January 28, 2024

Lily - V.C.U. (We See You) (1973)

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*Reissued on CD for the first time in 2002 Garden of Delights.
This pressing contains 10 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label Number: CD 062

© 1973-2002 Garden of Delights
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: lily, vcu we see you, 1973, flac,
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Living Death - Protected From Reality (1987)

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Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: AAARRG 5 CD/LD-A1

© 1987 Aaarrg Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: living death, protected from reality, 1987, flac,
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January 27, 2024

3 Lb. Thrill - Vulture (1995) ☠

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: BK 67395
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1995 550 Music/Fifty Seven Records
3 Lb. Thrill sounds more mature on its debut, Vulture, than most artists on their first albums. There's a good reason for that: The members of 3 Lb. Thrill previously released several albums under the name Uncle Green. 3 Lb. Thrill, like Uncle Green, has a knack for performing taut poppy tunes with a Beatlesque edge. Highlights included "Born Again," "Bad Seed," "Collide," and many others. A nice debut that sounds a lot like Uncle Green, which is good.

 tags: 3 lb thrill, 3lb thrill, vulture, 1995, flac,
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The Ruse - Midnight In The City (2008)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: JJJ-M03

© 2008 Rusemusic LLC
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: the ruse, midnight in the city, 2008, flac,
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January 22, 2024

James - Millionaires (1999) ☠

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*European pressing. 
Contains 11 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative Rock
Style: Britpop
Label Number: 546 524-2
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1999 Mercury Records
Going from the folk skullduggery of Stutter to the lavish club steps of Goldmother to the introspective beauty of Laid, James have never been predictable. The band's progression has delivered a seemingly inconsistent but impressive body of work, and Millionaires is no exception. Crisp, shiny, accessible pop songs such as "Crash" (sounding, oddly, like 1990's manic "Come Home" and the bittersweet, Laid-era B-side "The Lake"), "I Know What I'm Here For," and "Afro Lover," seem designed to go for Top 40 gold. For a band like James, this is unusual -- they've always seemed like the freaks and geeks of the school of popular and "credible" music. While it's not necessarily a bad thing for these outcasts to try to fit in, for at least half of the album it's exactly that: The flat, overproduced "Surprise" and the aimless "Dumb Jam" ignore the hook-laden nature of the band's past heights. Fortunately, the album's first half positively shines while taking this same populist approach. "Hello" succeeds with its hushed, electronic cries; "We're Going to Miss You" sounds like one of Midnight Oil's lost classics, simultaneously bitter and triumphant. Best of all, "Just Like Fred Astaire" somehow encapsulates every delirious high one feels when first falling in love. Essentially, the album two disparate halves: the former, an ecstatic stab of triumph and love, the latter, a mired, confused slab of dulling mediocrity. Indeed, Millionaires is as odd and unexpected as James' overall discography. With a little personal song programming, one can make it sound like the freaks and geeks knew what they were doing the entire time -- they might be a bit lost at times, but they have the creative heart that the musical jocks, cheerleaders, and hooligans would never, ever, own themselves.

 tags: james, millionaires, 1999, flac,
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James - Pleased To Meet You (2001)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative Rock
Style: Britpop
Label Number: 5861472

© 2001 Mercury Records
It's not so much that James weren't expected to make yet another good record; when 2001's Pleased to Meet You was released, they hadn't made a truly subpar record since the late '80s. But it isn't just another good James record -- it's their best. It's their tightest, freshest, most contemporary batch of songs, weatherproofed to stand the test of time. From the dizzily uplifting "Space," a Brian Eno-influenced and produced song (sure sounds like his voice is in the chorus, too), to the glacially sparse ballad "Alaskan Pipeline," the perfectly titled record is fresh-faced enough to sound like a band high on being in a studio together for the first time, but the material and the execution is too focused, too mature to sound like a rookie effort. As with the title track on 1993's Laid, an album highlight is buried near the end. This time it's "Getting Away With It," a song that represents the remainder of the album with a solid tune -- with some of Tim Booth's finest, most meaningful lyrics that aren't necessarily preachy -- and well-placed layers of synths and strings that accent an otherwise merely good James song. To wit, there's a power and a heft throughout that the band only hinted at previously. A band with a dusty best-of and nine previous studio albums isn't supposed to do this, unless they're the Rolling Stones. James' tenth makes you wonder what all the fuss over U2 and R.E.M.'s rebirths are about. And with this clutch of alternate reality Top Ten singles strung together in the disguise of a flowing record, they're making the modern pop charts (in the U.K. and especially the U.S.) look hopelessly feeble. Songs of adulthood, parenthood, and addiction have rarely sounded this exciting.

 tags: james, pleased to meet you, 2001, flac,
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James - Hey Ma (2008)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative Rock
Style: Britpop
Label Number: 1766565

© 2008 Fontana
Seven years is not an extraordinarily long time between albums for bands in the new millennium (some bands take considerably longer), so only those who pay attention closely might realize that James split and reunited in the seven years separating 2001's Pleased to Meet You and 2008's Hey Ma. Apart from the lyrics -- the title track opens with an overt 9/11 reference, as Tim Booth sings "now the towers have fallen" -- Hey Ma is such an extension of the band's signature sound that it's possible to think no time has passed at all, yet that isn't quite accurate. Not that the band went out on a low note, but James do sound revitalized, energized by the time apart and, perhaps more importantly, sounding connected to the time at hand, making music for a world in turmoil that needs more voices of protest and hope. Parallels to the fledging years of James cannot be ignored, as the band came to be during the pre-Blair and pre-Clinton years of the '90s, when there was a serious strain of seriousness within rock & roll, thanks in part to the crusading of U2. James shook this stiffness a few years later when they collaborated heavily with Eno, but here they reconnect to the crusading spirit of their earliest work without abandoning the sonic adventure of their late-'90s albums. This means that Hey Ma is intriguing and infuriating in equal measure, as Booth does have the tendency to raise his voice too high in protest. That may rub some listeners the wrong way, but perhaps in an affectionate way because there's a certain charm in how Booth has no concern about whether he goes too far, either in his lyrics or vocalizing. In 2008, there are many bands that attempt the kind of grand, sweeping sound as James -- think all of the post-Radiohead groups that are equally indebted to U2 but are graced with the personality of an Oasis knockoff band -- but James do have more quirks in their sound and plenty of quirks in Booth, who is always willing to act like a fool if it is in service of the greater good. These are the things that make Hey Ma a welcome comeback even for those listeners who may never have been big James fans -- after all, even if they're not quite to your tastes, it's nice to know that James are out there taking chances, unconcerned whether they succeed or not.

 tags: james, hey ma, 2008, flac,
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January 21, 2024

Tracy Bonham - The Burdens of Being Upright (1996)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: 314-524 187-2

© 1996 Island Records
Classically trained violinist Tracy Bonham emerged from Boston with her first major-label release, The Burdens of Being Upright. The album yielded a significant radio hit with the seething message "Mother Mother," which leads off the album. It raises the bar for the rest of the record and, although she doesn't quite match it, The Burdens of Being Upright is a riveting introduction. Bonham and bandmates tear through tracks like "Navy Bean" and "Bulldog" with energetic punk abandon. Bonham's lyrics are intelligent and her voice is powerful, sounding eerily like Liz Phair on songs like "Kisses," "Sharks Can't Sleep," and "Every Breath."

 tags: tracy bonham, the burdens of being upright, 1996, flac,
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Van Gogh's Daughter - Shove (1995)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Post Grunge
Label Number: HR 62022-2

© 1995 Hollywood Records
When Van Gogh's Daughter debuted with Shove, the all-female alternative rock foursome was compared to artists ranging from Veruca Salt and Hole to the Runaways. All of those comparisons are valid, but the bottom line is that VGD was an impressive band in their own right. While this CD is full of angst and grunge-influenced aggression, the songs tend to be melodic. In fact, cuts like "Struggle and Sting," "Bad Ralph," and "Crystal" are as melodic as they are forceful. "Through the Eyes of Julie," which describes a heroin addict's life, boasts such a memorable chorus and melody that it seemingly had the makings of an alternative rock anthem. Shove rocks passionately, but even if it didn't -- even if you took away all the amplification and forced VGD to go acoustic -- the songs' melodies and the heartfelt vocals of Jane Woodman and Paige Weber would still command attention. It's regrettable that VGD didn't deliver several more albums in the 1990s; the band showed a lot of promise on Shove.

 tags: van goghs daughter, shove, 1995, flac,
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Various Artists - New York Post Modern (Promo CD) (1996) ☠

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*This is promotional CD not intended for consumer sale. 
This compilation contains 21 tracks total.
A photo of the disc is included on the RAR file.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Pop Rock
Label Number: HT 034
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1996 Hits
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: various artists, new york post modern, promo, 1996, flac,
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Various Artists - Sprung (Music From & Inspired By The Motion Picture) (1997)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B
Label Number: 9 46541-2

