Down Our Nose

One number, two words...

2011-12-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Mong / Music Group Commentary / Nov.-Dec. 2011

*****

Busy this...no time that . . . Insert standard excuses here for this round’s lack of effort.

Bloody Hollies – “Yours Until the Bitter End” = 2.5 Stars
Well done.

Tom Fuller Band – “Ask” = 2 Stars
Pretty average.

Guns and Roses – “Use Your Illusion II” = 1.5 Stars
Overrated self-indulgence.

Mahavishnu Orchestra – “Visions of the Emerald Beyond” = 2 Stars
Interesting time-capsule.

Iggy Pop – “Lust for Life” = 5 Stars
His best!

Sloan – “Parallel Play” = 3.5 Stars
Pop power.

Improved Encheferized Reviews for Swedish Chef Lovers

2011-12-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

Iggy Pup- Loost fur Leeffe-

A trooly cuul, ruckeeng elboom und ergooebly oone-a ooff hees best. Interesteeng rhythms und suceeel cummentery beckeeng snerky Booeee-a/Reed leeke-a fucels. Elboom hulds up vell 30+ yeers leter. (4)

Tum Fooller Bund-Esk

Sufft in ifery espect. My sun seeed it suoonded leeke-a Glee-a. I'll leefe-a it es thet. (1)

Goons N' Ruses- Use-a Yuoor Illooseeun II

Thees deedn't huld up fur me-a es vell es I thuooght it vuoold. Sume-a sungs leeke-a "14 Yeers" remeeen pretty cuul tudey veet its peeunu meexed veet Slesh's gooeeter, oozeers ere-a stoopeed leeke-a "Get in zee Reeng" veet its spukee vurd turede-a. Zeey suoond mooch better oon zee sungs veethuoot zee edded brefedu oon hoo nu oone-a gets zeem und cun keess oor soock zeeur ess. Becoose-a zee cuul is mure-a prefelent thet zee crep und Slesh's gooeeter it's steell a (3)

Zee Bluudy Hulleees- Yuoors Unteel zee Beetter Ind

Luood threshy, treshy, in yuoor fece-a gerege-a ruck. Luts ooff Jeck Vheete-a infflooence-a. Frum zee seme-a feeen ooff Ruck n Rull Suldeeers, Yuoong Heert Etteck und Tser boot veet a leettle-a mure-a coobuy ruck- leestee egeeen- yuoo'll heer it. Its freneteec, frunteec pece-a is ixhoosteeng und cun be-a a deterrent vhee leestening in tutel in oone-a leestee. Und "Juhn Veyne-a Broon" shuoold be-a streeckee frum zee recurd. I eppreceeete-a vhet zeey ere-a ettempteeng boot it isn't clefer und duesn't vurk. (3)

Sluun- Perellel Pley

Sluun mey nut be-a ooreeginel boot zeey ere-a a fery guud bund vhu vreete-a fery guud sungs. Zeeur oone-a cunstunt is thet iech elboom hes a deefffferent textoored suoond. PP is oone-a ooff zeeur best shooceseeng hoo ieseely zeey cun gu frum oone-a style-a tu unuzeer ellooeeng iech member tu seeng und teke-a zee sputleeght. (4.0)

Mehefeeshnoo Oorchestra-Feesiuns ooff zee Imereld Beyund

Deffeenitely sume-a interesteeng stooffff. Zee gooeeter vurk is dynemeete-a und sume-a ooff zee crezy jezz freek oooots ere-a ookey. Nut a fun ooff zee fucels, ifee iff zeey remeend ooff Zeppa. It's joost nut a foon leestee und it's tuoogh vhee Zoone-a is oon shooffffle-a- zee freek oooots ere-a stertleeng. (2.5)

What's in YOUR I-Pod???

2011-12-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

The Tom Fuller Band

Sometimes, when you take a rock based artist and smooth him out with a Nashville-style producer, you get bland from where there was a spark. In the case of Tom Fuller, it’s just the opposite…his songs are written on pop side of the rock spectrum, and the production only goes to enhance the final product. Favorite track lyrically was “Doing Nothing”…I can relate. This was my pick of the month, and most, if not all tracks will get added to a Sunday morning mix I have. 4

Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II

The late ‘80’s-Early ‘90’s was a time that I personally checked out of listening to “hard rock”. I firmly believed that the music I valued most and would listen to forever was already recorded, and I had not listened to a lot of it yet, so for me, this is the first time I’ve listened to a GnR album in its entirety. For me, they’ve always been a radio band, and those hits weren’t enough to get me to dig deeper. Having listened to this repeatedly, I was surprised at the overall vibe, more like good stoner rock and less like metal. I guess if you take Use Your Illusion 1 into consideration, this is like their Exile on Main Street or their White Album. If they would have put their best from these two albums on one album, it may have been one of the greatest albums ever, but this one is spotty, though enjoyable. 3

Sloan

Despite the fact that this is their 9th album, this is my first exposure to a full-length Sloan CD. The single “Believe in Me” starts it off with a catchy enough hook…”Cheap Champagne” is more harmony-laden than I would have expected, but I like the overall sound…late 60’s pop/psychedelic…this definitely sounds like a band where everybody writes…overall, it was very enjoyable listen and it too will make its way to the Alternative Favorites section of my ITunes library. 3.5

The Bloody Hollies – Yours till the Bitter End

This is solid garage punk from a band that sounds like they are really into their music and their sound. It’s Kinda like Iggy and the Stooges meet Motorhead with a little bit of the Jam in there on the solo Doyle songs and some Black Crowes/Stones riffs in the songs where Horgen writes (like Dirty Sex and John Wayne Brown). It has good energy, the vocal intensity matches the instruments and there’s enough melody and song variety to keep it from getting boring and repetitious. Songs like Sticks and Stones even venture into “Riff Punk”. I’ll have to go back to their earlier CD’s to see how they’ve evolved. 3.5

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Visions of the Emerald Beyond

By the time this came out, John McLaughlin’s guitar virtuosity was no longer a novelty, it was a “trademark style” and so after the “The Inner Mounting Flame” and “Birds of Fire” this album held less interest for me when it originally was released. It has a little funk to it, and though not as interesting or exciting as the earlier albums, if you like fusion, top-notch musicianship and great guitar lead work, it’s still a viable listen. 3

And the douche bag of the month is..................

2011-12-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

Iggy Pop – Lust for Life - 4
Iggy sounds different on every song. I initially thought that Lust For Life was a Stones song, but for some reason I like the song more knowing it’s not. He sounds a lot like Lou Reed with talent on The Passenger. “Tonight” had Bowie in it. He’s like a singing chameleon There is something strangely bazaar, but then very normal about Iggy Pop. The picture on the album cover makes you want to be friends with this cool normal guy. I’ll bet he was a very cute kid, but then I’ve seen some very disturbing pictures of him as well. I’ll keep the album cover image in my head when I think of him.
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Visions of the Emerald Beyond – 3.5
As for raw talent, these guys are unreal. The musicianship is so great that sometimes I think that they forget there are other musicians playing with them and the result is a giant music mess. Many of the clean songs were outstanding, but with only an occasional giggle as a lyric it’s tough to have a classic album. Other than being a great influence
GNR – Use Your Illusion II – 4.5 (minus .5 for whistling on a rock album and douchebagginess)
As much of a douche as I think Axl Rose is, I can’t deny that GnR have some seriously kick ass
music. I wouldn’t pay to see them and I turn the radio every time they come on the radio, they are one of the most overplayed bands ever. They can rock. Axl’s voice is so unique, if he
wasn’t such a douche he could have been somebody. Now he’s pretty much looked at as a big
douche who could sing.
Sloan – Parallel Play - 3.5
Pretty cool band, they sound a lot like Bob Dylan on Down in the Basement, which is really weird
knowing how you guys all feel about Dylan, then they sounded like The Partridge Family on Cheap Champagne and old Kinks on Witches Wand. Super catchy band with fun creative
lyrics. Just nothing to make them really stand out against other similar bands. Maybe my favorite of the month though.
Tom Fuller Band – 3.5
Don’t know who this band was, I kept forgetting to listen to
them. Sorry I don’t have more.
The Bloody Hollies – Yours until the bitter end – 4
What I heard in the day that I had was awesome. A good replacement now that the White Stripes
broke up.

Using My Illusion

2011-12-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

Bloody Hollies – No Jack White project this year, but this could almost pass as one. I like the in your face drum sound throughout, and although the vocals get wearisome, there’s no shortage of energy. Nice combo of dirty blues, punk and a little metal as well. “Dirty Sex” and “Sticks and Stones” are the highlights. 3.5 stars

Tom Fuller – What a pleasant CD. The vocals are pleasant. The sound is pleasant. The playing is pleasant. When the songs pop up in a shuffle, I will no doubt think “this is pleasant, I wonder who it is?” And the moment the song is over, I will forget I ever heard it. 2 stars

Guns and Roses – What a freaking mess. There’s almost an equal amount of brilliance and real crap here. 3 glorious tracks to start, then one of the worst Bob Dylan covers ever and two songs ruined by the in-song/post-song spoken word nonsense. So it goes throughout the disc. A great one here, a shit one there. GnR couldn’t overcome their appetite for destruction in the studio anymore than they could in their personal lives. In the end the highs are so high that I ignore the junk. Cherry picking the best 7 songs from this and 5 from Illusion I creates a 5 star and possible desert island disc. 4 stars

Iggy Pop – Can we just all agree to give Mongillo the top 10 spots so he stops submitting obvious 4-5 star discs? Title track is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. Rest of it is classic Iggy. The Justin Bieber cover is hysterical. 4 stars

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Effortlessly combines the pointless noodling of a jam band with the meaningless jacking off of free jazz. Yes, individually the players are enormously talented. That said, the world’s greatest chefs could get together and use their talents to make a dog shit casserole, but I wouldn’t want to eat it. 1 star

Sloan – Never been able to fully embrace these guys, and I’m not sure why. Competent players, tight band and they generally write decent songs. The harder edge songs like “Believe in Me” and “The Other Side” are fine, but their mid-tempo material is non-descript. Wish they’d cut loose a little more. 3 stars

Catchin' Up. Part II

2011-11-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

Trombone Shorty- 4.0
This is not an official cd, but since it’s a “wild card”- why not. I downloaded it off of the internet and is a live recording from the 2011 Newport Jazz Festival. He’s only 25 yrs old but already has 9 cd’s to his credit. He also plays trumpet and drums. Talented dude. Shorty calls his music “supafunkrock”. Ok. I’ll go along with that. You can just feel the energy of this serious funk workout- just try and sit still. I know I can’t. This was a great show. I love everything about it- the honking baritone sax, funky basslines, distorted electric guitars, incendiary trombone, percussion, and organ.

Dennis Coffey- 3.5
Keep the funk going! And where has Dennis Coffey been my whole life? Had no idea. But I like it. The guy is 70 and can still rip it. Great balance between funk and psychedelic rock and some pretty good guest appearances make this one a fun listen.

Beth Hart and Joe B.- 3.5
Beth Hart has a great set of pipes and Joe Bonamassa can play the hell out of a guitar. So- what’s not to like here? This is a blues record that pays homage to the greats that made these songs famous. Loved the inclusion of Tom Waits jazz/soul classic Chocolate Jesus and the upbeat rockabilly of Delaney Bramlett’s Well, Well. Great cd.

Jayhawks- 5.0
This one is on my top 10 desert island list. Nuff said.

Queen- 4.0
I think this is the most fun Queen album. Right from the opening track their campiness shows thru. Brian May is truly great throughout and what can you say about Freddie Mercury. Geniuses both.

Warren Zevon
A great songwriter with more than his fair share of demons. Nice set of tunes that certainly showcased that wry, cynical, and often irreverent sense of Zevon style.

Catchin' Up

2011-11-27T17:32:00.001-08:00

Ladyhawk- 3.0
Channeling a lot of my favorites here. Son Volt, Replacements, Dinosaur Jr. Lots of fuzzy distorted guitar work combined with some lazy vocals give the album a nice bluesy grunge rock feel. Although a few tracks had too much of a melancholy overtone for my liking. All in all a solid record.

The A’s- 4.0
Any guitarist who has played with/for Roger Waters is Aces in my book. Way to go Rick DiFonzo. This has got to be an Alan selection- great rock band from Philly. I love this stuff. Still sounds relevant today- can’t believe it was released in 1979. Lots of catchy hooks with a great power pop/new wave vibe to the whole thing. And a sense of humor to boot. A fun, energetic record for sure.

Keith TOTP- 4.0
Who would have thought it? My first impression- right from the picture on the front cover to the over the top name of the entire cd- F*ck You! I’m Keith Top of the Pops by Keith Top of the Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band- left me thinking that I was going to hate this. What a surprise to find songs like Two of the Beatles Are Dead, I Hate Your Band, and What’s On Your Mind. This is good music- solid, likable indie tunes that are catchy, honest, and clever. I liked it more with each listen and Try Your Best is a great outro to a really good cd.

Sleeping In The Aviary- 4.0
I thought I was listening to Dr Dog when I heard the title track. And you know I love Dr Dog. I’m a big fan of straight forward indie pop rock- catchy, melodic hooks with solid lyrics to keep it all interesting. And being an old guy, I really liked the nod to the 50’s and 60’s. On first listen I thought too much do-wop and sha-la-la, but subsequent listens proved to be more satisfying. They took something old and made it their own. Nice.

Hayes Carll- 3.5
What a good month for DNY music. Hayes Carll plays what I call Country music- honky tonk, twangy irreverence. This is Texas country music. Not that over-produced crap that comes out of music row. Honest music. John Prine meets Merle Haggard music. And a great duet with Carey Ann Hearst to boot. Good stuff.

Question:
Right now my fav artist is Wilco. Now mind you- I like every thing they’ve ever done- a lot!! So if I have to pick a favorite cd I guess any cd from Summerteeth to Sky Blue Sky would be my favorite. I can’t pick one, sorry. They are all incredibly good. Least fav, but still great would be AM.
Part 2- the swap- Shouldn't Be Ashamed off of AM swaped with Reservations off of Yankee Hotel

Send lawyers, guns and money....

2011-11-14T05:34:00.000-08:00

Beth Hart –Good, but frustrating. There are some great moments on this, notably the Waits cover and the first 6 minutes of “I’d Rather Go Blind”. Conversely, there were a couple of tracks where I thought Hart overdid the vocal hysterics to the detriment of the song. Its pretty clear she’s got a hell of a voice in the first few minutes, she didn’t have to keep going out of her way to prove it. Guitar work is top-notch. Should have been about 15 minutes shorter. 3.5 stars

Dennis Coffey – Coffey is a talented guitarist, and a couple of these songs settle into some nice funky grooves, notably “7^th Galaxy” and “Ubiquitous”. The issue I had with this one was the over-production and the vocals at times. “Knockabout” is a perfect example, it gets started with some nice soul guitar and all of the sudden the extraneous vocals pop in, and completely overpower Coffey and the beautiful Hammond B-3. In short, good Coffey but too much sweetener. 3 stars

Jayhawks – Man, the first couple of Jayhawks albums are great. Fantastic vocals delivering sharply written songs that just jump out of the speakers. The lineup changes and on again/off again state of the band has resulted in a wildly inconsistent recent past, but this one is a classic. Short and sweet, comfortable groove throughout, and not many bands can match their harmony singing. 4 stars

Trombone Shorty – Good stuff that would no doubt sound better live and with a few beers in me. So many influences here, the R&B, the Nawlins street march beat, etc, but there’s more than a touch of James Brown and Prince in here as well. Incredibly tight band that seems to stop and turn on a dime. Could have done without some of the vocals, but overall, I dug this one. 3.5 stars

Queen – I’ve come to re-appreciate these guys over the last few years. While “Jazz” isn’t their strongest batch of songs, it’s their most versatile. The Middle-Eastern influence of“Mustapha”, the dance rock of “Fun It”, and the ballads that the band seemed to be able to turn out unconsciously. Of course, the strength of Queen is May’s guitar work, and he delivers in spades. Holds up very well, save for the 2 singles, which through no fault of the band have been beaten into the ground by unimaginative classic rock programmers. 4 stars

Warren Zevon – It bothers me that he’s best known for his novelty hit, which was deliberately left off. Zevon was a tremendous writer whose songs transition seamlessly from shamelessly romantic to biting irony to Hunter S Thompson-esque flights of fantasy. Musically, he mostly reflects that 70’s laid-back California sound, evidenced by the presence of Henley, Browne, Ronstadt, etc on much of his early output. That said, he was not afraid to throw in a full orchestra or the occasional guitar shredding. One of my all-time favorites, who was gone much too soon.

KB's Real Bad Day Reviews.......YO!

2011-11-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

November 2011

Trombone Shorty- Live

Rock-funk-Jazz and good rock-funk-jazz. Elements of Chicago/Prince/JB Horns with energy to spare. Great heavy guitar/bass, horn riffs and funked up solos. Vocals could be nixed because I didn't think they added anything and actually slowed down the performance. Still a (4)

Dennis Coffey- S/T

Who says a 70 year white man can't funk it up. This former Funk Brother can still bring it both in his guitar prowess and his Detroit grooved, hard driving arrangements. The more I listened the more I liked. Take the time to look up his catalogue with the Funk Brothers and by himself- he's played on countless, awesome tracks. (4)

Queen - Jazz

One of my favorite Queen albums but for me it's still second to News to the World. Jazz has great songs across many genre's truly showcasing Mercury's vocal depth and range. There's rock, metal, slight country, ballroom, pop you name it and it's all done pretty darn well. "Fun It", "Leaving Home Ain't Easy" and "More of that Jazz" don't hold up but it doesn't completely derail Jazz. (3.5)

Jayhawks- Hollywood Town Hall

IMHO the best Jayhawks album but I find their Americana sound fairly forgettable. "Waiting for the Sun" and "Take Me With You (When You Go)" are great songs but many of the others blend together with the same structure and similar melody. Individually the songs are fine and work perfectly on shuffle, but strung together they get mundane. (2.5)

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa- Don't Explain

Hart's voice conjures up the devil if ever a voice could and Bonamassa's guitar is just as evil. Want to get fucked up on a sweaty summer night- this is what you listen to. Their performances range from in your face American blues to sweet and mournful blues. The pacing on the disc felt weighted too slow from mid-point on. A little better mix of tempo I think would have helped greatly. (3.0)

Warren Zevon- I think he is totally underrated and deserves much more respect than lesser songwriters who do.

Rusty Trombone and All That Jazz (Funk)...

2011-11-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Jayhawks – “Hollywood Town Hall”

Solid alt-country effort from these guys…definitely stands up to the past 10 years or so…not a lot to say about it other than I really enjoy a no-frills, guitar-bass-drum sound with smart lyrics and genuine vocals and this is the whole package. 4

Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa – “Don’t Explain”

OK, so this CD was touted as being an inspired work of some great blues and soul classics, and as far as the song choices go, they are some great blues and soul classics, but I didn’t find it terribly inspiring. I liked “I Would Rather Go Blind”, but other than that, it was just a good female voice and a technically proficient guitarist trying too hard to pretend to have soul. 2 ½.

Trombone Shorty

This was a pleasant surprise, though I couldn’t find out when this was recorded or released. It’s not 2004-2008 N.O. Jazz Festival stuff, but whenever it’s from, it’s pretty cool. This has great musicianship, nice arrangements and an awesome lead guitar player to keep it interesting. I didn’t know anything about him, so it interested me to find out that he was played on Lenny Kravitz’s tours and that he’s been out there since 2004 as a 17 year old player. Someone has to tell me where that riff from “Suburbia” came from…it’s making me crazy. Anyway… 3 ½.

Dennis Coffey - Dennis Coffey

It can be either be very cool or very sad when a 70 year old tries to mount a musical comeback…this fits into the “cool” category, although between this CD and Trombone Shorty, that’s more wah-wah guitar than I’ve heard in a month since I cut high school classes in June of 1975 to go see porn movies. Anyway, I was more of a fan of the vocal tracks than the jams, and “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” was a top 40 tune when I was a kid, so it was fun to hear that again. All in all, not something I’d listen to repeatedly, but definitely worth the 39 minutes. 3

Queen – Jazz

I’m a Queen fan, so I was familiar with this CD. I haven’t listened to it in its entirety for many years, so it was a “fresh listen”. I had forgotten both how much this CD rocked, though I also had forgotten how I didn’t enjoy “Mustapha” as much as I did enjoy “Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Race” For me, it’s not as great as “A Night at the Opera”, “A Day at the Races” or “News of the World”, but it’s very good Queen, none the less. 4.

Warren Zevon – GH

I have always liked his music and his performances…I didn’t have many of these tracks so it was great to get this compilation. . I also enjoyed the sequencing of these tracks, but felt that by definition of “Greatest Hits” that it should have had “Werewolves of London” on it…the only other track I would have expected was “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”, but knowing his story made “Keep Me In Your Heart” the perfect closing track to this CD. Thanks, Mike.

Topic – Whose i-Pod is that anyway?...

Proclaiming “Jazz Sucks” (Except for Queen’s “Jazz”) Does Not Make Me a Racist!

2011-11-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Mong / Music Group Commentary / October/November 2011

Dennis Coffey – Self Titled = 2 Stars
Anachronism is an understatement here. In short, whatever. Next.

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa – “Don’t Explain” = 2.5 Stars
To me, the only thing worse than actual Jazz/Blues is “Commercial Jazz/Blues” destined for a Starbucks Coffee featured music selection of the week. Is “Don’t Explain” tight and well-produced? Yup. Is everyone involved a monster musician? Undeniably. Is it listenable? Sure. Is it relevant? As relevant as Sting’s solo albums, I suppose. Does my opinion on this matter? No, not really, because this album does exactly what it sets out to do. ...I’m just not its intended audience.

The Jayhawks – “Hollywood Town Hall” = 3 Stars
Sadly, the great songs here are easy to miss because so much of the tunes sound the same and there are easily no less than five too many tracks on this album.
[And come to find out at the meeting that this has five bonus tracks so go figure.]

Queen – “Jazz” = 4 Stars
Although not my favorite Queen album (which is “News of the World”), this is still a nearly-perfect album. I think D’Arcey is trying to “Mongillo” his way into the top-ten with this one; I only wish I thought of it first.

Trombone Shorty – Live Somewhere that I’m Glad I Wasn’t = 0 Stars
You’d think an artist named “Trombone Shorty” would know enough to have the horn section tuned-up with the rest of the band before walking out on stage! Oh...it’s Jazz (Jazz-ish, anyway)...so I must be too white to appreciate dissonant chord structures. No, wait, it’s not me: these assholes just aren’t in tune...for the whole fucking recording! This is a fact; not my opinion. WTF?!?!

G’Hits – Warren Zevon
I want to like Warren Zevon more than I do but I don’t. Always interesting to listen to (specifically because his lyrics are usually great) but I probably won’t be revisiting this stuff anytime soon.

October's Late Brilliance

2011-11-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sleeping in the Aviary
- Another winner from these guys. Better than anything they have done
previously. The uptempo stuff sounds better at first listen, but the slower songs, which tend to border on the uncomfortable sometimes, sound great as listens increase. An album full of non-stop winners that project both a musical and lyrical power that most bands can’t come close to
achieving. 4.5
Keith Top of the Pops - Hard to tell how much of the back story is
real. No rehearsing, no soundchecks
before gigs, a different line-up for every gig, etc., but the resulting album
certainly plays the part well.
Disheveled, unorganized and occasionally brilliant, it sure sounds like
an album put together by the kind of irreverent nut-job nut that Keith TOTP appears
to be. One of the brilliant things he
accomplishes is showing obvious reverence for his heroes, but at the same time
not taking that reverence seriously. 4.0
Hayes Caril - Too country for some of you jamokes I’m
sure,, but this is a great record with just enough twang, just enough humor and
just enough heart to make it a consistently great listen. What separates this from a lot of similar
sounding country is that it is so authentic.
And there is a sweetness to it that belies his reputation as a
songwriter who prefers to project an image of an unapologetic drunk careening
out of control. 4.0
The A’s - By the time this was released in 1979, I had heard so much GREAT power pop music over a 3 year period that this really didn’t
strike me as very exciting. Maybe I was
burned out on this particular type of American power pop or maybe I just
thought they were posers, taking advantage of the success of a shitty band like
the Knack. Whatever the reason, it
sounds like I did them a disservice. This
is well crafted well written pop with plenty of hooks. It was done far better by many before them,
though. 3.5
Ladyhawk - Noisy brooding rock can go wrong in a
heartbeat. Too often it fall flat
because there is either too much passion and you just feel like telling them to
fuckin’ get over it, or it has too little passion and it ends up sounding
phony. Luckily this strikes a good
balance and just happens to be great musically on most cuts. Lo fi and subtle enough to call to mind
certain Pavement songs and obviously there is a Neil influence in here as
well. Pretty cool over all. 3.5
Drummers - Yeah….Drummers. Whatever.
Could have gone the rest of my life without hearing ELP again, but I got
over it. Maybe my primary question is
can good drummers “save” shitty songs like Karn Evil 9? I really don’t know, but I don’t think so. And I really can’t tell good drumming from
bad drumming. Good technical drummers –
the kind that fill this CD – aren’t necessarily good rock drummers. I don’t think many people would consider
Marky Ramone a “good” drummer, but He sounds brilliant in the context of what
he’s asked to accomplish. Compared to
some of the other stuff Gregg has fed us, though, I guess this was a win overall.
Topic – Tough to come up with one particular artist. I don’t have a “favorite artist,” and with
the bands I feel very strongly about, there is generally a fave, but not a
worst. Most of the people I can think of
merely jumped the shark and it’s a number of worsts. Like the Ramones. Rocket to Russia was the best, but the back
end of their career saw a number of worsts.
Same with the Stones. And
Springsteen. And just about any band I
can think of.

Some Numbers and a Few Words

2011-10-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Mong / Music Group Commentary / September 2011

Working Mean Time business full time, the movie awards foundation part time, and HB Group full time on top of having something resembling a life is really getting in the way of music group...and my life expectancy. Sans D’Arcy, how do you guys all have kids and get anything done in a week?

The A’s – Self-titled = 3 Stars

Hayes Carll – “KMAG YOYO” = 3.5 Stars

Keith Top of the Pops – “Fuck You I’m Keith Top of the Pops” = 2.5 Stars

Ladyhawk – “Shots” = 3.5 Stars

Sleeping in the Aviary – “You and Me, Ghost” = 4.5 Stars

G’Hits – Drummer
Cool!

TOPIC
Favorite: Beatles – “White Album”
I listen to it more than any other album from start to finish. Even “Revolution 9.”

Least Favorite of my Favorites: Zombies – “Odessey and Oracle”
Its common distinction as the “Pet Sounds” from a UK band is valid so, like that Beach Boys classic, as much as I appreciate it, it’s a rare day when I enjoy it beyond said appreciation.

Swap? That’s easy. Zombies’ “Time of the Season” for Beatles’ “Revolution 9.”

If It's at the Spigot, You Gotta Dig It!

2011-10-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO

A very cool mix of country and rock based stompers and ballads…I like his lyrics and musically, it’s hard to go wrong with interesting guitar lines in the stompers, and either banjo, acoustic guitar, or pedal steel driven slower tunes…hell, there’s even a rippin’ pedal steel solo in “The Lovin’ Cup”… Vocally…he’s OK…and I’m sure these songs will work for me like a pair of jeans…they’ll get more and more comfortable with each listen, though I must admit, while listening to the title track, I wanted to sing, “look out kid, it’s somethin’ you did” and “Grateful for Christmas” is right out of the John Prine song style book. The piano and harmonies in “Hide Me” were a surprise and a nice ending touch. 3.5

Keith Top of the Pops… – Fuck You, I’m Keith Top of the Pops

OK…full disclosure here…I was in a somewhat hostile frame of mind when I listened to this the first time, so I really enjoyed the attitude in this, especially from “Girl”, “I Hate Your Band” and the subtle as an elephant’s prick “Fuck You”. Lyrics like, “Your opinion doesn’t matter ‘cause you’re not me” were spot on during that first listen, and I was hoping the “Pretentious Title TBC” would be “Don’t Worry, Be Angry”, but when I listened to it a few more times, in a mellower mood, while I enjoyed the spirit of the humor, the best song on it was “Try Your Best”, so this gets a 2.5 if you’re happy while listening, and 3.5 if you’re pissed at somebody or something while listening, so it averages out to a 3.

