Bradley's Buzz

Random CDs

Another week is coming to an end and you know what that means don't you? That's right, it's time to look at a few random CDs that have been blaring through the speakers of my work place this week; so let's get to wasting some of that precious time of yours shall we?

PAT BENATAR - Precious Time (Chrysalis; 1981)
Have I mentioned how disappointed I am with the Chrysalis remasters of the first three Pat Benatar's albums? I'm sure I have but once again I'm disappointed, but not in the music, which in essence is the most important thing; it's the skimpy artwork, no liner notes, no big celebrity nods to the power that is Pat - but what can you do? At least, as I just said, the music sounds outstanding. Precious Time was Pat's third album. Released in the summer of 1981 this album brings back so many memories; I had the first two albums and heard the first single from this album while at the municipal swimming pool in Mosinee, Wisconsin; "Fire & Ice" hit the radio and I hit the edge of the pool. The smooth bass line as the opening riff to that single still actually stands the test of time, the second single, the power house "Promises In The Dark" actually opens the album with a sneak attack; starting out with a piano and guitar combo Pat sounds like she's going to be coming out with a ballad but by the time the first chorus ends, the drums and electric chomps kick in and it goes all powerhouse from there; in the early days Pat did a few covers on every album and Precious Time is no different, but rather than a smooth reworking of any old 60s songs, she adds a grungy layer to Paul Revere's "Just Like Me" (though if you ever heard the live version she was doing back in 1979 the re-recording isn't as good) and of all things "Helter Skelter" which actually rocks pretty hard and closes out this short 9 song set - but in between "Promises" & "Helter" there's a lot to love - the super impact of the 6 minute title track ("Cut it out baby stop it/ life is too short so why waste precious tiiiime") a little ditty about self obsession and the seedy side of a glamour life, a theme reinstated on the reggaeis "It's A Tuff Life" which has some of the most snarly vocals ever done by my Ms. B; the uber cool and chord changing "Hard To Believe" which has some of my fav lyrics and for a little over the topness, the strange yet compelling "Evil Genius" full of horns and crazy lyrics about an evil little boy who goes on a killing rampage. Apparantly, Pat was pushed into recording this album very quickly; her contract had her promise to make a new album every 9 months, and the reviews were awful, particularly one in Rolling Stone dubbed "spandex ballet" but the fans loved it, and though it was grittier than the straight ahead rock of Crimes Of Passion or the new wave nuance of In The Heat Of The Night, it still got spun on my record player for a long long time. Incidentally, the woman who wrote the terrible (and it was awful) review of Precious Time for RS back in '81 ended up writing a biography book on Pat Benatar - I guess when it came to the money, she too could be persuaded to love the spandex clad rock goddess.

SCISSOR SISTERS (Universal; 2004)
You gotta wrap your fuzzy with a big red bow -
I tell you there isn't a bad song on this set; the boys and girl from the girtty part of New York City that is still in tact, the Scissor Sisters conquered the UK of course; since unlike any US counterparts lately, they actually enjoy good music across the pond. Combining the elements of Robbie Williams, Elton John, Beck and just about every other enchanting lad of late, the album is a dance wave rock rave from beginning to end - "Filthy Gorgeous", "Take Your Mama Out", the reworking of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" - no matter where your random button hits you're going to hear a dose of pure pop genius. When the album came out I began putting random Scissor Sisters songs on the compilation discs I made and let me tell you I made fans out of every single person who ran and bought the album themselves - and hello Jake Shears can tear up the scenery and there are two gay boys in the band! It's about time music can be music and not just a sub category of queer rock. It gives me hope for the likes of oh, I don't know Swivek. Oh and if you haven't already see We Are Scissor Sisters and So Are You! - a concert film that has tons of fun extras and one of the best live performances I've seen in a while - oh and also they're new single is out in the UK and the new album hits in two weeks!



