Posted March 21, 200619 yr I think it's quite astounding that arguably some of the most compelling music around today is being made by artists who one can consider as "Retro" for our purposes... 1. GARY NUMAN - Last week released "Jagged", an astoundingly dark piece of Gothic Electro Industrial Rock which is surely amongst the best material he's ever done - his last album studio album "Pure" in 2000 was pretty bloody top as well, but there are at least a half-dozen tracks on this album that would make the likes of Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson cry into their pints. I saw his gig on Saturday night at the Forum in Kentish Town, and in a fit of sheer GALL he actually played the album in its entirety and only fell back on the 'old favourites' for the encore (and even these were presented in pretty radically altered forms..); now THAT is having confidence in your material.....He is still the Electronic GOD.... 2. MORRISSEY - His last album - You Are The Quarry - was probably his strongest material since The Smiths at their peak and from what I've heard of the new one, it's gonna be even better... 3. DEPECHE MODE - "Playing The Angel" is a great album, best thing they've done in a long time. It really pisses me off that they dont get anything like the credit they deserve, the music press still seems to judge them by the sh!tty stuff they did in the early 80s and chooses to forget the likes of "Black Celebration", "Violator", "Ultra"..... <_< Oh, and the fact that they've been inspirational to literally THOUSANDS of Dance, Techno and Industrial acts.... 4. KILLING JOKE - 2003's absolutely blinding self-titled comeback album and a sold-out 25th anniversary tour - time has not blunted the hard-edge of Jaz Coleman, Youth, Geordie or Raven one bleedin' iota, and their upcoming album "Hosannas From The Basement of Hell" is more of the same raw, bleeding-edge power. We absoulutely need KJ because of the atrocities that are being committed in the name of Punk Rock these days..... I mention these guys in particular because all have had albums out fairly recently or are about to release albums, but other vital retro acts I could mention would be - THE CURE (two great albums in the 00s already) NICK CAVE (released two of 2004s best albums and with Warren Ellis has written the magnificently atmospheric score for 'The Proposition') IRON MAIDEN - still doing the biz
March 21, 200619 yr 2. MORRISSEY - His last album - You Are The Quarry - was probably his strongest material since The Smiths at their peak and from what I've heard of the new one, it's gonna be even better... Damn right, a music industry without Moz doesn't bear thinking about. I think the world's always gonna need Aerosmith.
March 21, 200619 yr What is everyone's definition of Retro? To me it is an act which has been recording & having chart success since before 1990. Other Retro acts added to those mentioned by GRIMLY FIENDISH (named after the 1985 Damned hit?) that I think are relevant to music today are: Pet Shop Boys - new single I'm With Stupid out in May, with album to follow. Prince - after a barren 10 years his last two albums Musicology & 3121 have been a return to form. Kate Bush - Aerial provided what a musical genius she is, after her 12year absence coincided with her void being filled by the likes of Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Alison Goldfrapp, Fiona Apple, Roisin Murphy of Moloko etc. Duran Duran - the classic 1980s 3 Taylors line up reformed & released & returned with a new album Astronaut in 1994, with another new album due in the summer. You could add the likes of David Bowie, Neil Young, Paul Weller, David Gilmour, Paul McCartney & the Rolling Stones count as well. You could also argue that U2 & Madonna are retro acts but their huge & consistent popularity means that they have transcended that.
March 21, 200619 yr Author I think the world's always gonna need Aerosmith. Hmmmm, not sure about that one mate, their ballads are absolutely cringeworthy....... :lol: :lol:
March 22, 200619 yr Heh, true, to be fair they have done some pretty dire ballads. When they stick to the rock they're worth it I reckon.
March 24, 200619 yr The new Moz album is just incredible..... the sprawling, elegant, multi-layered production is mind blowing.... it takes a few listens, and You Have Killed Me is a strange first single, like it as I do, but the album... oh wow. You are the Quarry was testament enough to his return to form - Ringleader blows it away - it's simply fabulous. A truly classic album. If you order it through Amazon, you get a passkey to listen to the whole album as often as you want in its entirety. Numan, though - I think his lip curling, rock God posture and sub-NiN current catalogue are absolutely toe-curling. Almost as preposterous as his hair weave. Plus, he's a right wing fascist bast*rd which certainly doesn't help. (sorry Grimly :P xx) Edited March 24, 200619 yr by russt68
March 24, 200619 yr Author Dunno how you can say that Numan is sub-NIN when it's clear that he's a major influence on Reznor (Reznor having covered "Metal" in the past...). I actually prefer "Jagged" to NIN's last album, it seems a lot more consistent and focussed.... I must admit that I've not seen much evidence of Numan's "Right Wing/Fascist" leanings to be honest, he certainly doesn't appear to put it across in any of his lyrics..... Perhaps you could enlighten me....
March 24, 200619 yr Author He was an ardent Thatcherite throughout the 80s.... an outspoken one, too.... Well, that only makes him a tw@t, not a Fascist as such, I thought he'd been associating with the likes of Nick Griffin or Jean Marie Le Pen..... :lol: Wellar voted for Thatch as well mate.....
March 24, 200619 yr but Weller created Style Council in the 80s, so he was obviously not of sound mind during that period :P
March 24, 200619 yr Author but Weller created Style Council in the 80s, so he was obviously not of sound mind during that period :P I'm sure he was still in The Jam when he started spouting on about how wonderful the Tories were though.... Round about the mid-80s Gazza started going well off the rails himself, so that might explain his flirtation with the Tories.... :D
March 28, 200619 yr Damn right, a music industry without Moz doesn't bear thinking about. I think the world's always gonna need Aerosmith. well can he produce another liv tyler from his groin? if so the case has been won :lol:
March 28, 200619 yr He was an ardent Thatcherite throughout the 80s.... an outspoken one, too.... like Tony Blair :lol: :lol: did anyone watch the new statesman when it was out? ws it good?