© 1997 Qwest/Warner Bros. Records
The soundtrack to Sprung, a clever urban romantic comedy, is unsurprisingly filled with smooth swingbeat and hip-hop, designed to appeal to the same audience as the film. Nothing on Sprung is too gritty -- it's all polished and upscale, which doesn't mean that there isn't anything soulful on the soundtrack. Indeed, the remix of Aaliyah's "One in a Million" and Monifah's "I Still Love You" are both first-rate, and the relatively harder rap of Jay-Z's "Who You Wit" and E-40's "Goal Tendin'" play well, but much of the record is devoted to introducing new Qwest artists like Keystone or developing groups like Next Level, who are good but not great. In other words, there aren't many heavy hitters and there aren't many revelations -- a good record for a party, but nothing more.

 tags: various artists, sprung, music from and inspired by the motion picture, soundtrack, ost, 1997, flac,
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January 20, 2024

Various Artists - Butter: The Soundtrack (1998)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Funk
Label Number: 1672-2

© 1998 Relativity Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: various artists, butter the soundtrack, ost, 1998, flac,
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Various Artists - Kalifornia (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1993)

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*A photo of the disc in included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock, Alternative Rock, Rock, Pop
Label Number: 314 519 620-2

© 1993 Polydor
An undistinguished rock sampler, the highlights of which are X's "Lettuce and Vodka" and David Baerwald's "Born for Love." Score composer Carter Burwell is restricted to one moody track.

 tags: various artists, kalifornia, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 1993, flac,
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January 19, 2024

Messiah - Rotten Perish (1992)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 12 tracks total. 
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Genre: Death Metal
Label Number: 9086-11018-2

© 1992 Futurist
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: messiah, rotten perish, 1992, flac,
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Messiah - Hymn To Abramelin (1986)

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*Reissued on CD for the first time in 2002 by Massacre Records. 
This pressing contains 13 tracks total.
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal, Death Metal
Label Number: MAS CD0341

© 1986-2002 Massacre Records
Like precursors Venom and Hellhammer and successors Darkthrone and their ilk, Messiah fall into the "less-is-more" category of heavy metal. One listen to their 1986 debut Hymn to Abramelin reveals the production to be nearly non-existent, the songwriting at times underdone, the musicianship often sketchy (the drummer can't really keep time, but otherwise he's great!), but the end result to be ultimately brilliant! Yes, it's all very contradictory, but welcome to wacky world of mid-'80s European underground metal, where crude visionaries like Destruction, the aforementioned Hellhammer and, yes, Messiah, all merit thrones as prone to worship by the heavy metal faithful as those of far more commercially successful bands like Kreator, Celtic Frost, and Mercyful Fate. In effect, Hymn to Abramelin earned such distinction because of its simplicity -- by showing the kids that metal, like punk, could be performed with more heart than technical expertise. Propagating the white-knuckled aggression and anti-social, often Satanic lyrics typically attractive to heavy metal fans didn't hurt, either, and Messiah exploit that formula to the max on highlights including the instrumental title track and vicious thrashings like "Messiah," "Space Invaders," and "Total Maniac" -- many of which are introduced by perfectly apropos zombie-like, baritone recitations of demonic intent. Another favorite, "Thrashing Madness" is just that: two-and-a-half-minutes of frenetic instrumental flailing punctuated by horrid shrieks of despair; closing epic "The Dentist" finally breaks with the ultra-simple template to entertain some surprisingly inventive and complex riff orchestrations; and, among the various bonus tracks present on most CD re-issues, "Speed Fight" offers a furiously extended good time to go along with the remaining rough but entertaining demos. No surprise, then, that Hymn to Abramelin remains a favorite example of its kind to serious metal fans.

 tags: messiah, hymn to abramelin, 1986, flac,
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Messiah - Extreme Cold Weather (1987)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 15 tracks total.
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Genre: Death Metal
Label Number: NB 032

© 1987-1990 Nuclear Blast
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: messiah, extreme cold weather, 1987, flac,
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Wench - A Tidy Sized Chunk (1991)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: CORE 5 CD

© 1991 Metalcore
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: wench, a tidy sized chunk, 1991, flac,
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Not Fragile - Hard To Be Alive (1992)

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Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Speed Metal
Label Number: NF001

© 1992  Spastic Head Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: not fragile, hard to be alive, 1992, flac,
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January 17, 2024

