anyone made music like this.”

1. 25 or 6 to 4 (4:50)
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (3:19)
3. Colour My World (2:59)
4. Just You ‘n’ Me (3:42)
5. Saturday in the Park (3:53)
6. Feelin’ Stronger Every Day (4:13)
7. Make Me Smile (2:59)
8. Wishing You Were Here (4:34)
9. Call On Me (4:01)
10. (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long (4:27)
11. Beginnings (7:51)

Released by: Columbia
Release date: 1975
Total running time: 46:48

Moody Blues – The Other Side Of Life

Like Long Distance Voyager, this album is a rare case of the Moodies concentrating on style over substance, with keyboardist Patrick Moraz starting to contribute to the songwriting some. The best song is, by miles, “I Just Don’t Care”, a much more traditional Moody Blues love song that wouldn’t have been out-of-place in their ’60s repertoire, and of course everyone remembers “Your Wildest Dreams”, or at least the video from it.

Something else interesting I’ve noticed about this album is the design of the back cover and CD booklet – everything is slanted leftward in a sort of reverse-italic style. This in itself is unremarkable, but it’s odd when you look at the similar stylings on the 1986 album by ELO, another band from Birmingham – their album sleeve and inner sleeve also sported a reverse italic motif. I think there’s a conspiracy at work here somewhere.

1. Your Wildest Dreams (4:50)
2. Talkin’ Talkin’ (3:55)
3. Rock ‘n’ Roll Over You (4:50)
4. I Just Don’t Care (3:25)
5. Running Out Of Love (4:25)
6. The Other Side of Life (6:50)
7. The Spirit (4:14)
8. Slings and Arrows (4:29)
9. It May Be A Fire (4:56)

Released by: Threshold
Release date: 1986
Total running time: 41:54

Crowded House – Together Alone

I’ve been singing the praises of this one since November 1993 – don’t miss this one! This one resembles the group’s debut album more than either of the previous two. The rocky sound of the first album can be heard very clearly, and track 4 “Black & White Boy” is the hardest rocking Crowded House tune to date, beating out even “Love You ‘Til The Day I Die” or even any live covers of Split Enz’s History Never Repeats. Neil Finn hasn’t lost his flair for ballads, though – some of the very best are on here: “Nails In My Feet” continues CH’s knack of having just a handful of instruments playing, yet still sounding absolutely majestic, and “Catherine Wheels” – a song which would seem to concern itself with spousal abuse – is haunting as well. The title track is also very interesting, with native percussion and a huge mixed choir singing in Maori. Neil’s brother Tim, who left soon after Woodface‘s release, is barely seen or heard from on this album, replaced by longtime CH road musician Mark Hart.

1. Kare Kare (3:35)
2. In My Command (3:43)
3. Nails In My Feet (3:39)
4. Black and White Boy (4:01)
5. Fingers of Love (4:26)
6. Pineapple Head (3:28)
7. Locked Out (3:18)
8. Private Universe (5:38)
9. Walking On The Spot (2:55)
10. Distant Sun (3:50)
11. Catherine Wheels (5:12)
12. Skin Feeling (3:56)
13. Together Alone (3:57)

Released by: Capitol
Release date: 1993
Total running time: 51:38

Tori Amos – Under The Pink

She’s back again, perhaps a little more contemporary than she was with Little Earthquakes, and more than likely as a result of her surprising success things have moved into a more modern direction. The verdict? Too bad. Her debut album was so powerful simply because it was drastically different from current product. The changes, while not quite a wholesale defection to commercial expediency, really wind up being unnecessary. But there are enough songs which seem to be on the right track in spite of themselves – “Pretty Good Year”, the seemingly Ren & Stimpy-inspired “Space Dog”, and the curious “Icicle”. The standouts are the likeably different “The Waitress” and as before, an emotional roller coaster ride comes out as my favorite on the entire album, “Cloud On My Tongue”. The album’s weakness is, in turns, trying to be too different from its predecessor and then trying to be too much like it.

1. Pretty Good Year (3:25)
2. God (3:58)
3. Bells for Her (5:20)
4. Past the Mission (4:05)
5. Baker Baker (3:20)
6. The Wrong Band (3:03)
7. The Waitress (3:09)
8. Cornflake Girl (5:06)
9. Icicle (5:47)
10. Cloud on My Tongue (4:44)
11. Space Dog (5:10)
12. Yes, Anastasia (9:33)

Released by: Atlantic
Release date: 1994
Total running time: 56:40

Howard Jones – The Best of Howard Jones

This definitive collection of Howard Jones’ singles is a must if, like me, you’re a student of pop music of the ’80s. Featuring singles as early as “New Song” (believe me, you’ve heard this, even if you don’t think you have), “Things Can Only Get Better”, the familiar Phil Collins-produced version of “No One Is To Blame”, “Life In One Day”, later songs such as “Everlasting Love” and “Lift Me Up” and a newly recorded cover of Donald Fagen’s “I.G.Y.”, this album probably has whatever you’re looking for unless you’re hunting Howard Jones obscurities. Very good!

1. What Is Love? (3:42)
2. New Song (4:15)
3. Pearl in the Shell (3:59)
4. Always Asking Questions (3:41)
5. Things Can Only Get Better (3:57)
6. Like To Get To Know You Well (4:01)
7. Life In One Day (3:39)
8. You Know I Love You…Don’t You? (4:05)
9. Hide and Seek (4:49)
10. No One Is To Blame (4:12)
11. Look Mama (4:05)
12. The Prisoner (4:40)
13. Everlasting Love (4:20)
14. Lift Me Up (3:40)
15. Tears To Tell (4:19)
16. Two Souls (4:23)
17. I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World) (5:04)
18. City Song (7:20)

Released by: Elektra
Release date: 1993
Total running time: 78:11

Fine Young Cannibals – The Raw & The Cooked

It’s okay, you can relax. This is the album with “She Drives Me Crazy” on it, which was a gigantic hit around 1989. Far more synthesizer-sequenced and dance-oriented than the first album, this could have been the turning point to superstardom for the Cannibals. Since then, however, their only releases have consisted of an album of remixes and a greatest hits album with three or four new songs. Huh? Where do these guys get off releasing a greatest hits album when they’ve only released two previous albums to begin with?! Ah well, fear not. If you’re looking for something to get you up out of your chair, this album will probably do it.

1. She Drives Me Crazy (3:05)
2. Good Thing (3:22)
3. I’m Not The Man I Used To Be (4:20)
4. I’m Not Satisfied (3:48)
5. Tell Me What (2:45)
6. Don’t Look Back (3:35)
7. It’s OK (It’s Alright) (3:29)
8. Don’t Let It Get You Down (3:20)
9. As Hard As It Is (3:10)
10. Ever Fallen In Love (3:52)

Released by: I.R.S.
Release date: 1988
Total running time: 34:46

Christopher Franke – New Music for Films, Volume One

Brought to you by the same Tangerine Dream alumnus responsible for the music on Babylon 5 every week. Pretty much the same style as his other work here with a few interesting variations…but very few interesting variations. I’d only advise this album for those really, really into Franke’s trademark sound. In fact, Franke later recycled music from track 17, “Lurking Shadow” (ironic, eh?), for the Babylon 5 episode Endgame.

