Tag: February

The Alarm – Declaration (1984)

Welch early eighties rock phenomena discovered in an old record bin

Back in the eighties I listened alot to the Welch band The Alarm. Today, listening to their first full-length album was like a stroll down memory lane.

In January 1986 me and my sister took my car and drove down to Gothenburg and saw them live at Konserhuset. I remember I had the flu but we didn’t want to miss the concert and it was great! I was on my last legs on the two hours drive back home in the middle of the night, but the adrenaline from the show kept me upright.

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Simple Minds – Sparkle in the rain (1984)

Some say we’ll be together a very long time

Well, no actually. This is the start of the decline of the great early eighties band Simple Minds. Unfortunately they started to get more and more boring, frankly speaking. From post-punk new wave to stadium rock. Boring. They may have been more successful, but to my ears they declined over the next albums and I lost track of them.

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The Doors – Morrison Hotel (1970)

The end is always near

The fifth studio album by The Doors is kickstarted by a fantastic song, “Roadhouse blues”. It may be the song that turned me on The Doors in the first place. I love its sweaty sexiness.

But one great song doesn’t make up my mind of a whole album. My ratings are on the complete album, mind you. As I spin this LP in preparation for my top list of the year of 1970, I consider it as a whole. What is it that draws me towards The Doors? 

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Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)

Misty morning, clouds in the sky

What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me
Turn ‘round quick and start to run
Find out I’m the chosen one. 
Oh, no!

Big black shape with eyes of fire 
Telling people their desire
Satan’s sitting there, he’s smiling
Watches those flames get higher and higher 
Oh, no, no, please, God, help me!

Is this the end, my friend?
Satan’s coming ‘round the bend
People running ‘cause they’re scared
The people better go and beware
No, no, please, no!

Was Robert Jordan, the author of the massive fantasy epos “The Wheel of Time”, a Black Sabbath fan? Incredibly, the whole 15 books saga is described more or less in those three verses above. Jordan used a few more words though.

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Kate Bush – The kick inside (1978)

Kate’s stellar debut album

Kate Bush is one of the most impressive artists out there. Her voice is her most magnificent instrument, there is talk about four-octave range which would be very impressive indeed. She may not be able to go all the way with her voice anymore, and yet I love it more and more the older she gets. But singing aside, it’s her personality I really love, or is it maybe her artist persona? To me I see a powerful will with a strong individual self. She’s like a witch, but the good kind. I get the feeling that she will only have it her way, and I admire that. Her story started in the seventies…

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