Trollheart

Random Track of the Day
Thursday, November 10 2011
Something very different today. From my collection the random-o-meter has picked out this from Bruce Springsteen, from one of his early albums, this is the ostensible title track to the 1973 album “The wild, the innocent and the E Street shuffle”.

The E Street shuffle --- Bruce Springsteen --- from "The wild, the innocent and the E Street shuffle" on Columbia


Not by any means typical of the type of song Springsteen would some become famous for, and connected with, this is a mixture of blues, soul, jazz and rock, but this sort of “story of the streets” would resonate through his later work, even as his music turned to harder-edged rock, particularly albums like “Born to run” and “Darkness on the edge of town”.

(Note: after searching for a long time for the right candidate, Trollheart finally has an assistant to help run this section, and you'll meet Stacey-Lynn tomorrow. From then on, she will take over "Random Track of the Day" and be responsible for it. There will be a makeover of the section, which again will be guided by and under the creative influence of Stacey-Lynn. Ah, some help at last! )

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When I found out that Tom Waits had a new album in the works, there wasn't really any doubt that it would shoot straight to the top of my list of current albums to be reviewed. And here it is.

Bad as me --- Tom Waits --- 2011 (ANTI-)

It's been seven years since Waits' last studio recording, “Real gone”, and doesn't it feel like it? In between we've had the three-volume rarities and unreleased collection, “Orphans: Brawlers, bawlers and bastards”, and the live album “Glitter and doom”, but this is his first album of new, original material to hit the streets since 2004. Has it been worth the wait (sorry)? Come on, seriously now: you call yourself a Waits fan and ask that question? What? You're not a Waits fan? Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that now, won't we?

“Chicago” gets us off to a flying start, with the usual eclectic mix of instruments you expect to find on a Waits album --- accordion, trombone, clarinet, vox organ (whatever that is!), vibraphone, harmonica, tablas, pump organ --- in fact, as Waits albums go, this is fairly restrained in its use of the weirder things he usually makes to create his musical soundscapes. The opener flies past really quickly, almost before you have a chance to appreciate it, but it's a fast, uptempo, happy song with Waits as ever on top form, gravelly voice not dulled by the years, or the time spent away from the recording studio.

“Raised right men” is a boogie/blues number, with screeching organ and insistent banjo, while “Talking at the same time” slows things down for a typical Waits tune, with clarinet and trombone leading the way, vibraphone painting a delicate picture in the background. On this song, Waits reverts to the higher-pitched voice he employs on songs like “Shore leave”, proving that he doesn't always have to growl, and is just as unique and satisfying singing like this. The brass give the effect of walking down a dark street, perhaps somewhat the worse for drink, as the rest of the music swirls around like the way the street spins when you're, shall we say, tired and emotional, and trying to find your way home. Sounds like a pretty slick upright bass in there too. Class.

“Get lost” showcases Waits at his most manic, circa “Bone machine”, with a jazzy, boppy number carried on guitar and trombones with some pretty mad organ doing its thing too. A totally insane banjo solo (yeah, I know!) gives way to an equally effective guitar solo in a song that's under three minutes long. Definite fifties vibe in there, with Waits channelling the ghost of Elvis, and beating the King at his own game. It's a slow, lazy stroll then, after the headlong dash of the previous track, for “Face to the highway”, with some special guitar work and a busy bassline, while “Pay me” is another drunken ballad in the style of “Innocent when you dream”, with accordion, violin and harmonica meshing in a way they seldom can to create a fragile, fractured song of true and simple beauty.

Only one man can produce Waits, and that's Waits, but since 1999's "Mule variations" he's been joined at the production desk by his longtime partner and wife Kathleen Brennan, counterbalancing his often lunatic, discordant style and making sure the songs fit into some sort of format, the calm ying to his raging yang, as Mr. Burns once said. “Back in the crowd” is another slow, almost Mexican song with lovely acoustic guitar and castanets, plus some fine banjo adding real spice to the track, while all Hell is let loose for the title track, with Waits again the mad musician, crazy guitar, kettle drums and his falsetto rising above it all like some sort of insane king surveying his equally mad kingdom. Ah, Waits, ye've been away for too long!

Showing his total musical versatility, “Kiss me” is a gentle, electric piano-led ballad very much in the vein of “Old boyfriends”, which was sung by Crystal Gayle on the soundtrack to “One from the heart”, on which she co-starred with him. A real slow jazz and blues number, it has some truly sparkling piano work in it, then the trumpets and trombones announce the arrival of the joyous “Satisfied”, as Waits envisions life after him with none of the maudlin regrets or fears most of us have when contemplating our own end. Great, out-of-control organ helps the song along, a real fun ride.

Waits is not known for long songs, and nothing here is over four minutes, and all but three tracks under that. Short, snappy, concise, Waits is like a mugger who hits you, robs you and legs it before the law come after him, running off with a mad laugh down the street: hit and run music, certainly, and the better for it. You're just finished delighting in the madcap fun of “Satisfied” when the beautiful simplicity of “Last leaf” hits you upside the heart, a delicate, simple song in which Waits sings ”I'm the last leaf on the tree/ The autumn took the rest/ But they won't take me.” Stunning imagery in a truly exceptional song, the more impressive due to its understated nature.

