Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #29

I dreamed of him last night, I saw his face
All radiant and unshadowed of distress,
And as of old, in music measureless,
I heard his golden voice and marked him trace
Under the common thing the hidden grace,
And conjure wonder out of emptiness,
Till mean things put on beauty like a dress
And all the world was an enchanted place.

And then methought outside a fast locked gate
I mourned the loss of unrecorded words,
Forgotten tales and mysteries half said,
Wonders that might have been articulate,
And voiceless thoughts like murdered singing birds.
And so I woke and knew that he was dead.

The Dead Poet by Lord Alfred Douglas

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/2/

141. Cross Country – Cross Country (1973)

An American harmony trio from Brooklyn, New York, United States, this folk rock band was formed as a side project of The Tokens, and featured three of its members: Jay Siegel, Mitch Margo and Phil Margo. It’s a great folk rock track that wouldn’t sound out of place on a CSN&Y record. Great vocals, lovely guitar solo, and a nice upbeat melody. B+

142. Crucial Youth – Crucial Youth (1987)

NY hardcore punk act with a quick little number to mosh too. Enjoyable, if brief, fun. B

143. Cruel Hand – Cruel Hand (2010)

Another US hardcore punk/crossover act with a slab of Cro-Mags/ST influenced goodness. Chunky riffs, great beat, and shouty chorus abound on this 2 minute delight B+

144. Crystal Fairy – Crystal Fairy (2017)

American rock supergroup from Los Angeles / El Paso, formed in 2016. The band consisted of Melvins’ Buzz Osborne (guitar) and Dale Crover (drums), alongside Le Butcherettes’ Teri Gender Bender (vocals) and Omar Rodríguez-López (bass) of At the Drive-In / The Mars Volta / Antemasque fame, what do you imagine it sounds like? Yup, awesomeness! Excellent super chunky riffs from Buzz mixes wonderfully with Teri’s superb vocals make this song an excellent one to rock out to. A-

145. Crystal Stilts – Crystal Stilts (2008)

Jangly 80’s sounding post punk that sounds like a Jesus and Mary Chain song before they add the feedback. Also it seems it was recorded at the bottom of a well. Derivative, yet still quite catchy. C

146. Cuasares – Cuasares (1973)

Argentinian prog rock/jazz fusion instrumental that starts off quite well, looses its way during the piano solo before finding the path again. Wouldn’t sound out of place in the “Once Upon a Time….. Life” animated TV series. C

147. Curiousity Killed The Cat – Curiousity Killed The Cat (1987)

CKTC were a ‘sophisti-pop’ act, pop with a dash of soul and funk that follows in the footsteps of Sade and Level 42. It’s a pleasant funky little number with good horns and female backing vocals. B-

Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #28

When she rises in the morning
    I linger to watch her;
    She spreads the bath-cloth underneath the window
    And the sunbeams catch her
    Glistening white on the shoulders,
    While down her sides the mellow
    Golden shadow glows as
    She stoops to the sponge, and her swung breasts
    Sway like full-blown yellow
  Gloire de Dijon roses.

  She drips herself with water, and her shoulders
  Glisten as silver, they crumple up
  Like wet and falling roses, and I listen
  For the sluicing of their rain-dishevelled petals.
  In the window full of sunlight
  Concentrates her golden shadow
  Fold on fold, until it glows as
  Mellow as the glory roses. Gloire de Dijon by D.H. Lawrence.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/2/

135. Congratulations on Your Decision to Become a Pilot – Congratulations on Your Decision to Become a Pilot

Probably the longest band name to feature on here so far (and therefore, also the longest song title) this Wisconsin math rock/post rock act has a dreamy self-titled number that does the ‘quiet/loud-ish/quiet’ motif quite nicely. The singer also has a Ben Folds vibe to his voice giving the song a more ‘pop’ feel. B+

136. Cool Kids of Death – Cool Kids of Death

Polish indie rockers with a very catchy sing-a-long chorus that hooks you in along with a great drumbeat, interesting synths, and some lovely guitar work. B+

137. Copious – Copiuos

South African jazz rock fusion from the 80’s that features some pretty good musicians but seems to lack any heart or soul in the music, and no memorable hook. Landfill jazz rock fusion. D

