Another go-round for one of the UK's finest, as well as the biggest record of all time....
BRITISH SEA POWER - "DO YOU LIKE ROCK MUSIC?"
Why yes, I do! Brighton, England's British Sea Power releases their 3rd LP this week. After two pretty solid efforts, it sounds to me that things are really starting to come together for these guys. Always known for soaring melodies and gripping hooks with one foot firmly planted in 80's UK guitar driven pop, they seem to come into their own here, with even some stadium-sized anthems. That, of course, is delicate territory that even the likes of Arcade Fire have difficulty pulling off...but thankfully BSP hasn't overdone it, and have a fine record here. Fans of Joy Division, The Smiths, earlier U2, Muse, and Echo & The Bunnymen will likely dig.
DIE! DIE! DIE! - "PROMISES, PROMISES"
If you like your rock to do a little more, rocking...then the 2nd full-length from Die! Die! Die! could be for you. It's more in-your-face than you might expect to come from such a peaceful place as New Zealand...heck, I'm having trouble even recalling any other group from New Zealand outside of the members of Crowded House. Nonetheless, this is fist-shaking stuff that I will likely find myself spinning during dj gigs at rock bars. This is an energetic and raw set of songs, yet manages to be a well crafted one. They've certainly matured (some will say they've 'calmed') a bit from their debut record..10 tracks which clocked in barely over 20 minutes in a true Ramones-like pace...but this one still rocks.
MICHAEL JACKSON - "THRILLER: 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION"
In 25 years time, this record has managed to sell a copy or two, hasn't it? Let's look at the numbers: 27x platinum (in the US alone), and 255 days at the #1 spot. I'm not sure if I'm more impressed at those stats, or more mortified that I'm old enough to vividly remember watching the videos for the singles at my grandma's house (because she had cable in 1983-84, we didn't). I won't even waste any time stating the obvious that practically every pop/R&B artist in the past 20 years wouldn't have (had) careers without this record, because it can clearly be heard in countless releases since that time. And thankfully, this isn't your standard ol' anniversary reissue: you know, "digitally remastered", with "a 5000 page booklet complete with never-before-seen photos", and an essay written by the guy who engineered the recording or something, retelling his fascinating account of the making of the album. Instead, several of today's biggest pop and R&B acts (Kanye West, Fergie, will.i.am, Akon) contribute remixes and re-workings of some of these timeless tracks. But here's the catch: the reviews of which have thus far been very much mixed. Sort of like, 'it doesn't matter who you are, you can't touch nor improve a classic'. As a fan of new versions of existing songs, I'm fine with them, perhaps because I went in never expecting a "Billie Jean" remix to ever be nearly as good as the original. The only problem that I do have is will.i.am concealing the silly "doggone" part in "The Girl Is Mine", when that's the line that MADE the song!
Nonetheless, this edition is a deserved accolade for the #1 album of all time, and certainly something you'll want to pick up...especially if the only copy you've ever owned was your original vinyl or cassette.
Happy listening.
cheers,
pogo
