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October music reviews

Alphabeat: This is Alphabeat

EMI Records

Pure pop or pure pap? Depending on your taste in music this debut album from Danish band Alphabeat will be one or the other. Let me try and take a bit of a schizophrenic (balanced) approach to Alphabeat and see what happens.

The pure pop viewpoint – lots of multi-tracked vocals; cute looking boys and a blonde girl; catchy choruses that you find yourself singing along to after just a couple of listens (10,000 Night); electro-beat backing – what else could you possibly want? Happy clappy, wholesome and very ‘family friendly’ it’s the perfect antidote to all those nasty rappers and salacious tough-girl singers like Pink.

More conservative parents will be delighted to hear the Club Tropicana-like bass line of a track like Boyfriend emerging from the kid’s bedroom, and to hear lyrics with not a naughty word in evidence. It’s all very safe and retro.

On the other hand: the pure pap viewpoint – inane lyrics; retreads of 1980 Wham bass lines and sounding like S Club 7 in their dance phase; sickly sweet; and adding nothing worthwhile to the world of “proper” music – this is an album that deserves to move quickly to the bargain bin.

They even do a version of John Lyndon/PIL’s Public Image complete with whistling in the intro! Truly awful! That’s as far as I got. I had to take the CD off at that point. Sorry! Douglas Lang

Black Kids: Partie Traumatic

Post-punk brite pop (a la Sparks, Split Enz, B52s) for those who missed it first time round - though unlikely to appeal to those who’ve been there before. The predominant impression is of a surge of overcrowded sound: shrill vocal delivering questionable lyrics (“text me” rhymed with “sexy”, “bedroom” with “boom boom”) and straining to upstage a raft of guitar and sundry would-be-dramatic electronic interventions. The sinking feeling is further exacerbated by a bleating girly support chorus which persistently gate-crashes this aptly-labelled traumatic party of unregulated jostling for attention.

It’s a struggle to be charitable when the band appear to set about each song with the intent of ratcheting up an illusion of excitement by inundation with bundles of bit and piece sounds. When they do take foot off pedal and adopt a sparer approach, as in Hurricane Jane, there’s at least a sense that they want their meaning to be accessible. But mostly this is a boneless blur. Paul Green

Beck: Modern Guilt

DGC Records

Okay, it’s time I stopped trying to be on the same page as Beck. We actually went in opposite directions some years ago but like some other old friendships there comes a point when you just have to say we have gone separate ways and both move on. Somehow I think I’ll feel the loss more than Beck.

Modern Guilt. A lot can be read into a title. The guilt I hear is one of apathy. There is so much Beck can offer as a writer and producer that is sadly lacking from this effort. Okay, there is the glimpse of the past master, the David Byrne like Gamma Ray, the blast of sound where a muppet-esque drummer is unleashed for each chorus on Chemtrails, some great guitar work on Soul of A Man, and the infectious rolling rhythm on Profanity Prayers but at the end of the day this is the classic “contractual’ effort if ever I heard it. Move on. Allan McFarlane

Blue Highway: Through The Window Of A Train

Rounder

Cookin’ and kickin’ with scientific string-picking, this plaintive accomplished bluegrass album should both appease aficionados and lure genre newcomers. It’s a plethora of plucking (of banjo, dobro, mandolin, guitars) that gels judiciously and bristles with a lithe energy – though a sense of balance and due process always prevails: every detail attended to, every modulation immaculate. There’s still soul, worked empathetically into the precise poised solos and proffered in the vocals which tote tales of the homeless man, the travelling man, the Civil War soldier rival and “being too tired to make another start”.

Somehow, however, it’s the vocal performances (variously offered by three of the quintet) which leave it a shade short in the impact department – the sometimes predictable phrasing or pared and narrowed delivery range may well be honouring convention but it can smack of dogged adherence to the form rather than bold subversion of it. With singing of more engaging presence, this band could more readily be greater than the sum of their parts. Paul Green

David Campbell: The Swing Sessions

Columbia

The Aussie jazz man is in town by the name of David Campbell as he takes us through a collection of his favourite swing and easy listening tunes. So turn down the light, crank the fire up and open your favourite wine as you listen to Mr Campbell combining the sounds of his smooth voice with band and orchestra.

From the one and only Mack The Knife to the catchy Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, the black tuxedo and cigars are almost out of my wardrobe!

Tracks for the iPod when you want to dance across the gym floor without a care are You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You and Call Me Irresponsible.

