Album Review: 20 Flat Out Sounds Like Blue Oyster Cult

Album Review: 20

Flat Out Sounds Like Blue Oyster Cult

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Buck Dharma Flat Out

1982 Portrait Records ARR 38124

***.5

"On the night I was born
They had the radio on
The countdown survey
From numbers forty to one
They played number thirteen
Mother was feeling fine
The station kept a rockin'
I was born on number nine"

For those of you who don't know Buck Dharma is the lead singer for Blue Oyster Cult. This solo album could almost be considered a BOC album except it doesn't have the band's symbol on the cover, I haven't checked the musician credits carefully enough to see if any other band members contributed to this album. It totally Rocks. My favorite song from the album is the first track on side one Born to Rock. When I first got this album, I put that song on a mix tape or two, I probably still have those tapes somewhere. As I said this album sounds as though it could be a regular BOC album. The only real surprise of the album is the cover of Come Softly to Me it just doesn't seem to fit well with the other songs, but it is still very good. If you are a fan of Blue Oyster Cult, then you should add this album to your collection. I don't think it has seen the digital light of CD yet and I'm pretty sure the vinyl version is Out of Print.

Note: Since my original reviewing of this album back in 2007 a CD release has been made. I need to find a copy. I think there is a bonus track.

Album Review: 19 Head Over Heels For Paula Abdul

Album Review: 19

Head Over Heels for Paula Abdul

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Paula Abdul – Head Over Heels

1995 Virgin Records 7243 8 40525 2 2

**.5

"Now you tell me since you've been away

There was something you've been dying to say

Yes, I thought you had eyes for me

But I never was quite sure

Might funny that you never called

Ain't it funny now that you're gone

That you say you're in love with me

Now that's hard for me to believe"

A big disappointment. My least favorite Paula Abdul album. it's not bad it just doesn't have anything special to make it memorable. It basically killed her singing career, or at least de-railed it enough before she shifted gears to be a judge for American Idol. What is it with women who marry and then divorce those Sheen/Estévez boys? Other than the opening track Crazy Cool this album's only single, there is nothing that is particularly memorable. One thing is the video for the song is one of her sexiest videos (maybe because of the Pole Dancing), I think Promise Of A New Day is her sexiest video of all time. Track 2 My Love is For Real begins with a Middle East sound. What is up with that? Maybe a concept that went bad. Track 7 The Choice is Yours the lyrics are poorly enunciated at first, I thought she was singing something in French during the chorus. Track 8 Ho Down starts with an old 1920s style muted trumpets sound, which is either simulated to sound like an old vinyl Victrola disc or an authentic old recording, probably the former, and changes with scratching sounds that jumps into modern dance type music.

Album Review: 18 A Duo Of Broadway Babes

Album Review: 18

A Duo of Broadway Babes

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Emily Skinner/Alice Ripley Unsuspecting Hearts

1999 Varese Sarabande 302 066 07

****.5

"Pretty women
Silhouetted...
Stay within you,
Glancing... stay forever,
Breathing lightly...
Pretty women,
Pretty women!"

For fans of Broadway "Show Tunes" this CD is super. Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley are two Broadway stars that have two of the sweetest and beautiful voices around, and they are beautiful to boot. They are best known for their roles as Daisy and Violet Hilton the Siamese twins from Side Show. In fact track two She's Gone sung by Alice was cut from the show.

Highlights from this album and some of the tracks I bought this CD for are Pretty Women (Sweeny Todd),I Don't Know How To Love Him (Jesus Christ Superstar) and one of my faves from this album The Alto's Lament sung by Emily. That song is a funny but true song about the types of roles that altos are given to sing in shows. Musicians and musical lovers will get a kick out of that song. OH there is a bonus track at the end that contains a rehearsal for an audition tape, some of the track is just plain silly. I don't think it should have been included. As much as I like this album, it is difficult to listen to more than two maybe three times in a row. 

Album Review: 17 Generic Public Image

Album Review: 17

Generic Public Image

This review was originally posted on rateyourmusic. on their community forums. This version of the review has had some editing and corrections.

Public Image Ltd Compact Disc

1986 Electra Records 9 60438-2

****

“Anger is an energy

Anger is an energy

Anger is an energy

I could be wrong I could be right

I could be wrong I could be right

I could be wrong I could be right

I could be black I could be white

I could be right I could be wrong

I could be black I could be white"

I first got this CD with the generic title Compact Disc back in the mid 1980s, (recommended by one of my buddies, well insisted really) then for some reason a few years later I sold it. I don't remember when or why, the why was obviously to get some buckage. Back then the first time I heard it, I didn't really like it except for the second track Rise which I tend to like, probably because it's so simple. A few months before reviewing this album, I searched for my copy but couldn't find it, because I wanted to hear that song. Well long story short I managed to find a copy off Ebay for cheap.

I enjoyed this album a lot, unfortunately its so generic sounding, there is little that stands up and grabs me, but I like it anyway.

This generic album has a nice light punk rock sound. The vinyl version is titled guess what? Album and the cassette version titled Cassette (if there were an 8-Track version that would have been called 8-Track). I suppose you could say it was softcore punk as opposed to hardcore. Public Image, LTD sounds like a cross between a typical UK punk band and REM, with a little Talking Heads tossed in.

Oh BTW for the first track titled FFF (all the tracks have simple titles, thus the generic feel to the album) stands for Farewell Fairweather Friends

I'd like to find sealed copies of the Cassette version and the album versions to put on display around my music collection. Newer remastered editions of this "album" is called "album" even on the CD versions.