Not Forgotten
A Beginners Guide to Sparks
Sparks aren’t just any old pop band. Formed by brothers Ron and Russell Mael, the former child models were just too weird for the macho chest-beating alpha male loving American rock scene of the 70s, Sparks have always enjoyed far greater success in Europe. Following some tentative steps as Halfnelson, the brothers would form Sparks …
Incoming: Official Illustrated History of Jethro Tull
Fans of the band cannot help but have noticed the ongoing Jethro Tull reissue campaign, where the band’s classic albums are being released as remasters overseen by Steven Wilson, with a whole bundle of extras in deluxe boxed set form. If you’re the type of fan who has to own each of these boxed sets, …
Not Forgotten: Cud – When in Rome, Kill Me
It is one of the less talked about pages of late 80s indie lore that the budget was so tight when Cud recorded their debut album, that when they over spent the band elected not to master it and release it in its natural state. This meant that the original release of When in Rome, …
Not Forgotten: Travis – The Man Who
Good old Travis. Good old sensible Travis. For a while they had a reputation for doing exactly what you expected of them. So honest, so reliable, so steady, always taking the off-target accusations of being slightly dull in good humour. In the nicest possible sense, for a few years Travis were the Ned Flanders of …
Not Forgotten: David Byrne – David Byrne
Like most people, I had been aware of David Byrne via his work with the Talking Heads, however I’d also heard that his solo albums were generally a bit more arty and just a little bit pretentious, but a friend of mine advised that this was a good album to take a risk with and …
Not Forgotten: Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
It was with Buffalo Springfield where the embryonic talents of Neil Young were first displayed, then his self-titled debut album revealed Neil Young the solo artist, while it was Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere that introduced Neil Young the guitar icon. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere is primarily remembered for being the first album that …
Not Forgotten: Weezer – Weezer (Blue Album)
Recently Weezer have returned to prominence via their cover of Toto’s “Africa”, and long term fans have subsequently howled in derision at their decision to release a covers album. Actually, it seems that Weezer fans howl in derision to the vast majority of their releases, yet their albums continue to regularly hit the top ten …
Not Forgotten: Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Woah, did I misjudge this album when I first heard it. I’ve never known an album take so long to burn into my psyche, but The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is a case where patience and occasional replays eventually pays off. The last of the trio of Ben Folds Five studio albums from their …
Not Forgotten: Tom Waits – Mule Variations
Mule Variations starts with what sounds like a rhythmically capable panel beater knocking seven bells out of a steel filing cabinet with hammers, and it gives you a glimpse of what Tom Waits had been doing in the seven years since the release of Bone Machine. As an album, the deconstructed blues of Mule Variations …
Not Forgotten: Sparks – No.1 in Heaven
Career reinventions don’t come much more well executed than Sparks’ recently reissued 1979 album, No.1 in Heaven. While brothers Ronald and Russell Mael had found an enthusiastic audience for their arch intelligent pop in the UK in the mid 70s, reaching a commercial peak with the game-changing single ”This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the …