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AC/DC - "Family Jewels" two-disc DVD
set (5/2005)
I had to get it, I
just had to. You know, I go into my local electronics bazaar to
purchase my latest CD releases, and I always take a quick gander at
the DVD section while I'm there. Well, just a couple of weeks back,
I came upon this 40-track two-disc set of some of the greatest tunes
I've ever heard. I had seen the commercial on late night TV, and
being an obsessed AC/DC fan all of my life, I was naturally
intrigued. I think you got a set of AC/DC Ginsu knives or a sticker
or some crap when you ordered from the telly, but I guess I can
live without the small things this time. I'm not crazy about the
concept of short form, MTV-type music videos usually, but this
sucker was loaded with 40 killer songs and had a sweet price tag of
$14.99. Having heard on the television commercial that there were a
lot of early Bon Scott clips too, I was sold.
DISC
1
As the first
disc spun up and the menu came to life, there was an explosion of
the "Rock 'N' Roll Damnation" riff to keep me company while I chose
to "play all" or pick a specific clip to watch. Of course, I chose
to play all, and sunk back into my couch for the next hour or
so.
Like the band,
this thing is a stripped down, bare knuckle presentation. No
narration, not a second of spoken word, just kick ass, t-shirt and
jeans, boogie woogie hard rock clips. Ironically, in the very first
clip, singer Bon Scott trades his t-shirt and jeans in for a
milk maid dress. That's right, Bon in a dress, pigtails, and full
makeup doing "Baby, Please Don't Go". This alone is worth the
fifteen bucks admission. This is definitely the highlight of
the early Bon moments that are promised on the television ad, but
the other clips are great eye candy also. Seeing him in a ragtime
carnival-type getup, complete with hat and cane, for "Show
Business" is nice; along with all of the live performance clips from
the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) being a real
treat. A lot of the live performances seem to have the instrumental
parts on tape, with a live vocal over them. A little "American
Bandstand"-like, but nostalgic all the same. I think
another big Bon highlight on this first disc is the video clip
for "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)", where
the band is being rolled down Swanston Street in Melbourne on the
back of a flatbed truck while they jam one of my favorites. They
share the back of that flatbed with three bagpipers, and lots of
Marshall stacks, and the whole thing is just plain cool. In a real
cheesy clip for "Dirty Deeds", Bon's caught singing the wrong words
at the wrong times, while also getting mugged by a couple of
females. Also on this first disc is the video for "Let There Be
Rock", and it's an awesome one. This one finds Bon Scott as a
preacher, and guitarist Angus Young with a halo following him
around. The rest of the band act as choirboys, as the whole thing is
filmed at a church altar. Dare I say, it's a religious experience.
Later in the disc we see the trademark of Angus soloing while
atop Bon's shoulders, along with the beginnings of the band's
male following. Early on we saw mostly females up in front, now
we start to see the head thrashing males.
So, all in
all, this first disc is a winner. Even with the corny stage
performances, and the out of synch dubbing that goes on in a lot of
it, there's a great amount of novelty and nostalgia to this
stuff. And you can also just listen to it as a CD (as I am right
now!) if you choose to do so. If you're a die hard, this is a
must-own. If you just casually listen to this band, watch this disc
and go enroll yourself in the die hard club.
DISC
2
Welcome to
the Brian Johnson era. As this disc spun up, the menu kicked on with
the riff from "Hell's Bells". We got our large dose of Bon Scott in
the first disc, now it's time for the more recent Brian Johnson age
of AC/DC.
The disc
starts off with with some of the greatest AC/DC songs in their long
history by pulling four tunes from "Back In Black", and two from
their excellent follow-up "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)";
but, ironically, these are no thrill to look at really. They are
just dubbed over live clips that acted as promo clips for their
respective albums back in the day. When you have something where you
can hear songs like "Hell's Bells" and "For Those About To Rock (We
Salute You)", it could never be called bad, but it's just not
terribly exciting to look at that's all. These six songs are
followed by two more from the poorly received "Flick Of The Switch"
record. The title track from the record (which I thought was pretty
darn good, actually!) and "Nervous Shakedown" are much like the six
before it, in the fact that they are simple performances. These two,
instead of being live performances, are on a soundstage with the
band surrounded by their amps and road cases. Not a lot to look at,
but again....the tunes rock! Now, in the first disc we got some
corny stage performances, this disc gives us the corny MTV music
video thing. For those of you who have the out-of-print "Fly On The
Wall" VHS tape at home, you know what I'm talking about. We see this
footage for the first time on DVD here, and it's pretty darn cool.
Alright, you got an animated fly buzzing through at times, and a
cast of cornball idiots galore in this concept piece, but it's
sheerly intentional parody and schlock that's just a delight to
revel in. It's a little story of the band playing a smelly dive
bar to an audience of about 10 people, and how they end up bringing
the place to its' knees. The whole mini-movie uses five songs
from the "Fly On The Wall" album to tell the story, and it's just a
bundle of silly fun. The sci-fi "Who Made Who" video is up next,
with all of the Angus clones, followed by the classic "You Shook Me
All Night Long" video, which finds Brian Johnson bathing in a wash
basin with a loofa. The band pushes the bounds of silliness again
with their video for "That's The Way I Wanna Rock 'N' Roll", a song
from their feeble lp, "Blow Up your Video". As the disc
wraps up with three videos from "The Razor's Edge", another
out-of-print VHS tape, "AC/DC Clipped", is treated to a DVD
healing.
So, all in
all, this second disc is just decent. The tunes are great, of
course, but the visual aspect is pretty boring most of the time
here. It is at this point that I remind you of the price again
though. This two-disc set is a measly 15 bucks! With all of the
great songs, the classic Bon Scott clips, and the little booklet
that includes liner notes from Rolling Stone writer David Fricke,
this thing is a steal. A real no-brainer for any fan of this
band. Even as I cut my steak tonight with my regular set of knives,
I don't regret missing out on the TV offer of this thing that
included the Ginsu set, or the sticker, or whatever; as a matter of
fact, for the price I paid, I'm thrilled that I could afford the
steak.
ALL-AMERICAN
REJECTS - "Move Along"
(3/2006)
I think there are two kinds of
bands in this new "pop punk" genre. You have the Good
Charlotte, Blink-182, Simple Plan bands that have a whiny singer
that squeals over two or three haphazardly arranged chords;
and then you have bands like Bowling For Soup, Green Day, and
American Hi-Fi that can write some of the most excellent power pop
songs imaginable. It's all about songwriting for this genre. In the
progressive rock genre you have artists that are so skilled
instrumentally that you might not mind if the songwriting lacks a bit. But this
is not a genre that is naturally stacked with instrumental
talent. It's all about creative lyric play and catchy hooks with
these artists. A lack of instrumental and vocal skill can be masked
quite well if the inferior players and singers are performing a
perfectly written song with inventive lyrics and a great hook.
It seems that these
up-and-coming bands of the genre have either fallen into the "Great"
bin or the "Awful" bin; there are not a lot of them that fall in the
middle somewhere. Well, The All-American Rejects may be the first
band of the genre to land in the "Decent" bin. Some of the
songwriting is pretty good here, it just never reaches spectacular.
Songs like "Dirty Little Secret," "Night Drive," "Change Your Mind,"
and "Top Of The World" are all well written songs, but they get lost
in the repetitive nature of the band's sound. All of the songs here
are the standard formula, with the band dropping a few nice
hooks in here and there. Bassist/singer Tyson Ritter doesn't
exactly have an irritating voice to listen to, it just lacks style,
originality, and flavor. He's found singing every song in the
same spirit here, with few exceptions. Even
when the band ventures out in style by adding some string
arrangements to the songs "Straightjacket Feeling" and "Can't Take
It," Ritter stays in the same mode
vocally. There are so
many bands in this genre that sound the same, so it is vital to
be creative lyrically or musically. Although the band has tried
to set themselves apart a little bit with things like the string
arrangements, the overall sound and attitude is the
stereotypical "14-year old punk kid with a guitar" nonsense that we
hear all too much of already.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ALTER BRIDGE - "One Day
Remains" (9/2004)
With the
recent breakup of his hard rocking band Creed,
guitarist Mark Tremonti spent very little time pondering his next
move. This record was released less than three months after the
breakup was announced. When I say the "breakup" of Creed, I
really mean the departure of singer Scott Stapp. Tremonti keeps
Creed drummer Scott Phillips here, and even brings
back original Creed bassist Brian Marshall for this Alter
Bridge project. Tremonti has made it clear that he wants each band
to have its' own identity, though; in other words, Alter Bridge is
not Creed with a new singer. Well, sorry Mark, but your
songwriting style and distinct guitar sound, screams Creed; and you
know what, that's a beautiful thing.
The
new singer recruited for Tremonti and his former Creed mates, is
former Mayfield Four vocalist Myles Kennedy. I know your first
question, "Does he sound like Scott Stapp?" - well, ...yes. Kennedy
is probably a more technically trained singer
though, exhibiting tremendous strength, passion and tone here.
Being a fan of Stapp and his extraordinary high palette vocal tone,
I had my doubts about a replacement. Myles Kennedy has since
eradicated any doubts that I may have had. This is a real
professional. A pure voice. This record isn't really about who
sings the songs, though.
Tremonti's writing style is one that places you on top of the
highest mountain. There is great build up to most of these songs.
Each melody is written with accompanying lyrics that simply soar.
Creed was sometimes called a "spiritual" or even religious band. The
reason for that assumption was not simply inspired by the usually
positive lyrics. The ascending melodies, along with soulful and
passionate performances, were simply inspirational in the way that
they were delivered to the listener. The Alter Bridge material is no
different. These songs, primarily written by Tremonti, have the same
"triumphant" vibe to them. They make you feel stronger when you
sing along to them. They reach inside of you and move you, heart and
soul. Even a bad singer could put these well crafted tunes over.
With a singer like Myles Kennedy at the helm, things
get magical.
Tremonti has a real talent for writing complete songs; songs that
are not only "catchy" and instrumentally powerful, but songs that
are lyrically strong also. When the lyrics of "You're a part of me, And it's your song that sets me
free, I sing it while I feel I can't hold on, I sing tonight, 'Cause
it comforts me" from "In Loving Memory" are sung, you feel
like you have just received a piece of Tremonti's soul. The
lyrics are really nothing too amazing; but in the context of the
sensitive melody, and the gentle vocal tone - they become deep and
genuine. In "Burn It Down", which is probably the strongest
song vocally, the lyrics "Hard to tell my nights
now from my days, The curtains hide my feelings, Don't feel I have
any right to pray, And will they find me someday" are
delivered with a strength rarely found in the current crop of rock
songs.
Dare I say, Mark Tremonti's guitar style is much like that of guitar
legends such as Brian May, or Boston's Tom Scholz. Each of them has
a very distinct sound and tone. When you hear each of them play, you
know immediately who it is. Tremonti's sound takes on a personality
all its own also. No matter what band Mark Tremonti plays in, his
guitar sound is going to shine through and become the core of the
songs' melodies. On songs like "Open Your Eyes", "Shed My
Skin", and "Down To My Last" the sound and structure is
immediately recognizable. They sound like Creed songs, when in
fact they are all mere examples of Mark Tremonti's talent with
both the pen and the pick. Listen to Myles Kennedy cry out these
lyrics from the chorus of "Broken Wings", possibly the record's
strongest track, and try not to get chills: "On broken wings I'm falling, And it won't be long,
The skin on me is burning, By the fires of the sun, On skinned knees
I'm bleeding, And it won't be long, I've got to find that meaning,
I'll search for so long". These songs are all finely
textured and serious songwriting achievements. You can count on
a variety of tempos here also. We have the mellow to heavy formula
("Burn It Down"), we have the straight forward power ballad ("In
Loving Memory"), and we have the hard hitting metal grind
("Watch Your Words"). This record has it
all.
So,
you ask, is this the Doctor's first perfect 10 for the year? No, it
isn't. I must tell you though, it is very close. The title track,
and "Watch Your Words" are songs that I might skip over
occasionally; not because they aren't great songs, but they just
don't always yearn to be heard like the rest of this record. Make no
mistake though, this is a great one.
OVERALL
RATING:
8
AMERICAN HI-FI -
"Hearts On Parade" (3/2006)
Put another notch in the belt of power pop songwriting genius Butch
Walker. His resume is extensive, with entries from Bowling For Soup,
Marvelous 3, and Avril Lavigne, but this may be his most impressive
collaboration yet. Providing songwriting help as well as razor sharp
production quality, Walker has created a pop classic for all times
here. This is a rare multi-dimensional effort with songs that are
all firmly planted in the pop genre. Songs that have Beatlesque
simplicity with hooks that would bag a whale. This is an album that
will have you singing and tapping your feet long after you leave
your CD player. We hear the band start the record with a sly bass
driven melody that has an INXS-type vibe, with a chorus that skips
and bops like some of the best Jellyfish songs. As the next track
jumps out of the speakers we get a masterpiece of pure pop
brilliance. Sounding something like an 80's-era Genesis
tune with a catchy as hell chorus, "Hell Yeah!" is one of the best
pop songs of the past decade at least. The band heads into a
Bowling For Soup quirky feel with "The Geeks Get The Girls," and
then they place another gem at our feet with "We Can't Be Friends."
With its Blondie "Rapture"-type rap style through the verses, it
ultimately heads into a hook-laden pop wonderland once again for the
chorus. Then they do it again on the ballad "Something Real,"
except this time they incorporate some great background vocal
effects that give the song an Oasis-type feel.
Now, can this disc possibly
keep up the pace? I mean these first five tracks are some of the
best pop songs that you might ever hear. Well, I will say that the
album does cool off a bit, but not a whole lot. "Highs And Lows,"
"Baby Come Home," "The Everlasting Fall," and the title
track are just good songs, while "Separation
Anxiety" finds the band with a great heavier sound. "Where
Did We Go Wrong" even has the band committing to a reggae/Caribbean
rhythm. It makes you wonder if there is any style that these guys
can't sink their infectious pop hooks into.
Fans of true traditional pop,
you now have reason to rejoice. This is a disc that will
delight anyone that yearns for the simple pop melodies of the 80's,
or hungers for more Beatles-type simplicity. Believe it or not, this
is the genuine article; a true pop record, something we haven't had
the pleasure of hearing a lot of in recent years. This
one's a shoe-in for the "feel good" record of the year. So
scoop this one up and start clapping your hands, stomping your
feet, and singing along like you were 20 years
younger.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ANGEL - "Helluva
Band"
(8/2004)
"Getting ready to scream and roar,
With a chug and
a thirst for more."
As these opening lines pierce
through your head, you can rest assured that they'll make their home
there for many years to come. Between the high-pitched dynamics
of vocalist Frank Dimino, and the ivory tickling expertise of
keyboardist extraordinaire Gregg Giuffria, this is one classic album
that has sadly been forgotten about.
Coming up to prominence in 1975 with
their self-titled debut, Angel was a new sensation that was poised
to follow in the footsteps of Casablanca Records labelmates, Kiss.
Placing well on reader opinion polls in rock rags like Circus and
Hit Parader was common practice for Angel when this, their second
release, appeared on shelves. Winning Best New Group, and Gregg
Giuffria dominating the Best Keyboardist polls, started to
become a given. So, what happened? Why doesn't Angel
music live on in the classic rock genre today? These are questions
that will always remain a mystery. Angel went on to
make 5 studio records in the 70's; the first three, chock
full of hearty songs with great musicianship and charisma, and the
last two records were nothing short of abysmal. Why the decline
in quality for the last two records? Another mystery. Angel did go
on to cut a live record in that time also, entitled "Live Without A
Net", but this second record was their finest
moment.
