[	Tags	|	album review, allman brothers band, at fillmore east, duane allman, live album, midnight rider, slide guitar, stormy monday, whipping post	]
[	Be	|	House of the Rents	]
[	Feel	|	predatory	]
[	Listen	|	Buckethead - Padmasana | Powered by Last.fm	]

I am usually pretty skeptical when it comes to live albums. Something about me has been conditioned to find studio albums as the best you can get. I mean, you get all the best takes. You get awesome layering and effects that are troublesome to reproduce live. And you’re guaranteed the best every time. So why bother with live albums? Well, every so often you get a live album, where the energy of the band is more than the studio track. Where all the extended parts are just brilliant. Where the album is like being there. It’s a beautiful thing; though not one I would claim every album can pull it off. The Allman Brothers’ “At Fillmore East” brings together all these great musicians, letting them take blues standards to new heights and their originals blaze with new energy. I love a band where all the musicians are top notch in their own right and of course it great when technical skill can me overall composition. To be able to demonstrate this live is truly the peak of what makes a good band.

One of the most immediately memorable parts of this album is the guitar work. And why not? There were few guitar duos as powerful as Dickie Betts and Duane Allman, as brief as their recording time together was. Something about Duane’s slide guitar style, where the notes become so fluid and expressive has always impressed me. And Betts was able to drive a strong layer of both rhythm and leads into the mix, making it more of a two lead guitar band. Take a look at “Statesburo Blues”. The song opens with a driving blues line on organ and Betts’s guitar, but when the slide comes in, in a halting stretch of a note. The blues line drives on, while Duane brings to life this guitar sound that swoops and soars, in such a beautiful tone. Betts enhances Duane’s line by bringing an almost jazz like sense to his blues back beat, moving the song along but with a more interesting backdrop. It’s not a race in musicianship, but about what sounds best in the song.  Or “Done Somebody Wrong”, which has a more traditional driving line. But this is where Betts thrives, dancing slowly in forceful scale. The other guitar comes in a mean wailing way. The tones they get are almost like that of a harmonica, and in true blues fashion, it’s all about improv. And if you really want some nifty improve, try “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Around the 4:30 mark, there is this wonderful guitar line that I can’t begin to explain as it feeds off the audience, moving forward and backwards, but always maintaining this wonderful tonality. I often have trouble telling separate guitar lines apart, but the Allman Brothers had a duo so powerful that it didn’t really matter.

I am also impressed by Greg Allman, the organist and vocalist of the group. The organ is a very ebullient instrument, capable of dirges for funerals or the racy lines that the Doors would use. Greg Allman had a difficult task, as the organ could very well have been delegated to the backbeat rhythm in songs with such overwhelming guitars. But in times of restraint, the organ’s voice not only enhances, but actualizes some musical power. “Whipping Post” has such wonderful organ segments, capable of rising in what feels like multiple layers, especially right at the choruses opening. This is another of the instruments on the record I think has a great tone. And Greg as a sing, well, go back to “Whipping Post,” where his voice starts so soft but turns into that Louie Armstrong like bellow during the choruses. For a man basically out there on his own, Greg rises above the instruments and manages to push the melody and lyrics to the forefront.  “Midnight Rider” uses the vocals as the lead perhaps best of all the songs. Greg sounds desperate yet strong, capturing the songs lyrical essence. And during the “One more silver dollar” line, when his octave jumps, it automatically draws the attention. The song is a great sing along, maybe even chant along.

My final point is “Stormy Monday”. I have heard so many versions of this song, thanks in part to a friend’s father wanting a CD with nothing but different versions of this song on it. And I will go ahead and say it; this may be my favorite blues song. It allows infinite variation, dynamic sounds and tons of improv.  And the Allman Brother’s version may very well be the best. The guitars are restrained, but enter in at time, in these small lines that just tease us with a taste of the escape they want from out under the thumb of the “blues”. Greg Allman’s organ is a slight dirge like part, perfectly capturing the idea of the stormy day, tickling out from its usual melody in wonderful variations at time. And his solo is one of tonal amazement. The rhythm section, which really drives the song, keep the pace restrained, gradually rising in power as we come into the guitar solo. And the vocals and lyrics of course, are pitch perfect; restrained, sad and capable of conveying honest emotion.

The Allman Brothers Band during this time was such a great band, made of so many great musicians. And it was all cut short just 3 months after this performance, when Duane Allman got into a motorcycle accident. But this album stands as a fitting tribute, not to just his prowess, but to how much his music was capable of, but of how much their fans were capable of bringing them to their best.

Favorite Track: “Stormy Monday”

[	Tags	|	album review, basset hound, black sabbath, changes, heavy metal, ozzy osbourne, snowblind, supernaut, tony iommi, wheel of confusion	]
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[	Feel	|	working	]
[	Listen	|	The Allman Brothers Band - Hot 'lanta | Powered by Last.fm	]

I guess if you’re going to pick an album to be better than an Iron Maiden album, you better pick one by Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath is one of the easiest roots to trace to heavy metal’s origins. Their music is dark, heavy and aggressive in varying degrees. The heavy blues-rock they developed would be used as the basis for countless imitators and set a new standard about what music could sound like. As Black Sabbath progressed through the years, they also helped to develop the metal image, doing massive amounts of drugs and women while managing to churn out records. For most purposes, it is the first four records, “Black Sabbath”, “Paranoid”, “Master of Reality” and “Volume 4” that are considered classics. While the other Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath records that followed had some shining moments, they generally deviated away from the formula that made them famous (look for an example of this in the excellent album covered “Technical Ecstasy”). “Volume 4” was during this transition period, as evidenced in the general makeup of songs. Sure, many are similar in style to the older records, but it’s hard to deny the sonic tidbit “FX” or the piano ballad “Changes” would likely have cropped up on a “Paranoid” era Sabbath album. The thing that I find great about an album like this is the fact that the album’s makeup manages to maintain balance, as the songs can still gel despite some variation in composition. As Sabbath roiled under the influence of massive amounts of cocaine, they still managed to show why they were heavy metal founders.

I guess I’ll start with “Snowblind” which was nearly the album’s title. Black Sabbath decided to write what they know here and do so with gusto. The song is very spacey, driven by a slow riff that chimes in beneath Ozzy’s powerful vocals.  The lyrics manage to expand a good amount of metaphor on such a simple subject with good lines like “My eyes are blind but I can see /The snowflakes glisten on the tree /The sun no longer sets me free /I feel there's no place freezing me.”  The track is haunting, with light touches of orchestra and the whisper of “Cocaine.” It truly is a classic. It’s funny to have this follow a song like “Supernaut.” “Supernaut” is driven by the crashing rhythm of Bill Ward and Geezer Butler. I am always pleased to be reminded of Geezer’s bass ability, such a flowing style with a muddy tone; it’s straight bass. The riff of the song might as well be a bass line as well. Metal heavy and deep. And look at this preceded by, “FX” a track they really should have skipped. It’s basically just silly sounds put on top of each other, stuff we would see more in later records. I can do without, but in only three tracks we’ve gone experimental, heavy fast, and heavy slow.

A song like “Changes” seems somewhat out of place on the album, as it’s a light piano ballad. Sabbath is not a band I would pick as the “ballad” type, but this song is largely bolstered by a fairly dynamic performance by Ozzy. At times it comes off cheesy, but Ozzy seems pretty genuine and earnest in his delivery, something not usually conveyed in metal music. “Laguna Sunrise” is also in this mode, featuring a rolling acoustic line supplemented with orchestral parts. It seems to me that it serves to show off just how heavy the song that follows (“St. Vitus Dance”) is. Now, contrast these to “Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener” and “Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes”. Both are multi-part affairs, similar to what was done on the first album. “Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener” opens with a great riff, with multi tracked guitars bouncing off each other in soloing glory. This crashes into the bassy synth part on the “Straightener” section. This song contains probably my favorite riff on the album, as the soloing guitar serves. It is a great riving opener, that it very complete in its structure. “Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes” starts with a pounding bass riff, really seeming to slow down. Iommi enters, pushing into a guitar riff that allows the rhythm section a little bounce. The fills before the verses are especially cool. The singing is typical Ozzy, sort of like a mad preacher shouting prophecies in the street. The end section slows down to such a doomy pace, bouncing a very bluesy riff. Right up until the end, you hear the gears stop grinding as all the darkness of the record culminates in an end. It is a very good closer.

So we have an album with a lot of disparity in songs. But surprisingly, it all works well. The general tonality just makes it seem like swells in the overall whole, as opposed to totally unconnected songs. Granted, I could do without “FX” but I’ll take what I can get. While the albums that would follow this would have their moments, and the Dio era was pretty good, this album serves as a good capstone to Sabbath’s early career.

