Category Archives: Music

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Iggy Pop – Lust For Life

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Iggy Pop - Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

Lust For Life

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/10382943-Iggy-Pop-Lust-For-Life

Year Of Release: 1977

Review

Lust For Life is one of my favourite solo Iggy Pop albums. I purchased a copy on CD in 1994/95 (at a Virgin Megastore in France – seems like you’ll eventually read about every title I bought there). My prior experience of Iggy Pop was reasonably limited. I owned a copy of Pop Songs (a compilation of tracks from 1979 – 1981) and I had a copy of Raw Power on CD, with a copy of the American Caesar album (which I thought was amazing) rounding out my (very limited) exposure.

But when I heard The Passenger blaring in a nightclub late one evening I knew this was part of Iggy Pop’s discography I needed to get more familiar with. And I’m glad I made the effort to get more acquainted with earlier solo Iggy. Despite the heavy influence of Bowie on this one and the prior album, this one is a bit more Iggy than Bowie, and it’s a brilliant arrangement of pop songs. Some of the lyrical content is problematic when looked at through a modern lense, and I’ll probably leave it at that.

Standout tracks on this one are the aforementioned The Passenger, Lust For Life, Some Weird Sin, and Fall In Love With Me. If you ever need to get up and go in the morning, just put on the first track at high volume and you’ll be all set. Also notable is the length of the album, fitting comfortably on one side of a C90 cassette tape for those of you out there still making tapes for your friends.

Rating: 8.5/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Faith No More – King For A Day Fool For A Lifetime

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Faith No More – King For A Day Fool For A Lifetime

Faith No More

King For A Day Fool For A Lifetime

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/5145542-Faith-No-More-King-For-A-Day-Fool-For-A-Lifetime

Year Of Release: 1995

Review

Faith No More has released several excellent albums. Many people love Angel Dust, as do I, but King For a Day Fool For A Lifetime is my favourite Faith No More album. It’s a heady mix of rock and roll, cocktail lounge jazz, and the kind of music that had fans of Angel Dust sometimes scratching their heads and wondering what on Earth they were listening to.

This was the first album without Jim Martin, and the band seemed more than willing to demonstrate how capable it could be without him. The music on the album was described in this review as “a stranger, more eclectic beast, taking in the usual metal, pop and twisted funk, while consciously adding lounge, jazz, bossa nova, big band funk, soul, gospel and country and western into a deathly boiling pot”.

For me, though, it’s the lyrics throughout the album that make it as entertaining as it is. From “It’s always funny until someone gets hurt / And then it’s just hilarious” in Ricochet to “What a day, what a day / If you can look it in the face / And hold your vomit” in What A Day, the listener is taken on a dark, twisting journey through the band’s turmoils and, perhaps, gets some insight into the apparent difficulties they had with getting the album done. I remember I’d just returned from some time living in France, and this album felt like the perfect bookend to my time in a foreign land whilst also helping me process the integration back into Australian society.

Standout tracks for me are Ricochet, King For A Day, Ugly In The Morning, and The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies. If you were put off by Angel Dust, or thought Faith No More was just funk-rock, check this album out. There’s something on there for everyone.

“Don’t let me die with that silly look in my eyes”.

Rating: 10/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Ice-T – O.G. Original Gangster

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Ice-T - O.G. Original Gangster

Ice-T

O.G. Original Gangster

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/14429450-Ice-T-OG-Original-Gangster

Year Of Release: 1991

Review

I don’t know why I bought Original Gangster on CD in 1991. I’d heard of Ice-T, but I don’t think I’d heard any of his music, as it generally wasn’t playing on the radio in the part of the world I grew up in, and that style of rap music was not necessarily on display in the few music stores I had access to at the time. Surprisingly, this one was available in my local Chandlers (maybe thanks to the marketing power of Warner). The cover looked intriguing to an easily influenced 15-year-old male, and I think it was one of those CDs that made the store clerk look at me askance when I bought it. In any case, I’m glad I bought it, as I think it’s a really good gangster rap album. As gritty as anything I’d heard from N.W.A., but also more subtle and a little more humorous in parts as well. It also introduced me to Ice-T’s other project, Body Count, which is a tale for another time, but also something I’m grateful for.

As a young male living in regional Australia, there were plenty of concepts covered in this album that I had little to no real-world knowledge about, but Ice-T’s ability to put together a compelling story along with solid samples, interludes, and catchy beats makes this an album that’s extremely re-listenable. As I got older, I started to understand more of what was covered and appreciated the perspective from which some of these stories were being told. It’s funny to think that most people are aware of his work as a police detective on a television show, rather than his work as a gangster rapper and corrupter of youth.

