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Steven Orzech - 7/1/2012
I STUMBLED UPON WITHIN TEMPTATION PURELY BY CHANCE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, WHEN ANOTHER WEBSITE WAS GIVING AWAY A FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD OF DELAIN'S COVER VERSION OF "SMALLTOWN BOY".
NOT HAVING COME ACROSS DELAIN BEFORE, I CHECKED OUT SOME OF THEIR REVIEWS & A NUMBER OF THEM MADE SOME INTRIGUING COMPARISONS WITH WITHIN TEMPTATION WHICH PROMPTED ME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO FOR "FASTER".
I WAS INSTANTLY BLOWN AWAY.
LEAD BY GUITARIST ROBERT WESTERHOLT AND VOCALIST SHARON DEN ADEL, THEIR MUSIC HAS BEEN VARIOUSLY DESCRIBED AS "POP METAL" "SYMPHONIC GOTH" AND "ORCHESTRAL METAL".
VIRTUALLY EVERY SONG ON THIS ALBUM IS BRILLIANT, ALERNATING BETWEEN HEAVY, IN YOUR FACE GUITARS AND DRUMS AND GENTLER BALLADS, BUT WHAT MAKES THIS BAND STAND OUT FROM ALL THE OTHERS IN THIS GENRE IS THE STUNNING VOCAL RANGE OF SHARON DEN ADEL.
WATCHING HER PERFORM IN THEIR VIDEOS IS A SHEER JOY AND THE FACT THAT SHE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS IS ICING ON THE CAKE.
SHARON, IF YOU EVER DECIDE TO LEAVE ROBERT FOR SOMEONE MORE MATURE, I'LL BE WAITING! THE ONLY SNAG IS THAT YOU MAY FIND ME JUST A LITTLE TOO MATURE - I'M 60 YEARS OLD!
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Gareth - 6/26/2012
The Tallest Man on Earth AKA Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson, I first set eyes upon in Spring 2011, on the Later.with Jools Holland. He performed a song named 'King of Spain', which I was immediately drawn in by, far more than the benign attempts of Liam Gallagher and is mock oasis band Beady eye. This album 'The Wild Hunt' is The Tallest Man on Earths second long player, released in 2010 and peaked at number 180 in the UK album chart. His first album was released in 2006 named 'Shallow Grave'.
In most interviews and write ups he is or has been likened to Bob Dylan both through his song writing and his vocal delivery and style. H admits this himself and states that Bob Dylan has been a large influence. There are certain songs on the album where this is more apparent than others such as 'Burden of Tomorrow'. There are some beautifully sung lines during this track, which could make the hairs stand on the back of your neck, such as "once I held a pony by it's a flying main" and "once I held a glacier to an open flame".
Whenever I listen to this album is makes me think of Autumn or the fall as some might say, falling, browning leaves, cold winds, warm sunlight and trees stripped bare, this is probably partly do to the front cover art and the lyrical imagery used by kristian on the album. The title and opener 'The Wild Hunt' is a beautiful song and sets the tone of the album with the opening lines "There is a crow moon coming in where you keep looking now, it is the hollow month of March now sweeping in" and chorus "I left my heart to the wild hunt acoming, I live until the call and I plan to be forgotten when I'm gone because I'll be leaving in the fall". 'Burden of Tomorrow', Troubles Will be Gone', 'You're going Back', 'King of Spain', 'Love is All', 'Thousand Ways', 'A Lion's Heart' and 'Kids on The Run' are all very strong songs, in fact I would say the only weaker number is 'The Drying of the Lawns'. But for me the first song I ever heard by The Tallest Man on Earth still remains in my opinion the best and strongest, which is 'King of Spain'.
The album as a whole has little in the way of instrumentation per track, mainly an acoustic guitar with accompaniment from a little banjo and a little piano. Musically the stand out track which is set apart from the rest of the album purely through its use of the piano as the main instrument is the last song 'Kids on The Run'.
This is a brilliant folk album with strong imagery, a very simple but beautiful offering.
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Dale Platt - 6/20/2012
Dan Andriano's first album as a solo artist, away from working with Matt Skiba and Derek Grant as punk rock band Alkaline Trio, Andriano allows his natural talents as a songwriter shine brightly, something he's been doing as a part of Alkaline Trio for 15 years.
With a truly distinct voice, he creates an almost personal diary dedicated to his wife and daughter, documenting his emotions as he travels around on tour with Alkaline Trio. The record itself is primarily focused around an acoustic guitar and vocals, stripping songwriting down to its bare bones leaving behind much of the punk rock sound associated with Alkaline Trio.
In particular, the track 'From this Oil Can' is dedicated to his daughter, which he explains despite his wreckless life in a band, he still has such a beautiful daughter.
Here is a little gem of a record which only scratches the surface of Dan Andriano's true talent, which can still be found all over Alkaline Trio's entire back catalogue.
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Mark Walters - 6/1/2012
Shostakovich's Symphony for Strings is a magnificent piece, in which the composer truly lavishes in the full range of the strings, giving the violins luxurious harmonies against their lower 'cello counterparts, in particular. Though the piece is itself not as frequently performed as some of the composer's others works, the Symphony for Strings serves as a lovely complement to the main piece of this CD, which is the second piano concerto.
Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No.2 is, in my opinion, quite simply one of the finest pieces of classical music ever written, and this recording of it with the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra is one of the most well-known and revered recordings of it.
Perhaps one of the reasons this recording, more than any other, has become so well-known is because it involves not one, not two, but three generations of the Shostakovich family:
Dmitri Shostakovich, the composer; Maxim Shostkovich, his son, conducting; and Dmitri Shostakovich, Jr., his grandson, leading the orchestra as the pianist.
The junior Shostakovich has a virtuosic command of his instrument, much like his grandfather, and matches the frenetic pace at which the piece progresses in a way few are capable of.
