Sunday 24 April 2016

Lush - Lovelife [12", LP]

Last weekend wasn't just Record Store Day on Saturday, but it was also time for the spring edition of the Utrecht record fair. I went on the Sunday as usual, and came home with loads of good stuff. This LOVELIFE LP by LUSH was one of the best purchases i've done that weekend. It was on my wantlist for many years, but i never spotted one (in at least VG+ condition) under 50 euro. Since it would be rather to complete my Lush vinyl collection than wanting it because it's so amazingly good, i never bothered to buy one at that price. It's a pretty rare album though. It never got repressed on vinyl until recently for the Origami boxset for Record Store Day.
This time around at the fair i spotted three copies at various stands: two indeed in the 60+ euro regions, but one very fairly priced at 25 euro. Even in better condition than those other two copies, and i actually managed to get 20% off the price on top of that.
Lovelife, the band's third and -until now at least- last album, is clearly my least favourite Lush album. Yet still a pleasant one to listen every now and then. Especially the singles Single Girl, 500 and Ladykillers are cool. I personally find Olympia however the best song on the album. It's the album's closing song, and with its melancholic vibe and vocal harmony it comes closest to the sound of Lush in their earlier days.

Label: 4AD
Cat.nr.: CAD 6004
Year of release: 1996

SIDE A:
01. Ladykillers
02. Heavenly Nobodies
03. 500
04. I've Been Here Before
05. Papasan
06. Single Girl
07. Ciao!

SIDE B:
01. Tralala
02. Last Night
03. Runaway
04. The Childcatcher
05. Olympia


Sunday 10 April 2016

David Bowie - Scary Monsters [12", LP]

Today it's been exactly three months since DAVID BOWIE passed away.

SCARY MONSTERS has always been one of my favourite Bowie albums. It's actually hard to say which of his albums is really my favourite, since they are so diverse. Sometimes i'm simply more in a Ziggy glamrock mood, while some other time i am more in an experimental  Berlin '77-era  mood. Scary Monsters however is an album that i can always listen to. I won't write a complete review here of the album because Bowie's albums have been thoroughly reviewed over the years. As for the songs: Fashion always was one of my all-time favourite Bowie tunes, with Robert Fripp's signature guitar playing. He sure knows how to play his instrument. The title track is brillant as well, by the way.
Furthermore i like the album's artwork a lot. The costume Bowie's wearing on the sleeve was also featured in the Ashes To Ashes video, when he's walking on the beach dressed as a clown. It was funny to see the thing with my own eyes some time ago at the David Bowie Is exhibition in Groningen.

Label: RCA
Year of release: 1980
Cat.nr.: PL1364-7

SIDE A:
01. It's No Game (No.1)
02. Up The Hill Backwards
03. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
04. Ashes To Ashes
05. Fashion

SIDE B:
01. Teenage Wildlife
02. Scream Like  Baby
03. Kingdom Come
04. Because You're Young
05. It's No Game (No. 2)