May sans Topic

Nine Inch Nails-Year Zero
I’m ready to take one for the team on this selection, but I’ll admit I have always been a fan. Sure Trent takes himself a tad serious and his music is almost always abrasive, ballad or not. To me it’s just fine. Year Zero is a little more conscious of his fellow man. He sings of environmental concerns, political messes and he is almost apologetic about his past vile preoccupations. For a change it isn’t all about degradation but about how to repair or address it. Do some of the efforts go a little longer than necessary? Yea. A little noisy? Yea, but I like the noise and I accept that I am probably in the minority by stating I like this disc. (3.5).

Replacements- Please to Meet Me
I owe D’Arcy an apology. For the good part of 20 years he has tried patiently to get me to “get” this band. I reluctantly popped in this disc and to my surprise liked much of it, not all, but most. It’s more polished than earlier releases but not too much to lose any shine like Don’t Tell a Soul. While I can’t deify the band I can understand their importance and why they touched so many bands that followed and helped pave the way to the first wave of alternative rock. (3)

Rancid-And Out Comes the Wolves
Apology #2 to D’Arcy. I remember when this was released. I shunned it and probably mocked a much younger Mr. Lucas. Well, 12 years later and I think this disc aged quite glowingly. I rocked to the ska-laden-guitar blazers as well as the straight ahead bangers. What was I thinking in 1995? Who the hell knows. All I can say is that I really enjoyed this disc. There was a little monotony in the delivery which could make this disc float from a 3.5 to a 5 depending on mood. (4).

Rush- Snakes & Arrows
I will avow right now that I am far from a Rush apologist. Never been a fan, though I appreciate the skill that each individual member has (except Peart’s lyrics still suck). While I will never listen to this disc beyond this month, I can’t with fairness say that it was horrific. Within the songs were good, boisterous guitar solos and pulsating drumming. But it still ended up in the background without enough to entice me to get too interested. Also, again Peart’s lyrics suck. (2)

Get Up Kids- GHITS
What was interesting with this mix, is that there was some I hated and couldn’t get through and there was some I really liked. What I found was that I liked everything off the late On the Wire and hated songs from Something to Write Home About. So I deduce the Emo-ites are maturing into a band that I may actually look out for.