New Wave music reviews

Destiny is an album that is requested for many Saxon fans and it is out of catalogue. Can anyone re-release it, please (soon)? Any label, be wise and re-release it.

I've been listening to this cd now for two months staight and NEVER tire of it! Ian Dury reminds one of Zappa with his humor, Randy Newman with his unique chacacters, But the MUSIC..some of it could be Eric Clapton at his best, or dare I say it Hendrix. As always no one matches Dury's take on life. Playfull as ever in some cuts, and warts and all sad in others, Dury has the advantage of some really strong players behind him who allow him to effortlesly portray all the different palletes he chooses to send up. I especially like "Poor Joey." Can't listen to that one without feeling it's Ian in there. "Have a Word" and "No such thing" are in my opinion the strongest work here followed by"Your Horiscope,""London Talking" "Fly." Get this CD, you won't stop listening to it. I promise you! That's enough of that!

This is one of those albums I have searched for repeatedly with a hope that it would some day come out on CD. In high school, a friend of mine had this on vinyl and I, consequently, had it on tape. It was an expensive and hard-to-find import. I picked this up as a CD as soon as I found it (about one month ago).As far as I'm concerned, this is the best mod album that was ever put out. The Jam was great, but a bit too serious and punk-tinged for me. This album is more upbeat, without being silly like some of the Merton Parkas, Squire, or Three O'Clock. The band is less pompous than they were on "Glory Boys", and this album is better than that one in every way. The vocals are good, the lyrics sometimes excellent ("One Day in Your Life"), and the music is driving, danceable fun--excellent drums, brass embellishments, and, on one or two, female backing vocals. The whole album has a very clean, clear, and energetic sound from start to finish. One of the best CD's I own.

Why the Hell are so many great records, like this one, unavailible on CD? I bought this on vinyl when it was new. I was already a Motels fan. This album, while a little different and less avante garde than the first, totally kicks as none the less!
It is a little less guitar oriented than the first album but the songs are unique, hook laden, and catchy. Of course, I don't have to tell you that Martha Davis voice is as beautiful and haunting as ever. If you are a fan of the Motels and have missed out on this gem, GET IT IF YOU CAN!! Why this great band didn't stay huge after their 3rd album is a mystery to me.

LOVE THE ANGELS! MY FAVORITE SONG IS ON THIS CD......WOW! I SCREAMED WHEN I HEARD IT.........hehe

This cd makes the most of the 80's. I listen to it almost all the time! Its worth the money to have all those great hits on one easy CD!!

This is the Fixx's fifth studio album. The original was 37 minutes long. With the bonus track it is just over 40 minutes long. Sound quality is not that great.

After peaking on the second album, The Fixx had a gradual decline in popularity. On this CD, it is as if the Fixx borrowed from other popular bands of the time trying to find a hit.

This album borrows a lot from other bands, like a little from U2, Simple Minds and Alan Parsons, some from David Bowie and a whole bunch from INXS. Caused to Be Alarmed reminds me a little of Bowie's Jean Genie. The bonus track sounds even more like Bowie.

I think the sound mix on this album does some of the music a disservice. Distorted guitars and vocals are turned way up, while the other instruments are muted. The sound is not full. World Weary might have been a much better tune if the keyboards and synthesizers were turned up. If you are going to mimic Alan Parsons, you might as well go all the way.

There are some very good tracks on this CD, especially those where they are not trying to sound like INXS. I particularly like the energy in Shred of Evidence and Cause to Be Alarmed.

Other tracks, like the Flow and Precious Stone are weak and mushy. I am all for bands experimenting and trying new things. But, few bands are successful when they copy other bands with goal of getting a hit.

In 1988, The Fixx switched record labels (from MCA Records to RCA Records) and released their fifth album, "Calm Animals." This is arguably the Fixx's last *truly* great album to date. Although I've enjoyed the band's albums that have followed "Calm Animals" ("Ink," "Elemental" and "Want That Life"), they just seem to be missing that little extra special magic that graces the Fixx's first five albums. I'm not at all saying they're bad---I like them---I'm just saying that they're missing a little something. "Calm Animals," however, is outstanding Fixx music all the way through. Had there been the right amount of promotion, the album could've been a big comeback hit for the band. And it should've been: the songs totally rock, and lead singer Cy Curnin, guitarist Jamie West-Oram & company sound very inspired throughout. The band's sound & approach is tougher, and the album also boasts great sound quality & production, courtesy of producer William Wittman. The songs may not have been hits (shame on you, radio programmers), but they're all first-rate tunes: "I'm Life," "Driven Out," "Precious Stone," the title song, "The Flow," "World Weary," and all the rest....simply awesome. Although a bit underrated in the group's catalog, "Calm Animals" nonetheless remains one of the Fixx's very best releases.

