Live at the Regal
B. B. King
ABC-Paramount Records ABCS-509
1965
Most of the world is paying tribute to Prince, but I'm just getting around to my tribute to B. B. King who died last May. I actually started this post several weeks ago, but then I got sick and didn't feel like listening to music much less blogging. My introduction to the blues mostly came second hand from English rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Cream and the Yardbirds who imitated American bluesmen. King was the first genuine blues performer I remember seeing, I saw him when I was a kid in the early 1970s on Flip Wilson's television show. The first real blues album I ever bought was King's "Live in Cook County Jail" which I picked up as a teenager. I have to admit that at first I wasn't all that impressed, I preferred the flashiness and showboating of the English guitar heroes. As I grew older and more musically sophisticated I came to appreciate King's economical and controlled playing style a lot more. I realized it was better to emphasize feeling like King than to show off technical prowess by playing a gazillion notes as fast you can like Alvin Lee. This is my favorite B. B. King album, an opinion that is hardly unique. The album is widely acknowledged as a classic record. It was recorded at the Regal Theatre in Chicago in 1964 in front of a loudly appreciative audience. King and his band were in top form as they ran through his back catalog delivering definitive versions of some of his best known songs. The record opens with "Every Day I Have the Blues" which was a hit single for King in 1955. It is a swinging, fast-paced performance that is my favorite version of this oft-covered song. I love it when King's voice soars in the final chorus. "Sweet Little Angel" was a 1956 single derived from the old blues song "Black Angel Blues." King introduces it as a "real oldie." His vocal is full of gusto. He was justly celebrated for his guitar work, but his ability as a blues singer was also outstanding. He shows off his range and power with a very emotional performance that elicits screams from the ladies in the crowd. "It's My Own Fault" is a cover of a John Lee Hooker song released as a b-side in 1960. It is a slow, smoldering blues with another spectacular vocal from King backed up by a wailing guitar solo. "How Blue Can You Get" was a 1964 single for King. King shows just how blue he could get with a volcanic vocal and some inspired guitar work in the intro. "Please Love Me" was a 1953 hit single written by King. It is a smoking hot song that gets me bopping and features a high-tempo yet impressively fluid solo from King. Side two opens with King's 1954 hit "You Upset Me Baby." It is a jumping track that opens with an exciting guitar run before King tears into the vocal. He lets his sax player take the solo which really cooks. "Worry Worry" was originally the b-side of a 1950 single that was re-released as an a-side in 1959. It is another slow blues that begins with a long fiery guitar intro from King that rouses the crowd. When King finally breaks into his passionate vocal the crowd starts screaming and I would have too if I had been there. It is a stunning performance on every level, the highlight of the album. I don't think the blues gets any better than this. "Woke Up This Mornin'" was written by King and was a hit single in 1953. It sounds like filler practically after the previous titanic track, but it is full of energy and fine singing from King. "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now" was originally a b-side in 1960. It opens with a typically graceful and dynamic guitar solo from King before he gets down with another steamy vocal that he punctuates with short bursts from his guitar. His horn section gives the song extra oomph as it moves towards its conclusion. "Help the Poor" was a 1964 single for King. It is more rhythm and blues than straight blues and gets into a nice groove to close the album. This is truly a classic album, ten heartfelt tracks of superb singing and playing that showcase King's brilliance. As a vocalist/guitarist, King was as a virtuoso without parallel. I'm sure going to miss him. Recommended to people who believe that the blues need to be sung as well as they are played.
