In Memoriam: The Funk Pioneering Genius "Sly Stone" Dies Aged 82

Sly Stone, the US musician who lit up generations of dancefloors with his gloriously funky and often socially conscious songwriting, has died aged 82. "After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family," a family statement reads. "While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come."

 

With his group Sly and the Family Stone, Stone tied together soul, psychedelic rock and gospel into fervent, uplifting songs, and became one of the key progenitors of the 1970s funk sound alongside James Brown and others. The group's hits include 3 US No 1 singles – Everyday People, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) and Family Affair – plus Dance to the Music, I Want to Take You Higher, Hot Fun in the Summertime and more. The 1971 album There's a Riot Goin' On, a moody reflection on civil rights and the corrupted idealism of the postwar era created predominantly by Stone apart from the rest of his band, is widely regarded as one of the greatest of the 20th century.

 

Born as a Sylvester Stewart to a Pentecostal religious family in Texas in 1943, Stone grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. His first music came in a gospel quartet with three siblings, the Stewart Four, who put out a locally released single in 1952. As a young man he became well known in the fertile musical scene of countercultural San Francisco: a multi-instrumentalist and radio DJ who had a series of local bands and worked as a producer for garage rock and psychedelia groups such as the Beau Brummels.

 

In 1966, he fused his band Sly and the Stoners with his brother Freddie's group Freddie and the Stone Souls, to form Sly and the Family Stone. Their breakthrough came the following year with Dance to the Music, and success was fully established by their fourth album in two years, Stand! (1969), which eventually sold more than three million copies. The band's stylistic and racial diversity attracted a broad audience, and they played both of the defining music festivals of 1969, Woodstock and the Harlem cultural festival.

 

Hits continued more fitfully during the early 1970s, and the group – notorious for no-shows at concerts – slowly fractured amid increasing drug use. Stone would record There’s a Riot Goin' On predominantly on his own, applying one of the earliest uses of a drum machine; albums such as Fresh!, with its Richard Avedon portrait of Stone on the cover, were also primarily his work. The band split entirely in 1975, though Stone continued to use the band name for solo releases.

 

Despite having laid the rhythmic groundwork for disco, Stone couldn't sustain his career in the late 1970s, and his addiction to cocaine worsened. He continued to perform with peers such as Funkadelic and Bobby Womack, but album releases dried up after 1982’s Ain’t But the One Way.

He was arrested in 1983 for cocaine possession, and for driving under the influence of cocaine in 1987, prompting him to flee California for Connecticut. He was apprehended two years later, and sentenced to 55 days in prison, five years’ probation and a fine. His difficulties meant that he was little seen during the 1990s, and it wasn't until 2006 that he performed in public again, at a tribute to Sly and the Family Stone at the Grammy awards. He performed with the Family Stone on a tour the following year, but often erratically, and made a lacklustre appearance at 2010's Coachella festival. His final album, I’m Back! Family & Friends, featuring re-recordings of old songs alongside three new tracks, was released in 2011.

Back in 2015 he was awarded $5m in a lawsuit against his former manager and attorney, successfully arguing that royalty payments had been diverted from him, though he ultimately wasn't awarded the money due to the terms of a 1989 royalties agreement with a production company. Difficulties with royalties meant that Stone spent many of his latter years in poverty; in 2011 he was living in a campervan in a residential area of Los Angeles – voluntarily, he claimed – and relying on a retired couple for food. “Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music,” the family statement added. “His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable. In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024.”

Stone was married from 1974 to 1976 to Kathy Silva, with whom he had a son, Sylvester Jr. He later had two further children: Sylvyette with Cynthia Robinson, and Novena Carmel.

New Music: Y Gath

           

With her new album Utopia due out July 11 via Heavenly Recordings, the Welsh superstar and former Mercury nominee Gwenno shares her new single "Y Gath" (The Cat) alongside a stylish video in which she's seen exploring her feline side, featuring Cate Le Bon and H.Hawkline. A hazy and glorious Cymraeg paean to the cat and the grimy city walls that surround them, the single sounds like spectral feline poetry being delivered at a midnight pagan gathering. Commenting on the track Gwenno says: "Y Gath" means The Cat. I just don't know how I feel about cats, you know? But I also think it's because I am a cat in many ways. I see myself in these creatures and I’m part envious, part disgusted by them. So it’s a song about cats and birds nodding at you, and the style of the song evolved quite naturally into something very familiar and Welsh. And then when I asked H Hawkline and Cate Le Bon to be on it, it just made complete sense. We all knew what it needed to be, because we’ve all grown up on S4C and 70s psychedelic rock music, and Welsh language music. So we didn’t need to have a big conversation, we just know what this is about.

New Music: The Air That I Breathe

           

Belinda Carlisle will release a new studio album, in August, called Once Upon a Time in California. It's a covers album which includes classic songs such as Bacharach & David’s ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ written for Dionne Warwick, the Carpenters‘ ‘Superstar’, Harry Nilsson’s ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ and more. The first track/single being made available is Belinda's version of The Air That I Breathe, written by Albert Hammond and a major hit for The Hollies in 1974.

New Music: Hymn

           

The Pet Shop Boys are sharing "Hymn" in honor to Alexei Navalny. A year ago the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, died in prison in Russia. The Pet Shop Boys comment: We dedicate this song to his memory and his cause. The video production is under charge of: Nikolai Severin & Iaroslav Mudriakov

New Music: Ring My Bell

           

The Minneapolis-based Night Moves release "Ring My Bell," the second single from their forthcoming album Double Life,due out July 25 via Domino. This new single is the musical and emotional counterpart of their two previous singles before with lead singer John Pelant extending an invitation to be asked for help whenever times get inevitably tough, all above the spring-loaded rhythm of drummer Mark Hanson, bassist Micky Alfano and guitarist Charles Murlowski. The single is released alongside a new video by longtime collaborator Shawn Brackbill.

News: Morten Harket Has Been Diagnosed With Parkinson Disease

Shocking news for the fans of the Norwegian band a-ha, because their lead singer, whose music many people are very familiar with, has just revealed he has Parkinson’s disease.

Morten Harket is the lead singer for A-ha, known for hits such as "Take on Me"  and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." included in the band's debut studio album "Hunting High And Low" which is just celebrating 40 years of its original release. 

The singer/songwriter, father of five and grandfather said in a press release on the band's website, when asked if he will sing again, he was not sure. "I don’t really know. I don’t feel like singing, and for me that’s a sign," Harket said. "I'm broadminded in terms of what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve full technical control. The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. As things stand now, that's out of the question. But I don't know whether I'll be able to manage it at some point in the future.

Harket adds that there were only a handful of people who knew his diagnosis, until now. He says he wasn't sure he wanted to go public because of the unpredictable consequences of that. Part of me wanted to reveal it. Like I said, acknowledging the diagnosis wasn't a problem for me; it's my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me. I'm trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline. It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects. There's so much to weigh up when you’re emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general."

New Music: Heaven Is No Feeling

            

Cate Le Bon has announced a new album. Michelangelo Dying which is out September 26 on Mexican Summer and features fellow Welsh artist John Cale on a song. The artist has shared now the lead single, “Heaven Is No Feeling,” comes with a music video directed by longtime collaborator H. Hawkline. According to video director: "There are moments in life you can't make up, that seem unfathomable, then they happen,” Hawkline said of the clip in a press statement. “Life calls you on a banana phone and tells you her oldest joke, everybody crowds around and you try to remember the words to your favorite song. If you were to ask me how we made this video, I couldn't tell you. 

New Music: Cutthroat

           

British post-punk band Shame have announced their new album, Cutthroat, set to release September 5 via Dead Oceans. Now they have shared its title track accompanied by a video directed by Ja Humby and produced by Rhory Danniells. The band has also announced an expansive EU/UK tour beginning in late September. Steen spoke on the new single in a press release. “I was reading a lot of Oscar Wilde plays where everything was about paradox. In  "Cutthroat," it’s that whole idea from Lady Windermere’s Fan, "Life's far too important to be taken seriously."

New Music: What3vr

           

With a curious blend of grunge and synth pop, Yeule the Singaporean artists drops a new video for her single "What3vr" from their forthcoming album "Evangelic Girl Is A Gun" one of the most strange, weirdo and best music video to date, a bizarre story telling that turns a pop song into a a hell of a trip, courtesy of video directo Nat Ćmie. 

New Music: Lawdy Rolla

           

Paul Weller will release a brand-new covers album in July, his second following 2004's Studio 150.  Find El Dorado features contributions from Noel Gallagher, Robert Plant, Declan O’Rourke and more, and will be released July 25 on Parlophone. The first release is a version of Lawdy Rolla, originally recorded by French jazz/soul outfit The Guerrillas in 1969

Rocktrospectiva: The Fairly Good "Citizen Kihn" Turns 40

Released on 29 March 1985, "Citizen Kihn" was his second solo studio album, and his first album since 1978's Next of Kihn not to be released under the Greg Kihn Band name. The album reached number 51 on the Billboard Hot 200 and spawned three singles "Lucky", "Boys Won't (Leave The Girls Alone)" & "Good Life". The album produced Kihn's last hit single "Lucky" that reached No. 30 on Billboard hot 100. 

It was curious but true that Greg Kihn released his eighth album in eight years, maybe it was a routine for him, but also out off Citizen Kihn landed his third and final Top 40 hit with Lucky that was a top 30 hit back then.

Now if there is something well-remebered about this album was the video for Lucky, which is somewhat of a continuance of his most popular video, Jeopardy, with Kihn down on his luck before a pretty cashier girl puts a smile back on Kihn's face and he wins a free cruise in a supermarket contest. As with most of Kihn's videos, a sense of humor prevails as Kihn embraces his bad luck with a smile, although a bad gall bladder isn't as bad as a being shipwrecked, swallowed by a whale, captured by cannibals, attacked by King Kong and staring down a tsunami.

Critics wasn't too good for the record,  some deemed the album as a lackluster, unfocused pastiche of pop tunes, but the remainder of the album was considered a second rate. 

Citizen Kihn Track List: 

 

1. I'm In Love Again

2. Go Back

3. Lucky

4. Whenever

5. Privacy

6. Free Country

7. They Rock By Night

8. Boys Won't (Leave The Girls Alone)

9. Imitation Love

10. Temper, Temper

11. Good Life

New Music: No Love

           

Matt Berninger has shared a new single "No Love" from their just-released new album "Get Sunk",  the song finds Berninger working from within a texture that is reminiscent of his work within The National. "No Love" also is one of the moments where even when things do feel a little familiar, there is still a distinction – you can hear that in the opening moments, because it begins with a sense of urgency in the form of a dusty sounding breakbeat sample, before an emergent, kind of serious sounding progression on the piano tumbles in on top of that, the video credits belongs to Chantal Anderson and Aaron Beckum introducing and restless bear. 

 

New Music: Another One Gone

           

Hotel Lux have returned with new single, "Another One Gone", marking their first new music since their 2023 debut album, Hands Across The Creek. According to band: It was written completely collaboratively, and recorded live to replicate the emotional intensity of our live shows, we thought it was the the right song to begin this chapter, finding us simultaneously at our most vulnerable, and our most confident. It’s about having lost friends, and the fear of losing others; a sort of lament for the former, and a prayer for the latter," the band explains. The video credits belongs to Max Oliver and Alex Wylie. 

New Music: Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing

           

The Chameleons, the iconical masters of atmospheric post-punk, reemerge with the incisive new single, "Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing," a timely meditation on the seductive allure of propaganda and empty promises. Released via Metropolis Records, the track delivers sharp social critique cloaked in the band's hallmark layers of shimmering guitars and richly evocative vocals—proving that decades into their storied career. Chameleons remain masters of merging melodic beauty with biting truth. The song confronts society’s susceptibility to charming deceit; be it yesterday’s banners of fervent nationalism in Nazi Germany, or today’s digital mirages casting shadows over reality. Chameleons articulate a caustic critique, exploring how humanity continually yields to hollow promises of salvation, only to find itself restrained by invisible shackles. The sophisticated instrumentation serves as a counterpoint to the pointed lyrical message, creating a powerful contrast between the music and its thematic severity. To further enforce its theme, the song’s accompanying video splices live performance footage with kaleidoscopic images of war, its effects, and the propaganda surrounding it, making for a very compelling statement.

Rocktrospectiva: The Sad And Deeper "Bloodletting" Turns 35

Released on 15 May 1990 "Bloodletting" was the third studio album by US alternative rock band Concrete Blonde, the album marks a shift for the band toward gothic rock. It features guest appearances by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Wall of Voodoo's Andy Prieboy. The album spawned four singles "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)", the hit single "Joey", "Caroline" & "Tomorrow, Wendy". 

 

According to lead singe Johnette Napolitano on the album: It was pretty miserable. It's not a happy little disc. We had a string of bad luck and Bloodletting was the tail end of it. A particularly bad relationship. It had never happened to me until I was 29 years old. I had a hard time getting over it. So, it's not a happy record, but I could do two things: I could make a self-indulgent record, which is what this is, or I could lock up all these songs in a closet and do something that wasn't sincere. This will never happen again, this record.

 

It was an interesting time between the end of the 1980s and early 1990s before grunge revolution, there were plenty of underground delights to dig up, but the majority of the mainstream airwaves was hardly inspiring, and of those rare moments were Concrete Blonde's "Joey" was one of those songs. With Johnette Napolitano on vocals and bass and former Sparks bassist James Mankey on guitar, plus a succession of drummers, Concrete Blonde cooked up a sweetly sulfurous blend of goth, punk, and alternative rock, shot through with Napolitano's knack for indelible hooks.

 

The LA-based band's first two albums made a little noise in the alt.rock realm but Concrete Blonde was still a mystery to the mainstream and they still now in certain ways but when "Joey" was released as a single. It's almost tempting to call the tune a power ballad, but the haunting track is miles away from the stadium-rock that label sometimes implies, with Napolitano slipping seamlessly from a bittersweet murmur to a mournful wail in all her full-throated, heart-on-sleeve glory.

 

The single became a bona fide pop hit, lodging itself in the Top 20 and hurtling Concrete Blonde into the national spotlight. A huge credit on this definitely belongs to producer Chris Tsangarides, who gave the band just enough sheen to stand out without sacrificing any of their edginess. Tsangarides is best known as a metal producer, but he’d become conversant with the alternative world through work with the likes of Killing Joke and Lords of the New Church. But there’s a lot more to Bloodletting than the big single. The album-opening title track (subtitled "The Vampire Song") is a gem in terms of foreboding goth-blues riffing, necromantic lyrics, and gang-vocal chorus make it as memorable as its hit-bound sibling, albeit in a completely different way. Meanwhile, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck lends his mandolin to the wonderfully witchy, “Darkening of the Light."

 

With "The Sky Is a Poisonous Garden," in terms of both pace and incision. It’s Bloodletting's strongest link to the band's earlier punk roots, but it also sets up the album's opening hat trick by leading into the moody mists of  "Caroline."  Napolitano digs in on a more visceral level too. In the imaginary museum of alt.rock history, her riff on "Days and Days" ranks right up alongside "Blood and Roses" by The Smithereens and "Cannonball" by The Breeders as an indelible opening bass lick. But at least it might have prepped you for the tragic beauty of the closer, "Tomorrow, Wendy." Written by Wall of Voodoo’s Andy Prieboy, it's a bit of tragic beauty from the height of the AIDS crisis, lamenting a victim’s imminent passing. 