It’s a pity the CD cover looks like many other swing albums but still one worth putting away for that quiet time at home. Ants Fong

Caribbean Jazz Project: Afro Bop Alliance Featuring Dave Samuels

Heads Up

This is exciting, tight “big” band jazz coated in Afro-Cuban percussion. Samuels drives a very capable group of 18 swinging studio musicians through five original plus four standard tunes. His wooden key marimba or metal key vibraharp creates an interesting lead voice and texture against his cleverly arranged brass, reed, and rhythm sections.

All of Samuels’ compositions are well structured, catchy, and enjoyable instrumentals. While the standards offer clever revisions where John Coltrane’s’ superb ballad Naima remains respectful to the sensitive melody line while becoming a catchy medium tempo Latin feel cha-cha type dance tune. Giving homage to Oliver Nelsons’ great (incidentally, similar sized) band Stolen Moments, the ensemble powers thru the main sections with the Afro-Caribbean percussion steam, then breaks into solid hard swing for several excellent soloing sections. Listen out for excellent alto sax man Steve Williams on both mentioned tunes.

Infectiously grooving, very well recorded, and throughout, entertainingly different sounding high quality jazz. John Paul

Ry Cooder: I, Flathead

Nonesuch

Now this I like. Cooder reinvents himself rather than someone else. The master slide player with a studio band of equally skilled side mates. For I, Flathead, Cooder has apparently written a 104-page novella to accompany the CD, described as “a surreally funny page-turner of a tale about itinerant musician Kash Buk and the various characters he meets in his travels out west, all of whom get to narrate parts of the story. If you mixed John Steinbeck with, say, Thomas Pynchon, and threw in a bit of Popular Mechanics for good measure, it might read something like the I, Flathead narrative.”

I haven’t seen the book but I have the CD. (No sign of the t-shirt). It’s a quirky bit of fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Search it out and investigate for yourself if it’s the Cooder you have also been longing for. Allan McFarlane

Def Leppard: Rock of Ages – The Definitive Collection

Mercury Records

A double CD labeled as The Definitive Collection, this is 35 tracks of multi-layered guitar, soaring vocal harmonies and pristine American style production showcasing Sheffield’s favourite rock gods.

Even if you’re not a fan, I guarantee you’ll have trouble listening to this and not connecting with at least a few of the tracks. This is catchy, well crafted pop-rock with a touch of risqué-ness in some of the lyrics (Pour Some Sugar On Me) - It’s difficult to find the music offensive, and it’s perfect driving music for a lengthy trip in the car. I guarantee you’ll be singing along.

CD1 contains most of the better-known (mostly singles) tracks like Love Bites; Let’s Get Rocked and Animal. The second CD contains less well-known and in my opinion, not as strong, material from the 10+ albums Def Leppard have released over the past 28 years.

The band is playing Auckland’s Vector Arena in November and I can really imagine these stadium anthems going down a treat with an old-school rock crowd. It could be huge! Douglas Lang

Dave Dobbyn: Anotherland

Sony/BMG Music

Touted as collaboration between Dobbyn and legendary UK Producers Adrian Sherwood and Skip McDonald this release warranted checking out to see where the New Zealand legend had ventured. Well, even though a London trip and three weeks in the studio is a long way to go, the result is somewhat stationary offering little to Dobbyn’s oeuvre that we haven’t heard before.

I sought the magical new single that would make a listen worthwhile in vain. Journey elsewhere. Allan McFarlane

Goodnight Nurse: Keep Me On Your Side

Warners

This is the second album from new Zealand band Goodnight Nurse, following on from their debut album Always and Never in 2006. To my ear the music is pop with strong guitar and drum based tunes, which are quite melodic in places. I’m not sure if the band would be pleased to hear my description as they seem to be listed as a Punk or Pop/Punk band. But then musical labels are being increasingly blurred now days. Perhaps I am more used to the punk sound that I was ten years ago.

The album was difficult to for the first two weeks – it disappeared into my wife’s car while she was traveling and finally was located in one of the kid’s bedrooms! This is enjoyable music, at times the songs start to sound a bit the same and that would be my only criticism. This is not an album I would put on and listen to from start to finish. However most of the tracks would make it past the first few weeks on an iPod and if mixed in with other music these are songs that you can enjoy listening to again. Would also make a good dance album – but perhaps not every track!

If you don’t like punk music, don’t let this bands “punk” label put you off. It sounds like good old fashioned rock and roll to me and it is well worth a listen. Matthew Strack

Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette: My Foolish Heart – Live at Montreux

ECM

Continuing a stunning series of “standards” rendition albums, this all-acoustic piano, bass and drums trio astounds, amazes, and amuses listeners with delightfully fresh and inventive treatments of a dozen or so jazz and old pop titles.

Jarrett sticks close to the original melodies, tempos and “feel” of nearly all the tunes though he gorgeously re-harmonises or cleverly re-phrases all titles to freshen them up. Miles Davis’ Four and Sonny Rollins’ Oleo are medium and up-tempo be-bop style favourites that Jarrett gently twists and turns inside, but not too far outside, with Gary and Jacks’ amazing “telepathic” like embellishments.

A little more amusing outside “KJ noodling” can be found on Thelonious Monk’s Straight No Chaser. He comes back to earth on note perfect, and then some, “hot finger” stride piano renditions of Fats Waller favourites Ain’t Misbehaven’ and Honeysuckle Rose.

For elegant romantic moods, or booze drowning of your sorrows, his sensitive Bill Evans like extended ballad treatments of My Foolish Heart, What’s New, Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry, and Only the Lonely are touchingly magnificent. The trios’ delivery of these emotion inspiring tunes will verify for you that sweet old cliché’, “For heights and depths no words can reach, music is the souls’ own speech”.

Nearly two hours in two discs with the usual ECM recorded excellence, (with minimal KJ “grunt and squeal” too!) this is superb straight ahead jazz worthy of any good music collection. John Paul

Billy Joel: The Stranger 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition

Sony Legacy

Much has been said over the years about early Sony CDs launched with haste and zero care in the early days of compact discs. Billy Joel was a victim of this poor judged corporate move and the resulting early CDs put many a listener off the format for a decade or more.

Accordingly the announcement in the release sheets of a newly remastered Billy Joel classic caught my interest. This was a release from those student days when vinyl (called a record back then) was played on a Sansui. I still have the vinyl and can report it still has a magic about it.

What then has Sony done for this remastered 30th (eek) Anniversary Edition? Well two things. Yes, these classic tracks have been cleaned up but the originals are revealed as not as flash as we would all hope. Indeed the first track (Moving’ Out) sounds hideous, but do not give up there as mattes greatly improve with some excellent clarity and definition to be found further on.

Secondly there is the substantial booklet which is as one would expect, hugely nostalgic. That seems to be fine as many readers of this column will associate tracks such as The Stranger, Just the Way You Are, Vienna Restaurant with specific events in their own life.

The inclusion of the a second CD of Live At Carnegie Hall 1977 (previously unreleased) is welcome and hugely interest ring on many counts, among which is the audiences lack of reaction to the Stranger set. Clearly they were yet to be released.

All in all a welcome memory trip, nicely presented and good value. Recommended. Allan McFarlane

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis: Two Men with the Blues

Blue Note Records

Taken from a two-night stand in January 2007 at th Jazz at Lincoln Centre, New York, this set of recording is as close as we colonials will come to what must have been a magical event. That two legends of American music have found common ground in the blues (and a few jazz standards for good measure) should be little surprise to those of us who have hugely enjoyed following the careers of both artists.

More of a surprise is the result. While Willie is at times now struggling to hold a phrase or even the occasional note, his trademark voice and guitar playing is unmistakable. Wynton is fully in his element. It is an education how inventive this man can be around the simplest of melodies and chord changes. The surprise inclusion of a harmonica player (Mickey Raphael) in the band proves an inspired choice. Some tracks do work better than others but as a whole package this is a self-recommending release. Allan McFarlane

Maceo Parker: Roots & Grooves

Heads Up

This is a live double album with two very different notions. One disc does a very good “Tribute to Ray Charles” session, and the other goes into a solid funk set.

Both feature the excellent German WDR big band, which for my two cents derived from this disc, is as good a jazz band as any you can find anywhere, with maybe only the Wynton Marsalis led Lincoln Centre group subjectively topping these very accomplished, talented Europeans playing American soul music.

Parker does some amazing vocal cloning of Ray’s whole style and timbre of delivery. I first heard a track of this on NatRad (or excuse me, Radio NZ National!) one afternoon, and thought they’d discovered something new and hot out of a secret vault somewhere, because it was a “slightly different” Ray and Co, but still damn good. Especially the soloists!

Eight Charles favourites, Hit The Road Jack, Busted, Hallelujah I Love Her So, What’d I Say, etc. are all perfectly done with great solos from Parker on alto sax, and Frank Chastenier on Hammond B-3 organ, plus Klaus Osterloh on trumpet worth noting.

