ABBA - 1981 - The Visitors

ABBA's final album was recorded during a period of major personal shakeups, principally in the decision by Benny Andersson and Frida to follow the same route to divorce that had already been taken by Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Faltskog. Both male members of the group would soon remarry, but at the time, despite all of these changes in their circumstances, The Visitors was never intended as ABBA's swan song -- they were to go on recording together. That may explain why, rather than a threadbare, thrown-together feel, The Visitors is a beautifully made, very sophisticated album, filled with serious but never downbeat songs, all beautifully sung and showing off some of the bold songwriting efforts. The title track is a topical song about Soviet dissidents that also manages to be very catchy, while "I Let the Music Speak" sounds like a Broadway number (and a very good one, at that) in search of a musical to be part of, and "When All Is Said and Done" is a serious, achingly beautiful ballad with a lot to say about their personal situations -- even "Two for the Price of One," a lighthearted song sung by Björn Ulvaeus about answering a personal advertisement, offered several catchy hooks and beautiful backup singing. "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room" ended the original album on a hauntingly ethereal note, but not as any kind of larger statement about the quartet's fate. The intention was to keep working together, but Andersson and Ulvaeus' growing involvement with their stage project, Chess, prevented any further work together by the group beyond three songs, "The Day Before You Came," "Cassandra," and "Under Attack" -- they're all present as bonus tracks on the 2001 remastered edition (in gatefold packaging), along with the orphaned B-side "Should I Laugh or Cry" from the same sessions as The Visitors, and only add to the appeal of the original album.

1 The Visitors Andersson, Ulvaeus 5:45
2 Head Over Heels Andersson, Ulvaeus 3:46
3 When All Is Said and Done Andersson, Ulvaeus 3:17
4 Soldiers Andersson, Ulvaeus 4:37
5 I Let the Music Speak Andersson, Ulvaeus 5:18
6 One of Us Andersson, Faltskog, Lyngstad… 3:54
7 Two for the Price of One Andersson, Ulvaeus 3:35
8 Slipping Through My Fingers Andersson, Ulvaeus 4:02
9 Like an Angel Passing Through My Room Andersson, Ulvaeus 3:34

¡Aquí!

Work - 1982 - Slow Crimes

If a band that combines the shrill hectoring vocal tone of Flux of Pink Indians with the twee atonality of Henry Cow is your cup of tea, then you'll be thrilled to see the CD reissue of the Work's debut LP. It was originally released in 1982 and sounds it, but that's no criticism -- it's also avant-garde in a very distinctively British way, but that's no criticism either. What is a criticism is the fact that both "Flies" and "State Room" are avant-garde in really rather boring, aimless ways; it's also something of a criticism to say that "Like This" comes across as something that might have been Arnold Schoenberg's idea of pop music. But "Balance" is both weird and fun, with moments of frenetic polka-like punkiness and moments of strange (and kind of silly) quietude. Catherine Jauniaux's guest vocals are lots of good, squeaky fun, but ex-Henry Cow member Tim Hodgkinson is the one whose vocal style -- warbly, watery, unsteady -- really sets the tone for the album as a whole. The album's highlight track is probably "Brickyard," a rhythmically straightforward exploration of multi-layered percussion and guitar sounds and the kind of thing that really would have gotten Fred Frith going if Hodgkinson had brought in the charts during his Henry Cow days. If I keep bringing up Henry Cow, it may be because it seems like that band was doing all the things this band does best ten years earlier, and was doing them better. But that's not really a criticism either. Well, OK -- actually it is.

1 Nearly Empty Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 2:59
2 Balance Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 2:22
3 Pop Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 4:46
4 Flies Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 2:25
5 Like This Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 2:56
6 Knives Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 3:32
7 Cain & Abel Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 4:17
8 State Room Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 3:27
9 Brickyard Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 4:42
10 Do It Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 2:22
11 Le Travail Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 3:37
12 Maggot Song Gilonis, Hobbs, Hodgkinson, Wilson 2:46

¡Aquí!

