Interactive Poll XXVII: Collaborations Don't Work

I had wanted to bring Bill here for a long time, that recording went virtually unnoticed and there is some wonderful music on it.  Jack is also on another of the tunes on it, "Tall Stories," and Jack's son, Malcolm, is on several of the pieces, as well as contributing as a writer. There are a couple of guest vocals by Ozzy as well (and others, Bill also takes on lead vocals) and I am actually the first voice you hear on the record, the dispatcher at the start of "(Mobile) Shooting Gallery."  Bill asked me to write the script and slip back into an old job role to have a realistic 911 call, as the person in the song is overdosing and is saved from death, to straighten his life out, later, in the record.  

"Collaborations don't work" they said... They don't know what they're talking about! First round of listening...

Meltdowner: Wonderful poll title song. I don't think I ever heard anything by this collaboration between Franz Ferdinand and Sparks - this one is very epic, and ironic!
Anaquim with Viviane bring a great song, rather classical in a way, but with a definite narrative quality (although I don't understand the lyrics) and their two voices complement each other very well.

Hrychu: Nice to put some of your own work up...(now we want the names!). A three-part track that starts with a very 80s synth-dominated computer game sound, a second part with some singing (in Japanese?) and a third full on band bombasm. Some nice riffs and melodies that may need a video accompaniement or may be too busy for that?

Logan: A gentle string opening of the first track by Haco and Sakamoto Hiromichi, which then gets joined by a theremin before evolving into something very orchestral and then ebbing away again in the delicacy of the beginning. Very nice track by to me completely unknown artists... Pierre Henry and Urban Sax may not present my preferred work of Pierre Henry, but it always remains intriguing and fascinating how the sound and atmosphere develops in this very Steve-Reich like piece. Never heard of Toshiyuki Miyama nor His New Herd and it is with a big bang they enter us in a frightening scene, with dissonant strings and brass augmented by the electronics. A modern orchestral and very cinematographic composition with some deconstructed touches of rock and jazz. This is contemporary music I like very much!

jamesbaldwin: Nice to present more by Fabrizio De André - I definitely have to explore more of his music... The first track with Ivano Fossati displays his beautiful deep voice, the poetry of the lyrics and the subtle but rich music: the delicate guitar backed by an orchestra... The ending with Dori Ghezzi singing makes it a deeply moving song... Amico Fragile brings a more typical singer-songwriter track, but with PFM's arrangements bringing in some more rock balladry... A bit more conventional to my ears - maybe a bit too perfect? With Modena City Ramblers and Piero Pelù we have a kind of troubadour, storytelling song brought with a very Mediterranean quality with touches of (folk-)rock. Quite nice too, but I prefer the first song of the three.

Lewian: What can we expect from Jah Wobble, The Edge and Holger Czukay? Well, this: a camel! Very tight jazzy music with some licks and scratches and breathes sprinkled around. Very catchy and a fun listen in the sense that it is very playful and very musical at the same time.

Cristi: What can we expect from Coverdale & Page? Well, Deep White Zep, man! We're rollicking between the delicate acoustic guitar and the hard rocking thunder passages. Maybe not a masterpiece but they really team up well, these two! Going Off course with Erik Truffaz brings us in jazz territory: percussion, piano, electric guitar exchange with the beautiful trumpet playing by Truffaz. Nice track, and very different from the first one...

Snicolette: What can we expect from Bill Ward with Jack Bruce: Well, it's already Sunday so Sabbath is over... Sunday Cream, then! Wonderful perfect song, well written well performed - powerful delicacy! We then enter dthe eternal winter with harp and cello with Atilio Adrian Metteuccian Jesse Ahmann. Yes, the harp is bringing an ice cold breeze to us and we can hear the icicles fall from the rooftops every now and then, but fortunately we can warm us up near the warmth of the cello fire. Very nice interplay of these two instruments. Warmer harp sounds in the next one: Seckou Keita with Catrin Finch. This is a bit too much harp for me (you already know that), I miss the cello! But it is actually nice to hear and interesting to watch them play...

Good stuff here (and yes, even though Nicky outdoes herself once more describing the tracks thoroughly they are still worth a listen ).

For sure this poll wins the prize for the best poll title song!