Garbage- Self-titled

This is Garbage's debut album, which was released in 1995.

In hindsight, Supervixen is a combination of generic 90s pop with dashings of a darker edge, in a similar fashion to Pulp (although in this case the creepiness comes mostly from the instrumentals, rather than the vocal style). It hasn't dated well, unfortunately. The groove is nice, but the guitar riff in chorus lacks any power whatsoever.

Queer is another disappointment for me. The backing vocals feel tacked on, the lead vocals in the verse feel contrived, it feels like the hooks are being milked for all that they're worth, and there are so many breaks that it destroys any groove the song may have had. The only highlight is a nicely understated chorus. Similarly, Only Happy When It Rains has not aged well. I used to really like it, but these days only the "emo" lyrics distinguish it from the masses of generic 90s pop-rock.

I'm going to avoid the rest of the trainwreck here, by skipping most of the songs. At the time, I really enjoyed this album, so I feel quite bad about dissing it. Perhaps its appeal has been stomped to death by all the others following in its footsteps?

The news is better for Stupid Girl, which is gimmick-free, flows nicely and has a great trancey-rock groove. Dog New Tricks and My Lover's Box are similar.

Finally, Milk has a wonderfully haunting mood, helped greatly by the nicely  "mature" instrumental backing.

Favourite songs

Stupid Girl, Milk

Worthwhile?

No; time has not been kind to this album.

Dance Hall Crashers - The Live Record

Dance Hall Crashers released this live album at the peak of their career in the year 2000. The band had formed 11 years earlier, although they were on a break for a few of these years.

The subtitle of the album is "Witless Banter and 25 Mildly Antagonistic Songs of Love", which - if a little harsh on itself - perfectly encaptulates this album. Things kick off with the chanting of an excited crowd, before Go launches the voyage to a wonderful place of immaturity and whimsy.

Make Her Purr is brimming with musical bounciness, courtesy of the ska offbeat. Not to mention the chorus, which is perfect for moshing. This is all perfectly complimented by the cartoon-ish outlook on heartbreak, as per Exhibit A:
It took some time, 
Then you finally saw her again.
And she ignored you,
Like the rancid mustard in the fridge door.

Next up is Mr Blue, a solid tune which steps up the tempo a notch. My highlight is the nice vocal interplay of the two singers.

To quickly touch on the recording quality, it is very impressive for a live recording. Better than a lot of studio punk-ska albums actually! The only flaw is that the highest frequencies are a bit harsh, but otherwise all the instruments are well balanced and crisp. And the vocal harmonies are a wonderful novelty for a ska band.

If I were to assemble a wishlist of ingredients for a great punk-ska song, it would be something like: frenetic running bassline, scratchy offbeat guitar, drums which hold everything together while featuring interesting subtle variations, nice harmonies between the singers, lyrics with strong meaning yet delivered with irreverence and a huge chorus for moshing... Incredibly, there is a song which delivers all these things: She's Trying. It is possibly the perfect punk-ska song. In the universe.

Having established their style (which obviously I am a complete sucker for), it must be noted that Next to You doesn't do anything particularly special. But by combining all the usual ingredients with enough little hooks to distinguish it, the result is bucketloads of fun. The same applies to My Problem.

Can an entire song be squeezed into 30 seconds? Yes, yes it can. Triple Track is proof- it's the best of Dance Hall Crashers distilled into 30 seconds with endearing lashings of self-parody.

Enough is Enough has a fantastic breakneck pace to the lyrics of the verses. And, like She's Trying, I really dig how the backing instruments start to swell as the chorus approaches. To top it off, following the song we witness hilarious stage banter about a "stage flop" with a backpack

We Owe cranks the lyrics to an even faster onslaught, and I can't understand a word of it! By any sensible standards, the ska section would be quite quick, but here it serves as a very nice "slow" section. Yikes. Really, the song is more a novelty than anything else, and its furious tempo serves to highlight the contrast with...

