Green Day "¡Uno!" 2012***

Green Day were seasoned rock veterans by 2012. Starting out in 1986, they crossed over to the mainstream with 1994's pop-punk multi-million seller "Dookie" and re-invented themselves as thinking man's punk rockers with concept album "American Idiot" that spawned a Broadway musical and an equally well-received sequel (2009's "21st Century Breakdown"). They headlined festivals, played the biggest arenas and collaborated with U2, whose fate they seemed set to follow. Maybe it was their inner punk rebelling or maybe they found it difficult to come up with another ambitious concept work like "American Idiot", but "¡Uno!" is a stylistic return to their punk rock origins, a bid to recapture the fun spirit of "Dookie". And, let me spare you the waiting, they do achieve their goal! "Uno" is a lightweight album, in the good sense. All the songs are fast paced with strong hooks and catchy choruses, lyrics revolving around everyday life and emotions. At times, it becomes obvious that the rebelliousness, mischievous humor and teenage frustration aren't that authentic; that the band are a bunch of 40-year olds emulating their younger selves. But let's be honest: Aging gracefully isn't something that rockers are good at. And what Green Day are missing in freshness, they make up in technique. The songs are carefully constructed, album is impeccably produced, playing is clear and precise. Here I feel I have to make special mention on the band's newest member: Adding lead guitarist Jason White to the original trio of Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt was a brilliant move. His guitar solos, always crafty and concise, add a welcome classic rock dimension to their sound. "Nuclear Family" opens the album with an old-fashioned mod punk sound, sounding like a combination of Jam and The Who. "Carpe Diem" is more indebted to The Clash and one of the few songs where Armstrong and co. acknowledge their worries about getting old: "Life's a gas and it's running out/Living a cliche/Gonna seize the day/Carpe diem, a battle cry/Are we all too young to die?". "Let Yourself Go" and "Kill The DJ" were released as singles and are among the highlights, the former a Ramones-y punk rocker with a catchy chorus and the latter sporting an indie disco beat reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand. "Loss Of Control" is a typical punk pop track, slightly above average thanks to the great guitar work and funny lyrics like "I'd rather go to a funeral than into this high school reunion". On a good day, "Troublemaker" sounds like the Troggs playing "My Sharona". On a bad day, it sounds like Offspring's less successful attempts at a funk/punk hybrid. Lead single "Oh Love" closes the album with a detour into classic rock. Referencing The Who (intro) and Free (guitar riff) risks sounding derivative, but at least the chorus brings a welcome whiff of Irish pub singalongs, not a bad way to close the album. All the songs not mentioned are more or less competent but unexceptional punk pop fare. "¡Uno!" was followed in quick succession by "¡Dos!" and "¡Tré!", forming a strong punk-pop trilogy.

**** for Nuclear Family, Carpe Diem, Let Yourself Go, Kill The DJ, Oh Love 

*** for Stay The Night, Loss Of Control, Trouble Maker, Rusty James

** for Fell For You, Angel Blue, Sweet 16

Rainbow "Rising" 1976*****

"Rising" is officially Rainbow's second album, although the first one was presented as a Blackmore solo effort and featured a different band, with the exception of Blackmore and original singer Ronnie James Dio. It is evident from the elevated musicianship and live recordings that later surfaced, that this was a new, improved Rainbow. Drummer Cozy Powell had already proved his ability with Jeff Beck's group, bassist Jimmy Bain would go on to have a career in Metal and talented 19 year-old keyboardist Tony Carey was there to recreate Deep Purple's guitar/organ duels, an ersatz Jon Lord of sorts, only this time subordinate rather than equal to the guitarist. Although Rainbow was created (and always functioned) as a vehicle for Blackmore's guitar pyrotechnics, this is Dio's album, more than anyone else's. With "Rising", Dio was about to become a major player in hard rock and a very unlikely one for the boy who was a fan of fellow Italian-American tenor Mario Lanza, played trumpet and released his first single in 1958, only to languish in complete obscurity for the next 17 years. Most people would have quit the music business, but he kept on. Blackmore employed him and the rest of Elf as support players for his solo project - but now he emerged as co-leader, writing all the lyrics and getting equal credit for the music. His semi-operatic vocal style (never better than here) was groundbreaking and provided a blueprint for Heavy Metal singers everywhere, as did his fantasy inspired lyrics. "Tarot Woman" opened the record with 1,5 minute of synthesizer noodling, before the band dynamically kicked in with some crunching hard rock. It's immediately obvious that everyone, and especially the singer, is on top of his game. "Run with the Wolf" and "Do You Close Your Eyes" are standard 70's hard rock fare and "Starstruck" a song about a female stalker/groupie. It's a catchy Deep Purple-ish song, in the vein of "Black Night" or "Demon's Eye". I really like it, but it's out-of-sync with the epic character of the rest of the album. The second (vinyl) side is comprised by two long quasi-prog numbers that rank with Rainbow's best and have set the template for all future heavy metal. First off, those operatic vocals. Then, Blackmore's guitar playing. With Deep Purple he had already established himself among the top players in the world, but here he upped the ante. Completely abandoning the blues stylings of contemporary guitar heroes like Clapton and Page, he took his cues from classical music, albeit electrified and played at maximum speed and volume. That raised the bar incredibly high for other guitarists in hard rock, although a few did dare to try (a young Swede named Yngwie comes to mind). Of the two songs, "Stargazer" is the winner, with its frenzied guitar work and Munich Philharmonic Orchestra doubling with the keyboards to create an impressively epic sound. Even more importantly, it features Dio's arguably best ever performance, which makes it a candidate for all-time best vocal performance in Metal, period. Now, Dio has been often mocked for two things. The first one was his height: At 1.63 m, he was probably the shortest man in rock. In the macho world of Heavy Metal, this became cause for unfair mockery. The second was his lyrics, forever grounded in the world of heroes, wizards and dragons. This led to a great deal of criticism by music journalists, who found his lyrics immature and ridiculous. Curiously, those same journalists never objected to other singers' usual "Baby I love you, I miss you so, why did you leave me" drivel. "Stargazer" at least makes for some vivid fantasy storytelling: It's the story of worker/slaves toiling for years, building a pharaonic structure for a powerful wizard. At its completion, the wizard was supposed to gain the ability to fly and take them with him to the stars. Instead, he plunges to his death. All their dreams of interstellar travel are shattered but after the storm a rainbow rises and with it comes a realisation: That they are free, they have found their will again and miss their homes. "A Light In The Black" is the story of their homecoming, but the focus shifts from the vocals back to the instruments. Blackmore delivers a masterful performance and engages in exciting guitar/organ interplay with Carey, recalling Purple's heyday. Powell's playing is powerful and precise throughout the whole album. Overall, we're talking about a landmark of an album. Although not consistently great, I wouldn't dream of subtracting a star from such an influential work. "Stargazer" alone would have been enough to guarantee Rainbow a reigning position in hard rock's Valhalla.