138. Cosa Nostra – Cosa Nostra

Mexican psychedelic funk rock a lá Sly & The Family Stone/War/Love from the 70’s. A funky jam with more great keyboard work, a chaotic shouty chorus and a whole love of good vibes, despite the opening lyrics sing by Donald Duck (no, seriously!) C+

139. Cressida – Cressida

Another song to feature some lovely melodies on the keyboard/organ is Cressida’s self-titled song. Released at the tail end of the 60’s, this British art rock/prog rock act wears its Moody Blues influences on their sleeve, with vocalist Angus Cullen doing his best Justin Hayward impression. It’s on ok tune that lacks that little something extra to make it stand out. C

140. Crimson Dawn – Crimson Dawn

A mid-paced heavy metal tune from Italian doomsters with little flourishes of power and symphonic metal for good measure. A great riff, some nice vocals and a Celticish vibe to the song, especially with the flute break in the middle of the song. B-

Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #27

Quiero que sepas
una cosa.

Tú sabes cómo es esto:
si miro
la luna de cristal, la rama roja
del lento otoño en mi ventana,
si toco
junto al fuego
la impalpable ceniza
o el arrugado cuerpo de la leña,
todo me lleva a ti,
como si todo lo que existe,
aromas, luz, metales,
fueran pequeños barcos que navegan
hacia las islas tuyas que me aguardan.

Ahora bien,
si poco a poco dejas de quererme
dejaré de quererte poco a poco.

Si de pronto
me olvidas
no me busques,
que ya te habré olvidado.

Si consideras largo y loco
el viento de banderas
que pasa por mi vida
y te decides
a dejarme a la orilla
del corazón en que tengo raíces,
piensa
que en ese día,
a esa hora
levantaré los brazos
y saldrán mis raíces
a buscar otra tierra.

Pero
si cada día,
cada hora
sientes que a mí estás destinada
con dulzura implacable.
Si cada día sube
una flor a tus labios a buscarme,
ay amor mío, ay mía,
en mí todo ese fuego se repite,
en mí nada se apaga ni se olvida,
mi amor se nutre de tu amor, amada,
y mientras vivas estará en tus brazos
sin salir de los míos.

Si tú me olvidas – Pablo Neruda

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/1/

130. Cloven Hoof – Cloven Hoof (1984)

Energetic NWOBHM song which is the opening track of their debut album. Meaty riffs combined with great solos and several time changes make this is epic tune from a band that should have been bigger. A-

131. Cocoon – Cocoon (2004)

One man electronic/ambient band from France that, despite a good beat, is kind of one-note and doesn’t really go anywhere. Nothing special, it’s just there. C

132. Color Me Badd – Color Me Badd (1991)

Early 90’s New Jack Swing R&B that has some nice harmonies but some piss poor rapping and bland production. It borrows the tune from Wild Cherry’s ‘Play That Funky Music’ and blands all the energy and funkiness out of it. D

133. The Colourfield – The Colourfield (1984)

Lovely haunting baroque pop with an big Echo and the Bunnymen vibe running throughout. Terry Hall’s vocals are wonderful and the harpsichord in the background is quite nice too. B

134. Comets on Fire – Comets on Fire (2001)

Garage psyche-punk with some early Butthole Surfers influences. A lovely noisy guitar with indecipherable vocals that zips along quite nicely. B

Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #26

El agua horada la piedra,
el viento dispersa el agua,
la piedra detiene al viento.
Agua, viento, piedra.

El viento esculpe la piedra,
la piedra es copa del agua,
el agua escapa y es viento.
Piedra, viento, agua.

El viento en sus giros canta,
el agua al andar murmura,
la piedra inmóvil se calla.
Viento, agua, piedra.

Uno es otro y es ninguno:
entre sus nombres vacíos
pasan y se desvanecen
agua, piedra, viento.

