Day 3: Free jazz, nuttiness, and drug use

Aztec Camera - High Land Hard Rain
Soulful, tuneful, and some excellent musicianship and arrangements characterise this record. The music is 80s but it sounds like it predates the synth era of 80s pop (and indeed their own "Somewhere in my Heart" which they are most famous for), with the emphasis on bluesy, sometimes jazz influenced guitar based pop. All that being said, I don't really like it that much, although I can't put my finger on as to why. Perhaps its because so far all the songs have just felt the same with no real musical variation. Post punk, it's refreshing and upbeat, but just a bit ... I dunno! Perhaps as I listen more I'll figure out why I don't like it much. Perhaps its the automatic comparison with Morrissey - whom I have never liked. First track was great (Oblivious), and there are a couple of other standouts, and about three quarters of the way through it lost its pop feel and got very folksy and acoustic, which I liked, but I don't think there is enough about it to make me listen again, however.
Standout Tracks: Oblivious, Release, Back on Board, Down the Dip





ABBA - The Visitors
I have never liked Abba. I am not sure why, as listening to The Visitors I think highlights all that is good about them. Very carefully and expertly crafted songs, and vocally quite stunning in places. It's just vocals that I can't abide listening to! I can sit from a distance and nod my head and say, "yep, that's good music right there" ... just don't bring it anywhere near me! It's not rational, surely everyone in the world likes Abba! On this record they seem to be in a more sombre mood than the cheesy pop I am used to hearing, and surprisingly I haven't recognised a single tune yet. I will grudgingly admit that the standout tracks below I did rather enjoy, but only under duress!! And I finally recognised a song (One of us).
Standout Tracks: Soldiers, I Let the Music Speak, Two for the Price of One (just for the quirkiness)




Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy
Um, wierd. Far too much LSD was harmed in the making of this album. The guy reminds me of Syd Barret and the Floyd years before he left. A not-too-unpleasant mix of madcap lyrics and simply bonkers arrangements with penny whistles, oboes, and other instruments you don't normally find on a rock record. Conjures up images of smoking something strong and lying on the grass making shapes out of clouds as they float past. Either that, or strange hallucinogenic flashbacks involving court jesters jumping on one leg playing lutes. It has that warm wackiness of the 1960s all over it, early Pink Floyd style, and is quite fun to listen to. On a humourous note, the CD this was ripped from skipped on several of the tracks ... funny to hear an mp3 skipping ...
Standout Tracks: Song for Insane Times, Eleanors Cake (which ate her), The Lady Rachel, All this Crazy Gift of Time





Albert Ayler Trio - Spiritual Unity
Well, it's jazz. And it occasionally has a tune, but mostly it has the feel of three guys messing around in their mates bedroom. I usually quite like jazz, but this is a little spaced out for me. They just don't seem to be playing the same thing. The saxophone playing is a riot of notes, while the bass player noodles around on his fretboard, and as for the drummer ... he obviously has headphones on and is tapping away to a completely different track. Is this all supposed to sound like this? Are they just tuning up their instruments before they start playing? This is just a plain wierd album. One article I read described it as "alien", and I couldn't possibly agree more. This was composed, played and recorded somewhere other than planet Earth. If this is "free jazz", I'm awfully glad I didn't pay for it. It probably makes me uncool not to like this, but I just .. don't .. understand .. it!
Standout Tracks: Er .. there were tracks on this album?


So, between Albert Ayler and Kevin Ayers today it's been a crazy wide eyed wild ride through psychedelia to the moon and back. And to top it all off, I thought I'd catch a little Tori Amos before the end of the day (not finished with that girl yet, check back tomorrow for the review). I'm looking forward to getting into the car and listening to some Trivium on the way home, just to touch my feet back on planet Earth again after today.