Another Great Album of a Great Group. Classic songs: Driven Out, The Flow, Calm Animals... Five Stars

Canterbury (1983.) Diamond Head's third album.

The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) spawned a TON of great bands. Unfortunately, success coming to these bands was a rarity. Very few of these bands achieved success in their native UK among the hundreds of others, and an ever smaller success game success outside Great Britain. Diamond Head was fairly popular in their homeland, but their popularity outside their native land was virtually nonexistant, and pretty much remains that way. By 1983, the band had released two albums. Lightning To The Nations: The White Album and Living On Borrowed Time were both excellent albums, but neither one of them did as well as the band had hoped. By now the record company was putting pressure on the band to replace two of their original band members, and to shift their sound in a more commercial direction. Not wanting to lose their record contract, the band submitted to this. With only half of the original band remaining and a radically-changed sound, the band went into the studio and cut their third album, Canterbury. The album is often bashed as their worst release of the eighties, and is pretty much neglected. Read on for my review, and see if these opinions are correct.

Is this Diamond Head's worst album of the eighties? Most definitely. Is it a bad album, though? No way. The band took their sound in a more pop-metal oriented direction here, but at the same time, managed to maintain their hard-rocking roots. There are also keyboards used here, something not seen on earlier albums. I'd be lying if I said this album was a masterpiece on the same level as the band's first two albums, but I'd also be lying if I called this a bad album. Granted, this is a bit more of an acquired taste than earlier Diamond Head releases were, but the end result was still a pretty good album. While songs like Out Of Phase are so poppy that they really make you doubt that the band still had what it took to make good music, hard rockers like Knight Of The Swords (what the album was originally going to be called, actually) show you that the band never lost sight of what was important in the creation of their own breed of classic hard rock. Other noteworthy tracks on the album include the classic opening rock of Makin' Music, the medieval epic The Kingmaker, the classic Ishmael, which sounds like a rip-off of Rainbow's Gates Of Babylon (ripping that song off is a GOOD THING), the Dokken-esque I Need Your Love, and the closing title track. From its infancy to the very end, Diamond Head's third and final album of the eighties is a very good album. Not their finest work, and certainly not the best way to close out the decade, but far from bad. This album is good, but I can really only recommended it to die-hard Diamond Head fans.

Sadly, this album is the least-commonly available of all of Diamond Head's albums. While other albums remain available as imports, this one seems to be out of print in pretty much every shape and form. You're highly unlikely to find the CD of this album in any store, so more likely than not you're going to have to hunt down a copy online.

Following this album, Diamond Head disbanded. They would reunite in the nineties (with two TOTALLY NEW guys filling those "wild card" slots in the band which always seemed to change.) Although their post-eighties stuff was good, the band never recaptured their classic sound. Canterbury was the last album to truly feature the band fans knew and love. If you're a die-hard Diamond Head fan, don't hesitate to hunt down and buy this album. If you're anything less, get a hits compilation or the first two albums (start with the first one.) Final verdict? Buy this one if you're a Diamond Head die-hard. If you're anything less, stick with the earlier albums or a compilation.

Many people heap scorn on "Canterbury." I wonder if they've given it more than a single listen. No, it's not "Lightning to the Nations," or even "Borrowed Time," but that's what makes it good.

The recording has a bright, punchy mid-1980's sound, courtesy of producer Mike Shipley (who engineered for producer Mutt Lange of AC/DC, Def Leppard, Cars fame). Some of the keyboard tones have not aged well, but Brian Tatler's guitar is crisp and Sean Harris' voice is clear. Arguably overwrought backing vocals fit well on some cuts, but are distracting on others.

Track review:

Makin' Music - Grade B: The first U.K. single release from the album. Lyrics full of "rocking for the good of mankind"-type cheese; like a mild version of "It's Electric" off LTTN, but the chiming guitar intro and odd ascending riff leading to what is essentially an "a cappella" chorus make this tune unlike anything Diamond Head had done before.

Out of Phase - Grade B+: Jangling acoustic guitar intro joined by Harris's heartfelt voice, then everybody else piles on, including overbearing backing vocals. There must be a half-dozen time and key changes in this little ditty. The second single released in the U.K., it'd get an "A" if not for the obnoxious backup singing.

