February 2008 what's on the Jukebox

This is a brief take on what I have been listening to recently and what I think of them i.e. my opinion on the current CD’s rotating through my player.

Jeff Buckley – Grace
I suppose that this does not need much explanation. For me it certainly speaks for itself. I absolutely love this album and can listen to it over and over again, gaining a new appreciation each time. It is no wonder that an author based a whole novel on this album (I read about this in a magazine once, but forget the name of the author, if I can find it I will update this post).

Radiohead – In Rainbows
I hope to post an entire separate review on Radiohead with the aim of selecting my favourite Radiohead album. But so far this one is up there with The Bends, OK Computer and Amnesiac. I am not sure how I am actually going to pick a single ‘winner’ as each album, to me, is so refreshingly different to the last. But let’s take one step at a time. Needless to say I have been listening to In Rainbows repeatedly over the past few months, and keep coming back for more.

Jeff Buckley – Mystery White Boy
I bought both Jeff Buckley albums as a combined double CD pack from Sony BMG. Their premise is to cut down on packaging, therefore bringing the music to the listener cheaper than usual. What they do is package the CD’s in a cardboard ‘slider’ pack, and refer the purchaser to their web-site http://www.musicmadesimple.info/ for details such as liner notes etc. This has not really worked for me as of the two packs I purchased, one was not on their web-site, and the other had no information up-loaded. Anyway, back to the actual album. Like Grace this is also a stunning album. It is a set of recordings of Buckley performing live. What amazes me is how he manages to reproduce the incredible vocal acrobatics done in the studio on stage too. Most of the tracks from Grace are here with only a few ‘new’ songs, but this album is well worth a listen.

Ted Nugent – Craveman
I got this in a bargain bin. The Nuge was with me all through my teenage years, and I felt a strong twinge of nostalgia when I saw the CD lying there all price-slashed. After all it was he who helped me through those troubled teenage years with songs and expressions such as ‘My love is like a tire iron’, ‘when in doubt I whip it out’ and of course ‘pretend my face is a maserati’. I have not paid much attention to the Nuge since then, and on hearing Penetrator in my twenties, was not that impressed. However, Craveman is actually quite a good album. The words in some of the songs are difficult to hear (but then so are they for most Radiohead songs these days), but the sound is great. I like it.

Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther
OK it’s quite a leap from Ted Nugent to Midlake, but it works for me. The more I listen to this album, the more I like it. From the opening notes through to the end, this band creates a comforting and warm atmosphere. It’s like having an old friend over when you can open a bottle of wine and catch up on the latest news. I find that there are some key albums that I have come across in my life that I return to time and again, and get something new and positive from each time. This is one of them. The sound is rich and full-bodied, somewhere between the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, but completely their own. Apparently this is a bit of a concept album with all the songs relating to a central theme or thread - something about a guy stuck inside a papier-mache panther mask I think. Believe me it works! I really hope that they can match this in the future.