STACK NZ Oct #78

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By Graham Reid

NORAH JONES

Public Image Ltd Metal Box Super Deluxe

When the Sex Pistols imploded, John Lydon with bassist Jah Wobble and guitarist Keith Levine emerged as Public Image Ltd (PiL). Their 1978 debut First Edition announced a new direction but the following year they

Because her debut album Come AwayWith Me (2002) sold over 25 million copies, smart folks and cynics wrote Norah Jones' music off as polite MOR. But it was a canny distillation of country and cool jazz, and her new album Day Breaks – originals and covers of material by Duke Ellington, Horace Silver and NeilYoung – takes her back to those roots. Here are some pointers where it comes to her catalogue...

delivered Metal Box (three records tightly packed into a film canister). Once you finally prised them out you were treated to – challenged by – sprawling, tightly-wound music (the opener Albatross is 10 minutes long) on which Lydon indulged his love of Can but coupled their improvised, rolling sound with Wobble's inventive bass and Levine's naggingly abrasive guitar. A great post-punk album, Metal Box -- thrillingly difficult but rewarding – now gets the expanded treatment adding B-sides, radio sessions, live version and different mixes (the four-record version with a rarities LP and a download card for everything in the four CD version). Edgy and exceptional. You have been warned.

Feels Like Home (2004) Given those massive sales, we assume you've got her debut. But this follow-up – where she went even more country by duetting with Dolly Parton and writing lyrics for Ellington's Don't Miss You At All – was its musical equal. You don't have TomWaits and Kathleen Brennan write a song for you, or have Levon Helm and Garth Hudson from The Band as guests, if you ain't doin' something right. The Little Willies (2006) This band was her breathing space away from the solo spotlight, and with friends she sang country songs (by Hank Williams, Van Zandt, Nelson and others) alongside originals. The closer about Lou Reed is very funny and shows this project to be a relaxed, quiet spot in her high- profile world. The Fall (2009) By this fourth release, many had decided Jones was just making the same album over and over, although that was far from true. Again she had interesting guests (guitarists Marc Ribot and Smokey Hormel among them), and co- wrote with Ryan Adams and Okkervil River's Will Sheff. Darker, more brooding and steamy in places. The lost Jones album? Featuring Norah Jones (2010) Something of a career stopgap compilation which collects her guest appearances with everyone from the Foo Fighters, Outkast and Talib Kweli to Ray Charles, Willie Nelson and Herbie Hancock. More shapeless than previous outings, but if we judge someone by the company they keep...

MUSIC

Free Live! By the time this album was released in late 1971 the original band had broken up, but theirs had been a remarkable run with four studio albums in two years, an appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival and ensuring the reputations of singer Paul Rodgers (still frontman for Bad Company) and guitarist Paul Kossof, the inspired blues- rock player who died in 1976. Always an acclaimed live band (their sole hit was All Right Now which gets extended treatment here), this reissue with extra tracks delivers their sweat and sinew as it should be heard.

Peter Tosh Legalize It

This expanded-to-double-vinyl edition re-presents the 1976 debut by the former Wailer who carried a number from that band into the sessions. While Marley delivered the serious Rastaman Vibration and Bunny Wailer dropped the exceptional, dark and roots Blackheart Man the same year, Tosh hit the middle ground, pushed pleasure over the political (although that's here too) and in the title track says, “legalize it and I will advertise it”. Which he does on the cover, smoking his chillum in a field of marijuana. Great rootsy songs ( Burial ) too. Recommended (re)discovery.

And also... Norah Jones puts herself about a bit – check her numerous guest appearances on a couple of dozen albums – but her most unexpected pairing was with Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day for the 2013 album Foreverly on which they covered the Everly Brothers' 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us . It is surprisingly good.

For more interviews, reviews and overviews from Graham Reid visit www.elsewhere.co.nz

OCTOBER 2016

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