The beautiful punk ballad Remember to Breathe. In the context of the album/gig, it's a much needed soothing change of pace. It also happens to be a brilliant song in its own right, somehow raw and emotive despite the crunchy guitars and drums. The vocal harmonies are particularly stunning. And the chorus really tugs on the heartstrings:
Close your eyes,
I'll watch over you.
Just tell me
What you want me to do
Close your eyes...
Just remember to breathe

The mid-paced Shelley follows a similar recipe to Next To You and its siblings. But the slightly softer feel and compassionate lyrics do distinguish it slightly. He Wants Me Back is another gentle little head-bopping tune.

Thanks to Tom Petty's lyrics, American Girl features strong hand-on-heart patriotism. Dance Hall Crashers' cover is pretty generic punk-rock, but it suits the original song very well, and makes for a great cover.

Remember the "Witless Banter" reference in the subtitle? A perfect example that this recording is far more than the sum of its songs is Cat Fight. Here is the introduction to the song:
"This song is about how guys like to watch girls fight..."
(crowd goes wild)
"... uhhh and how we think it's really fuckin' lame that they like to watch girls fight".
LOLs! As for the song itself, the story is great and the chorus is wonderfully infectious. A minor gripe is that I find the instrumentals of its verses a bit uninspiring.

Good For Nothing introduces a new style- sassy reggae. Unique and very nice! Of course, before things start becoming civilised, they follow it up with the maximum tempo punk-heavy Othello.

Despite the top notch quality of the songs here, at song point maintaining the irreverent, bouncy mood becomes difficult. For me, the fatigue sets in after about 18 songs. Luckily, a second wind comes along, courtesy of Lost Again. In isolation, it jumps all over the place, but this is exactly what is needed at this point of the set. The interplay between the two singers is a highlight, as is the  slow-tempo "breakdown" in the chorus.

Cricket treats us to another wonderful ballad. The harmonies between the two  singers (and the guitar) are stunning. I also really dig how they avoided the temptation to fill out the song by adding drums etc towards the end. It remains beautifully simple throughout. Lighter-waving brilliance. Actually, that description kind of trivialises it, the song is intensely spine-tingling.

The grunty riff-rock of The Truth About Me works very well, also showing some variation from their usual punk-ska style.


On that note, the final song, D.H.C. It's pure silly fun, just like The Ramones at their best. The important lesson here is that whatever crap life throws at you, just go to a gig and skank:
Out on the dance floor,
Everything's gonna be alright.
Out on the dance floor:
Dance Hall... Dance Hall Crashers tonight

Indeed.

Favourite songs

Make Her Purr, She's Trying, Next to You, Triple Track, Enough is Enough, My Problem, Remember to Breathe, Shelley, American Girl, Cat Fight, Good For Nothing, Othello, Lost Again, Cricket, He Wants Me Back, The Truth About Me, D.H.C. 

Worthwhile?

See list above...

Just as Ground Components is the album of choice when I feel like wallowing in bitterness, this Dance Hall Crashers' album is my go-to choice when I want to be taken to a happy place. And it never fails to do so.

Skatalites- From Paris With Love

It is incredible to think that a band formed in 1963 are still going strong. But it is true, since re-forming the band in 1989, they have toured and recorded ever since.

From Paris With Love was recorded in 2002 and features about half the original Skatalites line-up.

From the opening song, Garden of Love, their ska style is impossible to resist. Garden of Love doesn't have the most memorable of melodies, but the song is very catchy nonetheless.

Glory to the Sound adds a darker mood with its rocksteady bassline and one-drop drums. It works a treat. While I enjoy boppy feelgood ska (ie the previous song), somehow the more aggressive undertone of rocksteady connects on a deeper level captivating.

Unfortunately, From Russia With Love has a fatal flaw: the horns are awfully out of tune. While this is an issue throughout the album, it is at its worst in From Russia With Love. Also quickly dismissed is Ska Fort Rock, it's simply too fast... more on this later...

Somehow, the songs with vocals (eg When I Fall in Love, Golden Love) don't appeal to me at all. While some might find the lyrics charmingly simple and lovestruck, personally I prefer my vocals with some narrative, journey or illustration.

