Original and cover:Song To The Siren

 Song to the Siren was a song originally performed by Tim Buckley on his sixth album, Starsailor. The most famous performance of this song was on the Monkees' show in 1968. The song references Greek mythology. Sirens were dangerous creatures who lured sailors with their music and voices to shipwreck on their island. In early Greek art Sirens were represented as birds with large women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later, they were represented as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps. They were later portrayed to look like mermaids, the spanish word sirena means mermaid. This song is hauntingly beautiful with a simple folk melody. Tim sounds very sad when he sings it here. It's a superb song. Here's the original song.

This song stands as a classic and is Tim Buckley's most well-known song. Many covers exist, though none is more famous than that from the band This Mortal Coil. As I have posted about in a previous entry, This Mortal Coil is a collective group of musicians more than an actual band. All revolve around the 4AD label. They include artists from bands such as Throwing Muses, Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance. On their debut album, It'll End In Tears, this song was covered by Elizabeth Fraser on vocals and Robin Guthrie on guitar, both from the band Cocteau Twins. This is one of the most beautiful recordings ever. As much as I like the original version, nothing compares to this. They made it more ethereal sounding and haunting. Robin's dreamlike guitar work, and Elizabeth's enchanting voice just make this one of the best recordings I have ever heard and it brings me to tears every time I hear it. This also spent 101 weeks on the UK Indie Charts in 1983-1984, it was the #4 longest run on the indie charts in the 80s, right behind Bela Lugosi's Dead by Bauhaus, Blue Monday by New Order and Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division. That's excellent company to be in. The song continues to live on most famously in the David Lynch movie Lost Highway and the Peter Jackson directed film The Lovely Bones in a lovely scene toward the end of the movie. Here is that classic version from This Mortal Coil.

This song was also covered by Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance on his last solo tour (with Robin Guthrie). Robin himself plays guitar on this. A good version but nothing like the one from This Mortal Coil.  I love Brendan Perry and Dead Can Dance and this is just beautiful. It's just hard to compare with the perfection that is the This Mortal Coil version. This song is just so great and I love all these versions. So heartfelt and real.

Song of the day: Black Flag - Rise Above

Black Flag were the leaders in the Southern California hardcore scene. They played an aggresive form of punk rock. Originally called Panic, Black Flag had gone through several lead singers through their career, including Keith Morris (later of Circle Jerks and now leading the band OFF!), Dez Cadena (currently in The Misfits), and Ron Reyes. Greg Ginn was the primary songwriter and the band had released a few EPs with these singers. It wasn't until Dez Cadena had strained his voice and later went on to play guitar for Black Flag, they looked into fan and SOA member, Henry Rollins from the east coast to join the band. Rollins friend (and Minor Threat lead singer) Ian McKaye encouraged Rollins to join the band, and Rollins acted as roadie and later learned the songs Black Flag had written. On their debut album, Damaged, they chose to record it to sound more live than the previous EPs they had done with Cadena, Morris, and Reyes. Rollins brought in a whole new set of dynamics and he was a far better stage performer. What separated Damaged from other punk and hardcore records at the time was Rollins stage presence on record and Ginn's lyrics. Instead of just anger and nihilism, they had a sense of humor mixed with more personal lyrics. The album kicks off with the anthem Rise Above. The lyrics are above overcoming adversity and standing up for yourself despite the odds. An amazing song with a great message. Damaged has been named as one of the best albums ever, especially in the hardcore genre. Henry Rollins remains to this day as one of the best frontmen ever, through Black Flag to Rollins Band, he has always been himself, intense, personal, emotional, and pure. To this day this song remains a classic. Here it is in all it's glory, along with a great live version and the lyrics.