This is my favourite Ice-T album – there’s what feels like the right amount of storytelling and entertaining beats – without it feeling like it’s comically over the top. Standout tracks for me are O.G. Original Gangster, Lifestyles Of The Rich And Infamous, The Tower, and Fly By. The most striking comment on the album was during the introduction to Body Count where Ice-T says “I feel sorry for people who only listen to one style of music”. That’s stayed with me since then.

Rating: 8/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Beastie Boys – Jimmy James

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Beastie Boys - Jimmy James

Beastie Boys

Jimmy James

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/167546-Beastie-Boys-Jimmy-James

Year Of Release: 1992

Review

I’m generally not bothering to post reviews of singles in the Sunday Afternoon Vinyl series, saving the typing and brain energy for full album reviews, but I’m posting about this one because A – it’s a Beastie Boys title, and secondly – I have a somewhat amusing anecdote to relay.

I was in Melbourne on holidays a few years ago and wearing a shirt with the Jimmy James cover art on it. A gent saw the Beastie Boys bit, but misread Jimmy James as Jimmy Barnes, and wanted to know what was up with that. A reasonable question. I confidently explained that Jimmy James was in fact the second single from the album Check Your Head (the third studio album from the Beastie Boys, and my favourite) and nothing to do with Jimmy Barnes. The gentleman seemed satisfied and walked back to his friends to relay the information. This must be what it feels like to spread misinformation on the Internet, because Jimmy James is actually the third single off the album Check Your Head, not the second. I know, I have brought great shame upon my family name.

In any case, it’s a fun track, and a great way to start one of hip-hop’s greatest ever albums.

Rating: 9/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Del The Funky Homosapien – I Wish My Brother George Was Here

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Del Tha Funkeé Homosapien - I Wish My Brother George Was Here

Del The Funky Homosapien

I Wish My Brother George Was Here

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/8941032-Del-Tha-Funke%C3%A9-Homosapien-I-Wish-My-Brother-George-Was-Here

Year Of Release: 1991

Review

Mistadobalina was something of a surprise hit for Del The Funky Homosapien in 1991. I remember buying the cassingle when it was released, but I didn’t buy the full album until a few years later. While much was made of the fact he was Ice Cube’s cousin, I Wish My Brother George Was Here has little at all in common with the Gangsta rap associated with Ice Cube and his West Coast contemporaries, nor does it necessarily sound like anything that was spawned by popular acts associated with the East Coast either. Rather, this is an album that demonstrates Del’s ability (and desire) to go it alone and do things his way.

In my opinion, it’s not Del’s best work, but there are real glimpses provided into his potential. The observational lyrics, combined with the heavy use of P-Funk samples, delivers an album that is a rollicking journey through the foundations of the underground hip-hop that would follow it.

Del is still kicking it, after some years in and out of the public eye, and it’s nice to see him getting his flowers from both those who benefited significantly from his trailblazing style, and those fans who stuck with him beyond some surprise hit singles in the early nineties.

Standout tracks for me are the aforementioned Mistadobalina, Pissin’ On Your Steps, and Dark Skin Girls (with Dr. Bombay getting an honourable mention).

Rating: 7/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – The Bronx – V

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The Bronx - V

The Bronx

V

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/10897120-The-Bronx-V

Year Of Release: 2017

Review

“We are The Bronx from Los Angeles, California!”

I’ve been a fan of The Bronx since my friend Viktor gave me a CD of the band’s first album in 2003. Thirty-one minutes and thirty seconds of blistering punk rawk. Just the right length that I could play it twice on the way to the office and get the day off to a strong start. The Bronx (V) is much the same experience, clocking in at just over three minutes longer than the first album, albeit with a more measured pace but the same relentless punk feel that attracted me to the band in the first place.

The Bronx is one of those bands that sounds almost the same in concert as it does on the studio albums. Indeed, the live performances usually sound a little better. According to my setlist.fm profile, I’ve been fortunate enough to see them play live four times now, and I can confidently say it’s been a brilliant experience every time. You never feel like the band is phoning it in – it’s always like this is the last time they’re ever going to play, so they’re going all out. If you ever have the opportunity, I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Regretfully, I was out of the country this year when the band was doing the double-headliner with its alter ego Mariachi El Bronx, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about those shows as well.

Standout tracks on this album are Fill The Tanks, Sore Throat, Cordless Kids, and Channel Islands.

Rating: 8/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

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Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/5159474-Public-Enemy-It-Takes-A-Nation-Of-Millions-To-Hold-Us-Back

Year Of Release: 1988

Review

I bought this album on CD a year or two after it came out. I didn’t know a lot about Public Enemy, but I’d seen some of the clips on Rage (surprise!) and read about some kind of connection with Ice Cube and I thought that was something I should investigate. This was the first hip-hop album I’d heard that was a dizzying mix of political messaging and powerhouse vocal delivery, backed by Terminator X’s deft control of the turntables and an amazing overall sound from Hank Shocklee and the Bomb Squad. The sampling on this album? Crazy stuff. I had no idea at the time what most of the lyrics really meant, but I knew that they were covering some important topics.

