Giant Sand

The Record Collection: 1989 – 4

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Beat Farmers | The Pursuit of Happiness | Curb, 1987 |

The Beat Farmers managed to combine hard hitting Southern fried rock with just the right amount of twang and jangle, including a ragged sense of humor, mighty fine songwriting and great musical skills. Now, that’s the recipe for a damn fine band in my book. Even though they never were spectacular, in terms of being visionary vanguards or anything, they were pioneers for roots based rock and paved way for numerous bands to come. Back then it was labelled as ‘cowpunk’, but in heart this is really classic all-American rock ‘n’ roll.

I bought The Pursuit of Happiness (1985) prior to this one, and it’s still my personal favorite – regardless of this here iconic cover art. But, standout tracks like “Hollywood Hills” and “Make It Last” ranks among their finest work ever, as does (as always) the deep sound of Country Dick Montana (“Big River”). The band dissolved after Country Dick passed away in 1995, while performing on stage.

Sidewinders | Witchdoctor | Mammoth/RCA 1989 |

Tucson, Arizona’s Sidewinders sure stepped up the game with their sophomore album Witchdoctor. Their mix of jangly guitars and hard rocking songs, acoustic beauty and electric rage, melted together just perfect on this album. On standout tracks like “Cigarette,” “Bad Crazy Sun” and the exquisite cover of Neil Diamond’s “Solitary Man” they’re not too far from the sound of city comrades like Naked Prey and Green On Red, but Sidewinders always had a more approachable side to their music. It all comes together on “What She Said”, just one of those great moments where melodic sensibility takes a turn and starts to explore the unknown. This close to 10 minute epic track is the highlight of an album that has plenty to give, even 30 years after it was first being released.

Rich Hopkins might never have received a massive commercial breakthrough, but he sure is an underrated songwriter and bandleader – and he’s a true desert character. Sidewinders later turned into Sand Rubies, and Hopkins has continued up until this day as Rich Hopkins and the Luminarios.

Various artists | Time Between: A Tribute to the Byrds | Imaginary, 1989 |

“It’s hard to believe that 25 years have elapsed since The Byrds took their first faltering steps into World Pacific Studios to open the chapter on a fascinating period of creative growth and bestow upon the music world an influence that is still felt to this day.” So says the album notes by Lyndon Noon. Well, it’s also hard to believe the fact that it’s 30 years since I purchased this here LP. However, the influence of The Byrds continues to live on, their songs will endure forever. More so than many of the bands honoring them on this tribute album. But the reason I bought Time Between was not first and foremost because of The Byrds, even though I already loved them in 1989, but the fact that so many of my favorite bands contributed here: Giant Sand (“Change Is Now” for sure), Thin White Rope and Dinosaur Jr. (“I Feel a Whole Lot Better” after this) all chip in, as does honorable names like Miracle Legion, The Chills, Richard Thompson, The Barracudas, The Moffs and many more. This is a wonderful homage, serving many of the purposes of a such a project: Paying respect to the mother band, creating unique versions of their original songs and expanding the understanding of their legacy. You want to dive into the original versions while listening to the covers at the same time. Well done.

Band of Susans | Love Agenda | Blast First, 1989 |

Band of Susans came from the New York City underground, and even though they basically remained there during their whole career, the band, made up of remarkably many Susan’s, sure left a mark in the history of art rock. They were students under composers like Rhys Chatham, and contemporaries with other NY bands like Sonic Youth, Live Skull and Swans.

Their second album Love Agenda, with Page Hamilton, later of Helmet fame in the line-up, has aged remarkably well. Here’s plenty of layers and layers of loud guitars and the start-stop dynamics we later came to love from Helmet, but restrained vocals and sweet melodies buried underneath the pillows of noise were not too far from British acts like The Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine. But, Band of Susans sure went their own way. As a matter of fact, it’s possible to map out several different schools of noise rock, with Sonic Youth as kids from the school of no wave, The Jesus & Mary Chain following the path of British post-punk and My Bloody Valentine doing what is now known as dreampop/shoegaze. Band of Susans is related to all of this, but also turned a slightly different direction with minimalistic mantras characterized with a wall of sound and a sea of noise. It all comes to life on Love Agenda.

The Denver Mexicans | The Denver Mexicans | Still Sane, 1988 |

A rather short lived band, The Denver Mexicans only released a couple albums during their time span. This is their eponymous debut, made up by legendary LA bassist Dave Provost (The Dream Syndicate, Droogs and many more), Aaron Price on guitar and vocals and drummer Steve Bidrowski (The Unknowns). This album is packed with raw and ragged tunes, ranging from garage rock and surf to cowpunk and desert rock not too far from other contemporary artists like Naked Prey and Green On Red (check out the centerpiece “Lonesome Road.”) Add some sweet acoustic numbers (“Ezras Parade”), cool instrumentals (“Dogs of Surf”, “Denver Mexican Theme”) and a more than decent version of The Dream Syndicate’s “John Coltrane Stereo Blues” in the mix, and you get a pretty wild ride of late 1980s underground rock Los Angeles style. Sadly, I never finished up ordering the t-shirt (slide 3), guess it’s too late now?

Various Artists | ‎Only 39,999,999 Behind “Thriller” – Down There Records 1981-1988 | Down There/Restless, 1989 |

The Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn started up Down There Records in the early 1980s. The label catalog is more qualitative than sizable impressive, with early and classic albums from The Dream Syndicate, Green On Red and Naked Prey as part of the roster. Down There also gave us awesome releases from The Romans, Russ Tolman and Divine Weeks, and quite simply ranks as one of the finest labels to document primarily a very vital Los Angeles music scene. This compilation is a pretty awesome place to start digging, it even includes several unreleased tracks, but I highly encourage chasing down the original albums right away. Highlights include Dream Syndicate’s untamed version of “Outlaw Blues” and Green On Red’s early tune “Tragedy.”

Neil Young | After the Gold Rush | Reprise 1970 |

I grew up on Neil Young. Old Ways played on repeat as the soundtrack to endless family summer trips when I was a kid, Ragged Glory and Weld being as heavy as any grunge album in the early ’90s – and later on in life, the thrill of discovering so many gems in this man’s astonishing catalog. It’s fair to say that Neil Young is one of my all time favorite artists, and After the Gold Rush is one of his finest albums. This is classic Neil at the dawn of a long career peak. You’ll find all his signature moves on this, his third solo album: The acoustic, husky folk tunes (“Cripple Creek Ferry”), the ragged, loud guitars (most notably on “Southern Man”), heartbreaking love songs (“I Believe In You”, “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”, “When You Dance I Can Really Love”), cowboy nostalgia (a slow version of Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me”), piano-led ballads (“Birds”, the eco-friendly title track)…. You know it’s a classic album straight from the get go: ‘Sailin’ hardships through broken harbors/Out on the waves in the night’ (“Tell Me Why”). Neil Young made some mighty fine albums before this one, and a whole lotta legendary ones after, but his long, sprawling career is compressed into these two sides of timeless music.

The Long Ryders | Native Sons | Frontier/Planet 1984 |

Native Sons is in many ways a seminal 1980s album, as a highly influential predecessor to the alt-country resurgence a couple years later, a cornerstone in the Paisley Underground movement, a blueprint for tons of rootsy/psychedelic indie bands to come – and of course a damn fine album on its own. Still is. The Long Ryders combined jangly guitars and sweet vocal harmonies (hey, even Gene Clark joins in) with a raw, ragged garage rock attitude, often cited as the missing link between Gram Parsons and punk rock.

This is The Long Ryders’ first full length, produced by Henry Lewy (Joni Mitchell, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen) and a tour de force of timeless songwriting from start to finish. Love it just as much now as when I purchased it 30 years ago.

Sonic Youth | Bad Moon Rising | Homestead/Blast First 1985 |

Bad Moon Rising is a dark, gloomy nightmare, slowly dragging us through post-apocalyptic city streets and desolate, industrial wastelands, a disturbing postcard from 1980s America. Just a couple years later Sonic Youth gave us Sister and Daydream Nation and forever shaped the face of alternative rock with their merge of underground noise and mainstream glam.

Wrapped in drones, decay and dissonance, there is not much glam to spot on songs like “Ghost Bitch”, “Society Is a Hole”, and “I’m Insane.” The frantic guitar riffs that would become a key signature element for the band, mostly comes to light at the tail end of the album on “Death Valley ’69” featuring Lydia Lunch. Already at this point in their career we find this clever mix of high and low culture, as they give references to Creedence Clearwater Revival, the painter Edward Ruscha and Charles Manson just to mention a few. This is pretty bleak and abrasive stuff, and even though it’s not an easy or immediate album to digest it’s highly rewarding.

Over the years Bad Moon Rising has become one of my favorite Sonic Youth albums.

Rank and File | Sundown | Slash 1982 |

The Kinman brothers, Chip and Tony, were part of the bourgeoning Southern California punk scene as members of the Dils when they decided to relocate to Austin and shift towards a more roots orientated sound.

