Category Archives: Beginner’s Guide

Begin again – revisiting the beginner’s guides

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In all, between 2014 and 2015, this blog posted 66 beginner’s guides. The idea was to present six things:

  • Key moments – why you might have heard of these people before
  • Where to start – my thoughts on which of their albums to buy or listen to first
  • What to buy – the three items you should track down next
  • Don’t bother with – an item that is probably best avoided, or definitely should wait until you graduate to the level of completist
  • Hidden treasure – one song that’s hidden away somewhere and should be located at all costs
  • For stowaways – some collected highlights from their posts on this blog

They were very popular – in fact, for a long time, Depeche Mode‘s was the most popular post on this blog, and while that does suggest to me that it reached the wrong audience slightly, it’s still a good thing. They were also divisive – inevitably, people disagreed with a lot of what I wrote and told me so in angry or passive-aggressive ways. This is the internet, after all.

So what’s happened since they were written? Here are some highlights:

  • Air released a vinyl-only box set called Music for Museum, which you can probably skip for now
  • Conjure One released Holoscenic, which is nearly as good as their debut album, so is probably worth tracking down
  • Crystal Castles came back with a new lineup – I haven’t heard it yet, but the feedback seemed positive
  • Depeche Mode returned with the fantastic Spirit. You wouldn’t want to start with it, but it should be high on the list
  • Erasure keep churning albums out every couple of years, and finally seem to have returned to the consistent quality of the late 1980s and early 1990s
  • Goldfrapp have a new album, but it’s not quite as good as the previous one
  • The Human League have a new best of to consider, A Very British Synthesizer Group
  • Hot Chip keep throwing out great albums every time you turn your back for a moment
  • Jean Michel Jarre has managed three fantastic new albums: the two Electronica volumes and Oxygène 3
  • Kraftwerk now have a diverting live collection to consider
  • New Order now have the fantastic Music Complete to add to the list, which wouldn’t be a bad thing to add to the “what to buy” list either
  • Pet Shop Boys brought us the lovely Super
  • Röyksopp reappeared with two albums, Do It Again and The Inevitable End, before taking what looked at the time like an early retirement
  • Saint Etienne reissued their reissue series and just came back with Home Counties

You can find the index to all the beginner’s guides here.

The complete beginner’s guide

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We’ve hit something of a watershed with the last ever in the Beginner’s guide series, which was posted a couple of weeks ago. In the interests of completeness, and in order that you can go back and find the ones you missed, here’s a list of all of them.

And just in case you missed it, for completism, here’s the Beginner’s guide to the beginner’s guide. If you’re wondering if they’ll ever come back – well, maybe. But for now, this is the complete set!

Beginner’s guide to Kings of Convenience

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We’ve covered Erlend Øye‘s latter career already, but when he started out he was merely a member of a rather good acoustic duo, Kings of Convenience.

Key moments

They managed a number of minor UK hits, with Failure, Toxic Girl, and I’d Rather Dance with You, but they’re definitely an album band.

Where to start

Start at the beginning with the brilliant Quiet is the New Loud (2001). If you never buy anything else, you do at least have a great chillout album.

What to buy

Follow up the debut with its companion remix album Versus (also 2001) for a very different perspective on many of the same tracks. That leaves the second and third albums Riot on an Empty Street (2004) and Declaration of Dependence (2009), neither of which quite has the charm of the first, but both have some great moments.

Don’t bother with

Any of the singles. Also, if you weren’t too sure about the second album, you might want to give the third one a miss – each one is marginally less memorable than its predecessor.

Hidden treasure

Velferd‘s free 2013 remix of unreleased Rule My World is great, if you can still find it floating around anywhere.

For stowaways

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Beginner’s guide to Joy Division

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With a career tragically cut short by Ian Curtis‘s suicide, Manchester’s Joy Division managed just two studio albums and a handful of singles, but somehow managed to leave an enormous impact on the world.

Key moments

If you’re just a fan of pop music, you might have only heard Love Will Tear Us Apart, so it might come as a surprise to learn that it isn’t actually on either of the albums. There are plenty of other special moments hidden away across all their releases, so dive in!

Where to start

This is actually quite difficult. I don’t want to recommend any of the singles compilations, but a beginner should definitely get Love Will Tear Us Apart on their first foray into Joy Division‘s back catalogue. The Heart and Soul set is great, but hides the albums weirdly in amongst everything else, making it daunting for a first timer.

On balance, go with the 1998 The Best Of Joy Division compilation – even if you buy everything else, the bonus disc will give you a set of Peel Sessions to hang on to.

What to buy

Again, you could do worse than Heart and Soul, but I find I never listen to it because of the way the albums are secreted. Instead, start with Unknown Pleasures (1979), and then grab Closer (1980), before concluding with the early collection Still (1981). I’m not clear whether the remasters are worth tracking down, but the bonus discs sound more appropriate for completists than beginners.

Don’t bother with

Permanent, the 1995 singles compilation, which sacrifices space for originals to a silly new remix of their most famous track.

Hidden treasure

There are lots of hidden demos and live versions that you can look forward to tracking down later, but don’t worry about any of that for now.

For stowaways

Beginner’s guide to Asana

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The chances are you won’t have come across Dave Barker‘s Asana project before, but if you like gentle, dramatic, instrumental electronic music, it has plenty to offer.

Key moments

His creative peak was probably with 1997’s Trikuti, his second album, which was produced by Andy Pickford.

