August 2008

The 80's Edition !!!

Lets face it. We all secretly love 80s music. It had a joyous childhood innocence and a complete lack of self-consciousness. Music was infectious and fun again. So what better than an entire edition of the Nevstar Music Guide dedicated to that particularly unique musical era.

Album of the Month

CSS : Donkey

Music is art. It can be very serious, introspective and discerning. But sometimes it can be fun. The aural equivalent of throwing paint at the wall and admiring the artisitic outcome. This was the 80s and it is surprising how much of the music has endured, mainly because the pop sensibilities of making songs people sing along to means those songs never really go out of fashion.

So our album of the month is an album which shares many hallmarks of the best of the 80s. CSS is an Brazilian pop band whose name derives from the Portugese phrase Cansei der Ser Sexy which roughly translates as "tired of being sexy". They formed in 2003 and their self-titled debut albumwas a worldwide hit as listeners around the world grooved to their derivative brand of energetic dance-pop. Tracks such as Off The Hook, Music Is My Hot Hot Sex and Lets Make Love And Listen To Death From Above walked a tight line between sexy and silly. The Nevstar was lucky enough to be at both their 2007 concerts at the Kings Arms in Auckland and was blown away by the incredible energy and verve with which they played their effervescent set.

They have returned in 2008 with their second effort Donkey which is straight out of 1982. There are the infectious danceable grooves, heavy use of synth rhythms and pop hooks big enough to land sharks. Its music to dance to while singing out loud, just like you did to Tainted Love

Two tracks midway through the album are the best examples. How I Became Paranoid is a slice of pop genuis with sardonic electronic synthesiser runs reminiscent of Talk Talk or ABC while Move is a long lost Talking Heads offcut with sharp lyrics and jaunty rhythm.

One commentator remarked that the band should be on perpetual rotation on Friday afternoons which eloquently captures the mood of the music. Donkey is a throwback album with the 80s in its genes. It really should only be available in cassette and vinyl.

Check it out here :

Best Track: Move

Listen To It If You Like:
80s era Blondie
ABC / Talk Talk / Soft Cell etc

If You Like This Try:
Hot Hot Heat..................Make Up The Breakdown
Scissor Sisters................Scissor Sisters
The Hoosiers..................The Trick To Life


Essential Classic Album From the 80's

Human League : Dare!

There were undoubtedly some great albums in the 80s. London Calling by The Clash; The Unforgettable Fire from U2; Purple Rain by Prince; Thriller by Michael Jackson; and Closer from Joy Division to name but a few. Yet the eighties are remembered more immediately for the repeated string of unforgettable pop songs, the majority of which were one-hit wonders. What we are looking for is an album which represented the dynamic pop singles of the 80s but also was strong enough as an entire album to warrant coveted Essential Classic status.

There were a few contenders. Soft Cell are known for their brilliant single Tainted Loveand 80s aficionados will find the album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaretis not without merit. Similarly, the album Talk Talk Talkfrom The Psychedelic Furs, featuring the gorgeous single Pretty In Pinkis well worth picking out of bargain bins at your local record store. But to my tin ear, the essential classic album from the 1980s is Dare! by The Human League.

The Human League were pioneers of the electronic synthesizer sound that came to epitomise singles throughout the 80s. Following on from the work of German pioneers Kraftwerk, they married this technological competence with a set of harmonic, melodic songs that were uplifting yet also maintained a sense of intrigue even eerieness. Those following on from their work included such 80s staples as A-ha, Pet Shop Boys, ABC and Duran Duran.

The album is bookended by two fabulous pop songs. The first is the lesser known but quite hypnotic The Things That Dreams Are Made Ofwhich is an appetising pop gem featuring a giant hook bounding up neatly a story of yearning for simple pleasures. The last track is the monster smash Don't You Want Me,the hit that made them pop stars around the world. Featuring dual male and female vocals singing both sides of a love song, the tension builds during a notable pre-chorus, to its spectacular, memorable anthemic chorus followed by the inevitable synthensizer instrumental bridge. It still sounds absolute great today. In fact, I heard it on the radio today!

Both songs, utilise this brilliant technique of a pre-chorus (lacking a better description) linking the story telling of the verse to the sing-along anthemic chorus. It serves to ramp up the energy of the song before the chorus explodes around the listener. It is a technique that Bon Jovi would later employ to devasting effect (listen to Livin' On A Prayer).

Amidst this sunny pop album though are sections of outright darkness and despair. Devotees of the nu-wave icons like Depeche Mode or Pet Shop Boys are encouraged to check out tracks like Darknessor Do Or Diewhich contain some quite morbid musings albeit to the same soundtrack of robotic electronic beats. Similarly, the track Love Actioncould've found a place easily in New Order's first few albums if they had been formed at this point. Its jumpy rhythms somehow complement the world-weary vocals. Brilliant stuff.

So there you have it. A beguiling and riveting album that was so much more than the brilliant single for which it is best known. In my view, a worthy candidate as an Essential Classic Album. But lets leave the final word to a more discerning voice. My favourite anecdote about this album features the legendary rock critic, Lester Bangs, editor of Creem magazine (profiled memorably by Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Almost Famous). Lester Bangs unfortunately died at an early age from a nasty drug interaction. Still on his turntable when his body was discovered was Human League's Dare! making it the last album he ever listened to. A more fitting epitaph is hard to write.


If you like this try :

Kraftwerk...................Computer World
Depeche Mode..............Violator
Gary Numan................Cars
ABC..........................The Look of Love



Top Ten List

This whole edition of the Nevstar Music Guide featuring the 80s came about as I compiled an 80's collection Mix CD for a friend. It made me ponder the peculiar qualities of that age in music. It was an era of one hit wonders, MTV, big hair, flashy videos and nu-wave synthesisers. It started me thinking about what song really immediately says The Eighties like no other. Not necessarily the best tracks of the 80's but the ones which most closely encapsulate the uniqueness of the era. So here is my attempt at :


The Top Ten Iconic Songs From The 80's

10) The Reflex - Duran Duran

Really, no band says the 80's more than Duran Duran. Scholars may one day hence argue their importance in music (although they probably wont), but there can be no argument that they changed the face of music videos. A band born for MTV, they produced a number of great pop songs, none better than The Reflex.
See video here.

9) Take On Me- A-ha

No other band had "The Look" like A-ha did. Hailing from Sweden, there were responsible for one huge hit, Take On Me, which is still instantly recognisable today as an essential part of 80s heritage. Its video would surely rank amongst the finest of all time.
See video here.

8) Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!

What can you say about Wham! except nothing fills the dance floor quicker than the singular spoken line "Jitterbugs". A riotously infectious song from this dynamic duo who had the look and sound that could only be from one decade. Choose Life!
See video here.

PS: And Ive just made one regular reader very happy by mentioning Wham in this serious music column. You know who you are!

