13. Mary Coughlan: Under The Influence (1987): Intoxicating As Well...

This album is a classic showcase of the young record buyer under the influence: In 1987, I had never heard of Mary Coughlan, and consequently never heard any of her music. Then I read a raving review in the Soundi magazine - my musical bible through the eighties and nineties - and bought it from Levymyynti, THE record store in my then hometown Turku if you were looking for something that wasn't on the charts - and fell in love. Afterwards I have bought half a dozen more of Mary's albums, but none of them measure up to this collection.

What is it that makes it so great? Stylistically, it's quite varied for popular music - there's a sound foundation of jazz-influenced pop - from the stunning starters "The Laziest Girl" and "Ice-Cream Man" to the broadly sweeping yet emotionally charges "AWOL", sprinkled with sounds from the theatre stage such as the tragically tender "Fifteen Only" and folk influences such as the chanson-more-than-Celtic "My Land Is Too Green" and the simply gorgeous remake of the McCarthy-penned Christy Moore-staple "Ride On". 

This song is the centrepiece of the album for me - its message comes across just as strongly as in Moores haunting version, but the upped tempo and Davey Spillane's uileann pipes in a eightyish soundscape make this the most obvious example of the mega-hit that never was that I can think of.

Overall, the production is timeless rather than time-bound - and spot-on, since it creates the perfect stage for the most important feature of the album, Mary's voice.

From what I've read about her life and career, the feeling she conveys of having lived through the pains and pleasures she sings about seems all the more real, and her alto, her sense of nuance and drama and her Irish accent make for one of the most unique musical experiences I know. I daresay she would have made a great rock interpreter in the style of Maggie Bell, and she´s up there with Mavis Staples and Millie Jackson for the soulfulness - but in fact the stylistic variation and rather open soundscape make for an even better setting. She may have been under the influence, but whatever substance did it for her works through the music, because I find it intoxicating.

12. Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Get Happy! (1980): The Angry And Prolific Young Man At Work

Among the "winning streaks" of constantly good to great records from my favourite artists, I rank Elvis Costello's first ten albums of originals, from 1977 to 1986, among the highest, not the least because the sheer number of songs he wrote for them. It's hard to single out the best of these albums, but "Get Happy!" is a strong candidate, perhaps partly due to the fact that it was the first EC album I bought. It also contains no less than eighteen of his self-penned songs, which must be close to a record on a single album - augmented by a scorching cover of the old soul tune"I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)".

The number of songs allows for great variety - from the tempo and urgency of said cover version or "High Fidelity" to the acoustic swirl of "New Amsterdam", from the athmospheric soundscape of "B Movie" or "Secondary Modern" to the suggestive beat of "Black And White World". There may be no real standouts on the album, but on the other hand the staggering wealth of the arrangements and the absence of prolonged fades or filler make for a breathtaking musical trip of three quarters of an hour. Most pop songs would be fine if restricted to three minutes each - but Elvis makes do with two.

The band has to be mentioned - these tunes are executed with a minimal setup of drums, bass, guitar and keyboards, yet nothing is lacking. Especially the keys are allowed to shine - listen to "Motel Matches" as a good example. And then there's Elvis - not the greatest singer in the world, but a great interpreter of his own songs as well as those borrowed. In my opinion, he's sometimes stretched beyond his abilities - but that has been in later years; here he still is simply an angry young man, who understands to vent his feelings through other means than shouting.

If I have an objection, that would be the lack of printed lyrics, especially since the artist obviously has something to say - but that lack doesn't diminish the enjoyment of playing this record.