MUSIC REVIEWS

UPDATED 28th SEPTEMBER 2003

REVIEWS OF NEW AND OLD STUFF

THIS IS ALL MATERIAL I HAVE IN MY COLLECTION AND COMES WITH UN-FETERED RECOMMENDATIONS

AVAILABLE @ REFLEX

THE 2ND ALBUM FROM TOM VERLAINE AND CO. WAS (AND STILL IS) VASTLY UNDER-RATED . FAR FROM BEING MARQUEE MOONS UGLY SISTER , ITS BEAUTY IS ABUSED BY FOLK WHO CAN'T SEE PAST TELEVISION'S GLORIOUS DEBUT . IT INCLUDES MAGICAL PIECES OF MUSIC SUCH AS 'GLORY' , 'DAYS' & THE PEERLESS 'THE DREAM'S DREAM ' . GET THIS AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU GET 'MARQUEE MOON' & 'TELEVISION' . ALL 3 ALBUMS ARE ESSENTIAL !

BOTH MARQUEE MOON AND ADVENTURE HAVE NOW ACHIEVED LONG DESERVED RE-ISSUES WITH BONUS TRACKS - AVAILABLE AT REFLEX

2CD VERSION AVAILABLE AT REFLEX

THE INITIAL VERSION OF THIS SET WAS A 3CD SET , WHICH INCLUDED HIS CONCERT AT THE BBC THEATRE IN 2000 AND WAS A SETLIST THAT COVERED HIS ENTIRE CAREER , A GREAT CONCERT INDEED.

THE AMAZING SIDE OF THIS RELEASE IS THE INCREDIBLE 37 TRACKS RECORDED BETWEEN 1968-1972 . EARLY SONGS CAPTURE BOWIES UNIQUE STYLE OF POP THEATRE BEFORE HE HIT BIG IN 1972 . CONTAINS SELECTIONS FROM MY FAVOURITE ALBUM OF HIS - DAVID BOWIE ( SPACE ODDITY ) . MADE ALL THE MORE AMAZING BY THE FACT THAT ONE OF THESE SESSIONS WAS RECORDED JUST TWO DAYS AFTER HE MET MICK RONSON , SO WE HEAR THAT GREAT COLLABORATION IN ITS TRUE INFANCY .

TRULY REMARKABLE . BRING BACK THE CLASSIC SATURDAY MORNING BBC SESSION AUNTY !

5.99 POUNDS AT REFLEX

HOW DOES ONE FOLLOW SUCH AN AMAZING ALBUM AS 'DESERTERS SONGS' ? . ANSWER - WITH THIS

WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF THIS RECORD , YOU ARE EMOTIONALLY WHACKED AND I'M SURE IT WAS THE SAME FOR THE BAND WHEN THEY FINISHED RECORDING IT . THIS IS THE TYPE OF RECORD WHERE YOU HAVE TO SIT DOWN WITH IT , ALONE , CONTEMPLATE THE LYRICS AND TAKE IT ALL IN . IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU PAINT THE HOUSE WITH ! REPEATED LISTENS BRINGS THE MOST REWARD AS IT GETS UNDER YOUR SKIN . GO AND SEE THEM LIVE AND THE PICTURE IS COMPLETE , YOU KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM . MERCURY REV ARE COMPLETE .

5.99 @ REFLEX

RELEASED ON MAY 14th AND A MASTERPIECE ALSO . THEY'VE RECIEVED CRITICISM FOR THEIR LAST FEW ALBUMS , BUT I FELT THAT PREVIOUS ALBUM 'UP' WAS BLOODY GOOD AND THIS REALLY STICKS IT'S HEAD THROUGH THE CLOUDS . THEY'VE MOVED ON FROM THE DRIVEL THAT WAS THREATENING TO MAKE THEM FLEETWOOD MAC ON 'AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE' AND HAVE FOUND A PLATEAU ON WHICH THEY STAND ALONE . THIS ALBUM WILL REVEAL THE BEST OF R.E.M. SINCE GREEN !!!

5.99 @ REFLEX

THIS MAN WAS SIMPLY AMAZING ! AND THIS ALBUM , HIS FIRST AND LAST STUDIO ALBUM WHILE HE WAS ALIVE , IS SIMPLY STUNNING . MY LIFE STOOD STILL FOR AN HOUR WHEN I FIRST HEARD THIS

EVERYTHING IS THERE IN IT'S ENTIRETY . THE VOICE , THE PLAYING , THE ARRANGEMENTS . I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE WHO LIKES THIS RECORD , WHICH IS MADNESS CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF GOOD MUSIC PEOPLE I RUN WITH . THEY JUST DON'T SEEM TO GET IT . CRAZY .

MOST PEOPLE COMMENT ON JEFFS PERFORMANCE AND THREE OCTAVE RANGE , BUT I'M MOST IMPRESSED BY HIS ARRANGEMENT TECHNIQUES , SUCH ATTENTION TO DETAIL , SUCH SUBTLENESS .

A HEAVY HEAVY LOSS TO MUSIC WHEN HE WENT FOR A SWIM IN THE MISSISSIPPI

MOST CLASH CDS 5.99 @ REFLEX

THE PUREST FORM OF PUNK . THE DEBUT ALBUM BY THE CLASH IS EVERYTHING IT WAS ABOUT . THESE DAYS THIS WOULD BE REFERRED TO AS 'LO-FI' BUT THIS IS WHAT WAS PLAYED IN THE DARK , DAMP STUDIO AND WHAT WENT DOWN ON TAPE . 'WHITE RIOT' WAS A BIG SMACK IN THE FACE FOR ANYONE WHO THOUGHT THE PISTOLS WERE A ONE-OFF AND THIS ALBUM SIGNALLED THAT IT WASN'T A ONE-HORSE RACE .

ANY OF THESE SO-CALLED 'PUNK' BANDS THESE DAYS WHO HAVE SPIKY HAIR AND EXPENSIVE POINTY GUITARS SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY;RE GOING WRONG

JOE IS DEAD - LONG LIVE JOE !