To quickly skip over some more gripes, Lester's Mood is a bit lifeless, perhaps needing an injection of phat bass. And it may be sacrilegious to say this, but I don't really rate The Skatalites' Guns of Navarone. I much prefer the bouncy chaos of The Special's version (which is basically a cover of The Skatalites cover!).

The audio quality is often so-so, but usually its more of an issue of musicianship than production techniques. The horns often sound quite low rent- out of tune and their ensemble playing is sloppy. On the plus side, the recording of the drums is wonderful (crisp and airy) and the bass guitar sits under it all nicely.

Freedom Sounds is a brilliant fusion of ska and jazz, with interesting chord progressions added to spice up the backing to the solos. Another highlight for me is the majestic power of the horns throughout the song.

As a ska tragic, it is compulsory for me to own a Skatalites album. But why this one? Well, the reason is Rock Fort Rock, for which I would forgive any shortcoming on the rest of the album. That horn line is a timeless classic, every time I hear it I find myself humming it for hours afterwards! Combined with a brilliant rocksteady groove, and it's one of my all-time favourite songs.

Favourite songs

Garden of Love, Glory to the Sound, Freedom Sounds, Rock Fort Rock

Worthwhile?

The direct answer is "no". There are a few (wonderful) exceptions, on the whole I'm not really digging this album.

However, many of my favourite bands would not have existed were it not for their influence (most obviously Skazz). Therefore, based on this incredible legacy, it turns out that they are one of the most important bands in my life.

Royal Crown Revue- El Toro

Royal Crown Revue formed in 1989, and shot to fame in the mid 1990s as a pivotal part of the neo-swing movement. This EP was released in 2007.

The title track, El Toro, kicks off with a wonderful "south of the border" influence. Stepping it up a gear, the verses add infectious energy and a nice edgy guitar riff. Great stuff. Not so great, in my book, is the uninspiring chorus, messy composition and drawn-out ending. But in between these flaws is a very enjoyable song.

The awkward composition also afflicts Won't You Ride With Me and Brazil, both of which feel more like a medley than a cohesive song. I also find their lyrics pretty banal, however this can be slightly forgiven due to the genre.

Solitary Man, like El Toro, has a lot of potential but just misses the mark. The quieter parts (with the rimshots) are brilliantly emotive and dripping with style. But the louder sections are just a mess.

Finally, for the last two songs, we are blessed with some cohesive arrangements. While It's A Good Day and Rockville aren't really that memorable, they are both quite enjoyable efforts.

Like the songs themselves, the recording quality varies greatly. Sometimes the double-bass is boomy, most of the band gets lost in the mix or the horns sound tinny. At other times, it all comes together beautifully, with each instrument nicely full of character.

Favourite songs

(none)

Worthwhile

No, but it's not as bad as the bare list above implies. It's certainly not a bad CD; but unfortunately the great songs are flawed, and the remaining songs are more "solid effort" as opposed to something I'd ever have a strong desire to listen to.

Standing on the Outside- The Songs of Cold Chisel

This collection of Cold Chisel covers, by 18 well-known Australian bands, was released in 2007.

Rising Sun is an all-time favourite song, and The Living End is my favourite band. Add these together and the result is... woeful. Why?? The song sounds disjointed, rushed and by the end feels like its flogging a dead horse. To top things off, the recording quality is terrible.

Unlike the previous song, Dallas Crane's version of Standing on the Outside is very similar to original. While it's a solid effort, for me the comparison highlights a feeling the tempo is rushed and the vocals lack power.

Pete Murray takes the song Forever Now into completely new territory with good results. While the verses are a bit slow moving for my liking, the chorus and the mood created by the instruments are powerful and intruiging respectively.

In the context of Cold Chisel, No Sense was quite left-field. This Ben Lee version takes it even further into crazy-town, thanks to some great deconstructed synth-pop. For immature reasons, I really dig it. And it's great to hear Ben Lee show some balls in his vocals for a change! Similarly, Alex Llyod's efforts to replace the anger of You Got Nothing I Want with a bluegrass hoedown is whimsical brilliance!