At Home
Shocking Blue
Metronome MLP 15 353
1969
This is a German pressing of Shocking Blue's second album originally released in the Netherlands on Pink Elephant Records. It was Mariska Veres' debut album with the band as lead vocalist. I first encountered the band as a kid on the first rock record I ever bought, a compilation called "Get It Together," which featured their international hit single "Venus." I liked the song but not so much that I made a big effort to obtain one of their albums which are not all that easy to find in the United States. About 20 years later I heard Nirvana's wonderful cover of "Love Buzz" on "Bleach" and decided I had to get the original version by Shocking Blue. Thus I finally ended up with this delightful album which contains both "Venus" and "Love Buzz." The album opens with "Boll Weevil" which like all but one of the songs on the album was written by the band's guitarist/sitarist Robbie van Leeuwen. It is a hard rocking song with a rockabilly flavor particularly in the chorus and guitar solo. The lyrics are slight but Veres sings them with admirable verve. "I'll Write Your Name Through The Fire" is trippy folk-rock. The lyrics are of the "gotta ramble" variety. Like most of the lyrics on the record, they sound awkward to me. "Acka Raga" is a cover of a song by John Mayer (no not that John Mayer.) It is a raga rock instrumental driven by van Leeuwen on sitar and one of my favorite tracks. "Love Machine" is greasy rock with stimulating guitar runs from van Leeuwen and a heavy bass riff propelling it. Veres' vocal sounds slightly hoarse heightening the passion of her delivery. "I'm a Woman" is a mix of raga rock and soul with a seductive vocal from Veres as she intones quasi-feminist lyrics of female empowerment. The lyrics are extremely awkward bordering on abstruse which mutes the songs impact although Veres sings them so convincingly that they still convey the song's message. Side one concludes with "Venus" which was their biggest hit and deservedly so. The song features a hypnotic guitar riff over which Veres intones alluring lyrics of irresistible desire. When I heard the song as a boy, Veres' vocal captivated me with her accent and her sensuality and all these years later I still find her performance very appealing. I greatly prefer it to Bananarama's cover version. Side two opens with "California Here I Come" which is driven by a strong guitar riff and features a stimulating instrumental break. It is another "gotta ramble" type song that is a paean to California as well. Despite the listing on the record sleeve the next song is "Long and Lonesome Road" which is a pounding rocker with an urgent vocal from Veres. It is powered by a compelling organ riff and plenty of noisy guitar work from van Leeuwen. "Poor Boy" opens with a lengthy instrumental passage featuring raga inflected guitar runs from van Leeuwen. After a couple of minutes the vocal part of the song begins with Veres plaintively singing about the unhappy titular character. She again uses the hoarse quality of her voice to great effect heightening the emotional impact of her singing. "Love Buzz" begins with a memorable raga-style bass riff augmented by sitar over which Veres sings clumsy lyrics about desire leading to a frenzied rave up in the instrumental break. Kurt Cobain followed the arrangement for Nirvana's cover but increased the tempo and rocked up the sound more. I prefer the Nirvana version for its intensity, but being a raga rock fan I appreciate the Shocking Blue version too. "The Butterfly and I" features more awkward lyrics so much so that I can't even figure out what the song is about. Veres accent sounds particularly heavy on this track. The song starts out with a raga rock sound and then halfway through the song it is weirdly transformed by a big band arrangement complete with a couple of trumpet solos. If nothing else it gives the album a dynamic finish. I really love the sound of this album, it pushes a lot of my buttons. Van Leeuwen came up with a lot of great riffs and I like the sitar as well. Veres was a charismatic and emotional singer and she goes a long way towards compensating for the weakness of the lyrics. I suppose the lyrics are not bad for a Dutch guy, but they definitely diminish the strength of several of the songs. It is still a terrific record though, well worth seeking out. Recommended to fans of George Harrison's sitar playing.
