Advantages: Unusual, folky, intelligent
Disadvantages: A little serious at times

...After the breakthrough success of The Texas Campfire Tapes mini-album, Michelle Shocked returned with a full length LP that has stood the test of time. Born in February 1962, Karen Michelle Johnston went on to have one of the oddest, most eclectic careers in recent memory. For me the artistic peak she achieved with the album Short Sharp Shocked is unlikely to be matched, but she remains an interesting artist committed to human rights and to standing up for her beliefs. The record kicks off with When I Grow Up. From the very start Shocked is speaking to us from an unusual sensibility. A young artist at the start of her career planning her retirement as an old woman: “Me, my old man and a hundred and twenty babies” Never has old age sounded so joyous and aspirational. Later, on Memories of East Texas we learn that the future... Read review

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Advantages: Some really great songs from my second favourite band.
Disadvantages: Its just a bit too short and there is a weak song or 2

...Looking at my Ciao account today I realised I hadn't written a review for the past week or so, so I thought I better get down to writing one. Problem was I had a bit of writers block and couldn't think of anything to write about. I felt like writing an opinion on an album but couldn't decide on which one. Then I thought ahhhhh of course, The Divine Comedy, my second favourite band and the album ‘A Short Album About Love' For those of you unfamiliar with The Divine Comedy I'll give you a little background on the group. They are headed by the genius that is Neil Hannon. In fact it is Neil who pretty much make the band. He is the lead singer and also plays just about every instrument, including the guitar on this album, under the sun. He is then backed by, not 3 or 4 other musicians as is the case with the majority of lead... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent Variety, Fantastic Songs
Disadvantages: Quite Complex Lyrically In Places

...Short Sharp Shocked released in 1988 was the first studio album from Michelle Shocked and even today, despite having one of the most prolific careers of any recording artist, this remains in my opinion her finest moment. It was back in 1984 that the then 22 year old from East Texas born Karen Michelle Johnston released The Texas Campfire Tapes to the world. Recorded live on a tape recorder with the sound of crickets in the background it was a taster for things to come, but double crossing and copyright problems were to mean that it would be a further four years before any new material saw the light of day. That new material was Short Sharp Shocked and believe me it was well worth the wait. Short Sharp Shocked is a collection of ten folk/blues/guitar/rock tracks which tell the story of her childhood in East Texas. The lyrics... Read review

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Advantages: The music. Easy.
Disadvantages: Believe me, you will want more.

...Since the Divine Comedy split up in October, I've sort of been in mourning. After all, they are (were) my favourite band. Luckily, Neil Hannon is still signed, so we'll get more from him, and I'm sure it will be just as good. Anyway, looking through my embarrassing old ops, I came across this, and realised it needed to be rewritten. So here it is. Hope you like it better than you did before. Seven tracks? What's the point? Couldn't they just have put them on their other albums? These were all questions I found myself asking as I bought the "Short Album About Love". On getting it home, my answers were quickly forthcoming. Plain and simply, seven tracks IS the point - more would have detracted from the sublime beauty of this album. The Divine Comedy's fourth album if you don't count "Fanfare For The Common Muse," which Neil Hannon... Read review

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Advantages: A great double live album
Disadvantages: Typically modern Genesis only

...When I was 13 years old I discovered this band called Genesis, however I boycotted music in the 1980s and perhaps I shouldn't because then I would have known I should have seen this tour at Wembley instead of staying at home. So this is a review of the double live album (available separately) of "The Way we Walk" The Shorts First off if you think Genesis are all electro pop music with twee little stories about love and quiet little similar sounding ballads also about love - you would be forgiven for ignoring this album. People know about "Invisible Touch" and "I Can't Dance". I will not beat around the bush if you don't like these songs don't buy this album (in fact why are you reading this review at all) Anyway - with a little careful listening - which you should always do with a progressive rock band!! you will soon hear... Read review

