Howling At The Moon - The Punk Panther's Album Reviews

  I remember Quintessence from the early seventies because they always seemed to be playing at my local rock club, Friars in Aylesbury (I was too young to go at the time). It was from seeing their gig posters that I learnt the meaning of the word Quintessence.  I have always presumed them to be a prog rock band, without knowing much about them, but, in listening to them recently, have discovered that while they had a definite innovative proggery about them, they were also very psychedelic, Eastern-influenced and folky at times. They remind me a bit of Caravan in that respect. They are very much at the psychedelic rock end of early prog. I have to say that that is a sub-genre that I quite like.  They were also notable in their considerable Eastern/Indian influence. Obviously that whole George Harrison-inspired thing was  de rigeur , but four of the band's six members went the whole hog, changing their names to Maha Dev (rhythm guitar), Raja Ram (flute, bells and percu...

  The world viewed Steve Hillage as a long-haired, bearded proggy but he saw himself differently, wanting to be considered funky. Good luck with that one, Steve... An album from 1977 that totally ignored contemporary punk trends, this one. It was “spacey rock”, with slightly annoying lyrics about the cosmos, leylines and saucers, sung in a weak, unconvincing voice by Hillage but redeemed by his excellent guitar work.  The guy could play guitar but he sure couldn’t sing too good. It has a funky side to it, too, as Hillage had intended - apparently he had become irked by many prog rock followers’ dislike of funk and he became determined to go down the funk route. He didn’t consider himself to be a prog artist and he disliked the term and the fans’ musical snobbery. I have still categorised it as prog, however, due to its hippy-new age lyrics and Hillage’s long hair and hippy beard. If he had wanted to shake off the prog shackles and go funky he could have tried harder. It was no...

  An utterly culturally incongruous release here from 1978 - some “Canterbury scene” keyboard-dominated, spacey and jazzy prog eight or nine years too late. It went down like a lead balloon at the time but has garnered considerable critical kudos since. It would have been fine in 1973, mind .   There are bucketloads of jazzy female vocals (from one Amanda Parsons) on the lengthy, keyboard-driven rock of  Tenemos Roads (shown on the CD rear cover as  Thermos Roads )  and also on the beguiling, beautifully jazzy and laid-back  Brujo . Both these tracks are chock full of seriously good instrumental soloing. Admittedly the "la-la-la" - and sometimes scat-style  - airy backing vocals are a little irritating, but that is a small gripe, really as the music is so good that it doesn't matter so much. It genuinely rocks in a most innovative, almost avant-jazz style.  Borogroves (Excerpt From Part Two)   features some fine funky guitar and a ...

  This was  Earth, Wind & Fire' s debut album and it was released six long years before they really struck it big, chart-wise.  The sound is far more of a down 'n' dirty funk one as opposed to the poppy soul grooves of 1977. Some of the typical vocal harmonies are there, though, and you can detect signs of what the group would progress to. It is a remarkably short album, only twenty-seven minutes. The old "side two" contains only three short tracks - amazing what artists could get away with in 1971. That is not to say that is not a good album, though, because it has many good points.  Help Somebody  is an upbeat piece of brass-driven funky soul with some Latin jazz-influenced passages.  Moment Of Truth  is even more of a funk number, with some deep, resonant bass lines and blaxploitation-style drum rhythm. The ubiquitous brass dominates throughout too.  Love Is Life  is a sumptuous, slow burning soul ballad, with a tasty organ backing and...

  This was  EW&F 's second album, and is certainly an innovative, experimental one, particularly in the jazzy, almost hippy stylings of the nine-minute opener. There is sweet soul and funk on the album as well, although there are only five tracks. It didn't really take off for the band with this, to be honest, which was a shame, for it is a pretty credible album, especially for 1971.  Energy  takes a while to get going, beginning with some free jazz saxophone and then into its hippy-spacey spoken introductory part which is somewhat cringeworthy, but when the jazzy rhythms and soul-funk vocals kick in it is pretty impressive. The track swings from part to part and is very ground-breaking, almost serving as a precursor for some of the  "blaxploitation"  funk from the mid-late seventies. There is an excellent bit of drum, bass, guitar and horns interplay after about five minutes.  Beauty  is beautifully bassy and laid-back, with some quality voca...

  This was  Earth, Wind & Fire 's third album and the were beginning to find their feet now as a horn-driven funky soul outfit.  The extended, psychedelic experimentation of their second album had given way to a more concise punchier sound. However, unfortunately, they still hadn't found the knack of writing hit singles, something that was still several years away. The sound on this album is ok, but just a little bit muffled and unclear in places. Not off-puttingly so, however.  Time Is On Your Side  is a lively slice of brassy funk to open with before we get the first of the three frankly pointless  Interludes  that permeate the album. No matter, the next one up,  They Don't See  is a tuneful laid-back soulful ballad with a bit of contemporary social awareness in its lyrics.  A cover of  Bread 's easy-listening hit  Make It With You   is pleasant enough, but doesn't quite make it, so to speak. Taken in isolation, it's...

