Classic albums revisited 3: Lou Reed - Transformer

As the stream of thoughts, memories and recollections go, I was reminded by the offering from The Killers – ‘Tranquilize’, that I had purchased a re-mastered version of Lou Reed’s – ‘Transformer’ last year and not really paid it much attention. I am so familiar with the original album, I don’t think I felt any urgency in checking this CD out properly. I have listened to it a couple of times now, so let’s revisit it as one of the all-time classic albums out there. The question being – does it still stand up today?

 

About the album

 

Lou Reed had already achieved cult status with his work with the Velvet Underground by the time he went solo. His first solo outing was received with mixed reviews, and seemed to carry over a lot of songs from the Velvets days. I loved it, but what can I say, I belong to the school of thought that ‘Reed can do no wrong’. Sad I know, but at least I’m consistent. But, back to ‘Transformer’, and enter some side-kicks for the album, no less than David Bowie and Mick Ronson (a Spider from Mars). A lot is said about whose album ‘Transformer’ really is, for example the argument goes that Reed would never have been able to have done it by himself. The question is asked: why did Ronson not get more writing and playing credits, and further: how involved was Bowie really? My view is that this was a collaboration. It brought out the best in all the artists involved, and this is what made it a classic in the first place.

 

Ronson alone was a master. Originally from Hull in the UK, he made a couple of attempts at breaking into the music scene in London before returning to Hull and taking on some type of job maintaining local parks. Apparently he was out applying whitewashing to a football pitch when he got the call from Bowie to try out for the Spiders (there’s probably more to the story than this as they did not have mobile phones in those days). The rest is Rock and Roll history.

 

One common thread that appears when reading about Ronson (who has sadly recently succumbed to cancer) is his humility. Apart from the ‘Transformer’ album, and his work with Bowie, Ronson has made numerous other contributions, as well as a few solo albums and also some work with Ian Hunter (I have a vinyl copy of ‘Slaughter on 10^th Avenue’ that stands the test of time very well). On ‘Transformer’ he went about writing, arranging and playing several instruments on most of the songs.

 

Throughout rock history there are characters like Ronson who have transformed the sound of rock in an era, almost while nobody was looking, i.e. operating underneath the radar. Today we have the likes of Johnny Marr. Famous for his work in The Smiths of course, but then also responsible for a lot of non-credited work on some the The The albums, and, did you know, he also played on Talking Heads’ ‘Naked’ (my favourite Talking Heads album without a doubt). Another is Bernard Butler who has the ability to do the same as Ronson. This is probably the subject matter for an entire other posting, as I am digressing from the album review, but if you have other examples of this phenomenon please leave a comment and I will try to compile a more comprehensive posting at a later date.

 

So, looking at what the album has to offer, we start off with –

 

Vicious

What a cool song! Witty and swaggering it has the ability to put a smile on my face every time. Come to think of it, there are a few tracks on this album that do that.

 

Andy’s Chest

 

The Andy being none other than Andy Warhol – a key character in Reed’s past Velvet Underground history. The lyrics are great ‘… a hairy minded pink bare bear…’.

 

Perfect Day

 

Recently revived to help raise money for a charity cause, as well as appearing on the ‘Trainspotting’ soundtrack, this song grows from strength to strength. Dwelling on the simple pleasures in life that are made only more pleasurable by sharing them with a special person in you life, this is a joyful life affirming song that gets stronger with every listen. Ronson on piano apparently, and the symphonic swells dare anybody not to sing along to the majestic chorus.

 

Hangin’ ‘Round

 

‘You keep hangin’ ‘round me and I’m not so glad you found me ….’ go the lyrics. Reed a master of the message, gets it across with ease every time. This song also lays a blueprint on how to be cool.

 

Walk on the wild side

 

I suppose most people have heard this song. Without a doubt, this is Reed’s most popular song ever. At four minutes 15 seconds long, my view has always been - why so short? When in fact, this is longer than most of the other songs on the album. I can never get enough of it. Reed apparently could. Listen to the Reed live album ‘Take No Prisoners’. The audience constantly heckle him for not playing it, and when he does, it is pure vitriol.

