Hi Ross , I absolutely love raintown I discovered deacon blue through the music press in 86 and I have such fond memories of seeing them at the broadwalk in Manchester in front of about 70 people … great review Ross i agreed with most of your remarks. Cheers 👍
Hi ross great choice of album one of my all time favourites and means alot to me and remember listening to it so much late at night when it came out . Great cover and back cover too . Deacon blue are a fantastic band great song writing by Ricky ross. Take care joe
Hi ross great vinyl update. Im getting into kitchens of distinction just picked up folly album and loving it should have been more popular. Im hoping to collect all the studio albums eventually. Maybe you can review folly when you get it . Fantastic purchases xtc , belle and sabastian etc take care joe
@@RossGoodallMusic hi ross only listened once and liked a good few of tracks straight away but need to listen to a few more times . Will get back to you soon . Thanks joe
Glad it "blew your socks off", I don't often get to recommend something you're unaware of anymore so I knew after the first listen of this one it had you written all over it. I enjoyed listening to your review. It's probably only going to improve with further listens I'd think.
Thanks for the review. The album was played on radio here in the states at the time and I had forgotten about them. I seem to recall that I saw them play a show as part of the radio station birthday party along with a bunch of bands including Kingmaker, Carter USM and others.
Great stuff Ross, I'll have to see if I can get that Pipes of Peace Archive set if it's not too expensive. I've been listening to it again quite a bit lately. I really like The Lemon Twigs but haven't heard many of their records yet. You did a good sell on the One Hand Clapping set, I haven't got hold of that yet. I really like Edwyn Collins' solo albums. He seems to have been very quiet these last few years, I hope he's doing OK.
Pipes of Peace is quite an underrated album and its nice to see it get some love with that archive set. I don't have any of their other albums but looking to start working backwards through their catalogue. I seen Edwyn Collins live in 2022 and it was a highly emotional gig considering what hes been through in the last few years but was on great cheery form.
Hi Ross so many coincidences on this video. I only watched 1/2 of it to start with , then today I went to a record shop which was new to me in West Yorkshire and they had that xtc single with the cards ( I have it without those cards ) and felicity. I thought oh that a coincidence ! .. I bought 1 single and 2 albums .. then continued to watch your video and you showed a record I bought from the shop , I’d never seen it before it’s the diesel park west album ! I couldn’t believe it 😃
Hi Ross so many coincidences on this video. I only watched 1/2 of it to start with , then today I went to a record shop which was new to me in West Yorkshire and they had that xtc single with the cards ( I have it without those cards ) and felicity. I thought oh that a coincidence ! .. I bought 1 single and 2 albums .. then continued to watch your video and you showed a record I bought from the shop , I’d never seen it before it’s the diesel park west album ! I couldn’t believe it 😃
Hi ross some great presents and purchases. Sparks are fantastic live as well would recommend their last album girl crying in her latte . Dexys great album. That paul mc cartney and wings hand clapping totally surprised me I wasn’t even going to get but it’s brilliant performances of great tracks. Great video. Take care joe
Always happy to see a new Ross vinyl updates vid- you always find absolutely amazing stuff (a great many of which I have no hope of finding in the US) Keep up the great work, young man! 😎👍
Groundbreaking band, I don't tend to listen to much of this kind of music (I'm a metalhead) but Talking Heads are one I love coming back to, as you said, you can get so lost in their music, and those first 5 albums were musically perfect, so different to anything around in its day. Stop Making Sense is a classic live album and without a doubt one of the best of all time, but the debut is my favorite, as you said it felt less accessible than the later releases, which gave it more of an edge, and their Al Green cover on the second album blows me away every single time I hear it. I'm going to check out Naked as you included a song from it, I couldn't stand True Stories besides like 3 songs at best, so it'll give me something to hopefully enjoy from their later era. Awesome video 🙂
So my favourites are your least favourites! 😂 I love The King of Rock N Roll, Knock On Wood and I Remember That the most from the album but there’s no tracks that I dislike really. Good review!
Hey Ross, thanks much for reviewing one of my all time favorite albums. I first heard the song "She’s a Girl, I’m a Man" in 1999 when I was living on Maui, and the line "you gotta be the stupidest girl ... " struck me as it was a woman DJ who played it on the local radio station. So I called in and told her how I was surprised she, being a woman, would play that song, and we had a good laugh. From that time on, a friend and I would always say "you gotta be" in all kinds of funny moments. Anyway, I listen to the album all the time. Thanks!
The Latham’s album has really grown on me. So much so I’ve invested in this album and we pick up their first album in the near future. Great recommendation. Thanks
Okay, I was just playing this album this morning and then hours later your review video popped up … what a remarkable coincidence! I agree, “The Death of Cool” by Kitchens of Distinction is a gorgeous album from songwriting to musicianship to production, even the album cover is amazing. This album is their masterpiece. Hope your video turns more people on to it. A+
From what I got from this review, songs need to be 3 minutes or shorter for you to enjoy. Having a 80s sound for an album made in 89 by an 80s band is being dated, and apparently the banger that is Year of the Knife, is “generic rock”. There’s nothing dated about this album, the production is brilliant and Rolland was in his bag.
Great review, Ross . I paused it after your score for Girl on the Phone and rated the tracks myself. I also ended up with a score of 85 . What is stranger however is we agreed on everything apart from, I took 2 points off Heatwave and gave Smithers- Jones a 10 . Thank you pal .
As a committed weller fan I really struggled with this album first few plays now I love it It is addictive grows on you gets under your skin Weller collaborates alot with other artists on 66 and always finds a new fresh sound I now love it
ELO 's 'Balance of power" was a nice pick for me too back then though their previous one 'Secret Messages"was the one i loved better.Also A-ha's 'Scoundrel Days" in my top 3 from 1986.
