New Album Releases 02/19/08: Ray Davies, Nick Lowe, Raveonettes, Gary Louris, American Music Club, Marc Ribot & More
Published February 19, 2008
This is not a busy week for new album releases by any stretch.
Still, there are a number of tasty new CDs to talk about, including new solo releases from an ex-Kink and an ex-Jayhawk, as well as an enhanced, reissued version of a power-pop classic by one of the greatest producers of the late seventies "new wave" era — a guy known to friends and confidantes simply as "Basher."
Proof that even in a slow new release week there are still choices. There are always choices.
So let's dive right in, shall we?
From "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" to "Lola" to "Celluloid Heroes," Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Ray Davies has written some of the greatest — and most distinctly British — pop/rock songs of the twentieth century with the Kinks. On his second solo album, Working Man's Cafe, Davies is said to flip that script somewhat with a record where the songs take on more of an American focus.
Many of the songs here were written after the twin American tragedies of 9/11 and Katrina (a number of them were also reportedly written in New Orleans). Always a wry observer of culture, Davies' best work combines his always sharp wit with just a touch of sarcasm. It should be interesting to see how that is applied here on Davies' "American album." A bonus, expanded edition features a documentary DVD directed by Davies himself that includes footage from his 2001 solo Storyteller tour.
Another British legend, Nick "Basher" Lowe gets the expanded reissue treatment this week with a deluxe edition of his power-pop classic, Jesus Of Cool. During the late seventies new wave era, Lowe was one of the most sought after producers in music, following his great work on the first three Elvis Costello albums (which many fans, including myself, still regard as his best). Lowe also did double-duty co-fronting the great band Rockpile with guitarist Dave Edmunds.
Lowe's first album Jesus Of Cool was released in altered form in America as 1978's Pure Pop For Now People (the original title made Lowe's American record label nervous), and was quickly recognized as a masterpiece of post-punk power pop. On this expanded reissue, both the British and American versions are combined so you get 21 tracks total — virtually everything is here for the first time ever.
- New Album Releases 02/19/08: Ray Davies, Nick Lowe, Raveonettes, Gary Louris, American Music Club, Marc Ribot & More
- Published: February 19, 2008
- Type: News
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Recording, Music: News, Music: Business
- Part of a feature: New CDs
- Writer: Glen Boyd
- Glen Boyd's BC Writer page
- Glen Boyd's personal site
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Yeah, what's up with the "next page" thing? I've been noticing this the past few days and I REALLY do not like it. I haven't been on the Yahoo Group in a while - is there a reason for this?
Yeah that break is placed rather oddly I agree. Unfortunately, I had no control over it.
From what I understand, since Phillip and the gang began instituting page breaks earlier this week, they should occur at about 700 words in. So I guess until I figure this out, I'm just gonna have to be even more long-winded than usual to make sure there is a clean break before Saleski and/or TJ take the reins.
Or something like that anyway...
Anyway, like anything else that is "new", once we all get used to it I think we'll be able to get a better handle on figuring it out.
...Yeah, thats it.
-Glen
I think the idea is to make BC look more like all the other online magazines. The idea is page breaks look professional or something. I don't like it either, especially since there is no real way of telling when the break will actually occur, and thus you get a break like this totally killing what Saleski is saying.
It also makes the number look bigger as you get a page hit every time someone goes to the next page. So that's like three hits per article rather than one.
Yeah, which I guess is why the entire top five most popular articles were for a review of Knight Rider there for a bit.
I also think it has something to do with reigning in our bandwidth though.
-Glen
wait...i kinda thought the split made what i wrote look like performance art!
ok, maybe not.
Everything you do is art, Saleski. Well, more or less anyway...
I think I'm more like the "performance" end of this unholy partnership of ours...
-Glen
we have to figure out how to add juggling...or plate spinning!
;-)
All those hits for Knight Rider were just me. I'm pissed I missed it and read it over and over to try and make up for it.
(Okay, fine, I admit it - I'm a tad disappointed I missed it. That talking car show was a staple of my childhood TV viewing. It had the Cylon red light in front and made a cool electronic noise when it drove, too. And that theme song! Hot.)
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/74076)
Ugh, that's an awful page break. I know it isn't anybodys fault but the darn computer, but still. Saleski gets a sentence and then, break, page two.
Thanks for the linky goodness though Glen. That Davies disk sounds cool too.