April Showers: Abandon Ship Now on cd

[gazebo]

Various: Ave Marina: Ten Years Of Marina Records ****

Available in North America through poppolar Records.
http://www.poppolar.com/index.asp

This gem of a two-CD compilation certifies that ten years of the Hamburg-based Marina Records equates to more than 20 years of Scottish music - plus the occasional nod to our jangly Liverpudlian and Euro brethren. Marina founders, Stefan Kassel and Frank Lähnemann, love their alternative Scotpop, especially the Postcard Records diaspora, with contributions here from Roddy Frame, Edwyn Collins, James Kirk, Malcolm Ross and subsequent generations of Beach Boys-influenced romantics. Ave Marina makes blissful summer listening, with its glut of rock bands who want to be Burt Bacharach, punctured by the invigorating convulsions of Franz Ferdinand prototypes Josef K and retro-futurist jazz-funk obscurities. Elsewhere, LA eccentric Kim Fowley comes over all Jesse Rae, while his contemporary Van Dyke Parks has the last word with the filmic flourish of his mini-symphony Joshua Tree Suite (Part 1).



CD1
01. Jazzateers: Here Comes That Feeling
02. The Kingfishers: Out
03. Gazelle: Mistakes Of Human Nature
04. Ralley: Adriano Celentano
05. The Marina Swingers: I'm A Swinger
06. Shack: I Know You Well
07. April Showers: Abandon Ship
08. The Pearlfishers: Everybody Knows It's A Dream
09. Josef K: Heads Watch
10. Mindstore: Nutmunch
11. Sugartown: The Fisherman And His Soul
12. June & The Exit Wounds: How Much I Really Loved You
13. Kim Fowley: Young, White & Stupid (Under Teenage Skies)
14. Malcolm Ross: Smiling Sweetly
15. Tahiti 80: Listen
16. Ashby: Horizon
17. Kosinar & Schmiechen: Sei Bereit
18. The Aluminum Group: Satellite
19. Skinner: Yeah Yeah Yeah

CD2
01. Peter Thomas: Opium
02. The Secret Goldfish: Amelia Star
03. The Free Design: The Hook
04. Der Plan: Hohe Kante
05. Marina Unlimited Orchestra: Wow ! (Love Theme From Marina)
06. Edwyn Collins: Seventies Night (Deadly Avenger Supershine Mix)
07. Adventures In Stereo: Long Live You
08. Eric Matthews: Lonely Sea
09. Article 58: Event To Come
10. The Pale Fountains: Thank You (John Peel Session)
11. Camping: Wunderbares Mädchen
12. James Kirk: Faraway Station
13. The Primary 5: Mailman
14. Green Peppers: I Get It
15. Eight Miles High: Keep It On
16. Cowboy Mouth: Melanie
17. Die Zimmermänner: Cornelia
18. Roddy Frame: Your Smile Has Stopped The Hands Of Time
19. Van Dyke Parks: Joshua Tree Suite (Part I)

[yipyipcoyote]

Like many a AS fan I bought this on the strength of this one song [:I] , and I'm pleased to report that it sounds great - no vinyl transfers here. The rest of it is OK too, if you know what to expect from this label. The glossy packaging is kind of cool.