tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24700377276791978642024-02-07T05:05:13.189+00:00The Patron Saint Of Spitting In The Windthepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-13269608460323140422012-01-25T21:27:00.000+00:002012-01-25T21:27:39.799+00:00Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures<div class="MsoNormal">The year was 1979, and punk as it was known was dead. The Sex Pistols had broken up, The Clash wa pushing their music towards reggae and dub, Gang Of Four was pushing towards funk, dance and angry noise, and Joy Division was forging into what would become contemporary popular alternative rock. The ability of the public to be shocked by punk music, or any music, had been largely bled out in the preceding years by the antisocial public relations outlet that passed off as a band called The Sex Pistols, and while the spirits of youth and independence retained life across the American underground and would rise again, the most well-remembered acts in Britain around this time seemed to face a decision to break up or grow up. All of the aforementioned bands had seemingly gone off the rails at some point in the early 80s, with 1980’s woeful <i>Sandinista!</i> signalling worse things to come for The Clash, 1983’s laughable <i>Hard</i> the culmination of an imploding initial run by Gang Of Four, and New Order where Joy Division was heading before Ian Curtis’ untimely death.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, the mass experimentation that can lead to records that completely alienate a lot of fans of earlier work is often also responsible for the most appreciated records of all. <i>London Calling</i> is what The Clash is largely remembered for, and it’s one of the most overrated rock albums around. Gang Of Four pushed boundaries from the off, and their first two albums, <i>Entertainment!</i> and <i>Solid Gold</i>, are excellent. Joy Division’s story can’t really be told by albums alone, with most of their well remembered work not actually appearing on a record (“Transmission”, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “Atmosphere” all spring to mind), and with the posthumous <i>Closer</i> indicating all too clearly what directions New Order was heading for, their entry into the class of 1979 that includes <i>London Calling</i> and <i>Entertainment!</i> is the only record that really sounds like a Joy Division record.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPzWHkw-bc1UCzqf6AOMWCLK6CxjDSDhPrxBCXAtDKaxi7d7vO73deZ6LhC3iPscDxFLuOsy-l8z98HTpCGB7IL6RhpGlQa9gZkioHxcVATkb7x2H6jz4lKlyStBPKukPpIfxDTBJdas/s1600/Clipboard07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPzWHkw-bc1UCzqf6AOMWCLK6CxjDSDhPrxBCXAtDKaxi7d7vO73deZ6LhC3iPscDxFLuOsy-l8z98HTpCGB7IL6RhpGlQa9gZkioHxcVATkb7x2H6jz4lKlyStBPKukPpIfxDTBJdas/s1600/Clipboard07.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Unknown Pleasures</i> isn’t entirely representative of the Joy Division we remember, largely catching them at a grim lull. They had largely shed their prior persona of a punk band called Warsaw with aggressive riffs and a weird fascination with the Nazi regime, but hadn’t grasped many of the pop sensibilities that would take hold later in the year and become songs on or around <i>Closer</i>. We’re left with what’s largely thought of as a doom-and-gloom record, although to dismiss it as nothing more would be selling it short, as there are some notable exceptions.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes having an opening track that doesn’t really fit the rest of the bill isn’t a bad thing, especially if it’s a strong track that might be lost on the listener as a misfit if it were amongst the back half of the record. An upbeat snare followed by a bubbly bass riff introduces “Disorder”, and a reverberant guitar hovers above. Curtis was well into his adopted baritone singing voice by this point, although it’s at its least stressed here, save for the last few lines as strange swirling sounds permeate the mix. Martin Hannett’s infamous production gives the song a sparse sound, which helps it fit in with the album, and the acres of space created allows the bleakness of Curtis’ lyrics to come through, although listeners will take away from the song its simple appearance and Peter Hook’s bass.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Day Of The Lords” starts off the album’s run of darkest songs, which takes up most of the first side. It lumbers in dourly like a man bearing a giant cross, and most of the song slides in at the lower end of the scale, save for a little guitar picking and some squelching noise during the chorus that drains in from the top. A paranoid-sounding vocal performance from Curtis and some choppy chords from guitarist Bernard Sumner add a hint of seething aggression at times, but it’s the drumming of Stephen Morris during the chorus that stops the song from plodding at all times. With the tone lowered, “Candidate” follows, with a bass that moves like an elephant, minimal guitar work, and a depressed vocal delivery that makes it sound even slower than the previous track, although they have a similar tempo. Some bleak noise that sounds like reversed guitar doesn’t do anything to stop the track sounding like a three-minute coma.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Insight” follows with a slightly quicker pace, a slightly less negative and more wistful performance from the vocals and bass, and some really stupid laser-disco sound effects to ruin everything. Another track that sounds roughly the same throughout, unlike the first two tracks which felt like they had a sense of dynamic fluidity, leaves the listener with over four minutes of rubbish. With two tracks in a row where you’d expect some strong material to be, you’d be perfectly entitled to think “blimey, this is some depressing tripe!” However, “New Dawn Fades” ironically represents the revival of the album. Some weird backwards noise gives way to a descending bass riff and a simple, memorable guitar piece. Everything becomes very restrained during the verse, with the echoing, metronomic snare cutting through everything. The second time around, the vocals come around with a much more powerful delivery that finally imprints itself. Despite being another slow, gloomy song, “New Dawn Fades” builds on itself, and has some really strong elements that make it stand out and prove itself as a fine song.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While many may remember the clap-happy version of “She’s Lost Control” that appeared on the b-side of “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, a far superior version is found here. Less dance percussion here, instead a much tighter and urgent sound that contrasts with the unravelled lyrics, constantly building up with some memorable guitar work. Not to be outdone, “Shadowplay” follows, and is a splendid rescue job of a song previously recorded with a dreadful vocal for the aborted “Warsaw” album. The booming voice here commands the song, seemingly controlling the tempo, and a well arranged track falls around it nicely. It turns out that much of the album’s strongest material is in the middle.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A couple of short songs follow, taking up less than five minutes between them. “Wilderness” is defined by the up-and-down bass and echoing vocals. One of the few moments of the album that moves and shakes, it has a slightly whimsical nature to it, but doesn’t feel lacking. “Interzone” features a lead vocal from Hook, a deep undercurrent of contrasting vocals from Curtis, and a much punkier guitar. Had this not been produced by Hannett, this could easily have passed off for a punk staple. “I Remember Nothing” closes out the album in a most unemphatic fashion, recalling earlier weaknesses, although it’s a cut above “Candidate” and “Insight”. An unsteady vocal performance with minimal instrumentation provides an air of desperation to this long track, which is seen out with some weird crashing sounds.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There were a lot of songs recorded during the sessions, and it’s inevitable that upon hearing them, you wonder why some of them weren’t included. Three of the six other songs were earmarked for release on the <i>Earcom 2</i> compilation EP, although only two of them found their way onto it. “Autosuggestion” is another very long track (over six minutes) which almost appears to be similar to “I Remember Nothing”, but for a buoyant bass line, and the scratchy guitar that comes in later at times sounds almost genuinely uplifting, with the increasingly howled vocals not dampening the experience of a pleasurable second half of the song. “From Safety To Where?” is a more awkward number where the vocals sound like they’re trying to keep up with an unusual bass. It’s not doom and gloom, it’s just a bit strange. “The Only Mistake”, which ended up on the <i>Still</i> compilation along with the other unreleased songs from this session, rattles, rolls, and rings. The guitar echoes, but there’s a more dense sonic texture at play here, and the vocals build well like they had on “Shadowplay”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Exercise One” has some swarming feedback and one of the most ominous, menacing basslines in existence that continually pounds. The angular guitar work and vocals full of paranoia and dread set against a clappy percussion set leave us with a track that isn’t exactly aggressive, yet seems to embody pure evil, making it an unexpected highlight. “They Walked In Line” was another song from the botched <i>Warsaw</i> LP, although it doesn’t fare anything like as well as “Shadowplay”. The slowed down chords sound lifeless, and the baritone doesn’t sound anything like as convincing as Curtis’ previous mid-level drone. “The Kill”, not to be confused with an earlier track by the same name from an old demo from the band’s days under the Warsaw name (which is pretty awful), is a short, sprightly, and quite fun track with some interesting shapes, and a charming simplicity at times. Despite all this, it doesn’t sound all that far removed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For what it is, <i>Unknown Pleasures</i> stands up quite well. In spite of a wobble where you’d expect some quality, a terrific opener and a strong run of material from the middle to near the end that exhibits great style and variety ensure that this album will be a favourite for those who are patient with it. Of course, with all sixteen songs from the sessions being available on posthumous Joy Division compilations, you’d be entitled to feel like it could have been an even better record. It’s an unfortunate habit to not have the same vision as the people that created the music, especially when you’re tempted to bend the rules of the era’s vinyl limitations to get what you want.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Exercise One, Disorder, Shadowplay, Autosuggestion</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Disorder, She’s Lost Control, Shadowplay, New Dawn Fades</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Insight, Candidate, From Safety To Where?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Disorder</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Day Of The Lords</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Candidate</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Insight</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – New Dawn Fades</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – She’s Lost Control</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Shadowplay</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Wilderness</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Interzone</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – I Remember Nothing</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Author’s recommended tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Disorder</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Shadowplay</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Exercise One</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Wilderness</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – The Only Mistake</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Autosuggestion</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – New Dawn Fades</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – She’s Lost Control</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Day Of The Lords</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – The Kill</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Interzone</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – I Remember Nothing</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-85219069613060672052011-12-15T17:25:00.000+00:002011-12-15T17:25:47.848+00:00Leatherface - Live At The Night And Day Café, Manchester, England, UK, 09/12/2011<div class="MsoNormal">Another gig, another trip to Manchester, an even smaller venue than the last time I was in this city. The benefits of going with somebody who really wasn’t bothered were paying immediate dividends, as we were caught in a traffic jam thanks to a late start. Playing pot luck with the parking garages proved fruitful for saving money, but then of course it wasn’t me paying for the ticket. We arrived at the Night And Day Café to find tables and chairs out with a wide, busy bar. The toilet facilities behind the stage were nice and grimy, and you’d get the impression that this establishment was essentially a music venue that was trying to make a few bob during daylight hours. I had a coke (driver’s privilege), and sat down.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we were late, the first support act, The Fractions, was doing a sound check by this point. Usually, I’d want to stand and check out support acts, and just stand a bit further back if it wasn’t my thing, but Mr Excitable wanted to sit down and drink his ginger beer. I’m usually fairly defiant, but when I heard the horn section doing the sound check, I decided that sitting down and enjoying my coke wasn’t such a bad idea after all. From what I heard, The Fractions had a pretty decent rhythm section, but brass has no place in rock music, and we ended up having mid-pace ska blasted at us for half an hour. I just plain hate ska.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The usual break between sets, no more coke, and a bad back from sitting down for too long left me feeling somewhat restless, but Grumpfeatures was in a mindset to sit down for the entire gig. If you’re into opera I could understand that attitude, or if you’re too old to stand up for significant periods of time, but otherwise, I don’t really get it. You pay your money to see the bands, and then sit down while everyone else stands in front so you’re getting nothing but sound bouncing off the walls. Even at £8 a ticket, that’s not much of a deal. Nevertheless, we sat down behind the crowd again, much thicker this time, through the set that The Great St Louis was going through. It was a shame, they had a couple of good tunes in there, although it wasn’t mind blowing or anything. Having done a little research after, the “Leatherface meets Social Distortion” label that everyone seemed to have slapped onto the outfit wasn’t entirely unwarranted, but I think it makes more sense to describe them as “a slightly more restrained Milloy”. Certainly not groundbreaking, but solid.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Enough was enough. I got out of my chair, marched forth through the small crowd, and parked myself on the front row, Cheery O shuffling along in tow. No barrier in this 400-capacity room, just a bunch of speakers, which made for great armrests. I picked up a pick that someone from The Great St Louis had presumably dropped onto one of the speakers, and parked myself on it. A broken mic stand saw bassist Graeme Phillskirk donate his to drummer Stefan Musch (I was wondering if he was still in the band, with the <i>Viva La Arthouse</i> live release crediting a Steve Owen on drums), and without much chatter, the main act launched into their set.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And it came thick and fast. “My World’s End” kicked off proceedings with an energetic start, much as it had injected life into <i><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/10/leatherface-stormy-petrel.html">The Stormy Petrel</a></i> (albeit in the second slot there), from which four of the first six songs were taken. <i>Mush</i> staple “I Want The Moon” kept the energy at a pretty high level, before Leatherface slowed down the set with some more paced songs. Recent album opener “God Is Dead” was followed by the far superior “Watching You Sleep” from <i>Horsebox</i>, and the new album’s focus track “Never Say Goodbye”, with the excellent “Diego Garcia” rounding off the new album promotion section, albeit with minimal backing vocals. It was fairly apparent that Frankie Stubbs wasn’t in a particularly chatty mood, as the band were going from song to song at a surprising pace. Despite the speed, Frankie seemed to do quite a bit of interesting dancing (think drunken uncle at wedding), and Dickie Hammond managed to look half asleep, his eyes shut whenever I looked over, but the hands kept working.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As much of a blur that the set was, it was always going to be easy to recall highlights, as the rest of the songs were mostly a collection of well known songs and fan favourites, with just about all full-length releases checked off. A couple of other songs from the new album crept in, including the brilliant “Broken”, but the show was inevitably stolen by staples “Peasant In Paradise” and the closing “Dead Industrial Atmosphere”, as well as the welcome surprise “Colorado Joe/Leningrad Vlad”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaCdZ_sY6tJ9comJlXDWpLB8lKghOjlQCG1KV0NFqjR5Go3OrkR0fKGaE0eBTNp_aRicqk2Hj5SBBPm0mLt_BCopeqVAcDBD9V1UCjfHvjXahT0TBoJITSG2cYgURZEyoMiYoMVivQ88/s1600/11122011268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaCdZ_sY6tJ9comJlXDWpLB8lKghOjlQCG1KV0NFqjR5Go3OrkR0fKGaE0eBTNp_aRicqk2Hj5SBBPm0mLt_BCopeqVAcDBD9V1UCjfHvjXahT0TBoJITSG2cYgURZEyoMiYoMVivQ88/s200/11122011268.jpg" width="150" /></a>A solitary stage diver went around the side and dove in maybe eight to ten times. Were it not for the fact that he was obviously a regular and with a fairly large group of people who seemed to enjoy it, he’d’ve been walking home without shoes. Unlike the company I was with, I won’t rant on about it for an hour. It’s just sad, especially if you’re going to do it during “Broken” or “Pale Moonlight” of all songs. The encore consisted of <i>Mush</i> classic “Not A Day Goes By” and singalong cover “Hops And Barley, but all I can really remember is the vibration of the speakers on my knees, a flailing elbow smacking me just below the left temple, and finding another pick about two inches from my hand, I assume Frankie dropped it. With no competition at all, I stretched forth and took a copy of the setlist, left the building, found the car, got the hell out of Manchester, and got constantly bombarded with “can we stop at McDonald’s?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I actually thought the gig was pretty good. The crowd as a whole was pretty orderly without coming off as disinterested, one of the support bands was decent, and the main act, an aging band, surpassed expectations slightly. If I learned anything, it’s that going solo is probably worth the extra expense, or maybe my friends are too old for this, because while I was on the verge of throwing the towel in this year, I’ve realised that I’ve got a few shows left in me yet. I just need to experience them on my terms, and I’d encourage anyone to question to themselves why they’re trying to talk other people into going with them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Setlist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – My World’s End (The Stormy Petrel)</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – I Want The Moon (Mush)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – God Is Dead (The Stormy Petrel)</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Watching You Sleep (Horsebox)</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Never Say Goodbye (The Stormy Petrel)</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Diego Garcia (The Stormy Petrel)</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Little White God (The Last)</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Peasant In Paradise (Fill Your Boots)</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Hoodlum (<a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/04/leatherface-dog-disco.html">Dog Disco</a>)</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Sour Grapes (Horsebox)</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Disgrace (The Stormy Petrel)</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Broken (The Stormy Petrel)</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – Colorado Joe/Leningrad Vlad (Cherry Knowle)</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 – Not Superstitious (Mush)</div><div class="MsoNormal">15 – Pale Moonlight (Minx)</div><div class="MsoNormal">16 – Dead Industrial Atmosphere (Mush)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Encore</div><div class="MsoNormal">17 – Not A Day Goes By (Mush)</div><div class="MsoNormal">18 – Hops And Barley (split with Wat Tyler)</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-40383690831009002222011-10-25T15:24:00.000+01:002011-10-25T15:24:58.923+01:00Leatherface - The Stormy Petrel<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">2010 was a pretty bleak year in this rocking world, with Viva Death’s <i><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/01/viva-death-curse-darkness.html">Curse The Darkness</a></i> being the pick of the bunch with its jagged lines and insanity in the music. Hot on its heels was another album infused with madness, but it comes through the microphone of Frankie Stubbs rather than the hands of Scott Shiflett. Stubbs is one of rock’s most beloved crazy mumbling old granddads, and while he may never write something quite as warped as <i><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/04/leatherface-dog-disco.html">Dog Disco</a></i>’s “Red Diesel”, his gravelly tones and obscure lyrics are backed as strongly as ever by a solid wall of rock that rarely wavers, unlike the man’s fashion sense, which saw him looking like Fidel Castro around this period.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Mm-JQuLYt-90h4J6b8YyB8l26hwaPVa84Zrd7OMqg_Hzh0OIIORvOnV0zwVh1W9r-C2OlA9d4VZKtL7I42Gqn-iSVHe_saVB5ZLp9ptyXrURk1v3rMpZQ5GbfnWwSsmopkBQ0tiU0w/s1600/Clipboard06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Mm-JQuLYt-90h4J6b8YyB8l26hwaPVa84Zrd7OMqg_Hzh0OIIORvOnV0zwVh1W9r-C2OlA9d4VZKtL7I42Gqn-iSVHe_saVB5ZLp9ptyXrURk1v3rMpZQ5GbfnWwSsmopkBQ0tiU0w/s1600/Clipboard06.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">“God Is Dead” plods forth to open proceedings, and while it’s not horrible, it doesn’t really let us into the strengths of <i>The Stormy Petrel</i>. It lays the formula bare and exposed, with a heavier bias on one line refrains and the switching of gears with guitar moods. While the dual guitars on the <i>BYO Split Series Volume 1</i> release and <i>Horsebox</i> album maintained a stoutness through most of the material, and <i>Dog Disco</i> had been particularly aggressive, the return of founding member Dickie Hammond to the outfit sees two fairly distinctive feels. <i>The Stormy Petrel</i> doesn’t snarl like its predecessor at all on the majority of its songs, and the sound usually steps clearly from gentle and nice to a bit less gentle and nice and a bit fuller, and back again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“My World’s End” is an early enough encroachment into this pattern that you’re halfway through the album before you’ve decided what the general sound is. The aggression isn’t as explosive as the previous record, and it’s further hampered by an increasingly hoarse Stubbs, and the efforts of the new rhythm team being squashed. Bassist Graeme Philliskirk and drummer Stefan Musch aren’t exactly inaudible, but you feel that they’re mixed down too much, with the exception of one rattling hat on Musch’s kit, which you notice all too much while it’s there and all too confusingly when it’s gone and you hear how much quieter the rest of his kit is. Nevertheless, the overall ominous effect is achieved, and it’s a decent track that kicks the album into life a bit more where “God Is Dead” couldn’t quite manage.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is one of those albums where the meat is in the middle. Not necessarily all the best bits, but where the sound of the album is imprinted. “Never Say Goodbye” was considered a focus track, and it has a reasonable pace, a distinctive guitar piece that sets itself apart as a lead guitar, typical melodies, halfway sane lyrics, and a sort of catchiness. Back in the 90s, the band would release this as a single like “Do The Right Thing” or “Not Superstitious”, but alas, the world had moved on, the music world had moved gradually online, and John Peel was too busy resting in peace to back the band, so no such release materialised. Like the aforementioned singles, there isn’t much about this song that stands out, it’s simply one of the band’s more refined songs. Apart from being a little bit more charming, toothless, and radio friendly, this song is very much a representation of the album’s sound.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As it happens, most of the best cuts are indeed in the middle. “Nutcase” features buoyant ascents and descents, a steady driving beat, more energy, and the return of some hallmark crazy lyrics. The cold curry breakfast from “Bakelite” is recalled, and a catchy chorus seals the deal for one of the album’s shortest pieces. “Broken” follows and slows things right down, with a simple guitar riff opening up and stealing the show from the rest of the whole album. Like “Nutcase” before, it benefits from not hanging its coat on one line, and another great chorus with well timed backing vocals, along with great build-ups, ensures that a sense of power stays with the song despite its pace, and makes it the pick of the record. Without stalwart drummer Andrew Laing in the band for the first significant time, the backing vocals on the record are unsurprisingly restrained, but <st1:city><st1:place>Hammond</st1:place></st1:city> and Philliskirk deliver when it counts. The rhythm section feels like it has gained momentum too, with the bass given room to breathe on both songs.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Another Dance” follows, and unfortunately doesn’t build on the success of its predecessors, finding itself somewhere between the opener and “Never Say Goodbye”. A nice but forgettable opening riff gives way to simplistic guitars and bland vocal melodies, and a decent wind down and wind up unfortunately only leads to more of the same. “Diego Garcia” is much more interesting, with an initial lead guitar that recalls At The Drive-In, more politically charged lines (expressing sympathy to the relocation of inhabitants in the name of the United States building a military base on the British-owned atoll), and an excellent breakdown where the backing vocals shine.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next on the menu is “Monkfish”, which is a steady, if unspectacular track. It’s fairly sulky, with Stubbs’ lyrical lunacy punctuated with a couple of unconvincing whoops (did they ever fully recover from accidentally mixing those screams into “How Lonely”?). The chorus, which barely avoids being a monolinear refrain, is a nice change up that gives the song some substance, if not style. “Disgrace” follows, and is a bit on the strange side. A level of aggression is displayed unlike anywhere else on the record. It may not match the level of “Red Diesel” or “Rabbit Pie Alibi”, but it sounds like it could be a slightly slower “Dustbin Modo”, with a snarling riff and Stubbs cramming in lines where lines don’t fit, with more swearing than usual. Next thing you know, you’ve got a cheery one line chorus that’s a complete non sequitur at first, and the second time through the song appears to lighten up, although it’s a short enough song that it doesn’t really last.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The album certainly hasn’t taken a nosedive by this point, but does sound a little thin on ideas. Luckily for us, a couple of strong cuts ensure that things don’t tail off. “Belly Dancing Stoat” chugs along quietly, and aside from more intricate riffs, manages to succeed without anything spectacular. The songs build up nicely, nothing’s leaned on too heavily, the backing vocals are again used well, and there’s an excellent dynamic without any pace changes being used. “Isn’t Life Just Sweet?” isn’t actually an original piece of music. An unreleased instrumental recorded during the sessions for their half of <i>BYO Split Series Volume 1</i>, tentatively titled “Unfurnished”, is rerecorded, tinkered with, and has lyrics applied to it. It’s not a bad song, but although the instrumental sounded like it needed words, “Isn’t Life Just Sweet?” doesn’t convince me that Stubbs found the right ones. The instrumental break which had originally featured a nicely building if unspectacular dual lead sounds more like a three-step building dual rhythm here. If you know “Unfurnished” you might be a little underwhelmed, but otherwise it’s a solid track.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Hope” finishes the album in an unusual style. The extra instrumentation used gives it a sort of seafaring air, which probably has something to do with the title of the record. However, it’s not the strongest way to finish the record, and hearing Stubbs using the perpetually annoying cheap walkie-talkie vocal effect in the verses is particularly disappointing. Yet another solitary line makes up the chorus, and while it’s not the worst on the album, that it’s used as much as it is, particularly when seeing out the album, really drives that particular weakness of the record home. The music, for its oddities, isn’t so bad, and had the verses been stronger and sung through a microphone instead of an answering machine, I would probably be praising “Hope” as a nice closer.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With half a dozen years gone by, and with Stubbs the only member of the band since <i>Dog Disco</i> performing here, it was inevitable that <i>The Stormy Petrel</i> would sound significantly different. While undoubtedly one of the finest records to come out of 2010, it doesn’t stack up that brilliantly as a piece, and I wouldn’t rank it as highly as <i>Mush</i>, <i>Minx</i>, <i>Horsebox</i>, the split disc, or even <i>Cherry Knowle</i> or <i>Dog Disco</i>. That being said, this has just as many, if not more, great tracks on it than any of the aforementioned. The songs are of such strength that I couldn’t strip away a couple of bland tracks and rearrange to come up with a shorter but better album, and am simply left grinding my teeth over the flaws that prevent this from being a genuinely great album. With all said and done, if you’re in the mood for some good solid rock without wanting to listen to a full album as a singular experience, <i>The Stormy Petrel</i> is as good an addition to your shelf as any.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Broken, Nutcase, Belly Dancing Stoat</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Broken, Diego Garcia, Never Say Goodbye</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: God Is Dead, Another Dance</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – God Is Dead</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – My World’s End</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Never Say Goodbye</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Nutcase</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Broken</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Another Dance</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Diego Garcia</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Monkfish</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Disgrace</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Belly Dancing Stoat</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Isn’t Life Just Sweet?