ALBUM: Year Long Disaster - Year Long Disaster (2007)

Due to blogging errors etcetera, this is a little later than I would have liked. Nevertheless...here it is. I've had an album overload lately, but this is probably the best one I've bought. Year Long Disaster are a fairly new band, one I saw live when they were supporting Velvet Revolver (see previous post), and they consist of Daniel Davies (guitar/vox), Rich Mullins (bass), and Brad Hargreaves (drums). I had liked them before, and seeing them live just intensified my interest in them. I was compelled to buy their debut.

So what's to like about this album? Well, for a start they're fantastic musicians and an excellent band to see live. Davies' gritty, raw voice does a hell of a lot of good to set them apart from other bands. Another thing is that every song on this album a) is different, b) has awesome riffs, and c) leaves you wanting more. The two opening tracks are very original rockin' songs which give way to a few slightly slower songs. While my favourite track is Sapphire, the very last song (apart from the hidden track), Swan On Black Lake, is just magical, honestly. A slow four-minute build-up suddenly drops for some stunning guitar pieces...

One other thing I must say about the album is the cover. Sure, covers don't matter much in these internet-downloading days, but I love this cover. The artwork and the band logo (under the CD) are great intricate designs.

If you buy one rock album today, this week, this month, this year even, get this. For me, it doesn't really sound like any other band. There's shades of 60s and 70s heavy rock there, but unlike many other bands today, they're pretty goddamn original!

ALBUM: Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (1983)

I've decided to do an album of the moment thing, cliched but there you go. Since I was probably two years old I've had Dire Straits music following me around...blame the parents. In 2005 I saw Mark Knopfler live, and he was just the best, including his solo material. But I still love Straits most and when I first heard Telegraph Road a few months ago I realised I didn't really know them. So the other day I found Love Over Gold in a small local record store (one day I'll own a record store just like it...High Fidelity style hopefully) for a bargain. I tried to buy Communiquetoo, but the CD was conspicuously absent. Sure, I may have heard 4 of the 5 songs on this album before, but unlike the majority these days, I still enjoy buying and owning CDs. The internet may have gave rebirth to the live gig thing, with people discovering artists so quickly, but CDs are still something to have. If I had it my way, vinyl would be bigger too. But then I wouldn't be able to rip it to my MP3 player, would I?

Love Over Gold is one hell of an album, not to mention great album cover. Telegraph Road and Private Investigations are serious songs with exquisite guitar pieces. Telegraph... is just one, epic 15 minute song really. You need to listen to understand. Industrial Disease gives way to the title song, and currently the last song, It Never Rains, is my current favourite. Knopfler's guitar at the end is almost haunting...a brilliant end to an underrated album.