How good is this music?
How bad is this singer?
Why the fade out at the end of nearly all the tracks?
How hard is this crew trying to destroy the world with each song?
Why are they totally trying to CRUSH IT one epic "best song ever man!" after the next?
Why did Ray Manzarek go from The Doors to Nite City?
Lastly, why do they all have longer, poofy-er hair than me?
...Further proving that buying any old record out of sheer curiosity can be hazardous to your health (your hearing in particular)...
That is all.
Landing on Water - Neil Young 1986
Why review this album? We've already done two Neil Young albums (Trans, Le Noise) and the idea that we'll be reviewing all Young's albums should immediately be stricken! The main reason to review "Landing on Water" is because so many people pass off Young's music from the 80s as terrible, and a divergence from what he did best in the decades before and after. The album is 80s, experimental, and extremely listenable. In fact... it's fun, which is something special when you're singing about the weighty things that Young does (homelessness, war, the death of hippie-dom, poverty). It's really something that he manages to get quirky pop music with serious messages to meld into something more than just absolute cheese. Yes, there is some cheese here, but it's the good kind, think Wisconsin Cheddar. It works in his favor, the fact that he can play in these oddball pop landscapes without getting absolutely ruined by them. It's pretty incredible. This particular album has all sorts of typical 80's cheese moments: crummy synths, sing along choirs, slick production, etc. What is missing that you would normally experience in the typical pop crap of the age? Well, for starters the songs don't make me want to hurl. Young sings genuine themes in a passionate way without preaching. The total lack of filler is nice. What's cool as well is that the cover of the album is somewhat avant garde, instead of some airbrushed glamour shot.
Catchy tracks of the album: "People on the Street" and "Touch the Night"
Noteworthy good tracks on the album: "Hippie Dream" and "Bad News Beat"
Bonus Points: "Drifters" has kazoo-ish type noises that overlay the synth rifts.
Sidenote: This album was unpriced at CD Game Exchange, but had a previous pricetag from another store for $1.99 on it. When going to pay, the cashier didn't know what to charge and called over another employee for consultation, who in turn, reasoned "Well, its a Neil Young album, so its at least $5". Needless to say, I got it for the price I wanted, but ohhhh the reasoning!
Gato Barbieri - Chapter One: Latin America, 1973
Well this record wins the What Just Happened Award for the week. It comes to us from being bought on a whim at Woodwards in Hampden, Baltimore, and with having known nothing about it. Its a total chaotic cluster. I'm tired after listening to it only once. Perhaps, there will be a second listen and blog in the future, but, I need to recover first. I don't think its a bad record, just different. As "G.V.A" (possibly a former owner of this record) has scrawled on the back cover, "Gato could be better one side not bad", which sums it up pretty well.
Tip of the day: I do not recommend listening to this record while hungover.