The A’s – Self Titiled (1979)

This is a regional band from the “just after the Knack made it safe for bands not to play disco any more” era. I haven’t played this album in 30 years before submitting it, and I was surprised at how well it held up musically. Rick DeFonzio is a very good guitar player, Richard Bush can sing, and the tounge-in-cheek “Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly” break in “After Last Night” still cracks me up. You also can’t go wrong with a song titled “Teenage Jerkoff”. This definitely captures a late ‘70’s/early ‘80’s Northeast Philly attitude and sensibility that hits home, and while there was a lot more “important” music out there, it’s still a fun listen for me. 3

Sleeping in the Aviary – You and Me, Ghost

Right out of the box, this was my favorite of the month…It hits all the right notes for me with its mix of “good old rock and roll” musical vibe, its power, its pop-leaning song structures, harmonies…awesome vocals, short and sweet songs that were varied, and interesting. It’s the whole package. It was the only thing I listened to this month that got better and better each time I listened to it, and it was the one CD I kept wanting to go back to and hear again. 4.5

Ladyhawk – For me, this was one of those “forgettables”…I listened about two weeks ago, thought, “OK, not bad” and then when I played it again this week, I didn’t remember a single track on it. It’s just non-descript…sounds like a million things I’ve heard over the past hand full of years with little elements of each of those bands – Kaiser Chiefs, The National, Arctic Monkeys, The Hold Steady…and a bunch of others - adding up to not a whole lot. Maybe it’s just that I don’t appreciate the genre, but it just doesn’t connect with me. 2

Drummers (GH) – Easily the most diverse GH we’ve had since I joined the group. As a musician, I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of tunes, though I have to admit that when I first saw the titles, I cringed at the Dave Matthews and Tool tracks, but in context, they were cool, though there needs to be a surgeon’s warning on this that says, “not to be listened to if suffering from headaches…side effects include playing drum solos on your steering wheel and looking like a complete moron in traffic.” Nice job, Greg!

Topic - We all have our favorite artists. Of the entire library of your true favorite artist not including greatest hits or live albums, what is your favorite album and what is your least favorite album? Why do these earn the distinction of best and worst?
My Favorite Album from my favorite artist is Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones. There are no weak songs, the musicianship is top-notch with the best Stones lineup (including Mick Taylor on guitar), and the music continues to stand the test of time 40+ years later.
My least favorite Stones album is Emotional Rescue…there’s only one or two songs on it that are worth the time to listen, it’s not particularly well recorded, Ronnie Wood is NO Mick Taylor and all in all, it just sucks.

Just for ha ha’s, you can pick one song from the worst cd and swap it with one you don’t like from the favorite. What songs were they?
“All About You” from Emotional Rescue to swap with “You Gotta Move” from Sticky Fingers, although I think it would make Sticky Fingers less better.

Kiss My Ass Guys....

2011-10-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

The A’s – Never heard of these guys, but this has got to be early to mid-80’s. Sounds like a cross between the Boomtown Rats and the Hooters minus the hootie thing. Incredibly dated, and doesn’t hold up well against similarly big-haired, skinny tied bands of that era. 2 stars

Ladyhawk – Like Built to Spill, its all about the guitar jams at the end of the songs. The problem is that getting there isn’t always easy. Listened to this thing at least a half dozen times, and cant remember a single tune except the one where they steal from “Got to Get You Into My Life”, so the songwriting is weak. Unusual for me in that the longer a track went, the more I enjoyed it. An easy disc to play loud and become immersed in the Crazy Horse styled jams, but making it to that point was a chore at times. 3 stars

Keith Top of the Pops – On the plus side, there’s some good straight on pop/rock going on here, particularly on “Girl” and “Go Away”. There’s also an appealing sense of humor on those and a few others. The minus side is that two or three duds are too many for a 10 song, 30-minute disc. Didn’t like the vocals buried so far down in the mix, particularly on “I Hate Your Band”. If you’re going to call out every band in England, man up and make the names audible. Fairly entertaining and equally forgettable. 3.5 stars

Hayes Carll – While his debut was hit and miss, nearly every track on this disc scores a bulls-eye. The band is incredibly flexible, handling rave-ups and straight country tear-jerkers (tell me “Chances Are” wasn’t made for Willie to cover) with equal aplomb. Carll’s character sketches are richly vivid, notably the “Major Tom”-like soldier of the title track and the two beer-goggled antagonists of “Another Like You”. One of my favorite discs of 2011. 4.5 stars

Sleeping With the Aviary – An innaresting disc. Unusual to hear so many doo-wop type flourishes in what’s essentially low-fi garage music. Somehow SWTA make the “sha-la-la”s and finger pops work with the abrasive guitar sound. Love the lyrics on “Karen, You’re an Angel”. Fades a little at the end, but overall an admirable job of sounding current while being obvious about incorporating the past. 3.5 stars

Drummers – I need to know the intent to review this one accurately. If this is a collection of Greg’s favorite drummers, cool beans and rock on with your bad self. If this is a collection of great songs featuring excellent drumming, I didn’t like some of the songs, and actively hate a few of them (Chicago, ELP). If this is supposed be a representation of the greatest drummers in music, I believe any “greatest drummer” list that omits Keith Moon, Charlie Watts and Clyde Stubblefield is negligent.

Discussion Question

Picking out a “favorite” artist is impossible, but to play along I’ll go with Bruce. Favorite album is “Born to Run” and least favorite is “Human Touch”. I would not want to replace any song on BTR, particularly with one from “Human Touch”. If forced at gunpoint, I suppose “She’s the One” is the least important cut on BTR, and the title track is the best of the dregs on “Human Touch”.

Greg's September / October

2011-10-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

The A’s – The A’s - 3

It seems to me that for the times and the similar style and sounding bands of that period these guys were just as good as anyone else out at the time. Maybe it was just the luck of the draw that these guys didn’t make it and the others did. To me they sounded a lot like Elvis Costello and Thin Lizzy, the Clash and twenty other bands. They were certainly talented and creative enough to make it. Also, great use of Beatles riffs.

Hayes Carll – KMOA YOYO - 2

You guys know how I feel about country, and it doesn’t get much more country than this. With that said, Another like you is a really cool play on Baby it’s Cold Outside. What a refreshing song, as country as it was, I like it. The lyrics are all that helped me through the rest of this cd, but there are a lot better lyricists out there that I actually like listening to. I was able to tolerate it more than I thought I would but it won’t likely ever be played again.

Keith Top of the Pops - Fuck you I’m Keith Top of the Pops – 2.5

Not sure what’s up with this guy’s name. I had to look him up to find out what his deal was. Initially because of the “Celebrity” reference I expected to see Ray Davies in the credits but I didn’t recognize any of the “Celebrities” they all seemed to be singing Nick Lowe songs though. I did like several of the songs which surprised me. I loved “Two of the Beatles are Dead”

Ladyhawk – Shots - .5

The music and the vocals didn’t seem to fit. The music and the voice felt disconnected. The singer kind of has a Bob Mould feel which is normally a plus, but, why would these guys clearly get high or drunk then record an album and who in their right mind would sign them knowing that they have substance abuse issues? I could tolerate these guys for one or two songs then I had to ask why am I wasting my time, and for me to say that knowing what I listen to that’s not a good thing. I’m sure you all will give it a 5, but I’m thinking more in the .5 range.

Sleeping in the Aviary – You and me, Ghost – 2.5

I had to give these guys a real shot because I bashed the crap out of them last time Mike submitted them. I’m still not sure why someone would choose to listen to these guys. If they happen to come on I might listen to one or two of the songs, but I’m not sure I’d say, hey let’s throw on SITA. It wasn’t all bad, but it wasn’t all good either.

Drummers

This isn’t the best collection of songs by these drummers, but some of my personal favorites and a pretty good representation of these guy’s abilities, some more than others. I chose not to put a bunch of drum solos on in this collection because more than a drummer’s ability to be fast etc, is their ability to be creative and fit in with his fellow mucisians. A lot to artists have talent but don’t make it because of the group they play with. Being a drummer, it might be easier for me to appreciate the difficulty of their efforts. Danny Carey from Tool and Neil Peart are my personal favorites, I inadvertently left Dave Grohl off this list, that wasn’t intentional. You also get a sense of how drumming has changed over the decades. I also tried to include as many genres as possible to represent different styles of drumming. Hope you enjoyed it. Also, non-drum related but for the record, I heard by Lou Reed and Metallic, WTF, it is pretty much exactly what I expected, it sucked.

Question of the month- I actually thought that this was a stupid question (Point finger at Mike and Ken to shut up) but I had fun doing this.

We all have our favorite artists. Of the entire library of your true favorite artist not including greatest hits or live albums, what is your favorite album and what is your least favorite album?

Favorite - Rush – Moving Pictures

First exposure to Rush and best overall collection of Rush songs, a greatest hits album all by itself. Last “classic” Rush album.

Least Favorite – Rush – Vapor Trails

With the exception of One Little Victory (the first single which gave me great hope for the rest of the cd) nothing else on the disk flows. The songs are all boring and felt forced together with the lyrics. I know that Neil Peart is the “worst” lyricist but even I agree that these seemed an afterthought to the music. The music was even bland and after many listens it still didn’t settle in as anything close to, not even a classic, but just a song that will endear.

Just for ha ha’s, you can pick one song from the worst cd and swap it with one you don’t like from the favorite. What songs were they?

One little Victory would replace Camera Eye and that is only because I love the other songs more

Geddy Auerbach

2011-09-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Mong / Music Group Commentary / August 2011

Dave Alvin – “Eleven Eleven” = 2 Stars
Sensational musicianship and polished arrangements are largely spoiled by Alvin’s on-the-nose lyrics and sort-of-singing talk-vocals.

The Kills – “Blood Pressures” = 2.5 Stars
Some standout tracks but mostly filler and precious few variations from its overall repetitiveness.

Presto Ballet – “Invisible Places” = 2 Stars
A channeling of ELP, Yes, and Iron Maiden. Three great tastes that do not go great together.

Okay, whose idea of a sick joke was
it to have two Roger Waters
albums in the month?
That’s fucked-up!

Roger Waters – “Amused to Death” = 1 Star
To call this a childish, pretentious, overblown piece-of-shit would be an insult to childish, pretentious, overblown pieces of shit. I’ve read protest signs with more subtlety and eloquence.

Roger Waters – “Pros and Cons of Hitchhikin’” = 1.5 Stars
I was lucky enough to get a copy of this with the uncensored album cover when I was in high school but, after listening to it a few times, even that hot ass couldn’t keep me from trading it in for something good. Even at the brink of something resembling my own midlife crisis, Roger’s attempt to encapsulate his own (at the time) seems even more distant to me at forty-two than it did at sixteen. And for that, I thank my lucky stars. It means I’m not a whinny, self-consumed pussy.

G’hits – Joe Pernice
I was talking with Ed Valauskas of The Gravel Pit a few years back about Joe Pernice’s (then new) album, “Live a Little,” and Ed observed, “Joe Pernice has never written a bad song.” I agree. The collection I put together I think are the best of his best in his various solo and band incarnations. I hope it was enjoyed by all but something tells me it won’t be.

Topic Answers

Not knowing what the future holds, if I could be any current Rock star, becoming them instead of me, I guess I’d pick Dan Auerbach (Black Keys). He’s still young but not a boy, seems like a cool and smart guy from the few interviews I’ve read, and I predict his music will endure.

If I could have been in the right place at the right time, had the chops, and joined any band at any time, remaining myself, and affecting no change to the band’s catalogue or general history, I pick the obvious (for me): Geddy Lee of Rush becomes The Mong of Rush.

Roger Roger Roger

2011-09-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Dave Alvin- 4.0
Dave Alvin loves to tell stories thru his music and has been putting out good stuff since the early 80’s. This latest release is no exception.. A lot of the “characters” in his songs have to deal with a lot of shit- including how we handle the losses of life. A subject that hit close to home as I lost my buddy John Mobley to colon cancer a month ago. I think Alvin is a great wordsmith and a great songwriter. So much of this record deals with how we handle what life dishes out. We either let it get to us or we embrace the experiences and let them enrich us.

Presto Ballet- 3.5
Never heard of Kurdt Vander hoof before listening to this cd. And since I’m a fan of 70’s prog rock- I’m a fan of Presto Ballet. Although I’m not sure any song needs to be 12 min long-- my only criticism of the record. Lots of melodic hooks coupled with some fine musicianship make me think of Kansas, Styx, and Rush. All good things to sound like.

The Kills- 3.0
Not a huge fan of moody garage rock but I like Allison Mosshart’s vocals. She can be romantic and silky and she can be gritty and raw. The record is actually pretty melodic and I do like that fuzzy, guttural guitar. Although on Baby Says it sounds like the guitar part was recorded on a defective tape machine. It was actually kind of annoying.

Roger Waters 4.0 each
The king of the concept album for sure. And when you get guitarists like Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton to play on your records – well that’s pretty cool too. These are not necessarily cd’s you would reach for if want casual background music. These are cd’s you really have to listen to if you want to discern what they’re all about. In Amused to Death the cynical Waters tells us a story about the demise of the human race. A human race that has replaced decency and humanity with a destructive culture of greed and consumption. And it is the utter disregard for the consequences of our actions on other human beings as well as our planet that will lead to our demise. Yet here we all are- laughing as we plummet towards total environmental and economic collapse. Chilling. I feel it’s even more relevant today than it was in 1992. Oh yeah- the music? Very Pink Floyd-ish.

In Pro’s and Con’s Waters weaves his tale through a series of dreams –or is it a nightmare- that take place from 4:30 AM to 5:11 AM. What a concept! The dreams have to do with life. Marriage; kids; the other woman; making enemies; being successful; and just being a middle aged guy with doubts and fears and questions about all the choices you have made thus far in your life. Makes you think. Oh yeah- the music? With E.C. swinging the axe--brilliant stuff!

Topic
1. Ben Gibbard…… Lucky bastard- married to Zooey Deschanel
2. Wilco- nuf said

These are the Pros and Cons...

2011-09-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Roger Waters – Amused to Death

I figured that if I was going to give this a fair trial, I should spark one up first, put on some headphones and pretend it’s 1992. So I start listening after I’m sufficiently buzzed and it’s pretty cool…the first two minutes of “Bill Hubbard” feel like I’ve been listening for a half hour, and…ooh, so now we’re about 5 and a half minutes in…and God wants peace, war, famine and cheese curls…OK I’m right with him on the cheese curls, but the best I can do is a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and for what seems like the next half hour it all makes perfect sense…even Marv Albert…YES…and then, it sounds like Roger Waters meets Jimmy Buffett for a song…and then…after a toke or two and a day or two of droning, down tempo stuff…my first “whoa” moment…didn’t I hear this before? What God wants…Man, he wants a lot of shit…and then the phone rings, but the monkey gets it I guess, because I don’t. And then…I run out of Doritos, so no more smoke…and now he’s singing about a girl on TV…and while this is going on, I start thinking about some other lyrics…”The Jews kill the Arabs and the Arabs kill the hostages which make them as bad as the Jews. Is it any wonder that the monkey is confused”…and I’m thinking, how prophetic…In Middle East matters Obama DOES seem confused. Anyway, you know how this plays out…I come down and it’s nowhere near as much fun to listen, so I have to give this two grades – a 4 if you’re high and a 2 if you’re not. It averages out to a 3, though I suggest only listening when stoned.

Roger Waters – The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

I’m a sucker for EC’s lead playing and this is a perfect canvas for him to paint on. Add to that some terrific saxophone and one of the best album covers ever and it ranks up there as my favorite Roger Waters solo album. I’m not sure how I’d grade it if I gave it the same treatment as “Amused to Death”, but even on its own, without any “listening enhancements” it’s a solid 4. The title track alone makes it good for me, but I also like the fact that it sounds like it all takes place very early in the morning, in that dark time when most of the world is asleep.