Rise Above:

 Live version:

Lyrics:

Jealous cowards try to control
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
They distort what we say
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Try and stop what we do
Rise above
When they can't do it themselves

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use
Society's arms of control
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Think they're smart
Can't think for themselves
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Laugh at us
Behind our backs
I find satisfaction
In what they lack

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

We are born with a chance
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
I am gonna have my chance
Rise above
We're gonna rise above

We are tired of your abuse
Try to stop us it's no use

Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above
We're gonna rise above

Song of the day:Iggy and The Stooges - Search and Destroy

Search and Destroy is one of the most famous song from The Stooges (on this album Raw Power they were called Iggy and The Stooges). It has one of the most recognizable guitar intros and really awesome lyrics. Iggy Pop says he got the idea for the song title from a Time magazine article about the Vietnam War. This appears on their 1973 album, Raw Power. Raw Power was originally produced by David Bowie, but some have complained about it's sound, so Iggy Pop produced it himself later on, giving it a more loud sound by putting all the levels up to the "red", which means it was totally turned up! Many (like me) prefer the Iggy mix because I believe it's more of a real sound, distorted, ugly and pure. Bowie's mix is good, though not as loud so it misses a little something. This song has been covered by such artists as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Def Leppard, The Hives, Pearl Jam w/Mudhoney, Sex Pistols, Peaches and The Dead Boys. It's a pretty deep song, on the surface it's about Vietnam but it also hints at drug use. This was one of the first "punk" songs and Iggy Pop and The Stooges predated bands such as The Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and almost every other seminal punk band in existence. One of the more pure, rawest songs ever. Here are the lyrics and both the Bowie and Iggy mixes.


Bowie mix:

Iggy Pop mix:

lyrics:

I'm a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm
I'm a runaway son of the nuclear A-bomb
I am a world's forgotten boy

The one who searches and destroys
Honey, gotta help me please
Somebody gotta save my soul
Baby, detonate for me

Look out honey, 'cause I'm using technology
Ain't got time to make no apology
Soul radiation in the dead of night

Love in the middle of a fire fight
Honey, gotta strike me blind
Somebody gotta save my soul
Baby, penetrate my mind

And I'm the world's forgotten boy
The one who's searchin', searchin' to destroy
And honey, I'm the world's forgotten boy
The one who's searchin', searchin' to destroy

Forgotten boy, forgotten boy
Forgotten boy said hey forgotten boy

Currently listening to:Week of April 30, 2012

I have had this blog for over 2 months. It feels like a lot longer. I try to write something in it every few days. It helps me share my passion for music and it gives me something to do which I enjoy. I have almost 4,000 views on here so thank you for all that have checked it out. I love the feedback I receive on it and I will continue to try to post as often as possible. May is coming so expect some really cool summer concerts and news in the future. On to this week's albums!

To really hear an artist's work, you must look past the hit singles. The entire album is worth hearing to truly get a glimpse of it all in one body of work. Here are some of the albums I am listening to this week.

Marilyn Manson - Born Villain (2012)

This album was just released at the time of this writing, May 1. I have been a huge fan of Marilyn Manson in the past. My interest in the band has waned since 2000 or so. I'm not sure whether I have changed or the band has. A mixture of both perhaps, but I loved the band, in some ways it has shaped me as a person, but ever since 2000's Holy Wood, they have changed direction and the lyrics became ridiculous. I still have love for the past and the controversy the band attracted and I have heard every album since but have not had the interest. This brings us to this release, Born Villain. After the disappointing sales of their previous album The High End of Low, Marilyn Manson was dropped from their record label, Interscope and are now on the label Cooking Vinyl, which now includes bands such as Prodigy, Counting Crows, The Cult, and The Cranberries to name a few. Marilyn Manson claims this album is a return and there are some really good tracks here. Mr. Manson said ""On the last two records ["Eat Me, Drink Me" and "The High End of Low"], I think I started to write songs to make people feel like I was feeling rather than to make them feel something. And I was feeling like s***, so that was a really stupid thing to do,"  There's some great songs on here especially Hey, Cruel World, the first single No Reflection, which is a great hardrocking song, and Children of Cain. Pistol Whipped is one of the worst songs I have ever heard, unfortunately so it's a mixed bag. Not their best work, but a return to form, so bravo.. Here are some good songs from the album.