 

Make Up

 

In the days before Emos and Goths, Reed and Bowie were at the forefront of ‘Glam Rock’ which introduced the world to Rock ‘n Roll androgyny and males wearing make up.  This song however is more a ‘fly on the wall account’ of someone transforming themselves with make up. Still fresh and highly listenable as a song.

 

Satellite of Love

 

Wacky weird lyrics take us ‘way up to Mars’. A great song with Bowie clearly having a lot of fun on the backing vocals. A lot can be said for music that sounds like fun was had in the making.

 

Wagon wheel

 

Another set of weird and whacky lyrics, but with another motivational theme laced with something nasty. Partly containing some good advice and then some advice that should probably be ignored. The music is nice and rocked up thanks to some great riffing from Ronson.

 

New York Telephone Conversation

 

‘I was sleeping gently napping when I heard the phone, who is on the other end talking, am I even home?’ this is a really short song, but biting and incisive in the multi dimensional way only Reed can be.

 

I’m So Free

 

Reed dead-pans his way through this song, with the famous backing vocalists offsetting this with joyful abandon. It works really well and seems to have influenced a lot of other artists over the years. I'm developing a theory that Reed is sometimes sarcastic!

 

Goodnight Ladies

 

A cabaret style song that probably astounded the audience. Considering that the entire album is rather astounding when compared to Velvet Underground material (although it was always pretty weird too) and then the first solo album, this track is then not so astounding. Reed’s offerings to the women in his life have always seemed to me to be quite bipolar. One moment the misogynist, the next the adorer of everything that is feminine, his songs swing from one side to the other like a pendulum. This one however, seems to me to place the pendulum firmly in the middle. The main point seems to be that behind the scenes (off the stage) life goes on at a pretty mundane pace.

 

So what is the verdict about the ‘Transformer’ album 36 years later? I recently read a review by music critic Emily Mackay (on NME.com) where she discusses the point of rock music. One that she mentions is that ‘great rock affirms life’. This album does that for me. In my view the album as presented above is still engaging and refreshing. It remains a collaborative effort that brings out the best in all involved. The sound is that of off-beat, weird but funky rock music. Loose and unhurried, the album sounds fun to me.

 

Do I recommend buying the CD? The songs sound great, and at the end there are interesting demo (acoustic) versions of ‘Perfect day’ and ‘Hangin’ ‘round’. These turn out to be very interesting in terms of offering a view on what the album could have been like had Bowie and Ronson not arrived. Better? No, but not worse either! Lou Reed can do no wrong – but I think that I said that already.

CD Review: The Killers - Sawdust

This album was released as a type of B-sides, rarities and remixes collection. As in my Eels posting in June, you will know that I can be quite partial to this type of release, if, of course, the band has the depth to support it. The Killers as such can be considered a fairly new band. Formed in 2002, and with only two albums to their name before releasing ‘Sawdust’ I think its safe to call them a young band. Bands like the Eels, Pixies and others had a lot of ‘real’ albums out before their B-sides releases surfaced, so I was a bit suspicious about this release at first – how can they sustain a full length (17 song strong) release of this nature?

 

First I must mention that my motivation for buying it was two-fold. One, I am a huge Lou Reed fan, bordering on the completist in his case. Reed is in fact the only artist that brings out the completist tendencies in me, I have however balked at buying ‘Metal Machine Music’ so I suppose I am not a real completist. Nevertheless his appearance on the first track of ‘Sawdust’, on a song called ‘Tranquilize’ was reason enough for me to buy the album. The second reason was that it was going for a slashed price in my local Musica store. Was I disappointed? No way and here’s why.

 

‘Tranquilize’ is an awesome song. Lou Reed is brilliant and his and Brandon’s voices work extremely well together. Another stand-out track for me, which may bother purists, but which I put down to pure fun is the Jacques Lu Cont’s remix of ‘Mr. Brightside’. Why mess with perfection you might ask – my answer is that when it’s done this tastefully, let’s have a little fun and enjoy the moment. Another interesting, and for me, thoroughly enjoyable track, is the Dire Straits cover ‘Romeo and Juliet’. A lot can be said about the paucity of the 1980’s era popular music offerings.  But when one examines the key influences on a band like The Killers and hears how they have managed to distil, and make their own, certain key moments of that era (think Soft Cell and A Flock of Seagulls, these leap out at me when I listen to ‘Sawdust’), you realise that it was not all bad. Here though the take on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is pretty straight forward but rather enjoyable.

