Ahh, I think I may be at the opposite end of the spectrum from @morgan1098 on the piano flourishes. I actually quite like them - they are fairly restrained, as in, for me they aren't in cruise ship territory (or god forbid Liberace territory) but act as the filler (a piano fill rather than a drum fill) or accents for the songs. I do think they act as a counterpoint for the somber tone of the cello. I do think you have to like this style of music - I'm fairly partial to this style - but it's not to everyone's taste. I'd certainly point out that Frank Sinatra is probably not entirely within the spectrum of what people would expect from Icehouse. The rest of the songs, though, fall within the confines of Iva's influences pretty much as expected. I do think I am biased, because honestly if I had a choice of instruments to listen to, it would be piano and cello...in almost any format.
Covers albums can be very hit or miss for me. At times it can be fun to hear a new arrangement or interpretation. Other times they are epic failures. I am a sucker for the cello! And so far I’m in between the extremes on this having enjoyed the Bowie and Talking Heads covers a lot, thinking Furs one is okay, and undecided about The Cure. I do wonder if Iva inspired Bowie a bit with this arrangement, because DB did a great acoustic version on his last tour in 2004. My favorite “Loving The Alien” actually!
My understanding is that the original demo by Bowie of Loving the Alien was much more like the 2004 version that you've linked to. When it ended up on the album it had a lot of stuff added to it, not necessarily for the better. I can't remember where I read it, but I believe DB is on record as saying that he wished he had recorded it closer to the demo style than the album style. So, no, I don't think the Iva version inspired Bowie's 2004 version. He simply went back to the original form of the song. I do think, though, that Iva's version is pretty inspired.
Many thanks @drewrclv9 - when I can find a moment I'll get a start as you suggest on Drums and Wires. I'm excited to expand the horizons and at this point I've been recommended XTC so often that really it would be churlish to keep ignoring the recommendations...
Berlin Tapes continued... Disappointed (Original: Public Image Ltd) I love this song. There’s just something about it. The build of cynicism with the veneer of smoothness. The backing vocals, the building rage. It’s really great. Better than the original version but then I’m no PIL fan. This version is awesome. A Really Good Time (Original: Roxy Music) Iva sounding very much like Bryan Ferry but even more smooth and seductive. This sounds to me a pretty straight rendition of this song. Actually, I may prefer Iva’s vocal over the Ferry vocal which is pretty theatrical (although appropriate for the Roxy Music version). It’s a pretty close thing - I think it would depend on what type of mood I was in. At Night (Original: The Cure) I like the spiky, brooding nature of this song. Really surprising. It’s slightly claustrophobic. Very atmospheric with an almost palpable night time darkness in the music. I’ve listened to the original before (and recently as a comparison), and I think I prefer this cover version (maybe it’s just that in the original the vocal is pretty buried...and I like Robert Smith's vocals).
Upcoming album discussions May 16: Ghost of Time/Circles in the Sky/Master and Commander Soundtrack. May 23: Extended Mixes V1/Extended Mixes V2 (which includes all of Full Circle)/Meltdown May 30: Bipolar Poems So far I've been able to find pretty much everything over a variety of streaming services (Spotify, iTunes, YouTube). PM me if you are having trouble finding them otherwise expect to see them in the thread just before we start talking about them. This will be the last of the "studio" albums - in June we will be discussing the live albums (and possibly comparing it to some of the live concerts on Youtube).
