Lost/Forgotten Album #212

[Jon]

It's the first full weekend of a new month and that can only mean anniversary time!

Wait. What's that?

Oh. I have a simple answer for that: "He" doesn't know how to read. It's that simple. I understand that you were expecting two anniversary albums this week, but some people just don't "get it". It's ok though, I have you covered. 

This week's pick is the 1994 album from Mick Ronson, "Heaven And Hull", which features guest appearances from David Bowie, Joe Elliott, Chrissie Hynde, John Mellencamp, Ian Hunter, Brian May and others. 

Of course this wouldn't be a complete post without a bio from allmusic.com:

"Guitarist, arranger, songwriter, producer, and perennial sideman Mick Ronson made his mark during glam rock's early-'70s heyday but worked consistently with frequent collaborators David Bowie and Ian Hunter until his death in 1993. From 1967-1968 he played with a hometown garage rock group, The Rats, in Hull. In 1969, he was discovered by fledgling folksinger and producer Mike Chapman, who asked him to join his recording band. From there he was on to a collaboration with Bowie beginning with Space Oddity in 1969 and lasting through 1973's Pin-Ups. He arranged "Changes," among other songs on Hunky Dory (1972), and was Bowie's flamboyant guitarist in the Spiders from Mars during the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972) album and tours. It has remained a mystery as to how much of Bowie's material Ronson wrote in exchange for "arrangement" credits, but his stamp is on some important records of the era: he co-produced Lou Reed's Transformer (RCA, 1972) with Bowie and briefly joined Mott the Hoople after working as an arranger on All the Young Dudes (1972). As glam rock faded, Ronson continued to work with Hunter in the Hunter Ronson Band, and as a songwriter, guitarist, and producer on Hunter's solo work.

He recorded two solo albums for Main Man, Slaughter on 10th Avenue (1974) and Play Don't Worry (1975). His identifiable wah-wah sound straddled genres outside his beloved glam and hard rock, from Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue to Morrissey's Your Arsenal (1992). Ronson consistently worked with divergent artists from Roger McGuinn and David Johansen to John Mellencamp ("Jack and Diane"). He and Hunter recorded YUI Orta in 1989 for Mercury, and in 1990 Ronson was diagnosed with cancer. He was reunited with Bowie for Black Tie White Noise (1993) and that same year appeared at a Freddie Mercury tribute concert with Hunter and Bowie. He made one final record with some help from his friends Hunter, Bowie, Chrissie Hynde, and Mellencamp, Heaven 'n Hull (Epic), which was released posthumously in 1994. Just Like This, a two-disc collection of unreleased material, followed in 1999, and Showtime, a collection of live material, arrived the next year."

Then there's the review from allmusic.com:

"Rightly hailed as David Bowie's high-flying guitar ace, the self-effacing Ronson had been recording only his third solo album in a 30-year career when he died of liver cancer in 1994. Undaunted, his surviving colleagues completed the project, which stands as a forceful reminder of his wide-ranging talents. Ronson's gleeful, anything-goes eclecticism holds true here. The recipe extends to bluesy pop ("When the World Falls Down"), brooding soundscapes ("You and Me"), an unlikely rearrangement of Giorgio Moroder's "Midnight Love," and even rock-funk ("Colour Me"). Aficionados of Ronson's strangled, Jeff Beck-style string-bending won't be disappointed -- especially on the thunderous "Don't Look Down" and on "Life's a River," where he squarely addresses his imminent mortality. Not surprisingly, every track boasts a different lineup, yet two key factors provide continuity. Ronson wrote or co-wrote five of the ten songs. Additionally, guitarist-keyboardist Sham Morris -- like his famous collaborator a native of the English industrial city of Hull -- provides key instrumental and production support. The all-star lineup attests to Ronson's appeal and influence. Old co-conspirator Bowie lends suitably jittery vocals to a giddy trashing of the Bob Dylan standard "Like a Rolling Stone." Additional reinforcement comes from Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott, Pretenders singer-guitarist Chrissie Hynde, and rustic rocker John Mellencamp -- whose 1982 hit, "Jack and Diane," benefited from Ronson's arranging prowess. The closing spot naturally falls to ex-Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter, Ronson's longest-serving partner during the '70s and '80s. Hunter leads a rousing take on "All the Young Dudes," the Bowie-penned number that his band made famous. The latter track hails from Ronson's last major public appearance, at the 1992 all-star tribute to Queen's late vocalist, Freddie Mercury, which closes the circle nicely. The back cover features a shot of the Humber Bridge, in Ronson's hometown of Hull. Part of the proceeds were intended for the T.J. Martell Foundation, to help the fight against cancer."

