More of my fave CD sleeves

Another design classic? Go on then.

Beth Orton "Trailer Park"

Beth Orton's "first" ever album (PR conveniently forgets about the 1993 "Superpinkymandy" album she did with William Orbit) from 1996 is a brilliant electronic/folk hybrid, and was fave of mine back in those heady Britpop days. It's got a simple clean cover layout from designers Negativespace (nice Arial font) with beautiful photography from Ellen Nolan on the cover and throughout, giving a flavour of the music through the cover image, as all good designs should do. Orton continued the "theme" from the first album through to her following two albums "Central Reservation" & "Daybreaker" (below), but it's the "Trailer Park" image that defines her for me.

And another one?

I always liked The Orb's first few albums before they went a bit "up their own arses" to use a technical term, and the cover for "Live 93" is a personal fave, to the extent of me cajoling Cobweb records in Poulton-le-Fylde into selling me their massive window display for this release (now you try getting this home on a Stagecoach bus). It then took pride of place impractically in the corner of my bedroom for a year. Great days.

The cover is by MadArk of London, and features their pastiche of Pink Floyd's "Animals" album sleeve (The Orb being fans of the Floyd), instead of Hipgnosis's famous image of a flying pig floating over Battersea Power Station, The Orb stage mascot Fluffy the Sheep takes over the pig role. I never did manage to find that sheep in a shop - I wanted it badly! I was never confused.

Another group I love are The Chemical Brothers, as does Celia - they were one of the groups we first connected over. I've bought all their albums, and a lot of their singles, and have always admired the distinctive artwork of their most of their releases. Their first album "Exit Planet Dust" is possibly the most distinctive of their sleeves, and is by Negativespace again:

The cover of the album was from a '70's fashion shoot reject box, according to the duo's Ed Simons. In a 1995 interview with the much missed "Select" Magazine, Ed said: "We wanted something that just looked nice. A lot of techno albums just have fractals on them, and we wanted something a bit more romantic and otherworldly with soft, nice colours. It's the wrong way round as well - intentionally. If me and Tom are in that picture we're in the car going "Oh she's alright, I wish I had a guitar on my back with her." That would rank as one of the good things in life. Originally we had this pregnant woman in a field wearing this white see-though dress, like a flake advert gone wrong. But we couldn't use it because the unborn child could have sued us". Another image from the same fashion photoshoot was used as one of the images on the interior of the "Dig Your Own Hole" sleeve. Some other covers from their releases of around the 1995/96 era are below:

Great Record Sleeves Of Our Time...

.... do you remember how excitedly you rushed home from your local record shop to play that first piece of vinyl bought, or the first CD (if you're part of the generation that missed out on black plastic, in which case, I hate you all, you young bastards)? Can you recall just how vital it felt to both aurally and visually devour the entire album - the music, the design, the sleeve notes, the band's visual identity/logo, the photography, the typography? No? Oh, just me then.

The whole "check out the cover" concept is gradually getting eroded away due to the popluarity of the iPod and other portable music carriers, as downloads of MP3s gradually begin to replace traditional music purchases through shops and actually physically having a CD sleeve is starting to look unfortunately archaic. Which is a shame, I love music, but I like to have the whole shiny package in my hands.

I love looking through racks of CD's, admiring the designs and occasionally coming across something that looks great, and you'd hope the record matched up. Don't get me wrong, some of the greatest records ever made have crappy sleeves, and sometimes a great sleeve will hold an absolute piece of shit. But when you get a great record in a great sleeve... ahhh well, it's perfect.

Here's the first in an occasional tribute to those record sleeves which I think look fantastic.

Duran Duran "Rio"

All the way back to 1982, this sleeve of Duran's breakthrough album is a classic. The albums graphic design is by Malcolm Garrett of the Assorted Images team, but the actual iconic illustration is provided by Patrick Nagel (1945 - 1984), an American artist who was renowned for his images of the female form presented in an Art Deco style, influenced by Japanese woodblock print techniques. The band used his work after seeing his illustrations in such periodicals as Playboy. Duran Duran albums up to and including 1986's "Notorious" always had style and presence, with clean simple fonts and striking photography and design, and this is one of my favourites.

Here's Nagel's painting in detail:

Here's the alternative unused cover:


And here's some of Nagel's other work:

Guess where we went on Valentine's Night?