For the debut LP Sundown they brought in phenomenal guitarist Alejandro Escovedo (formerly of the Nuns and True Believers, and still going very strong) and drummer Slim Evans. This is nothing but a seminal precursor to the whole alt.country and Americana movement, later popularized by Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown et al. At the time this vital combination of punk rock and country music came to be known as cowpunk. Rank and File stands next to the likes of Jason & the Scorchers, The Beat Farmers and The Blasters in pioneering this kinda lovely music, especially here on their debut album that is by far their finest moment.

Giant Sand Returns to the Valley of Rain: A Tribute to Howe Gelb

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Howe Gelb, 2018 (Photo: Gabriel Sullivan)

Returns to Valley of Rain (Fire records) is a ferocious re-recording of Giant Sand’s classic 1985 debut album Valley of Rain. Originally recorded by Howe Gelb on vocals and guitar, Winston A. Watson and Tommy Larkins sharing drums duties and Scott Garber on bass, this incarnation of Giant Sand also consists of newer members Thøger T. Lund, Gabriel Sullivan and Annie Dolan.

The album holds a special place in the vast Giant Sand catalog, celebrated by both 25th and 30th anniversary reissues in recent years. When some of these old songs started to creep back into their setlist, it seemed appropriate to give the full album another shot with the proper Fender 30 amp, made only in the early 1980s, with the intention of making the album sound like it should’ve sounded. Says Fire Records about the process: “It was re-done for $400 and the same day and a half session time as the original. Scott Garber even drove up from Austin with his fretless to play so that the album is literally the originally line up for at least half of the songs. And yes, no pedal boards were used too.”

Giant Sand have never been easy to categorize, a fool’s errand that gets harder every passing years, as Howe Gelb and his various compadres have freely embraced new and disparate stylings into their seesawing sound. But whether labeled as roots rock, gospel, piano jazz, punk, latin or lo-fi or anything in between, the music always comes out with the identifiable signature of characteristic beatnik rhythms, shrewd lyrics and Howe Gelb’s warm, charismatic personality hovering above it all.

Gelb has travelled many a long and dusty mile to get to his place of prominence as an elder statesman of freewheeling Americana and “Erosion Rock”; a brand of music changing with the elements on a daily basis as nature intended, like Giant Sand, believing that continuous evolution should be a palpable element in music, as when songs were first handed over again and again, before the frozen capture of a recording studio.

I asked a couple of Howe Gelb’s numerous colleagues and friends over the years to share some insight on the enigmatic genius. Find out why Gelb is a smart cookie, how he embrace the random and eschew the obvious and why his modus operandi is best described as inspired chaos.

***

When we met…

M. Ward (singer-songwriter, and one half of She & Him):
It’s an honor to know Howe Gelb. He was one of the first real pals and confidants I had in this strange industry. I’m endlessly inspired by his piano-playing, his songs, his energy and everything in-between.

Giant Sand took me on my first-ever tour of Europe – in which I played my first and last performances of lap steel. Howe taught me that if you polish the song too heavily in rehearsals then you have polished the song too heavily in rehearsals.

M. Ward/press

Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate, The Baseball Project and more):
I first met Howe just moments after playing to the biggest audience of my life. It was Roskilde 1986 and The Dream Syndicate was a last-minute fill-in for The Cult. We arrived from Italy just about 30 minutes before we went on stage to 50,000 people. It started pouring as we finished and much of the crowd dispersed which was a shame since the next band was Giant Sand and they were fantastic. I watched them as the rain poured down and was instantly intrigued. Howe and I ended up talking well into the night, both exhilarated by the excitement of the evening.

Jason Lytle (Grandaddy):
I spent the first few of my “learning to write songs” years trying to sound like Giant Sand. The only problem is… I had never even heard Giant Sand or Howe Gelb. Someone I had crossed paths with in the early 90’s told me about a weird band that lived out in the desert in Arizona and was inventing their own brand of music that was sometimes punk, sometimes folky Neil Young and sometimes Thelonius Monk… and sometimes all of them even combined.

It set my imagination on fire.

It wasn’t until years later I finally bought a Giant Sand LP and was quite relieved it was as special as it was and kind of similar to what I hoped it would sound like.

John Parish (artist, producer and frequent Giant Sand collaborator):
The first Howe Gelb/Giant Sand record I worked on was Chore of Enchantment – my part of that album was recorded in Tucson in 1998, and it was my introduction to Howe’s method of working – best described as inspired chaos.

It was the first production session I did where I realized I had no control over events – the job became recognizing the inspiration within the chaos, and then making sure it was recorded, logged – before being edited down the line.

It is a challenging but exceedingly rewarding way of working, and pretty much unique to Howe.

Peter Holsapple (The db’s, Continental Drifters):
I met Howe through my friends Mark Walton and Robert Maché with whom I played in the Continental Drifters; my other bandmates Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson toured with Giant Sand promoting Center of the Universe. He seemed like a sweet guy, and if he was friends with my friends, well dammit I liked him too. I recorded a little on Glum when Howe was recording at Kingsway in New Orleans with Malcolm Burn and Trina Shoemaker. It was 1994, and it took a small slice of one afternoon.

KT Tunstall (singer and songwriter)
Howe co-produced my fourth LP with me, Invisibe Empire // Crescent Moon in Wavelab Studios, Tucson, AZ in 2012. Collaborating with him was a beautiful and formative experience for me. I had never worked with an artist-producer before, and he encouraged me to be much more experimental, less rigid about process and performance, and as we were recording live to tape, everything was much more focused on feel rather than technical perfection. I think the most memorable thing was that he invited me into his world – I stayed with him and his family during the recording, we took road trips with a guitar (one particularly memorable one to the Mexican border), so every aspect of that time was colored by his daily life, which is definitely colorful!!

As a person…

Steve Wynn:
Open. He embraces new people and new things very easily. He welcomes The Random although there is a filter and an aesthetic to the pieces of the puzzle he lays out before letting the mayhem begin.

Strangely enough, the biggest influence that Howe had on my life was teaching me to actually take control. I was still the kind of artist who just blindly went from gig to gig, record to record under the control of managers and labels, not questioning or fully understanding the process and finding myself quite helpless when the cracks in the system began to appear.

Howe was living a different life – under the radar and with the sense of adventure that I remembered from the earliest days. With his help, I reconstructed my way of making music (on the fly, on the cheap), touring (hitting the places most bands don’t go) and releasing (small, hungry labels and more frequent releases). It was an eye-opener and creatively stimulating and still is my way of working to this day.

Thanks, Howe, for teaching me to embrace the random and to eschew the obvious.

M Ward:
Howe is a shaman of music who needs no setlist nor traditional groundwork to launch his ideas into meaningful spaces. I recommend sampling all of his Giant Sand records and Howe Gelb solo records and then buying them all.

He finds uniquely rare and beautiful melodies that you can’t trace to anything prior – except maybe songs from his own prior experiments or maybe Thelonious Monk’s – and that makes you think where could this music possibly have come from except for somewhere in southern Arizona.

Peter Holsapple:
Howe is a smart cookie, and one is well advised to listen carefully to what he says. We are not cut from the same songwriting cloth by any means, but I respect and admire his expansive and adventurous creative soul, and l hear the earth and air directly when I hear his songs.

Have YOU ever seen another Howe Gelb? I haven’t.

KT Tunstall
Howe is a bona fide one-off. No-one else could do Howe Gelb. He is unpredictable; he genuinely doesn’t ever play a song the same way twice. He has a phenomenal creative brain; quite surreal, mischievous, very quick. Very funny. There is always a lot of laughing spending time with him, and you don’t always know why. It’s kind of chaotic working with him, but somehow he always manages to pull off often large scale projects, it’s most suspicious. Is he a wizard?? He’a a joy to watch perform, a craftsman and a lightning quick creator, making things happen in the moment, very exciting. One of my favourite moments in his live performance was when he would sit at the grand piano and say, in an impossibly low voice, “I think this thing takes batteries”. He would then throw a handful of 9volt batteries inside the piano.

John Parish:
Original, creative, inspiring, frustrating, spontaneous, late, curious.

John Parish, Photo: Maria Mochnacz

Jason Lytle:
The person that he is …is the musician that he is. That is…. I think he sounds like the sort of guy that he is. I do like it when that happens. It means you’re usually getting the real goods when you hear what he is working on/putting out there.

Steve Wynn:
I’ve said enough above about his lack of fear in accepting unexpected pleasures, random events, changes and following whatever path seems interesting from record to record, tour to tour and even from moment to moment. But none of that would work if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s a damn good guitarist and pianist. You gotta have the goods to back up the concept or else you’re left with nothing but a hollow manifesto.

KT Tunstall
I think Howe is very stubborn in his creative choices, and that protects him and his band from becoming creatively diluted. Lyrically, his material comes from such a singular place that it couldn’t be anyone else, so his signature sound and style will always be inimitable. He also has the most amazing baritone voice, and has found a delivery syle that immediately convinces you that what he’s conveying is worth listening listening to.

A fun fact at the end…

Peter Holsapple:
Howe taught me that time is elastic. I’ve never been the same since.

