Customer Reviews

Big Night Music

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I used to listen to this a lot in the late 80's but for some reason put it on the shelf and forgot about it. What was I thinking? Released in 1986, "Big Night Music" is Shriekback's fifth album that is overflowing with catchy pop/rock/techno tunes and great production. Dave Allen (bass) and Martyn Barker (percussion) are so tight that you will shake your head in disbelief and Barry Andrews (lead vocals/keys) has such a warm voice, great tone. These three are Shriekback, and guest musicians fill in the missing links.

Not a dud on this disc but some standout tracks include... "Black Light Trap" grabs you immediately with a beefy trance-like groove accented by some nice horn arrangements; "Pretty Little Things" highlights multiple vocals backed only by percussion (skipping rimshots, bells, a milk bottle) and a jazzy keyboard lick, or "Sticky Jazz" with a sing-along R&B sounding chorus. This is such a fun record that should be remastered and brought back into circulation.

Did you ever get the feeling some artists make a record, and then make something structurally similar the next time, only they get it right?

Similar to Oil and Gold, this record DOES get it right. The arrangements are light yet multi-layered, with dark and quirky lyrics. "The Underwater Boys" contains one of the most lyrical allusions to suicide I've ever heard! It contains none of weaker tracks of other Shreikback recordings, and was the perfect balance of accesibility and integrity. Without a doubt the one Shriek album you must own.

Listen to it by candle light.

If James Brown had been a reptile and one of his biggest influences had been the alien bar band in the first Star Wars movie, he might have sounded the way Shriekback sounds on this excellent album. BNM is the best record that Shriekback made and is easily one of the enduring highlights of 80's pop music. Every song on the disc is first rate. The funk is funkier, the melodies more melodic than on any other Shriekback effort. The Shrieks simply sound more confident and assured here than they ever did before or have since. What I especially like about the album is how warm and organic the band sounds having abandoned the drum machines and sequencers of their previous albums. This warmth balances the overall detached approach of the band to great effect. Hopefully, BNM will begin to reap the recognition it deserves and will be remastered and rereleased.

Poetic summary, yes perhaps, but I can't help but wane poetic when talking about Big Night Music. A true shame it is that Barry and the tribe weren't accepted en masse. Songs like "Black Light Trap" with Barry's funky low vocals completely take the listener aback just when he/she thinks they have the song figured out. For a more gently sinister experience, "The Reptiles and I" is just what the doctor prescribed. A very visual song and again, it's Barry Andrews' vocal deliverence that makes the song so alluring when you know if you go there, you may not come back. :) Fantastic album all the way 'round. I long for the band to return and rescue us from the modern pop fodder distressing society so. Peace, Tin

Shriekback started life as an aggressive and somewhat jagged dance-rock outfit with songs like "My Spine Is The Bass Line." But with each successive album, they seemed to move away from that aggro-influence a few degrees at a time. On their fifth album, "Big Night Music," they abandoned it all together.

It makes this album a curious piece of 80's history. They left the drum machines and most of the synths outside the studio and went for a more organic sound, but also made a conscious decision to be as muted as possible. Other than the opening "Black Light Trap," most of this CD fits into the 'night' part of the album's title. "Pretty Little Things" and "The Reptiles and I" are slinky and darkly low key. The album's best song, "Gunning For The Buddha," is sung from the point of view of mysterious party-hardy mercenaries. They seem almost giddy about the fact that they're on the road to perform a political hit-job.

The rest of the songs are, typically, hit and miss. The best Shreikback album remains "Oil and Gold," but if you find a copy of this used, it may be worth your 80's library.

This album combines the complexity of calm genres and exciting upbeat jazzy/rock tunes. A must to add to any collection. Other Shriekback albums do not disappoint!

Lots of vocal and instrumental effects in this highly rhythmic and jazzy set. Each song is very different, but the whole somehow fits together nicely. Great danceability in "Buddha" "Sticky Jazz," while a couple of other songs are conducive to sitting around in a mellow mood. "Cradle Song" may jar a little, as it is nothing more than a surprisingly sweet lullaby, but I liked it. Kind of a Shriekback overview, really.

I saw them live when they were touring on the back of this album. I preferred their earlier stuff but seeing most of this album performed on stage gave me a new appreciation for it. It doesn't come close to "Oil and Gold" but it still reflects a part of what Shriekback was and deserves a place in any fans record collection just because of that.

For Shriekback's fifth full-length studio release, they opted to rid themselves of all the synthetics and instead go for real instruments. The result is nothing more than stunning, and every song on this album is amazing in its own right. Only four songs can really be considered "upbeat" -- Black Light Trap, Gunning For The Buddha, Running On The Rocks and Pretty Little Things. The balance are dark, lush songs: "Underwaterboys" (which is still my all-time favourite) and "Cradle Song" (a beautiful lullaby) being the two standouts.

For some reason, this CD has been long out of print. There were extended dance mixes made for Black Light Trap and Running On The Rocks, so their inclusion would be a welcome addition should this CD ever be remastered and rereleased...

Island Records - 1986
Songs Include :

Black Light Trap
Gunning For The Buddha
Running On The Rocks
The Shining Path
Pretty Little Things
Underwaterboys
Exquisite
The Reptiles And I
Sticky Jazz
Cradle Song