Tom Waits For No One On Bad As Me
Music Review: Tom Waits - Bad As Me
A well-rounded Tom Waits album in 2011? Well, ya' don't say...
Bad As Me is the best sounding Tom Waits album in years. Well okay, it's also his first studio album of new material in about seven years, period.
But that's beside the point. Coming from a guy who has made a career out of writing singularly amazing songs — even as he has all but defied virtually every convention associated with traditional songwriting — the broad, stylistic diversity of these songs is nothing short of stunning. On Bad As Me, Waits revisits many of the same questionable haunts, inhabited by the usual cast of shady characters, that he has for going on a half century now.
But there are also some surprising new twists here.
On the gorgeous sounding "Talking At The Same Time," Waits' trademark cigarette and whiskey laced rasp — that same, late night damaged vocal cough that lends so many of his songs their unmistakable authenticity — is transformed into an unexpectedly lilting falsetto.
While it isn't quite Smokey Robinson worthy, when combined with longtime guitarist Marc Ribot's fabulous tremelo effects on guitar, the results effectively take you to that same dark, foreboding cinematic place as a great David Lynch film. The only thing missing is the midget dancing on a checkerboard floor to a torch singers take on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
No sooner are these darker corners explored, then Waits makes an abrupt about-face to "Get Lost" in a semi-rockabilly rave-up that allows guitarists Ribot and Los Lobos' David Hildalgo to cut loose with some savage slapback. Ribot and Hildalgo explore similar fifties rock and roll territory on "Tell Me." Only this time, they take a detour down the sweeter, less threatening paths forged by Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. If Roy Orbison were still alive, this song would be a perfect vehicle for him.
As hard as it might be to imagine the weathered and weary voice of Tom Waits conjuring that same type of original teen-pop innocence, he pulls the trick off quite convincingly here. In fact, the single most astonishing thing about Bad As Me is probably the revelation of Tom Waits as a vocalist of previously unrealized depth.
Like Bob Dylan, Waits' vocal talents have up until now manifested themselves mostly in the art of interpreting, and especially in the phrasing of his own lyrics. More than anything else, save for the lyrics themselves, it has been this unique voice that has most lent Tom Waits' songs their unique cinematic quality. The surprising vocal range displayed on Bad As Me is simply an unexpected bonus here.
But the best track on Bad As Me finds Waits resorting to more familiar vocal territory. "Hell Broke Luce" isn't so much sung, as it is shouted in a shower of expletives coming from the perspective of a war veteran who has been irreparably damaged after a tour of duty marked by "listening to the general every goddamn word" and how "the only ones responsible for making this mess, got their sorry asses stapled to a goddamn desk."
It is arguably, Waits most overtly (and uncharacteristically) political song to date, and one which finds its hapless protagonist weeping, pantsed at the wind for a joke, and coming down from the meth. In other words, the exact sort of place you might expect to find Tom Waits leering back at you from a dive bar around last call, doing an industrial-blues mashup backed by no less than Keith Richards, Charlie Musselwhite and Flea.
As Tom Waits albums go, Bad As Me ranks right up there with Nighthawks At The Diner, Rain Dogs and Mule Variations. Right now, I'm calling it yet another turning point for sure. In time, it could very well go down as his best yet.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
Read more!
Music Review: Tom Waits - Bad As Me
A well-rounded Tom Waits album in 2011? Well, ya' don't say...
Bad As Me is the best sounding Tom Waits album in years. Well okay, it's also his first studio album of new material in about seven years, period.
But that's beside the point. Coming from a guy who has made a career out of writing singularly amazing songs — even as he has all but defied virtually every convention associated with traditional songwriting — the broad, stylistic diversity of these songs is nothing short of stunning. On Bad As Me, Waits revisits many of the same questionable haunts, inhabited by the usual cast of shady characters, that he has for going on a half century now.
But there are also some surprising new twists here. On the gorgeous sounding "Talking At The Same Time," Waits' trademark cigarette and whiskey laced rasp — that same, late night damaged vocal cough that lends so many of his songs their unmistakable authenticity — is transformed into an unexpectedly lilting falsetto.
While it isn't quite Smokey Robinson worthy, when combined with longtime guitarist Marc Ribot's fabulous tremelo effects on guitar, the results effectively take you to that same dark, foreboding cinematic place as a great David Lynch film. The only thing missing is the midget dancing on a checkerboard floor to a torch singers take on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
No sooner are these darker corners explored, then Waits makes an abrupt about-face to "Get Lost" in a semi-rockabilly rave-up that allows guitarists Ribot and Los Lobos' David Hildalgo to cut loose with some savage slapback. Ribot and Hildalgo explore similar fifties rock and roll territory on "Tell Me." Only this time, they take a detour down the sweeter, less threatening paths forged by Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. If Roy Orbison were still alive, this song would be a perfect vehicle for him.
As hard as it might be to imagine the weathered and weary voice of Tom Waits conjuring that same type of original teen-pop innocence, he pulls the trick off quite convincingly here. In fact, the single most astonishing thing about Bad As Me is probably the revelation of Tom Waits as a vocalist of previously unrealized depth.
Like Bob Dylan, Waits' vocal talents have up until now manifested themselves mostly in the art of interpreting, and especially in the phrasing of his own lyrics. More than anything else, save for the lyrics themselves, it has been this unique voice that has most lent Tom Waits' songs their unique cinematic quality. The surprising vocal range displayed on Bad As Me is simply an unexpected bonus here.