KT Tunstall
Howe likes orange things. For snacks, he would hold out a carrot and a tangerine and say, “want something orange?”

John Parish:
He likes to eat lunch at Cafe Poca Cosa.

Jason Lytle:
He came to my house for coffee one morning when I lived in Portland Oregon. I asked him if he would like sugar or agave (a plant based sweetener) in his coffee. He said: “I’ll take agave”. We sat outside with our coffees and he was surprised that what he was drinking was NOT coffee with a shot of tequila in it…. as he had a momentary lapse and mistook agave for some kind of tequila. I laughed …but was also impressed that he would show up at my home in the morning and be up for starting the day off with me over a coffee/tequila drink. (Sounds horrible by the way….hahaha!)

Steve Wynn:
I was living out in Marina Del Rey, California for a few years in the late 80’s. I had a mildewed little bungalow that was supposed to be destroyed at any moment (strangely enough, it’s still there to this day) so I was able to rent it cheaply while living just blocks from the beach in a neighborhood much fancier than my means. I didn’t have a car – a bike was enough in that beach community – but Howe offered me to take care of his hand-illustrated, graffitied grey Barracuda before he went on one of his lengthy tours. I loved it. Push-button transmission and everything. Only thing was that the rich neighbors didn’t agree. One morning I went to get the car and found a note under the windshield. “Please don’t park this car around here. It is an eyesore.” Ha-ha – if only they knew that the car belonged to and had been painted by an international rock star (and that it would show up as the cover art for a Leaving Trains record!)

The Record Collection: 1988 (61-71)

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My album collection, presented in chronological order from when it was bought from January 1988 – revisited one at the time. This is the final round from 1988.

Green On Red | Here Come The Snakes | Red Rhino 1988 |


What comes after the blues? Green on Red went down to Memphis to figure it out, and teamed up with producers Jim Dickinson and Joe Hardy at Ardent. Only a duo at the time, leaving Dan Stuart and Chuck Prophet as core members, this album digs deep down in the American soil of country, blues and rock & roll and ends up somewhere between The Rolling Stones and Neil Young, where the three songs at the tail end of the album shines particularly strong. Here Come The Snakes might lack the youthful innocence and camaraderie of their previous efforts, but it sure adds another value. Something more severe.

The band members reconciled some years later, but dark shadows looms over Green on Red at this point in their career.

Various artists | Welcome to Comboland | Making Waves 1986 |


North Carolina must’ve been a joyous place to live in the 1980s, judged by the friendly atmosphere and cheerful indie presented on this compilation. Or perhaps it’s just a reminder of less cynical times, a time of less tension and a more laidback attitude. Or maybe it’s because of Don Dixon, being largely responsible for producing many of the bands presented here. His jangly signature sounds permeate the album of twelve artists from the state. The Connells are probably most remembered of these bands today, however, I urge everyone to grab a copy of this sampler. Just for you to enjoy forty-two minutes of Southern hospitality, including prime acts like Southern Culture on the Skids, Fetchin’ Bones and The Spongetones.

Naked Prey | Naked Prey | Down There 1984 |


The 1984 debut album from Tucson outlaws Naked Prey is a raw and ragged exploration of an acid drenched southwestern mythology at the crossroads of garage rock and country punk. Fronted by the one and only Van Christian, with lovely guitar work by David Seger. Produced by Dan Stuart, Steve Wynn and great cover shot by Scott Garber, this is a supergroup in my book.

Giant Sand | The Love Songs | Demon 1988 |


We are all things at different times. This album made such an impact on me that I convinced my pal to buy a ‘66 Barracuda. I still remember how we cruised down the road under a fingernail moon, while the pine trees transformed into cactuses, counting stars like neon lights from down the mud to way up sky. The car eventually got sold, but the The Love Songs still thrones up there as a one of my dearest favorite albums of all time. ‘Your passion is like world war three/my defense is a crumbling NATO.’ I mean, what’s not to love?

Jane’s Addiction | Nothing’s Shocking | Warner 1988 |


So, this was pretty mind-blowing stuff 30 years ago. It’s not quite as shocking today, but the cover art alone, the conjoined twins with their heads on fire, sets the tone for an ambitious and powerful album. Jane’s Addiction managed to unify punk, funk and metal into something cutting-edge and timeless. Nothing’s Shocking paved way for so much of the grunge craze to come, but this is smarter, more arty and engaging than most of them.

Thin White Rope | In the Spanish Cave | Frontier 1988 |


In the Spanish Cave is a tad brighter and varied than its predecessors. Ranging from almost joyous tunes (“Mr. Limpet”) to bulldozing guitar assaults (“It’s OK”), it features their most beloved song, the epic desert anthem “Red Sun.” In a thorough review celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2013, The Quietus points out how they created an alien take on the unfathomable vastness of the American landscape and its effects on the nation’s psyche, and how they used this landscape, not as representing a sense of freedom, but as an area of something uncanny and unsettling, summing up the album as a “potent, fantastical window onto a malign new phase of the American Dream.” Needless to say, this is one of my favorite albums of all time.

Creedence Clearwater Revival | Cosmo’s Factory | Fantasy 1970 |


‘They’re selling independence/Actors in the white house/Acid in digestion/Mortgage on my life..’ With all their standards and ballads on daily adult radio rotation, it’s often easy to forget how insanely cool CCR actually was. “Ramble Tamble” sounds like something The Cramps and The Dream Syndicate could’ve cooked up together a decade later, with the breezy mid-section as one of this album’s standout moments. But there’s a lot more gold here; “Run Through The Jungle” and the lengthy “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” are particularly great – and most of the other songs are established as beloved rock classics.

Hüsker Dü | Candy Apple Grey | Warner 1986 |


Signing a band like Hüsker Dü on a major label must’ve been a rather bold move back in 1986. But in hindsight this was a prophesy of new times for American alternative guitar rock, and soon bands like R.E.M, Dinosaur Jr. and The Replacements moved from indies to major – without losing their former edge. The Hüskers was constantly developing from underground punks to something far more diverse and mature, and in many ways Candy Apple Grey is the culmination of a journey they’d started on with ‘Zen Arcade’ only two years prior. It’s nothing but amazing to look back at their astonishing intense production and rapid progression, and no wonder they were about to burn out and implode just a year or so later. Candy Apple Grey gives us some of their finest songs, including “Don’t Want To Know If You’re Lonely”, “Sorry Somehow” and acoustic “Hardly Getting Over It.” What a truly great band they were.

True West | Hollywood Holiday | New Rose 1983 |


True West belonged to a group of likeminded 1980s Los Angeles bands dubbed ‘Paisley Underground’, along with The Dream Syndicate, The Bangles, The Long Ryders, The Rain Parade and others. It’s a shame that they’re largely ignored today, cause not only were True West the quintessential paisley band, a missing link between ’60s garage rock, trippy psychedelia (they do a mighty fine version of Pink Floyd’s “Lucifer Sam”) and Televison (check out “It’s About Time”), this album holds up very well compared to many of their peers efforts and is a lost classic of ’80s guitar rock. A little while ago I named Drifters (1984) their masterpiece, but after another couple of listenings to Hollywood Holiday I must reconsider that statement. Man, I’d completely forgotten what a tremendous album this is, from start to finish. I love the frantic guitar work between Russ Tolman and Richard McGrath on the almost Gun Club-like “I’m Not Here” and songs like “And Then The Rain” and “Throw Away The Key” would’ve been hits in the hands of R.E.M. Hollywood Holiday is produced by Russ Tolman (he later went on and made a great, still ongoing solo career) and The Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn. They knew each other very well as members of The Suspects, the short lived band they shared with Kendra Smith, later in the first incarnation of The Dream Syndicate and Gavin Blair, lead singer of True West.

Thin White Rope | Exploring The Axis | Frontier/Zippo 1985 |


Thin White Rope never really fit into the categories used to brand guitar dominated rock in the 1980s. They were too harsh to be labeled as jangle, too loud for the emerging alternative country movement and too dark to fit into the flowery Paisley Underground. Just as close to Television, Bauhaus and Joy Division than their more successful contemporary counterparts in ’80s American underground (R.E.M, The Replacements, Pixies), Thin White Rope’s desert psychedelia was a far more vast and difficult creature to cast. Out of time back in the day, they are timeless in hindsight. Thin White Rope immediately introduced their main modus operandi. The first song off their first album, Exploring the Axis, is something of a surreal country-noir story entitled “Down in the Desert,” about a guy called Karl who headed south and came back changed by his experiences in the desert. (“Karl came back and he works and he smiles/But if you look closely there’s still something scared in his eyes…”) Based out in the Northern California university town of Davis, Thin White Rope often returned to the desert as a recurring trope in their songs, both emotionally and musically. “Soundtrack,” from the same album, also laid a sonic foundation for what to come later; their ability to let an austere tune about alienation (“Windshields are like TV screens/I’m not involved at all”) explode into a ferocious assault as a sneering Guy Kyser goes full Mad Max (“She throws firebombs on the highway/Glass splashing and bushes burning”), revealing a band with a constant underlying rage – a beast they sometimes tamed, sometimes let loose.