I love piano and cello as well, and the cello on this album is ace. I'm not sure why the piano doesn't work for me. In some cases it does, but in others it's just too much. Ok, now for the rest of the album: "Let There Be Love" is a great choice considering the history between Simple Minds and Icehouse. @KangaMom specifically mentioned the cello on this track and I agree, it is great. This is a fantastic cover and I think I like Iva's vocal delivery a bit more than the classic Jim Kerr bombast. Classy. "Disappointed" is one of my favorite PiL tracks. I'm glad Iva included it here but it somehow just seems a bit too restrained for me. It doesn't have the bile of the PiL version, but then again the style of music on Berlin doesn't really lend itself to that. "Really Good Time," "At Night," and "Love Like Blood" are fairly straightforward. I'm not enamored with any of them but I don't dislike them either. I have heard all the original versions but don't feel a strong connection to any of them. "Really Good Time" is probably the closest to what I would consider Iva's style, at least his style for the earlier Icehouse albums. "Heroes" is an iconic song. It has been covered by so many acts, from Depeche Mode to Peter Gabriel to Oasis. But Iva's version is one of the earlier covers, so it's not like he's just jumping on a bandwagon here. I like the version on Berlin so much, it has an ache in it that is indescribable. The (synthesized) strings that come in after the first verse are so cool, and unlike many other tracks, the piano on this song is beautiful and sets the tone perfectly. When the verse jumps an octave and Iva sings "I can remember standing by the wall," his voice is astonishing. Most singers belt out this part, but Iva hits that high note in a more restrained way. It gives me chills! But I also like "Berlin (The Athens Mix)" for different reasons. It's shorter and it eliminates some of the lyrics. It's got more of a guitar-based rock band sound. Since this wasn't released until 2004, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a total re-recording rather than a remix. All of Iva's vocals seem re-recorded and the instrumentation is totally new. It seems more designed for a live performance, which makes sense because I think Iva performed this around the time of the Olympics. Both of Iva's versions are great. The Berlin mix is more inspirational while the Athens mix is a rock anthem.
You know the one thing I really like about this album is how committed Iva's vocal delivery is. It may not to be everyone's taste, but his vocal really makes you feel the lyrics pretty intensely. That's especially true on Let there be Love. I notice it, because Iva and Jim Kerr's voices aren't worlds apart. But Iva really sells the heartbreak of this song much more than Jim Kerr does. (And I like the Simple Minds version quite a bit) And although I've not posted my comments yet on Heroes, it's exactly why Iva's version of Heroes is so great. It brings out a little extra power of the lyrics and I agree that you get to hear the full range of his voice. Now it's interesting what you say about the PiL song. I don't really care much for them but I get the commentary going on in this song. I actually think Iva's version brings the a sneering quality to it, but in a slightly different light than what PiL did. PiL was really basically taking it out on anybody in authority. But on this cover I get the feeling that it's a bit of a commentary of all those people in authority who smile at you and mouth all the "right" sentiments and then proceed to do absolutely nothing about it (and they know this will be the case). Targeting insincere bastards is kind of the point of the song even while smiling and giving them a nice smooth song.
Love like Blood (Original: Killing Joke) I think this is a fabulous vocal performance but the drama of the song is really driven by the cello work here. There’s a lot of grim melancholy here. I really do love this reimagining of this song – it actually seems even darker than the original. Heroes (Original: David Bowie) Because why not? I like the almost stately pace of the song so that you can really get the full effect of how desperate the lyrics are. And as @morgan1098 has already mentioned upthread, the vocal is pretty fantastic. I also really love that section where he has the high vocal. I'm always shocked by how much range Iva has. He is an excellent vocalist. As noted, there’s a much more straight version of this (The Athens Mix) which really does sound almost exactly like the original. Iva really does channel Bowie on that version. It is one of my favorite Bowie songs, but I think this version lives up to it. It is a straight rock version and was recorded I think close to the Athens Olympics and used in the Australian Broadcast of the Olympics and then subsequently in 2006 for the Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne. A live version for TV is below. But there are various versions of Icehouse doing Heroes (I would have linked the ones from the Espy but the sound quality is pretty horrible and they don't appear to be complete).
Ok I can’t stand “All The Way” and do see where @morgan1098 made the lounge cruise ship comment. I don’t think it fits for ballet either - having watched my daughter dance for 12 years. It seems more Broadway musical to my ears than it does Swan Lake. The Simple Minds cover is very well done and I’m a big fan of that band too!