 

It's curious you know, because just three months after Bloodletting's release, Concrete Blonde covered a song from Leonard Cohen's landmark I’m Your Man album, scoring a hit with "Everybody Knows" such an interesting and incredible cover version included from the soundtrack of Pump Up the Volume. Which should be included in Bloodletting the album But at that very moment the band had already prove their ability to shine up the darkness a little and make people love it.

 

According to critics, this album were more deeper and focused that its predeccesor, and of course "Joey" was the key piece track that shone amongst everything.  

 

Bloodletting Track List: 

 

1. Bloodletting (The Vampire SOng)

2. The Sky Is A Poisonous Garden

3. Caroline 

4. Darkening Of The Light

5. I Don't Need A Hero

6. Days And Days

7. The Beast

8. Lullabye 

9. Joey

10. Tomorrow, Wendy 

Rocktrospectiva: The Mixed "Tangled" Turns 35

Released on 30 May 1990 "Tangled" was the third studio album by Jane Wiedlin, The album was produced by Peter Collins, with the track "99 Ways" being co-produced with Andy Hill. The album spawned the single "World On Fire" and "Guardian Angel".

 

After the American Top 10 success of the 1988 single "Rush Hour" from the album Fur, Tangled took two years to complete and upon release failed to gain any commercial success and sold poorly, which in turn eventually led to Wiedlin's departure from EMI Records. Wiedlin would later state that this was largely due to EMI who failed to promote it, even thought the album was supported by a Summer tour in America, with plans for the tour being announced as early as May 1990.

 

Two singles were released from the album. The leading and main single "World on Fire," was released with a semi-controversial music video. and issued in USA, Japan and Italy only. The second single was the promotional-only US single "Guardian Angel", which aimed solely at radio airplay. It was issued as a one-track promo picture CD with custom back insert and remains scarce today. The title track "Tangled" would appear in the 1990 romantic comedy film Pretty Woman. And it would be included on the film's soundtrack album release in January 1990.

 

Wiedlin spoke of the song "Paper Heart", which was written by Wiedlin, Cyndi Lauper and Richard Orange: "It was sort of a song written by mail, more or less. I'd gotten a demo of the song in the mail and felt that it was real strong. Many years later, Los Angeles Times, writer Jon Matsumoto revealed that the album had left Wiedlin "bitter" about the music industry. The album took two years to complete, and after the shooting of an "extravagant" music video", Wiedlin felt that EMI Records failed to properly promote the album. She commented: "It left such a bad taste in my mouth. It was, 'I can't handle this anymore.

 

Critics described the album was Wiedlin's "best individual project to date" and singled out "Paper Heart" as the best track. It was her distinct tone and an almost ethereal uniqueness to that familiar Go-Go's beat. She felt Tangled was "more mature and considerably less bubble-gummy, bop-'til-you-droppy than that of the now-defunct girls band."

 

Tangled Track List:  

 

1. Rain On Me

2. At The End Of The Day

3. Guardian Angel

4. Flowers On The Battlefield

5. Tangled

6. World On Fire

7. Paper Heart

8. Big Rock Candy Mountain

9. 99 Ways

10. Euphoria

New Music: Able Eyes

           

Manchester's Sea Fever released their brand new single "Able Eyes", taken from their second album "Surface Sound" out this Friday, May 30. Landing heavy, fuzzed guitar chords onto human-powered rhythms and mixing impassioned vocals with deft, sparing electronic accents, the bands links to New Order, Johnny Marr, Haven and other influential bands shimmer from behind the curtain. According to singer, guitarist and lyricist Iwan Gronow, "Able Eyes’" truly signifies Sea Fever's versatility. Although this is not one of our dance tracks, the song still has a real, intentional pulse, mixing Velvet Underground guitars with layers of synths. Lyrically the song is nostalgic, throwing back to growing up. The line: "Kicking your heels, dissecting sums" signifies life's momentum in so many ways, adapting and preparing for huge moments of change."

Rocktrospectiva: The Cult-Classic "What Does Anything Mean? Basically" Turns 40

Released on 20 May 1985, "What Does Anything Mean? Basically" was the second studio album by the English rock band The Chameleons. It was recorded in January 1985 and released on 20 May 1985 by record label Statik. One single was released from the album "Singing Rule Britannia (While the Walls Close In)".

An essential band post-punk that flirted with gothic sounds if not specifically in lyric imagery. Their vibe was congruent to the dreamy, neo-psychedelia of certain Bauhaus tracks or "Kiss In The Dreamhouse" era Siouxsie and The Banshees; which pointed once again to McGeoch. But this sophomore album disarmed by opening with a brief ambient instrumental, "Silence, Sea And Sky" 

That all changed with dreamlike "Perfume Garden" got underway. The drumming by John Lever was decidedly motorik in style, though the guitars were split between lyrical phrases and an atmospheric haze of sound that in other bands would have been relegated to synths. But with two guitarists they had strings to spare. "Intrigue In Tangiers" lived up to the premise of its title as the song stepped into the spotlight with seashore foley sound effects and gentle acoustic guitars eventually giving way after 45 seconds to the more typical heavier drums and guitars. At least until the point where the acoustics returned with a vengeance and held sway until the song’s finish.

The intensity was further on the more forceful  "Return Of the Roughnecks." The darkly cinematic vibe showed the album at the flashpoint where it went from smouldering to fully aflame. The thunderdrums were pummeling in their motorik fury and the guitars managed to bite even as Mr. Burgess unleashed his full angst on the indignities of the time. 

