Day 105: Record Store Day!

We spent a lot of time in Auckland's record stores today coming away with several great buys, including a couple of vinyl copies of up coming albums on the challenge.

Album 323/1031

Siouxsie & the Banshees - Juju (1981)

All lyrics written by Siouxsie Sioux, except where noted; all music composed by Siouxsie and the Banshees (Sioux, Steven Severin, Budgie and John McGeoch).

Side A
No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
1.	"Spellbound"	Severin	3:20
2.	"Into the Light"		4:15
3.	"Arabian Knights"		3:23
4.	"Halloween"	Severin	3:37
5.	"Monitor"		5:33

Side B
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Night Shift"	6:06
2.	"Sin in My Heart"	3:37
3.	"Head Cut"	4:22
4.	"Voodoo Dolly"	7:04

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juju_(Siouxsie_and_the_Banshees_album)

Golf's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! John McGeoch is a forgotten guitar hero and his work here is probably the best of his career (he was also in Magazine and a later line-up of PIL, amongst others). Really strong songwriting and a strident vocal performance from Siouxsie too.

Maire's verdict: I'd forgotten how good this album was. A great listen.

Album 324/1031

Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974)

All lyrics written by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider except "Autobahn", lyrics by Hütter, Schneider and Emil Schult; all music composed by Hütter and Schneider.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Autobahn" ("Motorway")	22:43

Side two
No.	Title	Length
2.	"Kometenmelodie 1" ("Comet Melody 1")	6:26
3.	"Kometenmelodie 2" ("Comet Melody 2")	5:48
4.	"Mitternacht" ("Midnight")	3:43
5.	"Morgenspaziergang" ("Morning Walk")	4:04

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn_(album)

Golf's verdict: I was obsessed with Kraftwerk as a teenager and when they finally emerged from their self imposed, near 20-year hiatus in the early Noughties, it is fair to say I was a tad excited. This early effort established them as true pioneers, but it is more to be admired than loved. The main theme, taking up the full A side of the album still sounds fresh, the remainder clear show where OMD and other late 70s and early 80s electronic bands looked to for their inspiration. Getting to see them (stock still and remaining static behind four laptops for the entire duration of the gig) and the accompanying laser and visuals was definitely a bucket list moment for me and most of the other 4000, mostly male, mostly 40s and 50s, mostly music nerds in the audience. Maire was one of the only ladies in attendance.

Maire's verdict: Their Brixton Academy gig was probably the most boring I've ever been to and therefore I wasn't expecting much. The album lives down to that expectation.

Album 325/1031

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (2006)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Rehab"	Amy Winehouse	Mark Ronson	3:34
2.	"You Know I'm No Good"	Winehouse	Ronson	4:17
3.	"Me & Mr Jones"	Winehouse	Salaam Remi	2:33
4.	"Just Friends"	Winehouse	Remi	3:13
5.	"Back to Black"	Winehouse Ronson	Ronson	4:01
6.	"Love Is a Losing Game"	Winehouse	Ronson	2:35
7.	"Tears Dry on Their Own"	Winehouse Nickolas Ashford Valerie Simpson	Remi	3:06
8.	"Wake Up Alone"	Winehouse Paul O'Duffy	Ronson	3:42
9.	"Some Unholy War"	Winehouse	Remi	2:22
10.	"He Can Only Hold Her"	Winehouse Richard Poindexter Robert Poindexter	Ronson	2:46
11.	"Addicted"	Winehouse	Remi	2:45

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_Black

Golf's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! Ridiculously talented, but too fragile for fame. Her death at 27 having produced only 2 albums is a real tragedy. Just over 30 minutes of near perfection: 'Back to Black' and 'Love Is a Losing Game' are so close as to be undetectable to normal ears!

Maire's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! What a stunning voice. Brilliant album.