***** for Stargazer, A Light In The Black

**** for Tarot Woman, Starstruck 

*** for Run With The Wolf  

** for Do You Close Your Eyes

Cayetano "The Big Fall" 2009**

Arnhem TV & Radio was giving away old CD's, almost for free. Mostly Easy Listening, Hits of the 80's & 90's etc. Among these, this CD by the Greek artist Cayetano (aka Giorgos Bratanis), who was unknown to me. I did buy it, though, on a whim. It turns out I've heard of him before. Back in the late 90's, when his band Stroggylo Kitrino (Round Yellow) was playing some kind of electronic/instrumental music. I think I have some tracks from them in "local scene" compilations of that time. Apparently he left Greece and traveled around for years, staying mostly in Spain and working as a DJ and musician. During that time he picked up the Cayetano name. I'd describe "The Big Fall" as an electronic Lounge album with latin overtones. Opener "Which Color You Like" is a jazzy piece with nice sax, while "Doppelganger" reminded me of Gotan Project with its mix of electronica and latin jazz. The album flows well, songs being mostly instrumental, very cinematic, jazzy trip-hop. There's also some rap and the ethereal Valia provides vocals for "Nothing Left to Do" and "Feel", two of the better tracks. "Another Galaxy" and "Feel" also have a sort of gypsy/manouche vibe. I enjoyed the ambiance and combination of electronic beats and real instruments (acoustic  guitars, saxophones, percussion etc), but it's not really my thing. It does, however, sound like tne ideal musical backdrop for relaxing at the beach - isn't that what's this style of music is supposed to do? 2* for me, but depending on your taste for lounge/electronica it can be 3* or even 4*

*** for Which Color You Like, Doppelganger, Nothing Left to Do, Another Galaxy, The Secret, Feel, Like a Fool, Notre Dame

** for Crossing Line, The Big Fall, Mall Fever, Mall Reprise, Paint My Day (With Black)

Tom Waits "Beautiful Maladies - The Island Years" 1983-1993(orig) 1998(comp)*****

My God, is it really my 100th post? I know I still have a long, long, long way to go but it feels as if I've finally put some distance between myself and the starting line. I had prepared something else for tonight, but then I realized the 100th post requires something I really care about - so Tom Waits it is! I picked out this compilation because, as I keep it in the car and therefore play quite often, no relistening was necessary. I know it by heart...

"Beautiful Maladies - The Island Years" is a compilation covering a decade in Tom Waits' oeuvre, namely 1983-1993. It is a good starting point for the uninitiated, but be forewarned: You'll have to buy all the albums he recorded in this period, which will render this CD unnecessary. You simply cannot live without "Rain Dogs" and "Swordfishtrombones" (I'm exaggerating, of course. You can live, but what kind of wretched life would that be?). The other albums represented here are "Franks Wild Years", "Big Time", "Bone Machine", "Night on Earth O.S.T." and "The Black Rider". All will be presented here at some point, so I won't dwell much on individual tracks now. "Swordfishtrombones", the first album in this series, marked a big turning point for Waits. He had changed manager, producer, and record company and embarked on a songwriting partnership with his wife, Kathleen Brennan. Up to then, his persona was that of the beat poet/drunkard/nightfly piano player and his music rooted in jazz and folk. His new persona was much more difficult to define: still sarcastic but wildly weird and enigmatic, aggressive gravelly vocals reminiscent of underground anti-hippy hero Captain Beefheart, music experimental - like a Kurt Weill cabaret played with makeshift instruments in the bottom of a well. Indeed he often plays improvised instruments and the great musicians that accompany him (including Marc Ribot and Larry Taylor) sometimes sound like they're playing against, rather than with, each other. During this period he (and wife Brennan) also wrote a theatrical play based on a character from a song: "Franks Wild Years", a jazzy spoken word track with Hammond organ backing. Its hero, Frank, has supposedly settled down in an uneventful suburban life, but by the end of the song he burns down his house and escapes up the freeway to nowhere in particular. The reason? He never could stand that dog! The song gave birth to the play and that, in turn, to the same-named concept album.Waits also wrote music for Jim Jarmusch movies "A Night On Earth" and "Down By Law", in the latter together with John Lurie. Waits, Lurie and the inimitable Roberto Begnini are the co-stars of this stylish black & white (anti)buddy movie. "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" sets the mood for the picture and the trailer, which you can see here:

This song is a rare delight: Latin percussion, unorthodox guitar courtesy of Marc Ribot and wacky lyrics by Tom: "Edna Million in a drop dead suit/Dutch Pink on a downtown train/Two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot/I'm in the corner on the pouring rain/Sixteen men on a dead man's chest/And I've been drinking from a broken cup/Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest/I'm full of bourbon, I can't stand up/Hey little bird, fly away home/Your house is on fire, children are alone". Not that the rest of the songs in this compilation fall behind, but like I said: I'll be presenting them one by one as part of their original albums. Stay tuned for more Tom Waits from presentingmyrecordcollection.blogspot.com...

***** for Clap Hands, Jockey Full of Bourbon, Way Down in the Hole, Downtown Train, 16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six, I Don't Wanna Grow Up

**** for Hang On St. Christopher, Temptation, Underground, Earth Died Screaming, Innocent When You Dream, Frank's Wild Years, Singapore, Shore Leave, Johnsburg Illinois, Strange Weather (Live), Cold Cold Ground (live), November, Jesus Gonna Be Here, Time

*** for The Black Rider, Straight To The Top, Good Old World (Waltz)

Elton John "Tumbleweed Connection" 1970****

One could scarcely find a place less reminiscent of the Wild West than the Swinging London of  the late 60's-early 70's. And among British pop stars, few would make a less convincing gunslinger than Elton John. It was nevertheless the Old West that he tackled on his 3rd album, successfully combining his bar-room piano with The Band's monochrome Americana. Country, blues, rock and pop create an interesting melange and string arrangements enhance the cinematic feel produced by the lyrics. Opener "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun" is a southern rocker with a bluesy chorus that could have come straight from a Lynyrd Skynyrd album-no kidding! "Come Down in Time" is more typical John balladry, replete with oboe and strings, while "Country Comfort" has all the makings of classic country-if not for his accent, he could fool the folks down south he's one of them. Rod Stewart almost simultaneously released his own -raspy voiced and arguably more convincing- version."Son of Your Father" has some nice country harmonica and "My Father's Gun" finds Elton deep in his cowboy fantasy. "Where to Now St. Peter?" sports some baroque piano and soulful vocals and "Love Song" is a melancholic folk song with acoustic guitar. It is penned by Leslie Duncan and the album's sole cover. "Amoreena" is more upbeat country soul and "Talking Old Soldiers" paints a lively picture of an old veteran, not an easy feat for a young lyricist like Taupin. To really bring the lyrics to life, though, you might want to listen to soul veteran Bettye LaVette's version. Gospel-driven "Burn Down the Mission" is a concert favorite while (CD bonus track) "Into the Old Man's Shoes" is another Band-inspired number with bluesy guitar. This CD reissue also contains an absolutely epic early take of "Madman Across the Water". No Rick Wakeman prog keyboards in this one, but some killer heavy glam guitar by Bowie's guitarist Mick Ronson. Combine that with John's bluesy delivery and you have something verging on Bad Company or even Bolin-era Deep Purple. The Rolling Stone magazine considers "Tumbleweed Connection" one of the 500 best albums ever made. In my opinion it is just another strong link in a chain of flawless albums by young Elton John, notable for its unexpected country and Southern rock inflections. It is disconcerting when Elton John invites comparisons with Skynyrd and The Band, but that's part of the special charm of this album. That and, above all, Bernie Taupin's lyrical exploration of the Old West. Definatively his crowning moment.

**** for Ballad of a Well-Known Gun, Come Down in Time, Where to Now St. Peter?, Madman Across the Water

*** for Country Comfort, Son of Your Father, My Father's Gun, Love Song, Amoreena, Talking Old Soldiers,  Burn Down the Mission, Into the Old Man's Shoes

Chris & Carla "Life Full Of Holes" 1995****

I miss Chris (Eckman) and Carla (Torgerson). They used to play in Athens often, as a duet or with their band The Walkabouts and I was always in the audience. Apart from that, they seemed to be such simple and likeable people that they become instantly familiar and it kinda felt like watching your hometown band, even though they lived (literally) half a world away, in Seattle. Ridiculously enough, I ran into them (especially Chris) all the time: Every time they were in town -even a few days after the concert- here they were: shopping at the same record stores, drinking at the same bars, sitting at the same cafes... I read recently that Chris has lived in Portugal and is now in Slovenia, while he's still visiting Athens quite often. I've also been moving around a lot: Groningen, Rotterdam, Delft, Brussels. That's the modern world for you - are we not all descended from nomads anyway? Chris & Carla were an acoustic offshoot of The Walkabouts (more about them on later posts) with roots in American folk ballads but encompassing many other influences. The album focuses on their voices and acoustic guitars, but the cello is also prominent and high profile guests abound, including REM's Peter Buck and Scott MacCaughey, various Walkabouts members and one of my favorite British bands: The Tindersticks. Both songs featuring the latter are among the highlights, but especially "Take Me" is one of the best ballads of the 90's, a love song full of longing: "Take me to Siberia / The coldest weather of any wintertime / And it would be just like spring in California / As long as I knew you were mine". The pairing of Carla's and Tindersticks' Stuart voices, accompanied by Dickon's violin...Just unbeatable. It was originally a duet by two country legends, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, but for once the cover just wipes the floor with the original. The other Tindersticks collaboration is the slow and atmospheric "Velvet Fog". The excellent opening songs "Storm Crazy" and "Death at Low Water" are more upbeat Steve Wynn-like folk-rock, while "Nights Between Stations" is straightforward country, with the obligatory steel guitar. Duets like "The Silent Crossing" and "Never Gonna Fall" invite Nancy & Lee comparisons and "Sleep Will Pass Us By" sports a Chris vocal and lonesome cello. And such a sad refrain: "This town died, but they forgot the funeral". Chris's "Comfort Of A Stranger" reminds me of Nick Cave and I think the reason is that the organ sound is identical to that of The Bad Seeds. Carla's "The Tower" and Chris's "Life Full of Holes" are two more highlights, but there are no weak moments on the record - OK, maybe "Sandy River Moon", a more experimental song with spoken word. I must have played the CD a dozen times the past two days and haven't gotten tired of it, at all. I can't recommend it highly enough!

*****for Take Me

****for Storm Crazy, Death at Low Water, The Tower, Sleep Will Pass Us By, The Silent Crossing, Comfort of a Stranger, Life Full of Holes, Velvet Fog

***for Precursor, Nights Between Stations, Never Gonna Fall

** for Sandy River Moon, The Cool and the Dark

Constantines "Shine A Light" 2003***

I've had a Constantines T-shirt long before I heard a single note of the group's music. It was a present from a good friend, making a pun with my name (Yes, Kostas is short for Constantine). I liked it well and wore it on occasion. So when I bought "Shine A Light" I was hoping they don't suck for two reasons: firstly, so that I don't regret spending my money on a crappy CD when I could have bought me another beer and, secondly, so that I can go on wearing my T-shirt, proudly. Well, I needn't worry: the Constantines are a great group, if a bit on the brainy side. By brainy I mean it works best if you're familiar with the various undercurrents of rock music past and present and enjoy connecting the dots between them. Reviewers commonly describe the Constantines as a combination of Bruce Springsteen and Fugazi. I mean, everybody knows the Boss but who the hell is Fugazi? (Rhetorical question, I know who they are). But it sounds as if, to really get them, you need to have at least a Bachelor in Indie Rock and have followed several courses in post punk - with good grades! No, I'm not saying their music is difficult, after all it's still rock'n'roll. But neither does it provide the easy stimulation of, say, Oasis or The Ramones. The Constantines are obviously influenced by punk and hardcore, with loud and angular guitars a la Wire and a decidedly funky rhythm section (Think Gang Of Four or Fugazi). But the passionate delivery, epic scope and meaningful lyrics will remind you more of The Clash and, yes, Springsteen and the E-street Band. Another comparison that springs to mind is the Afghan Whigs, those vocals soulful but full of angst similar to Greg Dulli's. Opener "National Hum" is a straight ahead punk/grunge number with aggressive guitars, while "Shine A Light" perfectly utilizes the Pixies' "loud-quiet-loud" trick. Some inspiring lyrics. too: "Don’t talk to me about simple things/There is no such thing/All a man can build is his vision/And I love my man for trying...You shine a light,A light on me/It gets me through". Lead single Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright) is experimental post punk in defiant mood, going: "It’s hard not to surrender/but I will dance down through the alleyways with one foot in the gutter/Take the city as a sister,the nighttime as a lover/It's hard not to surrender/And lo, I found a world of light in the rabid hands of the night". "Insectivora" has some nice organ and horns and "Young Lions" is the most accessible tune, together with "Only You" inviting those Springsteen comparisons. Both are big tunes with a melodic heart and sprawling guitars and the twin highlights of this CD. "Goodbye Baby & Amen" is a slow song with saxophone and "Poison" reminiscent of current bands like Interpol or the Editors. "Scoundrel Babes" harks back to the time of The Clash and Wire and "Tiger & Crane" with its groovy organ ever further to the psychedelic 60's. "Tank Commander" is full of urgency and soul and "Sub-Domestic" closes the album with some earthy country sounds and harmonica. In the end, for all the self-proclaimed purpose of the band to get their listeners to dance, I found their music a more cerebral pleasure. Which doesn't make it any less enjoyable...

**** for Shine A Light, Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright),Young Lions, On To You, Tank Commander(Hung Up In A Warehouse Town)

*** for National Hum, Poison, Scoundrel babes, Tiger & Crane, Sub-Domestic

** for Goodbye Baby & Amen

The Raunch Hands "Million Dollar Movie" 1991***

This might well be the worst cover art for a record  in my collection. It looks like something a bored high school kid would design for his home-made compilations. I bought it last week at the open market record fair (platenbeurs) in Schiedam, which is by the way a nice town. Most visitors to Holland don't bother visiting, but it's worth it to see the tallest old-school windmills in Holland (some still producing flour, which can be bought on site) and the jenever museum, jenever being the country's traditional strong drink, a kind of precursor to gin. The platenbeurs is hosted in a different town every time, so if you want to catch it go online and check the agenda. Now, as I was saying, the cover might as well scream "Do Not Buy" but I seemed to remember The Raunch Hands being mentioned as a garage band, one that has collaborated in the past with...the Fuzztones' Rudi Protrudi? Wouldn't bet on it, but it was worth a shot. Turns out my memory served me well: The Raunch Hands play raw rock'n'roll with blues and punk overtones. For lack of other references, one can best describe them as the American analogue to Billy Childish's UK groups (Milkshakes, Headcoats etc). Michael Chandler has also served with more conventional garage rockers like Outta Place and The Fuzztones. Crypt Records boss was so impressed with their primitive rock'n'roll that he included one of their songs in his "Back From The Grave" compilations (the only non-60's band that had that honor). The "Million Dollar Movie" CD compiles the same-named double 7' and 1990's "Have A Swig" EP. The diversity of the band's influences is evidenced by their cover choices: from a rollicking take of Screaming Jay Hawkins' "Frenzy" to a bluesy "Let Me Roll It" (of Paul McCartney & The Wings) and from the Sex Pistols' "Did You Know Wrong" to Downliners Sect's "Mean Evil Child", a punk/R&B hybrid featuring some mean harmonica. Other great garage rockers include "Flat Foot Bagel Boy", "Give It Up" and "Never Comin' Home" (killer sax, there). There's also some sloppy blues, cow-punk country ("Hellbent") and raunchy instrumentals like "Java" and "Chunky Time". "Everybody Loves Yo' Mama" and "Naked, Naked, Naked" provide some adult entertainment. The latter is dedicated to an ex-girlfriend of Chandler's with a penchant for sex in public places and provides us with a list of those: "Gettin’ wet/at The Met/It’s gonna be screwin’ time/ at the Guggenheim" (who says museums can't be fun?)

**** for Flat Foot Bagel Boy, Mean Evil Child, Frenzy

*** for Java, Give It Up, Let Me Roll It, Everybody Loves Yo' Mama, Did You Know Wrong, Never Comin' Home, Naked, Naked, Naked, Hellbent, Chunky Time

** for Let It Burn, You Can't Have Me, Set 'em Up Sam, The Long Crawl Home, Mama Says

Falco "Falco 3" 1985**

After presenting a Swiss group (Young Gods) I felt like staying in the Alpine region and present an Austrian one. Geographically very close to each other, but musically very far: Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" was a huge dance hit in the mid-80's and, like other disco classics, the source of guilty pleasure for current 40-year olds who, back in the day, pretended to despise disco. But it's not the reason I picked this CD out from a box full of €1 special offers. The real reason was "Jeanny", an excellent ballad with dramatic synths and mixed language vocal (German rap, English chorus). Somehow the German narration -although incomprehensible- makes Jeanny's story even sadder, to me. The song was banned from radio because of its subject matter (prostitution) and the allusion that the narrator may be a rapist/murderer. No such controversy for "Rock Me Amadeus", which went to no.1 in many countries. It was inspired by watching the Oscar-winning film "Amadeus" and it is an irresistible dance track with new wave synths, disco beat and a half-rapped half-sung vocal in a combination of German and English. Second single "Vienna Calling" is of similar style and, with its catchy chorus,  justifiably another hit. "Männer des Westens" is another new wave/rap/funk/classical hybrid worth mentioning and "Tango The Night" a super-camp number mixing disco and tango with cries of "Ole!". The rest of the songs are also in new wave/dance mode, with a dash of David Bowie. They are mostly originals created with the help of Dutch producers Bolland & Bolland. "Munich Girls" is a cover of the Cars song "Looking for Love" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" a Dylan composition performed in a jazzy, mock-Brian Ferry manner. Thanks mostly to this album, Falco (a.k.a. Johann (Hans) Hölzel) became the biggest-selling Austrian singer of all time. He perished tragically in a car accident in the Dominican Republic, only a few days before his 41st birthday. Remember him as he looked in the "Amadeus" video clip, here: An absurdly cool individual.