There were only two singles from this album period and "Singing Rule Brittania (While the Walls Close In)" was a dreamlike swell of guitars as the beat faded in to the intro here. The track coalesced into a paradoxical sound that both surged forward and remained locked in stasis as the rhythm guitar descended on the downbeat and the harmonic guitar rose on an upbeat. Burgess’ bass got space in the mix to step out between these extremes on the middle eight. It sounded more like a deep cut than what one would expect for a single. Perhaps its simplicity of construction led to it being chosen as a single.

Then "On The Beach" sported a stronger, more developed melody while still offering a sound that didn’t stray far from the band’s target of a bruised, world-weary melancholy that still carried the seeds of defiance within. That Burgess managed to have his singing hit rare major keys in the song’s climax was the biggest surprise on this consistent sophomore album.

Critics called the album as a rarity of sophomore albums, something that at once made the band all the more unique in its sound while avoiding a repetition of earlier work an astounding record. others called the album as something with much stronger production underscoring both the band's direct power and the ghostly atmospherics of its icy church keyboards and delay-ridden guitars.

 

 What Does Anything Mean? Basically Track List: 

 

1. Silence, Sea and Sky

2. Perfume Garden

3. Intrigue In Tangiers

4. Return Of The Roughnecks

5. Singing Rule Britannia (While The Walls Close In)

6. On The Beach

7. Looking Inwardly

8. One Flesh

9. Home Is Where The Heart Is

10. P.S. Goodbye

11. In Shreds

12. Nostalgia  

Rocktrospectiva: The Stronger, Eclectic And Influential "Low-Life" Turns 40

Released on 13 May 1985, "Low-Life" was the third studio album by New Order, it is considered to be among the band's strongest work, displaying the moment they completed their transformation from post-punk hold-overs to dance-rockers. The album shows New Order's increased incorporation of synthesisers and samplers, while still preserving the rock elements of their earlier work. The album spawned two singles "The Perfect Kiss" & "Sub-Culture" and the video for its first single was directed by Jonathan Demme. 

The album's artwork is the only New Order release to feature photographs of the band members on its cover; according to designer Peter Saville, the decision to do this was due to him growing tired of his previous "concept covers." To photograph the band, Saville took portraits of them with instant film, which he saw as more versatile than conventional 135 film, stating that "you could push it and do funny things with it. It was very graphic and very dynamic. The grain and the texture made everything look like a movie film." Saville further stated that the band were initially reluctant to depict themselves in the artwork; however, thanks in part to the rapid turnaround of instant film, they grew to enjoy the photoshoot after seeing the results. The CD version of the album comes packaged with drummer/keyboardist Stephen Morris on the front cover, while inside the case are four photographs and a semi-transparent piece of paper with the band's name, allowing consumers to choose which band member is seen through the sleeve.

The album was preceded by the release of the full-length version of "The Perfect Kiss" as a single (only an edited version appears on the album). John Robie's remix of "Sub-culture" was also released as a 12″ single. Both of these extended versions eventually were included on 1987's Substance, but the album has other great cuts as "Love Vigilantes" a naive self-parody but interesting tune, "Elegia" is danceable and it was included on "Pretty In Pink" soundtrack and "Shellshock" which was later included in the re-edited version of the album, "Sooner As You Think" is quite interesting as well. 

The album is a legendary piece of eclectic sound due its varied menu of soul-pop, techno-rock, delicate instrumental moods, and driving, clattering percussion offers adventure in texture at every turn, its confidence, edgy and imagination suggest that the possibility is still there. The album is found it to be New Order's best work: "the songs are much stronger than usual - not just doomy electronic workouts but memorable melodies with a sense of humour lurking in the words. In every way the band's fusion of rock and electronics became seamless.

 

Low-Life Track List: 

 

1. Love Vigilantes

2. The Perfect Kiss

3. This Time Of Night

4. Sunrise

5. Elegia

6. Sooner Than You Think

7. Sub-culture

8. Face Up

Rocktrospectiva: The Danceable And Succesful "World Power" Turns 35

Released on 14 May 1990 "World Power" was the debut album by German Eurodance project Snap!. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, as the project's musical style and its vocalists, Turbo B and Penny Ford, were well received. It also achieved considerable commercial success with the help of four international top-ten hits, including its best-selling single "The Power". 

 

The album spawned five singles "The Power", "Ooops Up", "Cult Of Snap" & "Mary Had A Little Boy". This was the album with which Snap made all of Europe and beyond dance in the early 90s, thanks to their style that mixed Dance/House and Rap music.

 

Considered a legendary album worldwide due the success of its singles some of them top 10 such as "The Power", "Ooops Up", "Cult Of Snap!" and "Mary Had A Little Boy". The album also launched the unbeatable carreer of producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti, aka Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III, who joined forces back in 1989 as Snap!, this was their debut studio album and their most succesful, their opening track "The Power" peaked at No. 3 in Germay, UK, and the United States.

 

The critics called the album as a dance record you can listen to, noting that pulsating synth chords, slashing guitar riffs, thundering drums and the gospel-like wails of Penny Ford combine to give Snap a riveting sound, and smart dance/rap, full of surprises, the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction. Anyone open to its aesthetic will enjoy more than half its tracks".

