Gearing up for the end of the year best-of list: 50 candidates

It's time for me to start obsessing over my list of favorite albums of 2012. The first step is whittling the list down to something manageable, so here are just over 50 albums that will most likely be what I pull from. There are a few albums I've heard songs off of that are probable strong contenders that I still need to pick up, but generally this list represents what I've enjoyed most this year.

For those of you that are Spotify inclined, here's a Spotify playlist with a cut from each album. I'm a bit stunned that Spotify had all of the albums.

The list is alphabetical - I haven't dug in and started ranking since I did my half year best-of list in July.

• BAT FOR LASHES - the Haunted Man - The 3rd (and best album) from Natasha Khan is more intimate and compelling than her previous work, and spectacularly updates the Kate Bush sound [ band site ]
• BEST COAST – the Only Place - 2nd album from the California duo offers more summery ear candy with jangley guitars and Bethany Cosentino's gorgeous voice, which reminds me of Neko Case. This time the band's lo-fi edges are cleaned up by producer Jon Brion. [ band site ]
• JOHN CALE - Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood - Cale's first new album in 7 years is erratic, but like everything he's done, well worth hearing. He merges melodic pop ideas with a constantly expanding and diverse palette of experimentation like no one else. [ John's site ]
• CARDNINAL - Hymns - It took 18 years, but Richard Davies and Eric Matthews finally release the follow up their much loved debut album. The album is a bit more diverse than the debut, but still touches on their orch-pop strengths and influences (ie early Bee Gees, Left Banke, and Love). [ band's page at Fire Records ]
• CEREMONY - Zoo - Aggressive guitar post-punk from the one-time hardcore band from San Francisco. The band's punk roots are obvious, but I also hear bits of Wire, Joy Division, the Wipers, and the first few Green Day records. [ band site ]
• NENEH CHERRY & the THING – Cherry Thing - Neneh teams up with a Scandinavian free-jazz trio for a wonderfully exciting album of originals and covers (Stooges, Don Cherry, Suicide, MF Doom, and Ornette Coleman) that melds avante garde spontaneity and funky grooves, capped off with some of Neneh's loosest vocals ever. 
• CHICHA LIBRE – Canibalismo - This is one of most wonderfully weird records I've heard in the last few years. The Brooklyn band plays an updated version of Chicha (a dancable Peruvian hybrid of surf and psychedelia from the 60's and 70's), incorporating vintage synthesizers, looping mellotrons, twangy guitars, cumbia rhythms, and exotica atmospherics. You can hear bits of Martin Denny, Serge Gainsbourg, Mano Chau, Henry Mancini, and Messer Chups, yet they really sound like no one else. [ band site ]
• JIMMY CLIFF - Rebirth - The Reggae great returns with a vibrant and highly enjoyable album of classic sounding rocksteady ska while still being vital for 2012. Cliff's voice is in great form, the politically charged lyrics are as relevant as anything in his catalog, and the horns are some of the best I've heard in years. Rancid's Tim Armstrong gives a crisp, economical production that highlights the strength of the originals and well-chosen covers. [ Jimmy Cliff's site ]
• the CLOUD NOTHINGS – Attack On Memory - Cleveland band turns up the volume and intensity for an album of big guitar pop with huge hooks [ band site ]
• CROCODILES - Endless Flowers - Less Echo & the Bunnymen and more Jesus & Mary Chain for the San Diego band's third album of big guitar psychedelia. It's poppy shoegazer stuff - totally retro, but quite enjoyable. [ band's FaceBook page ]
• the dB's - Falling Off the Sky - The pop gods return with their first album in 25 years (and the first with the original Stamey/Holsapple/Rigby/Holder line-up since 1982's Repercussion). There are elements of everything the individual members have doing over the past two and half decades, yet it still sounds like a cohesive record. [ band site ]
• DINOSAUR JR - I Bet On Sky - Loving a new Dinosaur Jr album is a surprise to me, since 1987's You're Living All Over Me is the only album I really like by them (and 1991's Green Mind is the only other one I even play anymore). But the songwriting this time is stronger and the hooks catchier than anything I recall from their catalog. The band sounds totally committed to serving the songs first, which actually compliments the band's signature sound and riffing rather than fighting it. [ band site ]
• DISAPPEARS - Pre Language - Chicago post-punk band's third album is a moody dark affair loaded with hypnotic drones, icy guitars, and a vocal growl in the style of Mark E Smith. This is the band's first album with Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley sitting behind the drum kit. [ band site ]
