PJ Harvey - Dry

YOURZ

My second-favourite rock chick (after Adalita from Magic Dirt), although I will admit Polly Jean is probably far more well known around the world.  She is another musical pixie - the word petite doesn't really cover it - but with a booming voice and the gumption of a fully-formed rock star, her territory is songs that demolish the facade of beauty and uncover the true heart lying beneath.  But don't call her a feminist.

As a debut, Dry ticked all the right boxes when it was released, way back in 1992.  At the time, Grunge was big around the world and PJ's stripped back blues rock and angst-ridden vocals often garnered comparisons to Patti Smith, Godmother of Grunge, although Polly hardly agrees, instead calling it, simply, lazy journalism.

From the opener, Oh, My Lover, with its plea of "don't you know it's alright, you can love her", Polly plays out her passions straight from her heart and guitar.  And her attack is relentless throughout the album, where, black widow-like, she lures the listener into her web with soft-sung vocals and delicate arrangements before pouncing.  The only exceptions to this winning formula are the Breeders-like Plant And Rags and Water.

Yes, the production is rough and the mastering limited, but nonetheless, this is a stunning debut from a talent who has since proven herself to be a major musical force.  Personally, I still think Dress is one of the best songs she's ever written.  For this reason (amongst many), I'm calling this another Forgotten Gem.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE:

Oh, Polly Jean... my favourite rock chick.  Not my favourite album, but the one I bought because Sheela-Na-Gig was such a revelation when it came out.  I remember having an intense conversation in a dance club with a very stoned girl about the song, what it meant, and how PJ's voice just drew something out of us, while her boyfriend watched us and occasionally tried to interject, but eventually gave up in disgust.  Which is kind of appropriate, given it's about carvings some say represent a female fertility goddess.

Listening to Dry now, I can hear faults with its composition and its mix (it's a first album, give her a break!).  And I wonder why I can love Polly's way of not-singing but hate Nick Cave's.  I remember seeing her perform at a Big Day Out, looking dwarfed by her guitar and teetering across the stage in huge red sparkly heels that made her look a little like Minnie Mouse. 

Such a powerful voice from such a small and frail-looking woman, but whose hard-rocking performance puts her up there with any of the other rock chicks I've seen.  She's made better albums than this.  I believe we own them.  But for its faults, there's still that voice, bring that growl, breathy whine and moan that make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

VERDICT:TURN IT UP

For more information: http://pjharvey.lucidwebs.co.uk/

In our collection we also have Stories Of The City, Stories Of The Sea and Uh Huh Her

Gerling - Bad Blood

MINE

Bangin' tunes.  Made we want to throw my hands in the air, hunt out some glowsticks and take a trip to the nearest nightclub.  BUT (sorry YourZ) I do have a problem with this CD.  Like a perfectly-ripened peach, like a sticky toddler playing on a shag carpet, like a drunk-driver about to make his debut on a Most Wanted reality show - this CD has FUZZ all over it.

Seriously, it's like they found the fuzz button on the effects box and thought "Oh, that'll fit in there - and there- and there..."  Plus there's the not-so-occasional shouty lyric.  And call me conservative, but I like listening to music where people sing.  As I've explained in boring length and detail on many other reviews, right here.  At least it goes to show I'm consistent.  Whether it's hip-hop, rock, metal or dance, Mine says PLEASE DON'T SHOUT.  Or only for effect, not right the way through the song.  Thankyou.

But the tunes are bangin'.  I could probably forgive the "We've Got  A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It" attitude Gerling have if I've had enough to drink and fancy shakin' my ass, but otherwise...

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

Gerling are a great indie band from my home town of Sydney.  I've seen these guys around heaps but have only seen them perform live a few times which is truly an experience in itself as these are often organised chaos and a truck-load of crazy.

I really like their DIY ethic too.  They've always operated in their own space, taking very little notice of popular trends or music directions.  They are fearless in their adoption of electronica and were one of the first bands I heard that effectively combined both indie guitars and electronica into something much more interesting than I thought possible.  They were also one of the first bands where I heard the term 'indie-dance' applied to them.  It was this fearlessness that helped inspire me to set up my first home recording studio and start experimenting with digital technology.

Bad Blood, their third full length, is probably the most polished of their albums (although I haven't heard 4, the last album they released before going on an indefinite hiatus).  It certainly sees them expanding on their unique palette of instrumentations.  There is more than a little nod, in respects, to the musical adventurousness of acts such as Sonic Youth, although Gerling has a pop sensibility and a cheekiness not associated with Thurston and co. 

The album jumps from indie-rock to indie-dance and back again.  While this might sound like a confused playlist (and probably would be in the hands of lesser performers), Gerling move seamlessly from one mode to another, proving you can have your dance and rock it too.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP and let's get freaky

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/gerling

In our collection we also have Children Of Telepathic Experiences, Death To The Apple Gerls (EP), A Day Of Research (EP)

Peter Gabriel - Hit

YOURZ

Peter Gabriel was always my favourite ex-Genesis member, although, I'm a little ashamed to say Phil Collins ran a close race for a while back there.(Mine says: 'Ello... I'm Phil Collins! Hmm doesn't work without the cockney accent)  Poor old Mike Rutherford was never even in the running.  Thankfully, Pete won out by the sheer brilliance of his songwriting (and what the fuck was a ...Su-Su-Sussudio anyway?)