Favorite Track: “Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener”

If Metallica was the first band I got a metal album by, I guess Iron Maiden was my first non-Metallica metal band. To be honest, I’m not sure what turned me on to go look for Iron Maiden. They’re not as mainstream as Metallica and I wasn’t into the full blown metal phase just then, so I can’t help but wonder where I heard of them. Nonetheless, I am thankful everyday that Iron Maiden exists. They are what is so great about heavy metal, with this intense melodies loaded with speed and power, a singer full of bravado putting forth memorable lyric and chantable choruses and a rhythm section that keep it all together. Iron Maiden keep the formula of their success very close, as they don’t really step away from what made them famous on any of their album, but on “Number of the Beast” we get to see where it all started. Since it holds this position as the starting point many people see it as the penultimate classic or on the flipside, as overplayed. Likely it’s both, but it still remains one of my favorites. It is massive and powerful and fun to listen to always.

So when I thought of how to approach this review, I had trouble deciding how to go about it so. So I came up with the idea that I would do a usual song by song, but I would do them in order of my favorite down through my least favorite. So I guess this starts us at the classic “Hallowed Be Thy Name”. I might be even so bold to pick this as my favorite Maiden song all together or even further than that, one of my top 5 all time songs. It is that good. The lyrics to the song deal with a man awaiting execution and his crisis of faith. He seems to rail not only against his fate but against the God who made him capable of committing a crime that could revoke his life. There are lots of great lines in the song, my favorite among them being “Tears form but why am I crying/After all I’m not afraid of dying” which really is a good highlight of human frailty. The lyrics are of course, impressively delivered by Bruce Dickinson who manages to get them to swell and fall and swoop and howl in anything needed, especially the despondent last “Hallowed Be Thy Name”. However, I would be remising to discuss this song and never mention the guitars which are certainly the best part. Building from the slow intro, the guitars have such life and manage to bring interesting riffs to the next level, like the bridge between the two bouts of singing in the beginning.  The guitars never hold to a single riff but continue to be dynamic throughout culminating in the battling solos of Smith and Murray which are among the best solos and most fitting solos ever recorded. In short, this song is epic and is a perfect album closer because of its thematic qualities and falling bravado at the end. Maiden just goes out on a blaze of glory.

“22 Acacia Avenue” is another classic from the album and is the second part of the Charlotte the Harlot trilogy (From Here to Eternity from Fear of the Dark is another of my favorite Maiden songs). The song builds on a good tonal riff that is dotted by Harris’ famous bass tone, drum fills and Dickinson’s vocals, which are more restrained here. The song moves along, the timing changes and we come to a bouncier rhythm when all the instrumental parts come together, and Dickinson dances on top of them. It is an interesting section that is pleasing in its complexity. The solo for this song I also a highlight, remaining slower but manages to move along within the frame of the song and is kind of haunting in its own way. It is a very complete song. “The Prisoner” is another good example of something Maiden does that I really like. Starting with that very memorable speech from the Prisoner television program, the song builds quickly with very punchy lines. Dickinson really drives this song with his masterful vocals like the abruptness of the verse lines “I'm on the run, I'll kill to eat /I'm starving now, feeling dead on my feet” , the powerful shouting of “Break the walls I'm coming out” or the wonderful double tracking of the chorus that cuts off right as he says “out”.  The instrumentals are good and move along with the song and seem to be one of the more downtuned riffs on the album. The time changes really help build it to a fever pitch. It is a very wide ranging song.

It would be hard to mention “Number of the Beast” without talking about “Number of the Beast”, one of Maiden’s all time classics. The talking intro to this one is classic and easily recognizable. The intro section is wonderful, subdued but rising quickly into the wonderful “What did I see can I believe that what I saw/that night was real and not just fantasy” line. The solo is classic and the song moves along well in vigorous fashion. “Children of the Damned” is a slower number, so it means that Dickinson is really pushed to the forefront to make it interesting. The vocals contrast with the guitar and bass parts well, really bringing the idea of the “damned” to life. As the song picks up life, it really moves into some excellent harmonic guitar playing, which is really what having two guitarists is all about. “Invaders” opens with a great set of drum rolls and Harris’ banging bass which move into a quick riff. I enjoy the singing of the song especially, as the urgency gives it a lot of energy. Add to the fact that I just like to be able to hear the bass part and you can see why I’m happy. As an album opener, it’s alright, as the upbeat time signature means a strong start but I think the title track would be a more classic album opener.  “Run to the Hills” is a classic that everyone knows and the reason I rank it so low is just that I hear it way too much and I need a break from it to appreciate it again. Don’t non-metal fans know any songs besides this by Maiden? Finally, “Gangland” is a fine song, but comparatively to the rest of the album I find it kind of boring, especially that the chorus could have used more bravado. It has a good rhythm line, but if I had to cut one song, this one would be it.

I don’t really think more needs to be said for a metal classic. If you don’t own it, buy it and see what all the fuss is about.

Favorite Track: “Hallowed Be Thy Name”

[	Tags	|	album review, battery, cliff burton, leper messiah, master of puppets, metal, metallica, orion	]
[	Be	|	In the lair of the Jabberwocky	]
[	Feel	|	hot	]
[	Listen	|	The Stills - Still in Love Song (12" version) | Powered by Last.fm	]

Ya know, when I was making this list, I didn’t realize I had made such a pocket of metal. But I must admit, it was good timing for these reviews since I’ve been in a metal mood recently (like that Pat Boone album! - http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Mood-More-Mr-Nice/dp/B000005KOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1244786256&sr=8-1). Anyway, I’m sure it’s no surprise that a metal lover like myself would eventually have a Metallica album on the list. After all, for many of us Metallica was our introduction to metal. Although Metallica’s “Metallica” (aka the Black Album) was the first of their albums that I got, I purchased “Master of Puppets” not long afterwards. All of the albums recorded before Cliff Burton’s death are outstanding, bringing the chug-chug riffs of metal alive. I am sad that Metallica’s sound moved away from what it was here and into questionable territory (though I did like “Death Magnetic”). So now I have to put into words what this fine example of metal has meant to me.

It’ funny that I thought this album was boring the first time I heard it as a 13 year old kid. I must have been really stupid because this album has lots to think about. I think I’ll start with “Orion” the instrumental track. I always feel funny about instrumental tracks because they can be so prone to failure. They can’t be nearly as structured as most songs, because a riff repeated over and over again becomes boring.  At the same time, it should be structured, not just noodling. I like Yngwie Malmsteen, but sometimes he just loses sight of things in his music and goes on a shredding tangent. Instrumentals about giving voice to the tools that you use to make the music. “Orion” does this with its moving voices.  The main riff rises up from a sci-fi like sound, chugging at the listener in glorious double tracking. It is kept interesting by the little variations added over top of it. Lars, who is very easy to hate on sometimes, doesn’t lose sight of the rhythm but keeps his drums quieter, as they aren’t meant for melody here. And when we come to the bass solo, well, it’s orgasmic. Cliff Burton had a way of really making the coolest sounds on a bass. Something about the little triplets that nearly turn into a chord amazes me. And do I love hearing a Rickenbacker, the same kind of bass I own? Yes. Yes I do. And when the little harmonic fills from the guitar start coming in, it’s just awesome icing on an awesome cake. This song alone could justify the album, as it is intriguing and beautiful and a fitting tribute to my mystical master, Cliff Burton. But, oh, there is more! Much more. Come and see.

I feel like highlighting “Battery” would be good, as it brings Metallica’s metal side to a peak that was difficult to repeat. It starts with this acoustic intro, with guitars sort of moving over top of each other. I always found Metallica’s like of doing acoustic intros strange, as you can them doing it quite a bit on “Ride the Lightning”. I think it supposed to bring some contrast to the speed and distortion of the main lines of the song. A “look how comparatively metal we are” moment. Not that I think this is a bad thing. It is a nice lead in and makes the album open well. But the body of “Battery” is pure aggression. Each moment is about the wall of sound, as drums, guitar and bass all crash at the same time every time. And they do it fast. The speed of the song is great, really moving the blood. Hetfield’s vocals are the only thing that don’t blend into this wall, as he growls out the words, before he started ending every word with –ah! Even the lyrics drip metal, telling of the body crushing battery, which is rolling over the world without mercy or relent. This is what metal is all about.

