Album Of The Week
The Hit Men – The Stranglers
This week we feature the nineth of my Stranglers albums to be selected with the 1997 compilation release, The Hit Men, The Complete Singles 1977 to 1991.
Over their long and varied recording career there has been a slew of Stranglers compilations, some very good and others clearly being nothing more than a way for a label to rake in a few pounds.
By the time EMI released this collection the bitter departure from the recording giants was just a distant memory and The Stranglers were now a 5 piece band following the departure of Hugh Cornwell in 1990. The band were on a much less prominent label and they had just released their 3rd post-Cornwell album, which was not greatly received by the bulk of the Stranglers followers. On top of this, bassist Jean Jacques Burnel had lost interest in the band and a fractious relationship with guitarist John Ellis had the Stranglers in a downward spiral both creatively and commercially. It would be fair to say that at the time The Stranglers were on borrowed time.
For some Stranglers fans there is nothing of note beyond the Cornwell years but that is an attitude I find hard to grasp given that band line-ups change as bands themselves develop throughout time over a lengthy career. I believe that outlook also takes away the chemistry and contribution with the other band members, Jean Jaques Burnel, Dave Greenfield and Jet Black, the latter two who are sadly no longer with us.
What The Hit Men album does highlight though is what a rich array of music the band created during the Cornwell years from the punk influenced albums Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes through to the more new wave influenced albums of La Folie and Aural Sculpture. We also have the more experimental and diverse albums of The Meninblack and Feline which all gained impressive levels of commercial and critical acclaim.
Although The Hitmen is titled a “singles collection” there are quite a few non-single album tracks and B-sides included that make this a very comprehensive collection. As a 43 song journey through the first 13 years of recordings The Hit Men can be viewed as varied and detailed introduction into the classic incarnation of The Stranglers.
I will look to select some of the less obvious songs from the album and with that in mind my first selection is Straighten Out. Originally released as a double A-side with Something Better Change. The songs tells a story of society breakdown in a near dystopian future and it went on become a staple of their live set over the years.
Coupled with it’s joint A-side, Something Better Change, the release reached number 9 in UK singles chart in 1977.
Around The Sun –
R.E.M.
For the seventh time since I started this we have an R.E.M. selection as my album of the week although this is the first return to this iconic band in almost 2 years.
R.E.M. first came to my attention
in 1987 when they were getting a lot of radio play in the UK centred around
their Document album which was, at the time, their most successful album in
this country.
Rooted firmly in “alternative rock”
there was a diverse dynamic to their sound which never left them until they
brought the curtain down on their recording career with 2011’s Collapse Into
Now album (album of the week 02/04/2022).
Released in 2004, Around The Sun is
the thirteenth studio album and third album following the departure of drummer
and founding member Bill Berry. Michael Stipe, lead vocalist, has stated in
recent years that things never felt quite the same after Bill left such was the
close knit relationship within the band.
Although generally well received
with fans Around The Sun has been dubbed by critics as the weakest of the 15
studio albums and the 3 core members of R.E.M., Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and
Peter Buck, have all said something went adrift with the recording of the
album.
There was an admission that despite
the album containing some good songs there was a boredom with the material and
subsequently something of the drive and dynamic of the band was lost in studio.
This is backed up by the belief that for R.E.M. the songs came across much
better live as was captured by the R.E.M Live album recorded in Dublin in 2005
that featured 6 of the 13 songs from the album.
In hindsight I think the band may
have been overly critical of the album and maybe focused on a feeling of apathy
at the time rather than the end result.
There is no doubt that Around The
Sun is a more laid back, introspective album but I believe that as a collection
of songs it has its own merits with a quiet intensity that runs throughout.
It maybe lacks the punch of
Document, Monster or their final 2 albums, Accelerate and Collapse Into Now but
for me, that is the diversity of the band I pointed to above.
As I look back at the album 22
years after its release it’s a valid album in the R.E.M. discography and one I
still enjoy immensely.
Although critic reviews were mixed,
commercially the album did very well in the UK becoming their sixth album to
reach number 1 in the album charts.
My first selection from the album
is the opening track and lead single, Leaving New York, for me one of the
strongest tracks on the album written as a love letter to New York.
Although the single made no impact
in America it reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and was a beautifully
poignant introduction to the album.
The Path – Show Of
Hands
This week we return to my collection of 32 albums by Devon based folk act Show Of Hands with their 2003 release, The Path, the fifth album by this acclaimed duo to be selected so far.
