Example Articles On The First Floor...
We will now show you the type of articles and reviews we have to offer you. On the this page, it should help to give you an idea as to the style of the review and the way it is produced by us. What you will see is the third to fifth or so paragraphs of a selection of reviews that have already been published across the Web. These are typical of the reviews that are written by the senior writer, M.Duffy. These reviews, in full, are around 2000 words each. All copyrights of the reviews are held by M. Duffy.
Please take a moment or two to cast an eye across the examples on show below...
Would You Trust This Man..? album released 1981 
'Trust' Elvis Costello and The Attractions.
Declan McManus was best known to his new wave following as that inventive, romantic and somewhat controversial songwriter who went under the name of Elvis Costello. When embarking on the adventure of analysis of one of his many albums, one must first have to assess which one of his vast album contribution to the British music industry is the best.
Perhaps one of the most inspiring and creative of his career was the 1981 release of the album ‘Trust.’ On and off with ‘The Attractions’ throughout his early years, this album didn’t cut the same grade as his previous three albums (two with the band, and one solo) which all swiped the top ten on the backside with a surprise smack. Even though this album will forever ride on the successful wave of ‘Armed Forces’ (January 1979), ‘Get Happy,’ (February 1980) and ‘This Year’s Model’ (March 1978) it will still be remembered for being a vast improvement to his debut album ‘My Aim Is True’ (July 1977) which, although it featured single attempts, ‘Alison’ and ‘Mystery Dance,’ it wasn’t enough to convince the general buying public that this bespectacled, geeky, ex computer operator was to be the next best thing to the first Elvis.
‘Trust’, as one would expect contains a surprise at every turn. From the middle of the road, poetic ‘Club land,’ to the dance hall, sweatiness of ‘Luxemburg’ and ‘Lovers Walk,’ this album not only denotes a certain point in culture history but a turning point in the art of appreciating the new wave sound. Arguably, the King of new wave, one would also consider the title of ‘inventor.’ This young man with a lot to say about love, love lost, unemployment and social change under the then Thatcher government, managed to entrance all walks of life into his fanatic clutches. Mum’s devoted themselves as second generation ‘new wavies’ when, in this album, the thoughtful, pensive side of Costello melts into the ears of any middle aged mother through certain tracks as ‘Watch Your Step,’ and ‘You’ll Never Be A Man.’ Her teenage sons will be pounding up and down on the bedroom floor in drainpipes and tank tops to the thundering beats of ‘From A Whisper To A Scream,’ which, incidentally is the only single released from the album, but even more surprising, it failed to even break into the charts. It is in this track that you will notice the unmistakeable, high, croaky voice of the lead man, Glenn Tilbrook, from Squeeze. It was Squeeze’s 1981 album, ‘East Side Story,’ that Costello co produced.
The whole concept of ‘Trust,’ seemed, however to be somewhat experimental compared to albums to that date. The sullen, piano based ‘Shot With His Own Gun,’ shows that Costello had certainly perfected the art of lyrically writing a song with depth, feeling and a moral tale, yet, musically, his tracks seemed to side out of control through too many minor keys. When the balance was correct, the effect of Costello’s work could be stunning in the sense that the audible quality would make one sit bolt upright. On reflection of this album, one can also see why there were some people who couldn’t really stand him. However, if you could distance yourself from sometimes, the flat, mixed backing, such lines as ‘yesterday’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper..’ would go forever undiscovered.
Listen, and You Shall Hear... album released 1985 
'Songs From The Big Chair' by Tears For Fears...
We endured the ‘British Invasion’ twice in the twentieth century. The first stage of the front line campaign started, as most of us will know, in the early to mid sixties and came in the shape of Mersey Beat. Our lovable suited, mop topped friends with wobbly heads and innocent melodies fell at our feet as The Beatles, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Eden Kane, The Searchers and Herman’s Hermits to name only a handful. What passed us by was the second tour of duty in the early to mid eighties, exactly twenty years after. What we received was a very watered down version of the sixties revolt on the charts. Because the first invasion had been so obvious, (all we had up until then was duck tails and black leather, the all of a sudden, these young men ditched the brill cream, or as my father used; soap and water,) what we got the second time around was more in what we heard than what we saw. Again, as their predecessors, we gave birth to pop groups of extreme success and power to dominate not just us but across the pond also. The fundamentals were still the same; both eras reeling in the teenage and the innocent like minnows. The examples of the eighties invasion were groups like The Stranglers, Human League, XTC and, of course, Tears For Fears.
