The "trendy" album

Listening to the new Bruce Hornsby CD, "Big Swing Face", made me think about albums by established artists that were "trendy" at the time of release- meaning that the artist made an album that didn't sound like themselves, but instead tried to take a "trendy" sound and use it for themselves, whether it fit them or not (sometimes with horrid results).

The new Bruce Hornsby album still sounds like him, but it's also trying to be "trendy" with loops and hip-hop beats. I think the songs might have been better served with more conventional production (although the lyrics are a far cry from "The Way It Is" as they're mostly nonsense songs). Don't get me wrong, it certainly is fine to try a different style, but his last album, "Spirit Trail" was so beautiful and he's abandoned that to sort of try to be hip to the kids or something. I can't tell if he really likes the sound he's got on this one- it might be he's trying to sound progressive and jazzy too. Ultimately it doesn't suit him.

Other examples would include Neil Young "Trans", of course, and a favorite of mine, Rickie Lee Jones "Ghostyhead". The first example of this type of album that I can think of is the Stones "Satanic Majesties' Request", where an artist with a deep catalog just went way off kilter and did an album in a style that just wasn't them. And of course, this ultimately leads to the next album being a total retrenchment and return "to basics".

What are some more example of this album?

nashreed

 

METAL MACHINE MUSIC - Lou Reed

 

Better Than Ezra-"How Does Your Garden Grow" comes to mind. They got back on track with "Closer".

Shame about the Bruce Hornsby album. I read somewhere that there's little or no piano on it. What?!
Dan C

 

1. Vanilla Ice - Mind Blowin'. The Iceman gets dreadlocks and goes hardcore rap.

2. Spinal Tap premieres Jazz Odyssey at Themeland Amusement Park in 1982.

"You are witnesses at the new birth of Spinal Tap Mark II, hope you enjoy our new direction. On the bass: Derek Smalls, he wrote this!"

 

Queen - Hot Spaces. Although a couple of good songs, this album failed to deliver the well crafted songs of their previous release (The Game). A large amount of the songs tried to replicate the disco/dance music craze versus the strong rock songs that Queen was known for. This album sticks out in mind among their discography as the worst in a line of brillant albums before and after this 1982 release.

 

Hmmm....

On the classic rock side you have the Stones going disco and "new wave" (when was the last time u heard that phrase?) on Some Girls and Emotional Resue. Led Zeppelin prepared a "response"to the punk/new wave movement during the "In Through Out Door" sessions, but the tracks weren't released until "Coda", after the death of John Bonham (oddly enough - the songs that DID make it on the album almost made it sound like "prog rock", a genre that was the focus of the original punkers venom).

I always thought Queens "Sheer Heart Attack" (the song - not the album) was a stab at punk rock.

U2's "With or Without You" echoed the use of electronica popular with 80's acts like "Soft Machine".

The first time my lily white suburban ass was ever exposed to DJ driven, beat sampling, record scratching "rap music" was Malcom Mclaren's "Duck Rock" lp ("all that scratchin' is making me itch"). I beleive Eminem gives a brief homage to that lp on his latest single.....

Sometimes a musician just has to adress what they hear - and while they may be trying to be something they are not - thay are giving a message. I wonder how many people found Bob Marley through Eric Claptons cover of "I Shot the Sheriff"?

 

Uh, Uncle Al, I think you meant to say "Soft Cell," not "Soft Machine."

I agree that the intro to the song has that electronic thump to it, but I don't think U2 did anything full-blown electronic until Achtung Baby and thereafter.

 

This was also the title of an LP by Buddy Rich, the famous jazz/swing drummer of 50's/60's fame. Any correlation here? Maybe something in the liner notes, nashreed?

 

Oh Kym - u r so right, Soft Cell. Attribute it to a brain f*rt.

However - I still insist - even "Achtung Baby" has it's roots, and when I heard those electronic tape and drum loops in "With or Without You" I immediately thought of Soft CELL (Tainted Love). I always LOVED the fact that the drums came in "live" after the second verse. Electronics are nice for effect - but "live" is better.

Unfortunately all I can think about right now is that you are in Hawaii, and I am in Long Island. Sigh...

