Tag Archives: NME

Dire Straits: Communiqué

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Dire_Straits_Communique

On June 15, 1979, “Vertigo” label released “Communiqué”, the second Dire Straits studio album. It was recorded November – December 1978, at “Compass Point Studios” in Nassau, Bahamas, and was produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler. The album cover was designed by Phonogram’s advertising agency “Grant Advertising” and in 1979 it won album cover of the year in the “NME” awards. “Communiqué” was certified  Platinum in the UK, and 2 x Platinum in France.

Personnel:

  • Mark Knopfler– vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
  • David Knopfler– vocals, rhythm guitar
  • John Illsley– vocals, bass
  • Pick Withers– drums
  • Bear – keyboards
  • Jack Nuber – engineer
  • Thelbert Rigby – tape operator
  • Gregg Hamm – mixing
  • Bobby Hata – mastering
  • Paul Wexler – mastering supervisor
  • Bob Ludwig– remastering
  • Alan Schmidt – art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Mark Knopfler.

  1. Once upon a Time in the West
  2. News
  3. Where Do You Think You’re Going?
  4. Communiqué
  5. Lady Writer
  6. Angel of mercy
  7. Portobello Belle
  8. Single-Handed Sailor
  9. Follow Me Home

 

Bruce Springsteen: Born In The U.S.A.

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Born in the USA

On June 4, 1984, “Columbia” label released “Born in the U.S.A.”, the seventh Bruce Springsteen studio album. It was recorded January 1982 – March 1984, at “The Power Station” and “The Hit Factory” in New York City, and was produced by Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 85 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”. In 2013, “NME” magazine ranked it at number 428 on its list album of the “Greatest Albums of all Time”.

Personnel:

  • Bruce Springsteen– lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar
  • Steven Van Zandt– acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals
  • Roy Bittan– piano, synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Clarence Clemons– saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
  • Danny Federici– organ, glockenspiel, piano
  • Garry Tallent– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg– drums, backing vocals
  • Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg– backing vocals
  • Ruth Davis – backing vocals

Track listing

All tracks by Bruce Springsteen.

  1. Born in the U.S.A.
  2. Cover Me
  3. Darlington Country
  4. Working on the Highway
  5. Downbound Train
  6. I’m on Fire
  7. No Surrender
  8. Bobby Jean
  9. I’m goin’ Down
  10. Glory Days
  11. Dancing in the Dark
  12. My Hometown

Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On

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Whats+Going+On

On May 21, 1971, “Tamla” label released “What’s Going On”, the eleventh Marvin Gaye studio album. It was recorded June –September 1970; March – May 1971,  at “Hitsville U.S.A.”, “Golden World”, and “United Sound Studios” in Detroit and “The Sound Factory” in Hollywood, and was produced by Marvin Gaye. “What’s Going On” was an immediate success both commercially and critically, and is regarded as one of the most important albums in the music history. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number six on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 1985, readers of “NME” magazine voted “What’s Going On” the “Best Album of all Time”. “Guardian” ranked “What’s Going On at number one on its list of the “100 Best Albums Ever”.

Personnel:

  • Marvin Gaye – lead and backing vocals, piano, mellotron, box drum
  • The Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted and arranged by David Van De Pitte
  • The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
  • Solo Horns – instrumentation
  • Joe Messina, Robert White– electric guitars
  • Jack Ashford– tambourine, percussion
  • Earl Van Dyke– keyboards
  • Johnny Griffith– celeste, keyboards
  • Max Janowsky – double bass
  • James Jamerson– bass guitar
  • Bob Babbitt– bass guitar
  • Chet Forest – drums
  • Eddie “Bongo” Brown– bongos, congas
  • Earl DeRouen – bongos, congas
  • Bobbye Hall– bongos
  • Jack Brokensha– vibraphone, percussion
  • Larry Nozero, Angelo Carlisi, George Benson, Tate Houston– saxophone
  • Eli Fontaine– alto saxophone
  • Wild Bill Moore– tenor saxophone
  • John Trudell, Maurice Davis – trumpet
  • Nilesh Pawar – oboe
  • Carl Raetz – trombone
  • Dayna Hardwick, William Perich – flutes
  • Gordon Staples, Zinovi Bistritzky, Beatriz Budinzky, Richard Margitza, Virginia Halfmann, Felix Resnick, Alvin Score, Lillian Downs, James Waring – violin
  • Edouard Kesner, Meyer Shapiro, David Ireland, Nathan Gordon – viola
  • Italo Babini, Thaddeus Markiewicz, Edward Korkigan – cello
  • Carole Crosby – harp
  • The Andantes – Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps – backing vocals
  • Mel Farr, Charlie Sandersand  and Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions – backing vocals
  • Dave Bingof, The Detroit Pistons, Bobby Rogersof , The Miracles, Elgie Stover, Kenneth Stover – backing vocals
  • Curtis McNair – art direction
  • Katherine Marking – design
  • Alana Coghlan – design
  • James Hendin – photography

Track listing:

  1. What’s Going On – Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo “Obie” Benson
  2. What’s Happening Brother – Marvin Gaye, James Nyx Jr.
  3. Flyin’ High (In the Friendly Sky) – Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover
  4. Save the Children – Al Cleveland, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Marvin Gaye
  5. God is Love – Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, James Nyx Jr.
  6. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – Marvin Gaye
  7. Right On – Earl DeRouen, Marvin Gaye
  8. Wholy Holy – Renaldo “Oboe” Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye
  9. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye, James Nyx Jr,

Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde

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Bob_Dylan_-_Blonde_on_Blonde

On May 16, 1966, “Columbia” label released “Blonde on Blonde”, the seventh Bob Dylan studio. It was recorded October 5, 1965; November 30, 1965; and January 25, 1966, at “Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios” in New York; February 14–17 and March 8–10, 1966, at “Columbia Studio B” in Nashville, Tennessee, and was produced by Bob Johnston. “Blonde on Blonde” completed Dylan’s trilogy of albums that he recorded in 1965 and 1966 (Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited).  In 1974, “NME” magazine ranked “Blonde on Blonde” at number 2 on its list of “The Greatest Albums of All Time”. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 9 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personne

  • Bob Dylan– vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano
  • Jerry Kennedy– guitar
  • Wayne Moss– vocals, guitar
  • Hargus “Pig” Robbins– piano, keyboards
  • Robbie Robertson– vocals, guitar
  • Al Kooper– organ, guitar
  • Bill Aikins– keyboards
  • Paul Griffin– piano
  • Charlie McCoy– bass guitar, guitar, harmonica, trumpet
  • Henry Strzelecki – bass guitar
  • Joe South– bass guitar, guitar
  • Rick Dankoor Bill Lee – bass guitar
  • Kenneth Buttrey– drums
  • Bobby Gregg– drums
  • Wayne Butler– trombone

Track listing

All tracks by Bob Dylan

  1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
  2. Pledging My Time
  3. Visions of Johanna
  4. One of us Must Know
  5. Most Likely You Go Away
  6. Temporary Like Achilles
  7. Absolutely Sweet Marie
  8. 4thAround
  9. Obviously 5 Believers

Pixies: Doolittle

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Pixies-Doolittle

On April 18, 1989, “4AD” released “Doolittle”, the second Pixies studio album. It was recorded October 31 – November 23, 1988, at “Downtown Recorders” in Boston, “Massachusetts”  and  “Carriage House Studios” in Stamford, Connecticut, and was produced by Gil Norton. In 1995, the album was certified Gold by the “Recording Industry Association of America”. In 2003 “NME” magazine writers ranked  “Doolittle”as the second-greatest album of all time, and “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 226 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel

  • Black Francis– vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Joey Santiago– lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Kim Deal– vocals, bass guitar, slide guitar
  • David Lovering – vocals, drums, bass guitar
  • Karen Karlsrud – violin
  • Corine Metter – violin
  • Arthur Fiacco – cello
  • Ann Rorich – cello

Track listing

All tracks by Black Francis, except where noted.

  1. Debaser
  2. Tame
  3. Wave of Mutilation
  4. I Bleed
  5. Here Comes Your Man
  6. Dead
  7. Monkey Gone to Heaven
  8. Grieves
  9. Crackity Jones
  10. La La Love You
  11. 13 Baby
  12. There Goes My Gun
  13. Hey
  14. Silver – Black Francis, Kim Deal
  15. Gouge Away

The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle

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Odessey_and_Oracle

On April 19, 1968, “CBS” label released “Odessey and Oracle”, the second Zombies (The) studio album. It was recorded June – November 1967, at “Abbey Road Studios” and “Olympic Studios” in London, and was produced by Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, Chris White and Hugh Grundy . In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 100 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”; “NME” magazine ranked the album at number 32 on its list of “100 Greatest British Albums Ever!”; “The Guardian” ranked “Odessey and Oracle” at number 77 on its list of “Alternative Top 100 Albums Ever”;  “Mojo” magazine placed it at number 97 in its “100 Greatest Albums Ever Made” list; “Q” magazine ranked the album at number 26 on its list of the “50 Best British Albums Ever!”.

Personnel:

  • Colin Blunstone– lead vocals
  • Rod Argent– organ, piano, harpsichord, Mellotron,
  • Paul Atkinson – vocals, guitar
  • Chris White – vocals, bass guitar
  • Hugh Grundy – vocals, drums
  • Geoff Emerick– engineer
  • Peter Vince– engineer
  • Jools DeVere – design
  1. Care of Cell 44 – Rod Argent
  2. A Rose for Emily – Rod Argent
  3. Maybe After He’s Gone – Chris White
  4. Brief Candles – Chris White
  5. Hung Up on a Dream – Rod Argent
  6. Changes – Chris White
  7. I Want Her, She Wants Me – Rod Argent
  8. This Will Be Our Year – Chris White
  9. Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914) – Chris White
  10. Friends of Mine – Chris White
  11. Time of the Season – Rod Argent

The Stranglers: Rattus Norvegicus

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Stranglers_-_Rattus_Norvegicus

On April 15, 1977,”United Artists” label released “Rattus Norvegicus”, the debut Stranglers (The) studio album. It was recorded 20 December 1976 – 28 January 1977 at “TW Studios” in  Fulham, ”Olympic Studios”  in London, and was produced by Martin Rushen. In 2014, “NME” magazine ranked it at number 196 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Hugh Cornwell – lead and backing vocals, guitars
  • Dave Greenfield– lead and backing vocals, keyboards
  • Jean-Jacques Burnel – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
  • Jet Black– percussion
  • Eric Clarke – tenor saxophone
  • Alan Winstanley– engineer
  • Benny King – engineer assistant, mixing
  • Doug Bennett– mixing
  • Paul Henry– art direction, artwork, sleeve design
  • Trevor Rogers– photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Hugh Cornwell, Dave Greenfield, Jean-Jacques Burnel and Jet Black.

  1. Sometimes
  2. Goodbye Toulouse
  3. London Lady
  4. Princess of the Streets
  5. Hanging Around
  6. Peaches
  7. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
  8. Ugly
  9. Down in the Sewer

Public Enemy: Fear Of A Black Planet

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On April 10, 1990, “Def Jam Recordings” released “Fear of a Black Planet”, the third Public Enemy album. It was recorded June – October 1989, at “Greene St. Recording”  in New York City, “The Music Palace” and “Spectrum City Studios” in Hempstead, and was produced by Chuck D, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler, Hank Shocklee and Keith Shocklee. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Fear of a Black Planet” was ranked at number 300 on its list of the “500 greatest albums of all time”, and in 2005, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry. According to “Acclaimed Music”, “Fear of a Black Planet” is the 126th most ranked album on critics’ lists of the all-time greatest records. In 1997, “The Guardian” ranked the album at number 50 in their of “100 Best Albums Ever”. In 2013, “NME” magazine ranked the album at number 96 on its all time list of “Best records ever.”

Personnel:

  • Agent Attitude – performer
  • Brother James I – performer
  • Brother Mike – performer
  • James Bomb – performer
  • Big Daddy Kane – rapper
  • Chuck D – rapper, sequencing, arrangements, director
  • Flavor Flav – rapper
  • Ice Cube – rapper
  • Professor Griff – rapper
  • Branford Marsalis – saxophone
  • Terminator X – scratching
  • Wizard K-Jee – scratching
  • Paul Shabazz – programming
  • Eric “Vietnam” Sadler – programming, sequencing, arrangements, director
  • Hank Shocklee – arrangements, director, sequencing
  • Keith Shocklee – arrangements, director, sequencing
  • Steve Loeb – engineer
  • Kirk Yano – engineer
  • Alan “JJ/Scott” Plotkin – vocals, engineer, mixing
  • Paul Eulin – engineer, mixing
  • Dan Wood – engineer, mixing
  • Mike Bona – engineer, mixing
  • Christopher Shaw – engineer, mixing
  • Nick Sansano – engineer, mixing
  • Rod Hui – engineer, mixing
  • James Staub – engineer assistant
  • Dave Harrington – engineer assistant
  • Chris Champion – engineer assistant
  • Kamarra Alford – engineer assistant
  • Dave Patillo – engineer assistant
  • Jody Clay – engineer assistant
  • Tom Conway – engineer assistant
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering
  • The Drawing Board – art direction
  • E. Johnson – cover art
  • Russell Winter – photography
  • Ashman Walcott – photography
  • Jules Allen – photography
  • Robin Holland – photography

Track listing:

  1. Contract on the World Love Jam – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  2. Brothers Gonna Work It Ou – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  3. 911 Is a Joke – William Drayton, Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler
  4. Incident at 66.6 FM – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  5. Welcome to the Terrordrome – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  6. Meet the G That Killed Me – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  7. Pollywanacraka – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  8. Anti-Nigger Machine – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  9. Burn Hollywood Burn – O’Shea Jackson, Antonio Hardy, Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  10. Power to the People – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  11. Who Stole the Soul – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  12. Fear of a Black Planet – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  13. Revolutionary Generation – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  14. Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  15. Reggie Jax – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  16. Leave This Off Your Fuckin Charts – Norman Rogers
  17. B Side Wins Again – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  18. War at 33⅓ – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  19. Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour
  20. Fight the Power – Keith Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Carl Ridenhour

The Chemical Brothers: Dig Your Own Hole

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Dig_your_own_hole

On April 7, 1997, “Virgin” label released “Dig Your Own Hole”, the second Chemical Brothers (The) studio album. It was recorded 1996 – 1997, at “Orinoco Studios” in London, and was produced by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. In 1998,  “Q”  magazine  readers voted “Dig Your Own Hole” the 49th greatest album of all time, and in 2000, placed it at number 42 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”. In 2014,  NME magazine ranked the album at number 414 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Ed Simons – performer
  • Tom Rowlands – performer
  • John Dee – engineer
  • Steve Dub – engineer
  • Tim Holmes – engineer
  • Jon Collyer – engineer assistant
  • Cheeky Paul – mastering, editing
  • Negativespace – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands, except where noted.

  1. Block Rockin’ Beats – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Jesse Weaver
  2. Dig Your Own Hole
  3. Elektrobank – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Keith Murray
  4. Piku
  5. Setting Sun – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Noel Gallagher
  6. It Doesn’t Matter – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Paul Conley, John Emelin, Tom Flye, Rusty Ford, Kim King
  7. Don’t Stop the Rock – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Tony Butler
  8. Get Up on it Like This – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Quincy Jones
  9. Lost in the K-Hole
  10. Where Do I Begin
  11. The Private Psychedelic Reel – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Jonathan Donahue