Still reeling from the untimely death of Greedy Smith last week, I've been hit hard in the last few days as well. Marie Fredriksson who was one half of Swedish rock duo, Roxette, died recently following a long battle with a brain tumour. Roxette might not be a band that you might think that I'd be a fan of but I am. In 1994 or 95 friends of ours won tickets to see Roxette here in Canberra. They couldn't go and so Alison and I went along. I can assure you that I wasn't all that keen at the time. After two sets from the warm up act (a covers band who liked Phil Collins way too much) we saw Roxette and they were amazing. It was full on guitars and rock and roll from start to finish. After that experience I listened to their music quite differently now casting aside my prejudice born of hearing "The Look" Way too many times at Canberra's "Private Bin" nightclub. Roxette are a guitar band. Per Gessle, the other half of the duo, loves vintage guitars and amps and it shows on stage and in their albums. Marie was just 61 when she died this week.
Roxette - Lies (live 1994) - https://youtu.be/GyHVeK7hEx4?t=220
Roxette - She Doesn't Live Here Anymore - https://youtu.be/LNcEQOVumYA
After a worldwide farewell tour and signing legal documents to say that they'd never play live again Motley Crue are back. Maybe they're broke (I doubt it) or perhaps they just miss playing music (more likely). So if you want to see a band play really well and the singer slur every lyric to every song then get along to one of their shows. I've listened to Motley Crue since I was in high school and they're a bit of a sad parody of their former selves. But I guess it's obvious they're not miming!
Motley Crue - Wild Side - https://youtu.be/IlRDZUaJ8fs
I'm taking a short break from reviewing the essential 100 albums this week. Be assured that I'm still listening and preparing but I need some more time with the couple I have in progress. Alongside these reviews I'm going to start including what I consider essential albums that aren't on the list. These are albums that I came late to or that caught me by surprise...or both!
Skyhooks - Straight In a Gay, Gay World (1976)
I was given this album a while ago, on vinyl, by DJ BingVanDerGraaf. I've been a casual Skyhooks listener on and off for a while. For the unenlightened, Skyhooks were an Australian band in the 70s and 80s. What I particularly enjoy about this LP is that every song is great and the album flows well. Skyhooks pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable to be released commercially back in the day and although some of it might seem a bit tame these days, it still sounds edgy. This album has rock, pop and country as well as a touch of glam. "Straight in a Gay Gay World" is the sound of suburban Melbourne from start to finish. It's the sound of a band challenging conservatism. Most importantly, it's a record that still rocks.
Skyhooks - Million Dollar Riff - https://youtu.be/ThhZBjSUBjY
Skyhooks - This Is My City - https://youtu.be/cgZSOzW9I7Y
Angus is back in Vancouver living the snow life. During the week he went to see two Australian bands, Hockey Dad and DZ Deathrays. There's not much unusual about that, he digs good music. However, after the show both bands came back to his house for a party! Rock on Angus!
Hockey Dad - I Wanna Be Everybody - https://youtu.be/vCjXvpj4jpI
DZ Deathrays - IN-TO-IT - https://youtu.be/zxzfPbBgknk
Finally, and I mean FINALLY, my copy of Jethro Tull's 40th Anniversary edition of "Stormwatch" has arrived. There's four CDs and two DVDs for me to get through so a review will be a while coming. I still reckon it's a great album for one I listened to on the strength of the cover art!
Jethro Tull - North Sea Oil - https://youtu.be/P1PKYImTFXc
Pink Floyd post-1987 is almost as polarising as the Van Halen Hagar vs Roth debate. There is a new collection out of remixes of material from '87 onwards. Personally I think that some of the earliest Floyd is just a few guys making as many strange noises as they can and recording them. You may disagree and that's OK. I really quite like a lot of the more recent stuff. "Delicate Sound of Thunder", the live album, was the first Pink Floyd album I bought. Anyway, it all sounds pretty good and I'll enjoy reading all the comments and debate from serious Floyd fans about the rights and wrongs of these remixes.
Pink Floyd - On The Turning Away (2019 remix) - https://youtu.be/A7ZnvwCm8TI
Caroll Spinney died on 8 December. He was most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street from 1969 until late 2018. Generations of kids, and their parents owe a lot to Caroll.
Johnny Cash with Oscar the Grouch - Nasty Dan - https://youtu.be/H75eQX006jA
NPR in the USA puts out a lot, and I mean a lot, of quality content. Their "Tiny Desk" series is excellent and I can't recommend it highly enough. Seeing a very wide variety of artists play stripped back and intimate version of their songs works really well. The latest one I've watched is from Sheryl Crow. The show is the equivalent of your favourite group playing in your lounge room. If only Sheryl had played, "Steve McQueen" this show would've been perfect!
Sheryl Crow - Tiny Desk Concert - https://youtu.be/kCcmk4-FZwY
Rock on Brothers and Sisters,
Rob
"All I want for Christmas is.....", Mariah Manson, All I Want for Christmas is the Beautiful People, 2019 (Bill McClintock mashup)
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