</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Hope<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-57113284579793021502011-09-17T14:22:00.001+01:002011-09-26T11:03:47.051+01:00Jawbreaker - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy<div class="MsoNormal">After a promising start as a pop punk outfit with a gritty edge on <i>Unfun</i>, Jawbreaker began to experiment quite heavily, and the material on the <i>Bivouac</i> LP and <i>Chesterfield King</i> EP in 1992 came across as a confused mess. The songs weren’t bad, but a lot of energy was removed at times, leaving us with a record and a half of either flat or angry material. Despite the fact that the erratic nature of the formula brought up some great tracks (“Parabola”, bassist Chris Bauermeister’s “Sleep”, and “Face Down” spring to mind), the song from this part of the band’s history that gets revered above all others is “Chesterfield King”, a dull-sounding, ill-fitting cheery track that fails to live up to the hype.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvDk0Ym4Pv3jQyWIWCX1baeIeBOX5H8wQpEYB3z7vZkh8w-ig2Ot4xsWVhUPoJckPtQ214DsLC-i3VxThkzAzTtP7s5TbqBc3UULO9QXbyBJwSE22Y1WW7HO1ZnbVg04AGTix1T-uXTo/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvDk0Ym4Pv3jQyWIWCX1baeIeBOX5H8wQpEYB3z7vZkh8w-ig2Ot4xsWVhUPoJckPtQ214DsLC-i3VxThkzAzTtP7s5TbqBc3UULO9QXbyBJwSE22Y1WW7HO1ZnbVg04AGTix1T-uXTo/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" /></a>The reason why a dull track became so celebrated? Not as shocking as you might think. Jawbreaker took their new sound and applied it to a more sensible rock formula. 1994’s <i>24 Hour Revenge Therapy</i> had just as much creative flair, but it was channelled into a more relatable vein rather than diluted in multiple directions. Nevertheless, it signalled a return to a sort of melodic punk, although the music was more mature. This was the music that Jawbreaker were remembered for, and “Chesterfield King” was the only thing from the <i>Bivouac</i> era that vaguely fit that mould.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The hoarse post-throat surgery vocal delivery of Blake Schwarzenbach gives the album a different feel, as well as being the subject of some of the lyrical content. Indeed, the last recorded track before surgery, “Kiss The Bottle”, sees Schwarzenbach’s voice resembling that of Rancid’s Matt Freeman, and I dread to think how <i>24 Hour Revenge Therapy</i> would have turned out with that style of mad drunkard Louis Armstrong performance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Immediately signalling a more lively performance, the drum roll that ferries “The Boat Dreams From The Hill” into port is anchored by simple but fun guitar chords, something the band had seemingly forgotten about. Without going overboard, it announced to the world that Jawbreaker was back to doing what it did best, but with a better sound. “Indictment” is one of what would prove to be some infamously ironic digs at major labels (1995’s <i>Dear You</i> album was released on DGC Records, and featured a smooth, smoky new singing voice from Schwarzenbach), and featured a slightly more restrained pace, but you can hear the busy drumming of Adam Pfaler wrestling to be noticed despite its blunted sound. With a working title of “Scathing Indictment Of The Pop Industry”, one of Jawbreaker’s most preachy songs proved to be the most flippant.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The band’s shortest track in their career, “Boxcar” is the only one to limbo underneath the two minute mark. Despite being another fingerpointing track, it highlighted a more historically agreeable sentiment. The expressed disillusionment with the punk scene may not have been the primary reason that they sounded so different a year later, but would have been a conspiring factor in their breaking up in 1996, when that scene had become as disillusioned with the band and booed the three-piece they once loved. The track itself is a bit more energetic and concise than “Indictment”, and although that was no bad track, having the similar but marginally better “Boxcar” after it makes it seem a little weaker than it actually is. Like “The Boat Dreams From The Hill”, “Boxcar” was rerecorded back in <st1:city><st1:place>San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city> in August 1993, after the band decided they weren’t happy with the versions recorded alongside what would become the bulk of the album that May in <st1:city><st1:place>Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> with Steve Albini.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Outpatient” is where the music becomes more musically interesting. A relaxed intro eases its way in with Schwarzenbach painting pictures of hospital events around the surgery. With the shortest three tracks out of the way, “Outpatient” is stretched a bit thinner, giving Bauermeister’s four strings a chance to make themselves known, and the pace and energy change step a couple of times. There’s an instrumental break in the middle of the song that’s a bit dull, but it’s a minor blemish, leaving us with a track that stands out from those preceding it without making us dismiss them as trite. “<st1:place><st1:placename>Ashtray</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Monument</st1:placetype></st1:place>” sees a temporary return to a more punk sound, although it’s more aggressive and features palm muting. This song is notable for introducing a more sincere anger to the record, a memorable pre-chorus hook, and Schwarzenbach’s inability to say the word “bottle” without a magic letter H. For a long time I wondered why there would be a “butthole on the nightstand”, but this is far less amusing to me than the aforementioned final track before these, "Kiss The Bottle", which of course our man sings as "Kiss The Butthole".<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The third track recorded in <st1:city><st1:place>San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city> was “Condition Oakland”, and all of Schwarzenbach’s pompous poetry love comes to the fore. Charged, dynamic riffs steam along while the frontman talks about hoping to hear railway tracks sing and being an avid reader, but at least he admits that he’s crazy in the chorus, which is the highlight of a great track that’s marred by the use of sampling at the end. <i>24 Hour Revenge Therapy</i> is very light on sampling as far as Jawbreaker records go, but it’s no less welcome. Beatnik Jack Kerouac rambles along to the piano of Steve Allen in periods of musical respite. Schwarzenbach may love Kerouac, but the only notable bit for me was mishearing him, thinking he said “…you can always see above the lesbian alley, puffs floating by from <st1:city><st1:place>Oakland</st1:place></st1:city>…”, and I was disappointed to find out that this was inaccurate. “Ache” was originally rejected from the <i>Bivouac</i> sessions. The chorus sounds a little like the one lively part of “Chesterfield King”, but the rest of the song is slow and downbeat, and we’re left with a song with an ebb and flow that complements “Condition Oakland” remarkably well. <i>Bivouac</i>’s loss is <i>24 Hour Revenge Therapy</i>’s gain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The highlight of the record comes fairly late on. “Do You Still Hate Me?” is vibrant and fairly direct, but it’s a cut above the likes of the opening tracks, and then some. A solid opening riff, fast work from Pfaler, an airy sing-along chorus and a simple but catchy yell-along-hoarsely post-chorus all contribute to the most tangible evidence of the band at the top of their game. No singles were released from the record, but if one was, this was the A-side, no question. “West Bay Invitational” brings back the sort of ill-tempered guitar that we saw in “<st1:place><st1:placename>Ashtray</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Monument</st1:placetype></st1:place>”, and it’s of roughly similar quality for the most part, but without any vocal riff to take your attention as much. It’s no slouch, but fails to shine how most of the tracks have.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ploughing to the back end of this album, “Jinx Removing” comes next, and it’s exactly what “Chesterfield King” wanted to be. An uplifting, slightly silly love song full of energy gives us the perfect cure to the stressed “West Bay Invitational”, while “Chesterfield King” failed to make a dent into a largely sulking album. Nevertheless, the record finishes in a downtrodden fashion. “In Sadding Around” builds up steadily. Bass meets palm muted guitar and low end drums, a sullen voice joins in, and then a feedback swarm slips into the background. The drums build up, a chunky snare steps up, the palm stops muting the guitar, and finally the chorus brings everything together with full drumming and a brilliantly sung chorus. An extended second chorus sees the album out, and while it wasn’t the kiss off that we were looking for, it’s a fine one that the album deserves.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What the album didn’t deserve was to be shortened. Also recorded during the Albini session were two songs that remained unreleased until the <i>Etc</i> compilation brought them into daylight. “First Step” is a little unusual in the way the guitar sounds at times, but its frenetic guitar work, outstanding tempo shift, tidy bridge, and sound vocal performance all point towards an album highlight. “Friends Back East” is a shorter number with a bouncy opening guitar and powerful kick in the hind legs, the last verse ending on the memorable line “my life’s a running joke, what am I running for?” as the guitar grits its teeth some. Both of these songs could have easily been added to the record without diluting the quality, in fact strengthening it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>24 Hour Revenge Therapy</i> isn’t perfect, but it’s close. The lyrics are great for the most part, Schwarzenbach being poetic without being at his most indulgent, and his vocals are on top form, with this rough voice being the best and most convincing of the voices he’s adopted over the years (although his more relaxed style came good on the first Jets To Brazil album, 1998’s <i>Orange Rhyming Dictionary</i>). The rough sound works well, and the guitars stand out whether they’re at full tilt or reined in, without being too loud. Even though the drums are given a flat sound, they still propel the band, and the often understated bass fills the sound out nicely without trying to outdo anything around it. Almost everything works to perfection, and it’s a shame that the album could have been two tracks longer and still just as good. It almost feels insulting to rearrange the album to include the other songs, but it’s something I was compelled to do with the quality of them. There are so many fine tracks on here that it’s hard to pick two or three favourites, and even singling out weaknesses as only relative weaknesses is difficult to do.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Do You Still Hate Me?, First Step, In Sadding Around</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Do You Still Hate Me?, Jinx Removing, Boxcar</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Indictment, West Bay Invitational</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – The Boat Dreams From The Hill</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Indictment</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Boxcar</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Outpatient</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – <st1:place><st1:placename>Ashtray</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Monument</st1:placetype></st1:place></div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Condition <st1:city><st1:place>Oakland</st1:place></st1:city></div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Ache</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Do You Still Hate Me?</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – <st1:place><st1:placename>West</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place> Invitational</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Jinx Removing</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – In Sadding Around</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Author’s recommended tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – The Boat Dreams From The Hill</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Friends Back East</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Boxcar</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Outpatient</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – <st1:place><st1:placename>Ashtray</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Monument</st1:placetype></st1:place></div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Jinx Removing</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Condition <st1:city><st1:place>Oakland</st1:place></st1:city></div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Ache</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Do You Still Hate Me?</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – First Step</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – <st1:place><st1:placename>West</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place> Invitational</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Indictment</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – In Sadding Around<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-80244565742603351362011-08-31T16:30:00.000+01:002011-08-31T16:30:27.036+01:00Hot Water Music - The Fire The Steel The Tread<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">After a triumphant return to the stage, the members of Hot Water Music got together and put out a couple of studio recordings. The first was a cover of “True Believers” by The Bouncing Souls, a song that they’d played live, which was released as a split single with that band covering “Wayfarer”. We were never going to learn too much about what the band would sound like from this 2010 release, and so it was the next year, along with promises of a 2012 full-length release, that we were treated to a new 7”/download. The first new material since the achingly disappointing <i>The New What Next</i> in 2004, it could have gone anywhere. Would it be a salute to the days of old? This was unlikely given the band’s personal preference for their Epitaph-era work. Would it sound like <i>The New What Next</i> or their previous, better Epitaph work (<i><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/01/hot-water-music-flight-and-crash.html">A Flight And A Crash</a></i> and <i>Caution</i>)? Would it sound a bit like Chuck Ragan’s solo material, which had gone from just the vocalist/guitarist and an acoustic to a full-blown country backing band? Would it draw from the other three members’ time spent playing as The Draft, or other vocalist/guitarist Chris Wollard’s other work as head of The Ship Thieves?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q3arXeed62o23t3u_FEBE1fx20tL0j2MPffVJbx8pY7xLIfhazFGi50NnDz52PLB6LaB84WiQBt1kRv8bWK57R_SI8hXVrDj0k8_c2r_30TAOA9MF2g09tNBoA2BUMjU2ygQwYTm58o/s1600/Clipboard04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q3arXeed62o23t3u_FEBE1fx20tL0j2MPffVJbx8pY7xLIfhazFGi50NnDz52PLB6LaB84WiQBt1kRv8bWK57R_SI8hXVrDj0k8_c2r_30TAOA9MF2g09tNBoA2BUMjU2ygQwYTm58o/s1600/Clipboard04.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, over the course of two songs, the answer is “most of the above”. The A-side of <i>The Fire The Steel The Tread</i>, which goes by that title, is a Ragan-penned piece that sounds like a country tune that’s been beefed up with electric instruments. Ragan’s voice sounds horribly withered, and every line is sung in dual to keep it up in the mix. The vocal melodies are somewhere between country and old fashioned road warrior rock (which shouldn’t be surprising given the title and lyrics). The classy rhythm section is held back, as George Rebelo’s drums are reduced to a sluggish pounding, and Jason Black’s bass is almost impossible to detect in the mix, so I don’t really know what he’s doing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have to confess to being disappointed. There are traces of <i>The New What Next</i>, and copious doses of Ragan’s solo work, which have been possibly the least effectual releases that any of the four members of Hot Water Music have been involved with in the ten years before this release. “The Fire The Steel The Tread” embodies elements of just about everything I was fearful of that might have gone wrong. I’d always typically preferred Ragan’s songs to Wollard’s. There’s just something about the classic anthems of hope from what used to be one of rock’s most coarse vocals that just made you believe that every word and every note was meant, and it’s all missing now, the chords, the lyrics, the voice. The only thing worth salvaging from this song was some of the higher-end guitar work, which barely hauls itself out of the mix.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The flipside is the contribution of Wollard, and I did not expect it to turn around my feelings of sheer dread for how bad the next full length would be, given my penchant for liking his songs less historically. Nevertheless, I gave it a spin. Lo and behold, all the best ingredients seem to have gone into “Up To Nothing”. The guitar work comes over as a blend of The Draft and <i>Caution</i>, the finest of Hot Water Music since signing for Epitaph. It’s catchy, infectious, and lively, and a much more animated Rebelo can be envisaged behind the drum kit. The backing vocals work a treat, the choral refrain is memorable, and Wollard’s voice hasn’t suffered anything like as much. Of course, there are flaws, but these are in the mix. Again, Black isn’t heard, and you get the feeling that the vocals could just be mixed a little better, but these are minor blemishes on a faith-restoring song.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve learned better than to be optimistic about anything, and the label that the band signed with to release the new LP looks to be so packed to the rafters with emo bands that it makes Epitaph look like they’re still in their glory days of the 80s and 90s. I’m not sure what the label expects from the band, or is just happy to have the name of a well-known band on its roster. Where do No Idea Records come in this time? In a way I’m glad that the quartet is moving on slightly, and <i>The Fire The Steel The Tread</i> does at least hint that what’s to come will be better than <i>The New What Next</i>. However, the thought of Hot Water music drawing out a legacy of below par records, after such a golden first decade together, is a sad one indeed. There’s nothing here for anyone who’s only a fan of the 90s material. Even the artwork continues in the vein of the uglier Scott Sinclair art present in <i>The New What Next</i>, whilst also bearing a resemblance to the artwork on the singles that The Draft put out. If you like <i>Caution</i> or Chris Wollard, the B-side is of great value to you. Unless the band put out enough loose material to fill up a third compilation album, these tracks probably won’t see release on a proper record.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal pick: Up To Nothing</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pick for others: Up To Nothing</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weakness: The Fire The Steel The Tread</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – The Fire The Steel The Tread</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Up To Nothing<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-40918874805151055722011-08-21T03:13:00.000+01:002011-08-21T03:13:03.259+01:00Pegboy - Three-Chord Monte / Strong Reaction / Field Of Darkness<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">After defining the sound of Chicago punk kings Naked Raygun with his simple but direct guitar for the best part of the 80s, John Haggerty decided he’d had enough and formed a new band, enlisting the help of Larry Damore and Steve Saylors on vocals/occasional rhythm guitar and bass respectively, from the recently-disbanded Bhopal Stiffs, rounding out the lineup with his brother Joe behind the drum kit. Pegboy went in to record a few demo tracks with Iain Burgess, and decided that it was good enough to release as it was as an EP. Later packaged on one disc with debut full length <i>Strong Reaction</i>, it nevertheless gets a separate examination because of its initial release as a separate record.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_viUO7qEtinNqwyEAIDvQHqrstRG2830pcpJsT996cIurRU7LZJK83bOOfo828rddk3FQK2Cz6udsWoKzZIJP99vxPLORaIT7iKSVo3tGUToUqcOFKj0pwBTWKZNHKDZeeUri8peOrK4/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_viUO7qEtinNqwyEAIDvQHqrstRG2830pcpJsT996cIurRU7LZJK83bOOfo828rddk3FQK2Cz6udsWoKzZIJP99vxPLORaIT7iKSVo3tGUToUqcOFKj0pwBTWKZNHKDZeeUri8peOrK4/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Three-Chord Monte</i> is one of the most charming little puns you’ll find in the often all too serious world of punk, and it’s reinforced by the cover photo of a shady character dealing cards on the docks. It’s also backed up by the opening track, as the riff that permeates most of “Through My Fingers” is indeed one with three chords. The song is remarkably unspectacular, and I still can’t fathom how they spun it out to four minutes. Damore’s flat vocals are a welcome change from the screaming, shouting, or whining that you’d usually get on straight simple punk, but on this EP and especially on this track, he sounds like he’s bunged up with a terrible head cold. The repetitiveness can really get to you on a bad day, which is a shame because it’s otherwise not a bad track. The unimaginative guitar solo coda doesn’t drag it out of mediocrity, and while Pegboy would always be better known for chunky riffs than creativity, how this song was picked to have a music video made for it and everything is beyond me. The lyrical despondency that features on most Pegboy songs regardless of musical mood is in full force here, and on every other track on the record. “My Youth” is more energetic and much catchier, but the combination with the lyrics creates a sort of bittersweet punk anthem, almost like The Bouncing Souls but more inland and closer to hardcore than Oi-punk. Most of the progressions in this song actually have four chords, but I think the least prominent riff in the verse has only three chords, so we’ll allow the song to be here, which is just as well because it’s the best song on the record.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The track fades away, as several of the best Pegboy songs seem to annoyingly do (“Strong Reaction” from the album of the same name, the closer to the mighty <i>Fore</i> EP “Jesus Christ”, and <i>Earwig</i> centrepiece “You” all spring to mind), and just to rub it in, the next track is called “Fade Away”. The guitar neck gets strangled in a more sombre piece that’s marked with a really awkward chorus that doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the song. I think it’s supposed to add a bit more kick to the dreariest track, but there’s no noticeable injection of energy. “Method” snarls a little more, and a more aggressive drum track propels the song to something greater. The backing vocals are at their best, and the guitars cruise and crash at the right times, including the best guitar solo that John Haggerty put down between leaving Naked Raygun and <i>Fore</i> in 1993.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzaZo9S5wETEhyphenhyphenNEawkDIVLicOVQ6ni5wB3XhEurnSPpbtnUfH1DB0AdQCmIcROBVAARVYg0lYQztNRK673-ml7E5JeprVAzD8Y8gr3CnHiJDOmmoFvUXztSAfRJAvTO-erZQNQIAzhg/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzaZo9S5wETEhyphenhyphenNEawkDIVLicOVQ6ni5wB3XhEurnSPpbtnUfH1DB0AdQCmIcROBVAARVYg0lYQztNRK673-ml7E5JeprVAzD8Y8gr3CnHiJDOmmoFvUXztSAfRJAvTO-erZQNQIAzhg/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">A year later, and the band’s first full length was out. The strikingly plain cover of <i>Strong Reaction</i> reflects the music, and “Strong Reaction” grabs your attention without any fireworks. A monster riff drives the song throughout, and an impassioned but gruff vocal from Damore, whose nose was sufficiently clear by now, leaves us with a classic, and I have no complaints about this being a focus track with a music video made for it. “Still Uneasy” is brighter, shorter, and features a more noticeable bass. The backing vocals are much airier than in the opener. There’s still some beef in the post-chorus riff, and “Still Uneasy” is a good second track which manages to avoid sounding weaker than “Strong Reaction” by being just different enough.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Not What I Want” is about on par with the previous track. It lacks a particularly interesting riff, but it’s bouncier still, and the classic air of defiance it carries will appeal to the younger punks out there. “What To Do” takes the pace down, and feels at times like a slight dip in form. The guitar lacks energy if not bite, although the vocals are still going strong. It feels like a blip, but is fairly consistent with the stock material at the back end of the album.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The instrumental “Locomotivelung” introduces a new flavour into the mix. Joe Haggerty’s drumming steals the show, but the dual attack of brother John and Damore on guitars is much more vicious than anything else the band did on <i>Strong Reaction</i> or <i>Three-Chord Monte</i>, being the clearest hint at what <i>Fore</i> would sound like. The only downside of this track is that it lacks an ending, which, considering they didn’t put the effort into lyrics, is particularly disappointing, because a crescendo was promising to build in the fadeout. “Superstar” is like “Not What I Want” in that it relies on infectious vocal tuning rather than a really good sequence of chords, and comes across as standard fare.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The song that was actually given release as a single from the record was “Field Of Darkness”, and it’s unlike pretty much any other Pegboy song from this era, in that right from the off, John Haggerty is hitting the higher notes of his guitar well away from Damore’s rhythm, and this makes it stand out in a big way, despite being the standard formula for most two-guitar four-piece units. Apart from trying to cram the song title into a space where there wasn’t room for it, the song’s full of melody and niceness and all that, so it’s no real surprise that it found its way onto a seven inch. “Time Again” brings the sound back into more familiar territory, with an urgent but dull riff that would have been chastised more if it had appeared on another part of the album, but it does the job after the last track, and one of the better solos on the record keeps the song treading water in its own right.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Believe” takes things down to almost the level of “What To Do” in terms of both speed and mood. A lively solo puts it higher up the pecking order, but it isn’t exactly stellar. The final credited track is “Hardlight”, eighty five seconds of disappointing throwaway material. I’m sure it’s some nod to the past bands that the members of Pegboy have been in, but it doesn’t belong here. The hidden track fades in where the fadeout of “Strong Reaction” left off, suggesting that the band had kept going until someone decided that they’d played enough (at approximately four minutes, the opening track is roughly a minute longer than the next longest track even with the fadeout), proving that those pesky punks were never intending to give the song a structured finish.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwtdgtcrBbjm3d5_OZmmexvR9aNuIAl_etGCPTwg4ba3_LzHf4eelMR8IMh8WRT6JCQ6TED1wX8Sf-VstkrCUDl-tNCldAA5N2zzahXlJP-Ti1TWatv4BKDjDQnezn7lRJ-bUsbWMz38/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwtdgtcrBbjm3d5_OZmmexvR9aNuIAl_etGCPTwg4ba3_LzHf4eelMR8IMh8WRT6JCQ6TED1wX8Sf-VstkrCUDl-tNCldAA5N2zzahXlJP-Ti1TWatv4BKDjDQnezn7lRJ-bUsbWMz38/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The <i>Field Of Darkness</i> single had the same version of “Field Of Darkness” as <i>Strong Reaction</i>, but featured a unique B-side. While “Field Of Darkness” remains a favourite of many who first heard Pegboy material when they heard their favourite band covering it (in my case it was Hot Water Music on a live bootleg), those that have grown into the entire catalogue might well find “Walk On By” to be streets ahead. Despite sounding like it was recorded in a tin of baked beans, it’s bristling with energy and is easy to sing along to, with the trademark uncertainly expressed in the lyrics, and I can't help but like it more than the A-side. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Being one of those albums that have a good sound to them without doing anything spectacular, <i>Strong Reaction</i> is as good a record to have in your collection as any Naked Raygun record. While 1994’s <i>Earwig</i> has some better songs and certainly better songcrafting, <i>Strong Reaction</i> just gives a great experience, and coupled with having just about enough good tracks, stands out as the most memorable and essential Pegboy release for most people. <i>Three-Chord Monte</i> is a worthwhile addition, although that’s easy for me to say because I accidentally bought it when I bought <i>Strong Reaction</i>. It’s unfortunate to say that the <i>Field Of Darkness</i> single is only for vinyl nerds and the hardiest of Pegboy collectors, because everyone who’s heard the band and doesn’t hate them would think that at least one of the two tracks on it was the best thing they’d heard that week.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks – Strong Reaction, Walk On By, My Youth, Locomotivelung, Method</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others – Field Of Darkness, Not What I Want, Method, Still Uneasy, Strong Reaction</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses – Hardlight, Fade Away, What To Do</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Three-Chord Monte</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Through My Fingers</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – My Youth</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Fade Away</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Method</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Strong Reaction</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Strong Reaction</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Still Uneasy</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Not What I Want</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – What To Do</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Locomotivelung</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Superstar</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Field Of Darkness</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Time Again</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Believe</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Hardlight</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – (Untitled continuation of Strong Reaction)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Field Of Darkness</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Field Of Darkness</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Walk On By<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-42423660761873895032011-08-07T03:56:00.000+01:002011-08-07T03:56:10.305+01:00The Bouncing Souls - Live At The O2 Academy Islington, London, England, UK, 03/08/2011<div class="MsoNormal">I’ve been against the idea of playing a full album from front to back at a live show, from about the time when I heard of the concept. Surely the point of going to a gig is to get something you can’t buy on a studio recording. The energy, the suspense, the sweat, the ringing in your ears, and some classic songs mixed in with new ones to guarantee that you finish the night with a sore throat. Nevertheless, this was The Bouncing Souls, and they were doing a slightly different take on it, so I had to try. They were playing all eight albums over four nights in a few select cities, one of which was <st1:city><st1:place>London</st1:place></st1:city>. There are advantages to this. The band gets to stay in a hotel and chill out for a few nights rather than hauling their team around every night, which must seem ever more appealing to bands that have been on the road for more than a couple of decades. Fans can select which pair of albums they want to listen to rather than just have the latest release shoved down their throats. It isn’t that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ghosts On The Boardwalk</i> is a bad record, but I don’t think that playing any entire record front to back is a very effective way of selling that record on a tour supporting that record. In my case, I was quite lucky that my two favourite Bouncing Souls albums were being played on the third night, so I talked two friends, each of whom I’d seen the band with once before at different venues in <st1:city><st1:place>Birmingham</st1:place></st1:city>, into seeing them perform <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How I Spent My Summer Vacation</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2010/12/bouncing-souls-anchors-aweigh.html">Anchors Aweigh</a></i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Because it was <st1:city><st1:place>London</st1:place></st1:city> and there was congestion and petrol to weigh up, we decided to train it down, and cram into a family room in a cheap nearby hotel so that we could stay the night. Having met up at the train station on a hot and humid Wednesday, we walked to the hotel and booked in at around half five, got changed and headed more or less straight to the venue. Surprisingly few people had turned up in time for doors, and we found out why. After chatting with the one couple that had arrived before us, they explained that quite a lot of people had bought the VIP option of going to all four nights. After waiting for an hour and a half inside the venue before anything happened, we found out that there was only one support act and that people who’d been there before knew better and didn’t waste their time. Eventually, local four-piece Pacer got on stage and motored through a series of pop punk. Think guitars reminiscent of the main act, but with less intrusive drumming and half-shouted half-screamed vocals, with a lot of complaining about the media in the lyrics. It was played pretty loud, and I’m beginning to wonder if support acts should be turned down a little so that those nearer the speakers can still hear the main act with good clarity. Their set can’t have been much more than half an hour, and they were soon taking their instruments off the stage.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A cheesy, amusing introduction imitating a boxing match between the two albums brought an introduction to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How I Spent My Summer Vacation</i>, replete with the music from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rocky</i>, and a scantily-clad female walking around holding up a vinyl copy of the album as if it had Round 1 printed on it. Perhaps due to the late start, the band walked on, picked up their instruments and immediately rocketed through their first set, only stopping to breathe twice, one of which was to fix a couple of bolts on Bryan Kienlen’s ailing bass guitar. As well as hearing the songs we would have heard anyway (“That Song”, “True Believers”, “Gone”), it was great to be able to hear some songs in a live setting which would otherwise rarely if ever have been played, including the brisk “Better Life”, and my personal favourite, the high energy “No Comply”. On the other hand, the interaction the band afforded the crowd was much lower than usual. Greg Attonito ventured towards the crowd once, thought better of it, and stayed back. He’s always been relatively calm as lead singers go, but his cheerful nature seemed to be absent, and he spent most of his time off the microphone tapping his feet and looking at the floor. I can’t be sure whether he was as tired as he looked, or whether he was still struggling to remember some of the songs, although I suspect the former. Either way, this wasn’t the buoyant individual who would hop around, stick the microphone into the crowd, and even help crowd members with cameras out by taking photos of them, something I’d seen on both previous occasions.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The crowd was in a surprisingly physical mood compared to the last two times I’d seen the band, and both of my companions dropped out before “Private Radio” had even finished, and watched the rest of the show from the bar. To make matters worse, towards the end of this first set, a crowdsurfer went directly over me in an unpleasant manner. I didn’t think it’d be too much of an issue as the staff had spotted him early and as many as five of them formed a neat formation in front of me, and looked ready. However, instead of lifting the crowdsurfer over the top like they were usually able to do single-handedly, they pulled him down onto the back of my head and neck. I sustained a neck injury from having his weight rolling my head forward and then pinning it down and compressing it. Sometimes I wonder if crowdsurfers are the only ones whose health matters. I was hoping to not be compelled to discuss the issue at all, having documented some views on crowdsurfing after the incident-free <a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/03/buffalo-tom-live-at-sound-control.html">Buffalo Tom show earlier in the year</a>, but alas, I’m angry.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most of the band disappeared through the back curtain for a five minute breather, soon followed by guitarist Pete Steinkopf who finished “Gone” alone. A very similar introduction was given for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i>, after which the band came back and continued at their uncharacteristically fast pace. Again, the crowd experienced regulars such as “Kids And Heroes” and “Sing Along Forever” as well as less frequently played gems like “Inside Out” and “Highway Kings”, another personal favourite. The crowd had mostly calmed down after the initial crush of the first three songs, although my knees were getting more and more painful after being flattened against the barrier for long enough, and I had a particularly sore rib, thanks to some troglodyte in the next row back who clung onto the top of the barrier like a Scotsman on a five pound note with his knuckles digging into me. What struck me as odd about this set was that “The Day I Turned My Back On You” was actually skipped. Otherwise, the album was there in completion including the bonus track (not with the two minutes silence). I usually like to have a gig end on a powerful note, but the semi-acoustic “The Fall Song” was a nice way to end the gig on a relaxed note. Maybe it was because I was tiring of dodging people doing music video stunts over me, or maybe it was because the band seemed more comfortable at the slower pace.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is no substitute for the excitement of wondering what the next song is, and feeling the excitement of a personal favourite, the will to sing or dance to a staple, or the appreciation of hearing something rarely aired being plucked out of the past. There was no encore, so there were no surprises other than the missed song. I suppose you can’t blame the band, given that they had been playing a lot of songs this way for some time by this point, and looked exhausted and a bit fed up, although it would have been nice to have them play a couple of extra tunes, perhaps from the split album they did with Anti-Flag in between the two featured records. A bad night’s sleep thanks to the heat, and a walk back to the station the next morning in pouring rain in which it was still too hot to wear more than a t-shirt, gave me plenty of time to weigh up the pros and cons of this concert. After mulling it over for several days, I’m still not sure whether it was worthwhile. What I have learned is what I suspected all along, that full-album shows are not as good as regular shows. The Bouncing Souls looked completely drained, and even the ever-powerful Michael McDermott seemed to be feeling the effects of a tour that they may well look back grimly on. Judging by the introductions, they hadn’t lost their sense of humour with age, so I can’t see what else could be at fault. What I perhaps haven’t learned is that I just might be getting too old to keep doing this, especially if I can get injured without going near the circle pit and not resist complaining about it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">(Given the nature of the show, there is no need to provide a setlist.)</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-76723359624727505602011-07-23T14:05:00.000+01:002011-07-23T14:05:21.353+01:00Firehose - Fromohio<div class="MsoNormal">The Minutemen are fondly remembered by most as heroic 80s punk rockers, with some smart messages entrenched in a working class spiel, but mainly for the blend of punk and jazz and funk that set them apart from their peers. Comparisons to early Gang Of Four have been drawn, although it’s fair to say that the British band relied more heavily on a hard funk influence to their rhythm section, whereas the Minutemen had a wider range. Towards the end of the Minutemen catalogue, bits of country began to surface, but didn’t dominate the mix. After guitarist D Boon’s death, Ed Crawford drove from <st1:state><st1:place>Ohio</st1:place></st1:state> to <st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:state> to talk bassist Mike Watt, drummer George Hurley, and The Unit into forming a new band, and thus Firehose was born. The band released five full lengths and a light dusting of singles and extended plays, although at some point The Unit was forced out of the band after a violent altercation with Hurley, although there are rumours that a barber was involved. Crawford brought a more distinctively country-flavoured edge with his guitar and vocals, Watt’s bass playing became more eclectic, encompassing more swing, and Hurley’s agile drums mostly stayed true to the freeform jazzy talents that we remember him for. What we ultimately got were five albums that were all different, but all the same in many respects, including genre-bending and inconsistency.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasbVtPQcmoQ1nmy8teOGdO1UPqN3nQiSZl-PI6vJ06PEjurlm01TaAaxbPbUOWZWTNQ6Tf_LhRnWUZ3-N8Hr9w-FHAnUNWN9C5y_C74EFyY9UlrSeF7aiHuAFBr8fzHQvDJNRUjYGcMI/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasbVtPQcmoQ1nmy8teOGdO1UPqN3nQiSZl-PI6vJ06PEjurlm01TaAaxbPbUOWZWTNQ6Tf_LhRnWUZ3-N8Hr9w-FHAnUNWN9C5y_C74EFyY9UlrSeF7aiHuAFBr8fzHQvDJNRUjYGcMI/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fromohio</i> was the third of those full length records, and is perhaps the one with the strongest southern lilt, which is in evidence almost immediately. A brief jazz-funk introduction of cymbals and an angular guitar give way to a more full-bodied good-ol’-time rock. “Riddle Of The Eighties” is quite the swinger, as is Crawford’s vocal contribution, but it features plenty of stop-start dynamics. “In My Mind” has an even older sound to it, but has an irresistible flow to it. The vocals are relaxed a little, delivering nothing but simple verses, the cymbal-heavy drumming features a four-on-the-floor beat in the background, the bass keeps swinging buoyantly, and the guitar work is wonderfully suited, switching from some upbeat acoustic-sounding strumming in the verses to neat high-end twangs in the breaks, the last of which segues neatly into a little guitar solo to finish with a flourish.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The harder funk Watt is better known for employing makes its first appearance introducing “”Whisperin’ While Hollerin’”. A more snare-heavy rhythm and paranoid vocals and guitars give this track a stark menace after what came before it. A brief solo and a few other high notes punctuate what is very much a bass-led song. We’re entering a largely funk-driven part of the album at this point, but we’re kept in with the opening theme with the first of three little sound pieces. Crawford does a little instrumental take on a classic guitar piece with “Vastopol”, a whiskey-drenched tune originally by Elizabeth Cotten, whose death was referred to on the previous album, 1987’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If’n</i>. It’s a bit stuck out at this stage, giving the classic inconsistency, but it serves well to keep the album tied in.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Mas Cojones” is a bit of a mess. It doesn’t really have a beat to it, the sparse guitar and bass work sound a bit disappointing, and the vocal interplay between monosyllabic Crawford singing and one-sentence spoken lines courtesy of Watt don’t really gel. There’s a brief moment where the instruments fall into place and give us the promise of a restrained build up, but this fails to materialise and the song carries on as it started. “What Gets Heard” is a better track, featuring a much more aggressive bass line, Watt’s much deeper voice doing some singing, and some scratchy guitars that sit well above the mix. “Let The Drummer Have Some” is another little sound bite, this time of Hurley mostly working cymbals, with a few other bits clattering around.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A marching drumbeat, acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies introduce “Liberty For Our Friend”, which is as funky as a Cornish pasty, and not quite as exciting. Save for the drums, it sounds like a campfire song, conjuring images flannel shirts on logs, and roasting marshmallows. I hate marshmallows. “Time With You”, which was released as the promotional single for the album, follows, and brings back some much needed pop and swing. Great guitars lead the way, backed by timely drumming and smooth bass. There are more hooks crammed into this track than in the last five put together, and the guitar movements flow into each other brilliantly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“If’n” starts with a funky little riff, descending guitars meet climbing bass notes. Some gentle acoustic guitar kicks in with some gentle crooning, and a Watt one-liner does a much better job recycling the music sequence than on “Mas Cojones”, and after a couple of them, a more lively piece kicks in, and then the song leaves gently. Rolling drums see “Some Things” jump into the breach with plenty of life, and there’s plenty of pace even in the quietest bits. It’s an unspectacular but fun track, so while it doesn’t win any awards, it keeps the album flowing nicely.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This purple patch on the album culminates with “Understanding”, which shines without breaking into a sweat. The cruising opening riffs give way to some subtle bits, as indeed many songs on the album have done, but each time that opening sequence comes in, you get a comforting feeling and start bobbing your head. Crawford’s vocals here are some of his best, and Hurley’s drumming is intricate without being flash, and we’re left with the highlight of the back end of the album. Another Hurley solo, appropriately titled “‘Nuf That Shit George”, is the last of these little musical interludes, and is forty seconds of mostly scattergunned lower end drums. The album closer, “The Softest Hammer”, is a slow track with echoing vocals, and it doesn’t really do anything for the first half. A build up this time does lead to a more powerful part of the song, although the sluggish pace is continued. Somewhere in the din, you can hear the screams of “It’s Ed from <st1:state><st1:place>Ohio</st1:place></st1:state>”, which is a factually correct piece of information.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fromohio</i> is probably the Firehose record that is the most shy of really great songs, but while the inconsistency is there, the overall standard of the music is just as good as any other Firehose record, perhaps even the best. If you’re in the mood for a good ol’ time, there’s a handful of really good ol’ rock to sink your teeth into, particularly with tunes penned by Crawford, who, like Boon before him, typically wrote the catchier songs compared to Watt’s tougher songs. Nevertheless, if you’re feeling the funk, then there’s something here for you too. While nothing here quite stacks up to “Sometimes” and “For The Singer Of REM” from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If’n</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fromohio</i> overall outguns its predecessor in all departments, and was a fine way for Firehose to finish the chapter and start on the heavier sound that permeated <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flyin’ The Flannel</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr Machinery Operator</i>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: In My Mind, Time With You, Understanding</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Time With You, What Gets Heard, If’n</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: <st1:city><st1:place>Liberty</st1:place></st1:city> For Our Friend, Let The Drummer Have Some, Mas Cojones</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Riddle Of The Eighties</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – In My Mind</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Whisperin’ While Hollerin’</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Vastopol</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Mas Cojones</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – What Gets Heard</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Let The Drummer Have Some</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – <st1:city><st1:place>Liberty</st1:place></st1:city> For Our Friend</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Time With You</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – If’n</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Some Things</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Understanding</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – ‘Nuf That Shit George</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 – The Softest Hammer <o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-40453172494756138012011-07-16T14:48:00.000+01:002011-07-16T14:48:59.418+01:00Face To Face - No Authority / Don't Turn Away / Over It<div class="MsoNormal">A slice of nice, basic pop punk. Face To Face carved out a name for themselves in the early to mid 90s with a few “classic” (no malevolence intended, I just disagree with it, disagreeing is what I do) melodic punk records, and then got criticism from most angles for changing their sound to an almost gloomy alt-rock style on 1999’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ignorance Is Bliss</i>, and then got another barrage of insults for changing it back. The band broke up after 2003’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How To Ruin Everything</i>, took part in some side projects (most notably bassist Scott Shiflett and vocalist/guitarist Trever Keith in the impressive Viva Death) and reunited a number of years later after the coast had cleared and all most people remembered of them was those earlier albums, reinforcing this with their live shows. Indeed, eleven of their twelve-song set supporting Dropkick Murphys in <st1:city><st1:place>Manchester</st1:place></st1:city> in April 2010 were from the first three records. The following year, the slightly underwhelming <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Laugh Now Laugh Later</i> was released, but for its shortcomings, confirmed that Face To Face were back to stay and carve out a living again, rather than live entirely off the fat of the nostalgia of old fans for a decade or two.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The band’s first long player, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Turn Away</i> is often cited as their most loved/influential record, although it’s not a runaway winner. 1994’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Big Choice</i> and the self-titled album that followed two years later retain high praise from modern pop punk circles, but the 1992 debut had a simpler formula, and borrowed the iconic head-in-knees kid idea from Minor Threat’s first record for the album cover. So that’s what we’re looking at, but along with some related releases, and because I’m a stick in the mud for chronological order, we’ll start with the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Authority</i> single.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Jl1z__c1G2F5tcGeHMT6eNSAi2dWuTDJvTRxcYSTf_VbZ5rFj7Pozl_ZMR5ws7NXGbfuQyT8ljlX2_km8HYfcRhpd7sx5q0toQPoARLB6vp5pHX5NQGtdBRuoJ7h-KhHiGqBFv1SUxk/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Jl1z__c1G2F5tcGeHMT6eNSAi2dWuTDJvTRxcYSTf_VbZ5rFj7Pozl_ZMR5ws7NXGbfuQyT8ljlX2_km8HYfcRhpd7sx5q0toQPoARLB6vp5pHX5NQGtdBRuoJ7h-KhHiGqBFv1SUxk/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The A-side of this single, which came with about three different covers from the folks at Dr Strange, is a different, rougher version of what would appear on the album. Low-end guitar, steady pace, vocal melodies, and all the other things you’d expect from a listenable but uninspiring three piece still in relative infancy. Two B-sides were provided, the first of which is “Don’t Turn Away”, which was left off the record bearing its name. Keith’s vocals, which proved to be quite capable as time went by, are horrible on this side of the disc, which is rounded out with a dire cover of Blondie’s “One Way Or Another”. Face To Face’s covers have always been hit or miss for me, and this falls into the latter category. What we’re left with is a single that doesn’t really showcase anything, other than the competency of the early rhythm section of Matt Riddle and Rob Kurth.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQKzrsX3YCfs6D19opYzCXczmcXY_JzIlLXPC0QJisjrk2S7UZSCe5yBmXgi0y1nigbm84Uz2bPKcfw-VQd3Auy6LFXrEeMD2q-4s36JAwCD65ywfeQc2rSFJrRaVKnXKEp8kmAFbTCM/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQKzrsX3YCfs6D19opYzCXczmcXY_JzIlLXPC0QJisjrk2S7UZSCe5yBmXgi0y1nigbm84Uz2bPKcfw-VQd3Auy6LFXrEeMD2q-4s36JAwCD65ywfeQc2rSFJrRaVKnXKEp8kmAFbTCM/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Turn Away</i> was eventually patched together (the material that made up the album was recorded with two different engineers) and released on the same label. The opening track, “You’ve Done Nothing” seems to pick up where the single left off, although a slight change in the music halfway through showed that they weren’t going completely by numbers. “I’m Not Afraid” is a bit more interesting despite being musically a bit simpler and slower. A lot more work’s been applied to the vocals and backing vocals, and it pays dividends.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Disconnected” is the song that really got Face To Face off the ground. Riddle’s bass is more complex in parts, some guitar muting and harmonics, and a catchy, layered chorus helped the album sell too fast for the label, which is why my copy of this, as well as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disconnected</i> single released the next year, were on Fat Wreck Chords. “No Authority” is here, rerecorded, and with a new intro with just drums and then some bass added. It’s essentially the same song apart from that, but the better production helps it to sound a little less lacklustre.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most of the best songs on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Turn Away</i> are in the middle of the record. “I Want” sees Keith starting to flirt with the higher strings on his guitar, and while the riffs are still simple enough that even the writer of this review can play them with his notorious “spazz-hands”, they’re some of the better ones on the album, and Keith’s vocals are on relatively good form. The lyrical content which looks for solutions from negative situations became the quintessential Face To Face song. “You’ve Got A Problem” is a more accusatory, aggressive song, and was the one used by Fat on their first record sampler. That seems a bit odd, given that “You’ve Got A Problem” doesn’t sound either representative of the record, or a top track.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Everything Is Everything” slows the pace a little, and the backing vocals range from major presence in the chorus call and response (well, call and “ahh ahh ahh</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After an increasingly strong sequence, “Nothing New” sounds sluggish and flat, Keith’s vocals dip in form, and higher guitar notes don’t save the listener from feeling underwhelmed. “Walk Away” tries to be more energetic, but more vocals in the same vein as the Blondie cover and an uninspired chorus really leave you feeling as though the album’s starting to do as so many have and run out of steam.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before you give up on the album, some bass and rolling drums bring in “Do You Care?” This energetic number sees better vocals, better harmonies, and a better chorus, providing a much needed lynchpin to the record. With the wheels still on, the album closes on a mediocre note, with vocals veering either side of form, but it does enough to not leave a bitter aftertaste.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disconnected</i> single gets skipped over because its B-sides can be found on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Over It</i>. The split with Horace Pinker also gets ignored because it opens up a can of worms too many (I’m not reviewing Horace Pinker here), and of the two tracks Face To Face provide, one is on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Over It</i>, and the other is a painful Violent Femmes cover.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1CppWdZegn-n7iB-h0pYvAP5zTHlHJYfev2wzjhlhM9ivWx-2XJCnkJq4RvDGtYTD-WxPDVBCvBWyX6_4YYeu20hqx9UCQRWnwv0xfiFP6TXr0rbwx00Fs_p8PDQsdNtOo_38-RaocU/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1CppWdZegn-n7iB-h0pYvAP5zTHlHJYfev2wzjhlhM9ivWx-2XJCnkJq4RvDGtYTD-WxPDVBCvBWyX6_4YYeu20hqx9UCQRWnwv0xfiFP6TXr0rbwx00Fs_p8PDQsdNtOo_38-RaocU/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Chad Yaro was added as a second guitarist somewhere along the line, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Over It</i> appears to be a trial for the band formula as much as it was a trial for the record label. The first half of the EP contains rehashed songs from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Turn Away</i> with this slightly fuller sound. “I Want” opens proceedings with a slightly protracted intro, and a quicker pace than the LP version. While not disgracing the original, it’s not quite as good, as “I Want” worked well at the tempo it had. “Nothing New” doesn’t sound very different at all save for the different backing vocals. This version of “Disconnected” was the version that became popular and made a name for the band, and while I prefer the more basic version on the album, this version stands up just as well with the extra meat from the guitars.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The excellent “A-OK” is the only pick of the bunch here, and it would be released on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Big Choice</i> the next year to be a highlight. Pounding drums, good vocals, great guitars, and some space for the bass to break out make for an infectious song that fares as well as anything on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Turn Away</i>. I can’t imagine why they decided to mess with the formula for playing it live, I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Like “A-OK”, “I Used To Think” was a B-side on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disconnected</i> single. A menacing start gives way to a pretty solid song, but it’s the uplifting backing vocals that steal the show from Keith’s chorus.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Don’t Turn Away” gets rehashed in the same way that the first three tracks did, and while it’s a significant improvement over the original, it’s still not a great song. It’s energetic enough, unlike the moping start of “Not Enough”. However, this song, from the Horace Pinker split, turns out to be a great song. Despite not containing anything particularly outstanding, and a negative, defeatist mantra, the song somehow manages to come across as uplifting. The elusive concept of changing of pace rears its head to give the listener that shot-in-the-arm effect a couple of times to round out what can best be described as a decent quality collection of scraps.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Authority</i> is really only for collectors, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disconnected</i> is in the same boat, the split with Horace Pinker is only of value to Horace Pinker fans, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Over It</i> is good but derives too much from other records. Being unable to decide whether the dynamic is one of a high bass and low guitar duelling, or a more rangy power trio, and being unable to even confirm whether or nor Trever Keith can sing, a classic record <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Turn Away</i> is not. Being simplistically upbeat, catchy, relatable, and something you can sing along to without relying on high speed and boisterous yelling, a great record <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Turn Away</i> is. It rates highly because it manages to kick arse without doing anything special, although I do wonder if I’d rate it higher if it were recorded in one go. If you dig that sort of rock, pick this up. If you’re looking for some more intelligent craft, try <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ignorance Is Bliss</i> and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So Why Aren’t You Happy?</i> EP, or try a different band.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: I Want (old), A-OK, Not Enough, I’m Trying, Pastel</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Disconnected (new), I’m Trying, A-OK, I Want (old), Do You Care?</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: You’ve Done Nothing, Walk Away, One Way Or Another</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No Authority</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – No Authority (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Don’t Turn Away (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – <st1:street><st1:address>One Way</st1:address></st1:street> Or Another</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Don’t Turn Away</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – You’ve Done Nothing</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – I’m Not Afraid</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Disconnected (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – No Authority (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – I Want (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – You’ve Got A Problem</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Everything Is Everything</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – I’m Trying</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Pastel</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Nothing New (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Walk Away</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Do You Care?</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – 1000 X</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over It</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – I Want (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Nothing New (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Disconnected (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – A-OK</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – I Used To Think</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Don’t Turn Away (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Not Enough<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-34859695085744460452011-06-23T12:34:00.000+01:002011-06-23T12:34:35.151+01:00Fugazi - In On The Kill Taker<div class="MsoNormal">While <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2010/12/fugazi-steady-diet-of-nothing.html">Steady Diet Of Nothing</a></i> was more dextrous and intricate than the largely anthemic 1990 release <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Repeater</i>, or the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fugazi</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Margin Walker</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">3 Songs</i> extended players that came out between 1988 and 1990, the 1991 album didn’t fully take the shackles off, held back further by the flat self-production. Thus, as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Repeater</i> remains regarded as an essential punk rock album, the more ambitious Fugazi was borne out in the years following, as more songs were crafted for their next album.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq4yrc0rzKUYmddBu5TZz0RgC8g17qOCkn2LoF3n0vLBRLlINN8I5xdXMhRu3dOtiCTnusHSD2TTiXx1F5ZlsPpzIZVR8-sfy3ENMyE3APqEefp7BiyhnhyqnHatp8YAm-wxV9M3nWT8/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq4yrc0rzKUYmddBu5TZz0RgC8g17qOCkn2LoF3n0vLBRLlINN8I5xdXMhRu3dOtiCTnusHSD2TTiXx1F5ZlsPpzIZVR8-sfy3ENMyE3APqEefp7BiyhnhyqnHatp8YAm-wxV9M3nWT8/s320/Clipboard012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In On The Kill Taker</i> caused an initial furore before consumers even cracked open the disc. The band were big enough for larger stores to sell their records, but, barcodes being a requirement, most record labels integrate one into the back cover. Helped by the fact that guitarist Ian MacKaye happened to be co-founder and co-owner of Dischord records, band and label had the same viewpoint that the band’s art package was not to be disturbed, and managed to wrest a compromise. An external sticker with a barcode on was to be used so that SoundScan could do its thing. With the long list of ethical stances and confrontations Fugazi accumulated in their time, this one was largely lost in the din of the record itself, although it’s nice for me to have an album with no barcode sitting on my shelf. Having said that, all the barcode would have covered is some incoherent rambling. The artwork is pale pastel blues and yellows, with old style typewriter font and messy scribbling in amongst lined paper and the Washington Monument, with some black in the inlay and a rambling letter, a plain blue disc, and a bit between the CD and the back cover that resembles one of those newfangled post-it notes with lines on them. I’m sure they didn’t exist in 1993, and it’s just some yellow lined paper worked into the booklet, but I like the way that it looks as if the band stuck a personalised post-it note under the CD, even if it does just repeat “I will not lie” a dozen or so times.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, about the music that had to cut through this. A bleeping guitar fades in, and then another high-pitched guitar joins in, followed by the rhythm section. Bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty manage to sound ominous and yet funky, which they do so often and so well. All give way to a snarling guitar, and then, on the minute mark all come in, joined by a noticeably venomous MacKaye bellowing out social critiques. The only weak point in the quite brutal onslaught of “Facet Squared” is the pace, which sounds quite pedestrian once the song gets going despite the guitar thrashing, which is exaggerated primarily by some uncharacteristically dull drumming. The same can’t be said of “Public Witness Program”, introduced by a rapidfire snare. While “Facet Squared” was like being slowly clubbed to death, Guy Picciotto’s first contribution is nimble and incisive. Piercing vocals puncture a song delivered at a blistering pace that leaves everything from the previous record in its wake. A simple but vicious guitar solo is punctuated with… hand claps? “On a Fugazi record? It’ll never work”, you might say. Yet, despite being one of the last sorts of cheery things you’d expect on any Fugazi record, let alone this cutting track, it actually works quite well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Suddenly everything goes very quiet. Some very subdued guitars intertwine. MacKaye is whispering, and the music sounds very threatening, and it occasionally erupts briefly. A loud snare, a shouted word, or a few rising notes from rising guitars, but it always pulls back. We’re brought back to the less disturbing guitars intertwining. Two minutes in, “Returning The Screw” appears to come to a quiet stop, but then the guitars come in again, gently building up, until the band suddenly explodes into life. MacKaye is again full of bile, sounding more like himself from his Minor Threat days. The song abruptly ends, and some more subdued guitar noodling builds itself in. This isn’t “Returning The Screw” anymore though, and “Smallpox Champion” starts charging at full tilt soon enough. Picciotto delivers what is perhaps his most directly political Fugazi song, a trait usually aligned with MacKaye’s writing, and cuts into the treatment of native American tribes with gusto, preferring to associate the actions with the America he lives in rather than, as the nationalist way of thinking would rather have it, foreign colonists that don’t represent the star-spangled banner. The music cuts out briefly, save for some downplayed drum clicking, but starts roaring forth again after a couple of seconds. The final minute sees some slightly more palatable guitar, some much funkier bass, and some catchy chanting, although the aggression isn’t shelved.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After another sharp stop, “Rend It” begins straight away with clattering instruments. Picciotto gets a second track in a row, in the first part of a three track segue, but the songs continue to be unpredictable. “Rend It” perhaps represents <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In On The Kill Taker</i> as well as anything on the album. Complete instrumental silence follows the end of the descending instruments, cut only by Picciotto’s searing vocals. The guitars wince in the background after a verse, and then everything winds up for the chorus of jagged riffs and harsh vocal harmonies. Some MacKaye screams followed by Picciotto wails see out the song. Before the track can fully fade out, some clean sliding guitars are followed by quietly spoken vocals for MacKaye’s “23 Beats Off”. Some distortion gets added in and MacKaye clears out his lungs to build up the track, but the other aspects are kept in check. A more menacing guitar with some bending strings comes in, and the second windup is more penetrating. The song gives way to feedback and a solitary drum. However, there’s nearly four minutes left on the track. It’s all feedback solos, and not particularly crafty or tuneful ones at that. What was a great track has more or less been ruined, and it’s no surprise that this was truncated to about a minute on the rare occasion that it was played live. The feedback dies away almost enough, but another segue is made into “Sweet And Low”. Although he’d provided backing vocals in the earliest days of the band before Picciotto joined, Lally’s vocal debut for the band wouldn’t come until 1995, with “By You” featuring on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Red Medicine</i>. “Sweet And Low” almost was, but Lally couldn’t find the right words for his composition. It’s got a nice bass sequence to it, but overall it’s a bit boring, and very placid.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Canty introduces Picciotto’s “Cassavetes”, which brings back scratching guitars. Apart from the drumming, the track isn’t particularly special, but brings us back into more familiar territory, and sees Picciotto reminding us that he hasn’t forgotten how to roll his an R like he like on “Dear Justice Letter” on the previous album. “Great Cop” sounds almost like a hybrid between the opening two tracks, with MacKaye’s anthemic vocals and the directness of “Facet Squared”, but with a little more urgency, and less screwing around. “Walken’s Syndrome” gives us another dose of raw feedback, but less than thirty seconds in, the song announces itself. Picciotto continues his cinematic theme, referring to the car crash described by Christopher Walken’s character in Woody Allen’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Annie Hall</i> (if memory serves me correctly, Jawbreaker added soundbites from the very same soliloquy to the beginning and end of “Jet Black”, released a little later on 1995’s controversial <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dear You</i>). Following from the previous track, “Walken’s Syndrome” is unflinchingly relentless and acerbic, and ten songs in, the first-time listener is completely drained.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After an exhausting effort, Fugazi finishes with a couple of heartfelt radio-friendly love ballads, with the one exception in that they don’t actually do that. The violent nature is gradually reined in, but MacKaye and Picciotto each sign off in style. The former provides “Instrument”, full of gloom, extended, strangled vocals, a belittled groove, and a supreme final minute as quickfire guitar noise gives way to powerful riffs and strong vocals. Picciotto has the final say, and his amazing vocal performance on the album (I don't like his voice, but it's been on top form throughout) finally seems to be tiring, dying amongst the classy string picking of “Last Chance For A Slow Dance”. But it’s not to be. Despite the slow tempo, the instrument power comes in during the chorus, only to be beaten by the vocals. A lonely guitar piece closes out the album with a hush.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The sheer catharsis of this record is unrivalled. Many good records manage to balance flow and juxtaposition well to give you a sense of dynamics, but never as Fugazi did it here, so absolutely. Even the weakest section between the wall of feedback at the end of “23 Beats Off” and the calmness of “Sweet And Low” only serves to highlight the extremities that this album achieves, and these overindulgences seem not just forgivable, but almost necessary ingredients to achieve the phenomenal listening experience of it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It may come as no surprise that there was trouble making this record. The band attempted to do some recording with Steve Albini, but remarkably couldn’t achieve a sound they were happy with, so they went back home to record in the Inner Ear, and it’s hard to conceive that this was a mistake, despite Albini’s reputation. It may not be my absolute favourite album, as I don’t see anything wrong with going for ones that work for me. However, of all the albums that I would ever have considered in my top ten, or even top twenty records, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In On The Kill Taker</i> is perhaps the most poignant definition of a boundary-pushing unit at its creative peak. While <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steady Diet Of Nothing</i> was at times carried through weaker moments by the rhythm section, the entire band is on the money for almost this entire album.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Public Witness Program, 23 Beats Off (first half), Smallpox Champion</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Smallpox Champion, Last Chance For A Slow Dance, Instrument</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Sweet And Low, 23 Beats Off (second half)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Facet Squared</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Public Witness Program</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Returning The Screw</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Smallpox Champion</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Rend It</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – 23 Beats Off</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Sweet And Low</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Cassavetes</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Great Cop</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Walken’s Syndrome</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Instrument</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Last Chance For A Slow Dance<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-53388419644905591632011-06-16T14:54:00.008+01:002011-06-23T00:48:50.527+01:00Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You’ve just produced a pretentious double album, where do you go? If you’re The Beatles, keep producing crap, because you’re The Beatles and you suck. If you’re Bob Dylan, keep singing like a drugged cat on a chalkboard, because that’s your thing that you do. But if you’re Hüsker Dü, you rein it in a little and produce some happier songs. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> was a dual petroleum slab combining their earlier brand of ineffective thrashy hardcore with psychedelic instrumental posturing, giving us a few good songs, a number of okay songs, and plenty of cheap filler. Nevertheless, it was praised for its invention, although it didn’t make the top 500 album list from Rolling Stone, which drools over The Beatles, Bob Dylan, token credibility-grabbing nods to the spheres of other genres and other types of rock, and double albums (evidenced by Minutemen’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Double Nickels On The Dime</i> making the back end of the list, four double albums in the top ten, and of the top ten, twelve of them are Beatles and Dylan records). The presence of The Clash’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sandinista!</i> seven places above the Minutemen double LP can only be attributed to the fact that the people who compiled the list were aroused by it being a triple album, because it was a triple stinker in terms of quality.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJZ16OIA2xJQHsFyIMBfW_ApWOWUhmg58qaHJm22PqaGxAoajY_gSESrSxwM7o_HmkISyROeD3yOSaKjkBp1YHXCgXq1IUHUYx2tkXRFL50uHd0Bp6ftAASs62cNXOrBKfdIqDaMNAdM/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJZ16OIA2xJQHsFyIMBfW_ApWOWUhmg58qaHJm22PqaGxAoajY_gSESrSxwM7o_HmkISyROeD3yOSaKjkBp1YHXCgXq1IUHUYx2tkXRFL50uHd0Bp6ftAASs62cNXOrBKfdIqDaMNAdM/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">However, being regarded as influential on rock as they apparently have been, those boneheads had to fit Hüsker Dü in somewhere. Scraping in at 495 on the list, compiled in 2003, at the opposite end of the list where the captains of the industry were voting on the records they wanted to keep selling, was the follow-up single disc <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Day Rising</i>. The fuzz remains, but the ambitious sprawling influences on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> have been replaced by straight rock, and hardcore was instead blended with a strong dose of melody and familiarity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Having said that, this is no flawless frisbee. For what is essentially a much more concise record, we’re given something of a soundpiece to start with. Pounding drums, an upbeat guitar and a positive mantra (literally the album title, over and over) give us the signal that the band’s in a different mood. However, it just keeps on going. The mantra becomes gradually sort of howled and screamed by the band members, which is probably supposed to be symbolic of how they’re still hard, or giving us false hope, or painting an aural picture reminiscent of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”, or something else we don’t care about. Anyway, it gets boring after a while. “New Day Rising” is followed by Grant Hart’s “The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill”, which has a long title because the chorus is a longer line than Hart usually challenges himself to repeat during most choruses. For a track with a reasonably aggressive guitar, it’s quite a fun track, except for the vocals. Whether you like his voice or not, having it so low in the mix really messes with your ability to listen to the song.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A poor start. Have the media moguls screwed up again, even on their attempts to claim some integrity? Bob Mould strikes back with what would become a trademark. “I Apologize” has the fuzzy guitar and occasional strangled scream of the Hüsker Dü of old, but more pop melody than their entire double album from the previous year. And there’s plenty more to come. “Folklore” lasts all of ninety-six seconds, Mould’s vocals are rushed, the guitars are rushed, Hart is screaming in the background, and it’s not as sugary as the previous track, but it still smacks of a band getting a more palatable sound, although they were still some way from 1987’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/02/husker-du-warehouse-songs-and-stories.html">Warehouse: Songs And Stories</a></i>. So they’ve even picked a transitional record as their favourite Dü record?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“If I Told You” sees a rare writing collaboration between Mould and Hart, with the latter providing lead vocals. This is more or less unheard of, given the infamous friction between the two. Hart clearly wrote the chorus, and some of the vocals are garbled, but it’s still got plenty of friendliness to it. The album’s promotional track appears even more so, but “Celebrated Summer” is a bittersweet summer anthem. Greg Norton’s buoyant basslines and cymbal-heavy percussion courtesy of Hart that are pretty consistent throughout the album are here as strongly as anywhere. Mould’s ambivalent ode to summer contains plenty of half-shouted vocals and aggressively played guitar, albeit with brighter chords, but once in the middle and at the end, everything’s stripped away bar a picked guitar and a couple of whispered lines. The band gradually builds back in along with the tempo after the first respite, and we get a good chunk of extra song before the second one closes the song out gently.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After closing out an accessible song so quietly, you’d expect to be kicked in the nuts with a more aggressive stomper of a track. Judging from instrumental rehearsals, that’s exactly what they were planning to do. Instead, we’re served up with “Perfect Example”, which sounds like the outro to “Celebrated Summer” being recycled, given a gentle band backing and a touch of distortion. Mould rambles and is barely audible, and while it’s not horrible, it’s a shame to end the first half of the album with it, especially knowing that a different track was going to appear in that spot.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The second half kicks off in a jaunty mood, despite the track being called “Terms Of Psychic Warfare”. Hart sounds like he’s gloating, there are some high-pitched backing wails, and the guitar and bass riffs are cheery to the point of being quite irritating. On the plus side, not only is the title not the chorus (can you imagine having that line repeated at you and not hating it?), Hart manages not to utter it in full a single time. Outrageous! Mould gets back at the helm and gives us a song with bipolar disorder. Nervous, scattered drums, anxious guitars, and incoherent mumbling make up the verses. The music winds up into faster tempos with a howled choral refrain that recalls <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metal Circus</i> extended player, leaving us a song that may not be a highlight, but has a very interesting character.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Following in the footsteps of “59 Times The Pain” is “Powerline”, a shorter and more level-headed song that has a more hypnotic quality to it, with its metronomic snare and relatively smooth guitar, and Mould’s vocal delivery subdued slightly in volume, but not to the damaging extent of “The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill” or “Perfect Example”. The frenetic, rising guitar solo at the end is almost in danger of being too low in the mix as well, which sees Norton’s swirling bass surprisingly high up, but it holds its own, and a relatively straight song garnished with plenty of small unusual nuances becomes something much more interesting. Some old-time feel-good piano prances above the mix in Hart’s final offering, “Books About UFOs”. He espouses his infatuation with a girl who’s obsessed with astronomy. Sweet occasional backing vocals, a charming guitar solo dated not too dissimilarly to the piano tinkling, and a sort of spoken verse section make “Books About UFOs” stick out like a sore thumb, and while it may not be representative, it is quite infectious.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">From here, the album sounds like it’s gradually regressing into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> mode. “I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About” hybridises melodic choruses with an aggressive chorus, and isn’t especially memorable. “How To Skin A Cat”, on the other hand, is memorable, if perhaps for the wrong reasons. Mould’s amusing but slightly disturbing business proposition for skinning cats for free is backed by an incomprehensible din. For an album that has pushed songs with structure consistently since the opening salvos, you can’t help but feel that there’s no place on it for this steaming pile of sonic gloom. “Whatcha Drinkin’” sounds quite generic, although a nice tempo change gives it a little bit of flavour. It’s passable as a back-end-of-an-album track, but needs better support than “How To Skin A Cat”. “Plans I Make” is the closer, and it’s a fast rager that almost recalls <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> in its most aggressive moments, brighter chords being all that separates it from “Indecision Time” or “Pride”. It descends into another din, with some anguished screams from Mould. Nevertheless, it too is easier to forgive than “How To Skin A Cat”, having some sort of song structure in the first half, and its descent into chaos doesn’t disrupt the flow of the album, bookending it as it does with the other acceptable mess of a track, “New Day Rising”, which was inexplicably included in Rolling Stone’s top 100 guitar tracks list, once again scraping the bottom, indicative of credibility-searching.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So what of the two tracks that didn’t make the cut? “Listen” and “Erase Today” are fine, powerful Mould rockers that fall under the two minute mark. “Listen” is bright and punchy, but was substituted for “Perfect Example” for reasons which can presumably only be explained by artistic licence. “Erase Today” is a little more reserved, and was cut in favour of “Powerline”, which makes sense at first glance, and would be easier to swallow if “How To Skin A Cat” had also been cut out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Despite all of its shortcomings, the one thing Rolling Stone did right in this scenario is pick <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Day Rising</i> as the Hüsker Dü representative. It contains enough of the ear-shredding distortion and aggression of their old days, and the melodic songcraft of their final years. It even has a cover that violently assaults retinas less than most of the band’s catalogue. However, in part because of these reasons, it’s hard to visualise many people actually picking it as their favourite album, but a second favourite is more feasible. If you like their smarter compositions, there’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Warehouse</i>, if you like their more experimental hardcore, there’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> (how many times have I referred to it here?), and if you want music to throw chairs to, there’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> again, or better yet, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metal Circus</i>. As is the way with Hüsker Dü review, a “should have been” tracklist is provided. I’ve even put my neck on the line and explained the logic (or lack thereof). “If I Told You” is swapped in position with “The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill” to make the album more accessible before waiting for the third song, “I Apologize” moves below “Folklore” to ensure that “…Heaven Hill” is surrounded by clear catchy songs. “Listen” takes its rightful place closing out the A-side, and the B-side begins with “59 Times The Pain”. “Books About UFOs” is brought up the list a bit, “Erase Today” comes in, and “Terms Of Psychic Warfare” is dropped further down to prevent the album sound like it’s tailing off into the past.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Day Rising</i> is nevertheless a good hardcore experience in its current form, and I’d recommend it to anyone who listens to punk or altenative rock (are they the same thing now?). There’s no point recommending it to hardcore fans because they will already have heard it. Don’t do it because it’s in a Rolling Stone list, because taking that list seriously means that you like The Beatles. Having said that, don’t check it out on my say-so either, there’s no such thing as too much research, unless your sources are trying to sell you the Capitol Records catalogue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Personal picks: Powerline, Celebrated Summer, Listen</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Picks for others: Celebrated Summer, I Apologize, Books About UFOs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Relative weaknesses: Perfect Example, How To Skin A Cat</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tracklist</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">01 – New Day Rising</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">02 – The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">03 – I Apologize</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">04 – Folklore</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">05 – If I Told You</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">06 – Celebrated Summer</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">07 – Perfect Example</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">08 – Terms Of Psychic Warfare</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">09 – 59 Times The Pain</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">10 – Powerline</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">11 – Books About UFOs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">12 – I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">13 – How To Skin A Cat</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">14 – Whatcha Drinkin’</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">15 – Plans I Make</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Author’s recommended tracklist</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">01 – New Day Rising</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">02 – If I Told You</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">03 – Folklore</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">04 – I Apologize</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">05 – The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">06 – Celebrated Summer</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">07 – Listen</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">08 – 59 Times The Pain</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">09 – Books About UFOs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">10 – Powerline</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">11 – Erase Today</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">12 – I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">13 – Terms Of Psychic Warfare</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">14 – Whatcha Drinkin’</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">15 – Plans I Make<o:p></o:p></span></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-42179377852636728012011-05-28T18:30:00.001+01:002011-06-22T23:51:51.736+01:00At The Drive-In - Vaya<div class="MsoNormal">At The Drive-In rose pretty quickly through the ranks of noisy post-hardcore, in a high arc that culminated in a stellar final album and subsequent disintegration. A brief look at their catalogue shows three albums which are incredibly dissimilar. 1996’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Acrobatic Tenement</i>, despite being fairly intricate, failed to avoid sounding a little bit like a pop-punk album with ambitions. 1998 saw the release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In/Casino/Out</i>, which had very little resemblance to the previous full length. Brutally aggressive music with a rough mix contrasted with increasingly complex guitar work meant that this record was a completely different animal. Another two year hop and the critically acclaimed, commercially quite successful <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relationship Of Command</i> was unleashed. A lot of the anger remained in the music, but it was tamed by a much slicker production, and strong elements of progressive rock gave a much more textured album.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The band was an unusual case in that they made frequent use of extended plays, and not just as throwaway material. Prior to the release of the band’s first full length, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alfaro Vive Carajo!</i> EP displayed much poppier melodies. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">El Gran Orgo</i> was released in the year between <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Acrobatic Tenement</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In/Casino/Out</i>, and while it sounded more like the former in terms of mixing, it neatly fills the gap between those two records which would have otherwise been a non sequitur, showcasing more aggression at times that leant more towards the latter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cTMtVp0KGiEfGRbChDCldduI-kzAPl35Xt4-fQw1JfxCzrg7PGxI7a6Zv5TX0wjRsOT8hTrOtztdf8dpSShG5f3GhBy1tU1iN52OPno59APfrRgIE5ZNuoI2U6CLTl5ejViNqH6so7E/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cTMtVp0KGiEfGRbChDCldduI-kzAPl35Xt4-fQw1JfxCzrg7PGxI7a6Zv5TX0wjRsOT8hTrOtztdf8dpSShG5f3GhBy1tU1iN52OPno59APfrRgIE5ZNuoI2U6CLTl5ejViNqH6so7E/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The same could be applied to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vaya</i>, a snapshot of the band’s progression rather than scraps. This 1999 release framed them somewhere in the arc between their rawest peak and the experimental direction they were heading in that contributed to their dissolution. The production finds a sweet spot between coarse and slick, the scale of aggression is broadened, and a couple of different approaches are exercised. This sort of description can indicate a lack of cohesion, but the record sounds as cohesive as any of their full albums.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Rascuache” kicks things off, and instantly draws the listener into a sense of unease. The introductory sequence treads a line been tribal simplicity and an electronic groove. The song explodes into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In/Casino/Out</i>-style ferocity, but the elements of the intro haven’t quite left the song entirely, and they’ve certainly made their mark. A complex drumbeat brings in “Proxima Centauri”, and Cedric Bixler-Zavala almost seems to be chanting at first. Some more experimental guitar work separates Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Jim Ward. The song twists and contorts frequently, perhaps a little too often. “Ursa Minor” is more recognisable as a song rather than a series of experiments, and builds up well. A languid bridge takes out some of the energy, but an iteration of the chorus is all that’s needed to reignite the song.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The half-album’s centrepiece and arguably its peak is “Heliotrope”. From brutal attacks to intricate solos to a single bending guitar string hovering over Paul Hinojos and Tony Hajjar's rhythm section, “Heliotrope” carries a wide range of the arsenal of At The Drive-In, and gels them all together extremely well. The focus track, for which a music video was made, “Metronome Arthritis” follows, and while it isn’t exactly painful, it’s much slower than anything on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vaya</i> thus far, and really sounds like it’s dragging its knuckles. The pace only picks up very slightly at any point, and it feels like the venom that the band is capable of delivering has been diluted rather than sparingly used. This song would foreshadow some of the slower, weaker songs on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relationship Of Command</i>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">An aggressive riff introduces “300 MHz”, which exercises a lot of quiet-to-loud sequencing that we’ve come to expect from At The Drive-In, but unfortunately it doesn’t have the same impact here. With only one track to go, you might be wondering if <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vaya</i> is running out of steam after a bold start that could have promised a full length record of solid material. “198d” starts in such a subdued manner that indicates a band going out on a whimper, but they turn it around in surprising fashion, and come up with a great slow song. Bixler-Zavala’s grating bleat is not fashioned for songs like these, which is one reason why the band had struggled to get this right more often than not. Whereas in “Metronome Arthritis” the guitars were a bit on the boring side for the most part and highlighted the depressing drumbeat, on “198d” they sound much more natural at this pace, and the restrained drumming works nicely. Of course, the chorus is louder, but retains the pace and the mood. Even Ward’s backing vocals, which bark even more harshly than Bixler-Zavala’s, are arranged into a relatively pleasant chorus. The mood is sullen, but despite being the gentlest track by a long way, it’s also one of the strongest.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At The Drive-In would have further success with slow songs on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relationship Of Command</i> with the excellent “Quarantined”, and further failure with the marathon “Invalid Litter Dept” that will leave some listeners wincing, greater success in experimentation (“Quarantined” again being a defining example), and matching success in unbridled aggression in tracks like “Arcarsenal”. This is all fine and dandy, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relationship Of Command</i> deserves its place as the band’s widely heralded magnum opus. But for all the accolades the full length gets, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vaya</i> has given us some of the band’s best work. At The Drive-In will always be an acquired taste, but if you’re accustomed to harsh vocals and harsh post-hardcore or whatever they’ve rechristened a subsubgenre that translates to “sounds a bit like At The Drive-In” (which the crap they’re coming up with, probably something like “psychedexperimetal post-screamocore”), then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vaya</i> is a worthwhile addition to your selection. Just make sure you get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relationship Of Command</i> first.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Heliotrope, 198d</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Heliotrope, Ursa Minor</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Metronome Arthritis</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Rascuache</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Proxima Centauri</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Ursa Minor</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Heliotrope</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Metronome Arthritis</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – 300 MHz</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – 198d<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-71311404910285459512011-05-18T11:38:00.004+01:002011-06-22T23:40:24.513+01:00Social Distortion - Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes<div class="MsoNormal">After a few decades of deaths, retirements, and comings and goings of an innumerable number of musicians, the easing of the more extravagant posturing, and the growing acceptance that 2004’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex Love And Rock N’ Roll</i> was a return to stylistic nature rather than an experimental foray back into rock and roll, it’s just about safe to say that Social Distortion is a rock and roll band fronted by Mike Ness. After writing punk songs in the band’s youth, culminating in one of the most well regarded punk albums to come out of <st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:state>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mommy’s Little Monster</i>, <st1:place>Ness</st1:place> decided to move on. The record was released in 1983, and you can count on one hand the number of punk songs that Social Distortion has put out since then. Songs like “Indulgence”, first played as early as 1984, demonstrated <st1:place>Ness</st1:place> shifting genres, and after a few years and some prison time, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prison Bound</i> was released in 1988, and it was essentially rockabilly. This wasn’t entirely surprising, however, given that the sort of covers that Social Distortion do hasn’t changed (the likes of Johnny Cash and The Rolling Stones were always in the odd setlist). Nevertheless, the band signed up to a major label, released a couple of albums in a similar vein but with a slightly fuller rock production, had one of them eventually go gold, and made a fan out of Bruce Springsteen. After an aborted attempt to produce another similar record in 1994, most of the songs were shelved, and we were given <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">White Light White Heat White Trash</i> two years later, which brought a heavy alt-rock element into the mix, and a few hard songs. Yet throughout, <st1:place>Ness</st1:place> had always insisted that Social Distortion were punk rock, and just played a bit of rockabilly. Live shows featured recycled tough-guy punk rhetoric used unwaveringly for years. “Back when punk was dangerous”, “when society wasn’t ready”, “take all your fingers and stuff them up your arse”, “I hit the biggest one of them”, only laden with profanities, and variations of all of these can be heard on 1998’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Live At The Roxy</i> release. Time passed, members moved on, and records weren’t released. Eventually, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex Love And Rock N’ Roll</i> came out, and it was, as the titled suggested, a rock and roll album, and everyone loved it. A dab of <st1:city><st1:place>Hammond</st1:place></st1:city> organ wasn’t everyone’s taste (it wasn’t mine), but it was mostly subtle and blended well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nexIX15Gby-zB_4hrJXmB9TqWRfhNI5SV7zcin-32F9EKidLrDwtWRadylWNnHcXKVpyVjyv7tOpRoRmfuvj8LLhUXVpqtjbigAa4NA3HL3HYD63s0-wVMjERgCpK1NqbSK4tf6nWfE/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nexIX15Gby-zB_4hrJXmB9TqWRfhNI5SV7zcin-32F9EKidLrDwtWRadylWNnHcXKVpyVjyv7tOpRoRmfuvj8LLhUXVpqtjbigAa4NA3HL3HYD63s0-wVMjERgCpK1NqbSK4tf6nWfE/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a>A number of years later, it was evident that the wait for a new Social Distortion record was going to be a long one again, and after seeing the band in <st1:city><st1:place>London</st1:place></st1:city> in the summer of 2009, I could see for myself that the punk charade had been dropped. A banner proclaiming “30 years of underground rock and roll” hung behind the band, and after opening with a couple of classics from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mommy’s Little Monster</i> (I think it was “The Creeps (I Just Wanna Give You)” and the title track, but don’t hold me to it), it was all rock and roll and their 90s rockabilly. A couple of years of loosely following the loose information regarding a release, early 2011 saw the band employing an unusual gimmick, streaming their entire album online pre-release and offering an increasingly reduced price on Amazon on release if song streaming milestones were met, and that got me my first taste, whilst also wiping out the impression they’d given that they were going to put out an acoustic album.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The biggest surprises are served up straight away, and the album kicks off with a rock and roll instrumental. “Road Zombie” is a hard-driving, snarling number that almost recalls <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">White Light White Heat White Trash</i>, if not for the production style, which dates the guitars if nothing else. The dynamics suggest that it was originally designed to be a verse-chorus-verse-chorus song, and the lead guitar almost acts as a substitute for the vocals. Regardless, it’s a rocking track that’s a nice way to set things off. Following that is the definitive departure from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex Love And Rock N’ Roll</i>, “<st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:state> (Hustle And Flow)”. The B-3 Hammond organ has been replaced by the “ooh” of female backing singers. It’s not really my cup of tea, and it comes across as a little generic, but the quickening of pace towards the end gives the song a longer life in the memory. “Gimme The Sweet And Lowdown” returns to the pace of the opener, but has a more upbeat feel to it, not too dissimilar to “Don’t Take Me For Granted”, the number three from the previous record. There’s a little more restraint, keeping it in check with most of the album better, which <st1:place>Ness</st1:place> generally did a good job with considering how old some of the songs on here are.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The real meat of this album is in the middle, just like a meat sandwich should be, but enough about my expertise on the heirarchy of light lunch architecture. “Diamond In The Rough” is on the slow side, and quite charming. The lyrics and verses aren’t spectacular, but the chorus is awfully catchy, with backing vocals that recall the 2004 album. Indeed, parallels can be drawn to the number four track there too, as “Footprints On My Ceiling” was a slow song that didn’t leap out straight away but turned out to be one of the best tracks on the album. One of the few tough guy songs follows, but we can forgive “Machine Gun Blues” for that, and the strange tinny vocal section (why do singers like to do bits that make them sound like they’re on a cheap walkie-talkie?), because the song rocks, and because Ness hasn’t spent the majority of the album telling us what a hard as nails, down on his luck gangster he is. It’s a wonder how he got out of the Prohibition era in one piece. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes</i> showcases a lot more introspection and vulnerability, and there’s no better example than “<st1:city><st1:place>Bakersfield</st1:place></st1:city>”, the album’s centrepiece, and longest song by some way. Opening with a downtrodden groove, with some subtle touches of piano and backing singers in the chorus, it’s a well-layered slow anthem. The sparse and conversational stop-start section near the end even features a little of that organ we thought had been eschewed. There’s a lot of layering, as there is on a fair number of songs, but it’s all put together discreetly to add to the sum rather than distract from it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Far Side Of Nowhere” is unremarkable, but provides a welcome cheery vibe from the music to get us out of the last ten minutes of slightly droopier tunes. “Alone And Forsaken” sees the band try to emulate what they did with Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire”, but while the criminal horn section in Cash’s version was morphed into a neat guitar riff, this Hank Williams cover doesn’t fare as well as a hard rock and roll tune (a wolf howl at the end sounds quite juvenile here), and is probably the most stark misfit on the album. From the more pronounced piano at the beginning of “Writing On The Wall”, you might think that that conclusion was premature, but the song matches the mould of some of the other slower songs on the album. Lots of “ooh” ensures that lament is combined with melody, and that the album is back on track.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Can’t Take It With You” sees a slightly pushier and driven guitar groove, the return of the gospel backing singers at their most prominent, and a piano solo, giving us the impression that Ness wanted the album to have a little fun on the way out. Incidentally, that’s what the song’s about, and it is fun, so you don’t care too much. The album closes out on “Still Alive”, an upbeat number from Ness that lets us know that he’s not dead, which is a courtesy that most musicians only provide for their fans on their newfangled twittery facebooking gadgets, and that gives us something to be upbeat about too, because it’s not the album’s best song, sounding a little samey. A piano solo for an outro lets us know that the album is at an end.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Deluxe version bonus tracks, oh how they annoy me. Are they gimmicks to get you buying a certain way, or even to buy the album twice? Where do they belong? Single B-sides to be released on some B-side compilation down the line? Are B-sides still a viable commodity in this new world of digital music sales? Regardless, you can see why “Take Care Of Yourself” wasn’t included on the album, it runs on a different groove. It’s not a show stealer, but it more than holds its own, and sounds fresh after an album of largely similar material. There’s a poppier element to the guitars and melodies, some vocal echoes, and backing vocals from the band fill out the sound. Maybe it’s too poppy for the Social Distortion brand to be included on a proper album, but I like it a lot. “I Won’t Run No More” sounds a little harder, but the same reasons for not being included spring to mind. You wonder if having the pair of songs both included in the album would have nullified the accusations of not gelling with the album whilst also alleviating the feeling of being given a lot of the same. There’s an acoustic version of “Down Here (With The Rest Of Us)”, the guitar’s really different and I’m not a fan, but I usually prefer acoustic versions of electric songs to resemble them a fair bit. Call me a stick in the mud if you will.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Should Social Distortion have followed through and put out an acoustic album instead? Certainly not, they’ve largely done a good job. This record is not as powerful and packed with hooks as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex Love And Rock N’ Roll</i>, but it’s a good record. The band showcases an evolved sound, and the way the album sound and packaging has all been made to look dated adds to the charm. I wouldn’t say this is essential Social Distortion, but if you like any of their albums aside from that old punk debut, you won’t have any regrets about getting your mitts on this one. It was a sure signal that 2011 would be a better year than 2010.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: <st1:city><st1:place>Bakersfield</st1:place></st1:city>, Diamond In The Rough, Take Care Of Yourself</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Writing On The Wall, Diamond In The Rough, Gimme The Sweet And Lowdown</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Road Zombie</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – <st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:state> (Hustle And Flow)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Gimme The Sweet And Lowdown</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Diamond In The Rough</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Machine Gun Blues</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – <st1:city><st1:place>Bakersfield</st1:place></st1:city></div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Far Side Of Nowhere</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Alone And Forsaken</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Writing On The Wall</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Can’t Take It With You</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Still Alive</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bonus tracks</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Take Care Of Yourself</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – I Won’t Run No More</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 – Down Here (With The Rest Of Us)<o:p></o:p></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-58478595645096473022011-04-28T18:16:00.004+01:002011-09-16T01:33:58.955+01:00Leatherface - Dog Disco<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">There’s always been something inaccessible about the majority of the lyrics of Frankie Stubbs, and it’s hard to believe that a fair few of his songs are co-credited with other authors. The man’s mind appears to be seriously warped, and it’s impossible to believe that the minds of others could be similarly skewed. However, as Leatherface advanced and broke up and reformed with newer and older members in a strange cycle, things have gotten progressively scarier. The following lyrics, taken from “Bakelite” on 2004’s <i>Dog Disco</i>, are by no means misrepresentative of the lyrical sanity of the record.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">'An overzealous tour guide that has to hide</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Every time I hear that ice cream van, it’s pissing down outside</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">You’re weirder than the afterlife, you need a friend</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Your fashion sense is no recompense, pardon my French' </div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">These lyrics, like many on this album, are cringeworthy at first read, and no better at first, second or third listen, and you wonder how frightening someone would have to be to be considered weird by Frankie Stubbs. However, there is an intangible poetic genius to a lot of his words, and you have to shrug your shoulders and admit that you couldn’t bust rhymes like that if your life depended on it, let alone defy a hoarse gravelly voice to put melody into them and put them into rock songs.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN64UYfFetAHReAjiTi8JnWT6xu-mXwPizJr_k6wEter5tOVrwm6GYO5jy_dI9ek9Y5nMoeZo5f_fwHAj0e4Xol8rn-h5nfxc2VVxRhE7NmZ6Qn6TXXTVjau68Vf2M7_QmdtMKoOBhMT8/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN64UYfFetAHReAjiTi8JnWT6xu-mXwPizJr_k6wEter5tOVrwm6GYO5jy_dI9ek9Y5nMoeZo5f_fwHAj0e4Xol8rn-h5nfxc2VVxRhE7NmZ6Qn6TXXTVjau68Vf2M7_QmdtMKoOBhMT8/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">The cover of <i>Dog Disco</i> is even more cringeworthy than the lyrics, even if you don’t think they’re poetic. It’s as bad as the title could possibly suggest, a dog with sunglasses in front of a gaudy disco glitter ball thing. It’s right up there with some Dinosaur Jr and Hüsker Dü cover art in contention for “worst rock album cover of all time” (<em>Without A Sound</em>, <em>Hand It Over</em>, <em>Flip Your Wig</em> and <em><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/02/husker-du-warehouse-songs-and-stories.html">Warehouse: Songs And Stories</a></em> all spring to mind, but there are more ghastly offerings courtesy of both bands). Of course, this means comparing them with Hüsker Dü, and nobody could possibly have thought of comparing the two bands musically, except for the fact that loads of people have. Rest assured, this author is sticking solely to the eyesore comparison.<o:p></o:p></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Aside from guitar layering to make the trio of Stubbs, long-time drummer/backup vocalist Andrew Laing, and not-as-long-time bassist/backup vocalist Davey Burdon sound like a four piece a fair chunk of the time, there aren’t too many sonic tricks here, and we can easily enough overlook this one because Leatherface has spent the majority of its career before and since <i>Dog Disco</i> as a four-piece. “Hoodlum” opens the account and has an upbeat hook that isn’t unique for the record, but doesn’t really tell the story of the record either. It sounds like it’s trying to be too catchy, but with the exception of a handful of early 90s songs, only a die-hard Leatherface fan would find themselves singing along to a Leatherface song. With the melodies and riffs that Leatherface have churned out, some would find that surprising, but while the best songs were memorable, they weren’t really sing-along anthems, and they sound like they’ve tried too hard here. “Diddly Squat” falls into the same trap, and also suffers from not being quite as upbeat, and Stubbs sounds like he’s trying to fit entire anecdotes into four bars, cramming in too many words. It has a nice breakdown, but it doesn’t save “Diddly Squat” from being a fair measure worse than what was a disappointing first track.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Things start to pick up, though. “Heed The Ball” is dosed out much more cleverly, with some much heavier riffs beefing up a slower song. The verses have a lot of punch, and the chorus breathes. Without doing anything spectacular, the song’s a vast improvement and dispels the doubts that Leatherface had lost their touch. “Small Yellow Chair” appears to touch on the same subject of fatherhood that “Diddly Squat” had, but everything’s reined in, and the whole song’s allowed to breathe freely, giving us a pop gem that the album really needed at this point.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">One of the album’s more interesting songs, “Raga” features lead vocals from Laing, who’d previously done so for a track on 2000’s <i>Horsebox</i> and an earlier cover of a Snuff song. Whilst his fairly high-pitched and monotonous voice is usually accepted as a good complement in the backup role, it makes a nice change here. The song features an unusual guitar rhythm, a hint of piano in the background, and a tone-lowering effect. “You” picks up the mood a little, but drops the pace a little. Most of the singing is done with backing, which gives it a nice effect, but you almost feel a little bit let down by the simple vocal patterns and lack of obscure lyrics. There’s a neat little moment with just Stubbs and his guitar, but it doesn’t thrust the song out of relative obscurity. You could be fooled into thinking it’s a highlight though, because it’s followed by the worst song on the album. “Eggbound” contains even more word cramming than “Diddly Squat”, and the basic upbeat riffs make it sound even more ridiculous. At least it has the decency to be short.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">A snarling riff launches “Red Diesel”, a very aggressive track that contains many of the best Leatherface lyrics around. The whole track’s a hoot, but it’s easy to pick favourites.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">‘Have you seen your dog</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">It’s a Lhasa Apso</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">It was on the back seat</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Of that Fiat Uno you stole’</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">‘Someone’s drawn tits on my neighbour’s back door</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">That always makes me smile</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">That artist has got some style</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">I think I’ll sit here for a while’</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Never the easiest to make out, but Stubbs has me in stitches with this one. Aside from the lyrics, it’s fair to say that it’s actually a tidy little rocker, and if you’re in an extreme mood that makes you impervious to the lyrical genius, then you can still appreciate the kick in the pants. It’s followed up by “Bakelite”, which recalls “Heed The Ball” in pace and structure, and is exactly as long, eerily. It’s a little less aggressive, which actually makes it a slightly better song.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">“Plastic Surgery” is the album’s biggest departure from balls to the wall rock. For the most part, it’s just Stubbs and a sparse, slightly choppy guitar with a whiskey-soaked blues feel to it. A smooth chorus with some gentle drumming and bass break up Stubbs’ geriatric musing. Burdon exercises his lower-middle-ranged drone on lead vocals in the next song, amusingly titled “Rabbit Pie Alibi”. Even more aggressive than “Red Diesel” in the verses and general guitar work, the song is well punctuated by Burdon and Laing harmonising on the chorus, which is strangely uplifting, and it’s probably the only time the two will have done so in the Leatherface canon. The guitar solo’s a little bit too messy, but it’s a good song for Burdon to leave his mark with. “Heart Is Home” has a fair bit of that feedback that you could describe as being wet (but not in a sexual way). The saturated sound of the final track distracts you from the fact that this is a very basic song lyrically, and washes over the listener, reminding them that they’ve been through one of the boat’s roughest musical journeys.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Since being superseded as the most recent record, all <i>Dog Disco</i> is likely to be remembered for is that cover art and the uh, memorable lyrics. The confused looks a friend got after I got him to put “Red Diesel” into a fancy jukebox in a student pub were priceless. Ah, to be young and careless. But when all’s said and done, if you’ve sat through the album and grown accustomed to Stubbs’ voice, you have to hold your hand up and concede that they’d done it again. The album is generally much heavier sonically, and contains some of Leatherface’s most brutal work, and yet the restraint in parts is more evident than ever. The baffling songwriting goes hand in hand with the greatest variety they had thrown into an album, even in spite of not having other instruments in any prominent roles. Clever songcraft isn’t so much about adding textures and layers and instruments, it’s what you do with the tools you have.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Personal picks: Plastic Surgery, Red Diesel, Raga</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Picks for others: Small Yellow Chair, Plastic Surgery, Bakelite</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Relative weaknesses: Diddly Squat, Eggbound</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">Tracklist</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">01 – Hoodlum</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">02 – Diddly Squat</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">03 – Heed The Ball</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">04 – Small Yellow Chair</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">05 – Raga</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">06 – You</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">07 – Eggbound</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">08 – Red Diesel</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">09 – Bakelite</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">10 – Plastic Surgery</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">11 – Rabbit Pie Alibi</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;">12 – Heart Is Home</div></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-10891459035405662802011-03-21T22:55:00.003+00:002011-06-22T22:52:21.670+01:00Buffalo Tom - Let Me Come Over<div class="MsoNormal">Having seen the recent release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skins</i> and a live show, I was inspired to write an album review again, but ended up writing about the gig instead. The temptation was to write about the new record, and discuss Buffalo Tom’s history more comprehensively, how second-string vocalist/bassist Chris Colbourn’s songs had improved relatively as the band matured, how the band expanded and yet somewhat began to fall in line with what was expected of them, and so on. Instead, I figured I’d take a look at my favourite record of theirs, which lends itself merely to mentioning their early history in passing. The band was once dubbed “Dinosaur Jr Jr” for the fuzzy style of college rock on its first two albums, <city><place><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Buffalo</i></place></city><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Tom (1988) and Birdbrain (1990), which were indeed produced by Dinosaur Jr big daddy J Mascis. I considered the comparisons a bit unfair on both acts even in those early stages, as the typical guitar work and vocal melodies weren’t as comparable as many suggest, although admittedly a fair chunk of that had to do with the difference between Mascis’ low squeaking moan and the slightly gravelly and much less weird singing voice of lead singer/guitarist Bill Janovitz.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvMQ1w0GErw_6fwC_XUeFeYPv8eLvUVJY3Nltd_6C1gq7A02vcZuhgxs0pQReEmj3onZrdxOD3XrijQJipa-GE06EIKeib8AoIqU8IE8KJI7-NvufBM6HZIk5hYNTtmhE3tL4N8LGQTk/s1600/Buffalo_Tom_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvMQ1w0GErw_6fwC_XUeFeYPv8eLvUVJY3Nltd_6C1gq7A02vcZuhgxs0pQReEmj3onZrdxOD3XrijQJipa-GE06EIKeib8AoIqU8IE8KJI7-NvufBM6HZIk5hYNTtmhE3tL4N8LGQTk/s1600/Buffalo_Tom_cover.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, 1992’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let Me Come Over</i> was a turning point that steered the band clearly out of the realms of the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Hüsker Dü (for some reason, the go-to band to compare with any punk or alt rock band with any degree of fuzzy distortion in the guitars is one that doesn’t even have a clearly defined characteristic sound) and teen college rock in general. The album didn’t feature Mascis at the production helm, which helped to no end. While the style employed previously had worked well enough on the relatively simplistic self-titled debut, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdbrain</i> sounds tired, and the increasing songwriting and instrumental skills were being held back. Drummer Tom Maginnis had to reduce the intensity of his drumming for this album, which featured less straightforward rock, but used the opportunity to increase the intricacy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, for all the talk of softening the overall sound, the band kept to the formula of starting off their album with a belter of a track. An upbeat little bass intro belies a song that soon kicks into life. Janovitz is bitter at times, but the melodies work. There’s a lot of energy that successfully recalls classic older Buffalo Tom songs like “Sunflower Suit” and “Crawl”, which is maintained throughout the track, through the solos and the last iteration of Janovitz’s hanging choral refrain. The album formula continues to hold true as the second track is a relative ballad, but the new direction the band was taking has allowed them to do these songs properly. The guitar work is clearer and more settled in the verses so Janovitz can restrain his vocals slightly, allowing for a more dynamic effect once the chorus kicks in. The lyrical content makes for the sad ballad of a downtrodden man, which came to be the definitive Buffalo Tom song.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A gentle descending riff combining with a slightly more energetic stop-start riff make up the meat of “Mountains Of Your Head”, and, with some high note singing, keep interesting a track that could otherwise be construed as less significant. There’s less to grab a hold of with this track, but it’s by no means a blemish. However, you could be forgiven for thinking so, because the following track is “Mineral”, which makes much heavier use of an acoustic guitar dubbed over the three-man band for a memorable musical piece. The lyrics are simple, the chorus is incredibly basic, but Janovitz uses his voice brilliantly to transition into the instrumental segment, and that upbeat section has an excellent comedown riff at the end to take us back into a verse. Apart from fading out gradually into silence, “Mineral” is an exceptionally well-crafted song, and an album highlight that deserved a fitting climax. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Chris Colbourn provides two songs this time, having contributed just the one song to the band’s previous releases. It’s fair to say that at this point, he wasn’t singing any of the band’s best material, and while his more gentle crooning would be applied to some of the best songs on later albums such as “Clobbered” and “She’s Not Your Thing”, what we’re given here is some slightly awkward yelping. “Darl” is a little bit unfortunate at times, but is a brisk and bright enough song musically, giving it some backbone. The shortest track is followed by the longest, and Janovitz takes “Larry” almost twice the distance. Although it could be argued that it drags on a bit, it’s got an unusual rhythm to it that gives it life beyond a soothing song to bridge two more energetic ones.