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Advantages: 101 songs from some of the best bands in the business
Disadvantages: Spazz and all the HEAVIES

...bands each getting their own little section, what you get is more of a 25 page booklet. The front design is excellent. A punker lady dancing around with load of green aliens. The album is actually called “Short Music For Short People”. These green aliens are indeed kind of short people, but I think it really got its name from Fat Mike, as it kind of follows on in the series of “??? Music For ??? People”. Before this he did the likes of “Fat Music For Fat People”. Don’t worry, that bits complicated. So its name fits in well with the short tunes. Quite often you’ll pay £4.50 ish for one of the labels smaller compilations (with full-length songs……by that I mean a reasonable length), so this is still worth it. The ratio of bad songs to good is as you’d... Read review

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Advantages: It Rocks
Disadvantages: Green Day's acoustic song

...'Short Music...' is a compilation of 101 bands playing 30 second songs recorded especially for this album, put together by 'Fat Wreck Chords' NOFX's label. It contains all of the punk bands that you are likely to have heard of-Green Day, Offspring, Bad religion etc, and many that you won't have heard of like, Spaz and Frenzal Rhomb. Punk music is at it's best when short and fast and this is what the album gives you, although Green Day rather spoil the mood by doing an acoustic number!! Anyway apart ffrom that there are some good songs, providing a good insight into the punk scene at the moment. The songs are mostly about rebellion, politics and comedy songs, such as Nerf Herder's song about wanking ('I was was thinking of as I whacked off into my sock last night'). The sleeve has a quarter of a page per band with web-site address etc... Read review

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Advantages: Classic croonery
Disadvantages: Only seven songs

...Mini albums are usually excuses to throw out remixes and out-takes that would never make it onto a full album, but behold..! “A Short Album About Love” is a seven-track mini album of six original tracks and a re-recording of long forgotten one. It may be recorded live, but such is the professionalism, you’d hardly be able to tell. And you get what you expect from the title, it does exactly what it says on the tin, because it’s short and about love. This album sees Neil Hannon in classic crooner mode, he’s Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams and Noel Coward all rolled into one big foppy crooner-bloke. It’s an interesting combination and it works a treat. All the songs were recorded backed by a 30 piece orchestra in what was basically a sound-check before a gig, but it has an air of slick... Read review

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Advantages: Massive industrial guitar frenzy type thing
Disadvantages: A cardboard sleeve on the cd case that is just annoying

...This album contains some of the most massive industrial guitar songs you will ever hear. 'Short Bus' was the first Filter album and sounds so much more raw and energetic than the second (as featured on Dawson Creek) album that it is hard to believe that they were both produced by the same band. This album sounds like the duo that comprise filters personnel just turned up in a studio one day, plugged in their equipment and started playing. In my opinion this approach makes for a far more engaging album than something that has been produced to death. Tracks such as 'Hey Man Nice Shot' and 'It's over' have the kind of barely restrained guitar sound about them that the smashing pumpkins and nirvana had in their finest moments although Filter produce huge tunes through the sheer weight and power of the songs instead of adrenalin rushes... Read review

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Advantages: Mellow songs to relax to
Disadvantages: The instrumentals are poor

...I am a big fan of the group Danny Wilson and Gary Clark was the lead singer. Despite doing other projects since this is his only solo album and it deserved more commercial success than it received. I once went to see him in concert out of curiosity. It wasn't a big venue, there were no flashing lights or pyrotechnics, just a simple set but he sang his songs with so much lyrical beauty I decided that I must go out and find his album. Despite the title there are in fact 12 tracks on this CD: 1. This Is Why J 2. We Sail On Stormy Waters 3. St Jude 4. Short Song About Love 5. Make A Family 6. Freefloating 7. Baby Blue No 2 8. Nancy 9. Any Sunday Morning 10. Making People Cry 11. Sail On 12. Jackson In Your Kitchen However in defence of Gary's maths skills 2 of them are instrumentals so all is forgiven. Of all the tracks... Read review

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