SINGLES GOING STEADY: "TAURUS" BY SPIRIT

Spirit

Spirit is one of those bands you should know.  It was fronted Randy California, who as a young teenaged prodigy  had a band called The Blue Flames that would tear it up at the historic Cafe Wha? in the Greenwich Village.  The Blue Flames also featured a dude you might have heard of named Jimi Hendrix.  California, whose real last name was Wolfe, was supposed to join the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but since he was only 15, I guess he was too young to go to England.   In hindsight, I'm sure he regretted that move.  When Spirit broke up some of the remaining members found continued success with a band called Jo Jo Gunne and later with a Country Rock band called Firefall, which put out both a gold and platinum album.

Anyway, let's talk about "Taurus."  It's vocal-less, but it contains a riff which pretty much all guitarists learn a variation of at some point.  The more famous riff is by Led Zeppelin.  As you will hear, a good 90% of it came from the band Spirit first.  

Will you be able to tell which Led Zeppelin song I'm talking about? 

"Taurus" by Spirit

This is a great album 

QUIQUE BY SEEFEEL (AKA IF YOU LIKE MY BLOODY VALENTINE, CLICKING HERE SHOULD BE A NO-BRAINER)

Quique ('keek') by Seefeel

How do I know you'll like Seefeel if you like My Bloody Valentine? Well it's sort of like this: if you like tacos, chances are you'll like burritos and enchiladas.  If you like bracelets, you'll probably like necklaces.  If you like drawing with markers, I bet you'll also like drawing with pastels or charcoal.  

Released in 1993, Quique is Seefeel's best album.  The songs are a bit less direct  and more ambient than what's on MBV's Loveless. That said, it's only a step below that classic album.  It has the same "whoa...awesome" feeling.

If you dig this, I am confident you'll also like Stars Of The Lid —though it's more sleepy.

Quique ('keek') by Seefeel 

MAKE IT LAST FOREVER BY DONNA MCGHEE (AKA IF YOU LIKE DIANA ROSS, YOU BETTER CLICK HERE)

Make It Last Forever by Donna McGhee

There's no easier way to begin this article.  If you want to listen to post-Supremes Diana Ross without listening to post-Supremes Diana Ross, I highly recommend Make It Last Forever by Donna McGhee. Maybe, it's a groundless claim. Certainly Diana Ross, wasn't the only Disco/Soul chick—and definitely not the most quintessential—but my confidence in my suggestion is grounded firmly at the 100% level.  This LP is sexy, provocative and brilliant and it contains none of the good-girl innocence of The Supremes and all the sensuality of 70's Diana Ross.  Maybe more sensuality.  We're talking about a vocal delivery that is almost orgasmic and then parts, which are literally orgasmic.  

One song in particular, "Do As I Do," is 10 minutes long and 90% of it sounds like McGhee is dabbling between singing and using a vibrator.  In some ways this album is a precursor to Prince's 1999—except McGhee doesn't sound like she is faking it, if you know what I mean.  Without saying "fuck," "shit" or any dirty word, Make It Last Forever is an album that Tipper Gore would want to warn parents about.  I mean, here I am, a not-so prudish 23 years old man and I'm almost blushing when I listen to this.  And, yeah, I love it! 

But, holy shit, I'm going to need to put on some deoderant, because this is steaaaaaammmmmy.  I'll be back in one minute.

Back.  Anyway, this album really didn't do a damn thing when it was originally released in 1978.  It could have.  The obvious single It Ain't No Big Thing sounds like a post-Florence Ballard era Supremes single.  It's actually how I discovered this album, having heard it on a Disco/Soul B-side compilation called The Master Of Masterpiece.  I highly recommend that comp. and I will include it below.  

I digress.  No, Make It Last Forever didn't do much in '78 and there isn't a whole lot of critical coverage available, however, it has become a cult favorite.  A lot of people want this album.  Go to a popular database like Discogs and you'll see that 1056 of registered users have indicated that it's on their wishlist.  That may not seem like a lot, but in the music industry, if you can move (aka sell) 1000 units of vinyl, the title is worth pressing.   Therefore, I'm not surprised that Make It Last Forever has been reissued several times in the last few years.  It just makes sense.  

But, you don't care about any of that shit, do you? Of course you don't—I don't even care, so why should you?  I'll shut up and you can listen now. 

Make It Last Forever by Donna McGhee

And as promised...The Master Of Masterpiece