Album Of The Week
Blue Sky Mining –
Midnight Oil
This week we have the first of my 17 albums by Australian band Midnight Oil to be selected, with their 1990 release, Blue Sky Mining.
Its taken almost 3 years for a Midnight Oil album to be
selected as my album of the week but the wait was worth it as this is probably
my “go to” album if I were introducing someone to the band for the first time.
Like many people in the UK, my first experience of the band
was in 1997 when their single, Beds Are Burning received extensive radio and
television exposure which in turn saw the release go into the top 20 of the
singles chart.
On first listen I was hooked and subsequently bought the
album, Diesel And Dust, from which the song was lifted and since then I have
been very keen on the band and kept up with all of their albums.
Their back story is very interesting, formed way back in
1972, they were largely shunned by Australian mainstream radio but built a cult
following from explosive live performances and promotion via alternative music
outlets.
Although their albums well received in Australia it was the
Diesel And Dust album in 1987 that catapulted them onto the international stage
with their heartfelt, confrontational lyrics and music that would really best
be described as “alt-rock / post punk.
Whatever labels or genres are attached to Midnight Oil they
use their music to highlight and challenge multiple social and political issues,
especially the rights of the indigenous peoples in their homeland. Over the
years they have played many benefit concerts and donated royalties to numerous
funds and projects, they are the committed and sincere rock activists.
Singer, Pete Garrett, as well as band activities was also
active in Australian politics for a number of years and served in government as
an environmental and education minister.
Blue Sky Mine, released in 1990, is the bands 7th
studio album and commercially it carried on from the breakthrough success of its
predecessor, Diesel And Dust and was the third consecutive number 1 album for
Midnight Oil in Australia.
However, I felt a distinct musical shift with the album, and
in hindsight from the majority of the 6 albums that came before. The aggression
was tempered with more emphasis on acoustic guitars and a cleaner production.
This gave space for the melodies of the songs and the captivating vocals of
charismatic front man Peter Garrett.
For me, the cleanliness and clarity added an extra dimension
to the band adding a maturity of sound while not compromising the actual content
of the songs.
I was very impressed with Blue Sky Mining upon release and in
my opinion the album has not diminished at all in the 35 years since its release.
My first selection is opening track on the album, Blue Sky
Mine, the first released as a single and a song that highlights the experiences
of workers in an Australian asbestos mine.
Fake News & Propaganda
– Ferocious Dog
It’s a change of direction this week as week delve into the first of my 8 albums by Nottinghamshire based folk punk band Ferocious Dog to be selected.
Ferocious Dog first came to my attention in 2013 when they
supported Mad Dog McRae at a big gig in Plymouth Guildhall that Julie and I
attended. I was instantly taken with their folk based songs infused with a punk
sensibility and energy. With driving guitar and layers of melody from a prominent
fiddle there were shades of the Levellers. Coupled with folk instrumentation
and songs that dig into historical and contemporary social/political themes
they were an instant hint with me and that night I bought their self-titled debut
album.
The band are fronted by singer/guitarist Ken Bonsall who in
2012 lost his son Lee after he took his life following a battle with PTSD after
serving with the British army in Afghanistan. The theme and circumstances of
this tragedy were pivotal to some of the early songs of the band and their subsequent
campaigning and fundraising.
Released in 2019, Fake News & Propaganda is the fourth
album from the band and in my opinion it was their strongest album at the time
of release. There is a real cohesion with the album and in the words of Ken
Bonsall it was a more mature album.
There are a number of subjects covered on the album, delivered
with conviction while the music leans more towards the punk but still with
enough folk elements to keep the album varied and interesting.
There has been a revolving door of band members especially
in the last 3 years but at the time of this album the line up was settled and
that continuity was evident with the progression from their previous album, Red,
to this album.
What is clear with the album is how well it translates live,
the setting where Ferocious Dog really come into their own and there is a immediate
and live feel to this album.
Fake News & Propaganda received very positive reviews
upon release from both folk and punks channels and although the album did not
chart Ferocious Dog are no strangers to the folk charts.
My first selection is the album opener, Cry Of The Celt, a
very strong, anti-war song to kick off the album.
