Ultra....Smooth part 1

A new post for the new year! I have been listening to music far and wide but I am going to start the new year with something old and new. First let us start with some old...

By stepping back into the eighties I have found yet again another album and new group to expand my horizons. Ultravox was one essential New Wave/Synth Pop group that was laying down the foundation for the likes of the Euythmics, Duran Duran and others like them. Formed in Britain, Ultravox wouldn't see the success in the States like Duran Duran did, but they still hold a place in many hearts.

Ultravox has been around since the 70's but it wasn't until they found success with singer James (Midge) Ure in the early 80's. His cool, calm and collective voice with suits and ties, surrendered us to what was to become the real start of their careers.

Quick back story, Ultravox formed back in 1974. Originally called Tiger Lily with vocalist Dennis Leigh, keyboardist/violinist Billy Currie, drummer Warren Cann, bassist Chris Allen(Cross) and Stevie Shears on guitar. Sometime in 1976 they dropped Leigh and replaced him with John Foxx as lead vocalist and started using the name Ultravox! (notice the exclamation point). During Foxx's tenure they cut 3 albums with him leading the group. It was also during this time that they were more Post Punk/Glam rock than what was the Synth Pop/New Wave sound with Ure heading the group. During the touring of the last album with Foxx, the band almost split. In 1979 Ure came along after a time with Thin Lizzy, meeting up with Billy Currie in the short lived group Visage, the new Ultravox was formed along with other original members Cann and Cross.

The band's first album with Ure as singer was a commercial success, which was a surprise since the group had a fan base to begin with but with no real commerical success with Foxx. It was a slow rise but as the saying says "Third times the charm." really fit. Their third single "Vienna" is the bands rise to fame and most notable song off the debut album, Vienna with Midge Ure's vocals.

I seem to be stuck on this New Wave trend, but if I need to get a new fix on something old, I am glad it's with Ultravox. Having a vague recollection of hearing the faint piano melody of "Vienna", sticks in my mind. Not at all happy and upbeat, Ultravox tends to lean toward the dark side of New Wave Romantics. Cynical and creepy at times is what turned me onto this group.

Now the album Vienna is armed with synths, guitar and drum machines. The best you could do in the eighties and that's what Ultravox set out to accomplish. The album opener "Astradyne" is a lovely synth instrumental to get things going in the right direction, it is majestic and with the violin strolling through you get a sense of what is to come. We get a peek of post-punk with the second song "New Europeans".

My favorite tracks are "Vienna" of course with its eerie vibe. Just drum and piano until the break in the song where it changes mood and sounds like you've drifted into a Victorian era movie before ending with Ure telling "This means nothing to me.......oh Vienna"
"Sleepwalk" sounds like a Vince Clark/Depeche Mode number which is a great dance song. I have to say I don't care for the early Depeche Mode, but "Sleepwalk" reminds me of the pace that all New Wave bands were keen to keep on the radio, upbeat and danceable.  "Mr. X" is a moody number and a real treat with our drummer Warren taking on vocal duties. Not really singing but storytelling is Mr. Cann's way to keeping fans amused.  Last on the favorite list is the last song on the album, "All Stood Still". Dark and fast with a catch of Ure's cute Scottish brogue if you listen closely. Plus Ure's guitar work is awesome to say the least. Not exactly guitar god - Clapton, but still manages to grab you.

If you want to treat your self, go get the 2008 Definitive Remastered Edition of Vienna. You are treates to some live versions of the songs along with the best B-sides the group have done. In my honest opinion, "Passionate Reply" should have been on the album but is a nice treat along with the instrumental song "Alles Klar". I will be playing "Alles Klar" for a while as I have found it to be my new theme for the month. I would love to jump back to the 80's to hear this song spun on the DJ's table. Hey how about a remix to pump the song to new levels? Or we can just sit back and let Ultravox take us away to the days were suits and ties were worn all the time, by man and woman. Speaking of which, that will bring me to my next review. Check back soon!

Happy Holidays!

Hello to all Holiday Folk! This is a going to be a short post but I though I should at least blog about some holiday music, but there is a lot of music to choose from. Not to worry! I decided it would be appropriate to write about my favorite holiday song. And more specifically the artists performance I like most.

"Let It Snow!" has to be my favorite Christmas song. Not only does the song reference what Alaska is all about, it is romantic, playful and makes me really love Christmas more. Little tid bit for those who don't know, "Let It Snow!" was written in 1945 by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne in California on a very hot day, a day that broke a record temps across the states.

What I love most about Lena Horne's rendition is that she takes the song to another level for me. It is playful and honest how she doesn't just sing the lyrics but makes you believe she is singing directly to you and your partner. The break in the song with the powerhouse horn section gives you a wake up call before drifting off again to her voice wanting to see a little snow, a whole week of snow if you can catch the last bit of her singing in the outro.

