OK. Like most people, I have a short attention span. I like it when things are stripped to their bare minimum, but still retain the main idea. That's why I've always liked 'zine reviews. They're concise, yet good ones try to achieve the overall feel of a record. That's what I'm about to attempt. Some of the records I'm going to review will take longer than others, I'm sure. Read the ones you like. Without further discussion....
- David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust: I bought this about a year ago and I still feel like I haven't completely absorbed this disc. Mabye that's just because it's really fucking good and I can listen to it again and again. I'm sure its irrelevant for me to point out that Bowie's alter ego was in full swing at this point, marking the beginning of rock theatrics and glam rock. Even though this album came out over 30 years ago it has aged very, very well never seeming rudimentary or played out. Also, it is worth noting that Bowie is quite possibly the greatest frontman ever and also, quite possibly, the greatest rock n' roll vocalist. Check out the one-two punch of "Ziggy Stardust" and "Suffragette City". Rock n' roll for the slightly sleazy set.
- Iron Maiden Live After Death (Disc One): Recorded live in L.A.'s Long Beach Arena, this record showcases some of the best popular heavy metal of the 80's. I understand many people's association with this band are the stoner losers in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. This is a very unfortunate connection. Although Iron Maiden can be kitschy (after all, what rock music isn't?) at times, they always fucking rock. The set is comprised mostly of their hits, and you can understand why these were such chart-toppers. They're pop songs trying to be hidden by a metal band and the outcome is great. Everything is just as you'd expect--the guitar solos are fast and long, lots of double bass drum is used, and the vocals are shrieked. Highlights include "2 Minutes to Midnight", "Run to the Hills", and "The Number of the Beast", obviously.
- Spoon Girls Can Tell: I automatically think that everyone knows this record as well as I do and in a way, they do. Recycled and refurbished pop hooks make great songs. The innovation comes across in the delivery. From Britt Daniels' vocals to Jim Eno's sparse and picky drumming, this is a truly great rock album taking chances and succeeding effortlessly. Also, the production is huge yet intimate. Girls Can Tell is quite possibly Spoon's most accessable effort (sucks for you Interscope!), but not quite as good as their minimalist masterpiece Kill The Moonlight. Check out "Everything Hits at Once", "Lines in the Suit", and "Fitted Shirt".
- Modest Mouse The Moon and Antarctica: Modest Mouse's finest hour. Although I still don't understand how they got signed to Epic, this record definetly has reaped the benefts of the label's resources. Namely, money. This is a record, like Girls Can Tell, that showcases excellent production, this time focusing upon space courtesy of ex-Red Red Meat member Brian Deck . Issac Brock's vocals are especially chilling on this record focusing on death and more philosophical territory more than before. Rather than capatilize on their spazzy The Lonesome Crowded West, Antarctica focuses on more subdued material that finds Modest Mouse sounding suprisingly sincere. Listen to "3rd Planet" and "The Stars are Projectors" for highlights, although the whole is better than its parts.
- Tomahawk Mit Gas: I'm not going to lie and try to justify my purchase by saying this is a great record. I'm not going to tell you that Tomahawk are the best rock band out there. I'm not going to talk about Mike Patton. I'm not going to review the bands the other members were in. I'm not even going to tell you what this record sounds like because you probably already know. All I'm going to say is that Tomahawk is a fucking rock band, that put out a fucking rock record, and I like it. Try "Birdsong".
- Chic The Very Best of Chic: Fuck you, I like wearing headphones and walking to this record. That way I can time my paces.
- King Geedorah Take Me To Your Leader: Daniel Dumile a.k.a. MF Doom has made a great record under his new alias King Geedorah. Featuring more unknown talented MCs than I know what to do with, really great production, and a weird B-Movie theme, Dumile's new project is brimming with ideas. This is the best hip-hop record I've heard in a very long time. Possibly since BlackStar. Yeah, that good. Try "Fast Lane", "Monster Zero", and "Next Levels".
- Trans Am Red Line: I don't really know what to do with this record. I want to like it, but something is incredibly abrasive, boring, or just generally not good about this record. Clocking in at around 74 minutes, it might be the overall length that keeps on scaring me off. Very atmospheric, ambient at times, but occasionally a new wave slice of goodness beats you over the head. Mabye I just bought it for the song titles. Check it: "Where Do You Want to Fuck Today?", "Play in the Summer", and "Shady Groove".
- Marvin Gaye What's Going On: What, honestly, can I say about this record that has never been said before? It's perfect? Nope, been said. Marvin Gaye's got a voice sweeter than honey? Nay. Never has an artistic endeavor dealing with social issues been so accessable? Sorry, no. What's Going On is just one of the best albums made--ever. Everything fits together perfectly but the record never comes across bland or one-dimensional. Can you say that about political punk-rock? No, because there is no sloganeering on this album, just perfect pop songs capturing a changing America. Listen to the whole thing over and over again.
- The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots: I bought a copy of The Soft Bulletin in high school and I found it to be an incredibly difficult album to comprehend. Once I finally figured out what was going on, I realized how great a songsmith Wayne Coyne is. Ironically once I started to "get it", the Lips were about to release a new album and make me reevaluate again what I think pop music is. Fortunately (for my lazy ass, at least), Yoshimi is an entirely different affair than their previous masterpieces. The record is at once accessable, thrilling and experimental. The record retains The Lips' ability to write profound ruminations on death, love, and life, all while disguising them behind beautiful melodies and lyrics about karate and pink robots. The Flaming Lips are an incredibly vital, interesting, and innovative band that has changed the topography of popular music as we know it and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots shows that they're nowhere near slowing down. I think "Fight Test", "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt.1", and "Are You a Hypnotist?" are great tracks.
- Meat Puppets II: Well, this, along with the Mekons Fear and Whiskey, started the whole alt-country deal. This is a damn good record. Curt Kirkwood's guitar playing is some of the best I've ever heard and fits perfectly with the country fried psychedelia that was II. Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr. and countless other bands claim the Meat Puppets as influences and they undoubtedly are. The Meat Puppets took the punk energy of bands like Black Flag and X and applied it to pop-rock songs without sounding too abrasive. Oddly, even though I love the vocals on this record, my favorites every time are the instrumentals "Aurora Borealis" and "I'm a Mindless Idiot" because they flow like water.
::I'm through with this for today...it's taking longer than I thought. Tune in tomorrow for more....::
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment