New (to me) Music - May

Gayle Ramage
May 29
8 min read

Another month, another set of albums I'd not heard before. All but one are new to this blog series, so let's begin!

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Get Happy!! (1980)

I thought with 20 tracks on it, this 1980 offering from Elvis Costello and the Attractions would be classed as a double album, but apparently not. I've been making my way through early Costello before I decide if I want to tackle his 1990s output. Already familiar with tracks 2 and 11 (Opportunity and I Can't Stand Up...) I was curious what I'd make of the rest of the tracklist. Secondary Modern is a simple song where Costello reins in his vocals effectively, but there's a couple of tracks where the vocals (main or backing) are quite far back in the mix. I would have liked them a little bit more to the front, but that's a minor quibble.

I like to pay particular attention to the choice of the closing track of an album. I think it should be one that brings out an emotion in the listener, or at least one that you can remember the tune of ten minutes after hearing it, and I think opting for Riot Act was a decent decision. I'm not sure if I would reorder the list (maybe the topic of a post for another day). The music has a slight sense of foreboding in the verses which I like. There were 3 singles taken from the album, the aforementioned tracks 2, 11 and High Fidelity. The most successful being I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down which reached no. 4 in the UK single charts in February 1980.

Highlights: Opportunity - Secondary Modern - King Horse - Possession - New Amsterdam - High Fidelity - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down - Five Gears in Reverse - Human Touch - Beaten to the Punch - Temptation - I Stand Accused - Riot Act

Sparks - Whomp That Sucker (1981)

I was already aware that Sparks were a quirky band and knew exactly one song from their back catalogue - their biggest hit, This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both of Us. I'd also watched their Netflix documentary from a few years back, despite barely knowing anything about them. With the imminent release of their 2025 album, MAD!, I decided to take a listen to one of their earlier records, 1981's Whomp That Sucker. I should mention that I heard their third studio album, Amateur Hour, a couple of years ago but it didn't click with me at the time (I'll return to it one day), so I was hoping it would be a different story with this one. Well, I'm pleased to say that I was won over quite quickly with the opening track, Tips for Teens, a single in the UK in May 1981, and fantastic banger to commence proceedings.

I tend to focus more on the music on these first-listens, but I read the lyrics as I listened to Funny Face, a song about a conventionally beautiful person who feels unloved and yearns for a "funny face". Nice little twist to the tale at the end of the song. Upstairs is an energetic bop which I get a slight feel of Queen (I can envisage Freddie and the boys covering this). I Married A Martian is a fun sci-fi tale of extra-terrestrial regret. Overall, this was a hugely fun album to listen to. I think I'll give their new album a listen next.

(And I'm sure I'm far from the first person to mention this but, jeez, doesn't young Russell Mael look strikingly like Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters?!)

Highlights: Tips for Teens - Funny Face - Upstairs - I Married A Martian - The Willys - Suzie Safety - Wacky Woman

Garry Abbott - Last Week In Limbo (2025)

Stoke On Trent singer-songwriter, Garry Abbott, is the co-host of the podcast Big Beatles and 60s Sort Out with his brother, Paul (from the band Good Grief, and also long-term partner of my sister). I also worked with him on the Pleased! Beatles anniversary charity anthology book a couple of years ago. I've enjoyed his previous music output so when I found out he'd released a new album, Last Week In Limbo, I popped over to Bandcamp and bought a copy.

What I really like about Abbott's music is that he always infuses every track with something to hook you in, and it's no different here. There's some great melodies on this album that's already made me reach for my guitar to try and replicate. Last Week In Limbo is full of rock, pop and indie tracks but there's an intriguing inclusion of an instrumental here called Tense that is short (it only lasts 3m 47s) but holds your interest throughout. Keeping Keeping On is a gorgeous track and a highlight of the album.