TEGAN & SARA - If It Was You (Vapor; 2003)
A verse, chorus and such...
Once again, another album that I can't get enough of and one where every single song is great - these girls speak to me - looking for sad, sick people like me in the single "I Hear Noises" the first song I ever heard by the duo, they also rant and rave when they go all "City Girl" on the boy who done them wrong and the breathy and refreshing "Not Tonight" ("Love pull your sore ribs in/ I will pull your tangles out/ In the back of your car I feel like I have travelled nowhere/ what will bring me hope/ what will make me stay"), the uber brilliance of the other single "Monday Monday Monday" and the very Kirsty MacColl-ish "I Want To Be Bad." There's even an interesting mandolin driven "Living Room" reminding me of Ditty Bops meeting Tanya Donnelly; all in all, If It Was You is the perfect Tegan & Sara starting point, though it's their second album, if you're unfamiliar I'd start with this one and then go to the newest one - which I still have to buy; in fact I think I'll head to Amazon right now!

HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH - Original Film Soundtrack (Hybrid; 2001)
When I lived in Idaho, my pal Tara Fisher worked at the Long Ear record store and would come home with the most wonderful music; in 1999 she brought home the soundtrack to the Off Broadway buzz Hedwig & The Angry Inch, a sordid rock tale of Hedwig, the German rock singer who never made it to the big concert hall. Starting in West Berlin as a confused little boy, Hedwig is ready to stick his head in the oven until the muse of Olivia Newton-John and others hits him. He heads to the sex change operating table and through even more trauma comes out a little more woman but not quite successfully. So bitter and looking for love, Hedwig tells us the whole story through glam rock influenced songs including his problems with love toy boy Johnny Gneusosis. The soundtrack was great and when the film came out in 2001, John Cameron Mitchell re-recorded it all. The songs are all sing along glam rock a la T Rex and old Bowie, including the rocking title track about that so unflattering angry inch ("my sex change operation got botched/ now I've all got is a Barbie doll crotch/ I've got an angry inch") Humorous yet so tragic and so much better than the original Broadway version since back up female vocals are brought in. The whole album is chock full of songs with witty lyrics and of course a story to tell including "The Origin Of Love," one of my favorites "Sugar Daddy" - a rockabilly little romp about that oh so wonderful figure who takes care of you and my ultimate favorite "Wig In A Box" (I put on some make-up/ turn on the 8-track/ and pull the wig down from the shelf/ suddenly I'm Miss Farrah Fawcett from TV/ until I wake up / and I turn back to myself). Hedwig's soundtrack is a venture into self discovery, self loathing and self love and this is just as good as the film and show.

SOPHIE B. HAWKINS - Tongues & Tails (1992; Columbia)
Starting with the one two bang of "Damn! I Wish I Was Your Lover" and "California Here I Come" Sophie proved that she is one of those unique artists who can bend the rules of pop music; using adult themes and actual intelligent lyrics, I was a fan from the first bars of the first single. In fact when the single was high on the charts and the next single "California..." was out, our local Wausau radio station was giving away two tickets to see Sophie in California on the Tonight Show. How I wanted to win that - first, I loved Sophie, but also I so wanted to run away and live in California, a dream I wanted since I was a wee tyke and her song just reinforced that need. I woke up at 5:40 in the morning to hear the results of the contest and though I didn't win, I did end up in California eventually! As for the rest of this dynamic debut by Miss Hawkins, "Mysteries We Understand" continues the fold of the new age pop music Sophie does so well. Along with a cover of Bob Dylan's "I Want You" and her original pieces combining horns, church bells, synths, acoustic guitars, pianos, screaming and background filler, Sophie takes us through her jaunt of inner feelings and hyperness. It's a great collection though truth be told her next album Whaler was the one that really sealed the deal for me.