Oh yes, they held us in a firm grip out on that ledge, but one also softened with beautiful melodies and a sense of melancholia and human kindness; elements that would be more prominent later on in their career.

The Dream Syndicate | Ghost Stories | Enigma 1988 |


Ghost Stories is the fourth and final studio full-length album from The Dream Syndicate, until they finally returned after a 30-year long hiatus in 2017. Fronted by lead singer and songwriter Steve Wynn, The Dream Syndicate managed to keep a consistent and recognizable style all through the 1980s, but every album has its own distinct personality: The untamed ferocity of the 1982 debut, an album they’ll always be measured against, the grandiose and ambitious sophomore show, and their underrated third album, when they came out of the grey with upbeat breeziness. Produced by Elliot Mazer, ‘Ghost Stories’ ties together all this greatness into an album that sounds better and rocks harder than ever before. Wynn once described the album to me as “dark, noisy, and bratty but its also quite self-assured and not undone by production – neither too little nor too much.” He forgot to mention that the songwriting is ace throughout, there’s not a weak track here and Ghost Stories is one mighty, classic slice of 1980s guitar rock. Just hear the opening verse and try to turn off: “Every cloud has a silver lining/Every down has an answer, I know/But in my heart there’s no light shining/Just emptiness and faded glow/Raining down on the side I’ll never show…”

The Record Collection: 1988 (41-50)

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The album collection in chronological order from when it was bought. Revisited one at the time. Part 4.

Russ Tolman | Down In Earthquake Town | Demon 1988 |


This is the second solo effort from Russ Tolman, a close associate of the jangle/underground scene in Los Angeles and former frontman of True West. This paisley packed album includes a fine list of guests, such as Steve Wynn (they used to run the label Down There together), Dave Provost and Chris Cacavas, and engineering credits goes to Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion, Epitaph). Tolman is a good, confident songwriter, and he crafted a varied and enjoyable album down in his earthquake town. It has aged rather well too, with its laidback feel and sunny LA vibe, rich instrumentation, including some mighty fine Southern horns it’s just one of those timeless albums that deserves far better than being swallowed in the sea of time.

Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska | CBS 1982 |


I listened a lot to Born in the U.S.A as a young kid, and know his catalog fairly well, but the lo-fi sounds of Nebraska remains my forever favorite. Not sure why I bought it in the fall of 1988, wasn’t a huge fan of Springsteen, but might be the cover art that appealed to me. Nebraska is actually my sole Springsteen LP in the collection and the one I always return to when I need some advice from the Boss.

E*I*E*I*O | Land of Opportunity | Demon 1985 |


This Wisconsin quartet played some mighty fine heartland Americana way before that was a hip term. There was nothing fancy about them, but on the other hand, this is one of those albums that never sounds outdated. Great vocals by frontman Steve Summers, strong songs throughout the whole album, and T-Bone Burnett lends some guitar assistance and co-production by Steve Berlin are just some of the treats on this debut. E*I*E*I*O fits nicely among likeminded peers such as BoDeans and Rave-Ups, but they never really got as recognized as deserved.

Thin White Rope | Moonhead | Frontier/Zippo 1987 |


Just as close to Television, Bauhaus and Joy Division than their contemporary counterparts in ’80s American underground (R.E.M, The Replacements, Pixies), Thin White Rope’s desert psychedelia was a far more vast and difficult creature to cast than most of their peers. Their second album Moonhead is a somber, bleak masterpiece, allowing for more space, tension and dark power than on their debut. Moonhead is one of the lost classics of the decade, once flourishingly described by British psych-guru Julian Cope: “[Guy] Kyser mumbles stripped down considerations about life, sex and death, and he seems a scientist who describes microscopic life forms. Mankind is reduced to puppet-like dimensions: around us, there’s an enigmatic, useless, obscure universe, apparently enemy of any feeling and thought.” For sure! It was a huge favorite 30 years ago, and it has followed me all my adult life without losing an inch of its majestic strength.

Giant Sand | Ballad of a Thin Line Man | Zippo 1986 |


Back in 1988, 30 years ago, I was still fooling around with music, everything was new and of interest, heading in all kinds of directions at the same time even though I was pretty much already set on the American underground train. I had already bought Storm a couple months prior to Ballad of a Thin Line Man, but it was here they turned into my forever favorite band. And just like I was searching for my musical bliss at the time – still am – Howe Gelb and his Giant Sand had just started to stake out their own course – still are, and that it was one of the reasons I love em. They would go on to make better albums later on I guess, but this one still holds a special place in my sandy heart.

The Gun Club | Miami | Animal 1982 |


‘Come down to, the willow garden with me’ Jeffrey Lee Pierce invites us to Miami, but we steer off the highway and enter into his dark mind, the willow gardens and deep into the very heart of Gothic American mythology. ‘Miami’ is a swampy blues album built on a punkish attitude, draped in voodoo rituals, deserted honky tonks and desperate fever. It has been a big favorite for 30 years, loved for the cover alone with its emerald-green sky and the palms raising majestic behind the trio in front of the image. Two of them look at something in the horizon; Pierce is dressed in dark, hair-dyed blonde, looking down to the ground. I’ve always linked this album to Jim Jarmusch’ ‘Stranger Than Paradise’, following a shabby trio through the Midwest and down to a run down tourist hub in Miami. There is not much paradise to find here, nor in Jeffrey Lee Pierce’ postcard from the south. But it is one damned journey.

Various artists | Rockabilly Psychosis and the Garage Disease | Big Beat 1984 |


I was a huge fan of Tales From the Crypt, Haunt of Fear and all the other early 1950s horror and gore stories from EC Comics (republished in the 80s). This album cover – and they mattered a whole lot back then – is a homage to the wicked and wild era of degenerate fun. And so is the music, a really cool collection of, well, rockabilly psychosis and the garage disease.

Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper | Frenzy | Restless/Enigma 1986 |


This San Diego based twosome was never about being too serious. Titles like “Gonna Put My Face on a Nuclear Bomb”, “I’m Living With a Three-Foot Anti-Christ” and “The Amazing Bigfoot Diet” says it all. They were hilarious and heartfelt, and they rocked big time with their infectious rockabilly blues. Mojo is hollering his lungs out while Skid is jamming on the washboard. There is just loads of party fun here, I’ve always had a soft spot for the satirical highlight and more mellow “Feeling Existential” with Steve Wynn on guest vocal:
‘Your goatee is growin’
In front of your fake French café
You’re readin’ Kirkegaard
Underneath your very black beret
Smokin’ filterless Camels
That stink just like Gitanes
Drinkin’ some espresso
Droppin’ all the names’

Giant Sand | Valley of Rain | Amazing Black Sand/Enigma 1985 |


Bought in October, anywhere 1988, my third Giant Sand LP that year, and one of the albums I’ve listened to the most my entire life. 30 years down the road I’m still amazed by how cool it is. Little did I know that these desert punks would soon blossom into something totally unique and follow me close until this very day. One of those random love stories I guess. A nice landscape, indeed…

The Beat Farmers | Tales Of The New West | Demon 1985 |

Here’s to having a good time, new western style. The Beat Farmers might came just a bit too early for the alt.country craze, but who cares. The San Diego based quartet’s debut album is packed with unpretentious, tight and fun songs. Great originals, cool covers and then there’s Country Dick Montana.
‘I was walkin’ down the street on a sunny day
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
A feeling in my bones that I’ll have my way
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
Well I’m a happy boy (happy boy)
Well I’m a happy boy (happy boy)’
There’s really nothing do but to raise the glass and sing along.

The Record Collection: 1988 (20-30)

/ Bjørn Hammershaug / Leave a comment

The album collection in chronological order from when it was bought. Revisited one at the time.

The Dream Syndicate | The Days Of Wine And Roses | Closer 1982 |


I vividly remember buying this LP – the French pressing – on my first ever record fair, early in 1988. I was well aware of The Dream Syndicate at the time, going back to Out of the Grey that I’d bought on cassette a couple years before. I adore all of Syndicate’s albums, but I always find myself returning to this here baby. The Days Of Wine and Roses must’ve been an anomaly in 1982, way ahead and out of tune with the sign of the times it marks the return of GUITARS in American rock. This is a tour de force of loud, noisy, abrasive, distorted, tickling guitars, cool Velvet vibes and an almost free jazzy approach to the songs. They are all awesome, from creepy beasts like “Halloween” (oh, when those guitars kick in) and “When You Smile” to full force freak outs (the kosmisch title track, “Definitely Clean”) and instant college rock anthems (“Tell Me When It’s Over”). In short, this is a cornerstone in 80’s American guitar rock that set a standard hardly anyone has managed to achieve ever after. Stories and words are here and gone, but this album hasn’t faded at all.

