THE CLARKE & WARE EXPERIMENT - PRETENTIOUS

Fans of 80s popular music may recognize the names Vince Clarke and Martyn Ware. Vince Clarke was a founding member of Depeche Mode and Yaz before becoming one half of Erasure. Martyn Ware is best known for his 80s band, Heaven 17.

Here's where my info gets sketchy. I should probably research my statements here before writing this bit, but it's somewhat incidental to the review so I'll just chalk it up to faulty memory if I'm wrong. I remember reading somewhere this disc was recorded for a 3D environment. I believe it was recorded and intended to be played in a gallery type space with different sounds playing in different areas creating a visual and audio experience for the visitor. The disc instructs the listener to wear head phones in order to experience the 3D surround environment. Keeping this in mind, you can begin to understand the ambient nature of the disc.

The first track takes place in three movements; the second being the most exciting with a disco beat and faster tempo. If you have an active imagination, picture yourself shifting through different musical dimensions and you will have an idea of how the changes in this song feel. They're not natural progressions, but not jarring either. There is a flow. 'Open Our Eyes' is quite ambient until the drum loop kicks in. At this point, the song becomes sad. Maybe it's the pace of the rhythm, or the minor chords playing just below the surface... I feel longing, regret... A missed opportunity.

'Too Deep For Tears' with its Japanese texture is perhaps my favorite track. Another minor key song; this one pregnant with suspicion. When I hear it, I feel my intuition is telling me something bad has happened. But my mind is pointing out there's no evidence to support the feeling. You know you're right, but you can't react because the proof isn't there. Yet...  So you drift in a limbo state knowing it's coming and unable to change events. You put on a brave face and steel yourself against the emotional onslaught.

'I Think I'm In Love' is rather lighthearted and sweet. It seems to give the title a naivete it normally doesn't convey. 'The East Is Falling' is also mediocre in happiness. You find a smile haunting the corners of your mouth. It's nice but hardly pretentious. 'Wilderness/Turbulence' is another matter entirely. Just like the title, this song seems to have two halves. The first is flat open space free from the influence of man. It's the silence in the forest when a tree falls. Suddenly, the turbulence begins. A marching beat kicks in and disrupts the soft sounds of nature. It tramples the ambiance with sirens and effects, leaving you certain the landscape is scarred and changed forever.

'Disappearing Breakthroughs' sounds like a mad scientist in an X-Files episode. I think the intent of this track was to define a moment when an important and life altering discovery becomes mundane and loses its importance. 'The Light Far Away' is the forward thinking, "looking into the future on a positive note" ending this disc needs to round out it's edges. It promises more.

Though ambient records can be extremely dull and unsatisfying to the average listener, they can also be emotional to those who allow themselves to "feel" music. When you consider the types of sound based recordings used to conjure emotional response... I.e: Whale song, forest sounds, etc. etc., this project is extremely accessible. Contemplate the titles while listening to the music and find your own meaning. These are the best types of interpretive composition because they often give texture to concepts we only vaguely consider. I like 'Pretentious'. You might too. My final word: ARTISTIC.

THE CLARKE & WARE EXPERIMENT - PRETENTIOUS
01. Music For Multiple Dimensions
02. Open Our Eyes
03. Too Deep For Tears
04. I Think I'm In Love
05. The East Is Falling
06. Wilderness/Turbulence
07. Disappearing Breakthroughs
08. The Light Far Away

LAURYN HILL - THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL

Lauryn Hill's name floated around all through the 90s. Right up until this album came out. I'd seen her in 'Sister Act 2' and I knew the Fugees; so she was around. I knew her voice. I liked it. But it wasn't until I saw the video for 'Doo Wop (That Thing)' that I fell for her. Maybe it was the bouncing or the split screen, but I was hooked.

I'm quite attracted to her blend of various styles. Mixing gospel, hip hop, rap, r&b, soul, funk, reggae and pop... She's all over the board. And throughout the entire disc, she never falters in her mission. One must also applaud the single choices. She picked the strongest tracks to release and promote the record. The production, marketing and distribution of this cd was right on the money. Everything seemed to work like clockwork and she was at the top of her game!

My single complaint is the segues... Some teacher, (obviously there to accentuate the miseducation theme), trying to lead an open discussion about what kids know of love. Ridiculous. It's interesting as a study of different popular social concepts of love, but redundant in the context of this cd. It distracts from the content and slows the pace of the album greatly.

My final word: DIVALICIOUS. I feel this disc earns Ms. Hill a Diva spot in popular music. Even though she's avoided the status fame offers, her voice affirms she's the genuine article. If she never embraces her place in pop's royalty; we still have this shining promise that more was yet to come. The promise of a powerful voice and talent unfulfilled. If you missed it when it came out, you missed a spiritual calling... A movement... Do yourself a favor and pick it up today. What were you thinking?????

LAURYN HILL - THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL
01. Intro
02. Lost Ones
03. Ex-Factor
04. To Zion
05. Doo Wop (That Thing)
06. Superstar
07. Final Hour
08. When It Hurts So Bad
09. I Used To Love Him
10. Forgive Them Father
11. Every Ghetto, Every City
12. Nothing Even Matters
13. Everything Is Everything
14. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
15. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You (Hidden Track)
16. Tell Him (Hidden Track)

SADE - LOVERS ROCK

Sade was one of those 80s bands that always filtered around in the background of my conscious mind. I knew the songs from MTV. At least the popular ones. But I never paid much attention to them beyond a random liking. I can't remember how I got my first Sade tape, but I remember being struck by the complexity of the lyrics. At that time I was learning to write lyrics myself and also experimenting with feelings. Confronting my conflicting desires and need to connect to another person emotionally and physically. There were little crushes that went unnoticed and unsatisfied. These turbulent feelings were somehow defined through Sade's lyrics and grooves. I never appreciated ballads until "Stronger Than Pride". But afterward, life was very different.