"Feelin' Right" is the straight
forward rocker that kicks off the record; and it's a song that
utilizes the simple classic rock formula, while incorporating a
sharp and resounding vocal track to do the driving. The swirling
artistry of Giuffria's keyboards was really what Angel's existence
was based on though. Even on a simple straight forward rocker like
this opening track, Giuffria's presence is a constant. If it's
not trading licks with guitarist Punky Meadows on "Feelin'
Right", it's mesmerizing us with a four minute intro on "The
Fortune". Every song contains a large dose of over-the-top keyboards
from an amazing player. Speaking of "The Fortune".....it just
happens to be the second track on the lp. A personal favorite of
mine, "The Fortune" is a progressive masterpiece. A song that
transmits emotion at every twist and turn. An ominous
keyboard intro leads to a delicate acoustic guitar and voice
moment, which ultimately culminates in a menacing jam where we
hear from every member of the band. As the album progresses, we
see the classic verse-chorus-verse formula put into dramatic effect.
With songs like "Anyway You Want It", "Mirrors", and "Chicken
Soup" Angel utilizes every element at their disposal to make simple
classic rock songs sound like something special. The spark in these
songs is usually Giuffria's keys, and when it's not..... you can
count on Dimino's vocals to keep you entranced. The combination
of these two entities is best heard on the eloquent ballad
"Feelings". A soaring and passionate joining of a tremendous
vocal effort, underscored by a classical inspired piano piece.
Still, in my opinion, one of the most emotional and beautiful
rock ballads ever.
All of this talk about the singer
and keyboard player leads one to believe that the band may be in
need of a decent guitar player, right? Nah. Guitarist Punky
Meadows leaves his mark on these songs also. Tracks such as "Angel
Theme", which is for the most part a guitar solo, "Dr. Ice" and
"Feelings" all contain excellent guitar parts. This is a rare case
of a very good guitar player, sharing time with a literal genius on
keyboards. Angel made this situation work unlike anyone else.
And, finally, let's mention the rhythm section of drummer Barry
Brandt and bassist Mickey Jones. Putting a solid backbone on all
these tracks we lose sight of their important role here. With so
much going on in front of them, they need to lay a thick foundation
for all of these other elements to stand upon, and they do exactly
that. Bassist Jones stays simple and steady, while Brandt bangs the
skins with an intensity that stays consistent and solid. This record
was an all around effort by a band that had reached their
peak.
Angel attempted a reunion of
sorts in 1999, in which they released an album entitled "In The
Beginning". The record had original members Dimino and Brandt, being
visited by Meadows and Jones' 1978 replacement on bass,
Felix Robinson. The album saw no success, and the reunion effort
soon dissipated. The chemistry and magic was with Angel for a very
short period of time, and "Helluva Band" remains the best
of that magical time.
AUDIOSLAVE - "Out Of Exile" (10/2005)
I'm still trying to figure it out.
Rage Against The Machine wasn't just
a band, they were a sizzling hot branding iron across the ass of a
stagnant rock scene caught in an "alternative" rut.
They were a band with such a deep groove that I felt like it
was digging a moat around me, and encapsulating my emotions whenever
I heard it. Did I expect guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim
Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk to hire new singer Chris
Cornell and continue with that same intensity? In many ways I did.
Cornell is one of the most talented singers in the world. There
was no reason to believe that his contributions would do anything
but enhance an already powerful machine. So why do I nearly vomit
when I hear songs like "Doesn't Remind Me" from this release? I
guess I didn't expect the groove and "in-your-face"
intensity to take a backseat to the bouncy hayride that is this
song. Now, this is a song that reminds me of Soundgarden's "Mind
Riot" from their "Badmotorfinger" release - a song in which I like.
But, what's good for the goose is not always necessarily good for
the gander. Just because you like tomatoes, doesn't mean you're
going to like ketchup. I might expect a song like this from
Soundgarden, but it's a disappointment coming from
Audioslave.
Audioslave has brought together four
of the most talented musicians in the world. Between Tom Morello's
inventive guitar playing, a rhythm section like no other, and a
singer that can only be compared with a small handful - Audioslave
has the weapons to create another musical revolution. Instead, the
band goes through the motions of being just another good rock band.
It is just so frustrating to hear this group doing songs like the
aforementioned "Doesn't Remind Me," "Heaven's Dead," or even the hit
single "Be Yourself." These are all decent songs, but they are songs
that come nowhere close to tapping into the core of this band's
talent. I mean, any good band in the genre could cut tunes like
these - Seether.....Incubus.....Foo Fighters, you name the decent
band and they are all cutting tunes this good. But this is not a
decent band, or even a good band - these guys are way
beyond all that. They
are amazing. Phenomenal even. Or, ...at least they
should be. Nothing off this release succeeds in punching my
lights out though. Why is that? Well, it's something that I've seen
happen before. Take a band like Journey. A band that was making
intelligent, progressive, guitar-based
music that women hated. Steve Perry comes in and they make
radio friendly chick songs for lots of dough.
Genesis........Peter Gabriel builds a dark and
beautiful, theatrical art rock vehicle, only to have his
drummer take the mic and drive them into a Land Of
Confusion......again, for lots of dough. Why should Audioslave
be any different? Granted, Chris Cornell is a million times the
singer that former Rage frontman Zach De La Rocha was. Cornell is a
pure, genuine, trained voice that can amaze - Zach was a screamer.
But what it comes down to is this: Pavarotti is a bit more of a
singer than James Hetfield, but I don't want him fronting
Metallica. You know what I mean?
I'm not going to tell you that this
thing stinks, because it doesn't. I just wanted to be supercharged.
I wanted my fists to control the rest of my body. I wanted that Rage
groove to carve a hole straight through my heart. I wanted to hear
the slightly out-of-control, unorthodox screeching and screaming of
Morello's instrument. Other than a few sparks, none of that happened
for me here. Songs like "Your Time Has Come," "Drown Me Slowly," and
"The Worm" provided some hip spasms and head bobbing; and, the
title track almost caused me to actually thrash around my
living room. So, things are not a total loss, but they never
get anywhere near the greatness that could have been achieved. I
think it was Tom Morello that wanted to make it clear when this band
got together that it wasn't just Rage Against The Machine with a
different singer, and I really had trouble seeing it any different,
...until now. This is definitely not Rage Against The Machine, but
it may qualify as Soundgarden with a different guitarist and rhythm
section. I hear a lot of you saying, "Why can't he just see them as
Audioslave and stop comparing them to their former bands?" Well, I'm
going to start doing just that. I will group them together with all
of the other twenty million average bands of the genre, and throw
this one in the cut out bin. Why keep hanging out for these
guys to make something amazing happen just because I'm familiar with
all of their names. It's time for me to give up hope on these guys
and start looking for a Zach De La Rocha album to save
me.
OVERALL RATING: 5
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE - "Not
Fragile" (3/2006)
There's not too many of us out there
that think past "Takin' Care Of Business" when hearing the letters
"B-T-O" in succession, but those that were fortunate enough to look
past that hit and experience the musical depth of this band, "Not
Fragile" is a true classic rock gem. Combining brute force
("Not Fragile"), expertly written hooks ("You Ain't Seen Nothing
Yet"), and instrumental expertise ("Free Wheelin'"), "Not Fragile"
was definitely the band's most adventurous record, and arguably
their best.
The methodical rhythm of the
deep bass line to open the album was perfect. It was a menacing
approach that spit all over the idea of the band capitalizing on
their commercial success and writing an album full of syrupy radio
singles. The
title cut, for it's time, was a brutally heavy track. The
stomping bass line, and the growling chords attacked you like the
neighbor's deranged pitbull. The uncomfortable, boisterous, and
larger-than-life growl of bass player C.F. Turner ended up
sounding like the neighbor's pitbull, and was something that made a
statement instantly for this record and its mission, which was to
rock your tail off. The album twists and turns from there, finding
the band doing one great song after another. With C.F. Turner and
Randy Bachman splitting the vocal duties right down the middle, it
opened the band up to a wide range of song styles and possibilities.