The final song I’m going to talk about is the underappreciated “Leper Messiah”. There is just something about this song that I really enjoy. The way the riff is so methodical and heavy, much the way Tony Iommi does his riffs. The moving bass undertones that swirl around the formula of the riff. The way James Hetfield can make the lyric seem so bleak while not losing that growl. The double tracking on certain words are just haunting and accusatory. Hell, even the count off at the beginning works well. This song about religious leaning taken too far is sums up what Black Sabbath did with metal, but adds more edge to the evil. I talked about Slayer’s evil in my last review and comparatively I guess Metallica isn’t all that evil sounding. Instead they present an evil of the world around us encroaching in on the little bubbles we live in. Evil isn’t the aberrant near mythical terrors of Slayer here, but something more real that we all could fall prey to at any time. This song is a straight forward example of this, summing up the slower metal sound that works so well. It is a complete song in every respect.

I’ve decided to only discuss these three songs, since I think they speak so well for the body as a whole, but that doesn’t mean the other songs aren’t great, because they certainly are. I don’t think “The Thing That Should Not Be” is a particularly memorable song but it isn’t bad by any means. As a whole the album works and as expressed before “Battery” is a great opener and I like “Damage Inc” as a closer because it means the album goes out strong instead of fading away. “Master of Puppets” is a necessary metal album that I regret must be so high up on the list, but tune in soon for the metal masterpiece that could outrank this classic!

Favorite Track: “Battery”

[	Tags	|	album review, black magic, black metal, kerry king, show no mercy, shred, slayer, speed, tom arraya	]
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Few things are as metal as the first couple of Slayer albums. Right up to and including “Seasons in the Abyss” they show the ability to make metal everything it was meant to be: fast, evil, and harsh and in any combination imaginable. For some reason, I feel the albums that follow this really must that was great about these thrash legends work, but “Show No Mercy” is a perfect example of how Slayer put their stamp on the era. And of the four “great” thrash albums (Anthrax’s “Fistful of Metal”, Megadeth’s “Killing Is My Business… And Business is Good” and Metallica’s “Kill em All” being the other) it is the only one that doesn’t suffer from a rawer production. No, it is actually benefitted it by it in some ways. Slayer’s aggression is metered out perfectly as a raw almost primal force, beating drums and distorted riffs all brought to a head by Tom Arraya’s intense growling vocals. “Show No Mercy” set a brutal standard as to what thrash was and should be.

I feel that if I try to do a song by song I may belabor my point quite a bit, so I’m going to discuss it in the three areas I bring up above: fast, evil and harsh. Starting with fast, I think it’s obvious how Slayer fits this role. Virtually every song on the album is done at an impact speed. “Evil Knows No Bounds” is really pounded into the listener’s ears with its fast picked intro, compounded with the bounding of the main riff. Tom Arraya’s vocals really add a powerful urgency and Dave Lombardo’s drums really keep the pace up with its fills. The little solos also help with as they sacrifice tonality for just raw sound on top of fast raw sound. “Fight till the Death” shows how much drums can drive a song forward, as the relentless high hat and bass drum are jammed at intense speed. “Black Magic” is just jammed together riffs that show off the guitar tandem and Arraya’s clipped vocals make it seem all the faster. The solo is also remarkably moving, but manages to stay within the confines of the songs “musicality”. The speed just comes off as pure metal punch and show that metal and speed are meant to go together.

Flip this over to the idea of metal as “evil” sounding. Now it’s not hard to imagine how Slayer can be considered evil. I mean just look at their lyrics. Take a look at “The Antichrist” with its screamed chorus of “I AM THE ANTICHRIST” and lines like “Searching for the Answer /Christ Hasn't Come/Awaiting The Final Moment /The Birth Of Satans Son.” Or how about “The Final Command” evoking the image of the German Army in WWII “Blitzkrieg Tactics of the German Command /Born with the Power of God in His Hand /Withdrawn from Fighting He Now /Takes His Leave /Seeking out Goals ThatCan’t Be Conceived.” The music itself is also very demonic sounding, as the distorted guitars growl like wild dogs and screams at you like in “Metal Storm/Face the Slayer.” The evil builds even further in the slower songs, “Tormentor” being a good example of this. The riff evokes a somewhat classical feel it seems to me, but when the two guitarists play on top of each other it becomes haunting and domineering. The songs are all about despair being flung at you, heavy metal as a blunt force, with the satanic image of heavy metal really used to full effect.

Harsh is another one that isn’t hard to explain. Slayer is meant to be abrasive. If it wasn’t, they would turn off their damn distortion pedals. “Evil Has No Boundaries” is basically a cacophony of sound, as the riffs and singing really get in your face, but retain this edge of just beyond live. They might step on each other, the possibility exists, but it works well as this style makes it more in your face. Look at “Cryonics” where the lines are just barely distinguished for the guitar, giving this running effect of distortion. The rawness brings the speed and evil to life, forcing the listener to deal with a heavy and loud sound. The rawness is especially present in solos, where the tonality it remarkably similar for all songs, but it works. The solos aren’t meant as tonal oddities or melodic enhancements but as another pounding pulse in the music. Sure, the production might differentiate things better and the production on later records is great, but this really captures a lot of what’s great about seeing Slayer live.

I don’t have much to say about this record negatively, though I would like to have had the bass mixed higher. I think “Evil Has No Boundaries” is a great opener summing up Slayer’s sound on the record and “Show No Mercy” is a great closer because it sums up their sound as a whole. Slayer continues to be a great live band, but this record reminds me how much I like their albums as well.

Favorite Track: “Black Magic”

[	Tags	|	album review, black metal, countdown to extinction, dave mustaine, marty friedman, megadeth, psychotron, solo, symphony of destruction	]
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[	Feel	|	dorky	]
[	Listen	|	Opeth - Godhead's Lament | Powered by Last.fm	]

I have been told by a radio host that there are two types of Megadeth fans: those that think “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” is the best Megadeth album and those who think “Countdown to Extinction” is the best. Personally, I like to think I am neither, as I enjoy all their discography (“Risk” excluded). I have pondered the meaning of this and I guess it’s meant to signify the earlier thrash albums versus the more mainstream sound that Megadeth had during this era. I wonder why people worry about this, as if the popularity of “Symphony of Destruction” impedes their ability to like the album. Okay, so the album is different than the earlier stuff, but what this really mean? Overall, I would say better song structure and cleaner production. Megadeth’s dueling guitar sound is greatly enhanced by the clarity of the production, bringing out the nuance of their shredding, whereas it was muddy before. And yes, I think Mustaine’s song writing ability got better as time went on, when he introduced more melody. It wasn’t less metal. Just less heavy and exploratory.

Now, “Countdown to Extinction” is an album that I really feel lacks bad songs. Of all the songs, only “This Was My Life” is not immediately recognizable to me. The rest have outstanding moments that make them memorable. “Skin O My Teeth” is a great album opener, striking immediately into a fast paced drum roll and a chugging riff that Dave manages to get an interesting cadence over. This song is further enhanced by one of the best solos on the album, as it fits the music perfectly but still manages to diverge into interesting speed and phrasing. “Symphony of Destruction” is a song that may be recognizable to non-metal fans, having cropped p in many other places. It has kind of a start stop riff that really lay out a good rhythm and gets even more interesting in its digressions leading up to the chorus. This is one of Mustaine’s more restrained vocal performances on the album, but they are rather present and luckily, the lyrics aren’t too shabby. “Architecture of Aggression” is a stand out on the album, as the machine gun drum intro and the guitar sound really harkens back to the older Megadeth. Add the fact that Dave’ growl is so strong here, talking of course war/politics and you have an archetypal Megadeth song.  Although not their fastest song, it really highlights the guitar and that is what Megadeth is all about.

“Foreclosure on a Dream” is an interesting divergence, as I guess it could be classified as a ballad. Although I wouldn’t call the acoustic part particularly striking, it comes to a head with its conflict with the electric guitar, which provides a moving background for Mustaine’s singing. Surprisingly, it also features a really badass solo for a ballad. My complaint with this one is the damn George H.W. Bush talking segment. What is with Dave Mustaine and talking songs (see album “World Needs a Hero”). “Sweating Bullets” may very well be the silliest song on the album. I’ll go ahead and say it: Dave Mustaine can write some really laughable lyrics. This interplay between him, made even wackier by Dave’s rising at weird times vocals and you have a recipe for disaster. What saves it is the same stop start effect made so present in “Symphony of Destruction”. For some reason, this style really seems to drive the heavy home, which is really enhanced by the drum beat and a really simple solo. “This Was My Life” has a promising vocal intro, but I think it gets a little too high pitched at times. The riff is good, but just not as memorable as most of the other songs. “Countdown to Extinction” is one of the more interesting ones compositionally. For instance, the bass is more present, jumping out every so often to really drive in the rhythm.  I also like this best on the album for Mustaine’s vocal delivery, especially the rising intro and the subdued but multi-layered chorus. Plus, the riff in the chorus is extremely well voiced and entertaining.