The concerto's first movement - the allegro - opens in an uncharacteristically upbeat major key for the composer, at a march-like tempo, before rapidly descending into speeds that set the piano alight with energy. The music wonderfully plays between these faster, louder temperaments and the softer moments in which the piano plays alone, but like a lull in the storm, works well to bring back the entire orchestra in wholehearted fashion.
The second movement - the andante - begins much slower than the first, and far more sombre, with an incredibly beautiful introduction from the strings, before the piano emerges silkily once more, as elegant a melody has ever been written for the piano.
The final movement - the allegro - returns to the bright and brilliant tone and tempo of the first, reminiscent of Rossini's famous William Tell Overture.
Rare is the piano concerto that can with such talent contrast the faster speeds and happier tones of the first and third movements with the more contemplative and delicate middle movement. For that reason alone, this is a piece that is an essential for any classical collection, and this is the recording of it to own.
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Vilius Kazlauskas - 5/30/2012
French singer Émilie Simon returns with her 5th studio album "Franky Knight", the tribute to her deceased boyfriend, as well serving as a soundtrack for La Délicatesse, a new French movie based on the novel of the same name by David Foenkinos. There are 10 songs in the album : 1 instrumental song, 5 sung in English, 3 in French and 1 jointly in English and French.
The pain of loss, the memories, the long hours of missing the one, who's gone and will never come back but he always will be remembered - it's no wonder that the nature of the new Simon's album is full of emotions and the depth of heartbreaking experiences.
The opening lines of the first song, "Mon Chevalier", start by stating: "I wrote some songs they're all for you" - she cherishes her memories about him. Without a doubt, there couldn't be the better way to start a journey to the land of memories about the lost love and Émilie does it perfectly with these striking lyrics. A tender ghost, soul, clouds (nuages), flowers (fleurs), trains (trains), trees (arbres), heaven (ciel), God (Dieu) - these tiny, beautiful elements create the magical atmosphere for the song. In addition, it shows off two sides of the singer: as in English she sounds Bushesque fragile, in French opens even more softer. Nevertheless, none of the parts fail, on the contrary, they shine out.
In the rest of the album the singer continues to evoke her feelings and memories by refusing to accept the loss: "Still your princess/I don't want you to go", "You're in my mind all the time", speaking to the one she loves: "And I hope that you can hear me", promising to treasure him forever: "I will always keep our memories" and finally culminating with those simple words I love you (je t'aime) in the final song.
The music also acts its significant role in the production: it immerses you and makes to become addicted - arrangements for the songs are either very intensive, leading to the culmination or like lullabies, lulling and very sweet, in both cases it works like an enchanting circle making you listen over and over again to hear this lacking end. Xylophones make that 'immerse yourself in the music' effect in the first song, as well as other instruments like the Hammond organ, piano, violoncello, contrabass, even a music box later on.
For whose, who are tired of seeing reality TV show stars coming out each year with often having nothing to offer Émilie Simon could be an answer: singer, songwriter, composer - she does a lot in her albums but despite being a person in many roles surprisingly she doesn't fail and manages to stun every time when the new album is out. The singer with an established career now could be seen in the same circles as such grand artists like Björk, Kate Bush, Goldfrapp but electronic enchantress manages to create her very own world with a soft and fragile, a bit childish, nevertheless thrilling voice.
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Gareth - 5/29/2012
Elbow have been playing together for over twenty years but have only released five studio albums, the first album named 'Asleep in the Back', released in 2001. They followed this with the release of 'Cast of Thousands' in 2003 and 2005's 'Leaders of the Free World'.
The seminal turning point for Elbow came in 2008 when 'The Seldom Seen Kid' won the Mercury Music Prize and brought Elbow to a whole new audience. This leads us to their current album 'Build a Rocket Boys'. This could have been the easiest album to write. They could have written an album that sounded like the biggest hit from the last album 'On a Day Like This' and it would have been a success.
However Elbow chose to craft eleven individual songs. At the time this album was written Guy Garvey had recently returned to his home town to live which shows in the writing, with its apparent stories of youth, young love and friends
The opening song 'The Birds', speaks of young love and separation watched by the birds. 'Lippy Kids', a stand out track, starts "lippy kids on the corer again, lippy kids on the corner again, begin settling like crows" and goes on "do they know those days were golden, build a rocket boys" almost stating that when young you can aim for the sky. It also hints at the meeting of a girl with "you were a freshly painted angel, walking on walls, stealing booze and hour long hungry kisses and nobody knew me at home anymore" suggesting that his family never saw him once taking up with a young love.
The song 'with love' is one of six songs where Garvey is accompanied by the Halle' Youth Choir. To me, this song is about the building of memories for when you're old through the lines "when your dentures prevent your smile, these adventures will fill your eyes with love". Nestled in the middle of the album is a stripped back number 'Jesus is a Rochdale Girl', which builds, but in a low key way. 'Open Arms' is another beautiful song about someone returning home and the loved ones who await them, "So with finger rolls and folding chairs and a volley if streamers, we can be there for tweaks and repairs should you come back home".
It doesn't really matter what the words are to an Elbow song. The share beautifulness of the music and sound can create a soundtrack to a life and can pick you up when you need lifting and wrap around you when your low, if your happy it can make you smile and laugh and if you sad it could bring you to tears, here you can find what you want in the music and in the words. Words to often can be too easily interpreted, but here, these aren't just words or lyrics, these are poetry. There really is something for everyone and every emotion, a very emotive record.
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Julian Howard - 5/22/2012
With Robin Gibb's recent death, the Bee Gees are sadly no more. The band was on hiatus following Maurice's death in 2003 but the remaining two members briefly re-formed for shows in 2009 before Robin became ill in late 2011. The success and legacy of the band is, in the words of Paul Gambaccini, "second only to The Beatles". For this reason, 'The Ultimate Bee Gees' simply has to be top of your list for music purchases as summertime beckons.