Wall of Voodoo | The Ugly Americans In Australia | I.R.S. 1988 |


I’d been drawn to the stoic super-American voice of Stan Ridgeway for some years when the Wall Of Voodoo live album hit the shelves in 1988. I guess it felt like a quite unnecessary purchase back then, I haven’t given it too many spins, and this live LP doesn’t really reveal new magic 30 years down the road. But, there are some great explorations of sci-fi new wave gone country here, horseback space travel style. “Far Side Of Crazy” and “Mexican Radio” are obvious favorites, and the version of “Ring Of Fire” is pretty dope. Never saw them live, but I believe this LP captures the band in prime shape – and the sound quality is not too bad either. However, when I feel like listening to WoV I rather pick up one of their awesome studio albums. Think I’ll do just that right now.

The Sex Pistols | Never Mind The Bollocks | Virgin 1977 |


One of remarkably few albums in my LP collection bought on its historical merits rather than being new and fresh. As a matter of fact Never Mind the Bollocks was only 10 years old then, comparable to buying a 2008 album today, but back in those days this was an old school dinosaur from a whole other time. Never a huge fan of British punk in general, and finding Johnny Rotten’s voice mostly annoying, I have to acknowledge the band’s unquestionable qualities and their nose for efficient songwriting. No fillers here, just pure punk catchy as hell. No need to go in depth on its historical significance, just one of those albums you need to know I guess. Glad I turned on as a kid, even though I rarely listen to it.

Giant Sand | Storm | Demon 1988 |

Storm was my introduction to the wondrous world of Howe Gelb and his Giant Sand, and what has now turned out to be a 30 year long relationship. Giant Sand have always been all over the map, difficult to pigeonhole, unmistakable unpredictable and remarkably recognizable. I’m so thankful for stumbling down their desert rabbit hole, and it all started with Storm. It obviously holds a special place in my heart. The songs range from Neil Young style environmental concern, a cover of The Band’s “The Weight”, straight out honky tonk, ragged country rock (“Town Without Pity”), country gospel (“The Replacement”) and dusty piano ballads (my personal fave “Was Is a Big Word”) – on Storm Howe Gelb started to shape a signature style of songwriting unmatched by anyone.

Hasil Adkins | He Said | Ace/Big Beat 1985|


Wild, wayward and hell-bent, the one man band of Hasil Adkins exploded like a bomb in the ears of this here kid, proving rock n’ roll was something wilder and primitive, more untamed and way out there than your parents Elvis albums. This is the raw sound of a one man rebellion against conformity and boredom. “She Said” being the classic tune here, I also tuned into the even more awkward and freaky “We Got a Date.” They just don’t make em like Hasil anymore.

Rave-Ups | Town + Country | Fun Stuff/Demon 1985 |


Americana was not a frequently used term in 1985, but plenty of bands played boots ‘n roll before Uncle Tupelo et al pushed the direction further into the mainstream and new directions. Among those pioneering acts in the early to mid 80s we find Hollywood via Pittsburgh quartet Rave-Ups, sparkling with equal parts pleasant college rock fervor and neo-country twang – town and country if you like. Frontman Jimmer Podrasky sang with nasal country sincerity, sometimes with a rockabilly yelp, and Sneaky Pete Kleinow lays down some mighty fine pedal steel here too. “Radio” was the big favorite back then, and this haunting night tune is still the highlight amongst a number of other fine cuts – “Positively Lost Me” being the most famous. The back cover reminds us of a time when urban cowboys actually were pretty in pink.

AC/DC | Back in Black | Atlantic 1980 |


My record collection is scarcely populated with hard rock or metal albums, but the ones I bought are actually not too bad. Back in Black is by all means a classic, the title track, “Hells Bells” and “You Shook Me All Night Long” are eternal anthems in the Aussie rockers – or anyone’s – catalog. Tight production provided by Mutt Lang and Brian Johnson passed the test and immediately proved he could fill the shoes of Bon Scott adds even more power to this album. But I can’t say I ever played this a whole lot in 1988 and I haven’t listened to it too much as the years went by either. My loss, I guess.

Violent Femmes | Violent Femmes | Slash/London 1983 |


A little girl glances through a darkened window, barefoot and with a white summer dress on, resembling a 19th century painting. What’s in there, in the dark, that we don’t see? The innocent child catches a glimpse into the adult world, as confessed by a college kid, a world of deception and debauchery, religious shame and sexual confusion, love, lies and lust. Many have done this before and after, but none as compelling as Gordon Gano and his Violent Femmes on their debut album. The Milwaukee trio played punk rock with folk instruments, or folk songs with a punk attitude perhaps, singing their hearts out from any street corner. One thing is that the songs are super catchy, the lyrics really makes this a standout album. I memorized each and every one, these stories all became the soundtrack to my youth. Every time I listen to this album I’m 16 again, kissing off in the air, chasing that good feeling, trying to wipe away the shades from those windows and get a glimpse of the secrets in there.

Concrete Blonde | Concrete Blonde | I.R.S. 1986 |


“Still in Hollywood” was the big favorite back in the days, and it’s still the standout track from Concrete Blonde’s debut album. Hailing from the same buzzing LA scene that included bands like Wall Of Voodoo, X, Jane’s Addiction and The Gun Club, the blondes certainly had a punk edge to their sound, softened with a rock approach in the vein of The Pretenders and Heart. Johnette Napolitano is unquestionably the star, with her recognizable strong voice and cool attitude. Concrete Blonde made better albums later on in their career, but I still get a kick out of this one. It’s true.

Iron Maiden | Live After Death | EMI 1985 |


Superior technical skills, theatrical gimmicks, and over the top performance are just some of Iron Maiden’s characteristics – and they all come out to play on their 1985 live album. The Churchill intro followed by “Aces High” sets the standard for an album that leaves no room for any fillers. Live After Death captures the band in its prime. Classic cover art too, as always. Can’t wait for the kids to discover this, cause after all, Iron Maiden speaks to the inner child in all of us.

1990-tallet: 200 Favorittalbum

/ Bjørn Hammershaug / Leave a comment

90s_1200I 1990 satt jeg på gutterommet hjemme omgitt av en raskt voksende LP-samling, opptakskassetter og med hockeysveis. 10 år senere var jeg en clean cut samfunnsborger med leilighet, fast arbe’ og omringet av et firesifret antall CD’er. Jeg kunne på få minutter søke opp all verdens artister på AltaVista og snuste såvidt på dette med Napster. Det sier seg selv at 90-åra innebar store omveltninger, som det viktigste og mest formative tiåret i mitt musikalske liv, som omfattet både ungdom, studietid og voksenliv.

Det musikalske 90-tallet startet egentlig ikke før med Nevermind (Nirvana) og Spiderland (Slint) som begge kom i 1991, to plater som på hvert sitt vis banet veien for en ny tid. Førstnevnte åpnet slusene for en alternativ flodbølge, mens Slint bidro til å trekke rocken inn i nye, og mer spennende retninger. Alternativ/indie ble et etablert mainstream begrep, og fostret mange favoritter som hadde storhetstiden sin på 90-tallet: Pavement, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse og The Flaming Lips, størrelser som Sonic Youth og Dinosaur Jr. gikk fra undergrunn til overgrunn uten at de mistet sitt momentum. Ellers er denne lista nærmeste fri for ‘alternativ rock’ enten de tilhørte nu-metal eller post-grunge. Det var jo nok annet spennende å ta tak i.

Post-rocken og artister som Slint, Mogwai og Tortoise søkte nye måter å omformulere rockens etablerte paradigme, og med Chicago, Montreal og Glasgow som sentrum, og plateselskap som Kranky og Constellation som budbringere, kom det mye spennende musikk for den åpne lytter. Med base i California ble også skatepunk allemannseie, og Bad Religion, NOFX og Pennywise hadde alle sine fineste øyeblikk i dette tiåret. Fra de britiske øyer ble shoegaze en yndet uttrykksform, med eksempelvis My Bloody Valentine og Slowdive, mens Britpopen var på høyden med band som Blur og Pulp (med) og Oasis (ikke med). På hjemmefronten er selvsagt Motorpsycho godt representert, det samme gjelder Turbonegro, deLillos, Jokke og noen til.

Det skjedde selvsagt mye også utenfor rock med gitar. Trip-hop var en kortvarig greie som etterlatte seg kvalitetsalbum fra bl.a. Portishead og Massive Attack, hip-hop’en hadde en gullalder, selv om det med noen få unntak (Beastie Boys, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest) ikke reflekteres altfor sterkt her. Den elektroniske musikken muterte i stadig nye retninger, både i form av det mer komplekse og arty og ren dansemusikk (jeg danset ikke).

Men – det avsløres igjen at det er en stor overvekt av amerikansk rock som har gått mellom disse ørene. Og for en herlig epoke som skjenket oss (meg) eviggrønne favoritter som Low, Karate, salige The God Machine, Will Oldham og alle hans prosjekter, Lambchop, Calexico, Ween, Smog, The Sea and Cake… Yes, I Love the 90s.