7) West End Girls- Pet Shop Boys

An immensely talented band, the Pet Shop Boys were inarguably 80s icons with a brand uniquely their own. This was their best track and came complete with a terrific video as per the requirements of the age.
See video here.

6) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

Madonna may have had more hits but she had far too much staying power to be considered on this list. So its Cyndi who makes it, her gigantic smash hit being a regular on 80s playlists then, now and forever. Listen out for the brilliant keyboard run to start it. Sounds dynamic with speakers up loud.
See video here.

5) Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley

Unfortunately, the 80s will also be remembered for the disgusting trend of manufactured pop stars which culminated almost inevitably with Milli Vanilli. Just as the initial age of television gave rise to teen idols like Frankie Avalon and Ricky Nelson, MTV spawned the need for pop stars that looked the part. No one demonstrated this better than the likeably defective Rick Astley. A horrendous trend which somehow gave us this lasting song. Be sure to watch the video; its absolutely terrible. Further evidence (if needed) that white men really can't dance.
See video here.

4) Venus - Bananarama

Surely, an element of 80s iconocism is a complete lack of any other songs. Name me another Bananarama song please! But if you are going to have your 15 minutes of fame, make it memorable.
See video here.

3) The Final Countdown- Europe
What Eighties countdown would be complete without The Final Countdown! A massive one-hit wonder, The Final Countdown was emblematic of the deluge of pretty hair-metal acts which hit the airwaves in the late eighties. MTV again mainly responsible for the rise of these 'pretty' metallers. Its not metal. But its a lot of fun. Again the video is tremendous.
See video here.

2) Tainted Love - Soft Cell

The 80s were populated with numerous cover songs and so would be churlish not to have one in the top ten. Soft Cell do a terrific job with this 60s pop song and it remains one of the high points of 80s pop. Not number one only by virtue of fact that was actually off a half decent album, the aforementioned Non Stop Erotic Cabaret.
See video here.

And the No. 1 iconic song of the 80s is..............

1) I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock Of Seagulls

As Austin Powers says, you didnt miss much in the 80's. "There was a Flock Of Seagulls and thats about it!" The perfect 80's song. It has the requisite cheesy 80's era video (see here) featuring horrible fashion, embarrasingly large sunglasses, promiment electric organ, questionable sexuality, and even more questionable hair. The song features a brilliant intro, bouncy rhythms, sensational electric organ and terrific song writing. Furthermore, the band didn't record anything else being anonymous immediately before and soon after it. But I Ran was a huge, huge hit and is still incredibly popular 30 years later. Just simply, I Ran by A Flock of Seagulls is THE quintessential 80's song.

And there you have it. Agree, disagree, or cant believe I missed your favourite 80s track. Leave a comment or send me an email. Love to hear your feedback on what song you consider the iconic song of the 80s.

Thats it for another month. Hope you liked this 80s edition of the Nevstar Music Guide. Until next month.

Nevstar.

July 2008

Album of the Month


Death Cab For Cutie : Narrow Stairs

There is music to dance to; there is music to luxuriate in. There is music you sing out loud; there is music you sing within. There is music which sets your mood; and then there is music to salve your wounds. Death Cab For Cutie is the latter in each instance. It is best played late at night after a long day fighting pedantic border guards stationed at life's innumerable barrier posts.

Joining a long list of indie bands emerging from the US Northwest, Death Cab For Cuite have spent the better part of a decade seeping gradually into wider and wider circles of popular consciousness. Their big break came in impressing a TV executive leading to them becoming featured regularly in The OC and thereby gaining priceless exposure. Such success is extremely welcome, exposing an ever greater audiences to their prodigous musical talents. Fortunately, it has not led to a derogation of their output as Narrow Stairs nearly matches the heights of their classic album, Transatlanticism (2003) .

Death Cab For Cutie are rare in that their general tenet is melancholy yet the music is not. They have an unerring gift for connecting a delightful coda of chords, a mournful yet dreamy series of vocals with some challenging and stimulating lyrical content. If you were forced to ascribe a genre to their output, I would reluctantly assess them as 'indie alternative dreamy pop'. Hows that?

Narrow Stairs is their latest effort and belongs amongst the finest the group has produced investigating life's loves and losses. It is charming and poetic, yet also immediately accessible. Their most successful songs strike out from the 4 min pop songs consisting of verse, chorus, verse, chorus structure. This lack of structure allows them free range to experiment with changing moods and tempo. It is melancholy yet witty. Quirky yet poignant.

The best example is track two I Will Possess Your Heart which has a 3 min introduction. It starts with almost random piano chords. Then a bass guitar intercedes with a very simple 20 note sequence, repeated over and over, slowly building with added instrumentation towards something; we know not what. As it reaches a climax, the lyrics then interject; almost as a shock given the momentum of the buildup. They then describe the lyricsts affection towards a fair maiden.

"How I wish you could see the potential, the potential of you and me;
Its like a book elegantly bound, but in a language that you cant read.........(just yet)"

The 'just yet' is whispered, almost unheard, but makes the statement's intent amply clear. Unrequited affection. The dilemma faced by probably every single person on earth at some point. 'We would be great together if only he noticed me'. The intro thus comes into focus as the long, often repeated yearning for a desirable romantic outcome preceded by action. Magic stuff.

I am loathe to describe more of the album as its like giving away the best bits of a movie. Suffice to say I also really like tracks 5, 6, and 9. But the whole album is a delight to experience with subtly applied sparks of uptempo balancing the moments of misery and despair. Listen to it once just to sample the beautiful music, then listen to the lyrics to gain additional insight and satistfaction. Narrow Stairs is a great album and an early favourite for best album of the year.

Listen to it here:

Listen to it if you like :
Weezer
Arcade Fire
The Cure

If you like this try :
Death Cab For Cutie................Transatlanticism
Teenage Fanclub....................Bandwagonesque
Doves.................................Lost Souls

Essential Classic Album

The Rolling Stones : The Rolling Stones (Englands Newest Hit Makers)

No musical artist is truly original. Most build a reportoire based on covers of their favourite genres. If they have talent, they might write their own material and just perhaps alter the course of music history so that they themselves become quoted as a musical influence. It is only a few bands that achieve such success. Fewer still can change the course of music history while still performing a collection of covers!

The Rolling Stones were such a band and Englands Newest Hit Makers is such an album. The debut album of the (self-proclaimed) "Greatest Rock and Roll Band In The World", it features only one original composition, the rather forgettable 'Tell Me'. But it stands at the crossroads of two important musical trends; the evolution of blues into rock and the British Invasion of the 1960's.

In the 12 tracks, it is possible to hear the emergence of a new era in music. As the baby boomers in the UK entered teenagedom, they searched for a new sound and found it in authentic black music from America played with energy and enthusiasm by a new breed of emerging artists. The Stones were at the forefront of this movement. Their debut album highlights their verve and charisma. But it also ably demonstrates how blues evolved into rock and roll. In fact you can hear the transition in four tracks!