• DIVINE FITS - A Thing Called Divine Fits - Spoon's Britt Daniel teams up with Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade) and Sam Brown (New Bomb Turks) for an album of solid new wave indie rock. [ band site ]
• DJANGO DJANGO - Django Django - Debut album from the much buzzed London quartet  armed with a diverse collection of innovative art pop songs big on catchy hooks and toe-tapping melodies. [ band site ]
• DR JOHN - Locked Down - Dr John's most most consistent album in 20 years, thanks in part to production from Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. It's a surprisingly strong album of funky, gritty blues swamp rock that somehow sounds current and timeless at the same time. [ Dr John's site ]
• BILL FAY - Life Is People - Praised by the likes of Jeff Tweedy, Jim O'Rourke, Nick Cave and Julian Cope, British singer/songwriter/pianist Bill Fay releases his third proper album after 41 years. The album is a beautiful collection of almost hymnal songs centered around Fay's wonderfully aged voice and piano. There's an intimacy and weightiness to the songs, which range from sparse piano/vocals to lushly arranged numbers with strings and a grand Hammond organ wash. [ Bill's page at Dead Oceans Records ]
• FIRST AID KIT - The Lion's Roar - Country rock in the Gram Parsons tradition from 2 Swedish sisters with hauntingly beautiful harmonies. [ band site ]
• the FRESH & ONLYS - Long Slow Dance - The San Francisco band's new album sounds like an American indie pop version of the Church or early Go-Betweens. With it's jangley guitars and shimmering melodies the band has shed their garage rock past in favor of a richer sound along the lines of an updated Paisley Underground. [ the band's blog ]
• the FURIOUS SEASONS - My Analog Face - Delicate and relaxed pop from David Steinhart, front man of the underrated 80's California jangley pop band Pop Art. The songs feature gentle guitars mingling with violins and a rich, clean production. At times the band leans towards to folk, but others have the feel of Del Amitri or Reckoning era REM. [ band site ]
• GUIDED BY VOICES – Let's Go Eat the Factory - The classic Guided By Voices line-up returns with an adequate facsimile of their glory days. Like most GbV albums - at times it works wonderfully and other it times it's just interesting. [ band site ]
• RICHARD HAWLEY - Standing At the Sky's Edge - For his 7th album Hawley significantly steps out of his comfort zone with a more urgent batch of songs with the guitars up front and the most aggressive riffing he's ever done on his own records. The album is layered with atmospheric psychedelia, which adds a whole new dimension to Hawely's top notch songwriting and guitar playing. [ Richard's site ]
• KELLY HOGAN - I Like To Keep Myself In Pain - On her first solo album in a decade, Kelly effortlessly shifts between traditional country, Americana pop, Adult Contemporary, and songs that sound like they could be standards from several generations earlier. [ Kelly's site ]
• HOWLER - America Give Up - Minneapolis' Howler play hyperactive guitar pop with a little Jesus and Mary Chain fuzz and a lot of youthful sugar rush enthusiasm. The songs are short and punchy and tailor made for a summer party mix. [ band site ]
• JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD - Hypnotic Nights - Jeff the Brotherhood play a weird hybrid of big dumb stoner rock and infectious Weezer-like pop. The band locks in on an insanely catchy hook and bludgeons you with it with the help of plodding drums and fuzzy guitars. [ band site ]
• KAISER CHIEFS - Start The Revolution Without Me - This is the US version of the band's 2011 "create your own album" the Future is Medieval. The songs are decent new wave/post punk pop, but sound more like b-sides or album cuts. They don't sound inspired and none of the songs jump out. [ band site ]
• the KIK - Springlevend - Bouncy Nederbeat (early 60's influenced beat music movement from the Netherlands) from the Dutch band's debut album. Not very original, but fun as hell. [ the band's site ]
• MICHAEL KIWANUKA - Home Again - Stunningly strong debut from a British soul singer with a rootsy 70's soul and folk hybrid [ Michael's site ]
• MARK LANEGAN - Blues Funeral - Moody, dark, and sinister - just what I wanted from the former Screaming Trees frontman [ band site ]
• CATE LE BON - Cyrk - Folky pyschedelic pop from a Welsh singer who sounds a bit like Nico era Velvets. The slightly eccentric songs pull various elements (including fuzzy guitars, odd arrangments, and krautrock delivery) into a charming and very original album. [ Cate's site ]
• LE SERA - Sees the Light - The 2nd album from Vivian Girls bassist Katy Goodman is a rush of charming indie pop melodies pushed to the next level by her captivating honey sweet vocals. [ Katy's site ]
• the MAGNETIC FIELDS - Love at the Bottom of the Sea - Stephin Merritt returns to synths and more direct songs (well, as much as Stephin Merritt can be direct). It's quirky, catchy, often funny, and always interesting - which is exactly what I want from Magnetic Fields. [ band site ]
