Album of the week: Mr Grumpy
SEAL-1991
Time flies and now it is my turn to submit an album to the baying crowd.
I thought long and hard about this as it is my first time and well, what should this mean for my pick?
Do I want to impress?
Do I want to tease?
Do I want to show the world a forgotten gem?
What's the limits of the group tolerance? Is there any point in submitting something utterly alien?
Are there time considerations?
Should I have heard the album in the 1st place?
These questions have been asked by others with varying answers so in an attempt to find clarity, I revisited the OP.
Hmm, What does this actually mean? Can an album be personal? Can it have meaning?
During my ponderings, I stacked up a short list of albums I could offer up as being important(?) to me. I say "Important" because that's my translation of the OP (Right or wrong). Of these picks.
One is a classic, so scratch that (for now). One is utterly alien and I would fear for BB's sanity. One is instrumental and I'm not sure if we are quite ready for that. However, one album kept coming back into focus.
This album was (I think, it's a tie with something else) my first album purchase and my first CD.
I'd been in my 1st job for 12 months and had money to burn in my pocket. Most teenagers starting work look to buy a car, clothes, women, drugs, booze, etc with their new found wealth. Not me. I bought a extremely expensive HIFI. (10 weeks wage equivalent). New HIFI means new software and I could no longer get away with radio tapings or borrowing stuff from friends. Good equipment needs good food.
On a whim, I bought the album after hearing the singer doing a duet on top of the pops.
The song was "Killer" and the duet was with a keyboard player called Adamski.
I was 19.
The album is SEAL: 1991 (Seal doesn't label his albums &?*!*)
This album is notable to me for a few reasons:
1) It is one of those albums where the track I bought it for turns out to be one of my least favourite. (another example here is Waterfall by Enya).
2) It was the perfect virgin disk for my virgin system as it is produced by Trevor Horn who ensured that the album was pin sharp in its musicianship and execution.
3) It is one of those albums which I bought and have never returned to the artist again.
4) It is one of those albums that grow on you. The more you spin it, the better it gets.
4) It sealed(!) my love for music which doesn't rely solely on standard musical instruments.
5) It has stayed in my listening catalogue since I bought it and I don't tire of hearing it.
I won't go into depth of my thoughts on the album, I'll do a review of it as everyone else will during the week.
If you want to know more, Pitchfork did an excellent and in depth revisit of this in 2021:
Read Philip Sherburne’s review of the album.
pitchfork.com
Tracklist:
1 The Beginning 5:40
2 Deep Water 5:57
3 Crazy 5:56
4 Killer 6:22
5 Whirlpool 3:58
6 Future Love Paradise 4:20
7 Wild 5:28
8 Show Me 5:59
9 Violet 8:30
Listening notes:
Make sure that the version you listen to has those time stamps.
There is a pre-issue, issue which was released accidentally and has significant differences.
The album is scalable. The better your equipment, the more you will get out of it.
This album is equally enjoyable on HP's or HIFI.
I think you'll enjoy it more as you play it more. (YMMV)
