Review for www.meg.ie
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Album Review: The Jesus and Mary Chain - The Sound of Speed
The Sound of Speed was released in
1993 and is a second helping of Jesus and Mary Chain B-sides, or non-album
tracks, following on from Barbed Wire Kisses.
So just what we all need then. It
opens with Snakedriver, a bit like a slowed-down Ramones meets the Ronettes but
then explodes into life with Reverence.
It sounds kind of quaint now but it attracted considerable controversy
over Jim Reid’s lyrics: “I wanna die just like Jesus Christ, I wanna die on a
bed of spikes” etc. What’s overlooked is
that this noisy, abrasive single reached the upper reaches of the singles
chart. It takes a vaguely hip-hop beat
and overlays it with sheets of William Reid’s guitar, with a neat reference to
the Stooges’ I Wanna Be Your Dog.
Equally noisy is Lowlife, which is excellently described by its title.
Elseswhere, they display their sunnier, almost hippy side with the lazy strums of Why’d You Want Me and Don’t Come Down. These tracks work, but an attempt at an acoustic version of Teenage Lust is less successful, neutering the original. They turn cover versions of Guitarman, Tower of Song and Little Red Rooster into their own standard issue black holes, the gloopy version of the latter is almost unrecognisable from the original. They take a different tack with My Girl, turning in a hopelessly bored, acoustic cover.
Something I Can’t Have showcases their exuberant side, bursting from the speakers with Jim Reid making lyrics like “you’re in my house, you’re in my face, you made me hate the human race” sound triumphant over ringing guitars. Sometimes, which follows, is similarly upbeat. Later, Shimmer is more subdued, with shades of the Velvet Underground thrown in, while Penetration is a pretty awful experiment with keyboards and a dance-beat.
It’s the sound of the band branching out and trying new things (relative to their older output) so it’s pretty hit and miss, but it’s quite fun to listen to.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Album Review: The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don’t Cry was a sort of
reworked version of The Cure’s debut album Three Imaginary Boys, and was
released in early 1980. It takes many of
the better tracks from the debut and adds their first three excellent singles
from 1979. The packaging, like the music
within, is quite rough and ready, with charmingly cheap looking artwork.
Unlike the material that followed,
this album bristles with nervous, jerky energy.
Opening with the title track, which is possibly THE quintessential Cure
song, and needs little description here.
10.15 Saturday Night oscillates between gentle, barely there guitar
strumming and heavier guitar stabs, leading into Robert Smith’s searing guitar
solo. It’s probably best to avoid
discussion of the emo-inventing “drip, drip, drip...” lyrics which don’t really stand up to
scrutiny. Jumping Someone Else’s Train
and later Fire In Cairo are bouncy tracks with great melodies which rattle by
pleasingly.
Debut single Killing An Arab,
HEAVILY influenced by Camus has a vaguely Middle Eastern guitar riff and a hefty
dose of attitude. Later on the album,
slower tracks such as Another Day and Three Imaginary Boys are moodier,
wallowing tracks signposting the band’s direction on subsequent albums. It’s an essential document of The Cure’s very
early days.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Album Review: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part
Cave, Cave fatal Cave. It took Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds four years to follow up The Boatman's Call, an unusually lengthy spell without an album for them. 2001's No More Shall We Part is one of their most ornate albums, and also, at 67 minutes, a long one.
As I Sat Sadly By Her Side sets the tone for the album, Cave warbling in a register that doesn't quite suit him over tinkling piano, guitar and strings. This is followed up by a run of three of the albums stronger tracks. And No More Shall We Part consists mainly of piano and a slightly over-wrought vocal. Yet it's all the better for it, and towards the end, Warren Ellis' understated violin and the McGarrigle sisters join in on backing vocals.
The aforementioned pairing have a rather more prominent role on Hallelujah, the song hinges on a looping Ellis violin part that everything else weaves in and out of. This is followed up by one of the downright loveliest songs in the band's catalogue. Love Letter has a bed of sighing violin and gentle piano, all for Cave to sing of... well, love.
The album couldn't continue like this, and thankfully it doesn't. Well, not really. Many of the songs could soundtrack a sort of Bronté, Yorkshire moors style brand of doomed romance. Sweetheart Come and the dramatic piano ballad The Sorrowful Wife are two of the better offerings here. However the album feels, well, a bit long. By the time we reach Darker With The Day, Cave's lyric about "taking a final walk" feel somehow apt. Though a very pretty album, it's a long way from the teeth-baring of even Let Love In, let alone their earlier work.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Most-read articles in 2013
Here are the 10 most-read articles on Sacred Cowpats in 2013:
10 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds:
Kicking Against the Pricks - http://sacredcowpats.blogspot.
Henry's Dream - http://sacredcowpats.blogspot.
Thanks to those who stuck with this as I have hobbled through Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' back catalogue. A joint entry at number 10 for covers album Kicking Against the Pricks and for 1992's Henry's Dream.
9 J Mascis + The Fog - More Light:
Mascis goes solo on this 2000 effort.
8 Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle - Perils From The Sea:
Kozelek's most unusual release of his career to date, and undoubtedly a triumph.
7 Bob Mould - Body of Song:
Late period Mould from 2005.
6 Top albums of 2013:
You liked this. Or it so it seems.
5 The Mission - The Brightest Light:
Hussey and co miraculously still around.
4 The Savings and Loan - Today I Need Light:
Scottish band, not too many of those on this blog usually...
3 Sparklehorse - Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly of A Mountain
Final album from Linkous.
2 Small Town Boredom - Notes From The Infirmary
And another (defunct) Scottish band.
1 Mark Eitzel - Glory
Fans only release and I take it everyone who bought it read this!
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