Timbre Timbre

  So there I am having an after work beer at my friend's place, I suggest that she play something I could review, so she puts on this watered down Sesame Street version of Nick Cave ... don't get me wrong there were some exceptional tracks, but all in all I'm not about to go out and bust a nut to get this on vinyl.

Punk & Disorderly

  A run of the mill Punk UK compilation, and why are the Kennedys always the only American band to make it on these things??  Admittedly these songs are good but very forgettable,  except for Demob's No Room For You, which is inscribed Dmob on the album, anyway, the track is a bass driven anthemic chanter, and probably one of the best one's I have ever heard, unfortunately the band only released two singles before splitting up, fortunately their best tune made it on this record!

Wire -- Pink Flag

  Killer debut album by pioneering Punk band Wire.  They may have taken their cue from The Ramones, but Wire amp it up a notch, while inadvertently making the template for American Hardcore and this was just their start!  

The Breeders -- Pod

  Man I really like their sound, but the song structure is so uneven, it's like they took a sonic step forward but took a form step back.  It's still a great debut album, but it needed some more work at the time, anyway it's too late for that! NEXT!

Animal House

  Ok yes it's a great hilarious movie and the soundtrack is pretty good, but the real thing to write home about is Otis Day And The Knights.  They are the phoney joke Soul-ish Doo Wop group within the film.  Even-though they are hilarious to watch and hear, they pull off their schtick beautifully, their version of Shout is a real romper, but my personal favorite is the nonsensical ballad Shama Lama Ding Dong which pokes fun at kooky Doo Wop phrasing but at the same time homages it with their authentic sound ... "and that is why, shoo doo doo do do do!" 

Frank Sinatra -- In The Wee Small Hours

  A blue themed slew of cover tunes with a score that is reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann and Sinatra's soft breath pangs of loneliness ... I liked this album, although it might not make it on the turntable too often, but it definitively has it's place, you can clearly see that this record had a deep impact on Tom Waits.

Devo -- Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

  Imagine getting discovered by David Bowie and Brian Eno, how f*cking cool would that be, then to have Eno produce your debut album which became your greatest contribution to Rock 'n' Roll, man my head would be more swollen than a shitty bar band who think they're awesome!  Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! sounds like Television on speed, unfortunately the rest of their career wasn't as strong ...