Smart People need to vote

My Amazon Reviews: The Very Best of Jimmy Somerville, The Communards and Bronski Beat

Hits The High Notes
4 Out of 5 Stars

Jimmy Somerville is a very lucky artist in that he has been a success in all three ventures of his musical career. Blessed with a true, unique pop falsetto voice, he came to fame with Bronski Beat, split them after one album to form The Communards, then segued into a successful solo third act. This 2002 best of gathers 17 songs from all three periods and holds together very well for the fact that Somerville was working with three different guises.

Because his voice is such a signature, even the variety of styles all sound like Jimmy Somerville. Since the album runs the songs in no particualr sequencew, this is trait is to his benefit. His in-your-face attitude about things, didn't hurt, either. Here was a kid who, in 1984, blasted down barriers by writing songs about being a confused gay kid trying to come to terms with sexuality, not masking the gender or being cute about it, and scoring an international hit. To this day, both "Why" and "Smalltown Boy" have no equal in gay pop.

Then he was off to even gayer things by forming The Communards, who pushed both their sexuality and Somerville's socialist beliefs front and center. After all, who would have couched a cover of Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye" next to one of the first AIDS tributes, the beautiful "For a Friend." (And although none of the sharper political songs are included, this was also Somerville's most biting period lyrically.)

The Communards made it through two albums before disbanding, and Somerville solo is represented with songs from two albums. His voice has gained a little more depth through the years, but that doesn't stop him from tearing into yet another disco classic, Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real." There's also a reggae-fied cover (a trend all too common at the time) of The Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" and the danceable original, "Read My Lips."

Overall, Somerville maintained is identity throughout. It even makes a couple of clinkers (hit or not, his pairing with Marc Almond on Donna Summers' "I Feel Love" is a novelty that wears out quickly) worth sitting through. After this, everyone should still own "Age Of Consent," which still maintains its shockingly groundbreaking relevance nearly a quarter century later.

  

My Amazon Reviews: Mumford and Sons "Sigh No More"

Breathe Deep  
5 Out of 5 Stars

"Sigh No More" is the 2010 equivalent of 2009's album from The Avett Brothers, "I and Love and You." Mumford and Sons create the same kind of modern, heartfelt and forceful folk-rock as the Avetts, and "Sigh No More" is a tightly spun collection that has not a duff song in its dozen numbers. It's easily this year's best folk album and a contender for one of the best of the year overall.

While the four members aren't actually family, they harmonize like they were born for it. Marcus Mumford, the chief songwriter, gives them actual poetry to work with, which is rare enough in popular culture, and even a rarer find throughout a full album. The first time I heard "Little Lion Man," I was floored by its brutal tear down of a man too petty and vindictive to realize he is only poisoning himself.

"Tremble little lion man,
you'll never settle for any of your scores
your grace is wasted in your face,
your boldness stands alone among the wreck.
Learn from your mother
or else spend your days biting your own neck."

That was it for me; thanks to Pandora I was sold on the spot. There are plenty of other diamond moments on "Sigh No More," like the angry "White Blank Page" and the waltz-time "Awake My Soul." There's plenty of temptation to compare Mumford and Sons to a host of other bands besides the Avett Brothers, but that would do both groups a disservice. This album stands alone just splendidly.