Far Freaking Out, Man!

9-28-10

Tame Impala- 3.5
Wow man. Very, very cool. This album is far out! The Tame Impala set the scene, man, and it is happening. I really dig what they’re saying here. What a great 60’s vibe, man. Make love, not war. Split wood, not atoms. Can you dig it? Stop being such a drag and get into the Impala scene, man. It’s very groovy. Peace out.

Peter Wolf- 4.5
Boy, do I love this cd!! Peter Wolf is in great voice and he serves up a gem of a record. This is great Rock n Roll with a nod to Alt-country, R&B, and Blues. A stellar backing band, stellar background vocals, and awesome duets combine with solid songwriting and great production here- what’s not to like!! Not a single miss. Outstanding cd.

Against Me!- 3.5
I’m sure Greg will give an extra point for the cover, but what’s inside is pretty good too. Not being familiar with anything they’ve done prior to this- I have no prejudices. The opener reminded me of Jesse Malin and Because Of The Shame fuses Springsteen with Blue October. These are good things- not bad. This is big, radio friendly, mainstream rock album. Again- not a bad thing. A solid record. Not great, but solid. Even the misses are pretty good (Ache With Me).

Concrete Blonde- 4.0
Last month-X. This month Concrete Blonde. Thanks to Joey, CB got their first “billboard” hit, but it’s the other songs on this cd that make it great. Thanks in great part to singer-songwriter Johnette Napolitano’s vocals which are haunting and brooding and edgy and they give the album it’s overall feel. Joey is a good song but my favs are Caroline, Lullabye, and Tomorrow, Wendy- 3 perfect slices of pop-rock heaven. Good stuff!

Joe Jackson- 5
Joe Jackson is a freaking genius. He is a singer-songwriter with a restless musical imagination who cannot be pegged into any genre. It’s all there- Punk, New Wave, Reggae, Power-Pop, Jump, Jazz, Salsa, Classical. The guy’s a genius- I’ll say it again.
Look Sharp is brilliant. What a debut! The energy on this album is amazing. Instantly catchy songs that drive like hell. Some songs are caustic and acerbic, some witty, some playful- but all are great. One of my favorite records of all time.

Paul Weller Ghits
What can I say. I’m a huge fan. Loved The Jam and even followed him through his Motown period with The Style Council- not everyone’s cup of tea for sure. But he didn’t disappoint me and got back to his more bluesy roots during his solo career. His 2010 release, Wake Up The Nation, is one of my fav’s of the year. Hope you enjoyed the mix.

Discussion:
No question my tastes have changed over the years. Some of the music I listen to now, and enjoy, I would never have listened to when I was 18. In fact- I’m sure I considered them disdainful. Show tunes, standards, Jazz, Big Bands. Who would have thought it??

My Desert island definitely changes. Has to. Otherwise I would be forever stuck in the 60’s and 70’s.

Albums that will always be on my desert island list:
Buffalo Springfield- Last Time Around
The Band- Music From Big Pink
Van Morrison- Moondance
Jayhawks- Hollywood Town Hall
Wilco- Summerteeth