**** for Rock Me Amadeus, Jeanny

*** for Tango the Night, Vienna Calling, Männer des Westens-Any Kind of Land, It's All over Now, Baby Blue

** for America, Munich Girls, Nothing Sweeter Than Arabia, Macho Macho

The Young Gods "T.V. Sky" 1992****

Precision watches, banks, secret vaults, snowy mountaintops, chocolates, cheese with holes, expensive, cleanliness, papal guards... These are some of the words that come to my mind when I hear the word "Switzerland". The furthest thing from my mind is Rock. But there really are rockers in Switzerland and Young Gods are the cream of the crop. Deriving inspiration from the likes of noise rockers The Swans, they play experimental industrial/new wave/metal music. 1992's "T.V.Sky" was their 4th and most accessible album - they even sing in English! The album opens with psychedelic "Our House", employing sonic loops, metallic riffs and Jim Morrison-esque vocals. Very interesting, but it gets even better: Song after song offer relentless drumming and razor-sharp riffs that Rammstein would kill for! "Gasoline Man" is a mutant ZZ Top-like boogie and "Skinflowers" gothic metal à la Fields Of The Nephilim. The song "T.V. Sky" is the meeting point of Bauhaus, Ministry and Einstürzende Neubauten. I wonder if they borrowed the title T.V. Sky from William Gibson's Neuromancer: "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel" - one of my favorite opening lines in a book, ever. It would fit an album like this one. "Dame Chance" and "The Night Dance" are punkier affairs and "She Rains" slow psychedelia. The CD closes with "Summer Eyes", a long Doors-inspired number centered on Franz Treichler's nightmarish view of America. An album that deserves to be heard and even revered! Especially by fans of Rammstein, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson et al.

**** for Gasoline Man, T. V. Sky, Skinflowers, Dame Chance

*** for Our House, The Night Dance, She Rains, Summer Eyes

The Cramps "Off The Bone" 1983(comp)*****

Something must be wrong - how can it be Friday the 13th, again? Is that how 2015 will play out? It all seems to have started when Tsipras won the election in Greece - Is he the Antichrist? Some people seem to think so and try to kill his government while it's still young. Have those fools learned nothing from watching The Omen trilogy? 

On last month's Friday the 13th I presented The Fuzztones' "Salt for Zombies". This time I chose another band that perfectly exemplifies the spirit of that day - just look at that cover! The Cramps were a real band of misfits from Midtown, America (actually Akron, Ohio) who in 1975 came to New York to join the nascent punk scene with Patti Smith, Ramones, Blondie etc. Their small town origin was one of the reasons they did not fit in with this crowd, either. Plus, the Cramps were not weird/artistic. They were weird, period. They harbored an unhealthy fascination with 50's rockabilly, horror movies and kinky sex. The core of the group was real-life couple Lux Interior and Poison Ivy. Ivy is the group's guitarist, silent and menacing and oh-so-sexy in her 60's stripper outfits, prancing up and down the stage dispensing deadly rockabilly/surf licks from her vintage guitar. Lux is the most extreme performer I have ever seen. I will never forget the Cramps concert at the Rodon Club, in 1991. He came dressed in a red latex suit and high heels and proceeded to jump and down the stage, pants lowered down to his knees, unhuman guttural sounds emerging from the microphone which he had somehow shoved inside his throat, climbing on the huge speaker, swinging Tarzan-like from the curtain and performing a somersault, landing perfectly on his high heels. In the end, he kept beating the stage's wooden parquet with the microphone stand until he broke it and ripped out the flooring, plank by plank. I have had the vinyl version of "Off The Bone" since my teens and it remains one of my favorite records, ever. It's a European compilation bringing together their debut "Gravest Hits" EP and cuts from their first 2 LP's "Songs the Lord Taught Us" and "Psychedelic Jungle", covering the 1979-1983 period. Apart from Ivy, two more guitarists are featured: Brian Gregory and his replacement Kid Congo Powers. Kid Congo is a Mexican-American who was also in Gun Club and Nick Cave's Bad Seeds, thus 3 of the best bands ever! Gregory's disappearance from the music scene saw him shrouded in mystery. Wild rumors of satanism and necrophilia abound - almost certainly false. What we do know for sure is that he played a zombie in Day of the Dead, ran a pornographic bookstore and died (possibly of AIDS) at the age of 49. The music style of the album is psychobilly. More than that, The Cramps are actually the inventors of this musical style, with elements of Rockabilly, Punk, Surf, Garage Rock, Blues and Psychedelia played in a trashy, lo-fi manner, with explicitly sexual and horror-themed lyrics. The album opens with their all-time favorite composition "Human Fly", inspired from the classic horror movie "The Fly". Ivy plays a killer surf riff and Lux sings "Buzzz buzzz buzzz". This is a song to define the entire genre! Next up is a 50's cover, Jack Scott's "The Way I Walk" with Lux doing his psycho Elvis impersonation. Here you can see the Cramps play it at the very start of their career (for the residents of a Mental Asylum in '78) and compare with this clip of one of their very last performances (open air festival in 2006). They sure still had it! Plus, does Ivy basically look the same after 30 years? Is this the result of daily consumption of embalming fluid? Or of some occult voodoo practice? "Domino" is a Roy Orbison rockabilly classic given the psycho treatment, followed by a crazy fucked-up cover of the Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird" (already a pretty wigged-out number to begin with). Ricky Nelson's ballad "Lonesome Town" is the last song from their debut EP (Recorded in 1977 by Big Star legend Alex Chilton). "Garbage Man" and "Drug Train" are great psychobilly originals and Peggy Lee's "Fever" a peculiarly mainstream cover, while Charlie Feathers' "I Can't Hardly Stand It" and Ronnie Cook's "Goo Goo Muck" find their ideal performers in The Cramps. The latter's lyrics refer, according to the urban dictionary, either to blood sucking or eating pussy: "when the sun goes down and the moon comes up/ i turn into a teenage goo goo muck/ i cruise through the city and i roam the street/ looking for something that is nice to eat". More wild covers of obscure garage (The Nova's "The Crusher") and rockabilly (Hasil Adkins' "She Said, "Mel Robbins' "Save It", Warren Smith's "Uranium Rock") follow. "New Kind of Kick" is a paean to the continuous search for new highs - drugs or sex? probably both! sample lyric "Like baby needs mom/Like suzie needs dick/This baby needs some new kind of kick". The CD closes with a track from their live album "Smell Of Female". It's called "(You Got) Good Taste". Another reference to cunnilingus? Now where did I possibly get that idea?

***** for Human Fly, The Way I Walk, Goo Goo Muck 

**** for Domino, Surfin' Bird, Garbage Man, Fever, Drug Train, Love Me, I Can't Hardly Stand It, The Crusher, Save It, New Kind of Kick, Good Taste

*** for Lonesome Town, She Said, Uranium Rock

Leighton Koizumi feat. Tito and The Brainsuckers "When The Night Falls" 2003****

I found this in the Hot Price stall at a Fnac store in Brussels for €0,99. It took me a few moments to remember who Koizumi was but, as soon as I did, I realized I had me a bargain. Who is Koizumi? OK, riddle me this: Who comes out when the night falls, in H.G.Wells's novel "Time Machine"? The Morlocks! Well, Koizumi was the singer of the same-named garage punk noisemakers. [Note to Self: Make a compilation CD alternating Morlocks songs with Eloy (The German prog rockers named after the peaceful race victimized by the primitive Morlocks in Wells's book). Then design a fantastic CD cover inspired by the book and never listen to it, since I can't think of a worse combination]. Interestingly, Koizumi was reported in the media as being dead, killed in some drug transaction in a Mexican border town in 1990. The truth is even more intriguing and sounds like something out of a crime series like "The Bridge" or "Breaking Bad": Apparently, he tried to procure some drugs but the deal went south, with the singer tying the drug dealer up and robbing him. He ended up arrested, accused with kidnapping and convicted to ten years' imprisonment. By 2003, he was back on the streets and teamed up with masked Italian garage rockers Tito and The Brainsuckers, producing this album. It confirms his status as a master screamer, a pumped up, lysergic Japanese-American Iggy Pop. All the songs are covers of 60's garage nuggets. I was especially pleased to see him cover two underappreciated Dutch groups: Amsterdam's Outsiders ("You Mistreat Me") and The Hague's Q65 ("Cry In The Night"). The Moving Sidewalks' (pre-ZZ Top) "99th Floor" is also given a good bashing. Tito and The Brainsuckers are doing a great job as his band, providing an energetic backing with fiery guitar licks. "Get Out Of My Life Woman" is played slow & heavy and the other soul ditty "Leavin' Here" (also covered by The Who, Motörhead etc) is given a punk rock makeover. Love's "Signed D.C." (by that other jailbird, the late great Arthur Lee) is the only ballad, fittingly the lonesome story of a junkie's decline. "When The Night Falls" closes the proceedings with a 7+ minute guitar workout. All in all and despite the absence of original songs, this is a great CD, featuring a tight band playing hi-energy rock'n'roll with tons of punk attitude. Hope Koizumi stays out of trouble and continues making up for the lost time with albums like this...

**** for Leavin' Here (orig. Eddie Holland), 99th Floor (orig. Moving Sidewalks), Cry In The Night (orig. Q65), No Friend Of Mine(orig. The Sparkles), Born Loser (orig. Murphy And The Mob), No Fun (orig. The Stooges)

*** for You Mistreat Me(orig. The Outsiders), I Need You(orig. The Kinks), Get Out Of My Life Woman(orig. Allen Toussaint), Milkcow Blues(orig. Chocolate Watchband), Signed D.C.(orig. Love) 

** for Project Blue (orig. Banshees), When The Night Falls (orig. The Eyes)

Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" 1989***

A Greek Sunday paper ("Real News") recently began giving away Rolling Stones CD's, as premium. I own almost all of them, but I re-bought "Steel Wheels" (yes, the paper is also available in The Netherlands) because I had it on vinyl and a 54-minute LP inevitably suffers from inferior sound quality (my copy, at least, was mastered too low). Time to re-listen it, then. Back in '89, my reaction on hearing the LP for the first time was positive, as it hit me as being more interesting and less pop oriented than other RS albums of the era. With hindsight, it marks the beginning of climbing out of their 80's slump. Like its immediate predecessors, "Steel Wheels" tries to sound contemporary by employing a "clean" (try sterile) production and going for the kind of AOR rock played at the time by Huey Lewis and Bryan Adams. It is superior to them, thanks to the rekindling of the spark between the songwriting duo of Jagger and Richards - who had reportedly not been getting along for quite some time. It starts off with a "Sad Sad Sad", an up tempo song displaying rock chops rather than the usual pop. Lead single "Mixed Emotions" is a good rocker, but laden with a rather dated 80's sound. So is "Terrifying", the last single released from the album: It's obvious that the band was aiming for a new "Miss You", but the result sounded more like Robert Palmer fronting Foreigner. "Hold on to Your Hat" is comparatively better, a fast rock'n'roll number with hard rock guitar solos. "Hearts for Sale" may feature some good bluesy guitar licks but is otherwise a weak song, just like "Blinded by Love", the ballad that follows it. Second single "Rock And A Hard Place" is a soulful dance song, with horns, keyboards, backing vocals and guitars blending for once really well together."Can't Be Seen" is another typical 80's rocker, only this time sung by Keith Richards. "Almost Hear You Sigh" is a beautiful ballad with acoustic guitar, which was released as a single and even got a Grammy nomination at the time. "Continental Drift" sounds out of place here - and that is a good thing. It starts off with Moroccan wind instruments and percussion played by The Master Musicians of Jajouka. For those with a short memory, it's the group that former Stone Brian Jones discovered while on holidays in the desert, back in 1968. He recorded them and released their album through Rolling Stones Records, ushering the era of so-called World Music. I personally find the inclusion of this song very refreshing and the track comparable to Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" (without, of course, the massive riffs). Next up, there's "Break the Spell" a song with bluesy harmonica and a Tom Waits-influenced vocal that, unfortunately, seems to be missing something. Closer "Slipping Away" is a beautiful ballad proving that Keith Richards can be a warm and emotive singer. Final thoughts: The Rolling Stones had been flying on auto-pilot since 1977's "Some Girls". None of their albums after that date is essential listening. Like with so many classic rock groups, every new album is just an excuse to go on the road and from that point of view "Steel Wheels" was a huge success. The ensuing tour was attended by 6 million fans worldwide and grossed about $100 million (almost $190m in today's prices). The album on the other hand, although still an enjoyable listening experience, is a less successful affair that will appeal to completists and dedicated fans, only.

***** for Continental Drift

**** for Rock and a Hard Place, Almost Hear You Sigh, Slipping Away

*** for Sad Sad Sad, Mixed Emotions, Terrifying, Hold on to Your Hat, Can't Be Seen

** for Hearts for Sale, Blinded by Love, Break the Spell

Dr. John "Television" 1994***

Some artists are just so unique they can't be compared to anyone. Dr. John is one of them. The living breathing soul of New Orleans and keeper of its traditions is, unbelievably, white. Or at least his skin is. If I hadn't seen him, I'd swear he's as black as Louis Armstrong. I remember going to his concert at the Pallas theater more than 20 years ago and expecting to hear the  traditional jazz & blues of Going Back To New Orleans, only to find him in a much funkier mood, playing stuff from his then forthcoming album Television. The disc opens with the funky number of the same name, similar to the Doctor's classic "Right Place Wrong Time". Most of the album continues in the same vein with subtle variations: "Limbo" sees him switching from piano to organ and "Hold It" sports a faster, almost disco beat. "Shut D Fonk Up" is a Parliament/Funkadelic-style piece with a guest rap by RHCP's Anthony Kiedis. Sly Stone's "Thank You..." sticks close to the original. Berry Gordy's "Money" (covered by many  rock'n'rollers, including The Beatles and Stones) is funky-fied like the rest of them. Then there are a few songs in different styles: "Witchy Red" strays into Voodoo Blues territory, exactly what the Doctor does best. "Shadows" is more rhythmical but retains the voodoo edge. The last two songs also play to his strengths, "Lie Too Much" being a piano ballad and "Same Day Service" a humorous bouncy jazz number. Great band (especially the sax and guitar players) and a consistently good album but not among his best. If you want to listen to Dr. John playing funk, "In The Right Place" is your album. If you want to hear him at his best, try "Gris Gris" or "Going Back To New Orleans". I'll present them here in the future, along with half a dozen others...

**** for Television, Witchy Red, Shadows, Money (That's What I Want),Same Day Service

*** for Lissen, Shut D Fonk Up, Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again, U Lie 2 Much

** for Limbo, Spaceship Relationship, Hold It

Porno for Pyros "Good God's Urge" 1996***

Porno For Pyros were formed by Perry Farrell upon leaving the ultra-successful Jane's Addiction. Their second album "Good God's Urge" leaves JA's grunge behind to employ a psychedelic rock groove, indebted to Love, Beach Boys and Teardrop Explodes and inspired by his fascination with surfing and ecology. Opener "Porpoise Head" is indicative of this direction, a slow druggy song featuring 3 members of Love and Rockets/former Bauhaus. "100 Ways" sounds like Donovan covering an outtake from the Beach Boy's "Smile" sessions, while "Tahitian Moon" is the album's hit and alternates heavy rock and slow melodic passages - something he had already done very successfully with Jane's Addiction. "Kimberly Austin" is a cute folk psych ballad and "Thick of it All" has multi-tracked vocals reminiscent of Crosby,Stills,Nash & Young and displays a neo-psychedelic approach not unlike Porcupine Tree. "Good God's Urge" starts off as a melodic lyrical song but gradually turns into a heavy rock monster with Zeppelin riffs and punk rock howls. "Wishing Well" is another number balancing druggy Syd Barrett-like psychedelia and noise, while "Dogs Rule the Night" is the first straight-ahead heavy rocker. Former JA member Dave Navarro (then lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) helps out on the electronic effects-laden "Freeway". together with his RHCP bandmate Flea. The album closes with another Barrett inspired psychedelic ballad called "Bali Eyes". It was to prove the band's last, with Farrell dedicating his energy to the organisation of the famous Lollapalooza festival and a subsequent Jane's Addiction reunion.

**** for 100 Ways, Tahitian Moon, Thick of it All

*** for Porpoise Head, Kimberly Austin, Good God's Urge, Dogs Rule the Night, Bali Eyes

** for Wishing Well, Freeway

Dead Kennedys "In God We Trust, Inc." 1981****

"In God We Trust, Inc", what an album! Even more hardcore than their incendiary masterpiece "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables", this one contains 8 songs of condensed fury in less than 14 minutes. Songs are played at almost supersonic speed and the words are barked rather than sung (thankfully, the lyrics are printed on the back of the album). The cover by frequent DK collaborator Winston Smith shows a golden Jesus on a cross of U.S. Dollars embossed with the number 666 and George Washington portrayed as a serpent. Was he trying to offend everyone? No, just midtown America. The back cover shows clearly his opinion on the American middle class, portraying a couple of well-to-do ladies approvingly watching a Ku-Klux-Klan ceremony. "Religious Vomit" and "Moral Majority" open the record with a not-so-subtle attack on organized religion: "All religions make me wanna throw up/All religions make me sick...They all claim that they have the answer/When they don't even know the question/They're just a bunch of liars/They just want your money/They just want your consciousness...". Further topics include pharmaceutical drugs ("Hyperactive Child"), murderous big corporations ("Kepone Factory") and violent neo-nazi's infiltration of the punk movement: "Punk ain't no religious cult/Punk means thinkin' for yourself/You ain't hardcore 'cause you spike your hair/When a stupid jock lives inside your head/Nazi punks Nazi punks Nazi punks Fuck off!!!". "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now" is a hilarious reworking of "California Uber Alles" aimed at the new Reagan government "Welcome to 1984, are you ready for the third world war?/You too will meet the secret police/They'll draft you and they'll jail your niece/You'll go quietly to boot camp/They'll shoot you dead, make you a man/Don't you worry, it's for a cause/Feeding global corporations claws/Die on our brand new poison gas/El Salvador or Afghanistan/Making money for President Reagan/And all the friends of President Reagan/California Uber Alles..." (Read the complete album lyrics here.) Well, Jello was a tad overreacting, Reagan didn't take it that far - it actually took the Republicans a few more years to draft the Patriot Act, spy on all their citizens and open the Guantanamo concentration camp. To top it all off, the album ends with a sarcastic kick-ass cover of cowboy classic "Rawhide". It's always been a party favorite of mine: to be played only after 02:00 AM, really loud and with everybody drunk out of their head. Can be combined with the Kennedy's "Too Drunk To Fuck" for maximum effect.