Track 4 : Honest I Do - this is a Jimmy Reed classic which has been covered by a number of different blues artists. Here the Stones play a fairly straight up version in modern Chicago blues style with accompanying blues guitar. Jagger adds a bit of sneer but thats about it.

Track 3 : I Just Want To Make Love To You - a Muddy Waters classic but the Stones blithely dispense with tradition and play a markedly speeded up version. The song is very similar to Honest I Do with the same blues chords and traditional 12 bar blues structure but the timing is much faster and upbeat. Its becoming music you can dance to.

Track 2 : Route 66 - a traditional R&B classic that had been recorded by many artists from Perry Como to Nat King Cole. The Stones version is 'borrowed' liberally from an uptempo version learned off Chuck Berry. Now we have elements of rhythm accompanying the standard 3 chord blues structure. Drums and guitar are more prominent as leading rather than accompanying the artists voice.

Track 8 : Carol - put it all together and you have modern rock and roll in this Chuck Berry classic. The uptempo, the rhythm, the guitar, the beat. Combine with screaming hordes of teenage girls and rock and roll attitude, and you have the beginnings of the British Rock Invasion.

So, deliberately or not, we have the story of blues becoming rhythm & blues becoming rock & roll. Thus, the Stones along with the rest of the British Invasion, completed the neat trick of appropriating American music, altering it into something new and fresh and re-exporting it back to America. Talk about selling "coals to Newcastle".

The Stones made many greater albums than this debut effort. Beggars Banquet, Sticky Fingers, Let It Bleed, and Exile On Main Street to name just a handful. But perhaps none were as important to the development of rock music as this, their debut album. Get it here and reprogram your CD player to play tracks 4, 3, 2 and 8 in that order to fully appreciate why they were not only the 'Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World' but also one of the most important.

Listen to it here:

If you like this try:
Rolling Stones..........................Rolling Stones Now!
Them....................................Them Featuring Van Morrison
Animals.................................Animalisms
Yardbirds...............................Five Live Yardbirds


Top Ten List

When writing about the Rolling Stones above, I started thinking how hard it is to encapsulate the band in one Greatest Hits album. The Rolling Stones not only have a dozen or so classic albums, but also their greatest albums were so much more than a collection of singles. The music industry is partly to blame for the rise of Greatest Hits albums. Previously singles were used to promote albums and the album often did not include the single. Famously Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band had the Double A side single of Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields REMOVED from the album so the consumer was not shortchanged. However, soon albums became a collection of filler with only one or two hit singles. Who can blame the music consumer for only wanting the good songs?

However, some bands are hugely shortchanged by the Greatest Hits marketing phenomenon. Considering your music collection complete by having The Best of The Beatles misses sampling the full genuis of Liverpool's finest. Another argument is that you miss the chronology of development of a band. Roxy Music were a far different band in their first album than their last. So as part of my recurring crusade to introduce my readers to wider musical pleasures, and at risk of causing great offence; this weeks top ten is a little different. Here is:

The Top Ten Artists Where You Should Avoid Buying Greatest Hits Albums !


10) Van Morrison

Van Morrison was and is a poet. His albums are a flowing dialogue with his listeners. It grates that some no name music executive can excise some songs as he sees fits. Listening to Van Morrisons Greatest Hits is like reading a collection of punchlines without hearing the joke.

Albums you should buy : Astral Weeks, Moondance, Verdon Fleece, Tupelo Honey

9) Radiohead

Albums represent a slice in time, demonstrating the band at that particular juncture of their evolution. The albums are succint and final statements of the band at that moment. No band demonstrates this better than Radiohead as each album represents quite a departure from its previous effort.

Albums you should buy : The Bends, OK Computer, In Rainbows, Kid A

8) David Bowie

A David Bowie Greatest Hits is almost a fallacy. This is an artist who deliberately recreated himself in a different image as a different entity for each new album. There is no "David Bowie"! You only have to look at the album covers to see the different 'face' Bowie wears. My favourite Bowie track (Life on Mars off Hunky Dory) never even appears in Greatest Hits compilations.
Albums you should buy : Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust, Low, Hunky Dory

7) Blur

The genuis of Blur was the brilliantly clever lyrics in each and every song. Each album contains brilliant gems of insight from the pen of Damon Albarn. For a great example, see Ernold Same off The Great Escape.

Albums you should buy : Parklife, Blur, The Great Escape, Modern Life Is Rubbish

6) Roxy Music

Listening to best of Roxy Music is like reading random chapters of various Graham Greene novels. Enjoyable but lacking in any context.

Albums you should buy : Country Life, Avalon, For Your Pleasure, Roxy Music

5) Primal Scream

Very similar to Radiohead in that each album was a separate and definitive statement of art to be consumed as a whole. The tracks off Screamadelica simply should not be listened to alongside those of Evil Heat.

Albums you should buy : Screamadelica, XTRMNTR, Evil Heat, Vanishing Point

4) Led Zepellin

I almost cry when I see compiliations like Mothership, featuring Led Zep's best, rising to the top of the charts. Just buy yourself some Dockers and boat shoes and be done with it. True fans listen to the whole albums back to back to back as Page and Plant intended you should.

Albums you should buy : Led Zeppellin I, Led Zeppellin IV, Houses of the Holy, Physical Grafitti

3) Rolling Stones

As discussed earlier, the Stones have a massive catalog of terrific songs and buying a Greatest Hits summary misses a wide section of the contribution they made to the popularity of modern music.

Albums you should buy : Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Some Girls, Aftermath

2) Elvis Costello

I was never much of a fan of Elvis Costello UNTIL I heard his albums in their entirety. They have all just been re-released with their original artwork and are all a treasure. Experience the full range of one of the finest songwriters of a generation.

Albums you should buy : This Years Model, Armed Forces, My Aim Is True, Get Happy!

1) The Beatles

It always amazes me that any compilation of Beatles songs inevitably rises straight to the top of the charts. Doesnt everyone already have these songs? Perhaps we should just issue them to everyone at birth and be done with it. It is a measure of the bands greatness that even 2 x Double CD's (Beatles 1962-1966 and Beatles 1967-1970) STILL dont capture anywhere near all of their brilliant compositions. And if you dont believe me, get out your vinyl copy of The Beatles (The White Album) and listen to Rocky Raccoon. Essential.

Albums you should buy : All of them! But start with Revolver, Rubber Soul, Abbey Road, and The Beatles

And as a bonus item, here are Ten Bands where a Greatest Hits probably includes everything great the artist ever did!

10) Duran Duran

9) Aerosmith

8) Motley Crue

7) Van Halen

6) Neil Diamond

5) Def Leppard

4) Abba

3) Madonna

2) Guns n Roses

1) Queen - admittedly you do need Greatest Hits Vol 1 AND 2 !

Got a grievance, unhappy with my selections, or really really love Greatest Hits albums. Leave a comment and make your feelings known.

As always, really hope you forward this on to other lovers of music. Please encourage them to send me their email address so I can add them to the notification list every time I update the blog.

Nevstar

June 2008

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 8

Apologies for the month long absence but your humble correspondent was checking out the music scene in Paris. Here then, is a belated June issue which will soon be followed by a July one. Enjoy.


Album of the Month

Hercules And The Love Affair : Hercules and The Love Affair

Readership of the Nevstar Music Guide should hopefully be a wide-ranging aural experience. We have (so-far) covered rock, soul, punk, dance, indie, and blues. Im sure to cover jazz and country at some point, but one genre conspicuous by its absence is disco. As we all know, disco is perhaps the most ridiculed music form of all time. Its most commonly used by movie directors trying to date a particular scene as late 70’s and as such is invariably accompanied by interior shots of brown carpetry and orange curtains.

As such, disco has widely been ignored by music revisionists and few bands have quoted the Bee Gees or Donna Summer as inspirations. Until now.

Andrew Butler, is a twentysomething DJ who makes his home in New York. His debut album under the moniker of Hercules And Love Affair seems to encapsulate an unannounced mission to rewrite musical history and give due credit to the impact of disco. As a DJ he understands the mood and tempo is everything and disco had both these elements in abundance. Disco was unashamedly gay (in both senses of the word) and people danced to it with little self-consciousness. Ultimately dancing is first and foremost a personal thing, you dance to become free, absolved of mundane daily rituals, not to impress. The self-conscious too-cool-for-school adherents of some musical genres miss the important ingredient of firstly having fun.

After a mellow yet intricate dance track intro featuring the vocals of Antony Hegarty's, of Antony and the Johnsons we arrive at Hercules Theme. The adulation starts here. Its a predominately instrumental disco track featuring bouncing dance music and with a groovy beat and laid back vocals overdubbed as an afterthought. It captures the mood and magic of a Boogie Wonderland complete with platform shoes, flares and massive big afros. Yet it is no direct disco rip-off as it adds notable lyrical passages and combines them with modern dance beats.

Further along we are treated to a number of tracks which would easily have the dance hall pumping. The single Blind contains an uptempo discoish beat accompanied by bongo drums before horns make an entrance as the song builds, peaks and then slows. Similarly Raise Me Up is true to title and would be a floor filler. The slightly sad tone of the vocals is often at odds with the gaiety of the music which makes for an interesting journey.

Hercules and Love Affair is a rare album that is not only enjoyable on first listen, but also inspires you to re-examine other parts of your record collection. It provides a wlecome way point from the glam packed mirror balls of 1970’s disco as played in Club 54 to the modern dance music as played globally from Ibiza to Invercargill.

Listen to tracks or purchase here :

Best Track :
Blind

Listen To If You Like :
70s Disco
90s Dance music

If You Like This Try :
Hot Chip : The Warning




Essential Classic Album

The Who : Who’s Next

What if the answer to the meaning of life was a musical chord ? This was the starting point for Pete Townshend’s second rock opera, a follow-up to Tommy tentatively titled Lifehouse. It was a congolmeration of a film, album, rock opera, and interactive concert experience. The audience members helped make music they loved and this sound was then played back to them seeking further input. This continual repeated evolution of the sound set in motion a positive feedback loop to eventually uncover the singular moment of enlightened omniscient consciousness for all !

Don’t worry, no one else understood it either.

And so, after two frustrating years with Pete on the edge of a nervous breakdown, the project was abandoned. Yet, while the ambition foundered on the rocks of reality, the songs remained and became the foundation of Who’s Next released in 1971. And what fantastic songs they are. Who’s Next is the Who’s finest hour capturing all that was great about the band.

The Who were a destructive band in every sense. They demolished stage sets and hotel rooms alike. Their music had a raw power emanating from the four quite distinct individuals. The drummer Keith Moon is the inspiration for Animal from the Muppets. Say no more. Roger Daltrey was the alpha male lead singer with the golden voice, John Entwistle somehow kept the whole band together, playing bass and keeping beat while Moon pounded out his frustrations. And Pete Townshend was the musical genuis operating (just) on the right side of insanity. Their infectious on-stage chemistry coupled with Pete’s extraordinary musical gifts ensured they distinguished themselves from other Mod Rockers. Who’s Next ensured they would not ever be forgotten.

The album is bookended by two quite extraordinary songs. Baba O’Riley and Wont Get Fooled Again which make extensive use of Townshends own $14,000 synthethizers. Baba O’Riley begins with a Bach-like prelude shimmering and shivering before the rock band enters with some plucked power chords before an explosion of drums and power guitar chords followed by Roger’s dynamic vocals. The song contains one of the early ideas from Lifehouse where the vital statistics of an audience member is fed in as random input for the synthesizer. It is notably famous for the great lyric of “its only teenage wasteland” where Pete decries youngsters lack of ambition and motivation.

Then the album is brought to a stunning close with my personal favourite Who track, Wont Get Fooled Again. This 8 minute track is nothing short of epic featuring crashing drums courtesy of Keith Moon, a mesmerising bass run by John Entwistle and fantastic vocals by Roger Daltrey and yet more synthesizer runs courtesy of Pete. Following the long bridge, it closes with a powerful yet widely misunderstood lyric. Lamenting the idolisation of rock bands as messiahs by starry eyed fans, the song is closed by the single line:

“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

The idolation is continuous, only those that are idolised change; but we are not Gods suggests Pete.

The album contains yet more delights. The hard driving Bargain follows Baba O’Riley and towards the end there is the beautiful and tender ballard, Behind Blue Eyes. Another personal favourite is the ode to John’s wife in My Wife which features great vocals from Daltry. From start to finish, the full repertoire of a rock band on top of its game is displayed for all to see.

The album cover is art in its own right, albeit tawdry art. The band members are photographed turning away from a concrete piling having (apparently) just urinated on it. It seems to fit with the persona of the band. While the Beatles just wanted to ‘hold your hand’ and the Stones wanted to ‘be your man’, The Who seemed intent on breaking into your house, drinking all your beer, and pissing in your fireplace.

Listen to tracks or purchase here

Best Track :
Wont Get Fooled Again

If You Like This Try :
The Who : The Who Sell Out
Led Zeppelin : Led Zeppelin II

Nevstar Top Ten

Music has been part of the art of seduction since the cave man first learned to beat a stick against a rock as an attractive cave woman walked past. Any half decent collection of music is bound to include some albums which are designed to be played with the lights down low to assist in enhancing the romantic mood. But which are the best albums to accompany the process of wooing your beloved. Fear not, the Nevstar has produced for you the :

Top 10 Seduction Albums

10. Back to Black : Amy Winehouse - Listen
While she has recently descended into tabloid fodder, on her second album, Amy Winehouse was almost perfect. Her amazing voice is given full range in this collection of sultry soulful songs. A fitting complement to a late night in front of roaring fire, with glass of red in one hand and someone sexy in the other.

