THE NEW POWER GENERATION - THE WILD EXPERIENCE

I'm not sure which single this is from the album. Whether second or third. Either way, I picked it up because I thought there were songs I didn't have. At the time, I didn't have 'Exodus'. So 'Hallucination Rain' was one I certainly didn't have and 'Beautiful Girl' was an unknown possibility. I was disappointed when I got home and discovered 'Beautiful Girl' was another mix of 'The Most Beautiful Girl In The World'; this one with Eric Leeds performing a saxophone version. There's really nothing overly important about this disc. The music is fantastic, but nothing really unique or different.

I'd recommend picking this up only if you're a completest and have to have every possible mix. My final word: EH.

THE NEW POWER GENERATION - THE WILD EXPERIENCE
01. Get Wild (Single Mix)
02. Beautiful Girl
03. Hallucination Rain

STEVIE NICKS - TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA

This disc was a comeback of sorts for the Fleetwood Mac singer. After a string of low impact albums, 'Shangri-La' came on like a punch in the gut. Although I don't know the history of the record or where all the tracks originate, I can tell some of them are older. 'Bombay Sapphires' for example sounds like something belonging to 'Street Angel'. There are also songs like 'Sorcerer' I suspect are from early times. Back in the 70s even.

First off, before I get all crazy let me make one thing perfectly clear... I love Stevie Nicks. Absolutely adore her. I think she's beautiful, spiritual and talented beyond belief. Ok, now that's out of the way... Nicks has a rather monotone singing voice and not much range. She uses certain tricks to augment her sound like using background singers to hit the notes she can't. It's an effective method. But her more recent material has been so monotone, it became a boring mass of repetition. Of course, and this is something I remember from "Behind The Music" on VH-1, I think I remember she was suffering from writer's block. That being the case, I suspect someone encouraged her to get back to writing. Hence the tune 'That Made Me Stronger'. "Can you write this for me - He says no, you write your songs yourself".

Irregardless, this disc was a return to form. With catchy melodies and her standard poetic lyrics, it's easily the best Stevie Nicks to date. There's not a single bad track on the entire disc. Certain songs are more exciting than others, but all of them are gorgeous and lovely to listen to. My favorite tracks are 'Sorcerer', 'Planets Of The Universe', 'Every Day', 'That Made Me Stronger', 'Too Far From Texas', 'Love Changes' and 'I Miss You'. But all of the songs are great.

'It's Only Love' reminds me of my ex. I've had different relationships, but I only had one I feel was really love. I say that because I felt loved by him. Losing that was devastating. I look at my life now and I think if I spend the rest of my life alone, it's ok because I had it once. I want more, but I can be satisfied with what I had. "Ah, if only love comes around again - It will have been - Worth the ride". But if it doesn't, I'll still be happy.

Many of these songs make me think about my own life and different situations I've been in. To me, that's the strength of a great poet or songwriter. If they can relate in such a way, the listener can put the song into their own lives and find meaning in what they're hearing. These are the artists people feel so emotional about. Stevie has the ability to do this. And she works with people who also create this or accentuate her natural ability. I can only imagine how collaborative she is as an artist. She'd be a joy to work with.

Sheryl Crow puts in an appearance on the album, writing and also producing many tracks. I'm guessing she's a long time Stevie fan and wanted to work with her. Crow is an amazing talent in her own right and her sound blends flawlessly with Nicks'. The two are absolutely stunning together.

If you're too young to think of Stevie as the woman of your dreams, it's not hard to imagine she's the mother you always wanted. Or some important woman in anyone's life. She projects a sense of kindness, intuition, strength, love and concern. She's a woman any of us would love to have in our lives. I think of her as an angel. My final word: ENCHANTING.

STEVIE NICKS - TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA
01. Trouble In Shangri-La
02. Candlebright
03. Sorcerer
04. Planets Of The Universe
05. Every Day
06. Too Far From Texas
07. That Made Me Stronger
08. It's Only Love
09. Love Changes
10. I Miss You
11. Bombay Sapphires
12. Fall From Grace
13. Love Is

CAMEO - WORD UP!

Certain artists have sounds they're famous for. In the case of Cameo, it's an interesting situation. In the 80s and 90s, Larry Blackmon became famous for a particular sound. Whereas Prince made his trademark sound based on heavy synth melodies and the Linn Drum Machine, Blackmon did it through a combination of different things. He had unique vocal arrangements using an affected voice, interesting drum programing and trendy drum sounds. Even though nothing was really revolutionary about Cameo's music, it was distinct. To say it was exciting is an understatement. But it was also inconsistent.

On 'Word Up!' for example there are only two tracks that seem to fit this hit making formula of Blackmon. 'Candy' and 'Word Up' itself. Though the rest of the disc has some value as nice little jingles, they end up sounding more like traditional R&B. Massive amounts of this stuff has been released over the years and even though the subject matter struggles to find a unique perspective, it winds up sounding run of the mill.

