Thursday, March 25, 2004

Observer 'Liars' review

Well it took me until yesterday to get around to reading the sunday papers, so it's only then I came across Campbell Stevenson's review of 'Liars' in the Observer. Stevenson - a self confessed fan says "I assure you that he's the missing link between Brian Wilson and Prince, between white pop and black soul, boys and girls, cold techno-freakery and warm romance. And that this is his best album for 25 years" [er HELLO A Cappella came out in 1985 ...]
Giving the album four out of Five, he says what "denies this album a five-star review is the standard set of duffers" [ in which he includes the marvelous 'Soul Brother', a song I currently can't stop singing]. He ends the review by saying "to find out whether you need this album, just go along to a small but proper record shop and ask them to play track five, 'Stood Up'. Its massed baroque keyboards, call and response vocals, psychedelic production and insidious tune should bring you to your knees. [Found this track to be more of a grower than a grabber to be honest] If you like it, then buy it, followed by Something/Anything? . . . then everything. Well, almost everything; steer clear of those later Utopia albums. [ He surely CAN'T mean to pop/rock genius of POV and Oblivion?]

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Todd in Music Week

This week's Music Week spotlights the release of the Todd DVD's - The Desktop Collection/2nd Wind Sessions; Live in Japan, and Live in SanFrancisco in the UK at long last on 3 May. Article features a mini interview with Todd who concludes that with the release of the Liars CD on 5 April "You could say it's raining Todd at the moment"

Monday, March 22, 2004

Album reviews

The Sunday Age has a review of Kate Markowitz's album 'Map of the World' with reviewer Warwick McFadyen describing it as "as close to perfection as the West Coast adult soft/rock style can attain". According to McFadyen, the standout track is her covering of Todd Rundgren's Can We Still Be Friends?

The Allentown Morning Call meanwhile has reviewed Owsley - "The Hard Way" but complains that Will Owsley music merely mimics his influences. "Be With You," "Rise," "Matriarch" and "Undone" owe (too) much to Big Star, Todd Rundgren, Tom Petty and Paul McCartney and Wings.