Brian Eno Anothe Green World (1975)

Seems like it was only a couple weeks back that I mentioned this album in my review for the latest Death Cab release, so it makes sense for me to give you my two cents on Brian Eno's electro pop pioneering third album. Descending into stripped down, almost robotic arrangements, Brian Eno dabbles with fresh ideas without compromising any of his accessibility as a solo artist. As a matter of fact many critics have noted Another Green World as his most accessible with poppy cuts like "St. Elmo's Fire" and "I'll Come Running". Fewer tracks feature Eno's very english vocal delivery but personally I favor most of the instrumental tracks over the ones with vocals.

Though the bulk of Another Green World seems optimistic it certainly has it's darker moments. "In Dark Tree" still gives me chills bordering on the lines of industrial, I'm sure Trent Reznor likes that track. Some tracks I can't even describe, take the album opener for instance "Sky Saw" sounds like Can on some weird drug trip, but it's nonetheless a trip I want to take as a listener. Eno goes to bold new places but he's never dicking around or alienating his listeners. This is still a competent and organized album for eager listening audience.

The instrumental "The Big Ship" is easily my favorite track as it is without a doubt the most beautiful track on the album. It has that majestic keyboard progression that slowly builds and builds, accompanied by that great, choppy kind of percussion, I love it. Sometimes I wonder if this would've been a better album if it was just entirely instrumental, but even though some of the vocal tracks are a little cheesy sounding they really balance everything out. It's hard for me to think of many albums that so seamlessly blend instrumental and non-instrumental tracks, this one somehow pulls it off.

Favorite Tracks: "The Big Ship", "Golden Hours", "In Dark Trees"

Read more »

Big Star - Radio City (1974)

Sorry for the lapse in C.A.T's, I guess I've just had a lack of enthusiasm about writing another one of these things, just as I'm sure everyone has a lack of enthusiasm towards reading them.  Anyways, Big Star has always been one of my all-time favorite bands, so it's a little surprising that I haven't gotten around to doing them for a C.A.T., but today that all changes.  I'd probably say 1978's Third/Sister Lovers stands as the band's crowning achievement, but Radio City is still probably the best example of Big Star's signature brand of sunny power-pop.

The first Big Star record was fueled by the songwriting team of Chris Bell and Alex Chilton, but prior to Radio City, Bell left the band with Chilton more or less taking over as the band's leader.  You can't really feel Bell's absence on the album, as it really just feels like a continuation of their debut, but the songs are just as good if not better.  Everything is very upbeat and undeniably catchy, though there are certainly moments that hint at the slightly darker sound that Chilton would pursue on Third/Sister Lovers.

For some reason, Big Star always reminds me of my teenage years.  I guess one obvious reason would be that I really got into the band while I was in high school, but it also has to do a lot with the breezy nostalgia Chilton evokes in these songs.  Something like "Back Of A Car" pretty perfectly exudes those fleeting feelings of youth, while a song like "I'm In Love With A Girl" is such an unbelievably simple and naive take on love, and yet somehow Chilton makes it work magnificently.  But I guess it was Big Star's ability to boil down what makes a great pop song to its purest necessities that made them special.  And I don't think that's any more evident on Radio City's high point "September Gurls", another underrated gem that's about as good as youth anthems get.

Favorite Albums: "Life Is White", "September Gurls", "I'm In Love With A Girl"

Read more »