Willis - "Take You High" (LP Review)

Willis (aka Hayley Willis) is a little-known UK alt-folk singer that has released one LP (2003's "Come Get Some") along with several singles and EPs. In support of that LP, the 2003 4-track EP "Take You High" was released, featuring "Take You High" from the LP as well as 3 non-LP tracks.

The Willis originals "Take You High" and "Haunt You" are forgettable tracks, with the latter being slightly better than the former. What makes this EP interesting at all are the two covers. Her cover of "Old Time Religion" is interesting and upbeat, but her sparse & slow cover of Cameo's "Word Up" steals the show.

I have to admit that I never liked Cameo, and I hated "Word Up" when it originally came out in 1986. And while "Word Up" has been covered numerous times (e.g., Korn's version), Willis performs the definitive version; far better than the original in my opinion. But it is not just me: Danette loved Cameo back in the day and she thinks the cover is inspired.

CSI often features engaging music selections during the episodes (although Danette and I agree that the last couple of seasons have not featured the music as prominently), and I first heard this song in the CSI episode "Post Mortem" (video). I often know most of the music featured in the episodes, but this is one of my favorite discoveries (the other being Sigur Ros with the song "Svefn-g-englar" (video)).

I'm not sure how active Willis is currently -- at the time of this writing her website's "news" section has a last entry of 2007. Although her covers are good, the two originals here are not impressive.

Stand out tracks: "Word Up", "Old Time Religion"

Skip 'em tracks: "Take You High", "Haunt You"

Final score: 5/10. "Word Up" is amazing and "Old Time Religion" is interesting, but the originals only serve to drag down the final score. Skip the EP and get just "Word Up" on iTunes or elsewhere.

This Mortal Coil - "Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust" (LP Review)

Ivo Watts-Russell founded the 4AD record label in 1980 and proceeded to define the sound of experimental/alternative/goth/shoegazing music in the UK. Seminal bands recording on their label included Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Dif Juz, Clan of Xymox, Lush and others. They also got involved with the US alternative scene with the related bands of the Pixies, The Breeders, and Throwing Muses.

Aside from all these great bands, Watts-Russell was also the core of the 4AD project, This Mortal Coil. The idea was to take various permutations of 4AD artists and record a mixture of originals and obscure cover songs. Thus the range of music on TMC releases simultaneously defines and is defined by the "4AD sound".

Before their three classic LPs, they released the "Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust" EP. The title track is a medley of two early Modern English songs, rerecorded by a collection of 4AD artists (including some from Modern English). Although I've been a big fan of TMC for many years, I have to admit I have just learned about this EP very recently. It was never released on CD; it is available only as 12" and 7" versions. The title track was featured on an iTunes-only 4AD EP ("Full of Dust and Guitars"), but I don't think that is available any longer either.

In addition to the title track, the 12" EP featured "Song to the Siren" (a Tim Buckley cover) and "Sixteen Days Reprise". The title track from the 12" version was largely forgotten and it was struck for the 7" version which then featured "Song to the Siren" as the lead track (with "Sixteen Days Reprise" as the b-side). Of course, STTS would become TMC's most popular track and be featured on their debut LP, "It'll End in Tears". STTS is a truly sublime song, but it is not the focus of this review.

If you're a TMC fan, 1) you already have STTS and 2) you're eager to get your hands on additional TMC songs (their retrospective box set, "1983-1991", is nice for beginners but does little for completists and collectors). If you're not yet a TMC fan, "Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust" is not the best place to start -- the Modern English covers are pretty good, but they only show a little of what the group/project would go on to achieve. Do yourself a favor and check out their other releases as well.

Standout tracks: "Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust", "Song to the Siren", "Sixteen Days Reprise".

Skip 'em tracks: none.

Final Score: 7/10. Perhaps a bit low; but I'm assuming everyone already has STTS and is getting this for Modern English covers.

Bonus Links #1: Modern English original versions: Sixteen Days, Gathering Dust

Bonus Links #2: Song to the Siren: contemporary TMC/Cocteau Twins live version, Tim Buckley original version.

Bonus Link #3: I normally don't post links to bootlegs, but since this EP is unavailable elsewhere, you can find a link in a post at zona-musical.com.

Hot Chip - "Ready For The Floor" (the song remains the same)

The last five entries have been heavy on nostalgia so now it is time to shift to something more contemporary...

I learned of the song "Ready For The Floor" from the cover by Lissy Trullie, via the Wichita Recordings YouTube Channel. From the comments there, I learned that the original artist is by the English synth pop band Hot Chip, and that the song is from their 2008 LP "Made in the Dark". I'm not sure how Hot Chip had escaped my attention before (they've released three studio LPs as well as various EPs, singles and remixes), but they appear to be more popular in Europe than in the US. A good sampling of their material is on their MySpace and YouTube pages.

Hot Chip's version of the "Ready For The Floor" simultaneously reminds me of New Order (cf. "Regret"), Devo (cf. "Girl U Want"), and Art of Noise (cf. "Close (To The Edit)"). Ok, so all of my references are from 1980s bands -- I guess this isn't a nostalgia-free update. I have to confess that I have no idea what the song is about, but it's very catchy and the video is a lot of fun (Alexis Taylor apparently comes from the David Byrne school of dancing).

Lissy Trullie covers the song on her 2009 debut EP "Self-Taught Learner" as well as the upcoming soundtrack for "Jennifer's Body". She provides a straight-ahead rock arrangement of the song that works at least as well as the original. This video is also interesting in that 1) it is produced/sponsored by Herve Leger by Max Azria, and 2) features Trullie, a former model, in several of their outfits. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but it doesn't detract from two versions of a fun song. Trullie is generating an early buzz (e.g., reviews in Spin & Rolling Stone), but similar premature press arguably sank fellow NYC artists The Strokes. You can hear more from Trullie on her MySpace and YouTube pages.

Hot Chip: YouTube.

Lissy Trullie: YouTube.

2009-12-24 edit: I just found a cover by The Pigeon Detectives: YouTube.

2010-01-24 edit: Apparently ever UK artist covers this song. Duffy is a big snooze-fest for me, but at least she has a non-standard, lounge arrangement for the song: YouTube.

Romeo Void - "Never Say Never" (forgotten song)

Romeo Void had two minor hits in the early 1980s: 1982's "Never Say Never" and 1984's "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)". While the latter is a decent song, it sounds a bit too much like Duran Duran. Fortunately, the former is a perfect example of early 80s new wave: part disco, part punk. And it prominently features a saxophone -- an instrument that had all but disappeared from main steam pop music by the late 80s (not including sub-genres such as ska & ska-punk; "...it ain't what they call rock and roll").

Most know "Never Say Never" by Debora Iyall's signature lyric "I might like you better if we slept together", presaging Liz Phair by 10+ years. Sure, that's a great line, but did you catch "sunsuit girls must be discreet / nursing their fathers locked inside/ they masqueraded as his bride" -- that's heavy stuff. Although Iyall is a great singer and has the punk vocal sneer down pat, one can't help but wonder if Romeo Void would have achieved more success if Iyall looked more like Liz Phair and less like Rosie O'Donnell ("...put the blame on VTR").

There are two versions of this song: a 6 min version, radio-unfriendly version from the 1982 EP "Never Say Never" (which was co-produced by Ric Ocasek), and 3:30 radio edit released on the 1982 LP "Benefactor".

Radio Edit: YouTube (the video, ironically enough, features a full minute of beginning filler).

Original Version: Rhapsody, 4shared.

Bonus Link: YouTube: a cover by Queens of the Stone Age on some versions of the 2000 LP "Rated R". It's not a particularly good cover, but it should make you appreciate Romeo Void and Deborah Iyall that much more.

The Connells - "Stone Cold Yesterday" (forgotten song)

Some time ago while discussing their excellent single "Scotty's Lament", I covered the situation with the majority of The Connells' back catalog being in legal limbo. I'm not sure we're any closer to a reissue, and although used copies can be reasonably had via places like Amazon, we'll just have to make do by revisiting one of their forgotten songs.

"Stone Cold Yesterday" is the opening track of their fourth LP, 1990's "One Simple Word". 1990 was an interesting time -- the jangle pop, college radio sound of the 80s about to fall out of favor; the spotlight would soon move from places like Athens, GA to Seattle, WA and "alternative" music was about to become mainstream. And although The Connells continued to release their brand of music for another decade (scoring another hit in 1993 with "74-75"), we can mark the passing of the 1980s college radio sound with this nostalgic song. A strong hook, jangly guitars, cryptic & sentimental lyrics -- it's like the 1980s never ended.

"Stone Cold Yesterday": YouTube (the sound quality is a little distorted, presumably from VHS transfer), Rhapsody.com.

P.S. Notice the "120 Minutes" logo near the beginning of the video? Stone cold yesterday indeed!

Negativland - "Guns" (LP Review)

"Guns" was the first Negativland release I bought. In retrospect, that was fortunate because this two song EP is one of their most accessible releases. It was released in 1992, replacing the withdrawn 1991 "U2" EP. The saga between Negativland vs. U2's label, Island Records, as well as Negativland vs. their own label, SST Records, is well documented and will not be rehashed here (see: "The Letter U and Numeral 2", "Fair Use: The Story of the Letter U and the Numeral 2" and "These Guys Are from England and Who Gives a Shit"). The cover art of the "Guns" EP is clear nod to the then-current U2 situation.

"Guns" consists of two songs: "Then" and "Now". "Then" samples from 1950s-1960s icons of TV and film, humorously and critically examining the cultural status of firearms. "Now" is similar, but pulls from more recent sources. I could try to describe the songs further, but since they're available online it is easier to just listen. Due to their dispute with SST, Negativland makes the mp3s freely available from their web site even though SST still sells the EP. How many bands do you know that actually promote free mp3s over their CDs?

Peter Neville has created an excellent video for "Then", providing many of the TV & movie clips that correspond to the samples in the song.

Standout tracks: "Then" (Negativland.com, YouTube), "Now" (Negativland.com).

Skip 'em tracks: none.

Final Score: 8/10. Not their most experimental release, but a good intro to their body of work. If this EP resonates with you, you should explore their other releases. If this is not to your liking... well, it pretty much gets weirder and noisier from here.

P.S. Terry went to a Negativland show in Norfolk (ca. late 1992) and got Mark Hosler to autograph my copy of "Guns". There are probably dozens of people (besides Terry and me) that think that's cool.

New Order - "Ceremony" (the song remains the same)

In my review of New Order's first LP, Movement, I stated that I especially liked New Order's early, post-Joy Division sound. Of all the songs to come out of that era, "Ceremony" is my favorite. It was written while Joy Division was still active, but Ian Curtis died before JD could do a proper studio recording of it. Two JD versions of "Ceremony" exist: a badly recorded live version (which appears on 1981's posthumous collection "Still") and a rough rehearsal version (on the 1997 box set "Heart and Soul"). The JD versions are of interest only to collectors and hard-core fans and these versions are not recommended for those unfamiliar with the New Order version and subsequent covers.

New Order's first single and its B-side, "In A Lonely Place", were both songs originally written by Joy Division. NO itself released two versions of this "Ceremony": the March 1981 version, which has a more raw, heavy sound; and the September 1981 version, which has a cleaner sound and a slightly faster tempo. The September 1981 version also features Gillian Gilbert, recently promoted to a full member of the band. The September version is the one that appears on the 1987 compilation "Substance" while the March version was not reissued until the 2005 compilation "Singles".

Perhaps the most well-known cover version of this song is on Galaxie 500's second LP, "On Fire". Galaxie 500 was well known for their excellent choice of cover songs (in addition to writing excellent original material). For their treatment of "Ceremony", they slowed it down to the point where it sounds like Black Sabbath covering New Order. Galaxie 500 was an amazing band that never got the recognition they deserved.

Radiohead* also covered "Ceremony" in their 2007 "Thumbs Down" webcast (the full 2.5 hours of which has been uploaded to Google Videos). The do a lovingly sloppy, garage band version of the song (which is obviously not indicative of their studio sound).

New Order: March 1981 version, September 1981 version, live 1981-02-06.

Joy Division: Live version, Rehearsal version (note: neither version has good sound quality).

Galaxie 500: Studio version, live version.

Radiohead: Thumbs Down Webcast version.

New Order B-Side Bonus Link for "In A Lonely Place": Original 7" version, 1981 Berlin live version, 1984 BBC Radio 1 version.

2023-05-24 edit: This 2017 cover by Chromatics is excellent. 


* = Despite all of Radiohead's accolades, they'll never be as good as Gooey.