Needless to say, this double album is jammed to the gunwales with a breathtaking number of quality hits. Even when a song title is not instantly recognisable the tune doubtless will be. While things kick off with mid-career disco stomper You should be dancing, it makes more sense to review this album in chronological and thematic order to truly appreciate the evolution of the Bee Gees sound. Some very early material such as 1965's Spicks and Specks is included here, but it is with the haunting New York Mining Disaster 1941 that we begin our Bee Gees journey proper. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then To Love Somebody is right up there with The Beatles' Yesterday. Everyone has their favourite cover of this Bee Gees standard, but the original in this case really is the best. See Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame's 2005 version accompanied by The Cure's Robert Smith if you want to hear how different the song can be made to sound. Massachusetts and Words followed soon after. Massachusetts epitomised the band's ability to understand, interpret and then capitalise on a particular musical trend, a unique skill set that ensured their success and longevity for many years to come. In this case, the silky voice of a 17 year old Robin Gibb perfectly complemented the folk revival style prevalent at the time and rendered invalid any accusations of precociousness in the process.
While the late 1960s saw frictions within the band, 1970 heralded the release of How can you mend a broken heart? which famously became Al Green's signature tune. Then Jive talkin' hinted at what was to come, namely Barry rising an octave and Saturday Night Fever being unleashed onto the world. The rest as they say is history, but be assured that all the hits from that era and beyond are dutifully included here. Of course, maintaining the success of the late 1970s was always going to be tough, especially when the Bee Gees' had pinned themselves to the fickle disco mast so definitively. However, the hits kept on coming as seen by the inclusion of You win again and One. 1997's Still waters and 2001's This is where I came in serve to round things off.
Some live tracks are also included but it is the bringing together of the brothers' main studio efforts on this double album that provide the clearest testament to their awesome talent. All the songs are remastered so everything sounds fresh and bright. Parents trying to convince their kids that the older stuff really is better need not worry that this compilation will sound scratchy or muffled while existing fans will be delighted at the clarity of the songs. The Bee Gees as we know did not just write for themselves - many artists covered their work but they also made songs specifically for other performers including Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Frankie Valli, Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand and more. These efforts are not included here and are probably best represented in a separate release. Watch this space.
In the aftermath of Robin's death, many of rock and roll's grandees were asked what they thought the Bee Gees would be remembered for - answers varied but there was broad agreement that they excelled at writing and performing unforgettable three-part harmonies mainly for R&B but also for a wide range of other musical styles. The Ultimate Bee Gees remains the definitive record of that legacy.
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ZosiaBBBB - 5/21/2012
i love TRAIN, and i love the new album, especially Drive By! ***** thank-you TRAIN for making great music!
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Michelle Moore - 5/20/2012
Considering 'You Can't Burn Out If You're Not On Fire' is Summerin's debut album, they have worked wonders to make it a brilliant release. The music created has a combined youthful pop-punk sound with some harder elements thrown in for good measure. The general sound the album has going for it kicks straight in with the fast paced opening tune 'Let It Go' and you straight away want to hear more. When it comes to the choruses, they are not only musically memorable but lyrically astounding and somehow gets you singing along.
Imagine a Blink 182 and New Found Glory sound with a sprinkling of early Madina Lake; the album is so bouncy and uplifting that you never want it to end.
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Matt Brew - 5/18/2012
Sinners Never Sleep- CD Review
Sinners never sleep is the third album from the wildly popular English rock band: You Me At Six. Released on the 3rd of October 2011 and in my opinion is there best to date. With a grittier darker feel than their previous albums the songs are catchy and feature some exciting guest stars such as Oli Sykes from the rock group "Bring Me The Horizon" & indeed the lead singer Josh Franceschi said the inspiration for the song featuring Oli was the possible break-up of You Me At Six. The album is full of passion with a variety of instruments & vocals which show off the group's skills & is well worth a listen; whether your a fan or not.
The first single on the allbum is "Loverboy" chornicling a "stud" of sorts who sleeps around expertly captures the passion and the grime of such a lifestyle all within three minutes. "When we were younger" is a much slower song encompassing pain & regret with Josh showcasing excellent vocals with a chilling bass accompaniment. As well as these the album holds several great tracks, "bite my tongue" a furious passion filled vocal epic, "The Dilemma" showcasing a catchy staccato style and the use of vocal dsitortion effects.
There is clear variety in the album which has been structured well: the first song Loverboy showcases their rock skills followed "Bite Your Tongue" which was a light heavy metal and then "No One Does It Better" to show the softer side of the bands musical skills. The inclusion of a N-side is also for the really dedicated fans is nice, including: "Moon Child" & "Brother."
The album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Gareth Richardson - who was previously worked with Biffy Clyro & Rage Against the Machine! With the label Virgin who have produced some great artwork encompassing the feel of the album, with a grey & black colour scheme showing the darker feel of this album. This is certainly not comparable with previous hits such as "Save It For the Bedroom."
It was received favourably by critics on the whole, Rockfreaks.net gave it an 8/10 which is the general consensus for the album. This is perhaps despite the variety it lacks an overall sense of polish, and also the album does lack that great of a replayabilty factor. Once it has been played through a few times the songs do become less inspiring; however it does all depend on the listener.
Overall this third album is an overall success, showcasing a gritty take on You Me At Six's talents it shows variety & skill if without a bit of polish. I would recommend picking this up but I would also recommend not paying an excessive amount for it as after the first few play thorughs you may not listen to it again.
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Ray Flight - 5/13/2012
I used to have both these vinyl LP's many years ago. They are THE two to have if you like her rock'n'roll output. I wanted to buy a cd of her early stuff to replace my long gone records and after searching, I found THIS cd. It has ALL the tracks from the 2 vinyl LP's PLUS 6 bonus tracks! - In MY opinion, THIS cd is the only cd you will ever need of Wanda's fabulous rock'n'roll/rockabilly songs.