• MAXIMO PARK - National Health - Newcastle's Maximo Park came out of the box strong with their debut album of bouncy angular pop, but lost their way quickly and I had written them off as a one album fluke. But here they've got a strong batch of high energy songs and revitalized delivery, making for quite an enjoyable album. [ band site ]
• JD McPHERSON - Signs & Signifiers - The Oklahoma native masters vintage rock and roll and R&B swing on his debut album. Although the sound is authentic in recreating a byegone era, the songs and performances are sincere enough to avoid feeling kitchy or forced. [ JD's site ]
• MIND SPIDERS - Meltdown - For their second album, Mark Ryan (perviously of the supercharged Texas garage band Marked Men) and the expanded Mind Spiders deliver a hyper garagey batch of powerpop/punk songs in the same vein as Jay Reatard. [ Band's FaceBook page ]
• MOONS - Fables of History - 60's rooted Britpop from Paul Weller's keyboardist Andy Crofts. The album is solid and catchy, but not quite as memorable as the debut.
• BOB MOULD - Silver Age - New music from Bob Mould had become less essenential to me over the past decade, but Bob is back and he's absolutely recharged. This album is ferocious and loaded with huge hooks in line with Copper Blue.
• DAVID MYHR - Soundshine - Bright, shimmering power pop from the former frontman for Sweden's Merrymakers [ David's site ]
• NADA SURF - the Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy - 7th album from the incredibly reliable New York pop band [ band site ]
• A.C. NEWMAN - Shut Down the Streets - Not as immediate as his other records (solo or with new Pornographers), here Newman is in a more traditional singer/songwriter role with a more subtle, but highly rewarding, group of songs.
• GRAHAM PARKER & the RUMOUR - Three Chords Good - Graham reunites with the Rumour for their first album together in 31 years. [ Graham's site ]
• CHUCK PROPHET - Temple Beautiful - 12th solo album from the San Francisco singer/songwriter (and former Green on Red frontman) reminds me of an Americana Ray Davies meets Alejandro Escovedo [ Chuck's site ]
• REDD KROSS - Researching the Blues - Classic Neurotica Redd Kross lineup returns after 15 years away and picks up right where they left off. This is the comeback record any Redd Kross could hope for - energetic glammy power-pop songs with crazy catchy melodies, big harmonies, and a grand sense of fun. [ band site ]
• LEE RENALDO - Between The Times & The Tides - The first post breakup album from the Sonic Youth solo guitarist is surprisingly melodic [ Lee's site at SonicYouth.com ]
• SAINT ETIENNE - Words and Music by Saint Etienne - The band's first album in 7 years is a Europop love letter to the enthusiasm of being a music fan [ band site ]
• the SHINS - Port of Morrow - James Mercer refines his pop formula and widens the pop references just a smidge. This might be his strongest and most distinctive batch of songs yet. [ band site ]
• SHOES - Ignition - The power pop legends return with their first album in 18 years - loaded with the hooks and harmonies you'd expect. This is a great album not because it's great that they're still doing it, it's a great album because the songs are top notch, the playing and production are fresh, and the band has an urgency they havven't had since the early 80's. [ band site ]
• SUMMER GIRLFRIENDS - Shockwaves - Toe-tapping melodies and Summer pop fun from Chicago. They play the same style of punked up 60's rooted pop as the first Ramones albums that also reminds me of an American version of Fuzzbox. [ band's FaceBook page ]
• LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III - Older Than My Old Man Now - As with most of his best records, Loudon sings about mortality, family, memories, and his place in the world with equal parts humor and deeply personal reflection. [ Loudon's site ]
• PAUL WELLER - Sonik Kicks - An eclectic and uneven album from the Modfather, but amongst the genre-hopping experiments are some fabulous songs. As you'd expect, he's brought some classic R&B pop, and rock rooted songs, but he also dabbles in dub, electronica, and even Krautrock. The songwriting is strong, but I wish he was a bit more focused and made a more consistent record rather than one that sounds like a Damon Albarn b-sides collection. [ Paul's site ]
• the WELL WISHERS – Dreaming of the West Coast - Classic power pop from the Bay area that works the same territory as Velvet Crush, Material Issue, and the Posies. [ BandCamp page ]
• DWIGHT YOAKAM - 3 Pears - Dwight has never been one to stick with a formula, but on his first new album of original material in 7 years he tones down his Bakersfield side and stretches out even more than normal. He covers Merseybeat pop, 60's AM radio soul, soft ballads, bar-room rockers, and honky-tonk effortlessly and ends up with a diverse collection of songs that flows perfectly. For me it's his best album since 1993's This Time. [ Dwight's site ]