Best Track : Rehab

9. Otis Blue : Otis Redding - Listen
Otis Redding is probably best known for his posthumous smash hit "Sitting By The Dock Of The Bay". Great as the song is, it unfortunately overshadows some of his other immaculate work such as this terrific album. Otis Blue is a great place to start your appreciation of an artist tragically taken from us far too soon.

Best Track : A Change Is Gonna Come

8. In The Wee Small Hours : Frank Sinatra - Listen
The king of crooning, Frank Sinatra was a legendary lounge act with a style and sound all of his own. This is a much more laid back collection than a lot of his earlier swing material. At its core are a series of melancholy love songs which stand up admirably with anything else he produced.

Best Track : Last Night When We Were Young

7. Moon Safari : Air - Listen

Our only electronica entry but the best of the chill-out genre can be very romantic. French duo Air's best work is this magical album which can be listened to in any number of moods. However cuddled up on the couch with your beloved or soon to be loved is a great utilisation of this epitome of cool.

Best Track : Sexy Boy

6. Lady Soul : Aretha Franklin - Listen
The leading soul singer of her or indeed any generation, Aretha has a number of notable albums but perhaps none better than this one. Blending covers and originals, it showcases her extraordinary talents and is sure to set afire hidden flames of passion.

Best Track : (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

5. A Kind of Blue : Miles Davis - Listen
Listening to jazz is often a frustrating experience as it can be meandering for the uninitiated. But in the right mood and the right moment, it is unsurpassed. Anyone wanted to start an appreciation of this complex genre should start right here. Miles Davis' all star band produced a monumental piece of artwork that can accompany a number of different nocturnal activities.

Best track : So What

4. Barry White Sings for Someone You Love : Barry White - Listen
What Top Ten seduction list could leave off Barry White? White's voice alone can generate animal lust in the most mild-mannered of the female species. This is one of his better albums although you may not get past the third song before your date attacks you.

Best track : Its Ectasy When You Lay Down Next To Me

3. Lets Stay Together : Al Green - Listen

Just about any Al Green album could find a place on this list but Lets Stay Together is my personal favourite. The familiar title track is complemented by eight other timeless tracks of sexy Motown soul.

Best track : What Is This Feeling

2. Lets Get It On : Marvin Gaye - Listen
Perhaps not the most subtle title if you are trying to ingratiate yourself into someone’s good books but certainly Lets Get It On makes no apologies for its sexiness. With one of the great soul voices backed by the sexy sax led sound of Motown, Lets Get It On is an automatic entry into this top ten list.

Best track : Lets Get It On

And the number one seduction album of all time is................

1. Dusty in Memphis : Dusty Springfield - Listen

Dusty has a unique voice which is guaranteed to inflame deep desires. Dusty in Memphis, released in 1969, saw the English queen of crooning head to Memphis to record a stunning selection of love songs. If you've every loved her version of Son of A Preacher Man (and who doesnt), then take the time to seek out this extraordinary album. It is romantic and melancholy in equal doses opening your heart and mind. As such it is the perfect album to complement the art of seduction.

Best Track : Son Of A Preacher Man


Reader Feedback

Last months Top Ten list featuring the Top Ten Band names received a lot of feedback. Wont comment on the various names suggested but here is the list of some other great band names as suggested by you, the readers of the Nevstar Music Guide.

Black Eyed Peas
Captain Beefheart
Fat Freddys Drop
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Portishead
Pet Shop Boys
Pseudo Echo
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Smashing Pumpkins
Spandau Ballet
Spinal Tap
Violent Femmes
Wham!
The Who

And the prize for the best suggestion goes to a Northern Hemisphere reader who suggested that it was no contest and the best band name ever was the acerbic post-punk outfit called:

Half Man Half Biscuit

Now you have to admit. That is brilliant.

That’s all for another month. Hope you enjoyed reading the latest edition of the Nevstar Music Guide. Please forward on to anyone with a love of music.

Nevstar

April 2008

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 7

Album of the Month

Black Mountain : In The Future

Warning : This album is not for everyone. Don’t even consider approaching this album unless you have at least once stared into space while listening to Dark Side Of The Moon. Don’t purchase it unless you like your rock heavy enough to overwhelm your speakers. And please don’t buy it if you have an attention space of less than the seventeen minutes which is the running time of the epic ninth track, Bright Lights. In The Future is not an album to be played in polite company.

This is Black Mountain’s second album after their eponymous debut album released in 2005. Their first album was pretty straight forward classic rock nodding towards Led Zeppelin and their ilk. It is enjoyable but nothing special. Their second album though, In The Future, is brilliant. It attempts to combine the instrumental experimentation of progressive rock with the hard rock of the likes of Black Sabbath. They are heavy and dark, yet counterbalance that with an understanding of the weightlessness of music. Hence there are pretty melodies from sparse and delicate vocals, both male and female, amongst the bombastic guitar work.

The album starts with Stormy High featuring a thumping bass line and staccato bursts of drums as a rhythm slowly establishes itself. The rhythm stormily builds, accompanied by simple vocals before reaching a crescendo of noise and sound before abruptly finishing. We then ease into Angels, a quietly sweeping tune as gentle as its title. Is this the same band? The album continues thus; generating bursts of power and thuggery which are followed by tentative, quiet, almost nervous confessions of guilty emotions. Then there are long instrumental sections; some atmospheric, others stratospheric.

My favourite track is Wucan which has a slow backing track which sounds like a computer error message endlessly looped, overlaid by a distinctive guitar riff which is played increasingly frenetically. Vocals are then added with male and female alternating “so we can come together” before the song degenerates magnificently into obscure electronica feedback. It then slowly reforms, a gathering wave of tension, getting set to break again. Its music no computer could ever write.

At times they remind me of the fictional band Stillwater from the film Almost Famous particularly on the track Stay Free. However Black Mountain have way more range and ability. They are the band Russell Hammond of Stillwater should’ve left so “he could play all that he could play”. No instrument in their armoury is left unplayed, no sound effect left out.

I recently re-watched 2001:A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick’s magnificent sci-fi vision of the evolution of lower and higher forms of intelligence. In The Future is an album that would sit comfortably as a companion CD. It demands to be listened to in a dark sound-proof room with shimmering neon lights bouncing off the floor, walls and ceiling, leaving you to contemplate the space inside and the emptiness outside …………….. or vice versa.

Listen to tracks or purchase here :

Best Track : Wucan

Listen To If You Like :

Led Zeppelin..........................Physical Graffiti
Pink Floyd.............................Piper At The Gates of Dawn

If You Like This Try :

Spiritualized..........Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space
Yes....................Closer To The Edge
Emerson Lake & Palmer......Tarkus


Essential Classic Album

Marvin Gaye : What’s Going On (1971)

Popular music is littered with examples of the wider public proving industry experts wrong. Dick Rowe, a producer at Decca, rejected the Beatles after they auditioned for the label in January 1962. Columbia Records didn’t want to release Johnny Cash’s breakthrough album Live in Folsom Prison. Similarly, Motown CEO Berry Gordy did not want to release Marvin Gaye’s new single What’s Going On in 1970. He thought it was far too political and inconsistent with traditional Motown format. Gaye insisted and on release, it became Motown fastest selling single to that point sitting on top of the charts for five straight weeks. Gordy thus demanded an album along the same lines and as a result, we are blessed with the existence of Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece, What’s Going On.

