U-Brown -- Weather Baloon

 Dub Reggae, early Rapper, known in Jamaica as a Toaster, Classic U-Brown.  The back cover tells me that U Brown replaced U Roy during a stint with illness, he became such a good DJ/ Toaster, he started his own thing.  As far as Dub Reggae goes this album doesn't even touch anything by the likes of King Tubby or Lee Perry, it has it moments but I can't say I was crazy about it ... just too damn long, with the same thing over and over, U Brown blabbering in nonsensical rants, which at some points I wasn't even sure if he was even saying words or just blabbering sounds that he might have thought were cool -- who knows?  Point is this record was OK,  but a 45 would have been enough ...

Circle Jerks -- Group Sex

  Classic 1980's Punk record, and probably the shortest, just over 15 minutes, but those minutes are jam packed with the best Hardcore there is ...  it's perfect!  The lyrics feel like social critique themed Punk haiku's.  I definitely prefer Morris's Circle Jerks material over his stint in Black Flag, which was very good, but he sounded more like Johnny Rotten ... here he really finds himself and unleashes the Hardcore masterpiece he was always meant to make!

Willie Nelson -- Red Headed Stranger

  Me neither, I can't believe I'm reviewing a Willie Nelson record, but I've heard about this album around the camp fire a so many times -- I couldn't resist it.  Willie is playing back to the basics American country Folk music, which at the time was unheard of for a commercial artist, who was just given complete freedom by the industry.  The record is a concept album, about a Red Headed Stranger, aka, the preacher who catches his wife in an infidelity, kills her and new lover out of blind rage, he flees and becomes an outlaw ... eventually our anti-hero is an old man with a new life, wife and grandchild, picnicking in the sun.

Iron & Wine -- Our Endless Numbered Days

  The songs on this album are great as individuals, but as a whole record, it's hard to digest so many bummer tunes without a Pop song evening things out, whatever, who cares, it's his album, he decides.  Iron and Wine's sound is obviously taken from all eras of Folk music, new and old, especially Elliott Smith's vocal sound, although Beam's are way more over-dubbed, to the point that I can't understand one word he is saying -- no matter, it's great!  Point is it may be tough to find a time and a place to play this record, but when you do, it's nice to sink into it's pretty music.

Belle and Sebastian -- The Boy With The Arab Strap

  Kinda Folksy Indie Pop group Belle And Sebastian's third release.  Their first three albums all stem in the same vein, Pop-y Drake, Bowie folk style with 60's kitch and Smithsy lyrics and packaging ... if you know what I mean.  I remember early on in their career there was this mystery about the band, this side of the Atlantic, no one really knew what they looked like, you never read an interview, or ever heard of a concert ... who were these people making such beautiful music with Charlie Brown cuteness ... I don't know if they did this on purpose as a great marketing strategy or if we were just a bunch of nerds cut out from the world, but it created such hype and mystique about the band, that they could have done anything and it would have been cool.  Their timeless sound will only grow as the years pass and I'm sure their music will become legendary!

Clyde Mcphatter -- Ta Ta!

  I was expecting more from one of the original Drifters, but sadly this record wasn't very good.  I thought the album was going to be a full blown Doo Wop extravaganza.  What I got were heavily orchestrated Disney sounding ballads.  Even though there were some attempts at Rock 'n' Roll numbers, it felt phony and forced, the recording was way to polished for this kinda material.  Mcphatter himself drowned away in resentment and alcoholism claiming, "I have no fans" ... nonetheless he had a great career in the 50's, maybe this 1960 release just marked the end.

Footnote: I got a Dee Clark album, as well, buy one get one free Value Village type deal.  The record came out the same year, sounded exactly like Ta Ta!, and had the same problem! Weird!

Elliott Smith -- S/T

  Elliott Smith is our modern day Nick Drake.  Smith suffered from numerous problems which came across in his music.  His tastemaker sound is taken from lush cool 60's/ 70's Folk, but I feel it's primarily in the vein of early Sebadoh mixed with Cat Stevens's Trouble, which he did end up covering.  People seem to have a hard time getting into Smith since he's so depressing, but if music's purpose is to evoke emotion, this album is a chalk full of that.  I do understand that this record might be a hard sell at a swinging party, but otherwise it's totally brilliant.  Hit track Needle In The Hay is in my mind one of the most traumatizing songs I've ever heard, which was sent into the stratosphere when it was featured in the suicide scene in The Royal Tendenbaums ... was it the pictures on the screen that made the scene so sad or the song??  the New Weird American Folk Pop groups owe a huge debt to Elliott Smith who paved their way.  Like many great artists, Smith's death is shrouded in mystique ... was it homicide, was it suicide, the details don't add up ... one thing it was for sure ... a total loss to music!