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the previous track ends on slightly protracted watery feedback, “Velvet Roof” jumps in with a much more powerful riff that evokes “Birdbrain”, but doesn’t suffer from a languid chorus. The song’s central hook is complemented by bags of melody and unrelenting catchiness, and the only minor damp squib is the presence of a harmonica (I hate those blasted things), but it fails to stop “Velvet Roof” from being a great track. Colbourn has another go with “I’m Not There”, and it starts promisingly enough, but doesn’t live up to it. The music is too bland, the solo doesn’t do anything of note, and the melodies fall flat, particularly in the strained chorus. “Stymied” opens up with a very grouchy riff, but with the exception of the chorus, the chord progressions and overdubbed guitar work make this a much better track than its predecessor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Porchlight” brings back the sensible pop structure of “Taillights Fade”, but with a twist. The music’s much catchier, and Janovitz reins in his voice throughout, instead supplying an undercurrent of drenching feedback in the chorus. There isn’t a guitar solo, but the song doesn’t need one as it stands up well on its own. Unfortunately, “<place><placename>Frozen</placename> <placetype>Lake</placetype></place>” can’t quite have the same said of it. You can see what they’re trying to do, having the primarily acoustic number with low bass input and almost zero percussion, but it doesn’t come off spectacularly. Not that I could see the track working well as a typical three piece song, but the only thing “<place><placename>Frozen</placename> <placetype>Lake</placetype></place>” succeeds in doing is reducing the pace of the album to a crawl.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Saving Grace” is an instant rocker that has its power heightened by the sleepy previous track. No fireworks, but an appreciable shot in the arm, as the last track to have as much adrenaline was as far back as “Velvet Roof”. The coup de grâce is “Crutch”, which sounds exactly like what I was trying to imagine “<place><placename>Frozen</placename> <placetype>Lake</placetype></place>” should have been, mellow, but making use of the tools at hand. The chorus implements a more subtle form of one of those stop-start riffs and a very smart change of pace, and the presence of some piano in the background of an instrumental section does no harm.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The song eventually bleeds out of life leaving the listener with the satisfaction of having listened to a great album. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let Me Come Over</i> is not quite perfect, but goes beyond the required checkbox of being assembled into a dynamic piece, and presents us with some top notch songs from across the scale they’ve played to. No “I like the fast ones” or “I love the ballads”, the band have hit the mark at a variety of paces, and deserve a lot of credit for doing so. They also deserve credit for one of the spookiest band photo arrangements, where Colbourn looks like a disembodied head sleeping on Janovitz's shoulder, but it's hidden in the tray art booklet, so just don't open it. It's not like they put lyrics in there. I'd suggest making a law about lyrics being included in the tray art, but then all the indie bands would stop putting lyrics in as some sort of act of defiance, so my solution, which is applied to most problems, is simple. If bands don't include lyrics in their tray art, steal their shoes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Staples, Velvet Roof, Mineral</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others, Mineral, Taillights Fade, Porchlight</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: I’m Not There, <place><placename>Frozen</placename> <placetype>Lake</placetype></place></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Staples</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Taillights Fade</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Mountains Of Your Head</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Mineral</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Darl</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Larry</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Velvet Roof</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – I’m Not There</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Stymied</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Porchlight</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Frozen <place>Lake</place></div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Saving Grace</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – Crutch</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-46596765599750930322011-03-14T00:27:00.003+00:002011-08-07T03:54:40.334+01:00Buffalo Tom - Live At Sound Control, Manchester, England, UK, 11/03/2011Going to a gig in a strange city can be pretty daunting. More so when going solo, when driving with an unreliable satellite navigation gizmo that refuses to recognise the existence of your destination, when running late, when it’s a different type of show than previously experienced, and when knowing that the second half of four hours of driving will be done in pitch black on a single lane snaking road going along a slope. Going alone to a show is relative, but being a naturally introverted southerner running low on self-esteem in a proud north, talking to strangers at gigs isn’t much of an option, especially considering they’re already in their own groups and clusters. Of course, running late is also a relative thing. You never know how many keeners are going to show up early/on time and park themselves in a good spot. Having no other reason to go than for the music itself, the least I wanted was to have a good spot on the front row, which invariably involves bearing any and all support acts. It’s an excuse to check out some different material, but you do feel bad being at the front despite not giving a toss or really digging the material.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Despite running late, by about a minute, I was still well ahead of Sound Control. Wondering where the barriers and bouncers were, I walked straight in, wandered very slowly past some bar staff to the stairs, up and round the corner to the actual room, past more bar staff and a sound man, shuffled around looking at flyers of shows I didn’t care to see, and rolled back downstairs to find a bouncer wrestling with a barrier. Being the sort of chap who’d actually paid for entry, I didn’t have a problem with seeing myself out, and the bouncer was surprisingly relaxed about it, and told me it was going to be a late start. After grabbing a quick half a cola from a student pub across the road (without feeling old, surprisingly), I pottered back in past the bouncer (who asked for identification, further entrenching my apparent youth), got a silly little stamp on my hand, and went through to discover that the upstairs was now blocked with a mighty chain, giving me ten minutes to wallow on the stamp and its cause, the e-ticket. Not having to take a ticket seems like a sensible solution to things like postage costs, environmentally friendly paper savings, and not worrying about losing or fatally damaging the damned thing. However, not only are you deprived of a physical memento of your presence short of buying merchandise, but you’re also ushered to one side to check off a list, which means bringing your card for proof of purchase, a far more consequential loss than that of a ticket, and also that anyone who did get a physical ticket from the more expensive vendor could have scooted right past me. As it was, that wasn’t the case, and all of about three people had arrived by the time the chain was dismantled by a crack team of youths in cheap hats. It then took another half hour before the first support act came up, by which time about thirty people were in the room and two people had wandered briefly to the front, then away again, then back again, so, having been able to stand at the side and rest against a wall, I decided to step in. After finding myself indifferent to sets from a one man band and a six-piece that were both incredibly sluggish, I noticed that the room was almost full, maybe three hundred or so strong, except for a five foot vacuum between the front and the next row of people. Such is the nature of being as standoffish and overtly reluctant as possible if you aren’t going to step in.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The presence of the main act’s roadie sucked the crowd into that vacuum, and not long after I managed to lurch over the barrier to see the last few songs on the setlist (which contained a lot of “or” and uncertainty), Buffalo Tom were greeted warmly, and immediately launched into classics “Tree House” and “Summer”. Immediately apparent was guitarist Bill Janovitz’s dominance on stage, exaggerated by his on-and-off hat-wearing, diminishing bassist Chris Colbourn, who always seems to come across as the shy, retiring type. Janovitz also seemed determined to experiment on some unfamiliar solo licks at every opportunity, as well as change up the emphasis on vowels, which seemed to be effective in preventing people from singing along.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The band introduced a couple of new songs, with “Guilty Girls” following Colbourn’s “She’s Not Your Thing”, both from the freshly released <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skins</i> album. Colbourn’s vocal delivery was much more predictable and solid, although the latter quality evaded his memory at one point. After playing standards “Taillights Fade” and “Sunflower Suit”, Colbourn had stepped up again preparing to sing “Late At Night”. A crowd member shouted out a request for “Lost Weekend”, and Colbourn paused, and eventually shook his head and replied “I don’t even recognise that one.” Three songs down the line, he stepped up and addressed the crowd member again. “I just realised, you said ‘Lost Weekend’? That’s off the new record, isn’t it?” Drummer Tom Maginnis laughed, and Janovitz taunted.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The band went through the setlist, providing the tried and trusted formula. Slower rock ballads were interspersed with high energy songs, and older material surrounded new material. They neither fell into the trap of being a nostalgia act, nor proceeded to stuff <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skins</i> material down our throats as if it was the only thing they did that mattered. The band seemed to be having fun, and Janovitz in particular put in a lot of energy and was enjoying the variation he was throwing in. Playing until a bit after eleven, I wasn’t expecting an encore given the standard curfew, but after claiming to have found the stage door to be locked, the band did indeed respond to the encore-querying cheers after a few minutes to play a few more songs. Cries of “Staples” had echoed occasionally throughout the night, and while Colbourn seemed eager to play it, Janovitz was less keen, and picked the perfect way out. “Do you want to hear ‘Staples’, or ‘Mineral’?” Of course, the crowd opted in favour of the latter, a relative hit, albeit marginally. The band closed on a New Order cover, and left to hearty cheers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Given that “Staples” was probably the song I wanted to hear most that was in the running, that was a mild disappointment, along with the somewhat downbeat closer. Overall though, I was pretty happy. This was the first time I went to a non-punk rock show, but there was still enough sound and energy to keep things lively enough, and the only thing that didn’t work was the harmonica, which I can most certainly live with. The drive up in a small overheated car had worked a minor miracle on a dreadful head cold I was suffering from. There was also the added bonus of not being pulverised against the front barrier by waves of youths, skinheads, circle pit runners, and youthful skinhead circle pit runners, and not living in fear of crowd surfers. The first time I saw the Dropkick Murphys a few years earlier in Oxford, I had badly bruised breasts (not that I really have them, although they probably will come with old age) and knees, which is fair enough given that the barriers are typically sheets of metal with a metal pole going across the top, but a guy two along from me got clobbered in the head by some joker crowd surfing forwards, belly up, feet first. The heel bashed the back of his head forwards, smacking his face against the barrier pole. Blood everywhere, and the poor chap probably needed a dental appointment. This is why I’m an avid supporter of stealing crowd surfers’ shoes. It’s not that cool, it’s not assault, it’s not petty theft, and the fact that you may enjoy it is irrelevant. It’s protecting the health and safety of yourself and those around you from getting a serious head injury from someone else’s selfish behaviour, and discouraging them from repeating the offence. Going into a show with the confidence that I wouldn’t be badly injured gave me the confidence to plan to drive back home, which I duly did to the sound of a China Drum tape. Given that most trains, including the one I would have needed, don’t run after about half ten, let alone half eleven when the show finally finished, that saved me a bundle on a hotel room, in which experience tells me that time is best spent wallowing in the hottest bath you can handle so that you can still move your limbs the following morning. Maybe more subdued crowds are a good thing. Maybe I’m just getting old.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Setlist*</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tree House (Big Red Letter Day)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Summer (Sleepy Eyed)</div><div class="MsoNormal">She’s Not Your Thing (Skins)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Guilty Girls (Skins)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Taillights Fade (Let Me Come Over)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunflower Suit (<city><place>Buffalo</place></city> Tom)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Late At Night (Big Red Letter Day)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunday Night (Sleepy Eyed)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Velvet Roof (Let Me Come Over) </div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m Allowed (Big Red Letter Day)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Down (Skins) </div><div class="MsoNormal">Larry (Let Me Come Over)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sodajerk (Big Red Letter Day)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Your Stripes (Sleepy Eyed)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Arise Watch (Skins)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kitchen Door (Sleepy Eyed)</div><div class="MsoNormal">You’ll Never Catch Him (Three Easy Pieces)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tangerine (Sleepy Eyed)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Encore</div><div class="MsoNormal">Don’t Forget Me (Skins)</div><div class="MsoNormal">CC And Callas (Three Easy Pieces)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mineral (Let Me Come Over)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Age Of Consent (New Order cover)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">*undoubtedly contains errors in the middle section, not having an opportunity to write down the setlist right after and listening to different music for a two hour drive before getting the opportunity does affect the quality of setlist memory.</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-68726114765901808502011-02-24T15:57:00.002+00:002011-06-22T22:29:53.736+01:00Leatherface - Compact And Bijou<div class="MsoNormal">Every vaguely melodic, vaguely punk band in <country-region><place>America</place></country-region> that was cool at some point in the 90s cited Leatherface as a strong influence, almost entirely on the basis of 1991’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mush</i>. While I’d agree that it probably is their finest work, this has always struck me as an odd perception about a band that hasn’t put out a record that’s been widely panned, nor a record or single that’s charted. What came before wasn’t as consistently well crafted, and what came after occasionally lacked some bite and didn’t sound quite as upbeat. The first full-length that followed in 1993, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Minx</i>, was noticeably flatter, and harder to access immediately than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mush</i>. It wasn’t much worse at all overall, but the fact that it took a few spins to actually appreciate put it at a disadvantage next to its instantly likeable predecessor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsIyQPkTLGbtckUI2k60JB6LvQawT8HRScqzCz64Rp8EDFfLJC0n_WCEWk3BMic2E0LdqQrxOnn1tbrbpTSlBA3dki4z3SNlTipMYLxkygldgeWw2JUQcLDr2y_z71RxXsbpSsfZ8aAc/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsIyQPkTLGbtckUI2k60JB6LvQawT8HRScqzCz64Rp8EDFfLJC0n_WCEWk3BMic2E0LdqQrxOnn1tbrbpTSlBA3dki4z3SNlTipMYLxkygldgeWw2JUQcLDr2y_z71RxXsbpSsfZ8aAc/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">This change wasn’t completely sudden, however. A somewhat forgotten extended play was released in the year in between, combining elements of the infectiously bouncy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mush</i> and the more thoughtful <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Minx</i>. “Games” is the first track on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Compact And Bijou</i>, and while it does sound more reined in than a lot of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mush</i> material, it does have very similar-sounding instruments. The drum track, while not that high in the mix, does sound a bit aggressive in relation to the guitars and vocals at times. Frankie Stubbs wasn’t exactly writing silly little ditties before, but his infamously gravelly voice espouses more pensive lyrics, which rhyme with the slightly more sullen tones in the guitars. Having said that, it’s still got quite a bit of energy to it, and it’s got a neat guitar solo.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next track runs in a similar vein, but sounds a little more <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mush</i>-y. Shoot me, I like terrible puns. Whereas “Games” was sufficiently different, “Live For You” sounds like it could have been wedged into the back end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mush</i>, or at least in the bonus track section. It’s brisker, simpler and catchier, but not quite as good. “Pale Moonlight” is a moody acoustic number with a hint of piano. It’s a bit of a downer even with the slight change in tone from prior material taken into account, but although the song was powered up into an electric rock song and stuck on the end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Minx</i> at the last minute, this acoustic version is better, as is the hilarious punk cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” that was cut from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Minx</i> to make way. At the end of the day, this was an EP of homeless material, and there are only so many B-side slots, and a whole album full of mismatched scraps wouldn’t have gone down too well, so an extended play was the best way to present the material.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speaking of punk covers, Leatherface did quite a few in their time, with Presley, Bob Dylan, Elton John and The Police among their victims. This time Frankie and his chums set their sights on Tracy Chapman’s “Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution”, and to aficionados of “real” music, they absolutely butcher it. However, if you’re accustomed to Frankie’s voice, which is very much an acquired taste, and like yourself a bit of high energy rock, then you might agree that the band have actually done a good job souping it up, and while it may not be their very best (“Message In A Bottle” is a more realistic contender) or most humorous (the punk rock version of “You Are My Sunshine” takes all the biscuits, and any biscuit analogues like Jaffa Cakes), but it’s pretty good. That’s your lot for those who bought the 10” placemat, but for those with the 12cm coaster, you get a bonus track. It’s a cleaned up recording of a song from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Want The Moon</i> 7”. This version of “Dreaming” doesn’t have the mental guitar solo, but sounds cleaner, more cohesive, and generally more powerful. The solo that is present isn’t as randomly heavy metal, and the faint sound of Stubbs sounding like he’s vomiting during the break isn’t really any worse than the faint tape loop in the old version, and so it was this version that survived to be used as a B-side twice more. Having said that, a superior version was recorded in 1991 for BBC Radio jockey John Peel for the first of three brilliant sessions (the opening track of this EP also saw a superior version in the 1992 Peel session).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This EP is essentially a home for loose ends, and isn’t essential to new fans of Leatherface. However, that isn’t to say that it’s worthless. “Games” is a fantastic and distinctive track, and ultimately what made <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Compact And Bijou</i> worth a separate release from the full length albums that sandwich its largely forgotten place in the Leatherface canon. If you like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mush</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Minx</i>, or both, then there’s definitely something on here for you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Games, Talkin’ Bout A Revolution</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Games, Live For You</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Pale Moonlight</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Games</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Live For You</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Pale Moonlight</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bonus track</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Dreaming</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-85058028763495223682011-02-14T03:06:00.002+00:002011-06-22T22:24:28.750+01:00Bad Religion - Generator<div class="MsoNormal">They made an essential early 80s punk record. They went off the rails and went prog-rock, and broke up. They reformed and played a huge part in late 80s punk revival with some more mature punk albums. Then they matured a bit more and produced some great punk-heavy rock albums in the early 90s, a time which saw them picked up by a major label. Then they went off track again and produced a couple of relatively weak albums that, while not terrible, were perceived as such after a run of well-received albums. A return to the home label and a return to form followed in the early 00s, and now they’re staying relevant by becoming a caricature of sorts, blending their successes in the late 80s, early 90s and early 00s with some heavily exaggerated songwriting.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whilst having three of their four original members and their original fifth member still with them, in a career spanning over thirty years and fifteen studio albums, is an impressive feat, Bad Religion have had more line-up changes than this line-up suggests, and some, though definitely not all, of the changes in sound can be attributed in part to some of these. 2002’s “return to form” album <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Process Of Belief</i> saw the return of guitarist/songwriter Brett Gurewitz and the introduction of drummer Brooks Wackerman, seeing the band expand to six members. Gurewitz is often credited with the return to form, and is the suspected cause of the band’s sonic demise starting in the late '00s. That’s not to say that they don’t still put on a great live set. Touring without Gurewitz has allowed Greg Hetson and Brian Baker more space to show off their chops, and the band seem to have fun on stage whilst giving a pretty intense show with a plethora of great songs to put out. Seeing an increasingly balding Greg Graffin mock-disc jockeying on a turntable that obviously wasn’t meant to be on the stage a couple of times during a Birmingham show ranks among the funniest things I’ve ever seen at a gig I’ve been to. When I read that Bad Religion would be supporting a Rise Against tour, I nearly choked on my own spit. I’m not sure whether this represents the symbolic decline of Bad Religion, or the continually lofty heights that those pesky radio-rock irritants from Rise Against seem to be achieving by using established punk rock acts as stepladders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn78EromI4oCe92c0GLt0N31BaQumO77RhkF-yGh9r8QH34WAImsvMwX1Qu_AS1pV1L4cuYZ-24mZ9Z7IX2ditTiRv0GbC5hAhtF5il5So6JOASFtAHYC5lThqAxMN9LErmcUpr6d9nQ/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn78EromI4oCe92c0GLt0N31BaQumO77RhkF-yGh9r8QH34WAImsvMwX1Qu_AS1pV1L4cuYZ-24mZ9Z7IX2ditTiRv0GbC5hAhtF5il5So6JOASFtAHYC5lThqAxMN9LErmcUpr6d9nQ/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div>One of the less prominent line-up changes was the departure of drummer Pete Finestone in 1991. Finestone featured on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suffer</i> (1988), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Control</i> (1989), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Against The Grain</i> (1990), Bad Religion’s most consistently brisk works. The introduction of Bobby Schayer to the drum kit saw slightly less frantic drumming on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Generator</i>. This darker, more intricate album has its slower moments, and more obvious tempo changes, and although it contains many traits from the previous records, there was a significant change in direction, hinted at on the previous record in songs like “Anesthesia” and “Faith Alone”. That there were such hints makes you wonder if the album would have been all that different with Finestone still pounding the skins.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The title track opens up proceedings at a noticeably slower pace than “Modern Man” or “Change Of Ideas”. With a few screams, some occasionally aggressive guitars and quickening drum fills disguising what is closer to a ballad than anything Bad Religion had put out thus far (although not as close as many songs on future records and even songs later on this record), “Generator” is easy enough to identify as a Gurewitz song, with a relatively simplistic set of lyrics that challenge Graffin’s note holding rather than the more tongue-twisting songs penned by Graffin himself. After a muted introductory piece, the music stops, and suddenly Graffin’s urgent “Too Much To Ask” kicks into life at a much brisker pace that recalls <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Against The Grain</i>, and is one of the tracks here that would have fit well on that album but for the unusual intro.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“No Direction” is one of the tracks that define <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Generator</i>. The pace is reined in a fair bit, the guitar chords ring out that bit longer, and a sullen menace permeates the track rather than the trademark direct anger. This is reflected not just in the music, but the slightly more coarse vocal delivery that Graffin demonstrates on the record, which proves to be more effective on slower songs such as this one and “Generator”. It’s also the track where Graffin refutes accusations that the band is preaching. “Tomorrow” threatens to go back to the classic sound, but darker undertones keep things in theme, and there are some of the best changes in tempo that Bad Religion have pulled off in this song.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Having been given three songs in a row, Graffin puts the pen down and sings a trio of Gurewitz songs. “Two Babies In The Dark” has a strange bluesy tint to the lead guitar, giving a distinctive character to an otherwise mostly inane song, particularly in the coda, which gradually grinds to a halt and doesn’t prepare us at all for “Heaven Is Falling”. A track with a strangely uplifting vibe that’s somewhat at odds with its lyrical content, a fairly direct criticism of the Gulf war. These juxtapositions don’t always come off, but a powerful musical performance leaves us with a great little track with smart lyrics and measured use of the backing vocals that sweeps away any doubts sewn by the previous track. “<place><placename>Atomic</placename> <placetype>Garden</placetype></place>” starts off with some... is that a keyboard? Littered with metaphors, it’s a jab at nuclear proliferation with a very thin veil of teeny pop, created entirely out of those metaphors.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The album is seen out with Graffin-penned material. “The Answer” is in a similar vein to “No Direction”, but chastising those that wish to be followed rather than just focusing on those looking for something to follow. It’s all a bit of a downer, being walked through examples of people in history who claimed to have the solutions meeting their demise. “<place>Fertile Crescent</place>” starts quietly but kicks into life after a few bars, and is another track that could have worked on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Against The Grain</i>. Recalling historic human failings and suggesting that intrinsic human nature is to blame is something often discussed by Graffin, who went on to get a doctorate in evolutionary biology. So it’s no surprise that this theme is a recurring one throughout Bad Religion’s albums, making “<place>Fertile Crescent</place>” quite standard fare.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A diatribe to god, “Chimaera” is another apparent criticism of our favourite species directed at the creator who’s apparently scarpered and left us to our own destructive devices. Some atypical gaps in the vocal flow help the song stand out, and one of the more memorable guitar solos, a short and simple but effective two-part piece, make “Chimaera” the highlight of the back end of the album. Following that highlight is a quite bizarre end to the album. The eleventh and final song, making <em>Generator</em> the band’s shortest in that respect, “Only Entertainment” is a strangely danceable tune that sounds far more alien and peculiar to chronologically loyal Bad Religion fans than anything else on the album, and is probably the only track that still sounds a bit jarring to those familiar with the band’s entire output. Rich backing vocals are typical Bad Religion currency, but here they’re used to bend the genre heavily towards a sort of morbid pop, substantiated by the minimalist interplay between the guitars. Only the lyrics, which criticise television and our dependence on the device designed to assault our senses, keep this track on the ground. One would be left quite disjointed by this affair, unless one bought the reissue, in which case one would not have the time to reminisce, for the reissue contains the 1991 versions of two of the songs featured here that were released on a split single with speaking man Noam Chomsky that sound quite like demo versions, featuring Pete Finestone’s last recordings for the band. This version of “<place>Fertile Crescent</place>” has a solo that’s about an octave higher and more intricate, and “Heaven Is Falling” has some quite different backing vocals. So other than being completionist items and having a rougher sound, there is extra audible value to these tracks. The single was released with the intent to be a protest to the Gulf war, and being released that year, the two songs were all the more relevant.