I inherited this album from Jamie.
I’ve never seen the film, nor does it interest me in ever seeing it. I’m sure it’s a good film but it’s not one that appeals to me.
The soundtrack is a compilation of soul classics, none of which appeal to me.
Why I still have it in my collection is beyond me.
Cocktail from Lebanon – Various Artists
Now I’m not entirely sure that this is the name of this album. Nor am I entirely sure that the artists named are actually the artists. See, the thing is, I downloaded this album when I was looking for some Azar Habib and all the files were tagged in Arabic letters.
Back in the early noughties I discovered Flash Animutation. This was a phenomena that took the underground of the web by storm. It was long before the appearance of Facebook and Twitter and when the internet was a fun place to be rather than a chore. Animutation is where clip art was mashed and animated by artists using Macromedia Flash, often to music and nearly always to foreign music.
One such animutation film, often touted as one of the first, was Hatten ar Din. The song, originally performed by Azar Habib, had been retranslated from Lebanese to Swedish to English and animated accordingly. The results are amusing.
At the time I was going through a Middle Eastern phase. I saw the possibility of the West embracing and absorbing Middle Eastern culture peacefully into its own. Of course, that never happened but I enjoyed eating kebabs, listening to Middle Eastern music and visiting Lebanese restaurants. This is why I have a Lebanese album in my collection.
Lebanese music is different to Western music on many levels. While some sects of Islam forbid music especially instrumental music (which is seen as Haram) there exists a rich tapestry of musical tradition from the regions where Islamic tradition is not as strict. Persian, Jewish, Lebanese and Arabic music is quite relaxing while also exciting and captivating. This album provides a good snapshot of traditional music from the region.
Club for Heroes – Various ArtistsBack in the early nineties, CD’s started to rise to prominence and with them came an increase in compilations. This is possibly the first compilation I bought rather than made myself using recordings from vinyl or cassette.
Classical Chillout – Various ArtistsAnd so I am now near the end of the week of compilations. Sometimes you get a week with a nice mix of artists, other times you get a week of crap. Sorry. That’s just the way it goes.
Today we have Classical Chillout. It seems that in the late nineties/early noughties there was a massive demand for Chillout. No idea why. It wasn’t exactly a stressful time. I guess it was just people liked to chillout. Possibly with drugs. Maybe with a bath. Whatever floats your boat.
Baths usually.
Anyway, today is Classical Chillout. A nice mix of classical music and modern chillout, which, if anything, I approve of, purely for the inclusion of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Fauré’s In Paradisum and Cantique de Jean Racine. Which is why it is in my collection; I was looking for songs I used to sing when I was in Bishop Eton church choir.
| – Barber* | Adagio For Strings | 9:31 |
| –Satie* | Gymnopédie No. 1 | 3:12 |
| –Jenkins* | Adiemus | 3:57 |
| –Sakamoto* | Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence | 4:46 |
| –Puccini* | O Mio Babbino Caro | 2:03 |
| –Albinoni* | Adagio | 5:48 |
| –Beethoven* | Figlio Perduto | 4:37 |
| –Pärt* | Spiegel Im Spiegel | 4:00 |
| –Delibes* | Flower Duet (Lakmé) | 3:26 |
| –Nyman* | The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise | 3:11 |
| –Fauré* | Cantique De Jean Racine | 5:44 |
| –Ungar* & Mason* | The Ashokan Farewell | 5:06 |
| –Debussy* | Clair De Lune | 4:54 |
| –Allegri* | Misere Mei, Deus (vv 1-4, 17-20) | 5:44 |
| –Horner* | My Heart Will Go On | 4:19 |
| –Jeffes* | Perpetuum Mobile | 4:28 |
| –J. S. Bach* | Concerto For Violin & Oboe In D Minor (BWV 1060 – II: Adagio) | 5:52 |
| –Górecki* | Symphony No. 3 ‘Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs’ (II: Lento E Largo – Tanquillissimo) (extract) | 4:27 |
| –Vaughan Williams* | The Lark Ascending (Opening) | 6:21 |
| –Satie* | Gnossienne No. 1 | 3:23 |
| –Reich* | Nagoya Marimbas | 4:51 |
| –Bruch* | Violin Concerto No. 1 In G Minor (Op. 26 II: Adagio) (Opening) | 4:21 |
| –Tavener* | Song For Athene | 6:08 |
| –Morricone* | Gabriel’s Oboe | 2:11 |
| –Armstrong* / Del Naja* / Vowles* / Marshall* | Weather Storm | 6:02 |
| –Morricone* | Chi Mai | 5:04 |
| –Fauré* | In Paradisum | 3:25 |
| –Catalani* | Ebben? Ne Andrò Lontana (La Wally) | 4:49 |
| –Vivaldi* | Winter (The Four Seasons – II: Largo) | 2:29 |
| –J. S. Bach* | Piano Concerto No. 5 In F Minor (BWV 1056 – II: Largo) | 3:24 |
| –Mozart* | Ave Verum Corpus | 3:22 |
Classic rock: 1986 – Various ArtistsThe last in the Time Life trilogy. 1986, that year renown for hair, rock, drugs, more hair, more stadia and yet more hair. With a bit of rock.
