One record at a time: 236. LCD Soundsystem - Electric Lady Sessions

"Electric Lady Sessions" is a live session album from 2019. I wanted to say that I bought this record because it was cheap, but when I looked for the invoice I realised it wasn't cheap at all. Therefore my motivation for buying this album after the disappointment of their previous outing, "American Dream" is inexplicable.

Proceedings open with the first of three cover versions included on the album. Elsewhere on this blog I said, "Any song that centres on the assassination of President Kennedy has the potential to be pretty disastrous but "Seconds" is both respectful and entertaining." Whist this may be true of the original, I'm not convinced the LCD version is quite as successful. 

The second track is a grittier version of the title track from their previous album and, to me, it improves things. I'm not a fan of the song "You Wanted a Hit" so the protracted version included here is totally wasted on me. However, I am a massive fan of "Get Innocuous!" which drives along relentlessly in a wash of synths, frenetic drumming and vocal chants. This is clearly a band that have played together for a long time as no matter how intricate and syncopated things become, they all seem to remain locked to each other like machines. 

Next is a trio of songs taken from the "American Dream" album which are all pretty dull - with the exception of "I Used To" which is superior to the original album version. "Home" rattles along at a rapid pace and delivers all of your cowbell percussion dreams in the process. This track segues into a version of Chic's "I Want Your Love" in which Nancy delivers a respectable vocal.

The introduction alone is enough to put me off listening to "Emotional Haircut" but I brave it and survive. "Oh Baby" is the standout track from the proceeding album and the version here offers us a slightly different flavour of a great song. The first single from the album was a cover of  Heaven 17's "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" which is presented as a reverential and restrained reproduction of the original.

Whilst some of the versions recorded in these sessions are superior to the originals, there is an over reliance on material from "American Dream" which means this record doesn't hang together as well as it could have. The band are clearly highly talented and were operating as a well oiled machine by the time they went into the studio to record this, but I wanted to hear a greater spread of material. 2/5

One record at a time: 235. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream

In 2011 LCD Soundsystem played an emotional farewell concert at Madison Square Garden and promptly disbanded. Whilst it was sad that the project had come to an end, most people respected James's desire to concentrate on his personal life and relieve the pressure that comes with being a hugely successful artist. 

Five years later it seemed the pressure hadn't been too much after all and not only did the band begin to tour again, they also released a new album "American Dream". Whilst their return did create a mild sense of confusion (and dare I say irritation) amongst some fans, everything would be forgiven if the album turned out to be a masterpiece.

The first track is the magnificent "Oh Baby". If you haven't watched the video for this song then you should go and watch it on YouTube now. You can thank me later. 

"Other Voices" sounds a bit like a rehash of things we have heard on other LCD albums, but there is enough drive and energy to keep things interesting. "I Used To" is a slow groove that meanders along in a rock style that lacks the spark of inspiration more electronics might have lent it. 

Once again James displays his allergy to certain vowels with "Change Yr Mind" which also lacks any variation and becomes a little boring by the end. "How Do You Sleep" is a bit like "Dance Yrself Clean" from the previous album in that it builds from humble beginnings into an nine minute electronic colossus. It's a great track that has so much happening that it can be hard to digest at first.

"Tonite" employs the same relentless bassline for its entire length and it either becomes hypnotic or irritating depending on your frame of mind. The single "Call The Police" tries to channel Joy Division and The Cure but ends up going a bit off piste. I'm not a fan of guitar driven music and this is just dull.

The introduction to "American Dream" sounds like "Circus of Death" by The Human League but it becomes more wishful and melancholic rather descending into the weird abstraction that inspired it. "Emotional Haircut" is the usual boisterous 'guitar and shouting' type track that LCD Soundsystem sometimes resort to. "Black Screen" gives us insight into James Murphy's feelings and behaviour when David Bowie asked him to produce his final record. The track is OK musically but I have to admit, my sympathy is somewhat limited.

As good as it is, this record still annoys me. For a start I hate the lower case styling for all of the song titles and the artwork is dull and uninspiring. This wasn't the triumphant return I was hoping for and it didn't entirely remove the bitter taste left by the band reversing their decision to disband. 3/5

One record at a time: 234. LCD Sound System - This Is Happening

To my shame I don't own LCD Soundsystem's second album on vinyl, so we jump to "This Is Happening" from 2010 as the next selection.

This record feels more electronic than its predecessors and I have a higher regard for it as a result. However, like all LCD Soundsystem albums, things do still swing wildly between art-rock nonsense and electronic majesty - it's just the art rock nonsense is kept to a minimum this time around.

