Albums of the month: April

 

 

 

 

 

Year of the Cat by Al Stewart (1976)
Wonderfully produced, Al Stewart’s vocal reminds me of John Lennon. Someone compared the album to Kaputt by Destroyer, and you can certainly hear echoes of Dan Bejar in the song Midas Shadow.
Year of the Cat is a strong single, the lyrics combine Vietnamese astrology and the film Casablanca.
Yet there are so many other quality songs here such as Lord Grenville or On the Border. The album has plenty of replay value due to its instrumental variation.
9/10

 

 

 

New Boots and Panties!! (1977) by Ian Dury 
*1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*
Not a fan of Ian Dury’s pub rock vocal or the cheeky lyrics, but it’s impeccably produced, I enjoyed the use of piano and saxophone. The latter part of the record goes in a punk direction with tracks such as Blockheads and Blackmail Man.
Highlights: Wake Up and Make Love With Me, Sweet Gene Vincent, My Old Man, Clevor Trever, and the superb non-album single Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
6/10

 

 

 

 

2112 by Rush (1976)
*1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*
On this LP, the Canadian hard rockers decided to experiment with progressive rock. Alex Lifeson remarked to Rolling Stone mag about the tour for 2112: “It was definitely a turning point. That was the time where we felt that we had arrived at a Rush sound, where we sounded like us”
The 20 min epic title track is an Ayn Rand–inspired science-fiction ode to individualism, ambitious but also quite uninvolving emotionally. I like the rockier Overture which lasts about 4-5 minutes while the remainder of the track is pretty boring. Judging from YouTube it’s better live.
The shorter songs on Side B are more accessible and enjoyable with some fun riffs, especially A Passage to Bangkok and The Twilight Zone stand out.
7/10

 

 

 

A Farewell to Kings by Rush (1977)
Catchy single Closer to the Heart is a Rush classic. The instrumental work on the 11 min prog rock epic Xanadu is beautiful, the lyrics are about eternal life, and superior to the overrated 20 min 2112 on their 1976 album. The last three tracks are decent enough but less noteworthy.
7/10

 

 

 

 

Hemispheres by Rush (1978)
There’s less filler than previous Rush albums. Cygnus X-1 Book II – Hemispheres is well-written, despite its Greek mythology, a relatable song about the logic of the brain and emotion of the heart, on first listen the words outshine the music. Circumstances is another identifiable moment, depicting Neil Peart’s struggle to make it as a drummer. The Trees details oppression and democracy, and could be interpreted as an allegory on racism or class difference. The 9 min closer La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence) is a complex instrumental which the band allegedly attempted to record in one take around 40 times. According to Lifeson, it is based on the various nightmares he would have. While technically impressive, LVS lacks the emotive qualities of the other tracks.
Is Hemispheres as memorable as the albums it’s sandwiched between? Probably not, but a step up in terms of lyrics and consisting of intricate arrangements that don’t reveal themselves immediately. The difficulty that was associated with the album’s production led Rush to create much less strenuous music in the 1980s.
8-9/10

 

 

 

Autobahn by Kraftwerk (1974)
*1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*
The 22 min A side track is the masterpiece and the b-side is accomplished too. The midnight hour track Mitternacht is surprisingly dark and nightmarish.
The main refrain “Wir fahren fahren fahren auf der Autobahn” (English: “We drive drive drive on the Autobahn”) was often mistaken for the English phrase “Fun fun fun on the Autobahn” and thought to be a reference to the 1964 Beach Boys’ song “Fun, Fun, Fun”.The title track is intended to capture the feeling of driving on the Autobahn: from travelling through the landscape, the high-speed concentration on the fast lane, to tuning the car radio and the monotony of a long trip.
8/10

 

 

 

 

 

Die Mensch-Maschine by Kraftwerk (1978)
*1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die*
An original, otherworldly, well-crafted concept album. The vocals veer towards robotic (ala Daft Punk), the listener can imagine Kraftwerk as futuristic cyborgs playing music. Side A is at times a bit cold and I find The Robot single too repetitive.
Side B I prefer. Tongue-in-cheek The Model sees the group looking inward, about models, fame and appearance. The 9 min Neon Lights has a dream-like quality which is hard to resist, according to a critic celebrating “the glamour of urbanization”. The closer is quite hypnotic, returning to the theme of The Robot, exploring “the science fiction-esque links between humans and technology”. Rolling Stone mag argued “the band might actually be committed humanists, documenting how emotionless the future will be” (…) and the album “parodies us dumb mortals”. Open to multiple interpretations. Celebrating the dream of technological advances but also a warning about a dystopian future.
8/10

 

 

 

 

Tour de France Soundtracks by Kraftwerk (2003)
The first time I was bored by the German electronic group. I assume it’s intended as a soundtrack to listen to while watching the cycling. Most of my points are for the concept, going through the phases of the race, incorporating heavy breathing, locations, and extreme endurance, but on its own without any visuals, the overlong tracks become tedious. 55 minutes is just too long and the melodies aren’t as interesting as Kraftwerk’s classic era.
There are soundtracks that lack something outside of the movie, and for me this Kraftwerk effort is lacking as a stand-alone experience. The closer Tour De France (orginally recorded in 1983) is the keeper. I might listen to the album again in the summer during the Tour De France just to see how it flows, I think the concept deserves that gesture.
5/10

 

 

 

 

On the Border by Eagles (1974)
A second tier Eagles album. Decent but forgettable. Lacks memorable moments.
4/10

 

 

 

 

 

One of These Nights by Eagles (1975)
Considered the band’s commercial breakthrough. The term “easy listening” would apply to One of These Nights, a harmless album welcomed by some and dismissed by others as the Eagles selling out. Drifting further into radio friendly pop with a bunch of memorable choruses. Journey of the Sorcerer is an unexpected instrumental, which was subsequently used for the 1981 Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy BBC TV series. Lyin’ Eyes is the most affecting moment. The instrumental, After the Thrill Is Gone, and Take It to the Limit also stand out. A few of of the non-singles are a bit flavorless.
6/10

 

 

 

The Long Run by Eagles (1979)
A mixed bag. Sounds like an attempt to recreate the pop success of the previous two albums, but the lyrics are much weaker and the production is at times a bit bland. Heartache Tonight is reminiscent of the famous 70s hit Rock and Roll Part 1 and Part 2, it’s a good chorus but nothing more.
A top heavy album, I particularly like I Can’t Tell You Why and In the City, the latter was featured in the end credits of the 1979 movie The Warriors. King of Hollywood is the track with the most substance, and for me one of the group’s most underrated, eerily reminding us of the recent #MeToo scandals. As an album, there’s a lot of filler. Worth it for the A side, while tracks 4, 7-10 is arguably the most uninspired (and quite frankly embarrassing) material of their career.
5/10

 

 

 

 

What do you think? As always, comments are welcome