In order to get things done in available time, I'm going to cover the 'bonus tracks' from the 1995 release separately here. And post on the album tomorrow. Be My Friend This really is an excellent cover. Iva takes the original (I presume) bluesy Free song, and adds significant synth work. The overall result is a considerable updating of the song. The subtle strings work well as well. Iva's vocal is great. This is how to do a cover - provide something new and give the song an opportunity to shine in the next context. Some of the synth sounds remind me of the soundtrack from Dune. How Do You Sleep This is another excellent cover indeed. It's a great song in the first place (though Paul McCartney may not agree). And, Iva and the team update it considerably and it thoroughly works with the new arrangement and instrumentation. Right from the beginning there are interesting sounds, and a more modern beat. Iva's voice in a slightly John Lennon mode suits the song, as does the processing on his voice. George Harrison's guitar solo from the original was a highlight, and the much more modern solo fits this cover to a T. Mixing in 'We Love You' is a nice touch. Giant and Child Fugue Like the early instrumental film music. This doesn't really work that well for me. It's a piece of music, but not one I enjoy that much. It's OK. Probably fits the ballet. Pas de Trois Another instrumental. The piano, strings and electronics work well together. However, I find myself waiting for a vocal to start. Like some other music which is meant to support something else - film, dance, etc. it doesn't really stand up by itself that well. Again it's OK and a better OK than Giant and Child Fuge. It gets a bit aimless and I don't hear a payoff. It's rather long. The piano playing is extremely skilled. Heroes - The Athens Mix I originally thought I'd discuss this after posting on the album. This is a reasonable cover, but to my ears it's nothing like as good as the cover on the main album which I think is superb. This sticks closer to the original. It doesn't add enough. I enjoy it, but am unlikely to listen to it as an alternative to the original.
Well, the Sydney Dance Company is contemporary ballet so possibly closer to Broadway than classical ballet (their dancers have the technique to do Swan Lake but that's not part of their repertoire at all). If you see the snippet that went with Loving the Alien you can see that it's full of ballet technique but not much correspondence with traditional ballet. Still All the Way is the outlier among all these covers.
These are such great comments (as usual @HitAndRun). I'm going to have to circle back and re-listen to How do you Sleep based on your comments.
I see, and makes more sense. I confess I skipped the clip! But my daughter did The Nutcracker every year so Im very familiar with traditional form of ballet.
Your daughter might appreciate the clip more than you...it's contemporary. No doubt about it - just like Boxes. That's very nice that your daughter did The Nutcracker every year! A bit of a tradition around Christmas.
The Berlin Tapes I do like covers album when they are done well. And, with this being the backing for a ballet, this album has a real reason to exist. And with the consistent instrumentation and style, it fits together as an album. When I'm listening to albums I wasn't previously familiar with that the versions with many bonus tracks get rather long and it's a bit much to cover all of the album and all of the extra tracks as well. So, in this post I'm going to cover the Australian 1995 version, and then discuss the bonus tracks on the version on Spotify in another post. Loving the Alien Despite being a David Bowie fan, I've not really listened to a few albums from the 1980s. Let's Dance I like, but the next two albums didn't really grab me. Performed like this, particularly with the excellent piano work, really helps me re-evaluate the song. It could fit on some of Bowie's classic 70s albums and would not feel out of place. To me, anyhow. To me, Iva's vocal doesn't sound as good here as it could. It sounds to me a bit as if he's aping Bowie and not singing it as well as he might in his natural voice. I feel it's fitting to start with a Bowie song, as Bowie's 'Pinups' album helped popularise the concept of a covers album by an artist who typically records their own song. Listening to the original track, Iva has removed much of the 80s from this track, and has made it more timeless. However, the original has the guitar solo. So, it’s more that the versions are different more than one is better than the other. Sister Europe The Psychedelic Furs is a band whom I know for one song, and don't know their other songs. This is radically different from 'Pretty in Pink', though I don't know how much Again this sounds like 1970s David Bowie, with Max Lambert doing a very good impression of Mike Garson's piano style. I like the subtle synthetic or production touches, which fit in very well with the mostly natural/acoustic feel of the track This song is very well done. I'm not sure that there is enough variation. The arrangement and performance sounds similar to Loving the Alien. Comparing to the original, Iva’s version again sounds more sophisticated. However, The Psychedelic Furs’ original has its own charm. Again I’ll say different and equal versions. Heaven Talking Heads are a band I know ... sortof. I know some of their albums and songs, but this is one that I know less. It's again a great song. Iva is choosing his songs well. Again there's a nice merging of the electronic and the acoustic. Listening carefully both are there, but the overall effect doesn't sound like there is any conflict in the arrangement. Everything fits. The echo on Iva's voice works very well. In context. And I like the way that Iva sings