David Bowie - Let's Dance. A Holy Trinity of Musical Force

Not his best, but his all-time best-seller: David Bowie's Let's Dance.  This record came out in the distant days of post-disco, in 1983.  A whole chapter is devoted to the making of this record in Nile Rodger's autobiography, Le Freak.   To me, it's the quintessential '80's record.  The album is one of the most unique blendings of three highly disparate musically genius-level forces:  Himself, the Think White Duke - Bowie, the historic Artist and chameleon.  Add the hottest record producer of that era, Nile Rodgers - try to un-stitch the Scarlet Letter D (for disco) from his sweater.  And the emergence of a Force, a bright comet that will flame out prematurely: the heretofore unknown Stevie Ray Vaughn.  Nile tells of Bowie being without a record contract, like a free agent.  Nile himself had just made Diana Ross's comeback smash record and would soon man the controls of Madonna's sophomore effort, Like a Virgin.  But here - David tells Nile to make hits for this record.  Nile can do that.  He created Atlantic's largest selling single ever.   David had seen Stevie breakout performance at the Montreaux Jazz Festival.  Nile brought in most of The Chic Organization, tapping Bernard Edwards, sadly, for only one song.  The somewhat obscure yet talented Rob Sabino (Chic) is on keyboards.  I think Stevie joined David on his subsequent Serious Moonlight tour.

The Smiths - Guest Post by noted music aficionado, and friend, Joe

I am honored to present a Guest Post today.  The record is Louder Than Bombs, by The Smiths.  Here is what my good friend Joe writes:  While The Smiths' four proper studio albums vary from good (Strangeways, Here We Come) to brilliant (The Queen Is Dead), because the band was, at bottom, a pop group, their singles best highlighted the exciting tension in the band, particularly between Morrissey's strange, morose lyrics and Johnny Mars' sparkling (and often jaunty) guitar leads.  In other words, they were a born singles-compilation band, and "Louder Than Bombs" is a classic compilation, packaged for the U.S. market, of singles and B-sides, which had mostly been previously released in the Smiths' home country of England on two prior compilations.  (Interestingly, because (in those days, before the mp3), there was nowhere else to get all of these songs on one album, the English label re-released "Louder Than Bombs" in the UK, and it turned out to be a bigger seller than the other previously-released records!).  While not ultimately as satisfying as the more compact and comprehensive "The Singles," it still boasts so many tremendous singles it's not to be missed.  "Ask," "Panic," "Shoplifters of the World Unite," "William, It Was Really Nothing" "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," "Shakespeare's Sister," and "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want." are all stone classics.  Plus, included is a personal favorite of mine, a killer John Peel session of "Is It Really So Strange?" in which Morrissey's swaggering arrogance and compelling lyrics are at full boil in front of a perfect pop hook ("I left the North / I traveled South / I found a tiny house / And I can't help the way I feel / And oh yes, you can kick me / And you can punch me / And you can break my face / But you won't change the way I feel /  'Cause I love you.").  Notably missing is "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out," which compels many Smiths fans (including me) to given Louder Than Bombs a 9.5 rather than a 10.  However, it highlights The Smiths at the top of their game:  Morrissey is at his swooning, darkly ambiguous best, and the entire band is tight, with Johnny Mars particularly sharp.  Three minutes of pop perfection, over and over again.


Thanks Joe!

The Rolling Stones - Some Girls

Read two articles recently about the various versions of the three reissue packages of Some Girls that just came out (none on vinyl).  One was in USA Today, the other in Rolling Stone.  When this, their best-selling album was made in 1977 (released in 1978), disco was a tidal force (but what do tides do?) and punk was there, but not getting it's footing - if it wanted any.  Keith, in his book, said that while he (Keith) was awaiting drug trafficking charges, Mick was out nightclubbing nightly in Manhattan and he would come prancing into the studio with glorious disco riffs in his head - one that became Miss You.  To me - that's a goosed-up blues song.  I saw an authentic (Mac?) south side blues band at a college party play a half-hour version of Miss You in 1980 that seemed to go on forever.  The Stones had close to 30 songs readied (hence the bonus reissues) in some form at the time, these made it onto vinyl:  The pure county and western - Far Away Eyes.  Keith sings (if you can call it that) lead on Before They Make me Run.  The story of him staying slightly ahead of the law.  Respectable and When the Whip Comes Down - standard issue RS.  Their best song ever: Beast of Burden.  Beyond compare.  Back to Keith's book - starting out, these guys just wanted to be the best blues band they could be - and that song meets that standard.  The most intriguing song on the record has to be (Just My) Imagination.  The Stones take this classic and almost untouchable Motown song and just kill it.  They Stone that thing.   Lies and Shattered don't do it for me.  It was recorded in Paris.  The album shown above in the photo I took was given to me by my pal Michael.  Thanks, Michael!

Here's the band Mac booked to come down to college for that off campus gig:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGs3B-81uCQ  As Ahmet Ertegun would say, "they're the real shit."

Heavy D. - RIP - and the boys...

RIP man.   I bought this album at a record show yesterday.  This record by Heavy D & The Boyz called Linv' Large with the song Money Earnin' Mt. Vernon.  Using the song called For the Love of Money, by the O'Jays.