March 26, 2023

Bananarama - True Confessions (1986) ☠

*European first pressing. 
Contains 11 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom 
Genre: Hi-NRG
Label Number: 828013-2
 ☠: Selected by Lass
© 1986 London Records
After becoming one of the biggest girl groups in U.K. pop music history, and after scoring a Top Ten U.S. hit with "Cruel Summer," Bananarama reached the commercial pinnacle of their career with their third album, True Confessions. This album also marked an artistic change of pace for the trio because they began to utilize super hit producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman, who helped them turn the 1970 rock hit "Venus" into an unstoppable, unforgettable dance smash. In fact, their version was so huge that it became their only U.S. number one hit. The rest of the album, however, is a little darker than one might expect, with heavy lyrics and themes permeating the songs. Other highlights include the second single, "More Than Physical," which was also produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, the moody third single, "Trick of the Night," the saucy "Hooked on Love," the dance-pop of "Promised Land," and the seductive "Dance with a Stranger." To some, True Confessions was a departure of sorts from the post-punk, new wave girl group sound that made Bananarama so essential to early-'80s British alt-pop music. To others, it represents a shift to platinum success (which continued with their follow-up album, Wow!), and this album, along with the hit "Venus," are prime examples of classic '80s dance-pop music.

tags: bananarama, true confessions, 1986, flac,

Bananarama - Pop Life (1991)

*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: House
Label Number: 828 246‐2

© 1991 London Records
Despite the title, the sole Bananarama album to feature Siobhan Fahey's replacement, Jacquie O'Sullivan, is the vocal trio's decisive break from pop music into Hi-NRG dance. Recorded with a variety of writer/producers ranging all the way back to their original mentor, Steve Jolley (also including Stock-Aitken-Waterman, the architects of their biggest hits, and former Killing Joke bassist Youth, for alt-dance cred), the songs are united by their emphasis on MIDI synthesizers and canned beats. Lacking their most distinctive vocalist (the competent but colorless O'Sullivan was no match for Fahey's occasionally off-key yelp), the trio sounds utterly anonymous, like session singers on their own album. More to the point, whoever suggested that the Doobie Brothers' stoner rock anthem "Long Train Running" was a suitable vehicle for an electronic dance-pop remake should be punished. Severely. That said, the acid house-tinged single "Tripping on Your Love" is actually pretty good.

 tags: bananarama, pop life, 1991, flac,

March 25, 2023

Brokin English Klik - Brokin English Klik (1993) ☠

*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz.
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop 
Style: Hardcore Hip-Hop
Label Number: None
☠: Selected by Sentinel
© 1993 Wild Pitch Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 * Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.


 tags: brokin english klik, brokin english klik album, broken english click, 1993, flac,

Bananarama - Wow! (1987)

*First pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hi-NRG
Label Number: 828 061-2

© 1987 Metronome
Bananarama followed up their hit-laden True Confessions, which spawned their international chart-topping version of "Venus," with 1987's Wow! True Confessions witnessed the emerging role of Stock, Aitken & Waterman as the trio's producers -- Wow! was wholly assembled by the hitmaking team, which was also responsible for hits by Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Dead or Alive, Donna Summer, and countless others. This album is, therefore, a straightforward 1980s dance set, with several songs that went on to become international hits. The only track from this set to make the U.S. Top Ten was "I Heard a Rumour," a sassy, joyous single just as infectious today as when first released. Also included is the sleek, lip-smackin' disco hit "I Can't Help It," the engaging, European chart-topper "Love in the First Degree," the single "I Want You Back," and an extended mix of their version of the Supremes' "Nathan Jones." Some of the non-hits pale in comparison to the singles, among those the dated, 12" version of "Some Girls"; the 12" version of "Strike It Rich," which, at some points, resembles an inferior version of "I Can't Help It"; and "Bad for Me," which unintentionally highlights the trio's vocal limitations. Nonetheless, the singles were quite intoxicating, and this hard-to-find set is sure to please fans of Bananarama, or any fans of the Stock, Aitken & Waterman sound, which ruled the airwaves and nightclubs in the mid- to late '80s.


 tags: bannarama, wow, 1987, flac,

Coo Coo - Fun Bun (1990)

Country: Italy
Language: English
Genre: Hi-NRG
Label Number: ALCB-42

© 1990 Alfa International
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: coo coo, fun bun, 1990, flac,

Claudia T. - Fatal Destination (2004)

*This is an unofficial release. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Genre: Hi-NRG 
Label Number: Hyps 72024

© 2004 Hypersound Productions
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: claudia t, fatal destination, 2004, flac,

Cold Body Radiation - The Great White Emptiness (2010)

Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Genre: Blackgaze
Label Number: Dusk003CD

© 2010 Duskstone
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: cold body radiation, the great white emptiness, 2010, flac,

Cold Body Radiation - Deer Twillight (2011)

Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Genre: Blackgaze
Label Number: Dusk008CD

© 2011 Dusktone
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: cold body radiation, deer twilight, 2011, flac,

March 24, 2023

Lantlôs - .neon (2010)

