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

This, from 1987, was the second and last album from The Housemartins before they went their separate ways to other projects. It is less Smiths-influenced than their debut album and more Motown-esque in its bassy, rhythmic catchiness. Paul Heaton always loved classic soul/pop. The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death is a vitriolic jibe against the Royal Family hidden behind the group's usual catchy poppiness. I find this a bit sour, to be honest - despite my left-wing politics and punk youth I've actually never bothered much about the Royals. I quite like the history of it all, so there you go - I'm as contradictory a character as Paul Heaton. The breezy pop of I Can't Put My Finger On It has a delicious, deep bass line and a better sound quality the one was used to on Housemartins recordings.  The Light Is Still Green is a solid slowish ecologically-motivated number with a wonderful line in "wherever there's a will there's a motorway...". Paul Heato

The Christians were a band that peaked, all too briefly, in the late 1980s, which was a bit of a shame because they had something to offer. They were certainly not a typical late eighties synth pop band. Their influences were primarily Motown and seventies/early eighties soul music. Their singer, Garry Christian had a sweet-toned, high-ish but very melodious voice which really suited the high quality musical backing. The band were formed of three Christian brothers from Liverpool, plus multi-instrumentalist Henry Priestman. They had a social awareness and many of their lyrics concerned injustice, racism, poverty, economic imbalance and governmental corruption. All of those issues were sung about against an accessible, light and appealing soulful backing. Quite why they never quite made it is a bit of a mystery. This was an impressive debut album, the was for sure. It kicks off with the catchy, harmonious, insistent and bassy Forgotten Town. They had a definite feel for a hook with thei

  This, for me, is one of  Sting ’s finest albums. It is another in the jazzy style of his debut solo album,  The Dream Of The Blue Turtles . The musicianship and sound quality on it is absolutely outstanding. I will not have anyone laying into Sting when he produces music like this. The album is a joy from beginning to end.  The Lazarus Heart   kicks off with world-music influenced percussion, sumptuous jazzy saxophone, great bass and one of those delightful rhythmic vibes to it that Sting was now specialising in. A lot of  Paul Simon  influences abound on many of Sting’s albums. They are certainly here, musically and lyrically.   Be Still My Beating Heart   is another gloriously atmospheric song, with a captivating vocal and bass line. The whole vibe on this album is excellent.   Englishman In New York   is the best-known track on the album. It is a good one, full of atmosphere and impossibly catchy, as most people know. History Will Teach Us Nothing   has both a magnificent, broodin

This Crazy Horse reunion (once again)   was  also cosiderably blighted by those goddamned tinny synths - such as on  Around The World  - but a track like  Inca Queen  is good enough to override that, as also is the Stonesy riffiness of  Too Lonely .  I am a fan of  Mideast Vacation  as well and  Prisoners Of Rock’n’Roll  has shades of later era Ramones about it as does the equally robust  Cryin’ Eyes .  When Your Lonely Heart Breaks  is a nice ballad but despite these obvious  good points - and they are good points - overall there is still something so very eighties about this album which subsequent albums Freedom, Ragged Glory and Harvest Moon managed to shake off , thankfully. These were bloody awful at times, weren't they?  

After  the high point that was the politically-motivated Our Favourite Shop from 1985, two years later the Style Council were back with a shorter album of more polished, professional-sounding soul-funk-pop, tapping into what was now starting to be called “R 'n' B” - laid back, synth-drummy late night US-influenced radio soul.  The album was much less instant and “in your face” than its predecessor, tending to wash over you somewhat. Don't let that put you off, though, there was still some good material on here.  The two singles from the album, the soulful   Waiting   and the even more relaxing and very appealing  It Didn't Matter  are probably the unsurprisingly twin high spots.  The stark and pointed   A Woman's Song   and also   Fairy Tales   both show that Weller had not quite lost his political edge, but overall, it seemed as if he wanted to drop the political opinionating and just chill out, man. The plain orange cover seemed to exemplify that feeling too. Brig

  This was Simply Red ’s follow up to their successful debut album,  Picture Book ,  and, although it was a good album, it did not quite contain the real stand out quality of its predecessor.  That said, it is still a pretty good example of mid/late eighties soulful pop and considerably superior to much of the synthesiser-drenched vacuous pop being released during the same period. It is an album that grows on you, though, and, because it only contains one hit is enjoyable to listen to due to the comparative unfamiliarity of the material.   The production is very much of its time, however, being slightly too trebly and not quite bassy enough for my taste.   The Right Thing  is an upbeat slice of funk-pop which was a big hit.  Infidelity  is a catchy and funky number with a high-pitched vocal from  Mick Hucknall  and some very eighties-style backing vocals, plus a killer saxophone solo. Very “wine bar” in its lush, laid-back, polished sound.  Suffer  is a bit like a  Michael Jackson  slo

