and so it goes, look you see. the content of this blog, and indeed the nature of the year thus far, would seem destined to remain dominated by the vibes, or if you like music. not just any old music, of course - new, recently recorded and released music that has been made with actual talent and is a pleasure to listen to. wow, i thought those days had gone.
to recap the year thus far then. it all started excellent then went a bit tragic with the release of the then latest, now final Bowie album. i believed that this would be the last slice of new vibes i bought prior to the return of Primal Scream in March until i remembered that the Suede had a new record out too. i thought that the Suede one would be the last slab of rock on a CD i would purchase before the coming of the Primal Scream, but then my (considerably) better half pointed out that The Cult had a new album out too.
sadly, alas, no one was on hand to point this out to the dude or the babe, or dream team combination of a dude and a babe, that is responsible for the window display down at HMV.
yeah. i went ahead and cut the top of the poster off when i took that picture, sorry. despite a few albums that are new coming out today, i think at least, HMV went right ahead and suggested that people who didn't buy Adele or The King, Elvis Presley off of them for Christmas remedy this immediately and buy them for Valentine's Day. in fairness the Sire Elton John album on the poster, which represents the kind of Valentine's Day my mate Spiros will have, was released today. sadly, though The Cult do not meet the criteria that the HMV have in place for Valentine's Day. which suggests that HMV should meet some more ladies, and indeed men for that matter.
still, HMV were kind enough to stock the album. hidden away in the middle of a rack, which you can see in a sort of central position on this picture just above that orchestral dub version of The King, Elvis Presley that they were a few weeks ago selling for a fiver but are now once again selling for £9.99.
what's the new album off of The Cult called, you ask? it says here on the cover that it is called Hidden City. internet says that it is their tenth album and, i confess, the first Cult album i have bought in several years. sorry for that, i guess i am not a proper fan.
is Hidden City any good? for those of you in a rush yet have read this far in the hope of finding that out, why yes it is, but we will get to that in a moment. first, this.
what's that picture of? it is a picture of the distress and confusion my mate Spiros is currently experiencing. that sign, or if you like warning, or if you even more like warning sign to bring it all together, was placed overnight on the door of his preferred bathroom of choice.
this approach to the bathroom facilities has upset Spiros, it has. you are hearing about it so as to share my burden, as i have heard little but how distressed he is about this today. Spiros, you see, believes bathroom facilities - those in a corporate environment are in particular - are the perfect place for a gent to conduct certain business deals, arrangements and mutually beneficial plans of action, so to speak, with other gents. being told that he cannot engage in such shenanigans has left him confused as to where he must now strike such deals, in particular with regards to the fact that even the most shadiest of alleys now tend to have cctv or other forms of monitoring and surveillance present.
anyway, back to The Cult, and the most magnificent artwork for the album. the artwork, it so happens, that more or less led to my (considerably) better half suggesting that my life would be better if i went and bought this stereo recording.
what's them two discs behind The Cult? two things that they had in the sale area of HMV, located right there as one walked in the door. two good finds, but first, or if you like eventually, some thoughts on the sounds and the vibes of the Hidden City recording.
it's good. really good. i don't actually think it needs qualification beyond that. all i have ever wanted in this world is a return of vibes that matter - that there be bands in the world i like, and that they release vibes that are most smart. not every release has to be the best thing they have ever done or a "game changer", just of a standard that says "we worked on this, we dig it, we think you will dig it to". that is, as i listen to it now, precisely what Hidden City is.
more insights? it's Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy doing their thing, with the much trusted Bob Rock once again at the controls, so as to ensure the quality of vibes are monitored and that they are good. which they are.
standout tracks? the whole album flows well, thanks. the last track, Sound & Fury, is on now, and that's the "ballad" moment which hard rock bands are seemingly contractually obliged to include. other than that, though, solid rock. the opener, Dark Energy, almost suggests a "Cult as we know them but somewhat restrained" content to follow, but that changes fast. in particular on the track Goat, which in fact might actually be called G O A T; a song that's bangin' and as hard rock as you like.
that's the inside artwork of the Hidden City CD what i bought, just in case you wanted to see. what are them other two discs, then? one is the soundtrack off of Mad Max Fury Road, which i was not going to turn down for a penny south of £4. the other is Angels And Ghosts by Soulsavers with a guest appearance by Dave Gahan out of Depeche Mode, but billed as Dave Gahan & Soulsavers, presumably for marketing. in regards of the latter CD, saw a bizarre review, in The Guardian think, which suggests it's "like Depeche Mode, but with guitars instead of keyboard". i am assuming, then, that the journalist assigned to that particular review has managed to miss all them Depeche Mode records with guitar on, Songs Of Faith And Devotion in particular. neat trick for a music writer, that.
i'd like to think, going back to The Cult, that it's a given i consider Hidden City to be an album full worthy of your consideration of purchase you the proper music rock lover. i am digging it, i shall continue to dig it and i can so see She Sells Sanctuary and Sun King getting hoyed on a mix tape for my car over the next week.
oddly there was no intention of all this being my blog post for the day today. it was my expectation to have some smart and interesting pictures off of New Zealand to share with you, but it would seem that Dad has not gotten around to taking and sending them. perhaps some other time, then, soon one would hope.
so, is that it for vibes until the Primal Scream unleash Chaosmosis on us in March? perhaps. my budget would probably be better if there were no more smart albums released until then, but then again my life would be better if there are. win win, i guess.
as for just how excited everyone but me is about the return of Primal Scream, i see that Where The Light Gets In failed to make the top forty. well, on the one side they released it "late" and kind of did not let anyone know it was released, but still. come on, people, get down and get with it.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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