You came thisclose to be reading a website called "Singles Going Steady". How close? The first two days while I kinda practised it was called "Singles Going Steady and then I chnaged the domain name at the last second.
My first column, for the East Village Eye in 1981, was called "Singles Going Steady" though it soon changed from a monthly singles round up to a monthly albums and singles round up. Named after the classic Buzzcocks album, of course.
I've been writing a daily colimn "My Fave Tracks" for a coupla years. Again, a misnomer, it is really a "what tracks I am listening to today" column. Ten a day, every day. And when I was on ITunes buying single tracks as opposed to albums, it got in the way of my attempts to do a weekly round called called "New Music" -too much overlap. So I ditched "New Music".
And when I changed the main artillary for geting music from ITunes to Spotify, an unexpected side effect occured. I went back to albums after years of buying tracks primarily. Much less comingling with MFT.
So I have decided to write a weekly column, reviewing new releases both albums and singles.
In other words, 30 years later I'm back where I started!
Worshop Music – Anthrax – Too fast for metal, about right for thrash. Grade: B
White Harp – Big Harp – Roots folkie rocker by married couple,.Grade: B
Rock & Roll With It – Billy Burnette – The last man standing, hasn't missed a step on this rockabilly album. Grade: B+
Country Music Must Be Country – Bratley Gilbert – Country blues rave-up. You could imagine Kid Rock covering it, no problem. Grade: B+
The Sea Of Memories – Bush – Do I like it? Of course not, but I didn't like em the first time round either. This is more of the same, a bot more melodic here and there, with one killer track, "All Night Doctors". Grade: C+
Dead Throne – The Devil Wears Prade – Prime hardcore with not one but, count em, two singers screaming like the devil. Plus if you are gonna call a song "Bprn To Lose" you better bring it and they do. Grade: B+
A Dramatic Turn Of Events – Dream Theater – I saw them open for Iron Maiden and they blew me away. They are prog-rock metal, they've been doing forever and this is more of the same. Grade: B
The Legind Begins – Hank Williams – His earliest recordings (at 15 years old, try "Fan It"), plus his radio show from 1951. Both restored. Grade: A+
Father, Son, Holy, Ghost – Girls – Iwens can write a song, but he is a dillietente and should stop fucking with form. Grade: B+
Just In Love – Joe Jonas – In which the youngest Brother reinvents himself as Usher with limited success. Grade: B-
On A Mission – Katy B – What a disappoitment. Electronic pop without the pop. Grade: C+
Junk Of The Heart – The Kooks – As mediocre as Brit pop ever gets, a coupla killer tracks but "Fuck The World Off" is ghastly, the strongs on"Time Above The Earth" and the lead singer's voice a major irritant. He sounds like Ray Davies if Ray Davies sucked. Grade: B-
We Own The Night – Lady Antebellum – Return to form after the hugely popular, immensely disappointing sophomore effort. Stories of infidelity and shallow emotionalism, with traded vocals aplenty and a brace of real good songs. Grade: B
Gravity The Seducer – Ladytron – Atmospheric synth pop. Grade: B
The Battle For Seattle – Little Roy – Reggar versions of Nirvana songs from "About A Girl" to "Heartshaped Box". It seems to me that you can add a syncopated beat to just about anything. Doesn't mean this is a strange rearranging and worth a listen. Grade: B
Mountaintops – Mates Of State – Their best album to date is a brace of powerful pop-rock songs. Grade: B
The Old Magic – Nick Lowe – Sometimes an artist has his formula down soo perfectly, you feel he could do it forever. It doesn't peak high enough but these smooth, jazzy, country amalgamtion have a gracefulness and a quiet passion impossible o deny. Grade: B+
Pass At Me – Timbaland – His best work in years, is a first class dance track with an ace Pitbull rap. Grade: A-
One Man Mutiny – Tommy Stinson – Stinson putes his career as a hired guyn on hold to put out a buncha excellent, olf fashioned rock songs plus a killer ballad, "Come To Hide". Grade: B+
Wynon Marsalis And Eric Clapton Play The Blues Live – Guess you had to be their. New Orleans jazz meets delta blue. Grade: B-