Day 108: We got to move these refridgerators...

Album 332/1031

Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

All tracks written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Politik"	5:18
2.	"In My Place"	3:48
3.	"God Put a Smile upon Your Face"	4:57
4.	"The Scientist"	5:09
5.	"Clocks"	5:07
6.	"Daylight"	5:27
7.	"Green Eyes"	3:43
8.	"Warning Sign"	5:31
9.	"A Whisper"	3:58
10.	"A Rush of Blood to the Head"	5:51
11.	"Amsterdam"	5:19

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

Golf's verdict: It's fashionable to dismiss Coldplay as mass-market, shallow promoters of production line soaring ballads, full of asinine lyrics delivered by one of the world's most irritating people.* (A large part of that irritation factor being precisely that it's hard to really pin down quite why and to what huge extent Chris Martin is irritating). But whilst their schtick may have gotten a little samey since their debut, this 2nd album provides plenty of evidence of why they continue to sell millions of records and concert tickets. A poor man's Radiohead they may be, but there is plenty to harvest from that furrow...

Maire's verdict: Good album. I kind of regret not going to see them now, but won't lose sleep over it.

* It's a bit like Mourinho deflecting attention from his football teams as regards the (3, 4, 5 - admit it you don't really know) other members of Coldplay, making that one of the most envious jobs in the world (anonymity, success, very large sums of money, play in front of millions of appreciative fans).

Album 333/1031

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Far Away"	5:12
2.	"Money for Nothing" (Mark Knopfler, Sting)	8:26
3.	"Walk of Life"	4:12
4.	"Your Latest Trick"	6:33
5.	"Why Worry"	8:31
6.	"Ride Across the River"	6:58
7.	"The Man's Too Strong"	4:40
8.	"One World"	3:40
9.	"Brothers in Arms"	7:00

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

Golf's verdict: When I hear the Brothers in Arms track intro I immediately think of Martin Sheen playing (Liberal Wet Dream) President Jed Bartlett in The West Wing. It was used on a particularly edge-of-seat episode. If you've not discovered that show yet, treat yourself, especially now we have his polar opposite in the REAL White House. Otherwise, this is a cracking album that - when I first heard it  back when my Dad (who'd bought the CD) was 45ish - I associated it with middle-aged, uncool, Dad-rock. It may have had something to do with those headbands and Sting providing backing vocals on Money for Nothing (Sting is the antithesis of cool, always).  Now rapidly approaching (some might say already deeply entrenched in) middle-age, I can embrace it guilt-free!


Maire's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! Great album. 'Brothers in Arms' will bring you to tears.

Album 334/1031

Richard Hawley - Coles Corner (2005)

All tracks written and composed by Richard Hawley, except where noted.

1. "Coles Corner" – 4:49
2. "Just Like the Rain" – 3:17
3. "Hotel Room" – 3:42
4. "Darlin' Wait for Me" (Hawley, Shez Sheridan) – 3:53
5. "The Ocean" – 5:36
6. "Born Under a Bad Sign" – 3:41
7. "I Sleep Alone" – 3:44
8. "Tonight" – 4:32
9. "(Wading Through) The Waters of My Time" – 3:48
10. "Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet?" (traditional; arranged by Hawley) – 4:08
11. "Last Orders" – 4:59

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

Golf's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! An absolute gem of an album that genuinely feels timeless, but is drenched in the influence of Roy Orbison, Jim Reeves, Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers. Should keep 3 or 4 generations of the family happy at any gathering.

Maire's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! What a voice and such a great album. You should listen if you haven't yet. 

Album 335/1031

War - The World Is A Ghetto (1972)

All tracks composed by War (Papa Dee Allen, Harold Brown, B. B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott).

Side one

1. "The Cisco Kid" – 4:35
2. "Where Was You At" – 3:25
3. "City, Country, City" – 13:18

Side two

1. "Four Cornered Room" – 8:30
2. "The World Is a Ghetto" – 10:10
3. "Beetles in the Bog" – 3:51

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

Golf's verdict: This was the highest selling album in the USA in 1973, yet the band are hardly a household name. This is an enjoyable slice of blues-soul-funk, but it's not a solid-gold classic, at least not on first listening.



Maire's verdict: I prefer The Animals.*

*Later, from Golf: Whilst Eric Burdon of The Animals was the vocalist War's first two albums, he'd left by 1973. I'd explained The Animals connection to Maire before realising this.