Bradley's Buzz

Friday Fun - Random CDs

Looks like I'm on a roll this week and actually have some posts - you know things to talk about - and since most of what I do is listen to tunes and most of what I talk about is music - here is the return of the random CDs. A little post and semi-review of what I've been bee bop buzzing around to.

CYNDI LAUPER - BRING YA TO THE BRINK (2008) It's actally kind of a clash of divas this week as some big shots came out with some new albums recently including Miss C - the deadly Cyn and her dance album Bring Ya To The Brink. I'm not the hugest fan of dance music but there are times you just want to bop, plus most of today's new dance music is just a throw back to 80's pop it seems and plus it's frickin' Cyndi and she can sing the phone book over a couple drum machines and it would probably make me happy. I say probably because on first listen this album didn't jab me the way every previous album by Cyndi has done. Opening with some guitar loops and a little thump "High & Mighty" is just too repetive but then comes the new single "Into The Nightlife" and once she hits the chorus I'm back in love, "pitter patter doesn't matter" she tells me and she's so right. Plus the great thing about Cyndi is most of her lyrics are always pretty upbeat - she wants people to feel good, particurlarly good about themselves and it comes shining through one the whole second half of the album. Cyndi never fully flies onto the dance floor like say Vadge Ciccone but Cyndi has always had more soul and to me relevance and so this little dance album just ups the ante in my eyes. Best cuts: "Into The Nightlife", the fun and bitchy "Same Ol Story", "Lay Me Down", "Set Your Heart" and just about everything else has moments of her glory - her voice is awesome.

DONNA SUMMER - CRAYONS (2008)
Where Cyndi's dance album relies heavily on synth beats and more subtle tones, our next diva declares not only in song but on the promo sheets as well "THE QUEEN IS BACK" and she ain't messin' with you. Donna Summer returned last month with her first album of new material since 1993! Crayons and its black and colored (and very much airbrushed cover photo) completely stands out and deserves to have reached #17 the week it came it out - her biggest in a long long time. Donna has a ton of collaborators on this very High NRG piece and it opens on a strong beat, practically throwing you onto the floor with "Stamp Your Feet", also highly infectious and pushy is the aforementioned "The Queen Is Back" with such clever lyrics as "so many years ago/ on the radio/ she loved to love you..." Gee who could she be talking about? Donna's voice is superb (as always) and each song is catchy as hell - my ultimate two favs are actually where she takes a break from the dance mode for a few moments - the title track is a duet with Ziggy Marley so it of course has a reggae-ish beat and the subject matter is every getting along despite color lines which makes it all that more enjoyable to me. I love it. I also love her poppy ballad "The Sand On My Feet" which could totally me my wedding song and a hit on pop radio for sure. With Crayons I think Donna has made one of her best albums yet and I can't stop frickin' listening to it. So buy it! Best cuts: "Crayons", "Sand On My Feet", "The Queen Is Back", "Stamp Your Feet"

DONNA SUMMER - ONCE UPON A TIME (1977)
Listening to Crayons got me so excited I decided it was time to bring out other classic Donna and just a few weeks ago I was at Amoeba when I stumbled across her 1977 set Once Upon A Time and luckily I bought that sucker up. I don't think anyone has ever given her enough credit.
What a complex little world Miss S lived in – “once upon a time there was a girl..” a girl and two boys actually who knew how to throw down grooves – be it pop standards, disco or electronica. Released in 1977 this was the first of four double albums released by Donna – all of which were huge hits which in itself is terribly unheard of.

Anyhoos, the whole concept and yes there is a concept here is that of a fairytale love – opening with the disco swinging title track we follow our heroine through her journey to find love only to see her stumble through life (the excellent and some what rock ish “Faster and Faster To Nowhere”), having to work the midnight shift, finding a love, losing the love and in the end having it all come around again.

It’s completely brilliant and Donna’s voice is of course amazing but it’s the whole ‘fairy tale’ concept that keeps this thing going through all these songs. Plus Donna with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte came up with everything – there’s voice overs, there’s strings, horns, super cool electronics.

For some reason the album didn’t lend itself to singles very well as the only two singles released were “I Love You” and “Rumour Has It” – both of which are at the tale end of the album (i.e. once true love has come) but that doesn’t make this a loss at all – in fact it just makes it a stronger album.

Between Crayons and Once Upon A Time I am on a Summer kick. I just went to Amazon and got A Love Trilogy and Four Seasons Of Love – two albums with I Remember Yesterday – were the albums that preceded Once Upon A Time… I’m going to have me a fairy tale life too.

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN - Totally Hot (1978)
After seeing Miss ONJ live in the flesh singing her songs for the very first time I swear I was beyond ecstatic - I had forgotten that I didn't even pee in the last 15 minutes and almost wet myself a little in excitement. So the following day when I had to walk to work I decided I needed a litle OnJ to kickstart my day. Luckily being the fan I am, I have them on remastered CD - thank you the land down under for your faboo imports.

Totally Hot was the first post-Grease album our girl released and she didn't pull out any stops - lookin' sizzlin' and totally hot on the album sleeve she decided to amp up the pop/rock a little bit and came out with two of her best singles, "A Little More Love" and "Deeper Than The Night" but the brilliance of that which is Olivia is everywhere. Opening with a piano/bass/almost dance song "Please Don't Keep Me Waitin'" turns into Olivia as an instrument - she is shrieking and scatting at the end and you can't tell if it's a synthesizer or her voice - it's one of the oh so many reasons I love her.

As anyone who knows our girl knows - she loves her ballads and she loves her country music so we have both in "Dancin' Round And Round" which isn't nearly as stimulating as her other two ballads - "Boats Against The Current" and my ultimate fav "Borrowed Time" which has super trouper Olivia vocal overdubs. Plus she rocks out a little (in pop style) with a cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" and the excellant title track. You must have this you simply must. Best Tracks: "A Little More Love", "Totally Hot", "Deeper Than The Night", "Borrowed Time" - oh who am I fooling they're all great!

Next week there’ll be more and more CDs to talk about as I’ve been on another buying spree – so stay tuned because you know my opinion is oh so important in these matters and besides I know you’re itching to find out what I’m listening to.

Labels: Cyndi Lauper, Donna Summer, Olivia Newton-John, Random CDs

posted by swivek @ 1:01 PM