A Collection of Beatles Oldies
The Beatles
Parlophone PCS 7016
1966
Here's a post to honor Sir George Martin, who passed away on March 8. I revere him as the greatest of all rock producers. I suppose "Abbey Road" or "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" would be more appropriate selections to showcase his great work with the Fabs but I've already done posts on them. The "Anthology" albums would be good as well since they reveal the raw Beatles tracks and the mistakes before Martin helped the Beatles transform them into the pop classics they would become. "Let It Be," which is the only Beatles studio album Martin did not get credit for producing (although he supervised the initial recording), displays his brilliance by his absence since it is so poorly produced by Phil Spector, a guy so heavy handed that I would not even consider him worthy to bring Sir George his afternoon tea. Even this lowly album displays Martin's greatness. It was the first Beatles greatest hits album, crassly assembled by E.M.I. to cater to the Christmas market in 1966. With its shoddy cover art and haphazard assembly of tracks (why omit "Please Please Me"?) it seems like a crude commercial project, yet it still shines like a diamond amongst the dross. It features 16 wonderful songs largely drawn from the Beatles' hit U.K. singles many of which had not appeared on a U.K. album at the time. They are joined by two beloved album tracks "Yesterday" and "Michelle" as well as an unreleased (in the U.K.) track "Bad Boy" which appeared in the U.S. on "Beatles VI." If I had been a British fan I would have bought the album for "Bad Boy" alone as it is one of my all time favorite Beatles covers. Martin's influence on the record is most obvious with "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby." Martin is generally acknowledged as persuading Paul McCartney to employ a string quartet on "Yesterday" rather than conventional rock instrumentation and was largely responsible for the string score. I believe that the strings are the crucial element in the song that makes the lyrics seem deeper than they are on paper. Martin also wrote the string score for "Eleanor Rigby" which greatly enhances the melancholy feeling produced by the lyrics (according to Mark Lewinsohn, Martin received a mere 15 pounds for his arrangement.) Always a perfectionist, Martin also supervised stereo mixes for several of the singles on the album which had originally been released in mono, most notably on "I Want To Hold Your Hand" which greatly improved on the horrible fake stereo mix that Capitol used on "Meet The Beatles." Martin was very adept at helping the Beatles realize their vision and achieve the sound they wanted, aside from their musical quality they made the most wonderful sounding records of their era. The unforgettable opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night," the cacophony of sound effects on "Yellow Submarine," the feedback that opens "I Feel Fine," the booming bass riff that drives "Paperback Writer" all testify to the tight connection between the Beatles and Martin that produced such fantastic records. The staggering creativity and immediacy revealed on these 16 tracks demonstrate an inspired partnership between the two most talented songwriters in the history of rock music and the modest man who recognized their genius and helped them create the best records of my lifetime. This record is so stacked with great music, if the band had broken up in 1966 they'd still be at the top of the rock pantheon. However the band still had 3 more years of unparalleled achievement ahead of them including some of Martin's most inspired work with the group. This record was rendered obsolete by "1962-1966" which has every song on here aside from "Bad Boy." That song as well as all of the non-LP singles on here are on the two "Past Masters" compilations as well. I'm still happy to have it though, it might be the best single slab of pop music vinyl ever pressed, nothing but greatness. It was never released by Capitol in the U.S., presumably because nobody there could stand the thought of releasing an album with 16 tracks on it. I've found it inspiring to listen to this these past couple of weeks as I mourn the passing of this great man. The world of the Beatles and those who love them has grown darker and colder now that Sir George is gone. I can never thank him enough for helping to make the music that has mattered the most to me in my life. Recommended to people who only want a single Beatles LP.
I Break Chairs
Damien Jurado and Gathered in Song
Sub Pop SP 571
2002