Dave Alvin – Eleven Eleven

I think he’s one of the most underrated guitarists out there…the vocals are an acquired taste, but he’s more accessible than Tom Waits or Randy Newman and there’s a little James McMurtry in songs like Gary, Indiana 1959 – and an understanding of rock and roll history, in songs like Johnny Ace is Dead and What’s Up With Your Brother. All in all, a solid effort. 3.5

The Kills – Blood Pressures

The more I listened, the less ponderous and meat-handed I thought it was, but the production on this made it hard to listen to…very muddy and bottom-heavy. I liked the songs that feature the female vocalist best, those tracks remind me of the Raveonettes. Rhythmically, it’s not a far stretch from “Nail in my Coffin” to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” though musically in total, they didn’t do a whole lot for me, and songs like DNA are forgettable and boring, but there were a couple of cool moments like the waltz, “The Last Goodbye”. 2.5.

Presto Ballet - Invisible Places

There was a point in time when I would listen to Yes, Kansas, and Styx incessantly. I wore the grooves off “The Grand Illusion”, “The Yes Album” and “Close to the Edge”. This is as good, if not better than a lot of that music, and it is very reminiscent of that sound. As unimpressive as the Kills were musically, that’s how interesting these guys are. Thanks, D’Arcy for bringing me back to this sound…I have to dig out “Leftoverture” and “Point of No Return” again. 4

GH – The Pernice Brothers – A nice mix of folk/pop songs from musicians that I heard a few tracks from, but were never very familiar with. Thanks, Mong for filling the void and getting me into the Pernice Brothers.

Topic: 1) Not knowing the personal or professional outcome of a current, living, working rock star, musician, composer, producer, or some other music industry professional (again, currently working and “famous”), who would you be? Not who would you be “Freaky Friday-style” (where you’re still you in someone else’s body) but “Heaven Can Wait-style” (when you become that person, no longer yourself).

I would be Keith Richards. I wanted to be him as a punk kid, I wanted to be him all through my teens and twenties…I would trade off the incredibly dangerous, unhealthful behavior for a chance to be that cool, principled, intelligent, and talented.

2) If you could go back in time as you and be in the right place at the right time with the right chops to be in any band, what band would it be? You joining the band won’t change the timeline…they’ll still become the same band with the same catalogue.

I’d want to be the guitarist for the Spiders from Mars…I’d take the Mick Ronson role in a heartbeat. And I’d want to keep it beyond when he did, right through the Station to Station period. It would have been awesome to play with Bowie from ’71-’76 or so.

I'll take my prog, but pass on the side of folk

2011-09-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

Presto Ballet

I originally bought this cd for my brother’s birthday, but Kurdt Vanderhoof has been a favorite guitarist of mine for a long time. Was introduced to him by my brother’s friend when he gave Byron the first Metal Church album. Although not a fan of the thrash metal scene the album and the following two had some great guitar parts. Then came his band Vanderhoof and I was pleased to discover he found Deep purple. Now with Presto Ballet he seems to have discovered the late 70’s prog style. Instead of the overindulgent noodling that is persistent in today’s prog rock, here we find riffs from the guitar, runs on the organ and a singer whose voice is right for the music rather than another instrument to blend in. Throughout the cd you can choose which band from the 70’s they are borrowing from (especially the Marillion like guitar parts) but they make them their own. A surprising nice trip to the past with a flair for the future. 3.5

Roger Waters Hitchhiker

Not sure about Pink Floyd or Roger Waters. Remember listening to this cd on my long drives home from Rochester. Of course in those days there were extra stimulus to enhance the experience. Now minus this I find myself in flux. Sometimes I find the music brilliant and full of layers, building to the crescendo that is timed perfectly. Others it’s here comes the choir let’s get ready for the end. At times all the singers are perfectly blended to the songs, especially when he stays in the lower key. Then I listen to the lyrics and especially when he gets in that scream whining stage wish he would keep quiet. There is much Floyd, especially The Wall, in this cd with many a song bringing reminders of pieces past. What Roger Waters does prove once again is that Clapton is great when he doesn’t have to shoulder the load. 3.0

Roger Water Amused

It seems for this cd Roger Waters decided that he was going to spend some time playing in the studio. While with Hitchhiker he surrounded himself with a band, here he used studio greats. Members of Toto, Wire Train, and a slew of other great musicians were probably hired because they were used to recording this way. Yes Jeff Beck and Don Henley appear (One good, one not so good) but this is Roger playing with toys. His sound is the same, big choruses, spoken word singing, mad at something, and incredible choral background. 3

The Kills

Nice fuzz guitar. Good him her harmony vocals, plus love hate lyrics. Like the fact as a two piece they have the feel of bringing in other instruments. Cool hipster feel to the music giving it the sound of a dingy basement tape. 3.0

Dave Alvin

Never was a big fan of The Blasters so now that Mr. Alvin has taken some of the rawness out of his music he loses me even more. At times the guitar work is brilliant in his slow rockabilly/rock riff and solo vibe he has had. But whenever his vocals come in, the songs come to a screaming halt. This cd has all the faults that all the recent folk cds we have reviewed lately. One or two good songs early on the disc, then followed by a lot of sameness throughout. 2.0

Pernice Brothers

Yeah another folk cd. While the songs here are far superior to those on Dave Alvin’s, it does suffer a bit if listened in one sitting.

Topic

1 Dave Grohl, since the last time we had this question he got to play with Zeppelin in front 100,000 people

Dave Murray being the quiet guy who wrote a lot of the riffs for Iron Maiden. The idea they went from a punk/metal club band to playing to the masses would be a fun ride.

Corey Taylor. Yes I’d have to deal with the slip knot years, but what he is doing with Stone Sour and as a solo artist lends me to believe he gets it. An artist that knows he’s lucky to be where he is and is going to take advantage while he can.

2 Queen, Iron Maiden

Waters is awesome

2011-09-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

Roger Waters – Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking - 4.5

This has so much of the Final cut in it, and apparently this was supposed to be part of that album. Pink Floyd got most of the better songs for The Final Count but these are no slouches either. With Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen and Andy Newmark it would be hard to make a bad album. The guitar solo in Every Stranger’s Eye (my favorite song on the CD) clearly an almost dead on copy of the song the Rose (I’d like to know if anyone else heard that). I think that Roger Waters was clearly the genius in the Pink Floyd, but David Gilmour was the hit maker. When was the last solo Roger Waters song you heard played on the radio?

Roger Waters – Amused to Death - 5

Perhaps one of the best thought through albums I’ve ever heard. Ever song is a story that just connects back to the beginning, but not one song sounded like another. Waters clearly has a ton of time on his hands and a ton of resentment toward his father, but it helps make a great cd. Bravery of being out of range is a fantastic song as is the chilling Ballad of Billy Hubbard. The only week song that I don’t feel fits in well with the rest of the cd is Watching TV except the part about perfect breasts and my wife is Asian, otherwise it’s just plain weird.. Going back, another interesting theme to Waters music is that he has never had anything good to say about any American president, I can only imagine what the next album will sound like if Obama is still in office.

Presto Ballet – Invisible Places – 2.5

I’m pretty sure that this was a D’Arcy contribution. This sounds like it could have been a Jeff Tate side project, one way or another there is a great deal of Queensryche, Yes, Genesis and Dream Theatre influence. This is not necessarily a bad thing (for me). I just couldn’t listen to this and get excited. I may be outgrowing the whole progressive rock thing, at least do something original if you’re going to do it, and get a cooler name.

The Kills – Blood Pressure - 4

Great bass tracks and lows, I don’t think they ever leave a D note the entire album. A little dreary and depressing, but I love the singer’s sultry voice. I think that the music could have worked with almost any singer, but I like who they’ve picked. Since Concrete Blond broke up and of course the demise of my darling Amy, there aren’t enough strong female vocalists. This is an album that I’m glad I gave a chance to, it got better with each listen.

Joe Pernice - Greatest Hits

Great re-make of Wichita Lineman! Kind of a silly song about nothing but a cool melody. Joe Pernice is obviously talented but his voice just made me want to take a nap. He doesn’t have a really great voice, just a plain one. He had a Michael Penn thing going on a few songs.

Dave Alvin – Eleven Eleven - 3

Dave Alvin’s a pretty laid back dude. Personally I liked these songs, but I think a few of them may have popped if they were a little faster paced. Something like George Thorogood. Two lucky Bums sounded a little too Sesame Street to me, but the majority of the cd was pretty easy to listen to. If I had it a little longer I think it would have grown on me.

1) Not knowing the personal or professional outcome of a current, living, working rock star, musician, composer, producer, or some other music industry professional (again, currently working and “famous”), who would you be? Not who would you be “Freaky Friday-style” (where you’re still you in someone else’s body) but “Heaven Can Wait-style” (when you become that person, no longer yourself).

DaDave Grohl

2) If you could go back in time as you and be in the right place at the right time with the right chops to be in any band, what band would it be? You joining the band won’t change the timeline…they’ll still become the same band with the same catalogue.

BeBeatles

RuRush

Maybe we should have done David Gilmour instead...

2011-09-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Dave Alvin – In constant rotation this month. There’s a lot of death and loss going on throughout the disc, but Alvin’s guitar work tramples all over the darkness of the lyrics. The Lou Reed style vocals take some getting used to, but even on the slower numbers, his voice is incredibly smooth. Highlight is the mini-Blasters reunion on “What’s Up With Your Brother”. Potential year-end list entry. 4 stars

Kills – Sounded a lot like the Jack White thing (I’m too lazy to look it up) from last year that I wasn’t wild about. The better tracks, like the opener, were reminiscent of the Ravonettes. The lesser tracks were in Missing Persons territory. I really liked the ballad and wish they did a few more like that. 2.5 stars

Presto Ballet – Hard to review this one due to my inherent dislike of this genre. The instrumental passages, while too synth/organ heavy for me are ok, but the vocals are brutal. The production and mix are excellent. Not my thing, but the musicians have talent and people who like this style would probably enjoy it. 2 stars

Amused To Death – I find Roger Waters fascinating. To me, the only remotely interesting Pink Floyd comes post-Barrett, when Waters becomes the alpha dog. He’s the living embodiment of the twisted, tortured artist, which is intriguing. Yet, tortured artist or not, there needs to be more than 40 minutes of actual music on an 80 minute concept disc. He covered the themes of “war sucks” and “religion is a sham” in a far more entertaining manner on “The Final Cut”. Bonus ½ star for the Marv Albert cameo. 1.5 stars

Pros and Cons – I’m all for concept albums, but this one is weak in concept and execution. My understanding is that the protagonist (Waters?) is giving us a running narrative of his dream about banging a chick he picks up hitch-hiking. Not a whole lot of “concept” there. I like the title track, and the guitar playing (Clapton, no?) is pretty good throughout. Waters over-emotes constantly, which wears thin, and he steals from his own material, as there were more than a few melodies lifted off “The Wall”. 2 stars

Joe Pernice – This one batted about .500. I liked the more flushed out numbers like “Snow” which sound like a mash-up of the Byrds and the Old 97s. The slower, acoustic numbers tended to drag the disc down, and no amount of hipster doofus irony can change the fact that “Chevy Van” is quite possibly the worst song ever recorded regardless of who is covering it.

Discussion Question

#1) Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne. I want to possess the genius that rhymes “Cracker Barrel” with “Will Ferrell”.

#2) Is this a trick question? How can anyone’s answer NOT be Keith Richards??

Dylan Schmylan

2011-08-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Warren Haynes- 4.0
I came this close to seeing Warren Haynes at one of Levon Helm’s midnight rambles earlier this year. I’m really kicking myself for being such an old fart. My son Sean- who went in my place said it was one of the best blues/southern rock shows he’s ever seen. This is a solid cd that incorporates soul, funk, gospel, blues and R&B into a great collection of tunes, all save one, that were penned by Haynes. The guy is not only a great guitarist but a fine songwriter as well.

Thea Gilmore- 2.0
Now why would you want to listen to this instead of the original masterpiece from the man himself? Ok- pay homage to him by putting one or two of your favorite Dylan songs on one of your albums. But to redo the album in it’s entirety. What are you thinking? I did like her treatment on a couple of songs (I Am A Lonesome Hobo and The Drifter’s Escape) thus the 2 rating.

Yo-Yo Ma- 2.5
Ennio Morricone has composed over a hundred film scores, most notably “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Once Upon a Time in America,” and “The Untouchables.” And Yo-Yo Ma probably has over a hundred cd’s to his credit. Yes they are both incredibly talented as well as prolific. But, I’m sorry. This music is just not my cup of tea. Although, I did like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Mavericks- 4.0
The Mavericks are country kind of the same way Lyle Lovett is country- they don’t really fit that moniker. At least not the “music row”, produced to death, country music we get on the radio. So, there’s a lot of different stuff on this cd. A little Latin in Dance The Night Away. A little Gospel in Save a Prayer. A little melancholy in Fool #1. Jangley 70’s pop in I Don’t Even Know Your Name. A little Roy Orbison in I’ve Got This Feeling. Country? I don’t think so. This is a great pop cd and Raul Malo is a treasure.

Stevie Ray Vaughan- 4.0
There’s no question- the guy was a virtuoso. Only 1 year after the release of the amazing Texas Flood came this gem. With these 2 cd’s SRV gave notice to the world that he was the new blues messiah and he was going to keep playing his heart out. With the energy and virtuosity of these 2 releases could anyone dispute that fact? I think not.

Stiff Records
Way fun. Probably the cd I listened to the most this month. Never heard of some of these guys- good stuff. Wouldn’t have minded some Pogues or maybe a Bongo’s tune. Ah- you can’t please everyone.

Impossible Top 15 from the 70’s:

Moondance- Van Morrison
Benefit- Jethro Tull
Gasoline Alley- Rod Stewart
Rock On- Humble Pie
Europe 72- Grateful Dead
All Day Music- War
Message From The Country- The Move
The Captain And Me- Doobie Brothers
The Wild The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle- Bruce Springsteen
Abandoned Luncheonette- Hall & Oates
Bare Trees- Fleetwood Mac
Led Zeppelin IV- Led Zeppelin
Fireball- Deep Purple
Déjà vu- CSNY
Eat A Peach- Allman Brothers

1970 and stuff...

2011-08-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Thea Gilmore – “John Wesley Harding” = 2 Stars
It has more strengths than weaknesses but still a bit too “adult contemporary” for me to get fully behind it.

Warren Haynes – “Man In Motion” = 2 Stars
Thea Gilmore “review” here. And with not one song clocking in under five minutes, that’s a gift.

The Mavericks – Trampoline = 2 Stars
Over-produced and underwhelming. And that horn section…please stop.

Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Couldn't Stand The Weather” = 5 Stars
Perhaps even better now than it was when it came out. Yes, five stars despite its weak closer.

Yo-Yo Ma – “Plays Ennio Morricone” = 4 Stars
Two great tastes that taste great together.

G’Hits – The Stiff Records Box Set
Great collection.

Topic
15 best records of the ‘70s. Had to go to 15 as the decade was the most prolific in rock history.

The only rule I gave myself is to not repeat any artists.
And I made one last minute changes before posting. Marked *

In no particular order:
The Clash – London Calling
The Who – Who’s Next
John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band
The Cars – The Cars
Iggy Pop – Lust for Life *
Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
The Kinks – Lola vs Powerman…
Yes – Fragile
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Neil Young – Harvest
Elton John – Honky Chateau
Big Star – Radio City
AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Australian Version)
Rush – 2112
Joe Jackson – Look Sharp!

Was:
* Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power

Stiffed on the stiff

2011-08-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Mg 11-07-26

Mavericks

This was the last hurrah for The Mavericks. There was one more cd after this but the guitarist had been replaced and solo projects had started to take a foothold into camp. This is also the Mavericks at their best. Sure they are a country band, but they add a dose of Latin flavor, mix in some beatlesque sensibilities, a great horn section and then put in a bit of the over the top Tom Jones pop sensibility. Together they form a great pop cd. Seeing them live was a testament to their chops. Musicians more worried about the sound rather feeling the need to show off. Even though the parts make a strong whole the true star is Raul Malo’s voice. Never before or since have I been at a concert and nobody moved during a slow song, but that is what happened when he sung Dream River. Not a week song in the bunch but standouts like Dance the Night Away and I’ve Got This Feeling should have made them huge, not wishing they had left us more. 4.0

Stevie Ray Vaughan

A classic. Vaughan and his band probably at his best. Still remember him playing most of this in a thunderstorm not wanting to move because he is just that good. Throughout the cd time and time again he is able to show those classic hooks as well as the pyrotechnics that he was able to deliver through his guitar. But in doing so he did it with different tempos and style changes allowing the songs to stand out individually and not just be a showcase for his next solo. 4.0

Thea Gilmore

Once again proving that the worst parts of Dylan’s songs are his voice. Give them to a talented singer and they are allowed to grow. That being said this cd is just alright. While the song selection is good there is sameness throughout. Only Drifters Escape manages to escape the rest. Maybe it’s because of the electric guitar, maybe it’s because it’s upbeat, either way this cd could have used a few more songs like it. 2.0 (Ps did not know that this was a total remake of a Dylan album, but then why would I)

Warren Hayes

A talented guitarist as he has proven where ever he lands. As a singer his voice is adequate for what is required. But please change the tempo every once in a while. What we get is ten standard blues songs that seem to be written around a solo, that all share the same mid range tempo. No wait that’s wrong, there are a few that are slower. Mr. Hayes should take a listen to Couldn’t Stand the Weather for clues on how a song should build though itself and throughout the album. 2.0

Yo Yo Ma

Tough cd to critic. After all Yo Yo Ma is a brilliant cellist. His interpretation on all types of music has enabled him to standout even though he is a classical musician. Here he chooses soundtrack music. As a rule soundtrack music is there to support the film and be a part of the background. And that’s what we get. Yes the playing is unbelievable but as the cd plays on it just seems to fade in the background. 2.0

I got stiffed on the stiff

The 70’s

I found it interesting as I discovered music as I entered High School, so did most of my choices seem to come from that period.

70’s Top 15

1. Strangers In The Night, Ufo

2. Black Rose, Thin Lizzy

3. Night at the Opera, Queen

4. Destroyer, Kiss

5. Get Your Wings, Aerosmith

6. Who’s Next, The Who

7. Rock N Roll Animal, Lou Reed

8. Unleashed In The East, Judas Priest

9. Ramones, Ramones

10. London Calling, The Clash

11. Highway To Hell, AC/DC

12. Low Budget, The Kinks

13. Animals, Pink Floyd

14. Van Halen

15. Sticky Fingers, Rolling Stones

Cooperstown Interuptus Meeting Reviews

2011-07-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

July 2011

Stevie Ray Vaughan- Couldn't Stand the Weather

Stevie is a guitar viruoso with a distinct sound and style who can be identified immediately and who has been mimicked endlessly. CSTW showcases his versatility with nods to serious blues, boogie woogie, hillbilly, jazz and over the top godlike wailing. Arguably this is his best album and without a doubt and example of Mongilloing in its purest form. (5.0)

Yo Yo Ma- Plays Ennio Morricone

Being well versed in the ways of cello I can with a clear mind say that Yo Yo is cello shredder. But of course shredding the cello isn't the same as shredding a Gibson or Fender Strat. While there is nothing remotely wrong with any part of this recording it put me to sleep. But as noted before saying YO YO Ma is extremely entertaining. (2.5)

Warren Hayes- Man in Motion

White man soul, which basically means no soul. A Michael Bolton who can play a pretty good guitar. (2.0)

Thea Gilmore-John Wesley Harding

As a Dylan fanatic I went into this with a sour countenance. Why cover an album in its entirety? Why Dylan? And c'mon, a chick? With much chagrin I found myself rooting for Thea midway through wanting the next song to be as good as its predecessor. She breathed new life into each song, not just covering them but recreating them. Each song was retooled. A rocked up "Wicked Messenger" and "Drifter's Edge" the hillbilly-ed "Down on the Cover" the lamented "Dear Landlord". The only song I didn't connect with was the closer, "I'll be Your Baby Tonight". Pleasantly surprised (4.)

Mavericks-Trampoline

A blend of Beatles, Orbison and Vegas. Malo has a great voice, the band is awesome and songs well written. Slight problem is that it is too good. Too perfect. This was a favorite disc of mine when it came out but it doesn't hold me like it did, but that is not to say it isn't a well done recording. Just sounds more like blue hair country pop now. (3)

Stiff Records

Interesting mix with some established acts and some oddball acts. Some song definite classics, some good and some downright bleeech. Kept half, quickly deleted the bleeech.

Topic

In the spirit, I put down my most listened to albums of the 70s. There are better albums not listed.

Kiss- Alive

George Harrison- All Things Must Pass

Led Zeppelin- Houses of the Holy

Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here

Dylan- Hurricane

Dylan- Blood on the Tracks

Beatles- Let it Be

Stones- Exile on Main Street

Stones- Sticky Fingers

Who- who's Next

Aerosmith - Rocks

Wings- Over America

Ian Hunter- You're Never Alone with a Schitzophrenic

J Geils- Blow Your Face Out

Zappa - Hot Rats

Chicago- IV

No Ken, No Jay, and Sucking In the '70's

2011-07-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yo Yo Ma plays Ennio Morricone – Roma Sinfonietta

It really doesn’t matter that the cellist is Yo Yo Ma…what matters here is the brilliance of Ennio Morricone, both as a composer and arranger. He is one of a select few whose film scores are as powerful without the visual as when you are watching the movie. Even if you don’t know the music is from a movie, or the title of the track, you know the inspiration for “Death’s Theme” and “Journey” is someone dying. The other star here is the Roma Sinfonietta…it’s very hard to beat beautiful melodies, like “The Dinner”, “The Nocturne”, “Deborah’s Theme” and others in full symphony orchestra with all the texture that offers, and when you combine it with the emotionally stirring compositions of Morricone, it’s a 5.

Warren Haynes – Man in Motion

Soulful. And absolutely heartfelt in tracks like “Save Me” and “Your Wildest Dreams”, where for me it’s almost like listening Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. It’s no surprise that the lead work is inventive, fun and technically outstanding. What is a surprise is the depth of vocal emotion in this solo album from a singer/guitarist who isn’t really known for his vocals. This is great Sunday morning listening…4.

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Couldn’t Stand the Weather

It’s funny…this would have gotten at least a half point more had I not listened to Warren Haynes first. I’m very familiar with this album and listening in comparison to soulful blues with great guitar work forces the realization that SRV is like the EVH of blues…way too many notes that, while technically amazing, don’t add up one of B.B. King’s string bends. And the vocals are “weak sauce” compared to other straight ahead blues singers. It’s only a 3 instead of a 2 ½ because of how he died.

Thea Gilmore – John Wesley Harding

It’s very difficult to cover Dylan and bring something exciting to it. It’s even more difficult if you’re a girl. Even Joan Baez couldn’t get it done. I think Thea Gilmore nails it on this CD. The tracks are reimagined (not like Brian Wilson reimagined Gershwin, either) and well played, each fresh in its own way without either paying too much homage or be too far a field from what Dylan gave us with this album. And while it’s not exactly Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” or Joe Cocker’s “Dear Landlord”, she was smart enough to keep her version of Watchtower short and sweet. All in all, it’s a solid effort, and her voice is pretty good, too. 3 ½

The Mavericks – Trampoline

Throw Freddie Fender, Miami Sound Machine and a lot of pop influences in a blender, and this is probably what comes out. Trampoline is aptly named, as I would bounce up
and down during listening to click ahead since after the first 2:00 of many of these songs, as they don’t change much dynamically out of the box. I did enjoy songs like “Tell Me Why” much more than “Melbourne Mambo” or “Delores”, which were pretty far away from the pop/country leanings of the early tracks on the CD. 2 ½.

GH – Stiff Records

Back in the day, they had a slogan, “If it ain’t stiff, it ain’t worth a fuck. Well, these are all worth a fuck…Jay did a great job cherry picking from the stiff box set…it was especially fun hearing “Police Car” and “I Belong to the Blank Generation” again.

Topic – Top 15 Albums of the 1970s…here we go…chronologically.

1. Derek and the Dominoes – Lalya. The best album of anguish over a woman ever.

2. Sticky Fingers – Rolling Stones.

3. B.B. King – Live in Cook County Jail

4. Led Zeppelin IV

5. The Who – Who’s Next

6. John Lennon – Imagine

7. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

8. The Allman Brothers – Brothers and Sisters

9. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill

10. Queen - A Night at the Opera

11. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks

12. Ramones - Ramones

13. Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen.

14. Neil Young – Rust Never Sleeps

15. The Clash – The Clash

There’s a whole second tier of 15-30 from many of the same artists…Hunky Dory could easily replace Rise and Fall…, Harvest and Tonight's the Night are neck and neck with RNS…Wild and Innocent could replace Darkness…3 or 4 Dylan albums could be here…Pretzel Logic….Eat a Peach…Who Are You…you get the idea.

Heat induced ramblings for July

2011-07-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

Thea Gilmore – “JWH” is one of my top 4-5 Dylan discs, and the idea of a track-by-track cover, by a female artist no less, made me cringe. Surprisingly, it works. Gilmore pulls off the nifty trick of re-arranging each track so it stands on its own merits, yet is faithful to the original. Ironically, this is a trick Dylan hasn’t been able to pull off when re-tooling his own songs. A sturdy, rootsy band delivers great backing, and Gilmore’s vocals are first rate. 4 stars

Warren Haynes – No questioning his guitar chops; he can play and the best tracks on this sound like they were lifted right out of the Allman Brothers playbook. Where the disc falls short is in variety. Just too many mid-tempo songs with the omnipresent big choruses that lead up to the lengthy guitar solo. Songs sounded a lot better in a shuffle than in one sitting. 2.5 stars

Mavericks – Glad this was submitted, I’ve wanted to check these guys out for a while. Liked most of it, vocals are fantastic and the band is tight. Where they lose me is when they stray from the path of the traditional Tex-Mex sound, notably the faux-jazz number and the gospel rave-up. I appreciate them stretching themselves, but it didn’t work for me. That said, two thirds of the disc are rock solid. 3.5 stars

Stevie Ray Vaughn – Yes, it’s blatant Mongillo-ing, but this is good stuff. It was a slight step backwards from “Texas Flood”, but the band’s playing is simply brilliant. How great do you have to be to take on a Hendrix standard and out-do him? I had forgotten how awesome the first two SRV albums were; thanks for the reminder. 4.5 stars

Yo-Yo Ma – We have ignored classical music to date, so the “wild card” seemed like a chance to broche the subject. I liked it, but found myself tuning it out about halfway through. The playing is lovely and the disc makes for good background music. I’m no expert on the style, but it makes a pleasant enough change of pace, and tell me it isn’t fun to say “Yo-Yo Ma.” 3 stars

Stiff - Brought back many fond memories of my teenage years, as the heavy, heavy, Monsta sounds of Stiff Records were such a vital part of my musical education. To me, the 3-minute single is still at the very heart of rock and roll music, and Costello, Lowe, Madness, etc were masters of the form. The best g-hits we’ve had in eons, IMHO.

Discussion Question

A brutal cut-down, as there was so much great stuff in that era. For purposes of discussion, "best record" = my favorite, not most important or groundbreaking...

15. Joe Jackson - Look Sharp
14. Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True
13. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
12. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
11. Nick Lowe - Pure Pop For Now People
10. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
9. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
8. Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps
7. Rolling Stones - Some Girls
6. Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
5. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
4. The Ramones - The Ramones
3. The Who - Quadrophenia
2. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
1. The Clash - London Calling

Cool Month

2011-07-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

Yo Yo Ma- Plays Ennio Morricone – 5

Brilliant!!!

The only downside of this cd is that you couldn’t actually see Yo Yo Ma play.

Thea Gilmore- John Wesley Harding - 2.5

A very relaxing album. A little too Indigo Girls for me, but it grew on me. If there was one song I didn’t guess that I’d hear on the cd it was All Along the Watchtower, but she did a good version. Judas Priest is an interesting song too, but ultimately most of her songs just ran into one another and they grew boring.

Warren Haynes- Man in Motion - 2

It’s good to know that there’s always a job for a Hammond Organist as long as Warren Hayes is alive. The songs flowed right along, but they just get lost with a bunch of lame lyrics that are destined to be reused on a future Kid Rock CD. He basically rewrote Bad Company’s Shooting Star with Hattiesburg Hustle. He definitely won the award for the most sax and organ on one cd. It’s too bad because the piano and sax alone were great, but the cd sounded like it was recorded in a tin can and everything goes to shit when on top of that you then overwhelm every song with an organ. Oh well, he’s still Warren Haynes and I’m still Greg Lawless.

Mavericks- Trampoline

I had to look these guys up. I was pretty sure that they copied Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Chris Isaac and not the other way around, but they do it so well that I continued to listen. Apparently the Mavericks are huge in Canada, but only Gold in the states. The styles changed so many times I had to check to be sure I was listening to the same cd.

Stevie Ray Vaughan- Couldn't Stand the Weather – 4

It’s a damn shame that he had to die. With the exception of Stang’s Swang, which sounded like a big off time mess, every other song was near perfect. Voodoo Chile is the best Hendrix re-do that there is.

