Album #71: Outdoor Elvis by The Swirling Eddies

1.     

Sound: Garage band

Mood: Hilariously sarcastic

Important songs: Strange Days, Billy Graham

Song You Must Hear: Hide the Beer, the Pastor’s Here

Quote: “Coco, you seem awfully sad today… that’s more like calculated existential angst.”

“Be our friend, save us Outdoor Elvis; we have sinned, forgive us Outdoor Elvis… we might have to set a trap to bring him back…”

Notes: The best album of the genre of sarcastic Christian.  Usually such sarcastic Christians sound like bitter Republicans, but the Swirling Eddies (who is just a re-named Daniel Amos) make as much fun of themselves as anyone else.  And their typical target are money-grubbing televangelists (the chorus of “Attack of the Pulpit Masters” is: moneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoney(deepbreath)moneymoneymoney…”) which I greatly appreciate.  It is truly funny, and the songs are (usually) quite good.

Album #72: In the Fishtank 11 by Black Heart Procession and Solbakken

1.     

Sound: Rock

Mood: Hypnotic

Important songs: Dog Song; Nervous Persian

Song You Must Hear: Voiture En Rouge

Notes: A Dutch label named Konkurrent has an ongoing project in which they will take a band, or two, or thee and throw them in a room for two days and tell them to produce music together.  That pressure cooker of production makes some intense mixes.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it certainly worked for Black Heart Procession (one of my favorite bands) and Solbakken. The spookiness of BHP is toned down, but Solbakken adds a driving beat and some international tones to BHP’s somber melodies. 

Album #73: So by Peter Gabriel

1.  

Sound: A little bit of everything pop

Mood: Inconsistent

Important songs: Big Time, Don’t Give Up, Sledgehammer

Song You Must Hear: In Your Eyes

Quotes: “Long words.  Excellent words.  I can hear them now.”

   “And I pray to a big god as I kneel in the big church.”

Notes:  Gabriel explores every kind of uniqueness here, and difference is the mood of the album.  It is as if Gabriel was given a room full of music toys and he couldn’t decide which one, so he played with them all. And, somehow, every song is fantastic and the album, unbelievably, works as a whole. 

Album #74: Jars of Clay by Jars of Clay

1. 

Sound: Acoustic rock with mandolin

Mood: Depressive

Important Songs: Flood, Love Song for a Savior

Song You Must Hear: Liquid

Quotes: “Don't try to reach me, I'm already dead”

Notes: The most unified sound that Jars of Clay produced.  This is an amazing album.  Great to listen to in order to pull you out of depression.  Or keep you in it.  Whatever. 

Album #75: Madman Across The Water by Elton John

1.       

Sound: Acoustic piano singer/songwriter with strings

Mood: Melancholy

Important Songs: Levon, Tiny Dancer

Song You Must Hear:  Madman Across the Water

Quote: “Boredom’s a pastime that one soon acquires…”

Notes: Elton John is the king of the single, but his albums usually leave me cold because they are so much a collection of singles.  Madman is different in that the whole album has a feel, a sense of wholeness.  He is such a master of the piano that when he gives himself to a mood, as he does this album, it is a magnificent statement of that feeling. 

Album #76: Up by Peter Gabriel

1.      

Sound: Progressive electronic

Mood: Smooth with the occasional punch

Important Songs: More Than This

Song You Must Hear: Signal to Noise

Song You Must NOT Hear: Darkness (this one makes me jump)

Quotes: “The news that truly shocks is the empty empty page”

Notes: I didn’t even think of this album at first because I just play it with my other Peter Gabriel, until I realized that I find myself singing some of the songs so often.  Because it has Gabriel’s progressive, interesting music, but it (generally) has a smooth texture, it is perfect music for me to write to.  Gabriel has allowed himself to really grow as an artist and I see this as being the final product of years of musical exploration.

Album #77: Breakfast In America by Supertramp

1.    

Sound: Pop/Rock with a Wulitzer electric piano at the fore

Mood: At times lighthearted, at times angry

Important songs: The Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger, Take the Long Way Home

Song You Must Hear: Breakfast In America

Quotes: “They’ll run for cover when they discover everyone’s a nervous wreck now.”

“Don’t you look at my girlfriend—she’s the only one I got.”

“You gave me Coca-Cola.  You said it tasted good.  And you watch the television and it tells you that you should.”

Notes: Apart from it having some of the strongest singles of the late 70’s/early 80’s, Breakfast also has some of the cleverest lyrics.  They make you feel smart just because you can sing them. My best friend (who is now my wife) and I would sing these songs standing in long lines at Disneyland, much to the consternation of those around us.  Happy memories…

Album #78: Band of Joy by Robert Plant and Band of Joy

1.       

Sound: American Roots

Mood: Fun, light

Important Songs: Angel Dance, House of Cards

Song You Must Hear: Central Two O Nine

Quote:  “I heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Satan your kingdom will come down.’”

Notes: It’s like O Brother with some psychadelia thrown in.  I’ve never heard Plant sound so… well, joyful.  The Band of Joy was the band Plant was a part of before Zeppelin, and it re-formed a number of times after that.  Their blues/folk/old-timey sound with rock influences is just fantastic. 

Album #79: Construction Time Again by Depeche Mode

Sound: Electronic 80’s pop

Mood: Preachy

Important Songs: Pipeline, Everything Counts

Song You Must Hear: Love In Itself

Quote: “Everybody’s waiting for judgment day so they could go, ‘Told you so’”

Notes:  I took a week to drive from So California to Portland to go to Bible school, angry at the injustices I saw in India.  I played this album over and over because it perfectly reflected my mood.  The chaotic pop also made it plenty interesting.  And I think I am in love with Martin Gore’s voice. 

Album #80: War by u2

1.      

Sound: Early U2 (I don’t know what else to call it)

Mood: Angry and kind of sad

Important Songs: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Years’ Day, 40

Song You Must Hear: Refugee

Quote: “How long to sing this song?”

Notes: An amazing early work by U2.  It is driving, and points out the horrors of society, but it is also reflective and heartwrenching.  A compassionate liberal’s bleeding heart, out for everyone to see.