Bit disappointed no-one seemed very interested in Sofia Shinas' CD when I listed it as a new purchase the other week. After all, you couldn't fault the CD inlay picture.
Latest Goodwill acquisition...
Cause & Effect - You Think You Know Her (1990)
A couple of people have asked me about one of the Midge Ure tracks I posted last week. "Baby Little One" was a previously unreleased song included on a 1998 compilation Lullabies With A Difference, which was a project organized by Joan Armatrading to provide support to the Sheffield based charity PACES, an organization dedicated to supporting children who suffer from Cerebral Palsy and their parents.
To start with, let me point you in the direction of the best Strawberry Switchblade website.
How much fun can you have for three bucks? When Hastings is having a 'four for a dollar' CD sale, the answer is quite a lot. In order to share the joy, I have created an instant mixtape of the first track from each album, plus a couple of extras I picked up last week. Vote for your favorite in the poll and I'll post a feature on the most popular album.
CHEESY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING
Nick Kamen - Loving You (1988)
[mp3] When In Rome - Heaven Knows (from When In Rome, 1988)
The Game - Under The White Bible Law (1989)
In which we imagine a world where the compact disc was introduced in 1980, and now-obscure artists and albums could be preserved for posterity...
Yes, it's dated. Like a classic automobile, Private Lives' Prejudice & Pride album symbolizes a specific time and place. First of all, the keyboards sound old, and secondly, its studio gloss is totally '80s. But those are just two reasons why the LP is highly attractive to new wave disciples. The term "dated" is only bad to people who weren't born during the era the work originated in, or who have no affection for it. On Prejudice & Pride Private Lives combine their love for jazz and funk with the synthesized beats of mid-'80s England. The result is a hybrid of blue-eyed soul and new wave à la Fiction Factory, a group that Private Lives stylistically resemble. The music is often upbeat; however, the lyrics mainly consist of torn love letters, filled with bitterness and regret. "Living in a World" is the best track, the story of a promiscuous girl whose life has been overturned and who can't find her way to happiness; consequently, she begins having suicidal thoughts: "You say you want to drink and drive/Over the bridge to the other side," vocalist John Adams sings with both anger and empathy. The words veer between resentment and compassion, but it becomes obvious that he still cares for her: "No, you're just hanging around/Waiting for someone to rescue you." It's a beautiful ballad, hauntingly sung and sharply arranged with mournful synthesizers and toe-tapping basslines. (The 12" extended version, "Living in a World (Turned Upside Down)," is also worth searching for.) As strong as "Living in a World" is, one would assume that Private Lives used all of their ammo on one track; thankfully, they didn't. Prejudice & Pride has no filler. It may take a few spins for the record to sink in, but songs such as "River to a Sea" and "God Only Knows" are just as catchy -- if not as moving -- as "Living in a World." The angst level is pretty high; Adams seeks liberation from a dying relationship in "Break the Chains," and "No Chance You'll Pay" and "Break the Whole Thing Down" offer more romantic diatribes. All the dourness may seem a tad overwhelming; however, many British new wave artists weren't exactly cheerful. Prejudice & Pride details heartbreak with a sweet tooth for pop that is hard to resist. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music GuideI've spent the last couple of months working on my first album. Tentatively called "Et Tu?" it is a deliberate attempt to writ...