With backing musicians such as Buck Owens, Skeets McDonald, Roy Clark and Merrill Moore you just KNOW that this is gonna be of the highest calibre, covering a period of 1956 to 1961.
There's always a 'A party goin' on' when you're 'Rockin' with Wanda'.
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Dave Wallace - 5/1/2012
What do you get when you cross a successful American singer-songwriter with a hugely popular and award-winner British writer and novelist? Apparently, the answer is "Lonely Avenue", a collection of eleven tracks that marry the words of Nick Hornby (best known for 'Fever Pitch' and 'About a Boy') with the music of pianist and vocalist Ben Folds (he of Ben Folds Five fame).
Surprisingly, the album is far from being the Frankenstein's-monster mishmash that the description suggests. Covering subjects as diverse as two star-crossed lovers who never quite get together, the innermost thoughts of Sarah Palin's almost-son-in-law Levi Johnston, the flagging career of a has-been one-hit-wonder and the bittersweet hope-against-hope that thrives on a cancer ward, Lonely Avenue sits comfortably with the rest of Folds' body of work in that it tackles unusual subjects, but in a heartfelt, sincere way - and accompanied by some fantastic piano tunes.
In fact, if I hadn't been told that Hornby had contributed to the album, I might have believed it was another solo Folds outing. The writing is certainly just as smart and original as Folds normally tends to be, mixing some idiosyncratic subject matter with the odd joke or two, only to hit you with unexpected emotional content that feels like a punch in the gut - especially when it's set to such seductive music.
Folds experiments with quite a few different styles here: there's the 1980s retro electronica of the opening track, "A Working Day", in which both Hornby and Folds get to hit back at their armchair critics whilst also admitting to a certain amount of insecurity about their work; the sweeping, elegant, heartbreaking beauty of "Picture Window"; the Burt Bacharach pastiche of "Belinda"; and the tubthumping macho shouting of "Levi Johnston's Blues". Yet for all their differences in style, all of the tracks feel comfortable nestling beside one another, with the changes in tone serving as more of a palate-cleanser than a distraction.
Turning to Hornby's contribution, the biggest compliment that I can pay him is that his lyrics are as insightful and original as I've come to expect from Folds' music. Many of the songs are themed around relationships, but Hornby always manages to find an interesting angle rather than the usual dull boy-meets-girl. Among my favourites are "Claire's Ninth" (about a birthday party for a nine-year-old girl, hosted by her now-divorced parents), "Practical Amanda" (an ode to the resolutely practical nature of Hornby's own wife, contrasted against his own head-in-the-clouds approach to life), and "Password" (in which a young man trying to guess his girlfriend's e-mail password realises that he knows everything about her - except for the REALLY important stuff).
Having expected this album to be something of a curate's egg - a hodge-podge of oddities thrown together as more of an experiment than a polished and thoughtfully put-together record - I'm pleased to report that it's not only a good listen in its own right, but it's also among the best albums of Ben Folds' career, and would also serve as a great introduction to his music to anyone who's looking for a place to start from.
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Kevin - 5/1/2012
After 12 months of rave reviews for live shows, US TV appearances, being championed by Jack White, Adele and Alex Turner, and crowned 'Best Guitar Band in the World' by NME, Alabama Shakes' debut album has finally arrived. With only Lana Del Rey having inspired more blog hysteria in the past year is it possible they could live up to the hype?
For those who've somehow missed the buzz, Alabama Shakes are a young four piece from Athens, Alabama. They play a brand of music that seems to take most of it's references from pre 1975 - a mash-up of vintage rock'n'roll, southern soul and rhythm and blues, a bit of Creedence Clearwater Revival and even a touch of Led Zep. What holds it all together and makes it more than tasteful retro nostalgia is the added punk spirit and the compelling presence of guitarist, singer and principal songwriter Brittany Howard.
Howard's singing voice is a huge instrument, powerful, emotional, raw, it's immediately reminiscent of Janis Joplin with a hint of Beth Ditto and even a little Robert Plant. Her songwriting voice is arresting too, full of natural, conversational tales of a young woman running around, working, loving, partying, hanging out and dreaming of escape and something more. The album kicks off with the single "Hold On", Howard singing "Bless my heart, bless my soul, I didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old" over an instantly memorable loping rhythm. Another standout is "You ain't alone" where the piano arrangement and tender emotion of Howard's vocals have more than a hint of Otis Redding. "Goin' to a Party" is a fingerclicking tale of fighting and dancing and the affecting waltz of the title track relates the story of Howard's childhood friendship with a boy that was deemed unsuitable by others. Through it all the singer is supported by a tight band of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards providing swampy grooves and earthy, back-to-basics rock'n'roll.
Frontloading the album with the strongest tracks and not enough thought about sequencing means there is a feeling of "Boys & Girls" running out of steam towards the end and there are issues with the production which manages to be both muddy and too careful. Anyone with the good fortune to see the Shakes play live (or just spent half and hour online watching the plentiful footage) will probably feel initial disappointment that the vibrancy of their live performances hasn't quite translated to the recording, but they're hardly the first rock 'n roll band to struggle with that.
In the end, "Boys & Girls" is a solid, not earth-shattering record, the sound of a young band with plenty of promise but still working out exactly what they want to be. It certainly proves there is some substance to the hype and in "Hold On" it gives us one of the most memorable songs of the year.
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Gareth - 4/29/2012
Dodgy's first album since the 2001 album "Real Estate' and 16 years since their last album with all three original band members 'Free Peace Sweet', released in 1996.
