Trojan Horns- Live

(Argh, another band so obscure that the entire internet doesn't have their cover art! Here's my crusty scan...)

The Trojan Horns (archived website here) were an Australian ska band from the early 2000s. While most ska bands of the time had strong punk/rock influences, the Trojan Horns stuck to an English 2-tone style for their version of ska.

...Which means it often isn't my cup of tea. It seems I prefer my 2-tone ska mixed with other styles, so many of these songs are too "straight down the line" for me. Also, some of the songs are interesting purely for the lyrics, with the rest of the song being merely "tolerable" accompaniment. While I'm being harsh, the recording quality is quite low-rent, as to be expected from a live recording of a local band. In particular, the drums and horns are very plastic-y sounding. On the plus side, the quieter horn parts have a nice sparseness and character to the sound.

Corn on the Cob is a highlight for me, combining some latin american influences with an interesting narrative. Also, perhaps the slower rocksteady feel is more to my liking. Although the next song blows that theory out of the water, the less said about Freestyle Reggae the better!

Bouncing is a cool cover, with much of the appeal for me being the very silly lyrics. The final song, Choices, is similar: I could take or leave the musical style, but the lyrics give this song appeal for me.

Favourite songs

Policemen, Corn on the Cob, Bouncing, Choices

Would I buy it again?

Tough question! There is certainly some kind of naive charm to it, but it's a CD I rarely listen to, so I think that probably answers the question.

The Louisville Sluggers- Time for Swingin' / Masterplan

This is the debut single from the Australian neo-swing band. While their follow up single, Hey Honey Please, took a more traditional style, this CD uses a fast-paced sound more similar to the gangster rock/swing of Royal Crown Revue, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, etc.

Time for Swingin' jumps straight into the high-energy style. The horn lines in the chorus can make it a bit stop-start, but it nicely contrasts the smoother sections of the song and despite the tempo the musicianship is wonderfully tight.

Like Hey Honey Please, the horn sound is a bit hit and miss, sometimes sounding thin. On the plus side, the balance of guitar and piano is again great, as is the overall sound. The vocals range from soft and smooth to maximum energy, and are fantastic sounding throughout.

Masterplan is one of my all-time favourite songs. In my book it's punk-swing, which somehow reminds me (and this will probably sound crazy...) of the Dead Kennedeys. Anyway, despite the breakneck pace, the verses feature intricate horn lines which are perfectly delivered. It's quite a long song, but the slow bridge breaks it up nicely. The bridge not only provides some contrast, but it also has a wonderful intensity and layering. Then the song ramps the tempo back up for a massive final chorus.

Rockford slows the tempo a bit, but the energy remains high in this "cooking" instrumental. Finally, Blow it Baby has a more relaxed feel and would be a great lounge tune if it weren't for the silly tongue-in-cheek lyrics (of which I completely approve!)

Favourite songs

Time for Swingin', Masterplan, Rockford, Blow it Baby

Would I buy it again?

Absolutely. This style of rock-swing is quite unique (only Wolfgang Parker comes to mind as having a similar style), making this EP a rare treat.

The Louisville Sluggers- Hey Honey Please

The Louisville Sluggers were one of few Australian bands to emerge during the 1990s swing revival (centred around Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, etc). This is their 2nd EP, released in 2000.

The recording quality is very good, and special mention goes to the wonderful character of the double bass sound and that the piano can be clearly heard (unlike many recordings where it gets drowned out). A minor quibble is that the horn sound can lack bite or fullness at certain times. However, the balance between instruments is great, with the female vocals sitting on top and sounding as smooth as syrup.

The besotted and smooth style of Hey Honey Please and Well Swung works a treat, backed up by wonderfully flowing horn lines. Things get dirtier (in a good way!) for the grinding cabaret/swing style of Delores the Unstoppable, a tale of a despondent stripper. Pop the Hood is a bit twee for my liking, but as a B-side it works well enough.