 

World Power Track List: 

 

1. The Power

2. Ooops Up

3. Cult Of Snap

4. Believe The Hype

5. I'm Gonna Get You (To Whom It May Concern)

6. Witness The Strength

7. Mary Had A Little Boy

8. Blasé Blasé

Rocktrospectiva: The Fairly "Packed" Turns 35

Released on 14 May 1990 "Packed" was the fifth studio album by rock band Pretenders, or at least so, because besides band leader Chrissie Hynde, no other person is pictured anywhere within the album package. At the time the album was recorded, the only other remaining official member from the band's previous album was drummer Blair Cunningham, who plays on all tracks, though he is not credited as part of the band. As all other musicians appearing on the album are session musicians.

 

Due this situation, certain critics called the album as a Hynde solo recording using the Pretenders name to satisfy contractual obligations. However, the lineup that recorded the album has some consistency with past studio lineups of the band: guitarist Billy Bremner, who had previously played with the band as a session musician on their "Back on the Chain Gang"/"My City Was Gone" single, appears on most of the tracks, as does bassist John McKenzie, who had played some bass on the band's previous studio album. The album spawed two singles "Never Do That," & "Sense Of Purpose".

 

Back in the day after the tour "Get Close", the latest version of the Pretenders disintegrated. Although Chrissie Hynde brought along drummer Blair Cunningham from this lineup, this fifth album could really be considered Chrissie Hynde's first solo album, because it was recorded, like "Get Close", with session men.

 

Even thought, the album sounds nothing like "Get Close". Hynde hired a new producer, Mitchell Froom, and he returned to the guitar-centered rock that was the trademark of the group's earliest albums. The sound is very much a piece from beginning to end, and thanks to this, is recording as a real contender between the band's discography.

 

The songwriting is the key here. The album starts off strong with a lovely Byrds-like pop-rocker, "Never Do That". There's also some rockabilly on "Millionaires", and of course Hynde's first successful attempt at reggae  "How Do I Miss You?, some nice ballads  like "Criminal", a great cover of Hendrix's "May There Be Love", and hard rockers tunes like "Downtown", "Hold A Candle to This" and "No Guarantee". And of course powerful tracks such as "Sense of Purpose" and "Let's Make a Pact".

 

It was a fantastic released, despite the mixed critics the album received back then, both critically and commercially, and at that point there were no "Pretenders" to tour and promote it and maybe this is the main reason why many fans rejected it in spite the consistently sound that fans will enjoy. 

 

Packed! Track List: 

 

1. Never Do That

2. Let's Make A Pact

3. Millionaires

4. May This Be Love

5. No Guarantee

6. When Will I See You

7. Sens Of Purpose

8. Downtown (Akron)

9. How Do I Miss You

10. Hold A Candle To This 

11. Criminal 

New Music: Build & Destroy

           

The Progressive rock legends Styx have released the official music video for their new single "Build And Destroy". A thrilling A.I. conceptual clip — directed by Jay Ziebarth. Creating and recording new music is often considered the lifeblood of any band — an ethos AOR torchbearers STYX continue to embody with the highly anticipated release of their 18th., studio album "Circling From Above" spanning 13 tracks, the album navigates the complexities of the human experience through the intersecting lenses of technology and nature. 

Rocktrospectiva: The Smooth And Dreaming "Forever Blue" Turns 30

Released on 23 May 1995 "Forever Blue" was the fifth studio album by US musician Chris Isaak, the album spawned three singles "Somebody's Crying", "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" and "Graduation Day", the album was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. 

 

Forever Blue is considered the most perfectly titled in Chris Isaak's discography cause the predominantly depressing and downbeat mood of the record. Common themes found here just like with almost all of Isaak's albums are betrayal, heartbreak, loneliness, longing, loss, love, regret, remorse, and sorrow. No doubt, Forever Blue is still one of Isaak's best releases. 

 

The album exists almost in a dream state. It sways and shimmies in a way and is consistent throughout.  It’s almost a concept album on a sunny kind of sadness. Even the dirges on the album have a skiffling little wood block beat. Standouts include the dark and evocative "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing," the emotional tearjerker "Somebody's Crying," the melancholy and reflective "Graduation Day," and the cautiously optimistic "I Believe." 

 

Isaak is obviously influenced by Roy Orbison, both in his catchy basic lyrics, singable non-complicated melodies, and his singing style where he hits the alto range when expressing pain, you can notice this in four of the tracks: "Somebody's Crying", "There She Goes", Shadows in a Mirror", and "I Believe". The the very popular "Somebody's Crying", is perfectly wonderful in smart lyrics, immediately hummable melody, and sexy delivery with Isaak's smooth strong voice.

 

Much is made of the influence of Elvis on Isaak. I certainly agree but his lyrics and style have a darker shadow of irony, pain and maybe revenge than Elvis. He is certainly as much a student of Bryan Ferry's dark side as he is of Roy Orbison's light side. Isaak's guitar accompanyment is always perfect. The guitar chords emerge through the vocals to echo the pain in perfect sympathy.

 

Chris Isaak's words began to warp with exaggerated wow and flutter. Sound began to fade in and out. At some points, When Isaak croons on the pedal-steel-inflected The End of Everything.  

 

This album is consistently good, song after song, and it was Chris Isaak at his best.

 

Forever Blue Track List: 

 

1. Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing

2. Somebody0s Crying

3. Graduation Day

4. Go Walking Down There

5. Don't Leave Me On My Own

6. Things Go Wrong

7. Forever Blue

8. There She Goes

9. Goin' Nowhere

10. Changed Your Mind

11. Shadows In A Mirror

12. I Believe

13. The End Of Everything 

Rocktrospectiva: The Surprisingly And Daring Succesful "I'm Breathless" Turns 35

 

Released on 22 May 1990 "I'm Breathless (Music From And Inspired By The Film Dick Tracy" was a conceptual album by US singer Madonna, released to accompany the film Dick Tracy. The album contains three songs written by Stephen Sondheim, which were used in the film, in addition to several songs co-written by Madonna that were inspired by but not included in the film. 

 

Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney alongside her then-boyfriend Warren Beatty who played the title role, Dick Tracy. After filming was complete, Madonna began work on the album with Sondheim, producer Patrick Leonard and engineer Bill Bottrell. She also worked with producer Shep Pettibone on the album's first single, "Vogue". 

 

Musically, I'm Breathless consists predominantly of jazz, swing and pop songs. The tracks reflected Madonna's showgirl personality and were influenced by her relationship with Beatty. The singer wanted to create music that would fit the style and production of the film, set in the days of the Untouchables law enforcement, and sang the songs accordingly. In some areas she pitched her vocals and belted the notes when necessary. She smoked cigarettes in order to portray the vocals of her character Breathless. Beatty and singer Mandy Patinkin were featured as duet partners on three of the songs.

 

In 1990, Madonna was part of the film Dick Tracy starring as Breathless Mahoney, with Warren Beatty playing the titular character. Madonna told that initially she had waited for Beatty to call her for the film. But when he did not, the singer decided to involve herself voluntarily. She pursued the part of Mahoney, but offered to work for minimum wages to avoid favoritism. Beatty had realized several positive aspects of hiring Madonna as an actress for the film. She would be inclined to develop a soundtrack for Dick Tracy and the film studio would see this as a promotional opportunity before the release of their product, since Madonna was popular as a recording artist. This would also benefit Warner Bros. Records, who would get a reason to release a new Madonna record. 

 

Madonna was in a relationship with Beatty at that time, and her whole acting, recording and singing stemmed from impressing him with the album, which was important to her. Beatty and actor Mandy Patinkin also lent their voices for songs from the album. While I'm Breathless was being completed, it still needed a lead single. At the same time, Madonna and producer Shep Pettibone decided to compose a new song called "Vogue" to be placed on the B-side of "Keep It Together", the final single from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989), to ensure that the song would fare better on the charts. When Warner executives heard the song, they decided to release it as an A-side, and was eventually included on the album. Despite not appearing in the film, "Vogue" was used in a commercial for Dick Tracy. I'm Breathless is one of three soundtracks released alongside the film, the others being the Dick Tracy: Original Soundtrack,  and an orchestral score by Danny Elfman.

 

I'm Breathless is a jazz, swing and pop album where Madonna and Sondheim tried to recreate the music of the period portrayed in Dick Tracy. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, the harmonic and melodic styles were more "complex" than the songs which Madonna was accustomed to, hence she found it difficult and demanding. She spoke about the "wilderness" of the tunes, saying that she was not confident of doing justice to the songs, and neither was Sondheim. But he kept on encouraging the singer so that the recording sessions would not be affected. Madonna also recruited producer Patrick Leonard and engineer Bill Bottrell to help her with the project. According to Lucy O'Brien, author of Madonna: Like an Icon, after Madonna's split from husband Sean Penn in 1989, the singer was comfortable in her new relationship with Beatty, which influenced the songs. The singer and Leonard enlisted a ten-piece live band and jazz musicians.

 

Lucy O'Brien said that the songs on I'm Breathless had a "coquettish" and "pandering nature", and was the polar opposite to Madonna's previous release, Like a Prayer, which had an introspective composition.I'm Breathless opens with the sound of an intercom and a shuffle, and power ballad "He's a Man" starts, a song which Madonna sings as if she was a "hooker stalking the boulevard". Also, Madonna's "haunting" vocals continue after the music has faded. One of the Sondheim songs, "Sooner or Later", evokes a 1930s jazz ballad with comping piano, brushed drum sounds, double bass, and horns. Conjuring the atmosphere of a smoky nightclub, the song finds Madonna in her lowest range as the melody shifts continuously. "Hanky Panky", the third song and second single, deals with sadomasochistic themes centered on a girl celebrating the pleasures of a "good spanking". It is performed in an almost comical style, and stemmed from a line in the film, where Breathless says to Tracy, "You don't know whether to hit me or kiss me." The following track on the album, "I'm Going Bananas", is a Carmen Miranda-ish song done in a Spanish accent. A salsa rhythm is predominant, with Madonna squeezing her vocal cords while singing, backed by percussion and brass. In the fifth track, "Crybaby", Madonna mimics the vocals of Betty Boop. The melody is heard over the interlining synth strings, horns and trumpets, and a bass. Rooksby explained that Madonna sang about a guy who is "too sensitive and soft", and the chorus employs a chromatic chord sequence. The next track "Something to Remember" deals with her failed marriage to Penn and was the source of inspiration for naming her 1995 compilation album. Musically, it has melancholy chords and rambling melody, which according to Taraborrelli made it the most compelling song by Madonna.