 

Another cover on this album is that of Joy Division’s ‘Shadowplay’. The pitch of Brandon’s voice was never going to match that of Ian Curtis, and it is refreshing to hear that he does it ‘his way’. Hopefully this cover will turn a younger generation onto the brilliance of Joy Division.

 

Then there is another cover, a few more original songs, and, to me, not a single bum track. I particularly like ‘Leave the Bourbon on the shelf’ with the world weary line ‘Leave the Bourbon on the shelf and I’ll drink it by myself’. Excellent rhyming, and in my view up there with the originality of Hank Williams. Apparently this song is the first part of a Murder Trilogy. You can find the details on Wikipedia.

 

This album is well worth purchasing, you will not be disappointed, it is definitely a hidden treasure.

September update

Well, August has come and gone without me posting a single thing. I apologise to my numerous readers. There are reasons for the slowness of pace in August, none of them very pleasant, and I will not be going into them here.

 

I have not been idle, however, and have been doing a lot of reading, listening and playing around with my new toy. Having recently acquired a Squeezebox, I can only rave. What a really cool device for bringing your computer-residing music collection back into you hifi (check the following link - http://www.slimdevices.com) I love it. I also spent a lot of time re-discovering Fleetwood Mac which traced my involvement from being too young to understand that it was not considered cool to really dig them (my favourite album at the age of 11 was ‘Tusk’), to being slightly embarrassed that I was the only guy in my peer group into ‘Mirage’ and ‘Tango in the Night’, to now understanding that its OK to have the occasional guilty pleasure as long as no-one else is harmed.

 

Uncut magazine is polling their readers for their favourite Pink Floyd song, use this link

http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/pink_floyd/news/12126 to go there and nominate yours.

There is also some good news out there. First AC/DC have completed their new album and it is due out soon. It is called 'Black Ice', and the first single from it is called 'Rock 'n Roll Train'. I was fortunate enough to hear it this morning on UJFM on the way to work, and it definitely improved my Monday for me a lot.

Secondly, Metallica are also ready with their new album called 'Death Magnetic'. It have not heard it yet, but review on my favourite music web-sites are good. Admittedly after 'St. Anger' I remain sceptical, especially since I noticed on Uncut's web-site they give it four stars and going back to their review of 'St. Anger' I saw that they gave that one four stars too. I'll decide for myself, and let you guys know what I think.

DVD Review: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - High Grass Dogs

Considering the age of this DVD, I suppose it is a bit late to be reviewing it now. But then, maybe, like me, you look at it in the shop every time you go in, wondering whether to buy it or not. Hopefully this can help you to make a decision.

I have always really enjoyed Tom Petty’s music. My vinyl collection includes ‘Damn the Torpedoes’, ‘Southern Accents’, ‘Let me up…’ and ‘Pack up the Plantation’. ‘Full Moon Fever’ was, in fact, the first CD I ever owned – a gift from my darling. As mentioned in a previous posting, I believe the ‘Pack up the Plantation’ album to be one of the best live concert documents out there. So I thought – let me try this DVD. It is mostly a collection of newer songs by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and I could get some idea of how good they are.

The packaging is a bit sparse, with not much information given. The audio quality is excellent , although at times I thought that the audience ‘sound’ was mixed down a bit too much, losing that live feel to a degree. The visual quality is also very good with evidence here that very careful planning had taken place. In terms of extras on the DVD, there are none. You can choose between 5.1 surround sound or normal stereo, and there is a menu to select individual songs, but that’s it! My only complaint is the repeated zooming in on Tom's moccasins and Howie Epstein’s boots – what is that all about? This was the last night at a series of Fillmore concerts which allowed the band to settle into the venue, polish their songs, and the director to plan the best visual coverage, and it shows.