Viento, Agua, Piedra – Octavio Paz

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/1/

125. Children of Bodom – Children of Bodom (1999) Finnish melodic death metal legends with a song filled with energy and ideas, crisp riffing, and shredding guitar solos. Prime quality metal. A

126. The Children of Sunshine – The Children of Sunshine (1971)

Now this is a curious one. In 1970 friends Tres Williams and Kitsy Sheahan, two ten-year-olds from St. Louis County, wrote their first song, and before they graduated sixth grade, they made an album called Dandelions under the band name Children of Sunshine, sold 300 copies to friends and family, and appeared on local TV and radio. The song is pretty simple yet catchy, the vocals are quite nice, but the real star of this track is the pretty drum fills that pepper the track and raise it up beyond just a novelty song. B

127. Cilibrinas Do Éden – Cilibrinas Do Éden (1973)

Brazilian ephemeral duo created in 1972 and disbanded in 1973 as a folk-psychedelic project by ex-member of Os Mutantes Rita Lee and Lucia Turnbull. This is the closing track of their album and, after 35 minutes of Os Mutantes-esque psychedelic rock’n’roll, this is a big letdown. It’s 3 minutes of just messing around with the studio controls and being ‘whacky’ and ‘faux-psychedelic’. Bummer. E

128. Circle of Birds – Circle of Birds (2002)

Circle of Birds was a one-off collaboration between members of Ester Drang, Unwed Sailor and Lasso. The vast ensemble, encompassing nine members, played improvised post-rock with varying results. The song has a GSYBE/post rock vibe, but it  just never gets out of first gear and just plods along for 7 long, dull minutes. D

129. Cirith Ungol – Cirith Ungol (1984)

Legendary us power metal heavy metal from Ventura, California whose album sleeves are better than the records inside. Old school heavy metal with a bunch of ideas all in one clunky song that doesn’t quite work. The guitar solo is great but it sounds like it’s being played the band playing two different songs. C-

Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #25

She asks me to kill the spider.
Instead, I get the most
peaceful weapons I can find.

I take a cup and a napkin.
I catch the spider, put it outside
and allow it to walk away.

If I am ever caught in the wrong place
at the wrong time, just being alive
and not bothering anyone,

I hope I am greeted
with the same kind
of mercy. 

Mercy by Rudy Francisco

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/1/

120. Catfish– Catfish (1970)

Southern country-blues-rock from Detroit that starts off quite hokey in the vocals and  music but gets progressively rockier and harder during the, pretty wild, guitar solo and drumming  before returning briefly to the hokiness and ending on a great flanging guitar solo. C

121. Cerebral Fix – Cerebral Fix (1988)

UK crossover thrash metal that combines chunky guitars, a decent bass riff, and crusty vocals to produce some noisy fun. C

122. Changó – Changó (1975)

US band that has drunk heavily from the Santana jazz-rock-fusion cup. You know the deal: soaring guitar solos and Hammond organs and congas galore, and yet, despite the influence it has some originality. B+

123. Chiefs of Relief – Chiefs of Relief (1988)

Shouty 80’s music that tries to fuse hip-hop and electronic elements into 80’s rock with a small degree of success. The tune’s good and the chorus is fun but the keyboard sound grates on me so it’s not something I care to listen to often. C

124. Childbirth – Childbirth (2014)

Female trio from Seattle that deal in shouty Riot Grrrl punk. Nice bass riff, and the song is enjoyably brief. C

Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #24

A plague of nostalgia for a fictive past,
Not merely dead, never born,
is the most desperate form of escapism.
Accident of birth, the pride of the insipid.
Blood still runs, rose-tinted,
Spilling on the red rock
In starvation and waste
In fanfares
and marches
and broad arching melody.
Wastelands ruled by ruined kings.
Curses never lifted. Wastelands Ruled By Ruined Kings – Jute Gyte

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/1/

115. Canned Heat – Canned Heat (1969)

US blues rock/country blues/boogie rock act with a number taken from their fourth album (and the last on to feature the classic Monterrey/Woodstock line up). It’s a lovely shuffling blues number with a tasty guitar solo. B

116. Carnivore – Carnivore (1985)

NY thrash/crossover metal band that featured Pete Steele before he formed Type O Negative. Great riffs, dumb LOL lyrics, and a shout Venom-esque chorus… what’s not to love? B+