Det ble veldig trangt om plassen på denne lista. De 10 første er alltid verst (og de 10 siste), men dette er uansett et tappert forsøk på å oppsummere mitt 90-tallet gjennom 200 favorittplater og med maks to utgivelser pr. artist (som ekskluderte en hel haug med åpenbare favoritter). De aller fleste ble oppdaget da de var helt ferske, og gjenspeiler tiden de ble hørt i, noe som går ut over opplagt sterke 90-tallsartister og –plater som jeg ikke hørte så mye på da, eller ikke har hørt nok på i ettertid til at de forsvarte en plass. Jeff Buckley, Björk, Pantera, Mayhem, Liz Phair, Sugar, Rage Against the Machine, Magnetic Fields, Arrested Development, Tori Amos, Boo Radleys, Tool, DJ Shadow og en drøss andre av tiårets presumptivt høyeste topper har falt ut i et forsøk på å reflektere på mest mulig ærlig vis det som er mitt 90-tall.

Så tilbake til Topp 10. Nesten alle de 100 første kivet om en plass, og lista er selvsagt ikke hamret i stein. Jeg endte med en Topp 200  med de skivene som har betydd mest for meg. Jeg hadde lenge Slint og banebrytende Spiderland helt øverst, men landet til slutt på Nevermind. Ingen stor bombe for noen vil jeg mene, men det vil for alltid være den store 90-tallsplata for meg. Nevermind markerte ikke bare en ny epoke, den er også et endelig farvel med 80-tallet. Og det er et fantastisk bra album. Nedover på lista er det rom for mange kjente artister, men jeg håper og tror det personlige aspektet også vil skinne gjennom, og være en potensiell kime til nye oppdagelser for den som gidder å bruke tid på slikt. Here goes 90-tallet topp 200:

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1980-tallet: 200 Favorittalbum

/ Bjørn Hammershaug / Leave a comment

80s_albums_final_1200
Denne lista over de 200 beste albumene fra 1980-tallet er ikke satt sammen av et panel med eksperter som har kåret en objektiv og endelig avgjørelse (som om det skulle være mulig). Dette er en liste over mine favoritter. De fleste ble oppdaget på 80-tallet, spesielt etter 1986, og står dermed selvsagt ekstra sterkt i internminnet. Andre har blitt ervervet og verdsatt i ettertid, og bidrar (heldigvis) til at sjangerbredden er noe variert og at tilsiget er konstant økende.

Et kjapt blikk på de 200 avslører at amerikansk gitarrock stod – og står – høyere i kurs enn, la oss si britisk synthpop. Ei heller er sjangre som hardrock og hip hop overrepresentert for å si det forsiktig – og mange av tiårets storselgere innen pop og rock gikk under denne radaren da, og har blitt liggende senere. Men noe skal man også ha til gode. Dette er min liste pr nå, og den er på langt nær hugget i stein. Tvert i mot, jeg gleder meg til å flikke på den, og bytte ut med nye favoritter ettersom de kommer min vei. Dette er uansett alle vinnere.

Utvalget er begrenset til to album pr. artist, så her er det mange darlings som er killed. Albumene er satt opp i rekkefølge, men etter de 20-30 første må det sies at den eksakte plasseringen er noe lemfeldig organisert. Uansett, skal du først ha med deg 200 80-tallsskiver på en øde øy ville jeg startet omtrent her.

doolittle1-10:
Pixies: Doolittle (1989)
Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (1988)
Dinosaur Jr.: You’re Living All Over Me (1987)
Nirvana: Bleach (1989)
The Replacements: Let It Be (1984)
R.E.M: Murmur (1983)
Violent Femmes: s/t (1983)
Pixies: Surfer Rosa (1988)
Beastie Boys: Paul’s Boutique (1989)
Giant Sand: Valley of Rain (1985)

miami11-20:
Gun Club: Miami (1982)
The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms (1980)
The Dream Syndicate: The Days of Wine and Roses (1982)
Hüsker Dü: Warehouse: Songs and Stories (1987)
Wipers: Youth of America (1981)
Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
Butthole Surfers: Locust Abortion Technician (1987)
Thin White Rope: Moonhead (1987)
Green on Red: Gravity Talks (1983)
Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

reckoning21-30:
R.E.M: Reckoning (1984)
Mudhoney: Superfuzz Bigmuff (1988)
deLillos: Suser avgårde (1986)
Meat Puppets: II (1983)
Sonic Youth: Sister (1987)
Dinosaur Jr.: Bug (1988)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Tender Prey (1988)
The Smiths: The Queen is Dead (1986)
Nomeansno: Wrong (1989)
Hüsker Dü: New Day Rising (1985)

freshfruit31-40:
Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (1980)
Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois: Apollo – Atmospheres & Soundtracks (1983)
Talking Heads: Remain in Light (1980)
Black Flag: Damaged (1981)
Giant Sand: The Love Songs (1988)
Slayer: Reign in Blood (1986)
David Bowie: Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Jokke & Valentinerne: Et hundeliv (1987)
Joy Division: Closer (1980)
Julee Cruise: Floating Into the Night (1989)

fugazi41-50:
Fugazi: s/t EP (1988)
The Replacements: Tim (1985)
The Stone Roses: s/t (1989)
Raga Rockers: Maskiner i Nirvana (1984)
The Rain Parade: Emergency Third Rail Power Trip (1984)
Tom Waits: Rain Dogs (1985)
Jane’s Addiction: Nothing’s Shocking (1988)
Green on Red: Gas Food Lodging (1985)
N.W.A: Straight Outta Compton (1988)
Killdozer: Intellectuals Are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite (1984)

songsabout51-60:
deLillos: Hjernen er alene (1989)
Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man (1988)
Godflesh: Streetcleaner (1989)
Arthur Russell: World of Echo (1986)
Naked City: Torture Garden (1989)
Descendents: Milo Goes to College (1982)
Cosmic Psychos: Go the Hack (1989)
Tad: God’s Balls (1988)
Big Black: Songs About Fucking (1987)
Swans: Children of God (1987)

brownreason61-70:
Butthole Surfers: A Brown Reason to Live (1983)
The Dream Syndicate: Live at Raji’s (1989)
Thin White Rope: In the Spanish Cave (1988)
The Cramps: Psychedelic Jungle (1981)
The Pogues: If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1988)
Barracudas: Drop Out With the Barracudas (1982)
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: It’s Time For… (1986)
Bad Brains: s/t (1982)
The Fall: This Nation’s Saving Grace (1985)
Sunnyboys: s/t (1981)

suffer71-80:
Bad Religion: Suffer (1988)
The Soft Boys: Underwater Moonlight (1980)
Faith No More: The Real Thing (1989)
Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska (1982)
American Music Club: California (1988)
Metallica: Master of Puppets (1986)
Napalm Death: Scum (1987)
The Waterboys: This is the Sea (1985)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Kicking Against the Pricks (1986)
Hasil Adkins: He Said (1985)

ultramega81-90:
Soundgarden: Ultramega OK (1988)
Lounge Lizards: s/t (1981)
Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Sessions (1987)
Rapeman: Two Nuns and a Pack Mule (1989)
Orchestra Baobab: Pirates Choice – the 1982 Sessions (1989)
Massacre: Killing Time (1981)
Michael Jackson: Thriller (1982)
Guns N’ Roses: Appetite for Destruction (1987)
King Sunny Ade: Juju Music (1982)
Knutsen & Ludvigsen: Juba Juba (1983)

junkyard91-100:
The Birthday Party: Junkyard (1982)
The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy (1985)
XTC: English Settlement (1982)
Prince: Sign ‘O’ The Times (1987)
Tom Waits: Swordfishtrombones (1983)
The The: Infected (1986)
Talk Talk: Spirit of Eden (1988)
dePress: Block to Block (1981)
Brian Eno & David Byrne: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)
Motörhead: Ace of Spades (1980)

***

graceland101-110:
My Bloody Valentine: Isn’t Anything (1988)
The Pogues: Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (1985)
This Heat: Deceit (1981)
Paul Simon: Graceland (1986)
Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out the Lights (1982)
Dire Straits: Making Movies (1980)
The Go-Betweens: 16 Lovers Lane (1988)
Young Marble Giants: Colossal Youth (1980)
Echo & The Bunnymen: Ocean Rain (1984)
Prefab Sprout: Steve McQueen (1985)

nightfly111-120:
The Cure: Pornography (1982)
The Wipers: Over the Edge (1983)
Neil Young: Freedom (1989)
Dumptruck: for the Country (1987)
The Jesus Lizard: Pure (1989)
The Gun Club: Fire of Love (1981)
Donald Fagen: The Nightfly (1982)
Elvis Costello/The Costello Show: King of America (1986)
Lou Reed: New York (1989)
Dexy’s Midnight Runners: Searching For the Young Soul Rebels (1980)

lost_weekend121-130:
Scratch Acid: Berserker EP (1987)
Pylon: Chomp (1983)
David Sylvian: Secrets of the Beehive (1987)
Anthrax: Among the Living (1987)
Scientists: Weird Love (1986)
AC/DC: Back in Black (1980)
Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense (1984)
Orange Juice: You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever (1982)
Flipper: Album – Generic Flipper (1982)
Danny & Dusty: The Lost Weekend (1985)

