A woman's work is never done! A reader of this blog (possibly the only reader!) made me aware that I had left out 'Garage Inc.' from the previous blog about Metallica. It was kind of intentional but for the benefit of readers, here comes an evaluation of it!
Released in 1998, Garage Inc. is the only Metallica compilation so far, and it's a collection of other people's songs. Disc one were freshly recorded cover songs, made specifically for the album, and disc two collected the cover songs the band had recorded since their debut in 84. This included the entire $5.98 ep, various b-sides and tracks recorded for a tribute to Lemmy from Motörhead. This older material is a rag-tag of quality, as not all of the chosen cover-songs are equally interesting to anyone but Metallica. But great covers of Diamond Head and Queen make it a fun compilation, and especially for completists.
The new recordings saw Metallica change their sound again. After the dark, brooding Load and Reload albums, the style on Garage Inc. could almost be described as cheerful on some tracks.
Thin Lizzy's 'Whiskey in the jar' rendition gets an update with some fine guitar licks from Kirk Hammett, 'Sabbra Cadabra' (a Black Sabbath original) gets a good run-through, and Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Tuesday's gone' gets an acoustic overhaul along with friends of the band. This recording was taken from a radio jam-special, which is available on several bootlegs and is a funny if not entirely relevant snapshot of the band at play rather than work.
A few of the new cover songs did retain some of the brooding sulky grunge of the previous albums, but in general things were changing for the band again. That they would change to the extent of next studio album St. Anger was a big surprise to most.
The friend I mentioned at the beginning of this blog told me she found this release to be unimpressive and the first signs of a big identity crisis for the band. I don't think the band really intended to impress with this release, but rather tie up some loose ends and provide something fun for the fans meanwhile. I could agree to this being a sign of identity crisis, as the sound of the new recordings in particular are all over the place. But I still much preferred the sound of this to St. Anger!
torsdag den 20. november 2008
lørdag den 15. november 2008
The more things change...
As a long-time music fan, one is bound to notice the paths one's favourite bands follow.
Concerning some bands, there isn't so much to notice about it. Great rock giants like Motörhead and AC/DC have pretty much made the same basic album about 10 times at least. That is not necessarily a bad thing, since in the case of those particular bands, it's a GOOD album that they continually release. Just look at the new AC/DC album Black Ice. I mean, who can argue with that ? There might occasionally be a song or two that flirts with a new direction, such as the recent tendency to include a ballad or two on Motörhead's albums, but in general you always know what to expect when you buy one of their albums.
Critics and journalists in music related media generally give favourable reviews to these two bands, while lambasting others for not 'evolving' or 'pushing the envelope'. But sometimes, when a band who's style seems to be set in stone DOES evolve or experiment, the results are sometimes so far from what one expects that critics don't know how to react to it. Case in point, today's blog topic... the evolution of Metallica!
Metallica had their album-debut in 1983, with the album Kill 'em all. Originally scheduled to be called Metal up your ass, they wisely changed the title before release. The album was recorded for a small budget, but the eagerness of the band shines through the sometimes not quite sufficient production. The style was rough thrash based on the band's love of Motörhead and Diamond Head, and it featured some instant Metallica-classics in songs like Seek and destroy and Phantom Lord, later to be covered by a ton of other metal bands. Four of the songs were co-written by recently sacked guitar-shredder Dave Mustaine who would soon release his first album with his own band, Megadeth. He co-wrote two more songs, that would be saved for their first classic album - Ride the lightning.
Ride the lightning was released in 1984 and for many fans this remains the band's greatest achievement. One of those albums that for me must be played end-to-end, it contains some of the best and most recognizable songs of early Metallica. Fade to black with it's fantastic intro, the riff-marathon of For whom the bell tolls, and the smashing instrumental epic The call of Ktulu to name but a few. The style on this album helped define thrash metal to a wider audience, mixing NWOBHM aggression with shredding solos and a melodic approach, and it shows what can be achieved when a band just clicks completely.
They followed it with 1986's Master of Puppets, the last album with awesome bass player Cliff Burton who sadly died in a bus accident shortly after it's release. Burton's death would be instrumental in changing Metallica forever. The album itself is long (near one hour) power display, showing the beginning complexity in Metallica's compositions and bringing thrash metal further classics like Battery, Orion and Damage Inc. So influential was this album that it would later be re-recorded in it's entirety for the magazine Kerrang! by today's crop of metal bands. Neo-prog metallers Dream Theater also recorded and released an live version of the entire album in their 'official bootleg' series.
The first album without Burton, 1988's ... And Justice for all was where the changes brought on by his death would be heard first. Tho the band had found a new bass player in Jason Newstead (ex. Flotsam & Jetsam), the album suffered from a lack of any substantial bass lines, and again an insufficiant production. The album itself was a sprawling behemoth (one hour plus) of complex thrash, at times sounding as bit forced. It can't have been easy for the band to get over losing Burton in such a meaningless accident, and it lead to some creative confusion in the band. The lyrics of the album added to a thrash tradition of anti-government/authority themes and fear of the nuclear threat of the cold war. A hard album to access for Metallica-beginners, it nevertheless contains some classics of it's own, not least the fantastic One.
Following this album the changes would be much more significant. Metallica were about to truly go mainstream.
And they did so with 1991's Metallica (the Black album). It remains to this day the band's best-selling album and it isn't hard to see why. Playing down their thrash roots a bit to make way for a smoother, less complex and above all less threatening sound, they instead focused on a brand of heavy metal that the world at large could easier swallow. Songs like Enter Sandman and Sad but true were still riff-heavy head-bangers, but in a decidedly more pandering way. This album is officially where vintage metallica ended. There were still elements of their old style, but there were also hints of what was to come in the balladry of Nothing else matters that would go on to be a huge hit for the band. And to this day, that song is what most non-fans think of when you say Metallica. The album still has it's share of Metallica classics, but for fans of political thrash-shredding this is where the story ended.
Metallica took a break from recording, returning as a totally different band in 1996 with Load and 1997 with Reload. These two albums look alike, sound alike and will therefore be mentioned together. The reactions of various music media was as different as the albums were to vintage Metallica. I vividly remember reading reviews that doomed the band upon hearing these albums, deeming the new style 'Metallica goes grunge' or 'Metallica ditches thrash for good'. The latter was kind of true, tho it wouldn't be for good. Load and Reload did flirt with grunge but they were so much more. Metallica obviously felt they needed to get with the times, and what came out of it were two very dark brooding albums of rock, blues, mock-country and intro-spective songs dealing with James Hetfield's alcohol abuse.
To me, these albums were initially surprising but the more I listened the more I loved them. Load went all over the place with the country stylings of Mama Said, balladry of Hero of the day and the brooding epic Bleeding me. The band looked, sounded and WERE a darker beast than the denim-clad long-haired thrashers I was used to. Reload followed a year later, and was more of the same basically. Unforgiven II, The Memory Remains and Low Man's lyric continued the grunge-groove-melody theme, and the lyrics were sometimes simple yet relevant.
Many of the songs, as well as some vintage Metallica thrashers would get a symphonic update on the live-with-orchestra S&M from 1999. I really liked this too, and the two new songs -Human and No leaf clover continued the style. I had high hopes for the future of the band as they had obviously found a new creative streak.
But then.. oh dear, but then... In 2003 Metallica returned. As soon as rumors of an impending new album started, everyone were excited about their return. But then they released St. Anger and I dare say it came as a surprise to pretty much everyone. About as far from 'accessible' as it is possible to get, the album featured long and kind of incoherent songs. The production, the drum sound (it sounds like Lars Ulrich is drumming on cardboard boxes throughout) and the complete lack of guitar solos turned many fans off the band completely at the time. Newstead had left the band amidst public arguments over wether he was ever accepted fully as Burton's replacement by the other members of the band, and even more public arguing with Dave Mustaine. I understand that the band had a lot of aggression they needed to release, but this ? It's like an out-stretched middle finger aimed squarely at the fans of the band.
Even though the album received good reviews in some media outlets, the general feeling among the fans of the band is that this is the weakest release ever from the band. I have to say I completely agree.
Because of this, I was not exactly jumping for joy when I heard that Metallica were recording a new album. It did help a bit that there were rumors of Rick Rubin producing. After all, the man had completely resurrected Johnny Cash before his death, and is generally known for bringing out the best in the bands he produces. Then another rumor started circulating. The new album would be kind of like ... And justice for all, it said. That's when I started having a little higher hopes for this new release. In the months and weeks up to the release, my hopes were raised even further when Metallica recorded a great version of Iron Maiden's classic Remember tomorrow for a Kerrang! tribute album. And finally a release date was announced and the first single The Day that never comes was released. Fantastic! The song was a throwback to the good old days of Metallica epics with great guitarplaying and complex but comprehensible song-structures. The release of the album Death Magnetic was highly anticipated and is rightly hailed as a return to glories past for Metallica. Long, but never boring. Hard, but never inaccessibly so, and full of great thrashing songs, if it wasn't for Rubin's modern production and the inclusion of new bass player Rob Trujillo, it could indeed be the logical follow-up to ...And Justice for all.
What is next for Metallica ? Who knows. I hope they continue their new-found style of blending new and old, and re-claim their place on top of Metal's foodchain. After all this is a band that released some of the mandatory classics in the genre, and it is only befitting that they have now released their strongest album in many years. Here's to another 25 years of Metallica!
Concerning some bands, there isn't so much to notice about it. Great rock giants like Motörhead and AC/DC have pretty much made the same basic album about 10 times at least. That is not necessarily a bad thing, since in the case of those particular bands, it's a GOOD album that they continually release. Just look at the new AC/DC album Black Ice. I mean, who can argue with that ? There might occasionally be a song or two that flirts with a new direction, such as the recent tendency to include a ballad or two on Motörhead's albums, but in general you always know what to expect when you buy one of their albums.
Critics and journalists in music related media generally give favourable reviews to these two bands, while lambasting others for not 'evolving' or 'pushing the envelope'. But sometimes, when a band who's style seems to be set in stone DOES evolve or experiment, the results are sometimes so far from what one expects that critics don't know how to react to it. Case in point, today's blog topic... the evolution of Metallica!
Metallica had their album-debut in 1983, with the album Kill 'em all. Originally scheduled to be called Metal up your ass, they wisely changed the title before release. The album was recorded for a small budget, but the eagerness of the band shines through the sometimes not quite sufficient production. The style was rough thrash based on the band's love of Motörhead and Diamond Head, and it featured some instant Metallica-classics in songs like Seek and destroy and Phantom Lord, later to be covered by a ton of other metal bands. Four of the songs were co-written by recently sacked guitar-shredder Dave Mustaine who would soon release his first album with his own band, Megadeth. He co-wrote two more songs, that would be saved for their first classic album - Ride the lightning.
Ride the lightning was released in 1984 and for many fans this remains the band's greatest achievement. One of those albums that for me must be played end-to-end, it contains some of the best and most recognizable songs of early Metallica. Fade to black with it's fantastic intro, the riff-marathon of For whom the bell tolls, and the smashing instrumental epic The call of Ktulu to name but a few. The style on this album helped define thrash metal to a wider audience, mixing NWOBHM aggression with shredding solos and a melodic approach, and it shows what can be achieved when a band just clicks completely.
They followed it with 1986's Master of Puppets, the last album with awesome bass player Cliff Burton who sadly died in a bus accident shortly after it's release. Burton's death would be instrumental in changing Metallica forever. The album itself is long (near one hour) power display, showing the beginning complexity in Metallica's compositions and bringing thrash metal further classics like Battery, Orion and Damage Inc. So influential was this album that it would later be re-recorded in it's entirety for the magazine Kerrang! by today's crop of metal bands. Neo-prog metallers Dream Theater also recorded and released an live version of the entire album in their 'official bootleg' series.
The first album without Burton, 1988's ... And Justice for all was where the changes brought on by his death would be heard first. Tho the band had found a new bass player in Jason Newstead (ex. Flotsam & Jetsam), the album suffered from a lack of any substantial bass lines, and again an insufficiant production. The album itself was a sprawling behemoth (one hour plus) of complex thrash, at times sounding as bit forced. It can't have been easy for the band to get over losing Burton in such a meaningless accident, and it lead to some creative confusion in the band. The lyrics of the album added to a thrash tradition of anti-government/authority themes and fear of the nuclear threat of the cold war. A hard album to access for Metallica-beginners, it nevertheless contains some classics of it's own, not least the fantastic One.
Following this album the changes would be much more significant. Metallica were about to truly go mainstream.
And they did so with 1991's Metallica (the Black album). It remains to this day the band's best-selling album and it isn't hard to see why. Playing down their thrash roots a bit to make way for a smoother, less complex and above all less threatening sound, they instead focused on a brand of heavy metal that the world at large could easier swallow. Songs like Enter Sandman and Sad but true were still riff-heavy head-bangers, but in a decidedly more pandering way. This album is officially where vintage metallica ended. There were still elements of their old style, but there were also hints of what was to come in the balladry of Nothing else matters that would go on to be a huge hit for the band. And to this day, that song is what most non-fans think of when you say Metallica. The album still has it's share of Metallica classics, but for fans of political thrash-shredding this is where the story ended.
Metallica took a break from recording, returning as a totally different band in 1996 with Load and 1997 with Reload. These two albums look alike, sound alike and will therefore be mentioned together. The reactions of various music media was as different as the albums were to vintage Metallica. I vividly remember reading reviews that doomed the band upon hearing these albums, deeming the new style 'Metallica goes grunge' or 'Metallica ditches thrash for good'. The latter was kind of true, tho it wouldn't be for good. Load and Reload did flirt with grunge but they were so much more. Metallica obviously felt they needed to get with the times, and what came out of it were two very dark brooding albums of rock, blues, mock-country and intro-spective songs dealing with James Hetfield's alcohol abuse.
To me, these albums were initially surprising but the more I listened the more I loved them. Load went all over the place with the country stylings of Mama Said, balladry of Hero of the day and the brooding epic Bleeding me. The band looked, sounded and WERE a darker beast than the denim-clad long-haired thrashers I was used to. Reload followed a year later, and was more of the same basically. Unforgiven II, The Memory Remains and Low Man's lyric continued the grunge-groove-melody theme, and the lyrics were sometimes simple yet relevant.
