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What Are You Listening To? - Printable Version

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What Are You Listening To? - Ruby - 12-09-2014

Rome, written and composed by Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi

[Image: 220px-Danger_Mouse_%26_Daniele_Luppi_-_Rome.png]

This is a concept album of music inspired by ‘spaghetti westerns’ and played mostly by a whole host of musicians experienced in that world, and whose names end in ‘i’! Essentially – the soundtrack to a movie of your own imaging.

It combines instrumental and vocal tracks, with contributions by Cantori Moderni, (the choir that featured on ‘The Good, the Bad & the Ugly’) Norah Jones and … wait for it … Jack White. He sure gets around! Sometimes, it seems to go off on a tangent to the polar (or not polar, but for want of a better metaphor) opposite, in that some of the tracks have a distinctly eastern flavour; the interludes, ‘Morning Fog’ and ‘Her Hollow Ways’ in particular, unless I am much mistaken. Ultimately – that might work out anyway – there could always be an east/west storyline tailored to fit.

There are definitely moments that conjure up images of derelict towns with tumbleweeds bowling along down dusty streets, leathery lawmen and various other visions of swagger, but it’s difficult to find a cohesive whole. Maybe the five years it took to get it all together was not ultimately in its favour, conceptually speaking, that is. The original picture may have paled a little along the way.

That being said, the album was recorded using vintage equipment which lends a warmth and burr to the sound and which helps to realise a sense of being in that time and place. And the tracks are, for the most part, good and listenable in their own right.

The opener, ‘Theme of Rome’ has just the right amount of menace and pomp for something of an overture, and I loved ‘The Gambling Priest’ which perfectly showcases the sounds associated with this movie genre. Interesting instruments used throughout – celesta, harpsichord and organ.

The interludes have not been graded as they are so brief, but they are gorgeous – all three of ‘em – perfect little nuggets. Of the vocal tracks, my two favourites are ‘Black’ and ‘The World’.


  1. Theme of Rome (instrumental) **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IwCB-R0q3I
  2. The Rose with the Broken Neck (Jack White) **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk1XS-74J2U
  3. Morning Fog (interlude) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt1meEKkYK8
  4. Season’s Trees (Norah Jones) *** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0I0PiWiDqQ
  5. Her Hollow Ways (interlude) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAiEkVoMlYQ
  6. Roman Blue (instrumental) *** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bim9x_uSMK4
  7. Two Against One (Jack White) **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UibsjY5K-c
  8. The Gambling Priest (instrumental) ***** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMk5hSIxPAQ
  9. The World (interlude) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rGV1sFGzLA
  10. Black (Norah Jones)**** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3yAx2uCoHs
  11. The Matador Has Fallen (instrumental) *** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sZhxhB7_zg
  12. Morning Fog (instrumental) **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnmtBB_BdaM
  13. Problem Queen (Norah Jones)**** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uPwumL8KQA
  14. Her Hollow Ways (instrumental)**** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOfKTAOXiPM
  15. The World (Jack White)**** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgzfzqrVtPk

Score – 3.8 out of 5
Allmusic – 3.5 (interestingly, the user rating average is 4.5 from 126 users. Hmmm - should’ve counted in those interludes!)

[video=youtube;TgzfzqrVtPk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgzfzqrVtPk[/video]

What Are You Listening To? - CRAZY-HORSE - 15-09-2014

good post Ruby....

i liked the video link that ended up being audio, with Jack White...im a fan of Jack, but he is a "jack of all trades, but a master of none" IMHO.

What Are You Listening To? - SteveO - 15-09-2014

Excellent review Ruby! Interesting album...love the female vocals! I am also a fan of Jack's! He has that I don't give a crap when he plays music, take it or leave it attitude! Black and The World are awesome! I noticed that Danger Mouse released an album with excerpts of instrumentals from The Beatles White album...a definite listen for me! Confusedmile:

What Are You Listening To? - CRAZY-HORSE - 15-09-2014

[Image: 61w%2B-FHDupL._SY300_.jpg]