this. The original has a naive charm (again), but I think Iva’s version is more sophisticated, makes more of the song, and I think I prefer it. Complicated Game This is a more challenging song to cover as it is a highly distinctive song. The arrangement is OK, and is perhaps a fairly expected way of adapting the original version's arrangement to the new instrumentation for this album. Iva shows that he can do some of those Andy Partridge vocal sounds. As well as getting vocally ragged in a good way when the song needs it. Again the song is sung well. I like the acoustic guitar part. It's simple, but to me it works well and adds something to the arrangement. I appreciate that this song brings some variation to the proceedings. But, overall, I find this good. Not a standout. The piano is taken even further in a Mike Garson direction, but I'm not sure that works so well. In a ballet the music may not be the main focus, but listening to this album as an album, perhaps the piano could vary in style more. I suspect that this song would be one of the ones on the album to grow. While the piano adds something new, I think I prefer the original XTC guitar based version to this. In particular, the 1 for 1 replacement of guitar for strings isn’t so effective, I feel. While Iva brings the vocal way up, I feel the original creates even more vocal drama. Berlin This is unexpectedly short. It's more show-tune, and a good change of pace. And, I like the sudden change of piano style too as I was getting a bit worn out with the one style of piano, so this is good. Iva's voice is really featured here, and his vocal is excellent. Keeping the song low key as best fits it. A bit David Sylvan-y without being a copy. Then, it suddenly stops for no immediately apparent reason. I wish there was more. It’s hard to compare this short excerpt to the original, but the biggest difference is Iva’s very good vocal compared to Lou Reed’s perfunctory original vocal. Reed’s version has much more of course, including very nice guitar/ instrumental sections. All The Way And now we have a longer lasting change of pace with full on lounge-y Iva. Great song, great piano, and great vocal including phrasing. I've not said much about it, but feel I have summed up what I feel adequately. I’m not even sure which version of this is the original. Hence I won’t compare. All Tomorrows Parties This is a very nice version of this very nice song. I like the synthy arrangement which contrasts well with the other tracks that preceded it (particularly the piano/vocal All The Way). This is matched with another great Iva vocal and the early music style backing vocals fit very well indeed. As do the more standard backing vocals later on giving this a slightly Scottish feel to my ears. Maybe the synths don't sound like bagpipes, but I get that feel. This is another cover that brings something new and fresh to the song. The original has quite a few similarities to this version, but Iva has taken it further in that direction and updated/cleaned up the sound. Sort of like the original was half way there. And the Icehouse version is all the way there. Let There Be Love This is sounding a bit more like a standard pop song with some strings added. I don't know the song well. Simple Minds are yet another band among very many for whom I know some of their songs but not all that many. It's a good pop song, but nothing really exceptional or anything that stands out. There are some nice vocal bits particularly in the coda. I don't know if these are present in the original or not. It ends with synthy strings. Surely those were real strings earlier on, no? Compared to the original version, there are differences in the arrangement. But, I’m not hearing a big advanced with the Icehouse version. Or a move in a different direction. The Icehouse version is a good cover. Disappointed A PIL cover should be very interested. However, I feel that perhaps this cover takes too much of the energy and distinctiveness out of the original. It's another song that may grow on me over time. Listening to the original, again I think that the Icehouse cover is good, but I think that despite Iva being a technically far superior signer than John Lydon, that Lydon somehow delivers this song better. The instrumentation on the Icehouse is different with the strings versus the guitars in the original. But, somehow this doesn’t make the cover as different as it perhaps theoretically should be. Really Good Time There had to be a Roxy cover, and this is in my opinion a really good choice. I really like the original, and this version is ... as an arrangement OK. Iva's vocal is great but perhaps a bit too much like Bryan Ferry. But, the quality of the song - which I really like - shines through. I prefer this to Iva going for a safe choice like More than This. While I'm not bowled over by every song choice, on average the choice of songs here is really good. Compared to the Roxy Music version, Iva’s version is much smoother. Sort of like it was updated from mid-period Roxy Music to late period Roxy Music. This again is a detailed update of the original song, not a radical change. However, I think the song suits the Icehouse version better than the Roxy Music version. And Iva’s singing is better, and suits the song more than Bryan Ferry, I think. At Night Another good song choice. The arrangement works, and adds something to the overall mix of songs. The piano may be getting a bit Mike Garson in places, but we haven't heard that so much. I'm relieved that there hasn't been an overload of Garson-style. Which I thought might be an issue after the first three songs. Compared to the distorted guitar (or other instrument) original song, I think this is another song where the cover is a significant update. The whole Icehouse arrangement sounds more sophisticated. And to me this is one of the more ‘Icehouse’ sounding songs on the album. Particularly the way Iva sings it. The strings are strong in this mix, but something just says ‘Icehouse’ to me. And, I prefer this to the original. Love Like Blood Killing Joke - another band I know ... in this case one song of. And I know that producer Youth was their bassist. This is a good choice of song. The new arrangement is again OK, but the quality of the song shines through. Nice rhythm driven by the cello or similar instrument. Though, for some reason I feel this one goes on a bit with a bit too much repetition. How long is it ... 