Artigos com o marcador creation records
Bmx Bandits – Gettin’ Dirty (1995)
02/07/10
ALLMUSIC The fourth BMX Bandits album, 1995′s Gettin’ Dirty, breaks with tradition by finally establishing a fully fledged band who contributes to every track instead of gathering a nebulous collection of friends surrounding singer/songwriter Duglas T. Stewart. As a result, Gettin’ Dirty is the first BMX Bandits album with a consistent sound and feel. Stewart and guitarist Francis McDonald (moonlighting from his regular gig in Teenage Fanclub) wrote most of the songs together, with Stewart‘s lyrics complemented nicely by McDonald‘s Big Star-derived melodic sense. While none of the tunes are as completely swell as “Serious Drugs,” the highlight from the previous year’s Life Goes On, there’s also a refreshing lack of the half-baked filler that marred previous BMX Bandits efforts. Highlights include the title track, a downright sweet reverie about the joys of showering with your significant other, and the Phil Spector homage “Come out of the Shadows,” but Teenage Fanclub fans will be most intrigued by the McDonald-penned “No Future,” which is a companion song to “Tears” from Teenage Fanclub‘s Grand Prix: the two songs are musically identical, with two sets of lyrics written from opposing viewpoints of the same romantic situation, an interesting conceit that also works as a pair of great pop songs. ~ Stewart Mason
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “Hello Again”
The Jasmine Minks – The Revenge of Jasmine Minks (2004)
22/06/10
ALLMUSIC The Jasmine Minks are one of the great underrated bands of the ’80s. At times sounding like Echo & the Bunnymen without the epic ambition or the Go-Betweens with more Motown records in their collection, their sound combined the energy of punk with the tunefulness of indie pop and brimmed with soul and fury, introspection and hooks. Revola’s The Revenge of the Jasmine Minks gathers together 24 songs recorded in the ’80s for Creation. Taken from their three albums and various singles, the end result is a very impressive body of work that certainly rehabilitates their reputation and should boost their standing in the annals of Creation immensely. Listening to the songs 20 years later, one is struck by just how strong they are. At the time, they were sort of eclipsed by their roster mates like Primal Scream and the Weather Prophets, bands whose songs’ charms were in part due to their ultra-melodic and simple nature.
The Jasmine Minks’ songs are melodic to be sure but are fraught with tension, from the often skittering beats to the searching, manly vocals of Jim Shepard to the political and angst-filled tone of the lyrics. The best songs, like the powerful “Think!,” “Cry for a Man,” “Marcella,” and “Reaching Out,” make a strong case for the Jasmine Minks as a great lost band. In fact, their finest song, “Cut Me Deep,” is a beautifully heartbroken song that is the equal of anything the Smiths or the Teardrop Explodes or anyone else for that matter recorded in the ’80s. The band was at their best on the uptempo songs that threatened to grab you by the throat and shake you alive, but they also were able to write affecting ballads like “Cold Heart,” a soulful acoustic ballad with some wonderful group vocals. Indeed, by the end of Revenge, the band is creating mature, highly arranged pop tunes that, while lacking the energy of the earlier material, still pack a soulful punch.
They managed to grow up without losing the reason they were a band or changing so much that their original fans would dismiss them. If you missed out on the Jasmine Minks the first time around, this is an excellent opportunity to relive the memories you never had. Indeed, if you like indie pop or are a rock fan at all, you should really think about giving the Minks a listen. Your interest will be paid off by excellent songs and performances. It may be a stretch to say the band is on par with the legends of British indie pop, but they certainly are at the very top of the second division. Packaged with a typical amount of love and care by Revola, The Revenge of the Jasmine Minks is one of the top reissues of 2004. ~ Tim Sendra
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Cold Heart”
The Jasmine Minks – The Jasmine Minks
23/10/09
Genre: Indiepop / Jangle Pop
Based In…: UK
Label: Creation Records
Year: 1985
My Rate: 10/10
Considero esse segundo disco do Jasmine Minks um verdadeiro clássico pop lançado em 85 pela Creation. Adoro todas as músicas. Super recomendado, principalmente pra quem conhesse apenas a coleta The Revenge Of The Jasmine Minks.
