Well I stopped subscribing to Classic Rock probably about 18 months ago but I've just picked up the Christmas edition just to have a look at the 50 albums of the year.
Now normally I find I've only purchased two maybe three of their top tips but this year I got a whole five!
No. 44 Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls (reviewed on this blog in May)
No. 42 Killing Joke - MMXXII
No. 35 Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind) the Crafty Ape
No. 30 Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made (reviewed on this blog in October)
No. 10 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last Of A Dying Breed (reviewed on this blog in December)
Out of the five, the Skynyrd album is the one I rate least but I'm guessing it's high placing has a lot to do with the fact that Classic Rock released it as a fan pack.... Cynical or not ???
(Still can't believe I forgot to review the Killing Joke and Crippled Black Phoenix albums...)
Friday 14 December 2012
Friday 7 December 2012
And here comes another quick sprint through the albums I didn't remember to write about....
Dead Can Dance- Anastasis.
A beautiful album displaying two distinct types of vocal. For the female led tracks, it's like the high priestess of ancient Sumeria calling you to prayer over swirling middle eastern rhythms. Utterly hypnotic. The male vocals are more Scott Walker and a bit more of an acquired taste.
There are individual tracks but the album lulls you a trance like state so titles are meaningless.
A unique and mesmerising piece of work
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last Of a Dying Breed
Forget dying, this album suggest dead. After God and Guns (their best album since the 70's) this is a tepid affair lacking ideas and some terrible cliched lyrics.
Poor Man's Dream and Something to Live For are some of the most uninspired Skynyrd I've heard. The title track isn't bad and a couple of bonus live tracks mean it doesn't end on a low.
The Classic Rock magazine the album came with is very good though !
Seth Lakeman - Tales From The Barrel House.
A return to the folk of Kitty Jay after the more glossy rock sounding Poor Man's Heaven.
Seth plays all the instruments and there's a concept with the tracks all about tradesman. Blacksmiths Prayer and Brothers of Penryn are top notch folk songs but there is a major problem.....
I actually prefer the glossy rock sound of Poor Man's Heaven
Hussey-Regan- Curios.
A covers album by the lead singers of The Mission and All About Eve respectively. Some covers work and some don't but that's the nature of these albums. Witchita Linesman is lovely and really benefits from the duet format. A speeded up version of Ordinary World from Duran Duran also works but Ashes to Ashes is a bit of a mess. There are a couple of new compositions of which Regan's Dangerous Eyes is the best.
An intriguing album at best but anything featuring these two vocalists is worth a listen.
Dead Can Dance- Anastasis.
A beautiful album displaying two distinct types of vocal. For the female led tracks, it's like the high priestess of ancient Sumeria calling you to prayer over swirling middle eastern rhythms. Utterly hypnotic. The male vocals are more Scott Walker and a bit more of an acquired taste.
There are individual tracks but the album lulls you a trance like state so titles are meaningless.
A unique and mesmerising piece of work
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last Of a Dying Breed
Forget dying, this album suggest dead. After God and Guns (their best album since the 70's) this is a tepid affair lacking ideas and some terrible cliched lyrics.
Poor Man's Dream and Something to Live For are some of the most uninspired Skynyrd I've heard. The title track isn't bad and a couple of bonus live tracks mean it doesn't end on a low.
The Classic Rock magazine the album came with is very good though !
Seth Lakeman - Tales From The Barrel House.
A return to the folk of Kitty Jay after the more glossy rock sounding Poor Man's Heaven.
Seth plays all the instruments and there's a concept with the tracks all about tradesman. Blacksmiths Prayer and Brothers of Penryn are top notch folk songs but there is a major problem.....
I actually prefer the glossy rock sound of Poor Man's Heaven
Hussey-Regan- Curios.
A covers album by the lead singers of The Mission and All About Eve respectively. Some covers work and some don't but that's the nature of these albums. Witchita Linesman is lovely and really benefits from the duet format. A speeded up version of Ordinary World from Duran Duran also works but Ashes to Ashes is a bit of a mess. There are a couple of new compositions of which Regan's Dangerous Eyes is the best.
An intriguing album at best but anything featuring these two vocalists is worth a listen.
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