Thirsty Merc's version of My Baby sticks quite close to the original. Therefore both versions are great songs.

Unfortunately, Water Into Wine simply reminds me that Evermore is not my cup of tea. Going a step further, When the War is Over is a reminder that Something For Kate really annoys me for some reason.

Paul Kelly is possibly the only person who could do a cover of the classic song Khe Sanh justice. While it's a solid effort, I prefer the "bigger" composition of the original. Similarly, the Troy Cassar-Daley version of Bow River has stripped the song of its chaotic jump blues elements. Since this was the most appealing aspect of the song for me, listening to this version has me bursting out of my skin, frustrated and wishing it was faster!

Saturday Night by Grinspoon is the opposite situation to Rising Sun: normally, I'm not really into either the band or this song, but putting them together has has created a very special song. Perhaps the smooth lyrics over the tops of the crunchy staccato guitars appeals like a song from The Clash. It isn't really a "big" song, but somehow it manages to be both restrained and catchy.

It is probably sacrilegious to criticise either Sarah Blasko or the song Flame Trees, let alone both in the same breath! On the other hand, The Waifs have taken a beautifully raw song in Four Walls and created an ever more beautifully raw rendition.

But my favourite song in this oddball collection is Janelle by Augie March. This simple blues/hymn is a spine-tingling classic.

Favourite songs

Forever Now, My Baby, Saturday Night, You Got Nothing I Want, Four Walls, Janelle

Worthwhile

It's an often forgotten, yet very enjoyable, oddball part of the collection.

Chris Isaak- Best Of

This Best Of was released in 2006, 21 years and 9 albums after Chris Isaac's debut. Technically, it is a mid-career Best Of, since he has released two albums since.

Skipping the twee San Francisco Days, let's get straight into Somebody's Crying. The story of how this song was written is very touching: shortly after a break-up, Isaak was at a party. Still emotionally raw and in no mood to party, he hid himself in a closet and wrote the song. Musically, I really dig the Roy Orbison style of Somebody's Crying, which is interesting in its own right and perfectly suits the mood of the song.

Wicked Game is a superb song- tortured yet beautiful. Nick Cave's style is rarely my cup of tea, so it is a huge credit that I rate this song so highly. The backing instrumentals are perfect- setting a strong mood yet restrained enough to sit nicely behind the vocals. And what brilliant vocals they are, sung beautifully and poetic from the very first word:
The world was on fire
And no one could save me but you.
It's strange what desire 
Will make foolish people do.

Isaak's other signature song, Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing, does not fare so well in my book. The instrumentals are very enjoyable, but the vocal delivery feels cheesy to me. The way the vocals jump all over the place feels more like an over-acting rather than a wide array of geniune emotions.

Let Me Down Easy is generic saccharine pop-country, despite the sorrowful lyrics. Perhaps even Dixie Chicks just with a male vocalist. Similarly, Two Hearts reeks of Elvis in his easy-listening era of churning out an endless supply of teenage heart-throb movies. Yuk.

Blue Spanish Sky and Forever Blue are also letdowns for me. I think I would have preferred them as instrumentals, rather than aimlessly wandering ballads. Wolfgang Parker's Blood Red Water shows Blue Spanish Sky, in particular, how it should be done. Dancin' is another that misses the mark, but at least the bad 1980s cliches make it amusing! And the song Please somehow sounds like Nirvana to me... if they chilled out a lot...

On a brighter note, the recording quality is fantastic. Starting with the gentle thud of the kick-drum, then the bass guitar nicely sitting in the background. The guitar work is excellent, my only criticism is that it is often drowned out by the vocals. Speaking of vocals, Isaak has an incredible voice, which is a highlight of every single song.

Unfortunately, by the middle of this CD, I'm starting to lose interest. This, I believe, is the fault of the lyrics being about the same topic. While every other aspect of the songs are nicely varied and ironically often with great upbeat energy, hearing song after song about heartbreak eventually wears thin. So King Without a Castle and Speak of the Devil get a raw deal because I'm a bit "over it" by the time they appear. Which is a shame, because I actually find Speak of the Devil of similar standard to Somebody's Crying.