5:44. Yeah, I think this could be a bit shorter. Compared to the original, I do think the guitar works on the original. The Icehouse version pretty much has strings play the guitar riff. I’m not sure that’s as successful as some of the other string-led covers. Despite Iva being a better vocalist than the Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman, I think I prefer the KJ version. (Sorry, peops). Heroes Starting with a sort of GSL synth note, it goes into a good and different version of the song with the synth and piano. And another great Iva vocal. David Bowie is a great vocalist too, but Iva matches him I feel. This is such a great song, and this is a really great cover of it. Taking the song in a different direction from the original and doing something interesting and new with it. While there are bonus tracks on Spotify, thinking of the 1995 Australian release, it starts with Loving the Alien and ends with Heroes. Nice to top and tail this with Bowie covers. Overall Overall this is a really interesting album with plenty of high points and only a few moderate points. It makes an excellent cover album overall, with both a consistent (but not too consistent) style, and interesting original takes on many of the songs. 4.5/5 This is an awfully long post. Perhaps I should have split the album up more. I wonder if anyone will read all the way to the bottom.
Great post! I read the whole thing. You did a great job explaining what I had trouble articulating with "Disappointed." I think Iva's vocals are almost too good on that track. It's like he's trying to sing a PiL song but have good manners.
The Berlin Tapes (part one) I remember being skeptical when this album was announced on the Icehouse mailing list in late 1995. An album of cover songs didn't seem that exciting and at the time I was a bit concerned about Iva's creativity. I had been underwhelmed by Big Wheel and thought it sounded like a collection of B sides (I enjoy it a lot more now but it was really being on this thread that made me appreciate it mote) and when the next studio album was to be an album of covers I was wondering if he was going through a writer's block. Artists tend to release albums of covers when they are finding it hard to write new songs on their own (and from a record company point of view, releasing such an album will buy them some time, a new product to promote while the artist gets more time to write new songs). However, this was recorded as the soundtrack for a ballet by the Sydney Dance Company and when I bought the CD back when it was new I was immediately impressed with it. I love the instrumentation, with piano and cello building up the songs, and Iva's singing is just exquisite throughout. And the choice of songs is inspired too, they're not just the greatest hits by these artists and Iva and the musicians have put their own unique characters to each song. It's also a very strong and cohesive album, with the music sparking the imagination and having a working narrative, where I as a listener could get a sense of what the ballet might be like. Thank you @KangaMom for sharing the programme from the ballet, that really gives additional dimensions to the music. Loving The Alien I am quite familiar with Bowie's original version, which was certainly a highlight on the rather patchy Tonight album. This version has a very theatrical feel and sounds very sophisticated and classy. I like all the flourishes in Max Lambert's piano playing and the subtle drumming. Hearing it this way makes me think it could well be a musical sibling of "Trojan Blue", there is something about the mood of the two songs that blends well together. I wonder how "Trojan Blue" would sound if it had been done Berlin Tapes-style? Sister Europe I hadn't heard the original version when the album was released, I think the only song I had heard by Psychedelic Furs would have been one from their Midnight To Midnight album from 1986 (not sure which song, not "Pretty In Pink", but one of the other singles). I really Icehouse's version of "Sister Europe" and the ominous brooding feel of it. Listening to it in headphones is the best way to experience it, I reckon. There's so much complex and subtle details and nuances going on in the backing track. It's one of those songs where I hear new dimensions to it every time I listen to it. Hearing it again now makes me want to hear more of Psychedelic Furs and I'll follow the suggestion by @JeffMo to check out their first four albums. Heaven The original version by Talking Heads is very good, but Icehouse's version is just magnificent. Very atmospheric keyboards and cello. It sounds like Paul Wheeler is playing with brushes and that suits the arrangement. There is a lot of ambiguity in these lyrics and Iva's phrasing expands that, adding an even more enigmatic feel to them. Complicated Game This is my absolute favourite track on this album. I hadn't heard the original version when I first heard the Icehouse album, but it immediately made me curious to hear more XTC and I will definitely explore their albums, following the recommendations by @drewrclv9. There is a lot of drama and angst in Icehouse's version, a lot of