Like you I love 'As Good As New' and 'If It Wasn't For The Nights' on 'Voulez-Vous'. Both of those Tracks would have made better l Singles than 'Does Your Mother Know' and 'I Have A Dream'. Bigger Global Hits too. However, Benny hates 'As Good As New'. He says that it 'goes nowhere', and he wishes that ABBA had never Recorded it. Recently, Bjorn was asked if 'If It Wasn't For The Nights' could have been an ABBA Single. He said that it was, 'Too long', and that it 'goes on a bit'. Even though in late 1978, ABBA were going to make it their 1st Single of 1979. Then they Recorded 'Chiquitita' and made that the Single instead. Acts don't always know which Album Tracks can be Hit Singles. Amazingly - ABBA had Zero intentions of making 'Mamma Mia' a Single! They thought that it was not good enough! RCA Records, in Australia, persuaded them to make it a Single, and it became Globa Hit. So, Benny and Bjorn were not fully sure about the 'Singles Factor', of some of their Album Tracks...
I thought your review was spot on with both the music and cover. My only slight disagreement is Nothing and Rise Up Singing. I really like both of those tracks. Most of what you say about the other tracks and length is right on. On the deluxe CD the last two tracks on the bonus CD are fantastic and would have loved to have them on this album with a total of 10 tracks. I'm a little surprised at the slip in quality (perhaps Paul was distracted?). Listen to his ex-wife's Dee C Lee's new album and be blown away! Paul needs a bit more of that inspiration and energy on his album.
Good list Ross, I'm glad you didn't put Ring Ring at the bottom of the pile. I did an ABBA ranking video a couple of years ago and I can't remember where I put it, but it definitely wasn't in last place. I think I had Voulez-Vous at number one but I don't recall where Supertrouper was. In general I mainly like the more up-tempo ABBA songs, I don't really go much for the ballads and the show tune-type songs.
Arrival is their most perfect pop release. Other albums may have had more sophistication, but none had such a line up of tracks that Arrival did. It was their supreme achievement.
@@craig1538 Agree totally. You've mentioned a very good example. Dum Dum seems to be, at first audition, a not so good song. But, indeed, it sounds as good as all the other tracks
Hi Ross, i think it is a safe album too, hearing too many elements of his previous three albums throughout without really hearing anything new. the fact he is now co-writing with others also points me in the direction of saying he is struggling to come up with a whole album by himself. although there isnt anything really bad on this album i just feel like there arent enough standout tracks either. my favourite tracks would be: "nothing", "i woke up", "soul wandering" and "flying fish", the closing track is becoming a firm favourite also but the rest could quite easily have just been b-sides of singles for the most part. album would come in at around 7/10 for me at this time but obviously the next six months will tell - Lloyd
Kind regards to You I was very interested in your ranking of all the ABBA albums ABBA is, along with The Beatles, my favorite and at the same time most influential group in rock and pop music BEATLES were the leaders of the 60s and ABBA of the 70s We all have different tastes, for albums and songs My order for ABBA albums is: #9 Waterloo (6pts) the lead single Waterloo (masterpiece) that won Eurovision stands out clearly from the rest to complete the Top3 I like Honey honey & Dance (while the music still goes on) #8 Ring Ring (+6pts) when they were not yet ABBA it's a very even album My Top3 could be: Ring Ring, He is your brother & Another town Another train but I like too People need love, Disilussion, Love isn't easy, Nina pretty ballerina #7 Voulez Vous (7pts) ABBA's difficult to record mad album due to the separation of Agnetha & Björn dominacla disco music with As good as new & If it wasn't for the nights as the best exponents But the best song is the masterpiece Chiquitita (ABBA's greatest success in Latin America) without the Top3, I like too Voulez Vous & Does your mother know #6 The Visitors (+7pts) an album in difficult context due to the separation of Benny & Frida with no biggest hits, my favorite is the most emotional Slipping through my fingers to complete the Top3: One of us & When all is said and done I like too Soldiers, The Visitors & Head over heels #5 Voyage (7,5pts) their unexpected come back at high level with an amazing album better than The Visitors or Voulez Vous so good as Super Trouper or ABBA favourite song: "Don't shut me down" (masterpiece) only a level bellow, in my Top3: I still have faith in you Just a Notion another great songs: Ode to Freedom When you danced with me Kep an eye on Dan #4 Super Trouper (7,5pts) two singles stand out the masterpiece heartbroken The winner takes it all and the musical beauty Super Trouper to complete the Top3: Happy new year another good songs: The way all friends do On and on and on Our last summer and the surprise The Piper #3 ABBA (+7,5pts) perhaps the most underrated album has the best and most important song, the masterpiece: S.O.S. the dynamite single: Mamma Mia the best sweet lovesong : I've been waiting for you to complete my Top3 and other brilliant ones: Bang a boomerang, I do I do I do I do I do & So long #2 Arrival (8pts) ABBA's Pop Music Masterpiece has the biggest hits Dancing queen (the ABBA insignia) My Love my life & Knowing me knowing You (heartbreaker ballads) into my Top3 also more greatest songs: Tiger and That's me (powerful numbers) When I kissed the teacher & Money money money (great starts side) #1 The Album (+8pts) the Masterpiece of ABBA versatility impossible to choose only one, each song is different and brilliant, it is even at the highest level The name of the game : is the boldest single (masterpiece) Take a chance on me : most happiest Thank you for the music: the hymn these in my Top3, but almost at the same level: Eagle & Move on: exotic and complex Hole in your soul: bizarre and powerful Thanks for your great job with all ABBA discography My suggestion is to see the official videos and live performances of ABBA first with Waterloo at Eurovision the Fashion night that ABBA shock all the world with their iconic performance