Hallows Eve - Death & Insanity (1994 Reissue) ☠

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*Reissued in 1994 by Metal Blade Records.
This pressing contains 10 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: 3984-14059-2
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1986-1994 Metal Blade Records
A thrash band from the mid-'80s, they were on everybody's mind in their heyday. "Death & Insanity" became an anthem of sorts, and thus became their most popular effort.

tags: hallows eve, death and insanity, 1986, 1994, reissue, flac,
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Various Artists - 9½ Weeks: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1986)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Pop
Label Number: CDP 7 46722 2

© 1986 Capitol Records
Every Valentine's Day, video stores and online rental outlets are swamped with requests for the film this soundtrack represents. Crazy as it sounds, this tale of obsession, surrender, masochism, and domination really gets under the skin of some people over and over again. (For those who either don't remember or never knew, the film was an interpretation of a seemingly authentic account of just such an affair by a well-known socialite who wrote it under a nom de plume.) While the film might have a sort of timeless appeal -- Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke were young then, and while one has aged gracefully, the other has become a plastic surgery disaster -- the soundtrack (which also experiences a bit of a sales spike during this holiday) has lost much of it. Certainly the theme song, "I Do What I Do," penned by John Taylor (right), Michael Des Barres, and Jonathan Elias and performed by them along with B.J. Nelson, Michael Brecker, and Dalbello, sounds so dated as to be almost laughable, as are contributions by Devo ("Bread and Butter"), Dalbello ("Black on Black"), and Corey Hart ("Eurasian Eyes"). Other cuts here have become classics (or already were): Bryan Ferry's "Slave to Love," Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On," and Eurythmics' "This City Never Sleeps." Still others, such as Luba's "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "Let It Go," are campy fun, and Stewart Copeland's moody "Cannes" is a miniature masterpiece that actually reflects something akin to incidental music in a film score.

 tags: various artists, 9 1/2 weeks original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 1986, flac,
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Danielle Dax - Dark Adapted Eye (1988)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 19 tracks total.
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop Rock, Pop
Label Number: W2 25818 (Club Edition)

© 1988 Sire Records
While Dark Adapted Eye is really just an expanded edition of Inky Bloaters for the American market -- minus one track from the original but with a slew of other cuts from other sources -- it does give the best possible case around for Danielle Dax' sometimes harrowing, often surprising art. The emphasis is certainly on her later stabs at commercial possibilities, which she has just as much of a knack and sense for as she does for heavy-duty experimentalism. A dominant influence on her work in this more mainstream vein is an interesting one; Marc Bolan whose cryptic lyrics and ear for a fuzz guitar hook inform some of the best moments here. Certainly "Big Hollow Man" is as excellent a revamp and updating of the classic T. Rex acoustic/electric boogie as many, but Dax makes her own stamp quite clear, ripping into the materialistic creep of the title with a snarl. The new cuts specifically done for the collection similarly work with such an addictive and attractive combination. "Cat-House" is a wonderfully sly -- in many senses of the word -- raucous opening number for the collection, while "White Knuckle Ride" lives up to its name. The absolute winner of the new cuts, though, is "Whistling for His Love," one of Dax' most straightforward numbers, and one of her most attractive, a good dance groove with a fine melody, great harmony singing from Dax and concluding sitar. David Knight makes for a fantastic collaborator; while he and Dax perform just about everything one way or another, making it impossible to immediately judge who is playing what, there's no question that what they come up with is winning throughout. The inclusion of other rarities like "Touch Piggy's Eyes" helps make Dark Adapted Eye a fantastic starting place for Dax newcomers.

tags: danielle dax, dark adapted eye, 1998, flac,
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Pagan - Pagan (1990)

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Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label Number: CD US 18

© 1990 U.S. Metal Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: pagan, pagan album, 1990, flac
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Forced Entry - As Above, So Below (1991)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: 88561-2024-2

© 1991 Relativity Records
As Above So Below is the final recording from Seattle-area thrash heroes Forced Entry. Musically similar to their earlier efforts, this 1991 Combat/Relativity records release boasts a punchier sound and slightly more technical material than prior efforts by the band. Brad Hull's guitar work is especially impressive, and his bandmates Collin Mattson (drums) and Tony Benjamins (bass and vocals) also deliver some creative and powerful performances of their own. The relentless and well-focused opener "Bone Crackin' Fever" and "When One Becomes Two" are highlights for sure, but the performances on As Above So Below are all very consistent, and although the same cannot be said for the material on this swan song, thrash fans unfamiliar with the regionally important Forced Entry might want to check out this their best sounding (if not best-realized) effort.

 tags: forced entry, as above so below, 1991, flac,
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