Hey, Cruel World

No Reflection:

Children of Cain:

Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk (2002)

I've been on a bit of a Tori Amos obsession after my last entry. Scarlet's Walk remains one of my favorite albums from this incredible artist. The album is a concept album about a girl who goes on a journey around the United States called Scarlet and is heavily influenced by the world after the events of September 11. Tori Amos has always challenged her audience but with this release I think it's an easier listen than an album like From The Choirgirl Hotel, which I feel was all over the place. There's a narrative here and it forces you to really listen closely. There are references to Native American history, pornography, and womanhood and her place in the world. I find it a very sweet record, and very melodic. It is fast becoming a favorite of mine. As the terrible events of September 11 took place, we had to look a cold, hard look on ourselves and our history. Our history, our country, is beautiful, yet we have such a dark history, especially in respect to how we treat people we view as "the other", this includes Native Americans and our attitudes toward other nations. This album comes out of those questions and attitudes. I applaud Tori for making such a great record, which I return to often. Here her influences seem extremely apparent. She is an artist whose work is influences by greats such as Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell and these are songs which shine as brightly. Amber Waves references the movie Almost Famous and the character of the same name. A Sorta Fairytale talks about the famous highway 101 going across the west coast of America, and Virginia talks about the first state admitted into the nation and Native Americans and our great land. Here are some of my favorites.

Amber Waves:

Strange:

Carbon:

Neuroticfish - Gelb (2005)

Neuroticfish were one of the most important bands in electronic music. They broke up shortly after this album was released but it stands as their best album. If you're a fan of bands like Depeche Mode, or Fad Gadget, this one should fit right in. Sacha's melodic vocals are very reminscent of Dave Gahan, yet are unique on it's own. I loved the cover of They're Coming To Take Me Away. This music doesn't have to be serious all of the time. It's not overproduced, it doesn't just rely on heavy beats. It's very synthy and soothing without being too corny, which happens for a lot of bands from this genre. The song Waving Hands is all about going into the wilderness as a way to reconnect with your own self is one of their best songs. I haven't really heard this album in a while but I was reminded of it recently while looking up EBM groups online. I really should be hearing more the EBM bands I used to love. The song The Bomb is apparantly about cell phones, it's super catchy too. A must hear! Some good songs from this album as as follows:

The Bomb:

I Don't Need The City:

Waving Hands:

Stone Temple Pilots - Purple (1994)

Stone Temple Pilots second album sees them going a different direction than their debut album, Core. Core was more of a rock/grungeish album and Purple sees the band going a more psychedelic route. Vasoline remains a favorite of mine, with it's catchy chorus and sorta-nonsense lyrics. Pretty Penny is another song which sees a blues influence and did receive some radio play when it was first released. Scott Weiland's voice really shines on this song. This album as a whole is perfect driving music, with soothing melodies, psychedelic and glam influences and it's just a great all around record. Unglued was another song which was a huge radio hit, yet never released as a single. A must hear. Here are some great tracks:

Interstate Love Song:

Vasoline:

Unglued:

Top 20 Tori Amos songs

Rarely do artists have such dedicated fans as Tori Amos. Tori is an artist who inspires either hatred or pure love, there seems to be no in between. To compile a list of top Tori Amos tracks seems an exercise in futility, since no two fans can agree on anything, whether it be song interpretations, let alone which songs are essential. There is never a consensus on which songs are essential and many throw away some popular tracks for unknown ones, which is good but still missing some essentials. Tori Amos is a unique artist and no two albums sound the same. She has gone from baroque pop, to simple piano or harpsichord melodies, to electronica to classical on her latest release. There's no telling where her next album will lead. Looking through her work you do see some common themes. The most common are womanhood, femininity, religion, relationships, motherhood (lately), selfdiscovery, and heartbreak. Throughout her 12 (13 if you count Y Can't Tori Read) albums she has approached all these topics and has always managed to maintain true to herself and her diehard fanbase. She has also had some pretty interesting friendships with writers and musicians such as Neil Gaimain (who she mentions in song frequently), Trent Reznor (who sang on Past The Mission and Tori herself has made several references to Nine Inch Nails songs and albums), and Maynard James Keenan of Tool (there's a live version of Mohammed My Friend with him on backing vocals). She has also cofounded the foundation RAINN (The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), a toll-free help line in the US connecting callers with their local rape crisis center. Amos herself was a victim of rape (and has inspired some songs such as Me and A Gun and Silent All These Years). She is an inspiration musically and as a person and here are 20 songs which are some of my personal favorites.I would also like to add how much of an incredible live performer she is. She really gets into the songs and has such a passion for what she does. Here is my list of top 20 songs. I know some notable songs are missing but it's very difficult to narrow this down to 20 but here goes.


#20 Virginia from the album Scarlet's Walk (2002)
This song is about America, Native Americans struggles and the bloody history America has been through. The last line is especially interesting "Virginia, you can't remember your name". Virginia was the first state admitted into the nation, many early states and cities had Native American names, and also the name itself, Virginia..virgin, maybe about how the land was pure but then was corrupted.

#19 Concertina from the album From Venus and Back (1999)
A song about being all the different personalities inside you. Tori had this to say about it back in 1999. "Do you ever feel like you walk in a room, and you don't know why, but you're just so uncomfortable you're crawling out of your skin, even though nobody's touched you, physically? That's in 'Concertina,' when you feel like you haven't excavated enough of your different personalities that when one pops up, you're not sure where it came from, and you try to hack it out of yourself. It shocks you that you could have this kind of fault, or that other people could bring it out in you."

#18 Take to the Sky b-side of Winter
Great song! It's about living your own life and not caring about what anyone things. An empowering song. Having confidence even when it's hard. This song should be more popular.

# 17 Bouncing Off Clouds from the album American Doll Posse (2007)
The Beekeeper album deals with topics such as death, adultery, and the Gnostic gospels. This song is a simple song. It's about keeping a relationship with a person by not making things to complicated. It's about keeping things easy.

#16 A Sorta Fairytale from the album Scarlet's Walk (2002)
A song about being open to receive love. not fairytale, real love. Love which means accepting people with all their flaws, quirks..everything. It also mentions travel, which is a theme on the Scarlet's Walk album. A very weird video featuring actor Adrian Brody where Tori is a head attached to a leg and Adrian is a head attached to an arm.

#15 Cornflake Girl from the album Under The Pink (1994)
One of Tori Amos best known songs. The inspiration for "Cornflake Girl" came from Alice Walker's novel Possessing the Secret of Joy, about a young African woman going through the ritual of female genital mutilation. Amos was angered by the idea that a mother could subject her daughter to such a brutal act, and the song arose as an exploration of the idea of betrayal between women. In the song two factions of women are referred to: the "raisin girls" are "multicultural" and open-minded, while the "cornflake girls" of the title are "narrowminded and full of prejudice"

#14 Bliss from the album To Venus and Back (1999)
It's about people wanting to enter your mind, know your every thought. Sometimes you kill your own thoughts so others won't have access. It's basically about taking control of your own life and having it be your own.

#13 Crucify from the album Little Earthquakes (1991)
A reminder that we are not perfect and we shouldn't continue to crucify ourselves every day. There are also religious undertones, which is a theme in a lot of Tori Amos' songs such as the line "Just what god needs...one more victim" This song is also about religious guilt especially in the lines about dirty sheets, how religions shames us and makes us feel guilty for things like sex, etc..