Nigel Clarke (vocals & bass), Matthew Priest (Drums) and Andy Miller (guitar) released their first album 'The Dodgy Album' in 1993, a good solid album produced by the Lighting Seeds' Ian Broudie. This hinted at the trade mark Dodgy sound to come with their next to follow up albums. 1994's 'Homegrown' was far more successful offering containing 'Staying out for the Summer', 'So Let Me Go Far' and 'Making The Most Of'. This was a less polished sounding affair. Their most successful album 'Free Peace Sweet' came in 1996, containing the hits 'In A Room', 'Good Enough ' and 'If You're Thinking Of Me'. In 1998 Nigel Clarke left the band to peruse solo projects, however Matthew Priest and Andy Miller continued on with the name Dodgy, releasing the fourth album 'Real estate' in 2001, an album paid for and funded by the fans through the Dodgy website. Matt and Andy recruited new labour for the album in the form of David Bassey as lead vocalist, Nick Abnett on bass and Chris Hallam on the keys.
The original line up reformed in 2007 and has been slow in acquiring a record deal and music industry support for their next album. They have toured, released bootlegs, live albums and singles but no real body of new material to speak of until now 2012.
The album title 'Stand Up Right in a Cool Pace' sounds like a Dodgy title, as in Dodgy the band not, just a dodgy title. However the art work looks like it could have been lifted from some generic basic computer programme like Microsoft word art, as it looks basic and a little novice to say the least. However, this album has received rave reviews from Q, Mojo and Uncut. On first listen it sounds like Dodgy and it doesn't at the same time. A similar sound, usage of chords and Nigel Clarkes vocal are all present. However the sound is of a more mature, maybe folk nature and Nigel's vocal somehow different, with a more experimental vocal, acrobatic, albeit within a certain security. Many songs on the album sound a little similar, with no one necessary stand out track and after getting my head round the like dodgy but somehow not dodgy quandary; it is as the other reviews suggest a successful return by Dodgy.
Two tracks on the album are based on an 800 year old Malvern folk law/myth, Malvern being the now home of Nigel Clarke. The folk law goes, that a religious man (a monk), after spending his whole life serving the church 'Tripped and Fell' one day for a beautiful local woman and therefore betraying the church and all that he had known. He was then made to climb 'Raggedstone Hill' on his hands and knees every day to pray for forgiveness. He was also banned from ever seeing the lady again. This made him evil and twisted, which then drove him to put a curse on the hill, that bad look would fall upon any inhabitants of any house that the shadow of the hill should fall upon on a certain day of the year.
The stronger tracks are 'What Became Of You' beautifully sang lines from Nigel such as "Why can't you lie, I don't want the truth", 'We Try', 'Shadows' including the again understanding line "and you can pretend, you know what to do, but I can see the shadows hanging over you", 'Did It Have To Be This Way', 'Back Of You' and 'Happy Ending'. 'Back of you', an early favourite about the government and party promises states "I can't believe your putting me through this once again; I thought we'd seen the back of you, believed it was the end". With the weaker offerings appearing to be 'Waiting for the Sun', which starts poorly with the title and continues with its unoriginality from there on, 'Only a Heartbeat' and 'Find A Place'.
I purchased the deluxe version of the album, which contained a second cd 'More Songs' or 'Lying Down in the Fridge'. However, to be honest, not really worth the additional spend unless a real Dodgy fan. It's a little misleading as only three of the nine songs are recorded by all three members of Dodgy, these being 'We're Gonna Be Together', 'Down In The Flood' and 'Forgive Me', the latter two having been previously released as a double A side single through the Dodgy web site. 'Let's Wait Till We Get There' is a previously unreleased track, recorded in 1993, the other five songs are solo Nigel Clarke recordings between 2007 and 2011 and therefore shouldn't really be included here.
Although, initially slow to enthuse about this album, I now believe it to be a very strong Dodgy album, still very much Dodgy, but a more mature sounding offering.
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adrian willows - 4/27/2012
i had high expectations for this album but having played it over and over the only thing that i can remember is that the new vocalist sounds like the bullet for my valentine lead vocals and i assume because they ran out of material they have stuck an acoustic version of one of the tracks on the end of this album. i am a big fan of DRAGONFORCE but i am extremely disappointed with this album.
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Damion Parr - 4/1/2012
Panic! At The Disco- Pretty Odd
Panic! At The Disco (P!ATD) are now well renowned for their unique sound and strange lyrics that have their own seductive lure. A lot of their songs make absolutely no sense to the listener and really in theory a lot of them should simply flop. However they all have a certain je-ne-sais-quoi about them that make them compelling to listen too and have brought P!ATD worldwide fame in the Indy music world.
This is their second of three albums and in my opinion the best, it has a much more mellow and relaxed feel to it; perfect for playing on a summer's night. It summarises to me who they are and what they're about with a lot of personal touches clear in their songs that allow me as the listener to connect with the artist; and that's special. It goes against the expectations of the fans from the original album's release, bringing a completely new style to Panic, but for me it is an utterly compelling one. I have listened to this CD countless times and it has proudly held it's place on my iPod since it's release.
The lyrics are truly weird and wonderful, and all of there interpretations of them equally so: God knows hundreds of ideas have erupted from these lyrics and chased themselves round and round in my head. Panic's videos are also well renowned for their uniqueness and artistic take on themes. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was a video which caused large controversy over it's style but drew hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Particular highlights of the album for me are the very popular "Nine in the Afternoon" just for it's unique take on life and the way time revolves around us. "I Have Friends in Holy Spaces" also charmed me with it's unique style along with "Northern Downpour" combining great lyrics and relaxing music that let everything around sink away; something any good record should be able to do.
The album clearly takes inspiration from the Beatles' later work, using every orchestral instrumental imaginable and all to an extremely professional degree; the recording work going on here really is excellent. The whole niche of P!ATD is that they have no real overall style, I've already talked about how each song has it's own unique style and this is true: because each song has no real style. Take "That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)" it truly defeats any form of categorisation, and yet still this clash of several styles seems to work in the Quartet's favour and make the song a pleasure to listen too.