Gaye first tasted success as part of the Motown hit parade. His good looks, easy charm and sensational voice ensured he became one of the label’s most bankable stars. However as the 60’s ended, Gaye started to become disillusioned and frustrated. The increasing societal strains developing outside the studio didn’t square with the sunny singles he recorded in it. The death of duet partner Tammi Terrell from a brain tumour, the return of his brother from Vietnam and the disintegration of his marriage saw him re-evaluate his life and his art. Following attempts at launching other careers, he entered the studio in 1970 to vent his frustrations, recording a couple of songs which became the backbone of a new album that changed the face of soul music.

The album follows the example of the title track single. It is a quite radical departure from the strict Motown formula. He incorporates elements of jazz and funk while introducing layered multi-track vocals, accompanied by strings, pianos, hand percussion and some sexy horns. More importantly though he ditches the Motown staple of happy love ditties and writes passionate lyrics lamenting the depths to which his country has descended. It addresses issues such as the Vietnam war (What’s Going On), poverty (Inner City Blues), ecology (Mercy Mercy Me), and the wretched plight of black children (Save The Children). The outcome is marvellous. Here we have an artist in the fullest sense of the world, entertaining while using his art form as a soapbox, encouraging and cajoling introspection of our soul. What’s Going On is a river. You can allow it to lazily flow past you, its endless rivulets and eddies forever calming, mesmerising and reassuring. Or you can leap in and feel its power and current as it surges and drags you towards a different place.

Following its release, other soul artists followed in his footsteps. The music became more socially conscious and more ‘of’ the times. Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin produced their best work in the 70’s following a similar framework. Marvin Gaye himself continued to make outstanding music until his unfortunate death at the hands of his father in 1984. But What’s Going On stands as his masterpiece. Certainly the greatest soul record of all time, it deserves consideration as one of the greatest albums of all time.

Hear samples or buy CD here:

Best Track : Save The Children

If You Like This Try :

Lets Get It On.....................Marvin Gaye
Innvervisions......................Stevie Wonder
Amazing Grace....................Aretha Franklin

Nevstar Top Ten

The Nevstar was at a concert recently (the Datsuns who ROCKED!) and noted with interest the large number of individuals wearing band t-shirts. One walked by in a Rage Against The Machine t-shirt. Now, while I’m not a fan of this band, it did make me think what a fantastic name that is. And so began investigations which led to this months Top Ten list. What are the best band names of all time? The choice is of course hugely subjective but I think one key element is asking would the band have been as successful under a different name? After conducting an exhaustive search in a number of music stores (oh the hardships endured in collecting material for you humble readers), here is my attempt at :

Top Ten Band Names of All Time

10. Queen

I felt that I had to include at least one, one syllable band name even though they don’t seem to have the creativity of some of the other entries. I toyed with Suede, lingered over Blur but ended up deciding that Queen was a great band name. Who better than Freddy himself to illuminate the rationale for choosing it over their previous band name, “Smile”.

"It's just a name, but it's very regal obviously, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations."

Well said. Probably a good example of the importance of a band name. Do you really think they would have been as successful if they were called Smile? The US might have produced the King of rock and roll, but England will always have their Queen.

9. Roxy Music

I think this is a fantastic name. The group's name was partly an homage to the titles of old cinemas and dance halls, and partly a pun on the word ‘rock’. But it is also a great combination of ‘rock’ and ‘sexy’ which describes perfectly the music of Roxy Music. Their music was sexy rock, their album covers were sexy art, and so it is only fitting that their name alludes to sexy rock music.

8. Straitjacket Fits

New Zealand acts have developed some great names over the years. The Headless Chickens and The Dance Exponents spring to mind. But none is better than the darlings of the distinctive Dunedin sound, The Straitjacket Fits. First and foremost, the name sounds undeniably cool. It then hints at complexity and layers which is exactly what the band was like. An infinitely better name than their original stage moniker which was The Double Happys. Also hail from the best named recording label of all time in Flying Nun.

7. The Velvet Underground

Reportedly named after a book about the sexual underground of the 1960’s, the Velvet Underground is an artistic name from this Andy Warhol managed band. It is also supposed to evoke images of underground cinema. Virtually unknown in their time, they were an incredibly influential band in no small part thanks to their arresting name. Brian Eno once noted that not many people heard early Velvet Underground albums, but those that did formed their own bands.

6. AC/DC

What a great name for a band. Rock and roll is electric. AC DC stands for alternating current / direct current which indicates an electrical device can use either type of power. According to Wikipedia, the Young brothers saw the term AC/DC on the back of a sewing machine and thought the definition fitted with their raw power and electric stage shows. Millions of albums and t-shirts later, and the band are still going with that same famous moniker. The slash is often replaced by a streak of lightning for effect. Note that religious leaders have claimed that it likely stands for Anti-Christ/Devil’s Children. Whatever. Fellow 70’s heavy metal act Iron Maiden also should receive commendation for their choice named after a medieval torture device.

5. Guns N’ Roses

Like a great racehorse, this terrific band name emanated from the conjunction of its parents. Guns N’ Roses was the result when members of “Hollywood Rose” combined with those of the “LA Guns”. I guess the name “LA Hollywood” didn’t really set the heart racing, but Guns n Roses certainly did. The name is a brilliant composition and surely a contributor to their huge success worldwide.

4. Primal Scream

A great name, Primal Scream is named after a cry heard in Janovian psychotherapy, a form of scream therapy. Each word is quite powerful in its own right and the combination is downright dangerous.

3. Massive Attack

It was quite noticeable in my research that electronica / dance music bands are a lot more creative in their names. Bands such as Thievery Corporation, The Chemical Brothers or Groove Armada all have great names, but the best of the bunch in your correspondents humble opinion is Massive Attack. Like Primal Scream above it’s a combination of two great sounding words to give an even more powerful combination.

2. The Psychedelic Furs

A great band name which so nearly wasn’t. This post-punk band which starred in the early 80’s with such songs as “Pretty In Pink” originally toured under the bland name of “The Europeans”. Yawn. Fortunately they opted for a much better name in The Psychedelic Furs which is both incomprehensible yet simultaneously very eye-catching.

1. Rage Against The Machine

After all the research and study, I ended up where I started. I simply cant find a better band name than Rage Against The Machine. Focusing the angst and ‘rage’ of rock and roll’s core audience towards the implacable corporate/government machine set against it. Looks great on a T-Shirt and even better asking for it in a CD store. The band walk the walk as well with several great politically motivated songs which are generally critical of US Government domestic or foreign policy. So much better than their original name of Lock Up!

