Sloan - Navy Blues

8.0 - Canada - 1998

In which the erstwhile Can-Rockers get their most Beatly. Y'know, for all that's been said of Oasis's aping the Beatles (a terribly overstated, misguided point), this Halifax (NS, not Yorks.) quartet seemed to have been the Beatles cover band that Oasis proclaimed themselves to be, and nowhere is this better demonstrated on this group's fourth album, which sounds like some hybrid of Revolver and Abbey Road. The sound is very sixties (interestingly, Sloan's next album would take its cues more from the 70s). The guitars are thick, the harmonies are sweet, and the choruses are all sing-alongs.

If one were to further force the Beatles comparison, Chris Murphy and Patrick Pentland dominate the songwriting credits -- Murphy, the melodically-minded bassist with a goofy, but commercial sensibility is the McCartney of the operation which would make the more introspective Pentland the Lennon (albeit without the fire). Jay Ferguson -- the quiet one -- is the Harrison: only a couple of songs, but they're among the standouts (plus, unlike George, he has the best voice of the group). That leaves drummer Andrew Scott, and here's where the comparison breaks down. No Ringo is he! Compared to previous records, Scott's presence is more pronounced here. Sure, his voice isn't as sweet as the others, but he has the best lyrics -- frequently Sloan songs are not nearly as clever as they pretend to be ("Have you got another jump I can hope through?" asks "Money City Maniacs") -- and his compositions tend to be the most complex. Viz. the cleverly arranged "Sinking Ships".

"She Says What She Means" features a monster-riff, but perhaps a few too many clichés and the lead single "Money City Maniacs" is decent enough although its popularity is somewhat baffling. I consider it a bit dull and trite, but if it's one of the weaker tracks, then this must be a pretty strong album. Elsewhere, the Murphy-Scott duet "Suppose They Close The Door" does the Super Furry trick of cramming several ultra-catchy tunes into one track and Ferguson's "C'mon C'mon (We're Gonna Get It Started)" is so thoroughly pleasant, you want to make it a sandwich. Finally, the drums sound great on this record, but someone really should have tuned that piano.

Tortoise - TNT

9.0 - USA - 1998

Although Millions Now Living Will Never Die is considered their masterwork, I reckon this one is their best record. Just a perfect mix of spidery post-rock guitars, bubbling synths, and jazzy rhythms. The double-drum work-out of the opening title track is a wonderful build-up from the first tentative syncopations into a taut machinery of groove. "I Set Face To The Hillside" is a gorgeous string-led instrumental ballad that sounds like it came out of some lost science fiction spaghetti western crossover. Still, although TNT has a much more organic and jazzrock feel compared to its more electronic predecessor, there is still that faint chill suggestive of this all being just a technical exercise. But despite of the well-studied marimbas, little bits of soul find themselves peaking out of the corners.

Franklin's Mint - Gold

7.5 - USA - 2005

A rather bizarre spin-off from the Sunburned Hand Of The Man collective. Bizarre in that the free-wheeling avant-garde jams of the Boston-based psychlords have been reconfigured into fairly straight alt-country songs (though leaning more to the alternative side of alt-country). It sounds a bit like the Brian Jonestown Massacre jamming the Anomoanon. The songs themselves more or less hold up -- opener "Hold This Bag For Me" takes a tale of drug smuggling and turns into a down-home jam between friends. I don't know who the female singer is on "Carousel Baby" and "One, Two, Many", but she's fantastic. In places the emphasis on drinking and smoking can grate a little as if it's trying a bit too hard to be "rock 'n roll", but a solid record nonetheless, and a welcome diversion from the sometimes challenging Sunburners.

Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson

8.5 - France - 1971

A somewhat bizarre concept album from everyone's favourite dirty Frenchman. In this episode, the lecherous narrator is driving around drunk in his Rolls Royce and hits a young teenage girl with whom he has an affair until she leaves to fly back to Sunderland but then her plane crashes and her body is retrieved by a New Guinea cargo cult. Or something. It's best not to think about it really. The worst moment is when, just after striking the girl with his car, the narrator, having seen under the young girl's skirt, remarks that her hair must be naturally red. Eep.

Still, despite all that cringy creepiness, Melody Nelson is a very fine album, not the least because of the terrific arranging work by Jean-Claude Vannier. Gainsbourg's lascivious muttering is backed by a wonderfully lush orchestral arrangement and a rhythm section made of some of Britain's finest session players (the drumming work by Dougie Wright is exceptional throughout). A couple of tracks -- "Valse de Melody" and "L'Hotel Particulier" -- suffer a bit in comparison to the gorgeous melodicism of the other tracks ("Ballade de Melody Nelson" is a definite highlight), but the only real weakness of this album is its cruelly short sub-half hour running time.

Charles Mingus - The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

9.5 - USA - 1963

More orchestral post-bop. A fantastic avant-garde big-band accompaniment to some ballet. A bit noisy in places, but that’s how I like it!

The John Coltrane Quartet - The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions

9.0 - USA - 1961/1995

Widescreen orchestrated post-bop in which a small quartet featuring just Coltrane with his usual rhythm section is augmented by a jazz orchestra arranged and conducted by Eric Dolphy. The two versions of “Greensleeves” are gorgeous – McCoy Tyner’s piano in particular. “The Damned Don’t Cry” is a bit of an outlier – Dolphy is replaced by some Italian guy and some slightly incongruous strings. Like "Greensleeves", the extended workout "Africa" is presented in two different takes, but the doubling-up is not overly repetitious on this fine expanded reissue.

The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

8.5 - England - 1967

Their weirdest record. The songs from this strange little TV special are some of their loosest recordings. The title track is an underwritten gem, and “Flying” is in its non-descript mellotron-led twelve bar blues psychedelia is delightfully baffling. The droning “Blue Jay Way” is not without its charms, but let’s face it – if it weren’t a song by the Greatest Band of All Time, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was some unfinished home recording by a deserved unknown. “Your Mother Should Know” is an egregious testament to Paul’s cloyingness, and “I Am The Walrus” is as awesome as it is held to be. The second side of the LP (the first side was released as double EP in the UK) consists of non-album singles from the same period, which feature the same loony psych-ness of the film songs, albeit with more disciplined production. “Baby, You’re A Rich Man” is an underrated gem – there’s something about the bassline on the second line of the chorus that seals it for me. A musicologist could better explain it, but it’s like a slightly wrong note that is oh so very right.

Lee Perry - Revolution Dub

8.0 - Jamaica - 1975

One of the best dub albums ever made, even though – or perhaps because – it’s an exercise in half-assed lunacy. I’m pretty sure it’s just a very stoned Scratch making some excellent dubs with the television blaring in the background. Occasionally, Perry opts to sing (as on the excellent closer "Rain Drops"), but mostly he just jabbers along to whatever is on the TV ("My name is Kojak!"). Some neat palimpsests, too.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin [Boxed Set]

9.5 - England - 1969-1982/1990

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Celestine Ukwu - Ejim Nk'onye

7.0 - Nigeria - 1975

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