“High Speed Dirt” is another song with a rawer sounding tonality, driving a little faster than most of the other songs. Dave really comes off challenging in his vocal delivery and something about the rhythm here, delivered so well by the drums; push the song along into the chanting chorus. “Psychotron” is another of the stupider lyrical songs and at times the delivery of the song’s body verges on rapping. But some reason, I really like this song, to the point where I would probably pick it as my favorite on the album. The riff is among the heaviest on the album and I like the little noodling segments as each line’s delivery.  The snare drum really adds a snap to each line. The solo really rises above the backing section, in a very powerful but subdued way, even permeating into the main body of the song. And let face it: the weird lyrics make it very memorable. “Captive Honour” is immediately memorable to me because of the talking segment which features Mr. T. However, the rest of the song is good, especially the intro’s acoustic lead in that provides an interesting plucking line as well as good contrast to the rest of the song. Dave really snarls the vocals here, which is usually when his vocals are at their best. The chorus is also very memorable.  “Ashes in the Mouth” works well as a closer, as its heavy style really satisfies why you listen to Megadeth. The riff at the chorus lead ins are quite well timed to draw attention and the solos work well. I also enjoy the layered chorus that provided lyrics thematically appropriate for the end of the album. And let us forget that it’s the albums best example of the duel solo where Mustaine and Friedman each take turns shedding only to combine in harmonic lines. I find this to be an orgasmic effect.

This is a great album. I don’t care if Megadeth sold out as long they write me more songs like “Architecture of Aggression” and “Psychotron”. Although it doesn’t have a much duel solos as some of the other albums, it is still a speed metal dream with enough variety to keep it all interesting.

Favorite Track: “Psychotron”

[	Tags	|	(we are) the road crew, ace of spades, album review, god, heavy metal, jailbait, lemmy, motorhead, rock n roll	]
[	Be	|	Taking time away from Yotuba&!	]
[	Feel	|	determined	]
[	Listen	|	Saxon - Crusader | Powered by Last.fm	]

Motorhead is the first to have a repeat on the list, though certainly not the last. And here I picked what many consider the ultimate Motorhead album, or at least the most recognizable. Like all Motorhead albums, it is consistently good because it does not disregard the formula that made Motorhead a band of such longevity: loud, fast and heavy. It is simply the degrees of these elements and the way that they are delivered that changes from album to album.

So I got to thinking about what made this the “classic” Motorhead album. If it had followed right after “Overkill” this would be an easier comparison, as “Overkill” featured many shred of the Hawkwind kind of sound Lemmy was used to, though certainly geared further to heavy (“Metropolis” is a good example of this) but instead it followed “Bomber” which seems to me stylistically similar to it, though a little less polished (I discount “On Parole” since this was supposed to be their first album but wasn’t released until right before “Ace of Spades) so a comparison of styles on albums might not work. It is likely more due to either this being people’s first exposure to Motorhead or thus making it more memorable to them or because the title track, “Ace of Spades” sums up Motorhead’s sounds so well.

“Ace of Spades” is the song that even people who do not know Motorhead will be able to identify. It is fast, driven by the double pounding of bass and guitar that is backlit by the drums. Lemmy’s growl is right up front and the imagery of the song really brings the whole outlaw image of heavy metal right up front. Although I would never claim it is my favorite Motorhead song, it is nevertheless, a classic, that demands to be chanted along with, yelled along with, screamed along with or whatever. It quickens the pulse. Its guitar tone is simply awesome and the bridge when Lemmy declares matter of factly “Take one look and die!” is burnt into memory. It makes a strong case for itself.

As for the rest of the album, if you’ll forgive a bad pun, it really follows suit. All the tracks have that heavy vein that demands attention. “(We Are) The Road Crew” is a classic with a great driving drum beat, complimented by a good cadence in singing and attention drawing lyrics. “Love Me like a Reptile” has that classic Motorhead chanted chorus and I must say the title makes a great hook. “The Hammer” has a great rising aggression in it, as well as a moving tempo, very akin to the title track. And “Jailbait”. Hilarious with a great bass line and good singing.

Even the songs that differ from the tempo like “Dirty Love” and “The Chase is better than the Catch” take blues to a new level, featuring great solos, on guitar and bass respectively. They take the idea of “British Heavy Metal” right to heart and make a more aggressive version of what Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were so complimented for. I’ll even go so far as to say that the bonus track on my cd, “Please Don’t Touch” is great, since I am a sucker for duets and the beat and backing vocals make it a track that is almost danceable to, akin to “Johnny B. Goode”.

Yes, it is a classic of metal, but I would also pick it as an overall classic of rock music. Sure, heavy metal has its detractors, but they’re all wrong. Dead wrong. Motorhead is in fine form and we owe a lot to this album for exposing them to such a big audience.

Favorite Track: “(We Are) The Road Crew”

I have been really searching for a way to accurately review this album. Obviously an instrumental album is harder to really pick apart, especially one like this that has so much virtuosity. I made a good attempt during my review of “The Fountain” OST, but that required knowledge of the movie. Here I will have to go more with my intimacy with the music. I was introduced to album by a friend of mine who seems to like pure technical skill in his music and this album has plenty of that. I remember marveling at the sheer speed but it took me a while to really listen to it. To really get all the phrasing and interplay. Now it all seems so big. I love exposing people to this album, so they can see just how wide a range classical guitar can provide. My Dad even remarked upon hearing it the first time, “Wow. I didn’t think humans could play that fast”

“Mediterranean Sundance - Rio Ancho” is immediately noticeable to me by the way the guitars volumes are done. One distant, the other close. But they build quickly into their lines, showing why one was highlighted and one was not. One acts to invoke the imagery, while the other compliments it but also gives a backbeat, so that rhythm is not lost. At times the backbeat takes precedence, allowing the other guitar to change voicing or pace but till stay in the framework of the piece. And one of my favorite parts comes around the 4:30 marks, when the lower pitched backbeat takes the stage, crashing down and forcing the voicing into unison for just a brief moment, maybe a chord or two. At 7:00 you get another unison moment that generates such an interesting tone.  The brief break and return at 8:10. The call and answer at 10 minutes. It’s hard to describe since this is such a bit song, but everything interplays well and yet remains light and listenable.

“Short Tales of the Black Forest” is an interesting opener, starting with what seems to be just fast runs up and down the strings with an occasional chord banged out. But the interesting play here comes in the dynamics of the two guitars interplaying. Different volumes and different speed play off each other to create a strong tapestry of sound. The music gets even more playful towards the end when an almost 12 bar blues starts and the audience start clapping along. Jut good fun. The end shows a marked drop in volume, but not speed, indicating the end of our journey, only to rise quickly to a vibrant conclusion. Our emergence from the piece complete.

“Frevo Rasgado” immediately comes in with a more flamenco feel to it, likely due to De Lucia’s influence. One guitar is kept lower, banging out heavy but fast chord that form the backbone of the song, while the other guitar acts as the dancer to the song, moving quickly over the music. Each change in the line is a break or whip from the dancer signaling the audience to draw attention in the detail. As the song progresses, the two parts draw together, becoming two dancers providing their own music. It finally cools down a bit towards the end but remains very sensual, refusing to just fade out.

“Fantasia Suite” starts with a run as well, of course at high speed. But it’s the light touch at the 50 second mark that is quite interesting. Not just raw speed, but ability to understand the way the tone is played to the audience. It relaxes and invites into the music. It builds into this weird echo effect at 3:20 which is quite interesting, seeming distant but working into the dynamic of the tones volume and tempo. Then at 3:40 it seems to change into a whole other song, with one part using slower chords, the other guitar bouncing off it but keeping the same tune. It becomes very… big sounding I suppose? The suite works well, but if I had to complain, I’d say there is a slight drop that makes the change of parts more noticeable. Still, it’s hard to beat the speed and voicing around minute 8.

“Guardian Angel” is the only one to feature all 3 players and also the only studio song.  It starts picking lightly, careful to keep them from stepping on each other’s toes. But it picks up speed, only to be cut out to another part, almost seamlessly. Each part that comes to the forefront lowers the key a bit, letting it stand apart from the others. And the light ending is the perfect way to end the album. It is well arranged and never overwhelming. Simply well put together.

Now, I haven’t really seemed to add a whole lot of judgment and I have been much consternated on how to do this review. Can I really tell you why? No. Am I hearing things not in the music? Maybe. But I still think this is a great album with great guitarists.