#12 Strange from the album Scarlet's Walk (2002)
Many of the songs on Scarlet's Walk was written after 9/11. It's a bit of a political record about the US after that event. The album is about a journey all across the US. There are references to Native Americans, history, a girl going to New York, etc... This song in particular is one of my favorites. It has a very sad sound to it, the radio version gave it a bit of a country sound. Nevertheless, so soothing. This seems to be about a relationship gone wrong.

#11 God from the album Under The Pink (1994)
An excellent song about how can god create such beautiful things like daisies yet also cause death and disease. It's Tori questioning religion again. It's also about how religion is so male-dominated (for example, how some women cannot speak in church and god is always reffered to as "he") This is one of my personal favorites. In the video for the song, it shows a lot of religiously-themed situations. Tori is also famously seen dancing with rats and snakes.

#10 Spring Haze from the album To Venus and Back (1999)
A strangely optimistic song. This album seems to be about Tori coming to terms with her past and a sense of relief. It's about moving forward after years of unhappiness. There's also references to JFK Jr.s death yet this song sounds so hopeful

#09 Spark from the album From The Choirgirl Hotel (1998)
From the Choirgirl Hotel was a very different album for Tori Amos. It's the first where she uses a full rock band as backup and there are hints of electronica also. This song specifically mentions Tori's miscarriage. It's a very dark song and it seems like Tori is mad at god as well for letting such a thing happen. Here is what Tori herself had to say about it. "Y'know, once you've felt life in your body, you can't go back to having been a woman that's never carried life. The other thing is feeling something dying inside you and you're still alive. Obviously when it was happening, it was already over, but in my mind, you don't know that it's over yet. You're doing anything, thinking, 'Oh God, maybe if I put a cork up myself, maybe it'll keep this little life in.' That's why in 'Spark', I say, 'She's convinced she could hold back a glacier/But she couldn't keep baby alive.' You just start going insane. There's nothing you can do, so so you surrender and then... start again."

#8 Pretty Good Year from the album Under The Pink (1994)
Growing up, getting older, the passing of time. Greg was a guy who had written to Tori for advice, this is Tori consoling him in song. It's also about shaking the feeling of numbness. The burning CDs line refers to literally burning CDs, not recording blank CDs.

#7 Marys of the Sea from the album The Beekeeper (2005)
About Mary Magdeline, and possibly her relationship with Jesus. mary was a sinner and is afraid of being chased away from town. "Last time I checked he came to light the lamp for everyone" might be about how everyone has an idea of Jesus' message but it's universal

#6 Caught A Lite Sneeze from the album Boys For Pele (1996)
One of Tori Amo's best known songs. The video is extremely psychedelic and colorful. The album Boys for Pele was written after Tori broke up with her boyfriend and it does mentions her relationships with other men. It's a very interesting album in that it heavily focuses on women's role in religion and relationships. This song is rumored to be about Trent Reznor because Tori mentions pretty hate machine, which was the debut album from Nine Inch Nails. Tori says this album is about female's self-discovery in a male dominated world.Voltaire does a pretty neat cover of this song as well.


#5 Father Lucifer from the album Boys For Pele (1996)
There's a funny story about this song. Tori's father thought she wrote it about him but it happened to be about this time she took drugs with a shaman and had visions of the devil. Powerful song, the lyrics are way out there, even for a Tori Amos song. The lyrics seem to be about looking for those hidden places, those places we hide from others. Many Tori songs talk about this, it seems to be a universal theme. There's a really cool part in the song where all the voices all crash together, which I guess is like the voices guiding you, yet it all seems so confusing.

#4 Silent All These Years from the album Little Earthquakes (1991)
This song is about finding your voice in spite of all the relationships you find yourself in. Tori says she was inspired after reading Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid to her niece and the story deals with the character losing her voice and essence for something else. The single was released to cause awareness of the RAINN foundation.