Where to start

Definitely grab a copy of Trikuti, which is brilliant, either in its original form or the new remaster, which can be purchased directly from the Asana website

What to buy

If you can find Live at Jodrell Bank, that’s also worth having. Then there are two Cerulean albums from his side project to choose from – try Ectoplasm (2002). His debut album Shrine (1994) is good, but it isn’t as great as Trikuti. If you can find a copy, either of the original or the re-recorded CD-R version for not too much money, go for it, but don’t lose too much sleep if not.

Don’t bother with

There’s nothing to avoid as such, but do try sampling everything first so you can be sure it’s for you.

Hidden treasure

Despite what I said above, Shrine and Radiant are both great pieces from the first album, and East, from the live album, is very good too.

For stowaways

Beginner’s guide to Annie

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Norwegian singer Annie has only released a couple of albums, and neither was even that successful outside her home country, but somehow she established herself as one of the best pop singers of the 2000s.

Key moments

Her biggest hits were Chewing Gum and Heartbeat from her debut album Anniemal.

Where to start

Start with Anniemal (2004) and get to know her when she was just starting out.

What to buy

Second album Don’t Stop (2009) is nearly as good as the first, but inexplicably doesn’t include the one-off Anthonio from the same year. Track down both.

Don’t bother with

Do bother with both albums and a few other odd bits. There isn’t anything particular you need to avoid.

Hidden treasure

Definitely track down Anthonio if you haven’t already, and Back Together from 2013’s A&R EP is brilliant too.

For stowaways

Beginner’s guide to Duran Duran

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Duran Duran were one of the biggest acts of the eighties, and briefly, the nineties too. But if you haven’t come across them before, where should you begin?

Key moments

Who could forget Rio or A View to a Kill? Or the dreadful Notorious? Perhaps their early nineties comeback with Ordinary World and Come Undone?

Where to start

The compilation Greatest only goes up to 1998, but you don’t really need much of what came after that, and it’s largely comprehensive otherwise. Start there.

What to buy

Rio (1982) is, of course, essential, and there are some nice special editions to consider. Their eponymous debut (1981) is also well regarded, but there’s really nothing else that can be recommended here.

Don’t bother with

Much, actually. Notorious (1986) is largely dreadful apart from Skin Trade. Duran Duran (The Wedding Album) (1993) isn’t that great either – surprisingly, given how good the singles were. And the cover version album Thank You (1995) is every bit as awful as people said at the time.

Hidden treasure

Out of My Mind, their 1998 single from The Saint is brilliant, as was (Reach Up for the) Sunrise, from Astronaut (2004). Regardless of how much you like them, you’ll find hidden delights dotted throughout their career.

For stowaways

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Beginner’s guide to Alpinestars

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With a brief two-album career an entire decade ago, you could well have forgotten about Alpinestars, so it’s worth taking a moment to remind ourselves who they are and what they achieved.

Key moments

Collaborating with Placebo‘s Brian Molko on Carbon Kid on their second album.

Where to start

Set off with second album White Noise (2002), making sure to get the UK version, which has a couple of bonus tracks (the US version has a video instead).

What to buy

Roll back to the debut album BASIC (2000) and enjoy the exquisite Green Raven Blonde. Actually, those two albums are really all you need.

Don’t bother with

Anything else. Some of the singles have nice extras, but you don’t have to go with them.

Hidden treasure

Partisan Song, the first of the two extra songs on the UK version of White Noise, which is one of the best tracks on the album.

For stowaways

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Beginner’s guide to Death in Vegas

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It’s difficult to define Death in Vegas. With their dark experimental psychedelic rock sound, you could pigeonhole them as something stuck in the 1970s, but then the electronic side turns up and offers something entirely different.

Key moments

The collaborations with enormous rock stars – Iggy Pop on Aisha, and Liam Gallagher from Oasis on Scorpio Rising.

Where to start

You could jump straight into the studio albums, but if you want to be a little cautious initially, Milk It is a great “best of” compilation including highlights from 1997-2002 and some selected remixes.

What to buy

Their true masterpiece is The Contino Sessions (1999). Follow that with the more commercial Scorpio Rising (2002) and then the later Satan’s Circus (2004).

Don’t bother with

The more recent Trans-Love Energies (2011), for the time being. Wait until you’ve got to know them a bit better first. Also, most of the singles aren’t really worth bothering with.

Hidden treasure

There are some great pieces hidden away on the debut album Dead Elvis (1997), and the limited edition live album that comes with Satan’s Circus is worth hearing too.

For stowaways

Beginner’s guide to Mike Oldfield

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If anyone mentions contemporary instrumental music, the chances are you’ll think of multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield. You’ll probably only be able to name one of his albums (or maybe two or three, if you had heard he had recorded a sequel).

Key moments

Tubular Bells (1973), obviously. The follow-up Hergest Ridge (1974) was also a number 1, as was Tubular Bells II (1992), but other than that – despite an enormous cult following – you could have easily failed to notice he’d done much else. You would be wrong.

Where to start

I’m not sure this even needs to be said. Start with Tubular Bells, obviously.

What to buy

Tubular Bells II lacks some of the innovation of the original, but is a worthy sequel and a good place to go next. Tubular Bells III (1998) is actually better, but you might want to skip the bells for a while after the first two. Buy The Songs of Distant Earth (1995), which is a lovely science fiction masterpiece, and then maybe go for Platinum (1979) to hear something slightly different from when he was huge.

Don’t bother with

Tubular Bells 2003 – it’s just a re-recording of the original album. Also, The Orchestral Tubular Bells isn’t really essential for most listeners.

Hidden treasure

Family Man, from Five Miles Out (1982) is rather charming, as is Dark Island, from Voyager (1996). Moments like these are peppered throughout his career.

For stowaways