A few possible last minute additions are MADNESS, GRAHAM PARKER & the RUMOUR, CALEXICO, and KEN STRINGFELLOW, which I've only given a few listens to but like what I've heard.

There will be a lot of shuffling of rankings over the next month, but I'm pretty sure the top of the list will include Nada Surf, Cloud Nothings, Bob Mould, Shoes, Mark Lanegan, Redd Kross, and Michael Kinanuka.

Now it's time to figure out what I forgot. At this stage, there's always a big album or two I somehow left off the list. That's the kind of stuff I lose sleep over.

Restocking the fridge: new beer arrivals

Not that the fridge was running low, but the Mrs and I were itching for some new beer so we made our first trip to 20 West Wine & Spirits in Lombard and added 4 new beers to our repertoire.

Really glad to get some Mole Stout from Ska Brewing for the house - had some on tap last week and absolutely loved it. Grabbed two from Brooklyn's Six Point, Bengali Tiger IPA and Autumnation Punpkin Ale. I guess Sixpoint was hit hard by Sandy and flooded, which is a drag. And from Chicago's Revolution we grabbed some Eugene Porter.

And now a few more doodles...

Here are a few recent doodles from the sketchbook....

MP3 Shuffle-a-gogo - now with Retsyn!

Simple rules: Set your MP3 delivery device of choice on shuffle, write down the first 10 songs. No skipping. Let's shuffle!

1. TALK TALK - Living in Another World (the Colour of Spring 1986) A luxuriously rich song from the third Talk Talk album (the one with the hit "Life's What You Make It"). I'm a big fan of Mark Hollis' voice, which sounds extra fab on this captivating mini epic of a song.
2. HUSKER DU - Something I Learned Today (Zen Arcade 1984) The lead off cut to the band's second studio album. Remember when Bob used to scream with wild abandon? I loved that.
3. DAVE ALVIN and the GUILTY WOMEN - Boss of the Blues (Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women 2009) A jazzy walking blues tune about Big Joe Turner with some nifty guitar from the former Blaster. I wasn't blown away by this album when it came out, but I love every song off it when they come up on a shuffle.
4. MANASSAS - Down the Road (Down the Road 1973) Off the second album from Stephen Stills short lived twangy side band. The record is erratic, but this song is pretty likeable even though it sounds sort of like it could have come off of a Dr Hook album.
5. the SUBURBS - Black Leather Stick (Ladies and Gentlemen, the Suburbs Have Left the Building compilation) Quirky Minneapolis new wave - this one was originally on the band's 1980 debut. I sometimes forget how weird their early stuff really was.
6. X - White Girl (Wild Gift 1981) I had a song off of this album on last week's shuffle, which is OK with me. You can never have too much X.
7. the dBs - Nothing Is Wrong (Ride the Wild Tom Tom 1993) My shuffle seems to love this and the other non essential dB's album (Paris Avenue). There are 5 stellar dB's releases, but my shuffle loves those 2 weird collections.
8. BIG BLACK - the Model (Songs About Fucking 1987) Big Black absolutely kill on this cover of the Kraftwerk song. And the cover of the 7" single is one of my favorite album parodies ever.
9. XTC - The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul (Skylarking 1986) The CD player just turned 30 years old last week and there was some talk around the web about "what was your first CD?". Mine was Skylarking, which I bought almost a year before I got my first CD player just so XTC could be my first CD purchase. As a bonus, I think a Mummer import ended up being the first used CD I ever bought.
10. MANASSAS - Rollin' My Stone (Down the Road 1973) This isn't bad, but it's sort of generic. Two Manassas songs on one shuffle? 