But lo! See the track list. Yet again our compiler has been at the stig bin in the bargain section of Woolworths once more and has managed to surpass the previous compilations with another atrocious selection.
| 1-1 | –Georgia Satellites, The | Battleship Chains | |
| 1-2 | –Meat Loaf And John Parr | Rock ‘N’ Roll Mercenaries | |
| 1-3 | –ZZ Top | Velcro Fly | |
| 1-4 | –Big Country | Look Away | |
| 1-5 | –Europe (2) | Rock The Night | |
| 1-6 | –Cinderella (3) | Night Songs | |
| 1-7 | –Billy Idol | To Be A Lover | |
| 1-8 | –Pretenders, The | Don’t Get Me Wrong | |
| 1-9 | –Robert Palmer | I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On | |
| 1-10 | –Ultravox | All Fall Down | |
| 1-11 | –Kate Bush | Hounds Of Love | |
| 1-12 | –Mr. Mister | Broken Wings | |
| 1-13 | –Talking Heads | And She Was | |
| 1-14 | –Steve Winwood | Higher Love | |
| 1-15 | –Eurythmics | When Tomorrow Comes | |
| 2-1 | –Daryl Hall | Dreamtime | |
| 2-2 | –Psychedelic Furs, The | Pretty In Pink (Film Version) | |
| 2-3 | –Tina Turner | Typical Male | |
| 2-4 | –Peter Cetera | Glory Of Love | |
| 2-5 | –David Lee Roth | Yankee Rose | |
| 2-6 | –Fabulous Thunderbirds, The | Tuff Enuff | |
| 2-7 | –Robert Cray Band, The | Smoking Gun | |
| 2-8 | –Stevie Ray Vaughan | Superstition – Live | |
| 2-9 | –Alice Cooper (2) | He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask) | |
| 2-10 | –Great White | Shot In The Dark | |
| 2-11 | –Poison (3) | Talk Dirty To Me | |
| 2-12 | –W.A.S.P. | Wild Child | |
| 2-13 | –Y&T* | All American Boy | |
| 2-14 | –Status Quo | In The Army Now | |
| 2-15 | –Julian Cope | World Shut Your Mouth |
Classic rock: 1984-1985 – Various ArtistsThe next three entries follow a similar pattern. That’s because the next three entries are very similar compilations. I could spare you the time but I’m cruel like that and I put the effort in to listen to these albums so it’s only fair.
The first in our trilogy of Classic Rock:198x – Time Life compilations is for the range 1984-1985, a glorious period in music, rich in a variety of hair, guitars and stadia. So it’s curious as to why the compiler chose the songs they did. I suspect that the compiler for Classic Rock: Symphonic Rock, which is also a Time Life compilation, worked on the same project.