Favorite Track:  “Mediterranean Sundance - Rio Ancho”

[	Tags	|	album review, caifornia one, castaways and cutouts, collin meloy, indie, narrative, odalique, the decemberists, youth and beauty brigade	]
[	Be	|	tired	]
[	Feel	|	dirty	]
[	Listen	|	Queens of the Stone Age - Go With the Flow | Powered by Last.fm	]

There is not much I don’t like that the Decemberists have done. All of their songs reek of wonderful pretention. Their songs are all bogged down in ever increasing layers of instrumentals and vocal harmonies.  Their album covers all look like book covers from those small press books you can only find in the tiniest book stores. Their narratives are wild and inventive. They have a good sense of humor, to the point where they had a guitar solo contest with Stephen Colbert. To put it more succinctly: they are a good time kind of band. So with their album “Castaways and Cutouts” we find the Decemberists setting the stage for all their music to follow.

The opener is a song called “Leslie Ann Levine” which starts with a heavy, what I believe is twelve string guitar chord progression that blends into a rolling accordion line. The song tells of a girl who died at childbirth who now roams the land with other children who have died before their time. For such an esoteric theme, the song is very musical and very enjoyable. Meloy is very good in most of his songs at making his vocals interesting to the ear. Such as here in the line regarding the parapets that swells into “Shake my rattle and bones”. I wonder if this is really the best choice for an album opener, but I suppose it does set the tone for the album as a whole. “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect” is another downbeat song that relies on a dreamy vocal track to propel its lyrics to the forefront. The lyrics, which seem to deal primarily with the possibilities of one’s life, albeit in a more ornate way than most would probably encounter. It’s a song of mood, played especially during the chorus, which has a wonderful dropped vocal end with a haunting piano and/or organ line. “July! July!” is the first upbeat song the album and a good example of how a simple song about fun as a child can have imagery of drunken French Canadians, bootlegging and possibly murdering. But the song is propelled by the bouncy guitar so much, that it must be a happy tale. I especially like the backing vocal answers on the bridge for this one.

“A Cautionary Song” is another example of the Decemberists ornate story telling. Taking a marine feeling, we hear how our mother goes down to the docks at night to pleasure the sailors while we sleep. This song really plays with the accordion line to invoke that naval imagery and is especially well used when the song is dotted at the end. “Odalisque” is one of my all-time favorite of their songs, simply because it blends their soft acoustic/accordion duo against a more driven organ/electric section, not to mention Meloy’s wails, later heard on  “The Island” from “The Crane Wife”. Meloy’s singing of the opening lines is great especially “and when they find you odalisque/they will rend you terribly /stitch from stitch till all /your linen and limbs will fall”. Top this with lyrics like “Now what do we do/ with 10 dirty Jews?” and you have a very interesting song to the ears.  “Cocoon” for me is one of the least memorable songs on the album. Although its piano line is nice and haunting, it doesn’t draw attention much to the lyrics, which are usually a highlight of their songs and the vocals only really stand out on the canella ending lines to the verses.

“Grace Cathedral Hill” is largely bolstered by the excellent and very appropriate organ line. Again, this isn’t a favorite of mine from the album, though I think Meloy really brings the imagery of the place to life with lines like “Grace Cathedral hill, all wrapped in/ bones of a setting sun, /all dust and stone and moribund.”  “The Legionnaire’s Lament” is an upbeat and fun number, and almost purely electric. The vocals sore and swoop from almost cockney to the rising multi-tracked choruses. And the way the accordion plays to drive the songs tempo up is wonderful.  “Clementine” is almost hymn-like in quality, as nearly everything is at a minimum, but it works for the song. It’s sweet in its way and I think the vocals sound earnest enough to pull it off, though this probably the least complicated narrative wise of all the tracks.

Finally we come to “California One/ Youth and Beauty Brigade” a truly epic song. The first section is slow paced mostly made of acoustic guitar and piano.  With lyrics like “And the road a-winding goes /from golden gate to roaring cliff-side /and the light is softly low as our hearts become sweetly untied /beneath the sun of California one” a lot of imagery is brought and the minimal music really makes it seem like a relaxing drive. The second section is brought in by a rising organ part and at times what sounds like whispered sentiments. This section is massive building all the Decemberists instrumental power into a call to all the misfits of the world and frankly I get a chuckle during the line “I figured I had paid my debt to society /by paying my overdue fines at the Multnomah county library”. It is a perfect album closer that really shows off what the Decemberists are all about. This is an overall great album, and though I enjoy how much more complicated things get on later albums arrangement wise, it’s nice to hear simpler Decemberists, building their enormous dream.

Favorite Track: “Odalisque”

Picking your favorite member of the Beatles can be easy. But now that I come to my favorite Beatles’ solo album, I was quite tried in my attempts to pick. Obviously all the Beatles had a great deal of individual talent, but when it came time for their solo work, they were all so different. John Lennon’s “John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band” has its brilliant pretention, loaded to the brim with great musicians. Paul McCartney & the Wings’ “Band on the Run” is an album of great fun, where pop music is done at its best. But I think for me, George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” is my favorite of the Beatles solo works. Although he recorded some songs for the Beatles (ad they were all quite excellent) he was under represented overall in their catalogue and listening to this album, we have to wonder why.

If you had trouble with any of the other two solo albums I mentioned, this one seems to place itself in the middle. It’s music is very solid, at times pop leaning in nature, but Harrison still manages to put plenty of contemplation into the song’s lyrics. Let’s start with “My Sweet Lord” a staple from the album. Written on one of Harrison’s favorite subjects, religion, it tells of Harrison’s desire to really experience God in this world, rather than the disconnected silence man normally encounters. Harrison does a good job arranging this musically, avoiding the obvious composition of a mourn like hymn and instead keeps it upbeat, but with downbeat singing playing against it. Add the triumphant choir and the well-toned guitar and you have a song that is joyful and sad at the same time.  “Wah Wah” the track that follows, uses a greater degree of studio work and layering to bring itself together. It has an interesting dynamic of playing Harrison’s guitar against the saxophone. The song’s chorus , essentially a single word, is layered in a way reminiscent of many novelty songs of the doo wop era, played against the rush of George Harrison’s lyrics, adding to what is a very big song. Another song in this vein is “What is Life?” which again uses layering to create a wall of sound.  The song continues one of the best guitar tones on the album and has a good beat to it. I also enjoy the use of trumpets as a lead in to the chorus as it builds anticipation and the chorus itself, well it’s catchy and that’s what choruses should be.

“Run of the Mill” uses a simpler composition, which I suppose, is meant to draw one to the lyrics. Harrison writes of the need of the individual to help change the world. The lyrics are written in a very personal way, as if two friends are talking, bringing to mind the ways the individual has been helped himself in the past. “Beware of Darkness” is a song in a similar vein, telling of the need to keep oneself away from our own inner darkness.  “Watch out now, take care/ Beware of the thoughts that linger/ Winding up inside your head/ The hopelessness around you/ In the dead of night” Harrison things in a very flat and clear way, bringing the idea that Harrison himself feels this way. The song expands outward to the darkness of the world itself, but it still remains very personal in its delivery and can be powerfully moving.  “If Not for You” which was written by Bob Dylan combines music and singing a simple manner that works, as the bend of the guitar works with Harrison’s best twang. It’s also nice to see one of the slower numbers on the album not be a sad cry but instead a nice love song.

I could go on and do more songs, including all the ones on the bonus disk, but I think I’ll stop here by saying that the album works so well as a whole. Harrison’s vision is very clear and the music never radically jumps away from itself from track to track so the listener doesn’t feel jarred when listening. Harrison is my favorite Beatle and I think this is the best solo album a Beatle could produce. It was sad to see him pass a few years back, but he left us such a great legacy, especially this album.

[	Tags	|	album review, fletcher memorial home, pink floyd, progressive rock, roger waters, the final cut, the gunner's dream, the post war dream	]
[	Be	|	Gotham City	]
[	Feel	|	crazy	]
[	Listen	|	The Tain - The Decemberists	]

I come to a Pink Floyd album that has a lot of consternation regarding it. It is it even a Pink Floyd album? Arguably, yes, since all the band performs on it. Yet, this is more or less writing wise an all Roger Waters album, to the point where this is reflected on the album’s back cover. Now, some people have a problem with this, but I have little trouble getting past it because frankly, after Syd Barrett’s departure, Roger Waters had been the larger part of Pink Floyd’s creative force. His songs drip with heavy cynicism and very catchy lyrics and I thank him for this. And to the rest of Pink Floyd, you could have done much better than A Momentary Lapse in Reason.

Okay, now this is largely a concept album based on an anti-war theme. Roger Waters, a child of war causality, brings this forth in his best biting styles. The lyrics on this album scream with disbelief in the stupidity of man. Take “Fletcher Memorial Home” which deals with a place where we can retire our world leaders. There, they play war games with each other and watch their own speeches on TV, thus fulfilling ht Waters’ views as their megalomania.  Or consider “The Gunner’s Dream” which switches to a first person perspective and has great lines such as “You never hear their standard issue kicking in your door/ You can relax on both sides of the tracks/ And maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control /And everyone has recourse to the law/ And no-one kills the children anymore.” Water’s obviously held a grudge and brings a great deal of personal feeling into each song, making this work among the most personal of Pink Floyd’s albums.

An interesting thing about this album is that David Gilmour sings on only one song. As the albums went along Gilmour is given less and less singing roles in favor of Rogers, who has a less traditional voice. However, this is not bad thing. As I stated above, this adds to the personal feeling of all the songs. And in addition, because of Roger’s more nasal voice, he is able to bend and stretch the notes in a way that sound less like a professional singer (not a knock on his ability) and more like a person who just has something to say. Rogers’ voice is very interesting and moves up and down on the tracks in rapid succession, from the shouts in “The Post War Dream” to the drifting melancholy of “Southampton Dock”. In addition, “Not Now John” which features Gilmour, is a great vocal track, though surprisingly indicative of post Waters Floyd. It’s good to see them work together on this one, because their vocal duets are so well complimented by the music of the song itself.

Like most Pink Floyd records, the instrumentals are top notch. From the best tones guitar in the business to the wildest keyboards and the thumping bass/drum section, Pink Floyd does it right. Take “Two Suns in the Sunset” which combines all the elements with Floyd’s studio ability. The guitar oscillates from acoustic and electric in a way that adds immense dramatic effect in the song, while Waters’ vocals interplay with this. The bouncing piano also conveys a pleasant feeling, giving the illusion of initial peacefulness. When the middle section comes and the overdubbing is laid over the rhythm section, the shouts of “DADDY! DADDY!” becomes very affecting. It doesn’t hurt that I always liked saxophone in Pink Floyd as well.

There are many good tracks on the album, so I’m only going to highlight a few. “The Post War Dream” is a great album opener, with its brass intro making things seem so austere, before crashing into the screams of “Should we shout/should we scream?” which shows the contrast of war’s perception and its reality as the album tries to throughout, coupled hear with ringing guitars and pounding drums.  “Possible Pasts” has a great chorus and I simply like the dropping style of the vocals on this one, which make them sound so melancholy.  “The Gunner’s Dream” is among Pink Floyd’s best lyrical works and is backed by a surprisingly dramatic piano line. I’ve said a lot about “Fletcher Memorial Home” already, but the break down in the bridge is quite stirring in the song’s context and the overdubbed vocals help the parody of the lyrics. “Not Now John” is just so upbeat it’s hard not to like, with jazzy background vocals and great lines like “Gotta keep up with the wily Japanese” “The Final Cut” is an incredibly dramatic song, managing many epic directions within and summarizing some indirect things about Pink Floyd’s career/ It would have made a great album closer, but “Two Suns in the Sunset” isn’t bad in this role either. Overall, the album gels well, with good writing and instrumentals, and my only complaint is that it were sad to see this incarnation of Pink Floyd go.

Favorite Track: The Post War Dream

[	Tags	|	album review, american iii, american recordings, country, i won't back down, johnny cash, mercy seat, no one else, solitary man	]
[	Be	|	A State of Anticipation	]
[	Feel	|	happy	]
[	Listen	|	Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur - Sigur Ros	]

Johnny Cash is an icon whose songs are well known to even those who do not follow country. He is a memorable man with a memorable voice that created so many beloved songs. I was introduced to his music towards the end of his life, as he recorded the American records. Different from much of his early work, the records were primarily recorded using a simple piano and/or guitar and vocals set up. The tone of the records is slow and sadder, the work of an old man creating his swan songs, using the words of many great musicians of various times. They are staggering in their steady and wrenching delivery.

“American III: Solitary Man” was given to me as a graduation present when I finished high school. I have listened to many times since, pouring over Cash’s ability to sound so vulnerable and strong at the same time. As I’ve said, this record is largely covers, but Cash manages to put his own spin on most of the songs. Right from the opening track, “I Won’t Back Down” (originally recorded by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) the mood is set by the strong message of the song. Cash’s career marched on despite his age, showing the artistry of what he did. The song is accompanied by an almost march like beat. The song is defiant, but not so much as Petty’s version and its lower pitching add a melancholy edge. Frankly, it’s a perfect album opener. “Solitary Man” is another song that reflects the inner strength of Cash. The song rolls through a wonderful singing rhythm, which is very interesting, especially with the double tracking. This drops into the wonderful hook when Johnny is left to sing by himself “I’ll be what I am/ A solitary man” “The Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)” brings a more classic sound of Cash, recalling many of the spirituals he did in the past, without the spiritual content. It’s not the album’s best, but it draws an interesting lyrical comparison through Cash’s strong drawl. “One” a U2 hit, is immensely improved in my opinion, as it drives harder in Cash’s voice, losing some of the effect that was put on Bono’s voice. Add the excellent lyrics that tease at a sad spiritual love, something that is easy to hear in Cash’s singing and Cash’s beautifully toned guitar playing, and it just works so incredibly well.

“Nobody “is another more traditional country song, that takes an almost rambling approach in its singing, with the guitar jangling in every so often. You can tell Cash had fun singing this song. “I See Darkness” seems to be in an odd spot on the album, because its rising style seems better fit for an album closer. The lyrics are dark, and with the pounding piano and ever increasing volume, you would expect this was an ending, but the album continues on. “The Mercy Seat” is an amazingly well written song. Kudos to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for the great lyrics, ripe with emotion and metaphor. Add to this the rising organ, which sets anticipation, as if the listener is going to the chair as well… and bam! Cash milks the audience to the end.  “Would You Lay Me Down (In a Field of Stone)” and “Field of Diamonds” are two songs with a similar feel but much different messages. They both have a somewhat sad musical backing (especially the back-up singing in “Field of Diamonds”) and are solid numbers, though it’s hard to follow “I See a Darkness” and “The Mercy Seat”

“Before My Time” is a beautiful love song, revealing a great deal of my perceptions of Cash and is probably a good all-over example of what the American records seem to be about.  “Country Trash” has a very rollicking feel and is another of the more traditional country songs, with a good sense of humor. In “Mary of the Wild Moor” Cash does an excellent job of simulating the Celtic musical feel in his playing and my only complaint is that Cash’s singing seems a little too happy for the song. “I’m Leavin Now” is the most upbeat song on the album and kind of a wink to the audience, since it’s the second to last song on the album. It’s a fun song and a great sing-along number and I like the way the backing vocals are done in the chorus. Finally we have “Wayfaring Stranger” which uses some of the biblical themes common in Cash’s song choices. It’s all the most compositionally complicated, using more instruments than most of the other songs. It works as an album closer, though I’ve made my opinion as to what would have been a better album closer heard. Overall, the album maintains a good consistency that gels the album together and as with all the American Recordings, I would recommend this album to anyone.

Favorite Track: “The Mercy Seat”

[	Tags	|	2112, album review, braid salad surgery, dark side of the moon, in the court ot the crimson king, prog rock, progressive, rush, twilight zone	]
[	Be	|	the dark of night	]
[	Feel	|	tired	]
[	Listen	|	It's All Gonna Break - Broken Social Scene	]

Progressive rock is one of those genres that I can’t help but love. And at one point I was informed that there were 4 essential prog rock albums you needed to have: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Emerson Lake & Palmer’s Brain Salad Surgery, King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Rush’s 2112. So over time I collected all these albums, spent hours dazing to them under a black light while enjoying a hookah full of perfectly legal substance and contemplating their meanings. And do I ever think they mean something.

A concept album like 2112 seems to be maligned by music critics for some reason. Heaven forbid an artist uses a unifying theme or story and then force their lyrics and instrumentality to work around it. That kind of musicianship won’t fly with critics. But it works for me. I find the concept album a way to explore an idea or story that brings out the best in the artist, because it forces the album to rise in its unity. If the guitar doesn’t fit the mood or the lyrics get too esoteric, the concept album fails. But when it succeeds, it makes the album unit the best it can ever really be in terms of unity and mood.

Rush is a band made of three very talented musicians that try and present a story in the title track, “2112”: A world that is run by machines that chose the culture of the land is shaken when a man find an electric guitar. It is immediately destroyed, but the man is so shaken by its discovery that he commits suicide rather than live without it, thus sowing the seeds of revolution. It some ways this theme is masturbation, since it triumphs rock as such a life changing event. But then again, for me, rock is a life changing event. Every moment of my life is better because I listen to and love rock music. It is a story that I can understand, both throwing off the shackles of conformity and uplifting music’s expression. All of this is done in only 23 minutes, which are pounded in such dynamics. Peart’s drums change tempo so seamlessly, while Lifeson’s guitars wails in anger and cries in despair and Geddy’s vocals set the scene for the listener in just such a way that the story is clear and told with emotion. Some people find Rush either pretentious or annoying in their style, but I say they take what song writing is about t its level of technical mastery and compositional unity to new extremes in this track and do so in a way that a person can sink their teeth into.