LILY ALLEN "sheezus" cd, 2014

career stats:
studio albums............3
singles.....................20

this album..........#1 UK, #4 AU, #12 US, #16 CAN

singles:
"somewhere we only know".........#1 UK
"hard out here"..........................#1 UK, #14 AU
"air balloon"..............................#7 UK, #15 AU
"our time"...............................#43 UK, #60 AU
"URL badman".........................#93 UK
"as long as i got you"............................#45 AU

first of my birthday giftcard purchase posts....
Lily's third studio set, and first since taking time off to get pregnant and have a couple of kids....
similar sound to her previous albums, lots of name dropping and dissing other artists also(like Eminem does and P!nk has started to do also), but it works...
so,without being bitchy towards the likes of Rihanna,Katy Perry,Lorde and Gaga she has humour in her comments(all of which are probably not far from the truth though,LOL!
theres a couple of tracks i do not like on this one, and,like her other albums several i love...
took me a while to get over that stupid auto-tune rubbish which i dislike with a passion, but i guess everyone uses it now so we either accept it or give up on music totally.
the title track "sheezus" was originally slated to be a single, they even made a video for it, but advice from the UK media telling them it would not get given exposure if it was released due to Lily mentioning that 'period' word...WTF!, using that word is not as bad as half the language in most of the songs released out there,especially by those stupid rappers, yet theirs get the okay fro some reason??!!
all up, not a bad album, probably not as good as her previous two, but still good if you can get over that autotune crap!

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: L8 Cmmr
best track: hard out here

tracks:

1. sheezus ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kPQiAJv4fo video
2. L8-Cmmr *
3. air balloon **
4. our time **
5. insincerely yours ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktUtKtmHcoY audio
6. take my place **
7. as long as i got you ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu905oeqrOg video
8. close your eyes **
9. URL badman *
10.silver spoon *
11.life for me **
12.hard out there ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqu__ft8Y2g video
....interlude.....
13.somewhere only we know **

3s=4
2s=6
1s=3

rating: 2.0

What Are You Listening To? - Ruby - 15-09-2014

SteveO Wrote:Excellent review Ruby! Interesting album...love the female vocals! I am also a fan of Jack's! He has that I don't give a crap when he plays music, take it or leave it attitude! Black and The World are awesome! I noticed that Danger Mouse released an album with excerpts of instrumentals from The Beatles White album...a definite listen for me! Confusedmile:

Thanks SteveO and CH. Actually, Jack White’s music is not much to my taste overall, but there’s no doubting his ability - he’s an interesting character and he can certainly hold his own in exalted company! I was curious about Danger Mouse which is what led to this listen, as well as being now not so secretly fond of those funny old westerns!

What I find really fascinating are the sometimes weird and wonderful collaborations that happen in the world of music - Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave are a great example – the queen of pop and the prince of dirges – brilliant! Sure there are many others - Elton John and Eminem?! There’s such a mish-mash of personnel swapping – the whole rock genealogy gets quite confusing at times and the six degrees of separation theory suddenly makes a whole lot of sense!

What Are You Listening To? - Ruby - 17-09-2014

Mutineers – David Gray (Indie rock/folk/singer songwriter – best I can do!)

[Image: 220px-David_Gray%27s_new_studio_album_ar...rs%27.jpeg]

Recording history:

Ten studio albums, one live album and three compilations of which I have White Ladder (1998), The EPs 1992–1994 (2001 compilation), Life in Slow Motion (1995) & Mutineers (2014)

Personnel for this release:

David Gray - Vocals, pianos, guitars, keyboards, harp, harmonica, Juno synthesizer
Robbie Malone - Bass, acoustic, electric and nylon string guitars, e-bow, high strung guitar
Keith Prior - Drums, percussion
Caroline Dale - Cello
Andy Barlow - Programming

[Image: 220px-David_Gray_-_Seattle_-_2010.jpg]

David Gray has outdone himself with his latest release. The more I listen to it, the more I enjoy it, and the more it reveals its lovely little touches; it’s a slow process, which is sooo much better for the savouring. He retains all of his unique, deceptively bucolic charm and continues to march happily along to the beat of his very own drum, but he HAS subtly honed and refined his sound to a very much higher level of sophistication. That doesn’t necessarily mean becoming weighted with pretentious complexity, which it’s not; rather, the poetry becomes clearer and the sounds he’s created (voice and instruments) marry beautifully with the lyrical content. In ‘Birds of the High Artic’, for example, you can hear them keening way up in that icy sky and sense the emptiness of a brittle, hollow landscape. The album is understated though never boring, and even ‘Cake and Eat It’ which seemed a bit manically repetitive to me at first, makes, in every way, a lot of sense.