But the best track on Bad As Me finds Waits resorting to more familiar vocal territory. "Hell Broke Luce" isn't so much sung, as it is shouted in a shower of expletives coming from the perspective of a war veteran who has been irreparably damaged after a tour of duty marked by "listening to the general every goddamn word" and how "the only ones responsible for making this mess, got their sorry asses stapled to a goddamn desk."
It is arguably, Waits most overtly (and uncharacteristically) political song to date, and one which finds its hapless protagonist weeping, pantsed at the wind for a joke, and coming down from the meth. In other words, the exact sort of place you might expect to find Tom Waits leering back at you from a dive bar around last call, doing an industrial-blues mashup backed by no less than Keith Richards, Charlie Musselwhite and Flea.
As Tom Waits albums go, Bad As Me ranks right up there with Nighthawks At The Diner, Rain Dogs and Mule Variations. Right now, I'm calling it yet another turning point for sure. In time, it could very well go down as his best yet.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 4:42 AM,
, links to this post
The Bridge School Concerts: 25 Years Of Great Music For A Great Cause
Music Review: The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition (2CD)
Over the course of his long and legendary career, Neil Young has supported a wide variety of political and social causes, lending both his music and famous name to everything from the annual Farm-Aid benefit shows to his work on the eco-friendly, energy efficient Linc-Volt automobile.
But of all of these, the cause that is closest to Neil Young's heart remains his work with the Bridge School. His ongoing involvement with the Bridge is also a family affair. Neil's wife Pegi sits on the Bridge School's board of directors, and his son Ben is one of the greatest successes of the Bridge School's alternative approach to education for the physically and verbally challenged.
For the past twenty five years, Neil Young has headlined the annual Bridge benefit shows held at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Shoreline, CA. In addition to being the site of several of his own greatest performances, Neil Young's name has also drawn some of rock's biggest and best to the yearly shows.
Over the years, the Bridge School benefit shows have included a list of Neil's famous friends that reads like a who's who of rock and roll history. Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Elton John, The Who, Pearl Jam, Radiohead and last year's improbable Buffalo Springfield reunion are just a few of those who have offered up the musical fireworks in support of the Bridge.
Some of the greatest of these history making performances have now been captured on The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition, a 2-CD collection out next week from Neil's longtime record label, Reprise. There is also a companion 3-DVD collection, that features additional performances not heard on the CD, making both of these essential purchases. Never let it be said that Neil Young is one to let a good marketing opportunity pass him by.
In addition to all of the big classic rock guns, there are also a number of great performances from country greats like Willie Nelson ("The Great Divide") and lesser known critics darlings like Gillian Welch ("The Way It Will Be"), Fleet Foxes ("Blue Ridge Mountain") and Sonic Youth ("Rain On Tin"). Even legendary pop great Tony Bennett gets into the act here, turning in a stellar sounding take on "Maybe This Time."
Reflecting the mainly acoustic format of these shows, some of the best stuff to be found here is also the quietest, including the pastoral harmonies of Fleet Foxes on "Blue Ridge Mountain" and Band of Horses' lovely sounding "Marry Song." Bruce Springsteen's haunting, dirge-like acoustic version of "Born In The USA" is another highlight of this collection, showing a darker lyrical side to a song most often thought of as a stadium-rock anthem.
But that doesn't mean that rock and roll gets pushed to the side altogether. To that end, Metallica's acoustic rendering of "Disposable Heroes" proves that you don't always need the amps cranked up to eleven to bang your head. Elton John and Leon Russell's "A Dream Come True" also proves itself a worthy showcase for two of rock and roll's finest, if somewhat unsung honky-tonk piano players.
Nils Lofgren's great cover of the Beau Brummels classic "Cry Just A Little" provides the rock history lesson here. Not to mention some great playing from the underrated guitarist for both Springsteen's E Street Band, and occasionally for Neil Young himself.
Of course, some of the best moments to be found on The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition come courtesy of Mr. Young. These include a version of "Love And Only Love" with Crazy Horse that although played acoustic, rocks nearly as hard as the version on their classic album Ragged Glory. Neil also lends a hand on CSNY's "Deja Vu" and R.E.M.'s beautifully haunting "Country Feedback."
The DVD companion to the CD set also features performances not heard here from David Bowie, Patti Smith, Thom Yorke and others. Looks like Neil Young has gotten his hands into my wallet again. But since it's for a great cause this time, I wont begrudge the man too much this time around.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
Read more!
Music Review: The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition (2CD)
Over the course of his long and legendary career, Neil Young has supported a wide variety of political and social causes, lending both his music and famous name to everything from the annual Farm-Aid benefit shows to his work on the eco-friendly, energy efficient Linc-Volt automobile.
But of all of these, the cause that is closest to Neil Young's heart remains his work with the Bridge School. His ongoing involvement with the Bridge is also a family affair. Neil's wife Pegi sits on the Bridge School's board of directors, and his son Ben is one of the greatest successes of the Bridge School's alternative approach to education for the physically and verbally challenged.
