Brilliant Debut Albums #130

Roy Orbison – A Black and White Night (1988)

Roy was always something of an anomaly; I first heard him in the mid-Sixties with great ‘pop’ songs falling somewhere between crooned ballads and rockabilly.  An operatic voice with a vast range and a rather old-fashioned image, another man in black.  The Beatles loved him and I liked some of his songs, especially ‘Pretty Woman’ with that snarl in his voice.  He had a poor Seventies as new generations swept his old-fashioned style away, but then he seemed to come back into fashion, especially with this album.   Just after he was a part of The Travelling Wilbury’s, a TV special where Roy was accompanied by a few famous musicians, including Sprinsteen and Elvis Costello and Bonnie Raitt – a stellar cast, paying tribute to one of the very special Rock and Roll singers from the late Fifties.  Brilliant versions of his ‘Hits’ including ‘Blue Bayou’, ‘Only The Lonely’ and ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’.  A great concert and Roy’s voice was still pitch perfect.  He sadly died in 1990. 

Black & White Night

Brilliant Debut Albums #129

Gilbert O’Sullivan – Himself (1971)

Firstly – the name is ridiculous, and the street urchin schoolboy image not much better.  But, boy, could he write songs – and not a bad voice either.  Real name Raymond O’Sullivan was Irish born and English bred.  He was writing songs from an early age and was hawking them around for a year or two with no luck, a handful of singles flopped too – then he caught the ear of Gordon Mills who became his manager and early mentor.  A hit single with ‘Nothing Rhymed’, followed by this album.  It is certainly ‘poppy’ but was full of excellent songs which were witty and thoughtful with great tunes and the production was spot-on.  Then he followed this up with far more middle of the road ballads and ended up having hits for a couple of years but drifting further away from originality as the years went on.  He has, to his credit, continued releasing albums to the present day but nothing I have heard has ever come close to this brilliant debut – best songs are ‘Matrimony’, ‘Permissive Twit’ and ‘Thunder and Lightning’ – but all the other songs are excellent too.

Himself-Coll. Ed

Brilliant Debut Albums #128

Laura Nyro – Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)

One of the unsung heroes of ‘popular music’, Laura was a natural and self-taught singer and pianist from a Polish Jewish immigrant background in the Bronx, New York.  She sung in a completely different style, neither ‘pop’ or ‘folk’ with a more jazz-inflected take on melody.   She never achieved real fame but was what later became known as a musicians musician; her songs were recorded by many others, including Barbra Streisand and 5th Dimension who had hits with a more commercial take on her music.  This record was her second, but her first that made any impact.  With a soulful voice more reminiscent of black singers she managed to cross musical boundaries.  Best on this are ‘Sweet Blindness’, ‘Stoned Soul Picnic’ and ‘Emmie’.  She retired from music when she had her only child briefly resuming in the late 80’s.  She sadly died at age 49.

Eli And The Thirteenth Confess

Brilliant Debut Albums #127

Harry Nilsson – Pandemonium Shadow Show (1967)

Well, what do you say about Nilsson?  He was an incredible singer, a pretty good songwriter but a very rare live performer, and a pretty self-destructive personality.  Oh, but his records were sublime.  He was a very early computer engineer but was more interested in music.  He had an early album which is largely unavailable now, then he signed for RCA and released this one.  He used multi-tracking and orchestral backing and wrote most of the songs (one by Spector, two by The Beatles – and they referenced him when asked by reporters for artists they liked).  Harry would go on to have chart success with ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ and ‘Without You’.  He later released an album of classic American songs and one produced by Lennon.  He sadly died in 1994 aged just 53.  On this superb debut my favourites are ‘Sleep Late My Lady Friend’, ‘1941’ and ‘Cuddly Toy’. Playing Nilsson always makes me smile.

Pandemonium Shadow Show, Aerial Ballet and Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by HARRY NILSSON (2000-10-17)

Brilliant Debut Albums #126

Randy Newman – 12 songs (1970)

Actually, his second record (his first bombed badly).  Randy was born into a highly successful musical family, already steeped in writing semi-classical film soundtracks; which Randy would himself do in the late 90’s to great acclaim.  Not the greatest singing voice; Nilsson would record an album of Newman songs a year or so later with his much better voice, and yet the inflections which Randy’s vocals hinted at brought out far more of the irony and hidden humour and pathos of these songs.  Newman must be one of the most recorded of songwriters, many having huge hits with his songs – hits which largely eluded Newman himself.  He seems to have been content to simply be the brilliant songwriter in the background, although he did have a few high-selling albums in the late 70s.  This record is almost deadpan and is sometimes only Randy’s voice and piano, but at others it approaches in an understated wall of sound – rock music – best are ‘Yellow Man’, ’Old Kentucky Home’, and ‘Mama Told Me Not To Come’.