I very much like the inclusion of the cello on this one – it lends warmth. The cd packaging too reflects the greater mood with photographs depicting desolate, abandoned objects bathed in warmly glowing landscapes. In the liner notes, Gray acknowledges two other writers/authors as inspiration, confirming the overall impression that he has the ability to sonically transform words! To me, the single ‘Back in the World’ sets the scene, telling us of vulnerability and a letting go – he’s allowing himself to be exposed both emotionally and musically, peeling back the layers - open to come what may, and at ease with whatever the result.

(Caution: you may find these songs sneaking surreptitiously into your subconscious and resurfacing at – ummm three in the morning!)


  1. Back in the World ***** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBS6UgiYTr4
  2. As the Crow Flies *** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/As+The+Crow+Flies/6VeGdx
  3. Mutineers ***** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Mutineers/6VeGj0
  4. Beautiful Agony *** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfIq6HMYuvw
  5. Last Summer ***** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeRS_6S-OTw
  6. Snow in Vegas **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0xZoub2kAY
  7. Cake and Eat It **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo74BnqDwo4
  8. Birds of the High Arctic ***** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Birds+Of+The+High+Arctic/6VeH5j (this is not done justice in the live recordings that are available)
  9. The Incredible **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhdvYIqGAl0
  10. Girl Like You *** - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Girl+Like+You/6VeHrv
  11. Gulls **** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF-xx8mMWIo

Score - 4/5
Allmusic - 4/5

[video=youtube;Bo74BnqDwo4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo74BnqDwo4[/video]

What Are You Listening To? - Music Head - 17-09-2014

I feel humbled

What Are You Listening To? - CRAZY-HORSE - 18-09-2014

nice one again Ruby.

What Are You Listening To? - Ruby - 19-09-2014

^^Thanks again - feedback much appreciated! BTW made a mistake and can’t seem to edit. Life in Slow Motion was released in 2005, not 1995 – sorry!! :redface:

What Are You Listening To? - Music Head - 24-09-2014

Band Members for this release

Morrissey – vocals
Alain Whyte – guitar
Boz Boorer – guitar
Jonny Bridgwood – bass
Woodie Taylor – drums

[Image: morrissey-hairdresser-on-fire.jpg]

Recording History

studio albums - 10
compilation albums - 11
live albums - 2
ep's - 1
singles - 48
videos - 35

from my library (cd)

[Image: MI0003522569.jpg?partner=allrovi.com]

Producers: Steve Lillywhite

4th studio album - #18 US, #1 UK, #21 AUS, #22 CAN
Singles - The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get - #46 US, #8 UK, #85 AUS, #34 CAN
.............Hold On To Your Friends - #47 UK

Q Magazine - #91 Best Albums Ever
NME - #57 Top British Albums

Why do I feel all morbid after I listen to Morrissey? Especially after this came out with not even a like score. Maybe you're not surprised but
I was. Fell in love with the Smiths right at the end of them so of course I had to follow up. Morrissey said this was the best album he would
ever make. The above first single was the only Smiths or Morrissey single to chart here. His albums consistently sell well in the UK but the US
has been a hard sell with only his first album reaching gold status. Allmusic calls this his best album since the Smiths. Sure hope his next 4
albums pick up or I'll really be in a foul mood by the end.

I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Billy Bud
Best Track - Used To Be A Sweet Boy

Track Listing

1. Now My Heart Is Full **
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lx1-WsQ1eI
2. Spring-Heeled Jim *
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AzZls49cts
3. Billy Budd *
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwoxp5avslI
4. Hold on to Your Friends **
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAtg6_PSSyY
5. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get **
video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCj_C-Yb3xI
6. Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself **
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQvy2uu2BV0
7. I Am Hated for Loving *
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Gj-cBJy6I
8. Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning *
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvmbKGtZHeI
9. Used to Be a Sweet Boy **
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERGeBKcHhsg
10. The Lazy Sunbathers **
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T8Z96GYPG8
11. Speedway **
audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38x5GYAS6xY

3's - 0
2's - 7
1's - 4

grade - 1.6 of 3.0
allmusic - 4.5 of 5.0