I Almost Forgot...I Almost Forgot.

Ministry – Psalm 69 The Way to Succeed (or the way to suck eggs)

In general this genre doesn’t do it for me unless there’s extremely good musicianship, like Pantera and I missed the whole MTV thing, so “Jesus Built My Hot Rod” didn’t make me feel awash with nostalgia, though it was the best track on this CD… IMHO, they could have spared me 35 of the 44 minutes by giving me a little of each metal riff, the occasional vocal sampling or scream and then moved on. For me, they should have just named the CD Psalm 69 “The Way to Suck…Period. 1 ½.

Deep Purple – Burn (1974)

This is one of the better ‘band in transition’ albums to ever be released. They were going from Ian Gillian to David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, changing the sound up to be more harmonic with a little more funk and boogie than heavy and they managed to include an incredible riff-rock song as the title track in the process. It’s really hard to beat Machine Head and the first track of the album that followed that (My Woman From Tokyo) but Richie Blackmore keeps it interesting, and this album boogies along pretty well. If they put it out under a different name, as a “new band”, it may have gotten a better reception among the mainstream rock listeners of that time that thought Deep Purple was only “heavy metal”. 3 1/2.


Rush – Clockwork Angels (2012)

It’s been 5 years since “Snakes and Arrows”, so I’ve been waiting for a new Rush CD for what seems like a LONG time, and it seems to worth the wait. Yes, they are a polarizing band, and yes, they can be predictable when Geddy and Alex go back and forth between piercing lead and screamy vocals, but they are no Yes…they are continually pushing the sonic envelope and still writing and producing great songs…there’s a ballad on this CD that is their best since “Closer to the Heart”, and both the opening track and the title track stand among their best, too. 3 1/2.


The dB’s – Falling Off the Sky

Another band from which I’ve wanted something new for a LONG time, and frankly didn’t expect it, but here it is, 25 years later and it’s great power pop from Chris Stamey and Company. It’s like rekindling a long lost friendship of the best kind with an old HS friend…you pick up right where you left off and it immediately makes you feel younger and more vital again. The bonus here is that the sonic advancements in recording since 1987 have helped these guys because they stayed true to clean, smart pop and so their sound is not only cohesive but more interesting as you can really hear the layers. They also sound much fuller than their early ‘80’s recordings…how can you listen to a song like “Write Back” and not be put right back to the early 80’s. 4.





Supergrass – GH

This is an underappreciated Britpop band…I especially like them early on in their career…Sandy put this together chronologically, so you can hear how they both progress and change as the CD’s move from the ‘90’s into the 2000’s. It’s a good batch of choices from Sandy…definitely their “cream of the crop” from each of these CD’s, so this will be my Supergrass i-Tunes folder from now on. Thanks, Sandy!

TOPIC: Vinyl is gone and soon the compact disc will join it as a thing of the past. The audio file formats that you can now choose from to store your music is becoming staggering.

1. Do you feel that these compressed digital files are giving us inferior audio quality. Do you care? Is it just too convenient? Yes, the audio quality of i-Tunes m4a files and mp3 files are inferior, but .flac files, which are sometimes available, are superior. What is not good, in ANY digital format, is the clean separation of sound that sucks the warmth out of rock mixes and creates ear fatigue, sometimes. It is too convenient, and for those of us who use multiple devices to play and store music it can be unwieldy, too.

2. Do you feel the price to download these digital audio files is reasonable. Yes…if a full length CD that was $15 is now $10 as a download, you’re basically paying less than $1 per track, and in the world of i-Tunes, that’s been the standard for the past 10 years.

3. If D'Arcy's favorite guy (Mr Neil Young) comes up with a superior audio format- would you be willing to pay extra for better sound quality? How much extra- if at all? NO…If an artist cares they should offer downloads as .flac files. They take up far more space, but if you’re an audiophile and you care about that sort of thing you probably have hard drives that can handle it.

4. Do you still buy cd's and/or vinyl? On occasion, but if it’s vinyl, it’s generally vintage vinyl and if it’s a CD it’s either a very advantageous price (like a Yep Roc or Not Lame blowout sale) for a bulk purchase, or a band from which I have everything on CD (or vinyl) that they’ve done and I don’t want to break the continuity.

Stands For Decibels

Ministry- 2.5

Definitely not my cup of tea. But I kind of liked it- I mean I can connect the god dam dots. So, if I kind of liked it I'll bet that all the Napalm Death and Megadeth and whatever death guys pretty much of think of this as sissy-ass metal.  I bet Jesus Built My Hotrod could even be played on WCCC radio. I even got a kick out of the title- 69 (suck seed and suck egg- clever). I'm not sure how often I'll play this but it's not a bad listen.

Supergrass

Look in the dictionary for a definition of Brit-Pop and you'll find a picture of Supergrass. These guys are huge in the UK- not so much in the states. Shame. This is infectiously catchy pop music with great harmonies, lively riffs, and youthful energy.  I had a great time making this and I hope y'all liked it.

Deep Purple- 4.5

So what do you do when a lose a lead singer like Ian Gillan and a bassist like Roger Glover? You go out and get David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes- not too shabby. For me Richie Blackmore was always the driving force of the band- no matter the lineup.  As solid a Deep Purple album as you'll find- every cut just kick's it. You Fool No One is THE highlight of the record for me and one of my favorite songs of all time and then it's followed by What's Going On Here- ayfkm- awesome!. Great intensity and great energy throughout. Dare I say a "classic".

dB's-3.0

I'm a big fan of power pop and I'm a fan of the dB's. I remember when these guys from NC were every bit as vital as REM as far as I was concerned. Ok, throw Big Star in there too. But I'm listening to Falling Off The Sky and I'm thinking ok, it's been 30 years and maybe I'm not giving them a fair shake. Maybe I've gotten old. Maybe they've gotten old. So I revisited  Stands For Decibels and Repercussion and guess what? Gone is the reverence for Brit-pop. Gone is the quirkiness. Gone is the experimentation. Gone is the youthful exuberance. Gone is the post punk jangle pop that put them on the map. It's not a terrible record- it's just not vital. If I want to listen to the dB's- I'm pulling out one of those first 2.

Rush- 3.0

The quintessential purveyors of modern prog rock these 3 guys just have it right. One could say that it's just more of the same- and it kind of is. While I feel the dB's have lost a lot of their edge and angst and their new record is kind of a little bit boring the same cannot be said of Rush. The musicality and energy and production is all spot on. And I'm not even a fan of their music. In fact I don't own a single cd or record. But' I can appreciate them being at the pinnacle of their musical prowess for this many years- there is no questioning their talent.

Discussion:
Vinyl is gone and soon the compact disc will join it as a thing of the past. The audio file formats that you can now choose from to store your music is becoming staggering.
1. Do you feel that these compressed digital files are giving us inferior audio quality. Do you care? Is it just too convenient?
2. Do you feel the price to download these digital audio files is reasonable.
3. If D'Arcy's favorite guy (Mr Neil Young) comes up with a superior audio format- would you be willing to pay extra for better sound quality? How much extra- if at all?
4. Do you still buy cd's and/or vinyl?

I still buy cd's and I still buy vinyl- not like I used to, however. Do I think they sound better than digital downloads?- yes. I would definitely pay more for better sonic quality in a downloadable digital format. But it would have to be priced more competitively than if I were to buy a cd and/or vinyl recording. Plus, I still like the "package".

You pro-Ministry people are on crack

Deep Purple – Knowing nothing except the hits, I always thought of Deep Purple as a metal band, but this disc sounds more like prog-rock than metal, particularly opening and closing tracks.  Liked the heavy use of the Hammond B-3, drumming kicks ass, guitar work is good but the vocals suck throughout; I kept hoping they’d get to the instrumental parts.  Won’t be in heavy rotation, but I liked it more than I expected (or wanted) to.  3 stars

Ministry – Inane, occasionally sacrilegious lyrics.  Not a single melody on the entire disc. Major, major suckage. Like, a basketball through a straw suckage.  .5 stars

The db’s – Starts really strong, first 4 songs are the best on the disc.  Hit and miss from there, as they have a tendency to get a little too cute (“Adventures of Albatross…”).  All in all, pleasant power pop that never quite gets to Fountain of Wayne levels.  3.5 stars

Rush – Should have just cut & pasted my “Snakes and Arrows” review, which frankly, works just as well here.  Virtuoso musicianship, goofy concept, one or two good songs and the rest of it leaves me bored silly.  Same as it ever was (making chopping motion on my forearm)….   2 stars

Supergrass – One of those wonderful DYN surprises where I’d never heard of the band and got blown away.  There’s nothing on this disc I didn’t like.  Part power-pop, part Brit-rock, a touch of Radiohead for good measure.  Great stuff, especially the Cure cover.