Thinking about it, Solsbury Hill would have to be another I'd want played at my wake (are you taking notes, Mine?)  It is such a beautiful, positive, uplifting piece of music and the lyrics match it perfectly... "Hey, I said "You can keep my things, they've come to take me home."  How beautiful is this?

Then there is Don't Give Up and the accompanying video clip, where he spends all of it in the arms of Kate Bush.  Oh, how I envied him.  And the song itself had every chance of being a saccharine piece of schmaltz but it just isn't.   Then there's Games Without Frontiers, a brilliant piece of commentary on nationalism built around minimalist keyboards and programed drums.  And yes, Kate Bush sings backing on this one too.

Hit covers a fair cross section of material from Gabriel's solo career but for me, it's the tracks from the earlier part of his career that stick out for me.  The production is stripped back and sparce with his distinctive voice cutting over the top, majestic and shining.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Hmmm, another "best of" album.  Not saying anything. (YourZ sez: yes you are - how many times do you wanna hear me say I was wrong?)

I was introduced to Peter Gabriel by my first husband many, many years ago.  I listened to the first solo album (after Genesis) many times, and hearing Solsbury Hill open this CD just brought that all back to me.  It was probably three or four years old at the time and I'd never heard anything like it.  I remember gazing for hours at the beads of water on the car's bonnet that forms part of the cover art.

And the man's output, when condensed into this selection of songs, is truly staggering.  Who among you doesn't smile at the thought of the chickens dancing in the video for Sledgehammer?  I'm sure I'm not the only one who sheds a tear or two during the beautiful duet with Kate Bush -  Don't Give Up. In fact, I was surprised by how many of these songs took me back to a place, a time, I hadn't thought about for years.

There's his work for political and humanitarian causes - for Amnesty and other human rights organisations.  there's his championing of world music and dance in WOMAD.  There are many reasons to love Peter Gabriel and you can hear examples of them on this CD.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.petergabriel.com/

Dhol Foundation - Big Drum Small World

MINE

The title track really rocks but most of the rest is a bit ambient for my taste.  I love bhangra and I've often bemoaned the fact we don't have more in our collection.  But not enough to actually go out and buy some, it seems.  *sigh*  OK babe, add that to the list of stuff to buy.

Listening to this album wouldn't be to everyone's liking.  I'd describe it mostly as "dinner party music" - a nice backdrop to conversation with pretty arrangements and nothing to break in to conversation, but snazzy enough to ensure there's no awkward silences.  However that got me thinking it would really space out guests if you chose to play this and then served Italian food.  And I wondered if it would affect your appreciation of a meal, if you were listening to Indian-flavoured music but eating something else, like a Scandinavian smorgasbord.

Now I have to have a dinner party and freak out my guests. (YourZ sez: there are so many things I'd like to say but I value my testicles far too much)

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

As Mine says, this would be best played as interesting background music at a dinner party.  The combination of traditional Punjab and contemporary western instruments makes for something out of the ordinary.  But this is about as far as it goes for me.  I don't mind bhangra either but not enough to actively seek more examples of it out. 

Having said this, I'm glad this CD is in our collection, if only to remind me of just how wide-reaching music (and our collection) can be.  As for Mine's idea of a 'freaky' dinner party, I'm all for anything that involves music and food.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN (don't want to upset stomachs, do we?)

For more information: http://www.dholfoundation.com/

Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting

YOURZ

I think it quite fitting this review follows the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds one as I always thought Johnette could probably do a lot of his songs very well (there's another for the list you started, Mine).  Her voice can be suitably menacing and dark when she wants it to, which would perfectly suit any number of Cave's songs.

Bloodletting was another of those albums I heard a lot of when it came out but never actually owned (the benefit of living in group houses for so many years, I guess).  Even so, it's surprising to me how many of the songs on this album I knew well.  Joey I could do without hearing again, but Bloodletting (The Vampire Song), Caroline and The Sky Is A Poisonous Garden are great tracks, even if they sound dated by their production.

Then there's the final track.  I was a fan of Andy Prieboy (more from his Wall Of Voodoo days) and used to play Tomorrow Wendy in my guise as an acoustic solo musician.  However, Concrete Blonde's version is my favourite of this song.  I love the stripped back arrangement and Johnette's voice is perfectly suited to the melody.  It also reminds me I need to see if I can find Wall Of Voodoo on CD.  Yes, yet another on the ever-growing list.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP except for Joey...

MINE

The biggest regret I have about Concrete Blonde is the time I didn't see them.  I'd travelled to London where I was staying with friends, and it was my first night in town.  I'd grabbed a Time Out and saw they were playing, and tried to inveigle someone to accompany me.  but unfortunately they were all skint, and I didn't feel confident enough to navigate the Underground solo with so little experience.  So I thought I'd catch them in Australia.  But I never did.