restraint initially before a lot of dark emotions are let loose, both by Iva's singing and by the musicians. I particularly like the almost-psychotic cello playing. A very captivating song. Berlin / All The Way "Berlin" is just an interlude to "All The Way". Who would have thought a Lou Reed song from the early '70s could be blended into a Frank Sinatra from the late '50s? Not me, that's for sure, but it sounds very natural and organic here. Iva's crooning singing is top notch. I do think, however, that the piano is a bit over-powering, with a lot of additional flourishing which seem to be there just to showcase Max Lambert's skills rather than fitting the song. All Tomorrow's Parties This one I'm very familiar with. My wife is a Velvet Underground fan and has their box set, in which this song appear in several different versions, one of which is around 18 minutes. Also, one of our friends is an even bigger Velvet Underground fan. I've played them Icehouse's version of "All Tomorrow's Parties" and they both love it, saying that it is one of the few good cover versions of Velvet Underground songs. I love Icehouse's version, which seem to build and build in atmosphere and layers. This is another song that is best experienced listening to it in headphones. I agree with @KangaMom about it sounding otherworldly. There's so much richness in the musical arrangement and the instrumentation. It feels like it ends rather abruptly though, I wanted it to go on much longer and just keep expanding. Let There Be Love I have heard some Simple Minds, but am not familiar with the original version. I've been meaning to explore their rich catalogue of albums, but am a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number. Any recommendations as to which albums to check out first? This is a wonderful song, so full of emotion and yearning. Iva sings it with total commitment and again the instrumentation is superb. Nice to hear quite a lot of acoustic guitar on this album, there's not a lot of that on previous Icehouse albums. Possibly the outro for this song goes on a bit too long in Icehouse's version, taking away some of the intensity. Disappointed Another highlight of the album, full of drama, anger and intensity. I hadn't heard the original version before I heard the Icehouse version and am not familiar with PiL. Full marks to the cello playing and the drumming on this track. Max Lambert's piano is a bit more in the background, but his subtle contributions add a lot after a few listens to the song. Great singing by Iva, I like how he can portray both passive aggressiveness and more clearly expressed anger with his voice. Really Good Time I've tried to explore Roxy Music's albums a few times, but haven't yet found the key to really like them. I can hear that they are good and can certainly understand that others love them, but for some reason I don't get a wow factor when I hear them. "Really Good Time" is a good track, and certainly worthy of its spot on the album, but it is possibly my least favourite. Not that there's anything bad about it and I never skip it, but I don't think the melody is that strong. Very good cello playing though. At Night Again, I hadn't heard the original version when I first listened to The Berlin Tapes. It is very cinematic and when I hear it I get images of a nocturnal city scene in a Tim Burton movie. The instrumentation and the sense of vulnerability in Iva's voice make this song a strong portrayal of alienation. Enigmatic and fascinating. Love Like Blood I haven't heard the original version, but I imagine Icehouse's version is very different to the original by Killing Joke. It seems a very natural track to follow "At Night", it has a similar sense of being alone somewhere in a hostile place at night. Fantastic cello playing once again. I think the song goes on a bit too long though and loses some intensity due to that. Heroes This is such a magnificent song it must be impossible to do a bad version of it. Icehouse's version is top notch in every way. Excellent singing by Iva and the cello, the piano and the drums are played with so much empathy for the song. It's hard to truly understand how the East Berlin citizens felt living there, but the song captures closely how I imagine they must have felt and how hopeless it must have felt for decades that things were ever going to change for the better. Iva's singing enhances that quality in the song and it's the perfect closing track of the original The Berlin Tapes album. This album is different from most album of cover songs. To my ears, they usually manages to showcase songs that the artist likes and has chosen to record, but they seldom feel like such a cohesive album, that the songs really belong together. On The Berlin Tapes, it truly feels like an album with a narrative, with a start, a middle and an ending. Listening to the album again these past few days made me think which of Icehouse's own songs it'd be particularly interesting to hear in this setting, built up by piano and cello, and also which ones might fit into the concept of the album. I wouldn't choose the obvious hits, but a song like "Cross The Border" I think would work well and would sound incredible with piano and cello. Since we discussed Measure For Measure a few weeks ago I've read that that song is also about the Berlin Wall so it would fit in thematically. I also imagine that "Invisible People" and "Walls" would be special in this context. As it is, "The Berlin Tapes" is an artistic triumph on several levels. It works as an album, the arrangements and the instrumentation give the songs a unique and fresh flavour, the individual songs work both as stand-alone pieces and as part of a story and for me these cover versions make me curious to explore several of the original artists' catalogue of albums.