***** for Nazi Punks Fuck Off, Rawhide

**** for Moral Majority, We've Got a Bigger Problem Now

*** for Religious Vomit, Hyperactive Child, Kepone Factory, Dog Bite

The Strays "Le Futur Noir" 2006***

The Strays were complete unknowns to me when I bought their album, motivated by the cover and 1€ price. Maybe encountering a Greek name in the credits also played a role: Bassist Dimitris Koutsiouris is, like me, an expat Athenian - only he chose sunny Los Angeles instead of the Gothic and rainy Delft. They don't really sound American though, their style is very British and similar to the Libertines/King Blues. Not surprising, of course, when their lead guitarist/singer is a Brit: Toby Marriott, son of a legendary rocker, the Small Faces/Humble Pie's Steve Marriott. The music is an amalgam of styles: "Geneva Code" references Nirvana while "Let Down Girls" The Clash. "Block Alarm", "Future Primitives" and "Sirens" likewise remind The Clash's efforts to combine punk and reggae. "You Are the Evolution" is an almost Status Quo-like boogie with a football stadium chorus while "This Is Forever" and "Peach Acid" are more Brit-pop, the latter reminding me Blur's rockier moments. Similarly, "Start a Riot" sounds like Supergrass and "Life Support" like Manic Street Preachers (more Brit-pop for you). "Miracles" and "Kill" are rousing garage-punk and "Servant of the Gun" another Nirvana soundalike. The album closes with a good (unnamed) punky song. Interesting CD with commercial potential, but (apparently) it failed to get noticed. I suppose it's all about the right marketing. I wonder what these guys are doing now of if they even still exist as a band...

**** for You Are the Evolution, Let Down Girls,  Kill

*** for Geneva Code, Block Alarm, This Is Forever, Peach Acid, Miracles, Future Primitives, Start a Riot, Life Support,  Sirens, Untitled Track

** for Servant of the Gun

The Vaselines "Enter the Vaselines" 1987-89(orig) 2009(comp)****

The Vaselines were a band formed by real-life couple Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee in Glasgow, Scotland. In their short lifespan (1987-89) they released one album and a couple of singles of idiosyncratic indie-pop, taking their cue from The Velvet Underground, fellow Scots The Pastels and shoegazers like My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus And Mary Chain. Their music was characterized by charming pop compositions, innocent-sounding boy-girl vocals with humorous and sexual lyrics, distorted guitars and hazy lo-fi production. Although superior to most of their peers they would have vanished in obscurity had they not had a famous fan: Nirvana's Kurt Cobain kept singing their praises in his interviews and has covered no less than 3 of their compositions (amazing when you think that their entire oeuvre consists of about 20 songs): "Molly's Lips" and "Son of a Gun" are available as part of the odds-and-sods collection "Incesticide" and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" is one of the highlights of Nirvana's immortal "MTV Unplugged". The Vaseline's version is lighter and less dramatic, but still the highlight of this album, basically a simple acoustic ballad transformed by the addition of a stunning melody played by a viola. Thanks to Cobain's support, The Vaselines' entire output was re-released in 1992, while in 2009 "Enter The Vaselines" gathered all the previously released studio cuts and added a few demos and live recordings. It starts off with their debut single: "Son of a Gun" is a garage-y song with urgent male and sweet female vocals, "Rory Rides Me Raw" folk with naughty sexual lyrics and "You Think You're a Man" a disco cover of the Divine song (yes, John Water's freaky overweight transvestite protagonist), complete with orgasmic moans. Tracks from the 2nd single include the aforementioned "...Sunbeam" and "Molly's Lips" (the latter sounds like a Velvet Underground song with Moe Tucker on lead vocals and features something that sounds like a bicycle horn). The two other songs ("Dying for It" and "Teenage Superstars") are much rockier and betray a certain Sonic Youth fascination. By this time, The Vaselines had already become a proper group with the addition of a bassist and drummer. "Dum Dum" from the same-named album is a garage rocker a la Stooges, just like "Sex Sux (Amen)" and "Monsterpussy". "Slushy" is like a Nancy & Lee duet with a noisy wall of sound background and "Bitch" a 60's pop song drowned in distortion. The rest of the albums moves along the same lines: Influences from the Byrds,Velvet Underground, Suicide, Jesus & Mary Chain abound in an album that mixes equal amounts of pop and noise. The second CD adds a bunch of demos and live songs. The unreleased "Red Poppy" and Gary Glitter cover "I Didn't Know I Loved You ('Til I Saw You Rock 'N' Roll)" are among the best of them, while the progress from the DIY amateurism of the older demos to the professionalism of the second gig (Live In London) is evident. The dissolution of the pair's romantic relationship brought the group to a premature end but they've recently reformed and even made a new album. As is evident from the video attached here, the band hasn't lost much of its vitality in the last 20 years (unlike with Eugene's hair). 

**** for Son of a Gun, You Think You're a Man, Molly's Lips, Teenage Superstars, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, Bitch, Dum-Dum

*** for Dying for It, Sex Sux (Amen), Slushy, Monsterpussy, No Hope, Oliver Twisted, Dying for It (The Blues), Let's Get Ugly, Red Poppy (Live in Bristol), Dying For It (Live in London), Molly's Lips (Live in London), The Day I Was a Horse (Live in London), Sex Sux (Amen) (Live in London), I Didn't Know I Loved You ('Til I Saw You Rock 'N' Roll) (Live in London)

** for Rory Rides Me Raw, The Day I Was a Horse, Hairy, Lovecraft, Son of a Gun(Demo) , Rosary Job(Demo), Red Poppy(Demo),Son of a Gun(Live in Bristol), Rosary Job(Live in Bristol), Rory Rides Me Raw(Live in Bristol), You Think You're a Man(Live in Bristol), Monsterpussy(Live in London),Let's Get Ugly(Live in London), The Day I Was a Horse (Again)(Live in London), Teenage Superstars(Live in London)