Now Playing 02/16/10

Gotta listen to albums you don't already own at the record store, so tonight's listening was:

1. Crime + the City Solution The Adversary Live.
A deceptive title as this is CCS most memorable song (arguably) as heard in the endurance-defying Wim Wenders' movie Until the End of the World paired with a live set of Nick Cave meets the Doors songs from 1990.
The Adversary ****/*****
Live * /*****


2. The Prime of Horace Andy
Sweet-voiced seventies reggae from Studio One's endless well of beautiful music most of the world has never heard.
****/******


3. Oi: the Main Event
A recording of mid-80's live Oi! extravaganza with the Business, the Angelic Upstarts and a lot of 3rd string oi band plus Judge Dread (an x-rated cross between Benny Hill and Prince Buster) who, judging from the tinny recording, didn't all get the crowd roaring along like The Business does with "Harry May" at the end.
**/*****


4. Metallica Garage Days Re-Revisited
I decided to ignore Metallica around 1985 when a fan made me listen to Kill 'Em All. "You can't hear the vocals" I said, "The vocals don't matter in this kind of music" he retorted and that was that for me though a few moments like their blitzing cover of the Misfits "Last Caress" did end up mattering to me.
***1/2/*****


5. Townes Van Zandt A Private Concert
I cheated and listened to this poorly-recorded and poorly-regarded pseudo-live album on the car ride home and for the first time I understood Townes Van Zandt, not just the privileged writer and his tragic downfall narrative but how the allure of these finely-detailed narratives could make someone want to turn around and drive the old car to Texas with the CD on repeat.
****/*****

A good night...