Abejorros - 1997 - Partido, Revancha y Bueno

Este trío nació tras la disolución de Duna, en 1990 y alcanzó las bateas con su primer álbum ("Por unas monedas") en 1993, con la producción del ex-Sui Generis Rinaldo Rafanelli.

La presentación masiva fue en River, al telonear (junto a Nito Mestre) a Paul McCartney, en los shows que el ex-Beatle brindó a fines de 1993.

Los Abejorros se presentaron en Ferro previamente al show del dúo sueco Roxette, a mediados de 1995. En 1997, tras varias postergaciones, lanzaron "Partido revancha y bueno", el segundo álbum, presentado en una gira por Córdoba, Rosario y Mendoza.

1. La suerte quizo
2. Van a ver
3. Qué le voy a hacer
4. Esta vida (inv. Chizzo - La Renga)
5. Rey en soledad
6. Bajo Flores
7. Vagar
8. Hacete cargo
9. En casa solo
10. Velas y banderas
11. Multifacético
12. Esclavo de vos
13. Vagar (remix)
14. Calle abajo (bonus)

¡Aquí!

Hammill, Peter - 1981 - Sitting Targets

Peter Hammill again plays the same trick as he did in 1978-1979, when, after the strange, experimental The Future Now LP, came the more straightforward pH7. The same relationship exists between A Black Box and Sitting Targets. The latter LP, released in 1981, is often overlooked because of its cold, very early-'80s production, but it has yielded many classic songs that would grow out of their rather square studio arrangements and go on to provide fans with many memorable live moments. And once you get used to the sound (something a lot easier here than with Skin), Sitting Targets is actually a pretty strong record -- and the presence of drummer Guy Evans on most tracks is no stranger to that. Granted, "Breakthrough" and "Hesitation" are not fantastic rock songs, but they work well and counterbalance the darker atmospheres of "Glue" and "Ophelia" on the first LP side. "Sitting Targets" and "Sign" remain good, catchy songs with an edge. The only real disappointment, but only in retrospect, is "Stranger Still," which lacks its a cappella coda, and most of the spine-tingling madness the singer imbues it with onstage. "Central Hotel" will also provide an excellent rock number for theHammill spin-off band K-Group, and makes for a punchy album closer. Good songwriting can survive dated production values. Here's proof.


Tracks

1 Breakthrough Hammill 4:01
2 My Experience Hammill 3:19
3 Ophelia Hammill 3:15
4 Empress's Clothes Hammill 4:06
5 Glue Hammill 3:49
6 Hesitation Hammill 4:10
7 Sitting Targets Hammill 5:26
8 Stranger Still Hammill 5:00
9 Sign Hammill 3:50
10 What I Did Hammill 3:43
11 Central Hotel Hammill 4:41

¡Aqui!

Lennox, Annie - 1995 - Medusa

The critics savaged Annie Lennox's sophomore effort when it first came out, and it's easy to see why: it's not that an all-covers album was a bad idea, but she did pick some rather large shoes to fill and she did kind of run roughshod over the songs themselves, taking gritty material by the likes of Neil Young and the Clash and turning it into super-slick electro-pop ear candy. But on the other hand, candy sometimes really hits the spot, and Lennox's rendition of "No More I Love You's" by the ultra-obscure British pop band the Lover Speaks is ravishingly, heartbreakingly lovely. Those who have never heard the Clash's original version of "Train in Vain" might not find her version as objectionable as the critics did, either. But there's no arguing with the critics when it comes to her anemic take on the Al Green classic "Take Me to the River" or her equally numb rendition of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." Those who have given up on looking cool, however, might find themselves able to enjoy her gentle arrangement of "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Don't pay full price for this, but snap it up if you find it in a bargain bin somewhere.

