Your last listen

[CN211276]

Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer

[Nearlymusical]

Ulrich Schnauss - Far away trains passing by

Mellow Sunday afternoon listening

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Porcupine Tree - The Incident

[Fretless]

#56 in the occasional series: "Albums I wouldn't have been caught dead listening-to back then ..."

Kajagoogoo 'White Feathers' (1983)



One of my sisters had this LP and posters of the band on her bedroom wall - already reason enough to give these teenybopper, candyfloss idols a wide berth and get back to The Smiths as fast as possible. But ...

In recent years bassist and founder member Nick Beggs has garnered a serious reputation as a master of both the bass and Chapman Stick, his CV including a stint with Prog legend Steve Hackett. With my head currently stuck right up the eighties, it's time for a renewed, unprejudiced listen.

'White Feathers' was the debut album from Kajagoogoo (what a terrible name!) and the only one to feature lead singer Limahl (Chris Hamill) who got kicked out for being too much of a Prima Donna, after which Nick Beggs took over on vocals for the two follow-up LP's. What you get here is VERY tight jazz-funk mixed in with bucket-loads of tasty synths and glittering New-Wave guitar. It's actually really good in places! Weak link is Limahl who has a mediocre voice and worse lyrics. Production was in the hands of Nick Rhodes from fellow chart-toppers Duran Duran.

I wonder if you can guess what band I'll be pulling out next ???

"Save a prayer for me now ..."

[Andy-831]

King Creosote "from Scotland with love"

Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman "Hidden People"

[CN211276]

Before I dive into the collected works of Simon Le Bon and his chums, here's an oddity - a prime example of an album that totally missed its audience:

Cutting Crew 'The Scattering' (1989)



Having had a massive worldwide hit in 1986 with '(I Just) Died in Your Arms', Cutting Crew took their time before recording a follow-up album, which was then promptly delayed for a year. This meant that the band had lost all momentum and interest from the public, thus being relegated to the status of One-Hit-Wonders. A shame as this record has much to praise but they were seen as a Pop band rather than serous musicians so this more mature and refined follow-up was too sophisticated for the pop fans and viewed with cynicism by the Rock fraternity.

Leader and singer Nick van Eede would later, after the demise of Cutting Crew, appear on the shortlist of possible replacements for Phil Collins on the Genesis album 'Calling All Stations' and he also worked with Marillion, receiving a co-writing credit on 'Anorakophobia'. With this in mind it is easy to spot the Neo-Prog influences on 'The Scattering' and it is quite close to what Marillion were doing on 'Seasons End' and 'Holidays in Eden'.

The songs are complex but accessible with big hooks and choruses, played in a solid, 80's-Rock groove with glossy, detailed production. This is a fine record that sits comfortably alongside peers like Simple Minds, Marillion, Genesis and Mike + the Mechanics,

Should have been huge. Worth a Listen.

[CN211276]

Bon Jovi - 2020

[Fretless]

Arcadia 'So Red the Rose' (1985)



After three hit albums, a gruelling World Tour and a not-too-successful appearance at Live Aid, Duran Duran were a spent force; internal disagreements and pressures split the group into two halves who went off to make separate side projects. Taylor's Andy and John formed The Power Station with Robert Palmer, the remaining trio of Roger Taylor (drums), Nick Rhodes (Keys) and singer Simon Le Bon called themselves 'Arcadia' in an attempt to recharge their artistic batteries.

Listening to the early Duran Duran albums with an open mind, you hear that there is an enormous influence from Roxy Music (especially on 'Rio') and other 70's Art-Rock artists that has DD sounding somewhat similar to both Utravox and David Sylvian's Japan. This was the path that Arcadia chose to follow further with their only album being a tasteful and restrained slice of mature ambience. They have nothing to prove here and simply indulge themselves in making the music they wanted to.

Yes it isn't far removed from DD - effectively this group would pick up the Duran Duran moniker for the next LP 'Notorious'. There are a couple of distinctive guest spots for Grace Jones and David Gilmour., making 'So Red the Rose' a varied and intriguing listen.

Solidly interesting.

[CN211276]

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Mojo

[Fretless]

Duran Duran 'Duran Duran' (1981)



Back in the 'Golden Age' of synthpop I was extremely suspicious of bands that shot into the charts with catchy hit singles and had an allergy to pretty-boy glamour shots of bands on LP covers. Reason enough to steer well clear of DD's debut album and laugh disparagingly at their rise to stardom.

Me - I liked Post-Punk New Wave acts with glacial washes of electronics, razor-sharp guitars, aggressive basslines and mysterious lyrics. Which, annoyingly enough, I have just discovered is exactly what this album is all about - it's brilliant! Stylistically close to Ultravox's 'Vienna', Duran Duran created a record that combines sonic experiments with contagiously-singalong songs and confident, accomplished perfomances.

Success brought a smoother and slicker sheen to the next few albums but the later Arcadia project picks up where this LP left off.

All together now:

"Lipstick cherry all over the lens as she's falling
And miles of sharp blue water coming in
Where she lies
The diving man's coming up for air
'Cause the crowd all love pulling dolly by the hair
By the hair
And she wonders how she ever got here
As she goes under again

Girls on film (two minutes later)
Girls on film"