Album of the Week - Vol. 17

Feels Like Home NORAH JONES (2004)
Week: Sun 21st to Sat 27th Feb
Format: LP
Producer(s): Arif Mardin & Norah Jones
Track listing:
1. Sunrise *
2. What Am I to You? *
3. Those Sweet Words *
4. Carnival Town
5. In the Morning 
6. Be Here to Love Me
7. Creepin' In 
8. Toes
9. Humble Me *
10. Above Ground
11. The Long Way Home *
12. The Prettiest Thing
13. Don't Miss You At All
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 46:26

The incredibly talented Norah Jones found massive international success with her 2002 debut album, Come Away With Me. The record would win a swag of awards and go to sell more than 27 million copies worldwide. No pressure for a follow-up. The 'difficult second album' could have been a carbon copy of her first, but she leant further into a country/pop direction. Keeping the jazz/folk vibes of the debut, she released this effort almost two years to the day after that record.

In my opinion, this is a much better album. There are some terrific songs on Come Away With Me, the title track and the hit Don't Know Why to name a couple, but it feels like a bunch of songs that have been thrown together. Feels Like Home has a similar mix of covers and originals, but it flows better. There's a cohesion to this set of songs that is very aurally pleasing, especially to this listener. 

Starting with a simple bass line before Jones' twinkly piano kicks in, Sunrise is possibly one of the best songs of her career. It's a fantastic way to open the album as it feels like an awakening, a new day. Forget the album before, this is a new one. Her effortlessly-delivered, breathy vocals wash over you like the rays of the sun. The song was co-written by bassist Lee Alexander, who also contributed to Come Away With Me and 2007's Not Too Late. 

Along with Alexander, guitarists Adam Levy and Jesse Harris return on this record, the latter being the songwriter behind her hit Don't Know Why. Harris just plays on two tracks however, with more guitaring duties going to Canadian singer/songwriter Kevin Breit. Jones does a great version of his song Humble Me here as well. Whereas Brian Blade played most of the drum tracks on Come Away With Me, he only appears on The Prettiest Thing with the lion's share of the drumming coming from Andrew Borger. 

Some stellar guests appear on the album, with Creepin' In featuring none other than Dolly Parton. The fun tune would earn a Grammy nom for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Renowned classically-trained cellist Jane Scarpantoni contributes to the track Carnival Town and jazz/folk singer/songwriter Tony Scherr pops in to play guitar on the Jones-penned What I Am to You?. Former members of The Band, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson also appear on the aforementioned track, on drums and Hammond organ respectively. Hudson also lends some gentlemanly accordion to a fabulous rendition of Townes Van Zandt's Be Here to Love Me.

One of my absolute favourite moments on this record is The Long Way Home, which I only recently discovered was a Tom Waits cover. One of many songs he co-wrote with his partner Kathleen Brennan, the track appeared on Waits' sprawling rarities box set Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, two years after the release of this album. Other highlights for me include Levy's In The Morning and Those Sweet Words, written by Alexander with Richard Julian, who is part of the country supergroup featuring Jones and Alexander, The Little Willies. 

Not one to be pigeonholed, Jones would release the pop-heavy album The Fall in 2009 and employed Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) to produce 2012's Little Broken Hearts. A frequent collaborator, a compilation dedicated to songs she appears on ...Featuring Norah Jones was issued in 2010. One of the more surprising albums Jones released was one she did with Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. 2013's Foreverly was a song by song cover of The Everly Brothers 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. Her most recent work has featured more original music and less covers with her writing or co-writing all of the songs on her most recent album, Pick Me Up Off the Floor. 

This is a great album to put on as the sun is going down and you enjoy that first drink of the evening with a loved one. Jones' voice is so easy to listen to, and the musicians she's surrounded herself with know how to enhance the songs she's chosen without getting in their way. Simply stunning.

Album of the Week - Vol. 16

Thank You DURAN DURAN (1995)
Week: Sat 6th to Fri 12th February 
Format: CD/iPod
Producer(s): Duran Duran and John Jones
Track listing:
1. White Lines *
2. I Wanna Take You Higher *
3. Perfect Day *

4. Watching the Detectives *
5. Lay Lady Lay
6. 911 Is a Joke
7. Success

8. The Crystal Ship

9. Ball of Confusion

10. Thank You

11. Drive By *

12. I Wanna Take You Higher Again
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 54:26

This month marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Duran Duran's debut single, Planet Earth. As I was only five years old when that came out, it's hard for me to remember a world without them. Being one of many bands to arrive on the New Romantic music scene, they felt it pertinent to include "Like some new romantic looking for the TV sound..." in the song's lyrics. It certainly locked the turn into its era, if nothing else.

Formed by bassist John Taylor and keyboardist Nick Rhodes in Birmingham in 1978, Duran Duran would eventually include drummer Roger Taylor (no relation to John), lead singer Simon Le Bon and guitarist Andy Taylor (no relation to John or Roger). This 'classic' line-up would be behind the band's biggest hit singles and chart success. Andy and Roger left the group before work started on 1986's Notorious album. 