Let's Have a Party and Blue Hotel also suffer the same fate, sadly. Again, this is despite wonderful instrumental work and a stunning voice. If the rest of the album's lyrics weren't the same heartbroken whining as Blue Hotel, I'd be praising Blue Hotel for its wonderful combination of upbeat music with sorrowful lyrics.

(Although by this stage, you're probably sick of me whining about the whiney lyrics?!)

The twangy guitar part of You Owe Me Some Kind of Love is a wonderful highlight, as is the understated yet powerful chorus.

Finishing the CD with I Want You To Want Me is a master-stroke. The silly energetic beat is a much needed injection of fun. The lyrics are flogging the same dead horse, but the energy of the song easily overpowers this to get you bouncing.

Favourite songs

Somebody's Crying, Wicked Game, King Without a Castle, Speak of the Devil, You Owe Me Some Kind of Love, I Want You To Want Me 

Worthwhile?

"Yes, but..." is my official answer. There is not question that this album holds plenty of great songs. But after about halfway through the album, I find them quite fatiguing. (So I'm off to find a silly punk-ska album with which to wash away all this seriousness!)

Ground Components- An Eye For a Brow, A Tooth For a Pick

This debut album was released in 2006, about four years after the band formed. While the band describe themselves as "angular", I would argue "post-grunge" is a more fitting pigeonhole for their style. Anyway, enough about semantics, let's crank it up and see what it has to offer...

Hopefully you are ready to embrace the torment of the soul, because On Your Living Room Floor is brilliantly dripping in angst. In particular, the lyrics are spat out with such passion that I find myself paradoxically enjoying the loathing. It's like a slower Rage Against the Machine but the reduced tempo has done nothing to dilute the fury. Brilliant.

Stale Thoughts trades the menacing slow-funk groove for a more bouncy soul feel, courtesy of a wonderful hammond organ and hoppin' bassline. This is perfectly contrasted by the wailing lyrics and shredding guitar. Again, every last ounce of bitterness and passion has been poured into these lyrics, and the results are captivating.

Before all the anger gets a bit much, Coming In From All Angles gives us a breather, due to the nice smooth female lyrics. They are still rather spat out, so it's all relative. Similarly, this song is perhaps the token "fun bouncy party tune" of the album. Again, relatively speaking. There's no denying its bouncy catchiness though.

Continuing the light-hearted interlude is Hands in the Air. In the context of the journey of this album, this song is flowers-in-the-hair hippy singalong music! Also, the use of hammond organ is brilliant, so of course I really dig this song.

Fistful of Dallas is a bit disjointed, but each section is enjoyable in its own right, so I won't complain. In fact, the combo of spaghetti western and hammond organ is a winner in my book. Therefore Our Sunshine hits the nail on the head, with its strong spaghetti western theme. The lyrics are brilliantly evocative, thanks to Paul Kelly. The wailing lead singer returns with this song, however the bouncy feel provides great contrast and avoids fatigue. A key element to this is the great basslines (which are a feature of the whole album).

Head in the Sand keeps things nice and bouncy, thanks to the upbeat soul style.

The lyrics of As the Winter Months Approach are as earnest and thought-provoking as ever, yet the singer has taken a chill pill, so they are delivered in a manner appropriate for a gentle song featuring xylophone and acoustic guitar. However, the song's raison d'etre is to give the audience a breather before the upcoming onslaught. It perfectly achieves this aim and, as a bonus, is enjoyable itself.

Before we get to said onslaught, a quick note about recording quality. A harsh treble sound may well be a valid artistic decision, but it remains that this CD can actually be painful to listen to at high volumes. I'm probably overstating the problem, but it's the music is so good that I just want to listen to it... and loudly...

