Big Blasts From The Past

DEPECHE MODE Released 2nd LP ‘A BROKEN FRAME’ 40 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Back in time

27 September 2022

Band: DEPECHE MODE
Who: British heroes who went from synth-pop
to darkwave bombast over the years.
Active: Since 1980 – 14 studio LPs (so far)

Anniversary LP: A BROKEN FRAME
Released: 27 September 1982 – 40 years ago today

Artwork: It depicts a woman cutting grain in an East Anglian‘s field in the UK.
It was taken by Brian Griffin (who also did the artwork for their debut Speak & Spell)
using a mixture of natural and artificial lighting. Griffin cited as inspirations the socialist realism of Soviet Russia, especially the work of Russian painter Kazimir Malevitsj, and German Romanticism.

AllMusic/Ned Raggett: “A notably more ambitious effort than the pure pop/disco of the band’s debut… Gore’s lyrics sometimes veer on the facile, but David Gahan’s singing comes more clearly to the fore throughout — things aren’t all there yet, but they were definitely starting to get close.” Score: 3/5.

Singles/clips: Leave In Silence / See You

– LEAVE IN SILENCE –

– SEE YOU –

Stream full album via Spotify

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DEPECHE MODE: Bio – Discography – Instagram

BLACK SABBATH Released Their Magnum Metal Opus ‘VOL 4’ 50 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Back in time

26 September 2022

Band: BLACK SABBATH
The legend goes Ozzy Osbourne started the band by saying to his mates
“They make movies to scare people, why don’t we make music that scares people.”
Active: 1968–2006, 2011–2017 / 19 studio LPs

Anniversary LP: VOL. 4
Released: 25 September 1972 – 50 years ago

Pitchfork said: “Made in L.A. under the influence of colossal amounts of cocaine, the heavy metal legends’ fourth album, recently reissued, made room for both light and shade and featured several of their signature songs… It would be misleading to argue that Vol. 4 is the work of Black Sabbath at the peak of their powers. When you’re the band that recorded “Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” and “Paranoid,” and you put them all on the same album, congratulations, that’s the peak of your powers. But *Vol. 4 is a close second. The sense of scale, the lyrical directness, and the sheer riff-crunching power that mark the band at their best are all here, along with several signature Sabbath tunes. Paranoid might top the list, but Vol. 4 is indispensable metal in its own right.” Score: 9/10.

TUTV: Glorious big drones, two romantic ballads (the wholehearted Change and the instrumental Laguna Sunrise) and a what the fuck is going here weird thing called FX.

Turn it up.

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BLACK SABBATH: Bio – Discography

Post-Breakup Album – BECK Released ‘SEACHANGE’ 20 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

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25 September 2022

Artist: BECK
Born Bek David Campbell 52 years ago
Active: Since 1988 / 14 studio LPs (so far)

Anniversary album: SEACHANGE – his 8th LP
Released: 24 September 2002 – 20 years ago

Rolling Stone said: “It’s the best album Beck has ever made, and it sounds like he’s paid dearly for the achievement. He reportedly wrote these twelve wine-dark songs after breaking up with his longtime girlfriend… The Nick Drake and Syd Barrett comparisons are not idle flattery. Just as Mutations was Beck’s homage to Tropicalia — Brazil’s late-1960s revolution in art, sound and romanticism — Sea Change suggests that Beck has been studying the British early-1970s school of psychedelic-comedown melancholy… As a young folk singer at the turn of the Nineties, Beck set out to be his own Dylan. With Sea Change, he has made it the hard way, creating an impeccable album of truth and light from the end of love. This is his Blood on the Tracks.” Score: 5/5.

Singles/clips: Lost Cause / The Golden Age

– LOST CAUSE –

– THE GOLDEN AGE –

Stream full album below

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BECK: All Albums

PETER GABRIEL Released His 7th Longplayer ‘UP’ 20 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Back in time

23 September 2022

Artist: PETER GABRIEL (72 of age)
Active: Since 1967. For 7 years as the frontman
of prog rockers Genesis, and solo afterward.

Anniversary album: UP
Released: 23 September 2002 – 20 years ago today

AllMusic: “Up’ sounds like an album that was ten years in the making,
revealing not just its pleasures but its intent very, very slowly. This is not
an accessible record, nor is it easy to warm up to, which means that many
may dismiss it upon a single listen or two, never giving it the time it demands
in order to be understood … those serious fans who want to spend time with
this will find that it does pay back many rewards.” Score: 3/5.

TUTV: Experimental, exploring, inventive, self-willed and no big easy-going
hits on it. The fans and press didn’t know what to think about it. Nevertheless
a bold and intriguing record. So much better than the first perception.

Singles/clips: Growing Up / The Barry Williams Show

– GROWING UP –

– THE BARRY WILLIAMS SHOW –

Stream full album on Spotify

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PETER GABRIEL: Bio – Discography

JOHN CALE – 40 Years Ago Today His Album ‘MUSIC FOR A NEW SOCIETY’ Came Out

Posted on by JL

Back in time

21 September 2022

Artist: JOHN CALE (80)
Active: Since 1957 (starting with The Velvet Underground)
Albums: 16 solo studio LPs and multiple
collaborative albums and soundtracks

Anniversary LP: MUSIC FOR A NEW SOCIETY
Released: 21 September 1982 – 40 years ago today

AllMusic/Mark Deming: “The aural chaos and intense paranoia of John Cale’s “comeback” albums Sabotage/Live and Honi Soit seemingly left him with very few places left to go, short
of setting back-issues of Soldier of Fortune to music. 1982’s Music for a New Society was, from
a musical standpoint, a remarkable about-face, sounding calm, spare, and spectral where his
last few albums had been all rant and rage; the arrangements were dominated by Cale’s open, languid keyboard patterns, and there was far more aural “white space” in their framings than he had permitted himself since The Academy in Peril.” Score: 4.5/5.