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Generator</i> is perhaps the darkest record Bad Religion made. Not so much because the cover is mostly black, although the album’s artwork is pretty grim, but sonically this is the album that saw the greatest substitution of anger for the macabre. With that substitution came (relatively) longer songs, and the only songs that are essentially under the two minute mark are “Tomorrow” and “Heaven Is Falling”, the latter attempting to bypass this statistic with a long feedback exit in both versions, but those punks can't fool me. Like many albums produced by rock bands that get labelled as “the dark one”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Generator</i> is underrated for what it is, but appreciated as a turning point in the story of Bad Religion.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Heaven Is Falling, Chimaera, Tomorrow</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Generator, <place><placename>Atomic</placename> <placetype>Garden</placetype></place>, Heaven Is Falling</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Two Babies In The Dark, Only Entertainment</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Generator</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Too Much To Ask</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – No Direction</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Tomorrow</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Two Babies In The Dark</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Heaven Is Falling</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Atomic Garden</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – The Answer</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – <place>Fertile Crescent</place></div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Chimaera</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Only Entertainment</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bonus tracks</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – <place>Fertile Crescent (demo)</place></div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – Heaven Is Falling (demo)</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-5089086542995657152011-02-05T01:09:00.003+00:002011-06-22T21:16:36.942+01:00Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs And Stories<div class="MsoNormal">Hüsker Dü made a remarkable transformation in the space of about five years. Up until about 1982, they were a below par thrashy hardcore band trying to emulate Black Flag. Then some more complicated shapes were thrown in, and then more intricate concepts. The hardcore was leached out and replaced with increasing layers of pop sensibility and pop senselessness alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1984’s double vinyl <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i> showed cracks of piano and acoustic guitar appearing, but they were largely slaves to the idea of a concept album that largely retained the thrash element. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/06/husker-du-new-day-rising.html">New Day Rising</a></i> followed in early 1985, and came across as a good pop-punk album but with the ridiculous amount of fuzz that came from guitarist Bob Mould’s amp. The last release on Black Flag’s SST label, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flip Your Wig</i>, came out later in the same year and saw the fuzz taken out to reveal a more standard rock sound, which came across as a little flat despite having plenty of good songs on the record. The first release in the aftermath of a trailblazing move to Warner Bros was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Candy Apple Grey</i>, which was a very diverse and indulgent affair with lots of slow tempos, alternative instruments, and coma-inducing songs. 1987’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Warehouse: Songs And Stories</i> was another double plastic that saw a return to more of a straightforward rock style, with extra instrumentation being pushed back to complement rather than saturate the record, and also saw the end of the band after tensions between Mould and drummer Grant Hart, who were the two primary singers and songwriters for the band, finally became too much. After <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Warehouse</i>, there were rumours about the next album having horn sections and other gimmicks, so perhaps it’s just as well that they split up when they did.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBrB18FWkRSNOmWNZiNHlkMwJpUdbWuyu-fF7uwI2NyxDVryiregvd7QC1Cg649SXALKbsQMqOQCu7utDigW7bWQpb65uM67qwGrPW9UhKiXjLCe5mOUawP4FS4TcSYT2TKZsFIBbKP0/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBrB18FWkRSNOmWNZiNHlkMwJpUdbWuyu-fF7uwI2NyxDVryiregvd7QC1Cg649SXALKbsQMqOQCu7utDigW7bWQpb65uM67qwGrPW9UhKiXjLCe5mOUawP4FS4TcSYT2TKZsFIBbKP0/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">About the only things that remained consistent throughout the band’s career were the membership (bassist Greg Norton wrote a few songs in the early days and “Everytime” from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Could You Be The One?</i> single, but otherwise just loyally played bass) and the cover art, which was terrible almost without fail. The cover of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Warehouse</i> was no exception. Just look at it! Holy mackerel! It follows in the footsteps of the progressively ugly covers on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flip Your Wig</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Candy Apple Grey</i>, which both look like a group of people vomited onto a canvas after bingeing on fruity girl cocktails, but this time they didn’t even have the decency to cover a tenth or so of the cover with the band and album names, leaving the eyesore comprehensively exposed for maximum retina-scarring efficiency. Luckily, unlike <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Candy Apple Grey</i>, the quality of the music doesn’t reflect the quality of the art so perfectly, for the most part.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The album doesn’t start immensely strongly. “These Important Years” comes across as a bit drowsy for the most part, and relies on vocal hooks, and despite Bob Mould’s proven (later in life) ability to craft great pop songs, his voice isn’t powerful enough to carry the song. It finishes fairly strongly, but it’s nothing to write home about. “Charity Chastity Prudence And Hope” is just as bad as its title implies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grant Hart has nine compositions entirely to his name out of the twenty on this collection. He hadn’t had as much as a half dozen on any previous records, including the twenty-three-track <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen </i><place><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arcade</i></place>. Such was the nature of the creative side of the feud between Mould and Hart that the latter decided to up his contribution to the album to try to match the former, the likeliest cause of Norton’s fantastic “Everytime” (which saw a lot of play on live sets) being omitted. This was a grave error which brought into painfully sharp focus Hart’s songwriting limitations. Basically (an apt word if ever there was one in this context), the chorus on a Grant Hart song would be the iteration and reiteration of the song title, or something very, very similar. Now, take that formula, and apply it to this song title, and you have the worst song on the album. As if that accolade wasn’t bad enough, Hart makes even more mistakes. Not only was there the utilisation of himself as his own backup vocalist, which was vain and impractical for live concerts, he also decided to only do the more adventurous percussion on his own songs, leaving fairly bland drum tracks on Mould’s songs. This backfired with hilarious consequences, especially in this track. Not only do you get to hear the ridiculous chorus again and again, but you get to hear it accompanied by a glockenspiel. A glockenspiel!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So you’re two tracks in, and you’re probably having thoughts like “wow, I’m glad I didn’t waste my money on the record like the writer has” or, if you have committed funds to this album, things like “what have I done?”, “you know, maybe <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Candy Apply Grey</i> wasn’t so bad”, and “hey, I can think in italics!” Well, you can think again. Well, on some of those points. I do own the album on compact disc and can assure you that the visual artistic horrors extend beyond the cover sleeve. However, rescue is at hand. Some silence to collect your thoughts, and then Mould’s “Standing In The Rain”. It doesn’t start off spectacularly, but it’s nice, tidy pop, and the vocals and Hart’s backing vocals that see out the last minute or so seal up the track and leave the listener feeling like he’s finally heard a winner. Hooray! Sticking to the take-it-in-turns formula, Hart comes back with “Back From Somewhere”, and by Jove, it doesn’t have a chorus taken from the title, or any chorus at all for that matter. Even Hart’s silly rhymebusting “Still now my eyes are burning / with the sight of your returning” can’t spoil the fact that he’s actually tried. A simple song with a simple solo for the most part, and the sudden slowing down of the tempo about three quarters of the way in works rather well. Has Hart learned from his mistakes? Find out next time! Same bat-disc, same bat-review. Not to be outdone, Mould throws on one of the album’s highlights. A slow start suddenly speeds back up, and a call and response pattern sees Mould singing the verses and Hart doing what he does best (singing the song title a lot). A powerful pre-chorus leads into a simple but memorable chorus with some great guitar work and vocal harmonies filling the song out well. It eventually fades out, only to come back for one final chord.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Three great songs in a row, nobody saw that coming after the start. The return of Hart with another one of his terrible songs isn’t enough to plunge this record back into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Candy Apple Grey</i> territory, but it does derail a promising comeback. Aside from the feeble attempt at an aggressive drum track and a vocal delivery that is awkwardly off at a wide angle from the lyrics, the lyrics themselves are diabolical. Look them up at your peril. I don’t usually pick on songwriters too much for lyrical content, but the average twelve-year-old can write better than this, and the amount of times that the title is repeated during this song has surely been enough to send people in their droves to sign up for the armed forces, either to irritate Hart, or to go somewhere where luxuries such as personal music players weren’t allowed. Mould’s “Could You Be The One?” is very simple and direct, but it comes packed with melody and comes across as a much more intricate and clever track than it really is. Of course, Hart thought he knew better, and made all the same mistakes again in a defamation of Mould called “Too Much Spice”, an ironic attack at Mould’s indulgence considering that he was cleaning up and Hart had sunk further into heroin addiction. Whilst no more Hart songs were as bad at the three rotten eggs he’d served up by this point, it’s pretty hard to forgive him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Friend You’ve Got To Fall” sees more catchy pop and some neat guitar from the man we can trust. It seems that Mould can do no wrong at this point, a diagnosis aided and abetted by the haplessness of his creative nemesis/sidekick. The solos rhyme with the songs, and everything simply works. At this point, the songwriting pattern is temporarily eschewed for another Mould track, and he doesn’t disappoint. “Visionary” is a more brisk, punk-sounding number that brings a slightly grittier edge, recalling <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Day Rising</i>, but stays true to the melodic pop sensibility he achieved on the majority of this record. For all of the brilliance of the other songs of his showcased, the slightly different angle is a very welcome addition.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hart tries to redeem himself by doing something a little different. Instead of trying to incorporate accusing lyrics into upbeat pop music, he serves up a slightly gloomier tale of “She Floated Away”. The glockenspiel makes an unwelcome return, and to rub it in, a flute that sounds exactly like one of those cuckoo clock birds is also thrown in. He’s trying again, but he’s got it wrong. Mould goes down the same road in “Bed Of Nails”, and, of course does a better job of it. Having said that, it’s not his finest moment, and it comes off as being a bit dull, although still better than most Hart songs. “Tell You Why Tomorrow” stays in line with its immediate predecessors, and although the chorus pattern is still there, the verses have a catchy enough tune to them. It’s almost a good song, but not quite. If you were sitting on the fence, the cuckoo clock chimes in at the end to make your mind up for you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The opening chords of “It’s Not Peculiar” bring Mould’s pop-oriented rock back to the fore and signal the end of the moping section of the record. It doesn’t bring any pace back to the record, but the return of soaring tunes alongside an unusual vocal staccato make the song much more charming than the last few. “Actual Condition” is a strange track. Although a few of Mould’s guitar solos had leaned towards a classic rock n’ roll sound, almost everything about this song is rodeo-friendly, and quite fun. Enough of all that, said Mould, who put in “No Reservations” at this point, another longer, slower slice of pop, but a more brooding and contemplative one, with a mandolin that fails to offend. It’s another one of those songs where the vocal harmonies at the end put a seal on a good song.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mould gets another go at putting two songs back to back, and be aghast, for he puts a foot wrong. A really annoying throwaway riff combined with an unwelcome keyboard synthesiser-majib will have you cringing throughout “Turn It Around”. Hart tries to take advantage of this by putting in another rare song of his that doesn’t constantly recycle the title of the song as the chorus, instead putting it at the end of every verse, and then chanting it at the end. A slight twist on a recurring theme, cunning, but not cunning enough! Despite being released as the album’s third single, “She’s A Woman (And Now He Is A Man)” is quite bland and uninteresting, and doesn’t compare to the concise melodies of “Could You Be The One?” or the anthemic qualities of “Ice Cold Ice”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bob Mould signed off the Hüsker Dü catalogue with “Up In The Air”. More mandolin picking is present, but fear not, it’s another one of Mould’s well-crafted pop songs. Despite not having a memorable guitar riff, the layered vocals are as infectious and memorable as anything on the record. The last writing credit is in Grant Hart’s name, and the big question is whether he managed to overcome his at best unreliable song output to give us a good song to close shop with. He does, sort of. It’s decent enough, although a bit slow in parts, but to give the song a worthwhile edge, a secret weapon has had to be unleashed. The quiet man stands up and delivers, saving Hart from a mediocre song. Greg Norton’s bass barely featured in the band’s recording mix since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen Arcade</i>, but it singlehandedly propels the song through the verses before Mould’s guitar takes a long, noisy coda with Hart’s title repetition into a drawn out fadeout.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Warehouse: Songs And Stories</i> is packed with filler, for no other reason than Hart wanting to put as many of his songs onto the record as possible. Whether he thought every one was a good song or whether they were simply to spite Mould, the truth will never be known for sure. But to have eschewed Norton’s “Everytime”, a decent rocker that stacks up well against anything Hart put on here, because of internal strife, is a damned shame. The record is still a good one, but could never be considered a great one. It would have been a really good Mould solo album with only a couple of weak points, but given that the album was written as a Hüsker Dü album, I’ve supplied what I believe the record could have best looked like had someone had the sense to cut it down to a single 12” record.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Ice Cold Ice, Up In The Air, Visionary</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Could You Be The One?, Ice Cold Ice, Standing In The Rain</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Charity Chastity Prudence And Hope, You’re A Soldier, Too Much Spice</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – These Important Years</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Charity Chastity Prudence And Hope</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Standing In The Rain</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Back From Somewhere</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Ice Cold Ice</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – You’re A Soldier</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Could You Be The One?</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Too Much Spice</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Friend You’ve Got To Fall</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Visionary</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – She Floated Away</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Bed Of Nails</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – Tell You Why Tomorrow</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 – It’s Not Peculiar</div><div class="MsoNormal">15 – Actual Condition</div><div class="MsoNormal">16 – No Reservations</div><div class="MsoNormal">17 – Turn It Around</div><div class="MsoNormal">18 – She’s A Woman (And Now She Is A Man)</div><div class="MsoNormal">19 – Up In The Air</div><div class="MsoNormal">20 – You Can Live At Home</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What the one-disc LP should have looked like:-</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Up In The Air</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Standing In The Rain</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Back From Somewhere</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Ice Cold Ice</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Everytime</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – It’s Not Peculiar</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Visionary</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Tell You Why Tomorrow</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Friend You’ve Got To Fall</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Actual Condition</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Could You Be The One?</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – No Reservations</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – You Can Live At Home</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-57183554095618564022011-01-22T13:32:00.009+00:002011-03-22T16:40:43.874+00:00Viva Death - Curse The Darkness<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyln4_USADMPDvD4HYm9Npfi8Wi0E40XMqGOoQPhdrzCPOeUwYNqmOZRgyvvje1P_JpjWd63J96VlYyP95Ct9eA_fmmHhPcWqinCzkFTJ6ck7q-s_Hxyz5bGqLl3hBkAr0OosHqKeRv8/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyln4_USADMPDvD4HYm9Npfi8Wi0E40XMqGOoQPhdrzCPOeUwYNqmOZRgyvvje1P_JpjWd63J96VlYyP95Ct9eA_fmmHhPcWqinCzkFTJ6ck7q-s_Hxyz5bGqLl3hBkAr0OosHqKeRv8/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a>Viva Death, supergroup or side project, or both? The question was finally answered in 2010. The outfit consisted of Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters), Trever Keith (Face To Face, Legion Of Doom), and Scott Shiflett (Face To Face) providing a triple baritone guitar attack, with the latter two providing vocals, Chad Blinman (Legion Of Doom) providing weird sounds and clips, and Josh Freese (almost every band you can think of) providing drums. This setup produced two albums in between the members’ various other bands’ schedules, a self-titled, brutal angle-grinder of a record in 2002 in which Keith handled the majority of the vocals, and a more diverse release four years later called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Percent Panic</i> which threw in patches of sparse sound and upbeat vibes into what was still a very aggressive record on the whole, with Scott Shiflett’s more subdued vocals taking the reins on all but a couple of songs. The release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curse The Darkness</i> was driven almost entirely by Scott Shiflett, who played almost all the instruments and performed almost all of the vocals. Only a couple of guest musicians and Blinman’s return as random sound man take any other credit for what comes out of the speakers, as other three members are nowhere to be seen.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: left;">Has the question for best album of 2010 been answered? For the majority, this is unlikely. Admittedly having not felt a compulsion to check out too much in the way of new releases for the past couple of years, there isn’t much choice in my mind. The only competition for this personal accolade comes from Leatherface’s long-overdue <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Stormy Petrel</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phase 2,</i> the sophomore full length by the insane psychedelic <state><place>Alabama</place></state> surfmeisters in Daikaiju, and The Bouncing Souls' <i>Ghosts On The Boardwalk</i>, which doesn't really count because all the songs were released on singles the year before. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curse The Darkness</i> takes the biscuit, perhaps more for adventurousness than cohesiveness. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">The baritone guitars only rule is gone, along with some of the other hallmarks of the Viva Death sound, although this album is still distinctively a Viva Death album.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“The Life You Save (May Be Your Own)” starts off with a languid riff that’s possibly the dullest on the album, which soon gives way to a more familiar-sounding verse with a sneering guitar. The power of the studio allows Shiflett to duet his vocals for many an eerie chorus throughout the album, but here the call and response verses are performed with a guest (Charlie Ellis from little brother Chris’ own side project). The anaesthetic riff comes back, but is suddenly crushed under the heavy metal boot of an unexpected guitar solo that’s about as unpredictable as they come. It stops almost as soon as it starts to give way to some more standard riffs and crashing drums, and layered, spaced out vocals. Nothing much new for the second half of the track, but it’s given us a taster of the variety in the record. Blinman’s first noticeable appearance at the beginning of “Impact” is the first hint of the sound man’s increased prominence on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curse The Darkness</i>. “Impact” is much more aggressive on the whole, and although it has less variation, the echoing chorus gives the song a bit of a creepy edge to complement the monotonous verses.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">An evil sort of surf guitar opens up “Bullets Under Mind Control”, and the driving beat, the layered guitars, and just about everything else fits into place very neatly to create a cool, slick track. The fluid dynamics are in themselves quite unusual, but they’re quite welcome. They’re also a precursor to a bit of a headache on the next track. A guest musician on the tabla instead of regular percussion, understated echoing guitars, and droning layered vocals make “Love Lust Trust” sound like some sort of futuristic robotic Bollywood. A lot of Blinman work signals the end of the song, which segues into the more sudden “Everything’s Tic-Toc”. Some light harmonics over the returning drums indicate the slightly more upbeat nature of the song, but also disguises the style, as although the guitars are quite low in the mix here in favour of a more flexible vocal performance, the song has a fairly straight rock feel to it. Catchy is one label that doesn’t really belong on this album, but it gets pretty close here. An off-kilter end sees a fadeout from a gloomy little guitar into some static-laden sound clips, which then fades into a truly weird extra sound clip mix. A cheery old school female la-la-la taps along in the background whilst a monotonous man tells the listener “you will grow up someday, you will get a job, you will be… working”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Following this disjointing affair comes the nasty “Villain”, which doesn’t have a nice note in it. Given the topic, it’s not all that surprising, and completes the comedown from the previous track. Again, the track fades into static and Blinman, and the more urgent “Freeze” comes in next. Fairly flat verses give way to another one of these choruses that flirt with both catchiness and a haunting nature. A change in the guitar leads to another one of these metal solos, although this one lasts longer and is followed up by a neat new rhythm guitar. A few vocal lines garnish this different section before a return to the choral refrain comes back, before two minutes of guitar soloing are gradually faded into the background of what could have been a great song to introduce someone to the album with but for its length. “Talking Backwards” is another completely alien track with the listener’s sanity in its sights, and judging from the opening sound clip from Blinman’s library, they know it. Tribal drumming, bland whispering, and guest vocalist Monica Richards’ starkly contrasting vocals in the chorus will make you cross-eyed, and only a lazy soloing guitar gives the song any break from this. An extra little instrumental piece attached to the end of the song is quite light and airy, with voices and sounds from black and white television strewn across its minute length.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some palm muting and a low-soaring chorus bring us back to the familiar upbeat-but-not sound on “Out Of Reach”. It doesn’t do anything spectacular, although the plodding guitar solo has a hint of country to it. A long feedback sequence segues into the next track, which begins with more palm muting. “In Search Of Space Boy” starts unnoticeably enough, but has a heck of a lot more hidden up its sleeve. The guitars roar into life, bringing the song into life with it, and the chorus lifts and cruises. After a couple of these, a descending riff takes the song into another gear, and then an ascending riff takes it even further, right up to a simple but catchy and well placed guitar solo at the other end. The outro takes about a minute too long to fade out, which is the main drawback of a great song that not only breathes life into the record again after a couple of tracks that were beginning to hint at an album running out of steam, but is a highlight of the album.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“It’s Like This” brings some swirling guitars to the mix and almost a new wave pop vibe to it, exacerbated by the heavily layered crooning. Other than a drowsy lead guitar towards the end of the track, it’s rather nondescript, but it works well as a pace changer. “Wisdom” provides the obligatory swift kick to the nuts, coming from the same vein of aggression as “Villain”. There’s even a hint of Iron Maiden’s “Wratchchild” in the solo break here, as an antireligious tirade commonplace in the Viva Death catalogue is delivered. Another too-long fadeout follows with what is probably the last of Blinman’s crazy concoction of sounds, as “Crutch” is one of those percussion-free acoustic ballad clichés that so many hard rock acts seem to put at the end of a record. One of the key differences is that Viva Death have taken so many twists and turns on their already experimental sound that this song doesn’t sound even remotely out of place. With the guitars layered, and the vocals layered, and after the last twelve tracks, it takes a while for you to realise that this is actually one of those acoustic tracks, and by that time you can’t even roll your eyes into a headache of despair, because the song’s actually quite good. It’s likely not until the ahhs after the first verse that you cotton on. It’s a bit of a sad ending, but it’s also nice to be put down gently after listening through the record.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over an hour long and quite gruelling for the most part (and exhaustingly confusing in the other parts), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curse The Darkness</i> is more of a marathon than a sprint. The effects are laid on heavier than ever, which will frustrate some, but the new shapes thrown in have made it vaguely accessible to a slightly different audience. A little. I say that because Viva Death are not very accessible to the majority of music fans. Of course, none of this will be played live, and with all the members currently involved in side projects, it’s not even that likely that another Viva Death record will be made. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curse The Darkness</i> doesn’t have a dozen or so decent tracks up its sleeve, which is something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Stormy Petrel</i> is much closer to, but it is an intense long-distance rollercoaster that I’d recommend to fans of punk and/or hard rock that are looking for something different, or looking for evidence that 2010 wasn't a complete waste of time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Bullets Under Mind Control, Freeze, Crutch, In Search Of Space Boy</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: In Search Of Space Boy, Bullets Under Mind Control, Everything’s Tic-Toc</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Love Lust Trust, Talking Backwards</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – The Life You Save (May Be Your Own)</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Impact</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Bullets Under Mind Control</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Love Lust Trust</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Everything’s Tic-Toc</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Villain</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Freeze</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Talking Backwards</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Out Of Reach</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – In Search Of Space Boy</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – It’s Like This</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Wisdom</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – Crutch</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-36443515022245562042011-01-16T17:29:00.002+00:002011-06-22T20:53:47.024+01:00Hot Water Music - A Flight And A Crash<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">I could easily introduce Hot Water Music as one of my favourite bands, and the one that changed my attitude to a rock world full of high-pitched whiny brats.</span> Their first proper record, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fuel For The Hate Game</i> is raw, powerful, and a fantastic exponent of dual guitars rather than the more familiar rhythm-and-lead combination that we’re all familiar with, and that these chaps eventually succumbed to, to an extent. Whilst the band went on to produce a number of good records, there were naturally relative highs and lows, and the bands swansong (at the time) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New What Next</i> was a major disappointment for me, and the least impressive in their canon.