April 2, 200619 yr Watching Prime Minister's Question Time in the Commons was truly frightening. There were benches full of Alan B'Stards. Does Rod Stewart count as retro or not, now he seems to want to be a crooner for the grannies.
April 3, 200619 yr Watching Prime Minister's Question Time in the Commons was truly frightening. There were benches full of Alan B'Stards. Does Rod Stewart count as retro or not, now he seems to want to be a crooner for the grannies. can you be pre-retro?
April 4, 200619 yr Still vital, inspiring and relevant as much now as in the 70s and 80s is Kate Bush - Aerial is a work of genius (well, the 2nd disc is). Morrissey, of course. Ringleader as I've mentioned before... a must-have. His career best. Sparks... there are many imitators, but none can match the canny brilliance of this eccentric pair. Recent single 'Perfume' is classic Sparks. Depeche Mode - still ignored by the bigwigs in their home country, Martin Gore continues to prove himself as one of the finest songwriters of his generation. The droolsome 'Precious' was a career highpoint and Playing the Angel is a pleasant return to form. Where's their Brits achievement awards? Duran Duran my arse..... Marc Almond.... Soft Cell were one of the finest acts of the 80s and NonStop Erotic Cabaret remains a classic, as does Art of Falling Apart and This Last Night In Sodom. From his never less than interesting flirtations with electro, punk, goth, Brel, chanson and flamenco, as well as proving himself to be a brilliant author, PLUS a damn great DJ, Almond is a national treasure, and it's wonderful to see him getting back to business after his bike smash. The Soft Cell reunion was dignified and glorious, too. Notable mentions for lasting the course and not compromising go to Boy George, Alison Moyet, Annie Lennox and Siouxsie Sioux who have all gone above and beyond with their refusal to conform to record company policy and current trends yet still continue to make great music (we can forgive Lennox 'Bare').
April 4, 200619 yr Still vital, inspiring and relevant as much now as in the 70s and 80s is Kate Bush - Aerial is a work of genius (well, the 2nd disc is). Morrissey, of course. Ringleader as I've mentioned before... a must-have. His career best. Sparks... there are many imitators, but none can match the canny brilliance of this eccentric pair. Recent single 'Perfume' is classic Sparks. Depeche Mode - still ignored by the bigwigs in their home country, Martin Gore continues to prove himself as one of the finest songwriters of his generation. The droolsome 'Precious' was a career highpoint and Playing the Angel is a pleasant return to form. Where's their Brits achievement awards? Duran Duran my arse..... Marc Almond.... Soft Cell were one of the finest acts of the 80s and NonStop Erotic Cabaret remains a classic, as does Art of Falling Apart and This Last Night In Sodom. From his never less than interesting flirtations with electro, punk, goth, Brel, chanson and flamenco, as well as proving himself to be a brilliant author, PLUS a damn great DJ, Almond is a national treasure, and it's wonderful to see him getting back to business after his bike smash. The Soft Cell reunion was dignified and glorious, too. Notable mentions for lasting the course and not compromising go to Boy George, Alison Moyet, John Lydon, Annie Lennox and Siouxsie Sioux who have all gone above and beyond with their refusal to conform to record company policy and current trends yet still continue to make great music (we can forgive Lennox 'Bare'). Edited April 4, 200619 yr by russt68
April 5, 200619 yr Author Depeche Mode - still ignored by the bigwigs in their home country, Martin Gore continues to prove himself as one of the finest songwriters of his generation. The droolsome 'Precious' was a career highpoint and Playing the Angel is a pleasant return to form. Where's their Brits achievement awards? Duran Duran my arse..... Agreed...
April 5, 200619 yr Still vital, inspiring and relevant as much now as in the 70s and 80s is Kate Bush - Aerial is a work of genius (well, the 2nd disc is). Morrissey, of course. Ringleader as I've mentioned before... a must-have. His career best. Sparks... there are many imitators, but none can match the canny brilliance of this eccentric pair. Recent single 'Perfume' is classic Sparks. Depeche Mode - still ignored by the bigwigs in their home country, Martin Gore continues to prove himself as one of the finest songwriters of his generation. The droolsome 'Precious' was a career highpoint and Playing the Angel is a pleasant return to form. Where's their Brits achievement awards? Duran Duran my arse..... Marc Almond.... Soft Cell were one of the finest acts of the 80s and NonStop Erotic Cabaret remains a classic, as does Art of Falling Apart and This Last Night In Sodom. From his never less than interesting flirtations with electro, punk, goth, Brel, chanson and flamenco, as well as proving himself to be a brilliant author, PLUS a damn great DJ, Almond is a national treasure, and it's wonderful to see him getting back to business after his bike smash. The Soft Cell reunion was dignified and glorious, too. Notable mentions for lasting the course and not compromising go to Boy George, Alison Moyet, John Lydon, Annie Lennox and Siouxsie Sioux who have all gone above and beyond with their refusal to conform to record company policy and current trends yet still continue to make great music (we can forgive Lennox 'Bare'). i would say alot of these should not be classed as retro, as that is saying they are trading on past successes, when they are still as challenging and current as they have always been! PS does anyone know of the band called "Mark Almond" :o It was a supergroup from America (or so says the collecting magazine) if youve got that album your in the money
April 5, 200619 yr The nicest surprise from all of the names in my post was Alison Moyet... her album Hometime from a few years back, with the Portishead guys and the guys behind the Massive Attack stuff (The Insects) is one of my favourite ever albums.... just brilliant. And her current stage play with Dawn French, 'Smaller' is amazingly good. My fave ever UK female vocalist and a damn great songwriter, too.
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