Darkest White - Tristania
Darkest White, released in 2013 is the seventh and final
full length studio album from a band that was instrumental in establishing the genre
of gothic metal along with fellow Norwegians Theatre Of Tragedy.
Although there was quite a fluid lineup to the band, through
their time they never lost that key Tristania sound that incorporated multiple
vocal styles from female soprano, male death growls and clean vocals backed with
the powerful, melodic guitars and synths. The band maintained the creative
force of Einar Moen and Anders Hilde which certainly kept the spirit of the
band true right through their 7 albums while the incorporation of Green Carnation
vocalist Kjetil Nordhus added an extra dimension.
Darkest While was the second album to feature female vocals
of Mariangela Demurtas who had seamlessly replaced Vibeke Stene following the
release of the 2007’s Illumination album (album of the week 29/10/2022) so this
album has a very settled and confident feel to it.
Subsequently Tristania delivered a very strong album with Darkest
White which was very well received critically especially with its three pronged
vocal approach.
I like the variation on the album and although true to their
gothic metal roots they delve into the realms of doom/death adding to the
layers of substance and versatility. There is some real dark driving metal on
this album to compliment the melodic interludes.
At the time of release in 2013 I am sure the band did not know
this would be their final album but Darkest White is a very good release to
close the recording career of one the pioneering bands of the “beauty and the
beast” style of gothic metal.
Tristania continued to play live after the album but following
a tour cancellation in 2022 due to health reasons the band announced their
cessation and in the intervening 3 years there been no mention of this changing.
My first selection is the album opener Number, a song that
opens with shades of black/death metal indicating the variety the band are
looking to deliver on the album.
Real Life – Simple
Minds
This week we stay with the Simple Minds as we have the fourth of my now 19 Simple Minds albums (following the addition of Live In The City Of Diamonds yesterday) to be selected with the 1991 album, Real Life.
Released a little under 2 years after their monumental
album, Street Fighting Years, Real Life had a lot to live up to and given some
of the reviews at the time, the album did not quite hit the heights of its
esteemed predecessor.
Personally, I liked the album and its one that I actually bought
soon after release as I had been staggered by how good the Street Fighting
Years album was and to this day it would rate as one of my all time favourite
albums.
As per last week’s album, the core trio of the band was Jim
Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mel Gaynor and joined a number of guest musicians but
this was the first Simple Minds albums without founder member Mick MacNeil.
The Street Fighting Years album saw the band move away from
the big stadium rock sound and although it still full of anthemic songs the
style incorporated more celtic folk influences while there was a strong
political and social slant.
With Real Life we saw a more radio friendly approach with a
return to a more rock based sound while keeping some of the previous album’s
influences. Lyrically the album felt more personal and introspective and with
the backing female vocals some of the songs had a soulful or even gospel feel.
For me, Real Life seemed like it was tyring to merge the styles
of Once Upon A Time and Street Fighting Years while moving the sound on and not
falling into the trap of reinventing two incredible successful albums. In that
respect I think the Simple Minds produced a good album that bridged the
previous albums which saw a return to a more rock based sound with what followed
with 1995’s Good News From The Next World.
All that being said, I liked Real Life upon release and
still rate the album as a strong Simple Minds release.
Real Life hit number 2 in the UK album charts and produced 4
singles, all of which hit the top 40.
My first selection from the album is opening and title track,
Real Life, the fourth single taken. It’s a powerful song with a very gritty, narrative
lyric, a classic sounding Simple Minds song to kick off this collection.
Black & White
050505 – Simple Minds
This week we have the third of my 18 Simple Minds albums to be selected, the 2005 studio album Black & White 050505.
Although I have been following the band for 40 years, since
their groundbreaking Once Upon A Time album, I have never been one to rush out
and buy their albums on day of release and that was the case with Black &
White 050505.
Therefore, it was with some surprise that when I did get the
album I was instantly hit with what a great release it was.
In some ways, it should have been no surprise but after their
previous two albums, Neon Lights and Cry had pretty much passed me by, Black &
White reminded me of what I like best about the Simple Minds.