This year, Celia pulled a sneaky on me, and said she'd booked a hotel in Manchester for Valentine's Night, and I'd need a suit. Nothing else was disclosed, apart from lots of giggling as I looked puzzled. Hmmm. Cue a couple of weeks of headscratching and sneaking about on the internet googling Manchester and Valentines for clues.

So Valentine's Day comes, and still I don't know where I'm going. We get to Manchester to our usual hotel, the Premier Travel Inn near the MEN Arena, and a lovely room is allocated, ten floors up with a Manchester skyline view, and then Celia lets me know where we're going. Wehayyy!

"The view from the 10th floor"

A Valentine's Night meal and tour at Old Trafford Football Club, home of Manchester United. You beauty!! Very naughty of her but brilliant! We celebrate with champers (oh the decadence) and get dressed up to the nines; one bizarre taxi ride later (hey mate we're not tourists round here but I'll let it go) we're at the South Stand of OT, being welcomed through to the second floor. It's now that it's all beginning to sink in. I see couples sat at tables with a pitchside view, with a girl playing the harp at the side of the room. We're eventually shown where we're sitting... not with the others but in our own executive box for the night (no 2205, numbers fans). Wow! Just halfway between the away corner and the old tunnel.

"Do you know any Nirvana?"

Before we have a chance to finish our drinks, we're whisked away on a mini tour of the South Stand of OT by our nice bloke-guide Ray, starting with a seat in the stand, before we're shown down to the pitchside to the dugout, home of Fergie and playing staff, and invited to sit in their seats. For some bizarre reason, I can't bring myself to sit in Sir Alex's seat (I'm not worthy!) so we settle for the seats on the row in front... and very comfy they are too. And heated so little Ronaldo's bottie won't get cold.

"Pitchside"

"The new coaching staff reconsider whether putting Fletcher upfront was a good idea"

"The oldest part of the stadium. No, not me, the tunnel."

We then go down the old player's tunnel (the oldest surviving part of the ground, fact fans) through to the player's lounge, where the players meet up prior to the match, and where we could see interesting plaques on the walls such as these:

"Ahhh, Denis"

"and from the sublime to the ridiculous... this below"

Then we meandered through to the players changing room, where we could see each players peg and the baths. Didn't see any stained walls where Fergie might have thrown his cup of tea at half time though.

"Shortly before the tea throwing incident"

"Fancy a bath?"

We then went down from the changing room to the new tunnel where you can see the area where after match interviews take place (or not if you're the BBC and want to talk to Fergie), then we lined up as two teams would on a match day, United and Arsenal side by side and went out into the stadium to the prerecorded crowdnoise from a matchday. Yeahhhhhhh. This is the stuff. Just like a European night.

"Celia is not talking to the BBC"

"I'll talk to anybody"

As you can see above, I managed to sneak a foot onto the hallowed turf (oh what a rebel) before we were beckoned inside back to our box, for a fabulous three course meal:

Pork, Wine & Wild Mushroom Pate (Leek & Potato Soup with Rarebit dumpling for Ceals)

Herb Crusted Rack Of Lamb & Tagliatelle Pasta with a Tomato, Bean & Parmesan Stew

Hot Chocolate Fondant With Vanilla Ice Cream & Tulie Biscuits to share

Bloody gorgeous. And that's just Celia. This was really one of the loveliest most romantic things that she could have done, and I love her for it.

"Gorgeous"

The drinks waitress was fab and kept nipping back to our box to check on the score of the Bolton - Arsenal FA Cup match which we had on the TV (as had all the other couples in the boxes next door after we had ours on!) and Celia & I had a lovely time. We were to be turfed out by 11, and true to form we were probably the last couple to leave at around 10:40, foregoing the offer of a cab for a little walk down to the tramstop at the cricket ground for drinkies back in town.

We had a quick one (drink that is) in the Varsity on Oxford Road, before retiring to our default choice of haunt at the Fab Cafe on Portland Street, for a few drinkies in the company of a Dalek and photos of the Fonz.

"Heyyyyyyyyyyy!"

"Is that a tentacle in your pocket or are you pleased to see me?"

"Shortly after this photo was taken, Darren was sucked into the Vortex"

We then staggered off at around 2 in the morning back to the hotel, on the way to which Celia decided to dance up and down the steps near Selfridges & the Triangle, whilst I rebelliously knocked over a roadsign. Phew! Rock & roll! What happened when we got back to the room is not for publication, regardless to say that she (that's enough!! - Celia's voice).

