Telekon, Gary Numan’s fourth album, the second album post Tubeway Army, begins with the most crushing slow rock synth groove of “This Wreckage” and, in that early, nasal, almost robotic, most distinctive voice, he sings the first lyric: “And what if God’s dead?” This was heady stuff for a 16 year old me, who hadContinue reading “#818: N is for Numan, Gary”
Tag Archives: Reviews
#817: N is for Nilsson, Harry
Before I became educatedabout this guy, if you would havetold me that “Coconut” (you know, put the lime in the____ and call mein the morning), “Everybody’s Talking”(at me, and I don’t hear a word they’resaying), and (I can’t live, if living is “Without You” were all songs written by the same guy, I would haveContinue reading “#817: N is for Nilsson, Harry”
#816: N is for The New Pornographers
They are one of only a few artists or bandsthat jump-started their career during the 21st century whose entire catalog has found its way into my CD and vinyl collection. Despite their most unfortunate band name, these Canadians have made ten studio albums over the last 26 years, all of which are tremendously good. AContinue reading “#816: N is for The New Pornographers”
#813: M is Still for The Mountain Goats (20, 21, 22, 23, 25)
Prologue The last five albums in my collection of records by The Mountain Goats bringsme to the end of the letter M and a littlepast the half way point of my entire storeof vinyl LPs, but it brings me also to a place of turntable crisis. Everything sounds likeshit. I can’t get that stylus cleanContinue reading “#813: M is Still for The Mountain Goats (20, 21, 22, 23, 25)”
#812: M is for The Mountain Goats (15, 17, 19)
The next three albums in my MountainGoats collection, consecutively released, serve as a tidy little trilogy. Unrelated to each other, but I’m guessing each deeply personal to the lyricist, we have three concept albums in a row, albums that aren’t narrative necessarily, but all revolvequite specifically and rigorously arounda single subject matter. Not because ofthisContinue reading “#812: M is for The Mountain Goats (15, 17, 19)”
#811: M is for The Mountain Goats (02, 05, 12)
Prologue Rivaled only by XTC, The Flaming Lips and David Bowie, a tie with the formertwo artists and lagging a full mittful of albums behind the latter, I have twelve recordsby The Mountain Goats in the vinyl collection. Like a lot of bands and musicians that have captured my music heart, I was late to The Mountain Goats party. I arrived,Continue reading “#811: M is for The Mountain Goats (02, 05, 12)”
#810: M is for Mould, Bob (with Sugar)
The first in a series of box sets chronicling the entire recordingoutput of the grandfather of grunge, Bob Mould, Distortion: 1989-1995contains his first two solo albums post Hüsker Dü, and then three consecutive records from his next group, Sugar. Despite the factthat Sugar would normally be filedunder S, I decide to listen and writeabout themContinue reading “#810: M is for Mould, Bob (with Sugar)”
#809: M is for Mother Mother
I find almost nothing more exciting than hearing a great new band for the first time. In this case, not a “new” band, but new to me, and my discovery was a completely random internet find of a live studio performance of Mother Mother on a YouTube channel from Musora. The band played a songContinue reading “#809: M is for Mother Mother”
#808: M is for The Motels
The two tunes by The Motelsthat are part of my musical memory are the breakthrough hits, “Only the Lonely” and “Suddenly, Last Summer.”I found two albums by the band recently in somebody’s used bin, the self-titled debut, and their fifth outing, Shock, neither album of which includes these songs. I didn’t havethese albums when IContinue reading “#808: M is for The Motels”
#807: M is for Morrissey
This one is troubling, this entry about the British singer Morrissey, who emerged into fame during the 80’s with the mopey rock outfit, an undeniably great band, The Smiths. We have to talkabout that age-old question, more firmly in the public consciousnessover the last couple of decades than it has ever been: is it possibleContinue reading “#807: M is for Morrissey”