SASS JORDAN - Rats (Impact/MCA; 1992)
"Ain't no way around it/ lately I've had enough.." and so begins one of my all time favorite albums - from those opening booming scratch laden voiced lines Rats by Sass Jordan just keeps pumping out hard rocking tunes of love and betrayal - "Damaged" is the opening cut and as the song progresses our girl is so damaged, lies become a habit and she doesn't even want to get it on; before we cut to the equally powerful "Slave" ("you've forgotten what it is to be well/ you're a slave").. then onto "Pissin' Down" a bitchy ballady ballsy number about heroin addiction and the first single "High Road Easy" (take a better man than you babe to rectify the damage to my soul) and the one hit our girl ever really had with the acousticlly driven and fairly optimistic "Sun's Gonna Rise." The music and force doesn't stop long enough to give you a break - incorporating George Clinton into the bluesy rocker "Ugly" (you're the ugliest thing I ever saw/ and I think I love you), into "Head" and beyond until it comes to its bittersweetly quiet ending with "Breakin'". I first discovered Sass from her second album Racine (the one proceeding this) which was southern rock and roll with her raspy voice coming off like a Black Crowe's clone - in fact there's some urban legend about her being sued for ripping them off, but all the upbeat and powerful messages on Racine (an equally good album) are replaced by the bitterness and punch of Rats. Once my pals all heard Sass's commentary on all of her songs, they too came over to the Jordan loving side and Rats remains one of their all time favorite albums. After all her voice is beyond powerful, and her lyrics are universal and pointedly clear - I've always thought if they did a Janis Joplin biopic they should have Sass in it - though she doesn't look anything like her voice, perhaps they could cast an actress and use Sass' voice - she is much more convincing as Janis than Melissa Etheridge. Unfortunetly Sass doesn't record too often and when she does it isn't anything as equally powerful as Rats or Racine - she can be seen on the Canadian version of American Idol as the Paula Abdul part but her music has never been as intense as this set, which I've just decided is going back into my car stereo for another few tours.

STREETS OF FIRE Soundtrack (MCA; 1984)
I was on a soundtrack kick for awhile which emerged cause I was looking for some EG Daily music, well I came across this soundtrack really cheap and though there's no EG there's plenty of interesting songs and stories to keep me listening. A complete 80s creation, Streets Of Fire is dubbed a rock & roll fable and though I remember seeing it as a child I can't recall much of it, but luckily it's sitting on my TV thanx to Netflix and I'll let you know how that goes - as for the songs the two main gems here come from Jim Steinman - the man behind "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" and the Meat Loaf Bat Out Of Hell series to name but a few - I love Jim's take on theatrics; everything's a rushing flame of passion and intensity - the two songs on here performed by Fire Inc. (I'll have to do a search to see who that really is) are "Nowhere Fast" and "Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young" - high energy duets with a male and female lead and that 80's synth drum and heavy back vocals pushing it to the end - "even if you've got nowhere to go/ you and me we're getting nowhere slowly/ and we gotta get away from the past/ there's nothing wrong with going nowhere baby but we should be going nowhere fast.." I love it, it makes me feel like a kid; though the middle part of "Nowhere Fast" (godspeed, speed us away) is a little theatrical even for this campy boy. The main reason I purchased the CD is because Marilyn Martin is on here - I love her and her booming voice and to kick it all to the curb the song she does on here is "Sorcerer" written by Stevie Nicks. And as much as I love Marilyn, I love me my Welsh witch as well. Stevie even shows up singing back up and taking a lead on the Marilyn song - and the song itself obviously written awhile ago ended up on Stevie's 2001 album. A strange ethereal (this is Stevie after all) the lyrics seem to be talking of cocaine addiction but who knows with that woman (Sorcerer / who is the master/ man or woman / in the middle of a snow dream/ Sorcerer/ come inside/ let me put you on ice) Even with Stevie only on the back and side lines the song is just as dramatic sung by Marilyn, and one day I will make that Marilyn Martin comp I've been thinking of. On top of these three gems, there's the hit single "I Can Dream About You" by Dan Hartman - though I would prefer the Lisa Hartman version of it; and Maria McKee of Lone Justice doing "Never Be You" a Tom Petty written number that would end up on Rosanne Cash's album a few years later; and both are genuinely good. There's even "Deeper & Deeper" by The Fixx pushing the earthy fire ambience of the whole album together. If the film version of Streets Of Fire isn't truly a rock & roll fable, this little collection of a soundtrack certainly has all the elements of one.

posted by swivek @ 10:18 AM