I can report that the most recent album’s songs covered are pretty good. Some of the older songs included are ‘Jammin’ Me’ and a set from ‘Full Moon Fever’ such as ‘Free Fallin’’ and ‘Runnin’ Down A Dream’ (old Tom likes his apostrophes). There is a quieter acoustic section in the middle of the DVD that seems to go on for possibly one song too long, but then all is back on track with the Heart-breakers rocking out again including a fairly raucous encore. The band, as ever, do the job with sparkling proficiency. It is no wonder that Bob Dylan waylaid this band once to use as his backing on a tour. My view is that essentially this is a live band – they make all their studio recorded songs sound so much better live. This is why I love ‘Pack up the Plantation’ so much.

There are some funny moments too, where TP fluffs the beginning of ‘Even the losers’ a few times and tries desperately not to laugh for the next few bars once he finally gets it right. I think that Tom must have been watching this when he thought of the name for the DVD.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been described as being ‘so normal they are strange’, and it is this basic unpretentious approach to their music and their performance that draws one in. There are no bombastic theatrics or posturing, and yet most of the full 90 minutes of this DVD go by in a blink of an eye. Leaving you wondering how a band can be so good live. Petty and Mike Campbell trades licks and solos effortlessly and smoothly throughout, with the result being some really enthralling guitar work. My conclusion is that, yes I’m glad I bought the DVD, no mistake there. I will probably never see a band like this live in South Africa and this is certainly the next best thing.

I have heard that there is a new DVD set out that documents the life of Tom Petty over two DVD’s , and then also includes a third live DVD and a live CD, called ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’. This is definitely on my wish-list!

2008-09-02

Having re-read this a few times, and also watched the DVD a few times more, I have a couple of points to add.

Firstly the visual quality is not that great, but its OK.

Secondly, I never even mentioned the guest appearance of legendary Bo Diddley for a rendition of 'Mona'. This is especially poignant now that the great man has passed away. The whole band was glowing with excitement backing him on the song.

Thirdly, since this recording was made, Howie Epstein has also passed away. The facts behind this are a tragic tale, and while watching the DVD it is really sad to see how much he clearly enjoyed being up there and performing, and then too, how well he complemented Tom Petty on vocals throughout.

Great Song Lyrics Collected

I would like to keep this post running as a collection point for people's favourite or most evocative song lyrics. Please add a comment stating which song lyrics especially appeal to you, and what the reason is. I will constantly update the post with the best comments.

As an example, one of my most favourite phrases in a song (simply for the imagery that it conjures) is Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ where he sings ‘…dance like you’re hypnotising chickens…’.

Another of my favourite lyricists is Nick Cave. I’ll provide some more concrete details, but some that immediately come to mind are ‘The Carny’, ‘The Weeping Song’ and ‘When I get home’.

Then for pure fun phrasing and rhyming, I would have to have AC/DC up there at the top of the list. Even some of their less musically brilliant songs are saved by a great turn of phrase and innuendo such as ‘Mistress for Christmas’, ‘Money Talks’ or ‘Big Balls’.

Hopefully this has provided an indication of what I am looking for, please mention the song name, the band, some snippets of the lyrics and why they are important to you.

June 10, 2008

OK I have a comment from 'Bluedaisy' relating to:

The Doors (i.e. Jim Morrison) with 'Child's fragile eggshell mind', pretty cool.

I have come up with a few more too:

Lloyd Cole in 'My Bag' says 'I'm your Yes Man, yes Ma'am I'm your Yes Man' which for some strange reason really appeals to me (the whole song is a roller-coaster of witticisms).

The Hold Steady in 'Party Pit' say '..gonna walk around and drink some more..' which relates to the introspective 'what am I doing at this party' part of me.

Eels in 'Novocaine for the soul' say '... Jesus and His lawyer are coming back..', very clever lyrics indeed.

Keep them coming guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Classic albums revisited 2: AC/DC - Back in Black

I clearly remember how I got into AC/DC. I always knew about them, as one of my class-mates in primary school was a big fan. He had the early albums and was always going on about ‘Big Balls’ and ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’. In fact I remember one day when George brought in his record player (the kind in a box whose lid becomes the speaker) so that we could hear some of it. Well to be honest, I was not immediately impressed (probably something to do with the sound quality).