Given the space age appearance of the band itself, you'd expect something more progressive and cutting edge. It's somewhat misleading. Both 'Word Up' and 'Candy' promise a new age revolution of sorts. But the rest of the disc fails to produce it. It never moves past the opening tracks. Blackmon used his hit making talents previously and since on various tracks. But it's the lack of more interesting material that left Cameo in a one-hit-wonder limbo. It would be nice to see Blackmon and friends come back and do something interesting nowdays. I'm kinda curious what they're up to.

With downloading what it is, if you have an interest in some Cameo tracks, do yourself a solid and skip the filler songs. Focus on the really good stuff. These days, bands need to write good songs all the way through the record if they want to sell more than a single. Back then, you sometimes took your chances. With 'Word Up!', I gambled and lost. My final words: GENERIC WITH A PINCH OF GENIUS.

CAMEO - WORD UP!
01. Word Up
02. Candy
03. Back And Forth
04. Don't Be Lonely
05. She's Mine
06. Fast, Fierce & Funny
07. You Can Have The World

RECOIL - UNSOUND METHODS

It's virtually impossible to say the name Alan Wilder and not mention Depeche Mode. Yet Recoil is as different from Depeche Mode as Depeche Mode is from Barbara Streisand. Alan may have been a member during the band's more formidable years, but he's now something distantly removed from that former glory.

Alan approaches the writing process somewhat differently than other bands. He composes songs with singers/lyricists giving the entire disc a rather eclectic feeling. Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb fame contributes to two of the discs more memorable songs, 'Incubus' and 'Stalker'. Both tracks are rather unorthodox viewpoints. 'Stalker' being the more controversial of the two. He assumes the character of a murderous stalker using his terrorizing methods to give his targets the identity and special social status of being a victim. It's rather disturbing. "You are nothing, you are nothing without me".

American poet Maggie Estep takes the reigns for a couple songs, 'Luscious Apparatus' and 'Control Freak'. 'Luscious Apparatus' is the story of two co-workers who through an odd flirtation end up having sex. The connection takes a dark turn when the guy decides to cut the girl. It's a strange tale and for some reason makes me think of Aeon Flux. It seems like an episode of that bizarre show. Character Trevor Goodchild actually says, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stranger" and that line aptly describes Maggie's lyrics to on both of these tracks. 'Control Freak' is another strange tale of stalking and desire. There's a reoccurring theme of emotional and physical violence throughout this disc. And the musical arrangements are created in such a fashion as to heighten the anxiety of the listener. There's an urgency filled with an underlying intensity through minor chord progressions.

The two other vocalists on the disc are Hildia Cambell; who toured with Depeche Mode on their Devotional Tour, and Siobhan Lynch; who I know literally nothing about beyond her work on this disc. None of the featured vocalists are remotely similar to the others. Each offers a unique ingredient to the formula of 'Unsound Methods'.

My overall view of the album is favorable though somewhat mixed. I personally love the disc, but I find it intellectually challenging and musically complex. It's not for the casual listener or even fans of Depeche Mode. It's unorthodox subject matter and bizarre arrangements are specifically geared towards creating an emotional response in the listener. Unless you're open to such experiences, 'Unsound Methods' will leave you confused, bored and disappointed. If you are willing to go the distance, this album will have you re-evaluating yourself and the way you view dark subject matter for a long time to come.

The disc ends with the haunting and exhilarating 'Shunt'. There's a trance quality in the fast paced rhythm. Hypnotic in its layers. But it's the spoken vocal towards the end of the tune that really grabs your attention. Recalling Recoil's Sophmore effort "Bloodline" a female voice declares, "There's blood on the line"... Beware faint of heart... There really is. My final words: DISTURBINGLY EXCELLENT!

RECOIL - UNSOUND METHODS
01. Incubus
02. Drifting
03. Luscious Apparatus
04. Stalker
05. Red River Cargo
06. Control Freak
07. Missing Piece
08. Last Breath
09. Shunt

ADAM ANT - STRIP

It's a retro day with this flashback! Adam Ant was previously known as Adam And The Ants before this solo effort. I remember seeing the videos to this album on MTV as well as hearing the songs on the radio. I didn't really know much about Adam Ant before hearing 'Puss'n Boots' but I latched on easily enough. I was totally into New Wave bands, sounds and looks. Adam fit right in with what I thought was cool at the time. Even years later, this fluff pop effort continues to have amazing musical value.

'Strip' is the typical libertine dandy type song the cover photo and subsequent media portrayed Ant as being. The spoiled aristocrat tumbling in the hay with the milk maid. For all it's pretentious sophistication and Victorian era sexuality, 'Strip' typified the overindulgence of the 80s in a very sincere way. Loose morality and social values echoed the excess of previous time periods and Adam pursued them all over the course of the disc.

