The Cure: Seventeen Seconds (Fiction Records/1980)

The Cure's sophomore release, Seventeen Seconds was released in April of 1980. It is the first album to mark a distinct path away from the faster of edgy pop of their debut, Three Imaginary Boys or Boys Don't Cry as it was released in the US. The minimal, precise pop the band plays on Seventeen Seconds had been present on Three Imaginary Boys in the songs “Another Day”, “Accuracy” and the classic “Three Imaginary Boys”.

The album is amazingly successful in creating a definite mood and is psychedelic in a downbeat way. The drums of Laurence Tolhurst and keyboards of Matthieu Hartly are very minimal and precise. Robert Smith's guitar lines are bright and nicely chorused while Simon Gallup's bass lines generally provide the melody lines. “In Your House” is a psychedelic, new wave classic. “Play For Today” although a promo video clip was made for the song and it's appearance on the Staring At The Sea Compact Disc led many to believe it was a single, it was not. Although it does sound like a long-lost classic single.

“A Forest” in fact was a classic new wave single - it was a UK Top 40 hit and reached number 47 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart. It's repetitive four-note bass-line, echoing vocals, backwards snare and chorused guitar all combined with a memorable Smith vocal performance make for a very memorable track. “Secrets”, “M” and the title track are effectively moody, lightly gloomy atmosphere pieces. “At Night” is a nocturnal mini-masterpiece. While “Three”, “A Reflection” and “The Final Sound” are basically instrumental exercises.

This is my favorite album by The Cure and I can't say enough good things about it.

Recommended. Highly.   

Here's the video review:

A Very Special Thanks To: Stephen Worth. 

The Cure: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (6/20/16)

The Cure are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year (they formed in 1976, and started recording in 1978). To celebrate their career the band are on tour to (unofficially, at least) celebrate this. And from the offset of the tour, things were reportedly looking good for long-time/hardcore Cure fans. The band had been performing obscure songs they hadn't since the 1980's. And the band played a three-night residency at New York's famous Madison Square Garden. Despite being a longtime Cure fan, I hadn't yet seen the band perform live. So I was especially looking forward to this show.

The Cure line-up in 2016 is, of course, Robert Smith on vocals, guitar and occasional six-string bass, longtime David Bowie-band member Reeves Gabrels on lead guitar, longtime Cure member Simon Gallup on bass, Roger O'Donnell on Keyboards - who made a welcome return to the fold after a long absence - and Jason Cooper, who has been with The Cure since the mid 90's. The band has a wonderful uniformity of sound and sounded fantastic together. It was also fairly obvious that this was a fun show for them. Gallup and O'Donnell's playfully interactions were revealing of that. Smith still sounded in good voice and still looks as he has always (slightly chubby, black clothes, frizzy hair, some lipstick).

The band opened with the mid-tempo "Out Of This World" from Bloodflowers followed by the wonderful "Pictures Of You" and the fine "Closedown" both from Disintegration. I was overjoyed when the band launched into "High" - a personal favorite from the Summer of 1992's Wish - "A Night Like This", "Push" (which had nearly everyone up dancing) and "In Between Days" (the band's first Billboard Top 100 hit) all of which came from The Head On The Door album. The performed most of their US hits ("Just Like Heaven", "Love Song", "Lullaby") notable absences were "Friday I'm In Love" and "Fascination Street", both of which were performed at the previous MSG shows.

The band performed some classics that they don't always perform - all of which were favorites of mine;  the lilting "The Caterpillar", the bonafide psychedelic classic "A Forest",  the new wave synth dance pop classics "The Walk" and "Let's Go To Bed", the late 80's club classics "Hot! Hot! Hot!" and "Why Can't I Be You" (both of which had the entire place up and dancing frantically), "Play For Today" and "At Night" from their Seventeen Seconds album, the rarity "Bananafishbones" and "Shake Dog Shake" from The Top, "Close To Me" and "Kyoto Song" also from The Head On The Door. The band played for over three hours performing 31 songs with four (!) encores.

Opening band The Twilight Sad were a fitting opening band and were a pleasant surprise.

Overall, The Cure were amazing and exceeded all expectations that I had going in to the show. If you're a Cure fan and are hesitant about seeing them. Don't be. I highly recommend seeing them if/when you have the chance.  

Photos by Bill Wikstrom.