For the past twenty five years, Neil Young has headlined the annual Bridge benefit shows held at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Shoreline, CA. In addition to being the site of several of his own greatest performances, Neil Young's name has also drawn some of rock's biggest and best to the yearly shows. Over the years, the Bridge School benefit shows have included a list of Neil's famous friends that reads like a who's who of rock and roll history. Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Elton John, The Who, Pearl Jam, Radiohead and last year's improbable Buffalo Springfield reunion are just a few of those who have offered up the musical fireworks in support of the Bridge.
Some of the greatest of these history making performances have now been captured on The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition, a 2-CD collection out next week from Neil's longtime record label, Reprise. There is also a companion 3-DVD collection, that features additional performances not heard on the CD, making both of these essential purchases. Never let it be said that Neil Young is one to let a good marketing opportunity pass him by.
In addition to all of the big classic rock guns, there are also a number of great performances from country greats like Willie Nelson ("The Great Divide") and lesser known critics darlings like Gillian Welch ("The Way It Will Be"), Fleet Foxes ("Blue Ridge Mountain") and Sonic Youth ("Rain On Tin"). Even legendary pop great Tony Bennett gets into the act here, turning in a stellar sounding take on "Maybe This Time."
Reflecting the mainly acoustic format of these shows, some of the best stuff to be found here is also the quietest, including the pastoral harmonies of Fleet Foxes on "Blue Ridge Mountain" and Band of Horses' lovely sounding "Marry Song." Bruce Springsteen's haunting, dirge-like acoustic version of "Born In The USA" is another highlight of this collection, showing a darker lyrical side to a song most often thought of as a stadium-rock anthem.
But that doesn't mean that rock and roll gets pushed to the side altogether. To that end, Metallica's acoustic rendering of "Disposable Heroes" proves that you don't always need the amps cranked up to eleven to bang your head. Elton John and Leon Russell's "A Dream Come True" also proves itself a worthy showcase for two of rock and roll's finest, if somewhat unsung honky-tonk piano players.
Nils Lofgren's great cover of the Beau Brummels classic "Cry Just A Little" provides the rock history lesson here. Not to mention some great playing from the underrated guitarist for both Springsteen's E Street Band, and occasionally for Neil Young himself.
Of course, some of the best moments to be found on The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition come courtesy of Mr. Young. These include a version of "Love And Only Love" with Crazy Horse that although played acoustic, rocks nearly as hard as the version on their classic album Ragged Glory. Neil also lends a hand on CSNY's "Deja Vu" and R.E.M.'s beautifully haunting "Country Feedback."
The DVD companion to the CD set also features performances not heard here from David Bowie, Patti Smith, Thom Yorke and others. Looks like Neil Young has gotten his hands into my wallet again. But since it's for a great cause this time, I wont begrudge the man too much this time around.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 2:55 AM,
, links to this post
Who Misses The Old Peter Gabriel?
Music DVD Review: Peter Gabriel - New Blood - Live in London
Does anyone besides me miss the old Peter Gabriel? You know, the guy who used to dress like a giant flower, or wear a rectangular shaped box on his head, all the while reciting nonsensical stories to introduce his songs with Genesis in concert? Or how about the guy who, as a solo artist, made those wonderfully arty, but nonetheless goofy videos for songs like "Sledgehammer"?
That Peter Gabriel is all but gone on New Blood - Live in London, a new concert DVD that also serves as a companion piece to his latest album New Blood. Instead, Gabriel has opted to join the likes of Sting and David Byrne in that exclusive "artistes club" of aging, white rock musicians continuing their careers during their twilight years, by running as far away from their rock and roll pasts as possible.
Like both Sting and Byrne, Gabriel has long displayed a flair for the more "artistic" side of rock and roll. But for most fans, songs like "Roxanne," "Burning Down The House" and "Shock The Monkey" remain far more memorable than any experiments in world beat, classical, or in this case, a re-imagining of past work recorded with a 46 piece symphony orchestra.
In fairness to Gabriel, it works better here than on previously ill-fated attempts at merging rock with classical by artists ranging from Deep Purple to Spinal Tap. It's an interesting enough idea in theory. But in most cases, it's usually a failed one in actual execution. Although there are those few and far between exceptions here, New Blood - Live in London mostly continues the long tradition of that rule.
The problem here, is that by removing rock elements as basic as guitar, bass and drums, some of Gabriel's best songs lose a lot of their original firepower. On this DVD, Gabriel wisely steers clear of his more funk based, hit material like "Sledgehammer," in favor of a setlist heavier on deep album cuts like "Intruder" and "San Jacinto."
But in these newly sanitized by strings arrangements, you can't help but notice the lack for those little things that made the originals such standout tracks. The absence of the big drums of "Intruder" and the rising keyboard swells of "San Jacinto" in particular are both sorely missed here.
Immaculate as the performances themselves are, they suffer from the same thing that burdens most of these types of experiments. The simple, yet effective hook of the original song is all but buried in a sea of strings and woodwinds. Even on a song like "Biko," which you'd think would benefit from the bigger arrangement (particularly on vocals), much is lost to the bloated symphonic sound.
Gabriel himself, who in the past has shown himself to be an animated and engaging performer, is also uncharacteristically stiff and serious here. It's enough to make one yearn for the leather-jacketed Rael stage character from his Lamb Lies Down On Broadway days.
Still, New Blood - Live in London does have its moments. The DVD is a stunner in terms of both sound and visuals. Some of the visual effects also have the same endearingly goofy quality of Gabriel's early eighties music videos. The "Red Rain" which falls across the screen during the song with the same name, achieves a borderline 3D effect, and serves as welcome relief from all the otherwise dead seriousness of this concert. Similar visuals dotted throughout the performance provide an equally effective compliment to the music.