MP3 Shuffle-a-gogo

And now it's time for another round of Shuffle-a-gogo. You know the drill: set your MP3 delivery device of choice on shuffle, hit play, write down the first ten songs. No skipping. This week I'm working off of my Creative Zen, which means 6,851 songs to pull from. Let's shuffle...

1. ANY TROUBLE - Growing Up (Girls Are Always Right: the Stiff Years) A bouncy new wave Springsteen cover from the band's debut album. 
2. CHINA CRISIS - Christian (Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain 1982) This song from the band's debut sounds like a light synth pop take on Roxy Music's Avalon.
3. SAD LOVERS & GIANTS - Man of Straw (Feeding the Flame 1980) SL&G play moody post-punk that mines much of the same ground as Joy Division. But they did it better and more convincingly than most of the other bands that tried to pick up where Joy Division left off.
4. the POSIES - 20 Questions (Frosting on the Beater 1993) For album #3 the Posies recruited Don Fleming of Velvet Monkeys and Gumball to produce, which resulted in surprisingly heavier album than the first two. Now it seems perfectly in line with what the Posies were doing at the time, but I recall at the time it being a pretty jarring listen the first time I heard it.
5. JETS TO BRAZIL - One Summer Last Fall (Four Cornered Night 2000) This was my #9 album in 2000. but twelve years later it's easily the album I play the most form that year. For the second JtB album Blake Schwarzenbach abandoned most of his punk angst in favor of a more optimistic album with the keyboards up front and the guitars more restrained. 
6. X - When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch (Wild Gift 1981) Thirty plus years later Wild Gift still sounds fresh and exciting. Actually, I'd say that about the first four X albums. Billy Zoom's guitar is stellar as always here, but the Doe/Bonebreak rhythm section absolutely kicks and this is one of my favorite John Doe/Exene harmonies.
7. XTC - Ten Feet Tall (Drums and Wires 1979) A fine Colin Moulding song from the band's third album. For me this song is the bridge where Colin went from trying to write in Andy Partridge's style to writing uniquely Colin Moulding songs.
8. ENGLISH BEAT - Night and Day - 1983 Kid Jensen session (English Beat BBC Sessions) A throwaway take on the Cole Porter song with a goofy lounge singer style vocal.
9. the EQUALS - the Skies Above (Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys Anthology) I take every opportunity I can to convert more people over to the wonderfulness of Eddy Grant's first band, the Equals. They're one of my favorite bands of the 60's - playing a nice mix of British Beat, maximum R&B, and pop (and on occasion dipping their toe in the bubblegum pool). If you don't have one already - pick up an Equals comp.
10. LEE SCRATCH PERRY and the UPSETTERS - Drum Rock (Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle 1973) One of the first dub albums - hypnotic and weird, which is par for the coarse for Perry.

Well, I quite like this shuffle. I think all 10 songs put a smile on my face when they came up and made me want to break out the whole albums, which doesn't happen often with shuffles.

it's another Shuffle-a-gogo - more fun with MP3 player randomness

Yup - time for another shuffle...

