Bradley's Buzz

Random CDs

It's been awhile since I actually bought a brand new release, and every time I go through the list of New Releases, I'm immediately sick to my stomach, plus I refuse to drive to Amoeba to buy new music until I get a new CD player in my car - mine died and I CAN'T, I mean I really CAN'T fathom driving to Hollywood without a CD playing, buying a bunch of new music and not being able to drive down Sunset Boulevard listening to them.. so until (hopefully this weekend) when I get a new stereo, we are going into the back catalog of my CDs... today, we visit the biggest Attitude in Country Music, the biggest Voice in 80s Rock, a sitcom star turned Rriotttish girl, an alterna girl and her boy geniuses, a legend and a few pop masterpieces...

PAT BENATAR - True Love (1991 - Chrysalis)
Let's start with my ultimate fav, it's been quite awhile since I pulled this CD off the shelf and gave it a listen - anyone not in the know True Love was Benatar's blues album - no hard rock, no heavy handed rock ballads, just blues. Though I must add most of the blues she chose to do is more in the upbeat Chicago jump blues type. When the album came out, she insisted she wanted to do something different, these were the songs she listened to at home and wanted to do a fresh album, the critics blasted her, fans weren't particularly thrilled and the album was deemed a disaster, but I've never been sure who deemed it that way, as it still went gold and hit the top 40. Personally, I wasn't expecting much when it came out but it would be about three years later that the whole damn world jumped on the jive bunny/Brian Setzer thrill so actually my girl was ahead of her time. As for the songs, these are all really good; she takes a lot of blues songs made famous by the mysoginist male voice of the 50s and turns them on their back by singing in a female perspective - "It Don't Happen No More" ("there used to be a time when a woman wouldn't folk/there used to be a time a woman didn't folk/ she'd just sit at home while her man went out to play/ she was satisfied with life any old way/ it don't happen no more"), a hilarious jumpy song "Bloodshot Eyes" (well it's plain that you're lying when you say you've been crying/ don't roll those bloodshot eyes at me/ .. your eyes look like two cherries in a glass of buttermilk), a few BB King covers are thrown in, Pat husband Neil and their drummer write three new bluesy numbers including the straight up bluesy rock of the title track; and the ballads get you - her voice has never sounded so good as on "So Long" and "Evening" and the inevitable attitude song "I Get Evil" fits both her blues album and her rock attitude - if anyone ever (and would really) question Benatar's vocal abilities, just one listen to True Love would change that. Plus the album was recorded as a live band set, like they used to do back in the day.. so really if you ever find this one on the used bins (and you will) pick it up, I think you'd be impressed.

TANYA TUCKER - Tanya (2002 - Tuckertime/ Capitol)
Of course from the powerhouse of rock to the powerhouse of country, I love me my Miss TT - The Texas Tornado if you will (and I know you will). This was her first album in 5 years and actually her last album of new material since, but it's worth the listen for sure. After a huge, huge comeback in 1986, Tanya spent almost 8 years charting hit and after hit then as the OTHERS moved in (i.e. Faith, Shania etc.) Tanya seemed to once again fall out of favor, her record company changed hands, forced her to hire a new producer and made her release an album that just wasn't very good, she sued for lack of promotion and they gave her her very own subsidary label and executive producer control hence bringing about this album of 12 perfectly suited country numbres for her. Though she doesn't write much (about 2 songs her entire career) Tanya has the ability to hire really, really good songwriters; plus the beeatch could sing the phone book and chew it up without any problem; but this album has some of her best - the bitchy "Shoulda Thought About That" (she co-wrote), the sad and touching "We Had It All" (back when we had nothing at all), and the lead off single "A Memory Like I'm Gonna Be" (that dream you're chasing is only a high heeled illusion/ but you'll never get over a memory like i'm gonna be), Tanya has always impressed me with her voice, and I love everything she has ever done, but this is as a whole album probably one of her best. Incidentally, while watching all 26 episodes of Tuckerville this past year, Tanya was in the studio in a few episodes and it was really amazing to watch - she'd walk in completely unprepared (she runs on what is called 'tuckertime' which is essentially 2 hours behind real time), will rehearse a lyric and leave you wondering, "oh my gawd, she's lost it, she can't sing" and then in two minutes, she will return to the mike and rip the shit up... now that's talent.