This album comes in a paper sleeve. The front folds out in the shape of a chair. I had never heard Jurado at the time that I bought it. I read some good reviews of him, but mostly I bought it because it was on Sub Pop, one of my favorite labels, and because it was cheap. It turned out to be a good buy. It opens with the ringing guitar chords of "Paperwings" which is my favorite track. It is noisy, rocked up roots rock that reminds me of Son Volt. It is an ambiguous love song. The hard rock noise continues with the grunge-style "Dancing" which boasts a loud/quiet dynamic and really roars when it gets going. It dissects a parasitical and unreliable friend. "Birdcage" is a fast-paced, upbeat tune with a propulsive jangly guitar riff driving home lyrics about escape and recovery. The record slows down for the cryptic "Inevitable" in which Jurado repeatedly sings "face that inevitable" without revealing what it is. "Air Show Disaster" was written by Josh Golden, the bassist in Gathered in Song. It is a laid back, folky song of which I have no idea what it is about. It is pleasant but forgettable. Side one concludes with "Never Ending Tide" which describes a woman who will move you like the tide. It starts slow and quiet before moving into a lengthy instrumental section with more pronounced riffing and guitar workouts before ebbing away. Side two opens with "Big Deal" which is a return to rocked up roots rock with a kinetic and ebullient sound. It is a I-told-you-so put down song. "The Way You Look" continues in a similar musical vein although it sounds more power pop than Americana with its synth riff and poppy beat. It is a poetic song about envy although Jurado's intentions with the song elude me. "Castles" is another rocker with a strong vocal from Jurado. I think it is about indifference and retribution. Gathered in Song raises a ruckus behind him in a classic hard rock manner. "Like Titanic" is more subdued and intricate, I dig the drone that runs through it. It features the most impressive lyrics on the album as Jurado intimately chronicles an escapist and self-destructive relationship. He sounds like a neurotic Bruce Springsteen. The line "you end up breaking hearts like chairs" gives the album its title. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. "Parade" is atmospheric roots rock. It is short and enigmatic. The side concludes with "Lose My Head" which has a bit of an alt-country flavor to it although the guitar riff and pounding rhythm are pure rock and roll. The introspective lyrics are striking and mysterious but Jurado sings them with considerable passion making the song a forceful conclusion to the album. This album was a pleasant surprise for me. I love it when I take a chance on a record that I don't know and it turns out to be very good. Admittedly the music is a bit generic, but it has a lot of energy and drive. I never get bored. Gathered in Song is a solid band and Jurado is an excellent vocalist, even when I have little idea what he is singing about, he sounds convincing. I'm not a big fan of obscure lyrics, but Jurado is skilled at creating striking imagery so I remain interested in his songs even when I don't get them. I also appreciate his consistency of tone and mood, it makes for a cohesive album listening experience. Recommended to mildly depressed fans of early Wilco.
Live at Carnegie Chapter Hall New York City, November 4, 1961
Bob Dylan
Mr. Suit Records SUITABLE1305
2013
This is a good time to be a Dylan fan. Columbia Records has been emptying its vaults providing a steady stream of archival recordings covering most of his recording career. However they have so far not released this recording of one of the seminal events in his early career, his legendary concert at Carnegie Chapter Hall. The recording is a little rough in spots but generally sounds good, certainly acceptable quality for an archival release. Perhaps it is the great man himself who has chosen not to sanction a legitimate release of it, maybe he is embarrassed by it. I think it is wonderful and I'm delighted to have a copy of it on vinyl. This is an adequate pressing by bootleg standards, my only real complaint about it is that it omits one of the songs from the show, "This Land is Your Land." That track appeared on Columbia's "The Bootleg Series: Vol 7" so I'm guessing its legitimate release prevented its inclusion due to whatever passes for copyright standards in Europe. The album begins with the traditional song "Pretty Peggy-O" which appeared on Dylan's debut album with slightly different lyrics. The song is an Americanized version of the old Scottish song "The Bonnie Lass O'Fyvie." The song fades in and out in an annoying manner. It might be a technical problem but it might also be a nervous Dylan drifting too far from his microphone. This sporadically happens throughout the record. He follows the song with a story about getting lost on his way to the concert when he got off at the wrong subway stop as well as describing how he constructed his set list by borrowing songs from other performers. He then facetiously introduces the traditional song "In the Pines" as being about an 11 year old girl learning about life by going out a lot. Dylan's version lacks the intensity of the classic Leadbelly versions. He quickly launches into another song from his debut, "Gospel Plow." There is a