'Lovers Rock' came out while I was with my ex. It was the first Sade album in a long time and I was really excited for it. We even wanted to see her perform in Vegas. I downloaded the album before I bought it, and my initial reaction was one of skepticism. The beats were more modern and less deep than on previous albums. Still, with a few exceptions, the music follows traditional Sade material. Love was the main theme. Three songs were somewhat out of place on the record. 'Slave Song', 'Immigrant' and 'The Sweetest Gift' are all songs with different themes. 'Slave Song' and 'Immigrant' are nods to Sade's African heritage and the enslavement of her ancestors. 'The Sweetest Gift' is a song about her kid. They're interesting, though 'Slave Song' really captivates my imagination. I love the tune. After a couple listens, I realized I could lay back and groove along with this disc as easily as any of the others. It was just as enjoyable. Even with an updated sound.

It's hard to say which songs are the stand-out tracks on this disc. I pretty much love them all. And at any given time, each one of them can seem extremely poignant. Right now, 'Somebody Already Broke My Heart' seems to be having a major impact on me. Normally 'Lovers Rock' is my outstanding favorite. Probably because I think it's such a hopeful tune. I listen to it and believe one day I will find true love.

I'm revisiting Sade cds because I'm excited about her new disc. I'm hoping it's wonderful and exciting. I'm also hoping to be more open-minded about any different directions the band chooses to take. 'Lovers Rock' was a surprising treat. I strongly encourage you to pick this disc up. It's worth it. My final word: PLEASING.

SADE - LOVERS ROCK
01. By Your Side
02. Flow
03. King Of Sorrow
04. Somebody Already Broke My Heart
05. All About Our Love
06. Slave Song
07. The Sweetest Gift
08. Every Word
09. Immigrant
10. Lovers Rock
11. It's Only Love That Gets You Through

COOLER KIDS - COOLER KIDS

Anyone who spends time around me knows two very important things... A) I dislike singing in public. I don't like performing in general. B) One of the things that draws me to a disc is if I can sing along to it. At the top of my lungs!!!!

Does that make me creepy or what? Keeping this little inconsistency in mind, if you've listened to Cooler Kids you'll understand my fascination. This short lived band has released a disc of some of the most fun and exciting pop music in history.

The first time I heard Cooler Kids was at a live show. They played with Erasure on their 'Other People's Songs' tour. I was excited to see Erasure and didn't pay much attention to Cooler Kids. If anything, I was annoyed with how bouncy and fluff they were. Sisley was trying to get the crowd excited and I was trying to talk to my friends and ignore them. Towards the end of their set, the band threw out some buttons and cds. I caught one of the cds. Turned out to be a sampler disc of their new cd. I didn't think much of it until one day, while driving in the car, I decided to play it. The mix was incredible so I went out and bought the entire disc.

This is easily a cd I enjoy from start to finish. I find the entire project enjoyable and once I'm in a cooler kids zone, there's no stopping me. I'll sing and carry on for days.

Later on, the members of the band released a second disc. I'll review that one eventually. I enjoyed a short lived correspondence with Kaz Gamble and remember those conversations with fond memory. I'm a complete fan of his now and I've started tracking down some of his other work. He's a great programmer and producer. I've enjoyed his music and look forward to hearing more. I always fantasize that suddenly, Cooler Kids will get some mainstream recognition and return to record more music. This is popular music at its finest. 

I have two versions of this disc.  The first is the regular release and the second is the promotional advance of the album.  It includes an alternate track.  Instead of 'Blue Nile', the advance has the track 'Life After Sex'.  I've read online that the arrangements and mix are slightly different as well, but I can't tell the difference.  Probably because I'm not paying enough attention to the music when I play the discs.  To me, it just sounds awesome.  My final word: BLISS! Find it, buy it and enjoy!

COOLER KIDS - COOLER KIDS
01. All Around The World (Punk Debutante)
02. Morning Star
03. Viva Le Fever
04. Sha La La (Wake Up Next 2 U)
05. Remember That Song
06. Bali Hideaway
07. E Is For Everybody
08. The Last Summer
09. Sugartown
10. Hook Up
11. Blue Nile / Life After Sex
12. All Around The World (Punk Debutante) (Remix)

DEATH CULT - DEATH CULT

Ian Astbury started his first band in 1981 and called it the Southern Death Cult. In 1983 the group disbanded and alongside Billy Duffy, Ian formed Death Cult. There was a growing Goth movement in British music at the time and Death Cult was one of the more popular groups. The group later became simply, The Cult.

The Death Cult cd collects this early material and made it available on cd for the first time. Another EP was released afterward that collected all material from this time. It's called 'Ghost Dance' for those interested. A six song EP, 'Gods Zoo' is the first and last track. The second version being an extended rework of the original track retitled, 'Gods Zoo (These Times)'.

The Cult became one of the biggest Goth Metal bands of the 80s with Ian's vocals and Duffy's hooks inspiring a cult following of dedicated fans. But at this point in time, they were somewhere between the Doors and early U2. The garage band sound of Death Cult sounds like post modern punk on crystal meth.

Although I appreciate this disc as a bridge in the development of one of my favorite rock bands, I have a hard time getting into most of the tracks. They lack the infectious melodies of latter classics and the more refined, disciplined voice of Ian just a year later. But everyone starts somewhere. And for The Cult this wasn't a bad jumping off point. It's not a bad disc to cut your teeth on The Cult either. My final word: WAIT.

DEATH CULT - DEATH CULT
01. Gods Zoo
02. Brothers Grimm
03. Ghost Dance
04. Horse Nation
05. Christians
06. Gods Zoo (These Times)