 

"Jazz Odyssey" pretty much killed off rock 'n roll in this country, imho. Rap became the big style of popular music right after that. Spinal Tap, you bastards!

 

Trendy Hall of Fame/Shame

The Rolling Stones were always "borrowing" black music, be it blues, reggae, or Chuck Berry, so "Miss You" shouldn't have surprised people. Also, "Miss You" improved upon its sources, so it counts as a triumph. On the other hand, the attempts at remaining contemporary on UNDERCOVER sounded genuinely uninspired.

Blondie's disco smash "Heart of Glass" was, at the time, far more out of character for the ostensible punk rockers than "Miss You." Unfortunately, "Heart of Glass" proved to be the high point of Blondie's exoticism, which reached a nadir with AUTOAMERICAN, a truly bad album of received trendiness, featuring the kitsch rap classic, "Rapture," a godawful instrumental entitled "Europa," and even a hit single with "The Tide Is High." The effect of all these styles jumbled together was less aren't-we-cosmopolitan than we're-completely-out-of-ideas.

Aretha Franklin's disco album, SPARKLE, is widely derided as not just beneath her, but a lousy disco album. It could be done, as Diana Ross' collaboration with Chic proved. (Chic's Nile Rogers worked his dance floor magic on several other artists, most noticeably David Bowie.)

Prince has issued a depressing number of mediocre cuts trying to come to terms with hip-hop and rap, as has Michael Jackson, but no one sounded more desperate to remain current than Miles Davis on DOO BOP. Certainly an artist of Miles' repute could have found better collaborators.

Herbie Hancock issued a straight-ahead jazz date called NEW STANDARDS, featuring acoustic treatments of songs by contemporary artists like Nirvana. Unfortunately, Kurt Cobain and company provide such anemic melodies that even an artist of Hancock's prodigous improvisational abilities can't do anything with it. I pull this CD out when someone wants to discuss rock musicans as "composers."

 

No actual mention of Buddy Rich in the liners of the Bruce Hornsby CD that I saw. I'm pretty sure it's no coincedence- the title cut is rather jazzy. It's not a bad album, really- just not his sound. I'd take Bruce Hornsby stretching out and experimenting over 10 nu-metal crap albums any day.

And, I've gotta defend the Stones "Undercover" album. Believe it or not, it's the first Stones album I ever owned (on cassette) and heard. I was pretty sheltered musically until the 80's- I knew of some Stones songs, but when I started buying music in earnest was the time "Start Me Up" was big. I really liked "Going To A Go-Go" (had no idea it was a cover), and then what sealed it was hearing "Undercover Of The Night"! What a cool band! I LOVED those three videos from that album, and still think they're cool as hell! The bleeding TV in "Too Much Blood"! I was actually disappointed at the time that they're other stuff wasn't more like "Undercover". I wish that the "Rewind- Video Collection" was on DVD. No matter what, "Undercover" is one of my favorite Stones albums. I think it's awesome!

nashreed

 

Kinda off the subject, but I just want to reply to Uncle Al...

Heh heh! Actually, I was on Maui this weekend and watched a beautiful sunrise atop Haleakala, a 10,000-foot tall (dormant) volcano.

On the way down Haleakala, we drove through Paia, where Walter Becker calls home.

Six hours later, I was forty dollars poorer when I found the 4-record set of Pink Floyd's Echoes at a small shop in Wailuku.

Sigh indeed...

 

Don't know if these qualify:

U2 - "ZOOROPA"
Beach Boys - "SMILEY SMILE"
Bob Dylan - "SELF PORTRAIT"

 

Some of Gordon Lightfoot's 80's albums (particularly Salute) were albums that he tried to be trendy but the albums didn't sell well at the time and you know what, the same albums will soon be on CD.

 

McCartney Tug of War

Don't get me wrong, I like this album, but... I just never liked What's That You're Doing or Dress me up as a Robber. These both sounded like Mccartney trying to fit in with the sound of the time and not necessarily the sound we had been accustomed to. He did have a tendency to put a stinker or two on his eighties works. Never really like So Bad or Strangle hold either off of Press to Play or Pipes of Peace. There all running together right now.
Thanks,
Aaron