Many of the songs, as well as some vintage Metallica thrashers would get a symphonic update on the live-with-orchestra S&M from 1999. I really liked this too, and the two new songs -Human and No leaf clover continued the style. I had high hopes for the future of the band as they had obviously found a new creative streak.
But then.. oh dear, but then... In 2003 Metallica returned. As soon as rumors of an impending new album started, everyone were excited about their return. But then they released St. Anger and I dare say it came as a surprise to pretty much everyone. About as far from 'accessible' as it is possible to get, the album featured long and kind of incoherent songs. The production, the drum sound (it sounds like Lars Ulrich is drumming on cardboard boxes throughout) and the complete lack of guitar solos turned many fans off the band completely at the time. Newstead had left the band amidst public arguments over wether he was ever accepted fully as Burton's replacement by the other members of the band, and even more public arguing with Dave Mustaine. I understand that the band had a lot of aggression they needed to release, but this ? It's like an out-stretched middle finger aimed squarely at the fans of the band.
Even though the album received good reviews in some media outlets, the general feeling among the fans of the band is that this is the weakest release ever from the band. I have to say I completely agree.
Because of this, I was not exactly jumping for joy when I heard that Metallica were recording a new album. It did help a bit that there were rumors of Rick Rubin producing. After all, the man had completely resurrected Johnny Cash before his death, and is generally known for bringing out the best in the bands he produces. Then another rumor started circulating. The new album would be kind of like ... And justice for all, it said. That's when I started having a little higher hopes for this new release. In the months and weeks up to the release, my hopes were raised even further when Metallica recorded a great version of Iron Maiden's classic Remember tomorrow for a Kerrang! tribute album. And finally a release date was announced and the first single The Day that never comes was released. Fantastic! The song was a throwback to the good old days of Metallica epics with great guitarplaying and complex but comprehensible song-structures. The release of the album Death Magnetic was highly anticipated and is rightly hailed as a return to glories past for Metallica. Long, but never boring. Hard, but never inaccessibly so, and full of great thrashing songs, if it wasn't for Rubin's modern production and the inclusion of new bass player Rob Trujillo, it could indeed be the logical follow-up to ...And Justice for all.
What is next for Metallica ? Who knows. I hope they continue their new-found style of blending new and old, and re-claim their place on top of Metal's foodchain. After all this is a band that released some of the mandatory classics in the genre, and it is only befitting that they have now released their strongest album in many years. Here's to another 25 years of Metallica!
lørdag den 11. oktober 2008
Return of the dinosaurs!
Share my joy! 2008, what a year it's been! For someone like me who is an avid fan of the music of the 1970's and early 1980's, it's been nothing short of fantastic. A lot of the dinosaur rock bands from days of yore have released strong albums this year, and there is still more to come!
I'd like to point out some of the highlights of dinosaur-variety rock this year so far, for those that may be that way enclined!
February brought us a new Magnum live double-album, Wings of heaven live. Magnum have been on a roll lately with several good studio albums in a row!
In March, Denmark's White Lion returned with a new album called Return of the pride. A bit quieter than the rock of their heyday, it did nonetheless contain some great song-writing. After seeing them on tour a few years ago though, I was a tad disappointed at the rock-song to ballad ratio!
The same month, Nazareth returned with an album called The News, to coincide with their 40th anniversary tour! Longevity! This is also the first studio album without original drummer Darrell Sweet who died in 1999.
In April, the mighty Whitesnake slithered forth once more with a good, old-school sounding album of punchy rock songs and slightly masked zep-tribute! Good to be bad hopefully is the beginning of a new period of creativity for the 'snake!
Not ones to be outdone, Def Leppard returned with a new album called Songs from the sparkle lounge, led off by fantastic singles Nine lives and C'mon C'mon. After some lean years, it's good to have the Leppard back as well!
Rush also weighed in this month with a live album, Snakes and arrows live.
Fast forwarding a bit to June, two mighty dinosaur bands of the 70s and two from the 80s treated us to some great albums, and one not so great!
Judas Priest seem to be back on form, with original singer Rob Halford back in the fold and the double-concept-album Nostradamus meeting favourable reviews in most places. A double concept album with a symphony orchestra ? How very un-Priest! But how cool! Digital era be damned, they even released it as a double-vinyl deluxe package!
One of my personal faves, Uriah Heep also came back on the album-scene with Wake the sleeper, a slight return to their late 70s sound but with a contemporary edge. Great stuff all around. AOR heroes Journey released an album with their new singer Arnel Pineda, who managed to sound uncannily like Steve Perry! For the dedicated, the album was released in a double-CD edition with a bonus cd of re-recorded Journey classics with Pineda on vocals. I still prefer the originals, tho the new album is fantastic.
Mötley Crüe unfortunately sounded kind of tired on The Saints of Los Angeles, but then I've never been a huge Crüe fan. Still, as tired as they sounded they totally LOOKED worse. Seriously, Mick Mars looks like he's dead.
July was host to the return of Alice Cooper with a concept album of his own, Along came a spider. His band play tight, and Alice being Alice came up with a spooky story set to his fantastic lyrics. Triumph!
In August, the kings of dirty rock 'n' roll Motörhead issued forth yet another studio album, Motörizer. Motörhead are like AC/DC in that you usually know what to expect from them! But repeating the same formula doesn't mean a decline in quality! Another great album from the 'head. Once poodle-permed rockers Extreme also returned, with an album called Sausades de rock, which at the time of writing I've yet to listen to. Friends tell me it is not quite a return to the glories of the past.
September... oh September! The mighty Metallica released a new studio album, Death Magnetic, their first since the horrible St. Anger. After all the hype (back to the old style, Rick Rubin producing) the album definetly lived up to the expectations of the majority of fans, if reviews are anything to go by! Face-melting riffs, shredding Hammett-solos and Lars Ulrich actually using DRUMS! Fantastic!
And as if that wasn't fantastic enough, Queen + Paul Rodgers also released a new album! The Cosmos rocks had about a 50-50 chance of being good, and I must say for my money it's a great album. They avoid wearing too much on the legacy of Queen and Rodgers' previous bands Free and Bad Company, by blending the styles and adding a more contemporary sound. The album works well as a whole, and while not containing any new 'classics', it's certainly a worthy first effort from these aging rockers!
As if all this wasn't enough, we've also had compilations from riff-machine Megadeth, british rockers UFO and NWOBHM pioneers Iron Maiden, DVD releases from boogie-rockers ZZ Top and Deep Purple and in October, none other than AC/DC release a new studio album! What a year for rock and metal fans!
I'd like to point out some of the highlights of dinosaur-variety rock this year so far, for those that may be that way enclined!
February brought us a new Magnum live double-album, Wings of heaven live. Magnum have been on a roll lately with several good studio albums in a row!
In March, Denmark's White Lion returned with a new album called Return of the pride. A bit quieter than the rock of their heyday, it did nonetheless contain some great song-writing. After seeing them on tour a few years ago though, I was a tad disappointed at the rock-song to ballad ratio!
The same month, Nazareth returned with an album called The News, to coincide with their 40th anniversary tour! Longevity! This is also the first studio album without original drummer Darrell Sweet who died in 1999.
In April, the mighty Whitesnake slithered forth once more with a good, old-school sounding album of punchy rock songs and slightly masked zep-tribute! Good to be bad hopefully is the beginning of a new period of creativity for the 'snake!
Not ones to be outdone, Def Leppard returned with a new album called Songs from the sparkle lounge, led off by fantastic singles Nine lives and C'mon C'mon. After some lean years, it's good to have the Leppard back as well!
Rush also weighed in this month with a live album, Snakes and arrows live.
Fast forwarding a bit to June, two mighty dinosaur bands of the 70s and two from the 80s treated us to some great albums, and one not so great!
Judas Priest seem to be back on form, with original singer Rob Halford back in the fold and the double-concept-album Nostradamus meeting favourable reviews in most places. A double concept album with a symphony orchestra ? How very un-Priest! But how cool! Digital era be damned, they even released it as a double-vinyl deluxe package!
One of my personal faves, Uriah Heep also came back on the album-scene with Wake the sleeper, a slight return to their late 70s sound but with a contemporary edge. Great stuff all around. AOR heroes Journey released an album with their new singer Arnel Pineda, who managed to sound uncannily like Steve Perry! For the dedicated, the album was released in a double-CD edition with a bonus cd of re-recorded Journey classics with Pineda on vocals. I still prefer the originals, tho the new album is fantastic.
Mötley Crüe unfortunately sounded kind of tired on The Saints of Los Angeles, but then I've never been a huge Crüe fan. Still, as tired as they sounded they totally LOOKED worse. Seriously, Mick Mars looks like he's dead.
July was host to the return of Alice Cooper with a concept album of his own, Along came a spider. His band play tight, and Alice being Alice came up with a spooky story set to his fantastic lyrics. Triumph!
In August, the kings of dirty rock 'n' roll Motörhead issued forth yet another studio album, Motörizer. Motörhead are like AC/DC in that you usually know what to expect from them! But repeating the same formula doesn't mean a decline in quality! Another great album from the 'head. Once poodle-permed rockers Extreme also returned, with an album called Sausades de rock, which at the time of writing I've yet to listen to. Friends tell me it is not quite a return to the glories of the past.
September... oh September! The mighty Metallica released a new studio album, Death Magnetic, their first since the horrible St. Anger. After all the hype (back to the old style, Rick Rubin producing) the album definetly lived up to the expectations of the majority of fans, if reviews are anything to go by! Face-melting riffs, shredding Hammett-solos and Lars Ulrich actually using DRUMS! Fantastic!
And as if that wasn't fantastic enough, Queen + Paul Rodgers also released a new album! The Cosmos rocks had about a 50-50 chance of being good, and I must say for my money it's a great album. They avoid wearing too much on the legacy of Queen and Rodgers' previous bands Free and Bad Company, by blending the styles and adding a more contemporary sound. The album works well as a whole, and while not containing any new 'classics', it's certainly a worthy first effort from these aging rockers!
As if all this wasn't enough, we've also had compilations from riff-machine Megadeth, british rockers UFO and NWOBHM pioneers Iron Maiden, DVD releases from boogie-rockers ZZ Top and Deep Purple and in October, none other than AC/DC release a new studio album! What a year for rock and metal fans!
fredag den 19. september 2008
A tribute to Richard Wright
Richard Wright, keyboard-player and backing vocalist for legendary rock band Pink Floyd, died on the 15th of September following a bout with cancer.
Pink Floyd came about in 1965, and Wright was there right from the beginning. He co-founded the band with Roger Waters, Nick Mason and short-time guitarplayer Rado Klose, after a brief period in pre-Floyd bands like 'The T-Set' and 'The Abdabs'. Wright would remain in the band right up until the last album and tour, and participated in the 2005 Live8 reunion concert. That would turn out to be the last Pink Floyd concert ever, if one is to believe statements from guitarist David Gilmour and Waters.
During the Pink Floyd glory years, Wright's keyboard and piano underlined the elaborate progressive rock of all their albums, and between Floyd activities he also found time for a solo career. His first solo album 'Wet dream' was released in 1976, and he handled the vocals and the writing of lyrics himself. A rock album in the vein of success-era Floyd, the album sadly went largely unnoticed and even today it is rarely seen or heard of. As good as it was, Wright would better it 18 years later with his second solo album 'Broken China'. The album's lyrics dealt with his wife's battles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and again the lyrics and vocals were handled by Wright himself, with two exceptions. On two of the records emotional tracks, Wright got Sinead O'Connor to contribute vocals. The best of these, and the best track on a good and underrated record, is the song 'Reaching for the rail'. This album, like his previous solo one, sounds rather like mid-tempo Pink Floyd with Wright singing. In latter years Wright toured with David Gilmour, and as a special surprise, they performed the song 'Breakthrough' live at the concerts, which can be seen (and heard) on the DVD 'David Gilmour live'.
At the time of his death, Wright was working on a third, instrumental, album.
In addition, he formed a band called Zee with Dave Harris of the band Fashion.
They only released on album (Identity in 1983), which failed to register much notice, just like the rest of his non-Floyd material. The album is one for completists, as it has very little to do with Pink Floyd and rock music in general, as it has more of an electronic music feel.
An underrated musician and writer, Wright's work is there for all to appreciate on such Pink Floyd classics as 'Shine on you crazy diamond', 'Run like Hell' and on former Floyd vocalist Syd Barrett's first two albums. To someone like me, who is a big fan of 70's rock music, Wright is another in a long line of musicians that worked hard for their bands success and will be missed. He was 65 at the time of his death, and leaves behind a wife and three children.
In one of life's small twists, his daughter Gala is married to musician Guy Pratt who played bass in Pink Floyd after Waters' exit.
Pink Floyd came about in 1965, and Wright was there right from the beginning. He co-founded the band with Roger Waters, Nick Mason and short-time guitarplayer Rado Klose, after a brief period in pre-Floyd bands like 'The T-Set' and 'The Abdabs'. Wright would remain in the band right up until the last album and tour, and participated in the 2005 Live8 reunion concert. That would turn out to be the last Pink Floyd concert ever, if one is to believe statements from guitarist David Gilmour and Waters.
During the Pink Floyd glory years, Wright's keyboard and piano underlined the elaborate progressive rock of all their albums, and between Floyd activities he also found time for a solo career. His first solo album 'Wet dream' was released in 1976, and he handled the vocals and the writing of lyrics himself. A rock album in the vein of success-era Floyd, the album sadly went largely unnoticed and even today it is rarely seen or heard of. As good as it was, Wright would better it 18 years later with his second solo album 'Broken China'. The album's lyrics dealt with his wife's battles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and again the lyrics and vocals were handled by Wright himself, with two exceptions. On two of the records emotional tracks, Wright got Sinead O'Connor to contribute vocals. The best of these, and the best track on a good and underrated record, is the song 'Reaching for the rail'. This album, like his previous solo one, sounds rather like mid-tempo Pink Floyd with Wright singing. In latter years Wright toured with David Gilmour, and as a special surprise, they performed the song 'Breakthrough' live at the concerts, which can be seen (and heard) on the DVD 'David Gilmour live'.
At the time of his death, Wright was working on a third, instrumental, album.
In addition, he formed a band called Zee with Dave Harris of the band Fashion.
They only released on album (Identity in 1983), which failed to register much notice, just like the rest of his non-Floyd material. The album is one for completists, as it has very little to do with Pink Floyd and rock music in general, as it has more of an electronic music feel.