Single/clip: Close Watch

Full album stream on Spotify.

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JOHN CALE: Bio – Discography

The Late Legend JEFFREY LEE PIERCE And The GUN CLUB Released Masterpiece ‘MIAMI’ 40 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Back In Time

20 September 2022

Band: THE GUN CLUB
Infamous Los Angeles psych-rockers led by
troubled mastermind Jeffrey Lee Pierce
who passed away in 1996 (only 37).

Active: 1979-1996 / 5 studio LPs

Anniversary LP: MIAMI – their 2nd one
Released: 20 September 1982 – 40 years ago today

AllMusic/Thom Jurek said: “The sophomore record by the Gun Club bore the curse of having to follow a monolith of their own making. Fire of Love sold extremely well for an independent; it was a favorite of virtually every critic who heard it in 1981. Miami showcased a different lineup as well. Ward Dotson replaced Congo Powers (temporarily, at least) on guitar, and there were a ton of guest performances. The band centered themselves on a mutant form of country music that met the post-punk ethos in the desert, fought and bloodied each other, and decided to stay together. This is hardcore snake-charming music (as in water moccasins not cobras), evil, smoky, brash, and libidinally uttered.” Score: 4.5/5.

Did you know that…

That the LP was produced by Blondie‘s Chris Stein.
That Debbie Harry did some backing vocals under
the pseudonym D.H. Laurence Jr.
That bassist Rob Ritter wasn’t on the cover
as he just left the band.

Stream MIAMI on Spotify

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THE GUN CLUB: Bio – Discography

KATE BUSH – Her 4th Album ‘THE DREAMING’ Is 40

Posted on by JL

Back in time

15 September 2022

Artist: KATE BUSH
Born Catherine Bush in Kent, UK 64 years ago
Active: Since 1975 / 10 studio LPs

Anniversary LP: THE DREAMING
Released: 13 September 1982 – 40 years ago

AllMusic: “Four albums into her burgeoning career, Kate Bush’s The Dreaming is a theatrical and abstract piece of work, as well as Bush’s first effort in the production seat. She throws herself in head first, incorporating various vocal loops, sometimes campy, but always romantic and inquisitive of emotion. She’s angry and pensive throughout the entire album, typically poetic while pushing around the notions of a male-dominated world. The Dreaming is one of Kate Bush’s underrated achievements in depicting her own visions of love, relationships, and role play, not to mention a brilliant predecessor to the charming beauty of 1985’s Hounds of Love.”

Singles/clips: Sat In Your lap / The Dreaming / There Goes A Tenner

– SAT IN YOUR LAP –

– THE DREAMING –

– THERE GOES A TENNER –

Stream the full album here.

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KATE BUSH: Bio – Discography

PETER GABRIEL Released 4th Longplayer 40 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Back in time

11 September 2022

Artist: PETER GABRIEL
Active: 1967-1975 with Genesis,
solo afterward and still going.
Albums: 9

Anniversary album: PETER GABRIEL 4 (also known as the Security LP)
Release: 10 September 1982 – 40 years ago

AllMusic wrote: “Security — which was titled Peter Gabriel everywhere outside of the U.S. — continues where the third Gabriel album left off, sharing some of the same dense production and sense of cohesion, yet lightening the atmosphere and expanding the sonic palette somewhat. The gloom that permeates the third album has been alleviated and while this
is still decidedly somber and serious music, it has a brighter feel, partially derived from Gabriel’s dabbling in African and Latin rhythms.” Score: 3/5.

Single/clip: Shock The Monkey

Stream full album on Spotify

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PETER GABRIEL: Bio – Discography

Canadian Prog Rockers RUSH Released Their Highly Praised 9th Album ‘SIGNALS’ 40 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Back in time

10 September 2022

Band: RUSH
Who: Canadian prog rock legends
Active: 1968-2018 / 19 studio LPs

Anniversary album: SIGNALS
Released: 9 September 1982 – 40 years ago

AllMusic/Greg Prato: “Instead of playing it safe and writing Moving Pictures, Pt. II, Rush replaced their heavy rock of yesteryear with even more modern sounds for 1982’s Signals. Synthesizers were now an integral part of the band’s sound, and replaced electric guitars as the driving force for almost all the tracks. And more current and easier-to-grasp topics (teen peer pressure, repression, etc.) replaced their trusty old sci-fi-inspired lyrics.” Score: 4/5.

Singles: New World Man / Subdivisions / Countdown

– NEW WORLD MAN –

– SUBDIVISIONS –

– COUNTDOWN –

Stream full LP on Spotify.

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RUSH: Bio – Discography

TOM WAITS – Masterpiece ‘BONE MACHINE’ Released 30 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Back in time

8 September 2022

Artist: TOM WAITS (72)
Album: BONE MACHINE – 11th LP
Released: 8 September 1992 – 30 years ago today

Rolling Stone Magazine: “Bone Machine, his first full-length studio album since Frank’s Wild Years (1987), continues observing a world of deathly mysteries, half-baked gospel truths and secular ambitions. His drunken bluster to the fore, Waits tramples melodies with an ear for twisting clichés. The music matches Waits’s hollers with plenty of upright bass, late-night piano and over-the-top percussion… Throughout the album lonesome travelers and restless strangers battle their lives with drink, religion and the active search for somewhere better than here… Albums this rich with spiritual longing prove the validity of that effort, no matter the odds.” Score: 4/5.

TUTV: One of Waits’ best, if not THE best. I wonder if he still doesn’t want to grow up.

Stream ‘Bone Machine’ via Spotify.

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TOM WAITS: Bio – Discography