 

Next "Back in Business" it contains a "slow-verse-fast-chorus" sequence. According to Rooksby, "the chorus bursts into life, with Madonna clearly relishing the lyrics about good guys finishing last... the coldness of her delivery is apt for the topic." Her vocals are accompanied by muted trumpet sounds and a saxophone solo. "More" is the second Sondheim number where Madonna recites the materialistic-themed lyrics with irony, over a bouncy two-beat with tap-dancing during an instrumental break. The track consists of syncopated chord structure, tempo changes and lyrical rhymes. The arrangement switches between slow and fast tempo, requiring proper enunciation by Madonna. The final Sondheim song, "What Can You Lose", is the duet with Patinkin. It is a torch song where Patinkin supplies the male voice while Madonna sings during the second verse with strings and harmonics.

 

Madonna sings a two-part duet with Beatty titled "Now I'm Following You". With beats atop a riff, Madonna reveals that "Dick" is an "interesting name". The first part has strings, brass and muted horns, with a tap-dancing sequence during the intermediate piano solo and blues effect. At the last chord, the sound of the record getting stuck is heard, and a needle is drawn across the vinyl, leading into the much faster part two. The word "Dick" is continuously repeated in the main melody structure until the song ends with the sound of a record being snatched off a music player. Bill Meyers, who played piano during the recording, recalled that the song required only one take from Beatty. "Vogue" closes out the album and is musically different from the rest of the tracks. It is a dance number consisting of a "throbbing beat" and lyrically has a theme of escapism. The song talks about Vogueing, a dance form which reproduced poses from high-fashion modelling. The song also has a rap section, where Madonna names various "golden era" Hollywood celebrities, including Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich.

 

Critics gave favorable reviews praising the album as one of Madonna's greatest musical moments, and praising her vocal performance. A surprise career decision for Madonna and found that it showcased the singer's versatility and other facets of her pop personality, describing "Hanky Panky" as the best tracks on the record, and "Vogue" showed the singer "can still deliver that indefinable something extra".

 

I'm Breathless Music From And Inspired For The Film Dick Tracy Track List: 

 

1. He's A Man

2. Sooner Or Later

3. Hanky Panky

4. I'm Going Bananas

5. Cry Baby

6. Something To Remember

7. Back In Business

8. More

9. What Can You Lose

10. Now I'm Following You (Part I)

11. Now I'm Following You (Part II)

12. Vogue

Rocktrospectiva: The Formidable "Grand Prix" Turns 30

 

Released on 29 May 1995 "Grand Prix" was the fifth studio album by Scottish indie band Teenage Fanclub. The band that was critically feted for 1991's Bandwagonesque LP famously chosen as Spin Magazine's album of the year, beating Nirvana’s Nevermind, the album spawned four singles "Mellow Doubt", "Sparky's Dream", "Neil Jung", & "About You".

The superb "Grand Prix" album is considered perhaps the truest group effort, their democratic approach truly bears fruit, and it's indicative of the disc's uniform excellence that the first Blake composition, the lovely "Mellow Doubt," doesn't even surface until track three, by which time McGinley's "About You" and Love's harmony-rich "Sparky's Dream" have already firmly established the set's ragged-but-right tenor. 

Unfortunately the new drummer Paul Quinn fails to recreate the buoyantly reckless abandon of the sacked Brendan O'Hare, otherwise the album captures complete creative synergy -- in particular, "Don't Look Back" is Love's watershed moment, a gorgeously wistful love song highlighted by wittily lovelorn lyrics like "I'd steal a car to drive you home," as good a pick-up line as anything in the annals of rock & roll. 

Althought there were certain fillers just like "Verisimilitude", this doesn't matter with Blake's contributions are still the highlights "Neil Jung" and "I'll Make It Clear" are simply perfect pop songs, but Grand Prix is ultimately the product of a band at the peak of its collective powers, not as much a landmark as Bandwagonesque but every bit as good on its own terms.

It remains their high watermark., especially because it was released at the height of Britpop, due for this, it was criminally overlooked for the likes of Echobelly and Menswear. Yet you’d struggle to find a more perfect pop album than this, 42 breathless minutes, it condenses the best bits of the Byrds, Big Star and early Beach Boys into thirteen, sun drenched tracks.

From the opening rush of About You and Sparky’s Dream through to the slower, reflective Verisimilitude and Going Places, Grand Prix is an album about being hopelessly, head-over-heels in love. 

Maybe musically the template is familiar, but lyrically it’s their most mature work to date with Gerard Love’s line in Don’t Look Back and it was a reminder that the Fannies were maybe too smart for the mainstream.

The album cover was a cool one, honoring rhe now-defunct Formula One racing team Simtek provided the car that appears on the front cover. Grand Prix received almost unanimous critical acclaim called it "winsome and reflective", "breathtakingly superb with finely honed dynamics, nagging harmonies and deceptively simple lyrics".

 

Grand Prix Track List: 

 

1. About You

2. Sparky's Dream

3. Mellow Doubt

4. Don't Look Back

5. Verisimilitude

6. Neil Jung

7. Tears

8. Discolite

9. Say No

10. Going Places

11. I'll Make It Clear

12. I Gotta Know

13. Hardcore/Ballad