donut_comes_alive131-140:
Mission of Burma: vs (1982)
Iron Maiden: Number of the Beast (1982)
Slint: Tweez (1989)
Roky Erickson: The Evil One (1980)
Alice Donut: Donut Comes Alive (1988)
Died Pretty: Free Dirt (1986)
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy: Rock-It to Stardom (1984)
U2: War (1983)
Killing Joke: s/t (1980)
Circle Jerks: Group Sex (1980)

houndsoflove141-150:
Saccharine Trust: Paganicons (1981)
Squeeze: Argybargy (1980)
Radka Toneff: Fairytales (1982)
Kate Bush: Hounds of Love (1985)
Fang: Landshark (1982)
Steve Earle: Guitar Town (1986)
Moving Targets: Burning in Water (1986)
The Long Ryders: Native Sons (1984)
Swell Maps: Jane From Occupied Europe (1980)
Tears For Fears: Songs From the Big Chair (1985)

oceanrain151-160:
The Triffids: Born Sandy Devotional (1986)
Motor Boys Motor: s/t (1982)
Living Colour: Vivid (1988)
P.I.L: Metal Box (1980)
X: Los Angeles (1980)
The db’s: Stands For Decibels (1987)
Hoodoo Gurus: Stoneage Romeos (1984)
Agent Orange: Living in Darkness (1981)
The Psychedelic Furs: s/t (1980)
Eyeless in Gaza: Red Rust September (1983)

repareres_jokke161-170:
ESG: Come Away With ESG (1983)
RUN DMC: Raising Hell (1986)
Galaxie 500: On Fire (1989)
True West: Drifters (1984)
Minutemen: What Makes a Man Start Fires? (1982)
Jokke & Valentinerne: Alt kan repareres (1986)
Black Flag: My War (1984)
Minor Threat: Out of Step (1983)
Divine Horsemen: Devil’s River (1986)
Naked Prey: 40 Miles From Nowhere (1987)

rotorvator171-180:
The Feelies: Only Life (1988)
Stan Ridgeway: The Big Heat (1985)
Green River: Rehab Doll (1988)
Coil: Horse Rotorvator (1986)
D.O.A: War on 45 (1982)
Dead Kennedys: Frankenchrist (1985)
David Lynch: Eraserhead (1982)
The Cramps: Songs the Lord Taught Us (1980)
Wall of Voodoo: Call of the West (1982)
The Beasts of Bourbon: Sour Mash (1988)

paganplace181-190:
The Waterboys: A Pagan Place (1984)
Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill (1986)
Dead Moon: In the Graveyard (1988)
The Pretenders: s/t (1980)
Los Lobos: How Will the Wolf Survive (1984)
Suicidal Tendencies: s/t (1983)
Camper Van Beethoven: Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985)
Violent Femmes: Hallowed Ground (1984)
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions: Rattlesnakes (1984)
The Rainmakers: s/t (1986)

deadcops191-200:
Rockpile: Seconds of Pleasure (1980)
The Crucifucks: s/t (1984)
Glenn Branca: The Ascension (1981)
M.D.C: Millions of Dead Cops (1982)
Dumptruck: for the Country (1987)
The New Christs: Distemper (1989)
Bitch Magnet: Umber (1989)
Oxbow: Fuck Fest (1989)
Lard: The Power of Lard (1989)
Alphaville: Forever Young (1984)

Bjørn Hammershaug

Into the Wild: 2000-tallet – 100 Favorittlåter

/ Bjørn Hammershaug / Leave a comment

Craig Thompson: Blankets (graphic novel, 2004)

Craig Thompson: Blankets (graphic novel, 2004)

Det aller meste av 2000-tallet var jeg enten på konsert, spilte plater ute på byen eller satt foran en skjerm og skrev plateanmeldelser, det siste tiåret da det var en vanlig ting å beskjeftige seg med den slags, og da gjerne av den typen skiver som ikke hadde én enkelt låt å feste seg ved. Det skapte litt utfordringer i arbeidet med å sette sammen en favorittliste med 100 låter (begrenset til én pr. artist), men dette utvalget oppsummerer et tiår der den musikalske horisonten gradvis begynte å bevege seg utenfor komfortsonen (se 2010-tallet), og der mange artister befestet seg som nye favoritter (i mer eller mindre langvarige forhold, men navn som My Morning Jacket, Animal Collective, Devendra Banhart og Sufjan Stevens var alle viktige i mitt 2000-tall.)

Aller først står den største, Jason Molina, ble tiårets aller beste låtskriver – ingen i nærheten en gang, og heldigvis med så mange ulike konstellasjoner at han får være med her både som soloartist, Songs: Ohia og med Magnolia Electric Co. Molina som gikk bort i 2013 etterlatte seg en ubestridt katalog.

Ellers står 2000-tallet igjen som et tiår der jeg hørte på mye musikk utenfor samtiden – med lange utskeielser tilbake til 60- og 70-tallet, samt inngående fordypelser av mer eller mindre holdbar art (hei, freak folk, finsk avant garde), ymse jazz eller mer støybasert virksomhet som mest egner seg å få slengt midt i fleisen fra en scene. Derfor er ikke 2000-tallet selve låt-tiåret for meg, og så uendelig mye mer kunne vært med her. Men jeg lever godt med dette utvalget.

Songs: Ohia: Incantation (2000)
Magnolia Electric Co.: Farewell Transmission (2003)
Giant Sand: Shiver (2000)
Built to Spill: Goin’ Against Your Mind (2006)
The Flaming Lips: Do You Realize?? (2002)
Stein Torleif Bjella: Øvre-Ål Resort (2009)
Animal Collective: Peacebone (2007)
Battles: Atlas (2007)
Joe Henry: Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation (2001)
A Silver Mt. Zion: God Bless Our Dead Marines (2005)

battles

My Morning Jacket: Lay Low (2005)
N.E.R.D: Provider (2001)
The Mars Volta: L’Via L’Viaquez (2005)
Isis: Weight (2002)
Angelo Badalamenti: Mulholland Drive (2001)
Jason Molina: Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006)
Pole: Silberfisch (2000)
Quasimoto: Come on Feet (2000)
Tim Hecker: Chimeras (2006)
Bohren & Der Club of Gore: Prowler (2000)

antony

Boards of Canada: In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country (2000)
Antony and the Johnsons: Cripple and the Starfish (2000)
Lambchop: Up With People (2000)
Sufjan Stevens: Chicago (2005)
Getachew Mekuria & the Ex: Tezalegn Yetentu (2006)
Fuck Buttons: Surf Solar (2009)
Devendra Banhart: Heard Somebody Say (2005)
Reigning Sound: I Walk by Your House (2002)
The Postal Service: Such Great Heights (2003)
JAY Z: 99 Problems (2003)

les_savy_fav

The Shins: New Slang (2001)
Les Savy Fav: The Sweat Descends (2004)
Panda Bear. Bros (2007)
Okkervil River: The War Criminal Rises and Speaks (2003)
Tied + Tickled Trio: United World Elevator (2001)
Shearwater: Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine (2004)
Thomas Dybdahl: One Day You’ll Dance for Me, New York City (2004)
Dungen: Festival (2004)
Black Mountain: Wucan (2008)
Envy: A Will Remains in the Ashes (2003)

lightning_bolt

Timesbold: Bone Song (2004)
Zero 7: Throw It All Away (2006)
Midlake: Roscoe (2006)
Madlib: Slim’s Return (2003)
Band of Horses: The Funeral (2006)
Crystal Antlers: Until the Sun Dies (Part 2) (2008)
The Streets: Geezers Need Excitement (2002)
Lightning Bolt: Dracula Mountain (2003)
Burial: South London Boroughs (2005)
The Decemberists: The Crane Wife 1 & 2 (2006)

comets_on_fire_1200

Iron & Wine: Cinder and Smoke (2004)
The Black Angels: First Vietnamese War (2006)
Molina & Johnson: Each Star Marks a Day (2009)
Black Eyes: Drums (2004)
Arcade Fire: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) (2004)
Bright Eyes: Four Winds (2007)
Fleet Foxes: White Winter Hymnal (2008)
Svarte Greiner: The Boat Was My Friend (2006)
Avett Brothers: Laundry Room (2009)
Comets of Fire: The Antlers of the Midnight Sun (2004)

sunburnedhandoftheman_1200

Narum: Kjinner Håss Je Smelter Litt Nå (2009)
The Ex: Theme From Konono (2004)
The For Carnation: Emp. Man’s Blues (2000)
The Mountain Goats: Moon Over Goldsboro (2006)
Camera Obscura: Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken (2006)
Bonnie Prince Billy: Wolf Among Wolves (2003)
Sunburned Hand of the Man: Glass Boot (2004)
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: The Proposition #1 (2005)
Richard Youngs: Low Bay of Sky (2007)
Kloster: Abide in Me (2008)

sunno_1200

Sunn O))): Akuma No Kuma (2006)
Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions: Clear Day (2001)
The Core: Pharoah (2004)
Harvey Milk: Death Goes to the Winner (2008)
Six Organs of Admittance: River of Transfiguration (2006)
Brad Paisley: Welcome to the Future (2009)
Brokeback: Flat Handed and on the Wing (2000)
At the Drive-In: One Armed Scissor (2000)
Crippled Black Phoenix: Burnt Reynolds (2009)
Archer Prewitt: Think Again (2004)

tinariwen_1200

The White Stripes: Seven Nation Army (2003)
Migala: La Cancion de Gurb (2002)
Smog: Bloodflow (2000)
Bon Iver: Flume (2007)
LCD Soundsystem: New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down (2007)
Queens of the Stone Age: No One Know (2002)
Tracker: Stirring Furnace (2004)
Tinariwen: Arawan (2007)
!!!: Me and Giuliani Down By the Schoolyard (A True Story) (2003)
Savath & Savales: Apnea Obstructiva (2007)

madvillain

King Midas Sound: Cool Out (2009)
Dan Deacon: Build Voice (2009)
Madvillain: America’s Most Blunted (2004)
Rufus Wainwright: The Art Teacher (2004)
The Hold Steady: Your Little Hoodrat Friend (2005)
The xx: Heart Skipped a Beat (2009)
Cul de Sac: Dust of Butterflies (2003)
Espers: Moon Occults the Sun (2006)
Castanets: No Voice Was Raised (2005)
Unni Løvlid: Bak vaker verda (2008)