false start with his vocal practically inaudible. He tries it again and performs with a lot of energy, whooping and hollering his way through the song. While tuning his guitar he talks about spending time with Woody Guthrie when he first came to New York and then he performs Guthrie's classic protest song "1913 Massacre." It is an earnest and respectful performance. Side B opens with a passionate cover of Bessie Smith's "Blackwater Blues" that shows Dylan's charisma to good effect. He follows this with "A Long Time A-Growing" which is more commonly known as "The Trees They Grow So High." In his introduction Dylan says he recently learned the song from Liam Clancy and with winning candor describes his version as "straight imitation." He identifies the song as an Irish song, but it is more likely of British origin. I'm a big fan of Pentangle's version of it. Dylan's performance sounds tentative and mild (perhaps because he just recently learned it) although I like its intimacy. Dylan perks up again with a vigorous cover of Bukka White's "Fixin' To Die" which he also recorded for his debut album. Side C opens with Dylan's original composition "Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues" which is a talking blues obviously influenced by Woody Guthrie. Noel Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary has said that he showed a newspaper clipping of the event described in the song to Dylan in a cafe and that Dylan returned with the newly written song the next day. Dylan recorded a studio version of the song during the sessions for "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" that eventually appeared on the first "Bootleg Series" compilation. Dylan's live performance of the song is confident and shows his comic side. Dylan deprecatingly introduces "Man on the Street" as his own song suggesting it might be a good time to go out for a cigarette. The song, which was untitled at the time, was lifted from "The Strange Death of John Doe" by Millard Lampell which was recorded by the Almanac Singers in 1941. Dylan improved the song by adding the striking imagery of the cop poking the dead homeless guy with his billy club. Dylan recorded the song for his debut but it did not get released until the first "Bootleg Series" album. "Talking Merchant Marine" is another Guthrie cover. Dylan's performance is bland, he sounds like he wasn't comfortable with the song. Given that the song is so specific to World War II, it is a curious choice for the show. "Black Cross" was taken from a poem by Joseph S. Newman (the uncle of Paul Newman) which was recorded by Lord Buckley. Dylan introduces the song saying he learned it from Buckley when he saw him perform it at the Casino in Portland, Oregon. I suspect he actually learned it from Buckley's album "Way Out Humor." Dylan recites the poem rather than singing it, while accompanying himself on guitar. It is a poem about religious hypocrisy and racism, it is easy to see why it appealed to Dylan who gives a convincing performance. All three of the songs on Side D appeared on Dylan's debut album. John Lair's "Freight Train Blues" dates back to the 1930s and was covered by a bunch of artists including Red Foley, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams and the Weavers. Dylan gives an engaging and lively performance complete with yodeling. It is one of my favorite tracks on the record. "Song to Woody" was Dylan's homage to his hero, Woody Guthrie, and its music was taken from "1913 Massacre" which Dylan performed earlier in the show. It is a heartfelt performance that gets a strong reaction from the audience although the fading in and out issue that runs through the record is particularly irritating on this track. The album ends with "Talkin' New York" which is about Dylan's experiences after he first came to New York. I've always liked the line the coffee shop owner tells him, "you sound like a hillbilly anyway, we want folk singers here" which sums up the folk boom quite nicely. I love this show, I wish Dylan would authorize a legitimate release of it with cleaned up sound and equalized sound levels. Given how taciturn Dylan has become as a performer, it is a real treat to hear him chatty and effusive, performing with enthusiasm and an eagerness to please. The performance is a bit raw, Dylan was obviously still learning and developing, but the material is terrific and I find the record fascinating. Recommended to Dylan fans who wish he never went electric.
Heavy
Iron Butterfly
Atco SD 33-227
1968