An underrated musician and writer, Wright's work is there for all to appreciate on such Pink Floyd classics as 'Shine on you crazy diamond', 'Run like Hell' and on former Floyd vocalist Syd Barrett's first two albums. To someone like me, who is a big fan of 70's rock music, Wright is another in a long line of musicians that worked hard for their bands success and will be missed. He was 65 at the time of his death, and leaves behind a wife and three children.
In one of life's small twists, his daughter Gala is married to musician Guy Pratt who played bass in Pink Floyd after Waters' exit.
mandag den 8. september 2008
Who are... Volbeat!
Sorry for the long wait for blog-updates! Here we go with another danish band in the 'Who are...' category!
Who
Volbeat were formed in 2001 by singer Michael Poulsen, formerly of death/thrash metal band Dominus. That band released 4 albums, including one in 1997 called 'Volbeat', from which the new band got it's name.
In addition to Poulsen, the band features Anders Kjølholm (Bass), Jon Larsen (drums) and Thomas Bredahl (guitars). Unlike Dominus, Volbeat's music is radio-oriented and influenced by Poulsen's love of 'The Sun records legacy'. His admiration of people like Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley shines through, and lends a slight rock 'n' roll flavour to the hard rock of their albums. The band has achieved significant mainstream approval in Denmark, which is uncommon for native hard rock and metal bands. Thus, their second album was the first metal album to reach #1 on the Danish sales list.
Releases of note
Soulsweeper (debut single, 2003)
I only wanna be with you (second single, 2004)
The Strength, the sound, the songs (debut album, 2005)
The Garden's tale (succesful single from second album, went to #1, 2007)
Rock the rebel, metal the devil (second album, went to #1, 2007)
Maybellene i hofteholder (single from third album, 2008)
Live: Sold out (DVD, 2008)
Guitar gangsters & Cadillac blood (third album, 2008)
In depth
Rock the rebel... has so far been Volbeat's most popular album. Lead off by single 'The garden's tale', with it's English/Danish lyrics, the album sold a lot on the back of some heavy rotation on Danish radio stations. The influence of Johnny Cash and Presley was even more prominent here than on their first album, not least in songs like 'Sad Man's Tongue' and 'Mr. & Mrs. Ness'. Following the release of this album, Volbeat were handpicked to open for Metallica and later for Megadeth.
Best and worst
The jury is still out on what the best album is, but it's either Rock the rebel... or Guitar Gangsters. It's early days yet for the latter album, but lead off single 'Maybellene i hofteholder' (Maybellene in garter-belt) and the duet with The Storm-singer Pernille Rosendahl, 'Mary Ann's place' are among the band's best tracks. Worst is hard to say with so few releases that are kind of similar in style, but since I'm not much of a music-DVD person, we'll go with Live: Sold out.
Anyone with an interest in contemporary hard rock with a rock 'n' roll influence would do well to check out this fresh band.
Who
Volbeat were formed in 2001 by singer Michael Poulsen, formerly of death/thrash metal band Dominus. That band released 4 albums, including one in 1997 called 'Volbeat', from which the new band got it's name.
In addition to Poulsen, the band features Anders Kjølholm (Bass), Jon Larsen (drums) and Thomas Bredahl (guitars). Unlike Dominus, Volbeat's music is radio-oriented and influenced by Poulsen's love of 'The Sun records legacy'. His admiration of people like Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley shines through, and lends a slight rock 'n' roll flavour to the hard rock of their albums. The band has achieved significant mainstream approval in Denmark, which is uncommon for native hard rock and metal bands. Thus, their second album was the first metal album to reach #1 on the Danish sales list.
Releases of note
Soulsweeper (debut single, 2003)
I only wanna be with you (second single, 2004)
The Strength, the sound, the songs (debut album, 2005)
The Garden's tale (succesful single from second album, went to #1, 2007)
Rock the rebel, metal the devil (second album, went to #1, 2007)
Maybellene i hofteholder (single from third album, 2008)
Live: Sold out (DVD, 2008)
Guitar gangsters & Cadillac blood (third album, 2008)
In depth
Rock the rebel... has so far been Volbeat's most popular album. Lead off by single 'The garden's tale', with it's English/Danish lyrics, the album sold a lot on the back of some heavy rotation on Danish radio stations. The influence of Johnny Cash and Presley was even more prominent here than on their first album, not least in songs like 'Sad Man's Tongue' and 'Mr. & Mrs. Ness'. Following the release of this album, Volbeat were handpicked to open for Metallica and later for Megadeth.
Best and worst
The jury is still out on what the best album is, but it's either Rock the rebel... or Guitar Gangsters. It's early days yet for the latter album, but lead off single 'Maybellene i hofteholder' (Maybellene in garter-belt) and the duet with The Storm-singer Pernille Rosendahl, 'Mary Ann's place' are among the band's best tracks. Worst is hard to say with so few releases that are kind of similar in style, but since I'm not much of a music-DVD person, we'll go with Live: Sold out.
Anyone with an interest in contemporary hard rock with a rock 'n' roll influence would do well to check out this fresh band.
onsdag den 30. juli 2008
Gone too soon: Keith Moon
In this feature, we're looking at musicians who died young. First of, legendary rock drummer 'Moon the loon', Keith Moon of The Who.
Who
Keith Moon, 1946-1978, was the second drummer in The Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960's and early 70's. He joined the band in 1964 and was an important part of the 'who sound' until his death in September of 1978, where his rock 'n' roll lifestyle caught up with him at the age of 32.
During his rock star years, Moon was known as 'Moon the Loon' because of his excessive life style. Booze, pills, ladies - Keith Moon was right there in the middle of it all.
There are a ton of stories by other rock stars about Moon's pranks, fits and behaviour around. Some of the more famous ones involve him driving his expensive car into a swimming pool, running over and killing his bodyguard while fleeing skinheads, breaking countless hotel rooms and throwing his own furniture out of windows. He had a great sense of humour that he put to good use, ribbing his friends and enjoying the money he made from his work in The Who.
Unfortunately, his wild lifestyle caught up with him eventually. He died of an overdose of drugs and medication on september 6ht, 1978, 2 weeks after the release of the last album he played on, The Who's 'Who are you'. In a weird bit of trivia, he died in the same room as Mama Cass Elliott of Mamas and Papas died in, 4 years prior.
Legacy
Keith Moon was first and foremost a very enthusiastic drummer. Behind the kit on the biggest hits and best albums of The Who, he was an integral part of their sound. Musically, this is what he's best remembered for. There are other things to listen to starring Moon, but none of them reach the lofty standards of the Who's catalogue.
In 1975 he released a really bad solo album called 'Two sides of the Moon', where he and his friends played some cover songs that Moon liked. He sings on most of the album, and if this isn't a testimony to his sense of humour I don't know what is. In short, he was a terrible singer.
The album is worth having to big fans of Moon, as it's something of a curio. It stars Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Joe Walsh of The Eagles, Dick Dale and several other rock/pop stars. Those interested should get the Deluxe Edition reissue of the album, which features a staggering 41 bonus tracks, which includes outtakes, non album singles and recordings for a proposed second LP. As a testament to his humour, he apparently wanted the original album cover to depict his bare behind ('Two sides of Moon' indeed) but MCA weren't keen on releasing an LP with that on the cover.
Who
Keith Moon, 1946-1978, was the second drummer in The Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960's and early 70's. He joined the band in 1964 and was an important part of the 'who sound' until his death in September of 1978, where his rock 'n' roll lifestyle caught up with him at the age of 32.
During his rock star years, Moon was known as 'Moon the Loon' because of his excessive life style. Booze, pills, ladies - Keith Moon was right there in the middle of it all.
There are a ton of stories by other rock stars about Moon's pranks, fits and behaviour around. Some of the more famous ones involve him driving his expensive car into a swimming pool, running over and killing his bodyguard while fleeing skinheads, breaking countless hotel rooms and throwing his own furniture out of windows. He had a great sense of humour that he put to good use, ribbing his friends and enjoying the money he made from his work in The Who.
Unfortunately, his wild lifestyle caught up with him eventually. He died of an overdose of drugs and medication on september 6ht, 1978, 2 weeks after the release of the last album he played on, The Who's 'Who are you'. In a weird bit of trivia, he died in the same room as Mama Cass Elliott of Mamas and Papas died in, 4 years prior.
Legacy
Keith Moon was first and foremost a very enthusiastic drummer. Behind the kit on the biggest hits and best albums of The Who, he was an integral part of their sound. Musically, this is what he's best remembered for. There are other things to listen to starring Moon, but none of them reach the lofty standards of the Who's catalogue.
In 1975 he released a really bad solo album called 'Two sides of the Moon', where he and his friends played some cover songs that Moon liked. He sings on most of the album, and if this isn't a testimony to his sense of humour I don't know what is. In short, he was a terrible singer.
The album is worth having to big fans of Moon, as it's something of a curio. It stars Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Joe Walsh of The Eagles, Dick Dale and several other rock/pop stars. Those interested should get the Deluxe Edition reissue of the album, which features a staggering 41 bonus tracks, which includes outtakes, non album singles and recordings for a proposed second LP. As a testament to his humour, he apparently wanted the original album cover to depict his bare behind ('Two sides of Moon' indeed) but MCA weren't keen on releasing an LP with that on the cover.
onsdag den 23. juli 2008
One hit wonders: 'I eat cannibals'
I thought I would introduce a new feature, detailing some of the wonderful one-hit wonders that often come up in music quizzes and that most people can never remember. Since this song is in my head a lot lately, here is the inaugural entry: 'I eat cannibals' by Toto Coelo.
What
Toto Coelo was a british new-wave band, featuring 5 female singers and an anonymous backing band (it was clear which part of the band should be promoted, apparently). The band-name apparently means 'Heaven-wide' in Latin. Who knew ?
Their only claim to fame was this song, which was a surprise hit upon release in 1982. It reached #8 in the UK, and #66 in the US, where the band were called Total Coelo to avoid being mistaken for west-coast soft-rockers Toto... yeah cause they sounded so similar too. Or not!
It's not hard to hear why 'I eat cannibals' was a hit. Driving rhythms, fairly good vocal harmonies and above all else, a nagging catchy chorus. Following this, the group release a couple of other singles to little fanfare, and eventually faded into obscurity.
Verdict
So is it any good ? Well, for what it is (a novelty song) it is pretty good, and as stated before, outrageously catchy. A fun reminder of what was modern at the time.
What
Toto Coelo was a british new-wave band, featuring 5 female singers and an anonymous backing band (it was clear which part of the band should be promoted, apparently). The band-name apparently means 'Heaven-wide' in Latin. Who knew ?
Their only claim to fame was this song, which was a surprise hit upon release in 1982. It reached #8 in the UK, and #66 in the US, where the band were called Total Coelo to avoid being mistaken for west-coast soft-rockers Toto... yeah cause they sounded so similar too. Or not!
It's not hard to hear why 'I eat cannibals' was a hit. Driving rhythms, fairly good vocal harmonies and above all else, a nagging catchy chorus. Following this, the group release a couple of other singles to little fanfare, and eventually faded into obscurity.
Verdict
So is it any good ? Well, for what it is (a novelty song) it is pretty good, and as stated before, outrageously catchy. A fun reminder of what was modern at the time.
Review : Fleet Foxes
Yikes I really got behind on this again! I promise to make an effort to update more often :p
For starters, here's a review of Fleet Foxes self titled debut album!
What
Folky pop-band from Seattle. Imagine the best of the early 70s folky pop-rock movement, with contemporary production. Excellent stuff. Self-titled debut album released on Sub Pop, released June 2008. The album features 11 songs, totalling 40 minutes of music.
The sound on this album is a direct continuation of the preview ep, 'Sun Giant' (also on Sub Pop). When I first heard that ep, I was very pleasantly surprised and had to make sure it was a contemporary release, and not from the mid 70s. Listening to their debut album, I find it remarkable how well Fleet Foxes capture and mix various things that made the 70s the best decade for this kind of music. There are the awesome vocal harmonies ( most prominent on tracks like 'Meadowlark', 'Blue Ridge Mountains' and 'He doesn't know why' ), there's the gently strummed acoustic guitars as well as well timed electric solos, and the strong melodies throughout. Upon listening to the album for the second time, I took a piece of paper and wrote down what bands I was reminded of. Fleetwood Mac ca. 1975... Crosby, Stills and Nash ca. 1969-1970.. The Beach Boys.. and some contemporary neo-folkies who also strive for an older sound, like Marissa Nadler and Devendra Banhart. Songs like 'Ragged Wood' make me really happy to hear, because I'm partial to multi-layered vocal harmonies and acoustic-guitar driven melodies. If not for the slightly different vocals, it could almost have been a Beach Boys song.
Some of the songs are quiet, and some ( like the super 'Quiet houses' ) are a bit more up-beat, but the album never drags or gets repetitive. There is some strong song-writing on exhibit here, and it is to Fleet Foxes' credit that they have released an album of entirely new material which both sounds fresh and reminds of a particular period in popular music. According to the info in the booklet, all the songs were written by Robin Pecknold. If that is the case, he has a strong ear for melody and I can hardly wait to hear how Fleet Foxes are going to follow up this great album.
My Take
Fans of this kind of music will not be disappointed by this, as it's likely to remind people who like 70s pop of their favourites.
I give this album a very solid ********* out of 10, and I can recommend getting both this and the 'Sun Giant' ep (which has 5 exclusive songs).
Best and worst
The best songs are 'Ragged Wood' and 'Quiet houses', but the whole album is pretty darn good, and as such there is no worst on this album. If I were to make one complaint, it is that the album could have used a song or two more. But that's a very minor complaint. Thoroughly enjoyable!
For starters, here's a review of Fleet Foxes self titled debut album!
What
Folky pop-band from Seattle. Imagine the best of the early 70s folky pop-rock movement, with contemporary production. Excellent stuff. Self-titled debut album released on Sub Pop, released June 2008. The album features 11 songs, totalling 40 minutes of music.