Favourite songs

Hey Honey Please, Well Swung, Delores the Unstoppable

Would I buy it again?

Yes. I enjoy it as a modern execution of the classic female vocal-driven swing style.

The Strokes- Is This It

Here we have the highly successful debut album from The Strokes, which was released in 2001. The timing of this debut album from the New York band was perfect, as it shot to worldwide success in the garage rock revival around the turn of the millennium. Along with bands such as The Vines and The White Stripes, the magazine Rolling Stone made the retro sound of The Strokes flavour of the month.

Trainspotters will note that this is the Australian version of the CD. The music industry gods somehow granted Aussies an early release, the "glove on ass" cover and the song New York City Cops (which was cut from the worldwide release, due to the September 11 attacks occurring in the meantime).

From my perspective, hopefully 12 years is long enough to get over all the pretentiousness associated with this album! The opening song Is This It kicks things off perfectly. It gets you into the mood of the album, without "wasting" a great song while you acclimatise.

The recording quality needs to be discussed. It sucks! By design, though. As part of the garage rock revival, it was compulsary to have a thin sound, especially with distorted vocals that sounded like they used a 1970s Tandy "build your own microphone for $2" kit. It might be part of the style, but I don't really like it. The Modern Age and Hard to Explain take good advantage of it though, with very distorted verses leading to the "relief" of a fuller, smoother chorus.

In fact, one of The Strokes' greatest skills are their choruses, they are very catchy and enjoyable. The other highlight of the band for me are the lyrics. Illustrative yet obscure enough to leave some mystery; my favourite style of lyrics.

New York City Cops is my favourite song on the album. It feels more unrestrained and energetic, like they dropped their guard of calculated and too-cool-for-school for this song. Trying Your Luck is great for the opposite reasons: gentle, cruisy verses which always make me think of summertime road trips. It would be the perfect finale for the album, however there is actually one more track to go. This means that Take It or Leave It, while being a decent song in its own right, always feels like one encore too many.

While it's a fun album, it'll be interesting to see whether history remembers it. I suspect it will end up in no-mans land: rock purists will prefer the original bands who inspired The Strokes for this album, and pop fashions will have moved on to the Next Big Thing.

Favourite songs

Barely Legal, Someday, Last Nite, Hard to Explain, New York City Cops, Trying Your Luck

Would I buy it again?

I like the songs, but not the concept! I guess in the end, the songs should win out though...

Manu Dibango- Wakafrika

Manu Dibango is a musician from Cameroon who combined his native music with funk and jazz. His first album was released in 1968, and Wakafrica was released in 1994, with countless other albums in between.

Generally, funk and African music are not my cup of tea, so I'm totally the wrong audience for this CD! I would happily listen to it as background music, but it's not something I would actively listen to. Despite this, I still rate this as a great CD. The funk, jazz and African influences are brilliantly combined, with a great variety of styles used throughout the album.

The recording quality is fantastic- always crisp (the cymbals are wonderful) and a great sense of power when required.

The final song, Ca Va Chouia, is the sole reason I bought the album and remains the standout song for me on this album. This song has all the epic-ness of orchestral rock done right, for me it has similar impact to Climbatize by The Prodigy. Like Sympony and Metallica, this is an orchestra and band playing as if the world is about to end. It's stunning. There are so many voices, so many great musical ideas, so many contrasting sections, and they're all blended together brilliantly. My favourite passage is the trumpet solo in the middle, where after the allotted time, it seems the backing instruments slowly increase their intensity to politely hint that the solo should wrap up. But the trumpeter is not done yet, so he/she matches the ever-rising intensity in a wonderful combination of trying to drown each other out while making incredible music together at the same time. Exhilarating.

Favourite songs

Emma, Ami Oh, Jingo, Ca Va Chouia

Would I buy it again?

Ca Va Chouia is an all-time favourite of mine, instantly making this an album worth owning.