It was only later, in high school, when an exchange teacher from the US took it upon himself to warn us against the dangers of ‘Satanic music’, using AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ as his prime example (he had spotted it in one of the kids bag). This tirade renewed my interest in the band. Not necessarily due to the satanic link, but rather due to the edginess and rebelliousness I suppose. Needless to say, I really got into ‘Highway to Hell’, and then when ‘Back in Black’ came out I was completely hooked (thank you so much Mr. Waters).

It became a soundtrack to those formative high-school years with the driving hard rock encouraging one to keep going, persist and see the humorous side to the day-to-day drudge. It was our primary party album for a long time.

Recently I bought the CD version in a fit of nostalgia and thought I could provide my insights into how it has held up over the years.

‘Back in Black’ is particularly significant to the band as it was their first album with new lead singer Brian Johnson after the tragic passing away of Bon Scott. They had just achieved spectacular sales and success with the Scott album ‘Highway to Hell’ when he died. The band decided to carry on, and immediately started auditions for a new singer. Within the year the new album was out, and must have been viewed as ‘make-or-break’ by the band. Fortunately it was even bigger than ‘Highway to Hell’. Part a dedication to Scott, part a proving ground for Johnson, and part a proving ground for the rest of the bands abilities, it had a lot to live up to, and it is testimony to the collective band that they managed to pull it off so well. I also believe that this has been their most successful album ever.

Hitting ‘play’ let’s have a look at what we’ve got:

Hells Bells

Whenever I hear bells, anywhere, I am always reminded of this song. A meticulous (although obviously demented too) Quasimodo steps up and starts hammering away at an enormous bell. Then it’s the chiming guitars and the rest is history. In the context of the AC/DC fan-base getting their hands on the new album, putting it on and then getting their first hearing of the new lead singer, this is an excellent showcase.


Shoot To Thrill

These days, I think people are less able to identify the use of similes, metaphors and parodies in songs. This one for example would definitely confuse most people with regards to the message it seems to give.

The music is great Chuck Berry times a 1000 riffing, also echoing some hard hitting types of counter-pointal shots. I love it but then so would Julius Malema.

What Do You Do For Money Honey

Gold-diggers have a special place in rock history, and here AC/DC in their most philanthropic of moods try to warn us about them.

Given the Dog a Bone

Dog lovers to the core, these guys don’t hold back when it comes to some of their very personal revelatory types of experiences. Musically this is probably my least favourite song on the album.

Let me put my love into you

'Let me put my love into you, Babe' pleads the cloth capped Johnson. Showcasing the more sensitive side of the band, this song is also an excellent vehicle for the type of lyrics that never cease to amuse. I am going to be starting a post next whereby I gather my, and my readers favourite lyrics to songs, and this may well be on there. They don’t ever say ‘please’, but at least they are asking for permission! I love Angus’ guitar work on this track, especially during the ‘don’t you struggle, don’t you fight, cause it’s your turn tonight’ part, his guitar solos breaking down into manic giggles.

Back in Black

Hmm – I can still recite the lyrics word for word even after 20 years. That’s either very embarrassing or else proof that the human brain is capable of phenomenal feats. Although I must confess that I have listened to it pretty regularly over those 20 years. Who knew that ‘Back’ can be pronounced with 4 syllables?

You Shook Me All Night Long

This is one of my favourite tracks of all time. Another one whose lyrics I can recite word for word. Come to think of it, I think that we always used to play side 2 before side 1 in those good old vinyl days. I think that this song was key in defining my vision of the perfect woman (sad I know, how wrong I was). The guitar solo on this song is still as fresh and original as ever. If you believe in the ‘Pick of Destiny’, this solo would seem to prove the legend.

Have a Drink On Me

Seen as the tribute song to Bon Scott who died after a heavy night of drinking, I find the lyrics a little below what the guys have consistently proven themselves capable of. However it has always been a great song for playing at the heart of some hard partying, often leading to the arrival of a fresh round, so it can’t be all wrong.

Shake a leg

Another track from the band that makes it feel alright to be a guy. Can be interpreted as a call to some rampant head-banging (‘shake your head’), but obviously is not. This is a slower paced song that is still energetic and hard-hitting musically. The actual sound that the band managed to capture in this song is everything that is great about AC/DC – the guitar tones, the thundering drums and Brian’s seemingly shredded vocal chords.


Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution

Proving that the band has always had a strong leaning towards environmental awareness, here they tackle some pretty weighty subject matter. In it they also prophetically predict the overall fortune of the band. It’s really uncanny listening to it 28 years later. It’s a great way to end the album and also alerts us to the possibility of pronouncing ‘Rock’ using 3 syllables. If you close your eyes and listen very carefully you can hear that Angus is smiling all the way through this song.


Well, in review, it is amazing how well this album has stood the test of time. Sure it does not sound as ‘heavy’ as it did in the day, but if anything this is a good thing. The band owes a lot to Chuck Berry, and considering this, I suppose that Mr. Berry sounded pretty ‘heavy’ when he first came out. The lyrics are still fresh and entertaining although ‘Have a Drink On Me’ does start to sound a bit dated, and Angus Young’s guitar work still far surpasses what most guitarists are capable of to this day. Anyway, I’m off to gain a better understanding of what ‘American thighs’ are…….

CD Review: Breeders - Battle mountain

What with the recent spate of power outages that have seemed to affect my street only lately, and the fact that I have been out of the country for a week, my music blogging has suffered a bit. As a travel tip, I can say that when landing in Rome it is not advised to speak to anybody about taxi’s while still in the terminal – you get whisked away to unscrupulous taxi services who then charge the earth. Go outside to the official taxi rank, choose a taxi that looks official, and expect to pay about 40 Euros to get from the airport to the city centre of Rome.



Now, on to the CD Review!

My first impression of this album is that it is Lo-Fi. Meaning that things are stripped pretty much to the bone. It sounds like the Breeders are using old and worn out guitars, drums, amps, tape, bass guitars and Kim Deal’s lungs. Not that this is a bad thing, if the songs are strong.

When the Pixies reunited in 2004 I was a little worried. No matter how much one wants more and more of a good thing – in this case a new Pixies album, there is a lot to be said for quitting while you are winning too. My worrying caused me to avidly scan every little snippet I could find to try to determine whether they were recording again, and if so how it was going. In the end they only managed a couple of songs, which I have not heard as I have never managed to figure out Itunes (they don’t seem to service South Africa), which was the only place that they were released. At the time Frank Black commented that they had had problems getting Kim out of her house and into a recording environment. As always there was probably more to the situation than meets the eye, because she has clearly been channelling energy into the Breeders.

Battle Mountain is an album that I believe belongs in a context. It does not play that well in my car where the low-end is lost to the rumblings of the road (and most of the album is pretty much low-end). You can’t play it with the kids around as they consider it boring, and you probably could not play it with guests around as it might be considered too gloomy/moody. So my dilemma is that it sounds like a good album and what I hear I like, but in my natural surroundings the response to it by the co-inhabitants is cool (a bit like Grinderman’s excellent offering). So maybe the context for the album is sneaking off to a nice quiet place with a pair of good head-phones!

Let me try that out before continuing with the review……

Hmmm, this only goes to show how dangerous first impressions can be. The album is definitely fairly low-key in the sense of an un-hurried and simplified type of offering. But that does not mean it is not exciting. There are great songs on this album, my favourite being ‘Istanbul’ which displays how to create something that is complex and fun with a minimum of technology. The single ‘We’re Gonna Rise’ is also strong, while ‘It’s the Love’ is another strong favourite of mine.

This is also one track in German and one in Spanish, I have no idea what they are about, but I really like the German one. All the way through the bass playing is really good.

Listening to this album reminds me of bands like The Breeders (Doh!), Pixies (Doh!), PJ Harvey (not a band I know), and Throwing Muses. If you like these bands, and want some music that comes across as warm and cosy, you will enjoy this album.