Who still has the goods?
Posted by Niks on 2 October 2008 - 12:31pm.
We all like to whinge about how Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones can’t make decent albums anymore, but what about those old timers that have pulled it off? I’m not talking about a Rick Rubin produced collection of ‘reworkings’ and covers, I mean a genuinely great original album released in the past few years by someone who has been around for two or three decades or more. Something that can stand entirely on its own and doesn’t require any previous knowledge or support of the artist. And here’s the crucial thing - something that would get you just as excited even if it was a debut album by someone you had never heard of before.
Here’s mine,
Prodigal Son - Martin Simpson
Magic - Bruce Springsteen
Don’t Give Up On Me - Solomon Burke
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Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave from 2004
By some massive distance his best album in a solo career that started in 1984.
Antidepressant - Lloyd Cole
Just pleasant at first, but bloody hell what a grower. By some considerable distance my most listened to album of the last couple of years. A masterpiece I reckon. Proper grown-up pop music.
Joe Henry's Civilians...
...from last year, is tremendous. His (rubbish) debut album came out in 1986. Plus, if you ignore the minor aberration of 1998's Fuse, he hasn't made an album that's anything less than excellent in almost twenty years. And thanks to Q (and it's original proprietors) for introducing him to me - by way of a 1992 review.
The Joe Henry party is on the march
I like him, you like him, Mark Ellen likes him, spoke to Clive James and Pete Atkin yesterday and they like him. Nothing can stop us.
Namedropper
Pete Atkin and Clive James (in the right order) were on BBC Breakfast TV yesterday. Their CD re-recording this year was worth waiting for but I would prefer the long-lost deleted LPs and bankrupt CD reissues.
I don't know if I like him or not
I have the collaboration of Joe Henry and Loudon Wainwright III soundtrack for the film "Knocked Up". The CD is called "Strange Wierdos" and I love it! I only bought it because I'm a Loudon fan but maybe I need to investigate Joe Henry now.
The film is a good laugh too!
I am not sure whether this counts....
....but am I alone in enjoying Glen Campbells latest, even if it is a "collection of re-workings and covers", albeit produced by a "normal producer". I mean, it's not as if he was a songwriter ever very much anyway.
I have all the 3 you mention, and fab they all are, but Solomon Burkes is, really, a "collection of re-workings and covers" produced by Joe Henry (see post above, by coincidence)s now developing quite a reputation for kick-starting careers with his style of production. There are also the recent 2 CDs from the Rev Al Green and a Bobby Purify of a couple or 3 years back. And Candi Statons of 2 years ago-ish. I am led to believe Dion (of "and the Belmonts") DeMuccis last 2 efforts hit your requirements also, but I have yet to investigate.
All that talk of returning soul giants...
..reminds me of Mavis Staples' We'll Never Turn Back. It's not perfect but v good. And in the song My Own Eyes she produced one of the songs of the decade. Not bad for someone pushing 70.
Provisions by Giant Sand
is a mighty fine thing, 23 years after their first album.
Ear of the Beholder
I have their(his, really) earlier retrospective, enjoying much of it, so I got this thru' e-music, hoping that the many good reviews, with and without stars, were right.
Wrong! Unlistenable claptrap, straight into the bin marked "thank christ I only got this on e-music".........
Bauhaus
Go Away White, their finest album IMO.
Some of the goods?
The Blow Monkeys have just produced a new LP, amid a flourish of acclaim.In truth is it is not half bad: two thirds would be closer to the truth, making me wonder whether the critics mistook their relief for its arrival as proof of its worth. The remaining third is, I will concede, really very good. Proceed with caution?
Time Out of Mind
Dylan
Absolutely brilliant and right up there with anything he's ever recorded
Kate Bush's 'Aerial'...
which for me is the best record she's ever made.
Kate Bush's 'Aerial'...
which for me is the best record she's ever made.
Beat me to it....
I'll definitely go along with Kate Bush's "Aerial".
Would also add Peter Gabriel's "Up" (partly as I was listening to it today in SACD surround sound very loud when I was on leave.....). I think its his strongest for many a year.
Not sure if it counts as it was kind of an enforced absence, but I think the XTC Apple Venus albums are amongst there best.
Macca's Chaos and Creation
Macca's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is up there with anything he's recorded since that band he was in before broke up(the first one).
yer but
Memory Almost Full gives it a good kicking!!
Joe Brown
I know i've droned on about this before but his last two albums are languishing about, just waiting for Word types to give em a listen..and yeah "Aerial" just keeps on giving as does Wyatt's "Cuckooland". Apple Venus is still a triumph, so Andy Partridge get your finger out hook up with Moulding and give us some new XTC. I'm fed up of waiting.
Joe Brown's rendition of 'I'll See You In My Dreams'...
at the George Harrison tribute concert was absolutely beautiful, and by far the best performance of the night. He went up in my estimation enormously after I saw that.
i'll agree 100% with that
Philistine that I am, I didn't actually know that song, and when i saw the Concert for George on one of the satellite channels, i found myself wondering (after the excesses of While my Guitar, etc) "What in the name of God will they do for a finale?"
Joe Brown and a uke. That's what.
It was magical.
The new album from Byrne and Eno
is extraordinary
Tour
You will like this news then...
http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/29662/David_Byrne.html
Lil' Beethoven by Sparks
Amazing record, best thing they've ever done - think I'll give it a spin right now!