Mike Oldfield – Discovery (1984)
https://www.discogs.com/Mike-Oldfield-Discovery/release/96973
Mike Oldfield – Discovery (1984)
This was as far as I recall one of the first records by Mike Oldfield I heard, the first song I listened to by him was Moonlight Shadow. And thus Crisis would be the first lp by him I laid ears on.
Discovery (or as a local DJ used to pronounce it: Disco Very (sic)), is not my favourite lp by Oldfield, but not the worst either. Personally I guess my eternal # 1 is Ommadawn. What I think about the songs here are as follows:
SIDE A:
To France: Obviously an attempt to make Moonlight Shadow 2, and not a bad attempt either. I love the way the lyrics weave around the melody, and Maggie Reilly’s voice is sweet as ever. The guitar solos (both acoustic and electric) also works well for me.
Poison Arrows: This has been ruined for me by the Zombies re-make made a few years back. Still an ok song, I imagine it’s a return to the mood Oldfield had when he made Shadow on the Wall. There is some of the same gloomy-ness. The delay/phaser effect on the drums are supercool. Even the faux werewolf howl in the end comes out not too tacky.
Crystal Gazing: Here we are in Family Man territory, again a return to earlier moods and recipies from Gordon Mikefield. This is not the most exciting song. A bit gumpetung, and too repetitive without being hypnotizing (and me likes monotony when done properly).
Tricks of the Light: Is a song I don’t really like.
Discovery: Again a bit of a Shadow on the Wall feel here. I remember liking this song a lot back when the lp came out, but I was a sucker for powerballads then. Not as much now
SIDE B:
Talk About Your Life: I love this song, easily the best song on the record, the vocals are majestic and all comes together in a higher synthesis. It still speaks to me as powerfully as it did in 1984.
Saved by a Bell: A bit of a Disney-banger here. A universe-themed grandiose epic 70’s style rock-ballad. That works!! Much better than the title track. Love it!
The Lake: The final song and the only instrumental on the lp. Starts off with faux pan flutes in delay loop. Urgh, It sucks. Sorry to say, but if I was randomly shuffling through this lp I would never listen to the entire song. And then the progressive stuff comes in. Not good, I really don’t like this. Gumpetungt and uninspired. Western guitar??
My final verdict is that this isn’t Oldfield’s finest hour, but still an ok record to put on once in a while.
Deep Purple – Deep Purple (LP, 1969)
I love this record. A lot.
I first heard it sometime around 1988, when my old pal Kenneth gave me a cassette with it on one side. I remember listening to it while lying in bed, and drifting in and out of sleep.
I almost slept when Lalena began, and Rod Evans’ voice startled me, sounding as if he was in the room with me.
I accidentally sold my lp, but have recently repurchased it – this time a 1976 re-issue with a cool German hype sticker on it.
If you aren’t familiar with this gem, you should give yourself the pleasure of listening to it whenever you’re ready to.
https://www.discogs.com/Deep-Purple-Deep-Purple/release/5903490
Exithippies/Lotus Fucker – Disgrace To The Corpse Of Elmo/Lotus Fucker (LP)
I bought this split for two reasons, first and foremost because it’s a Lotus Fucker record, and I really like Lotus Fucker. Second, due to the Exithippies cover art, which is another take on Sore Throat’s classic lp Disgrace To The Corpse Of Sid (Deche-Charge also made a version).
I couldn’t find a video for this one…
The Body – No One Deserves Happiness
I first learned of The Body when they released All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood in 2010, I was intrigued but not convinced. This has changed with the release of No One Deserves Happiness. I read this article: 5 Electronic Albums That Taught the Body How to Make Noise-Metal. I took a listen. And one more. And I was hooked. It dawned on me how conservative metal, punk and grindcore has become. If you stray from the formula, you’re scorned and ridiculed. But for fuck’s sake. There is no evil in bringing studio musicians, guest singers and studio wizardry into the creation of your music. Even if you are doing extreme metal/noise. It’s a common belief among metalheads, grindfreaks and punks that they are progressive and open minded, but it is nothing more than a (false) self image.
Now go, have a listen, and let The Body blow your mind!!
https://www.discogs.com/The-Body-No-One-Deserves-Happiness/release/8260496
Cows – Cunning Stunts
I honestly can’t tell how and when I discovered this album. But recently I stumbled upon a Spotify playlist I made with it, and I have listened rather much to it since.
The opening slap and crying child, is a instant attention-getter, and the following 39 minutes is catchy rocky bliss.
I rather quickly decided to obtain this album, and luckily at has just been rereleased, so it was a nobrainer getting it.
I really dig the cover, and I have a very soft spot for extensive liner notes.
https://www.discogs.com/Cows-Cunning-Stunts/release/7986638
I have stolen the images for this blog post from the discogs entry, as I’m writing this away from my own copy of the record.
V/A – Hiatus, The Peaceville Sampler
This is one of the best 1980’s compilations I know of, alongside A Vile Peace and Hardcore Holocaust, this is top notch! I especially like the variety of the genres on Hiatus. Gold, Frankincense and Disk Drive was a strange band to put on a punk compilation, but in a peculiar manner they fit comfortably. I suggest you track down a copy of this gem, the video below is of GF+DD, as I think they deserve to be heard more. Other good bands on Hiatus are Electro Hippies, Doom, Sore Throat and Extra Hot Sauce. Enjoy!
http://www.discogs.com/Various-Hiatus-The-Peaceville-Sampler/release/1727174
Jenny Hval – Innocence Is Kinky
“That night, I watched people fucking on my computer”
Jenny Hval is a Norwegian singer. I don’t know much about her. I got the heads up on her from a post on facebook by Lasse Marhaug, who praised her. As I have a habit of delving into artists mentioned by artists I like (it all began when Limahl mentioned Prince in an interview…. (sic)), I gave Jenny Hval a listen, and was rather intrigued. Her sound is a strange dreamy/nightmarish poppy noisy experimental avantgarde one.
Her voice is soft at times and crooked and evil at times. I suggest you take a listen. Innocence Is Kinky is her second album, and well worth your time. Beware – it’s a grower!
http://www.discogs.com/Jenny-Hval-Innocence-Is-Kinky/release/4829675
Moon Duo – Shadow of the Sun
I learned about Moon Duo via Instagram, I saw a photo of the band, and was intrigued by the band name. I then turned to Spotify and listened to their album Circles. As I’m a huge fanboy for repetitive patterns in music, and monotony, I was quite instantly hooked. I also have a weak spot for psychedelic rock, so Moon Duo hit me from two sides.
Shadow of the Sun is their new lp, including a 7″ with the fenomenal song Animal (video below). The album is a tiny biy more mellow than Circles, but just as mesmerizing and catchy. I have listened to it numerous times, and have a suspicion that this record will be on my top list at the end of the year.
They are playing Copenhagen next month, and I really look forward to seeing them.
http://www.discogs.com/Moon-Duo-Shadow-Of-The-Sun/release/6707399
Instigators – New Old Now
Ah. This is a gem. I love Instigators. My old chum Kenneth introduced me to them in the late 1980’s. He had a great deal of communication with the singer Andy Turner. I think I remember this lp is re-recordings of old material, to be released in Brazil?
Instigators – New Old Now on Discogs:
http://www.discogs.com/Instigators-New-Old-Now/release/2878178
Wikipedia about Instigators:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instigators
I love the cover. Go Fatty!
Sweet Tooth – Soft White Underbelly
Here we have one of Justin Broadrick’s more obscure releases. Released in 1990 and sounding a lot like Head Of David’s Dustbowl with a punkier edge. It might be a paranthesis in JK’s massive output, but I like it anyway. It has a more organic feel than Godflesh, but with the same industrial heaviness and deep sense of desolation. It reminds me of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s novel The Mote In God’s Eye, especially the sentence: “The industrial ugliness of the endless cityscape”.
Dave Cochran who plays bass and sings was the founder(?) of Head Of David, and Scott Kiehl the drummer was in Slab.
Read more about that fine novel here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God’s_Eye
And about the record here:
http://www.discogs.com/Sweet-Tooth-Soft-White-Underbelly/release/387193
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