As expected with something like this, the audio mix likewise more than lives up to the challenge of capturing something as intricately layered as the sound of a full orchestra. Technically speaking, the performance is also top notch (save for its lacking any apparent element of soul).
Gabriel fans will also appreciate the setlist, which mostly eschews the hits in favor of drawing on comparatively more obscure chestnuts from Gabriel's catalog. The new arrangements are also interesting enough on a first listen. They just don't resonate deeply enough to warrant those repeat listens.
I dunno' Pete, maybe an unplugged concert, next time...or at least something that rocks a bit more.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
Read more!
Music DVD Review: Peter Gabriel - New Blood - Live in London
Does anyone besides me miss the old Peter Gabriel? You know, the guy who used to dress like a giant flower, or wear a rectangular shaped box on his head, all the while reciting nonsensical stories to introduce his songs with Genesis in concert? Or how about the guy who, as a solo artist, made those wonderfully arty, but nonetheless goofy videos for songs like "Sledgehammer"?
That Peter Gabriel is all but gone on New Blood - Live in London, a new concert DVD that also serves as a companion piece to his latest album New Blood. Instead, Gabriel has opted to join the likes of Sting and David Byrne in that exclusive "artistes club" of aging, white rock musicians continuing their careers during their twilight years, by running as far away from their rock and roll pasts as possible. Like both Sting and Byrne, Gabriel has long displayed a flair for the more "artistic" side of rock and roll. But for most fans, songs like "Roxanne," "Burning Down The House" and "Shock The Monkey" remain far more memorable than any experiments in world beat, classical, or in this case, a re-imagining of past work recorded with a 46 piece symphony orchestra.
In fairness to Gabriel, it works better here than on previously ill-fated attempts at merging rock with classical by artists ranging from Deep Purple to Spinal Tap. It's an interesting enough idea in theory. But in most cases, it's usually a failed one in actual execution. Although there are those few and far between exceptions here, New Blood - Live in London mostly continues the long tradition of that rule.
The problem here, is that by removing rock elements as basic as guitar, bass and drums, some of Gabriel's best songs lose a lot of their original firepower. On this DVD, Gabriel wisely steers clear of his more funk based, hit material like "Sledgehammer," in favor of a setlist heavier on deep album cuts like "Intruder" and "San Jacinto."
But in these newly sanitized by strings arrangements, you can't help but notice the lack for those little things that made the originals such standout tracks. The absence of the big drums of "Intruder" and the rising keyboard swells of "San Jacinto" in particular are both sorely missed here.
Immaculate as the performances themselves are, they suffer from the same thing that burdens most of these types of experiments. The simple, yet effective hook of the original song is all but buried in a sea of strings and woodwinds. Even on a song like "Biko," which you'd think would benefit from the bigger arrangement (particularly on vocals), much is lost to the bloated symphonic sound.
Gabriel himself, who in the past has shown himself to be an animated and engaging performer, is also uncharacteristically stiff and serious here. It's enough to make one yearn for the leather-jacketed Rael stage character from his Lamb Lies Down On Broadway days.
Still, New Blood - Live in London does have its moments. The DVD is a stunner in terms of both sound and visuals. Some of the visual effects also have the same endearingly goofy quality of Gabriel's early eighties music videos. The "Red Rain" which falls across the screen during the song with the same name, achieves a borderline 3D effect, and serves as welcome relief from all the otherwise dead seriousness of this concert. Similar visuals dotted throughout the performance provide an equally effective compliment to the music.
As expected with something like this, the audio mix likewise more than lives up to the challenge of capturing something as intricately layered as the sound of a full orchestra. Technically speaking, the performance is also top notch (save for its lacking any apparent element of soul).
Gabriel fans will also appreciate the setlist, which mostly eschews the hits in favor of drawing on comparatively more obscure chestnuts from Gabriel's catalog. The new arrangements are also interesting enough on a first listen. They just don't resonate deeply enough to warrant those repeat listens.
I dunno' Pete, maybe an unplugged concert, next time...or at least something that rocks a bit more.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 12:35 AM,
, links to this post
Wow! Can You Believe That Hair?
Glen Boyd, "rap music expert" circa 1987, as interviewed for KING-TV 5's shocking expose on the evils of rap, on the eve of the now historic "rap apocalypse" during a Seattle Run-DMC/Beastie Boys show. Thanx to Nasty Nes for this hilarious blast from my chequered hip-hop past.
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Glen Boyd, "rap music expert" circa 1987, as interviewed for KING-TV 5's shocking expose on the evils of rap, on the eve of the now historic "rap apocalypse" during a Seattle Run-DMC/Beastie Boys show. Thanx to Nasty Nes for this hilarious blast from my chequered hip-hop past.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 10:20 PM,
, links to this post
Renaissance Man: Steven Wilson Finds Grace For Drowning
Music Review: Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning
When it comes to how he approaches his art, Steven Wilson is something of a renaissance man. Dabbling in various musical disciplines and sub-genres that stretch across an ever growing multitude of projects, bands and artists, Wilson has also quietly earned himself a name as the "go-to" guy for producing and remixing albums by classic progressive rock and metal acts ranging from Opeth to King Crimson.