Highlights: I Don't Believe a Word You Say - Is This What You Want? - Tense - Keeping Keeping On - Face the Truth - If I Said It Was Easy - Hey Love

The Kinks - Lola vs Powerman and the Moneygoround Pt. 1 (1970)

Back when I was a teen and started buying CDs, there was a good few months where I was hooked on the sound of the 1960s and bought greatest hits albums by The Mamas and the Papas, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks (not to mention a couple of Janis Joplin albums). My theory was if I enjoyed the majority of a Greatest Hits album then I'd go and buy studio albums. Sadly, as time went on and I got into different bands, I never returned to the studio albums of these '60s bands. I really liked much of The Kinks' compilation album, including Lola, their 1970 hit which I've heard many times before. I'd recently seen an article about The Kinks in 1970 so thought I'd choose their studio album of that year to listen to. I assumed there was a Part 2 to the album but a quick search tells me "nope".

Most of the songs focus on the music industry from different angles, including Denmark Street, Top of the Pops, and The Moneygoround, and there's a good mix of rockier tracks and calmer affairs. I didn’t take a close look at the lyrics, but I’m well aware that Ray Davies is heralded as one of the best lyricists Britain has ever produced, so I’ll make sure to pay closer attention next time I give the album a spin.

Highlights: Strangers - Denmark Street - Get Back In Line - Lola - Top of the Pops - The Moneygoround - Apeman - Powerman

Robyn Hitchcock 'n' The Egyptians - Queen Elvis (1989)

Robyn Hitchcock is a name that's only become familiar to me in the past couple of years through various connections to artists I've started to listen to, and I thought it was time to hear from the man himself. I randomly chose 1989's Queen Elvis, Hitchcock's seventh studio album (though the fourth with The Egyptians). Having never heard any of their music before, I wasn't sure what to expect but I generally liked what I heard (if I didn't, I wouldn't be writing about it). If I wasn’t already aware, I would have guessed this album was produced around a decade later than it was. I'll happily check out more Robyn Hitchcock music, so if anyone wants to recommend one of his other albums, let me know in the comments below. I didn't have the lyrics at hand for this album but Hitchcock's voice and diction is clear enough so there was no struggling to figure out the words, which is always appreciated!

Highlights: The Devil's Coachman - Wax Doll - Swirling - One Long Pair of Eyes - Veins of the Queen - Freeze

The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)

I've seen this specific album mentioned in various separate places within the space of a few days so figured that was the fates trying to tell me something - "get this bloody listened to, woman", so I did. I'd heard of the title before but didn't know it was released the same year as The Beatles' Sgt Pepper, though I'd heard it was the result of the Stones flirtation with psychedelia. Not wishing to compare the two albums, I went in with an open mind and eagerness to hear more new music.

Well, I really like this album. From the opening singalong of Sing This All Together, through the folksy 2000 Man, the sweet She's A Rainbow, and beyond, to the closing number On With The Show, with Mick Jagger as theatrical master of ceremonies. I was surprised (in a good way!) that I liked this album as much as I did.

Highlights: Sing This All Together - Citadel - 2000 Man - She's A Rainbow - The Lantern - 2000 Light Years from Home - On With The Show

The Zombies - Oddesey and Oracle (1968)

Having been acquainted with The Dukes of Stratosphear, this album was mentioned on a music forum as one that may have partly inspired The Dukes in their own musical endeavours, so I quickly added this to my To-Listen-To list.

Already familiar with This Will Be Our Year, via The Beautiful South cover from 2004, and what is arguable the stand out track from the album, Time of the Season, I was looking forward to hearing the rest of the tracklist. Care of Cell 44 is an great and intriguing opener in which the narator tells his incarcirated significant other how wonderful it'll be when they're released from jail. Maybe After He's Gone has a slight intensity to it and I love the descending chord progression of the chorus. Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914) is another fascinating inclusion on the album where the narrator gives a first-hand account of war. The chorus lyrics are effective and haunting ("...My mind won't stop shaking, I want to go home, Please let me go home...") as are other lines such when the narrator sees their friend ("... hang on a wire like some rag toy, and in the heat the flies come down, and cover up the boy..."). The following track brings us back to familiar themes of being in love, before the closing Time of the Seasons. I should also mention Colin Blunstone's vocals on this album. He has a smoothness to his voice which is very pleasant to listen to.

Highlights: Care of Cell 44 - Maybe After He's Gone - This Will Be Our Year - Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914) - Friends of Mine - Time of the Season

Since there aren’t as many albums on this list than usual, I’ll quickly note some individual songs that I heard for the first time this month: