Bradley's Buzz

Random CDs

I guess I'm getting to this a little late today, but this week's 7 Random CD's needed a kick in the pants, so I headed up to Tower Records and it's last 7 days in existance and with that I spent $49 on CD's I probably didn't need but really wanted, plus I saved over $147.00 since they're at 70% discount plus a few were even only a lousy buck. So along with some of my new purchases and the CD's I was listening to this week that struck a chord, I give you this week's 7 Random CDs.

AC/DC - Back In Black (1980; Epic/Atlantic)
This is one of the best albums of all time and if you don't believe me check any registered music critic's top 100 list and you'll see it there somewhere. Not only is it a fun album and one that brings constant memories of high school flooding back to me; it really is a very well put together record. Coming off the death of lead singer Bon Scott, the Young boys and their co-horts hopped onto the Brian Johnson wagon and headed into the studio. With the fists to the air and groin to the ground "You Shook Me All Night Long" this album was off and running all over the world. A few years ago a brand new remastered addition was put out and that's the copy I have. The sound is excellant and so are the liner notes some of which make you really listen to the album. The mixture of old blues and hard rock is more evident than I originally had even thought of and just the hard rocking fun of the title track, the grinding "Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" and "Giving The Dog A Bone" is just plain exciting. If you haven't heard it in a while I highly suggest you throw that old cassette into the boom box and give it another go - I know you own it, don't even lie. *****

Dixie Chicks - HOME (2003; Wide Open Spaces)
The album that launched the tour that launched the tirade, it took me awhile but I finally bought myself a copy of this album. I love, absolutely love Taking The Long Way, the new defiant album and I loved the song "Long Time Gone" and to some extent even learned to like their cover of "Landslide" both of which are from Home. Plus the album had recieved a ton of praise upon its release and now I know why. After realizing how much I liked the latest album I back tracked and bought the first two albums and despite a few gems here and there ("Goodbye Earl" and a cover of Maria McKee's "Am I The Only One?") I wasn't overly impressed. But with Home I have that great new love firmly back for these girls. The whole concept of Home was a return to more grassroots country and there really isn't a drum in any of these songs but that doesn't mean these aren't great songs or even that they're stuffy old country. The hilarious "White Trash Wedding" ('You can't afford a ring and I shouldn't be wearing white') is full on hoe down music but it's delivered so brilliantly you love it, the heartfelt little ballads including "Top Of The World" and the straight up brilliance of the girls instrumentations and harmonies is enough to make this a really enjoyable album. ***1/2

Queen Latifah - THE DANA OWENS ALBUM (2004; Universal/A&M)
I have always loved me My Queen - from her hefty days as a rap artiste to her sitcom Living Single, there was just something about her that I liked. Then when she pushed her way through Chicago and sang her Mama song she had a fan forever. Luckily, she continues to make films that I actually like, that latest one where she thinks she's dying is really, really good and I'm being completely serious. But back to her first (I think) love, the records. After Chicago, our girl decided she was going to make a full on jazzy contemporary R&B album rather than go back to the streets of her hip hop, so she put forth her real name and created The Dana Owens Album. After hearing how well she could sing on Chicago, I wanted to buy this album when it came out but then it immediately left my conciousness and with all the flicks the woman does, I almost forgot she was a recording artist. But then at Tower tonight I found this album and snatched it up. 12 songs of jazzy and rhythm and blues, her vocals are deep and smoky like a good jazz should be. Of course she sounds a little too smooth on a few tunes but the beeatch can carry a tune and with Christmas right around the corner, the whole Cd makes me a little mellow in a very good way. Most of the songs are standard jazzy fare in the vein of the old pros and perhaps more closely to contemporaries like Diana Krall, the set of which include "Moody's Mood For Love" and the old stand by "I Put A Spell On You," but there's a little backbeat of soul put in here and there like on "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" and then there's a killer little cover of the Mama & Papa's "California Dreamin'" and the bluesy, pushy and completely explosive "Mercy Mercy Mercy" is worth hearing over and over again. The Dana Owens Album isn't something that probably get a ton of airplay around the house Of Bradley, but when you're in the mood for some love and jazz, I think the Queen will put on a little Queen of the Latifah. ***

