832. Steve Winwood--Arc of a Diver (1980: #3) (3)

832. Steve Winwood--Arc of a Diver (1980: #3) (3)

1. While You See a Chance (8+)
2. Arc of a Diver (5+)
3. Second-Hand Woman (?) (-)
4. Slowdown Sundown (?) (4)
5. Spanish Dancer (?) (3)
6. Night Train (?) (2)
7. Dust (?) (-)

REVIEW: Only 4/7 tracks available via YT. I like the first two. Smooth sound. I give it a 3.


ED'S TAKE:

#832 STEVE WINWOOD - ARC OF A DIVER

1. While You See A Chance ++7
2. Arc of a Diver ++5
3. Second Hand Woman ++6
4. Slowdown Sundown ++7
5. Spanish Dancer ++6
6. Night Train ++6
7. Dust ++7 (the song gives us some of that Winwood soul)

OVERALL ALBUM RATING: 6

COMMENTS: I'm getting sick, already, listening to these artist/group "makeovers". We've heard the post-Gabriel Genesis, the new and unimproved Yes, and now the slick/MOR pop Steve. I don't much like it. I'm think back to the greatness of Steve and Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and now this. A major disappointment, especially when you can still hear his soulfulness, regardless of the material and the arrangements.

833. Electric Light Orchestra--Eldorado (1974; #16) (2)

833. Electric Light Orchestra--Eldorado (1974; #16) (2)

1. Eldorado Overture (3)
2. Can't Get It Out of My Head (8+)
3. Boy Blue (?) (2)
4. Laredo Tornado (?) (2)
5. Poor Boy (The Greenwood) (?) (2)
6. Mister Kingdom (?) (3) (sounds too much like Across the Universe)
7. Nobody's Child (?) (2)
8. Illusions in G Major (?) (3)
9. Eldorado (?) (2)
10. Eldorado Finale (?) (2)

REVIEW: As with the previous album, this is one of my least favorite albums from a band that I like quite a lot of material from. Only Can't Get It Out of My Head rises above the crowd here. A 2.

ED'S TAKE
#833 ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - Eldorado

1. Eldorado (overture) +4
2. Can't Get It Out Of My Head +++9
3. Boy Blue ++7
4. Laredo Tornado ++7
5. Poor Boy (The Greenwood) ++5
6. Mister Kingdom ++7
7. Nobody's Child +++8
8. Illusions in G Major +++8
9. Eldorado ++7
10. Eldorado (Finale) +4

OVERALL ALBUM RATING: 7

COMMENTS: I don't remember the "highpoints" of this album being so disappointing to me. I thought it WAS, in fact, a rather nice ode to the Beatles more "orchestral" pretensions, at least back when. Now most of this just seems overripe to me. Listenable, but with DEFINITE reservations.

836. Guns n Roses--Use Your Illusion II (1991; #1) (0)

836. Guns n Roses--Use Your Illusion II (1991; #1) (0)

1. Civil War (2)
2. 14 Years (?) (3)
3. Yesterdays (4)
4. Knockin' on Heaven's Door (7)
5. Get in the Ring (?) (1)
6. Shotgun Blues (?) (1)
7. Breakdown (?) (2)
8. Pretty Tied Up (?) (2)
9. Locomotive (?) (2)
10. So Fine (?) (2)
11. Estranged (?) (3)
12. You Could Be Mine (2)
13. Don't Cry (Alternate Lyrics) (9)
14. My World (?) (1)

REVIEW: Except for the two tracks (5&6), a tolerable album. One great track (Don't Cry), another good one (Knockin' on Heaven's Door cover) offset by a few mediocre ones (Civil War, Yesterdays, You Could Be Mine). Those round out the tracks I know. It gets a 0.

ED'S TAKE:

#836 - GUNS AND ROSES - USE YOUR ILLUSION II

1. Civil War - +++8
2. 14 Years +++8
3. Yesterdays ++6
4. Knockin On Heaven's Door ++6
5. Get In the Ring +++4
6. Shotgun Blues ++3
7. Breakdown ++7
8. Pretty Tied Up +++8
9. Locomotive +++6
10. So Fine +++6
11. Estranged +++6
12. You Could Be Mine +++9
13. Don't Cry (Alt) +++8
14..My World ++6

overall rating : 6

COMMENT: What happened to these guys? I think I know. I remember clearly when I first heard them on tv. I thought they were the saviors of heavy metal/hard rock. Talk about stars burnin and then buring out rather quickly.

837. Squeeze--East Side Story (1981) (0)

837. Squeeze--East Side Story (1981) (0)

1. In Quintessence (2)
2. Someone Else's Heart (?) (3)
3. Tempted (9)
4. Picadilly (?) (3)
5. There's No Tomorrow (?) (4) (Abbey Roadish)
6. Heaven (?) (-)
7. Woman's World (?) (3+)
8. Is That Love (3)
9. F-Hole (?) (-)
10. Labelled with Love (?) (2)
11. Someone Else's Bell (?) (-)
12. Mumbo Jumbo (?) (-)
13. Vanity Fair (?) (-)
14. Messed Around (2)

REVIEW: When I saw the album cover it sparked memories--I didn't have the album that I recall, but I did have a huge poster of the cover that I hung in my college dorm room. Listening to what I could of this album (only 6 of the 14 tracks were available online in full length; I knew 4 of them) was disappointing--three of the four I knew are some of my least-favorite Squeeze songs. Only their all-time biggest hit, Tempted, is one I like (and it's a beauty). It gets a 0, and would probably stay there unless some of the other 8 songs that I only heard 30 seconds of turned out to be better than I thought from the clips).

ED'S TAKE

#837 SQUEEZE - EAST SIDE STORY

1. In Quintessence - +++9
2. Someone Else's Heart +++10
3. Tempted +++10
4. Piccadilly +++9
5. There's No Tommorrow +++10
6. Heaven +++9
7. Woman's World +++9
8. Is That Love +++9
9. F-Hole +++9
10. Labelled With Love +++9
11. Someone Else's Bell +++9
12. Mumbo Jumbo +++9
13. Vanity Fair +++10
14. Messed Around +++10

OVERALL RATING : 9

Comments: Has Dillford/Tilbrook EVER written a truly bad song? Their songwriting skills are ridiculous. It's funny. I don't recall ever being aware of the production on this album but as I listened to it again, I was immediately wondering how Elvis Costello would do singing these songs. They seemed right for him. Come to find out he produced the album.

839. Yes--90125 (1983, #5) (4)

839. Yes--90125 (1983, #5) (4)

1. Owner of a Lonely Heart (7+)
2. Hold On (?) (2)
3. It Can Happen (2)
4. Changes (7)
5. Cinema (?) (2)
6. Leave It (8)
7. Our Song (?) (2)
8. City of Love (?) (2)
9. Hearts (?) (2)

REVIEW: (Mostly) good stuff. Three very good tracks--Owner, Changes, Leave It.
A good "comeback" album that represented a different direction for the band. A little overproduced by the heavy hand of Trevor Horn. 4


ED'S TAKE

#839 Yes - 90125

1. Owner of a Lonely Hearts ++7 (engaging, in a synth pop way, but I don't like it THAT much)
2. Hold On - ++5 (quite boring)
3. It Can Happen ++4
4. Changes +++8
5. Cinema ++7
6. Leave It ++5
7. Our Song ++6
8. City of Love ++5
9. Hearts ++6

OVERALL RATING: 6

COMMENTS: I think I overrated this one. I'm torn between my view of them as one of the better progressive bands around vs. the disappointment on this "big comeback", altering their signature sound with a synth wash that doesn't work for me, except in small sections. Frankly, I'll take "Close to the Edge", "Fragile" and the earlier ones ANY DAY over this one. I'm still in shock over the gushy review this gets from allmusic...."a stunning self reinvention" (yeah, I WAS stunned alright!)....."the slick production of Trevor Horn" (you got that right....is that a GOOD thing?)......'the return of prodigal keyboardist Tony Kaye, whose crisp synth work on "Changes" marked the band's definitive break with its art rock roots." (is that to be taken as ANOTHER GOOD THING?)...."but there's nary a duff track on the album" (who IS Paul Collins, the allmusic reviewer, and why would he say such a thing?".) Just kidding Paul. You're entitled to your musical quirks and so am I. I keep wondering why I gave this a "6". After all, in my book, a "6" is an album that is listenable with some reservation. A "4" would mean "serious reservation". Again, a close call.

842. Procol Harum (1967) (4)

842. Procol Harum (1967) (4)
US Release Track Listing

1. Whiter Shade of Pale (9)
2. She Wandered Through the Garden Fence (?) (2)
3. Something Following Me (?) (3)
4. Mabel (?) (3)
5. Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of) (?) (2)
6. A Christmas Camel (?) (3)
7. Conquistador (9+)
8. Kaleidoscope (?) (3)
9. Salad Days (Are Here Again) (?) (2)
10. Repent Walpurgis (?) (3+)

REVIEW: Two great songs, at least on the American release (Whiter did not appear on the UK release). I give it a 4 on the strength of those two.

ED'S TAKE:

#842 PROCOL HARUM - ST

1. A Whiter Shade of Pale +++10 (can I give an 11?)
2. She Wandered Thru the Garden Fence +++9
3. Something Following Me +++10
4. Mabel +++9
5. Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of) +++10
6. Christmas Camel +++10
7. Conquistador +++10
8. Kaleidoscope +++10
9. Salad Days (Are Here Again) +++10
10. Repent Walpurgis +++9

OVERALL RATING: 10

This is one of those albums that I remember listening to for the first time. I can't remember the date or even where I was except at home. It had to be shortly after it was released. I must say, in listening to it now, it was even more mindblowing then, having a very distinctive sound for its time. Perhaps some of the song ratings are a bit inflated, influenced by how I felt listening to it back then. Then again, I've never been sick of hearing "Whiter Shade....".

844. Gnarls Barkley--St. Elsewhere (2006; #4) (3)

844. Gnarls Barkley--St. Elsewhere (2006; #4) (3)

1. Go-Go Gadget Gospel (?) (2)
2. Crazy (9+) (possibly the best song of the decade)
3. St. Elsewhere (?) (2)
4. Gone Daddy Gone (7)
5. Smiley Faces (?) (3)
6. The Boogie Monster (?) (2)
7. Feng Shui (?) (2)
8. Just a Thought (?) (1)
9. Transformer (?) (2)
10. Who Cares? (?) (3)
11. Online (?) (2)
12. Necromancer (?) (1)
13. Storm Coming (?) (1)
14. The Last Time (?) (2)

REVIEW: Not much to hear other than the big hit and the cover of the Violent Femmes song. Those two are very good, but not enough to stretch out over a 14-track album. It gets a 3.

ED'S TAKE:

#844 GNARLS BARKLEY - ST. ELSEWHERE

1. Go Go Gadget Gospel +++8
2. Crazy +++10 (still sounds great, even after the overplay)
3. St. Elsewhere +++8 (I like the vocals more than the song)
4. Gone Daddy Gone +++9 (cover of the great Violent Femmes song...)
5. Smiley Faces +++8
6. The Boogie Monster +++9 (fun)
7. Feng Sui ++7
8. Just a Thought +++9
9. Transformer +++8
10. Who Cares? +++9
11, On Line +++8
12. Necromancer +++8
13. Storm Coming ++7
14. The Last Time +++8

OVERALL RATING: 8

COMMENTS: This is a rather odd album. The main "selling point" for me is the voice of Cee-Lo Green which is twisted pop/soul. The songs are quite twisted, too but frankly I seldom think of them. If I did, I'd have to reassess the entire album and I'm not ready to do that yet. Words like "She was cool when I met her, but I think I like her better dead" makes one pause for reflection. Anyway, my favorite is, oddly, the least experimental in structure. Crazy, indeed. In the right mood, this one could surely be deserving a "9". Then again, in the wrong mood, Bad Brains could be lowered to a "7".

(I was looking back to some ratings I gave albums based on a list Lexis found somewhere and I gave "Pet Sounds" a 9. I KNOW that with my present rating sensibilities, that album would SURELY get a "10"....and it, no doubt, will when we find it somewhere in the Top 10.)