The other “Back To Funk” disc reprises some of his hits and again lets that hot German band add some harmonic depth and richness over the solid Dennis Chambers drumming. Solid as funk can get, with great solos all over the place. Soulfully recommended. John Paul

Primal Scream: Beautiful Future

B-Unique Records

25 years on from launching the Primal Scream brand to the world, the band fronted by one of the original drug-addled Scotsmen (Bobby Gillespie) return with their ninth album.

As usual it’s a mix of styles –from the straight out rock of Can’t Go Back to the slow disco of Uptown; the sing-along pop of The Glory of Love to the electro-throb of I Love to Hurt (You Love to be Hurt). The consistent element is Bobby Gillespie’s vocals, which are pretty high in the mix – unlike some other albums where they are buried lower down.

Guests on this album turn up in the shape of Linda Thompson who duets with Bobby on a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Over and Over (really); and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age who brings his archetypal dirty guitar to Necro Hex Blues.

This is definitely a bit of a grower. To begin with I wasn’t really that sure about a number of the tracks, but a few listens suggest that this is an album that is worth sticking with and will be worth coming back to. Douglas Lang

Beth Rowley: Little Dreamer

Blue Thumb

One can be forgiven for fading away into day-dreams whilst listening to Beth’s Little Dreamer – probably the listener state of mind she’s aiming for with this collection of covers and original songs. The British singer with the bohemian-chic looks has the ability to modulate her voice with apparently little effort and at various times sounds like Eva Cassidy, Dory Previn or Polly Palusma.

The music with its influences of gospel, blues, soul and bluegrass is readily likeable and accessible for those who are still fond of the old-school style.

Her rendition of Dylan’s I Shall Be Released is a fluently transformed gentle ‘seat-bopping’ reggae sound and the infectious So Sublime transports you to a day-dream of “losing (your)self in a moment”. The music can be haunting too, as with the vocal duet with Duke Special on Angels Flying Too Close To The Ground and the sombre Only One Cloud which would befit a funeral procession in the Deep South. The album has a timeless feel-good sound celebrating love and life. Patricia Ellen Evans

Diane Schuur: Some Other Time

Concord Records

Considering the expression “they don’t write ‘em like they used to”, and there seems to be a shortage of new universally appreciated songs. It’s no surprise “mature” female vocalists are digging into the oldies bin. Great Irving Berlin, Gershwin Bros, Rodgers & Hart/Hammerstein, Cole Porter etc. songs are being performed and recorded as if those old glory days have come again. Problem is airplay, but that’s another story, so back to this disc.

Pop-jazz vocalist Schuur joins the brigade with 13 of her mothers old radio favourites. She lightly swings and grooves into Nice Work If You Can Get It, Taking A Chance On Love, and I’ve Got Beginners Luck.

Blues Skies, Some Other Time, It’s Magic, and The Good Life are all pretty straight ahead ballads as embellished with modern bass lines and percussion, and thankfully, no syrupy canned strings. With My Favourite Things, she very briefly tries a few lame jazz licks, but stays pretty close to the Julie Andrews “proper” delivery.

Whether you like pop or jazz, or both, there is one inarguable fact about her deliveries. She positively delivers the lyrical story of any song. Maybe it’s her sightless condition, life experience, training, associations, or who knows what, but the message of the music solidly comes through. With other singers reciting and never considering what those words mean, or are about (Natalie Cole, anyone?), this is a collection of effectively delivered great oldies nicely recorded and well performed. John Paul

Frank Sinatra: Nothing But The Best

Warner Music

Another compilation you might say, but this comes with 22 swinging tracks and also a DVD live concert at the Royal Festival Hall.

From classics such as Come Fly With Me to Strangers In The Night, you’ll be swept away by the smooth voice of old blue eyes and all digitally remastered to give you a crystal clear sound.

Highlights include The Girl From Ipanema in collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim on acoustic guitar and of course a duet with daughter Nancy on the wonderful Somethin’ Stupid. Surprise track for me is the gospel influenced That’s Life, ah the soulful side of Frankie!

The one time crooner is always a pleasure to listen to and this album is no exception. Start tapping that foot and sing along as the DVD begins with an introduction by Princess Grace of Monaco and fittingly ends with two great numbers, My Kind Of Town and My Way. Yes indeed, Mr Sinatra’s way was always an entertaining experience. Ants Fong

The Subways: All or Nothing

Infectious Records

This is the second album of (generally) high-octane guitar rock from the UK indie three-piece. There is the occasional softer interlude but the overall feel of this album is upbeat with strong riffs, clean vocals and a nice meaty production sound courtesy of producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat World).