“Hell broke luce” kicks out the last restraints on Waits and he goes totally crazy, a kind of march or parade as he struts along and asks the question we all want to know the answer to: ”How many ways can you / Polish up a turd?” Angry guitar breaks in for the first time --- that would be the one and only Keith Richards making his presence felt --- making this the heaviest track on the album by a long way, with a pretty repetitive melody that somehow stays interesting, like poetry being recited on stage, backed by drummers who must be high on something. Gloriously weird.

And then it ends, with another slow, gentle accordion-led ballad, the wonderful “New Year's Eve”. Beautiful banjo work again gives this song a slightly Mexican/Mariachi feel, and the only bad thing about this song is that it signals the end of the album. I could listen to twice this many tracks, and more.

Not that I expected anything less, but “Bad as me” is a hugely triumphant return of the king of the offbeat, a complete vindication of Waits' music and a joy to his many fans. It's strangely appropriate that Waits again takes the music world by storm in the year in which he has been, finally, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His reaction was vintage Waits as he grinned “They say I have no hits and I'm difficult to work with, like it's a bad thing!”

This album is going to get listened to a LOT in this house, I can tell you! It's truly great to see him back, at the top of his game again, and let's hope we don't have to wait (again, sorry!) too long for his next opus.

TRACKLISTING

1. Chicago
2. Raised right men
3. Talking at the same time
4. Get lost
5. Face to the highway
6. Pay me
7. Back in the crowd
8. Bad as me
9. Kiss me
10. Satisfied
11. Last leaf
12. Hell broke luce
13. New Year's Eve

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Wherever you are today, the worm hopes it's not raining as heavily as it is at the moment in Ireland! Nice speedy one today for you --- how does this guy sing so fast? --- their one and only hit, as far as this invertebrate knows, this is Hue and Cry with “Labour of love”.

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Been a while since we had any instrumental tracks round here. Let's remedy that right now...

A masterclass in guitar here from the one and only Mike Oldfield, from “Tubular Bells II”, this is “Blue saloon”.


A lovely relaxing soundscape from John Williams' Sky, which goes under the name of “Sahara”.


And to close, an interesting little piece from Asia, taken from the second volume of rarities and previously unreleased material that went under the banner of “Archiva”, this is “Armenia”.

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Hi everyone! I'm Stacey-Lynn, and I'll be taking over this section from today. Poor old Trollheart was so inundated with work, trying to keep all those plates spinning, as it were, the grey hairs are beginning to outnumber the black on his head! No such problems for me, as you can see!

I've given the section a little makeover, do let me know what you think of it if you want to. When Troll began this section it was his intention to talk a little about each track, but trying to do that every single day, as well as keep all the other sections going (don't like that worm --- eeew!) he just wasn't able to fulfil that promise. I'll be doing my best from now on to speak about the tracks randomly selected each day. Comments are of course as always invited.

Okay, that's my little introduction over. Enjoy the track, and hope you enjoy the new-look Random Track of the Day feature!

Friday, November 11 2011
Beaujolais --- The Alan Parsons Project --- from "Stereotomy" on Arista

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Time for some good ol' rock and roll! Many of you will know this from the soundtrack to the movie “An American werewolf in London”, but the more savvy among you will also know that this is one of the dozens of hits that Creedence Clearwater Revival had in the seventies. It's one of their most famous, and is of course “Bad moon rising”.

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Hi again, Stacey-Lynn back with today's random selection from Trollheart's Music Library. Today it's the Moody Blues again: not one of Troll's favourite bands, though I don't mind them too much. Not sure I'd listen to a full album, though. Mind you, that Justin Hayward's a bit of all right! Well, he was, when he was younger. Oooh! Coming over all flushed now, better concentrate on the task at hand...

Saturday, November 12 2011
Dr. Livingston, I presume? --- The Moody Blues --- from "In search of the lost chord" on Deram

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Hot fuss --- The Killers --- 2004 (Lizard King)


I first heard the Killers when I saw a video for “All these things that I've done”, loved it and wanted to hear more. But kind of like when I first heard “Ashes” by Embrace, I found that listening to their other tracks didn't seem to measure up to this great single. Over time though, I've heard more than a few tracks in playlists, though I have as yet to listen to the album all the way through, which is a situation I am now going to remedy. Having heard probably about half of the album via playlists, I think I can be reasonably confident that this will be an album I'm going to enjoy, and recommend.

Of course, you probably know it already. It has after all sold over seven million copies, spawned four hit singles, and seems never to be off the radio. But for anyone who hasn't heard it, these are my impressions, for what they're worth. First though, a little background. Far from being an overnight sensation, the Killers, based out of America's adult Disneyland, Las Vegas, were largely ignored by the music press and the public when they released their first single from this, their debut album, and it wasn't until the release of the second single, “Mr. Brightside”, that they clicked, and people began listening to, then buying, their records, and fame and success followed. The album subsequently hit the number one spot, as did the two after it.