Anyways....It' Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)... The title and lyrics are courtesy of Bob Dylan, however really it is a completely different song. This 10 minute rock-opera is an epic modern classic which brilliantly combines funk, rock, country and vehemence. Lots of vehemence. It's beautiful and ugly, horribly bitter yet brilliantly uplifting. The very definition of bittersweet. This conundrum makes for a unique and intense experience.

Favourite songs

On Your Living Room Floor, Stale Thoughts, Coming In From All Angles, Hands in the Air, Our Sunshine, Head in the Sand, It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

Worthwhile?

This is one of my all-time favourite concept albums. Its enjoyment goes way beyond a handful of enjoyable songs, instead being engrossed in the album from cover to cover, to enjoy a brilliant journey.

Screaming Jets- Hits and Pieces

Vale Bernard "Doc" Neeson.

Purely by coincidence, next up is a band with very close links to The Angels, The Screaming Jets. This is their mid-career Greatest Hits, released in 1999.

The grunty rock mood kicks off in style with C'mon. While hardly a memorable song, it works perfectly to get you in the mood for some sweaty Aussie rock.

Thus primed, Better is an iconic song for the ages. Based on an incredible groove, the other elements come and go to maintain interest from start to finish. I have no idea what it is that he so passionately claims isn't fair, but it makes for fantastic lyrics! Other highlights are the perfect sing-along chorus and the explosion of energy that is the final chorus.

To be brief, I Need Your Love reminds me of early Hunters & Collectors, which unfortunately means generic riff-rock which angrily stumbles around aimlessly. However, I do enjoy the squelchy guitar sound for the pre-chorus.

Blue Sashes took me by surprise. Over the years it has never really appealed to me, but today when I cranked the volume to eleven, the song took on a whole new life. The energy is amazing, I'm guessing the crowd would go nuts for this at a concert. Not that I'm advocating "mowing down Commies", but the song is a great blood-boiling experience...

Needle follows a very similar formula to Blue Sashes. The chorus is fantastic, but the rest of the song somehow doesn't captivate me as much. Nor does their take on punk with the song Living In England. Not to mention the strange notion in the lyrics that someone would aspire to be a whingeing pom!

I'd best stop whingeing myself, so on to the recording quality. Simply, it is well-executed meaty rock. The guitars are nicely crunchy, and the chorusing and overdubs is very well used. To nitpick, the effects on the vocals are often laid on too thick, but that was typical for rock bands of this era.

Individuality won't ever win any awards for musical innovation, but it's a lesson in the perfect punk-rock song. The chorus is simplistic, yet great headbanging fun.

The over-processed vocals are taken to the extreme in Sacrifice, which is a deal-breaker for me. Tunnel and Silence Lost have their moments, but overall the compositions are a bit of a mess. And their take on a George Thorogood blues in Shine On somehow doesn't click for me.

Is Shiver a great ballad in its own right? Or is it flattered by being the perfect interlude for the album? Either way, I really enjoy the change of intensity it brings, and the narrative is superbly heartfelt.

October Grey is another oddball gem, thanks to its bouncy feel. I really dig the layering of this song, in particular the acoustic guitar, the gently wailing electric guitar and the piano also filling out the sound.

Political rock protest songs often feel to me like the need to spread The Message means the artistic elements of lyrics (eg narrative, imagery, intruige) are overlooked. Eve of Destruction is a wonderful exception, thanks to lyric which tell a compelling story while getting the point across.

So that's almost it. Has anyone noticed which songs I've missed?

...Helping Hand? A gold star for you, sir or madam. This song is truly a diamond in the rough! Featuring the rare combination of rock and jazz, in this case perfectly blended. The smooth verses and rollicking chorus are both fantastic in their own right. Yet when put together here, the result is even better than the sum of these excellent parts. The icing on the cake is brilliantly poetic lyrics.

Favourite songs

Better, Helping Hand, Blue Sashes, Individuality, Shiver, October Grey 

Worthwhile?

Yes. This album was purchased on the basis of Better and Helping Hand alone. So it is a nice surprise that some of the "Pieces" (ie non-Hits) have also turned out to fantastic rock songs.