More Eno Diaries: Roxy Music’s For Your Pleasure (1973) & John Cale’s Slow Dazzle (1975)

Here’s a couple more gems featuring the work of Brian Eno.  The latter pick is another great John Cale album from his Island Records years, but first let’s look at Eno’s best work with Glam Rock giants, Roxy Music.

Eno of the Roxy days

Roxy Music was formed by frontman, Bryan Ferry, in 1971; next to Bolan and Bowie, Ferry was one of the great Glam Rock giants of the 70s and early 80s.  Brian Eno joined Ferry’s group shortly after its inception; he played synthesizer and provided “treatments” for the the band’s first two full lengths, Roxy Music (1972 Island/Polydor Records) and For Your Pleasure (1973 Island/Polydor Records), but he departed shortly after the 2nd release.  The band went on to release six more albums, many of them critically acclaimed, and they disbanded in 1983 only to reunite for occasional performances in recent years.  Their last effort with Eno, For Your Pleasure, is their most experimental studio work and remains my favorite Roxy release. I obviously love the music of Eno, and his mark on the record is distinct and undeniable.  Here’s a few tracks that demonstrate the point; listen for Eno’s electronic “treatments”....

"Beauty Queen":

"In Every Dream Home a Heartache":


"The Bogus Man":


"For Your Pleasure":


The parting differences between Ferry and Eno are clearly evident on this album - especially when one listens to both artists’ later work.  The artistic tension, however, contributes to this album’s genius - making it one of the most interesting Roxy records in the catalogue.  Definitely check out the entire record....

Roxy Music's For Your Pleasure

John Cale circa 1975

There was an earlier posting on the collaborative works of Brian Eno and John Cale - one of the albums of focus being John Cale’s first release on Island Records, Fear (1974).  Cale quickly released another album on Island that similarly featured the talents of Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera and the electronic experiments of  Mr. Eno himself. 

Slow Dazzle was released in 1975, and it was the former Velvet Undergrounder’s 5th solo album.  The album proves more straight forward than the previous Fear; Eno’s electronic meddlings, for instance, were much more subdued.  It has its moments of darkness, however - especially his eerie cover of “Heartbreak Hotel.”  Here’s the opening two tracks of the album:

The first song, “Mr. Wilson,” was a tribute to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys; it’s a great tune.  Definitely check out the entire record...

John Cale's Slow Dazzle

Here’s a few live clips of the just mentioned artists. Enjoy!

"In Every Dream Home a Heartache" by Roxy Music:


"Heartbreak Hotel" by John Cale:

It’s my Birthday, so Let’s Have a Party with Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, and Rowland Howard... We’ll Call It The Birthday Party!!

Sorry for the delay in posts; I had a birthday this week!! So this will be a short one, but I'll get back to business this weekend with some more goodies.... The Birthday Party were an Australian Post-Punk/Noise Rock band that formed in 1973 and remained active until 1983. Their first name, however, was The Boys Next Door, and they changed to the Birthday Party sometime in the late 70s before they relocated to the London music scene. Critics have claimed them to be the pioneers of “gothic rock” and “no wave” due to their darker approach to post-punk noisiness; I’m sure most have heard their name due to their lead singer’s later worldwide exposure and commercial success as Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.  Nick Cave needs no explanation; he’s a legend, but his work with the Bad Seeds often eclipses his previous material as the Birthday Party.  That’s too bad because this band’s influence cannot be overstated; these guys were making noise before the advent of bands like Scratch Acid, Jesus Lizard, Big Black, and Shellac.  Here’s an interesting video of the single, “Nick the Stripper,” from their debut album, Prayers on Fire (1981 4AD):

So that’s what would happen if the kids of Lord of the Flies decided to form a Post-Punk band to pass the time.  I believe I saw Beelzebub bouncing around on the ole wooden stake as they reveled in their Dionysian frenzy.  Poor Piggy and Simon...  One can definitely hear the roots of 90s Noise Rock.  People always talk about their connection to Bauhaus and other "Goth Rock" bands, but there's definitely more going on here. I bet Albini and Yow would agree...  The Birthday Party released only two full length albums, the second being Junkyard (1982 4AD), before disbanding.  They did record some Eps, however. Definitely check out both records....