Songs like "Rock Is My Life, And This Is My Song" and "Ain't Seen
Nothing Yet" combined the perfect hooks with the effective power
chords, and made for two of the sharpest songs in the bands catalog,
but it was songs like "Sledgehammer," "Blue Moanin'," and "Roll
On Down The Highway" that kept the album locked into the "Southern
Rock" spirit of the band. Although Bachman-Turner Overdrive hailed
from Canada, and was a project that rose from the ashes of rock
legends The Guess Who, the band maintained a parallel to American
southern rock acts like The Outlaws and Lynyrd
Skynyrd. Especially with bassist C.F. Turner singing, the band
sounded more like they were from the southern United States than
from the northern skies of Canada. The raucous instrumental, "Free
Wheelin'," has a dedication to "Duane" attached to it. One can only
assume that this is in honor of fallen Allman Brothers Band
guitarist Duane Allman. So, there is no mistaking the Southern Rock influence that runs
through this record.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive went on to
have more moderate success over the years following the 1974 release
of this third album, "Not Fragile." Hits like "Hey You" and "Lookin'
Out For #1" were to follow, but nothing quite captured the
moment like "Not Fragile." Some might argue when I tell you that
"Not Fragile" is the most complete Bachman-Turner
Overdrive record ever released, but there is no arguing that it
is one of the most forgotten records of the classic rock
genre. This is a great hard rock record, and it's a complete
platter of classic rock prestige and radio rock hooks that will have
you singing and tapping your feet for years to come. If you are a
fan of classic rock with a pinch of Southern
spice added to it, "Not Fragile" is one you should most
definitely add to your collection.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT - "Paris Moon" DVD (3/2008)
Ritchie Blackmore has long been known as the
masterful guitarist of two of the most legendary bands in rock music
- Deep Purple and Rainbow. But close followers of the guitarist will
tell you that the work with his current band, Blackmore's Night,
is his most adventurous excursion yet. Blackmore,
singer Candice Night, and their merry band of minstrels have
been knocking out their unique brand of Renaissance music for over
10 years now. I recently had an opportunity to see the band at
House Of Blues in Chicago, and at the end of the show I remember
wishing I had a recording of some kind. Well, wishes do come true in
many different ways, as this spectacular DVD, "Paris Moon," captures
the band live in Paris, just as they were that night in Chicago
- at their very best.
Now, you would think that guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore would
be the focal point of the band's live shows. A funny thing seems to
happen at a Blackmore's Night concert though, and her name is
Candice Night. With the voice of an angel, and exquisite beauty to
match, Candice Night plays the most gracious of hostesses here, and
never once finds herself being overshadowed by the guitar god. You
get a true sense of comfort radiating from both Ritchie and Candice
as they gently interact here. You can clearly see the love and
respect that they have for each other, and the love and respect that
they have for the music.
The concert often plays like a raucous night at an English pub,
especially during the sing along tune, "Home Again." After Night
comically points out Blackmore's divorce history in
verse, keyboardist Bard David of Larchmont belts out a drinking
song. The crowd rises to its feet and claps and sings along with
great fervor, and it is then that the spirit of the music
really takes flight. Other great moments of stein
swinging crowd participation are "Renaissance Faire," "Under A
Violet Moon," and "Loreley." When the band isn't inciting the crowd,
they can be found doing songs like "World Of Stone" with an intense
ferocity. After watching the performance of the latter, you have to
ask if there has ever been a more well written song. It is just a
spine tingling moment.
The band does run through a couple of cover songs during the set,
but they might not be what you might expect. The Deep Purple song
that the band chooses to cover is one that comes from David
Coverdale's time in the band. It's the great ballad, "Soldier Of
Fortune," and Candice Night makes it her very own thing of beauty.
Jethro Tull's "Rainbow Blues" and the Joan Baez classic, "Diamonds
And Rust," go off just as perfectly. Look for a few
instrumentals that'll just rock your socks off, too. Besides an
amazing keyboard solo just past the middle of the set, you can find
an extremely impressive bass jam by Sir Robert of Normandie during
"Durch Den Wald Zum Bachaus."
Numerous times throughout the concert we see Night picking up
various Renaissance woodwind instruments and playing them with
perfection. Candice Night is someone you can't take your eyes off
of. She is also someone that melts your heart when she sings.
Perfect tone and incredible vocal strength are abound throughout
each and every track here. Gillan......Dio.......Joe Lynn
Turner......they were all a great fit for Blackmore, but Night just
might compliment Ritchie's playing better than anyone.
Toward the end of the set, which runs over 2 hours in length, we see
Blackmore trade in his acoustic classical guitars and opt for the
cream colored strat that he is so famous for. As he cranks out the
complex solo of "Ariel," and he hits the heavy chords of
"Saint Teresa" from their latest "Village Lanterne" release, it's a
real thrill to watch the man with the smoothest left hand in the
business do his thing. Blackmore's playing has only gotten better
over the years. Playing the diverse material of Blackmore's Night
affords the listener a very broad spectrum of style. Blackmore can
be seen and heard playing everything from classical to blues in this
show, and it's a real treat when it's done by the best in the
business.
The package itself defines elegance in every
way. Besides content, of which there is plenty, the box is designed
to open like an old and worn book. When you remove this "book" from
the outer sleeve, it unfolds to reveal a booklet with photos
and lyrics, as well as an 11-track audio CD in addition to the
DVD. It's really an elegant package to hold in your
hands.
AFTERWORD
It turns out that my Blackmore's Night concert experience is quite
an interesting one, and allow me to explain why that is. When I
arrived at House Of Blues that night, it seemed that Live Nation and
the venue themselves had both sold seats for the show. It was quite
a mess, which found me starting on a bar stool that surrounded the
main floor, and ended with my happy hiney planted in the front row
after all the dust had settled. And it just so happens that I was on
Ritchie's side of the stage, and he ended up serving me a beer in a
beautiful pewter stein that has the band logo emblazoned across the
front, and "Village Lanterne" engraved on the bottom. So, when I
talk of "stein swinging crowd participation," I am speaking quite
literally on my part. It truly was a night that will last forever in
my heart, as Ritchie has always been a hero of mine. And, with
this "Paris Moon" DVD, the wonderful spirit of that night can be
yours as well.
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BLACKMORE'S NIGHT - "Winter Carols" (12/2007)
I'm usually not in the habit of
describing my surroundings when writing reviews, but this record has
touched me in a very special way. You see, it's early December and
large white flakes are perching themselves softly upon the
trees outside of my window. As the snow drifts downward from the
heavens past the Christmas lights that have been tacked to the
house, it throws reflections of red and green light
as it falls. It's a beautiful sight to behold, especially seeing the
flame of my warm fireplace smiling back at me off the glass of my
window. Why am I describing this to you, you ask? Because the
atmosphere I describe captures the spirit of this record. Besides
some traditional Christmas faves, vocalist Candice Night, guitar god
Ritchie Blackmore, and their band of merry minstrels give us
songs of beauty that are meant to be enjoyed next to a warm fire on
a cold winter evening.
The record starts with a medley of two
traditional Christmas songs, "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" and "Come
All Ye Faithful." Now, besides the exquisite voice of Candice Night
and the tremendous talent of the entire band being on display
here, there is a lyrical fascination on this lead track. "Christ" is
not used in either of the two songs. "Christ is born in
Bethelem" is replaced with "Peace has come to Bethlehem" in the
"Hark The Herald Angels Sing" portion of the medley; and in "Come
All Ye Faithful," "Christ the Lord" is traded in for "He
is the Lord." It takes some getting used to, and I wonder if there
is some kind of "taboo" here, but nonetheless, this track is an
excellent way to kick off a disc of joy and happiness. "I
Saw Three Ships" has an Irish Dance rhythm and a genuine organic
overtone. With the use of the pennywhistle and/or flute, tambourine,
and other traditional ancient instruments I wouldn't begin to try to
name, the band creates possibly the happiest piece on the album. As
we move on to the haunting sounds of "Winter (Basse Dance)," we find
the great Ritchie Blackmore playing classical guitar in front of a
foreboding string section. This is a Ritchie Blackmore original, and
definitely the darkest piece on the record.
"Ding Dong Merrily On High" is really
beautiful here. Ms. Night starts the song with her angelic voice
being as sweet and cheerful as ever. As the song progresses, the
incorporation of a choir, some light strings, and church bells makes
this simply superb. The next track is a traditional Hebrew song
entitled "Ma-O-Tzur," in which Night sings the first half in its
native language, and the second half in English. The
addition of this song sends a clear message that the band did
not want to create any segregation here. These songs are really for
all to celebrate and enjoy, no matter which religious faction you
might belong to.
Toward the end of this special set of
songs, we find a song called "Wish You Were Here." This is a song
originally done by The Rednex, and a song that the band is
extremely fond of. They recorded it for their debut album, "Shadow
of the Moon," as well as this release. This is a beautiful song that
is once again performed perfectly here. It doesn't exactly fit
the "winter" mood of this album as well as the other
tracks, but the song is so good that it's a welcome addition to
the record regardless. Before this record ends we find Blackmore's
Night doing one more original song that is a real gem. "Christmas
Eve" fits the mood perfectly, as if it has been a traditional
Christmas favorite for centuries. With its soft melody and its
bouncy refrain, the album is worth owning just for this song
alone.
As the album winds up with "We Wish You
A Merry Christmas," I realize that this is Blackmore's Night's gift
to all of us. This album's overtly joyous spirit is a
testament to the talent of this entire band. Whether 'tis
is the season or you're out riding a hot summer wave, the spirit of
"Winter Carols" can carry you off to that special place where the
fire is still smiling its warm smile and the snow is continuing
to fall.
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BLACK SABBATH - "Black
Sabbath" (1/2005)
This, my friends, was the beginning
of Heavy Metal.
This record, released in May
1970, was something the world just wasn't ready for. Coming at the
end of the 60's "peace and love" era and the AM radio pop
sound, this was a pop melody mass murderer. Much like seeing an
adolescent Linda Blair driving a crucifix up into her bloody groin
area shouting expletives was in '74, this record was the audio
equivalent. This was pure evil. The four members of the band were
thought of as direct descendants of Satan, instead of four poor kids
from working class Birmingham, England. Starting out on their
hometown pub-and-club circuit as Earth, they played a blend of
blues and rock that led to a devout following throughout the
English Midlands. In 1968 they changed their name to Black Sabbath,
and started writing songs to fit their new moniker. In 1969
they entered the studio to cut this, their self-titled
debut record.
As soon as this record kicks off,
the shivers are sent bolting down your spine. The self-titled "Black
Sabbath" track, complete with the sound of thunder and pouring rain,
is the perfect introduction to the menacing Metal that pulses
through this entire record. Singer Ozzy Osbourne plants his deepest,
spookiest voice on us, and belts out lyrics like "Big black shape
with eyes of fire - Telling people their desire - Satan's sitting
there, he's smiling - Watches those flames get higher and higher".
And, of course, standing tall behind all of this gloom and doom, is
the sledgehammer instrumentation of band members Iommi, Ward,
and Butler. Butler's thumping, bottom heavy bass combined with
Ward's simple, yet bombastic drum assault created one of the
heaviest rhythm sections ever. On top of that you have the
tremendous, stupendous, and truly amazing Tony Iommi playing guitar.
It sounds so unfair to say that he's just "playing
guitar". Tony Iommi does so much more than just play guitar.
The seity of these songs is ultimately created within Iommi's
strings. His playing was revolutionary here, and his Best Metal
Guitarist throne began its construction immediately.
The second of only five album
tracks is one that begins with Osbourne playing harmonica. "The
Wizard" is hard rock classic driven by Ward's rumbling drum
work, and Ozzy's rare work on the harmonica. As I listen to
this record today, I tend to favor this song for that very reason
- we never hear Ozzy play the harp anymore. I miss the sound
and mood that it created here, and it's always refreshing
to rekindle the fire behind that harp with this
tune.
As the record moves into the
four-part third track, "WASP, Behind The Wall Of Sleep, Bassically,
N.I.B.", we may have the quintessential Sabbath track. At just
over ten minutes, we get great instrumental pieces that feed into
lyrics of mysticism which are sung with power and
style. "Bassically" is basically a bass solo intro to "N.I.B.",
and it cements "Geezer" Butler upon his Best Metal Bassist throne.
One word,...........incredible. The lyrics from "N.I.B.", which is
an acronym for Nativity In Black, carries on the "horror movie"
lyrical theme with deadly precision. With lyrics like "Look into my
eyes, you will see who I am, my name is Lucifer,
please take my
hand", the flower power people started wetting themselves - and that
was the idea. Sabbath was one of the first to really take the risk
of pushing the censorship envelope without using four letter word
profanity. The powers that be started asking if they could ban music
that mentioned Lucifer or Satan, or spoke of incantations and
the like. This record truly got the censorship juices
flowing.
With the straight forward
rocker called "Wicked World", Sabbath moves to lyrics with political
and social commentary. Osbourne questions the politicians and their
priorities,
"A
politician's job they say is very high
For he has to choose who's
got to go and die
They can put a man on the moon quite
easy
While people here on earth are dying of old
diseases"
and then goes
on, ironically, to question the morality of
society,
"A woman goes to work every day after
day
She just goes to work just to earn her pay
Child sitting
crying by a life that's harder
He doesn't even know who is his
father"
The album finishes up with what
sounds like a leftover from the Blues inspired time when the
band called themselves Earth. This three-part, fifth and final
track, "A Bit Of Finger, Sleeping Village, Warning", is another
extraordinary exhibition of talent. Clocking in at just over
fourteen minutes, this is a Blues jam of epic proportions. Iommi,
once again, exhibiting his sharp, maniacal style. Not much has been
said of drummer Bill Ward up until this point, and that's just not
right. All through this release you hear Ward's solid pounding
of the skins. Every song on the record is testimony to
his place of royalty in Heavy Metal history. And, of
course, there is the King Of Kings.......the Godfather Of
Metal.........the Wife Of Sharon - Ozzy Osbourne. This is a young
and hungry Ozzy, with a deeper, more resonant vocal tone; an Ozzy
you will never hear again. This disc is the place to get your fill.
So, load this disc in your player and fill 'er
up.
BLACK SABBATH - "Heaven And
Hell"
(9/2004)
Released in 1980, after the departure of legendary frontman Ozzy
Osbourne, "Heaven And Hell" was a release that thrilled and
shocked an entire legion of Sabbath fans throughout the world. With
Ronnie James Dio bringing his masterful lyrics, along with his
iron-clad pipes into the mix, Black Sabbath reached areas that they
had never ventured to on previous recordings. Keeping the ominous
feel of Sabbath past, they incorporated some lyrical diversity and,
arguably, a stronger voice to sing them. Dio is literally the "The
Mouse That Roared". With a stature of just over five feet, and a
voice that can slay dragons, he is pure elfin magic here.
Black Sabbath was at a crossroads similar to that of AC/DC when
they lost their great lead singer, Bon Scott, to an alcohol overdose
in 1979. AC/DC hired Brian Johnson to replace Scott, and to the
astonishment of millions of fans, they cut a little record called
"Back In Black". Black Sabbath hired Dio and gave us this gem. This
is Sabbath's "Back In Black". When you saw an influential and
enigmatic frontman like Ozzy Osbourne leave the fold, you truly
wondered if the band could survive such a devastating blow. While
Sabbath was creating an entire genre of dark metal music
practically single handed, Osbourne was the man at the front of that
movement. Oceans of fans throughout the world proceeded to peg the
band as dead the minute Ozzy decided to leave the band, but little
did they realize.......they had buried the mighty Sabbath very much
alive.
For
years, alongside Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio had fronted Rainbow along
with expert guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. He had always been
acknowledged as one of the most powerful voices in rock 'n' roll.
Being a large contributor to the writing of much of the music and
lyrics, Dio was heralded as a top frontman in the business - but
fronting Sabbath would be like fronting no other band.
Droves of rabid fans were set to eat Mr. Dio alive. "We are loyal to
Ozzy and no one else", was the feeling of many a Sabbath fan. Well,
...it was until they heard these songs.
"Heaven And Hell" is a record that stays true to the Sabbath form.
Dark and brooding overtones, mixed with extraordinary guitar pieces
being supplied by guitarist Tony Iommi. The rhythm section of
drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler remains intact, and a
constant force throughout the record also. It is with the addition
of Dio that we get the added extras, though. This album's back
alleys are littered with lyrical passages that make your head spin;
and they all get swept away by Dio's resonating vocals. His
delivery of this brilliant self-penned prose is right on the mark.
When we hear the tender tones of "Children Of The Sea" turn to a
vicious attack, or when we hear the thunderous rhythm of the title
track, we realize that these songs become complete when we hear
the lyrics.
"They say that life's a carousel
Spinning fast, you've got
to ride it well
The world is full of kings and queens
Who
blind your eyes and steal your dreams"
from "Heaven And
Hell"
or
"In
the misty morning, on the edge of time
We've lost the rising sun,
a final sign
As the misty morning rolls away to die
Reaching
for the stars, we blind the sky"
from
"Children Of The Sea"
The intensity of the opening track,
"Neon Knights", was an instant message to millions of doubtful fans,
that Black Sabbath was going to remain a visceral, vibrant, and
influential force in the heavy metal genre. Sabbath defied the odds
here, and delivered one of the best records of their illustrious
career. Die hard Ozzy/Sabbath fans, like myself, often declare
this record as one of Sabbath's best - and that is an amazing
thing.
BLAST ROOM - "Rock Is
Dead" (7/2006)
“Rock Is Dead,” heh
……hardly.
The day former
Wishbone Ash guitarist, Roger Filgate, chose to use “Rock Is Dead”
for a working title, I’m sure he spent the better half of it
chuckling at the dubious irony. This explosive, loaded freight train
serves as a Guitar Rock defibrillator, if anything. Rooted in a hard
rock garden, this Aerosmith / Led Zeppelin-fashioned fruit is
succulent and ready for picking. Filgate takes the hard rock guitar
solo and breathes new life into the dying art. With riffs, licks and
heavy grooving that brings thoughts of acts like Zeppelin,
Aerosmith, Guns ‘N’ Roses and former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E.
Lee’s short-lived Badlands project, Blast Room is an air guitarist’s
paradise.
When I first
heard the opening track, “Feel So High,” my immediate thought went
to the heavy Blues Rock groove jamming of Badlands. As the record
rolled on I started hearing pieces of so many great things that I
had fallen in love with in the past. Think of this as a 10-piece
jigsaw puzzle, with each piece emblazoned with your most memorable
musical memories. As you start to assemble each of these pieces
though, you start to find out that the completed picture is not a
collage of old greats, but it is a stunning portrait of Roger
Filgate and his Blast Room bandmates. This band has the limbs of
those that came before them, but a heart all its own.
Besides Filgate’s
stupendous guitar work that stretches throughout the entire record,
there is another chilling sensation at work here. Vocalist Rob
Jackson delivers a strong and passionate performance as he caresses
the delicate strains of “Need To Know” and wails feverishly through
the title track. With “Need To Know” being reminiscent of a “No
Quarter”-era Zeppelin, and the title track having the hard rock
fervor of a Guns ’N’ Roses rhythm, Jackson shows great versatility
and vocal prowess. Bassist Sandy Nardone (Pound / Mr. Mudd) and
drummer Chris Tatalias from New York-based Aerosmith tribute band
Rag Doll, make for a rollicking good time as the rhythmic backbone
of Blast Room.
If you are a fan
of the guitar, you will love the six-string injection that Filgate
offers up here. If you are a fan of the classic hard blues rock
sounds of bands like Aerosmith, Badlands, Cry Of Love, and Zeppelin,
you will fall in love for many different reasons. If you are a fan
of putting the headphones on and pulling out the air guitar, start
pumping your fist in the air and get into a Blast Room CD as soon as
possible.
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BOWLING FOR SOUP - "A Hangover You Don't
Deserve"
(2/2005)
Super songwriter/producer Butch
Walker leads this quartet from Texas through one of the brightest
records in recent years. This is a fun pop record with quirky lyrics
and some very tight production. There are those that might question
the band's musical integrity, as there are very few instrumental
extremities involved in BFS's formula. This is simply a fun,
creative, sing-along party that invites anyone with a sense of humor
and a craving for good time music. To give you a better
description of what you'll hear, I could tell you that they are
another version of Butch Walker's great Marvelous 3
project, but you probably aren't familiar with that, right? So,
let's try this.....
Drawn from a blueprint of vintage Cheap Trick, with an adolescent
punk groove similar to fellow rockers Green Day, Bowling For Soup
offers up a bright alternative to the irritating repetition of most
new generation power pop/punkers. Unlike Green Day, this band can
switch speeds. They write songs that stick to your insides. One
listen, and your on your way to an all day terrorization of
infectious pop hooks. They write intelligent lyrics full of
tremendous wit. This band is the best fun I've had with music since
Frank Zappa sang of "mammalian protuberances"; a subject in
which BFS refers to the happy couple as "breast-es" in their catchy
disc opener "Almost". They are comical and inventive with every
track here, and that tongue-in-cheek irreverence makes for
a delightful upbeat listen. With lyrics from their hit single
"1985" that ask "When did Motley Crue become classic rock?, And,
when did Ozzy become an actor?, Please make this STOP!!", the band
shows some "old school" savvy. They are thoroughly enjoying what
they do, and it is a mood that is transferred to the listener. The
"feel good" album of the year you could say. Maybe frontman Jaret
Reddick said it best...."If you want to be angry, this is not the
album for you," says Reddick. "If you want to smile and have a good
time and think about chicks and beer, this is your
album."
I
could copy a huge list of lyrics from this record that would either
impress you or, at least cause you to chuckle - but I won't do that.
I will urge you to go to their goofy, informative, jam-packed
website (www.bowlingforsoup.com)
and get a quick listen to all of these tracks, watch a video, and
then rush out and pick up the party for yourself.
OVERALL
RATING: 9
CHEAP TRICK - "In Color"
(5/2006)
First, there were The Beatles. They came out of Liverpool with an
incredible ability to write pop songs like no one else. Let's face
it, they started all of this.
Then there were bands like MC5 and Blue Cheer that beat the hell out
of you with sledgehammer riffing and fuzzy guitars.
Then came Cheap Trick, a band that found the delicate balance
between power and pop.
"In
Color," the second album in the Trick bag, is a blueprint for power
pop as we know it today. Cheap Trick were one of the first bands to
combine catchy pop songwriting with power chords and guitar
solos, and they did it brilliantly. Arguably, this record serves as
a portfolio of their most groundbreaking material. You can hear
the band do straight forward pop songs ("I Want You To Want Me" and
"Come On Come On"), you can hear the Chuck Berry and Little Richard
influences at times ("Clock Strikes Ten"), and you can
hear the band rip things up with a bit more power than pop too
("Hello There" and "You're All Talk"). The real treat with this
band though is the perfect balance that they get from songs like
"Southern Girls," "So Good To See You," and "Oh Caroline." These
songs are leeches that cling to the rhythmic cavity of
your mind, and the only thing that will remove them is the fire from a different Trick tune. All day,
whether you like it or not, your lips will recite the melody of
"Southern Girls" over and over and over. These are "feel
good" songs that brighten even the darkest of days,
too. From the anthemic sing-along of "Southern Girls," to the
soft melody and vocal harmonies of "Downed" and the light bop pop of
"I Want You To Want Me," these are sounds that play during those
perfect summer days. So many of these songs draw pictures
of pool parties and easy drives with the top down, but
they also have enough rock fire power to make you swim a little
harder and drive a little faster.
Cheap Trick has had many hits throughout their existence, most
notably their huge monster hit, "The Flame," from 1988's "Lap
Of Luxury" album, but this is the record that laid the groundwork
for all of that. This is a record that influenced many of the
bands that are currently climbing the pop charts. If you want a
rock 'n' roll party that will have you clapping your hands, tapping
your feet, and jamming on your favorite model of air guitar - the
solution is black and white - pick up a copy of
"In Color."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
COLDPLAY - "X & Y" (1/2006)
What is the big
appeal of these "reinventing the wheel" artists like Radiohead and
Coldplay? Maybe I'm the wrong guy to be reviewing this one, but I
just find the stuff to be drab and boring. Not to take anything away
from the talent of the band, they are doing what they do well.
Swirling pop skeletons flanked with the flesh of slow and dark
moods; it all seems a bit contradictory to me. The idea of the pop
song, in a traditional sense anyway, is to get you singing and
tapping your feet, right? Well, yes, Coldplay is "cutting edge" I
guess because they break all the "rules" of the pop genre. Are they
even a pop band? Is this "alternative?" Okay, so I can't categorize
it.......again, "cutting edge" right? Whatever you want to call this
kind of stuff, I just can't get into it.
The lead off track, "Square One,"
and "White Shadows" sound a bit like early U2, and are
about the most upbeat tracks on the disc. "What If".....dull, dark
and slow moving. "Fix You" .....dull, dark and slow moving. "X &
Y" .....dull, dark and slow moving. "A Message" .....dull, dark and
slow moving. "Swallowed In The Sea" .....dull, dark and slow moving.
"Twisted Logic" .....dull, dark and slow moving. Yeah, I know,
monotonous as all hell, isn't it? Dare I even mention the "hidden
track" entitled "Til Kingdom Come?" Man, if I wanted something this
dull and mundane I'd just listen to Springsteen's latest
catastrophe. Don't get me wrong, the production is sharp and it all
has a unique, sophisticated, mature feel to it. Actually, I
think that may be the problem. I think the songs would be
better if they roughed them up a bit, and the guys had a little more
fun. They just don't sound like they enjoy playing these songs. It's
almost a robotic thing that's going on here. Sound happy, or sound
pissed off, or sound like your in love or whatever, but give us some
kind of passion and feeling for Chrissakes!
I would ask just one thing
from all of the Coldplay fans out there, and there are a lot of you
I know. Please wait a couple of weeks to send the bomb threats
and other hate mail, I'm still backed up with all the Audioslave
fans.
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CORGAN, BILLY -
"TheFutureEmbrace" (4/2006)
With this much anticipated return to the music scene,
we find the ex-Smashing Pumpkins frontman going in yet another
musical direction. The Smashing Pumpkins started out as a sort of
punk/metal/alternative act, and quickly evolved into the full blown
alternative force that made them famous. When Corgan left the
Pumpkin patch and formed the short lived Zwan, we got an earful of a
more straight forward pop/rock sound. Now, with this, his first solo
album, Corgan gives us an atmospheric, electronic, alternative pop
record. Layered backgrounds of sampled effects, reminiscent of
industrial powerhouse Nine Inch Nails, are used as a canvas for
Corgan's dreamy pop whining. While I admire any band or artist that
seeks out new ways to present their art form, I found a lot of this
drab and irritating. If you are a fan of Corgan's voice, well, go
see a shrink - and then just ignore everything else I'm about to
say. I find Corgan's incessant whine to be most appealing, or at
least bearable, when he's doing heavier tracks. Well ...there are no
heavy tracks on this record. When things go at a slower pace, his
voice becomes something like eardrum acupuncture. This whole record
is set at one slow and steady pace. When the record kicks off, the
sound is somewhat fresh, and very well produced. But, as the record
wears on, the songs start to blend together due to the repetitive
nature of the style. The first five tracks have a certain
appeal, although nothing is spectacular, and then the rest of
the record just beats the hell out of the horse's
carcass. Almost all of these songs are done with the exact same
formula in tow. The only exceptions may be "DIA" and "Walking
Shade," which aren't a huge departure from the formula, but they are
a bit more simplistic and straight forward. Everything else sounds
like The Cure playing over a Trent Reznor background texture - and
of course, the piercing drone of Corgan's yammering to top off the
party. Not necessarily a bad sound, and this is not a completely
horrible record, but I think what bothers me is the fact that it
goes nowhere. So, unless you are a die hard fan of the slower
Pumpkins stuff, and you're just dying to hear a whole album full of
it, I would suggest that you embrace something else.
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CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - "In
The Arms Of God"
(8/2005)
Corrosion Of
Conformity is a band that I have seen go through many
phases. They came up in 1984 as a kind of hardcore "skater punk"
band with their album, "Eye For An Eye". It was the kind
of hardcore punk/metal that maxed out at two riffs, and two
minutes, for each song. Add a lot of screaming to the mix and, well,
you get the idea. In '85 they released "Six Songs With Mike
Singing", and it was basically the same formula with bass player
Mike Dean screaming. Some change in style was coming about
with 1986's "Animosity" album though. Songs were getting a
little bit longer, and they even ventured into three chord
territory once or twice. Still the same screamo punk metal, but
the tracks were actually starting to resemble songs somewhat. The
"Technocracy" album in 1987 was a similar offering to "Animosity",
also. It wasn't until 1991 that this band really came to be. With
the release of "Blind", C.O.C. became a viable, straight
forward metal band. They abandoned their street punk roots
and penned a precious metal album. With "Blind" came the
release of their first ever single, "Vote With A Bullet", which,
arguably, remains the best song they've ever written. You
had to ask yourself what happened. What happened in the four years
from the "Animosity" album in 1987, to the "Blind" album in '91?
Well, let me tell you. Pepper Keenan happened. Sure, the
guy brought his guitar playing to the band (and I mean
real guitar playing), but most of all he came with
real songs. The style of his writing was a perfect match for the
direction that the band was ready to travel. But, we
still needed to prepare ourselves for one more
contribution from Pepper Keenan. It was on 1994's masterpiece,
"Deliverance", that Pepper took over the lead vocal
duties - and the rest, as they say, is history. Keenan's
looser, deeper, and ultimately more punishing vocal style was yet
another perfect match for the band's overall sound. This is the
point where the band could've conquered the world (if it wasn't for
Pearl Jam, anyway). Their follow-up lp, "Wiseblood", was not quite
the force that "Deliverance" was, but it was still far above
the average metal album of the time. This band was set to explode,
it was only a matter of time. In between C.O.C. albums, Pepper
Keenan combined forces with Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo to bring
us the Down project. By cutting one of the best metal
records of all time, with that first Down disc, Keenan had proven
himself to be a premier songwriter and guitar player in the metal
scene. After returning to the C.O.C. fold, the band released
"America's Volume Dealer", which was, again, much better than your
average metal record, but not quite what "Deliverance" was. The band
released a live album in 2001, which shunned all of the releases
before "Blind" entirely; which made it perfectly clear that they had
found their calling. The band was now poised to carry on with
their top notch, straight forward metal formula, and release the
centerpiece of their career. Let's see if "In The Arms Of God" is
that record....
The disc
starts off with a spacey organ sound that plays as background to a
beautiful and passionate guitar solo. Yes, they start the song, and
the album, with a guitar solo - God bless them. The solo comes
to an abrupt end though as it ushers in the chugging riff of "Stone
Breaker", a loud and heavy opener that sets the pace of the album
nicely. This is a song that finds the band doing what they do
best; laying down a heavy groove, while supplying a raw and
fiery vocal track. With Pepper Keenan's trademark of turning almost
every word with an -er or -re suffix into an
-ah sound, this song is so hot it's on "fiah"!
The only negative thing about a song like this is the
difficulty that comes with recapturing the same intensity later in
the record, something C.O.C. doesn't really manage to do here.
As the album pushes on with "Paranoid Opioid", the guys show
their Black Sabbath influence proudly. This is a song that
has a bubbling bong water backing vocal, and a bridge that
has a cadence similar to that of Sabbath's "Snowblind".