GARBAGE - Beautifulgarbage (2001 -Interscope)
This is my all time favorite album by Shirley Manson and the boys; from the very beginning of the power punch "Shut Your Mouth" through the angst, anger, humor and drama to "So Like A Rose" there isn't a bad song on this set. I'm sure other Garbage heads would go for the first or even the second album, both of course are dynamite but this is the one that does it for me. By this time, I was of course a fan, having the first two albums and loving them up, but along came Beautifulgarbage, a sort of homage to all the music that proceeded it, "Can't Cry These Tears Anymore" is an electro take on the girl group songs of the 60s, "Cherry Lips" is a throw back to the 80s new wave trips we've all taken, a 70s singer/songwriter turn on "Cup Of Coffee" while other songs define Garbage as the new heroes of alt rock. "Androgyny" and "Til The Day I Die" stand out as well. If Garbage was your bag, this one will probably let you down in its brightness, if you liked Version 2.0 and the direction you could hear the band was headed for, then this might hit your wet spot, or if you just like a pastiche of cleverly disguised nods to all things pop, then Beautifulgarbage might please you as much as it pleases me. P.S. A Bubbatunes compilation of Garbage is in the works, making the band the very first band that formed post 80s to get a bubbatunes work out..

DANIELLE BRISBOIS - Arrive All Over You (1994 - Epic)
Like most people, I completely forgot all about this album, but decided to track it down and thanks to those Amazon folks, I found a copy for only $3! For anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a bubbatunes compilation you probably know the single "What If God Fell From The Sky" (notably years before Joan Osbourne's "One Of Us"), a manic bag of aggression and questions. I had the single when it came out and loved it, and the flip side of the cassingle, "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" so it was inevitable I wanted the album. But on a more Bradley like level, I like Danielle because she was once a child actress, starring for like 10 years as Archie Bunker's obnoxious neice on All In The Family/Archie Bunker's Place and more importantly starred for the 83-84 season of Knots Landing as Greg Sumner's daughter Mary Francis, making my loveable Eric all a tither in teenage lust - but she left all that behind to pursue a music career hooking up with Gregg Alexander - the two would inevitably form New Radicals in the late 90s and scoring a fairly big album, but this was their first foray into the music world. A strange yet very appealing piece of early 90s pop/rock - the musical stylings and Danielle's delivery and lyrics make it something a bit more than the typical blandness of the day. In fact, it could be argued this was the pre-cursor to Alanis Morrissette's Jagged Little Pill - songs of woe, lost love and a strange ethereal way of writing lyrics. In fact Danielle's vocals and strange annunciations is kind of a hybrid of Morrissette and Rachel Sweet. The songs are incredibly well put together despite an obvious attempt to be something a tad more pretentious. The ending "who's afraid of the big bad wolf" lines on "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" seem pointless yet somehow work, a duet with Alexander on "Promise Tomorrow Tonight" sounds like its based on those cheesy 80s movie duets only done with a big back drop of sound and some serious singing by the two of them - its as if Danielle & Gregg took everything they learned from the 80s songs and put their own twist on them - umm is that Swivek does? There's even a cover of 60s gem "Gimme Little Sign" that is remarkably close to the original considering the source. By and large, I liked it on the first listen and I think once I listen to it more and more it's going to end up being one of my favs. Now if only I could track down an elusive second album Danielle made, that was pressed and released as promos but then for some reason pulled before a release. Guess I'll hit Amazon again!

RONNIE SPECTOR - She Talks To Rainbows (1999 - Kill Rock Stars)
Oh Ronnie, how I love thee! And while looking for a picture of this little EP to post on here, I discoverd Ronnie has just released a new album Last Of The Rock Stars (the cover has a picture of her just smoking on a cig and acting so teenage cool) and you can bet I'm going to get that cuz well, this beeeatch is the best. It's no wonder Eddie Money rang up the girl to sing her famous "be my little baby" line on his song back in the 80s and it's also no wonder this album is produced by Joey Ramone and the Ramone's producer Daniel Rey, everyone is in awe of this scratchy voiced chanteuse. Here are 5 songs that prove what a great singer she is. The title track is a Ramones song and it is one of the best songs I have ever heard - of course it's this version that makes it so, I have put it on numbers of compilations because it's just so frickin' good. Also included is a cover of the Beach Boy's "Don't Worry Baby" which Brian Wilson actually wrote for Ronnie back in the 60s but she wasn't allowed to sing it, now she can and she rips the lid off, there's a live version of her old band the Ronette's "I Wish I Never Saw The Sun" plus killer versions of "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory" and "Bye Bye Baby." Five songs by one of the greatest talents of the rock era... it's so great. Now I can't wait to track down that new album!

and finally, you had to know this was coming, since one of my last post talked explicity about how a dream from 1982 is actually coming true - so here it is the highlight of today's Random CDs - a pair of albums by one brilliant 80's girl who should've been the next big thing: JOSIE COTTON!