Kathy Valentine - LIGHT YEARS (2005; Red Eye)
I've wanted this album since it came out but it was never, ever on sale and even used copies were going for more than I wanted to pay but once again the closing of a major institution seems to have worked it's magic and I finally got the latest Go-Go's solo album. This time out it's not Belinda or even Jane, but rather Kathy Valentine and with a slew of hot songs I might add. I wanted to expect greatness but then talked myself down as I got home realizing these things are never as good as I want them to be, but lo and behold what I found in Light Years, was an exciting album that is sure to become one of my favorites. First off her voice isn't what I was expecting, the opening track "Creation Myth" has some awesome bitter lyrics that I like, but her voice seems a little thin but with a repeat listen and as each song progresses I was in constant awe at how much her voice reminds me of Deborah Harry, and that's something to hear. An interesting side note here would be that Blondie drummer Clem Burke plays on a number of these tracks. All in all you get 12 sassy fun catchy not produced enough to give up an indie title but catchy enough to qualify as pop, the title song is great, "Bad Choice" is a bitchy closer and "Happy Endingless" is fun in all the right moments. You realize soon enough that Kathy Valentine may have had quite a bit to do with those initial feels of the Go-Go's bouncy fun because it's here on Light Years, if slightly more bitter and watered down. A definite pick me up should you find it.****

Boy Kill Boy - CIVILIAN (2006; Vertigo/Mercury)
Okay I got this CD for a measely $1 thinking what the heck if it isn't good who cares, and then I thought hey if it's good what a deal, and according to Amazon and their recommendations for me this CD was in fact something I would enjoy. Well, at first listen I wasn't all that impressed. It began with the catchy enough "Back Again" but all I kept thinking was, "Great another pseudo pop punky band trying to catch on the bandwagon," but then by the time "On And On" rolled in, I started turning up the sound and realized there was so much more happening. It appears Boy Kill Boy reminds me of a 100 different bands, all bands I like - I get Kaiser Chiefs meet The Smiths and Depeche along with a lot of angst moody rock of the best in Duran Duran's back catalog. Needless to say by the time "Shoot Me Down" came about at the end of the CD, I turned around and played it all again. ****

Cute Is What We Aim For - THE SAME OLD BLOOD RUSH WITH A NEW TOUCH (2006; Fueled by Ramen)
According to All Music and their critics, Cute Is What We Aim For and their cheekiness is not much to their liking. But what's really strange to me is there was only a measely second of hesitation on my part to like this CD; by the time the ending of the first track "Newport Living" came along, this band had a brand new fan. "You wanted to sell out/ but you couldn't even do that right/ so your price tag has been slashed/ and now you're on a half price clearance rack," umm hello, what a crack up. I love the fact they make fun of everything including themselves, where some critics find that they are perhaps trying to be too hard to be clever, I disagree and think they're just funny enough to be clever - "The Fourth Drink Instinct" the story of a girl who gets drunk and screws someone and turns around and is surprised when he leaves her in the morning is great. It's a power rock ballad and perhaps it's toned down in terms of lyrics I can surely relate to it (I know friends like that) (What made you think that he couldn't find the door in the morning/ when he found that bed so easily in the dark?) ; "There's A Class For This" includes lines "drama doesn't follow me/ it rides on my back/ I may be ugly/ but they sure love to stare..." and in "Risque" they give us "Medically speaking you're adorable/and from what I hear/ you're quite affordable..." I love it. Musically, the band is more poppy than Boy Kill Boy and less tragic guitars a la The Smiths, but they aren't quite as experimental and fun as say Wheatus, in fact they sound a lot like a lot of those bands I don't like that out now a days - the dime a door dozen type with the chugging guitars and the high pitced wincy voice, but this time around it has won me over, the music moves in jaunts and rhythmic motions and the vocals are actually giving me a thrill with the witty lyrics - so critics be damned this is my blog and I'm telling you The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch is clever and lovable and umm cute. ****

Sandi Thom - SMILE...IT CONFUSES PEOPLE (2006; Viking Legacy/Columbia)
Apparantly I live under a rock because this album and singer who I had never ever even heard of has made a fairly big splash in the UK. First let me say I bought this at Tower for like $2 and only bought it cause 1. It's cheap 2. The Album cover boasted "The UK #1 album including the UK #1 single "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) and 3. Umm did you just read the title of that single? So I bought it and listened to it and was only a tad impressed. This Sandi is a good enough singer but the single is nothing like I expected and had she written just a tad bit more clever lyrics perhaps that song could've saved the album for me. Instead it's almost the worst song on the album. She does a lot better on more poppy ballad type of things like "Lonely Girl" and "Sunset Borderline." After listening to the whole album, it occured to me that upon repeat listenings I learn to like it a bit more, but I'll have to let you know because right now I'm concentrating on albums that grab me the minute I put them on. After all, I've got a list of the best albums of 2006 to come up with - by the way I don't think Miss Thom will be making the cut, but for $2 I may throw her into the CD player one day and see what she does for me. **

And there you finally have our 7 Random Cd's - I'm sorry it took so long I know how you all just flock to see what I've been listening to - well, I have a Christmas tree to decorate and some more boxes to get the hell out of my house and out to the various parts of the US all my pals and family insists they must live in ... til next week

posted by swivek @ 11:47 PM