My final verdict? A great listen. So listen.

'Nuff said.

Heaven And Hull

1. Don't Look Down
2. Like A Rolling Stone
3. When The World Falls Down
4. Trouble With Me
5. Life's A River
6. You And Me
7. Colour Me
8. Take A Long Line
9. Midnight Love
10. All The Young Dudes

Availability: Used starting around $5, it's a must-buy.

[RJhog (Admin)]

This is a totally new listening experience for me.  Let's see:

Don't Look Down - Great opening track.  It has a very nice, medium paced vibe.  Sounds like I hear Bowie and Elliott right off the bat.  Nice guitar playing too.  Great start.

Like A Rolling Stone -  Bowie on vocals.  That's a sped up little cover version with some nice electric guitar playing. 

When The World Falls Down - Very pleasant track.  Love the vocals.

Trouble With Me - This song is groovy.  I like it a lot.  Very cool guitar work.

Life's A River - There's Mellencamp.  Great intro.  This is another mid-paced groove, maybe not as good as the opener, but still very good.  When Mellencamp starts belting the vocal a bit more, the song is better.  It does drag a bit, but the guitar playing saves it from that.

You And Me - An acoustic instrumental.  Not what I'd call earth shattering, but elegant.  The only possible skipper so far.

Colour Me - Sounds like Bowie again.  There's that mid-paced groove again.  He seems to be pretty good at this.  This one would rank about the same as the Mellencamp tune from earlier, but not quite as good as that opening track.  Still good though.

Take A Long Line - That's Elliott for sure.  This song definitely speeds up the pace.  Not my favorite track, but again the guitar is just cool.  

Midnight Love - Another instrumental.  Again, nothing special if you ask me.

All The Young Dudes - This song has just never really appealed to me.  This doesn't really change my opinion.  

I have to hand it to Jon, nice pick this week.  Other than a couple of songs, this was a very nice listen.  Might put this one on the ole wish list.

[Jon]

No Bowie on the first track, it's Joe & Mick.

"Colour Me" is Mick with David & Joe on backup vocals.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I thought I heard Joe on the first one, but I also thought I heard Bowie.  Oh well, very cool song.

[Scott]

Wow, really like this first track!  The Rhythm geeeeeeeeeetar is really cool.  Elliot sounds great! 

But this second track, the Dylan cover - Not good...  I'm not a Bowie fan by any stretch and this vocal is one of the reasons why... 

When the world falls down is a bit off as well, but after that Dylan cover there's only way to go and that's up... 

Trouble With Me - Bossman and I agree on the cool geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetar work.  Quirky good, and Chrissie Hynde works well in that environment.  2 out of 4 so far...

Lifes A River isn't bad its not great but it has that nice crunchy rhythm geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetar that I really liked in the first track.

AH ... THE ACOUSTIC INTERLUDE...  Alas this one is boooooooring..  Thankfully is was followed by some good beats and more sweeeeeeeeet geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetar

A nice up-tempo bass opener.  I like the dual lead vocal work with Elliot.  I like this one!  I'd mention something about the sox stringed instrument but I'm running our of room to type the letter "e" enough times to avoid copyright, servicemark, registered trademark and plain old trademark issues...

And yet another interlude, again its booooooooring... but not as booooooring as the aforementioned acoustic interlude.

All The Young Dudes live.  Like the song, but it feel like filler on this album.  2 intrumentals a cover and live track.  This album wasn't ready to be recorded IMO.  The potential I heard on that first track really got me pumped to hear more, but it just lost it momentum too quickly...

[Jon]

I theenk yuoo need tu leestee tu it egeeen, I feend it tu be-a a pretty strung elboom frum stert tu feenish.

[Scott]

I liked 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8

 3 was OK

6 and 9 were filler

10 was cool, but as a live track it feels more like a bonus track than intentionally included

and 2, well 2 just was awful...

So you want me too listen again?  If I do then it will be 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10 only

[Jon]

Tvu vesn't evffool. Yuoo're-a joost a seelly mun-buy. Bork bork bork!

[Scott]

[Jon]

[Gordon Williams]

Although not purchase material, this is better than I expected. I even enjoyed both of the mellow instrumentals.

I do have to agree with RJHog. "All The Young Dudes" has never been a song I thought much of. Have heard other cover versions as well, with Tesla and Bruce Dickinson coming to mind at the moment. It's just not even good enough of a song for me to even consider it as average, in any version.

Best tracks here for me, in no particular order, are 1,7,8, and 5. Some decent guitar playing here, as well.

The Dylan cover is better than the original, IMO. Never been a Dylan fan at all.