The band’s slower work (Strawberry Blonde; Move to Newlyn) is based around strummed acoustic guitars a bit like Green Day and Oasis who could be classed as relevant touch points. Apparently the band began by playing Nirvana and Green Day covers and if you like either of these bands you may well connect with The Subways work, although they are probably towards the poppier end of the Green Day spectrum than the grunge of Nirvana. They also remind me at times of Irish punk/pop/rock band Ash.

Billy Lunn (guitar) and his ex-fiancee Charlotte Cooper (bass) share vocal duties on a number of tracks although Charlotte tends to take the support role with Billy taking the lead. Having said that, the combination makes a nice contrast on tracks such as the album opener Girls and Boys and Kalifornia.

Billy and Charlotte split up during the making of the album and if you listen closely to the lyrics you’ll pick up some interesting lines which could well be driven by their feelings about their previously romantic connection - “I got your message and I feel like a mistake; You said you want to learn to let go of deadweight; It’s not what you do but how it gets done; And now I’ve had my fun”.

If you want to get an idea of what The Subways are like from a quick listen on the web, check out the aforementioned Girls and Boys, Shake! Shake! and I Won’t Let You Down.

I remember seeing The Subways at Big Day Out 2006 and being pretty impressed. It’s good to have this latest piece of their recorded material and to able to report that it’s well up to scratch with their live show. Douglas Lang

Victor Wooten: Palmystery

Heads Up

Recorded in 2004 and 2007, bass player Victor Wooten brings to us his jazz style for your listening ears. From great middle eastern influenced vocals by Amir Ali on the track Cambo, we are taken through a journey of basslines and keyboard sounds!

Track three, I Saw God takes us through an afro/gospel rap about our high and mighty but all very tastefully blended with that bassline and lead guitar combination.

Standout tracks to get up and boogie for are Happy Song and a funktified version of Horace Silver’s Song For My Father. Great stuff, Victor!

All in all, a refreshing sound that brings back the bass guitar into prominence as we move from a variety of genres throughout the 12 tracks. Worth checking out for your collection if you like George Benson. Ants Fong

Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu: Angela and Roberto forever

EMI Classics

Well this is a disappointment. I was convinced by the publicity that here we had a new release of duets from this legendary partnership. What we in fact get is a “bleeding chunks” from various recordings including some complete opera sets. Interestingly all this has achieved in my listening room is an agreement with some critics that Alagna does not live up to his publicity. Re-packaging tracks where he is partnered by his peerless wife only reinforces this view.

Fans of either singer will have most of these tracks already. Others will find legions of similar material better presented at bargain prices throughout the catalogue. Allan McFarlane

Johan Sebastian Bach: Matthew Passion

Linn Records
Dunedin Consort and Players, John Butt Director, Nicholas Mulroy Director, Matthew Brook Jesus

Bach’s Mathew Passion or St Matthew Passion has been part of the standard choral performance almost since the day it was first performed. The work is an oratorio, a combination of sung solo and chorus pieces that musically is similar to an opera but without elaborate costumes or movements on the stage.

The current trend in a lot of opera is to release on DVD rather than CD, or to offer both to the public. The stage, costume and theatre of opera lends itself well to a combined audio/visual presentation. But this is not opera it is oratorio, a form we mostly associate with Handel, who popularised it in England, after Bach’s death. Oratorio tends to place more emphasis on the sound than the visual spectacle and as a result it lends itself perfectly well to recording and playback on CD or in this case CD/SACD.

This recording by Linn records and the Dunedin Consort lives up to the high standards set earlier by their very successful Messiah release. As is common with many of these older works, the composer wrote several versions, often to suit different performing groups or occasions. The version chosen here is Bach’s last performing version, written in 1742.

How does it sound? Well in one word: Glorious. The sound is rich and lead by excellent vocalists. It is sung in German, as it was composed. This is the most authentic language but for someone with only passing knowledge of the work, I wonder if an English language version would have been easier to listen to. As mentioned the sound is rich and well recorded with a gorgeous acoustic. The presence of a SACD layer on the three disc set is welcome for those with SACD playback it enhances the feeling that you are there.

This is an excellent production of one of the great works of choral music. It is presented on three CD’s, with a playing time of over two and a half hours. My only suggestion is that it might be worth releasing a one disk “highlights” edition, as is often done for the Messiah. Warmly recommended. Matthew Strack