This album is certainly not one intended to please their stereotypical fan base, they have gone all out on the ambition here; taking on nearly every genre there is. If there were any die-hard Panic fans picking up this album for the first time after hearing their original release (A Fever You Can't Sweat Out,) they may have been disappointed. However for those who wish to taste a pallet of all sorts, polished to the infinite degree then this is truly worth a listen.
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Sarah Marshall - 3/30/2012
This month saw Madonna release her twelfth studio album, MDNA, in her decade-spanning music career, which has seen her branch of into several different directions in between, including writing, acting, and directing.
To coincide with MDNA's release, the fantastic best-selling artist has simultaneously released a marvellous limited-edition boxset, containing the Complete Collection of all of her albums between 1983 and 2008 - the eleven albums prior to her latest:
Madonna, Like A Virgin, True Blue, Like A Prayer, Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light, Music, American Life, Confessions on a Dance Floor, and Hard Candy.
Eleven albums that span twenty-five years in the business, and this magnificent collection allows you to really and clearly see just how she has developed and grown over the course of that quarter of a century - an impressive milestone by any measure. And with the first three albums appearing here in remastered form, the quality is like you've never heard it before!
Her first album, the self-titled Madonna, saw her career get off to a fantastic start, and a sense of nostalgia really sinks in as I listen again to one of my favourite of Madonna's single, Lucky Star, a song I haven't listened to in years.
Then of course came her follow-up album, Like A Virgin, which soared to the top of the charts - both the album and the title-track single - and ensured 'Madonna' was a name nobody would be forgetting anytime soon. And almost thirty years later, nobody has.
Next in the collection we come back to True Blue, a classic Eighties album, with the song Papa Don't Preach. The song has been covered dozens of times since by a handful of prominent artists, but no one does it quite like Madonna!
The next decade saw her release a further four albums, all reaching the Top 10 in charts across the entire world, and all great fun to listen to once more in this fabulous collection.
Then she returned in the new millennium with the outstanding Music, her eighth studio album. The title-track on this record is one of my favourite songs of all time, and Madonna really showed off her amazing diversity with this CD. Along with the lead single, Music, the two songs Madonna co-wrote with the brilliant William Orbit - Runaway Lover and Amazing - are absolutely essential listening, with wonderful keyboards coming from Orbit beneath Madonna's ever-impressive vocals.
Music was then followed by the great American Life, including the great single Hollywood, and then Confessions on a Dance Floor, which brings us to the final album in the collection: Hard Candy.
Madonna's eleventh studio album was released back in 2008, and went straight to Number 1 (like so many of her records) in more than three dozen countries in the world. For the first time in her career, she had guest vocalists collaborating with her on her singles, releasing 4 Minutes (featuring Justin Timberlake and Timberland) as the lead single of the album. And it was a huge success! The trio work brilliantly together, and their musical chemistry comes across so well from the second the song starts, with Timbaland bringing the music in before Madonna and Timberlake take the verses opposite each other.
Like nobody else, Madonna knows what pop music is. Very, very few artists can claim to have a career as strong and long as hers, that has been so prominent and influential from the very start. She's an artist that has left her mark on the mainstream music industry more than anyone else still writing and recording music.
Not only has she kept up with the changing trends, she's kept ahead of them and worked hard to set the tone and raise the bar with every successive album. The Guinness World Records officially recognise her as the highest-selling female artist in the world - a claim literally only Madonna can make, and it is so easy to see and hear why she rose to such enormous fame as we retrace the first eleven albums of her career. I really hope that we'll have another eleven in the years to come!
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Gareth - 3/27/2012
The 5th March 2012 saw the release of Bruce Springsteen's 17th studio album and to be honest, even as a long time Springsteen fan, my expectations were reasonably low after the previous two albums.
Since the turn of the century and new millennium, in my opinion it's been a bit of a mixed bag for the Boss, a bit of a bumpy road if you will. 'The Rising' album released in 2002 focused heavily on America and the fall of the Twin Towers in New York City, I believe this to be one of Bruce Springsteen's best albums to date and reignited his career at that point. In 2005 Bruce released his third folk album named 'Devils & Dust', very stripped down but lyrically very strong and very evocative. In 2006 Springsteen released his first album of songs not written by himself in the form of 'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions'. Seeger also did not write the songs but originally aimed to promoting the ethic of local and historical musical influences. This album was very different from anything previously done by Springsteen in the past but a great piece of work none the less, but unfortunately this is where we then hit rocky ground. The 2007 album 'Magic' and his first back with The E Street Band since 2002 'The Rising', in my opinion was a weaker and mainly due to the production sounded tiny. Then we hit the all-time low of 'Working on a Dream' or nightmare I prefer, released in 2009, Springsteen's vocals to me sounded flawed , and weak and the songs and lyrics sounded a little cheesy, this has to be the worse Springsteen album to the present day. Therefore this is why my expectations were low in the build-up to the new album 'Wrecking Ball'.
The title and the album art suggest a harder and grittier edge, a more stripped down sound was expected, and in places, yes this is what it is, but the album is very diverse containing element of folk and Irish folk melodies, retained from the Seeger Sessions and the introduction of samples, more modern sounding percussion instruments and even rapping on 'Rocky Ground' by Michelle Moore.
This album is also not an E Street Band album; it features Clarence Clemons on two tracks, the title track 'Wrecking Ball' and 'Land of Hope and Dreams', Steven Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, and Patti Scialfa on a few other tracks but by no means all. Other personnel include the introduction of Tom Morello on two tracks, Morello has played in bands such as Audioslave and Sound Garden.
This album is angry, passionate, patriotic and emotional, it's a real return to form and although sad to say I think these days Springsteen's more creative work comes when not working with The E Street Band.