And as a bonus, two of the best band names of all time were probably ones given to artists make believe bands. Two which would easily have made the list :

Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars – David Bowie

Got a different opinion? Think of a better band name? Leave a comment or send me an email here.


Reader Feedback

Last months Top Ten list featuring the Top Ten TV Themes received a lot of feedback. Several were aghast at my selections but there was reasonably universal agreement about the names at the top of the list. Notable omissions according to my readership were :


1. The Wombles – watch here

How could I have forgotten this one! Perhaps the only one of the suggestions that I regret not including. Still hummable 30 years after being produced, the Wombles of Wimbledon will be remembered for more than just Great Uncle Bulgaria. If you only watch one clip, watch this one.

2. Taxi – watch here

Similar to Hill Street Blues, this piano based piece is extremely memorable and very emblematic of the show. And who can forget the postscript of the TV executive leaving for the day. “Good night Mr. Walters. Unnnn-errrr.” High quality.

3. Brady Brunch – watch here

Similar to the Beverly Hillbillies in that it outlined the plot premise of the entire show in the TV theme song. Was coupled with one of the most original opening montages in television history as well. Not sure if it is a great theme song or just one of those annoying tunes you cant get out of your head (like Puff The Magic Dragon) !

4. The A-Team – watch here

Mentioned by more than one respondent, the A-Team does have quite a memorable theme song even if the show has dated quite quickly (except you BA Baracus!)

5. MacGyver – watch here

A typical 80’s TV theme show. Similar to the A-Team theme in a lot of respects.

6. Dr Who – watch here

Perhaps no theme song in the history of television is as distinctive as that of Dr Who. An unearthly piece of music introduced this otherworldly show. It was and is instantly recognisable.

7. X-Files – watch here

Similar to the above in that the theme music was very much in line with the content of the show. Not as memorable as Dr Who, but still quite notable.

8. Six Feet Under – watch here

Am not familiar with this show but evidently has a great theme song as more than one reader nominated it.

9. Magnum PI – watch here

Another classic 80’s TV theme song with its distinctive, dah-dah-dah-duh.

10. The Love Boat – watch here

This was a terrific theme song which was extremely synonymous with the general feeling the show portrayed.


Thats all for this month. Dont forget to email me if you have a comment or criticism or would like to get email notification of future updates.

March 2008

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 6

Album of the Month

American Music Club : The Golden Age

All great art has multiple layers. The genius of Shakespeare is that it entertained the masses of Elizabethan Britain and yet its intricacies remain studied to this day by scholars around the world. Books have been written about Mona Lisa. Who was she, why is she smiling, what happened to her eyebrows? Great art thus satisfies us on numerous levels. The album of the month, The Golden Age by American Music Club, is an example of music as art; it is filled with layers of meaning and enjoyment.

American Music Club was founded in 1983 and is led by singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel. They have recorded nine albums in this time, mixing a wide range of American musical styles, but predominately releasing poignant, quiet and bittersweet compositions ruminating on lifes challenges and inspirations. They argurably reached a pinnacle of fame with two albums in the early 1990’s in Everclear (1991) and Mercury(1993). Since then, they have recorded spasmodically, not helped by Eitzel’s problem with heavy drinking. They had arguably been overtaken by other practictioners of the quiet, introspective singer songwriter genre such as Elliott Smith and The Eels.

However, they have returned to their former heights with an exceptionally agreeable release this year in The Golden Age. It is a wonderful album, quietly working its way into your good graces. It can be listened to at a very superficial level as a likeable example of warm and captivating background music. But it simultaneously demands greater attention to its thoughtful lyrics and underlying themes.

The song Window to World ably demonstrates its multi-level charms. It is set in a bar atop the World Trade Centre but the song moves through its character observations without addressing the impending doom hanging in the background. Is he referring to the fact that we all sit under an inevitable death sentence, or simply that we must enjoy life’s pleasures since the unknowable Black Swan event may be upon us all too soon.

I similarly enjoyed Who You Are, One Step Ahead and Decibels And The Little Pills which each have their own undercurrents of wry social observations combined with questions directed towards your soul. But none of the songs are boring, and many reveal additional depth upon repeated listens.

In todays disposable pop culture, tis rare an album where an artist demands to be listened to, not only because the experience is pleasurable, but because he actually has something to say.

Hear samples or buy CD here:


Best Track : One Step Ahead

Listen To If You Like :

Jeff Buckley
Nick Cave

If You Like This Try :

Brendan Benson………..….Lapalco
Nick Drake………......……Pink Moon
The Eels……………….......Beautiful Freak
Grant Lee Buffalo……....Fuzzy
Elliott Smith………........Either/Or


Essential Classic Album

Derek & The Dominoes : Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)


It was Robert Johnson, one of the blues forefathers, who sketched out the essence of the blues in a track called Preachin' Blues.


The blues is a low-down achin' heart disease
Like consumption killing me by degrees

The blues, at is purest, is the soundtrack to pain and suffering. White artists who loved the blues struggled to capture its authenticity as they hadnt suffered true heartache or depression. One shining exception however is Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and The Dominoes. It is without doubt, the finest ‘white’ blues album of all time, and a fascinating glimpse into a tormented soul.

Eric Clapton was an avid, almost maniacal blues fan. He once claimed not to want to talk to any fellow musician if they had not heard of the aforementioned Robert Johnson. At 18, his axemanship was already legendary and he played in a succession of great 60s’ white blues bands including the Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream and Blind Faith. It was following this in 1970 that he had the misfortune to fall in love with a certain Patti Boyd. Unfortunately Patti was, at the time, married to his best friend, former Beatle George Martin.

We can only begin to speculate on how this affected him but while this must have been excruciating for Clapton, it resulted in the production of perhaps his finest record. In association with an all-star band including Duane Allman, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a passionate public outpouring of Clapton’s love for an unobtainable woman. Mixing several original compositions with some traditional blues standards, a white musician was finally able to give the blues the correct treatment. Indeed, perhaps the most solemn moment is his painful rendition of Freddy King's blues standard Have You Ever Loved A Women, a song he could surely have written himself given how apt the lyrics are:

Have you ever loved a woman
So much that you tremble in pain
Knowing all the time yeah
That she bears another mans name

The title track is obviously known to everyone and a contender for greatest rock song of all time. But the album is far more than a one hit wonder. My favourite track is Nobody Knows You When You’re Down. Starting with a classic blues guitar chord, it descends into an outpouring of emotion from a tormented soul. On the record goes, mixing some traditional slow blues with other more uptempo compositions. So while it remains a reminder of the torment suffered by the protaganist it also is a time capsule of a great era in British music highlighting the development of blues that had been undertaken by the new generation of artists. If you arent a blues fan, this might be the record to start your love of this emotionally rich music.

