H2O H2O
I have absolutely no idea why I bought this album, my mind must be fading. Scary.
Emmylou Harris Grant Hart Each time I heard All of My Senses on the radio, the song made me gasp for my breath, so I was very happy to find this album. Quite different from the Hüsker Dü stuff (or not??), much softer. Twenty-Five Forty-One is a song of the calibre of All of My Senses.
John Hiatt The perfect John Hiatt album, recorded in a only a few days together with Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner and Nick Lowe. First and foremost Hiatt and his piano giving everything they have in Have a Little Faith in Me, but also rocker Memphis in the Meantime, Thing Called Love later covered by Bonnie Raitt, and more slow songs Lipstick Sunset and Learning How to Love You. Also have to mention here that I saw John Hiatt at de Vooruit, Gent, during the tour accompanying this album.
Not of the same quality as Bring the Family (no Cooder-Keltner-Lowe, for starters), but not bad at all. Georgia Rae (about his daugther), Drive South and Tennessee Plates are the most memorable songs.
Commercially more successful than the other two albums, but not nearly as good as Bring the Family or even Slow Turning. Hiatt has become a family man, he's gone more mellow and his sharp and witty lyrics are missing. Still love Bring Back Your Love to Me though.
Hoodoo ClubI won this at a music quiz, and never really listened to it. But since I just found out they play Triffids-like swamp rock, I'd better have a listen, so stay tuned.
Hoodoo Gurus Absolutely brilliant debut album. Sharp, funny, that gorgeous sixties-sound... irresistible. (Let's All) Turn On is a perfect opener and introduction for I Want You Back, another bittersweet lovesong. Tojo is another highlight, and If I Was a Kamikaze Pilot a funny end of the album.
Can't remember where I heard this first, probably VPRO radio. A heavenly album. Perfect popsongs, witty and sometimes biting lyrics, Faulkner's divine voice, what more do you want. Bittersweet, Death-Defying and Show Me Some Emotion is a gorgeous trio, perfectly flowing popsongs with bittersweet lyrics. Hayride to Hell is hilarious hillbilly, and the title-track a fatal rocker by absolutely cutie-pie Brad Sheppard.
Quite a disappointment after those 2 perfect albums. The Gurus are trying to please the Americans, and it doesn't suit them. The single What's My Scene was a good forerunner, but the album didn't live up to that promise. Too slick, the crispy sound of the previous albums is gone. Shame, because if you listen close enough, the good popsongs are still there.
Found this for 2.5$ at Bilbo, and bought it "for old times' sake". Not that I should have bothered... not much there that tempts me. There's still Faulkner's strong songwriting, but the magic and brilliance of the first records is far away.
HooverphonicThe only thing I can say right now, is that I liked the single Mad About You, and that I don't like the single Vinegar & Salt. The album needs a few more spins. And I'm still not in the mood for it.
The House of Love Apart from the single Christine there wasn't much on this album that appealed to me (and where was that other great single, Shine On?). Despite the fact that most of the time I'm in for those beautiful, layered guitars... dunno. Could also have to do with the fact that this was one of the last LP's I bought before I got a CD-player.
Hunters & Collectors Another catch in Bilbo for 2.5$. But I hardly ever listened to it, because after the first few spins in the CD-player there was nothing that tempted me to listen more to it.
Got this from a kind listie. With, finally, the song I was looking for: Throw Your Arms Around Me, one of the most wonderful, bittersweet lovesongs I've ever heard. Other than that, this double live album gives a good overview of the body of work of Hunters & Collectors, in different live settings.
Hüsker Dü Going back in time is hard sometimes, and as a matter of fact this album didn't appeal to me in the way Candy Apple Grey did. Candy tends more towards punky pop, this album is more punky and less poppy and maybe less accessible... can't really put my finger on it. But, there's great songs on it: Makes No Sense at All, Hate Paper Doll, Divide and Conquer...
Some people say this album is too polished, but I don't agree. I think it's perfect, nothing more, nothing less. Got turned into Hüsker Dü by that amazing gem Don't Want to Know if You Are Lonely on VPRO-radio. Sorry Somehow, Dead Set on Destruction and Eiffel Tower High have the same intensity, bitterness and drive. Too Far Down and Hardly Getting Over It are acoustic epics.
I'm quite reluctant to buy CD's of the vinyl albums I have, but I couldn't resist this one when I encountered it in a CD store in the suburbs of Chicago.
There seems to be no connection anymore between Hart and Mould, their songs drift apart, but this doesn't mean that they are less powerful or strong than the songs on the previous albums. Could You Be the One? indicates strongly where Mould will be going after Hüsker Dü, Hart explores other musical territory with Charity, Chastity, Prudence and Hope and She Floated Away. Funny to hear radio hosts struggle with that uncommon outro of Ice Cold Ice (one of the most powerful songs on the album). And when Lotje IJzermans announced that the band would break up, I was cut up for days and days.
Found this for not too bad a price in a second hand store in London. As I played the vinyl double album over and over again, it was worth replacing it by a (one) CD.
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