Ghits -Stiff Records

Wow, I did get stiff listening to these songs.

15 Best 70’s albums There were way too many great albums in the 70’s to pick 15, so I chose my favorites feeling no pressure to conform. So there!

Led Zeppelin - III

Van Halen - Van Halen

Pink Floyd - Meddle

Pink Floyd - The Wall

The Who -Who's Next

Boston – Boston

Springsteen – Born to Run

Journey – Infinity

Kiss – Destroyer

Rush – 2112

Tom Waits – Closing Time

Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water

Genesis – Selling England By The Pound

Pink Floyd - Animals

Just under the wire and givin' it "The Full Mongillo"

2011-07-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

10cc- 4.0
Love this band, love this cd. Good Morning Judge is one of my favorite nitrous oxide songs!

The Notes and Scratches- 3.0
This is what I love about indie music- put your stuff out there. Nice lo-fi alt/indie sound. While there’s nothing really disagreeable here there’s nothing really outstanding either. The credits list some pretty eclectic instruments that I’ve never even heard of! Worth repeated listening.

Black Angels- 3.5
Austin, TX is the coolest city in the country. This is a nice set of songs with a psychedelic sound that takes me back to my hippie-dippy days. I like it!

Bad Brains- 3.0
Interesting band. Never heard of them. Rastafarian punk rock. I think they came up with their own genre. First listen- not so much. But on return listens I found more songs I liked than didn’t. Liked the Reggae tunes better.

Okkervil River- 4.0
I’m telling you. Austin, TX is the coolest city in America. And OR just don’t know how to make a bad record. This is good, solid, lyrically and musically, feisty stuff.

Hoodo Gurus
I don’t have any of their music- not sure why. But now I do and I’m going for more. Really good stuff. Thanks D’Arcy

90’s- Then and now- it’s the same. I take that back. MSP-Holy Bible would now be on my list (the D’Arcy factor) and The Counting Crows (now annoying) would be out.
Weezer- Blue album
Green Day- Dookie
Beck- Odelay
Manic Street Preachers- Holy Bible
Sublime- Sublime
Wilco- Summerteeth
Sloan- One Chord To Another
Modest Mouse- Lonesome Crowded West
Van Morrison- Back On Top
The Jayhawks- Hollywood Town Hall (Desert Island)

90's who can remember?

2011-07-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

10cc

The Things We Do for Love is an AM radio classic. Good Morning Judge should have been just as big. 10cc should have been better that known for making videos, the 2 songs mentioned above and I’m not in Love. This album shows why. Contained here are 12 really good pop songs. Yes most are on the lite side but none are filler. Interesting story about why they chose their name too. 3.0

Bad Brains

As someone who loves heavy music I have never understood why Bad Brains are always listed as one of those heavily influential and under the radar bands. Once again I give them the chance and I am left with the same feeling of its okay. The reggae songs are sort of cool, but the punk/metal stuff just doesn’t work for me. 2.0

The Black Angels

Dark atmospheric and memorable. The Black Angels are not a sunny day and a smile band, just the opposite. Sludgy may be the best description for the sound, but it’s played clean and with just enough crispness to let the music ring out. Garage yes, velvet influenced of course, but those are great things. Great ep. So good revisited their past stuff. 3.5

Notes and Scratches

Great opening tune brings to mine Mark Lanegan singing upbeat for once. Band has an interesting sound to it. Has an early two cow meets okerville vibe at times. There is the Mark Lanegan thing. Finally there is more than a snake cross thing going on especially at the end of the disc. What a wonderful choice of ingredients. 3.0

Okkervil River

At first listen was extremely disappointed with this disc. Uh oh these guys have discovered The Cure, and their depressing period at that. Maybe we were too spoiled by Black Sheep Boy and its shadow would taint the rest of these guys catalog. But I put it away and came back to it and found myself of changed thoughts. Yes the Cure has snuck in, but not to the point of disrupting their groove. The key to these guys is not to pay too much attention of what is up front, but it’s the wonderful things going on around the main melody and how it works into the song as a whole. Just listen to The Rider and you’ll get the idea. This is a cd that needs multiple listening to experience all it contains and surprises as you do it. 3.0

Hoodoo Gurus

Arguably the second best band to come out of Australia. They are Midnight Oil who lived in garage by the ocean, and preferred a sense of humor over politics. Just a great guitar based band that for 17 years have put out strong cds. In fact if I had known they had a cd out last year it would have made my top ten as it’s that good. As good as they are on record, they are even better live where as a four piece they just put incredible sound. An unsung pop gem of a band.

Top 10

1 Earth vs. Wildhearts, The Wildhearts

2 Everything Must Go, Manic Street Preachers

3 Puzzle, Dada

4 Vinyl, Dramarama

5 Girlfriend, Mathew Sweet

6 Goodbye Jumbo, World Party

7 Saigon Kick, Saigon Kick

8 Moseley Shoals, Ocean Colour Scene

9 Songs For The Rain, Hothouse Flowers

10 Trampoline, The Mavericks

Ones that would have probably fallen off:

· Buffalo Tom, Let me come over, Big Red letter days

· Cracker

· Jane’s Addiction Ritual de la habitual

No Snappy Titile This Month

2011-07-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

10 CC – Deceptive Bends

This is one of those “bands in transition” albums as Godley and Crème, two of the founding members left the band before this album so this is really Stewart and Gouldman…I remember at the time critics were calling it 5 CC…either way, for me, it was pleasant pop with some humorous lyrics and a “hit single”, not too far a field from the previous 10 CC stuff at that time. Their cleverness catches up with them sometimes, as you tend to overlook how much quality musicianship – great lead guitar on some of these songs – there is here. I’m also a sucker for melody and harmony, so I enjoyed that aspect as well. They do go overboard with that Beatlesque 11 minute “epic”, but all in all it’s an enjoyable listen that brings a smile to my face. 3

Okkervil River - I Am Very Far (2011)

My only other experience with listening to this band has been in “concept album” form, so it’s nice to hear an album of their songs, unrelated to each other, each sounding different, and to my ear, more intense musically than previous CD’s of theirs. For me, it’s also kind of an “up-down-up” with the songs at the beginning and end more interesting than those in the middle (like White Shadow Waltz and Show Yourself), but there was more good than bad, and I’ll move some of these to my I-Tunes library. 3 ½

Bad Brains – Rock For Light (1983)

This is a band I missed the first time around, probably because by 1980 or so I was more interested in New Wave than punk and reggae. Listening to them now vs. when they were groundbreaking takes some of the vitality out of it, but I was pleasantly surprised at how they moved between speed metal and reggae so easily. The singing is a little screamy for me, and as I was listening I had to think that if they were THAT good, I would have been heard about them "back in the day." 2 1/2.

Notes and Scratches – Uh Oh (2005)

Had not heard of these guys before, learned a bit from their website, but sadly, I mostly learned that they’re not making any new music, since this was my pick of the month. It actually dovetails nicely with the new Okkervil River CD…I enjoyed their sound, vocals, dynamics, mix of a zillion different instruments and I can see where parts of this, if not all of it will get repeated listens from me...Thanks, Ken! 4

Hoodoo Gurus GH - Loved it. Thanks, D'Arcy.

Topic - I'm supposed to remember what I liked in the '90's? I can barely remember what day it is. All I know is that I listened to a lot of Matthew Sweet and I still do, so not much has changed, I guess.

Better Late Than Never...

2011-07-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

Okkervil River – “I Am Very Far” is very far indeed. Very far from the high bar set on “Black Sheep Boy” and “Stage Names”. Very far from the great hooks of those records and very far from making a connection with this listener. I hate the drum sound, and the lack of pop song structure makes Sheff’s vocals come off as whiny and annoying. “We Need a Myth” is the lone standout. I apologize for submitting it, but I suspect 2 of you are drinking the Kool-Aid. 2 stars

10CC – “Things We Do For Love” is a classic. The rest of it, not so much. The clever humor on “Things” isn’t found on the other tracks; despite the way the band tries to force it in there. The poppy stuff like “People in Love” is just nondescript, and when they try to put a little edge on songs, it’s unconvincing. 2 stars

Bad Brains – Neil’s been singing their praises since I’ve known him, but I didn’t get it. The 8/4 tempo in every freaking song just exhausted me 4 tracks in, and the vocals were brutal. The last 10 tracks might have been genius, but I’ll never know. .5 stars

Notes and Scratches – A wild card indeed, this one needed multiple listenings. Parts sound like Tom Waits fronting Titus Andronicus. There’s a touch of Arcade Fire pomposity on some of the cuts as well. I couldn’t get into all of it, but about half of the songs really stayed with me, notably “The Hours” and “Via Satellite”. 3 stars

Hoodoo Gurus – A really good collection from a band I had long ago forgotten about. The post-“Blow Your Cool” stuff isn’t quite as good as the earlier stuff, but these guys certainly have the power pop formula down. Should have been bigger here than they were.

Discussion Question

10. Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend

9. U2 - Achtung Baby

8. Steve Earle - I Feel Alright

7. REM - Automatic For the People

6. Counting Crows - August & Everything After

5. Johnny Cash - American Recordings

4. Neil Young - Ragged Glory

3. Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind

2. Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

1. Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne

Note: If I could cherrypick the best tracks from GNR Use Your Illusion 1 & 2, that would be in the mix.

Cant go back and make a list as to what my top ten would have been back then, but I suspect Ten, Exile in Guyville & Ghost of Tom Joad would have been in there. My #1 disc was something I didnt discover until the 2000's, so it wouldnt have been on my list at all.

Reviews with the Enormous Title

2011-06-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

June 2011

Music Club

Notes and Scratches- Uh-Oh

Uh-Oh is difficult to categorize. Its needle to the red bang your instrument as hard as possible, its folk, its Americana, its rock, its arbitrary percussion in odd places, its spaghetti western trumpets, its Wilco-Okkervil River highs and lows with most of the songs sad and depressing. Some of Uh-Oh is quite interesting and some dull. The vocalist's growled whisper grabs your attention but after awhile loses it and it is probably the weakest piece of this recording. There is pure emotion in the performances but I'm not sure if it enough. There is a killer album in there, somewhere but not in this issue.. 3.0

Black Angels- Phosgene Nightmare

Low key drugged up psychedelia that sounds like its name. Not as strong as Phosgene Dream but still mesmerizing. the Rain Dance Song stays with me all day... 3.0

Okkervil River- I am Very Far

I do like the fact that they veered a little with their sound opting for Spector like production and songs that could have been sung by Lucinda Williams or John Hiatt. Wil, I think is stuck in a melody rut, especially on the ballads. You can almost predict where he is going to go with a song and his use of horns is the same every time he uses them. Some run too long like "The Rise" which IS interesting but drags on forever. The creativity lies in the upbeat, full sound songs. I am still waiting for greatness from them but I feel they are slowly burning out with every release since Black Sheep Boy being a little less intriguing than it precursor. 3.0 barely

10 CC- Deceptive Dreams

White man blues/funk/soul that tries to be The White Album Beatles but misses. These guys can play and they know how create an arrangement but the final product is dated and recalls WTIC AM radio when Bob Steele felt like getting down. The lyrics are silly and production is too well done. Too bad because these guys probably had a better, edgier album in them... 1.5

Bad Brains- Rock for Light

Its one song repeatedly thrashed over and over with a couple of lame pseudo Jamaican dubs... 0

Hoodoo Gurus

Straight 80s guitar driven alt-pop-rock. Nothing fancy but all pretty good. Their earliest material is their weakest but the rest is pure power pop goodness.

Topic

	THEN
1	Ragged Glory	Neil Young
2	Cracker	Cracker
3	100% Fun	Matthew Sweet
4	Time Out of Mind	Bob Dylan
5	It's Shame About Ray	Lemonheads
6	Goo	Sonic Youth
7	Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell	Social distortion
8	Walk On	John Hiatt
9	Red Letter Day	Buffalo Tom
10	In Utero	Nirvana


	NOW
1	Ragged Glory	Neil Young
2	Cracker	Cracker
3	100% Fun	Matthew Sweet
4	The Days of Our Nights	Luna
5	69 Love Songs	Magnetic Fields
6	Time Out of Mind	Bob Dylan
7	Possum Dixon	Possum Dixon
8	Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell	Social distortion
9	It's Shame About Ray	Lemonheads
10	Goo	Sonic Youth

Yes, it's come to just numbers ... That's right.

2011-06-25T12:19:00.001-07:00

The Mong / Music Group Commentary / June 2011

10cc – “Deceptive Bends” = 3

Bad Brains – “Rock for Light” = 2

The Black Angels – “Phosgene Nightmare” = 4

Notes and Scratches = 2

Okervil River – “I Am Very Far” = 4

G’Hits
Hoodoo Gurus
Nice. 3.5 if we rated these officially.

TOPIC
With a decade of reflection and perhaps now accounting for your changes/evolutions in taste, what is your current top-ten of the ‘90s? How different is this than what it would have been then? So basically make your then list and now list.

THEN
1. Pavement – “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” (1993)
2. Matthew Sweet – “Girlfriend” (1991)
3. Nirvana – “In Utero” (1993)
4. Guided by Voices – “Bee Thousand” (1994)*
5. Beastie Boys – “Check Your Head” (1992)*
6. Sonic Youth – “Dirty” (1992)*
7. The Swirlies – “Blonder Tongue Audio Baton” (1993)
8. Jawbox – “Self-titled” (1996)
9. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “Orange” (1994)
10. Wheat – “Self-titled” (1998)

NOW
1. Guided by Voices – “Bee Thousand” (1994)*
2. Nirvana – “Nevermind” (1991)
3. Beastie Boys – “Check Your Head” (1992)*
4. Matthew Sweet – “Altered Beast” (1993)
5. Sonic Youth – “Dirty” (1992)*
6. G. Love & Special Sauce – “Self-titled” (1994)
7. Helmet – “Meantime” (1992)
8. Pixies – “Trompe Le Monde” (1991)
9. Spoon – “A Series of Sneaks” (1998)
10. Queens Of The Stone Age – “Self-titled” (1998)

* On Both Lists (=3)

Lame month reviews

2011-06-22T04:51:00.001-07:00

Hoodoo Gurus Greatest Hits
Lou Reed only better

Okervil River – I am Very Far 3.5
I don’t know why I like these guys because they sound just like Notes and Scratches. You guys talk about these guys a lot. I now understand the interest a little better. Very cool album art.

Bad Brains – Rock for Light 2.5
I have to admit that I bought and this cd sight unheard. I was reading an article on a flight about Dave Grohl and he listed this as one of his top 10 of his most influential albums. Considering that these guys have been around since 1980 and were still recording as of 2007 they must be doing something right. The dude singing is a lot like a Rasta Mike Patton, too much energy for his own good. They are nothing if not original. Listening to them at 6:00 AM was a bit of a challenge. I could have done without the occasional awkward girl screams, but otherwise these guys grew on me. They probably could have gotten by with 6 – 8 songs as opposed to 20.

Notes and Scratches – 2.5
Gritty and raw. Good ballads and melodies, a little Connor Oberst, Pink Floyd and Dire Straits. Few bands can make the transition that is required over musical trends, U2, AC/DC, I think these guys have the potential, or at least I hope they have it to continue because they are good. The singer probably wouldn’t have made it very far on American Idol, but fortunately not everyone uses Idol as a talent gauge. I mean dude, if you struggle that bad to get a note out you might want to reconsider your profession and see a doctor.

10cc – Deceptive Bends – 3.5
There’s something about that “70’s sound” that I really love. Even the stupid lyrics and the corny disco sounding guitar is acceptable for some reason. Godley and Crème were just hit making machines back in the day. Really easy cd to listen to. Pick of the month.

The Black Angels – Phosgene Nightmare 2 – 3
Only one listen but this might be the second cd that Mike submitted that I actually like. I think he’s finally coming around.

With a decade of reflection and perhaps now accounting for your changes/evolutions in taste, what is your current top-ten of the ‘90s? How different is this than what it would have been then? So basically make your then list and now list.

Alice in Chains – higher on the list then in the 90’s
Sound Garden – Higher
Pearl Jam – Lower

2011-06-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Francis Dunnery – Someone gave me a copy of Fearless back in the mid 90’s and I was completely underwhelmed by the experience. So I carefully avoided any people who claimed he was some sort of pop wunderkind. Probably a wise choice, because every time I happened by some of his music in was similarly underwhelmed. But, to be fair, this isn’t an entirely unpleasant listen. As a matter of fact it’s probably just a little too pleasant. He seems to have a gift for writing pretty good pop tunes, but where’s the beef? Fist song is great, but the rest of this deserves a more raved up treatment. When it softens up too much it sounds like freakin’ Simon and Garfunkle, but not in the good way. 2.5

Ray Davies – Two ways to look at this of course. Way one – What’s the fuckin’purpose of this exercise? Why re-record, with little or no change in the arrangements, these already mostly perfect songs just to allow fuckin Bruce Springsteen (or worse, Billy fuckin’ Corgan) to sing a few lines. Again, WHY!? Then there’s Way Two to look at this. Hey, the songs are not just good, they are great, Ray still sounds pretty good and what’s the harm in letting his friends like Bruce Springsteen (and even Billy Corgan) belt out a few lines. Hey, I’d probably want to puke if Iggy did something like this (oh, that’s right, he wouldn’t), but I don’t find this overly offensive and well written songs are well written songs. If it offends you sensibilities, get over it. Way two slightly out pointing way one, so it’s a 3.0

Lia Ices - This was the first CD I put on when I left the bar last month, figuring that I’d get something….well….other that what I got. Took it out after a few minutes and waited for the moment to arrive when I felt like listening to something like this and it never came. Can’t give it a grade based on that, but that time may come and then we’ll give it a whirl then. Not optimistic, though.

Mumford & Sons - As I recall, their appearance at the Grammy’s was the most interesting thing that night, but that’s not saying much, so I don’t know whether my expectations were too high or not. Didn’t really blow me away at first listen, but it did get better. The sparser songs were the clear winners, but it’s only a 3

Sex Pistols - While I know we’re supposed to avoid submitting acknowledged classics, you just never know what people will think in an “acknowledged classic.” I thought Let it Bleed was a lay up and some people didn’t even give it a 4. And let’s not even mention Daydream Nation. So here we have one of the most polarizing records ever released. I bought the God Save the Queen single at Gerbers Music in Dewitt, NY in the summer of 1977. I had spent the latter part of my sophomore year in college being schooled in the ways of some new type of music by a guy from Toledo, Ohio with the decidedly musical name of Mike Bloomfield. I had heard the Ramones, Blondie and Television, but was not prepared for what was about to happen. I got home that summer afternoon and put this on the stereo in our basement and turned up the volume and……..well, I couldn’t fuckin’ believe it. It exploded out of the speakers with the kind of rage and power that forever changed the way I listen to music. It sounds corny to say it changed my life, but it did. I must have listened to it half a dozen times in a row, each time louder and more powerful than the last. I remember feeling almost helpless with an excitement I couldn’t share with anyone else. My best friend was still anchored in our old southern rock way of life and I knew he simply would not understand. So it was just me, listening to it over and over. I bought the full length record as soon as the import became available and it proved that God Save the Queen was no fluke. One power packed anthem after another blasted out of the speakers. I’ve probably listened to this record more than any other I own and it never gets old, although I do have two complaints about this version. The transfer from vinyl to digital took some of the power away. You REALLY have to turn this up to get the full effect. And, quite frankly, the single version of God Save is hotter and more powerful than the album version. And then there’s the inexplicable inclusion of the song Submission on the, the American release. It just doesn’t belong. 5!

P-Funk - Rules their genre because they understand that guitars don’t need a wah wah pedal on EVERY song. Funky indeed!

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

How I choose. Have to have done one of the following things. Sold a lot of concert tickets. Sold a lot of records. Or been a major influence on a genre or movement. Oh, and it would help to actually be a rock band.

Warren Zevon - Great artist, but not quite

Lou Reed - The question is whether he gets individual credit for the Velvet stuff. If he does, he’s in, but if not he’s simply Warren Zevon with a bad attitude.

Gram Parsons - The argument is one of historical relevance and how influential he might have been. Without him, there are a lot of bands that might not have found there way into what they do. It could be argued that without his influence, the entire country rock scene of the late 70s doesn’t take shape the same way or maybe at all. Same with the alt-country movement of the 90s. That’s why he’s in.

War - No

Nirvana - Have to be in. Changed a generation.

Zevon - Great artist, but not quite

Judas Priest - One of the best and most influential bands of a powerful genre. In.

Rush - Surprised they are not in already, and although I have no use for them, they should be in. They sell tickets and records and have done so for a long time.

GVB - My heart says yes, my head says no. Pollard is a brilliant, but minor artist, who did not really influence any great movement. And he didn’t sell many records or concert tickets. So as brilliant and critically acclaimed as he is, he fails all three tests.

Lia Ices Naked!

2011-06-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Mong / Music Group Commentary / May 2011

Ray Davies – “See My Friends” = 0.5 Stars
So very, very, very, very, very unnecessary. The former genius has sunk to new lows here.

Francis Dunnery – “Tall Blonde Helicopter” = 3 Stars
A strong singer/songwriter outing that has the feel and flow of a “best of,” making it more impressive.

Lia Ices – “Grown Unknown” = 3 Stars
What a voice! And here ability also equals talent. Plus she's hot. Good stuff.

Mumford & Sons – “Sign No More” = 3.5 Stars
As strong as it is, I’ll probably never listen to it again. Easily the best new release in awhile but something is keeping me from getting passionate about it.

Sex Pistols – “Never Mind the Bollocks” = 5 Stars
For its enduring cultural relevance and the fact that it’s probably better listening now that it was then, this is such “5” that it’s silly.

G’Hits – Funkadelic
Funky! Duh.

Topic votes, etc.:

Warren Zevon - No - Great but not enough "important" material to qualify.

Lou Reed - No - I hate him but he is undeniably relevant...with Velvet Underground...not as a solo artist. Same goes for Paul McCartney (with the Beatles but not as a solo artist).

Judas Priest - Yes - One of the all time defining Metal bands.

War - No - See Warren Zevon.

Graham Parsons - No - Just doesn't seem worthy to me.

Nirvana - Yes - Love them or hate them, with a single album, they redefined the music industry for a decade and beyond.

Rush - Yes - To quote (South Park's) Matt Stone: "Even if you hated Rush in the 80s and 70s, now you gotta give it up for them...or else you're just being an old dickhead." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVFgqfJg7FE)

- Guided by Voices - Yes - You can deny Robert Pollard's relevance so I'll present some heavyweight quotes for you "critics" to consider by the real critics whose relevance you've all defended so hard: "Music seems to come pouring out of some people: Mozart, the young Rossini, Paul McCartney, Price and now Robert Pollard." - Jon Pareles/New York Times / "As with Big Star...a tour de force by a good old-fashioned American basement genius." - Michael Azerrad/Rolling Stone / "Songs so undeniably strong that most bands would pump them up into epic show-stoppers are tossed off as if they were stoned doodles." - John Mulvey/NME / "Songwriters who are lucky enough to come up with 10 great melodies in their lifetime must hate Pollard who...does effortlessly what the rest of his brethren pursue to the point of frustration." Michael Corcoran/Rolling Stone / "Beatles via-Alpha Centuri confections. Pure pop!" - Dave Sprague/Interview ... ... That should do it, I guess.

How can a cd get a positive review when you know you'll never listen to it again.

2011-05-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Ray Davies

Crap. You’d think with Ray Davies involved you’d get inspired versions of his songs similar to that of efforts by Van Halen, Dar Williams or the Jam. Instead you get mailed in versions that are nowhere equal to the originals that sound as if Ray mailed it in. What do we learn from this? Keep Jersey the fuck away from London and file the cd under in it for the money. .5 Because I can’t give Ray Davies a 0

Mumford and Sons

Every few years there is a call out for the new folk revival. What you get is a few bands trumpeted as the next great thing but soon become aware of the sameness of it all. This time Mumford is heading the pack as the most successful. The cd starts off well, and the cave and little lion man are outstanding tracks. But as the cd continues there is that creeping sameness throughout. Luckily they are not locked into endless ballads like their fellow folk brethren Avett brothers but instead we get a lot of mid tempo nowhereness. 2.0

Lia Ices

This is an amazingly produced cd. She has quite the distinctive voice. Otherwise see Mumford review without three good songs. 1.5

Frances Dunnery

Figured this was Sandi’s as there is a Del Amitri vibe to it. Never liked It Bites, bit too pompy prog for me, so was surprised by where he has ended up. The good: A good guitarist, lyricist with an eye for life around him. The bad: Too many mid tempo songs, and boy he treads the Phil Collins line way to closely. 1.5

Sex Pistols

Who came first the Ramones or the Pistols? Even though I owned the first three Ramones cds it was pistols that opened my eyes. Probably because Steve Jones has a bit more metal to his style than Johnny. Either way this band opened this whole style to me. God Save the Queen and Anarchy may be the most famous but EMI, Pretty Vacant, Problems and Holiday in the Sun are rock classics that few bands had the skill or attitude to pull off. 4.0

Funkadelic

Why doesn’t anyone play loud dirty waa waa guitar anymore. It be cool if they did.

Hall of Fame

The way I decided if an artist is worthy of my hall of fame boils down to a simple fact, Are you famous? What decides fame I have 3 criteria. 1 Did you have a career that enabled you over a long period of time to consistently put music out that the masses wanted to hear? 2 If not was your flash in the pan so bright that it changed the way we look at music? 3 Does the history of music somehow leads back to you as the starting place for others.

Finally if there is a band in there from your style that deserves it and precedes you musically you don’t get in till that band gets in. Example Metallica should not have gotten in before Judas Priest because Judas Priest was the bridge from Sabbath to Metallica (and arguably better).

If Kinks Rhymes With Stinks, What Does Ices Rhyme With?

2011-05-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More

This CD got a lot of hype and the single is nearing the point of burnout if you listen to adult rock radio, but all that said, every song on this CD is a good song. The dynamics keep it interesting as does the instrumentation, though my favorite moments on this CD are “Avett-like” solo singer, solo instrument ones, with lyrics like, “I wish I had a greater enemy than my apathy”...all in all, when you factor in that this is a debut album, it pushes it up for me to a 4.

Lia Ices – Grown Unknown

Laura Nyro or Joni Mitchell with fully produced arrangements instead of just acoustic guitar? Or maybe it’s Cat Power on Quaaludes…May as well be. The whole vocal sound is as if she’s out in the middle of a vast field, on out at sea…very weird to me… “Daphne” certainly is pretty to listen to, but this is just too downbeat for me to get interested in, though the songs do evolve and grow in many directions, which did at least keep me somewhat interested. There are no sing-alongs here, and by the fourth track, I was more interested in where the songs were going instrumentally and harmonically than in her vocals. It’s just a 2 for me.

Francis Dunnery – Tall Blonde Helicopter

This is my first listen to him…don’t know where I was in the mid ’90’s but I missed this.
It must have been in the same pile as the Greenberry Woods since they are both lost gems to me from 1995. Right out of the box, I really like the pop sensibilities mixed with some excellent guitar playing. There’s good humor in some of the lyrics (Too Much Saturn) sometimes he’s quirky, (Johnny Podell Song and I Don’t Want to Be Alternative) but it works, and to me, he sounds a bit like Matthew Sweet – and that’s a good thing. Add in a good cover of my favorite Cat Stevens song and for me, this is a really pleasant surprise, and it gets a 4.5.

The Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks…

This was - and still is – the godfather of all punk rock albums…if you were fortunate enough to have listened to it when it first came out, you know just how revolutionary it was. God Save the Queen and Anarchy in the U.K. are top 100 songs ever (hey, there’s a topic for another meeting) and this gets a 5 only because that’s the highest rating we give.

Ray Davies – See My Friends

There are 2 kinds of people in the world…those who get The Kinks and those who don’t. If you do get them, you’ll probably find this CD charming in spots, interesting in a good way in spots, but ultimately uneven, though for the most part, very listenable. I fall into that camp, and so it gets a 3 from me. If you’re not a Kinks fan, you’ll be much less generous, but if you didn’t like Paloma Faith and her treatment of “Lola”, then whatever…because it was up to the original, if not better.

GH – Thanks, Ken…now I can get my P Funk on anytime I want. Nice selection of George Clinton funky stuff.

Topic – Who should go into the R&R Hall of Fame?

Nirvana. They have the “dead guy” thing going for them, a body of work that includes one of the great songs in rock, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and were in great part responsible for starting a style, grunge, that lives on in music today.

Reviews From Tornado Alley

2011-05-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ray Davies – On paper, a no brainer. I love covers, the Kinks, and several of the artists involved. It gets off to a horrendous start, as Bruce butchers one of my all time favorite songs. Bruce’s vocal range, if you can call it that, isn’t suited for the delicate treatment the song calls for. Bon Jovi doing “Celluloid Heroes” made vomitous bile rise from the pits of my stomach to the back of my throat. Liked Lucinda & Mumford tracks. At best, the rest are grossly inferior versions, and at worse (Metallica) ruin the work of one of music’s great songwriters. A colossal disappointment. 1.5 stars

Mumford & Sons – A good disc that reminds me of the Avett Brothers, only not as well done. A little banjo-heavy for my taste, and like the Avetts they take themselves a little too seriously. Some nice moments, particularly “The Cave”, and there is no denying the great harmonies and instrumentation. 3 stars

Lia Ices – Despite evidence to the contrary, I genuinely appreciate when someone submits a disc that is clearly outside my usual scope of listening. That said, this was a truly mind numbing 45 minutes of rotten tediousness that bordered on coma inducing. It should have come with a “Do not operate heavy machinery while using this product” warning. .5 stars

Frances Dunnery – Starts off really well, hits a brick wall exactly halfway through the disc and limps to a finish. Songs like “48 Hours” and “Too Much Saturn” are sharp, snappy pop songs reminiscent of John Wesley Harding. Everything up to “I Don’t Want to Be Alternative” was really good. From that song on, not so much. 2.5 stars

Sex Pistols – Hadn’t listened to this in over 20 years and was shocked at how well it holds up, it doesn’t sound the least bit dated. The key is Chris Thomas’ pristine production/mix. Hard to believe he also produced Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side”. Here, it sounds like he just hits record and gets out of the way. Easy to give a great rating as a historical document, but the songs and energy still resonate. 4.5 stars

Parliament – A good collection. I liked the hit and run stuff more than the Zappa-esque extended jams. The amount and quality of lead guitar surprised me. Bootsy Collins’ influence on modern pop and hip-hop just cant be overstated.

Discussion Question

I tried to keep the criteria simple:

1) If I never heard of the person or their music, they got a “no”.

2) If I like their music, they’re in.

3) If I don’t like their music, I weighed whether or not their influence and scope were important enough to over-ride my bias. Hence, Black Sabbath & Beach Boys get in despite me despising their guts.

4) If I couldn’t directly tie their music to rock and roll, they’re out. Miles Davis, Mahalia Jackson, etc were great artists, but clearly fit into different genres. That stated, I decided that “singer-songwriters” don’t have a genre besides rock n roll. Hence, my inclusion of Joel, Browne, Taylor, etc that aren’t necessarily “rock and roll” but fit closer to that description than any other.

Greg's Pre Vacation Reviews

2011-05-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

Francis Dunnery – Tall Blonde Helicopter - 4
I didn’t like this at all….until I actually listen to it. He had a Matthew Sweet and even Cat Stevens sound, but not enough that I didn’t like him. This was a very easy cd to listen to. I needed a relaxing cd since I was just a little hung over when I listened to it. Really good stuff for a guy I’ve never even heard of. What’s with the title? This gets the coveted Greg's pick of the month award!
LLA Ices- Grown Unknown - 3
I have to say that I was hoping for a little bit more from this very hot chick. At least I think that she’s hot, she has a very suggestive thing in her mouth. As for her music. Unfortunately every song blended into the next and nothing stood out as being more than background drone. If I never heard of her I’d be okay with that, but if she popped up on my iPod I might not change her. Her voice is very beautiful and I wonder if she’s selling herself short doing the Sarah Brightman/Enya thing.
Ray Davies – See My Friends - 3.5
Since I like most of these songs to begin with, I liked these too. Who would have thought to Billy Corgan or Metallica with Ray Davies? It was a bit predictable when Metallica did You Really Got Me.
Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bullocks – 4.5
I actually don’t own any fucking Sex Pistols cds, but I’ve liked every fucking thing I’ve heard by them. This was actually a disk I’ve fucking wanted for a long time. I believe that it will change my fucking life.
Mumford and Sons- Sigh No More - 4
I first heard these guys on XM and thought that they were nothing but a Dave Matthews rip off (shut up Mike), these guys are both a wicked downer and a blast at the same time. I don’t like the fact that they don’t have a drummer, just this rinky dink bass drum and a tambourine, but it seems to work pretty well. This is nothing but drinking music. If you aren’t someplace where you can get a beer or a shot then don’t listen to it.
Ghits -Funkadelic
Not my thing. I’m sure that there’s a shitload of talent going on here, but for me it was just shy of completely annoying.
Each member must explain their criteria for a YES vote.
Are they a household name? Have they had any measurable impact or influenced other artists that are in the HOF?

Luther Dickinson: Allstar

2011-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

5 Chinese Brothers- 3.5
One of the dj’s at WWUH used to play stuff off of Let’s Kill Sat Night and I always enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek, witty, intelligent sense of humor these guys brought to their music. Not being familiar with this cd though, I’m getting that same vibe. I wish I could have seen them in concert- I bet they were a hoot. Liked this cd a lot. Great alt country.

North Miss Allstars- 4.0
I’m a big Luther Dickinson fan so this is going to be a little biased. The emotions surrounding the death of the Dickinson patriarch and the birth three months later of Luther Dickinson’s child is evident throughout this cd. They serve up a lot of songs that deal with anger, acceptance, mortality and spirituality. Full of gospel tinged, raw Southern blues-rock- this cd is offered up as an emotional and passionate tribute to a Southern gentleman, a fine producer, and the musical cornerstone of the Dickinson family. Mavis Staples, Ry Cooder, Spooner Oldham, and Alvin Youngblood Hart take guest turns throughout. This is a great cd.

Motorhead- 2.0
Not a fan- never have been. These guys have been around for a long time and I’m sorry but to me if you have heard one Motorhead record you’ve heard them all. Nothing new here. Loud, frenetic guitars, growling vocals, apocalyptic lyrics and arrangements that, after a very short while, just start to grate my nerves.

Alkaline Trio-3.0
Don’t own any AK3 and not familiar with their earlier cd’s but Crimson is a record I really enjoyed. While a lot of the lyrics deal with things like an alcoholic’s torment, lifelong illnesses, broken bones, and psychosis- there’s songs like Mercy Me that bring straight-ahead pop tendencies to the music. They kind of remind me of The Cure meets Green Day. Not a bad thing at all.

The Smiths-4.0
Is it too long- yes. Does it get on my nerves after a while- yes. Are there lots of absolutely brilliant songs on this cd- yes. There is no denying the bouncy pop and irresistibility of songs like Ask, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, William, It Was Really Nothing, Panic, Hand in Glove and Oscillate Wildly.

3 Chord Rock
I’m still not sure what 3 chord rock is and I don’t know if I could listen to a song and say- yep- great 3 chord rock right there. But I do know that this is a nice collection of rock songs. Thanks Alan- enjoyed it.

Thank goodness for the delay now i can reset my password

2011-05-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

5 Chinese Brothers

I am not sure why I found this cd lacking. Nice harmonies, strong guitar playing, catchy and thought provoking lyrics, and wrapped occasionally with humor. But something seems to be missing. Maybe it’s the way that the Eagles come to mind. Or it could be that at times they remind me other bands that do it far better. It could be that after all the accordion playing last month I was put off by its presence. Not sure which but with each listening found myself wondering more. 1.5

Motorhead

Lemmy is a rock god. One of the things that happens to Gods is that they are easily knocked off their perch as their careers wind down, and nothing is worse when your heroes let you down. Luckily Lemmy is in fine form on this cd. The riffs are ear shattering, the speed relentless from beginning to end, and was that an actual chorus or two throughout the cd, if so it works. This is a Motorhead cd from beginning to end and that’s a great thing. Once again proving besides Iron Maiden no one has put out this consistent quality stuff for so long in the metal world. 3.5

The Smiths

Okay I tried and I could only make it through 17 songs. My opinion hasn’t changed from when I was force fed this during my college years, Johnny Marr is a really good guitarist, and Morissey just annoys the piss out of me. 1.0

Alkaline Trio

Some say this was a shark jumping cd for the band. I always thought this was their masterpiece. While Good Mourning was the beginning of this bands move towards more melody into their dark oriented sound, Crimson made it more epic. From the beginning Piano intro in Time to Waste to the end of Smoke there is not a week moment to be found. Along the way you get great songs like Poison, Mercy Me, Sadie just to name a few. Both singers are incredibly strong as lead or as harmony. They both have a trademark for their songs but still they all seem to fall under that Alkaline Trio description, catchy memorable songs, good riffs and a real good drummer. 4.0

North Mississippi All-stars

I liked this cd a lot. A first thought it was going to be a bar band made good cd. The type that you know it would sound great live but maybe only there. But it’s a grower. The swampy singing is matched by the even more swampy playing makes for a good guitar based cd. 3.0

How do you listen?

I find that I do most of initial listening in the car. At times it will be on the computer while I am doing other things like work or throwing darts. I shouldn’t use headphones and usually don’t do to my hearing issues. Rarely is the cod given my undivided attention unless of course it’s one of my submitted cads.

However if it is a good song/cd it will grab my attention and hold it and that is one of the ways I judge on how good a cd is. If it continues to remain in the background how good can it be?

I also try to give each cd multiple listening because do to outside distractions I may have missed something during the first listen. Ideally each cd gets 3 listens (except the smiths or sonic youth). This way each disc is given a fair shot to make an impression. If I find myself liking it will get more if not on to something else.

Better Late than Pregnant...(though it is really late).

2011-05-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

North Mississippi All-Stars – Keys To the Kingdom

Immediately, I enjoyed the way they fused traditional blues and rock…I heard some of that “Keith Richards” open tuning in there…the texture of the songs makes it perfect for that Sunday AM rotation and, importantly, it passed the “Deb test” with flying colors…no snide remarks while listening for the first time and no, “what is that shit?” comments, so for all that, and a great cover of “Stuck Inside of Mobile”, it gets a 3.5.

Alkaline Trio - Crimson

This was the surprise of the month for me…I had not been familiar with them and did not expect them to be so…poppy, um…I mean…melodic. I really liked the musical structure of the songs. I only wished that they had more of a dynamic range…after a while they were all at the same volume throughout, with the same instrumental and vocal mix, and that gets a little boring. All in all though, I think I will like these songs mixed among others in my i-Tunes library, so thanks for that…it gets a 3.5

Motorhead – The World is Yours

Do one thing and do it well…that has worked in business forever and it works for Motorhead too. Lemmy decided long ago that he was not an “artiste”; he was a Rock and Roll bassist and singer. This could have been from 1981, 1991, 2001…but it’s new, and with today’s technology, it sounds GREAT. 10 tight songs full of power chords, screaming leads, and rock and roll vocals…good, solid meat and potatoes…well done! 4

The Smiths – Louder than Bombs

Evidently, it’s trio month at “Down Our Nose”…this is one of those bands that I couldn’t get into at the time…my mid ‘80’s were not terribly introspective nor were they bleak, so I didn’t get this “alternative” stuff…so now when I listen 25 years or so later, the best I can say is I can sympathize with Morrissey, but I can’t empathize. As far as the music itself, the songs are clever enough and a song like “Stretch Out and Wait’ stands out inventive and interesting, but I just can’t seem to connect to his body of work…The critics and I will have to agree to disagree…for me, it just gets to a 3.

5 Chinese Brothers – Singer, Songwriter, Beggerman, Thief

Finally…a band with more than 3 members…although if you look up their bio they seem to have 4 members…what’s up with that? Anyway, I love this CD. It’s a mish mash of country, folk, rock, Americana all rolled into one fun, happy, snarky, cynical, clever ball of music and lyrics that bring a big smile to my face every time I hear it. It’s right up there in debut albums with “My Aim Is True”…4.5 stars.

GHITS – 3 Chord Rock

I love pizza…in my world; it has to really suck to be considered “bad” pizza. Now, if we assume that the acid test to compare pizza is 3 ingredients only – dough, cheese and sauce, there are still 1000 variations, and some are better than others. Well, I love “three chord” rock and roll and this month’s GHITS contains songs that have only 3 chords in their structure, though they all sound as different as pizza from different places taste. I could have put 22 different songs on this and it still would have been a GHITS collection…if I left any out that you enjoy better…sorry.

Topic – HOW do you listen and does it affect how you rate CD’s in this group?

I listen to music in a bunch of different ways, and YES, how I listen does influence how I rate these CD’s. If I listen in the car, ‘stereo blasting’, like with Motorhead, it’s going to be a different experience than if I’m listening in an open room at less volume (so as not to disturb those upstairs, for example). I-tunes has forever altered my willingness to listen to most CD’s in their entirely, so when I find one – like the 5 Chinese Brothers – to which I repeatedly listen to all tracks in succession, other than when we rate them – it’s special. The fact is, HOW and WHEN I listen absolutely affects how I rate CD’s. My preference is home alone, at night, in a small room with the lights low or off, at loud volume, concentrating on nothing else, but that only happens about 20% of the time. Another 20% would be at the gym w/ear buds, 30% would be driving at night and finally the remaining 30% of the time would be in the house’s open first floor area at moderate volume. And that’s why North Mississippi All Stars had to take “the Deb test”.

2011-05-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

Five Chinese Brothers - Alternately witty, melodic, smart and poignant without ever coming off as too smart for the room. I mean how many bands write songs about Paul Cezzanne or use the word Physiognomy. My list of favorites include Baltimore, My Dad’s Face, She’s a Waitress, Williamsburg Bridge…well, let’s face it… they’re basically all favorites. One of my favorite albums of all time. 4.5

North Mississippi All Stars - Great vibe for the entire album. Not much to say other than they are very good at what they do and while they break no new ground, this is solid throughout. 3.5

Alkaline Trio - At times it sounds like Green Day lite, but there seems to be power in the songs and they write decent hooks at times. Still, there’s something missing from bands like this that wasn’t missing from the same types of bands in 1978. I guess it was all new then and everything sounded fresh. There are very few punk pop bands that have really impressed me since 1980 (the Briefs, Rancid and a few Lookout Records bands like the Queers come to mind), but this band is not on the list. 3.0

Motorhead - Now this is the way to write, perform and sing rock and roll. Is it my imagination or are they getting better with age? This is perhaps the best record I’ve ever heard from them. There’s plenty of nostalgia for works like Ace of Spades, but that is clearly more speed metal than rock and is really enjoyable in small doses only. This is flat out great rock and roll and his voice has mellowed to something resembling good by this point. A pleasant surprise – 4.0

Smiths – I know he’s a genius and all, but most of this just bores me. Maybe because it’s so well done, I miss the nuance and the ease with which he pens melodies, but it just never catches fire for me. I’ll give it a 2.5 because it doesn’t suck, I just don’t get it

3 Chord Rock - Not quite sure what three chord rock is compared to two-chord rock or four chord rock, I just know that anytime a reviewer call something three chord rock, I generally like it. And this stuff is no exception. As I type this, I’m thinking there wasn’t a Ramones Tune and the single I most associate with three chord rock (probably because none other than Greg Shaw called it the greatest two sided three chord rock single EVER) – Heart of the City b/w So it Goes by Nick Lowe – wasn’t represented, but that’s minor quibbling. This was a fun collection.

Topic - 80% of my listening is done in the car, which means I really don’t give everything a fair shake. First listen is important and I try to listen all the way through the first time, but let’s be honest, I can pick shite out from the get go. And sometimes I’m just not in the mood for what I’ve chosen. I think that happened with the Smiths this month. Anything I listen to twice will probably get at least a 2.5