Hear samples or buy CD here :

Best Track :
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down

If You Like This Try :
Cream……........……Fresh Cream
John Mayall….…..….Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton
Them…….............Them Featuring Van Morrison


Nevstar Top Ten

Compiling a list of top movie soundtracks last month led me to think about that other audio-visual medium. The humble television has been around for over 60 years and in that time, tens of thousands of shows have been introduced by a short snippet of music. But which snippets are the best ? Compiling a list proved harder than I expected. My criteria was that I automatically excluded songs which were hit songs in their own right which straight away eliminated Friends (The Rembrandts, I’ll Be There For You), That 70’s Show (Big Star, In The Streets) and CSI (The Who, Wont Get Fooled Again). No, we are looking at original compositions that are instantly recognisable and familiar to all those who watched. So, in reverse order to help build suspense, here are my thoughts on :

Top Ten Television Theme Songs Of All Time

10. The Flintstones : watch
I felt I had to include one cartoon series. I lingered over The Simpsons, briefly comtemplated Hong Kong Phoeey (No. 1 Super Guy!), but ultimately felt that The Flintsone’s Meet The Flintstones had it all. With an iconic ‘Yabba Dabba Do’, the show kicks off with a 22-man jazz band and five singers playing and singing to a montage of Fred heading home from work before taking the family to a drive-in movie. Unforgettable, timeless, and perfectly representative of the shows charm. Parodied absolutely brilliantly in one of the best ever Simpsons episodes, Marge v The Monorail.

9. Auf Wiedersehen Pet : listen
Perhaps not as well known as some of the others but Auf Wiedersehen Pet features not one but TWO great songs to bookend this fantastic BBC drama. The opening credits are set to “Breaking Away” and highlights the plight of blue collar workers trying to escape the rigours of Margaret Thatchers Britain. The closing credits of “That’s Livin All Right” are more upbeat and celebrate the joys of working class living. The latter was so popular that it made it to number three in the UK pop charts. Both songs were written and performed by Joe Fagin. See more details here http://www.aufpet.com/music.htm

8. The Muppet Show : watch
“Its time to play the music, its time to light the lights”. An irresistible opening stanza remisicent of the big stageshow showtime extravaganzas which the lovable Muppets dreamed of but never quite produced. Every epsiode started with so much hope, but soon descends into adorable carnage with Kermit a beacon of respectability forlornly trying to maintain a semblance of professionalism.

7. Dallas : watch
Its harder to be memorable without lyrics to sing along to but the Dallas theme song is pretty hard to forget. A big, bold and brassy theme song capturing the essence of a big, bold brassy show. Unforgettable opening montage is brilliantly accompanied by this bold show stopper of a theme song.

6. Bonanza : watch
Perhaps the first TV theme show I can remember and one I don’t think I will ever forget. Dun da dun dun da dun da dun dun dun dah dah ! Captures the wide open spirit of frontier land and evokes a thousand images of the hardened heroes of the praire rolling into town.

5. The Greatest American Hero : watch
It was a monster smash song which accompanied this reluctant superhero’s expoits. A great piece of 80’s music which is tailor made for singing loudly late at night. Notable for having two verses such was the strength of the intro.

4. The Beverly Hillbillies : watch
A great, simply great TV theme song. Somehow mixes in the original plot premise (this is story of a man named Jed), with a character summary (poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed), a reference to the shows title (loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Hills that is) sung in an authentic hillbilly spirit. Brilliant. The show was to be introduced with a generic bluegrass instrumental but in post-production, the theme song we know and love was added. Notable for having a different closing theme song which was also catchy and funny. “Y’all come back now y’hear.”

3. Hill Street Blues : watch
A groundbreaking TV show had a groundbreaking theme song. I think this is an irresistible piece of music and a brilliant entrée to a great show. The music has perhaps endured as well as the show which is really saying something. Those opening piano notes are hypnotic.

2. MASH : watch
Originally a piece accompanied by lyrics in the Robert Altman movie of the same name, the TV introduction dropped the lyrics which possibly made it into a more appropriate TV theme song (not many TV execs want a show introduced by the lyric ‘suicide is painless’ !). The first shot of Radar looking up at the choppers as the music starts is one of the great opening shots in the history of television. In an alternative universe, probably couldve been No.1.

But the Number 1, TV theme song of All Time is :

1. Cheers : watch
Ultimately, after much soul-searching I settled on Cheers as the best TV theme song of all time. The name of the song is “Where Everyone Knows Your Name” and it was penned by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo. It is possibly the perfect TV theme song. It is instantly recognisable. It is catchy, simple and enduring. It makes you want to sit down and visit Cheers and as such is perfectly representative of the show. It is a snapshot of simpler times that we all secretly yearn for. As such I think it is the best TV theme song of all time.


And so, let the debate begin. Got some different ideas on best TV theme shows? Leave a comment below or email me, and can highlight some of them in the next epiosde. Goodness knows it was hard enough narrowing it down to ten. How can I have left off WKRP in Cincinnati !


Reader Feedback

Last months Top Ten list featuring the Top Ten Movie Soundtracks of All Time generated quite a bit of heated debate and vitrolic commentary. Seems some were bemused to the point of indignation that someone with a Y chromosome could construct a list featuring Dirty Dancing AND The Sound Of Music! That aside, had some great feedback and quite a few readers added their own favourites. Some notable ones were :


1. Forrest Gump
Perhaps the most egregious omission from the list was the fantastic double album that accompanied Forrest Gump’s personal progress through and in American History. It easily and beautifully captures the evolution of American music from Elvis Presley through to Bob Seger.

2. Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
Although mentioned in last month’s guide, this deserves its own recognition as a stunning soundtrack. Iggy’s I Wanna Be Your Dog is a notable highlight and its notable how easily songs my artists as diverse as James Brown and Robbie Williams sit alongside each other.

3. Grosse Point Blank
One that never crossed my mind, but on reflection is right up there. A great collection of songs from bands like The Clash, Specials and Violent Femmes played throughout this terrific John Cusack comedy hit. See track list here.

4. West Side Story
West Side Story is an extremely popular and enduring soundtrack to a similarly popular and enduring movie. It spent a phenomenal 54 weeks at #1 on the US album charts which is believed to be a record. Gee Office Krupke! I have blanked out all knowledge of it due to prolonged and repeated exposure to it as a child.

5. O Brother Where Art Thou
This extremely original Coen Brothers film features a great soundtrack which is emblematic of Depression era American folk music. However the songs are original efforts with old timey feeling from contemporary artists such as Alison Knauss and Gillian Welch. It subsequently won a Grammy for Album of the Year.

6. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
A reader, who shall remain nameless, suggested that this soundtrack was far superior to Dirty Dancing. The score did win the 1970 Academy Award for best music and best song for the familiar Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach which went to No.1 in the US in Jan 1970. I stand by my original picks but taste is subjective. (There you go Dad, are you happy now?)

Thats all for next month. See you in April with some more great music and trivia. Email me here to receive email updates of future posts.

Nevstar