@StefanWq there are a lot of SM albums and a variety of styles. My recommendation is you get the 3cd set called Simple Minds 40 released to celebrate 40th anniversary as it covers every era and album to date. Make sure you get 3cd version because there is a lame one disc sampler version with same name. Use it to guide you based on which songs/style you like.
Great write up @StefanWq ! In addition to what JeffMo said about SM, I”d recommend their 1982 masterpiece New Gold Dream. Their earlier albums are more angular post-punk and new wave, then the late 80s transition to stadium rock, and the later albums are a mix of rock and electronics. The 2014 album Big Music is surprisingly great as well.
I'm just a casual fan of Roxy Music - I have Street Life which is a compilation of 20 songs. I tend a bit more towards earlier Roxy Music which reminds me a little bit more of early Split Enz music (e.g. more theatrical with more ideas) than the later era.
So I think @StefanWq and I started from more or less the same point on this album...except that I didn't discover until the last year. So it's not too surprising that our opinions are very similar. I wish I had seen the ballet - the little snippet I did see that accompanies Loving the Alien looks fantastic.
Brilliant comments @HitAndRun! On All Tomorrow's Parties, I definitely hear that synth/bagpipe section also. And the slightly martial like drums. It's all excellent and I think it is one of the best songs on the album. It wasn't the song that immediately caught my attention (that would be Loving the Alien) but it's one that I return to often. And not necessarily as an Icehouse listening binge, more that I like the melding of various musical influences - the early choral background, with the scottish influence, along with the slightly decaying air to the whole song. And just generally I'd agree with your choice of description - sophisticated. This is an album where I marvel at the level of musicality involved. I don't think safe is the right word. It's more that it's an enjoyable listen with layers of meaning and intricacy that reward multiple listens. This is an album where I really enjoy hearing a vocalist who is at the top of his game. Someone else mentioned the drumming on this album - particularly the brushes. I also think they are fantastic and not a style I would normally associate with Paul Wheeler. I'm so used to hearing him play excellent pop/rock drumming (especially that muscular style that is on Big Wheel) that it's a surprise to hear this kind of playing - a pleasant surprise I might add.
Starting tomorrow: Ghost of Time Circles in the Sky Master and Commander Soundtrack Ghost of Time and Circles in the Sky can be found on YouTube but as far as I can tell nowhere else (unless you own a physical copy). Ghost of Time (the album) is divided into 4 "movements" (Great Southern Land) https://youtu.be/ZSOhmiDC0Qk (Walk Alone) https://youtu.be/S0uNwEci_RQ (Endless Ocean) https://youtu.be/N67FS3bXZ78 (Ghost of Time) Circles in the Sky - I've managed to track down 2 of the mixes. Original Mix https://youtu.be/gP_zxp4XOqY This is one of the other mixes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZAFAkfYd6o&list=PLNvDohX0e7IA4-HNSE2X3isuIQpOnZzlK&index=6 Master and Commander Soundtrack can be found (in the US at least) on iTunes, or of course, if you have the movie, you have the soundtrack. For those who may be struggling to find it (as I did). There's also this link on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA6ucF8- I know it's a lot of music - trust me they are bound in time and also in style! I'll be sure to post tomorrow as well with some explanatory comments. Also looking ahead to May 23 when we will be discussing remixes I have decided to add in Endless Ocean (Paul Reef vs. Icehouse). It's not quite strictly in the right part of the timeline (being released I think in 2015) but I think it deserves to be commented on with the other remix albums and Meltdown. Endless Ocean is available on streaming services to my knowledge. May 30 will be Bipolar Poems.