The sound on this album is a direct continuation of the preview ep, 'Sun Giant' (also on Sub Pop). When I first heard that ep, I was very pleasantly surprised and had to make sure it was a contemporary release, and not from the mid 70s. Listening to their debut album, I find it remarkable how well Fleet Foxes capture and mix various things that made the 70s the best decade for this kind of music. There are the awesome vocal harmonies ( most prominent on tracks like 'Meadowlark', 'Blue Ridge Mountains' and 'He doesn't know why' ), there's the gently strummed acoustic guitars as well as well timed electric solos, and the strong melodies throughout. Upon listening to the album for the second time, I took a piece of paper and wrote down what bands I was reminded of. Fleetwood Mac ca. 1975... Crosby, Stills and Nash ca. 1969-1970.. The Beach Boys.. and some contemporary neo-folkies who also strive for an older sound, like Marissa Nadler and Devendra Banhart. Songs like 'Ragged Wood' make me really happy to hear, because I'm partial to multi-layered vocal harmonies and acoustic-guitar driven melodies. If not for the slightly different vocals, it could almost have been a Beach Boys song.
Some of the songs are quiet, and some ( like the super 'Quiet houses' ) are a bit more up-beat, but the album never drags or gets repetitive. There is some strong song-writing on exhibit here, and it is to Fleet Foxes' credit that they have released an album of entirely new material which both sounds fresh and reminds of a particular period in popular music. According to the info in the booklet, all the songs were written by Robin Pecknold. If that is the case, he has a strong ear for melody and I can hardly wait to hear how Fleet Foxes are going to follow up this great album.
My Take
Fans of this kind of music will not be disappointed by this, as it's likely to remind people who like 70s pop of their favourites.
I give this album a very solid ********* out of 10, and I can recommend getting both this and the 'Sun Giant' ep (which has 5 exclusive songs).
Best and worst
The best songs are 'Ragged Wood' and 'Quiet houses', but the whole album is pretty darn good, and as such there is no worst on this album. If I were to make one complaint, it is that the album could have used a song or two more. But that's a very minor complaint. Thoroughly enjoyable!
søndag den 22. juni 2008
Concert Review - KISS!
Over the next couple of posts Ill review concerts I've seen this year so far. First up, Kiss!
What
Kiss (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer).
The Forum, Copenhagen, June 3rd 2008.
Good
This was Kiss' first visit in Denmark in 9 years, on the tour billed 'Alive 35'.
The Forum is a good venue, roomy and with adequate sound, and as soon as Kiss went on the sound was crystal clear. They started out playing the entire 'Alive' live album from 1975, except 'Let me go, rock and roll' which was a bonus track in some editions of the release. This meant that right from the start we were treated to hits like 'Deuce', 'Strutter', 'Black Diamond' and 'Rock and roll all nite'. The band, with 'new' members Tommy Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums, played very tight and it seems they've got the set list down solid (turns out this is because they play the same setlist every night on this tour). It's always great to see bands that are pros, and know their material by heart.
After a short break they came back out and played what was essentiall a 'greatest hits of songs not on the Alive album' set. Personal highlights for me were 'I was made for lovin' you' and 'Love gun', where Paul Stanley was transported to the middle of the crowd for the duration of the song. Kiss are as theatrical in their performance as ever, and it's enough to make one suspend disbelief briefly and just enjoy some great 70's rock.
Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer did a good job of filling in for Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, just as they have on the records. Singer in particular was a great surprise, taking vocals on a few tracks and managing the rare art of a drum solo that never once got boring. Smashing!
Bad
One thing that's always kind of annoyed me about Kiss is the banter at their concerts. Paul Stanley is still saying the same things he was saying in the 70's ('This is the greatest crowd ever!', etc.) and that he says in every city. Wouldn't hurt to spice it up a little and say something different once in a while.
Also, I have to say the opening band was horrible. I didn't catch the name but after hearing the music I wouldn't want to ever come across this band again. Bad sound, bad singing and above all else, generic boring songs that were hard to seperate. It just came and went like half an hour of recycled riffs and emo-screaming. Kiss are richer than most bands, why can't they bring a decent opening band ?
All in all
I would say that I feel I definetly got my money's worth from this concert. Kiss were fantastic and right from the first song, it was a party all night long. The concert has gotten some slack in the press for being 'unoriginal', but I feel that's not a fair assesment. Kiss made this kind of show, and were among the first to make this particular brand of glammy, trashy rock and roll. So the last thing one could accuse them of is being unoriginal I feel. If anything, they're still riding the same wave of success they started out on back then, but if the ride continues to be this much fun, who's to blame them?
A solid 8 out of 10 for the whole evening! A better opening band would have pushed this up to 9!
What
Kiss (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer).
The Forum, Copenhagen, June 3rd 2008.
Good
This was Kiss' first visit in Denmark in 9 years, on the tour billed 'Alive 35'.
The Forum is a good venue, roomy and with adequate sound, and as soon as Kiss went on the sound was crystal clear. They started out playing the entire 'Alive' live album from 1975, except 'Let me go, rock and roll' which was a bonus track in some editions of the release. This meant that right from the start we were treated to hits like 'Deuce', 'Strutter', 'Black Diamond' and 'Rock and roll all nite'. The band, with 'new' members Tommy Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums, played very tight and it seems they've got the set list down solid (turns out this is because they play the same setlist every night on this tour). It's always great to see bands that are pros, and know their material by heart.
After a short break they came back out and played what was essentiall a 'greatest hits of songs not on the Alive album' set. Personal highlights for me were 'I was made for lovin' you' and 'Love gun', where Paul Stanley was transported to the middle of the crowd for the duration of the song. Kiss are as theatrical in their performance as ever, and it's enough to make one suspend disbelief briefly and just enjoy some great 70's rock.
Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer did a good job of filling in for Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, just as they have on the records. Singer in particular was a great surprise, taking vocals on a few tracks and managing the rare art of a drum solo that never once got boring. Smashing!
Bad
One thing that's always kind of annoyed me about Kiss is the banter at their concerts. Paul Stanley is still saying the same things he was saying in the 70's ('This is the greatest crowd ever!', etc.) and that he says in every city. Wouldn't hurt to spice it up a little and say something different once in a while.
Also, I have to say the opening band was horrible. I didn't catch the name but after hearing the music I wouldn't want to ever come across this band again. Bad sound, bad singing and above all else, generic boring songs that were hard to seperate. It just came and went like half an hour of recycled riffs and emo-screaming. Kiss are richer than most bands, why can't they bring a decent opening band ?
All in all
I would say that I feel I definetly got my money's worth from this concert. Kiss were fantastic and right from the first song, it was a party all night long. The concert has gotten some slack in the press for being 'unoriginal', but I feel that's not a fair assesment. Kiss made this kind of show, and were among the first to make this particular brand of glammy, trashy rock and roll. So the last thing one could accuse them of is being unoriginal I feel. If anything, they're still riding the same wave of success they started out on back then, but if the ride continues to be this much fun, who's to blame them?
A solid 8 out of 10 for the whole evening! A better opening band would have pushed this up to 9!
mandag den 16. juni 2008
sorry!
Yikes! When one gets behind, one really gets behind! A new blog entry is coming tomorrow (promises, promises) reviewing recently attended concerts! stay tuned!
søndag den 4. maj 2008
Hidden treasure - 'Touch upon touch'
Hidden treasures take a closer look at hard to obtain music from bands we like. Music that for some reason never got a wide release, and is not easily available (if we don't take p2p into consideration, which we dont! Shame on you!).
I'm a big fan of the band Cocteau Twins. They had a quite unique sound which I've never found dublicated anywhere else, and once I was introduced to their music I was hooked. Cocteau twins specialized in etheral pop songs with incomprehensible lyrics. Elizabeth Fraser has a very special voice that she used to great effect on Cocteau Twins material, and later for Massive Attack as well. One could be forgiven for thinking that what she does is not so much singing as it is 'mouth music' (the Scottish/Irish tradition of puirt a beul), but since the songs do have lyrics and you can sometimes decipher a few words, I conclude that it is actually singing.
Coupled with Robin Guthrie's specially processed guitar sound, this voice made some of the most unearthly music of the 80s and early 90s.
So there I am, a fan of the band, and being a collector I start snapping up their records. I soon learn that for every album they made, they also released 2 ep's. Some of the ep's are increasingly rare and hard to find, but thankfully they see fit to release all their ep and single tracks on 2 double cds, 'Lullabies to Violaine' 1 & 2 (also available compiled in a lavish box set). Excellent! So having bought those, I figured I had the most of their output. And I do. But a band doesn't exist from 1979 to 1997 without there being some leftover or hard to obtain material. And sure enough, there are songs which have only appeared on out of print best-ofs and soundtracks. But the very hardest one to obtain exists on a Dewdrops Records compilation called 'Splashed with many a speck'. I first heard the song from a friend who had *gasp* borrowed it on a p2p thing, and I was immediately sold.
The song in question is called 'Touch upon touch', lasts 04:05 and is also available on a limited 'give-away' cd from a magazine called Volume. It's a slow lament, with the trademark obscure lyrics. The melody is enchanting, and along the way Fraser provides some excellent background vocals for her own main vocal track. The song has sort of an eery atmosphere, which much of the earlier 'Twins material did as well, and is a great addition to any 'Twins collection.
But but but... where to find it. After searching far and wide for the '...many a speck' cd, I had to give up. I didn't see it once on either ebay or any variation of amazon. I tried specialty stores, none of which had ever even heard of it (many of them never even heard of Cocteau Twins... *sigh*). I tried to find the 'Volume' cd too, no such luck. Fortunately, on the official Cocteau Twins website, there is a media section where they've put the majority of their hard to obtain material, free for everyone to download. So in the end, I've had to settle for owning the song as an mp3. Hardly fitting for someone who collects, but better than not having it at all. Best of all I didn't have to steal it anywhere since it's readily available.
If you like Cocteau Twins, I highly recommend you find this song on their website http://www.cocteautwins.com/ . It is the best of their hard to find songs, and fits in well in their overall style and output.
I'm a big fan of the band Cocteau Twins. They had a quite unique sound which I've never found dublicated anywhere else, and once I was introduced to their music I was hooked. Cocteau twins specialized in etheral pop songs with incomprehensible lyrics. Elizabeth Fraser has a very special voice that she used to great effect on Cocteau Twins material, and later for Massive Attack as well. One could be forgiven for thinking that what she does is not so much singing as it is 'mouth music' (the Scottish/Irish tradition of puirt a beul), but since the songs do have lyrics and you can sometimes decipher a few words, I conclude that it is actually singing.
Coupled with Robin Guthrie's specially processed guitar sound, this voice made some of the most unearthly music of the 80s and early 90s.
So there I am, a fan of the band, and being a collector I start snapping up their records. I soon learn that for every album they made, they also released 2 ep's. Some of the ep's are increasingly rare and hard to find, but thankfully they see fit to release all their ep and single tracks on 2 double cds, 'Lullabies to Violaine' 1 & 2 (also available compiled in a lavish box set). Excellent! So having bought those, I figured I had the most of their output. And I do. But a band doesn't exist from 1979 to 1997 without there being some leftover or hard to obtain material. And sure enough, there are songs which have only appeared on out of print best-ofs and soundtracks. But the very hardest one to obtain exists on a Dewdrops Records compilation called 'Splashed with many a speck'. I first heard the song from a friend who had *gasp* borrowed it on a p2p thing, and I was immediately sold.
The song in question is called 'Touch upon touch', lasts 04:05 and is also available on a limited 'give-away' cd from a magazine called Volume. It's a slow lament, with the trademark obscure lyrics. The melody is enchanting, and along the way Fraser provides some excellent background vocals for her own main vocal track. The song has sort of an eery atmosphere, which much of the earlier 'Twins material did as well, and is a great addition to any 'Twins collection.
But but but... where to find it. After searching far and wide for the '...many a speck' cd, I had to give up. I didn't see it once on either ebay or any variation of amazon. I tried specialty stores, none of which had ever even heard of it (many of them never even heard of Cocteau Twins... *sigh*). I tried to find the 'Volume' cd too, no such luck. Fortunately, on the official Cocteau Twins website, there is a media section where they've put the majority of their hard to obtain material, free for everyone to download. So in the end, I've had to settle for owning the song as an mp3. Hardly fitting for someone who collects, but better than not having it at all. Best of all I didn't have to steal it anywhere since it's readily available.
If you like Cocteau Twins, I highly recommend you find this song on their website http://www.cocteautwins.com/ . It is the best of their hard to find songs, and fits in well in their overall style and output.
lørdag den 19. april 2008
Review: 'Maskineri'
Today, a review : Kaizers Orchestra's latest album, 'Maskineri'.
Sometimes, seemingly out of the blue, a band shows up that has a totally unique sound or style. Either they develop their own thing, or elaborate unexpectedly on an already existing thing. When Kaizers Orchestra appeared in 2000 with their debut full-length 'Ompa til du dør (Ompa till you die) ', they immediately struck a chord with people who seek out the different, the challenging. I read a review of the album and went out and got the album a few days later. Sung entirely in their native Norwegian, the album mixed punk-rock with balkan-folk, guitar solos and lyrics about a gangster dynasty. I was caught right away. And I was along for the next two albums, two eps and a live album taped at a concert I attended! How cool is that! The music remained largely the same. Loud, with solid rhythms (often brought on by oil-can drumming), polka song-structures and far-out lyrics. So far so good. But eventually, most bands with a distinctive style eventually feel a need to further develop on it or experiment with something new. This brings us to Kaizers' 4th full-length album, 'Maskineri (Machinery)'.
What
Fourth album, released by Sony/BMG internationally in February 2008. Same length as the other three albums (all of them last between 42 and 45 minutes), spread out over 12 songs.
Some new instruments, like marimba, have been added to the sound-scape.
The first thing that comes to mind when listening to this album is how quiet it is, compared to their previous albums. There are not as many songs with whacky polka-rhythms as previously, and the oil-can drumming and pump-organ driven backing seems to have generally taken a back-seat to make way for other instruments. The first song 'Moment' does start out with a dominant rhythm, but songs like the delicate 'Den andre er meg (the other is me)' have hardly any rhythm at all but seem to develop kind of randomly. 'Den andre er meg' also features a first for a Kaizers record, a duetting female vocal. Generally the album also feels kind of slow compared to the previous albums, even though it's the same length.
Of course it isn't a total change. Small steps, after all. 'Toxic Blod' and 'Bastard sønn (bastard son)' follow the same pattern as many of the bands most popular songs, and 'Bastard sønn' in particular has some great lyrics.