A+ for this song. I grew up with this playing along with Tony Bennett's "Winter Wonderland" and a barrage of other oddities on a cassette tape my Papa would play every Christmas. I will forever be requesting Lena's version of "Let It Snow!" for years to come. 

One Thing Leads To Something New

Well I never thought my next music purchase would include a new album from a group I never really cared for. Listing to my local NPR radio station, I heard a magnificent song. By a outdated 80's band. But the song stuck with me all day long and I had to find out who it was. Finding out it was by The Fixx was a major surprise. The Fixx is a British new wave/pop band that had moderate success with 2 major singles in the U.S., those being "One Thing Leads To Another" and "Saved by Zero". Of course I never "really" listened to their music as I found "OTLTA" just too annoying so I conjured up the idea that the rest of their music would sound the same. Stands to reason, right? Wrong! Those comments "Stand to Fall" as they were really ahead of their time if you were to listen closely to what they were singing about. They were subtle in their attempts to grab legions of fans that stood with them since the beginning. And here they are with a brand new endeavour that is most amazing. I feel ashamed that I couldn't get pass "OTLTA". The only songs I enjoyed of theirs were "Stand or Fall" and "Red Skies" which were not as popular in the U.S as they were with the previously mentioned songs.

So without futher ado, this new album "Beautiful Friction" is a breath of fresh air to the sounds coming out of the radio today, all of which sound way over produced and alike. The Fixx reach deeper than they have before and bring a familiarity with them. I want to be blunt with you right now: the lead song "Anyone Else" is a song asking us to take our heads our of our asses and pay attention to all that we are doing for our future generations. The video for the song is just perfect. Being a kid and ignoring all the gay bashing, politicrits and religion fanatics and not being afraid of who you are and standing up to what you believe in. As Cy sings "I can only be myself, I can't be anyone else but me." Please believe in yourself!

They follow that up with a song titled "What God?" giving you a feeling of what you think God wants us to do in life, the things we don't want to do, asking questions over and over again, when you feel like you have lost all faith. Great guitar rockin' song! "Shaman" is a ethereal jam that evokes images of standing on a dune waiting for the power of the sun to infuse me with the knowledge and strength to journey through life unafraid of what might come. I have to say that Cy Curnin made me love his voice more when I heard "Something Ahead Of You", I feel he is somehow channeling Bowie with all the right moves. Curnin in his best form. "Girl With No Ceiling" starts with a bit of an island beat to accompany Cy. Then the tempo turns around: come the chours slowing to a waltz but is upbeat enough to still be swaying along to the song. Great guitar riffs through the song thanks to Jamie West-Oram.

I was not disappointed with this purchase and so glad I opened my eyes, heart and ears to this group. I am ready to take a look into this band that slipped by. I feel that I have to blame the radio stations for playing "OTLTA" too much and not more of "Red Skies" or other songs of theirs that hit you like a ton of bricks when you get the message they are sending. Like Cy sings "Stand or Fall, State your peace tonight", this is what I am stating. Damn you corporations that take over and play this so called crap you call music. I can't stand it. We need more music like The Fixx. We need more NPR stations that are free to play what they want, when they want. Thank you KNBA for giving me a chance to give The Fixx another chance. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have picked up "Beautiful Friction" based on one song and its sole video.

Songs to Listen to:  "What God", "Beautiful Friction",  "Anyone Else" and "Girl With No Ceiling"

Kimbra - Vows

A young woman from New Zealand is thrust into the spotlight due to the helping hand she lent for Gotye. Kimbra is not a poor wayfaring stranger and very much somebody that you are going to know!. :P I know, lame joke. But seriously, this woman can sing and its a breath of fresh air compaired to the stuff I normally hear on the radio. With Vows we are treated to a throwback to some motown, soul infulenced tunes. We get a nice start with "Settle Down" is a little treat that Kimbra shows her vocal style. "Cameo Lover" sounds like a euro soul song that I feel I could dance to on American Bandstand. I absolutely love this song. It's fun, upbeat. Try not bopping your head along. "Old Flame" is an odd track but has that landscape of 80's etherialness to it. Makes it special to have it on the album. All these tunes have an old time sound to them that just works. Esp for her. "Withdrawl" is incredibly sexy and what a head turner. She sings with an elegance that is held by some great soul singers. I think Kimbra is best when singing songs such as "Withdrawl". I like to combine listening to this album along with Little Jackie's "The Stoop", another great throwback to soul and funk music. I think the best tracks are "Settle Down", "Good Intent", "Withdrawl" and "Call Me" but you all go ahead and be the judge! So I challenge people to listen and hold Kimbra's "Vows" to your heart. This is an album that is a great listen with lots of fun upbeat tracks to the slow, ready for love tracks. Her videos are great too. Check out on Youtube videos for "Settle Down" and "Good Intent".