"The morning after"

"The 10th floor morning view of.. a glamourous car park"

And the next day we checked out and before pottering around the city centre (my God how it's changed again over the last year!) we had our traditional breakfast in The Moon Under Water pub on Deansgate. Yum. Their brekkie sets you up for the day.

"A pub earlier today"

And that was that.. a gorgeous lovely gift from the woman I love. You can't get better, and it will never be forgotten.

An Urgent Message From The Cat

Hello. It's me again. Greebo.

You may recognize me from my starring roles in the hit "Balancing Precariously On Fences" series of movies, and from the TV series "If I Had Thumbs..." (a spin off from the successful movie comedy "You Eat This Catfood Shit, Human").

I'm here to hijack the bald one's blog-thing again. He's got a nicer telly thing since the last time I had a go, and the pressy thing is my colour. Nice.

Anyway, I'm here to complain about the pretty one's behaviour over the past week or so. Last week she came back from that "work" thing they mention, lulled me into a false sense security and shoved me in that cage that moves. Next thing I know I'm transported millions of miles away to the evil bright place with a table. Naturally, she didn't let me out for my daily constitutional so I had to piss in the box when she went round the corner in the so called "car" - now that was a lovely surprise for her when they got me out of the cage. I say "they". It was her and that vet bastard.

He injected me with the pointy sharp thing whilst I was covered in my own piss. I mean, this is not good. Oh the humiliation. It was like something out of Guantanomo Bay (hey you think I don't read the papers?).

Back in the bastard cage and the noisy engine car thing, and I'm home. A bit stinky but I'll sort that out, just leave me woman. But no. She has to go and put me in the sink. with water in it. And bath me. I bath myself thank you very much. Shampoo? Get stuffed, what's wrong with the tongue anyway? So I gave her some scratches and I think she knows she's done wrong and won't try it again. Don't try to buy me off with Tuna either... hmmm.. tuna... lovely... no! Must resist!! Back on subject!

I've never been so humiliated in all my life. To compound the bad day, she got the hot windy machine on me but I wasn't having that - that was one bad thing too many. It couldn't have been any worse if the binmen had come that day.

Where was the bald one during all this? He waltzes in and tries to make me think that it was all okay. Well it isn't. And they left me overnight again this week with just a big bowl of food and a warm house.. hang on that's not too bad. I'll let them off there.

However either of you try the bath thing again and you'll be hearing from my solicitors.

Absolutely Fabulous Returns!... Oh no, it's just Joss Stone.

Yes it's the Brit Awards 2007. The usual bollocks punctuated by the odd good bit, but this time broadcast "live" for the first time since the Fox & Fleetwood disaster of 1989. Ooh, dangerous. Not really as ITV had a 30 second delay to cut out any outrageous swearing, the c*nts. Saying it was live it was all a bit dull, and the artists and guests chosen were about as edgy and liable to rock the boat as Aled Jones on Songs Of Praise. Chilli Peppers I'm looking at you here - when did you become so corporate and safe?

Now, onto Joss Stone. It's very easy for me to to sit here and take the piss.. so I will. She was only there to present an award to James Morrison (who?) but she provided the only example of true car crash TV all night. She strode on stage, legs up to her neck, dressed in what could only be kindly described as an Australian's nightmare (copyright Spinal Tap), her long blonde hair replaced by some purple frizz nightmare - she looked strangely like Aveline from "Bread" crossed with Crystal Tipps.

She then regaled the crowd with a broad American accented "How's it goin'?". You're from Devon for fuck's sake, not Noo Yark. I'm not expecting her to sit on a fence chewing hay, telling strangers that they're "not welcome round these parts", but I've not seen such a travesty since Sheena Easton returned to the stage in Glasgow in the 80's after too long in the States, shouting "How ya doin' Glaaaasgowwww" before being bottled off.

Sideshow Joss then prowled the stage like she owned it and everybody had come to see her, cringingly asked the crowd to give tribute to Robbie Williams currently in rehab ("for what he's goin' through"), then sang a few bars of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" (who'd just left the stage after singing the same song minutes earlier). Tumbleweed ahoy. You could hear a pin drop. Misjudged doesn't even come close to a description. Proof if it be needed that you shouldn't take a talented teenager to America and keep telling her she's brilliant. Joss Stone? Stoned more like. Or Toss Stone. I'd rather had watched Joss Ackland.

It wasn't all bad, or at least it wasn't if you've got Sky+ and can fast forward through it. Russell Brand was surprisingly good in his role as compere (although he's still a bit like an ADHD Noel Fielding), The Killers and Ms Winehouse were fine live (the latter in full nervous Dusty mode), and full marks to those crrayzeee Arctic Monkeys for snubbing the ceremony because they were busy, then in their acceptance speech videos dressing up as the Village People and the characters from "The Wizard Of Oz" and replacing their new guitarist with a Sheffield builder named Stussy, and then turning up at the Oasis after show party. They weren't busy at all! Rock & Roll!

Talking of Oasis, we have to take a moment to pay tribute to Liam Gallagher's singing voice, which sadly passed away on Wednesday 14th February at approximately 9:40 PM.

Liam Gallagher's Singing Voice

1993 - 2007

RIP

"Once the voice of Britpop, now the voice of Frank Sidebottom"

"Toniiiiiiiiight, I'm a fantastic Rock n Roll staaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr, you know I am, I realllly aammm. Our kid."

"Music you may like" department:

Inspired as I am from my singles reviews, I've been lurking around YouTube looking for interesting stuff. As you do.

Here's a video I loved from the Nineties, when I used to watch MTV in the middle of the night. Laurent Garnier's "Flashback". Very funny, especially the interruption in the middle.



I saw Mr Garnier live in 1998, at about 4 in the morning at the MEN Arena, when I was a bit worse for wear and knackered, as I'd just stood for 7 or so hours through sets by New Order and Underworld on the same bill. Can't honestly remember anything he played but the stage show was stunning.

How about a new duo from the US? Two sisters called The Pierces. One of them goes out with Albert Hammond Jnr from The Strokes, I discovered from "The Word" magazine. Not as if that's relevant, as The Strokes mean about as much to me as Plymouth Argyle. They look great and the track is not what I expected but quite good. Always helps if they attractive in the video as well.



Now here's the Fiery Furnaces from the U.S. with their jaunty jolly choon, "Tropical Iceland from a couple of years ago ."A fave of Celia's!


And now for Norweigan duo Royksopp. They had a trio of great singles, "Poor Leno" & "Eple" and this one - the brilliant video for their single "Remind Me" from 2002/03:



Back up to date, here's The Go! Team's Ms.Pacman inspired video for "Junior Kickstart". Brilliant.



...and finally a potted history of U2 in the alternative "Window In The Skies" video:

And more Singles nonsense...

Here's some more of my singles reviews....

The Sundays "Summertime"
Chart Position #15
1997
Parlophone

Remember them? Not exactly known for their workrate, they released 3 albums in 8 years, hardly toured and didn't really have any mainstream hits. But they're not obscure enough to be cult. Anyway, here's one single from their small back catalogue. Their first single in five years at the time, it didn't disappoint, with trademark jangly guitar and Harriet Wheeler's soaring voice transporting you to a field somewhere in the middle of the Lake District during a heatwave. Or is that just me? Wonderful song from the criminally underrated "Static & Silence" CD, which contains the brilliant "Newman & Baddiel" theme tune..

And then they were gone again. To return? We just don't know. I'd bet against it. I'm just glad I got to see them in 97 on their last (?) tour at the Manchester University.

The Sundays. To be treasured.

... which leads me into...

Natalie Imbruglia "Wrong Impression"
Chart Position #10
2002

Yes, Natalie Imbruglia. Hear me out.

Good grief, it's going to be ten years very shortly since the always popular "Torn" was released and the lovely gorgeous Nat’s still around, chipping away at the pop coalface, having the occasional hit here and there. I seemed to like most of her singles that she released actually, and her first album still stands up today. Now "First Impression" seems she and co-writer Gary Clark have been listening to the aforementioned "Sundays", as this is a virtual homage. Or rip off if you're being honest. And very good it is too. If you can't have the real thing, then next best thing will do.

Have I mentioned Miss Imbruglia looks gorgeous? Oh yes I have.

Information Society "What's On Your Mind"
London Records/Tommy Boy Records 1988
Chart Position #3 (US)
Somewhere outside Top 75 (UK)

First CD single I ever bought, fact fans. Being forever Electroboy, I was suffering a Human League withdrawal back in 1988. Sure there was a Greatest Hits released but no new stuff. Then I saw this on the not-at-all-missed "Night Network" on ITV. Hey! Guy sounds a bit like Phil Oakey (though actually in retrospect he's more Tom Bailey from Thompson Twins), and it sounds like prime early 80s electro. I had to hunt this down (these were lean times remember- The Hollies were number one again and The Pasadenas were the future of soul). So an order was made with my local record emporium and lo, my first CDSingle was purchased. £3.99, I ask you.