117. Carpathian Forest – Carpathian Forest (1995)

Second-wave Norwegian black metallers with two slightly different versions of the same song. Of the two the original (taken from their debut ep Through Chasm, Caves, and Titan Woods) has a great riff,  interesting vocals, and some lovely changes of pace during the song. B

The second track (re-recorded for their album Morbid Fascination of Death) is played a little bit faster but it’s not as good as it loses all the subtleties and nuances of the original. C-

118. Cashmir – Cashmir (1997)

Not too much on the internet about this act but from what I can gleam Cashmir were a Finnish band playing hard rock with a touch of grunge-lite (I can hear 3 Days Grace/Three Doors Down in this song). They released one album, recorded a second but the label went bankrupt and it was never released. It’s a ok song, if a little derivative. C-

119. Cat’s Eyes – Cat’s Eyes (2011)

Alternative pop duo formed by vocalist Faris Badwan (from English indie rock band the Horrors) and Italian-Canadian soprano, composer and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Zeffira. A mixture of late 60’s psych-pop, Joe Meek and Phil Spector’s production styles, and 80’s indie post punk pushes this song into ‘quite interesting’ territory. B+

The Wonderful World of One Hit Wonders #107 Ennio Morricone

photo courtesy of discogs.com

Ennio Morricone OMRI (10 November 1928 – 6 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classical works, Morricone is widely considered one of the most prolific and greatest film composers of all time.

His filmography includes more than 70 award-winning films including all Sergio Leone’s films since A Fistful of Dollars, all Giuseppe Tornatore’s films since Cinema Paradiso, Dario Argento’s Animal Trilogy, as well as The Battle of Algiers (1968), 1900 (1976), La Cage aux Folles (1978), Le Professionnel (1981), The Thing (1982), and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989). He Academy Award for Best Original Score nominations for Days of Heaven (1978), The Mission (1986), The Untouchables (1987), Bugsy (1991), Malèna (2000) and The Hateful Eight (2015), winning for the latter. He also won the Academy Honorary Award in 2007. His score to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) is regarded as one of the most recognizable and influential soundtracks in history, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Chi Mai (Italian for whoever) was written in 1971 and used in the film Maddalena in the same year. It was used later in the films Le Professionnel directed by Georges Lautner (1981), as well as in the television series An Englishman’s Castle (1978). In 1981, it was used as the theme music for the BBC series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George and the BBC release of the theme reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart in April. Surprisingly, for his vast body of work, this was Morricone’s only UK hit.

Elements of the melody of Chi Mai appeared in a piece entitled Invito All’Amore from the 1968 Sergio Corbucci Spaghetti Western, The Great Silence. The original Italian lyrics for this song were written by Carlo Nistri and published by Ricordi (1972).

As a kid, this song bored the arse off me when it was released: where were the drums? the loud guitars? the scantily-clad young ladies? Nowhere, that’s where! Now as I’ve gotten older and (sadly) less-testosterone fuelled, I can appreciate this as a fine example of Morricone’s work: the violins are lovely and ethereal, the main theme is quite mesmeric, and it just becomes a lovely piece of music that transport you to another place. It almost makes me want to watch the TV show; almost.

Big like, two thumbs up.

Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #23

Not the same shape in changing light
But different shapes in the same light
That penetrates everything

There is no being behind doing
Only fiction added to the deed
The cold ashes of a dead fire

The locked prison of the moment
A great door through which there is no passage
All roads disgorge to black decay

In the highest circle
mystery reigns over ambiguity
and the frail light of the intellect goes out pitifully

The agony and despair of spreading bones
The foam that flows from the mouths of wild boars
The wheel that hurtles down toward emptiness
The naked flayed head without a face The Foam That Flows From The Mouths of Wild Boars – Jute Gyte

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/1/

110. The Bugaloos – The Bugaloos (1970)

Theme tune to an early-70’s US children’s TV show. It’s a little catchy if somewhat derivative, Jamie and the Magic Torch it isn’t, but it gains an extra mark for the use of kazoos in the song. Fun fact for us oldies: The bumblebee was played by Wayne Laryea who you may remember as Johnny from Pipkins. C+

111. Buki-Yamaz – Buki Yamaz (1975)

A Danish jazz-fusion group formed in 1969, this instrumental number is heavy on the flute and bongos and wouldn’t sound out of place as some incidental music on Mr. Rossi (superb Italian kids cartoon from the 60’s). B+