The rest of the album is great as well. “Twilight Zone” is among my favorite Rush songs because of the way Lifeson’s guitar rises and falls in such dramatic fashion and in such a cool tone.  “A Passage to Bangkok” is a more traditional Rush song that depends on Geddy’s vocals and Peart’s drums interplaying in rhythm and pitch, but it’s a formula that works.  “Lessons” has excellent lyrical hooks, as well as a driving solo, and keeps well in unity with the rest of the album.  “Tears” is my least favorite on the album, though it’s slowed pace and sad guitar help anticipate the listener to the album’s end. “Something for nothing” is a great album closer, as it rises to such great heights in all its aspects (singing, guitars, and lyrics. Etc.) only to slowly fuzz out, just like the computers of “2112” would push the music away. The idea is kept.

As I have said, a concept album aspired for great unity. And Rush does such a good job here and pushes the technical skill progressive rock require to new levels.

[	Tags	|	album review, clint mansell, score, soundtrack, the fountain, the kronos quartet, xibalba	]
[	Be	|	Born in the USA	]
[	Feel	|	ecstatic	]
[	Listen	|	Al Di Meola - Morocco | Powered by Last.fm	]

I have never listened to a great deal of scores for films, as I tend not to take the soundtrack as a separate element. However, when I saw “Requiem for a Dream” I was haunted by the score, which added such tension and emotion to the scenes that ran behind it. When I bought the album, and learned it was Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet that did the work, I was impressed enough to seek out more of their collaborations. A few years ago, when The Fountain came out, I was delighted to see Darren Aronofsky had again chosen Mansell and the Quartet to do the film’s score. Though it was not as vital to the movie as it was in Requiem for a Dream, the score to this film is a wonderful and dynamic piece of music.

Built around the theme of the movie, we find a score that is designed to bring to life the haunting of a person in love, building from the myth’s of man to the lowness of the world to the lifted strains of the Heavens and back again. Starting with “The Last Man” the listener hears the slow, low string work, building around the main line in minor lifts. It is a haunted passage, almost meant as an ending, but since it begins the album, a mood is set in melancholia.  Moving into “Holy Dread!” we are brought into the heart of the story, bringing the clanging bells of the past in and then building around a clattering line of strings. This moves the world of the music away from the haunted etherealness to a more earthly place.  This is then built into “The Tree of Life” which continually rings in louder, higher pitches that build the tension of the mission within the music. This however, crashes down again into “Stay with Me”, which brings the listener away from the mythical build of “The Tree of Life”

“Death is a Disease” churns slowly over and over in a haunting fashion, reinterring the quest them of the music, which in turns builds into the lifted “Xibalba” which conjures images of the heavens with its interspersed chants. This slowly falls back to Earth and is again interrupted by “First Snow” which has another haunting melody, however taking a more epic sound to build the quest. “Finish It” ends this questing part of the music, leading in to the climax, ending in such harsh tonality. “Death is a Road to Awe” builds so much tension that crashes in the dramatic chorus at the end; a assailing of the Heaven’s themselves, falling finally in the coda “Together We Will Live Forever” bringing the story’s attempt to reach the Heaven’s full circle to the Earth and Death.

Perhaps this is a hard album to approach if you haven’t seen the film, but like some of the best of classical music, there is an internal tension and plot line brought out by the dynamic use of the instruments. And since it has such a great internal structure, it is amazingly cohesive. What a love about an album like this, is that it can bring its own story together over the instrumentals and make me feel so emotional with just instrumental work. I hope Mansell and the Kronos Quartet continue to work together, building such elaborate musical landscapes.

Favorite Track: “Death is the Road to Awe”

[	Tags	|	album review, dimebag darrell, drag the waters, floods, pantera, phil anselmo, sandblasted skin, the great southern trendkill	]
[	Be	|	Watching Caddy Shack	]
[	Feel	|	rejuvenated	]
[	Listen	|	Explosions in the Sky - Magic Hours | Powered by Last.fm	]

Once again I'm following one album with an album of a completely opposite genre. The Great Southern Trendkill is quite possible Pantera’s heaviest album (Far Beyond Driven being the other possibility). Leave it to Pantera to make an album that is not only incredibly melodic but also incredibly heavy. As a metal band, they've always been able to put the pieces together, realizing that metal could be heavy and fast, slow and evil and everywhere in between and they also seem to be able to do this without being ridiculous or bombastic.

Where I come from, Pantera is synonymous with heavy metal. Anyone who enjoys heavy metal enjoys Pantera and branches out from there. So many nights did I spend with my friends listening to this album and drinking a Pabst Blue Ribbon. I've grown in my tastes since then (arguably) but I still love Pantera. They're a band whose parts always worked well in the whole. Dimebag's ridiculous guitar. Rex and Vinnie's bass and drums groove. Phil's powerful range.

One of the things I like best about The Great Southern Trendkill is how well it works as an album. The songs seem to have a general bent that makes them all flow very well into each other. I don't know why, but it seems hard to separate them in my mind. From the first scream of the title track to the final pounding reprise of Sandblasted Skin, I hear the Great Southern Trendkill and not a collection of songs.

As I said earlier, another reason I enjoy this album so much is how heavy it all seems. I mean, what song would a classify as least heavy? Drag the Waters? Even that is an incredible mass of crunching instrumentals with Phil wailing like an animal in a bear trap on top. It’s good stuff.

And lest we forget, this album has many great songs (even though I just said I prefer it as an album). Floods may be Dimebag’s greatest solo.  Suicide Note Pt. 2 is a heavy scream of consciousness. Sandblasted Skin is just drum and bass rage backed by Phil’s vocal insanity. Drag the Waters is just hook laden southern metal.  The title track… well… it’s just so heavy.  All are deserving of spots on any greatest hits compilation.

Favorite Track: “Sandblasted Skin”

[	Tags	|	album review, alternative, disarm, geek usa, grunge, siamese dream, silverfuck, space boy, the smashing pumpkins, today	]
[	Be	|	lying with my laptop in bed	]
[	Feel	|	content	]
[	Listen	|	Explosions in the Sky - Lonely Train | Powered by Last.fm	]

I’ve started listening to the Smashing Pumpkins a lot more lately; largely do a friend of mine that is obsessed with them. I had always liked them but I hadn’t given their albums a great deal of thought. Now I’ve seen them live twice, finally heard all their albums and own most of them. The Smashing Pumpkins rise above those that debuted around the same time by simply being different: they use sonic excess and complicated lyrics, rather than the bluntness of grunge.

Siamese Dream is a good example of how far Corgan can push things for his vision. Combining any style he feels like, he makes alternative music what it is meant to be rather than a catchall term. A song like “Cherub Rock” or “Geek USA” fit what we would normally think of from the genre, with their distorted guitars and pounding drums. But these hide a sophistication in Corgan’s ability to write a hook like the chorus of “Cherub Rock” with is interesting vocals or an interesting solo that “Geek USA” possesses that takes both technical skill as well as interesting tonality.

Then you have a track like “Luna” the album closer, and a perfect one at that. The wahing lines sound almost psycadelic, bringing thoughts of the sitar. “Rocket” is in a similar vein, lyrically reminding of veiled drug references and far out space themes that followed in the wake of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band. We also have the softer songs like “Disarm” and “Spaceboy” which push Corgan’s vocals to the front in all their nasal glory. “Disarm” is so arresting in the almost pain in the way it sung, enhanced by the dirge bells in the background. “Spaceboy” is especially marked by the rise of orchestration towards the end, making it very powerful. And “Soma” which is so epic in its musicalality, rising and falling into its sweet sighed end. It is a beautiful song.

I could go on and on about the songs. “Today” is a classic. “Hummer” is a whirlwind of effects with good duel guitar sound. “Mayonnaise” is a very interesting listen and a good showing of Iha’s work. “Silverfuck” is my least favorite on the album, because I don’t think the riffs are as good as the other songs in that styling on the album. “Sweet Sweet” is a romantic sounding song and makes a lot of its short running time.

My favorite part of any Smashing Pumpkins album is the lyrics. Along with Jimi Hendrix, I feel Billy Corgan is the best lyricist, evoking such vivid pictures with his words and painting honest emotions. Take “Disarm” draws a lot of anguish and I find myself among Corgan’s words.  It is hard to describe why I like the way “Soma” and “Sweet Sweet” make me feel, but they do. Add Butch Vig’s top notch production and you can’t help but think this is a great album.