I scanned the Record Mirror mag for the next few weeks, checking the almost legendary James Hamilton's dance pages for mentions of this sure to be a hit track, and the Top 75 listings at the back. Not a sign. No airplay on Radio One either. Not even Bruno Brookes, and he broke Jesus Jones for gawd's sake.

So the UK passed on this one. Their loss. I know nothing of the group or their other output. I assume it was a one-hit wonder in the States, no doubt becoming a hit because anoraks liked the the Star Trek samples. Probably.

And here they are again...

SAINT ETIENNE "Like A Motorway"
Heavenly Records

HVN 40
Released: May 1994
Chart Position #47

Number 47. It's a disgrace.

For what are one of the finest exponents of British singles over the last 16 years, Saint Etienne have done very badly in the charts. This song is a prime example. Should have been massive. Shouldn't they all? But wasn't.

It's almost like a Phil Spector song done in a Kraftwerk style. Sarah's vocals tell a story of a doomed romance over the hypnotic Moroderesque backing track. Anorak fact: of course the single version misses out a verse from the "Tiger Bay" version and they now do that version live, which is a shame. The verse that time forgot.

Bob Stanley of the group said: "Number Forty-Seven with a bullet. The Americans tried to get us to change the title to Like A Freeway! Can you believe it? We said, Autobahn was a hit all around the world, fuck off."

The American remix of this song has a "charm" all of it's own i.e it's a got guitars on it now, but is not in the same league as the original. Apparently the vocal line and some of the lyrical content of this song seem to owe quite a large debt to Joan Baez's "Silver Dagger". I've never heard it so can't comment on if it's a ripoff or not.
All I know is it's a superb single, and the CD contains one of DJ & film music composer David "Ocean's Eleven" Holmes's earliest and best remixes.

Back to the 80's now...

What do I know about Jona Lewie? Sod all really, without my "Virgin Book Of 80s music" to hand. Errr, part of the Stiff label line-up around 77 to 81, always seemed to be on Swap Shop or Radio One, had a massive hit with Xmas fave “Stop The Cavalry” and presumably makes so much each year in royalties that he need never work again. That’s it.

So whilst “Cavalry” is a bona fide pop gem, over familiarity sometimes breeds contempt so I’m not having that track. Instead I’d go for the earlier single “You’ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties”, a neglected downbeat electropop classic.

Released May 1980
Stiff Records
UK Chart position #16

I had this track on a battered old Ronco compilation called “Street Level” back in 1981, which as an eleven year old at the time was like an entry level sampler for all things new wave (John Foxx! PIL! XTC! Dickies! Errrr..Nick Straker Band! …nevermind)… and I hadn’t heard the song for years until recently when I picked up the “Hard Night’s Day” Stiff compilation CD with this on it (frankly I’d nominate the entire Stiff records output from 79 to 81 if I could be arsed).

Lewie’s vocal style is so low-key it’s as if he’s actually singing it from the studio next door, and the female vocal on the chorus is so 1980 it hurts. Great synth keyboard break as well.

Wikipedia brought up this though. I didn’t know that he was partly responsible for the 70s hit “Seaside Shuffle” by Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs though. But then again my name is not Tim Rice, and this is not “Pop Quiz”.

and finally...

Lisa Marie with Malcolm McLaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra "Something's Jumpin' In Your Shirt"
Chart position #29
Epic Records
August 1989

I knew Celia was someone special when I found this in the pile of her 7" singles buried under the stairs. She and I had bought the very same obscure single. A glorious record from McLarens "Waltz Darling" album, featuring the lovely US model Lisa Marie on "vocals", and a certified minor hit. Is she singing about the feelings of love in her heart, or is she just alluding to the fact that she has large breasts? Hmmm. Should have been massive but the charts were odd back then. You place this single with his earlier hits "Double Dutch", "Buffalo Gals" & "Madam Butterfly", and that makes McLaren unslaggable to these ears.

Fascinating fact no 563: Lisa Marie was briefly engaged to director & full time goth Tim Burton. She is very easy on the eye. He is not. As you can see. And plucked from the archives, here's the video for the single which is made in that Bruce Weber style. Thanks YouTube.

"ThyouTube".