And while we're on the lyrics, it doesn't seem like Kaizers are much preoccupied with elaborating on their previous story about the mob dynasty. The songs on 'Maskineri' are pretty much individual stories, and do not seem to be about anyone in particular. This is kind of a shame because the twisted stories of their previous albums was very exciting to follow.
My take
This album is the Kaizers album that has taken the longest to get under my skin. I must confess I liked their harder, edgier material better, progress be damned. Initially I was dissapointed, and found only a few songs to cling on to on the album. But it is an album that grows with repeated listening, and the band should be applauded for trying to expand their horizons. I look forward to finding out if this is the new style of the band, or just a temporary creative detour.
I award this album a cautious but recommendable ****** out of 10, because even if they seem to have watered it down a bit, Kaizers style is still innovative and they are still forging ahead with their own vision without much compromise.
Best and worst
The best songs on the album are 'Moment', 'Bastard Sønn' and 'Volvo i Mexico'. These elaborate well on the bands previously laid foundation.
The worst songs are the boring 'Enden av November (The end of November)' and 'Kaizers 115. drøm (Kaizers 115th dream)'. It is fine that the band want to try something new, but songs that are this quiet and don't go anywhere, doesn't seem like the ideal way to go.
Sometimes, seemingly out of the blue, a band shows up that has a totally unique sound or style. Either they develop their own thing, or elaborate unexpectedly on an already existing thing. When Kaizers Orchestra appeared in 2000 with their debut full-length 'Ompa til du dør (Ompa till you die) ', they immediately struck a chord with people who seek out the different, the challenging. I read a review of the album and went out and got the album a few days later. Sung entirely in their native Norwegian, the album mixed punk-rock with balkan-folk, guitar solos and lyrics about a gangster dynasty. I was caught right away. And I was along for the next two albums, two eps and a live album taped at a concert I attended! How cool is that! The music remained largely the same. Loud, with solid rhythms (often brought on by oil-can drumming), polka song-structures and far-out lyrics. So far so good. But eventually, most bands with a distinctive style eventually feel a need to further develop on it or experiment with something new. This brings us to Kaizers' 4th full-length album, 'Maskineri (Machinery)'.
What
Fourth album, released by Sony/BMG internationally in February 2008. Same length as the other three albums (all of them last between 42 and 45 minutes), spread out over 12 songs.
Some new instruments, like marimba, have been added to the sound-scape.
The first thing that comes to mind when listening to this album is how quiet it is, compared to their previous albums. There are not as many songs with whacky polka-rhythms as previously, and the oil-can drumming and pump-organ driven backing seems to have generally taken a back-seat to make way for other instruments. The first song 'Moment' does start out with a dominant rhythm, but songs like the delicate 'Den andre er meg (the other is me)' have hardly any rhythm at all but seem to develop kind of randomly. 'Den andre er meg' also features a first for a Kaizers record, a duetting female vocal. Generally the album also feels kind of slow compared to the previous albums, even though it's the same length.
Of course it isn't a total change. Small steps, after all. 'Toxic Blod' and 'Bastard sønn (bastard son)' follow the same pattern as many of the bands most popular songs, and 'Bastard sønn' in particular has some great lyrics.
And while we're on the lyrics, it doesn't seem like Kaizers are much preoccupied with elaborating on their previous story about the mob dynasty. The songs on 'Maskineri' are pretty much individual stories, and do not seem to be about anyone in particular. This is kind of a shame because the twisted stories of their previous albums was very exciting to follow.
My take
This album is the Kaizers album that has taken the longest to get under my skin. I must confess I liked their harder, edgier material better, progress be damned. Initially I was dissapointed, and found only a few songs to cling on to on the album. But it is an album that grows with repeated listening, and the band should be applauded for trying to expand their horizons. I look forward to finding out if this is the new style of the band, or just a temporary creative detour.
I award this album a cautious but recommendable ****** out of 10, because even if they seem to have watered it down a bit, Kaizers style is still innovative and they are still forging ahead with their own vision without much compromise.
Best and worst
The best songs on the album are 'Moment', 'Bastard Sønn' and 'Volvo i Mexico'. These elaborate well on the bands previously laid foundation.
The worst songs are the boring 'Enden av November (The end of November)' and 'Kaizers 115. drøm (Kaizers 115th dream)'. It is fine that the band want to try something new, but songs that are this quiet and don't go anywhere, doesn't seem like the ideal way to go.
mandag den 7. april 2008
Who are... Gasolin'!
Second time around for the 'Who are...' feature. Today, Denmark's biggest rock band through the ages - Gasolin' !
Who
In the beginning, Gasolin' consisted of singer/rhythm-guitarist Kim Larsen, lead guitarist/sax-player Franz 'Mr. Stone-free' Beckerlee, bass-player/Keyboard player Wili Jönsson and drummer Björn Uglebjerg. The band was formed in 1969, and released a handful of rock singles while playing local taverns, and local parties. Right from the begining, there was a lot of tension in the band between Larsen, who insisted on danish and humorous lyrics, and Beckerlee who wanted Hendrix-style guitar with jazzy song arrangements. Somehow they managed to co-exist, but the constant arguments was too much for drummer Uglebjerg who soon left the band, and was replaced by Gasolin' fan Søren 'Charlie' Berlev. This became the definitive Gasolin' lineup, that would last until 1979/1980. The music started out as pop/rock on the first couple of albums, but starting with album 3 the style turned more towards a heavier brand of rock, inspired by Gasolin's favourites like Jimi Hendrix, Mott the Hoople and Queen.
Releases of note
Gasolin' (1971)
Gasolin' 2 (1972)
Gasolin' 3 (1973)
Stakkels Jim ('Poor Jim', 1974)
The last Jim (Stakkels Jim in english, released in US, UK, 1974)
Gas 5 (1975)
What a lemon (Gas 5 in english, released in US, UK, Japan, 1975)
Live - Sådan ('Live - like that' 1976)
Efter endnu en dag ('After another day', 1976)
Gør det noget ('Does it matter', 1977)
Killin' time (various old songs, in english, 1978)
Gøglernes aften - Live i Skandinavien ('Carnies night - Live in Scandinavia' 1978)
The early years (Early singles and b-sides released on CD, 2000)
Add to this about 30 single releases, and 4-5 compilations, one of which (The Black Box, 2003) contains all 7 original danish studio albums, 'Live Sådan' and a disc of rare material.
The albums 'Gas 5' and 'Efter endnu en dag' contains some songs with english lyrics.
In Depth
Gasolin' (or Gas') became popular in a hurry, and were a popular concert attraction. But in 1975 with the release of Gas 5, they became the biggest rock band in Denmark and also became quite large in neighbouring countries Sweden, Norway and Germany. For the album, Gas managed to get producer Roy Thomas Baker, known for his success with Queen, and much admired by Gas. The album contained the following songs, 3 of which became the bands biggest hits:
1. Rabalderstræde
2. Fatherless Hill (english)
3. Lonesome Avenue (english)
4. Sjagge
5. Masser af success
6. Refrainet er frit
7. Kvinde min
8. 1975
9. Sct. Emetri
10. Good time Charlie (english)
The high points, on a near perfect album:
'Rabalderstræde' starts out the album brilliantly, an ode to the street where Gas spent a lot of their time as big kids, among bikers, pushers, prostitutes and similar people. It features some great guitar from Beckerlee set to some brilliant rhythm work from the bass and drums, and a lyric everyone from Copenhagen at the time could probably relate to. The song had 2 'fake' endings where the music faded out and then returned even louder, and Gas used this to great effefct when playing live, often stretching the song to 9-10 minutes.
'Fatherless Hill', entirely in english, featured backing vocals by members of all-girl group Sh*t and Chanel. The song shows a bit of Larsen's shortcomings when it comes to english, but it has a great chorus that is instantly memorable. Larsen was never the greatest poet in english, but this song, and 'This is my life' from the 'Efter endnu en dag' album were great attempts.
Examples from the lyrics: 'Well thank you Mr. Jesus, thank you for the game - I've been through many changes, but you're still the same' / 'Oh sister and brother, and sweet little mother - let's go, let's go to the mill, on fatherless hill'.
The tempo is taken down a bit in the songs 'Masser af success' and 'Kvinde min', two of the groups most loved compositions that are still heavily featured on danish radio today. 'Masser af success (Lots of Success)' was Gas' response to their surging popularity. They were finding it hard to maintain a healthy private life away from being rock stars, and this touching lyric about life on the road showed that they we're having a problem coming to terms with their recognition.
'Kvinde min (My woman)' was the most obvious love song they ever wrote, focusing on telling the subject of the lyrics that in spite of the problems that may occur in a relationship, they should have faith in love to guide them through. This is probably the most frequently covered song sung in danish.
'Good time Charlie' would go on to become the opening number on the ensuing tour, being an encouragement to enjoy life and party instead of fearing for war. Example from the lyrics: 'They say the boom is coming, the rats are running - but me and Camilla, we're sipping tequila'.
In english, the track listing was as follows:
1. What a lemon (Rabalderstræde)
2. Fatherless Hill
3. Lonesome avenue
4. Rebel run (Sjagge)
5. Lots of success (Masser af success)
6. It's all the same to an american dane (Refrainet er frit)
7. Lady oh Lady (Kvinde min)
8. Sad song of a bluebird (Sct. Emetri)
9. Rabalderstræde
10. The last Jim (instrumental, taken from 'Stakkels Jim/The last Jim')
Unfortunately, perhaps due to their inadequate english, Gas never made it big in England OR the US. They continued to be huge in Europe though, until they folded in 1980 to make way for Larsens growing solo career. The albums in english are well worth hearing though, and may be the best starting point for those who don't understand danish.
Best and worst
The best album, by a wide margin, is Gas 5, in danish. For non-danish speakers, 'Killin' time' may be the best place to start because those songs were written in english, then translated to danish, instead of the other way around which was usually the case.
The best song, in my opinion, is found elsewhere though.
On the album 'Efter endnu en dag', there is a song in english called 'This is my life', which is a slow and quiet song lamenting war, and aging. It features an opera singer in a middle portion, and contains the best lyrics the group ever wrote in english. The song would later be the best song on 'Gøglernes aften - Live i Skandinavien', where it was played in a faster, more rocking version, but retained it's melancholy and lamenting feel. The lyrics, in full:
------------------------------------------
This is my life - this is my time
Show me the light, and I'll go there
Give me the wine - bitter and sweet
And a little bit of bread, that's all I need
No no no I don't want the gold from Xanadu
I think I'll leave it all to you
This is my life and I don't care
This is my street - oh you restless feet
Carry me on to anywhere
Take the fear - take it away
And give me some hope for one more day
I saw a ghost behind the door
When the kids were coming home from the war
With broken dreams, and nothing more
I heard a woman, singing her song
And it was good, and warm and strong
Oh she makes me cry, I don't know why
(opera in studio version, great guitar solo in live version)
No no no I don't want to bring you down
I declare it's good to be here
This is my life and I don't care
----------------------------------------
Other recommended songs:
'Stakkels Jim' (Poor Jim), Gas' reworking of Auld Lang Syne complete with Hendrix guitar and futuristic lyrics about mankind leaving the cities behind and going back to nature.
'Kloden drejer stille rundt' (Slowly the world turns), a great track about a man reflecting on his day before going to sleep.
Worst is kind of hard to pick, but I have to go with the first album which contains all of one hit, 'Langebro', so it is kind of a boring album all in all. From there, the albums got better and better up to and including 'Efter endnu en dag', and then came a kind of lacklustre seventh album to finish Gasolin's studio days.
Who
In the beginning, Gasolin' consisted of singer/rhythm-guitarist Kim Larsen, lead guitarist/sax-player Franz 'Mr. Stone-free' Beckerlee, bass-player/Keyboard player Wili Jönsson and drummer Björn Uglebjerg. The band was formed in 1969, and released a handful of rock singles while playing local taverns, and local parties. Right from the begining, there was a lot of tension in the band between Larsen, who insisted on danish and humorous lyrics, and Beckerlee who wanted Hendrix-style guitar with jazzy song arrangements. Somehow they managed to co-exist, but the constant arguments was too much for drummer Uglebjerg who soon left the band, and was replaced by Gasolin' fan Søren 'Charlie' Berlev. This became the definitive Gasolin' lineup, that would last until 1979/1980. The music started out as pop/rock on the first couple of albums, but starting with album 3 the style turned more towards a heavier brand of rock, inspired by Gasolin's favourites like Jimi Hendrix, Mott the Hoople and Queen.
Releases of note
Gasolin' (1971)
Gasolin' 2 (1972)
Gasolin' 3 (1973)
Stakkels Jim ('Poor Jim', 1974)
The last Jim (Stakkels Jim in english, released in US, UK, 1974)
Gas 5 (1975)
What a lemon (Gas 5 in english, released in US, UK, Japan, 1975)
Live - Sådan ('Live - like that' 1976)
Efter endnu en dag ('After another day', 1976)
Gør det noget ('Does it matter', 1977)
Killin' time (various old songs, in english, 1978)
Gøglernes aften - Live i Skandinavien ('Carnies night - Live in Scandinavia' 1978)
The early years (Early singles and b-sides released on CD, 2000)
Add to this about 30 single releases, and 4-5 compilations, one of which (The Black Box, 2003) contains all 7 original danish studio albums, 'Live Sådan' and a disc of rare material.
The albums 'Gas 5' and 'Efter endnu en dag' contains some songs with english lyrics.
In Depth
Gasolin' (or Gas') became popular in a hurry, and were a popular concert attraction. But in 1975 with the release of Gas 5, they became the biggest rock band in Denmark and also became quite large in neighbouring countries Sweden, Norway and Germany. For the album, Gas managed to get producer Roy Thomas Baker, known for his success with Queen, and much admired by Gas. The album contained the following songs, 3 of which became the bands biggest hits:
1. Rabalderstræde
2. Fatherless Hill (english)
3. Lonesome Avenue (english)
4. Sjagge
5. Masser af success
6. Refrainet er frit
7. Kvinde min
8. 1975
9. Sct. Emetri
10. Good time Charlie (english)
The high points, on a near perfect album:
'Rabalderstræde' starts out the album brilliantly, an ode to the street where Gas spent a lot of their time as big kids, among bikers, pushers, prostitutes and similar people. It features some great guitar from Beckerlee set to some brilliant rhythm work from the bass and drums, and a lyric everyone from Copenhagen at the time could probably relate to. The song had 2 'fake' endings where the music faded out and then returned even louder, and Gas used this to great effefct when playing live, often stretching the song to 9-10 minutes.