		1		No More "I Love You's"	Freeman, Hughes	4:51
		2		Take Me to the River	Green, Hodges	3:31
		3		A Whiter Shade of Pale	Brooker, Reid	5:17
		4		Don't Let It Bring You Down	Young	3:36
		5		Train in Vain	Jones, Strummer	4:38
		6		I Can't Get Next to You	Strong, Whitfield	3:09
		7		Downtown Lights	Buchanan	6:42
		8		Thin Line Between Love and Hate	Members, Poindexter ...	5:53
Composed by: Members, Poindexter, Poindexter
		9		Waiting in Vain	Marley	5:40
		10		Something So Right	Simon	3:54

¡Aquí!

D'Arby, Terence Trent - 1987 - Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent d'Arby is a strong debut by this young singer, who wrote virtually every note, played a multitude of instruments, and claimed that this was the most important album since the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. Hits included "If You Let Me Stay," "Dance Little Sister," "Sign Your Name," and the number one "Wishing Well." His first album is a curious mixture of old and new styles. Although the production is quite modern, d'Arby shows his roots in the work of older artists, borrowing a page or two from Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, while James Brown appears to have had the strongest influence on d'Arby's stage presence.

		1		If You All Get to Heaven	DArby	5:17
		2		If You Let Me Stay	DArby	3:14
		3		Wishing Well	DArby, Oliver	3:30
		4		I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words)	DArby	3:37
		5		Dance Little Sister	DArby	3:55
		6		Seven More Days	DArby	4:34
		7		Let's Go Forward	DArby	5:32
		8		Rain	DArby	2:58
		9		Sign Your Name	DArby	4:37
		10		As Yet Untitled	DArby	5:33
		11		Who's Lovin' You	Robinson	4:24

¡Aquí!

Bee Gees - 1971 - Trafalgar

The Bee Gees had entered the early '70s with a roaring success in the guise of "Lonely Days" and its accompanying album, which established their sound as a softer pop variant on the Moody Blues' brand of progressive rock. Trafalgar, which followed, carried the process further on what was their longest single LP release, clocking in at 47 minutes. The music all sounded meaningful, much of it displaying the same kind of faux-grandeur that the Moody Blues affected on their music of this era, the core group (playing pretty hard) acompanied by either Mellotron-generated orchestra or the real thing, with the group's soaring harmonies and Robin Gibb's quavaring lead vocals all over the place. As with 2 Years On's "Man for All Seasons," there was also one title ("Lion in Winter," featuring a startling falsetto performance) lifted from a recently popular film and play having to do with English history. It was all very beautifully produced and, propelled into record-store racks by the presence of "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," the group's first No. 1 single, Trafalgar shipped very well initially. Nothing else on the record was remotely as memorable as the single, however, and its sales were limited. Trafalgar was also the handsomest and most elaborately designed of their albums, its cover reprinting Pocock's painting "The Battle of Trafalgar" and the interior gatefold containing a shot of the brothers enacting the scene of the death of Lord Nelson. It all imparted the sense of a concept album, though nothing in the music said so, except perhaps the finale, "Walking Back to Waterloo." Despite the hit single, the album showed the limits of the Bee Gees' talents as songwriters and of their appeal as album artists.

		1		How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?	Gibb, Gibb	3:58
		2		Israel	Gibb	3:44
		3		The Greatest Man in the World	Gibb	4:17
		4		It's Just the Way	Gibb	2:33
		5		Remembering	Gibb, Gibb	4:01
		6		Somebody Stop the Music	Gibb, Gibb	3:31
		7		Trafalgar	Gibb	3:53
		8		Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself	Gibb	5:24
		9		When Do I	Gibb, Gibb	3:57
		10		Dearest	Gibb, Gibb	3:52
		11		Lion in Winter	Gibb, Gibb	3:59
		12		Walking Back to Waterloo	Gibb, Gibb, Gibb	3:51

¡Aquí!