112. Built To Spill – Built to Spill (1993)

Indie rock from Idaho that mixes a little bit of Pavement, some Nirvana, and a sprinkling of Sonic Youth into a glorious noisy mess. B+

113. Burning Starr – Burning Starr (1987)

US 80’s power metal with great vocals, drums, and an excellent guitar solo courtesy of Jack Starr. Damn good stuff! A-

114. Burning Tree – Burning Tree (1990)

Excellent Hendrix-inspired 90’s rock from this US trio. Great guitar playing from Marc Ford, channeling his inner Hendrix/Cream, who later went on to play on the Black Crows’ second, third, and fourth albums. A-

Artists With Self-titled Songs (AWSTS) #22

I, The Arch, never sleeps
Who of us would not be glad to lift the veil?
Built of nothing but solitary thought,
a structure rises precipitously upward.

Thersites born again as ape or egg
The golden mind of Gracchus turned to lead
In the shadow of a great ring
This ain’t a dream anymore, it’s the real thing.

Horse dung in white wine
Blood with the odor of violets
The secret Wotan taught his son
Did one wear a watch in the tomb?

In the distance, an old phoenix rises
Can entropy be decreased?
The hunter paused, the wolf in chase
It’s only castles burning. Jute Gyte – Only Castles Burning

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DanOrDanny/artists-with-self-titled-tracks-800/1/

105. La Brigada Lincoln – La Brigada Lincoln (1986)

Spanish trio from Elda in Spain dabbling in 80’s indie rock. Nothing spectacular but a fun way to learn a new language. C

106. Broken Glass – Broken Glass (1975)

Featuring ex-Chicken Shackers’ guitarists Sam Brown and Robbie Blunt, this is a mellow, acoustic blues number which is unlike the rest of the harder, louder songs on here. B+

107. Brouillard – Brouillard

Crazy French one man atmospheric black metal band, whose entire catalogue is entitled Brouillard, as is every song on those albums! Very difficult to rate as the quality varies from track to track, suffice to say it’s atmospheric BM so it automatically gets at least a B+

108. Brutal Wülfsex – Brutal Wülfsex (2013)

Canadian speed metal that despite being a bit formulaic it’s quite fun to listen to. C+

109. Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (1997)

A pleasant enough piano-led jazzy instrumental that sounds like someone just warming up. It’s fine. C

The Wonderful World of One Hit Wonders #106 Tracey Chapman

I’m thinking of starting a band and naming it Tinnitus. The name is relatable and has a nice ring to it.

photo courtesy of Billboard.com

Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter who was born March 30, 1964 in Cleveland Ohio. Tracy entered music when she used to busk around Harvard when she was a student there in the mid-1980s, and was discovered by another student whose dad who ran the SBK publishing company, and he recommended her to him in 1986. She released her self-titled debut album in 1988 and gained wider recognition when she performed the breakout song Fast Car at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert, which almost overnight sent the album to #1 in both the UK and US, selling over ten million copies worldwide and winning a clutch of accolades such as three Grammy Awards and Best International Breakthrough Act and Best International Solo Female at the 1989 BRIT Awards. Tracy Chapman’s follow-up album, 1989’s Crossroads, also was a UK #1. Fast Car has been the basis of two other hits; it was the original sample for Gabrielle’s chart-topping Dreams in 1993 and Jonas Blue’s reinterpretation in 2008, which peaked at 2. In 2023, she became the first Black woman to score a country number one with a solo composition, and to win the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year, when Luke Combs covered the song Fast Car.

Despite all her accolades and accomplishments, this was Chapman’s only UK hit, which reached #4 in June 1988 and stayed on the charts for 44 weeks.

Well this was quite the surprise for me; not the song, (which is a fantastic, beautiful number sung by a brilliant artist), but the fact that Fast Car was Tracy’s only UK hit! Chapman has a lot of great songs in her catalogue and it seems weird that this is the only hit she had (in the UK at least). It starts off lovely and it really kicks into gear when the chorus comes around, and you understand why this is a classic song. Very easy like with two thumbs up.