'Fatherless Hill', entirely in english, featured backing vocals by members of all-girl group Sh*t and Chanel. The song shows a bit of Larsen's shortcomings when it comes to english, but it has a great chorus that is instantly memorable. Larsen was never the greatest poet in english, but this song, and 'This is my life' from the 'Efter endnu en dag' album were great attempts.
Examples from the lyrics: 'Well thank you Mr. Jesus, thank you for the game - I've been through many changes, but you're still the same' / 'Oh sister and brother, and sweet little mother - let's go, let's go to the mill, on fatherless hill'.
The tempo is taken down a bit in the songs 'Masser af success' and 'Kvinde min', two of the groups most loved compositions that are still heavily featured on danish radio today. 'Masser af success (Lots of Success)' was Gas' response to their surging popularity. They were finding it hard to maintain a healthy private life away from being rock stars, and this touching lyric about life on the road showed that they we're having a problem coming to terms with their recognition.
'Kvinde min (My woman)' was the most obvious love song they ever wrote, focusing on telling the subject of the lyrics that in spite of the problems that may occur in a relationship, they should have faith in love to guide them through. This is probably the most frequently covered song sung in danish.
'Good time Charlie' would go on to become the opening number on the ensuing tour, being an encouragement to enjoy life and party instead of fearing for war. Example from the lyrics: 'They say the boom is coming, the rats are running - but me and Camilla, we're sipping tequila'.
In english, the track listing was as follows:
1. What a lemon (Rabalderstræde)
2. Fatherless Hill
3. Lonesome avenue
4. Rebel run (Sjagge)
5. Lots of success (Masser af success)
6. It's all the same to an american dane (Refrainet er frit)
7. Lady oh Lady (Kvinde min)
8. Sad song of a bluebird (Sct. Emetri)
9. Rabalderstræde
10. The last Jim (instrumental, taken from 'Stakkels Jim/The last Jim')
Unfortunately, perhaps due to their inadequate english, Gas never made it big in England OR the US. They continued to be huge in Europe though, until they folded in 1980 to make way for Larsens growing solo career. The albums in english are well worth hearing though, and may be the best starting point for those who don't understand danish.
Best and worst
The best album, by a wide margin, is Gas 5, in danish. For non-danish speakers, 'Killin' time' may be the best place to start because those songs were written in english, then translated to danish, instead of the other way around which was usually the case.
The best song, in my opinion, is found elsewhere though.
On the album 'Efter endnu en dag', there is a song in english called 'This is my life', which is a slow and quiet song lamenting war, and aging. It features an opera singer in a middle portion, and contains the best lyrics the group ever wrote in english. The song would later be the best song on 'Gøglernes aften - Live i Skandinavien', where it was played in a faster, more rocking version, but retained it's melancholy and lamenting feel. The lyrics, in full:
------------------------------------------
This is my life - this is my time
Show me the light, and I'll go there
Give me the wine - bitter and sweet
And a little bit of bread, that's all I need
No no no I don't want the gold from Xanadu
I think I'll leave it all to you
This is my life and I don't care
This is my street - oh you restless feet
Carry me on to anywhere
Take the fear - take it away
And give me some hope for one more day
I saw a ghost behind the door
When the kids were coming home from the war
With broken dreams, and nothing more
I heard a woman, singing her song
And it was good, and warm and strong
Oh she makes me cry, I don't know why
(opera in studio version, great guitar solo in live version)
No no no I don't want to bring you down
I declare it's good to be here
This is my life and I don't care
----------------------------------------
Other recommended songs:
'Stakkels Jim' (Poor Jim), Gas' reworking of Auld Lang Syne complete with Hendrix guitar and futuristic lyrics about mankind leaving the cities behind and going back to nature.
'Kloden drejer stille rundt' (Slowly the world turns), a great track about a man reflecting on his day before going to sleep.
Worst is kind of hard to pick, but I have to go with the first album which contains all of one hit, 'Langebro', so it is kind of a boring album all in all. From there, the albums got better and better up to and including 'Efter endnu en dag', and then came a kind of lacklustre seventh album to finish Gasolin's studio days.
onsdag den 2. april 2008
3 of a kind - All along the watchtower
New category - Three of a kind! Comparing 3 versions of the same song. Today: All along the watchtower.
Original
'All along the watchtower' was written by Bob Dylan in 1967, and appeared on his album from that year, John Wesley Harding. Most of 1967 had been quiet for Dylan following his motorcycle accident, and when he returned with the JWH album, he had gone back to the largely acoustic style of his initial albums. AATW featured a simple melody and Dylan's trademark harmonica/acoustic guitar sound. The album itself didn't have any real hits for Dylan, but AATW has since become one of his much loved songs, and one that Dylan estimates that he's played over 1500 times over the years.
Best known
In 1968, the Jimi Hendrix Experience released a version of the song on the album Electric Ladyland. Hendrix's version was radically different from Dylans, opening with a short guitar solo and featuring his innovative guitar-work throughout. Even below his vocal line, the guitar is still working it's way through the song, and in between the verses he lets rip with some great solos. This version was instantly more memorable and more famous than Dylan's original, and the single release of it reached #20 on the Billboard chart. The greatest thing to be said about this best known (and simply BEST) version of the song, was said by it's composer himself. Dylan revealed in the liner notes of his Biograph box set that he preferred Hendrix's more rocking version of the song, and Dylan himself would play it closer to Hendrix's version when playing it live. Hendrix would also record other Dylan songs, most notably 'Drifter's Escape'.
Latest
One of the latest interpretations of the song was recorded by Bryan Ferry, and included on his 2007 album of Dylan covers, Dylanesque. Featuring blues rock great Robin Trower on a blistering guitar, Ferry's version leans mostly on the Hendrix rendition but the guitar work and vocal line is quite different. Where Jimi Hendrix let his passion for the material shine through and allowed himself to go slightly off key on a few lines, Ferry's vocal delivery is comparatively quiet and restrained like much of his work is, and Trower throws in his own brand of soloing throughout.
Bottom line
All three versions of the song are great, but Hendrix's version is by far the best and the most famous. It features prime examples of his amazing guitar skills and is one of my favourite Dylan covers ever. Rolling Stone magazine included it on it's list of the 500 greatest songs ever, at #48! Not bad for a cover version at all.
Also...
Among countless others, the song has also been recorded by the following:
The Fratellis
Eddie Vedder
U2 (live)
Dave Matthews Band (live)
Grateful Dead
Neil Young
Original
'All along the watchtower' was written by Bob Dylan in 1967, and appeared on his album from that year, John Wesley Harding. Most of 1967 had been quiet for Dylan following his motorcycle accident, and when he returned with the JWH album, he had gone back to the largely acoustic style of his initial albums. AATW featured a simple melody and Dylan's trademark harmonica/acoustic guitar sound. The album itself didn't have any real hits for Dylan, but AATW has since become one of his much loved songs, and one that Dylan estimates that he's played over 1500 times over the years.
Best known
In 1968, the Jimi Hendrix Experience released a version of the song on the album Electric Ladyland. Hendrix's version was radically different from Dylans, opening with a short guitar solo and featuring his innovative guitar-work throughout. Even below his vocal line, the guitar is still working it's way through the song, and in between the verses he lets rip with some great solos. This version was instantly more memorable and more famous than Dylan's original, and the single release of it reached #20 on the Billboard chart. The greatest thing to be said about this best known (and simply BEST) version of the song, was said by it's composer himself. Dylan revealed in the liner notes of his Biograph box set that he preferred Hendrix's more rocking version of the song, and Dylan himself would play it closer to Hendrix's version when playing it live. Hendrix would also record other Dylan songs, most notably 'Drifter's Escape'.
Latest
One of the latest interpretations of the song was recorded by Bryan Ferry, and included on his 2007 album of Dylan covers, Dylanesque. Featuring blues rock great Robin Trower on a blistering guitar, Ferry's version leans mostly on the Hendrix rendition but the guitar work and vocal line is quite different. Where Jimi Hendrix let his passion for the material shine through and allowed himself to go slightly off key on a few lines, Ferry's vocal delivery is comparatively quiet and restrained like much of his work is, and Trower throws in his own brand of soloing throughout.
Bottom line
All three versions of the song are great, but Hendrix's version is by far the best and the most famous. It features prime examples of his amazing guitar skills and is one of my favourite Dylan covers ever. Rolling Stone magazine included it on it's list of the 500 greatest songs ever, at #48! Not bad for a cover version at all.
Also...
Among countless others, the song has also been recorded by the following:
The Fratellis
Eddie Vedder
U2 (live)
Dave Matthews Band (live)
Grateful Dead
Neil Young
onsdag den 12. marts 2008
Master of the riff - Leif Edling!
Fifth category - Masters of the riff! And to start this category, I have chosen one of my favourites: Leif Edling of Swedish doom band Candlemass!
Who
Leif Edling started playing bass in 1979 in relatively unknown metal bands Trilogy and Witchcraft. His first release came in 1982, when he was playing in Nemesis. Their album 'Day of retribution' was released in 1984, but Edling dissolved the band shortly after the release to form his own band, Candlemass. And here's where it gets really interesting.
In Candlemass
Right from the beginning, the Black Sabbath inspired band made an impression. Their first album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, today considered a milestone in doom metal, featured vocalist Johan Längqvist and was released in 1986. The sound was heavy and dark, but melodic. And at the centre of the compositions were Edling's crushing riffs. Equally adept at lumbering behemoths and scalpel-sharp stabs, Edling's playing elaborated on Black Sabbath's famed style of playing and composing. The album opened with the slow and lurching 'Solitude', and right from the beginning the lyrics centered on dark fantasy, and interpretations of christian themes from other perspectives. The masterpiece of the album came midway through, in the form of the monolithic 'Black Stone Wielder', where Edling crammed 3 great riffs into the same 7-and-a-half minute mini-epic and topped it off with great lyrics.
For the second album Nightfall, Candlemass' most famous singer Messiah Marcolin came onboard, and the 'classic' Candlemass sound was born. Marcolin's operatic wail was the perfect vocal for the type of music, and with him on board, the group made what is considered the classic Candlemass records:
Nightfall (1987)
Ancient Dreams (1988)
Tales of creation (1989)
All these albums contain great songs, with fantastic riffs of every kind.
Following a live album (Live from 1990), Messiah Marcolin left the band. For the next 13 years, Candlemass had kind of a wilderness period with various singers fronting the band. The records were not a patch on the first four albums, but there are still diamonds to be found on each of them. And not surprisingly, founder member Edling's riffs are what makes many of the songs awesome. Messiah returned in 2002 for another live album (Doomed for live from 2003), and a (so far) final studio release with him on the mic, Candlemass from 2005. He then left the band again, and was replaced by Robert Lowe from doom band Solitude Aeturnus, who sang on the 2007 release King of the grey islands.
Other bands
With Candlemass temporarily on hiatus in 1995, Edling formed the band Abstrakt Algebra and released an album of the same name with Mats Leven on vocals. The band was short lived and met with limited commercial success. Musically, it was basically a slightly watered down Candlemass with more heavy and less Doom.
In 2003, following a temporary falling out between Edling and Marcolin, Edling founded a heavier doom band called Krux, again with Leven. They have released two studio albums and a live album so far.
What to get
The best place to start is definetly the 'classic' Candlemass albums. I would recommend Nightfall from 1987 as the best starting point, seeing as how it contains awesome 'Mass classics like 'Dark are the veils of death', 'Samarithan' and 'Bewitched'. The album is through and through probably the best Candlemass album, and besides Edling's awesome compositions it also contains the only good metal-version ever of Chopin's 'Marche Funebre' (The Funeral March).
The other two Marcolin-fronted albums from the first tenure are also well worth a purchase if you like doomy heavy metal. If you like it a bit heavier, try the first of the Krux albums which also features some great riffs.
Even today Edling is still churning out classic riffs. The latest album, King of the grey islands, features great songs like 'Of stars and smoke' and 'Emperor of the void', and is also well worth investing in. Lowe's voice fits into the bands sound perfectly.
Who
Leif Edling started playing bass in 1979 in relatively unknown metal bands Trilogy and Witchcraft. His first release came in 1982, when he was playing in Nemesis. Their album 'Day of retribution' was released in 1984, but Edling dissolved the band shortly after the release to form his own band, Candlemass. And here's where it gets really interesting.
In Candlemass
Right from the beginning, the Black Sabbath inspired band made an impression. Their first album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, today considered a milestone in doom metal, featured vocalist Johan Längqvist and was released in 1986. The sound was heavy and dark, but melodic. And at the centre of the compositions were Edling's crushing riffs. Equally adept at lumbering behemoths and scalpel-sharp stabs, Edling's playing elaborated on Black Sabbath's famed style of playing and composing. The album opened with the slow and lurching 'Solitude', and right from the beginning the lyrics centered on dark fantasy, and interpretations of christian themes from other perspectives. The masterpiece of the album came midway through, in the form of the monolithic 'Black Stone Wielder', where Edling crammed 3 great riffs into the same 7-and-a-half minute mini-epic and topped it off with great lyrics.
For the second album Nightfall, Candlemass' most famous singer Messiah Marcolin came onboard, and the 'classic' Candlemass sound was born. Marcolin's operatic wail was the perfect vocal for the type of music, and with him on board, the group made what is considered the classic Candlemass records:
Nightfall (1987)
Ancient Dreams (1988)
Tales of creation (1989)
All these albums contain great songs, with fantastic riffs of every kind.
Following a live album (Live from 1990), Messiah Marcolin left the band. For the next 13 years, Candlemass had kind of a wilderness period with various singers fronting the band. The records were not a patch on the first four albums, but there are still diamonds to be found on each of them. And not surprisingly, founder member Edling's riffs are what makes many of the songs awesome. Messiah returned in 2002 for another live album (Doomed for live from 2003), and a (so far) final studio release with him on the mic, Candlemass from 2005. He then left the band again, and was replaced by Robert Lowe from doom band Solitude Aeturnus, who sang on the 2007 release King of the grey islands.
Other bands
With Candlemass temporarily on hiatus in 1995, Edling formed the band Abstrakt Algebra and released an album of the same name with Mats Leven on vocals. The band was short lived and met with limited commercial success. Musically, it was basically a slightly watered down Candlemass with more heavy and less Doom.
In 2003, following a temporary falling out between Edling and Marcolin, Edling founded a heavier doom band called Krux, again with Leven. They have released two studio albums and a live album so far.
What to get
The best place to start is definetly the 'classic' Candlemass albums. I would recommend Nightfall from 1987 as the best starting point, seeing as how it contains awesome 'Mass classics like 'Dark are the veils of death', 'Samarithan' and 'Bewitched'. The album is through and through probably the best Candlemass album, and besides Edling's awesome compositions it also contains the only good metal-version ever of Chopin's 'Marche Funebre' (The Funeral March).
The other two Marcolin-fronted albums from the first tenure are also well worth a purchase if you like doomy heavy metal. If you like it a bit heavier, try the first of the Krux albums which also features some great riffs.
Even today Edling is still churning out classic riffs. The latest album, King of the grey islands, features great songs like 'Of stars and smoke' and 'Emperor of the void', and is also well worth investing in. Lowe's voice fits into the bands sound perfectly.
tirsdag den 26. februar 2008
Short but sweet - Pan!
Fourth category - Short but sweet! Bands that were not around long, but released great material. First up, Danish prog heroes from the early 70's Pan.
Who
To know Pan, one must first know it's driving force, Robert Lelievre. He started his musical career in the folk trio Cy, Maia & Robert. This was one of the first folk music groups in Scandinavia, and consisted of British born Cy Nicklin, French born Lelievre and Danish born Maia Aarskov. During their time together they released two albums that are near unobtainable today, and had the priviledge of warming up for Paul Simon and Donovan, and backing folk singer Alex Campbell at his famous concert in Tivoli Gardens.
After the group broke up, Lelievre wanted to move towards more of a rock direction. Together with Nicklin, he briefly played in the band High Crossfield, of which no recordings exist. When that fell apart, he decided he wanted a band of his own. He was joined by brothers Thomas and Michael Puggaard-Müller, who played guitar and drums respectively. The brothers had played in Delta Blues Band but were tired of playing blues standards, and wanted to move on to writing their own music. Together with pianist Henning Verner and bass player Arne Würgler, they started the band Pan in 1969. Initially they also had a second vocalist, Danish actor and singer Niels Skousen, but he soon left to form Skousen & Ingemann which would go on to become one of Danish musics best folk rock bands.
Discography
Pan went into Wifos studios in 1970 and cut what would become one of the most sought after albums in subsequent years, their self-titled debut. The style was a proggy kind of folk-rock, topped off with Lelievre's bluesy vocals. Immediately upon it's release it was hailed as a classic, and it's status would only increase over the years until it was finally released on CD by a British bootlegger sometime in the late 90s.
This album is a favourite among 70's rock fans and collectors, not least because it contained one of the best songs ever written by a danish band, called 'Lady of the sand'. A near-7 minute guitar workout, blessed with one of the greastest recorded guitar solos of the 70's and some quasi-mystical lyrics. The second best track on the album is called 'Song to France', and it's a touching track of longing for one's home country. Lelievre had escaped military service in France, and knew that he would be forced into jail if he returned to his home country. This longing for country and family eventually had dire consequences. 'Song to France' is a short but powerful track, which again features some awesome guitar work and great lyrics. The whole album is good, and the quality of tracks seldom dips.
The complete discography is as follows:
'Pan' (LP, 1970 on Sonet)
'Ride across my bed/In a simple way' (single, 1970 on Sonet)
'Pan' (1970 LP released on CD with above single as bonus tracks, bootleg released sometime during the late 90's)
'Pan' (Official Danish re-release on Karma Records of 1970 LP with above single, and exclusive demos as bonus)
'On Air' (Danish Radio performances (some with Niels Skousen) from 1969 and early 1970, released on Karma Records)
What then ?
Sadly, Lelievre's longing for home got the best of him. After Pan broke up due to internal strife, he made a living selling leather belts for a while. In early 1973, he hung himself in one of them. A great talent was lost at the age of 33. The remaining members of Pan went on to play in a multitude of other great bands. Their legacy as a band is one of the best albums recorded in Scandinavia in the 70's.
Who
To know Pan, one must first know it's driving force, Robert Lelievre. He started his musical career in the folk trio Cy, Maia & Robert. This was one of the first folk music groups in Scandinavia, and consisted of British born Cy Nicklin, French born Lelievre and Danish born Maia Aarskov. During their time together they released two albums that are near unobtainable today, and had the priviledge of warming up for Paul Simon and Donovan, and backing folk singer Alex Campbell at his famous concert in Tivoli Gardens.
After the group broke up, Lelievre wanted to move towards more of a rock direction. Together with Nicklin, he briefly played in the band High Crossfield, of which no recordings exist. When that fell apart, he decided he wanted a band of his own. He was joined by brothers Thomas and Michael Puggaard-Müller, who played guitar and drums respectively. The brothers had played in Delta Blues Band but were tired of playing blues standards, and wanted to move on to writing their own music. Together with pianist Henning Verner and bass player Arne Würgler, they started the band Pan in 1969. Initially they also had a second vocalist, Danish actor and singer Niels Skousen, but he soon left to form Skousen & Ingemann which would go on to become one of Danish musics best folk rock bands.
Discography
Pan went into Wifos studios in 1970 and cut what would become one of the most sought after albums in subsequent years, their self-titled debut. The style was a proggy kind of folk-rock, topped off with Lelievre's bluesy vocals. Immediately upon it's release it was hailed as a classic, and it's status would only increase over the years until it was finally released on CD by a British bootlegger sometime in the late 90s.
This album is a favourite among 70's rock fans and collectors, not least because it contained one of the best songs ever written by a danish band, called 'Lady of the sand'. A near-7 minute guitar workout, blessed with one of the greastest recorded guitar solos of the 70's and some quasi-mystical lyrics. The second best track on the album is called 'Song to France', and it's a touching track of longing for one's home country. Lelievre had escaped military service in France, and knew that he would be forced into jail if he returned to his home country. This longing for country and family eventually had dire consequences. 'Song to France' is a short but powerful track, which again features some awesome guitar work and great lyrics. The whole album is good, and the quality of tracks seldom dips.
The complete discography is as follows:
'Pan' (LP, 1970 on Sonet)
'Ride across my bed/In a simple way' (single, 1970 on Sonet)
'Pan' (1970 LP released on CD with above single as bonus tracks, bootleg released sometime during the late 90's)
'Pan' (Official Danish re-release on Karma Records of 1970 LP with above single, and exclusive demos as bonus)
'On Air' (Danish Radio performances (some with Niels Skousen) from 1969 and early 1970, released on Karma Records)
What then ?
Sadly, Lelievre's longing for home got the best of him. After Pan broke up due to internal strife, he made a living selling leather belts for a while. In early 1973, he hung himself in one of them. A great talent was lost at the age of 33. The remaining members of Pan went on to play in a multitude of other great bands. Their legacy as a band is one of the best albums recorded in Scandinavia in the 70's.
torsdag den 21. februar 2008
Without whom, nothing... - The Yardbirds!
Third musical post, third category! 'Without whom, nothing...' will shine a light on bands that came to shape music as we know it, for whatever reason. First up, 'The Yardbirds'!
Who
The Yardbirds were one of the most important blues bands of the 60's, and they kickstarted a ton of careers. Formed as 'The Metropolitan blues quartet' in 1962, this London-based band started out as so many of the 'white blues' bands of the 60's did: by extensively covering their blues heroes. In the case of the Yardbirds, the early repertoire included songs by such blues luminaries as Muddy Waters and Elmore James. This wouldn't have set them apart from so many other blues bands of the time, if not for the fact that in early 1963 they would be joined by a man who would record some of the best music of the 60's. This man was the first in a line of famous guitarplayers, the true legacy of The Yardbirds.
Guitarplayer #1
Step right up, Mr. Eric Clapton.
Clapton had already started developing his signature style in the band The Roosters, and his great playing brought the Yardbirds to the upper echelon of blues bands at the time. With Clapton's playing at the forefront, the group released some quality singles. Then came their first real hit, 'For your love', written by Graham Gouldman (later of 10CC fame). But this heralded a change for the band. Clapton was not interested in pop-rock such as 'For your love', he was interested in one thing: The blues. Since the Yardbirds wanted to go in a more pop-oriented direction, Clapton opted to leave and soon after he joined John Mayall's blues breakers. Later in his career, he would play in such influential blues and rock bands as Cream, Derek & The Dominoes, Delaney & Bonnie and Blind Faith. Upon leaving, Clapton recommended that the band hire studio musician Jimmy Page to replace him. Page was unavailable though, and didn't wish to be tied down to any certain group. He in turn recommended the man who would bring the Yardbirds one step further to lasting stardom: Jeff Beck.
Guitarplayer #2
Beck brought a whole new style of playing to the Yardbirds. He was interested in experimenting with different pedals, feedback and distortion, and somehow this fit in perfectly with the rest of the band. The music changed, and the band were suddenly hailed as great innovators of psychedelia and 'garage rock'. During Beck's tenure in the band, great songs such as 'Shapes of things' and 'Still I'm sad' brought the group all the exposure they could want. Beck in turn was voted 'best guitarplayer of 1966' in several publications, and his work in the Yardbirds helped inspire some of the great players of the late 60's, such as one James Marshall Hendrix. During Beck's tenure, the band's bassplayer opted for a producer role instead, and this time the band succeeded in bringing in Jimmy Page to replace him.
Guitarplayer(s) #2 & #3
Page started out playing bass to replace the departed Paul Samwell-Smith, but as soon as rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja was ready to play bass, Page and Beck formed a lethal double-guitar attack. Occasionally, bass arrangements for songs would be so complicated that the band relied on session bassist John Paul Jones. Unfortunately the period where both guitar-players were in the band was shortlived, as Beck was fired during a tour of the US. Page was now the lead guitarist, and just like Beck before him, he was very interested in creating something noone else had heard at the time. He experimented with wah-wah pedals and violin bow-on-guitar playing, and helped create yet another sound for the Yardbirds. But soon, the Yardbirds would be no more. The band nearly imploded under the pressure of stardom, but Page had signed a contract to play concerts on a Scandinavian tour. He needed a whole new band to surround him. After asking super-singer Terry Reid to fill in for Keith Relf but getting turned down, Page was recommended then unknown singer Robert Plant. He was also recommended drummer John Bonham, by new manager Peter Grant. To fill in the bass position, Page called old friend John Paul Jones.
Wait, don't I know this band ?
They went on the road in Scandinavia as 'The New Yardbirds', and the foursome instantly clicked. A lawsuit from Keith Relf would prevent them from keeping on using the Yardbirds moniker, so they took what was initially a joke name - Led Zeppelin. The rest, as they say, is history. Led Zep would become one of the biggest bands in rock music history, and ironically would display much more blues in their music than the Yardbirds did since Clapton left. In their first year, Zeppelin would often tear off a Yardbirds song as an encore.
This leads to...
If not for the Yardbirds, no Led Zeppelin, and likely no Cream, Derek & The Dominos etc, etc.
The band were hugely influential in their lifetime, and have also left a lasting legacy.
In 1992 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame, and all 3 famous guitarists shared the stage for the occasion. A new album was recorded in 2003 ('Birdland'), featuring mostly new members.
Today, the Yardbirds are out there again (minus any of the famous guitarplayers), playing the blues and showcasing their great catalogue of songs. Their influence is still felt in bands like White Stripes and still-active contemporaries like Vanilla Fudge.
Best
An abundance to choose from! Personally I would recommend 'Over, under, sideways, down' or 'For your love'. But hey, most things they released up till the group's first breakup in 1968 is essential for blues/60's rock fans. With the Yardbird's pre-breakup output, there is NO worst!
Who
The Yardbirds were one of the most important blues bands of the 60's, and they kickstarted a ton of careers. Formed as 'The Metropolitan blues quartet' in 1962, this London-based band started out as so many of the 'white blues' bands of the 60's did: by extensively covering their blues heroes. In the case of the Yardbirds, the early repertoire included songs by such blues luminaries as Muddy Waters and Elmore James. This wouldn't have set them apart from so many other blues bands of the time, if not for the fact that in early 1963 they would be joined by a man who would record some of the best music of the 60's. This man was the first in a line of famous guitarplayers, the true legacy of The Yardbirds.
Guitarplayer #1
Step right up, Mr. Eric Clapton.
Clapton had already started developing his signature style in the band The Roosters, and his great playing brought the Yardbirds to the upper echelon of blues bands at the time. With Clapton's playing at the forefront, the group released some quality singles. Then came their first real hit, 'For your love', written by Graham Gouldman (later of 10CC fame). But this heralded a change for the band. Clapton was not interested in pop-rock such as 'For your love', he was interested in one thing: The blues. Since the Yardbirds wanted to go in a more pop-oriented direction, Clapton opted to leave and soon after he joined John Mayall's blues breakers. Later in his career, he would play in such influential blues and rock bands as Cream, Derek & The Dominoes, Delaney & Bonnie and Blind Faith. Upon leaving, Clapton recommended that the band hire studio musician Jimmy Page to replace him. Page was unavailable though, and didn't wish to be tied down to any certain group. He in turn recommended the man who would bring the Yardbirds one step further to lasting stardom: Jeff Beck.
Guitarplayer #2
Beck brought a whole new style of playing to the Yardbirds. He was interested in experimenting with different pedals, feedback and distortion, and somehow this fit in perfectly with the rest of the band. The music changed, and the band were suddenly hailed as great innovators of psychedelia and 'garage rock'. During Beck's tenure in the band, great songs such as 'Shapes of things' and 'Still I'm sad' brought the group all the exposure they could want. Beck in turn was voted 'best guitarplayer of 1966' in several publications, and his work in the Yardbirds helped inspire some of the great players of the late 60's, such as one James Marshall Hendrix. During Beck's tenure, the band's bassplayer opted for a producer role instead, and this time the band succeeded in bringing in Jimmy Page to replace him.