  This, for many, was  Prince ’s crowning achievement - his  London Calling ,  White Album ,  Songs In The Key Of Life  or  Exile On Main Street , a sprawling, diverse double album that spanned genres and influences. As usual with Prince by now, it merged funk, soul, gospel, rap with rock, psychedelia, blues and folk to great effect.  Personally, I have always found a little too eclectic and find that I prefer other albums of his, but there is no doubting its influence, both contemporary and in later years. It was recorded without  The Revolution  for the first time since 1982’s 1999 album, with Prince playing most instruments himself. There are still a fair few musicians involved, however, it is not all one man band stuff.  Regarding the tracks, I will deal with them in the four x four tracks sections of the original double album.  Sign O’ The Times   is a triumph of a track to open with, overflowing with brooding atmosphere, chilling apocalyptic warnings and an insistent but low-key

  Seven years after two excellent albums, The Grateful Dead returned with this, an absolute killer of a rock album that is accessible, clever and all-round likeable.  Touch Of Grey  is a really catchy opener, with great riffs and singalong hooks aplenty. As 1987 rock offerings go, it is up there as one of the best.  A rat-a-tat rum roll introduces the solid riffage of  Hell In A Bucket  which has a fair few echoes of Joe Walsh and Don Henley.  When Push Comes To Shove  is a rollicking piece of bar-room blues rock driven along by some fine piano.  West L.A Fadeaway  is pure Dire Straits in many ways with its Knopfler guitar sound and quiet, smoky blues rock  ambience. It gets into its groove and just keeps going over its seven minutes. There is something Dylan and Clapton-esque about it in places, too.  Tons Of Steel  is get out on the highway Eagles/Don Henley rock and is a copper-bottomed driving rocker, full of atmosphere and on the road melody.  Throwing Stones  is another in this p

This is one of two not very promising things - first it is an eighties album by an established rock performer and it falls victim to the synthesised curse of that era; secondly it is a  Rolling Stones  solo album produced during the time when the group were at their lowest ebb. However, like  Keith Richards '  Talk Is Cheap  from the following year, it is not bad and probably superior to The Stones' output from that period.  Take the best tracks from this and Talk Is Cheap and you would have a good Stones album. The very future of The Stones was in doubt at this time, so this was a genuine, concerted effort to launch Jagger's career as a solo artist. It is a reasonable effort, too.   Three of the songs were written with  The Eurythmics '  Dave Stewart , otherwise the album is written by Jagger.  Throwaway  starts with a typical eighties programmed drum intro before it rocks into a riffy, appealing track with hints of  Bruce Springsteen's  material on  Born In The US

  There are lots of influences to be found on this under-appreciated Petty & The Heartbreakers album, derived mostly from Dire Straits-Mark Knopfler, Springsteen and eighties-era Dylan.  This was released during the time that Petty and The Heartbreakers were touring as Dylan's backing band and you can tell. I really like the rootsy rock sound on this album and always thoroughly enjoy every track.  It is a bit of an underrated album within Petty's canon - I much prefer it to Wildflowers and Southern Accents, for example, loving the Knopfler-esque melodic rock-blues vibe that dominates the whole album, making it one of his very best, in my opinion.   Highlights here are the rocking  Let Me Up ,  All Mixed Up ,  The Damage You’ve Done ,  Think About Me , the laid-back, smoky rock of  Counting On You  and the excellent Bob Dylan co-write, the gloriously riffy and Stonesy  Jammin’ Me .  On  My Life/Your World  there is even a bit of a Bryan Ferry vibe. None of the tracks on the

What's this? A double album? Had The Cure gone all prog rock? For me, and probably many others, a double album of The Cure may seem a little off-putting. However, this offering contains easily enough variety to offset that, although it is still too damn long (I'm just not a fan of double albums).  It is, though, The Cure's most carefree and enjoyable album, by far.  The Kiss  is thumping and robust while  Catch  is plaintively melodic.  If Only   Tonight We Could Sleep  is an Eastern-influenced slow number complete with sitar, as if George Harrison and his mates had come into the studio.  Why Can't I Be You?  is a Love Cats-ish jaunty, brassy number and  How Beautiful Are You  is full of blaring horns and saxophones. Is this really The Cure? Why,  Hot Hot Hot !!!  even finds them going deliciously funky.  The Snakepit  is catchy and Smiths-esque in that mid-late eighties jangly guitar style.  Icing Sugar  sounds like early Roxy Music in places, with its saxophone sound.

  Clydebank band  Wet Wet Wet  had been around since 1982, but this was their first album.  The group, as the title suggests, were a mixture of pop and soul, with some rock hints in there with the occasional nod to the new wave they grew up listening to. The group suffered a bit from being dismissed as a teen pop outfit, but in many ways they were more than that. They wrote their songs as a group and they understood music history, often throwing in a reference to a classic from time past, either musically or lyrically.  They are a bit hard to categorise. Launching in the eighties, they use a bit of typical eighties backing, but they also use rock guitars and retrospective soul stylings. Vocalist  Marti Pellow  had a winning, lush soulful voice too. So much so that he could make an ordinary song sound better than it actually was.  The two singles, the sweet soul of  Angel Eyes  and the  Motown -ish  Sweet Little Mystery  are both absolute perfect pieces of soul/pop, brilliantly executed