Sixties psychedelia, and Seventies free-spiritedness has always been
an integral part of C.O.C.'s sound, and this track is a great
exhibition of those qualities. That "spacey" quality
continues through "It Is That Way", and finds it's way back
throughout the rest of the album also. It isn't until "Dirty Hands
Empty Pockets / Already Gone" that we return to the best C.O.C.
quality though, and that's the heavy groove. "Dirty Hands..." starts
out with a sly, sneering vocal which leads to a crushing
groove. But, even on this track, the grooving is short-lived as the
song segues into the thrashy "Already Gone" portion of the
song. As we continue to "Rise River Rise", we find the band doing an
edgy, swirling, psychedelic acoustic thing. Not bad, ...just
not great. I really like this band when it lays down a groove,
simply because they do it so well. The idea of giving the air a
right hook and a guttural growl of "Ooh!" appeals to me, and
there's not a lot of opportunity to do that here. "Infinite War" and
"In The Arms Of God" represent a slight return
for the band to their roots of thrashy punk metal. "So
Much Left Behind" is another tip-of-the-hat to Sabbath. And "World
On Fire" is just a good C.O.C. track that almost (that's right,
almost) recaptures the "groove magic" that I was so
yearning for with this record.
So, let's make
this long story short (yeah, right!). If you like past C.O.C. songs
like "Vote With A Bullet", "Clean My Wounds", "Senor Limpio", or
"Zippo", you'll only get about two tracks that are anywhere near as
good as those are here. If you prefer the more stoned,
spaced out, or thrashy C.O.C., as opposed to the groove
heavy C.O.C., this disc is for you. The band can lay down a brutal
metal assault, there is no doubt about that. This is a seriously
heavy outing that any fan of power metal should find some enjoyment
with. This album has not diminished my faith in their musical
abilities one bit. The band is tight and solid, yes, but they are
just not doing the style of songs that I would prefer to hear from
them. Yeah I know, ....picky,
picky.
OVERALL
RATING:
6
CRY OF LOVE - "Brother"
(8/2004)
Over recent years, the way of the
"classic rock" style has gone by the wayside. With the emergence of
"alternative" or "grunge", we have seen many bands with excellent
talent and songwriting prowess get thrown away with yesterday's
trash. Most times, in the world of the modern music industry,
timing is everything; this band, Cry Of Love, could have been
legendary if they had arrived in 1977 instead of 1993. Blending rich
and soulful vocals, impressive blues-inspired guitar riffs and
solos, a tight rhythm section, and a 10-pack of great songs, these
guys deserved to be recognized.
Naming their band in honor of the
Jimi Hendrix classic lp of the same name, Cry Of Love found that
1993 may have been the worst possible year to release an album of
this style. Nirvana, and anything remotely like them, ruled the
world. The alternative sound was in full swing, and the "guitar
rock" was left in the dugout. "Guitar rock" is exactly what
this record is, too. With current Black Crowes guitarist Audley
Freed the driving force here, this is jam packed; that's right,
packed with guitar jams. From the jangling funk of the lead off
track, "Highway Jones", to the spiritual revival sound of the final
cut, "Saving Grace", we're treated to all the wonderful elements we
come to expect from a classic rock artist. Sounding like the second
coming of Bad Company, with a twist of Zeppelin, Grand Funk and
Badlands, Cry Of Love proves to be worthy of the comparisons.
When you listen to "Highway Jones" you get that "sloppy" guitar
sound that Jimmy Page made famous. Loose jamming with a sense of
high tension and anticipation. You find yourself waiting,
.....yearning for the explosive climax. It's refreshing to hear
a guitar player that can put me on the edge of my seat again. The
second track, "Pretty As You Please", has the same tension and
anticipation to it; except this time, guitarist Freed maintains a
steady funk strut before he lets it rip. As we move to their single
from the record, "Bad Thing", we get the party feel of Grand Funk.
We got hand claps, a two-string bass line, and a snappy snare.
Reminiscent of "Some Kind Of Wonderful", it has that same simple
appeal also. The further we journey through this album, the better
it gets. Tracks like "Too Cold In The Winter", "Drive It Home",
"Hand Me Down", and "Gotta Love Me" all deliver great performances
from the entire band. Listen to the bass line from bassist Robert
Kearns on "Drive It Home", the passionate vocal track from
singer Kelly Holland on "Too Cold In The Winter", or the steady
foundation drumming of Jason Patterson throughout the record; it's
all perfectly in place on this release.
Some of the highlights here, besides
the blistering guitar work and vocal prowess, is the
hook-laden songwriting of a lot of these songs. You find
yourself clenching fists while you writhe to every note. Not just
singing along to the songs, but you might find your eyes tear
up from the passion and soul that you feel while you sing them.
This is what music is all about. I still get shivers when
I hear "Peace Pipe". This is one of the best rock songs I can
recall. If this track don't make you shake and shimmy, you need to
see another doctor!! I still sing at the top of my lungs when I
listen to "Gotta Love Me", "Bad Thing" or "Carnival". It's all about
the passion and soul here, and the undying spirit of rock 'n'
roll.
If you miss classic rock like Bad
Company and Led Zeppelin, and want to tap the steering wheel a
little harder on the way home, get this
record.
D-DAY 4-EVER -
"Detonator" (3/2006)
How many times have I heard
it? Probably two and half . . . three million times. The old "I've
got a friend that plays in a band" thing. I must say, there has
never been a time when I have not checked out a band that a friend
has asked me to check out. I love to support the local bands and
independents who are making squat and playing music for the "love of
the game," if you will. But, in all honesty, most bands turn out to
be average or below 9 times out of 10. Well . . . meet that tenth
band.
Hailing from South Africa, D-Day 4-Ever is
a five-piece hard rock outfit that is much more than the typical
unsigned band. We hear most unsigned bands doing something that will
get them on a bandwagon. Most young bands make the critical mistake
of trying to be somebody they are not. With these nine tracks on
D-Day's independently released "Detonator" disc, the band proves
that they are not out to "fit in." Don't get me wrong, you might
here a tinge of Godsmack in the blistering track "Nothing", or some
harmony vocals reminiscent of Alice In Chains, or even a similar
song style to that of fellow hard rocking South Africans Seether –
but make no mistake, D-Day 4-Ever is doing what comes naturally to
them.
This is a genuine sound that flows out of the
band like an open wound. The passionate vocal performance from
singer Jaco Jacobs on "Breathe," and the beautifully melodic bass
lines from bassist Roy Melville throughout the record insure the
listener that they are getting something pure here. The band also
overcomes the next big pitfall of the average bar band, lack of
diversity. Most young unsigned acts are stagnant with their approach
to the genre. It's almost as if they are afraid to venture too far
away from what's "acceptable." DD4E starts out with a bass driven
intro with some spacey psychedelic effects, and quickly smacks us
clear across the room with a riff that caused me some voluntary head
trauma. "Until The End" is just plain wicked. It's the attitude and
"punch" of Rage Against The Machine, with the melodic majesty of an
Alice In Chains – a most fresh and welcome sound. One of the best
songs that I've heard in the genre in a very long time. As they move
through songs like "Nothing" and "Breathe," we get a more outright
assault in the same vein as bands like Disturbed and Seether. The
band starts to show the diversity that so many lack though in tunes
like "Oblivion," which has a little softer, more melodic sound
without sacrificing their intensity or their integrity. This band
wasn't afraid to show its melodic side and write the song that they
wanted – an admirable feat for a band with everything to lose. Let's
face it, they could have cut nine songs that sounded like Seether,
and billed themselves as the next South African prodigy on the
scene; but they chose to be themselves and do what came naturally,
and it's a beautiful thing. As you make your way toward the end of
the record, you'll find the band traveling into areas of Chili
Peppers-type funk mixed with their signature metal crunch ("Fine"),
and even into a Pantera-type hardcore sound ("Down") that still
sounds like a pure and natural place for the band. Not too many will
show this much diversity, and better yet, not too many have the
talent for it if they wanted to. Talent is | |