1. Main Title (2:28)
2. Big Country (2:55)
3. Dramatic Ride (2:07)
4. The Run (0:34)
5. Getting Ready To Attack (2:21)
6. Memories of Maria (1:40)
7. The Attack (2:25)
8. Will He Return? (1:34)
9. Quiet Ocean (1:10)
10. The Battle Begins (0:30)
11. The Victory (2:10)
12. Hidden Tears (1:22)
13. The Fight (1:16)
14. Romance Become Pain (4:00)
15. The Battle Continues (2:20)
16. Mysterious Discovery (1:23)
17. Lurking Shadow (6:05)
18. The Shock (7:36)
19. Dream Sequence (0:58)
20. Doomer (4:13)
21. Threatening (3:17)
22. Quiet Ocean – reprise (1:10)
23. Creepy (3:26)
24. Steven Stole It (1:55)

Released by: Varese Sarabande
Release date: 1993
Total running time: 59:48

Art of Noise – In Visible Silence

This album kicks off with an inauspicious jumble of spoken words which certainly lives up to the Art of Noise’s obligation to produce pure noise! Thankfully, you can skip to the second track, “Paranoimia” (known to most people as a song that Max Headroom talked/rapped through on an extended single version), and things will be just fine. Also hailing from this album is “Legs”, a relatively popular Art of Noise single – you know, the one that starts out with a huge blast of horns from an unknown source that was also sampled by Split Enz for “Ninnie Kneez Up” a few years earlier, though I’ve always felt the sample/percussion-heavy “Slip Of The Tongue” that immediately follows it is much stronger. This is also the source of the famous remake of the theme from Peter Gunn, which Duane Eddy graced with his actual presence, though some of it sounds sampled to me! A couple of underrated personal favorites of mine are “Camilla – The Old, Old Story”, which is as close as I’ve ever heard the Art of Noise get to pure jazz, and “The Chameleon’s Dish”, another brassy beat number. If I were to point you in the direction of just one album by this group that would be representative of their work – though their style jackrabbits from one extreme to the other between albums – this one would have to be it.

1. Opus 4 (2:00)
2. Paranoimia (4:46)
3. Eye of a Needle (4:23)
4. Legs (4:06)
5. Slip of the Tongue (1:27)
6. Backbeat (4:09)
7. Instruments of Darkness (7:11)
8. Peter Gunn – featuring Duane Eddy (3:55)
9. Camilla – The Old, Old Story (7:24)
10. The Chameleon’s Dish (4:16)
11. Beatback (1:16)
12. Peter Gunn – extended version (6:01)

Released by: China Records
Release date: 1988
Total running time: 50:54

Depeche Mode – Shake the Disease

I first heard the title track of this single/EP on a “best of” album covering Depeche Mode’s work up until just before Black Celebration, and I really liked it. It was another one of those cases where I had to give the tape back to its owner, but I finally managed to find a relatively inexpensive CD single containing just this song and another one from that compilation that hadn’t been released on any other album. I hate it when they do that! But I won this time. “Shake The Disease” stuck fast in my mind when I first heard it because of the overlapping vocals throughout the song – actually, compared to a classroom full of munchkins bleating “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, this song’s overlapping is pretty simple, but it’s done nicely and, well, I just like the song. I don’t really spend a whole lot of time on the various remixes and dance mixes, but “Shake The Disease” by itself was worth a couple of bucks for me.

1. Shake the Disease (4:49)
2. Flexible (3:11)
3. Shake the Disease – extended remix (8:46)
4. Flexible – extended remix (6:17)
5. Shake the Disease – edit the shake (7:12)
6. Something To Do – metal mix (7:26)

Released by: Intercord Ton Gmbh
Release date: 1984
Total running time: 37:41

Ray Lynch – No Blue Thing

This is really my favorite Ray Lynch album, but I’m afraid that isn’t saying much. I find so much so-called “new age” music to be repetitive, meandering, and in many cases just plain boring. No Blue Thing is often repetitive and meandering, but at least it barely avoids the trap of being boring. By adding a small chamber string ensemble to some of the largely synthesized pieces, Lynch’s music takes on a much more interesting quality than usual. Sadly, that’s the exception rather than the rule.

1. No Blue Thing (5:35)
2. Clouds Below Your Knees (4:40)
3. Here & Never Found (4:44)
4. Drifted in a Deeper Land (7:22)
5. Homeward at Last (3:38)
6. Evenings, Yes (4:52)
7. The True Spirit of Mom & Dad (8:05)

Released by: Windham Hill
Release date: 1989
Total running time: 38:56

Ray Lynch – Nothing Above My Shoulders But The Evening

It’s not very often (in fact, hardly ever) that I recommend an entire album on the strength of its one good song, but the singular worthwhile cut on this album is well worth the price of the whole thing. While the rest of the album seems to sound like a step backward for Lynch, “Ivory” is the best neo-classical piece to hit my ears in a long time. A relaxing piano-flute duet, it makes one ask why the whole album couldn’t have been done in this manner. Nevertheless, even if only for the four minutes of “Ivory”, I recommend this one.

1. Over Easy (4:47)
2. Her Knees Deep In Your Mind (6:15)
3. Passion Song (5:22)
4. Ivory (5:34)
5. Mesquite (6:16)
6. Only An Enjoyment (7:16)
7. The Vanishing Gardens of Cordoba (8:22)

Released by: Windham Hill
Release date: 1993
Total running time: 45:35

The Star Wars Anthology

This was the one that got me hooked on movie soundtracks, on science fiction, on space, on a general fixation with futuristic concepts that later led to my lifelong romance with computers…blame it all on Star Wars, or thank Star Wars for it, whichever you prefer. Some of the cognoscenti have accused Williams of stealing – or at least borrowing liberally – from Holst, Mendelssohn, Korngold, and just about everyone else. But to come to Williams’ defense, it’s possible that many relatively young music enthusiasts such as myself never would have come into the fold of film music or classical music had Williams not artfully borrowed some of those stylistic maneuvers for Star Wars. The original LP program of this album means a lot to me, and I can’t recommend enough that you give it a listen. Forget what you’ve heard about Williams’ originality or lack thereof, and perhaps even make an effort not to associate the sounds with their accompanying celluloid imagery. I think you’ll like it.

What can I say about The Empire Strikes Back, other than the fact that it’s my favorite film score of all time? No one has even come close to matching the sheer power of this double-sized chunk of symphonic music in the decade-and-a-half since its release. From the brutal mechanical sound that accompanied the advent of the deadly snow walkers to the rapid-fire precision of a last-ditch maneuver into a storm of asteroids, the virtuosity of composer and performer are assured. But many of the more mellow movements, whether they speak of romance or awesome wonder, differentiate this film’s music; equally, the uncertain and less-than-happy ending of The Empire Strikes Back forces John Williams out of his typically celebratory, heroic style into minor keys. This movie, and its music, were the peak of the Star Wars experience for me. A word to discriminating listeners everywhere: do not get the PolyGram single-CD pressing of this soundtrack. That disc represents possibly one-third of the entire double album as it was originally released. Save some money and get the complete Star Wars soundtrack anthology box set, and you can at last have the entirety of Empire soundtrack on CD, and then some (including cuts that weren’t even on the LP). I implore you not to limit the range of wonders this soundtrack offers just for your own mere economic comfort!

Even way back when I was just listening to the shamefully truncated single-disc LP of Return Of The Jedi, it somehow seemed to be something less than its predecessors. The expanded version of Jedi that appeared in the 1993 four-CD anthology box set redressed the balance by restoring such great unheard gems as “Fight In The Dungeon,” “Final Duel/Into The Death Star” and “Darth Vader’s Death,” but even then the score seems to be slightly lacking. To give it some credit, however, the score carried the entire movie in some places, so it’s not as if it’s a less-than-good score. The childlike rowdiness of many of the Ewok cues grates on me at times, and the rehashing of the previous movies’ action cues in the track titled “Return Of The Jedi” – which accompanied Luke and his cohorts swashbuckling into action to escape from Jabba the Hutt and his scummy pals – only makes the entirely original alternate version on the box set’s fourth CD seem all the more brilliant.

Disc One (Star Wars):
1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare with Cinemascope Extension (0:22)
2. Main Title (5:23)
3. Imperial Attack (6:41)
4. The Desert / Robot Auction (2:51)
5. The Little People Work (4:08)
6. The Princess Appears (4:06)
7. The Land of the Sand People (2:55)
8. The Return Home (2:48)
9. Inner City (4:44)
10. Mouse Robot / Blasting Off (4:03)
11. Rescue of the Princess (4:48)
12. The Walls Converge (4:33)
13. Ben’s Death / TIE Fighter Attack (3:51)
14. Princess Leia’s Theme (4:23)
15. The Last Battle (12:13)
16. The Throne Room / End Titles (5:32)

Disc Two (The Empire Strikes Back):
1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare with Cinemascope Extension (0:22)
2. Main Title / The Imperial Probe (7:58)
3. Luke’s Escape (3:34)
4. Luke’s Rescue (1:45)
5. The Imperial March – Darth Vader’s Theme (2:59)
6. The Battle in the Snow (3:45)
7. Luke’s First Crash (4:12)
8. The Rebels Escape Again (2:59)
9. The Asteroid Field (2:59)
10. Yoda’s Theme (3:26)
11. Han Solo and the Princess (3:26)
12. The Training of a Jedi Knight (3:13)
13. The Magic Tree (3:32)
14. Yoda and the Force (4:02)
15. City in the Clouds (6:50)
16. Lando’s Palace (3:52)
17. The Duel (4:14)
18. Hyperspace (4:03)
19. Finale / End Credits (6:18)

Disc Three (Return Of The Jedi):
1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare with Cinemascope Extension (0:22)
2. Main Title / Approaching the Death Star (5:18)
3. Han Solo Returns at the Court of Jabba the Hutt (4:06)
4. Fight in the Dungeon (3:38)
5. The Return of the Jedi (4:59)
6. The Emperor Arrives (2:05)
7. The Death of Yoda (6:03)
8. Parade of the Ewoks (3:25)
9. Luke and Leia (4:43)
10. The Emperor Confronts Luke (3:26)
11. Into the Trap (2:36)
12. First Ewok Battle / Fight with the Fighters (7:18)
13. The Forest Battle (4:01)
14. Final Duel / Into the Death Star (3:37)
15. The Emperor’s Death (2:41)
16. Darth Vader’s Death (2:31)
17. Through the Flames (1:36)
18. Leia Breaks the News / Funeral Pyre for a Jedi (2:19)
19. Ewok Celebration / Finale (7:58)

Disc Four:
1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare with Cinemascope Extension (0:22)
2. Main Title – alternate (2:16)
3. Heroic Ewok / The Fleet Goes Into Hyperspace (3:05)
4. A Hive of Villainy (2:12)
5. Destruction of Alderaan (1:31)
6. Drawing the Battle Lines / Leia’s Instructions (4:02)
7. The Ewok Battle (2:48)
8. Attack Position (3:04)
9. Crash Landing (3:35)
10. Cantina Band (2:46)
11. Lapti Nek (2:48)
12. Cantina Band #2 (3:44)
13. Faking the Code (4:10)
14. Brother and Sister (3:08)
15. Standing By (1:14)
16. Leia is Wounded / Luke and Vader Duel (2:57)
17. Carbon Freeze / Luke Pursues Captives / Depature of Boba Fett (11:08)
18. Losing a Hand (5:20)
19. The Return of the Jedi – alternate (5:03)
20. Leia Breaks the News – alternate / Funeral Pyre for a Jedi (2:27)
21. Ewok Celebration – film version / End Credits (6:22)

Released by: Arista / 20th Century Fox Film Scores
Release date: 1993
Disc one total running time: 73:21
Disc two total running time: 73:29
Disc three total running time: 72:42
Disc four total running time: 74:02