Brian Wilson: Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour, Northside Festival, McCarren Park, Brooklyn NY 6/12/16

The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album is one of the most acclaimed albums of all-time. Rolling Stone Magazine has placed it at #2 in it's 500 Greatest Album Of All Time list. Paul McCartney has famously said that no one is educated musically, until they've listen to it. The late George Martin has also said that "Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper never would have happened. Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds". It basically went on to inspire an entire genre of music (Baroque Pop).  So,
to celebrate it's 50th anniversary, Brian Wilson took the road with his very adept band and Beach Boy Al Jardine and one-time Beach Boy (circa 1971-1974) Blondie Chaplin.

They headlined the Northside Festival at McCarren Park in Brooklyn this year. The band opened with a half-dozen Beach Boys classics - "California Girls, "I Get Around", "Surfer Girl" & "Don't Worry Baby" sung by Brian with his wonderfully capable band, plus "Wild Honey" and "Sail On Sailor" with Blondie on lead vocals. Then the band performed the entire Pet Sounds album in sequence. which includes the classics: "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Sloop John B", "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", "Caroline, No" and "God Only Knows". Plus a whimsical singalong version of "Row Row Row Your Boat" as per request of Mr. Wilson, which was a pretty hilarious highlight. 

The band closed things out with sincere readings of "Good Vibrations", "Barbara Ann", "Surfin' USA" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" - all of which produced a fantastic audience response. It should be noted just how great his band were and how authentic they sounded with obvious love and respect towards to original arrangements of the songs.

Madrid's Hinds, a garage rock combo and were touring in support of their Leave Me Alone album. They were a welcome, if small, surprise. And made for a fine opener who perhaps deserved a better response. Ex-Vampire Weekend member Rostam, backed by a string section also performed as well.

Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings And Food (Sire Records/1978)

More Songs About Buildings And Food is Talking Heads second album. It was the first in a trilogy of albums to be co-produced (with the band) by ex-Roxy Music synth layer and ambient music pioneer Brian Eno. Eno seemed to bring out the best aspects of the band and their interaction with one another. Eno also played synths, keyboards, additional guitars, percussion and backing vocals to the album.

The album more also contains more danceable elements to the songs and rhythm section of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz have become a tight unit. Jerry Harrison's role in the band is even more developed as this point as well. David Byrne's songs are quirky in the same way they were on Talking Heads '77, however there is a more seemingly organic nature to the material. All of the parts played are extremely purposeful yet wonderfully understated.

The cover art is comprised of 529 close-up Polaroids of the band which was done by the late artist Jimmy De Sana. And now resides in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The album reached #29 in the US eventually going Gold and peaked at #21 in the UK charts.

“Stay Hungry”, “Warning Sign”, “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” and especially “The Big Country” are among the bands simplest yet somehow greatest songs, in my humble opinion. The band also achieved their biggest chart hit to date with a Top 40 cover of the Al Green song “Take Me To The River”. The band had previously had a minor hit with “Psycho Killer” which only reached #92 on Billboard's Single Charts. However “Take Me To The River” landed them spots on American Bandstand and Saturday Night Live which formally introduced them to America at large.

This is one of my all-time favorite albums and I can't recommend it highly enough.  

Here is the video review:

Elvis Costello & The Attractions: Get Happy!! (Columbia/1980)

Get Happy!! is the fourth album by Elvis Costello, third with the Attractions. Unlike his other albums with The Attractions, it has a distinctly R&B feel. It is also, in my humble opinion, Elvis' most cohesive creative statement with The Attractions. Produced by Nick Lowe, who had produced all of Costello's albums to date, does a wonderful job with achieving the perfect balance of getting a suitable R&B production on many of the tracks, while getting the best out of the band and what makes them great.

The album contains twenty-tracks, which is unusual for a non-double album release. Fearing audiophile fears of “groove-cramming”, producer Nick Lowe wrote a disclaimer instructing listeners to fear not as there is no loss of quality as the record nears the end of each side. The album also contains some of his best tracks; “New Amsterdam”, “High Fidelity” and “Love For Tender”. Other standouts include “Secondary Modern”, Riot Act” and the Sam & Dave cover of “I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down”. Truth be told all of these songs display Costello's seemingly easy talent of bending phrases to phrases to perfectly fit the rhyme schemes for his always insightful lyrics.

The sleeve has nice retro cover art by the late, legendary artist Barney Bubbles with some editions having ready-made ringwear on the sleeve. It peaked at #2 on the UK charts and #11 in the US, also reaching #11 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 100 Greatest Album Of The 1980's list in 1989.

I personally cannot recommend this album high enough.   

Video Review, anyone?: