Revisiting old albums

[Jinky]

Big fan of Comfort In Sound, too. They were at the top of their game for those two albums. Comfort In Sound of course being driven by the tragic suicide of their original drummer, Jon Lee.

DW - I had never listened to “Over The Counter Culture” by The Ordinary Boys before, but after reading your post in here I gave it a go yesterday and was pleasantly surprised! In my head I expected it to be far more poppy but there’s grit to that album and I reckon it’s stood the test of time well. Preston got a lot of stick back in the day but he’s actually gone on to be an extremely accomplished songwriter for some of the biggest pop artists out there (the gimp from Wolves who was in One Direction and that annoying goofball Olly Murs), so fair play to him.

 

[pacamac]

Been doing nothing but revisiting old albums whilst working from home....or as I call it, listening to music

Currently listening to Shed Seven - Let It Ride, not their best but still a very good album

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

PIECE OF MIND - IRON MAIDEN

Released 16 May 1983, oh my goodness I feel really rather old!

Maiden came off the Number of the Beast tour (first date in Dunstable, I kid you not) and Clive Burr had had enough. Sadly no longer with us of course, but Maiden lost a great drummer so recruitment started for a replacement. The result was Nicko McBrain, who had been with French band Trust (they of Anti-Social that was magnificently covered by Anthrax in 1988 but I digress).

How do you follow the monster that was Number of the Beast? Maiden decided to go for the most raw and loud production I have ever heard on their studio output. Martin Birch. as was de riguer in those days, was behind the desk, and he just turned the volume up on pretty much everything. The drums sound epic. The guitars are dirty as my mind, but you can still pick out Dave Murray on the strat against Adrian Smith on his Ibanez with humbuckers (I need to check but I am pretty sure he didn't go to Jackson until after Powerslave) and then chuntering along is the archetypal bass line that only Steve Harris and Maiden deliver. So that's the sound. On to the tracks...

Where Eagles Dare
Hi Nicko - gis a drum intro. Bosh. Great tune. Abominable lyrics but hey ho. Full of bombast. I wish they would play it more live, as it is a secret Maiden fave of mine.

Revelations
A true Maiden classic. Oh God of Earth and Altar this is ace. Brilliant riffery. Epic solos. Love it.

Flight of Icarus
Bruce in air raid siren mode. Ace as fucking fuck

Die with your Boots on
Weak. Weak as a weak thing from weak land. Easily the low point of the album. It's just a bit meh. A nothing. And they still roll it out live every so often so I guess either Steve or Bruce likes it more than it deserves.

The Trooper
My favourite Maiden song ever BAR NONE. The riff is perfect. The solos are out of this world. I might have this at my funeral I like it that much.

Side B ( yes I know The Trooper was on B on the vinyl but this is a neat place to split it) is a less in your face affair. Some great tracks, but nothing to completely match 4 out of the first five which are majesty. Still Life, Quest for Fire and Sun and Steel all still have appeal and the production really helps them punch above their musical weight. And then we have To Tame a Land to finish. A nice epic all about the Frank Herbert world of Dune. A definite forerunner of Rime of the Ancient Mariner that they released a year later. It's longer, it's complex, there are loads of different parts, it's operatic, it nails some serious riff moments, I feel it musically hits the brief in imagining the world Herbert created in sound. I love it.

So, final reflections. It's my favourite Maiden album. It's in my all time top five by any artist. If you haven't heard it, give it a go.

 

[Alan]

I was under the impression that Harris "asked" Clive to leave the band. Couldn't keep up with the touring (could that have been early signs of his MS? Maybe) or something like that.

Nicko is a great personality and musician but I do find myself missing Burr on future albums.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Clive Burr was seriously underrated. Great drummer.

 

[Paul]

First knew of Nicko in the Pat Travers Band he was on the Makin Magic album.

 

[lemonjelly]

Lo Fidelity Allstars - Warming Up For The Brain Farm

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l_lLupFB5MUpoThl1b7_L6vLe81Ws-5i8

Solid funky shizzle that came from skint records. I loved Mary Ann Hobbes and the breezeblock, and these were a band I got into through that show.
The album is actually better than I remembered. Not skipping the track or 2 I used to back in the day made it a much more rounded experience. Kasparovs Revenge is still fantastic, and Blisters on my Brain was better with its original title but still rocks. Battlefalg is still hip, and Vision Incision remains epic. However the other tracks are stronger than I recall, making this an ace listen.
Definitely have to have this on in the car when we're able to venture out again!

 

[Paul]

Lo Fidelity Allstars - Warming Up For The Brain Farm

Remind me never to do a long car journey with you

 

[sycophantia]

As we are decorating atm and in the middle of stripping wall paper, needed summat loud and raucous so started with an old fav UFO's Strangers In The Night

 

[broughtonwolf]

Songs of Faith & Devotion - Depeche Mode.

Still a great album and with hindsight I think is better than Violator.

 

[lemonjelly]

Remind me never to do a long car journey with you

It could be quite a cultural experience for you!

 

[Jinky]

Lo Fidelity Allstars - Warming Up For The Brain Farm

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l_lLupFB5MUpoThl1b7_L6vLe81Ws-5i8

Solid funky shizzle that came from skint records. I loved Mary Ann Hobbes and the breezeblock, and these were a band I got into through that show.
The album is actually better than I remembered. Not skipping the track or 2 I used to back in the day made it a much more rounded experience. Kasparovs Revenge is still fantastic, and Blisters on my Brain was better with its original title but still rocks. Battlefalg is still hip, and Vision Incision remains epic. However the other tracks are stronger than I recall, making this an ace listen.
Definitely have to have this on in the car when we're able to venture out again!

Absolute shite*

*the music, not you

 

[Paul]

As we are decorating atm and in the middle of stripping wall paper, needed summat loud and raucous so started with an old fav UFO's Strangers In The Night

Good lad :rock:

 

[lemonjelly]

Fun Lovin Criminals - 100% Columbian

Transported to harlem! A laidback affair, though with a couple of harder tracks (Southside), this is definitely a summer album! Found this ore relaxed than their debut album (which I also liked, and will have to re-listen to at some point). Album definitely has a groove, found myself nodding along at several tracks.

Very enjoyable.

 

[SLA]

Voice of the Beehive - Let It Bee

Another one of my late '80s obsessions. Not sure how I had time for so many! I still really like this - perky sunny indie pop with fun lyrics and a good energy. There are some cracking tracks - I Walk The Earth, Don't Call Me Baby, I Say Nothing. Always nice to see Woody from Madness as well. Never likely to get you many points on the Cool-o-Meter but I remember some good gigs and a lot of fun. Poignant VOTB gig memory - having a few too many then chundering a bit into a girl's long blonde hair in what passed for the mosh pit, then running away before she noticed. I'd just like to take this moment to apologise to that lady.

 

[nimrod]

i may take in the horrors - primary colours on timstwitter thingy this evening

looking trough the list - there's loads of decent stuff.
tomorrow they do JDs classic unknown pleasures. always a fun listen

next tues - deserter's songs - mercury rev.
week friday he's got a decent triple bill. let's eat grandma, dexys and the streets
thursday June 4th - i guess billy duffy back for the cult's dreamtime. loved that album back then
downside is that there's still no chameleons date scheduled

anyway - here's spiritwalker

 

[SLA]

ooh, Dexy's. Might have to revisit Searching for the Young Soul Rebels at some point.

 

[lemonjelly]

deserters songs is a brilliant album. listened to it not that long ago and really enjoyed it a lot.

 

[sycophantia]

Back on the decorating today so it was Audioslave's first album turned up to 11

 

[Templeton Peck]

Songs of Faith & Devotion - Depeche Mode.

Still a great album and with hindsight I think is better than Violator.

That's a big statement! It is brilliant though. I've been listening to DM a lot since I did my post on here a few weeks back and Music for the Masses is also fantastic. Definitely their creative peak 87-93.