But when it comes to his own bands, Wilson seems to walk a straighter line right down the middle. The lighter, more introspective pop stuff is usually reserved for Blackfield, the jazzier and trippier avant-electronica is saved for No-Man, the heavier progressive rock for Porcupine Tree, and so on.
With his more recent solo albums, the ever prolific Wilson seems to have found a special place for that not quite so easy to characterize stuff that doesn't really fit any of those other bands though.
On 2009's solo debut album Insurgentes and the just released double disc set Grace For Drowning, Wilson sets darker and more personal lyrical themes against a musical backdrop that is much further out there. It's music that really defies conventional labels, although avant-prog-jazz-fusion, with a touch of melancholic doom probably works just as well as anything else.
As the artist who has done more to proudly fly the flag of modern day prog-rock than anyone else, Steven Wilson has always worn his influences on his sleeve. For proof of this, look no further than Porcupine Tree's Pink Floyd homage "Time Flies" from The Incident.
So, not surprisingly, on Grace For Drowning, you can hear little bits and pieces of everyone from Joy Division and King Crimson to Brian Eno and Radiohead in the mix. But what you mostly hear on this record is Steven Wilson himself. On Grace For Drowning, Wilson goes all out for broke in a wildly layered mix of sounds and styles that come off a little like all of the above, and yet like none of them at all.
This occasionally makes for some rather challenging listening. Grace For Drowning is not an album that is easily digested within just a single listen. But as repeated plays reveal subsequent new discoveries, the payoff does eventually come. For those with the patience to get there, Grace For Drowning is ultimately a very rewarding listening experience.
Dedicated to his father (who passed away earlier this year), Grace For Drowning explores much of the same darker territory Wilson first mined on 2009's Insurgentes. Death and mortality are the two most prevalent themes here. However, these don't begin to surface until three songs in, on the "title track" of disc one, "Deform Is To Form A Star." Instead, the first disc opens with two instrumentals that couldn't be more different from one another.
First up is "Grace For Drowning," a short piano interlude (with lovely playing from Jordan Rudess). This segues into "Sectarian," a fusion-prog workout recalling mid-period King Crimson, complete with abrupt time changes and cacophonous soprano saxes. Perhaps owing to Wilson's recent work on the Crimson remasters, "Sectarian" provides only a hint of the KC influence which later manifests itself more fully on the twenty minute long "Raider II."
"Postcard" is another of this albums many songs drawing on themes of melancholy. But here the somber mood is lightened considerably by a lovely sounding string and choir arrangement by Dave Stewart. This is followed by "Raider Prelude," a short, doomy sounding slice of funeral music that recalls "Light Mass Prayers," the prelude to Porcupine Tree's "Dark Matter" from their Signify album.
This makes for a great segueway into "Remainder The Black Dog," a tour de' force combining swelling mellotron, wildly swirling saxes, flutes and clarinet, and some amazing guitar work from the great Steve Hackett. Hackett's signature sustain is especially gorgeous in the ebb and flow fade that comes towards the end of this beautiful nine minute track.
Disc two (which carries the intriguing subtitle "Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye"), opens with the short instrumental "Belle De Jour." This is mainly highlighted by Wilson's acoustic guitar and another nice string arrangement from Stewart. This carries over into "Index," once again contrasting the shades of light and dark that make up the heart and soul of this album. "Track One" (which is actually track three on disc two) shifts between light glock and mellotron flourishes, and more of the bludgeoning, ever-present wall of musical doom.
The twenty minute epic "Raider II" is the true standout here though. A magnificent opus in the best tradition of classic prog, "Raider II" is all musical bluster and raging cacophony. This is the sort of joyful indulgence that will have you racing to check for references on all your old King Crimson albums. Perhaps more than any other track on Grace For Drowning, "Raider II" emphasizes the musical balance between darkness and light, as lilting flutes give way to crashing metallic guitars at will. The mellotron choir vocals here have likewise never been used to darker effect.
Despite its being an occasionally difficult listen on first blush, Grace For Drowning is ultimately a very satisfying effort from the modern day standard bearer of prog-rock, and one of music's true renaissance men.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
Read more!
Music Review: Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning
When it comes to how he approaches his art, Steven Wilson is something of a renaissance man. Dabbling in various musical disciplines and sub-genres that stretch across an ever growing multitude of projects, bands and artists, Wilson has also quietly earned himself a name as the "go-to" guy for producing and remixing albums by classic progressive rock and metal acts ranging from Opeth to King Crimson.
But when it comes to his own bands, Wilson seems to walk a straighter line right down the middle. The lighter, more introspective pop stuff is usually reserved for Blackfield, the jazzier and trippier avant-electronica is saved for No-Man, the heavier progressive rock for Porcupine Tree, and so on.
With his more recent solo albums, the ever prolific Wilson seems to have found a special place for that not quite so easy to characterize stuff that doesn't really fit any of those other bands though. On 2009's solo debut album Insurgentes and the just released double disc set Grace For Drowning, Wilson sets darker and more personal lyrical themes against a musical backdrop that is much further out there. It's music that really defies conventional labels, although avant-prog-jazz-fusion, with a touch of melancholic doom probably works just as well as anything else.
As the artist who has done more to proudly fly the flag of modern day prog-rock than anyone else, Steven Wilson has always worn his influences on his sleeve. For proof of this, look no further than Porcupine Tree's Pink Floyd homage "Time Flies" from The Incident.