Essentially moving forward as a trio, and whoever they wanted to work with, Taylor (John), Rhodes and Le Bon continued to release albums. This line-up's biggest hit was 1993's self-titled record, which would become known as The Wedding Album. Ordinary World and Come Undone are arguably their best known singles from their nineties period. 

Which brings us to this album, Thank You, a record consisting of cover versions of artist the band admire. Duran Duran in 1995 was made up of the core of Le Bon, Rhodes, Taylor (John) and guitarist Warren Cuccurullo; who had previously played with Missing Persons and most notably, Frank Zappa. The group's old drummer Roger Taylor (no relation to John, and not the guy from Queen either) returned to perform on two of the album's tracks, Perfect Day and Watching the Detectives. He also played on a recording of Jeepster by T. Rex, but it never surfaced. 

Now, while this isn't a brilliant record, I don't think it deserves the derision heaped upon it. When I heard their version of White Lines, I wasn't familiar with the original, but I dug it in a foul way. Upon hearing Melle Mel's White Lines (Don't Do It), I was a little disappointed. The crunchy guitar is one of my favourite parts of the song, and the original barely has any. It's very synth-y by comparison. I do love the fact that Duran Duran got Melle Mel (AKA Grandmaster Melle Mel AKA Melvin Glover) to share the rapping section though. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five contribute backing vocals on the track as well. Oh, and that's the excellent Steve Ferrone on the drums; future permanent Heartbreaker and AWB alumni. I think it's a killer version, and better than the original. So there. One of my favourite songs to come out of 1995 and I still love it now. 

A big highlight of the album for me comes from drummer Tony Thompson, session musician and former member of Chic. His monster sound kicks off the band's go at Sly & The Family Stone's classic I Wanna Take You Higher. Now, it's not a song you're ever going to better, but they give it a damn good try. Thompson had played with John Taylor in Power Station, whose self-titled debut album was released in 1985, while Duran Duran went on hiatus allowing members to pursue side projects. Taylor (John) and Thompson were joined by Andy Taylor (yes, from Duran Duran!) and Robert Palmer (yes, THAT Robert Palmer) and enjoyed a minor hit with Some Like It Hot. Interestingly, it reached No.4 on the Aussie singles charts. Meanwhile, Le Bon, Rhodes and Taylor (Roger) formed the band Arcadia, and released their debut So Red the Rose the same year as Power Station and had hits such as Election Day and The Promise (which featured Sting). Thompson passed away in November 2003, sadly.

But I digress!

Back to I Wanna Take You Higher, which, in my opinion, is a mighty fine cover.  The late Kenyan/English singer/songwriter Lamya contributes some great vocals amongst the Furious Five infused 'boom-shaka-laka's, and the vibe of the original is lovingly recreated. Harmonica is provided by Lee Oskar as well (yes, THAT Lee Oskar). There is a bit of a naff vocal exchange towards the end of the track, but once it ends Thompson starts hitting the ride cymbal and all is forgiven. The following track on the album is a great rendition of Lou Reed's Perfect Day. Again, my first time hearing the song was this version. I would later become familiar with Reed's original thanks to the movie Trainspotting and its ensuing soundtrack. A little slick, production-wise maybe, but I think they do a good job of this as well. The band's cover of Watching the Detectives is also very enjoyable (to me) and I like the way they changed the verses to be sung in a lower register, with the chorus then sung higher. I knew Costello's original, but I thought they changed the feel of it nicely.

Duran Duran's version of Dylan's Lay Lady Lay is quite serviceable as well, featuring Abe Laboriel Jr. (Paul McCartney's band) on the drums. Now the wheels start to fall off a bit at this point. Their acoustic/funk take on Public Enemy's 911 Is a Joke seems to lose the anger of the original, in favour of the stoner rock/slacker feel. Iggy Pop's Success is an interesting choice to cover, particularly when his other songs Lust For Life and The Passenger exist. Despite Zappa powerhouse drummer Terry Bozzio whacking the skins, and former Mothers Flo & Eddie contributing backing vocals, it never really takes off.  Another weird choice is The Doors' The Crystal Ship, which again begs the question...why this one?

The Temptations' Ball of Confusion doesn't really work either, despite the band injecting RATM's Killing in the Name riff into it. Their take on Led Zeppelin's Thank You doesn't quite land either. For whatever reason, the band decide to end the album with an unnecessary reprise of I Wanna Take You Higher, which is another baffling decision. 

That leaves us with the only original song here, Drive By, which is a strange choice to include on a covers album. I'm not sure why it was released on this record, but I'm glad it was. It's an unusual track beginning with a droning cello and some ethereal new-age type sounds. Le Bon starts delivering a speak-sing kinda monologue about a courier being stuck in traffic under the LA sun. He ends the passage by announcing "this is the story of his dream", and Lamya sings "sing blue silver", a phrase that was lost on me when I first heard this song. The band kick in and the mood lifts as a haunting ocarina line plays. It's a bizarre one, but I really like the track. 

Anyway, fast forward to 2015, and I hear the Duran Duran album Rio for the first time. The last track on the record is The Chauffeur which features the lyric "sing blue silver" AND the exact same ocarina line that was used in Drive By! What?!? Does that mean that Drive By is some kind of sequel, or a bit of a tip of the hat to themselves? While not providing any real answer to the question of its inclusion on Thank You, it did make its appearance even stranger. He he he...

While I don't think this album is a masterpiece or worthy of four or five star reviews, it's certainly not as woeful as some think. Maybe that's because I wasn't familiar with some of the original versions of the songs they covered, but I feel that it's a solid effort from a band wanting to play tunes by artists they admire. It's also the first Duran Duran album I ever bought, so there's some sentimentality attached to it for me too, I guess. Just don't write it off without listening to it first!

EART HL I NG

Wait, Bowie likes NIN? He's dabbling in industrial rock? I can remember the fervour which surrounded the release of Earthling, which saw Bowie reinvent himself, and his sound, yet again. The album celebrates its 24th anniversary today, so I'm going to delve back into it. 

Recorded shortly after the end of his 1.Outside tour, Bowie co-produced the record with fellow Tin Machine member, guitarist Reeves Gabrels, and NY musician Tony Plati. Gabrels and Bowie had been working together since 1987, during which period the two Tin Machine albums were released and the aforementioned 1. Outside record. He only contributed a guitar solo to 1993's underrated Black Tie White Noise, but would go on to appear on 1999's Hours before the two parted ways.

Joining the trio in the studio(s) would be bassist Gail Ann Dorsey and drummer Zack Alford (who were both recruited for the 1. Outside tour), and longtime Bowie band member Mike Garson on keyboards. Any saxophone you hear is courtesy of Bowie as well. 

This was also the first Bowie album to be wholly digital recorded, allowing Bowie and Gabrels to write songs quickly and also experiment with loops and electronic sounds. The whole thing was recorded in three weeks, apparently. 

Now, while this is an album that I'm very fond of, I don't think that it's very cohesive. I feel that there are four excellent songs here, one half-decent track and the rest are either just curious or not quite realised. The cover would almost imply this as being some sort of concept record, but it isn't. However cool that jacket is, it doesn't mark the arrival of a new Bowie persona.

So, let me start with the good. The opening track, Little Wonder, was the first song I heard off the album, and I think it could have been from back in the days I still listened to Triple J. I'd only moved back to Perth about six months earlier, and it was either via the radio or TV (or maybe Max on Foxtel - before it sucked) that I was exposed to the new Bowie single. I remember thinking that it was quite a different direction for him (I know, right?) but I liked it. I liked it a lot. I've grown to really dig it over the years. That jarring keyboard intro, those loud guitar sounds, that repetitive 'so far away' reprise, it's all good. Apparently part of Dorsey's bassline on the track came about while she was messing with her pedal board, unaware she was being recorded. 

The next song that came along was the third single, Dead Man Walking. Again, this is a fantastic track with some amazing drumming from Alford, squealy guitar lines from Gabrels and an excellent piano outro from Garson. I think on the strength of those two tracks, I sought out the album. After a few spins, other favourites revealed themselves, particularly the wall of guitar noise that greeted me in the opening few moments of Battle for Britain (The Letter). Now revered as a classic, I'm Afraid of Americans was another highlight for me. The arrangement of that song has changed somewhat between this recording and the 2003/04 Reality tour. Not sure which one I like better. Bizarrely, the first appearance of the song was on the Showgirls soundtrack in 1995??! A rough version, which eventually got worked into the song we know and love today. 

I have a bit of love/hate thing with the final track, Law (Earthlings on Fire), as it can be sometimes hypnotic, and at other times annoying. I do dig the repeated, distorted vocal 'I don't want knowledge/I want certainty!' though. Looking For Satellites has a cool gimmick of repeated words sung in almost monotone ('Nowhere/Shampoo/TV/Combat/Boyzone/Slim tie/Showdown/Can't stop...'), but it doesn't really go anywhere. It just seems to give Gabrels another chance to unleash some squealy guitar riffing. Telling Lies is a noisy slice of ominous atmospherics and The Last Thing You Should Do employs a relentless loop that doesn't let up for the whole track. It gets a little much after a few minutes. Now, Seven Years in Tibet has its moments. I really like the saxophone lines and the way the band kicks in for the mood shift. One of the few songs where you can hear Dorsey's backing vocals as well, with Dead Man Walking being another. 

I recently discovered that there were plans for Bowie to re-record some older songs to fill up the album, but the prolific sessions bore more new material. A couple of Tin Machine tracks were actually in line to be included in the album's final tracklisting; I Can't Read from their debut album and Baby Universal from their follow-up. The recordings were officially released on last year's Is It Any Wonder? EP. Bowie did another version of I Can't Read the same year for The Ice Storm soundtrack. Maybe he felt he never found the right arrangement for the song, or just began to enjoy it more, as it found its way into setlists during the late 90s on several occasions. 

So, in my mind, this record is a flawed effort, but the good outweighs the bad. 3/5, would listen again. 

NEXT UP: Young Americans - 7th March