If you're a fan of previous Springsteen works such as 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' you will like this album as its dark, dirty and real, however if you're a fan of albums such as 'Born in the USA', which other that the title track are more light hearted and commercial then maybe this is not the Springsteen for you.
The opening song and first single from the album 'We Take care of Our Own' has a very Springsteenesque riff running throughout the song and it's a patriotic number containing the lyrics "We take care of our own, wherever this flag's flown, we take care of our own". Throughout the album there are references to the bankers and the fat cats, such as in 'Easy Money', here Springsteen sings "when your whole world comes tumbling down and all them fat cats, they'll just think it's funny, I'm going on the town now, lookin' for easy money". The song 'Shackled and Drawn' is about the working man working hard for a living whilst still taking a shot at the bankers "gambling man rolls the dice, workingman pays the bill, it's still fat and easy up on bankers hill, up on bankers hill, the party's going strong, down here below we're shackled and drawn". The song contains many references of the working man "I always loved the feel of sweat on my shirt, stand back and let a man work, let a man work, is that so wrong" and "freedom son's a dirty shirt, the sun on my face and my shovel in the dirt, a shovel in the dirt keeps the Devil gone".
An early favourite from the album is 'Jack of All Trades', just a beautiful ballad mainly piano orientated with heart felt honest vocals. 'Death to My Home Town' is one of those songs that you just can't help but sing along. The song 'Wrecking Ball' was originally written in 2009 prior to The E Street Band performing the lasts concerts to be played at Meadowlands, home of the New York Giants, a song about memories, stories, youth and beauty, victories and glories and hopes and dreams as well as changing times and changing landscapes, bring on your wrecking ball!. 'Rocky Ground' is a beautiful song, which brings Springsteen's live preacher essence from the stage and commits it to record. Starts slowly with the refrain of "we've been travelling over rocky ground, rocky ground" sang by Michelle Moore, with Springsteen's opening lines of "rise up shepherd, rise up, your flock has roamed far from the hill", the "rap" by Michelle Moore also fits perfectly with the song, I know it sounds cringe worthy, rap in a Springsteen song but it works, it really works. Again another early favourite of mine is "Land of Hope and Dreams' I remember hearing this as long ago on a tour in 1999 when promoting the 'Tracks' compilation and thought, what a very touching song it was. However it has taken Bruce 13 years to record it and its just as amazing. Some of the most touching words Springsteen has written and coupled with the passing of lifelong friend Clarence Clemons (who plays saxophone on this track) this past year, makes the words to this song all the more potent, such as "you'll need a good companion now, for this part of the ride, leave behind your sorrows, let this day be the last, tomorrow there'll be sunshine and all this darkness past". I also love the final song "We Are Alive" about people shouting out from beyond their graves, who they are, and how they died and singing "we are alive" and "our spirits rise". In my opinion the weaker songs of this album are 'This Depression' and 'You've Got It'. The latter would seem more at home on Springsteen's 1987 album 'Tunnel of Love'.
I purchased the deluxe edition if this album which contains two additional tracks, 'Swallowed Up in the Belly of the Whale' and 'American Land'. Even as a long time Springsteen fan I would say neither of these songs really add anything to the album. In fact the former of these tracks, in my opinion is one of the poorer songs I have ever heard by Bruce Springsteen as it's a little boring, quiet and drawn out with very little content. 'American Land' is a lot better and sees Springsteen turn into the Pogues!
This is a must for Bruce Springsteen fans, a real return to form, his best work at least since 2002's 'The Rising'. If you're not a keen Springsteen fan but have dabbled with the idea of maybe purchasing some of his work, then this album wouldn't be a bad choice for you either. A strong Springsteen album of mainstream rock and roll but made all the more interesting with the new elements of rap, modern percussion and samples mixed with traditional folk melodies and instrumentation.
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Tobias Jacobson - 3/20/2012
Taking Back Sunday, the self-titled latest record from TBS, marks the band's third major-label release through Warner Bros., and importantly sees the reformation of their original line-up from their first CD, Tell All Your Friends, after so many years of band-member changes.
With this latest album, they prove that even after more than ten years of writing, recording, and performing music, they still have what it takes to tip them above and beyond their peers into mainstream success and critical acclaim, every bit deserving of their ascendance to a major label with 2006's Louder Now.
As they have increasingly become well-known for, the first track - El Paso - is an explosive entrance into the new record, kicking us off with a bang. Mark O'Connell's iconic stadium-filling drums are the very first thing we hear, before Eddie Reyes and John Nolan's guitars come boasting and screeching into the foray, followed quickly by Adam Lazzara's octave-spanning vocals.
Lyrically, Adam's words are more powerful than ever before, and interestingly religion plays a more substantial role than it has in previous years. A kind of existential crisis is evident even from a brief glance at some of the titles - Faith (When I Let You Down), Sad Savior, Who Are You Anyway? It is his renditions of these crises in his words that have such a strong impact on us as listeners, and we empathise with the pain that he is working through as he sings.
My personal favourite tracks on the record come from those songs which feature both Adam and John's vocals prominently, climaxing in the middle of the record with This Is All Now. Just like El Paso, the song opens with Mark's drums, but here there are infinitely more contained and constrained, building up an incredible tension that is instantly released in the chorus. We hear John's voice soar above Adam's, as they demand to be told the whole truth, self-assertive and more confident than we've ever heard them before.
Adam and John's vocals bounce off each other, complementing each other perfectly, and we feel the strength they so clearly give each other in their performances. The two grew up together through their teenage years, and after years spent apart, it is very much apparent that this latest record has been an important one for them - musically, lyrically, personally - coming together once more.
This entire record is a career-defining one for the band, and bringing the original line-up together for the first time in so long is clearly something that has had a significant impact on the tone of the music. Throughout its eleven tracks, we feel as though everything we have heard from them in recent years between their first and this latest album has been suddenly and instantly transformed into something even better, even stronger. The progression is apparent from the moment we press play, something I find increasingly difficult to say with many bands these days.