This is the debut album by Iron Butterfly. It features the unique line up of Danny Weis, Darryl Loach, Jerry Penrod, Doug Ingle and Ron Bushy. Prior to its release Weis, Loach and Penrod departed leaving Bush and Ingle to reinvent the band with new members as a quartet. As a young teenager I encountered the single edit of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" on a compilation called "Get It Together." I loved it and bought some of their albums. For awhile I really liked these guys, but I've rarely listened to them in the past 25 years. I was originally drawn to Ingle's organ work and the group's heavy sound, but in retrospect they don't seem all that heavy, particularly in comparison to their contemporaries like Mountain, Cactus, Black Sabbath, Steppenwolf or Led Zeppelin. I still kind of like their debut though. Fans of their later work, may be surprised by this album which sounds poppier and mostly features short songs without extended solos. It is often more "butterfly" than "iron." The album opens with Ingle's "Possession" which begins with a solemn organ intro before the heavy riff that drives the song begins. The song's heaviness is undercut by Ingle's quavery high vocal as he sings inane lyrics about jealousy. Ingle's organ work is the highlight of the song for me. "Unconscious Power" was written by Ingle and Weis with words by Bushy. It was released as a single but failed to chart. It is a straight ahead rocker with trippy lyrics about freeing your mind. The song's frenetic pace and propulsive riff make it one of my favorite tracks on the album. Next up is a lethargic version of Allen Toussaint's oft-covered "Get Out Of My Life, Woman." It starts with another churchy organ intro before launching into the song's familiar funky riff. The song features a joint vocal from Ingle and Loach that tries to be passionate but sounds strained instead. There is a nice rave up at the end that breathes some life into the song but ends too quickly. "Gentle As It May Seem" was written by Weis with words by DeLoach. DeLoach sings the lead vocal but is even less convincing than Ingle and it doesn't help that the lyrics are so vacuous. Musically the song is terrific being a high tempo rocker with scorching guitar work from Weis. Side one concludes with "You Can't Win" which is another collaboration between Weis and DeLoach. It is a protest song about how hopeless it is to fight the authorities. The song is driven by a lumbering riff embellished by screeching guitar runs from Weis. Ingle's vocal is more relaxed than usual. Side two kicks off with Ingle's "So-Lo" with lyrics by DeLoach. It is an incredibly vapid song in which DeLoach describes how his girl left him because he behaved badly. The song has a mildly ominous intro before becoming sunshine pop with a light vocal from DeLoach backed by harmonious background vocals. Ingle contributes a couple of Bach-style organ solos to give the song a slight chamber pop flavor. If I heard the song on the radio (not very likely) I'd never guess it was Iron Butterfly. The band returns to form for "Look for the Sun" which features music by Weis and Ingle and words by DeLoach who sings the lead vocal along with Penrod. The song is driven by a heavy riff that helps cover up the dumbness of the lyrics which celebrate how the sun makes people feel good. Heavy riffing continues with "Fields of Sun" featuring music by Ingle and words by DeLoach. It is another paean to the sun which they like because it makes the plants grow. Ingle sings the lead with his typically intense style which makes the lyrics seem even stupider. "Stamped Ideas" is another Ingle/DeLoach collaboration. DeLoach advises his girlfriend to stay away from plastic people and keep her stamped ideas inside her head, in other words more hippie bullshit. The song is a rocker with a bit of rhythm and blues sound to it. DeLoach sings a sloppy lead vocal but otherwise the song cooks pretty nicely. The side ends with Ingle's instrumental "Iron Butterfly Theme" which foretells the band's future direction. It is a superbly ponderous song with a slow sludgy riff upon which Ingle and Weis noodle about with semi-psychedelic solos. Its dense, weighty sound makes it my favorite track with the added bonus of having no idiotic lyrics to irritate me. There is much that I like about this album. It is less self-indulgent and has more good tunes than any Iron Butterfly album I've ever heard. The band comes up with a bunch of compelling riffs, the rhythm section is solid and I enjoy Weis' guitar work. My problems with the record are the vocals and the lyrics. Ingle is a decent singer but I don't like the sound of his voice and he usually sounds uptight to me. DeLoach on the other hand is too light and relaxed for the weight of the band's sound. As for the lyrics, these guys make the Ramones seem like Shakespeare. I know it's only rock and roll and it isn't supposed to be smart, but the relentless stream of idiocy this band unleashes is hard for me to bear. I'm amazed that a band could have so little to say, but of course they would later top this with an entire album side devoted to the lyrical nonsense of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" so I suppose I should not be surprised. Fortunately the music is strong enough that I can mostly tune out the words and dig the heavy groove the band gets into. Recommended to people who prefer "Fresh Cream" to "Wheels of Fire."