So, not surprisingly, on Grace For Drowning, you can hear little bits and pieces of everyone from Joy Division and King Crimson to Brian Eno and Radiohead in the mix. But what you mostly hear on this record is Steven Wilson himself. On Grace For Drowning, Wilson goes all out for broke in a wildly layered mix of sounds and styles that come off a little like all of the above, and yet like none of them at all.
This occasionally makes for some rather challenging listening. Grace For Drowning is not an album that is easily digested within just a single listen. But as repeated plays reveal subsequent new discoveries, the payoff does eventually come. For those with the patience to get there, Grace For Drowning is ultimately a very rewarding listening experience.
Dedicated to his father (who passed away earlier this year), Grace For Drowning explores much of the same darker territory Wilson first mined on 2009's Insurgentes. Death and mortality are the two most prevalent themes here. However, these don't begin to surface until three songs in, on the "title track" of disc one, "Deform Is To Form A Star." Instead, the first disc opens with two instrumentals that couldn't be more different from one another.
First up is "Grace For Drowning," a short piano interlude (with lovely playing from Jordan Rudess). This segues into "Sectarian," a fusion-prog workout recalling mid-period King Crimson, complete with abrupt time changes and cacophonous soprano saxes. Perhaps owing to Wilson's recent work on the Crimson remasters, "Sectarian" provides only a hint of the KC influence which later manifests itself more fully on the twenty minute long "Raider II."
"Postcard" is another of this albums many songs drawing on themes of melancholy. But here the somber mood is lightened considerably by a lovely sounding string and choir arrangement by Dave Stewart. This is followed by "Raider Prelude," a short, doomy sounding slice of funeral music that recalls "Light Mass Prayers," the prelude to Porcupine Tree's "Dark Matter" from their Signify album.
This makes for a great segueway into "Remainder The Black Dog," a tour de' force combining swelling mellotron, wildly swirling saxes, flutes and clarinet, and some amazing guitar work from the great Steve Hackett. Hackett's signature sustain is especially gorgeous in the ebb and flow fade that comes towards the end of this beautiful nine minute track.
Disc two (which carries the intriguing subtitle "Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye"), opens with the short instrumental "Belle De Jour." This is mainly highlighted by Wilson's acoustic guitar and another nice string arrangement from Stewart. This carries over into "Index," once again contrasting the shades of light and dark that make up the heart and soul of this album. "Track One" (which is actually track three on disc two) shifts between light glock and mellotron flourishes, and more of the bludgeoning, ever-present wall of musical doom.
The twenty minute epic "Raider II" is the true standout here though. A magnificent opus in the best tradition of classic prog, "Raider II" is all musical bluster and raging cacophony. This is the sort of joyful indulgence that will have you racing to check for references on all your old King Crimson albums. Perhaps more than any other track on Grace For Drowning, "Raider II" emphasizes the musical balance between darkness and light, as lilting flutes give way to crashing metallic guitars at will. The mellotron choir vocals here have likewise never been used to darker effect.
Despite its being an occasionally difficult listen on first blush, Grace For Drowning is ultimately a very satisfying effort from the modern day standard bearer of prog-rock, and one of music's true renaissance men.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 7:34 PM,
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Mockingbird Time: The Pot At The End Of The Rainbow for Jayhawks Fans
Music Review: The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
The Jayhawks new reunion album Mockingbird Time marks the first time that principal songwriters Mark Olson and Gary Louris have made a record together — at least under the Jayhawks band name — in nearly twenty years.
But it also represents a logical conclusion to the recent renewal of interest in the band many credit with pioneering the modern day alt-country movement. At the very least, the Jayhawks two early nineties releases for American Recordings — Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass (Olson's last recording with the band) — are acknowledged today as classic, groundbreaking recordings.
This full band reunion follows Olson and Louris mending fences to make 2009's more acoustic based "solo" Ready For The Flood album, as well as the Jayhawks anthology Music From The North Country and expanded deluxe editions of both Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass.
For long suffering Jayhawks fans, these past few years have been something of a goldmine, that have also included the reissue of the mythical and long out of print Bunkhouse Album.
It would seem then, that Mockingbird Time has to be viewed as the pot at the end of that particular rainbow. The big question here is, does the end result fulfill the fans lofty expectations, or fall short the same way so many other such big time dream reunions have a way of doing?
Any such doubts are put immediately to rest on Mockingbird Time. From the first few moments that the power chords of the opening "Hide Your Colors" come thundering through your speakers, it's clear that the Jayhawks have lost nary a step despite a nearly two decade absence. Louris and Olson's trademark vocal harmonies — which along with uncommonly great songwriting, have always been this band's strongest suit anyway — remain very much intact all these many years later.
Besides the sweet sounding vocals though, the piano flourishes of Karen Grotberg have long been the best kept secret about the Jayhawks. Here, on tracks like "Tiny Arrows," Grotberg's always subtle ivory tinkling provides the perfect compliment to all of the sweetness of that pitch perfect, Flying Burrito Brothers inspired harmonizing.
Of course, this would all be for naught were it not for great songs. Thankfully, on Mockingbird Time the Jayhawks continue the great tradition of albums like Tomorrow The Green Grass and Hollywood Town Hall, by providing these in abundance. If singles still mattered — at least outside of the auto-tune manufactured machinery that sells records today — a song like "She Walks In So Many Ways" would be a worldwide number one hit. As it stands, the song is a more than worthy successor to previous Jayhawks gems like "Waiting For The Sun" and "Blue."