The two singers are fearless in their exploration of higher melodies and harmonies, pushing their voices to the limit - and it is this sense of 'pushing things to limit' that comes across in every part of every song from start to dramatic finish here. They find new rhythms in the guitars to lay over the drums; new surges in the bass beneath; new themes previously unconsidered in the lyrics.
We feel as if they knew this was an important record for them, and can hear throughout that they have poured everything they have into this music, and then given it even more. This is one of the reasons why I simply love Taking Back Sunday, both the band and this record. They force the best performances from themselves, because they know their fans expect nothing less than brilliance - and they fulfil our expectations in every way, shape, and form.
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Josh Stephenson - 3/20/2012
Robert Pollard is so prolific I don't think it would be unfair to assume that no one in the whole world owns his entire discography. Christ, it was hard enough keeping up with the constant stream of Guided By Voices LP's, never mind his solo stuff. Yet, that's irrelevant because everyone knows that the only Pollard records you really need are with the 'classic' line-up of Guided By Voices. Yes, you know the ones 'Bee Thousand', 'Alien Lines', 'Under The Bushes, Under The Stars', and 'Propeller' if you really want to get Lo-Fi. Those classic records that would jump from track to track, idea to idea, minute to minute, they were exciting, memorable, and most of all damn good rock albums. Since that line-up retired there's been some minor successes along the way, but nothing to match up to those golden years. Thus, it was with great anticipation that I heard that the 'classic' line-up of Guided By Voices were reforming, and better yet recording new material. So how does 'Let's Go Eat The Factory' measure up to their past glories? Well one things for certain it's instantly recognisable as the 'classic' line-up, no other iteration of Guided By Voices could put this out, and more importantly there are some really good tracks on this album that match up to the best they've ever done.
Certain tracks like 'Laundry and Lasers' are instantly recognisable, a Lo-Fi recording style (all of the tracks on the album were recorded in member's basements), echoing guitar that blows up into this chugging riff, and Pollard's vocal raw and immediate, disappearing and reappearing into the mix at a moment's notice. Tracks like 'The Head' that has a great bass line, and this basic riff-y guitar that just when it starts to get going, abruptly ends. 'The Unsinkable Fats Domino' which is the lead single of the album, and you can see why it's a really catchy rock song with an inescapable hook. One of the highlights comes on the track 'Spiderfighter' with its psych-rock tendencies, Pollard's vocal struggling to be heard over the Lo-Fi mix, and guitars exchanging riffs. Until halfway through the track the tone shifts into this simple piano ballad, as a resigned Pollard softly sings 'And now is the time/I make up your mind'. It's a really good track that shows off the capability Guided By Voices have to mash-up various sounds at a moments notice.
Of course these Lo-Fi indie rockers are just half of what makes a great Guided By Voices album, you also need those obscure oddities that come out of nowhere and leave a massive impact on you. In 'Doughnut For A Snowman' you have one of those tracks, it may well be the sweetest song that Guided By Voices have ever recorded with its delicate strums of acoustic guitar, this really joyful flute, and strokes of violin combining beautifully with these nonsensical lyrics about a girl and her snowman. Whilst 'Doughnut For A Snowman' may be saccharine sweet, 'Hang Mr. Kite' is anything but. It's filled with these dark, ominous violins that fill every part of the song, as Pollard drolly sings about how after hanging Mr. Kite he'll be flying high in the sky. The final oddity comes in the track 'Old Bones', which combines these reverbed vocals and bagpipes that sound like a really screwed up version of 'Auld Lang Syne', but Pollard sings these wonderfully beautiful lyrics about an aging relationship 'We are old and grey/I hope to take your hand in mind/Oh, my heart is true/My love for you is real', it's a gorgeous song and shows the delicate side of Guided By Voices.
Unfortunately there are some particularly average tracks on this album that hold it back from being a true classic, but of course they're all so short that they aren't overtly detrimental to the album as a whole. 'My Europa' has this really weird distorted acoustic guitar that feels like an assault on my ears, whilst Pollard's vocal been so high-pitched is not helping the cause much either. 'How I Met Your Mother', Things That Never Need', and 'Either Nelson' are the definition of filler tracks solid, but instantly forgettable. Tracks like 'Go Rolling Home' and 'Room Taking Shape' are both perfectly solid acoustic numbers, but both come in at under a minute and so again feel severely under-developed. 'Imperial Racehorsing' is one of the most conflicting tracks on the album, starting off average and going through various tempo changes, before settling into this fantastic hooky chorus and finishing on this huge solo. It's a track I can't decide whether I love it or hate it.
This though is the true credence of a Guided By Voices album, any band that is willing to genre hop as much as they do are going to release an album that can feel disjointed and at times over-whelming. Yet, if you give it repeated listens all the tiny facets of each song start to reveal themselves to you, 'Chocolate Boy' sounds like a straightforward pop-rock song on first listen but with further listens the deranged lyrics and subtle strings in the background start to come further to the forefront, and it became one of my favourite songs on the album. 'We Won't Apologise For The Human Race' closes the album in style, clocking in at over four minutes long it's an epic by GBV standards, starting off with this really intense, driven sound with chugging guitars, pounding drums and sharp violins, it mutates into this really sweet chorus, with empowering lyrics and some great backing vocals before switching again into this psychedelic riff session to close the song.
Sure this album is patchy at times and could probably have done with knocking five or so minutes of the runtime, but you just don't get too many bands like Guided By Voices anymore. Bands that take a simple idea, play it out to its logical conclusion and then move onto the next one. For that reason alone 'Let's Go Eat The Factory' is a success and with a second album already announced for this year, the future looks bright for Guided By Voices fans.