Opening track "Dance Yrself Clean" is a truly epic piece that builds from a barely perceptible whisper to electronic induced mayhem. With a running time of nearly nine minutes you might be forgiven for thinking this track is overly long, but it sails by and makes for the perfect start.

Unfortunately the promise of the opening is betrayed by the irritating pseudo-punk of "Drunk Girls". To me this track is a perfect demonstration of James Murphy's inclination to self destruct. There's not much melody in this guitar driven dirge and the lyrics sound like the banal ramblings of a teenager.

We return to the more majestic electronic pop with "One Touch" which features some of the best synth sequences you are likely to hear outside of a Giorgio Moroder track. Yes there is some guitar which lets things down a bit, but James and Nacy's vocal is just perfect. Back in 2010 when I originally reviewed this album I wrote that "All I Want" sounded like an annoying pastiche of Bowie’s ""Heroes"" and I stand by this comment. I can't even bear to listen to it.

I love the track "I Can Change" as it seems to have a real spark of genius. I guess I'm more attracted to the 'synth-pop' sound here, but there are also some original touches that elevate this song to the same heights as "Dance Yrself Clean" and "One Touch". It is also worth mentioning that there is a 12" single with some remixes by Stereogamous that I also adore. 

"You Wanted a Hit" is too cynical for me and "Pow Pow" is pretty much devoid of melody. "Somebody’s Calling Me" is very, very annoying but the final track "Home" is a really great way to finish the record. Thirteen years ago my review of this album was quite gushing but my regard has dwindled quite a bit since. I love some of the tracks here, but I also find fault more easily and deeply with the less immediate material. 3/5

One record at a time: 233. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem

Having bought the CD of this eponymously titled debut album in 2005, I acquired the vinyl when it was reissued in 2017. Whilst the CD version had a second disc collecting together some early 12" singles, the record is limited to the standard nine album tracks.

I originally bought this after hearing "Daft Punk is Playing at my House" on the radio. I have never listened to the radio much (much less Radio 1) so it must have been providence that led me to tune in as this song began to play one evening. There was something about this track that channelled the zeitgeist and it seemed very trendy to me. It was also humorous and a bit off the wall - I didn't even care that it wasn't very electronic.

The second track on the album "Too much Love" was much more electronic in an intriguing, lo-fi, analogue way. I hadn't really heard anything like this before. "Tribulations" is a perfect blend of octave synth bass, drones and original lyrical content that I couldn't get enough of when I first heard it. I used to drive to work and play the first three songs from the CD over and over dreaming of being in New York with the glitterati and not heading to a tortuous dead-end job. 

The next song "Movement" smacks too much of 'knowing' alternative rock for me to enjoy it. Throughout the LCD Soundsystem back catalogue there are a number of songs like this and I don't enjoy any of them. "Never as tired as when I'm waking up" sounds like a terrible Beatles pastiche that just drags on and on until the needle reaches the end of the wax.

Thankfully the first track on the flip side, "On Repeat" is less inclined to indulge in rock cliches but it still doesn't do enough to capture my interest. "Thrills" is a more palatable and has a superb bassline that is reminiscent of Leftfield's "Phat Planet" in places. The last standout track is "Disco Infiltrator" which takes inspiration from Kraftwerk and mixes it with a pinch of seventies funk to create a really good groove. "Great Release" is a bit of a stale ending but there has been more than enough to entertain here. 3/5

Losing my edge

Sometime in 2005 I was going to work on a night shift and for some inexplicable reason I tuned my car stereo to BBC Radio 1. This was strange as I never listened to this station normally and frankly, I haven’t listened to it since. But as I drove along that night, I heard a track titled “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” that was both weird and glorious; I loved it instantly. I bought LCD Soundsystem’s eponymously titled debut album as soon as I got access to Google and Amazon.

Over the next few years I bought “45:33” and “Sound of Silver” and found LCD Soundsystem were increasingly brilliant. By the time the glorious “This is Happening” was released I was truly engrossed by Mr Murphy’s music as it was a cunning mix of the sombre and the facile.

However, it became apparent that this was to be the last LCD Soundsystem album and by the time I went to see them live in the spring of 2010 we knew it was soon going to be over. I followed the break up of the group via their website with a mixture of disbelief and ambivalence.

Yet it is only when I watch “Shut up and play the hits” that I realise what a loss LCD Soundsystem are to the music world. Yes, we have the music and the memories, but to think a talent like James Murphy no longer has an output is quite sad. He says touring was ageing him and he wanted to get on with his life. Fine, stop touring if you have to, but please Mr Murphy, make some music. You’re too good not to.