Discussion Question

1) 90% of the time, I don’t notice it. I’m usually listening on ear buds or desktop speakers, neither of which offers great fidelity anyway.
2) It varies. I won’t pay $10 for a download. However, when the price runs $4-6, I am inclined to purchase a download instead of a cd.
3) At this point in my life, I’m not willing to pay more, given how I listen to most music.
4) Yes to both

WTF, I'm not the first?

GH is Supergrass

Fun stuff.  Never heard of these guys.  A lot better than what I thought I was in for, no offense Ken, but you and I have pretty different taste.  This was something I could listen to. 

Deep Purple – Burn – 3.5

Burn is my favorite DP song, I wish that the rest of the cd was as good.  I listened to this one a lot because it was the only cd that gave me more than a week to review it.  Ian Gillan’s voice is one of the all-time greatest hard rock voices but David Coverdale is no slouch either.  There was no bad DP vocalist.  You fool No one was very Santana-ish.  I’m sure that songs like Sail Away and Coverdale had a huge influence on Chris Cornell.  I like the heavier stuff better, but this was a really good cd.      

Rush – Clockwork Angels - 5

By far the best Rush cd of the past 20 years.  The theme albums seem to work really well for Rush.  It’s rare that I really listen deeply to lyrics and knowing that Neil Peart is consistently voted the worst lyricist I was shocked that these really were pretty profound.  I couldn’t stop listening to this disk.  It didn’t hurt that they pre-released three of the songs over a year in advance of the actually CD.  Getting a taste of what was to come was a great marketing strategy, plus it paid off because I paid twice for three of the songs.  I’m placing the Garden as a top 10 all time best Rush song, so far removed from anything else they’ve done.

DB’s – Falling off the Sky – 3.5

Late entry so I didn’t have a lot of time to listen, but I loved it.  Usually it takes a few times to like something, but this clicked right away.  The bass tracks and the drumming really complimented the orchestration.  Really easy to get lost with songs like She Won’t Drive In the Rain Anymore.  Geeky vocals that perfectly matched the music.  The singer either sounded like the They Might Be Giants vocalist or Ernie from Sesame Street a little, but not in a bad way.  Maybe they can redo rubber duckie.    

Ministry – Psalm 69 the way to succeed - 4

There’s no way you can’t get an adrenaline rush when you listen to this cd.  I’m not sure why Ministry didn’t hit the mainstream, they have more talent than most of the other similar style bands.   It might be the vocals.  Regardless, this a kick ass cd and should be on every gym radio.  This is a Greatest Hits cd all on its own.

Discussion:
Vinyl is gone and soon the compact disc will join it as a thing of the past. The audio file formats that you can now choose from to store your music is becoming staggering. 
1. Do you feel that these compressed digital files are giving us inferior audio quality. Do you care? Is it just too convenient?  Even with a high end stereo I really feel that most people would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.  I live to listen to music and my car stereo can compete with the best and I still struggle to tell.  I miss vinyl, but I’m good with having my entire collection of music on a 2” x 5” iPod in my glovebox.   
2. Do you feel the price to download these digital audio files is reasonable.  $1.00 per song and the ability to purchase individual songs is worth every penny.  If I love a band I get the entire album, if I only like one song that’s what I get.  As an artist, a buck is a pretty good deal.

3. If D'Arcy's favorite guy (Mr Neil Young) comes up with a superior audio format- would you be willing to pay extra for better sound quality? How much extra- if at all?  Not sure what this is about, but I’m willing to listen to anything then make my call.  I never thought I’d convert to digital copies of my music either.  It would be nice to not have to keep re-buying all of the music I already have. 
4. Do you still buy cd's and/or vinyl?  Fewer and fewer.  Especially since the pdf files that come with the digital downloads give all of the extras that I used to buy the cds for.

I maybe absent but the voice will be heard

Deep Purple

This is my favorite Deep Purple album.    It’s probably because it has my favorite Deep Purple song,  Burn.   But if you analyze the parts you truly understand why this album is so good.  There is the twin lead singing on every song of Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale.  Never before or since has two such powerful singers worked so well together.  The understated and completely under rated drumming of Ian Paice.  Then there is the guitar mastery of Ritchie Blackmore who created his own style and no one has ever really copied him.  While Blackmore may be the star of the band, it is Jon Lord who truly is its engine.  His master of the Hammond Organ is utterly amazing. Be it his fills or solos, his sound just drives the machine.  And honestly his solos sometimes are the best part of the song.  So in memorial I submitted this album where one can find some of his best playing.  If the song A 200 was taken off the album you would have 7 brilliant songs by a band in peak form.  The album just rocks. 4.0

Db’s

I remember seeing these guys in 1983 in a small club in Rochester.  They seemed too big for the club especially when they ripped through a Suspicious Minds cover for an encore and I thought these guys were going to be big.  But they didn’t somehow these guys always never made it huge.  Never quite equaling the sound I thought they should have.  The same with this cd.  Man it just rips the roof off with the first song.  Unfortunately the rest doesn’t equal.  But it the db’s and they are still good, just not great. 2.5

Ministry

I remember when I first heard Ministry’s first cd.  I thought here are a darker dépêche mode.  But I wasn’t a big Depeche Mode fan so I didn’t care.  It wasn’t until this cd that I visited them again.  What happened to get them here?  I have never been a big industrial fan but this cd and Nine Inch nails first are two that I really liked.  This cd does seem to hold up well and Psalm 69 still just explodes and the rest of the cd does not get in that noise realm that most industrial cd’s suffer from.  3.5

Rush

It’s a rush cd.  That’s what I thought when I listened to this.  Playing is great.  Geddy’s voice is in fine form.  Alex actually is playing some nice leads and riffs.  And of course Neil plays the drums.  Unfortunately it’s a Rush cd.  The songs are good and sound like typical Rush but there really isn’t any track that rise up over the others or takes a foothold within their catalog.  As I was listening I kept thinking if I was to see them live is there any songs here that I would want to replace there live set with.  The answer was no.  So it’s a Rush cd.  Good not great. 2.5

Supergrass

A fun Brit pop band that had a very uneven career, which make them perfect for a greatest hits.  Because when they were on they were great.  Unfortunately Gaz’s voice does tend to get bothersome at times, but what no Pumping up the Stereo, but bonus for the Hot Rats Song.

Topic

I really don’t care about compressed files.  I usually listen on my computer; car or I pod so sound going to be off anyway.

Since I rarely buy files the price doesn’t seem too bad

I probably wouldn’t pay more for a super sound.  The days of sitting in a room just for music seems long gone and there will always be a distraction to me and getting more barn.

I do buy cd’s, but maybe 3 or 4 a year and only of truly favorite artists, so I can complete collections.

OMG- 3 in a row

Hives:  2.0

I think The Hives are stuck. It seems to me that you could put on any one of their records and you'll have Lex Hives... Midnight Shifter is about the only highlight for me.  Come On is a joke, right? The cd as a whole  is pretty disappointing.  

Heartless Bastards:  4.0

Any band from Austin, TX is ok in my book. Would have gotten a higher grade but there are a couple of  snoozers on this cd. Conversely there are some great songs. None better than Parted Ways, Got To Have Rock and Roll and Only For You.  Love Erika Wennerstrom's  voice and she's a pretty good songwriter to boot.  Great cd.

PIL: 2.5

They get a 2.5 for FFF, Rise,  and Home. Could care less if I never listen to  any of the other songs.... not much here to make me want to put the cd on again.

Supertramp:  4.0

Took me right back to 1974 when FM radio was still great (however, doomsday was on the horizon).  DJ's could spin whatever they felt like and any song on a record was fair game. You could hear a Ry Cooder song followed by a Big Star song followed by a Gil Scott-Heron song followed by a Supertramp song followed by a Capt Beefheart song followed by a Humble Pie song...... ok ok I'll stop. Sorry Alan and Jay. But it's true.  There was no formula and there was no format and I can only thank my lucky stars to have been around to experience one of the coolest and most eye opening phases of my life. I know it sounds corny but that's what the infancy of FM radio was. So, thanks for submitting Supertramp and taking me back. Bloody Well Right indeed!

1. Buffalo Springfield

2. Big Star

3. Grateful Dead

4. REM

5. Allman Bros

Part 2:

1. Wilco

2. Pearl Jam

3. Phish

4.  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

5. Green Day