The Cars - The Cars

"enter text here to describe this album" Yeah right! I thought that this would be easy. No. How do you begin to describe an essiental classic rock album? You fumble your way through, that's how. So here goes nothing! I finally bought the Cars debut album "The Cars" and having already heard the majority of the songs, being on the radio and all, I only had 2 songs to really sit and listen to. 'I'm In Touch With Your World' was something i felt that would have jumped right out of some erie slasher flick. The deep vocals and erie vibe from Ric was awesome to hear and I got a sense of where their style would develop on other albums for example the songs 'Panorama' or 'Night Spots'. The second song I had yet to hear is the last song sung by Mr.Orr, 'All Mixed Up'. A perfect song to wrap up the album and on a slower note. A very dramatic touch to the rest of the heavy guitar laden songs previously heard on the album. Nothing wrong with that though! Benjamin was always the one to grab a woman's or man's attention with his emotional delivery. I know this sounds rushed but let's jump back and let me say something eloquent about the songs not mentioned. What can I say? 'Just What I Needed' and 'Let The Good Times Roll' are the main anthems on this album. Well, at least to me. You get a perfect blend of what rock was all about back then. Chilling, Girls, Guitars, Girls, Guitars and did I forget to mention girls? :P They really did a good job of sounding like the premire rock group. I tend to forget and think, "Where is their first album and what did it sound like?" You're listening to it, dummy! All in all, if you like good classic rock, this album is for you. Like I said before. It is hard to describe an album when its written all over the album sleeve, to the lyrics in the songs. So I thank Ric, Benjamin, Elliot, Dave and Greg for being the masters that they are as musicians.

Keep It Dark

I felt like I needed to post about this song because of all the UFO sightings going on around the world and everything falling apart around us. I think I needed to reconnect to my feelings on the world outside.

The song tells the tale of a man who was kidnapped by aliens and taken to a world "full of people and hearts filled with joy" as he sings along, but lies to the people at home about where he was taken: "I wish, that I could really tell you. All the things that happened to me and all that I have seen."

For those of you Genesis fans, this song is one of my favorites. The atmosphere around this song is just fantastic. This song soars! A bit of trivia for you: This song is one of few songs where Phil sings in falsetto and that the song is in a 3/2 time signature. But who I am blogging about is not the Genesis version. This is about Simon Collins, son of Phil Collins who made a very impressionable cover of one of his father's songs. I wasn't quite sure if I would like a cover of this song as it is such a strong song.

In the original, a nice guitar arrangement sweeps around the interweaving synths that accompany the drum beat and bass line which is so tight it melds with the drums. In this cover, Simon's singing is very much like his father's but for a younger generation. We still have the same synchopated guitar playing and the interweaving synths but much more. I almost expect to hear someone else singing but then Simon pulls me back to him. This electronic rock sound spectacular is beautiful and a great driving song. Simon has a knack of making music just as full of feeling as his father.

A futuristic song for a generation of people waiting to be taken to a place yet to be seen. Sounds funny huh? I guess I will just sit under the stars with this playing and hoping for the stuff yet to come.

Ugly Kid Joe - Everything About You

I have to get this out of my system. I keep hearing this song on my iPod, so it seems to reason that I need to write about it. So here it goes. Back in 1992 a group called Ugly Kid Joe released a single called "Everything About You" and it was a hit in the UK at #3 and #9 for us in the grand ole US. The song also gained popularity by being used in Wayne's World.

When I first heard this song on the radio and only being 10 years old, I thought it to be very annoying, couldn't stand the guys voice and would find the next best station to listen to. Now that I am older I have a better appreciation for the song. I find this song very amusing and a great way to put a smile on my face when I seem to be in the most sourest of moods. I think it reminds me that I can keep a positive attitude and say "to Hell" with everyone else, I am going to be me and keep my head held high. No one can bring me down!

As the voice croons "I hate the rain and sunny weather" I find myself thinking how much I like the rain on a tin roof and sunny weather when I want to be out side, "I hate the beach and mountains too" I think about how much I like being in the woods and hiking mountains that takes our breath away.

Of course since the song has to be edited for radio listeners of all ages, we the listeners do not get to hear the lines omitted for radio release. Unless you went out and got the album with the full length version you will know what I mean.
For those of you who do not know what I am talking about please look at the following lines or skip below if you are not interested or with gentle ears.


'I don't really care about you're sister,
Fuck the little bitch 'cause I already kissed her,
One thing that I did to your old lady,
Was I put her on the bed and she didn't say maybe.'


Don't say I didn't warn you! :) I think everyone needs a perspective song in their life to kick them in the butt or to make them laugh. Remember that life is short and to have fun and when someone irritates the crap out of you, just keep this song handy on your iPod/MP3 player and kill them with kindness and a smile. Like the man sings,
"and I get sick when I'm around, I can't stand to be around, I hate everything about you."