Seriously that guy needs to broaden his music tastes.
| 1-1 | –Billy Idol | Rebel Yell | |
| 1-2 | –ZZ Top | Legs | |
| 1-3 | –David Lee Roth | California Girls | |
| 1-4 | –Huey Lewis & The News | The Power Of Love | |
| 1-5 | –Pat Benatar | Love Is A Battlefield | |
| 1-6 | –Eurythmics | Here Comes The Rain Again | |
| 1-7 | –Waterboys | Whole Of The Moon | |
| 1-8 | –Kate Bush | Running Up The Hill | |
| 1-9 | –Jon & Vangelis | State Of Independence | |
| 1-10 | –Marillion | Kayleigh | |
| 1-11 | –John Waite | Missing You | |
| 1-12 | –Rick Springfield | Jessie’s Girl | |
| 1-13 | –Glenn Frey | The Heat Is On | |
| 1-14 | –Starship | We Built This City | |
| 1-15 | –Tears For Fears | Shout | |
| 2-1 | –Meat Loaf | Modern Girl | |
| 2-2 | –Bonnie Tyler | Holding Out For A Hero | |
| 2-3 | –Talking Heads | Road To Nowhere | |
| 2-4 | –Talk Talk | It’s My Life | |
| 2-5 | –Dio (2) | Rock ‘N’ Roll Children | |
| 2-6 | –Deep Purple | Perfect Strangers | |
| 2-7 | –George Thorogood & The Destroyers | Willie & The Hand Jive | |
| 2-8 | –Los Lobos | Don’t Worry Baby | |
| 2-9 | –Bette Midler | Beast Of Burden | |
| 2-10 | –Nils Lofgren | Secrets In The Street | |
| 2-11 | –Cars* | Drive | |
| 2-12 | –Foreigner | I Want To Know What Love Is | |
| 2-13 | –REO Speedwagon | Can’t Fight This Feeling | |
| 2-14 | –Chris Rea | Stainsby Girls | |
| 2-15 | –Far Corporation | Stairway To Heaven |
Classic Rock: Symphonic Rock – Various ArtistsThis is another compilation where the core idea works but the choices of tracks don’t.
Curiously, it appears that 70% of the artists featured on the album have previously featured on this project, so if you’ve missed those entries you’ll find that the links take you to those articles.
Anyway, Classic Rock: Symphonic Rock has a relatively good mix of tunes really but not ones I’d have chosen to highlight how rock can be symphonic. It’s a little too…. “twee”…for my liking. There are far better bands that could have featured on this compilation. There’s no Queensryche. No Meatloaf. The Yes option is pretty much mundane and the inclusion of Clannad, of all bands, confuses me no end. Clannad are not what I’d call rock for a start.
| 1-01 | –Vangelis | Pulsar | |
| 1-02 | –Sky | Toccata | |
| 1-03 | –Hawkwind | Urban Guerilla | |
| 1-04 | –Focus | P’s March | |
| 1-05 | –Electra | Scheidungstag | |
| 1-06 | –Gentle Giant | The Advent Of Panurge | |
| 1-07 | –Triumvirat | A Day In The Life | |
| 1-08 | –Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe | Brother Of Mine | |
| 1-09 | –Roger Waters | The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range | |
| 1-10 | –Procol Harum | A Salty Dog | |
| 1-11 | –Mike Batt | Losing Your Way In The Rain | |
| 1-12 | –Clannad | Sirius | |
| 1-13 | –Jon Lord | Aria | |
| 1-14 | –Barclay James Harvest | Child Of The Universe | |
| 1-15 | –Jon & Vangelis | So Long Ago, So Clear | |
| 2-01 | –Mike Oldfield | Sentinel | |
| 2-02 | –Moody Blues* | The Story In Your Eyes | |
| 2-03 | –Rick Wakeman | Catherine Howard | |
| 2-04 | –Electric Light Orchestra | Standin’ In The Rain | |
| 2-05 | –Alan Parsons Project, The | Damned If I Do | |
| 2-06 | –Herd | From The Underworld | |
| 2-07 | –Jethro Tull | Aqualung | |
| 2-08 | –Gong | Ard Na Greine | |
| 2-09 | –Vanilla Fudge | You Keep Me Hanging On | |
| 2-10 | –Ekseption | 5th Of Beethoven | |
| 2-11 | –Aphrodite’s Child | It’s Five O’Clock | |
| 2-12 | –Strawbs | Autumn | |
| 2-13 | –Camel | Tell Me | |
| 2-14 | –Genesis | The Silent Sun | |
| 2-15 | –Yes | Heart Of The Sunrise |
Cigarettes and Alcohol: Volume 2 – Various ArtistsCompilations like this give compilations like this a bad name.
Think of a barrel. Imagine the bottom of the barrel. Scrape the barrel. Mentally dig right through the wood at the bottom of the barrel with your bare hands. Imagine the sound of your nails splintering through the wood. Read the rest of this entry »
The Chillout Room Volume 2 – Various ArtistsEnough people must have bought The Chillout Room to warrant a second volume of chill out choons and chonging. Perhaps it’s the way that chill-out is synonymous, to me, with mental images of my contemporaries jetting off to Ibiza to get wasted in horrific nightclubs and catching some sort of STD from I think her name might have been Sharon.
Of course that is not to say I don’t like the genre. I do, it’s just that it’s tainted by the reminder that there were more confident people who were my age that went on holiday abroad in their early twenties while I ended up going camping in Wales if I was lucky.
This compilation has artists like Smoke City, Groove Armada, Talvin Singh and Moby. The usual “missed the Chillout boat” artists are there but most of the songs are forgettable. But then maybe that’s the idea…..
Castlefest 2011 – Various ArtistsIf you didn’t already know, Castlefest is a mediaeval fantasy festival held annually in the Netherlands. I’ve wanted to go for years. We don’t have stuff like Castlefest in the UK., though I suppose the closest thing to Castlefest in the UK is Fellfoot Woods which I’d also like to go to one day. However, I’m now getting old and festivals equate to the darkest recesses of horror. It’s also in the Netherlands and that’s miles away. So it’s very unlikely that it will become a reality.
A number of artists appearing in this music project have also appeared at Castlefest; Sieben, Faun, Omnia to name but a few. This album is a selection of songs from the line up at the 2011 Castlefest including:
Song title: |
Artist: |
| Free | Omnia |
| Fjarilar | Leaf |
| We Wait For Them | Sieben |
| Oberon Und Titania | Omdulo |
| Jan Mijne Man | Nuraghi |
| Los Ojos de la Mora | Irfan |
| Linaun Dance | Iliana |
| Jigtime | Kelten Zonder Grenzen |
| De Mundi Statu | Corvus Corax |
| Judged By | Euzen |
| Hymn to Pan | Faun |
| Roots | Aero Fragment |
| Grone Lunden | Omnia Poetree |
| Sjon | Valravn |
| Horizon | Vic Anselmo |
| Berliner Pflanze | Berlinskibeat |
Capital Gold: Legends (Volume 1) – Various ArtistsSeems like there was a time when all that was available was compilations. Compilations compiled by this person, compilations compiled by that person. In this case, the compilation has been compiled by Capital Gold radio. These are legendary songs.
Although I wouldn’t really call any of them “legendary”. They’re pretty much run of the mill and there are many more superior tracks available from the artists that appear on the track listing. Still, it’s ok if you’re having a light soiree at home or entertaining people in their 60s.
Another one for the recycling bin. Available in stig bins everywhere.
Call on the Dark – Various ArtistsI think it’s probably best that I warn you in advance. When I get to “G” there will be a whole load of compilation albums similar to this resulting from my search into gothic music. If you read regularly you’ll already know of that search.
Call on the Dark is a compilation album. No idea where I got it from but it’s more than likely I downloaded it because it has a track by Fields of the Nephilim. Anyway, the compilation consists of the following:
Nephilim aside, there’s nothing much to like about this compilation. I suppose I keep these kind of things just incase I find something I like but 8 years on, I still haven’t.
Buddha Bar III by RavinImagine being all postmillennial and second wave world music was doing the rounds. Imagine a time where you are embracing different cultures in a pre-911 world; searching out the next new sound from our global library.
British Music Hall Memories – Various ArtistsPeople say that pop stars today have no regard for decency or the effect they’ll have on the youth. Similarly, people say that music these days is a load of shite. The same people say that songs today have too many sexual connotations and nothing in the way of political vitriol or appeasement of folk culture.
Big Lebowski (Original Soundtrack) – Various ArtistsThe Big Lebowski is a film dear to me. If you’ve never seen it, it tells the story of a relaxed gentleman who has a problem with a rug that really sets off his room.
The stunning visuals and gripping script is only enhanced by the magic of the carefully put together soundtrack. Standing alone, the soundtrack is powerful in itself but you really need to see the film to feel how it is all significant.
The soundtrack features artists like Bob Dylan (meh), Captain Beefheart, Kenny Rogers and Gipsy Kings. If you’ve not seen the film, see it.
The Best of Gothic Rock- Various Artists
Only it’s not.
It’s not what I’d class as “Gothic” anyway. At least with my modern more refined ears. Instead I would call these two compilations “The Best of Big Boobed Operatic Singers Accompanying Euro Goth Metal Bands” .
Both albums contain a nice introduction to bands such as Nightwish, Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil. Ideal music for a middle aged wanna be goth to indulge in, reinvent themselves and annoy the wife with.
As we will see, these albums had a profound influence on my own musical tastes and we will be seeing a few of the bands featured, multiple times over the course of this project.
Track listing as follows:
Volume 2 =
1. Within Temptation – Mother Earth
2. Nightwish – Bless The Child
3. Beseech – Illusionate
4. Trail of Tears – Liquid View
5. Lacuna Coil – Swamped
6. Therion – Ljusalfheim
7. Myriads – The Sanctum Of My Soul
8. Flowing Tears – Serpentine
9. Within Temptation – Deceiver of Fools
10. Moonspell – Nocturna
11. Sentenced – Guilt and Regret
12. Divercia – Everlasting
13. After Forever – Monolith of Doubt
14. Tristinia – Tender Trip on Earth
15. Sirenia – Sister Nightfall
Volume 3 =
1 The Rasmus – In the Shadows 4:16
2 Within Temptation – Running Up That Hill 3:57
3 Epica – The Phantom Agony 9:00
4 Nightwish – End of All Hope 3:54
5 After Forever – Intrinsick 6:52
6 Tristania – A Sequel of Decay 6:31
7 Apocalyptica feat Nina Hagen – Seemann 4:00
8 Tarot – Pyre of Gods 4:34
9 Sonata Arctica – Victoria’s Secret 4:43
10 Sirenia – At Sixes and Sevens 6:44
11 Therion – Enter Vril-Ya 6:37
12 Penumbra – The Last Bewitchment 5:10
13 My Dying Bride – My Hope, My Destroyer 6:47
14 Autumn – Along Ethereal Levels 4:05
The Best of Depeche Mode Covers – Various Artists
And so we arrive at the first of many downloaded “amatuer compilations”. The Best of Depeche Mode Covers appeared on Usenet sometime in 2012 just toward the end of my access to fast broadband.
It appears that there are many cover versions of Depeche Mode songs. From Rammstein all the way through to Nina Hagen, the bands that have at some point been influenced by DM have paid tribute by recording a cover version.
This particular compilation is a fan based one and, and I’ve always wanted to say this, is not available in the shops. However, I’ll pop the track list here so you can maybe try compiling it yourself.
1 Personal Jesus – Marilyn Manson
2 I Feel You – Placebo
3 Stripped – Rammstein
4 Enjoy the Silence – Tori Amos
5 Master and Servant – Nouvelle Vague
6 Shake The Disease – Hooverphonic
7 Dream On – Scala & Kolacny Brothers
8 I Just Cant Get Enough – Nouvelle Vague
9 Policy of Truth – Automob
10 Black Celebration – Galaxy Hunter
11 It’s No Good – Orphans Of Infamy
12 Behind the wheel – Topazz
13 It’s No Good – Saga Nordanstahl
14 Behind The Wheel – Pain
15 Shake the Disease – Odyssey
16 Personal Jesus – Nina Hagen
17 Freelove – Blank & Jones
18 Enjoy The Silence – Scala And Kolacny Brothers
19 See You – Flunk
20 Precious – Anam (Feat. Mary F)
The Best of & The Rest of British Psychedelia – Various Artists
It was obvious from the out set that the compiler of this compilation thinks that psychedelia has to either sound like Village Green Preservation Society by the Kinks or like it should be played in some new town like Reading or Milton Keynes with lots of young people expressing themselves through dress and dance.
