Monday, June 22, 2009

Bob Walkenhorst and Jeff Porter released No Abandon

No Abandon

Bob Walkenhorst & Jeff Porter


Released: June 22, 2009


Peak: --


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: roots rock


Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. No Abandon
  2. Silver Lake (2003, --)
  3. Ruin the Rain
  4. Overland Hill
  5. Stay Ahead of the Wolves
  6. Sinking Hour
  7. Broken Radio
  8. Ridiculously Beautiful
  9. Hey Bird
  10. I Hope You’re Laughing
  11. Jimmy Lee

Rating:

3.283 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings)


Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

“Middle-aged musicians often make albums where they long for the glory days of their youth, or, worse yet, pretend they never ended, or even worse, sound like they learned nothing along the way. Bob Walkenhorst, former singer and songwriter from 1980s’ rock group the Rainmakers, has teamed up with fellow Kansas City musician (and musical bud for the past 6 years) Jeff Porter” VR for No Abandon, the first album by the pair as a duo, but Walkenhorst’s second post-Rainmakers outing.

The album “is a collection of 11 songs about that immortal subject for mortals, mortality. ‘We thought of calling the CD ‘Death,’ but thought that might sound too commercial,’ says Walkenhorst.” VR

“What you get is observations about being more than half-way through the journey, not regretting a second, and being determined to pay attention and squeeze every drop from what you have left. Sideways traditional, familiar but not predictable, these are acoustic guitar/2-part harmony songs that might have been written last week, or a century ago. A few echoes of the Carter Family, and Paul and Art, even the neighborly Ozark Mountain Daredevils, mix with Bob and Jeff’s acoustic-rockers common sense and sensibility.” VR

“Standout tracks – No Abandon, a cryptic but emotionally clear painting about the joy of the journey along with the beautiful Silver Lake, Sinking Hour – the ghost of A.P. Carter is smiling down on this one, Stay Ahead of the Wolves – dangerously close to falling into ‘wind beneath my wings’ territory (it doesn’t), a soaring beautiful melody about, what else, Keeping On. And Hey Bird, Porter’s jazzy acoustic tune about chasing the song and the girl. No filler, or light entertainment here. This is the real stuff, about the real stuff.” VR

Resources and Related Links:


Other Related DMDB Pages:

First posted 6/1/2011; updated 8/9/2021.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Aha’s Foot of the Mountain released

Foot of the Mountain

A-ha


Released: June 19, 2009


Peak: -- US, 5 UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, 0.25 world (includes US and UK)


Genre: synth pop


Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. The Bandstand
  2. Riding the Crest
  3. What There Is
  4. Foot of the Mountain (5/5/09, 66 UK)
  5. Real Meaning
  6. Shadowside (9/21/09, --)
  7. Nothing Is Keeping You Here (9/21/09, --)
  8. Mother Nature Goes to Heaven
  9. Sunny Mystery
  10. Start the Simulator


Total Running Time: 40:45


The Players:

  • Morten Harket (vocals, guitar)
  • Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass)
  • Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating:

3.233 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings)


Quotable: “If this is to be a-ha's final LP, then they've undeniably gone out on a high.” – Jon O’Brien, All Music Guide


Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

Nearly a quarter century after finding international success with “Take on Me,” the Norwegian synth-pop trio announced that their ninth studio album, Foot of the Mountain, would be their swan song. It turned out the retirement didn’t stick as they returned for a tenth effort, Cast in Steel, in 2015, but no one knew that at the time.

The album was produced by Steve Osborne, who’d worked with New Order, as well as Erik Ljunggren, Roland Spremberg and Mark Saunders. It was recorded in New York, Oslo, Hamburg, Stockholm, and Bath between the autumn of 2008 and the spring of 2009. AZ

“Despite some obvious '80s influences, Foot of the Mountain is far from a contrived attempt at trying to restore former glories.” AMG The album “eschews the melancholic indie pop sound that dominated its predecessor, Analogue, and instead neatly brings their underrated career full circle by returning to the melodic electronica of their early glory days.” AMG

“Opening with the galloping charge of The Bandstand, the album quickly defines itself with the keyboard intro before Morten's instantly recognizable vocals announce their return.” AZ The song “recalls the early noir-ish atmospherics of early Depeche Mode with its pulsating new romantic basslines, eerie spacy synths.” AMG

“The glorious OMD-esque Riding the Crest,” AMG which also shows influences of Arcade Fire, AZ is “arguably their most infectious pop song since 1987 James Bond theme ‘The Living Daylights.’” AZ It “sounds like a number from a classic Giorgio Moroder movie soundtrack.” AZ

From there, “the album flows into the melancholic What There Is before thundering back into the stunning single and title track Foot of the Mountain.” AZ The latter is “a reworking of ‘The Longest Night,’ a song from keyboardist Magne Furuholmen's previous solo album, A Dot of Black in the Blue of Your Bliss.” AMG It “is a soaring slice of emotive piano-driven pop/rock that would make Keane green with envy.” AMG The song was the band’s 19th top-ten hit in Norway.

Shadowside is a heartbreaking ballad whose string-soaked finale evokes the cinematic choristry of Sigur Rós; and the echoing effects, Chicane-style synth chords.” AMG A ”Peter Hook-influenced bassline turns Sunny Mystery into their most clubby effort to date.” AMG Both sogs incorporate “the most driving and contagious beats and lyrics of A-HA's career.” AZ

“The inventive streak that runs through the album’s ten tracks isn't always quite as successful. Closing number Start the Simulator is a brave but misguided attempt at experimental post-rock, based on a rather clunky space travel metaphor that reduces Harket’s beautifully understated tones to Auto-Tuned anonymity, while Mother Nature Goes to Heaven is a wishy-washy and meandering attempt to highlight the plight of the environment, which suggests the band is much better at tackling more personal themes than heavy-handed issues.” AMG

But while many acts bow out of their careers with lackluster and hastily assembled efforts, Foot of the Mountain is the sound of a band you feel has much more to offer. If this is to be a-ha's final LP, then they've undeniably gone out on a high.” AMG It “is an album that cements A-HA's position in the world of pop.” AZ

Resources and Related Links:


Other Related DMDB Pages:


First posted 9/9/2020; updated 8/9/2021.

Monday, June 1, 2009

50 years ago: Johnny Horton hit #1 with “The Battle of New Orleans”

The Battle of New Orleans

Johnny Horton

Writer(s): Jimmy Driftwood (see lyrics here)


Released: April 6, 1959


First Charted: April 27, 1959


Peak: 16 US, 19 CB, 16 HR, 110 CW, 16 UK, 17 CN, 16 AU (Click for codes to singles charts.)


Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, -- UK, 1.0 world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 2.0 radio, 9.34 video, 23.58 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

“The Battle of New Orleans” dates back to 1815. On August 8 of that year, Andrew Jackson led American forces against British troops in New Orelans, not knowing the War of 1812 had officially ended two weeks earlier. A folk song called “The Eighth of January” celebrated the victory and became a popular fiddle tune. FB

It wasn’t until 1955 that Jimmy Driftwood, a high school teacher and principal from Arkansas, wrote lyrics for it in an effort to get his students more interested in learning history. WK The song described the battle in a comical tone from the perspective of an American solider. Driftwood became well known in the area for his historical songs. WK In the late 1950s, RCA gave him a recording contract and he recorded a dozen songs in 1958, including “The Battle of New Orleans.” WK

The song was subsequently recorded by many different artists, including Johnny Cash, Les Claypool, Lonnie Donegan, Bill Haley, Doug Kershaw, Vaughn Monroe, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dolly Parton, Leon Russell, and Sha Na Na. It was Johnny Horton, however, who took the song to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the country charts. His version omits many of the historical references.

Sadly, Horton was killed in a head-on collision on November 5, 1960. He performed that night at the Skyline in Austin, Texas – the same club where Hanks Williams made his final appearance before his death. In another strange coincidence, Horton’s widow, Billie Jean, was formerly married to Williams. FB Ironically, Horton was driving because he’d had a premonition of his death and consequently refused to fly on airplanes. FB

Billboard ranked “New Orleans” the #1 song of 1959. It won Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Country & Western Recording.


Resources:

  • DMDB encyclopedia entry for Johnny Horton
  • FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 54.
  • SF Songfacts
  • WK Wikipedia


First posted 3/13/2021; last updated 8/26/2022.