Richard and Linda Thompson – I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (Island)
This is the album I’ve been listening to obsessively this past week. It’s from 1974, one year before I was born, but it hasn’t aged a day. You can read my full review here.
Robert Forster – The Evangelist (Yep Roc)
I have to echo Jack’s thoughts from his most recent Top 10 list regarding this album. It is indeed wistful, absolutely beautiful, yet haunting and a bit difficult to listen to since it was made after his GO-BETWEENS partner GRANT MCLENNAN passed away in May 2006. Nevertheless, I’m happy that Forster was able to make this record, as it was unclear whether we’d ever hear from him again. The last track “From Ghost Town” deals explicitly with McLennan’s passing, but his spirit is all over this record.
The Stooges – Fun House Sessions (Rhino Handmade)
6 CDs of every note recorded during the sessions for Fun House, which I consider one of the greatest rock and roll records ever made and The Stooges’ finest achievement. You would think that hearing nineteen (!) different takes of “Loose”, for example, would get boring, but then again you’d be wrong. Somehow, this maddening repetition works, but then again maybe that says more about me and my love for these songs than it does about the box. This box was released by Rhino Handmade in the late ‘90s and limited to 5,000 copies. Thus, it’s been out of print for a long time, but if you can find it, go for it!
Bob Mould Band with Halou – Trocadero (Philadelphia, PA) – March 14, 2008
A great show featuring solo material, a few SUGAR tunes (mostly from Copper Blue) and a flurry of HUSKER DU material at the end of the show, including “Divide and Conquer”, which I’d never heard him play before!
The Long Blondes – “Couples” (Rough Trade)
This one’s been growing on me. Once you get past the obvious PET SHOP BOYS fixation (the second track “Guilt” even quotes “Love Comes Quickly), which is not a bad thing in my book, this is a strong follow-up to Someone to Drive You Home though not quite as stunning and powerful. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing them in May.
Wilco “Hate It Here”
Although I’m not as crazy about Wilco’s last studio album Sky Blue Sky as many others, I really like this song. Particularly, I really like this live version from a few weeks ago on Saturday Night Live.
Marshall Crenshaw – “Whenever You’re on My Mind”
I heard this on WXPN last week after not listening to any of his stuff in a while and I immediately played his underrated second album Field Day (where the song comes from) afterwards. While I like the studio version, pick up the deluxe edition of his first, self-titled album. Among the bonus tracks is a wonderful demo version of this song that’s arguably better than the studio version.
Two-Lane Blacktop (Not Rated)
This classic road movie from 1971 is notable for starring JAMES TAYLOR and DENNIS WILSON as, respectively, the driver and mechanic of a ‘55 Chevy they race across the Southwest.
Funkadelic – One Nation Under a Groove (Priority)
I used to play an old roommate’s vinyl copy of this album many times. Aside from the amazing music (late ‘70s funk with MIKE HAMPTON and GARRY SHIDER’s blazing guitar solos dominating the proceedings), the amazing gatefold sleeve was also a highlight. The remastered CD version from 2002 fortunately reproduces this packaging in a fold-out poster.
Scott Walker – Scott 2 (Chrysalis)
Everyone already knows how great Scott’s first four solo Lps are, but I just found a used copy of this recently and have been grooving to it recently.