  It was odd to think that  Earth, Wind & Fire  released a whole raft of relatively unsuccessful, average-ish albums before they hit the right note and became world-famous. This was their fourth album of brassy soul-funk. There are signs, though, of their trademark sound lurking beneath the surface.  Evil  is a Latin-influenced groove with a bit of  Santana  influence to it and a pretty captivating beat. That rhythmic irresistibility that would serve them so well in the future is clear on this one.  Keep Your Head To The Sky  is a lush slice of sweet soul, with  Philip Bailey' s falsetto to the fore.  Build Your Nest  is a short-ish and muscular little funk number.  The World's A Masquerade   is pleasant enough, but actually doesn't particularly get anywhere.  Clover   is a laid-back, flute-driven soul number such as regularly appeared on those memorable  "Blaxploitation"   compilations as one ...

This was the album that finally stared to break it big for  Earth, Wind & Fire . Vocalist  Jessica Cleaves  had left and they now had an all-male line-up, not that it particularly affected the sound.  They just seemed to ease from being a cult band to a far more popular one. The album seems just slightly more focused in its mix of funky soul with slight jazz influences. The sound quality is improving as well, just slightly, not that it was bad, but it seems a bit warmer and bassier on this one.  Mighty Mighty   is a  Parliament-Funkadelic -style punchy funker.  Devotion   is a melodic, laid-back soul ballad, with some lovely harmonious vocals.  Fair But So Uncool  is an excellent funky groover. It is full of intoxicating rhythm too.   Feelin' Blue   is also overflowing with samba-influenced rhythm and some funky, jazzy keyboard riffing in the middle. You get the feeling EW&F are finding their identity here. The fou...

  This was the album that established  EW&F  as global soul superstars. It sold lots and solidly developed their instantly recognisable style of brass-powered sweet, funky soul and led in the creation of this kind of soul within the broad genre. The tracks alternate between energetic funk and sublime ballads.  Shining Star   is an upbeat, funky, brass-driven opener with some killer guitar parts.  That's The Way Of The World   is a sumptuous soulful ballad with would soon become typical EW&F vocals. It is a track that serves to exemplify EW&F at their very best.  Happy Feelin'  starts with some delicious percussion and continues into a slice of irrepressible, upbeat, funky fun. Some jazzy "vibes" parts in it too.  All About Love  is a slow, horn-driven ballad. The spoken part in the middle is very seventies, though.  Yearnin' Learnin'   sees the brassy but also bassy funk return in a similar way to that of ...

  After  That's The Way Of The World  finally gave  Earth, Wind & Fire  platinum-selling success, with their sixth album.  This, their seventh studio offering, built on that success with an even better album, which in many ways, was a defining moment in their career. After so many albums searching for a defining sound, they had reached it at last. They merged funk, soul, kick-ass brass and harmonious vocals superbly and now had found the knack of writing songs with killer hooks.  Getaway  is an infectious funker, full of  Parliament-George Clinton -style vocals as well as now typical EW&F high-pitched backing vocals and punchy brass.   On Your Face   was a delicious slice of sweet, funky, brassy soul, with  Philip Bailey 's vocal outstanding. This is proper groovy soul. Perfection of the genre.  Imagination   is a piece of laid-back, romantic late-night bedtime soul with a nice little funky guitar riff underpi...

  This album has a strong case to be the quintessential  Earth, Wind & Fire  album, one which saw this multi-talented funk-soul group at the peak of their powers.   It is an album full of soul-funk classics and joined together by some short instrumental interludes derived from “world music”, in this case the sound of Brazil. Along with a fascination with ancient  Egypt  (look at this album’s cover), founder member  Maurice White  also loved the ethnic sounds of  Brazil's marketplaces and backstreets . They influence this album considerably in some of its instrumentation and samba-style grooves.  The album kicks off with the sublime, horn-driven upbeat, classy, laid-back, slick funk of the totally delicious  Serpentine Fire . In so many ways this song is classic Earth, Wind & Fire and every time I listen to it I am left thinking "just how damn good is this" - a funky little gem indeed.  Up next is even more of a classic,...

  This album, from 1979, saw  Earth, Wind & Fire  at the height of their popularity. 1977's  All 'n' All  had sealed the deal and they were now guaranteed chart success, for both albums and singles. Their brand of dramatic, grandiose, brassy soul-funk had captured a considerable following by now.  Despite it being the era of punk and there being a disco backlash, EWF didn't suffer. They were on the radio all the time in 1979.  This is probably their most instantly appealing album. It is not an all-out disco album, though, despite the more dance-y nature of some of the tracks. It is an EWF soul-funk album that dabbles considerably in disco. It does so far more so than on any of their previous albums, though. The group have moulded their sound to meet the contemporary trend for disco. Although I liked many of the previous albums, this one is probably my favourite. It is certainly their most overtly commercial.  In The Stone   starts like a ...

  Coming only seven months after his debut solo album, this was another age-defying offering from the only just teenage  Michael Jackson . He copes with a variety of different songs with consummate ease and displays a remarkable ability to read a song's requisites.  Ben  is incredibly cheesy, of course, but its so nostalgic for those of us who grew up at the time of its release. I was thirteen when it came out. So, I believe, was Michael Jackson. The original vinyl rear cover showed Michael on his bike - that could have been me at the same time.  Greatest Show On Earth  is a very typical early seventies,  Burt Bacharach -sounding song (but not one). It has a poppy and pleasant vibe to it.  A similar feel can be found on the reflective  People Make You World Go Round . This was also a hit for  The Stylistics .  The catchy, singalong  We've Got A Good Thing Going  was a reggae hit for  Sugar Minott  in the late sev...

  More problems occurred for Jackson here, as his voice changed even more and half the songs tried to perpetuate the old high-voiced pre-teen thing and the others saw him attempting to adapt to his deeper, adult one.  It was a short, thirty-two minute offering that doesn't exude any joie de vivre or real enthusiasm.  Michael, seeing what Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were doing, wanted to to include some of his own songs on the album but Motown said no, so he was stuck with cover versions of old standards like  All The Things You Are  and  Too Young ,  Happy  (from Lady Sings The Blues) and recycled Motown material like  Johnny Raven , which The Supremes had recorded a few years earlier (admittedly, Jackson's version is a good one, though). No wonder many have said that he sounded a bit detached and disinterested on what came across as a treading water album.  Either way, it was the last of his "kid" albums.  The best tracks are pro...

  More like it was this one, from 1975, which saw a now sixteen year-old Michael aided by Eddie and Brian Holland, who contributed three fine songs in the robust  We're Almost There , the equally impressive  Take Me Back  and the US hit single  Just A Little Bit Of You .  The album also contained the huge hit ballad  One Day In Your Life  (albeit retrospectively released six years later). There is just something far more cohesive and credible about this collection of songs. Jackson was growing up and his musical output was reflecting that.  Sure, it is a bit dated now, but that said, and, all things considered, it isn't a bad album.   Cinderella Stay Awhile  had a brassy, disco-lite but also grittily soulful feel typical of the era as disco was beginning to take off. Unsurprisingly, this was Jackson's most mature album to date and is quite different in mood and approach to the predecessors, which had all been recorded when Jackson w...

  This is where it started for  Michael Jackson  as a serious, adult, solo artist. Taking the smooth, infectious disco-soul sound that had made The Jacksons so successful in the mid-late seventies, he, together with producer  Quincy Jones  and underrated songwriter  Rod Temperton , put out this sumptuous album of upbeat, intoxicating disco songs and syrupy but polished ballads.   Disco had been and gone, of course, several years earlier and the fires of funk were still smoking as their embers died out. What Jackson and his team did here was blend danceable disco elements with bassy, melodic funk rhythms, a brassy punch and some sumptuous string orchestration. There was something in this music for soul fans, something for funk aficionados, something for chart pop enthusiasts and something for disco dancers. Even the drums had a mid-tempo rock beat. The formula was a winning one.  The first two tracks, Jackson's catchy  Don't Stop 'Til You Get ...

  1979's Off The Wall had been relatively successful, but it still remained only averagely so compared with this monstrous seller. Nobody could have really expected the incredible success of it, not the producers or Jackson himself. It launched him into the pop stratosphere and he became the "king of pop" from this moment on.  While Off The Wall had a myriad of styles to keep all sorts happy, Thriller had even more - there was rock guitar riffage, a harder, more "street" funk, more schmaltzy ballads and an even more polished smooth soul sound. Blending all those together proved to be guaranteed to result in massive global sales. Together with the advent of MTV, which endlessly played the many videos this album generated, Jackson conquered the world. I clearly remember the night in early December 1982 when Channel 4 showed the Thriller video for the first time, at about midnight I recall. The nation stood still. Everyone seemed to watch it, ev...

  Michael Jackson returned five years after the stratospheric Thriller with this long-waited offering from 1987. It is heavier and denser than its two predecessors, Thriller and Off The Wall, but, as it was 1987, is synthesiser-dominated.  It contains enough instantly appealing chart material to keep the pop/greatest hits consumers happy and, although for some, it is let down by its "filler", I find those tracks are more credible than earlier equivalents.  It also marked the period when Jackson went white, so to speak, returning with a dramatically-altered appearance since Thriller, on which he was still holding on to normality. Someone who was quirky and inventive before had now turned decidedly weird. His long descent started here.  The album was well-received by his now millions of fans, though, and was soon playing in wine bars and sitting on the shelves of those who had invested in the new phenomenon of a CD player and had three or four CDs. You could rest assur...