The Euro trash nature of the album was also appealing. He was a cavalier gambler throwing money at beautiful women in 'Montreal', a charging matador seducing an innocent girl in 'Spanish Games', a cartoon character in 'Puss'n Boots' but most importantly; this disc fires the imagination. Sure the themes are tawdry and often layered in outrageous proclamation, yet Ant lived up to the theatrics of the music and deftly portrayed his "Little Lord" character to the hilt in public appearance.

The strength of the music doesn't lie in the lyrical content, rather it's true longevity comes from the diverse and unusual sounds, styles and tones. It sounds fresh and vital even today. Unlike other New Wave bands, the sound doesn't date itself on the majority of the songs. Worth a listen. Even if you're not a fan of the Ant. My final word: CHEEKY.

ADAM ANT - STRIP
01. Strip
02. Baby, Let Me Scream At You
03. Libertine
04. Spanish Games
05. Vanity
06. Puss'n Boots
07. Playboy
08. Montreal
09. Navel To Neck
10. Amazon

SEAL - SEAL

I was living in Switzerland when this disc came out. About the only thing I really knew about the disc was that Wendy & Lisa had worked with him on it. To this day, I'm still not sure to what extent their involvement on the disc was. I can hear them very distinctly on different tracks, but the actual contribution seems mired in mystery. Still, with that in mind, you can understand how excited I was to see this disc take off and be so popular in Europe. It was everywhere. In every store window, on everyone's bookshelf and all over the radio. I heard the tunes everywhere I went. I didn't actually pick the disc up until I was back in the states. But I'm glad I did. It really is a remarkable effort by a new artist.

These days, Seal's old hat. Everyone knows the guy and his appearance has mellowed somewhat. He's not nearly as shocking and you come to realize, he's actually a really nice guy. But even before then, his call to love and vision of world peace recalled the 60s even if his music was more modern and progressive. The three singles from this disc... 'Crazy', 'Killer' and 'Future Love Paradise' were huge hits and seemed to be manufactured specifically for radio airplay. Although it's easy to accept Lisa & Wendy playing on these tracks, their influence is more prominent on 'Deep Water', 'Whirlpool', 'Show Me', 'Wild' and I suspect 'Violet'.

My favorite songs are 'Show Me', 'Whirlpool' and 'Violet'. However, the entire album is an enjoyable mix from start to finish. It's easy to see why Lisa & Wendy wanted to work with him. Well, aside from the mutual association with producer Trevor Horn... This is one of those discs everyone should own. Like the "Star Wars" dvds or Charmen toilet paper. It's the creamy middle of an Oreo cookie. Sit back, twist the chocolate cookie off and enjoy the sweet goodness of tasteful pop. My final words: YUM.

SEAL - SEAL
01. The Beginning
02. Deep Water
03. Crazy
04. Killer
05. Whirlpool
06. Future Love Paradise
07. Wild
08. Show Me
09. Violet

SEAL - CRAZY

Crazy is a great tune and in the grand tradition of single releases, we're treated to a plethora of mixes, odds and ends. The 'Crazy (Single Mix)' is more or less an edit of the album version. The second track mixed by William Orbit is probably my favorite of all the mixes. There's a wonderful build and blend to the mix that really stands out. The 'Crazy (Acoustic Version/Instrumental Version)' is an interesting piece. It starts out with a great acoustic rendition of the song with Seal's vocals to the fore and suddenly morphs into an ambient rhythm. It's a strange choice to combine such different sounding versions together and seems slightly haphazard.

'Crazy (A Cappella Mix)' isn't entirely an accurate description of the next mix. Seal's vocals are backed by odd bleeps and trance noises used for orchestration. It's more like a science experiment than a decent mix. 'Krazy' is Tim Simenon's version of the track and is also a satisfying mix. The final two mixes didn't leave a huge impression aside from what seems like a different vocal performance on the 'Crazy (Chick On My Tip Mix)'.

'Sparkle', the single's only b-side is a danceable tune with a lively beat and repetitive lyrics. Despite it's limited scope, it's an entertaining ditty and enjoyable to listen to.

Often, singles get bogged down in mixes that identify more with the mixers than the original band and performance. In this case, careful attention has been paid to maintain the integrity of Seal's original release. With special vocal tracks on mixes and an interesting b-side this is a great single to own. Well worth the expense. My final words: WELL BALANCED.

SEAL - CRAZY
01. Crazy (Single Mix)
02. Crazy (William Orbit Mix)
03. Crazy (Acoustic Version/Instrumental Version)
04. Crazy (A Cappella Mix)
05. Sparkle (Extended Version)
06. Krazy
07. Crazy (Do You Know The Way To L.A. Mix)
08. Crazy (Chick On My Tip Mix)