In addition to the proper album, the now common practice of putting out a deluxe edition makes for some very tasty extras. In this case, these come in the form of a bonus DVD that includes rehearsal footage for the album, as well as a very well done documentary film on the making of Mockingbird Time.
With Mockingbird Time, the Jayhawks have made that rarest of reunion albums that makes us realize just why we missed them in the first place. I can't wait to see these great new songs performed live.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
Read more!
Music Review: The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
The Jayhawks new reunion album Mockingbird Time marks the first time that principal songwriters Mark Olson and Gary Louris have made a record together — at least under the Jayhawks band name — in nearly twenty years.
But it also represents a logical conclusion to the recent renewal of interest in the band many credit with pioneering the modern day alt-country movement. At the very least, the Jayhawks two early nineties releases for American Recordings — Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass (Olson's last recording with the band) — are acknowledged today as classic, groundbreaking recordings.
This full band reunion follows Olson and Louris mending fences to make 2009's more acoustic based "solo" Ready For The Flood album, as well as the Jayhawks anthology Music From The North Country and expanded deluxe editions of both Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass. For long suffering Jayhawks fans, these past few years have been something of a goldmine, that have also included the reissue of the mythical and long out of print Bunkhouse Album.
It would seem then, that Mockingbird Time has to be viewed as the pot at the end of that particular rainbow. The big question here is, does the end result fulfill the fans lofty expectations, or fall short the same way so many other such big time dream reunions have a way of doing?
Any such doubts are put immediately to rest on Mockingbird Time. From the first few moments that the power chords of the opening "Hide Your Colors" come thundering through your speakers, it's clear that the Jayhawks have lost nary a step despite a nearly two decade absence. Louris and Olson's trademark vocal harmonies — which along with uncommonly great songwriting, have always been this band's strongest suit anyway — remain very much intact all these many years later.
Besides the sweet sounding vocals though, the piano flourishes of Karen Grotberg have long been the best kept secret about the Jayhawks. Here, on tracks like "Tiny Arrows," Grotberg's always subtle ivory tinkling provides the perfect compliment to all of the sweetness of that pitch perfect, Flying Burrito Brothers inspired harmonizing.
Of course, this would all be for naught were it not for great songs. Thankfully, on Mockingbird Time the Jayhawks continue the great tradition of albums like Tomorrow The Green Grass and Hollywood Town Hall, by providing these in abundance. If singles still mattered — at least outside of the auto-tune manufactured machinery that sells records today — a song like "She Walks In So Many Ways" would be a worldwide number one hit. As it stands, the song is a more than worthy successor to previous Jayhawks gems like "Waiting For The Sun" and "Blue."
In addition to the proper album, the now common practice of putting out a deluxe edition makes for some very tasty extras. In this case, these come in the form of a bonus DVD that includes rehearsal footage for the album, as well as a very well done documentary film on the making of Mockingbird Time.
With Mockingbird Time, the Jayhawks have made that rarest of reunion albums that makes us realize just why we missed them in the first place. I can't wait to see these great new songs performed live.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 2:35 AM,
, links to this post
Wilco's The Whole Love Is The Album To Beat For Best of 2011
Music Review: Wilco - The Whole Love
Wilco's best overall record since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is also their most stylistically varied since that 2002 album, widely acknowledged as their masterpiece. Much of the same experimental spirit first heard on Foxtrot and its followup A Ghost Is Born is also present on The Whole Love.
But lying in between the sonic freak-outs of tracks like this album's wild seven minute opener "Art Of Almost," you'll also find plenty of the quieter, more understated alt-country elegance that characterized more recent albums like the critically underrated Sky Blue Sky and Wilco: The Album.
More than anything else though, The Whole Love is the album which finally realizes the full potential of Wilco as a completed band. On this album, they are far more than just chief singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy's backup crew.
Ever since the addition of guitarist extraordinaire Nels Cline to the lineup, there have been sporadic hints of these explosive possibilities.
But up until now, they have been only heard in occasional bits and pieces. These have included the Kraftwerk meets Crazy Horse fireworks of "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" (from the live Kicking Television album), the Allman Brothers like axe-dueling of "Impossible Germany" (from Sky Blue Sky), and the dead-on George Harrison by way of Badfinger inspired guitar parts of "You Never Know" (from Wilco: The Album).
On The Whole Love, these previously separate, but highly combustible elements are brought fully together for the first time.
The results are like putting a match to a powder keg. The Whole Love seamlessly combines the more elegant alt-country shades of albums like Sky Blue Sky, with the further out-there avant-experimentalist spirit of early 2000's albums like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born. From Patrick Sansone's lighter than air flourishes on piano and glockenspiel, to the metronomic, rock steady rhythm section of bassist John Stirratt and drummer Glenn Kotche, Wilco cover all the bases on The Whole Love. But of course, there is also the wild card that is guitarist extraordinaire Nels Cline. Here, he fits the band like a previously missing glove.
Cline's stamp is all over this album.