Kingmaker - Grade B+: It takes a few listens to fully appreciate this one. The sound of a castle drawbridge or something like it opens this slow but complex track; complex almost to a fault. The lyrics contain possible historical references, but with only a handful of lines in the entire song it's hard to know for sure. Time changes and turns abound and the backing vocals actually work here. Even better, Tatler burns a hole right through the middle with an extended, Schenker-esque solo. Essentially progressive rock and bravura guitar workout, this might as well have been an instrumental.

One More Night - Grade A-: The a-grade is for pure nerve. This is Diamond Head's take on dance hall swing. The only thing that's missing is a horn section. The lyrics cover honest emotional ground seldom trod in the NWOBHM and the music reveals a band willing to try anything.

To the Devil His Due - Grade B-: A remarkable vocal performance and surprising time/key changes can't quite save the weakest track on the disc. Just as Tatler starts to really lift this dirge with some tasty solo work, the song fades to a close. Oh well ...

Knight of the Swords - Grade B: If you like DH's "Borrowed Time" disc for the Rodney Matthews cover art and Elric-inspired title track, you'll love this. Another song with lyrics based on author Michael Moorcock's work - this time it's Corum, fighting to restore balance between law and chaos in an up-tempo tune that sounds like minimalist Iron Maiden, especially in a galloping solo section. Strangely, it never really seems to get where it's supposed to go, like they left out a verse or something.

Ishmael- Grade A+: What a freaking great song. Unusual time signature and unusual subject matter wrapped in an Arab motif, it's practically world music. We're talking Peter Gabriel territory on this one. "Ishmael" stands in stark contrast to speculation that MCA was pressuring DH to write hits. It's not a commercial song by any stretch of the imagination, just a breathtaking piece of music.

I Need Your Love - Grade A: An amped-up, streamlined counterpart to "One More Night" that drops the big band pretense and tightens the attack. Quick, efficient and listenable, it could have been a hit.

Canterbury - Grade A+: A personal favorite. I mean, how many musicians in any genre have written a song about Thomas Becket? Heavy prog-rock influence on this one - like something Queen could have done. Admittedly pretentious, but a total blast and a perfect way to close the disc.

Summary: When considered alongside "Lightning to the Nations" and "Borrowed Time," "Canterbury" demonstrates Diamond Head's musical growth, sophistication and depth; attributes too rare in hard rock/heavy metal, then or now.

The Cars had kind of two personalities over their career: the pop hits like "Drive" and "Shake it Up" and the album tracks that classic rock radio still plays like "Moving in Stereo" and "You're All I've Got Tonight". This album is great if you ONLY want the pop material...all the Top 40 hits are here...but if you like any of their best album material at all, you'll be much better off with the CD "Complete Greatest Hits" (ASIN B00005Y1XY) which sacrifices only lesser track "Heartbeat City" from this one and then adds on several great tracks you don't get here:
"Bye Bye Love", "You're all I've Got Tonight" and "Moving in Stereo" from the debut, CANDY-O's "Dangerous Type" and "It's All I Can Do",HEARTBEAT CITY's "Hello Again" (and "Why Can't I Have You?" if you happen to like that one..I consider it a lesser effort), and even a track from the farewell album DOOR TO DOOR ("You are the Girl").

If such things matter to you, they also come in chronological order (though those prone to whining about it could always program their CD player or burn a copy for the car in the "correct" order).

BOTTOM LINE:
If you like the Cars, this one doesn't serve them as well for a single disc compilation as "Complete Greatest Hits" does. Get that one instead.

After visiting a c.d. store, I wanted to buy "The Cars: Greatest Hits", but it the store only had the album on gold c.d. It was very expensive, but I listen to it all the time, and you will too. You will remember most of the songs on this c.d. instantly. People say that gold c.d's sound better, I'm sure they do, but it was nothing that I realy noticed. It's not going to matter if you buy the gold c.d. or the regular, they both sound the same to me.Whatever format you choose though, you will not be disapointed. Get this c.d. if your a casual Cars fan or a die hard fan, you will like it either way. It's like Devo, but not as geeky.

There was a good album inside of Ms. Carter waiting to be coaxed out. Instead producer Roger Bechirian dished up this disasterous '80s synth-pop mush. Several of the songs were used on albums by collaborators Nick Lowe (Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit) and Paul Carrack (Suburban Voodoo) to good effect, with Lowe's fine production. I have all of Carlene's recordings and have been listening to her since the late '70s, but I find nothing in this one to recommend it.

So sad to hear of Carlene Carter's drug and jail problems in the new Century. Back in the 80's she put out this interesting set of pop ditties that never get old.