Throughout the album, we have the big anthemic songs, great
emphasis on the guitars and keyboards, layers of atmosphere, the grandiose stadium
rock topped off with Jim Kerr’s emotive vocals. It is a style that has come to
symbolise the band as I commented on back in 2022 when their Big Music album
was selected as an album of the week. In essence Black & White 050505 takes
the band back firmly into their new wave, electronic rock roots.
The album features the creative core duo of Jim Kerr and
Charlie Birchill alongside long time drummer Mel Gaynor and the usual revolving
door of guest musicians but it is without doubt a “typical” Simple Minds album.
Whether the album would have won new fans is debatable but
it certainly satisfied a lot of the existing, and still sizeable fan base, a
fan base that to this day allows the band to sell out big tours playing to
packed stadiums and arenas. It was certainly the case with me that it ignited
my interest in the band and since the release of Black & White their subsequent
albums have hit my collection much sooner.
Commercially, Black & White 050505, performed much
better than their previous two albums with it hitting number 37 in the UK album
charts and producing 3 standard release singles although only the lead single,
Home, charted.
The reviews for the album were very positive with the
general feeling that it was a return to form and its an opinion I cannot argue
with though not discounting the merits of there previous releases that I
mentioned earlier.
To clarify, inclusion of the 050505 in the album title is
that it was the date the recording was completed and if was felt it would make
the title more interesting.
As mentioned above, the song Home was the lead single and it’s
a song which I rate as one of my all time favourite Simple Minds songs and as
such, is my first selection from the album.
Todays selection from So, Who's Paranoid has that classic
Damned punk feel to it.
The up-tempo Danger
To Yourself is a song about the privileged adrenaline thrill seekers who have impressive
bank balances but challenged IQs, delivered with the Damned irony and humour.
So, Who’s Paranoid
We return to my album of the week after a 1 week break with the first of my 11 Damned albums to be selected, the 2008 release, So, Who’s Paranoid.
The Damned are a band that, in my opinion, have always been very
much on the same musical trajectory as The Stranglers.
They were one of the pioneers of the early punk sound from
the mid Seventies but as punk evolved they incorporated other styles and influences
and for the Damned they became a band that leaned heavily into gothic rock with
shades of psychedelic and prog. For a genre that initially sneered at
musicianship, The Damned showed moments of true musical ability but with the astute
irony and humour that laced many of their finest songs.
Like many bands, there has been a revolving door of members
but singer David Lett (Dave Vanian), guitarist Ray Burns (Captain Sensible), bassist
Paul Gray and keyboardist Laurence Burrow (Monty Oxymoron) have been staples of
the band over many years. It is the 30 year presence of Oxymoron that has
certainly enhanced the psychedelic influences which have helped shape the band
sound, like his name, psychedelic and punk being a prime oxymoron.
In 2023 the band saw the return of drummer Chris Millar (Rat
Scabies) and given the previous acrimony this was a major turnaround which saw
the band return to their 1980’s line up, a line up that produced some of the
most iconic and groundbreaking Damned albums.
Going back to 2008 though, we saw the release of So, Who’s
Paranoid, the bands 10th studio album and one that ended a 7 year gap
between albums, following on from 2001’s outstanding release Grave Disorder.
The album was very much in keeping with the bands 80’s
sound, drawing on the goth rock and tinges of psychedelic but still maintaining
the defining Damned punk sound that make this a very definable Damned album.
I have always been drawn to the more “gothic” sound of the Damned
and their 1995 release Phantasmagoria remains one of my favourite albums of theirs
and therefore So, Who’s Paranoid really hit a chord with me upon release.
So, Who’s Paranoid was met with mixed reviews but the
positive comments very much mirrored my own conclusions of the album.
For me, its very easy for bands with a long history to become
nostalgic and formulaic but I have never found that with the Damned and in conclusion
I think this album rates among the best the band have released. A fine album
from a fine band.
So, Who’s Paranoid made no impression on the UK album chart
but did hit number 32 in the independent album chart. The album featured 2
singles, one of which, Little Miss Disaster, was released 3 years before the
album.
My first selection is opening track, A Nation Fit For Heroes.
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