10 Songs: November 13th, 2014
superstar duo… circa 1994
1. There Must Be More To Life Than This – Queen and Michael Jackson – A not untypically lachrymose Jackson sounding tearjerker ballad recorded during the Queen sessions for The Work in 1984. Freddie takes the first verse and it is a jolt when MJ takes the second, but there really isn’t enough of it.The excellent producer a William Orbit does a good job of piecing the aborted recording session and it is kinda cool hearing the two great singers on one record – B+
2. ‘Tis A Pity She Was A Whore – David Bowie – Bowie uses his falsetto and a deranged weirdness like he’d wandered out of Aladdin Sane and the backing track is belting drums and snatches of synths blasting. I have preferred his post-The Next Day work to the album itself – B+
3. Cookies And Cream – Juan Luis Guerra – Merengue superstar nicks the opening of “Twist and shout” and runs with it – B+
4. Empty Faction – Cult Of Youth – Stampedes its way in with skittish drums and a nice lick, my problem is the voice – B
5. Machine – Oh Land – “You know I feel like I’m just a circuit”? Dreary but tuneful – B-
6. How will I Know Live From The Brit Awards – Whitney Houston – Her pipes and her popularity were peaking – A-
7. Flicker (Kanye West rework) – Lorde – West meets the southern hemisphere, and I think I underestimated it yesterday, and I liked it yesterday, this is really powerful: he took a great song and made it bigger without pandering to stadiums – A
8. Stunners – The Voyeurs – Charles Boyer band has lost nothing with the change of name with this excellent rock and singaling – B
9. Fountain -iamwhoiam – Mood music from sweden… and a little more. Gorgeous dreampop melancholia – B
10. Lost – Willie Nile – The former CBGB’s denizen first recordings since 2010 include this excellent piano ballad, very moving stuff – B+