The Path is a unique album in the
broad and extensive catalogue of Show Of Hands releases as it’s a purely instrumental
album, written to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of the
South West coastal footpath. This a path that runs from Minehead in Somerset
and stretches for 630 miles around the South West coastline of England and
finishes at Poole in Dorset.
The final section of the path was
completed in 1978, a route which covers some fantastic coastline and scenery that
includes many areas of historical, heritage and cultural importance.
The album, The Path, was composed as
a musical journey around the footpath with each track named after a significant
area or town along the way.
What we have with the album is the undoubted
musical ability of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer alongside their outstanding song
writing skills. As well as Beer and Knightley there is also song writing and
music contributions from the album co-producers Matt Clifford and Mick Dolan.
There is a real depth of
soundscapes and atmospheres throughout the album with deeply atmospheric pieces
such as Lands End to the lighter tracks such as Pendennis Castle capturing the
various moods and geography encountered along the route of the path.
The album includes instrumental
re-workings of some old tracks which have been adapted and re-recorded for the
album, giving them a completely different feel which is especially felt with
the track Port Isaac which was adapted from the Show Of Hands classic, Cousin
Jack.
The track Golden Cap, the final
full length piece on The Path has musical phrases from the Show Of Hands song
The Blue Cockade, a song that appeared on their first CD album, Beat About The
Bush from 1994.
Being local to the area there are
many places and names I am familiar with included in the album which adds a
layer of nostalgia and interest but regardless of local knowledge this is a wonderful
album filled with excellent music straight from the heart of the West Country.
My first selection is the album
opener, Foreland Point, a beautiful Steve Knightley written track that references
the most northerly point on the Devon coastline and known for its rugged cliffs
and stunning scenery.
Judgement -
Anathema
This week’s album is the first of my 15 by British progressive rock band Anathema, with their pivotal 1999 release, Judgement.
Formed in 1990 by brothers Danny
and Vincent Cavanagh Anathema were part of what became known as the “Peaceville
3, who alongside My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost were seen as pioneering bands
in the developing death/doom metal genre that was gaining underground metal
attention at the time.
However, by the time we got to
Judgement, Anathema’s 5th studio album, they had evolved into a more
progressive, atmospheric rock band with emphasis more on slower songs laced
with keyboard atmospheres and clean vocals. There was though still plenty of
emphasis on guitars but the abrasiveness of the earlier albums had been diluted.
I originally got into Anathema from
their previous album, Alternative 4, which was their first album to adopt
purely clean vocals and was very much a bridge between their earlier death/doom
metal and what was to follow. My route into them was actually though a gothic
metal sampler and it would be fair to say that Alternative 4 made a big impact
on me.
Since then I have kept pace with
Anathema albums which led me to buying Judgement soon after release and like
their previous release I was instantly grabbed by the depth and mood of the
release.
Although musically the band had shifted
away from doom metal the lyrical themes are still there with the subjects of
death, grief and loss a constant but there are also more ethereal and philosophical
approaches about the soul and the afterlife. These are weighty subjects but given
real tenderness within the more progressive and atmospheric direction of the
music.
What also stands out with Judgement
is the clarity of the overall production as well as the quality and improvement
in the lead vocals of Vincent Cavanagh. Compared to the bands third album,
Eternity, where the only weak point was the vocals, the cleaner approach on
Judgement is a major improvement.
Above all of this though is just the
quality of the music itself and it is against Judgement that everything before
or since by Anathema has to stand up against even though they have some incredibly
good albums in their catalogue.
On Judgement we also get the first
appearance of female vocalist Lee Douglas, sister of the bands original drummer,
John Douglas, who performs on two songs as a guest although soon afterward she
joined as a permanent member of the band. Her contribution to Anathema cannot
be understated and her vocals became an integral part of further albums right
up until Anathema called it a day.
Julie and I saw Anathema live at
the Phoenix Art Centre in Exeter in September 2017 as they toured what would be
their final studio album, The Optimist. As it turns out this was timely given
what was to follow and we both thought they were excellent.
In 2020, partially due to the financial
pressures of the pandemic Anathema announced they would be taking an indefinite
hiatus but in 2024 Vincent Cavanagh announced his departure from the band
citing internal divisions and burnout. As an integral part of the creative core
of Anathema his decision formally brought the curtain down on the band.
To soften the blow to Anathema fans
is Danny Cavanagh’s new band Weather Systems, named after Anathema’s 2012 album
of the same name. Danny wanted to take his new project in the same direction that
the Weather Systems album was taking keeping the spirit of Anathema going in
terms of songwriting and direction. Their debut, Ocean Without A Shore,
released in 2024 is an outstanding album and continues two songs previously
recorded by Anathema.
Back to Judgement though, my first
selection from the album is the opening song, Deep, which contains both the
acoustic beauty and harder edged rock passages that define this outstanding
album. Thematically, the song lays out scenes prevalent throughout the album, of
life and the passage of time.
Illusions – Thomas
Bergersen
This week we take a look as my only album, so far, by Norwegian composer Thomas Bergersen with his 2011 debut solo release, Illusions.
Bergersen came to prominence as one
half of the music production company Two Steps From Hell who he formed with British
composer Nick Phoenix. They soon became major names in the production of music
for film trailers and computer games but as well as licensed music for film
industry use there was a growing demand for their music to be released for commercial
public listening. Therefore, in 2010
they released their first album, Invincible, which consisted of popular pieces
from previous industry recordings.
Alongside work within Two Steps
From Hell both Bergersen and Phoenix pursued solo projects and in 2011 Bergersen
released Illusions, his first solo commercial album.
It was about this time that I was
developing a keener interest in film score music and I already had the Two
Steps From Hell album Archangel in my collection. I was slowly building a
collection of soundtrack albums to films and television series and the releases
by Two Steps From Hell grabbed my attention with their mix of dramatic scores,
anthemic instrumentation and big bold choral sections.
This style of bold, dramatic music
also sat perfectly alongside my love of symphonic metal and there are many similarities
in the soundscapes, with the emphasis on the dramatic mixed with beauty and
elegance.
It was with much interested that I
bought Illusions and it did not disappoint with all the sonic elements detailed
above spread over 19 tracks ranging from shorter 2 minute pieces up to 8 minute
epics.
It may be a slight negative to say
that an 80 minute album may be drawing it out a bit but the whole album is
packed with sonic delights with its mix of gentle, quieter pieces through to
the big, bombastic orchestral anthems that assault the senses with multiple
layers of instrumentation and vocals.
The only thing that surprises me as
I appraise this album is that I have not added any more of Thomas Bergersen’s
albums to my collection up to now but I am sure I will rectify that.
If you are not familiar with Two Steps
From Hell or Thomas Bergersen but are a fan of Hans Zimmer’s dramatic scores then
this may have some appeal.
My first selection is the album
opener, Aura.
Nine Destinies And
A Downfall - Sirenia
This week we dip into my metal collection with the first selection from my 11 albums by Norwegian gothic metal band Sirenia with their 2007 release, Nine Destinies And A Downfall.
Although operating under a band
name, Sirenia is driven by its founding and 1 constant member, Morten Veland,
who has been running this project for 26 years.
Veland was a founding member of the
Norwegian gothic metal band Tristania, who along with fellow Stavanger based
band Theatre Of Tragedy became leading lights in the gothic metal scene in the
mid to late 1990’s.
After 2 albums with Tristania,
Veland left the band and within months formed Sirenia, very much in the same
style of Tristania with emphasis on multiple vocal styles including harsh and
clean male vocals, female vocals along with choral passages.
Veland is the principal song writer
and plays guitars, bass guitar, keyboards and does the programming and
engineering for the studio albums making him very much the creative driving
force of Sirenia.
The band has had a rotation of female
singers over the 26 years although current vocalist Emmanuelle Zoldan has been
a member of the band since 2016.
Nine Destinies And A Downfall is
the 3rd studio album from Sirenia and featured Danish singer, Monika
Pedersen, who was also a member of gothic metal band Sinphonia with who she
recorded 2 albums.
What struck me at the time with
Nine Destinies was the quality and clarity of the production along with the
greater emphasis on a more standard rock based sound with a melodic tilt that
seemed to align with a lot the gothic metal on offer at the time.
However, this does not dilute the
intensity of the album and with Sirenia there are still the occasional black
metal references with some of the musical passages and death vocals.
Thematically the album focuses on
more personal subjects often rooted in obsession, mental torment, love and
loss, matters that are often the mainstay of the genre.
Although Nine Destinies And A
Downfall could have been the “difficult third album” for me this is a very
strong album in their catalogue of, so far, 11 albums.
My first selection from the album
is the lead single, My Mind’s Eye, released prior to the album the song offered
an insight into the melodic and anthemic direction as well as well an in
introduction to the new singer, Monika Pedersen.
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