Country: Germany
Language: English, French, German (Français, Deutsch)
Genre: Blackgaze
Label Number: WOLF 037

© 2010 Prophecy Productions
You’ve been here before. Here, among these waves. Waves that pretend to be glaciers, but at their heart are warm and cradling, not cold and isolating. It is the terrain of ebb and flow, slowly nodding heads, subdued melody, and a lush sense of growth. Within this terrain can also be found the voice of madness and the fast staccato of the devil’s battery. Be not fooled, for these are merely strangers in a strange land; passing visitors in a realm which they can never truly call home. But you may call it home. You have many, many times…

If that diversion into literary self-indulgence didn’t clue you in, Lantlôs is another of the increasingly numerous bands toying with a mixture of black metal and post rock. On .Neon, the band’s second, multi-instrumentalist Herbst is joined by Alcest’s Neige on vocals, crafting a recipe which is first and very foremost of the ambient/atmospheric/post metal/rock variety, with blackened flavors merely the garnish on top. There may be blast beats, slightly raw guitar tones and (half) piercing tremolo riffs, but the music that is actually written, not performed, is focused almost completely on creating the embracing feel of bright and moving post rock, not misanthropic black metal. These are chord progressions more fitting for the soundtrack of a Focus Features movie than for golden age horror. Only Neige’s harsh vocals would fit the latter, which sound great amid the few truly blackened parts yet a tad out of place when delivered over more soothing tones.

The probable longevity of .Neon will not be harmed by this genre splicing, as many recent albums have shown how truly brilliant it can be, but instead by the lack of the moment. The best songs from one side of the black-post combination to the other all work towards climaxes — those instantly memorable and chill-inducing passages that demand the listener to just bow down in musical worship. (Think the climax of Wolves in the Throne Room’s “I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots” or part two of Agalloch’s “Our Fortress is Burning.” Yep, you know.) .Neon is mostly devoid of these jaw-droppers. Opener “Minusmensch” moves between typically atmospheric and faster blast-laden material, seemingly building towards one of these musical and emotional peaks, but only arrives at a pleasant but easy-to-ignore chord swoon. “Pulse/Surreal” builds to a climax better than the other songs, starting with a soft section of jazzy drumming and Opethian vocals, continuing through the album’s best true mix of the styles, and into probably the only real black metal on .Neon. Even this, the album’s best moment, applies the vice grips of enthrallment only moderately tight, but that hardly hurts what is already an excellent track.

Would .Neon sound fresher had Alcest and Les Discrets not already knocked our collective socks off earlier in 2010? Undoubtedly. Would that make this a classic album? No. It would still have all the makings of a good album that thrills initially but loses some of its spark after a month or so. Where Lantlôs fails is by not utilizing the shattering brunt of black metal or the full subtlety of post rock. Where they succeed (and as the score shows, they do indeed succeed) is by providing a pleasant and strangely soothing 40 minute listening experience. Unfortunately for the band, it is hard to shake the feeling that this is the album doomed to expose the genre’s clichés, and may just leave many listeners puzzled at the impression that they’ve been here before.

 tags: lantlos, neon, 2010, flac,

Samantha Gilles - The Best of Samantha Gilles (1989)

Country: Belgium
Language: English 
Genre: Hi-NRG, Pop
Label Number: D33Y0357

© 1989 Canyon International
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: samantha gilles, the best of samantha gilles, 1989, flac,

Da Youngsta's - I'll Make U Famous (1995) ⚓

*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz
The files have been tagged and sorted for convenience. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: None

© 1995 90's Tapes/HHV
*Reviewed by Zev Borrow for the Source Magazine in 1996 (Final rating: 3 Mic's)
Growing up is hard to do, just ask Da Youngsta's. Five years and three records ago, the threesome from Philly entered the hip-hop universe with a pugnacious, precocious sound that made up for whatever it lacked in maturity with a vibrant, infectious enthusiasm that embraced the group's youth. But on I'll Make You Famous - released by the venerable, independent Philadelphia rap label, Pop Art Records - Qur'an, Tarik and Taji are out to let you know they ain't no kids no more, despite the fact that all three are still under 20. Da Youngsta's are now to be known as the Illy Funkstas, and their first album as such seems intent on proving the importance of the distinction. This time around, 17-year Qur'an and company focus on the big boy concerns of swinging to survive, whether it's on the street, the mic or in the bedroom. The title single is a made-for-radio cruisin' jam that speaks on the pleasures the Funkstas have to offer the ladies. "Bloodshed and War," featuring Mobb Deep, teams the trio with one of their bigger influences in yet another hip-hop ode to the business of the street corner. "Verbal Glock" highlights the maturing confidence the group has in their ability to take on all MC comers..." The rest of the review is mixed and speaks to the pitfalls in the album, saying "it lacks the elusive flava that makes good beats great records.


* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


tags: da youngstas, ill make you famous, i'll, 1995, flac,

Brother Most - Mood & Intensity (1996)

*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz
The files have been tagged & sorted for convenience. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop 
Label Number: None
 
© 1996 Brother Most
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 * Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.


 tags: brother most, mood and intensity, 1996, flac,

March 23, 2023

Eighth Wonder - Brilliant Dreams (Mini Album) (1987)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 28・8P-191

© 1987 Epic/Sony Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: eighth wonder, brilliant dreams, mini album, 1987, flac,

Eighth Wonder - Fearless (1988)

*European first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop
Label Number: CBS 460628 2

© 1988 CBS Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: eighth wonder, fearless, 1988, flac,

Ankie Bagger - Where Were You Last Night (1990 Reissue) ☠

*Reissued in 1990 by Sonet for the Japanese market. 
This pressing contains 11 tracks total.
Country: Sweden
Language: English
Genre: Hi-NRG
Label Number: KICP-82
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1989-1990 Sonet
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: ankie bagger, where were you last night, 1989, 1990 reissue, flac,

Angie Gold - Angie Gold (1988)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hi-NRG
Label Number: 32XB-290

© 1988 Alfa International
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: angie gold, angie gold album, 1988, flac,

March 22, 2023

Various Artists - Blast From The Past (Music From The Original Motion Picture) (1999)

Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Rockabilly, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock
Label Number: CDP 7243 4 98690 2 8

© 1999 Capitol Records
An inoffensive selection of tunes from an Alicia Silverstone/Brendan Fraser comedy about a guy who emerges, after 35 years, from a bomb shelter into the '90s. Lots of throwback selections from swing revival bands like Squirrel Nut Zippers and Cherry Poppin' Daddys, but only one legitimate '50s artifact by Perry Como. Not surprisingly, most of the newer artists on this comp are Capitol Records artists like Everclear, Block and Tommy Henriksen. Neatly fitting into the nuclear holocaust theme of the movie are REM's "It's the End of the World as We Know It" and Randy Newman's "Political Science," classics which you can find on their own, better albums.

 tags: various artists, blast from the past, music from the original motion picture, 1999, flac,

Various Artists - Brokedown Palace: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1999)

Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Pop Rock, Pop, Trip-Hop, Alternative Rock
Label Number: 314 546 390-2

© 1999 Island Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: various artists, brokedown palace, music from the original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 1999, flac,

Various Artists - The Waterboy (Original Soundtrack) (1998)

Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Rock, Funk, Alternative Rock, Hard Rock
Label Number: HR-62157-2
 
© 1998 Hollywood Records
The soundtrack for the Adam Sandler football comedy The Waterboy is a mixture of classic rock hits from yesteryear and alternative rock from the late '90s. The '60s are represented by the funky Doors track "Peace Frog" and the Creedence Clearwater Revival nugget "Born on the Bayou," the latter fitting the movie's setting in the swampland of Louisiana. Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove" is a forgotten disco hit from the '70s and a soundtrack highlight, while Rush's "Tom Sawyer" makes its second appearance on a 1998 soundtrack (a remixed version appeared on Small Soldiers). Other familiar tunes include included is Joe Walsh's faux-reggae "New Year's Eve," John Mellencamp's 1985 hit "Small Town," and the 1991 Lenny Kravitz/Slash collaboration "Always on the Run." '90s alternative gets its turn in the spotlight with "More Today Than Yesterday" by Goldfinger, "Feed It" by the Candyskins, and "Glowing Soul" by Candlebox. Also included is a surprisingly authentic remake of the John Lee Hooker blues classic "Boom Boom" by Big Head Todd & the Monsters. The Waterboy motion picture soundtrack proves to be an interesting and broad selection of songs.

 tags: various artists, the waterboy, original soundtrack, 1998, flac,

Angie Gold - Applause (1986)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hi-NRG
Label Number: 32XB-92

© 1986 Alfa International
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: angie gold, applause, 1986, flac,

Lady Lily - Get Out of My Life (1987)

Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Hi-NRG
Label Number: VDP-1231

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

 tags: lady lily, get out of my life, 1987, flac,

Various Artists - The Book of Life Soundtrack: A Film By Hal Hartley (1999)

Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Film Score, Indie Rock
Label Number: ECHO 108

© 1999 Echostatic
As a companion piece to Hal Hartley's movie The Book of Life, this soundtrack is actually a bit of a curiosity at just under 58 minutes; it runs about seven minutes shorter than the movie itself, and much of the music here doesn't really fit the claustrophobic feel that Hartley generated using a herky-jerky and grainy digital-video filming process. Indeed, some of the material here is gentle and even a bit folky, like the tracks from Hub, Joey Sweeney, and Super 5 Thor. There are a couple of tracks from Hartley's house band, Yo La Tengo, and two from one of the film's stars, Polly Jean Harvey ("The Faster I Breathe the Further I Go" being a standout with its insistent fuzz bass riff). One of the tracks that keeps repeating through the movie in fairly short bursts is the instrumental number "Fugitive" by Ryful (Phlyr in disguise, no doubt), and no wonder that even with some of the heavy-hitters on this album, it's still one of the standouts. Most of the material on The Book of Life is actually quite good, but sadly, it doesn't hold together particularly well.


 tags: various artists, the book of life soundtrack, a film by hal hartley, 1999, flac,