Musique and Grand Designs2

Saturday, 10 April 2010

Re-Evaluation -Part 4 - David Bowie

Arguably the best modern composer of pop songs that has ebver lived. My wife loves the ground he walks on, I think I grew up with artists that were influenced by him but discovered him quite late. Although I was familiar with his hits in the 80s. In the 80s he was at the height of his image, in the 70s he was the darling of the press and the public alike. I think no artist has matched the legacy of albums that he realeased in the 70s starting with Space odditty, he went onto release 'the man who sold the world', Hunky Dory' and Ziggy Stardust.

My fave albums of his are post Ziggy Stardust. Aladin Sane is more rockier than Ziggy Stardust but features some brilliant songs like 'Lady Grinning Soul' and 'Cracked Actor". David Bowie was iunique as he realised music was about music but it was also about image. He constantly reinvented himself and each album was a different one from the other.
Kraftwerk released albums that was about the concept and were almost designed. David Bowie followed his influences but also created a sounds and image all of his own. The Albums that followed Allandin Sane, he followed up with Pin Ups which was a cover version album featuring tracks by the Who and Pink Floyd.

Then the albums followed were the Eno period. Low, Heroes and Lodger. These were precedded by the brilliant album Station to Station. In the 80s he released 'Scary Monsters' which featured the number one ' Ashes to Ashes'. In 1983 I would class David Bowie at his most influential he was collabarating with Nile Rodgers and was achiving success in the charts all over the world and in the touring arena with his 'Serious moonlight ' tour. The Problem with the Bowie Period after this time was that had signed for EMI, at that time EMI was quite powerful in record company terms and they spend alot of money securing his services. He released ' Blue Jean ' which was followed by the album 'Tonight'. This was that start of the period where the Bowie albums were getting a bit slagged off in the press. 'Never let me down' was also in the same catagory. David Bowie was following his intrests and was sort of alienating the fans at this time. In Bowie's defence he could not continue on at the same way he has in the 70s,m where he was experimental. When you are on a label like EMI you expect that the pressure to release hits is massive.

Bowie returned to form in the 90s with albums like 'Black tie White Noise'. Even hearing album like 'Heathen' it reminds me of themes that were explored in earlier albums (the word heathen was mentioned in the song 'Loving The Alien'. Its the little things.

In the 90s Bowie Contributed with Reeves Gabriels and collabarated with other artists, it was a invigorating time for Bowie in both the musical world and his personal life.

In collecting all his albums I still have gaps to fill but I know all the albums I havnt got off by heart for kme my fave album ever by him is 'Station to Station' from 1976. Its just 6 songs but the structure and guitar work and everything comes together.

Re-evaluation Part 3 - Coldplay

This is an easy band to write about, initially they came out in the year 2000 with the good album 'Parachutes'. Which featured hits like 'trouble ' and 'yellow'. Quite an influential album to indie bands at that time like Snow Patrol and Athlete.
I started to notice a turn in their approach on the follow up ' A rush of blood to the head' the album cover was like kraftwerky in design all though the music was still guitar based in the main part. The third album I have to say is utterly brilliant 'X and Y'. Songs are really strong, and in a way the songs like merge into other parts. Bit like Depeche Mode's voilator album(but not as electronic).

They Collabarated with Brian Eno with the Viva La Vida. Which is another brilliant album. Coldplay remind me a bit of the Police and Sting and I cant put my finger on it why, obviously their albums are becoming better produced and structured. The Songs writing is also getting stronger. They remain hugely popular and are due to have a new album out by chritsmas 2010. Will be interesting to see what its like

Re-evaluation - Part 2. Simple Minds

Almost in the same vain as before. Unfairly labelled in with U2 in the mid 80s they were more experimental in the early days and drew on their wide range of influences. Simple minds have been the second band I have collected cds by. Now with only one album to get which is rare(Sons and Fascination from 1981). Simple Minds came to main promimence in 1978 with the Life in a Day album this sounded alot like a punk contempory band called Magazine. The Follow up 'real to reel cacophnoy' had a strange title but was even more experimental than the first.

My fave albums of theirs is like a triliogy but isnt grouped as such, in my head it is. The 1980 album called 'Empire and Dance' which was followed by 'Sons and fasciantion'. Which all followed a logical progression to their most critically album 'New Gold Dream'. Through out this time they became of a singles band as well, with the 12' remixes very much in fashion they did use that format. Which resulted in some brilliant remixes of their songs. With Hindsight I have to say that the new gold dream album released in 1982 is their most bass driven record its quite atmospheric with space within the sound. where as their late 80s albums would be slightly overproduced.

They released further albums like ' Sparkle in the rain'., Once uponj a time'. Streeyt fighting years'. I have to admit I quite like the first side of Real Life which was their album from 1991. But Side 2 lacks production.

Towards the late 90s the origianl line up got back together, I think in Simple Minds history it was the loss on Forbes and Mcneil which resulted in their drop in the critics eyes. Their songs were bass driven before that, where as Mcneil produced textures and was quite experimental in their approach.

I have located a demo version on the internet of their album called Sparkle in the Rain, which was obviously recorded before Mel Gaynors drums. The songs are alost trance like and utterly brilliant. The album itself has a more rock sound but those demos, there are some excellent songs on both versions.

Simple Minds are still around . They have just released 'Graffiti Soul 'which features a full album and has a bonud disc of cover versions. Simple Minds still retain their fan base which after 32 years is no mean feat

Re-evalution - Part 1 -The Music of U2.

At this moment in time I am collecting cds by certain artists, with the intention of getting the complete collections. In some cases this isnt possible-have you seen the prices for Rolling Stones and beatles cds?.U2 has been one of the first bands on my list, they are a band i have had a love and hate relationship with. I remember there intial power when they came out, due to the excellent guiatr work on the first few albums. From boy in 1980 up until probably the Joshau Tree , the guitar was the lead instrument. They were quite distinctive from the other acts of the day where the Edge was playing Guitar as a rythmn lead, with very strange tuning techniques.

From about 1987 onwards the songs featured more keyboards and other sounds added by Eno and that helped bring their music to a much wiser auidence, particalary in the US. They achived a commercial success with the Joshaut Tree, but this was followed by the largly dissapointing Rattle and Hum, U2 then regrouped to record a string of excellent albums in the 90s like Zooropa and Actung Baby, but then again lost their way a bit with the Pop album in 1998.

I have been going through the albums and have to say that the power of their 1981 album called 'October ' is probably my favrioute. All though i must admit the cover is a bit naff.

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