  Personally, I think this was Rea's best album thus far. It was his most full on rock offering, more so than  Shamrock Diaries , more lively and upbeat in its feel, and less laid-back than  On The Beach .  Although we were still in the eighties, the album is refreshingly guitar-driven. Yes, there are a few synthesisers floating around but they do not overwhelm as they do on many eighties albums. It is still a credible rock album, for the most part.  Joys Of Christmas   is certainly not the festive song one might expect it to be - it is a deep, bluesy number with Rea semi-speaking his gruff vocal about the  "joys of Christmas, Northern style ". It is a great track, enhanced by a searing slide guitar solo.  I Can't Dance To That  is another blues-influenced rocker with a great riff and featuring Rea's first reference to "the road to hell".  The  Dire Straits -ish  Windy Town  is packed full of Northern atmosphere. Rea really starts to create an identity f

Deacon  Blue’s widely respected debut album, from 1987,  took a while, at the time, to seep into widespread acceptance.  It was a year to eighteen months before many, including myself, came to learn to appreciate this excellent Scottish group. Deacon Blue are a pretty difficult group to categorise - they are not rock, yet they have rock influences, use drums, keyboards and electric guitars. They are not soul, yet they often employ soul sensibilities and have Motown and soul influences. They are not punk, or new wave, or post punk. They are, actually, quite unique in many ways. Their influences are wide - Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Prefab Sprout, Elvis Costello, Motown, classic soul.  Their lyrical preoccupations are Scottish life in general and the supposed toughness of it at times, relationship ups and downs and people’s psychological idiosyncrasies and the three cornerstones mentioned in their classic song, Dignity - faith, work and home. Their two vocalists are now

  After a successful debut album, ex- Clash  guitarist  Mick Jones  returned with an even better album with his new band.  Once again, it is an interesting mix of musical influences and is full of what were vast becoming their trademark - plenty of movie and musical sampling.   It is one of my favourite eighties albums, a positive oasis in a comparatively arid time for music. For me, too, it is slightly more appealing and effective than the band's debut album. The samples are more plentiful and used really well.   On this album, Mick Jones re-united with his old Clash mate  Joe Strummer . Many said not before time, either. The result was a great album.   From the upbeat, hip-hop influenced opener  C'mon Every Beatbox , through the nostalgic, sensitive  Beyond The Pale  (about Jones' grandparents and their emigration to the UK from Russia) to the fast paced, dance-style  Limbo The Law  and the Brazilian strains of  Sambadrome , complete with authentic football commentary, th

  In the mid-late eighties, hard rock sounds and attitudes weren’t doing too well, buried under a mountain of tinny synthesisers, big hair, make-up, pastel jackets and shoulder pads.  Then, surprisingly, virtually out of nowhere came L.A.’s Guns n’ Roses, led by a headbanded scruffbag of a singer in Axl Rose (together with some rather unpalatable attitudes and a potty mouth) and a charismatic lead guitarist in Slash. Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin wasn’t half bad either.  As opposed to the almost lovable whisky-swilling, womanising seventies heavy rock bands there was something a bit grubby, urban and dangerous about G n’R, something edgy and a bit nasty. It was funny how heavy rock attitudes sort of changed with their arrival. Despite that, they could kick up a racket, lay down a riff or two and provided a refreshing alternative to synth pop and Stock/Aitken/Waterman acts. I remember at the time being surprised at how people who liked that sort of stuff also took to G n’R yet they wou

  Following several rock-pop albums in the eighties, this  Santana  album reverted, to a certain extent, to the Latin rhythms that made the band famous, while still being very much a product of is time, featuring synthesiser backing and sometimes a laid-back, soulful R'n'B sound as well as an upbeat eighties dance feel. For me, it has more of an eighties dance feel about it than a Latin rock album, for sure.  Several old band members returned, including vocalist  Buddy Miles , replacing  Alex Ligertwood .  The album doesn't do it for me as much as many of the others, however, seeming at times to be a bit ordinary and very much of its time (a time that wasn't great for music). I prefer its three eighties predecessors,  Zebop!,   Shangó  and  Beyond Appearances . The synthesisers have taken over too much for me on this one. Any Carlos Santana guitar work is definitely second place to those accursed keyboards.   Veracruz   has a fetching rhythm to it, including some killer

   "It was recorded just over six months after the Hollywood sessions for King of America. The Attractions' sole contribution to that album, Suit of Lights, had been made during our least successful and most bad-tempered days in the studio. The air of suspicion and resentment still lingered as King of America was released and we entered Olympic Studios, London, to make what proved to be our last record together for eight years" - Elvis Costello This was the last album in "phase one" of  Elvis Costello and the Attractions'  recording career, the final one after eight years of superb releases.   Relations between the band were strained after non-stop touring and recording over that breakneck punk/new wave period and they recorded this album all in different rooms, listening to each other's contributions on monitors but playing in isolation. This was supposedly to get a "live" feeling in the recording, and indeed they played at stage volume (you c