It runs from the histrionic, Jorma Kaukonen meets Robert Fripp psychedelic guitar craziness of the seven minute opening track "The Art Of Almost," to the more subtle steel guitar flourishes of country flavored tracks like "Open Mind" and "Black Moon." On the latter, Cline makes a bagpipe guitar noise not heard since the likes of Big Country back in the eighties. Cline's edgy guitar work also provides a perfect counterpoint to the Doors-like keyboards of Mikael Jorgensen and the throbbing bass of Stirratt on "I Might." Listening to this track will have you checking the liner notes for a Ray Manzarek credit.
The Whole Love is also Wilco's most layered sounding recording to date. Nowhere is this newfound density more evident than on "Capitol City." Here, carnival sounds recalling those heard on the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper are interwoven with an American twist on the vaudevillian feel of the original, uniquely British sounding Beatles classic.
But it is still Jeff Tweedy's songwriting that ultimately makes this album. Whether he is turning romantic longing into an erotic joke on "I Might" (with lyrics describing "your sno-cone and its piss and blood"), or hitting a perfect note of melancholy with the line "I kill my memories with a cheap disease" on the Beatles like "Sunloathe," Tweedy remains a master of lyrical understatement.
The centerpiece of The Whole Love however, is undoubtedly the closing track. "One Sunday Morning (A Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)" is a twelve minute lyrical tour de' force. Describing the breakdown of a father/son relationship for reasons never explained other than the cryptically spoken line "father said what I had become, no one should be" (feel free to fill in your own blanks here), "One Sunday Morning" combines Tweedy's own whispered lyrics with the lovely sounding piano and glock tinkling of Sansone. It is one of Tweedy's most descriptively poignant songs ever.
Long story short, there is not a bad cut to be found here. Wilco's The Whole Love is at this late point, the one to beat for album of the year 2011.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
Read more!
Music Review: Wilco - The Whole Love
Wilco's best overall record since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is also their most stylistically varied since that 2002 album, widely acknowledged as their masterpiece. Much of the same experimental spirit first heard on Foxtrot and its followup A Ghost Is Born is also present on The Whole Love.
But lying in between the sonic freak-outs of tracks like this album's wild seven minute opener "Art Of Almost," you'll also find plenty of the quieter, more understated alt-country elegance that characterized more recent albums like the critically underrated Sky Blue Sky and Wilco: The Album.
More than anything else though, The Whole Love is the album which finally realizes the full potential of Wilco as a completed band. On this album, they are far more than just chief singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy's backup crew. Ever since the addition of guitarist extraordinaire Nels Cline to the lineup, there have been sporadic hints of these explosive possibilities.
But up until now, they have been only heard in occasional bits and pieces. These have included the Kraftwerk meets Crazy Horse fireworks of "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" (from the live Kicking Television album), the Allman Brothers like axe-dueling of "Impossible Germany" (from Sky Blue Sky), and the dead-on George Harrison by way of Badfinger inspired guitar parts of "You Never Know" (from Wilco: The Album).
On The Whole Love, these previously separate, but highly combustible elements are brought fully together for the first time.
The results are like putting a match to a powder keg. The Whole Love seamlessly combines the more elegant alt-country shades of albums like Sky Blue Sky, with the further out-there avant-experimentalist spirit of early 2000's albums like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born. From Patrick Sansone's lighter than air flourishes on piano and glockenspiel, to the metronomic, rock steady rhythm section of bassist John Stirratt and drummer Glenn Kotche, Wilco cover all the bases on The Whole Love. But of course, there is also the wild card that is guitarist extraordinaire Nels Cline. Here, he fits the band like a previously missing glove.
Cline's stamp is all over this album.
It runs from the histrionic, Jorma Kaukonen meets Robert Fripp psychedelic guitar craziness of the seven minute opening track "The Art Of Almost," to the more subtle steel guitar flourishes of country flavored tracks like "Open Mind" and "Black Moon." On the latter, Cline makes a bagpipe guitar noise not heard since the likes of Big Country back in the eighties. Cline's edgy guitar work also provides a perfect counterpoint to the Doors-like keyboards of Mikael Jorgensen and the throbbing bass of Stirratt on "I Might." Listening to this track will have you checking the liner notes for a Ray Manzarek credit.
The Whole Love is also Wilco's most layered sounding recording to date. Nowhere is this newfound density more evident than on "Capitol City." Here, carnival sounds recalling those heard on the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper are interwoven with an American twist on the vaudevillian feel of the original, uniquely British sounding Beatles classic.
But it is still Jeff Tweedy's songwriting that ultimately makes this album. Whether he is turning romantic longing into an erotic joke on "I Might" (with lyrics describing "your sno-cone and its piss and blood"), or hitting a perfect note of melancholy with the line "I kill my memories with a cheap disease" on the Beatles like "Sunloathe," Tweedy remains a master of lyrical understatement.
The centerpiece of The Whole Love however, is undoubtedly the closing track. "One Sunday Morning (A Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)" is a twelve minute lyrical tour de' force. Describing the breakdown of a father/son relationship for reasons never explained other than the cryptically spoken line "father said what I had become, no one should be" (feel free to fill in your own blanks here), "One Sunday Morning" combines Tweedy's own whispered lyrics with the lovely sounding piano and glock tinkling of Sansone. It is one of Tweedy's most descriptively poignant songs ever.
Long story short, there is not a bad cut to be found here. Wilco's The Whole Love is at this late point, the one to beat for album of the year 2011.
This article was first published at Blogcritics Magazine.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 4:34 AM,
, links to this post