#3 Blood Roses from the album Boys For Pele (1996)
The angriest song Tori has ever done. This opens up Boys for Pele and what an opening! I think the song is about use and abuse. It's how you feel after being wronged. “God knows, I know I’ve thrown away those graces” I just love those lyrics. This song is solely played on a harpsichord, there's no other instruments but it totally rocks! One of the most requested songs from Tori Amos. Intense performance.

#2 Precious Things from the album Little Earthquakes (1991)
This list is pretty Little Earthquakes heavy. I couldn't make a Tori Amos list without including this song. It starts slow yet builds in intense anger. It's about letting go of bad things. It also seems to be about insecurities and a girl who feels ugly, so she does sexual things to compensate. She feels insecure next to those "beautiful girls" and "christian boys". When she talks about "precious things, let them bleed, let them wash away" it could be referencing virginity. It also talks about moving forward and forgetting the bad things.

#1 Winter from the album Little Earthquakes (1991)
This song is about Tori and her relationship with her father. It's about a father wanting to take care of his daughter, and about her growing up into her own person and learning to love herself. He tells her to stand up for herself because he won't always be around. Powerful song and I love the music on this one.

Original and cover: Love Will Tear Us Apart

The most popular song from Joy Division. It has been one of the most covered songs of all time. The lyrics reflect singer Ian Curtis' problems with his marriage to Deborah Curtis, and the title is an homage to the Captain and Tennile song "Love Will Keep Us Together" It also talks about his general frame of mind at the time. NME has named it as best single of all time in 2002, Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys has said it is his favorite song of all time. It was featured in an important scene in Donnie Darko where Donnie has to leave his girlfriend to save the world. An important song, but in my opinion, not their best. I think that spot belongs to New Dawn Fades, Novelty or 24 Hours. Joy Division was one of the most important postpunk bands and this song was basically their legacy. The title was even written on Ian's tombstone. Their dark lyrics and Ian's singing predated the gothic rock subgenre, and were the first band to be labeled as "gothic". John Bush of Allmusic argues that Joy Division "became the first band in the post-punk movement by ... emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s." I first heard it on some 120 Minutes compilation CD which names escapes me. I wanted to hear more from this band. I was bummed to find out they were no more. I ended up getting the Heart and Soul box set which includes everything you really need to hear from them. Here is the original song:

Like I mentioned, there have been too many covers of this song to count, so let's start with the Cure's version. This version is pretty good, keeping the same spirit as the original. The basslines are a bit fuzzy and loud which distracts from the vocal a bit. Overall, a pretty ok cover. Joy Division did open for The Cure for a bit during the late 70s as well. Here is the version from the Cure.

Now, this version from The Swans happens to be my favorite and I have said before that this should be the only cover that should exist because it's sooo good. Actually there are two covers of this song from this band. Let's look at the version with Jarboe on lead vocals first. This version is my favorite of the two because of her beautiful, ethereal vocals and the nice guitar on this. It gives a whole new meaning, look and sound to the song. It's nice to hear a female voice interpret this song. So pure and beautiful.

The following is another cover by Swans. This time it featured Michael Gira on lead vocals, though Jarboe does backing vocals. This is more similar to the original, though (and many Joy Division purists will dislike the following comment), I feel Michael Gira has a better voice than Ian. Ian was more of an emotional singer but Michael is the better vocalist here. I love the use of guitar and the vocals of Michael and Jarboe here. This to me is the definitive version of this song, a must hear.

The last cover is from bossa nova group, Nouvelle Vague (which roughly translates to new wave). Nouvelle Vague are a covers band, but they cover 80s and new wave song in a bossa nova style. They have covered songs from The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, XTC, The Church, Depeche Mode, PiL, among others. I love their album and it's always awesome to hear this old classics in a different form. The singer has a very strong French accent so it might not be for everyone. I happen to like how awkward it sounds. Here's Nouvelle Vague's cover of Love Will Tear Us Apart.