Birthday Party's Payers on Fire

Birthday Party's Junkyard

Nick Cave’s later career has been well celebrated and thoroughly noted, but I think more recent audiences are often unaware of the later of work of band members, Mick Harvey and Rowland S. Howard.  They too have continued to record and release really great records.  In fact, when Nick Cave gave his acceptance speech for the Australian music hall of fame, he informally inducted the other members who equally deserved such accolades.  Well, it is my birthday, and I would love to post video samples of the artists’ work, but that takes time.  Perhaps I’ll post later (with links and all); their solo work is worth all Nick Cave fans’ attention.  Check ‘em out...

The Post-Hardcore Journals - Entry 1: Helmet’s Vinyl Reissue of Meantime as well as NYC’s Quicksand and Handsome

NYC's Helmet

Enough with all the pansy Emo crap on a website that proves to be questionably artsy time and time again!  It’s time for someone to post some manly metal for once.  What’s inspired this shift of focus my readers?  Well, the newly remastered vinyl reissue of Helmet’s breakthrough masterpiece, Meantime (1992 Interscope Records), of course.  I just grabbed my copy the other day, and yes, it sounds amazing and heavy as ever.  (They recently rereleased their debut, Strap it On [1990 Amphetamine Reptile/Interscope], as well....)

Helmet formed in 1989 in NYC, disbanded in 1998, and then reunited in recent years.  The frontman, Page Hamilton, previously played in the Noise Rock group, Band of Susans, before forming Helmet.  Like the Melvins and other post-hardcore noise bands, Helmet rode the commercial coattails of 90s Grunge rock success, receiving a 1 million dollar signing bonus for their debut recording sessions with the corporate behemoth, Interscope.  In this context, they recorded and released one of Post-Hardcore’s finest albums, Meantime (1992 Interscope).  The opening title track, “In the Meantime,” was recorded by the kingmaker of noise rock, Steve Albini.  Andy Wallace, famous sound engineer for groups like Nirvana, mixed the track, causing so much controversy and conflict with Albini that the producer insisted that his future contract with Nirvana (for recording In Utero) stipulate that Wallace would have no part in the mixing process of the album.  Apparently, the dispute had much to do with Wallace’s post-production tweaking of John Stanier’s drum sounds; personally, I love the sound of Stanier’s drum hits....  Here’s the opening track, “In the Meantime”:

Gotta love those staccato metal riffs!  My favorite track on the album is the song, “Give It.”  I love its more lackadaisical rhythms; check it out:

The most famous song of the album is the successful single, “Unsung”:

Is it a stretch to say I hear similarities here to Stoner Rock acts like Homme’s Kyuss or the Queens of the Stone Age?  I think the case could be made.  That's something I've only noticed in recent years...  Helmet’s early albums are definite classics, and the vinyl reissue of Meantime is an undisputed must-have.  Check out their third full length, Betty (1994 Interscope Records), as well; it’s equally as good as Meantime.  Here’s the opening track, “Wilma’s Rainbow”:

Helmet's Meantime

Helmet's Betty

NYC's Quicksand

Quicksand was another staple of the New York Post-Hardcore scene.  The group formed in 1990, and all members had participated in previous projects of the infamous, tough-guy Hardcore scene of NYC.  Frontman, Walter Schreifels, played in Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, for instance, before forming Quicksand.  Also, Alan Cage was in Burn, and member, Tom Capone, played in the Hardcore act, Bold. Quicksand, however, was a very different project from all their previous acts.  There is a maturity and melody to their music that was never developed and explored in the aforementioned groups.  Quicksand was a later endeavor by smarter, more seasoned players, and their music resisted the complacency of hardcore cliches and conventions, making Quicksand one of the innovative pioneers of the Post-Hardcore movement.  Their debut Lp, Slip, is an undisputed classic, equal to Helmet’s Meantime in terms of significance and influence.