Guitarplayer(s) #2 & #3
Page started out playing bass to replace the departed Paul Samwell-Smith, but as soon as rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja was ready to play bass, Page and Beck formed a lethal double-guitar attack. Occasionally, bass arrangements for songs would be so complicated that the band relied on session bassist John Paul Jones. Unfortunately the period where both guitar-players were in the band was shortlived, as Beck was fired during a tour of the US. Page was now the lead guitarist, and just like Beck before him, he was very interested in creating something noone else had heard at the time. He experimented with wah-wah pedals and violin bow-on-guitar playing, and helped create yet another sound for the Yardbirds. But soon, the Yardbirds would be no more. The band nearly imploded under the pressure of stardom, but Page had signed a contract to play concerts on a Scandinavian tour. He needed a whole new band to surround him. After asking super-singer Terry Reid to fill in for Keith Relf but getting turned down, Page was recommended then unknown singer Robert Plant. He was also recommended drummer John Bonham, by new manager Peter Grant. To fill in the bass position, Page called old friend John Paul Jones.
Wait, don't I know this band ?
They went on the road in Scandinavia as 'The New Yardbirds', and the foursome instantly clicked. A lawsuit from Keith Relf would prevent them from keeping on using the Yardbirds moniker, so they took what was initially a joke name - Led Zeppelin. The rest, as they say, is history. Led Zep would become one of the biggest bands in rock music history, and ironically would display much more blues in their music than the Yardbirds did since Clapton left. In their first year, Zeppelin would often tear off a Yardbirds song as an encore.
This leads to...
If not for the Yardbirds, no Led Zeppelin, and likely no Cream, Derek & The Dominos etc, etc.
The band were hugely influential in their lifetime, and have also left a lasting legacy.
In 1992 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame, and all 3 famous guitarists shared the stage for the occasion. A new album was recorded in 2003 ('Birdland'), featuring mostly new members.
Today, the Yardbirds are out there again (minus any of the famous guitarplayers), playing the blues and showcasing their great catalogue of songs. Their influence is still felt in bands like White Stripes and still-active contemporaries like Vanilla Fudge.
Best
An abundance to choose from! Personally I would recommend 'Over, under, sideways, down' or 'For your love'. But hey, most things they released up till the group's first breakup in 1968 is essential for blues/60's rock fans. With the Yardbird's pre-breakup output, there is NO worst!
onsdag den 20. februar 2008
Oopsie!
Oops.. I'm still new to this blogsite, and it seems I have made a mistake with the previous rant!
To read what appears to be missing ( in the 'releases of note' and 'best and worst' categories) please use highlighting, as I've forgotten the background is black! Sorry for the inconvenience if anyone is reading :p
To read what appears to be missing ( in the 'releases of note' and 'best and worst' categories) please use highlighting, as I've forgotten the background is black! Sorry for the inconvenience if anyone is reading :p
Who are... ; Klaatu ?
Now that we've established 'Essential albums' as a feature, here comes the next one! the 'Who are/Who is..' feature, detailing bands you should definetly hear! First in line to have the investigative light shined upon them: Klaatu!
Who
The band Klaatu was formed in Canada in 1973 by guitarist and bass-player John Woloschuck and guitarist/keyboarder Dee Long, and were soon joined by drummer and trombone player Terry Draper. As is often the case with great bands of the 70's, everyone sang. They took the name from an alien appearing in the movie 'The day the earth stood still'. At first, they played the sort of pop-rock hybrid you'd often find in the 70's, but leaned mostly towards pop with their inventive choruses and often memorable hooks.
Releases of note
3:47 EST (1975) (also called simply 'Klaatu' in some countries)
Hope (1977)
Sir army suit (1978)
Endangered Species (1980)
Magentalane (1981)
Sun Set (2005, rarities compilation)
A few other compilations and some singles were also released.
After a few obscure single releases, the band managed to catch a major label's attention in 1975, and were signed to Capitol Records in the US. So far, so good. What happened next came as quite a surprise, not least to the band themselves. To fully appreciate what happened next, one needs to know something about The Beatles. At one point, the preliminary recordings for a Beatles album had been stolen and were not recovered. This was coupled with silly rumours about Paul McCartney having died at various points. When Klaatu released their first album 3:47 EST, without liner notes indicating who had played what on the record, their sound was so close to the Liverpool heroes that a huge number of people thought this record was recorded by and released by the Beatles under a new name! Of course, the Beatles had not been together since 1970. But nonetheless, Klaatu's first album became a huge seller in the US on the back of this rumour and of course the music on display, which mixed proggy rock with pop hooks and catchy choruses. Several songs ARE uncannily similar to the 'fab four', which no doubt helped fuel the rumours. The album's first song, 'Calling occupants of interplanetary craft' became Klaatu's most famous song, not least when it was later covered by The Carpenters in 1977.
Their second album 'Hope' from 1977 was recorded in part with the London Symphony orchestra, and featured a similar rock/pop style. After this, the band's next two releases would lean more towards pop than rock, not least with the great opening track on third album 'Sir army suit', called 'A routine day'.
The fifth album 'Magentalane' fell victim to record company problems and was initially only released in Canada. All their albums have since been reissued on CD in remastered sound quality. The band subsequently broke up, reuniting briefly in 1988 to record an atrocious single called 'Woman' (good luck finding that one though, as it's rarer than snow in Sahara) and then disappearing again. Following the release of the rarities compilation 'Sun Set' in 2005, the band got together and played a few acoustic performances at Klaatu-fanclub conventions.
And there ends the story of Klaatu for now.
Best and worst
Klaatu were undoubtedly best on their first 2 albums, which had a slight prog leaning and some interesting lyrics. If I have to choose a worst, I would say the compilation 'Raarities', which was only released on vinyl in 2005, and features slightly different versions of existing tracks. You'd have to be a super-duper-Klaatu fan to spot the difference between those versions and those released on their albums. One for completists only! For a good starting point, I would recommend buying the '2 for 1' pack of their first two albums, which is available at mid-price from several online stores. If you like Beatles-y pop-rock, and have an inclination towards slightly silly lyrics, this band is for you! Enjoy!
Who
The band Klaatu was formed in Canada in 1973 by guitarist and bass-player John Woloschuck and guitarist/keyboarder Dee Long, and were soon joined by drummer and trombone player Terry Draper. As is often the case with great bands of the 70's, everyone sang. They took the name from an alien appearing in the movie 'The day the earth stood still'. At first, they played the sort of pop-rock hybrid you'd often find in the 70's, but leaned mostly towards pop with their inventive choruses and often memorable hooks.
Releases of note
3:47 EST (1975) (also called simply 'Klaatu' in some countries)
Hope (1977)
Sir army suit (1978)
Endangered Species (1980)
Magentalane (1981)
Sun Set (2005, rarities compilation)
A few other compilations and some singles were also released.
After a few obscure single releases, the band managed to catch a major label's attention in 1975, and were signed to Capitol Records in the US. So far, so good. What happened next came as quite a surprise, not least to the band themselves. To fully appreciate what happened next, one needs to know something about The Beatles. At one point, the preliminary recordings for a Beatles album had been stolen and were not recovered. This was coupled with silly rumours about Paul McCartney having died at various points. When Klaatu released their first album 3:47 EST, without liner notes indicating who had played what on the record, their sound was so close to the Liverpool heroes that a huge number of people thought this record was recorded by and released by the Beatles under a new name! Of course, the Beatles had not been together since 1970. But nonetheless, Klaatu's first album became a huge seller in the US on the back of this rumour and of course the music on display, which mixed proggy rock with pop hooks and catchy choruses. Several songs ARE uncannily similar to the 'fab four', which no doubt helped fuel the rumours. The album's first song, 'Calling occupants of interplanetary craft' became Klaatu's most famous song, not least when it was later covered by The Carpenters in 1977.
Their second album 'Hope' from 1977 was recorded in part with the London Symphony orchestra, and featured a similar rock/pop style. After this, the band's next two releases would lean more towards pop than rock, not least with the great opening track on third album 'Sir army suit', called 'A routine day'.
The fifth album 'Magentalane' fell victim to record company problems and was initially only released in Canada. All their albums have since been reissued on CD in remastered sound quality. The band subsequently broke up, reuniting briefly in 1988 to record an atrocious single called 'Woman' (good luck finding that one though, as it's rarer than snow in Sahara) and then disappearing again. Following the release of the rarities compilation 'Sun Set' in 2005, the band got together and played a few acoustic performances at Klaatu-fanclub conventions.
And there ends the story of Klaatu for now.
Best and worst
Klaatu were undoubtedly best on their first 2 albums, which had a slight prog leaning and some interesting lyrics. If I have to choose a worst, I would say the compilation 'Raarities', which was only released on vinyl in 2005, and features slightly different versions of existing tracks. You'd have to be a super-duper-Klaatu fan to spot the difference between those versions and those released on their albums. One for completists only! For a good starting point, I would recommend buying the '2 for 1' pack of their first two albums, which is available at mid-price from several online stores. If you like Beatles-y pop-rock, and have an inclination towards slightly silly lyrics, this band is for you! Enjoy!
tirsdag den 19. februar 2008
Essential albums: 'No need to argue'
Yay. It's the very first edition of the music-geekette's music rants/reviews/explanations! Today I want to rant about the first in my personal series of 'essential albums'.
What?
'No need to argue' was the second album by Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries, following an ep and their debut 'Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we'. On that first album from 1993, they had their first hit. A melancholy song about love gone wrong, 'Linger' was the first real indication of what would turn out to be The Cranberries' true legacy: Sad ballads, delicately sung by singer Dolores O'Riordan in her style. 'Linger' was the first album's best indication of what came next. 1994's 'No need to argue' contained the biggest hits for the group thus far, and charted in a lot of countries in Europe.
Contents of note:
'No need to argue' starts off with a perfect example of what made 'Linger' such a hit. 'Ode to my family' might seem like an odd choice for album opener, being as it is one of the two quieter songs on the album. But right from the first vocal line, it's apparent that the album has a special mood and 'Ode..' is the perfect example. A song about growing up and the choices your childhood forces on you, by way of upbringing. Dolores' voice is reminiscent of Sinead O'connor at her finest, and the song inhabits the same territory as much of Sinead's early work.
Track 4, 'Zombie', was to become the band's biggest hit and it's not difficult to see why. Set against a dramatic video, it was in heavy rotation on Mtv (which played music back in the mid 90's). A slowburning and dramatic anti-war song, it followed the 'quiet verse - loud chorus' template that was popular in the early 90's (for other examples, see Nirvana, Alice in Chains) and again featured Dolores' voice prominently. The song reached the top ten in at least ten countries and was actually played until the next Cranberries album came out.
At track 7 and 9, we find two of my favourite songs by the band, 'The Icicle melts' and 'Ridiculous thoughts' respectively. Similar in build, different in execution, both of them were in largely the same tempo. 'The Icicle melts' is another sad lyric, this time about reactions to reading about a child's death in the paper. 'Ridiculous Thoughts' is another one about a past relationship, which features a catchy uptempo chorus.
Best and worst:
The best song is 'Ode to my family', a strong sentiment and the perfect Cranberries song if they ever made one! The 'worst', which in this case isn't even so bad, would have to be the kind of indifferent 'Yeat's grave' which just doesn't do it for me compared to the obvious classics that surround it.
Verdict:
This was one of the first albums that I really got into, playing it from begining to end without skipping often. It contains one or two filler tracks, but overall it is a perfect representation of the Cranberries' strengths: Melancholy songs and Dolores' heartfelt voice. In my opinion, they never bettered it. 'No need to argue' gets a solid 9 out of 10, and is the recommended starting point for getting to know the music of the Cranberries. Dolores O'Riordan is the clear MVP, and has also had the most success in her solo career so far, out of all the Cranberries members.
What?
'No need to argue' was the second album by Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries, following an ep and their debut 'Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we'. On that first album from 1993, they had their first hit. A melancholy song about love gone wrong, 'Linger' was the first real indication of what would turn out to be The Cranberries' true legacy: Sad ballads, delicately sung by singer Dolores O'Riordan in her style. 'Linger' was the first album's best indication of what came next. 1994's 'No need to argue' contained the biggest hits for the group thus far, and charted in a lot of countries in Europe.
Contents of note:
'No need to argue' starts off with a perfect example of what made 'Linger' such a hit. 'Ode to my family' might seem like an odd choice for album opener, being as it is one of the two quieter songs on the album. But right from the first vocal line, it's apparent that the album has a special mood and 'Ode..' is the perfect example. A song about growing up and the choices your childhood forces on you, by way of upbringing. Dolores' voice is reminiscent of Sinead O'connor at her finest, and the song inhabits the same territory as much of Sinead's early work.
Track 4, 'Zombie', was to become the band's biggest hit and it's not difficult to see why. Set against a dramatic video, it was in heavy rotation on Mtv (which played music back in the mid 90's). A slowburning and dramatic anti-war song, it followed the 'quiet verse - loud chorus' template that was popular in the early 90's (for other examples, see Nirvana, Alice in Chains) and again featured Dolores' voice prominently. The song reached the top ten in at least ten countries and was actually played until the next Cranberries album came out.
At track 7 and 9, we find two of my favourite songs by the band, 'The Icicle melts' and 'Ridiculous thoughts' respectively. Similar in build, different in execution, both of them were in largely the same tempo. 'The Icicle melts' is another sad lyric, this time about reactions to reading about a child's death in the paper. 'Ridiculous Thoughts' is another one about a past relationship, which features a catchy uptempo chorus.
Best and worst:
The best song is 'Ode to my family', a strong sentiment and the perfect Cranberries song if they ever made one! The 'worst', which in this case isn't even so bad, would have to be the kind of indifferent 'Yeat's grave' which just doesn't do it for me compared to the obvious classics that surround it.
Verdict:
This was one of the first albums that I really got into, playing it from begining to end without skipping often. It contains one or two filler tracks, but overall it is a perfect representation of the Cranberries' strengths: Melancholy songs and Dolores' heartfelt voice. In my opinion, they never bettered it. 'No need to argue' gets a solid 9 out of 10, and is the recommended starting point for getting to know the music of the Cranberries. Dolores O'Riordan is the clear MVP, and has also had the most success in her solo career so far, out of all the Cranberries members.
søndag den 17. februar 2008
Impending...
A friend has requested/suggested I start up a blog where I talk about music, since that is the one thing I know something about. So look out for forthcoming articles/discussions of music!
Abonner på:
Opslag (Atom)