The Eagles- The Very Best Of

Yeah yeah, another compilation from a very iconic pop/rock band. The Eagles' brand of country easy listening rock was hugely successful in the 1970s. This compilation was released in 1994.

(Since I'm one of those pretentious wankers who takes offense at "easy listening" soft rock, here's hoping this review doesn't get ugly!)

Actually, it's all about how you label it. As a rock album, I'd criticise many of the songs for lacking the venom and energy that gives rock its edge. But as country songs, they work really well as philosophical reflections on the strange lives led by both country and city folk. Case in point is Take it Easy, not the best song on the CD in my opinion, but a great way to start getting into the mood of the album.

The CD avoids getting bogged down in country ballads with a range of styles such as the husky-yet-haunting sound of Witchy Woman. Other songs keeping things varied are the funky beat of One of Those Nights, the catchy disco-rock of Life in the Fast Lane (almost sounding like a Kiss song) and James Dean (although to me this song somehow feels like a Wierd Al Yankovic parody of itself).

Hotel California is rightfully a classic song. It takes a while to build momentum, but the vivid storytelling throughout is wonderful, even after hearing it a million times. The guitar solo at the end is also a favourite of mine. Lyin' Eyes is a bit of a combination of two Eagles hits: the storytelling of Hotel California with a similar musical feel to Tequila Sunrise.

Heartache Tonight does well to seamlessly combine a raucus hedonism musical style with a depressive lyrical style. Finally, The Long Run is totally cheesy, but also very catchy.

The recording quality is very good. Special mention goes to the crisp acoustic guitar sound; also the bass guitar sound has great character, which is quite rare for a pop record.

Favourite songs

Take It Easy, Witchy Woman, Tequila Sunrise, Lyin' Eyes, Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane, Heartache Tonight, The Long Run

Would I buy it again?

Yes. The hit songs remain accessible and enjoyable to this day. And with a slight appreciation for country music, much more of the album reveals itself to be highly enjoyable.

Van Morrison- The Best Of

Beginning in 1967, Van Morrison has enjoyed a prolific career in which he has produced over 30 albums. This 1990 compilation was successful in its own right and provides a sample of the broad range of genres spanned by Morrison.

The styles vary from rock'n'roll in the style of The Animals to Bob Dylan-esque protest folk to "celtic soul" (Van's fitting description of his style). By far my favourite song is the rhythm and blues song Gloria, the combination of raw energy and somehow smooth yet tortured hammond organ is fantastic.

Moondance and Brown Eyed Girl are also good songs, but they have been played to death on the radio for me.

End of review.

Van Morrison fans best not read the following! So, why such a short review for a 21 track album that sumarises a long and highly successful career? Ummm... well... I... errr... don't like the rest of the songs. The song Gloria has single-handedly saved this CD from being thrown in my garbage bin! Personally, I find most of the songs to be fundamentally bland tunes which hide behind over-production and superfluous instruments (eg tacked on violins). Sorry...

Favourite songs

Gloria, Moondance, Brown Eyed Girl

99% Fat- Two Percent Brains

99% Fat were an Australian 3rd-wave ska band who formed in the late 1990s and released two albums. This first EP was produced very early in their career...

...therefore it is quite "raw". That is immediately obvious in the recording quality and lack of finesse, which will put many people off. The vocals, guitar and bass are thin, the horns are often out of tune and the drums sound like a plastic toy. But the charm is in the energy and irreverence- for example the opening track combines Also Sprach Zarathustra with Kentucky Fried Chicken and a tongue-in-cheek story about obesity!

Musically, the songs vary from simplistic ska/punk ditties (The Chode, Ode to My Mullet, New Shoes, Today Like Yesterday) to more inventive styles (Why Carrot, Eat the Meat, Sultans of Skank). It often reminds me of Australian Crawl's classic Boys Light Up, with the combination of reggae and Australian pub rock. The more polished songs feature some very intricate layering of horn parts, much more than you would expect of a ska band. Good stuff.

My personal favourite is Captain Manboob which blends a catchy song with a silly tale of a superhero(ine).

Favourite songs

The Chode, The Colonel, Why Carrot, Eat the Meat, Sultans of Skank, Captain Manboob

Would I buy it again?

It's so silly and immature- so of course the answer is yes! But I do also think there's also some innovative and refined ska, which gives the album substance.

The Prodigy- Fat Of The Land

Fat Of The Land is The Prodigy's third album. It was released in 1997, three years after Music For A Jilted Generation. It was also a hugely successful album, responsible for the band's transition from an obscure rave band to international superstars.

The term "electro-punk" was invented to describe The Prodigy, and I think it sums up this album perfectly. It is an album to take you out of your mundane daily life and transport you to a lawless warehouse of underground wonder.

When turned up loud (as one must for The Prodigy!), the recording quality reveals itself to be fantastic. There are many great electronic samples swimming around in a wonderful interplay, and stereo effects are very well executed. Surprisingly, the bass doesn't actually extend very deep, but nonetheless there's still plenty there to get the walls shaking...

However I have always found the album hit and miss. The "miss" parts are mostly songs which are more drum'n'bass or rap influenced, which isn't really my cup of tea.

But Breathe and Climbatize are outstanding songs; they are among my all-time favourites. Breathe perfectly conveys the lawless insanity of an underground warehouse rave. The layering and flow of Climbatize is brilliant, throughout the song the alien sounds drift in and out yet somehow it all sounds perfectly natural. I have no idea what the message or scene of the song is, but whatever it is sure is epic!

Two of the songs have grown on me in recent years. I now really enjoy the spiritual influence to Narayan. And I used to think that Funky Shit was just the poor cousin of Breathe. While the vocal sample is cheesy and it doesn't hit the same heights as Breathe, Funky Shit is still enjoyable in its own right.

Favourite songs

Smack My Bitch Up, Breathe, Narayan, Climbatize

Would I buy it again?

Yes. Nearly 20 years on(!), this album has turned out to be a timeless classic.

Wiseacre- Make Those Bodies Sing

Wiseacre were an Australian punk-ska band who formed in the late 1990s. This EP is (I think) their first recording, and was released in 1999.

Given my previous rant about Tragic Kingdom not being a ska album, perhaps describing this one as "punk-ska" is quite hypocritical! Sure, some of the songs don't have offbeat guitar. But the other 3rd wave ska characteristics (whimsical attitude, punk influence, switching between smooth and distortion guitar) are present. Well, that's my argument and I'm sticking to it!

This EP is completely tongue-in-cheek, with most songs being simple party punk/ska ditties with very silly lyrics- think Ramones meets ska. The "horn section" (just a single trumpet) is also the lead singer, so while I enjoy the horn lines, they also feel a bit like cameo appearances. In the end, the highlight for me is often the immature lyrics, with the rest of the band just providing supporting energy.

But the wonderful exception to this is the "Kung Fu Attack of the One Legged Moonwalkers" instrumental, which is my favourite song on the CD. It frenetically jumps all over the place; in a way that I'd probably describe as "disjointed" for any other band, but somehow it is part of the appeal in this case.

Recording quality? Ummm let's be polite and call it... ahem... "raw". As for the songwriting, it often feels like the musical ideas were just thrown together disjointedly into songs. They are very entertaining musical ideas, though. 

The hidden track punk cover of John Williamson's Rip Rip Woodchip puts a fun twist on a great "true blue" tale about environmentalism and throwaway consumerism.

Favourite songs

Let's Go Bowling, Hole in Her Pants, You're So Good Looking, Kung Fu Attack of the One Legged Moonwalkers, Bummin Around, Just the Lawnmower Man, Rip Rip Woodchip

Would I buy it again?

It's hard for me to not be sentimental about this album (it's one of the first Australian ska CDs I bought, but I do think this EP has enough whimsical fun to be worthwhile in its own merit.