Here’s the most popular, successful single, “Fazer,” from the debut album, Slip:

Quicksand often reminds me of another Post-Hardcore pioneer: San Diego’s Drive Like Jehu; I’ll post on the California legends as well at a later date.  Here’s another great song from the debut full length; it’s called “Dine Alone”:

Quicksand only released two full length albums before disbanding in 1995.  (The band did reunite in 1997 only to break up again in 1999 without releasing any new albums.)  Their 2nd full length was entitled Manic Compression (1995 Island Records), and it’s another intelligent rock record definitely worth hearing.  It fails to measure up to their debut masterpiece, however, but it’s a worthy addition to the rock library all the same.  Here’s one of the better tracks, “Thorn in my Side”:

Quicksand made a lot of music videos, but they never had the mainstream budget like that of Helmet.  Regardless (or perhaps because of this), they recorded some great-sounding rock records...

Quicksand's Slip

Quicksand's Manic Compression

Helmet + Quicksand = NYC's Handsome

**P.S. In 1996, Jeremy Chatelain and Peter Mengede, one time members of Helmet, joined Pete Hines of Cro-Mags and Tom Capone of Quicksand to form the Post-Hardcore supergroup, Handsome.  They recorded one self-titled album in 1997 with Sony Music Entertainment, and they quickly disbanded in 1998 to form other projects. (Chatelain, for instance, went on to play in the indie rock group, Jets to Brazil...).  Handsome recorded a really solid rock album that’s worth a spin, but it’s no Meantime or Slip.... Here's the opening track, "Needles":

Handsome's S/t

Alexander Skip Spence’s Oar - Godfather of Psychedelic Lo-Fi

Alexander "Skip" Spence

That was the opening track, “Little Hands,” of the psychedelic 60s forgotten masterpiece, Oar (1969 Columbia Records), by the tragically tortured visionary, Alexander “Skip” Spence.

Alexander “Skip” Spence, described as “one of psychedelia brightest lights,” was a lamp that burned too fast and too furious, but during his regrettably short-lived career, he left quite a mark on the fabric of California 60s psychedelia.  The Canadian born musician first played guitar for the psychedelic rock band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, but he soon moved on to play drums for the California legends, Jefferson Airplane, appearing on their debut release, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (1966 RCA Victor).  Shortly after, he co-founded the psychedelic folk rock group, Moby Grape, and played guitar for the band until 1969.  He released several albums with the group, but it was during this part of his career that “Skip” Spence began to show signs of mental illness, instigated perhaps by excessive drug use.  The group relocated to New York to record the album Wow (1968 Columbia Records), and according to band members, Skip Spence began hanging with some “weird” folks of the city’s underworld.  His behaviors became more erratic and alarming culminating in the widely known episode where he attempted to attack fellow band members, Don Stevenson and Jerry Milller, with a fire axe while staying in a NY hotel. Once restrained, he was checked into Bellevue Hospital and soon diagnosed with schizophrenia.  It was during his six month stay at Bellevue when Alexander Spence wrote much of the material for what would become his only solo album, Oar (1969 Columbia Records).  Upon release, he reportedly bought a motorcycle and immediately travelled straight to Nashville to record his solo effort.  Spence recorded the material in a total of 7 days all on a simple 3 track recorder, playing every instrument himself. The album is a lo-fi, minimalist masterpiece that was way ahead of its time, and it was the worst selling record in Columbia’s commercial history.  The lo-fi aesthetic just wasn’t all the rage.  Most of the album remains minimalist with a strong country-folk influence.  Here’s the 2nd track of the album, “Cripple Creek”:

His voice has a deep, warm quality to it that reminds one of Fred Neil at times. I just love the 1st side of this album, and it continues to be perfect with the third track, “Diana,” a song that almost recalls early John Martyn or Nick Drake. Check it out:

My favorite track on the album is the last song of Side A, “War in Peace.”  It's psychedelic perfection, simply put, and it was done with such minimal, cheap equipment!  I love this song; check it out:

Side B is excellent as well.  The last track, “Grey/Afro,” is definitely the most experimental song on the album.  One critic described it as a “mantric drone”; it’s a really weird tune, for sure:

Alexander Skip Spence (1946-1999)

Alexander Spence gradually withdrew from the music industry and all public culture shortly after the album’s release, and his record was quickly abandoned and forgotten about, only to resurface years later for a new generation of eagerly appreciative listeners.  Spence, however, never returned to the musical limelight; mental illness and drug addiction continued to plague him.  Spence’s spark had burned and raged too furiously, and there was only night left.  His story is a sad one, and in 1999, he passed away, mostly unnoticed by the commercial music world.  Rest in Peace, Alexander “Skip” Spence. <> Well my few loyal readers, enjoy the little music Spence has left us... It will make you pine for more....

Alexander Skip Spence's Oar

More from the Brian Eno Diaries - Eno’s Work with John Cale: John Cale’s Fear & Eno and Cale’s Wrong Way Up

So there’s been a lot of Eno obsession on the website as of late; to catch you up to speed, check out the previous Eno posts here: Eno's Another Day on Earth (2005) and Eno's Before and After Science (1977).  The above mentioned albums showcased Eno's finest, alchemic moments of ambient/pop beauty as a solo artist; Eno is also known, however, for his many collaborative efforts over the years - his work with David Byrne, for instance, or his experimental project with German krautrockers, Cluster.  Eno’s work with Talking Heads’ frontman, David Byrne, has been well celebrated over the years, and rightly hailed as innovative work that influenced the emergence of musical sampling as well as other forms of electronic experimentation.  (Check out Eno and Byrne's seminal 1980 release, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (Sire Records)) There is an equally significant musical partnership, however, that stands out in Eno’s discography, a collaborative effort that has failed to capture the same sustained, enthusiastic attention of critics, and I am referring to Eno's previous work with legendary multi-instrumentalist, John Cale.  The two worked together closely on several occasions, producing some of the best pop albums in both artists’ careers.  Two such occasions are the John Cale release, Fear (1974 Island Records) and the more recent Cale/Eno collaboration, Wrong Way Up (1990 All Saints Records). 

Brian Eno & John Cale in the studio circa 1970s

Introducing John Cale’s Fourth Studio Album, Fear (1974 Island Records)

John Cale is a Welsh musician, most known for his role in the band, Velvet Underground, where he played viola, keys, and bass guitar until 1968.  He then left Lou Reed and the group to pursue a solo career as well as production work (producing legendary works such as The Stooges’ self titled debut and Patti Smith’s breakthrough, Horses...), and his solo career, in my opinion, has proven to be more prolific than any other Velvet member.  In fact, I would like to argue that John Cale’s fourth studio release, Fear (1974 Island), is the best Velvet-related solo rock album ever, surpassing Reed’s Transformer (1972 RCA Records) and Nico’s Chelsea Girl (1967 Verve Records).  The album was the first of what’s known as his “Island trilogy” (followed by two more solid Island Records albums, Slow Dazzle (1975) and Helen of Troy (1975)). John Cale had recently collaborated in the supergroup live performance known as June 1, 1974, a group that featured Cale, Nico, Kevin Ayers, and Roxy Music’s Brian Eno, and shortly after, Cale invited the Roxy Music crew, minus Bryan Ferry, to record and collaborate on his upcoming album - these recording sessions led to the creation of Cale’s finest release, Fear. John Cale played many parts: producer, guitarist, violist, bassist, keyboardist, etc., but one cannot deny that Brian Eno’s fingerprints are all over the soundboard on this one.  There is a tension to this album; tightly crafted pop songs venture soundscapes of noise that threaten their unravelling. Much of this tension is due to Eno’s electronic interventions.

Check out the opening track of the album, “Fear is a Man’s Best Friend,” and note how an otherwise commercially promising composition dissolves into a frenzied expression of artful noise:

I love that song; such a good, noisy pop tune!  Another favorite is the playful pop song, “Barracuda.”  I love the nintendo-like sounds and Cale’s strained viola voicings, but I almost don’t want to link the song here.  The YouTube video is very poor quality! Download this album to give it a fair sampling, but here’s the track regardless:

I really apologize for that sound quality; it’s pretty much unlistenable. The album’s rock’n’roll highlight is the 8 minute “Gun,” a track that best demonstrates Eno’s contribution.  I have no sample of the song; definitely download the link and listen for the guitar solo several minutes in.  Eno’s sampling and electronic tinkering really shines on this track.

The album does have its moments of John Cale piano balladry as well, but even those songs experiment with Eno-esque ambience in ways that distinguish such tunes from Cale's previous albums, such as Vintage Violence (1970 Columbia Records) or Paris 1919 (1973 Reprise Records).  One of the greater, mellower moments on the album is the 2nd track, “Buffalo Ballet”:

This is my favorite John Cale album and maybe my favorite post-Velvet rock effort for all time. Check this one out; it’s an essential for Eno fans as well.

John Cale's Fear (1974)

(The link is a .rar file. Don’t let that deter you; this one’s totally worth it. Look to the top right part of the webpage for link to instructions for converting .rar files to be itunes-playable....)

Introducing Brian Eno and John Cale’s Wrong Way Up (1990 All Saints Records)

After the release of Fear, Eno and Cale parted ways creatively to pursue very divergent directions as solo artists.  Brian Eno, of course, journeyed more and more towards minimalist, ambient soundscapes, abandoning all straightforward, vocal-centered efforts of songwriting. For more than a decade, Eno did not sing; in fact, until the 90s, the previously posted Before and After Science (1977 Polydor) was the last album to feature Eno’s vocal work.  In 1990, however, Brian Eno and John Cale reunited and began to record a series of very “mainstream-sounding” pop songs in Eno’s private studio.  Their efforts became the album, Wrong Way Up (1990 All Saints Records).  The album is a very polished, tasteful pop record, a more straightforward, radio-friendly version of Eno’s later pop effort, Another Day on Earth (2005 Hannibal Records).  In fact, the album featured, “Been There Done That,” the only Eno single to make the American charts.  The Lp lacks the artful tension of the previously mentioned Fear, another reason for its potentially commercial quality.  Ironically, the recording process was reported to be rife with tensions and personality conflicts; John Cale has clearly stated his refusal to work together again, suggesting that there was little space for collaboration in the airless laboratory of the audio-obsessive Eno. That’s unfortunate because the album is absolute pop perfection; I prefer it easily over Eno’s latest pop collaboration with David Byrne, Everything that Happens Will Happen Today (2008 Todo Mundo Records).  Here’s the first track, “Lay My Love”:

Like I said, it’s really good pop that lacks the experimentation of the earlier Cale release, Fear. The second track, “One Word,” maintains the same upbeat pace; it’s my favorite track on the album, but I could not find a decent sample. (Just download the sample link below...) Another memorable, catchy track is the song, “Spinning Away” - why this song was not promoted more for the charts is beyond me. It stays with you; check it out:

That’s a beautiful song.  I really love both their voices.  Definitely check out the entire album; it’s one of the lesser known pop classics in the annals of Eno rock.

Brian Eno/John Cale's Wrong Way Up (1990)

Emo Diaries - Entry 7: Austin, TX’s Mineral

Mineral was the emo band of Texas during the 90s. Formed in Houston in 1994, they quickly relocated to Austin where they were active until 1998. During that time they released several singles, appeared on some influential emo compilations, and recorded 2 albums, The Power of Failing (1997 Crank! Records) and EndSerenading (1998 Crank! Records). They were trailblazers of the genre; many of the conventions (and now cliches) of popular emo culture were first being developed by these guys. The “soft/loud structure,” the melodic guitar lines, and the off-key, emotional vocals defined these Texan, Christian rockers’ sound.

Their first album, The Power of Failing, is right up there with Braid, Cap’n Jazz, and the other 90s legends of the emo scene, and it stands distinctly apart from those Midwesterners in style and mood as well. It’s darker, less frantic, yet sadder in its exploration of human emotion. Here's the song "Gloria" from their debut release:

That's a great song, but at times, I do wonder about this album. Is this record the beginning of the overly sappy, self-obsessed cry-fest that emo has sadly become in the decadent Fin-de-Siecle age of the 20th century? God, I loath the current state of Emo Rock and for reasons that get back to the conventions first developed by this influential rock band. Here's some excellent songs from the album that, despite their greatness, demonstrate the turn towards self-obsessed emotional decadence. The first one is "If I Could" and the latter track is called "Parking Lot":

Unlike their later imitators, Mineral was an amazing band, definitely worth adding to the library - especially their debut. The members went on to form other significant Emo bands of the early 2000s, most notably The Gloria Record and Pop Unknown, which are also worth a listen for most Emo enthusiasts. Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?ntldyzddaiy

The Brian Eno Diaries: Eno’s Underrated Masterpiece, Before and After Science

Here’s another underrated classic from the vast and diverse catalogue of Brian Eno. Before and After Science (1977 Polydor Records) was his 5th studio album, and it marks a point of transition in his career from pop to ambience.  In fact, this may be the other example of an Eno ambient pop album, and like his more recent Another Day on Earth (2005 Hannibal), it was given lukewarm reviews by the pitchfork fashionistas. (See previous post on Eno’s more recent album here; it will explain the previous comment...)

Before and After Science took 2 years to record, and there were over 100 tracks written for the album with only 10 actually making the cut.  There were many guest artists such as Jaki Liebezeit of Can, Robert Wyatt of Soft Machine, Robert Fripp of King Crimson, Paul Rudolph of Hawkwind, and the one and only Phil Collins. Not only is the album the centerpiece of a pivotal transition in Eno’s work, the album’s order of songs enacts that very transformation - with the first tracks channeling a kind of frantic, new wave pop sensibility while latter songs evaporate into a realm of ethereal ambience.  Listen to the first two tracks of the album; the songs are titled “No One Receiving” and “Backwater” respectively.

As the album continues, the songs begin to slow their pace; it maintains its pop approach, however, with a song like the B-side opener, “Here He Comes”:

By the latter half of side B, one feels like he or she has ventured into a realm unknown, like another album was secretly put in its place when no one was looking.  It creeps up on you, however, like it escaped one’s attention at first. We find ourselves wondering, “wait, how did I get here?” (And I’m not trying to quote Eno’s friend and collaborator here, David Byrne...)  It’s like the album drifts off from water into mist, and I use the water metaphor here because Eno described the album as a kind of sonic exploration of the water element. (think of some of the titles of tracks, “Backwater” and “By this River”...).  Here are three of the last four tracks of the album, “Julie With...”, “By this River”, and “Spider and I”, respectively:

Wow, what a contrast from the first side of the album! I hold this to be one of Eno’s great, but lesser known, masterpieces. The packaging is really wonderful as well.  The original pressing came with four art print inserts by the artist, Peter Schmidt.  Unfortunately, my copy of the Vinyl does not have the original inserts; I imagine I would have paid much much more for the album if it did...  For fans of both Eno’s pop music and his more ambient experiments, this album is a great addition to the collection. Like the recently posted Eno release, Another Day on Earth, the album marries Eno’s distinct creative worlds well to achieve what I think to be some of his greatest music.  Enjoy!

(These are the Schmidt prints from the album)

Brian Eno's Before and After Science