This particular duo set the aim for their contempories of conquering the U.S again after their fore fathers of British pop and changed the direction of the British Invasion with their first haunting record, ‘Mad World’ released in October 1982. Yet to stun America, it still, had given us a taste of what this two man set up could achieve in time.
‘Songs From The Big Chair,’ was, unarguably, the epitome of all that was the greatest albums of the decade. With their electronic sounds and synth based heavy drum beats, they captured the art of melting their soul searching lyrics making them world wide news over night. Thoroughly directing their healing process through their music, they had devised a way of expressing their personal hurt and anger. Not in the least political, although causally termed by the media, they projected on a social level and merely hinted at the social problems faced by youngsters and adults with disorientated pasts. Their lyrics could be held on any level, be it deep or superficial, their touched on point and notes in people’s lives, making their the most ‘human’ of all artists in the music industry at that time.
The very fore runners of groups like The Verve and Oasis, they chose Beatle-esque themes for their compositions, perhaps knowing full well that this would allow them to easily seep into any sized record collection in any suburban household.
Tripping Over A Rolling Stone... album released 1971 
'Sticky Fingers' by The Rolling Stones...
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones got together in London (none of the three were actually from London) and formed The Rolling Stones around the year of 1962. Up until around 1963, they had been the ‘live in’ band at a blues club in Richmond, south west London, called The Crawdaddy. Because of clean cut approach to music at that time in Britain and the fact that The Beatles’ sharp suited image was to be blamed for the ’knicker wetting’ movement of the younger female generation, it was probably thought of a rather challenging task to know how to present The Rolling Stones.
Fundamentally a rhythm and blues set up, they were hardly into ‘wooing ‘and ‘yeahing’ to middle market Merseybeat tunes. A dodgy looking manager came to their rescue and decided that The Stones should be the band for Rockers rather than Mods. Far from pin ups, they were reluctant to even smile. Miserable, which only added to their visual unattractiveness, they were well suited to play the boys who were feared by parents, loathed by authority and were generally, (so long as the public were watching) all round rebellious.
When discovered in Richmond, they had already dressed themselves as Beatles, only the Stones looked like they had been the ones who had failed the audition. This manager by the name of Mr Andrew Loog Oldham, threw out the clean image as it certainly didn’t suit them, and changed them into the hardened, trouble making thugs. Perhaps, the image that the Beatles had secretly yearned for.
An album described as screamingly suggestive before the listener could even take it out of the sleeve, came from the working zip on the cover in its rightful place on the crotch of the jeans. A design from the thoughts of Andy Warhol and Craig Brown, this album was also the first to show the famous lips and tongue logo. A logo that was to be about as famous as Coca Cola. It was given to the band by John Pasche. Another first for this lbum was that it sat at the very top of the album charts both over here and across the pond in the States.
With all its ’awards’ for being the first of everything under its belt, the world wondered about the content within. Naturally, the press went bonkers when they sat down to listen to the album. Its suggestions of drug taking and addiction, particulary mentioned in ’Sister Morphine’ (hardly surprising) made Sgt. Pepper look clean and innocent, which, of course it was. For a start, the references made in Sticky Fingers were blunt and very plain. They were hardly coloured by pretty lyrics and child like words. They were hard and perfectly clear. However, putting these darker thoughts aside, as a piece of rock and roll history, from the Stones, it was actually, I thought, one of their best albums.
Using a well arranged selection of gifted musicians to add polish and perfection, this album takes on a chilled out theme. There is nothing harsh, musically surrounding the morbid lyrics. It is pleasant and unassuming. Perhaps not the Stones we know and giggle at todat, but a different side to them as this was the band as young men. I know that is hard to imagine today, they haven’t always been that old….
A Day In The Minds Of The Beatles.. album released 1967 
....To analyse the truth behind the concept of the world’s most extraordinary album has been a task that I have had an urge to complete. However, this task was always going to be a difficult one as there is so much that one could easily miss out. The album, through my thoughts as well as some facts read here and there is probably the best way to display this account.
The introduction to this compelling album is also the ending of it. The first track we here on this CD version is simply titled ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’
Strangely, it would seem, that apart from tracks one and twelve, the Sgt. Pepper name is not mentioned at all in the other tracks. There is only one mention of a band member named Billy Shears who is introduced at the beginning of the second track, ‘A Little Help From My Friends.’ Billy, who is ‘played by’ Ringo Starr, the voice of the lead vocal.
The idea of the introductory track was to primarily create a feeling of something that was typically English. One can imagine cucumber sandwiches at the Pavilion after a game of county cricket. Being that ‘the band’ was predominately a brass band, this concept works rather well. The idea of these strange, colourfully dressed types trumpeting away on a band stand around the turn of the last century, gives the impression of something that is very much the epitome of traditional English country life. The backing track of rhythm guitars and percussion allows the ‘sound’ of the sixties to gently make its way through so as not to create something that sounds too stiff and too old fashioned. This intro dominates the album in such a way that any listener could appreciate the quality of the music; from old age pensioners to the wondrous hippie flower children of that time. We are led straight away into a show, a little ‘open air’ concert. They come on, pick up their instruments, we hear the audience settle into their seats and even the band warm up briefly. They invite us into sitting back and enjoying the show. Recorded in stereo, the idea , then, was to have the vocals coming out of one speaker and the music coming out of the other. If the listener only had one speaker, it was rather like listening to a karaoke version of the entire album. They warm our hearts immediately with saying how they would love to take us home with them. With incidental hand clapping and our favourite, canned laughter, it gives the strong impression of the listener having front seat tickets. This album wastes no time and launches straight into track two where ’Billy Shears’ is introduced in the bridge from one track to the next as at a concert of sorts, one would expect this. It is touches like these that perfects this album. Time had been taken to polish this album immaculately into the concept that it was created for.....
Where's The Star Man Tonight..? album released 1984 
I have read several concepts on the album, ‘Tonight,’ and because I am not the altogether, die hard, ‘dye my hair orange and call me Ziggy,’ Bowie fan. I have managed to accept this true enough poor album by Bowie as an exceptional album by a different side of Bowie. Anyone who has ever listened to his music and seen him through the decades will have accepted that this chameleonic figure can adapt himself to any musical genre he chooses. I feel that the listener is probably missing out on something here when exclaiming the ‘low quality’ of ’Tonight.’ First, we must examining the very face he was wearing when he decided on the material to make up this album. Do we really know who the real David Bowie is just from listening to his music? As for this album, we must remember that this did, after all, reach number one in the album chart following its release on the 6 October 1984. And it did stay for 19 weeks in total. Surely this is not the mark of a completely awful album. It must be then praised for this artist’s ability to accept the changing music of his contemparies around him. Of course, its not The Spiders From Mars, and we would be fools to enter this debate with this in mind, so, we examine and listen with open ears and open minds. We will not be shocked by experimental instrumentals or comment on the cover sleeve (although at first glance, it looks although he’s in church)
What we will hear is a pleasant, half soothing, half head banging album that will not offend.
This was Bowie’s first number one album since the controversial ‘Let’s Dance.’ This album, of course, was always going to be a hard act to follow. Using the crest of the new wave to jump from materialistically with this strange album, it was well received and awarded the same recognition as The Spiders From Mars. Bowie has also been worldly known for releasing an album virtually ever week. Between ‘Let’s Dance’ and ‘Tonight,’ he had released 10 other albums, (does this man have anything else to do?) Personally, ‘Tonight,’ because it got to number one, has always been regarded as the ‘hollow and flat’ version of ‘Let’s Dance.’ The two have tragically bounced off each others critics ever since. What I do believe we are hearing is actually how Bowie saw music in 1984, and if we look at what was around at that time, Bronski Beat, UB40, Limahl, Duran Duran and Culture Club, then this album fits perfectly.
Our first track is a familiar song titled ‘Loving The Alien.’ A title that fit’s the standard Bowie, ‘doesn’t make any sense’ theme of his usual songs. It opens with a whimsical riff and soft synthesisers creating a dreamy mood that fills the ears. Sounding on a par with a ABC theme, it was a record fist released in June 1985, (the B side was ‘Don’t Look Down‘) and reached a poor number 19 and drifted away after 7 weeks. Surprisingly, it was re released in May 2002, I guess this issue passed us all by, even no more surprising was its flopped position of number 41 this time around. It makes you wonder why he bothered. It’s a hopeful piece of minor chords and soft backing vocals. Perhaps a watered down theme of Spiders From Mars, it features synth strings and a pleasing bass line by Derek Bramble. Bowie collaborated with all the right musicians, and even on a fairly mediocre album, he still delights us with the finest talents of unknown musical heroes. This was the album version of this track and contains an extended guitar solo to end. An interesting piece, thought provoking and a gentle step into the album. We will not be shocked by surprises within in this album, so by Bowie standards, this was an album out of the ordinary.
These reviews can be found at www.dooyoo.co.uk and www.ciao.co.uk
bravenet.com