Maxinquaye

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I went to the gym last night and I decided it would be a good time to try out this album as, although I am familiar with Tricky’s style, I’d not actually heard any of his albums. This really worked as a workout album, the beat kept me going all the way through my session.

It’s weirdly melodic, in that the melody seems to come not just from the usual instruments, but also the wide variety of drums (or drum sounds) used. There is also a good mix on the vocal styles from the expected rapping to male and female singers adding to the songs.

On the whole, I liked it, it wasn’t an album that I sat down and exclusively listened to, but then a lot of the albums that I write about here are going to be like that. The songs, were a bit bleak in places, but it suited the style and music so much that you don’t realise it until you think about it afterwards.

Smoker’s delight

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Again another album and artist that I’d not previously heard.

This is very much a chill out album, mixing hip hop beats and sounds with more melodic tunes over the top. This is another album without lyrics, there’s no chance to sing along to anything, but to be honest, with this style, you don’t want to have it ruined with someone talking/rapping/singing over it.

This worked nicely for this afternoon when I needed to concentrate on various work things, the tunes were unobtrusive, and not so heavy to be distracting or get in the way of teh general mood of the album.

I would definitely pick NOW as the soundtrack to my day again (although maybe not on Spotify as the ads kick in at weird times).

Iron Maiden

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So I knew of this album and the band (this is getting more into my type of music) however, I’d never listened this album before.

When I was listening to it, I realised that the vocal didn’t sound like Bruce Dickinson, and that’s when I found out that he wasn’t the original vocalist with the band, it was Paul Di’Anno. And that added a different layer to the album, one that I wasn’t expecting.

As much as I know Iron Maiden didn’t want to be associated with punk rock in the early days, this definitely has a punky feel, although maybe it’s more in line with the emerging speed metal scene than punk, as the songs are not overly political, like the punk songs of the time.

The 8 tracks flew by pretty quickly, there was a good beat in there as well that was driving the songs forward. The songs themselves were catchy, although I didn’t focus on the lyrics. The guitars pumped out nicely. The vocal was good, but I think because I’m so used to Bruce fronting the band, they just didn’t sit right with me. Paul’s good, but Bruce is better.

People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

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So I knew of A Tribe Called Quest because of a song off this album, Can I Kick It?, it’s a great song, so I was hopeful that the rest of the album would be along a similar style.

This was the debut album I think for ATCQ and it’s a great debut, they introduce the listener (me in this case) not only to their sound and style, but also to themselves with little filler tracks where they actually introduce the group.

It’s hip-hop and funk, that’s how I would catagorise it. It’s a much more mellow sound than the other rap styles of the 90’s and 00’s. It’s much less aggressive and offers a much nicer, more positive vibe, delivered with humour and humility. This is a feel good album that you could listen to anywhere.

Phaedra

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It’s another album by a band I’d not heard of, this time Phaedra by Tangerine Dream.

This is another different genre of music, this book is really coming through with stuff I should listen to. I mean I was always a music fan and a fan of pretty much anything (aside from generic mass produced pop music, but even there I have the occasional guilty pleasure).

This is a short album in terms of number of tracks, there are only 4…but given that the first track, Phaedra, is near 17 minutes long, the total length of the album is pretty normal.

For an album from the 1970s, this does feel a little ahead of itself. It’s electronic, and has that kind of feel to it that it wouldn’t be out of place in some of the big nightclubs these days as part of a chill out set.

While it’s not my usual musical taste, electronica is something that I do like form time to time. I enjoyed the album, there was no driving beat behind it, melodies and harmonies fade in and out, with different effects and sounds being played with. There’s no vocal track to this album, in fact I think it’s only synthesizers that are used through out the album. It means that you don’t have to think about the lyrics and you can just let the sounds wash over you.