"Heroes"
David Bowie
RCA AFL1-2522
1977
After David Bowie died I heard tributes to him on classic rock radio stations, commercial alternative rock stations and college radio stations which I think is an indication of his eclecticism and musical adventurism. Given that he also dabbled in soul/funk and on his final album jazz, there is practically a Bowie album for everyone who likes pop music no matter what genre. I like all his albums from the 1970s, but my favorites are the Berlin trilogy from the latter part of the decade when Bowie collaborated with Brian Eno on three classic and highly influential albums, "Low," "Lodger" and "'Heroes.'" I love all three but I've opted to discuss this one because it was the one that I bought first and it was the album that made me a Bowie fan. As a teen I was lukewarm about Bowie. I was too uptight and naive to appreciate him during his glam rock phase although I liked several of his singles from that period. I was alienated by his flirtation with soul in the mid 1970s although I came to like it later. This album hit me at just the right time. I had become enamored with the early New Wave bands and was looking for something different from the classic rock I had grown up on. The sound that Bowie and Eno came up with for this album excited me and opened me up to explore new sounds in rock. I consider it one of the key albums in my personal musical history. The album begins with "Beauty and the Beast" which still has the funk sound of Bowie's soul period with its percussive punch, soulful backing vocals and driving bass line. However the song's high energy level, Robert Fripp's noisy guitar work, the frenzy of synth sounds and Bowie's intense vocal make it also sound New Wave. The song evokes cynicism and decadence. "Joe the Lion" also has a pronounced beat suitable for the dance floor but it is even noisier than the opening track with more howling guitar work from Fripp and swirling synth lines. The lyrics are again decadent with imagery suggestive of a pulp novel about the dark side of town. "'Heroes'" was co-written with Eno whose influence is evident in the drone that runs through the song. Bowie begins by seductively crooning and as the song builds he becomes more emotional as he desperately shouts out the words. The song's overt romanticism is powerful, idealistically suggesting that love can overcome the turmoil of the world. Given the climate in the world of the time, it was a resonant message, when the song cites the Berlin Wall it is a reminder that the Cold War was still raging in 1977. The first time I heard this song, it immediately captivated me and I still consider it Bowie's best vocal performance ever. By comparison "Sons of the Silent Age" sounds more conventional aside from Bowie's mannered vocal. It starts out with a Middle Eastern flavor before assuming a romantic pop sound that reminds me of his music from his glam-rock days. The saxophone and synths heighten the romantic feeling generated by the music. The lyrics describe the alienation of urban life and escaping through love much like "'Heroes'" does. Side one concludes with another funky dance tune, "Blackout." It is a harsh portrait of urban desperation and a plea to a lover to rescue him. Aside from "'Heroes'" it is the most dramatic song on the album. The music is richly textured and harsh, bordering on cacophonous and the vocals are screechy befitting the tone of the song. It is one of my favorite tracks on the record. Side one of this album is flawless, the best side of vinyl in the Bowie catalog and one of the great achievements in rock in the late 1970s. Side two is more experimental, consisting largely of electronic music instrumentals. When I first got this record I didn't play side two very much, I found it boring. As my musical tastes expanded, I came to appreciate it much more and now consider it an integral part of the experience of listening to this album. It begins with "V-2 Schneider" which is the most pop oriented of the instrumentals. It has a driving bass riff over which Bowie blows energetic sax lines supplemented by synth drones. It is not purely instrumental since Bowie sporadically sings the words of the title throughout the song. Pop disappears for the menacing "Sense of Doubt" which sounds like the soundtrack to a gothic horror movie. Gloomy synth lines alternate with an atmospheric piano line. The mood lightens with "Moss Garden" which was co-written with Eno. The langurous synth drones convey a dreamy feel to it, like meditation music. Bowie noodles around on a koto giving it an exotic texture suggestive of the Far East. "Neuköln" is another collaboration with Eno. It has some of the ethereal feel of the previous track punctuated by Middle Eastern sounding blasts of sax from Bowie which become harsher and more dissonant near the end of the song. It is my favorite of the instrumentals. The side ends with "The Secret Life Of Arabia" which was co-written with Eno and guitarist Carlos Alomar. This is a funky song that returns to the sound of side one giving the album an upbeat finish. I never get tired of this record. It still stimulates me as much now as it did when it came out. There are several Bowie albums that I don't like very much (most of the 1980s and early 1990s) but I don't think there was ever a more adventurous artist in rock. His artistic restlessness made him one of the most interesting and compelling characters that I've ever encountered in pop music. This quality makes his premature passing seem even more tragic to me, I think he still had the potential to make exciting music as his excellent final album "Blackstar" indicates. I'll miss him and I'll always be grateful for the gift he shared with us. Recommended to fans of "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)" who wish that Eno was a better singer.