1. FLASH and the PAN - Walking in the Rain (Flash and the Pan 1979) This is from the debut album by the studio only project of the Easybeat's Harry Vanda and George Young. The band is best known for their hit "Hey St Peter", but this song got a bit more attention when Grace Jones covered it.
2. JOAN ARMATRADING - Romances (Walk Under Ladders 1981) This was Joan's new wave album - produced by Steve Lillywhite and included guests like Andy Partridge, Thomas Dolby, Sly & Robbie, and Tony Levin.
3. SHOES - Snap! (Bazooka 1976) Recorded before their legendary debut DIY Black Vinyl Shoes, the Bazooka album was never officially released until it was included on the double rarities collection As Is. A little weirder and more eclectic than what would follow, there are some great pop gems here.
4. SCREAMIN JAY HAWKINS - (She Put the) Wamee (On Me) (Voodoo Jive: the best of) I remember hearing Screamin Jay for the first time, sitting at the Hillside Theater watching Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger Than Paradise" and instantly becoming a fan. As Eva says in the movie, "It's Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and he's a wild man, so bug off."
5. HALL & OATES - "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters" (War Babies 1974) This is the from their third album, which has to be the oddest record in the H&O catalog. Produced by Todd Rundgren and using Utopia as the band - they abandoned blue-eyed soul in favor of hard rock. This song sounds to me like a cross between Utopia and Funkadelic's Warner Brothers era. My friend Randy had been looking for this album for ages, which is what prompted me to seek it out. I'm really glad he did - a wonderfully weird listen.
6. SWERVEDRIVER - Duress (Mazcal head 1993) I tend to prefer short songs, but I don't think this epic would work so well  without using all eight minutes. The wall of guitar wah-wah is just stunning.
7. the dBs - You Got It Wrong (Ride the Wild Tom Tom 1993) This Chris Stamey song is one of the highlights of this dB's odds and ends collection.
8. MAGNETIC FIELDS - Quick! (Love at the Bottom of the Sea 2012) From the new album, which doesn't sound as charming as it did a few months ago.
9. the CHURCH - Is This Where You Live (Of Skins and Heart 1981) From the debut album - loaded with fine psychedelic tinged pop with ringing guitars. This one has a wonderfully hypnotic drone  and a slow build melody, capped off with a great Steve Kilby vocal and some of the band's best guitar work.
10. CARDINAL - Radio Birdman (Hymns 2012) It took them 17 years, but Richard Davies and Eric Matthews finally followed up their much loved debut with a damn fine album of eclectic pop. 

MP3 Player Shuffle-a-gogo

Here's another round of Shuffle-a-gogo.:

1. BLACK FLAG - Out of this World (In My Head 1985) This is one of the bonus cuts tacked onto the CD reissue of the last Black Flag album. Rhythm section is super tight, some great guitar lines, and Henry sounds a bit like Keith Morris in his delivery. To my ears it holds up a bit better than much of the material from the actual album.   
2. NEW ORDER - True Faith (20 Years of New Order) I always thought that this 1987 single was pretty bland, but I think I'm in the minority on that one.
3. the MARMALADE - Lovin Things (the Very Best of Marmalade) On this 1968 light pop single with big string and horns production the Scottish band mines the same territory as the Buckinghams.
4. MESSER CHUPS - Sentimental Bass (Black Black Magic 2002) Spy guitars, theremin, and weird sound effects. Par for the course for one of Russia's oddest and most fun exports.
5. PEREZ PRADO - Mambo del 65 (Al compas del Mambo 1950-52) From a stellar comp of early Perez singles - it's always a treat when anything by the King of the Mambo comes up on shuffle.
6. MYRACLE BRAH - Faux American (Plate Spinner 1999) Barroom power pop from Baltimore.
7. CHIC - Dance Dance Dance (Chic 1977) Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah! Straight ahead disco from the first Chic album. But in the hands of Niles Rodgers and Bernard Edwards even a straight ahead disco song became so much more. Chic disco holds up much better thirty plus years later than most of their contemporaries.
8. the HANDCUFFS - I Just Wanna Be Free, Man (Electroluv 2008) Fun pop from the band's second album. Brad Elvis' drums sound absolutely huge on this song.
9. the POLICE - Too Much Information (Ghost in the Machine 1981) Cha!
10. PET SHOP BOYS - Was That What It Was (Alternative) As much as I love the Pet Shop Boys singles, the record I play the most by them is this collection of 30 b-sides. This was one of the "Opportunities" b-sides. There are several bits that sound like Art of Noise - enough so that I had to double check and see of Trevor Horn produced or mixed it (he didn't). 

Nothing embarrassing or that I felt the need to explain this round! Whooh whooh!