Nine Records to (Re)Discover This Lockdown
by Ben St. George
There’s truly no tonic for one’s ills like music, and what better time than a lockdown to rediscover the magic of enjoying an album from tip to tail. We’ve been digging through the crates to curate a selection of stone-cold classics, black sheep and forgotten gems - all ripe for exploration, reappraisal and just plain enjoyment. Time to drop the needle!
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu
A landmark album by any measure, Déjà Vu sees Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at the absolute peak of their powers. From the climactic harmony of opener ‘Carry On’ to the rambling ‘Almost Cut My Hair’, it’s a record rich in detail and brilliant songwriting. And of course the gentle, domestic ode ‘Our House’ has never felt more relevant or affirming.
Ferry’s follow-up to his seminal Boys And Girls saw him doubling down on what worked, building an album of sleek, shadowy pop - all smoky 2am synths and hypnotic, Afrobeat-inspired rhythms. Both Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and The Smiths’ Johnny Marr are on guitar and co-writing duties. Marr’s distinctive staccato playing in particular is all over the album, especially the co-penned album standout ‘The Right Stuff’.
The Scottish post-punk band Orange Juice never really got a fair shake. Fronted by Edwyn Collins (later of ‘A Girl Like You’ fame), they put out two excellent records of droll, self-deprecating and incredibly catchy post-punk with a lick of early ska. The band helped lay the groundwork for much British pop and new wave of the early 1980s (UB40, Madness and The Style Council, I’m looking at you) and as well as the title track, rightfully their best known song, Rip It Up features a slew of bangers - especially 'I Can't Help Myself' and the spiky ‘A Million Pleading Faces’.
Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro
The bridging point from the bebop of Davis’ late Fifties and early Sixties output (think Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain) and the experimental jazz fusion of In A Silent Way and Bitches’ Brew, Filles de Kilimanjaro sees the maestro testing the boundaries of his sound without fully abandoning the core of his foundational work. The result is a subtle affair but deeply rewarding - Davis’ questing, nimble playing is the obvious star as you’d expect, but experiments with electric bass, guitar and keyboard flourishes add richness and texture to his sonic palette.
The forgotten child of late-period Fleetwood discography, Mirage is a relatively low-key affair - especially compared to the indulgent Tusk or Tango In The Night’s glittering arsenal of hit singles. But it remains rich with pleasures - Stevie Nicks in particular is on excellent form, delivering two of her finest tracks in ‘That’s Alright’ and the eternal ‘Gypsy’. A perfect Sunday afternoon record
The bridging record between Bowie’s more experimental ‘Berlin trilogy’ records and the chart-conquering Let’s Dance, Scary Monsters often slips through the cracks when discussing his unparalleled body of work. This is a mistake - Scary Monsters is one of his strongest pop-leaning records - full of earworms approached with experimental verve and filtered through Jesus & Mary Chain levels of distortion. The first side of the album, in particular, is as strong as anything he ever recorded, from powerhouse opener ‘It’s No Game (Part 1)’, through a brace of deathless singles including ‘Up The Hill Backwards’, ‘Ashes To Ashes’ and ‘Fashion’
In Our Lifetime was famously delayed due to Gaye’s endless tinkering, and eventually released by Motown head Berry Gordy in a fit of pique without Gaye’s permission. Despite its tumultuous arrival, it remains one of the most fascinating records in Gaye’s oeuvre, merging his classic Motown sound with funk, disco and proto-rap to create a richly textured, propulsive and just plain fun record.
The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
With the sad departure of Charlie Watts, there’s no better time to revisit the Stones’ back catalogue, and Some Girls is the last of their truly great albums. Anchored, obviously, by the strutting ‘Miss You’ and plaintive ‘Beast of Burden’, it nevertheless sticks the landing, full of classic Stones material like the title track or ‘When The Whip Comes Down’. It does end with ‘Shattered’, one of their worst singles ever, but nine out of ten ain’t bad.
Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
Few albums set a mood like Cocteau Twins’ gauzy, ethereal masterwork Heaven Or Las Vegas - it’s simply one of the most beautiful albums ever made. The Scottish three-piece’s fusion of gothic grandeur, nascent shoegaze and Elisabeth Fraser’s operatic, alien vocals remains as engaging and magical and mysterious today as it did when it came out - and as endlessly listenable.
View more Dispatch posts
Back to DispatchO'Connell Street Pop Up
Our temporary pop up store is now open. Come visit us this week at our pop up location at 5 O'Connell Street. While renovations are underway, you can find us...
Matariki Book Reviews by Chloe Blades
A selection of insightful books recommended by our resident Unity Books reviewer Chloe Blades
Donald Sutherland
Movies starring Donald Sutherland are among some of my all time favourites. Without giving away my age, the seventies and early eighties saw him in some of his most best...