Favorite Track: Disarm

Oh come on. A top albums list without the Beatles? I don't think that's even possible.

Ever since I was a kid, I can remember listening to the Beatles. Why not? They're a very playful, very catchy band. Take “Yellow Submarine”for example. But as I got older I came to realize that they have a great deal of complexity added to their pop rock songs. As a general rule I think that it is ESSENTIAL for any music fan to posess Help! through till the end if you want to be able to take a look at how music gained sophistication.

So when I was considering how many The Beatles would make my list, I had a lot to contemplate. Not only are near all their songs entertaining, but they also definitely hold a special place in my life. Let It Be, not really their last album but might as well be considered so, is made up of songs that have both the trappings of simplicity (such as “Get Back”) and the culmination of studio work in their career (“The Long and Winding Road”). Each track is vibrant and hook laden. After taking a refresher listen to the album to prepare to write this I found myself singing “Dig a Pony”, even though I would hardly say its my favorite track on the album.

I know Paul McCartney may not have liked the way Phil Spector mixed the album (look at Let It Be… Naked) adding layers of sonic excess really seem to work. Take my favorite track, “Let It Be”. It starts in a very austere way, almost as a song of longing. But as it builds, it takes a kind of spiritual sound, with layers of organ and electric piano. Build this into George Harrison's mos t excellent solo and you've got a song of both pain and triumph. I like this song so much, that I consider this among others to be my girlfriend and mine's song (though we like to tell the neighbors “Addicted to Vaginal Skin”  holds this spot). “Across the Universe” is a good example of the way that music and lyrics interplay, creating the very spacey sounds that John Lennon sings about. My only complaint would be ”Dig It”, which is just a fragment of a song, thusly breaking up some of the unity of the album.

It's also sad to listen to this album at time. It was the Beatles during their collapse. Many of the songs signal what their solo careers would become. But every time I listen to it, I feel better about the world for its existence. Its not every day any music can do that.

Favorite Track: "Let It Be"

[	Tags	|	album review, doctor rock, god, heavy metal, lemmy, motorhead, orgasmatron, speed metal	]
[	Be	|	Here	]
[	Feel	|	nostalgic	]
[	Listen	|	Denia of Life - Death	]

Motorhead may very well be my favorite heavy metal band of all time. Twice I have seen them in concert now and twice have I been massively impressed by their ability to bring their music to life. Each of their albums is a treat. Even on album’s I like less (Snake Bite Love and We Are Motorhead would probably be the two I would pick to fit this bill) Motorhead still brings it all, and comparatively to most music, is top notch. It is this consistency of awesomenss that makes ranking their albums so difficult, but I have tried my best here.

“Orgasmatron” is a lot of what Motorhead does best: being loud, heavy and fast. But at times all these elements come in different degrees. The title track, “Orgasmatron” is a reflection of this, as it is not built around the normal speed they demand, but instead focuses on a grinding heavily fuzzed riff, as the Orgasmatron of the song marches towards its goal of control. It’s one of my all-time favorites, spawning the same as a nickname, and I appreciate the pacing and its placement as the final track on the album. Also take a look at “Deaf Forever” which is much the same, using an interesting effect to just make heavy noise, especially complimented by Lemmy’s growl extended with double tracking. Motorhead can be as heavy as they want and I’m thankful for it.

However, Motorhead doesn’t deviate enough from the form we fans love. Even better, they add a second guitarist, just adding to their wall of sounds.  “Ridin’ with the Driver” shows this, as the solo which is basically a distorted slide down the fretboard, is backed with a strong rhythm, keeping away from the minimization of sound that a solo usually asks for. Add to this, the beating drums that keep the pace up on the track. “The Claw” is similar, brining the drum intro to a fever pitch, pounding the guitars and the sense of urgency in Lemmy’s chorus.  And “Nothing Up My Sleeve” whose intro recalls “Ace of Spades” is just classic Motorhead.

“Built for Speed” and “Doctor Rock” take the other element of Motorhead, the straight rock n roll. Bringing back the rockabilly boogie that Lemmy would get in Headcat, they just bring the melody, which runs through all the songs, to the forefront. They’re meant to swing, to recall what we all love about rock n roll and just entertain us in that Motorhead style: loud noises and catchy speed riffs.

Orgasmatron is a strong album that isn’t really marred by anything. If I had to complain… maybe the album’s songs don’t gel as well as other Motorhead’s albums do. But really, its ranking comes from the fact that I don’t listen to it as much as others and like many others on this list, that’s what it comes down to. Motorhead continues to be the face of God (aka Lemmy). A great album with a lead bass, growling vocals, a two guitar attack and massive drums and any metal fan should not miss out.

Favorite Track: “Orgasmatron”

[	Tags	|	album review, happiness, river cuomo, weezer, weezer (blue album), youth	]
[	Feel	|	curious	]
[	Listen	|	Zombie Ritual - Death	]

In the 90’s, I didn’t listen to much in the way of music. I owned four albums maybe, Spin Doctor's “Pocket Full of Kryptonite” The Offspring’s “Smash” The Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “One Hot Minute” and Weezer’s “Blue Album” and really, that was all the music I needed to be happy. But I grew up and got more into music and at some point, stepped on my copy of Weezer’s album.

It wasn’t until recently that I can really say what a tragedy this was. I relisten to this album now and it brings up all those great times of innocence and fun. Because that’s what this music is to me, just upbeat music that makes me happy. Technically it’s not the most impressive album, but why should that matter? Just good memories and good songs.

I could really go song by song and say what I like about them. “My Name is Jonas” has a great change in riff when the lyrics that come in and Cuomo’s whine really keep the energy up. “No One Else” is my favorite track on the album, because lyrically it summarizs a lot of what I have felt during relationships and when the vocals layer on the chorus at the end, it gets me very pumped up. “The World Has Turned” is another favorite, with its rambling guitar line and catchy singing. And “buddy Holly,” a great sing along with an even greater music video.

“Undone (The Sweater Song)” is probably the only song I don’t like on the album, since it really slows everything up and just kidn of rambles with talking interludes, but that’s ok, one song can’t detract much.  “Surf Wax America” really brings it up with those feelings of summer and that great kind of doowop break. “Say It Isn’t So” is probably Cumo’s best singing effort, rising and falling in that everso Cuomo rhyme, and everyone knows it and can sing along. “In the Garage” brings me to my own nerdy youth with a good drum beat. “Holiday” is impressively layered with its vocals and its dropping only to rise again ending. “Only In Dreams” perfectly closes this album, with its somewhat melancholy tunes and a theme that really sums up the album.

It’s funny that this album can make me so happy and yet it has that twinge of alienation under every word sung. But that’s what youth is all about. This is an album for my memories, that can still bring me back to who I was and still keep my toes tapping.

Favorite Track: “No One Else”

[	Tags	|	album review, alice in chains, grunge, jerry cantrell, layne staley, man i nthe box, sea of srrow	]
[	Be	|	Watching the Money Pit	]
[	Feel	|	bored	]
[	Listen	|	Infernal Death - Death	]

When I think of this album, I think of “Man in the Box.” “Man in the Box” is an anthemic song, with crunching guitars, the memorable droning chants and the intense layered vocals. Everything about this song is right and next to everybody will be able to recognize.   It brings a solid and heavy riff to the forfront along with the almost chanting vocals ala Black Sabbath's Black Sabbath. Then it brings that ultra harmonized chorus, which is just a wall of sound.

I like to think of Alice in Chains as a great link that reconcilizes much of my music taste. Thinking about them, I have a hard time placing their genre. They share a great deal in common with punk rock, as does nearly any "grunge" band, but even more so with doom/sludge metal. Thinking about this album, bands like Black Sabbathand Crowbar  come to mind thanks to their sonic landscapes of despair. Alice in Chains create this same atmosphere, albeit with a more upbeat tempo.

The instrumentals on this album are top notch, as well as the production value. For a scene that was so stripped down, the vocal harmonies greatly stand out here. To top it off, Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell make a great team of vocal/guitar. It saddens me that Aaliyah's death so outshined Layne Staley's.

Another favorite of mine is “Sea of Sorrow”. This is the big song, with its hanging riffs and the vocals right up front. Lyrically, it is among the bands best, topped by few others. And not to be out of character, its easy to sing along to or find yourself humming.

As a final point, this album is a great album, meaning it works well as a whole product. I don't know why, but it seems like a unit to me. One sludgey track to the next. I liek that I have to listen to the whole thing and not pick songs apart.