Pink Moon

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Ok, so this is what I got the 1001 Ablums book for, and why I started writing this. I’d never heard of Nick Drake and never listened to Pink Moon before this coming up. And I was really surprised. I’m definitely going to have to listen to other songs/albums by Nick Drake.

Pink Moon has a very folky feel to it, but that could just be because it’s all just the vocal and an acoustic guitar, which also gives the album a really intimate feel, it’s almost as though he was sat in the corner. Something about this album really spoke to me, and there wasn’t a song on this album that I didn’t enjoy.

The style reminded me of Damian Rice, so I’m wondering if Nick Drake was an influence. I’ve read that he died at 26, and never really made a big impact on the industry when he was alive, which is really hard to believe after listening to this album.

Aretha: Lady Soul

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Dipped into the 1960s with today’s pick, Spotify gave me the album with “bonus selections” which is fine with me. I could listen to Aretha’s voice all day without complaint.

So I knew a couple of tracks of this album, which is always a nice little plus. I have always had a special place for soul music and this is definitely one that deserves a listen. Aretha is quite rightly the Queen of Soul and this album does nothing to knock that title. Her voice, the music, and the emotion and passion that comes across in both is brilliant. From the subtle hints and hums of notes through to the power notes, Aretha just grabs you and takes you on the journey.

For me it’s more of a Sunday morning album than a Tuesday at work soundtrack, but saying that it did give me a nice calm feeling listening to it, which is needed sometime at work.

Licensed To Ill

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Ok, so I knew Beastie Boys from tracks like Sabotage and Intergalactic, so this was a good trip back into their older stuff for me.

I really enjoyed listening to this, it sounded a bit dated given the hip-hop/rap sounds that our out there these days, but it was also has a pure quality to it. I’m not sure how much guitars had been used in hip-hop before this, but it’s got a nice fusion feel from the rock guitars and the hip-hop beats and scratching. It is, as I feel real hip-hop should be, very minimalist in terms of instruments and tunes, everything is carried by the vocals and the rhythm. And it also has that old school feel with different MCs finishing off each others lines and speaking (is that the right term, should it be rapping, or in the case of the Beastie Boys, shouting) the vocal together.

This is definitely an album for when you’re having a bad day at the office. Pure shouty Hip-Hop, from start to finish.

Let’s Get It On

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Ok, so I know the title song from this album, and it’s a sex song, there’s no too ways about it. But I’d not heard the rest of the album. And, I knew Marvin Gaye’s voice was smooth and soulful before listening to this album.

It’s a short album, coming in at around 31 minutes, over 8 tracks, and the title track is actually the longest on the album. But it’s very soulful and funky at the same time, filled with love songs, both emotional and physical, through the theme of getting it on all the way through.

The album has a really great funk/disco feel for a love album, with the bass lead rhythms and that groove that you just get, but there are the definite slower songs on there, with the vocal harmonies and strings, especially the climactic end song of the album, which just chills you out enough to roll over and reach for the metaphorical cigarette, knowing that it’s been a job well done.

Probably not the most appropriate album for while you’re at work (like I was), but there are definitely times when this is the right album to slip on…

Smash

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So I’m hopping around the book a little, I didn’t want to go through it page by page, album by album. What I’m doing is opening the book at random and picking one of the albums there.

Today’s album was a real blast from the past. I remember buying this back when it came out, when I was in my mid-teens. I loved it back then, and still enjoy it now. Offspring are one of my favourite bands. I’ve only seen them live once, but that doesn’t matter, the memory still sticks with me.

I used to really enjoy the punky feel of this, with it’s pogo rhythms, punchy guitars and Dexter’s voice over the top of the tune. It doesn’t feel dated to me, but that’s probably because it’s my sort of music. It stands up well against their other albums and although it doesn’t feel as fresh and new any more, it does still really work as a whole album. Right from the intro opening through the more well known songs like Self-Esteem, to the last track.

It’s a great album, but it was a nice surprise for me to see it in the book, it’s not one that I was expecting there.