JOSIE COTTON - Convertible Music (1982 - Elektra)
Other than the Go-Go's, I don't think there is another performer who to me personofies the 80s new wave LA surfing fun style music like Josie Cotton. Both of them took a new look at music by taking their immediate tunes from the 60s, Josie & The Go-Go's didn't so much rely on the synth style and keyboards that were happening in new wave as they did take the old 60s girl groups and the 60s organs and put them into music that deserves to be played loud and while driving a convertible to the beach - no doubt I'm sure how Josie came up with the title to her debut album. After the localized success of Johnny Are You Queer? on the Bomp label (note: Go-Go's were performing Johnny Are You Queer? before Josie got a hold of it), Josie signed to Elektra and with her brought Bobby & Larson Paine, the brothers who wrote and produced that immortal single; what the boys and Josie came up with is one bright number after another - 11 songs that interestingly enough don't sound dated at all; perhaps the likes of bands like OK Go etc. listened to their fair share of Josie?? No matter what song is played, you turn it up just a tad louder, you sing along, you want to be in LA in 1982 and head to the beach - the keyboards and Farfisa organs are perfect, the driving surf guitars, the drum breaks, Josie's almost hiccup vocals, it's really too incredible for words. "He Could Be The One" (#5 on my Top 100 Singles of the 80s) leads off the album and as you bounce and sing, you just get more and more glorious results - "I Need The Night Tonight", "Another Girl" (it looked like you/ with another girl) "Systematic Way", "Bye Bye Baby" - it's sassy, (do what you do/ that's okay cuz I'm through with you/ bye, bye, bye baby say goodbye/ I can't feel sad cuz I feel so free), it has backing boy vocals (we got a good thing going girl) - and it's an all out jumpy little ditty wrapped around hooks so big you'd think it would've been the biggest thing of 1982 but when released as a single it didn't go anywhere! There is even a very heart felt little ballad "No Pictures Of Dad" (she's alone and it's hard to accept/ in this world it's keep or be kept/ No pictures of dad/ and she doesn't want to do what her mother did, oh no) but not in the ballady way of say Ms. Diana Ross but more like the Go-Go's "Everything But Party Time", I love it of course. Josie even covers one of my fav 60s songs "Tell Him" and let me say does it just that new wavy way it should be, try not to sing and dance to this one.. I dare ya! As I think about it, I really can't think of a much better album at the moment and when/if I ever get around to coming up with my all time favorite albums of all time, you can bet this will be very high on that list. Unfortunetly the album isn't on CD as itself but in a rash of pure CD genius, the folks at Oldies put the CD out as a two-fer with Josie's next album:

JOSIE COTTON - From The Hip (1984 - Elektra)
For some reason, Convertible Music was not the stellar seller one would have expected it to be, so Josie came up with some more songs and in 1984 launched From The Hip, a more synthy new wave set than the predessor, it didn't however mean that Josie had lost any of her power or ear candy. The lead off single "Jimmy Loves Maryann" is almost as ingenius as anything on the first album, telling the story of a hoodlum and the good girl, it was Josie's precursor to (and much better) "Skater Boi" (etc. including perhaps Swivek's own Johnny Misunderstood), the album also includes what is probably my all time favorite Josie song "Gina" (Gina don't you run with him/ I'm talking to you like a friend); some of it doesn't work as well as the first album, a rockabilly "Straight Talk" and "Come With Me" are too produced to be fun, and though the doo wop ode of "Life After Love" is fun, it sounds too early 80s synth produced like Diana Ross (why do I keep mentioning her?) on "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?"... but it's still a great piece of music and though it's not as good as Convertible Music, I really can't expect that. I mean that album is pop fun personified.

posted by swivek @ 10:43 AM