12 Songs


Brilliant Debut Albums #125

Michael Nesmith – Magnetic South (1970)

Well, you had to be there….1966, and we couldn’t wait each week to watch The Monkees on telly.  They were a made for tv American group (Davey Jones was British); after auditions the band was put together, Peter Tork on bass, Mickey Dolenz (ex Circus Boy) on drums, Davey on vocals and Michael on guitar, which he could play quite well.  This didn’t stop the producers from using backing musicians on their first couple of albums.  As kids we didn’t care – we just loved the songs and the goofy acting.  Michael wrote some of their songs – but not the hits.  The band and show ended in 1968 and Michael pursued his love of mostly traditional and bluegrass American music with a string of albums.  This was his first real solo effort, the production is clear, as is Nesmith’s voice – and the sound, though initially very country is infused with pop sensibilities and clever lyrics; and a million miles from the cheekie-chappie from The Monkees.  Best songs are ‘Joanne’, ‘Keys to the Car’, ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Beyond The Blue Horizon’.  If you just let yourself go, you can be singing along in no time.  Michael died a few years ago.

Magnetic South / Loose Salute by MICHAEL NESMITH (2000-05-02)

Brilliant Debut Albums #124

Graham Nash – Songs For Beginners (1971) Nash was a founder member of both The Hollies (one of my favourite groups of the 60s) and Crosby, Still, Nash – and occasionally Young.  He has released 6 albums as a solo artist, this one in my opinion his best, and a handful with David Crosby, now deceased sadly.  This debut came at a time when the record companies were encouraging every singer-songwriter and new band to record an album – scared to miss out on the next sensation they gave almost anyone a chance, though with Graham’s history and being a part of one of the biggest selling ‘Supergroups’ they could barely go wrong with this release.  And they weren’t wrong…several songs relate to Nash’s recent break-up with Joni Mitchell.  Hard to pick a favourite from this superb collection of songs – from the fantastic opener ‘Military Madness’ to the anthemic closer ‘We Can Change The World’ there isn’t a poor track.  But I do really  love ‘Sleep Song’, ‘Chicago’ and ‘Simple Man’.  You have to have lived those early 70s years when every week there were what are now considered essential albums tumbling out; in the wake of The Beatles 60s output almost anything was possible

Songs for Beginners by Graham Nash (2008-09-23)

Brilliant Debut Albums #123

Jimmy Nail – Crocodile Shoes (1994)

Jimmy was born a real working-class rebel in Newcastle, he drifted and spent some time in jail before trying acting, he was also lead singer in a local band – The King Crabs.  He adopted the stage surname after an accident where a six-inch spike went through his foot.  His big break came with TV series ‘Auf Weidershein Pet’ followed by ‘Spender’.  He had a couple of decent selling albums and a number one hit single.  He conceived, wrote, produced and acted in a new TV show ‘Crocodile Shoes’ about a struggling Country singer in the North East; he wrote some of the songs in this series and a few were by Paddy McAloon of Prefab Sprout.  The album is a cracker and though not his first it introduced him to a much wider public.  I loved the album and the follow-up from series 2.  It is really Americana, a modern mix of country and folk-rock with great tunes and production.  Best are the title track, ‘Cowboy Dreams’ and ‘Only One Heart’.  

Crocodile Shoes

Brilliant Debut Albums #122

Alanis Morisette – Jagged Little Pill (1995)

Another Canadian singer-songwriter, who sprung to fame with this, her third actually, but who is counting, album.  This one sprung her into the stratosphere, half shouted, half sung – and a handful of profanities thrown in, with it’s angry revenge songs like ‘You Oughta Know’ and ‘Right Through You’ – and the slightly quieter ones like ‘Ironic’ (which is in fact an ironic song as most of the examples aren’t irony at all – buy hey, great song anyway) – and ‘You learn’…..it all felt new and a return to a rockier sound in the midst of dance music.  Alanis continues ranting or singing but none of her releases matches the ‘shock’ or success of this one.#

Jagged Little Pill: Edition isée

Brilliant Debut Albums #121

Alison Moyet – Alf (1984)

Alison, an Essex girl from Basildon, was involved in local bands in the Seventies, but hooked up with keyboard maestro Vince Clarke and formed the highly successful Yazzoo and released 2 best-selling albums in the early 80s.  Vince disbanded the group and Alison (nickname Alf) went solo.  The rest is history; she became the voice of the Eighties and has released 10 high selling albums and won numerous awards.  This debut is highly polished and has, not surprisingly, a very Eighties production, sprightly and bouncy – as was Alison’s persona at the time.  Never seemingly ashamed by her unfashionable fuller figure she strutted her stuff with a seeming gusto.  Her voice can be both sultry and loud, but always recognisably her own.  Best on this debut are ‘Love Resurection’, ‘Honey For The Bees’ and ‘Where hides Sleep’. 

Alf