Bjørn Hammershaug

Cover photo: Craig Thompson: Blankets, 2004

Wild at Heart, Weird on Top: 1990-tallet – 100 Favorittlåter

/ Bjørn Hammershaug / Leave a comment

90_tallet_1200Jeg kan gjerne kjøre nostalgitripper tilbake til 60- og 70-tallet, men har knapt med førstehåndserfaring fra den tiden selv. Store deler av 80-årene står også igjen som en vag periode musikalsk sett. Så det er egentlig 90-tallet som er mitt første hele tiår som bevisst musikktype.

Dette er det siste tiåret i musikkens analoge tidsalder. Det var da vi gikk over fra å kjøpe LP’er til CD’er, men i det store og hele foregikk konsumpsjon som før. Mobiltelefoner og internett var i sin spede barndom, MP3-filer noe ukjent og streaming var science fiction. Jungeltelegrafen fungerte fremdeles på gammelmåten: Gjennom musikkpressen, radio og små lommer av kule musikkvideoer på MTV (stort sett begrenset til 120 minutter i uka).

Det var også en ekstremt berikende tid. Løypene som 80-tallets pionerer tråkket opp ble befolket av nye utforskere, og Nirvana åpnet alle slusene for alternativ rock ut til mainstreamen. Reaksjonen kom med en ny generasjon musikere som forsøkte å lage rock med utradisjonelle virkemidler og ble kalt for post-rock. Musikken fragmenterte dessuten i stadig nye retninger, muterte i nye former, og bidro til at helhetsbildet ble mer uoversiktlig, men også mer spennende. 1990-tallet var i stor grad musikkens siste jomfruelige tiår, i hvert fall innen det jeg har brukt mest til på å høre på, der viljen til å gå ut i det ukjente og inn i det fremmede og samtidig skrive låter som fremdeles brenner er noen av 90-tallets bærebjelker.

Dette er mine 100 utvalgte fra 1990-99, og med så mye musikk å vrake i sier det seg selv at begrensningen med 1 låt pr. artist var høyst påkrevd. Likevel er dette bare toppen av et vakkert isfjell. Ikke uventet med mye amerikanske og alternativt, og sterke 90-tallsnavn som Nirvana, Low, Yo La Tengo, Mogwai og Godspeed høyt oppe. Aller øverst, har jeg plassert Louisville-bandet Slint, som bidro til å sette en ny standard for en stil som fragmenterte i flere ulike retninger (post-rock, math-rock), men der de færreste klart å utvise samme kraft, dybde og rekkevidde. Tortoise, som både definerte post-rocken og satte en egen standard, samt Nirvana (så klart) utgjør pallen. Litt dradd mellom ”Smells Like Teen Spirit” og ”Sliver”, endte jeg på sistnevnte, låta som på mange måter spilte opp til Nevermind og hele raset som fulgte etter, en pirrende teaser som hintet om det som var rett rundt hjørnet mens vi fremdeles ikke ante hva som skulle komme.

slint_1200

Slint: Good Morning Captain (1991)
Tortoise: Djed (1996)
Nirvana: Sliver (1990)
Pavement: Gold Soundz (1994)
Built to Spill: Randy Described Eternity (1996)
Low: Do You Know How to Waltz? (1996)
Talk Talk: After the Flood (1991)
Godspeed You Black Emperor: The Dead Flag Blues (1997)
Bonnie Prince Billy: I See a Darkness (1999)
Yo La Tengo: Blue Line Swinger (1995)

palace_arise_1200

Palace Brothers: Stablemate (1996)
The Sea and Cake: Parasol (1995)
Beastie Boys: Sabotage (1994)
Aphex Twin: Untitled #6 (1994)
Flaming Lips: Feeling Yourself Disintegrate (1999)
The God Machine: Dream Machine (1992)
Mazzy Star: Fade Into You (1994)
Mogwai: Xmas Steps (1998)
Motorpsycho: The Wheel (1994)
Giant Sand: Yer Ropes (1994)

codeine

Codeine: D (1990)
Ween: Buenas Tardes Amigo (1994)
Lambchop: The Man Who Loved Beer (1998)
Sonic Youth: The Diamond Sea (1995)
Rex: New Dirge (1996)
Portishead: Wandering Star (1994)
The Breeders: Cannonball (1993)
Sebadoh: Beauty of the Ride (1996)
Bikini Kill: Rebel Girl (1992)
Tad: Jack Pepsi (1991)

untitled

Silver Jews: Random Rules (1998)
Calexico: The Ride Pt. 2 (1998)
Angelo Badalamenti: Sycamore Trees (1992)
Smog: I Was a Stranger (1997)
Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
Fugazi: Repeater (1990)
Labradford: El Lago (1995)
Jocelyn Pook: Masked Ball (1999)
Modest Mouse: Truckers Atlas (1997)
Afghan Whigs: Turn on the Water (1992)

sonvolt_trace_1200

Mercury Rev: Goddess On A Hiway (1998)
Son Volt: Windfall (1995)
Superchunk: Slack Motherfucker (1990)
Helmet: Unsung (1992)
Archers In Loaf: Web in Front (1993)
The Lemonheads: My Drug Buddy (1992)
Teenage Fanclub: Neil Jung (1995)
Uncle Tupelo: Black Eye (1992)
Slowdive: Rutti (1995)
Sepultura: Roots Bloody Roots (1996)

dismemberment_plan_1200

PJ Harvey: Down By the Water (1995)
The Dismemberment Plan: The Jitters (1999)
Sparklehorse: Cow (1995)
Pennywise: Bro Hymn (1991)
Shellac: My Black Ass (1994)
Dinosaur Jr.: Out There (1993)
Love Battery: Out of Focus (1991)
Grandaddy: Summer Here Kids (1997)
Bad Religion: Heaven Is Falling (1992)
Sophia: The River Song (1998)

sunnydayrealestate_1200

Karate: There Are Ghosts (1998)
Buffalo Tom: Tailights Fade (1992)
Aerial M: Dazed and Awake (1997)
Sunny Day Real Estate: Seven (1994)
Jim O’Rourke: Halfway to a Threeway (1999)
Quickspace: Precious Mountain (1997)
Tarentel: For Carl Sagan (1999)
The Dwarves: Backseat of My Car (1990)
Bedhead: The Present (1998)
Songs: Ohia: An Ace Unable to Change (1998)

jesus_lizard_1200

Daniel Johnston: True Love Will Find You in the End (1990)
Tricky: Christiansands (1996)
The Auteurs: Showgirl (1993)
OP8: Cracklin Water (1998)
Kyuss: Gardenia (1994)
The Jesus Lizard: Killer McHahn (1990)
16 Horsepower: Harm’s Way (1995)
Biosphere/Deathprod: Trasparenza (1998)
Arab Strap: Soaps (1998)
Eric’s Trip: Stove (1994)

radiohead_1200

Jawbox: Savory (1994)
Radiohead: Creep (1992)
Tom Waits: Earth Died Screaming (1992)
Scott Walker: Farmer in the City (1995)
Grant Lee Buffalo: Fuzzy (1993)
Truly: Leslie’s Coughing Up Blood (1995)
The Jayhawks: I’d Run Away (1995)
Belle & Sebastian: The Boy With the Arab Strap (1998)
Eleventh Dream Day: Insomnia (1997)
Pan American: Starts Friday (1997)

aminorforest_1200

Oval: Do While (1996)
Friends of Dean Martinez: Rattler (1997)
Wu-Tang Clan: Bring da Ruckus (1993)
Robert Mazurek/Chicago Underground Orchestra: Blow Up (1998)
Beck: Asshole (1994)
Chappaquiddick Skyline: Everyone Else Is Evolving (1998)
Neil Young: Guitar Solo No. 2 (1996)
The New Bomb Turks: Born Toulouse-Lautrec (1993)
A Minor Forest: The Smell of Hot (1998)
Sleep: Jerusalem (1999)

Bjørn Hammershaug