this month last mont revisited

Sea Level

So do you think that adding the occasional Allman Brothers riff or vocal you can hide the fact that this is a jazz fusion cd? However the compositions have no sense of structure or melody. They are just an excuse to get from one solo to another. And in doing so they use simple tricks as slowing the pace down or quieting the sound a bit. The solos are good but never truly great or memorable. Sea Level forgets what Jeff Beck, Jeff Lorber, Gary Moore’s Coliseum and/or G Force or Eric Johnson realize that melody is important but a great hook makes it memorable. 2.0

Superchunk
The grower of the month. A good pop band with good chops. The production could have been a bit cleaner allowing the guitar to shine through a little more because the riffs deserve it. Not a big fan of the voice but the lyrics are good and the songs rock so with each listening it bothered me less. 3.0

The Whigs
Did not know of this cd. Thought their second was the first. Still a good band. Like them raw and angry more so then mellow. 3.0

Brian Wilson
I understand that the Beach Boys are great American Band. And I do like some of their songs, but play more than three in a row and I got to get out of here. Gershwin…see my Beach Boys description. So imagine my surprise, no wait no surprise I hated this cd. Slow and painful, and could barely take more than 2 songs at a time. 1.5 but only for the production that is brilliant.

Eric Clapton
Where is the guitar? Can this be a little more sedate? Cool, lets mine the songbooks of others because as a writer I am not really that good. Surround myself with catchy names. What do I get, a slow quiet uneventful cd that would sound out of place in a small club where I guess it is meant to be played.

Flashcubes
I nice pop collection similar to Marshall Crenshaw. Better when their songs are quicker and more guitar, but a good listen.

Concerts

A good live band takes the audience away from the recorded versions of the songs and makes them better. They some how make the songs sound bigger and more alive no matter what the venue you are in. Also a cool cover never hurts either.
Let Down
Guns and Roses, Counting Crows, Black Crows, Sonic Youth