It seems also that to pass as psychedelia, both the lyrics and the band name has to be slightly odd and quirky. This compilation has the following:
1 Morning Morgan Town – Jude
2 Keep Hold of What You’ve Got – The Shots
3 Shirley – Cliff Wade
4 House of Many Windows – Motherlight (sounds a bit like Genesis meets Marillion)
5 Peru – Chimera (Should be a theme tune for some Youthwave devil worship film from 1970, possibly starring Beryl Reid)
6 Saga of a Wrinkled Man – Fortes Mentum
7 Baby You’ve Gotta Stay – Angel Pavement
(Track 8 is Missing)
9 Laura’s Garden – Orange Bicycle
10 It Never Stays The Same – Bob Grimm
11 All Of My Life – Pussy
12 Green Mello Hill – Magic Worms
13 Leilla – Chiitra Neogy
14 Look At Me I’ve Fallen Into A Teapot – Cliff Wade
Never heard of any of them. Nice as non-distracting background music…
The Best Indie Anthems – Various Artists
This compilation starts off well. Opening with Radiohead’s High and Dry, Catatonia’s Road Rage and the odd gem from atypical nineties/noughties inde bands.
But then about the twentieth track, it appears that the compiler has given up and opted just to put twenty songs that happened to be on the radio as he or she was compiling the album. The theme to the box office flop Lost in Space for example. Hardly indie.
It’s like when you go into a pub and ask for a pint of real ale. The landlord or barman fetches you a pint of something like Greene King or something from Shepherds Neame or Adnams. Yes, way back in the dusty mists of time when our pubs had mainstream beers like Tetley, John Smiths and Trophy, such treats might have seemed like real ale. But in today’s environment this is not the case. Greene King et al are now just as bad as the Tetleys and Scottish Newcastles of the day.
Indeed such logic can be applied to the Indie genre of music. The majority of artists that try to pass themselves off as Indie are as mainstream as Sony and Virgin Records and have no true claim to the indie crown. Blur for example. They’re so mainstream they’re akin to the M1.
Shame really. I had high hopes for this album.
The Best Anthems in the World…Ever – Various Artists
This compilation does for Indie and the noughties what The Best Air Guitar Album in the World did for rock. Here we find songs and bands from the late nineties and early noughties which became the soundtrack to New Labour Britain.
Some of the artists, Chumbawumba for example, are one hit wonders while others such as Blur and Reef stride the boundaries of indie and rock like Duran Duran and Simple Minds connect us to the eighties.
However, after the first 10 songs or so we enter into forgettable tracks. It’s almost as if the compiler has struggled to fill the 41 track compilation with similarly rememberable songsmiths. Still, it’s good car music, for those long journeys where arguments over what should be played are rife.
The Beach (Soundtrack) – Various Artists
After surviving a fate worse than marrying a soggy Kate Winslet and the sinking of a cruise liner, Leonardo Dicaprio swims all the way to Thailand and begins a life of backpacking across Asia.
During his adventures, some drunken sop tells him, in whispered tones, about a beach so beautiful it will melt your brain.
So begins the story of 90’s hedonism and awareness that secrets are best kept to yourself as nobody can be trusted. The film rings true to me especially as how every year people go to my favourite holiday spot, enjoy themselves and tell others to go too. Over the years the area has gone from nice quiet relaxing holiday spot to approaching awful Guardian reading family friendly frightfest.
Only without the drug smuggling, violence and Lord of the Flies inspired committees.
The soundtrack isn’t too bad either. It’s a nice snapshot of the 90’s hedonistic holiday nightclub crap that seemed to flood the radio waves, peoples cars and CD racks of the time. Bands such as Blur, Moby and All Saints feature with summer holiday inspiring tunes to whisk you off to your favourite sandy hot spot with a stylus fall.
Back to Mine: Faithless – Faithless & Various Artists
Back to Mine, is a series of compilations where musicians remix or perform covers of other peoples music. Because rejigging other peoples work is art. Apparently.
Regardless, it’s lucrative isn’t it? What do I know? I’m not a hipster or in with the yoof.
This particular Back to Mine has 90’s Ibiza faves, Faithless, taking Bomb the Bass, Dido and Adamski back to theirs for a good old record playing session. As my first introduction to the Back to Mine series and the fact that out of the 28 volumes, this is the only one that hasn’t been deleted, it shows that Back to Mine: Faithless is probably the best of the lot.
Even if it is just someone elses work played a bit faster or jiggered about by playing someone elses work over it.
Stegzy's Music Project 