Transformer - Lou Reed

For reasons which are difficult to fathom accurately, I had until relatively recently steered clear from examining in detail the solo career of Lou Reed. Maybe I thought that the subject matter of the songs would not be to my taste. 

Anyway, having opened my eyes (and ears) to other so-called alternative quarters of the musical universe, Transformer and other Reed solo LPs entered my consciousness. I am resoundingly glad that I felt ready to make that leap.

On first impressions, Transformer felt more meaty and guitar-heavy than The Velvet Underground. However, as has become customary for music people to emphasize, Lou Reed is primarily a tunesmith. These songs have an infectious and invigorating quality about them. Some of the energy and accessibility of the album may be attributed to the involvement in the project of David Bowie and Mick Ronson, as producers and musicians, The tunes are compact and tastefully captured. It may well be true that the material lacks the provocative and "subversive" flavour of the Velvets' greatest output. However, the tracks here are generally likeable and catchy - 'Vicious', 'Andy's Chest' and 'Hangin' Round', for instance.  They have also hidden depths and fascinations.

'Perfect Day' was hitherto a song which I rather loathed, considering it vacuous and overblown, but it now inspires my admiration and affection. I "get" the sentiments now, probably because I am older (or wiser?). 'Walk On The Wild Side' has undergone a similar transformation (pardon the pun) in my estimations, but for different reasons. I had tended to regard it as a novelty song, almost. The other famous number on the record, 'Satellite Of Love', has an elusively absorbing quality, in keeping with much of what surrounds it.

If Transformer ever appears in danger of growing too cosy or bland, then Mick Ronson's incisive and adroit guitar contributions serve to lift it. I also detected, vaguely, the influence of Bowie's Hunky Dory period here and there. All these elements assist in ensuring that the record retains its validity as an artistic endeavour worthy of exploration and respect.

A word too for 'Goodnight Ladies', a whimsical offering which has a strong 1920s Berlin ambience, and which adds welcome variety and humour.  A great and vibrant way to close. 

As for Reed's reputation as one of the godfathers of punk, it may be more visible and discernible on other records, but certainly the short and simple arrangements and riffs must have struck a chord with some aspiring musicians. 

So, not as challenging as other works involving Lou Reed, but a tight and coherent set of entertaining and sometimes intriguing pieces, competently produced and performed. It has been widely influential, and it still sounds urgent and energetic. The type of album which demands attention, and which draws the listener back repeatedly, despite its minor shortcomings.

Time - Electric Light Orchestra

 It is always an intriguing and revealing process to re-evaluate the output of a particular group or artist, and come to recognise that one's opinion of said discography has shifted. I myself have gone through such a series of instructive revelations and discoveries with regard to the work of the Electric Light Orchestra.

In years past I generally 'ran with the crowd', the crowd being the masses, and deemed their work in the period 1976-1979 to be the strongest and the most appealing which they had managed. However, my assessment nowadays would be that they started off with some excellent, rich but unfocused and slightly flawed albums, then polished and refined the sound in the years 1973-1975, before the music gradually grew too 'slick' and over-produced; although it was difficult to find fault with the pop craftsmanship and the tunefulness of Jeff Lynne's compositions.

My new appraisal of ELO's oeuvre was in all likelihood of my broadened cultural horizons and philosophical outlook, and a new emphasis on modernistic and progressive currents. Harder edges and diminished sentimentality assumed a greater importance.

Which brings us to Time, the excellent and cohesive record which Electric Light Orchestra released in the year 1981. Though it was probably not acknowledged or recognised at the time, the group was reborn and revitalized with this LP (if only temporarily, as it turned out).

Gone were the 'syrupy' string arrangements, more reliance being placed on keyboards and new technology. I gather there is some orchestration, but it is much less conspicuous, much less ostentatious, and to my ears almost indistinguishable from the keyboards, in the main.

 There is something of the concept album here, with common themes of science-fiction, space exploration, futurology and other aspects of 'modernity'. To add to the potent mixture, Jeff Lynne seems fully engaged and motivated here, imbuing Time with a certain vigour and air of commitment.

The changes in the 'format' of the band evidently freshened things up, and the album exudes a more contemporary feel, ELO becoming a combo more in keeping with the brave new decade.

Of the tracks,  'Twilight' is an invigorating first salvo (if we disregard the 'Prologue'), exuding real intent, and illustrating many of this record's sonic hallmarks, showcasing an electronic 'dryness'. The listener can really gauge the renewed urgency and zeal within the musicians. 

'Ticket To The Moon' has grown in stature down the years, and to my mind it builds on some of the foundations established by a couple of the sophisticated but less heralded tracks on A New World Record. The atmosphere is engineered quite adeptly, to draw you in.

Of all the tracks, 'Here Is The News' is one of those which exemplifies both the musical and thematic patterns which Time weaves. It does not look out of place when set against some of the music being purveyed by younger, more 'hip' bands in the early 1980s. '21st Century Man' and 'Rain Is Falling' are other highlights, exhibiting many Beatlesque leanings.

The main single from the album, 'Hold On Tight', is an infectious and compact effort which sees Jeff Lynne returning unmistakably to his rock n roll roots. Despite the quality of the melody and the studio implementation of the song, it does in truth sound rather out of place in the folds of this collection.

So Time was something of a new dawn for ELO, but it proved to be a false dawn. Subsequent projects prior to the group's mid-80s disbandment were relatively tired and uninspired.  Basically Time appeals and endures because of its freshness and its brightness, and the prevalence of ideas and enthusiasm.

Aladdin Sane - David Bowie

 When considering the David Bowie discography, I would say that his 1973 album Aladdin Sane occupies a curious place, and fulfils a rather nebulous role. It sometimes might seem that the record is a token gesture, an afterthought in the wake of the spectacular '...Ziggy Stardust....' project which came before it. Indeed, such evaluations had until comparatively recently instilled in me a tendency to ignore the work. The better-known numbers were familiar to me, of course, as were snippets of the less prominent tracks.

It was whilst on a lengthy car journey (as a passenger) a few years ago that the sheer effervescence and excellence of Aladdin Sane was truly brought home to me. The CD was playing on the car stereo, and although the road noise and other extraneous distractions conspired to make the listening experience less than ideal, I was left enthused, and eager to explore the work more at my leisure.

The 'Ziggy Stardust' album is regularly held up, along with a couple of other releases from around the same time, as one of the primary monuments of British glam rock. This assessment is difficult to contradict, but I would also contend that Aladdin Sane exudes a consummately 'glam rock' sensibility in large measures.  This stems in part from what I would term the 'sleazy decadence' of much of the sound, and the extravagant, almost exaggerated production values of some of the tracks are in line with other landmark 'glam' records of the early 70s. Add the 'avant-garde' trappings, which many have drawn attention to, and you have an invigorating spectacle, which does not feel contrived or self-conscious. The music has many dark and mysterious corners and departures to examine, imbuing it with a peculiar personality and force.

To me, the influence of contemporary American rock music can be keenly felt on the album; I am thinking of songs like 'Watch That Man' and 'Panic In Detroit'. which exhibit harder edges and are less buttoned-down and contained. On closer inspection, these tendencies predominate on a goodly portion of the record, and the presence of 'The Jean Genie' only underlines and reinforces this point, but somehow they linger less in my memory and my psyche than do other elements or affectations, and therein lies my perception of the record.

Some of the material, including the title track, has an unsettling atmosphere, perhaps reflective of the tense and uncertain social and economic climate of the times. What unites the compositions though is their air of confidence and self-assurance on the part of the artist, as if he rather revels in, and thrives on, instability and foreboding.

Although this record sees Bowie engaging in some experimentation, and hinting at the direction his music would take in the mid-Seventies, one or two of the songs would not sound out of place on previous LPs, notably 'Drive-In Saturday'. 

'Cracked Actor' is, I would estimate, a case of the two 'schools', the rock and the art-rock, coalescing, but the pugnacious narrowly wins out in the end. 'Time' on the other hand sees the Bowie of 1971/72 assuming new goggles, taking the 'template' into fresh territory, growing, expanding.

'The Prettiest Star' is another track which embraces the flavour of all of Bowie's classic 71-73 studio albums, highlighting traits which we might associate with them all. When joined together, they help to assign Aladdin Sane its identity and its aura. The essential sound of '73, perhaps?

A word must also be reserved here to draw attention to Mick Ronson's crunchy and pleasing guitar work throughout, a motif and a recurring delight. It has been said before, but those guitar parts add a new dimension, standing out even amongst the genius of Bowie.

Arriving last on the original album, but for me constituting the centrepiece of the album, is 'Lady Grinning Soul'. Its slinky 'out of time' spirit and its menacing inventiveness are a reminder of what, in qualitative terms, the collection is really all about. 

So there you have it. One of Bowie's greatest achievements, but also one of his most 'deceptive' and awkward to pin down. Essential listening for a full, if complicated, understanding of what Bowie meant in '73, where the world and culture were in '73, and for some tantalising hints of where Bowie might have been heading in the years ahead.

Muhammad Ali - His Life and Times - Thomas Hauser

 This was one of several enticing books which had been languishing on my bookshelves, waiting for that opportune moment when it would receive my rapt and undivided attention and interest.

The edition of this book which I had access to was published in 1997, so it obviously does not cover the closing period of Ali's life, but I found it to be an illuminating and interesting read, which equipped me with a greater understanding of Ali the man, as opposed to Ali the legend or the myth.

Much of the text takes the form of quotations, and extracts from interviews with, various figures who knew Ali or came into contact with him. At times it occurred to me that the work relied too much on this material, and would have welcomed additional direct interpretation and subjective analysis from the writer himself, but at the same time the reminiscences of a diverse group of observers serves to deliver a balanced and rounded view of Ali the person and the boxer. 

If I was to venture another criticism it would be that the coverage of Ali's early boxing career (his amateur days) is a touch thin. My perception was that the story moved somewhat hastily to him winning an Olympic gold and then initiating his professional career.

The turbulent and pivotal period of 1964-1970 is well covered, and here the recollections of people is invaluable, as it assists in understanding what an intricate position Ali found himself in. This was the section of the biography which I personally learned the most from, about Ali himself and also the social and cultural backdrop against which he operated.

As the book wore on, any minor reservations on my part gradually diminished, and the chapters chronicling the major boxing contests of the 1970s were nothing less than gripping and entertaining. There is a genuine sense of "time" and "occasion" in these passages, and it mattered little to me that some events are seemingly dismissed with little commentary. What mattered to me was the overall effect and what I discovered about that stage of his life and his boxing journey.

The information imparted about the business and promotional sides of boxing were also intriguing, eye-opening even. Life was indeed simpler, more informal and more "off the cuff" in those days.

As well as serving as an engrossing account of Muhammad Ali's life up to that point, the anecdotes, reflections and prose act as evocative portraits of the changing times, shifting attitudes, changing values and new forces.

The author and the contributors do manages to bring across the nobility and allure of boxing, as well as its occasional cruelty and destructiveness. I was fascinated by the chapters which examined the decline in Ali's career (the years 1976-1981), and this does not always make for comfortable reading. It is disconcerting to read about the fears for the boxer's physical wellbeing, and how long the situation was allowed to persist.

This biography quite bubbles and soars towards its conclusion. It pulls few punches, if you will pardon the pun. Aided by candid and honest opinions from some, it offers a clear insight and depiction of who the real Ali was, his journey in life, how he changed, and in what senses he remained the same, his flaws and his greatest genuine qualities. Also, what made him unique as a boxer and as a sportsperson.

The Orion Loop - Soviet science fiction film (1981)

As part of my exploration of Soviet (and Eastern Bloc) cinema, and more specifically science fiction from those territories, I recently watched The Orion Loop, a 1981 Soviet science fiction movie.

Like many science fiction films from the USSR, The Orion Loop deals with the question of extra-terrestrial life and the potential for its contact with Earth and humans. The plot centres on Earth's efforts to investigation a strong radiation source which has been affecting other spaceships on the edge of the Solar System. The ship which is dispatched on this mission is crewed by a mixture of people and their android 'doubles'. Crew members receive 'visitations' from holograms, which seem to be emissaries from an ancient alien civilization. Some of this activity turns out to be connected to a 'galactic virus' which might affect Earth.

In common with many science fiction works generally (and not just the ones produced in the Communist world), this picture examines some Big Subjects, such as man's attitudes to science, reason, and progress.  International solidarity and co-operation are also shown in a positive light. However, the story (the screenplay was co-written by the famous cosmonaut Alexei Leonov) is quite multi-layered.

One of the central themes of The Orion Loop is how humanity should engage with aliens, and how we should give them a chance and regard their intentions as benign, benevolent and constructive. If we give harmony and conciliation a chance to develop, positive consequences may well ensue. Of course, we may infer that these topics were being employed, at least in part, as a metaphor for how the different peoples of Earth should relate to each other.

Part of the sub-text is that we often mis-read or misunderstand what genuinely threatens our well-being or security, suggesting that we devote excessive resources to tackling 'imagined' threats, when something less obvious or less immediately emotive represents a much more insidious danger. We should stop and ask ourselves what is the real reason behind phenomena which we think are inherently hostile, and we should trust people and Nature more. I interpreted the holograms as being a reference to the desirability of learning from history.

That the crew members of the Soviet spaceship have android doubles allows some exploration of 'humans versus machines' issues, with the insinuation that in certain circumstances human creativity and problem-solving and decision-making capabilities would win out. On the whole, however, I don't think that the film makes as much use of the androids as it could have done. The holograms are very well done, though.

It is interesting that the cybernetician is to some extent cast as the villain, and the irrational one. Perhaps the message is that Mankind's fate is in its own hands?

This one is similar in format and style to other sci-fi movies from the USSR, but this is the early 1980s, so it is more polished technically and contemporary looking, although the special effects and production values are nothing exceptional for the period. 

Maybe I am being my usual over-analytical self, but the 'internationalism' angle of these films intrigues me. Here, as elsewhere, it seems to me that the Soviet Union is portrayed as taking the lead and the initiative for the benefit and welfare of mankind.

In a broader sense the film is observing that there are things about the human mind, and the universe, which we still do not fully understand. We must keep working, methodically and rationally, to unlock and harness the universe's secrets.

I would say that The Orion Loop is a movie which is both enjoyable and cerebral. 

Animals - Pink Floyd

Following on from my review of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here album, it seemed logical to more closely examine the record which succeeded it, titled Animals.

Traditionally Animals had largely escaped my close attention.  I invariably skipped over it whilst navigating their catalogue, moving directly from Wish You Were Here to The Wall.  It seemed a bit of an anomaly, a fly in the ointment, and even the record's title and artwork may have acted as deterring factors for me.

More recently, however, I have grown significantly more receptive to the album's tone and its philosophical angles. My own world-view has moved on, becoming more radical and left-leaning, more conscious of the societal forces and dynamics portrayed and critiqued here. Anyway, I quickly discovered that Animals was in fact less antagonistic and 'threatening' than I had previously imagined. It is still though a powerful and impactful work, both musically and lyrically.

One of the striking features of Animals is the direct, almost rhythmic, hypnotic character of the sound. The music comes across, to me at least, as less contrived and ponderous than some of their other work, and it complements the less cryptic nature of the words, whilst also holding the interest. These characteristics are heard in the album's first major piece, 'Dogs'. This song sets the tone for what follows. David Gilmour is on stellar form on lead guitar, and the backing formed by the rhythm section and the keyboards is vibrant and engrossing. 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)' operates in a similar vein.

In some quarters I have heard it stated that the Floyd's lyrical approach here and elsewhere smacks of 'overkill', and that in some sense the 'grandiosity' and stridency might actually dull or obscure the effect of the message, turning people off.  One's attitude to this I think depends on the listener's personal preferences. It does make a change for a band, especially a prog-rock band, to adopt direct, 'harsh' methods, and the album would not be half as memorable or enduring if it had been compromised by a dilution of the passion and vigour.

What I would say is that some of the lyrics might feel corny or trite to modern ears and eyes; some might compare them to the sort of over-earnest things that could have been written by an excitable and idealistic teenager. That doesn't mean that they lack relevance or strength, and arguably it helps if the listener concentrates on ascertaining the broader meaning behind the words rather than according great credence to the literary merits or sincerity of the lyrics themselves.

'Sheep' is the musical and poetic centrepiece of the LP.  It has a deeply impressive fluency and self-assurance which imbue it with genuine authority. The propulsive bass and the evocative electric piano part are two of the potent ingredients which form a formidable whole. This song is a major reason why I view Animals as signalling the way into the future, both musically and philosophically, rather than harking back to past statements. The production and overall effect feel more 1980s than 1970s. Even by the standards of Pink Floyd, these recordings seemed to represent a departure from a comfort zone, a reaching for liberation.

This album does not exude the sonic diversity of other Floyd works, but the very narrowness and concentrated focus of its anger and its gaze are what contribute to its authenticity and its ability to unsettle and foster contemplation. It must also be mentioned that the concerns and grievances expressed here remain as pertinent and crucial as ever, if not more so. The allusions and metaphors employed on Animals are pointed and unapologetic, and for these reasons it is probably the Floyd album which I would most like to reach the ears of younger people today. 

Looking Backward - 2000-1887 - Edward Bellamy

In recent times, my interest has been increasingly focused on how society can be made more just and equitable, whilst still retaining its dynamism and promoting human flourishing and progress. 'Utopian' literature has formed part of my studies in this area. 

The novel 'Looking Backward - 2000-1887', by Edward Bellamy, was first published in 1888. A man in Boston, Massachusetts is placed into a hypnosis-induced trance or sleep, and wakes up in the year 2000, to find that the world has become a socialist utopia, with the means of production nationalised and money effectively abolished. He is given tours of this new utopia by the family which is playing host to him. There is an interesting 'twist' to the plot near the end which adds a touch of romance alongside philosophical heart of the novel. 

In some respects the work bears similarities to 'News From Nowhere' by William Morris, although their respective utopias differ quite markedly. I found 'Looking Backward' to be more substantial, and less of a 'fairytale', than Morris' effort. That said, I would question how a society can be so profoundly transformed in such a relatively short period of time, apparently without much in the way of resistance, and how the 'virtue' of its citizens can be so uniformly purified. In addition, there is the standard lingering question of how things would function with less emphasis placed on 'incentives' and 'competition'.

Of course, some areas of the story can seem dated, because of the time when the book was created, and the attitudes and theories which were fashionable then do not necessarily translate that smoothly or plausibly for twenty-first century consumption. The solutions which are detailed in 'Looking Backward....' do not always correspond to currently 'fashionable' proposals, and might even seem authoritarian or 'dystopian', and what is envisaged might appear excessively regimented.

In the novel, the apologists for the new system are a bit too certain of their own righteousness for my tastes. Having said that, for a utopian novel this is quite a decent read from a literary viewpoint, even if some might contend that the work served to a large degree as little more than a 'platform' or a vehicle for Edward Bellamy's political and philosophical ideas.