The list is endless of bands who have covered this. It has been covered by U2, Fall Out Boy, Heavens, New Order (which is Joy Division minus Ian), Bjork, Dave Gahan, Thom Yorke (of Radiohead), Jose Gonzalez, Apoptygma Berzerk, Moonspell, Arcade Fire, John Frusciante, among tons others. I think only Love Song by The Cure has been covered by more artists. Nevertheless, check out the covers I posted. Thanks again!

Currently listening to: Week of April 23,2012

To really hear an artist's work, you must look past the hit singles. The entire album is worth hearing to truly get a glimpse of it all in one body of work. Here are some of the albums I am listening to this week.

Iggy and the Stooges - Live at ATP 2010 (2012)

Limited edition release for Record Store Day. This album features Iggy and the Stooges performing the entire Raw Power record live. This record only includes a few songs from Raw Power. It also includes Funhouse and other songs. It sounds completely incredible live, especially on vinyl. There is also a 13 minute interview included where Iggy sounds a bit tired and talks about some upcoming book and the tour. Included on the vinyl is a download code where you can download the entire performance for free! This shows what an incredible vocalist Iggy is and such energy for his age! Hurry and purchase because this is limited to 1,000 copies. Here's a few of the tracks.

Funhouse:

I Wanna Be Your Dog:

Death Trip

R.E.M - Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)

One of the top 3 best R.E.M. albums ever. It's a more upbeat album compared to their previous Fables of the Reconstruction. There were only 2 singles from this album released, Fall On Me (which talks about acid rain) and their cover of the Clique's Superman (sung by Mike Mills). Even though there were only 2 singles from this album, there were tons of classic songs, including Cuyahoga (which talks about the infamous river which was so polluted it caught fire), and Begin The Begin (which is fast becoming a favorite of mine). One of the important albums released in the 1980s. Here are some examples of songs from this album:

Cuyahoga:

Fall On Me:

Swan Song H:

T. Rex - Electric Warrior (1971)

The biggest selling album in the US in 1971, this even peaked on the US charts at #32. This includes some of T. Rex's greatest hits including Bang a Gong (their only US hit) and Jeepster. Produced by Toni Visconti (who would later work with David Bowie), this album is rocking, yet touching. Sadly, vocalist Marc Bolan died in 1977, but this music lives on and it still used in movies and TV shows. This is the first glam rock record, and it preceded Bowie's huge success. Here are some of my favorites from this album.

Jeepster:

Cosmic Dancer:

Life's A Gas:

Depeche Mode - Ultra (1997)

When this was released, I was originally not a fan of this album. I wasn't used to this new sound. It was darker, not as upbeat as I was used to from this band. Barrel of a Gun was the first single and it has now become one of my favorite songs. It's interesting when you find out this was written after Alan Wilder left the group, Martin Gore was suffering from seizures, Dave Gahan was battling drug use and Fletch was having emotional issues. This influenced the song and the album. It's No Good, Useless, and Home were also singles from this album. There's also an excellent version of Sister of Night which Martin Gore sang on the Exciter tour which is pure emotion. One of the great 90s albums. Here are some great songs:

Barrel of A Gun:

Useless:

Sister of Night:

Oingo Boingo - Only a Lad (1981)

Coming out of the Los Angeles early new wave/punk scene from the early 80s, this album establishes Oingo Boingo as a new wave group (they were previously a cabaret act). This albums mentions social taboos (especially in the tongue-in-cheek Little Girls, and Nasty Habits). The music was a mixture of new wave, ska, jazz, even heavy metal. A very diverse record which features vocalist Danny Elfman (who is now known more for his soundtrack work with Tim Burton). Local Los Angeles radio station KROQ constantly played songs like Only A Lad, and Little Girls. They later influenced groups such as Mr. Bungle and Nirvana. It's hard to believe how young this band was and how much influence they had later on. Listen to these songs:

Only A Lad:

Little Girls:

Nasty Habits:

That's it for this week. This was a fun trip back through time.

\