“Jenny was a friend of mine” is the opening track, and apparently it's part of a “murder trilogy”. Not too sure what's going on there, but the first part is on a rarities compilation, this is the second, and “Midnight show” is the finale. Seems a bit odd to do that --- I mean, why not have the trilogy all on the one album, or at least on “standard” ones? Anyway, “Jenny” is a good powerful rocker, with great keyboard work from lead vocalist and main songwriter Brandon Flowers, with some good guitar licks from Dave Keuning. Very full keyboard sound making it almost a techno song, but heavy for all that. It leads into “Mr. Brightside”, the song that started it all for them.

Good fast rhythm with cool piano and great dirty guitar, the song of a jealous boyfriend who knows his girl is cheating on him, it's sung with real venom and passion by Flowers, touch of Blondie in there, very catchy, and easy to see how it captured the imagination and attention of record-buyers when it was released as a single. Lots of energy in the song. A little slower then is “Smile like you mean it”, yet another single, led by some jangly guitar, great riffs and fine vocals from Flowers. Some very new-wave style keys adding a real mid-eighties flavour, then a great guitar riff reminiscent of the Edge at his best.

Things speed back up then for “Somebody told me”, guitar-led with a great hook and some interesting lyrical ideas: ”Somebody told me/ That you had a boyfriend/ Who looked like a girlfriend/ That I had...” Very boppy, good rocker, which leads into the song that started it all for me, “All these things that I've done”. You've more than likely heard it. Starts off on echoey keys and organ and an almost gospel intro, then gets going with solid drumming and a great guitar riff to take the song into its main melody. Halfway through it slows down for the by-now-famous refrain ”I've got soul/ But I'm not a soldier”, helped out by the Sweet Inspirations Gospel Choir. Personally I still see this as the best track on the album, and nothing they've done has come close, though there have been some good songs.

Sharp guitar then introduces “Andy, you're a star”, a slower, bluesy tune kind of in the style of REM with a flavour of Nick Cave too. Peppy synth leads the way for “On top”, a mid-paced tune which sounds like the Cars jamming with U2. “Change your mind” is a breezy, upbeat song which resonates with hope and optimism, keyboards and guitar working in perfect harmony to create a mutli-layered sound and carry the song along. Brandon Flowers has quite a unique voice, and it's used to good effect on this track.

“Believe me Natalie” comes in on a low, keyboard and synth intro, with drums then crashing in and guitar riffing, and some nice brass or synth-brass near the end, then the murder trilogy concludes with “Midnight show”, a fast, almost frenetic track with lots of guitar, desperation and frustration in the lyric, finishing with a nice synthy keyboard run.

The album closes on the slowburner “Everything will be alright”, the vocal kind of warped, as if being routed through some sort of effect, slow organ and clicking, minimal percussion providing a low-key ending to an album that began so powerfully and, in its own way, ends that way too.

As a debut album, it's certainly up there with the better ones. I'm still not a hundred percent sure that I would go out and buy another of the Killers' albums, but I'm glad I listened to this all the way through for once. A rewarding experience, without doubt.

TRACKLISTING

1. Jenny was a friend of mine
2. Mr. Brightside
3. Smile like you mean it
4. Somebody told me
5. All these things I've done
6. Andy, you're a star
7. On top
8. Change your mind
9. Believe me Natalie
10. Midnight show
11. Everything will be alright

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Some songs just have that iconic opening riff, don't they? Like this one, from the then-mighty Joe Jackson (again, the worm asks, what happened to this guy?) and one of his big, big hits. It's “Steppin' out” (always leave the “g” out...).

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You could hardly have two more disparate and diametrically opposed artistes, in music style, lifestyle, age and outlook, and the idea of them ever performing a duet would have been unthinkable before 2001, but everyone was amazed at the Grammys that year when notoriously bigoted rapper Eminem appeared onstage with gay icon Elton John and they performed Eminem's “Stan”.

Itself a sampling of the basic melody from Dido's massive hit “Thank you”, the song concerns a letter written from an obsessed fan to Eminem, angry that he is not getting any reply, and by the time Eminem gets to write back to him the eponymous Stan has taken his own life and that of his girlfriend in despair, thinking no-one cares about him.

Eminem and Elton John --- Stan



Originally a number one hit for Eminem when performed with the abovementioned Dido, the song really came to life as explained above when he was accompanied by Elton John at the 2001 Grammys. The fact that so much of Eminem's music is slanted towards a very homophobic view, coupled with the violent imagery in the song is perhaps all the more reason it was a surprise to see someone who, though something of a maverick and a rebel in his day, never advocated anyone killing another human being, or gloried in violence and misogynism, even if only through his lyrics.

Laying, for the most part, to rest the spectre of anti-gay sentiment and the backlash from the gay community (most of whom could be potential customers!), “Stan” is quite a unique achievement, making several statements all at once. Certainly something that would not be seen as a marriage made in Heaven, it turned out to be less of a mismatch than might have been reasonably expected.

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