I have a friend who has Chuck D’s number and talks with him from time to time. By all accounts he’s a super switched on guy and really knows what’s what. Which comes through in the album too. This is a hard album to skip tracks on, but standouts for me are Don’t Believe The Hype, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos, and Party For Your Right To Fight.

If you want to read more about the background of this album, Christopher R. Weingarten does a pretty good job with his book in the 33 1/3 series. This album sparked a lifelong appreciation for Public Enemy and pretty much everything  the group has put out since.

Rating: 9/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Rancid – Let’s Go

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Rancid - Let's Go

Rancid

Let’s Go

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/1525004-Rancid-Lets-Go

Year Of Release: 1994

Review

I’ve mentioned before on this weblog that I was ignorant when it came to Rancid until I heard …And Out Come The Wolves some time in 1995. A friend (RIP Fat Greg) made me a tape of Let’s Go though (it fits nicely on one side of a C-90 cassette) and I was all in. This is an album that sounds like how I thought punk albums were meant to sound.

This is just a great punk album – with excellent, short songs and the kind of energy that you expect from a band with this talent and background. Matt Freeman’s bass is the standout here, but the rest of the band really brings it as well. I’ve written before about how enjoyable it was to see Rancid play live, and this album is a great indicator of how fast paced and frenetic the band could be. There’s no ska on this one, just straight up punk rawk.

I also remember being amused by Burn which contains a quote from Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three 1984 hit The Roof Is On Fire (“We don’t need no water, let the motherfucker burn!”), and then hearing a version of the track on Bloodhound Gang’s album One Fierce Beer Coaster.

Most all of the tracks on this album are excellent, but my favourites are Nihilism, Side Kick (who doesn’t want to help out Wolverine?), Salvation, Harry Bridges, and St. Mary. While this isn’t my favourite Rancid album (I think that’s Life Won’t Wait) it’s definitely up there.

Rating: 8/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Mike Patton – Mondo Cane

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Mike Patton - Mondo Cane

Mike Patton

Mondo Cane

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/8892543-Mike-Patton-Mondo-Cane

Year Of Release: 2010

Review

Someone once commented on a YouTube video “if weird was a colour, Mike Patton would be a rainbow”. I don’t know if that’s entirely fair, but Patton is well known for doing a whole lot of different and interesting projects, many of which veer into the realm of weird, I guess. Like putting out an album of cover songs of fifties and sixties Italian pop songs. Does it sound weird? Maybe. Does it sound cool? Absolutely. I can’t speak Italian, but I know that every track on this album is a banger. Would I be listening to it if Patton’s name wasn’t on the front? Nope. And I’m not alone in thinking that. But it’s absolutely worth your time to check it out.

The orchestra gives it some oomph, but the whole concept only seems to work because it’s easy enough to tell yourself that this is a project Patton would do, and that’s usually enough to listen to it. There are plenty of clips on YouTube of him playing the album through live, and it sounds (and looks) tremendous. I can’t say enough positive things about this album (or about Patton, for that matter). And I hope that the fans he’s picked up from Faith No More or Tomahawk pick up this album too.

Standout tracks for me are Deep Down, Ore D’Amore, and 20 Km Al Giorno.

Rating: 9/10

Sunday Afternoon Vinyl – Regurgitator – Tu-Plang

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Regurgitator - Tu-Plang

Regurgitator

Tu-Plang

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/5017253-Regurgitator-Tu-Plang

Year Of Release: 1996

Review

Regurgitator’s first full-length studio album, Tu-Plang, was released in 1996. The first time I saw them play was at The Roxy in Brisbane in late 1995 (supporting Dub War) and they rocked out. I also remember seeing them supporting (with Fireballs) CIV in Byron Bay – and they just blew CIV away in terms of energy and crowd support. I almost felt sorry for CIV, because they clearly weren’t the real headliner that day. It seemed like they were everywhere at the time (I recall seeing Ben Ely at Toowong Village one day and thinking that was pretty special), and they were certainly working hard to get the album heard by as many people as possible. I always thought that Regurgitator sounded a lot better live than on record, but this albums till holds up well.

“Happiness is a Kong-Foo Sing”. Anyone who can deliver some lyrics about fortune cookies wrapped up in a catchy rock song can do no wrong in my opinion. Not to mention starting the album off with I Sucked a Lot of Cock to Get Where I Am. Just brilliant stuff. Hard to explain to some of the non-Australian listeners.

The music videos from Regurgitator were always entertaining too, and I was also a big fan of the band’s DIY ethic (and the obvious talent enabling them to pull it all off). Standout tracks for me are Mañana, F.S.O., and Music is Sport. If you can get hold of the first two EPs – do that too.

Rating: 8/10