Rediscovered Classics: Scott 2 - Scott Walker

Listening to this album again is giving me the warm and fuzzies.  When I hear Jackie I can only think of Mark Almond's cover. He does it so well and faithfully that I expect this whole album is actually the spirit of Mark Almond in an earlier time.

This is of course a completely lyrical and vocal album. The music is completely in the background yet it does not sound like a backing track at all. Even when Scott sustains a note and there are various other musical phrases in the background (Jackie and The Girls and The Dogs), it is the voice that takes centre stage.

I have listened to this album various times, but only now realised that the orignal of Black Sheep Boy is on here. I loved the Paul Weller cover, having thought until today, that it was a Weller original.

I love this album - and I think it is something that deserves listening to on a wintery day with mist outside and visibility of less than fifty feet and the soft shadow of a fox moving through the quiet of the mist. There should be an open fireplace in the room and a nice bottle of deep red wine open - with at least one glass down and another making its happy and warm journey to the brain.

Rediscovered Classics: Lives in the Balance. Jackson Brown

So I have been listing all my old vinyl on discogs. In the process I have been listening to old favourites and discovering albums that I have but cant recall.  One of these is Jackson Brown's Lives in the Balance.

It kicks off with the classic single For America. A typically anthemic master of a pop song.  The rest of side one is solid closing with the rocker Candy.

It's on side two where this album really shines.  The latino blend of the opening Lawless Avenue is excellent with the title track also superb. The rest of the album clocks in with some powerfully 80s themes, both musically and lyrically. 

A solid album and one that will certainly get many more spins on my turntable.

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

It has been a long time since I have written anything. I am starting to get passionate about music again. Not that I ever lost my passion but for a short while it did become  background to the rest of my life. I would spend time listening to music while driving or doing other things. It was not really listened to but more an undercurrent to something else I was busy with – whether it be driving or talking or reading.

Since I have brought the turntable out again – and the corresponding methodology that goes with it, I have started listening to music again. In the light of this – I am going to start putting down some musings on what I think of the music I am listening to. Some of it might be music I am hearing for the first time, some might be music I am rediscovering and some of it might be music that I know and love – and a dissection of why it means so much to me. Some of it might just be ramblings with music as the general topic.

That being said, let me start here. Tame Impala. I first found out about this band through UNCUT magazine (which informs much of my new music explorations.)  It seems it is an Australian outfit, primarily consisting of one person in the studio, and a full band when taking these songs live.

I am currently listening to their (his) 2010 album Innerspeaker.  It has an Indie sound to it. I am still trying to think what it reminds me of but there are definite overtones of some of the shoegazer vocals of the early 90s.  Things like Slowdive, Ride  and Chapterhouse come to mind, but only vocally.  Musically it is reminding me of Dinosaur Jnr – Bug era. There is also quite a strong dance sensibility to the entire album.