Before Shakira burst out of the Columbian/Spanish market she released these CDs that broke down barriers: Pies Descalzos (1995), Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998) – when I bought these I was merely adding them to my latino world music collection. The production was superb & she was clearly working on becoming the next Celine Dion – only with a lot more sexuality. Great music. Her English work seems a little forced to me & I quickly lost interest.
Canadian Remy Shand hit big with his first (& only lp) The Way I Feel (2002). Smooth emotive voice & catchy r’n’b. He quickly stepped away for the mainstream industry & has remained active as an indie performer. He didn’t want any record lable accountant telling him what to record to maximize sales.
Shriekback: Trench (1982), Care (1983), Oil & Gold (1985), Big Night Music (1986), Go Bang! (1988), The Dancing Years (1990). I remember recognizing Coelacanth when it came up in the Manhunter film. I’d recently bought Oil & Gold & was amazed to hear my favourite band in a movie. The moody organ, ocarina instrumental was perfect. The band’s careful, deliberate arrangements held my attention & the lead singer’s voice was sexy & a little chilling. The band changed personnel over time & their sound changed as well. I love each them for different reasons. The Dancing Years is a sort of ‘hits’ compilation & makes a good introduction to the band.
Rounding out the Shriekback mp3 cd are: Fleetwood Mac: tango in the night (1987) the video for Big Love brought me back to Mac. The lp is good solid work & was one of their best selling. Paul Simon pulled his career back together with Graceland (1987). This is an amazing album, though with the passage of time one wonders about his eager appropriation of another cultures music even with credits for the many African musicians on the lp.
I was gifted the vinyl of Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft’s Alles Est Gut (1981) with it hot cover art & the techno music is still surprisingly fresh & appealing. The same is true for M: Pop Muzik: New York–London–Paris–Munich (1978) I remember loving that dance single in my first years in Toronto & eventually dowloaded the mp3 of the album a few years ago.
Here too is Eddie Kendricks’ The Hit Man (1975).One time lead singer for The Temptations – he stepped to record several solo lps all good solid disco/r’n’b love songs & the search for peace. Finally Dead Can Dance: Aion (1990), which I has as cassette & up graded to mp3. This Australian band was deep into Gothic/Renaissance music with a dash of modern. Sweetly different.
TOpoet 