Just as a side note, it's been quite unnerving having the US Secretary of Homeland Security be Janet Napolitano, because when I hear her name on a news report I always think they're talking about CB's lead singer Johnette Napolitano and I get all excited and then - not so much.

But listening to Bloodletting is like catching up with an old friend.  The title track, also known as the Vampire Song, just toodles around in my head for hours and hours afterwards.  Joey was the commercial hit and you can hear why that's so, but my favourite is the closer, the cover of Andy Prieboy's Tomorrow Wendy.  Which is sad and beautiful and deep and wistful .

VERDICT:TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.concreteblondeofficialwebsite.com

In our collection we also have Mexican Moon

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Best Of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

MINE

Oh, this album is so full of beautiful songs - It's such a pity they're mostly being sung by yer another man who can't.  Sing, that is.  In fact Mr Cave has a lot in common with my other non-favourite - Bob Dylan.  Both are very unattractive, write beautiful songs and then stuff them up by singing them.

At least Nick has a nice voice, not that nasal drawl Dylan spouts.  It's the sort of voice an actor dreams of - deep, rounded, mellifluous - but it isn't musical.  I find it offers a nice counterpoint when he duets with women - as he does here with PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue.  But otherwise I'd probably prefer hearing these songs sung by somebody who can.  Because Into My Arms, Do You Love Me?, The Weeping Song and  The Ship Song deserve to have versions that make their brilliance truly shine.

I'm all for a Cave Covers Album - and I'm putting my vote in for songs by Katie Noonan and Megan Washington.  Anybody?

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

I was wondering how Mine would react to having to review The Best Of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, seeing as how a mere mention of his name sees her mumbling something about 'the chin-less wonder' and generally making faces like she's swallowed a really bad-tasting fly.  Thankfully she can see past her aversion to his voice and understand he truly does write very good songs.

I love Nick and don't have the slightest problem with his voice.  And he has also provided some truly spectacular live musical memories, from the first time I saw him at the Enmore Theatre many years ago (never seen so much black in one place at one time) to the numerous times I've seen him since (most memorably in a month of musical heaven where I saw him, The Violent Femmes and Nirvana - all three acts were unbelievable). 

But this isn't just about Nick Cave, it's also about the Bad Seeds who are, without a doubt, one of the finest group of musicians in the world.  Never stagnant, the Seeds membership has updated itself over the years to the betterment of the collective as a whole.  The Best Of..., however, features what most would probably call their 'classic' lineup, one which includes Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Conway Savage and Thomas Wylder.  Their influence is what makes tracks such as Red Right Hand, Henry Lee, Mercy Seat, Do You Love Me? and Deanna the vital pieces they are.  Why I haven't got around to updating my Nick vinyl to CD, I'll don't know.  Yes, Mine, there's some more to add to that list...

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com/

In our collection we also have Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus and Dig, Lazarus, Dig

The Bloodhound Gang - Hooray For Boobies

YOURZ

The Bloodhound Gang are puerile, juvenile, crass and so much fun.  They've also been accused of being sexist, racist, misogynistic and advocates of rape, violence and contributors to the moral degradation of young people everywhere (so has just about every rock and roll start from Chuck Berry on, so this is nothing new).  If people are too dumb to understand the obvious humour, they should go back to reading their fucking bibles and tilling their fields with their asses (or donkeys).

As I said, the humour's so obvious, there's no doubting their intentions - the boys just wanna have fun.  The reality is that the music is actually really good, with great pop arrangements and clean production.  Hooray For Boobies also spawned their biggest hit in The Bad Touch.

The worst thing about this record is the infectiousness of their hooks.  Mine has mentioned in previous posts about catching herself singing inappropriate lyrics at the worst of times.  Well, The Bloodhound Gang are write those sorts of songs.  The Ballad Of Chasey Lane is one such track where I have caught myself singing at work just in time (look the lyrics up and check out the chorus - you'll get my drift).  And this album has a number of songs like this, dammit all.

While Hooray For Boobies and The Bloodhound Gang generally are the musical equivalent of a nut shot or a bad joke about the mentally handicapped that you know you shouldn't laugh to but you do anyway, in small to medium doses, this is a helluva lot of fun. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

It's no stretch to find the Bloodhound Gang appearing on Jackass - because when I was thinking about writing this review I thought to myself - these guys are what Jackass would be if it was a band and not a TV show (YourZ sez: wish I'd thought of this one - perfect).  Their music is so un-PC it does occasionally give me a twinge listening to it - especially to songs like A Lap Dance Is So Much Better When the Stripper Is Crying, hysterically funny though it is.

In fact, the Bloodhound Gang is the band Judd Apatow would be in.  It's every teenage boy's dream, with porn stars, scatological humour and some of the most realistic gagging noises ever heard on a CD.  Made me wanna hurl, I'll tell you.

And while they're funny and rude, there's one thing you might miss if you just concentrate on that: they're good musicians.  The songs are imaginatively written and well put together.  BUT - I'm a bit old for this on a full-time basis.  I'll mark it fun to drag out every now and again for a giggle, but not one to put on heavy rotation.

VERDICT:TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.bloodhoundgang.com/

In our collection we also have Use Your Fingers, One Fierce Beer Coaster and Hefty Fine