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLarsDK21Vlv8-J6rMRks8mSGIWviQqc5Y6L61ufwVJT7Dc-Z_GyREbrQ3JTYfl-fTKXKW-e8rpONQ4HoGxFdkVYPvp8CDH2nJOurN7SsHYwx0IsKhnoLCyvXDyF4vS2L866EE-RSR-No/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLarsDK21Vlv8-J6rMRks8mSGIWviQqc5Y6L61ufwVJT7Dc-Z_GyREbrQ3JTYfl-fTKXKW-e8rpONQ4HoGxFdkVYPvp8CDH2nJOurN7SsHYwx0IsKhnoLCyvXDyF4vS2L866EE-RSR-No/s1600/Clipboard012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I can think of at least five records the band put out that are better than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Flight And A Crash</i>. Perhaps all of them, besides that final outing. Whilst the band still kept ties to their local No Idea Records, their first four proper full lengths had each been released on a different label. This fourth record was their first on Epitaph, that increasingly questionable flagship for punk-related genres. At the time, Hot Water Music were one of the least dubious acquisitions, having released <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Division</i> in 1999, a positive record that made them the rougher, tougher brother of frequent tourmates (and then labelmates on Epitaph) The Bouncing Souls. However, it’s pretty clear that the band were experimenting with new sounds, and it also appears that the experiments hadn’t led to a clear direction by the time this album was released, and the fruit borne from this work wasn’t shown until <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Caution</i> the following year.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The vibes of hope and good faith seem to have evaporated, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Flight And A Crash</i> sounds like the band had been betrayed by all the friends from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Division</i> at times. Well, at least the vocals and guitars, George Rebelo’s drums are as composed as ever, and Jason Black’s bass doesn’t stray too far. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A Flight And A Crash” sees singing guitarist Chris Wollard tell a tale of just that. The immediate guitars bludgeon as aggressively as anything HWM put on an album, only “Free Radio Gainesville” and “Three Summers Strong” really come close (songs on singles and splits like “You Can Take The Boy Out Of Bradenton” and “Elektra” take the biscuit though). The onslaught doesn’t relent. While the vocal tones do contain leitmotifs, there isn’t a chorus as such, and even the brief input of some backing vocals doesn’t throw it off track. The title track isn’t designed to do anything other than rock. It really does, and it’s been a popular choice for opening up the band’s live set since the album was punched out in 2001. “Jack Of All Trades” takes the foot off the pedal a bit, but you don’t really notice it. The guitars are a little more forgiving and the opening riff and outro are quite subdued. However, although Wollard delivered the opener with some real gusto, Chuck Ragan’s unforgiving rasp leaves everything in its path left buried balls-deep in gravel, and he’s not even singing as brutally as on older records. Every time the song threatens to slow down, it picks right back up again, until it actually ends. Maybe not in the same direct way, but it’s another fist-pumping rocker.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So many of these albums that fall into the “not their greatest work but not all that bad” pit have a weak track early on, and it’s usually the second one. This one saves it until the third track, though. “Paper Thin” isn’t a grossly terrible track, but it’s just not right. Some of the guitar work and the chorus sound more like Sham 69 than Hot Water Music, and the chorus lyrics are pretty annoying, too. Wollard does occasionally impersonate himself, which makes the song sound more experimental than an Oi!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> t</span>ribute and keeps the track loosely involved with the album.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many will be confused at this point. We have a song called “Instrumental”. It has lyrics though, and they’re not about instruments, instrumentals, or measuring things. If you were smart like me and picked up the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Never Ender</i> compilation with the bonus disc of demos, you’ll have noticed that the first track, titled “New Instrumental”, is in fact this song in instrumental form. One could extrapolate that words were added later and the title just wasn’t really changed. Almost as brutal as the title track, and even shorter, being the band’s briefest at just ninety-eight seconds, it’s a real smack in the face following the benign “Paper Thin”. It’s sung in duet fashion throughout save for a Ragan half-line, and sounds lyrically like it could be the result of the song being co-written. “Swinger” was presumably titled after the bassline rather than anything else in the song. Black’s given us a few funky riffs in his time, but nothing HWM put out is quite as danceable as the first half of this song. Damned if I didn't shake my fat arse around when I saw these guys play this in London in June 2010. The guitars do a lot of jangling above it. It doesn’t quite sound like your typical four-piece indie-rock song (why are those bands called indie or indie-rock anyway? They’re all on major labels rolling in dough), but the combination of the arrangement and a more laid-back Wollard wail do take it in that direction. The song changes direction halfway through, Ragan’s morose backing vocals kick in and the music gradually descends into a din, starting off a small series of songs that seem to end this way.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ragan’s muffled guttural bellowing starts “A Clear Line”, and for the most part it’s quite boring. Defiant, positive lyrics are delivered unconvincingly to an even less convincing soundtrack. The attempted harder-shouting bit comes near the end, misses the mark, and gives way to some distorted guitar for another bland end. “Choked And Separated” brightens things up a little, despite beginning with a rare Wollard roar. It doesn’t carry any positive message of hope, but it meanders through different moods for the minute and a half that makes up the song itself. Two more minutes of outro music that fades into a wall of noise and overlapping tape loops, but with some layered vocals, it’s much more interesting than “A Clear Line”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ragan brings a more familiar song structure back with three songs in a row, beginning with “Old Rules”. The guitar riffs seem a bit messy, but on the whole it’s crisp and energetic, which is what the album needed. The song also evolves a fair bit in less than three minutes of existence, nothing sounds too protracted. The lyrics are both written and delivered in a more convincing style reminiscent of previous records, but the defiance fades and the moody “Sons And Daughters” cruises in. Sullen verses sandwich a more aggressive chorus, but it isn’t the beefy chorus that’s of interest here, nor the sandwiches. The riffs in the instrumental section are decent enough but do seem to go on a bit, and the ending is a little bland. “Sons And Daughters” is one of those songs that start off well but fails to blow you away, but you’re left fairly satisfied anyway because what has been different about it has worked out alright. A stop-start bass riff leads “Sunday Suit”. Think “Difference Engine” given a shot of adrenaline and two doses of Prozac. The song’s quite bouncy for the most part, and although the song’s a bit hit-and-miss with moodswings and stop-starts, it’s quite enjoyable.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Wollard follows up with a pair of his own, bringing the slowest and fastest tracks to the table. “She Takes It So Well” features a more minimal instrumentation from the more familiar instruments in the band, and the inclusion of a piano and the sound of a guitar pick on strings in the mix make the downbeat track a rather disorienting affair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a bad song, but it doesn’t really feel like it belongs on the album, despite the loose boundaries afforded. The same could almost be said of “One More Time”, with its demonic surf guitar rapidfiring all over the place. The rhythm guitar chords and chorus keep things in check enough, but the two songs don’t stack up to some of Wollard’s contributions to the first half of the album, and as the last two songs aren’t identifiably his, there’s no chance of a turnaround.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some eerie reversed guitar, or something weird, buzzes in, but don’t worry. Carrying on in the same vein as “Swinger” and “Sons And Daughters” but a class above, “In The Gray” is a great song that veers more towards adult alt-rock than the brand of punk and hardcore-infused rock that Hot Water Music fans are familiar with. The stop-starts seem to be in all the right places between the ringing and jangling riffs, and Ragan provides some particularly haunting vocals. It’s one of the few songs on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Flight And A Crash</i> where most of the ingredients seem to have worked. Some dual vocals halfway through signal that the song will be going into shutdown mode at this point like several songs before, but the song finishes on a relative high. My only gripe would be that the riff is faded out rather than the song being given a proper compositional ending, which bugs me in all forms of rock (ZZ Top’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Greatest Hits</i> is an absolute nightmare for that, I think only two tracks on there actually have an ending), but the song’s good enough to be forgiven. “Call It Trashing” tries to end the song on a more powerful note. It goes about this by pointing fingers at the generic posers in the rock world. It’s not the worst track on the record by any means, but it lacks any real bite. The brief dual vocals don’t really work, and although the trading verses and call and response bits are a nice idea, this is one of the few vocal performances on the record where Wollard actually needed some more grit, and he didn’t come up with it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Vinyl-only bonus track, and you know how I love bonus tracks. The band released the vinyl versions of their ‘00s albums on their old No Idea Records, and I presume the bonus track is one of those loyalty things. The bonus track is available on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Till The Wheels Fall Off</i> compilation, so don’t fret if you’re not partial to wax. “So Many Days” is quite slow and relaxed, with a grooving bass. It’s nothing supreme, but it’s fairly lighthearted and would have broken up the middle section of the album quite nicely.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Flight And A Crash</i> is more than just that experimental album that Hot Water Music made that was such a racket that it split the head of Scott Sinclair's loose-limbed chap on the front cover. There are snippets of top HWM material in amongst the din, and it also has the distinction of Wollard often singing in a consistently rougher style and Ragan frequently smoothing the edges off of his own voice. There is a heck of a lot to latch onto if you’re looking for it, which is why this album is still pretty damned good despite not even being in the better half of the band’s catalogue.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Jack Of All Trades, In The Gray, A Flight And A Crash</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Swinger, Old Rules, In The Gray</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Paper Thin, A Clear Line</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – A Flight And A Crash</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Jack Of All Trades</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Paper Thin</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Instrumental</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Swinger</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – A Clear Line</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Choked And Separated</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Old Rules</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Sons And Daughters</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Sunday Suit</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – She Takes It So Well</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – One More Time</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – In The Gray</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 – Call It Trashing</div><div class="MsoNormal">Vinyl bonus track</div><div class="MsoNormal">15 – So Many Days</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-22847641997877430482011-01-09T04:03:00.002+00:002011-06-22T20:35:04.092+01:00China Drum – Simple / Great Fire / Barrier / Fall Into Place / Pictures / Can’t Stop These Things / Last Chance / Goosefair<div class="MsoNormal">The Japanese get more than everyone else. I don't know why, they're just better than you. Or maybe are trying to cut out imports. Hardly seems fair though, does it? Smug online music stores are even doing it these days. If it's about importing, they just shouldn't charge so much in the first place. Not only are we the non-Japanese short on material time and time again, but Muggins here has so many bonus tracks from the previous releases to refer to in this case that I might as well just discuss them all. There isn't all that much in the way of releases before that, and because songs from nearly every prior release manage to find their way onto the full length record's main content as well as the bonus tracks, I might as well just discuss everything. So much for just reviewing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goosefair</i>, thanks a bunch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, to take a little respite from hacking away at bonus tracks, obi strips and consistently recycled material, the music. It's only pop-punk, really. If you think Descendents belongs in the pop-punk category and noticed that emo was something different to today's tripe back in the 80s and didn't always suck quite so badly, then China Drum can be defined rather easily as pop-punk. If Blink Hundred And Eighty Two, Green Day and The Fallout Boys are your 'ard as nails system-defying punk rock heroes, then they can rather easily be defined as too good for you, and you're either here by some sort of freak accident, or are perhaps doing some research into finding a better way. Here's to hoping.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQStHef5kUMp3ZZUViiT7Tt6EQQ8WT8xf6pLQMTlIExUxmv_CMRHjq2aZHsRCSIfrzc5psG8yfRWNxfIgp6ocMdPEe0rj6eTrLkvZ2kXCZN5fX3zLPOLCkFH3_3J-UJ8aUZydsvSUDemg/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQStHef5kUMp3ZZUViiT7Tt6EQQ8WT8xf6pLQMTlIExUxmv_CMRHjq2aZHsRCSIfrzc5psG8yfRWNxfIgp6ocMdPEe0rj6eTrLkvZ2kXCZN5fX3zLPOLCkFH3_3J-UJ8aUZydsvSUDemg/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a>China Drum formed back in 1989 out in the sticks somewhere near <city><place>Newcastle-upon-Tyne</place></city>, and few people know what happened in the first few years. I'm not one of them, quite conveniently. Appearing on the radar circa 1992 with a few demos recorded with nearby Sunderland legend Frankie Stubbs in his bunker, it wasn't until 1993's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Simple</i> was punched out and promptly snapped up by some of the jockeys on BBC Radio 1, who would support the band for a number of years (although the public never caught on), that they broke through. The eponymous track doesn't sound that spectacular at first. Lead singer Adam Lee's drums sound a bit laboured, and his stout, chunky vocals don't quite have the power here, and the backing vocals provided by the McQueen brothers are present throughout almost all of the three songs provided. At this point I should mention that retrospect taints my opinion because a re-recording of the song a few years later proved superior sonically. The melodies present are decent, but not particularly special, and it's a relatively seething track that could have benefited (and eventually did) from a more venomous Adam Lee. Still, nobody said being a lead singer and drummer was easy. "Simple" will grow on you, but it’s superseded by "On My Way", a slightly slacker version of which was present on the demo recorded in Stubbs' bunker. It's not lyrically much happier, and still contains hints of aggression, but it's much brighter on the whole, and the pop melodies that set the band apart from just any other band are in force here. A tuneful vocal refrain in front of a brief bass section and then a solo style guitar see out the end of the song. The final song on this release gives us the first of many incarnations of "Meaning". It's perhaps the least exciting, but not the least interesting, mainly thanks to the bluesy guitar strokes in the chorus. Lyrically more interesting than the other two, and lacking percussion, at least this form of "Meaning" stands out as different from the others. Stubbs liked it so much that he recorded a more standard electric guitar and drums version with Leatherface, which was released on their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little White God </i>single, complete with the same <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lost Boys</i> quote, albeit half-sung by someone else. I don’t really like these tape quote things, it’s like having someone interrupt every single time you listen, and causing you further grief when strangers give you even stranger looks for telling these fictional characters off for interrupting. “On My Way” is the strongest track, but “Meaning” highlights a more creative band.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PjFjVPhtxsFEOEZ3tnqqADaxKhjii4Em-y3TwgTchlZEXkQlmWh3lyOCK_22LlkgCWitGqwN73bc3K-4wvRBVEs5R1KNUhpM_dxjId2HCgszW6kQmtYIaugYfm66dpS07CUenjl5nng/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PjFjVPhtxsFEOEZ3tnqqADaxKhjii4Em-y3TwgTchlZEXkQlmWh3lyOCK_22LlkgCWitGqwN73bc3K-4wvRBVEs5R1KNUhpM_dxjId2HCgszW6kQmtYIaugYfm66dpS07CUenjl5nng/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The next year, we were presented with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Great Fire</i>. A shining example of the band’s knack of producing a brand of music that was rather uplifting but with a veiled anger, “Great Fire” also sees Lee’s voice break out from the backing vocals a bit more as they improved. Clocking in at over four minutes, it’s much longer than anything on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Simple</i>. The opening salvo gives some big guitar and some big drums. The verses are standard fare, but the chorus has a more interesting melody to it. Some chugging guitars and complete instrumental breaks break up the song well. The last minute or so is more of an extended outro, and although some of the lyrics are repeated, the delivery isn’t, and the musical changes prevent it from actually dragging on. Following on from the subtleties of “Meaning” on the last release is a full-blown acoustic, replete with extra strings. “Biscuit Barrel” is sullen, but quite excellent. The lyrics are fairly bland, as they frequently were with the band, but this is the first time Lee really shows off his vocal power. His voice is chunky, but it finally really stands out in the choruses, and not just because of the lack of instrumentation and supporting vocals behind it. A nice outro is spoilt by a Western-style quote. Stop interrupting, Hoss!. “Meaning” returns in a more standard power-pop formula, and compared to the original it definitely packs a punch, if being a lot less crafty in doing so. It won’t go down as the best version for many, as the Leatherface cover version is much more interesting, although the song doesn’t really suit Stubbs’ vocal style. Still, the chugga-chugga in the post-chorus gives this one something different. The single is rounded off with a live, early version of “Down By The River” that didn’t see a studio recording until the band’s stylistically shifted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Self Made Maniac</i>. Just a guitar and some harmonised singing to start with, the rest joins in after a minute. As live recordings go, the quality isn’t too bad, and the effect-laden solo gives the song a bit of distinction, but it’s not breathtaking. The right tracks are definitely on the A-side here.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NG1L9iSGqOvPk78dgDSdL3SaZNQss4LSVOs0x4oYqD-HaVYR22kyrkF5w7ND-xC3QoaOpznyVAsa5ajfSomsu97p2TpyprVjeEVL1hH2c3e1kRPVYhpaC4fsU44Vk6_0cGYqh1S1ASg/s1600/Clipboard03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NG1L9iSGqOvPk78dgDSdL3SaZNQss4LSVOs0x4oYqD-HaVYR22kyrkF5w7ND-xC3QoaOpznyVAsa5ajfSomsu97p2TpyprVjeEVL1hH2c3e1kRPVYhpaC4fsU44Vk6_0cGYqh1S1ASg/s1600/Clipboard03.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The first and arguably best of the singles that the Drum released in 1995 was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barrier</i>. A powerful opening salvo gives way to a light, simple verse, but the blistering pre-chorus brings the energy right back into the fold, and the chorus keeps it up. After the second wave, the song begins to evolve, and some great vocals kick in at a higher level that hadn’t been sustained on the band’s previous singles with the exception of “Biscuit Barrel”, and it’s great to hear a little dexterity used to enhance a standard China Drum song. The song clatters out with more energy than it started with after four exhausting minutes. “Brain” is a little more laid back, but follows a similar pattern for the most part. It does get a bit moody once or twice, though, and after one last charge, the song ends on a bit of a downer, with the bass actually getting a little audio space from the massive guitar. Another fine track, if not quite as fantastic as the title track. As with “Great Fire”, both “Barrier” and “Brain” appear to be longer by extension rather than by design, but again, neither of them sound as protracted as they are thanks to some smart crafting. That goes out the window for the second half. An amusing little voice-over introduces us to “One Way Down”, half the length of the previous songs, less memorable perhaps, but it’s simple, catchy, and puts a smile on your face, which is exactly what a good power-pop B-side should do. If this live version of “Sleazeball” (another one not to appear in studio format until it became a B-side in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Self Made Maniac</i> era) were included on an album, it’d be classed as a horrendous letdown, but because it’s a single, it’s merely a disappointing inclusion. The verse is sulky, but not entirely dull. It’s the lack of anything to hook onto vocally or musically in the chorus, which tries to be powerful but just comes off as noisy and petulant. The last three minutes of it consist of dull noise that seems to completely lack cohesion. Other than this, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barrier</i> was a top release. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7VUYGMwN7FJK6ty4az_64H8RqJ1rrNt8NwycrHJ2_2gSfW_XQ5nBI83XI_yD30c0_L4eGAg0xmEFv8plV1vDGV4dcyHGYeC__NTJ2rAwbr1Tkz5nOTyI0PiK9qyAb_TcI_RbMPgYgSc/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7VUYGMwN7FJK6ty4az_64H8RqJ1rrNt8NwycrHJ2_2gSfW_XQ5nBI83XI_yD30c0_L4eGAg0xmEFv8plV1vDGV4dcyHGYeC__NTJ2rAwbr1Tkz5nOTyI0PiK9qyAb_TcI_RbMPgYgSc/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The second of the year, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fall Into Place</i>, saw the end of the four minute (genre-relative) marathons that shone on previous singles, as well as the first real signs of recycled material. “Fall Into Place” is a good song, but it’s very by-numbers. Palm-muting in the verses, harmonising in the chorus, reining it in for the middle eight, you’ve heard it a million times. An impassioned vocal delivery and unusually deep vocals in that middle eight are the only things that set it apart, suggesting that it perhaps wasn’t singleworthy. “Simple” appears, and it’s the exact same version that was taken from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Simple</i> single, as was “On My Way”. The live version of “Barrier” is decent, but doesn’t match the studio version. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fall Into Place</i> threw up different second-half tracks on the vinyl and compact disc releases, and I’m not sure what the live version of “Great Fire” on the vinyl sounds like, but it can’t be that bad given that “Barrier” was decent enough. “Cloud 9”, the other vinyl-specific track, was originally released on a compilation before <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Great Fire</i> came out, and was produced by that man Frankie Stubbs. It features a different intro to the version made for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goosefair</i>, which distinguishes it, but otherwise it suffers from the same flatness that “Simple” did. Around this time a few compilation EPs were released, one called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rolling Hills And Soaking Gills</i> (after a “Meaning” lyric) with seven of the supposedly best previously released tracks (“On My Way” and “Brain” were inexcusably omitted) and “Fall Into Place” as the focus track, sharing the same cover art. The other was confusingly also called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barrier</i>, and this extended play omitted “Fall Into Place” and had different cover art and "Barrier" moved to the front of the tracklist, but was otherwise the same, and released in <country-region><place>America</place></country-region> instead of <place>Europe</place>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq68ud6bSi0kETaNJqSLlKe3cDs9cYfFzuAgEhsn4w5hEOtFxdJVPOkDubAMyEirg7essGKofjN-3R5bh27CHI2rZPcvUJX-V46NkAbNn6241Cl8-wExyXOUMHusQtZUvtowFpXG6SJ0/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvq68ud6bSi0kETaNJqSLlKe3cDs9cYfFzuAgEhsn4w5hEOtFxdJVPOkDubAMyEirg7essGKofjN-3R5bh27CHI2rZPcvUJX-V46NkAbNn6241Cl8-wExyXOUMHusQtZUvtowFpXG6SJ0/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pictures </i>had all new content, but didn’t have very much content compared to previous singles. Manic laughter brings us “Pictures”, which is a hostile track driven by bass guitar, piss and vinegar. The band haven’t gone heavy metal here, or down the atonal route of “Sleazeball”, the element of pop-punk is still clear and present, but “Simple” was knocked off its pedestal as the most spiteful track in the canon with a vicious hostility that lacks any respite. In complete contrast, a small slice of acoustic pop called “Last Chance” follows. The vocal delivery is meant to be relaxed, but sounds lethargic. The guitars are charming enough, but the most annoying thing about this version of “Last Chance” is that it’s so short. Barely longer than a minute, and with the way it ends, it just comes across as lazy. A work in progress, it’s a space to watch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTOSwUuye6aQAPcTLvlIhdVCde7MPaEKxGzSpANAqECPJ4pLrzlbCy3tPfmDHvO9UzRCGT-UssSM8aL04k9mrgZWN8ZmRhyphenhypheniPFQRdvQIzICivVZHhyBBzXJWulxdnHMsIrnmd_DPtlvA/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTOSwUuye6aQAPcTLvlIhdVCde7MPaEKxGzSpANAqECPJ4pLrzlbCy3tPfmDHvO9UzRCGT-UssSM8aL04k9mrgZWN8ZmRhyphenhypheniPFQRdvQIzICivVZHhyBBzXJWulxdnHMsIrnmd_DPtlvA/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The turn of another year saw the release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can’t Stop These Things</i>. Like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pictures</i>, it has deceptively innocent cover art concealing an abrasive title track. It’s not quite as venomous, and the vocals in the chorus fly higher than anything on “Pictures”. The pounding drums are a stronger feature here, and the longer restrained section allows more tension to build, making “Can’t Stop These Things” a stronger song overall. The infamous cover of Kate Bush’s “<place><placename>Wuthering</placename> <placetype>Heights</placetype></place>” is here. I didn’t think the song was that great, although having listened to the original song, I learned what all the fuss was about. They steamrollered over the original, making the song heavier with the addition of guitars and such, and yet making it much more upbeat. After this almost pranksterish cover, “Drown It” is much more grown up, and therefore only available to people who bought the CD. The music almost stops entirely at times, and even the palm muting part sounds more adult thanks to a sullen tone throughout that deceives the listener into believing the song has a slower tempo than it actually does.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kjaipz_4EX0ZKeS58kgOy55AQmr6jGvBcX5HXTDMPSfOWOaBj6byDykda_nuFHKIgQR9xYBSt8UAfbxHefYp9AJR_xMMSuXvBrPeL77J6NLbGRnU7lGRG6PLy6Iu3eaSITUZgHvF3y4/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kjaipz_4EX0ZKeS58kgOy55AQmr6jGvBcX5HXTDMPSfOWOaBj6byDykda_nuFHKIgQR9xYBSt8UAfbxHefYp9AJR_xMMSuXvBrPeL77J6NLbGRnU7lGRG6PLy6Iu3eaSITUZgHvF3y4/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Last Chance</i> was the final relevant single release, done more or less concurrently with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goosefair</i>. A space worth watching indeed, “Last Chance” is back, with electric guitars, a better vocal performance, and an infectiously bouncy nature. Power-pop at its very best. There is a small hint of aggression, they haven’t gotten too carried away with daisies and sugar lumps, and the same applies to “Walk”. Not as ear-grabbing as the title track, but just as packed with melody, it’s a far cry from “Pictures” and “Can’t Stop These Things”. “Cut Them Out” is a bit more attacking due to the drum track and the increased tempo, and a little variety makes it a stronger track than “Walk”. “Careful With That Chieftain Adam” is a strange instrumental, combining some tribal drumming with some almost latin acoustic guitar work and some cheery whistling. Of course, this fun, almost childish cut is unsuitable for the vinyl record purchaser, and was omitted from the 7” along with “Cut Them Out”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA08-qQp__LFYenBwecMzc2J3x8MWjf4sEU54vVppz1XwkkIwusuBpbZxxThFLXP0S4tozS2cQYNoEuRWT6osB8hJMkXhjhKIxKTrSIkRnfeJa8jvrozGNbXEEHKVHk_3zqmd5m4L6dE/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA08-qQp__LFYenBwecMzc2J3x8MWjf4sEU54vVppz1XwkkIwusuBpbZxxThFLXP0S4tozS2cQYNoEuRWT6osB8hJMkXhjhKIxKTrSIkRnfeJa8jvrozGNbXEEHKVHk_3zqmd5m4L6dE/s1600/Clipboard02.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">And finally, the one record that I wanted to review, and I’ve already reviewed about two thirds of it. It’s a favourite, but given how frequently I’ll need to refer back begrudgingly to previous releases, you wouldn’t believe me. “Goosefair” isn’t exactly a new album, but there is enough new material for it not to be a greatest hits type compilation, and it’s arranged rather well. The production here is great, everything sounds crisp and clear. “Can’t Stop These Things” is a fitting way to open Goosefair, and it’s the exact cut taken from the single. “Cloud 9” is reworked, and while the introductory guitar is a bit simpler, the slicker production suits it to a tee, and the power of the song is realised. “Fall Into Place” is taken direct from the single version.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next up is “Situation”, a new song! Nope, wrong again, one thing we can’t control is how the band aren’t bothered about adding up the songs taken from somewhere else, meaning that the loser is originality. Having said that, this version of “Situation” is almost completely reworked musically from the version that was recorded in Frankie Stubbs’ bunker four years earlier, and it’s a jaunty song with a strong drum track, memorable back-end refrain, and the unusual distinction of the verses outgunning the chorus. “Simple” is given similar treatment to “Cloud 9”, with a faster tempo and better vocal delivery. “Biscuit Barrel FMR” has gained electric guitars, and three mysterious letters. I’m not a huge fan of either, because although the song comes off quite well in this format, the acoustic version just suits the song better. Also because I don’t know what those damned letters stand for and it makes me feel like I’m being left out of a secret message or internal joke. How excluding. At least there’s no weird voice-over in this version.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“God Bets” is actually new, and is, funnily enough, one of the weaker cuts present. The guitar stays more in the highs than the middle, leaving space for the bass guitar, but neither does anything brilliant, and the song treads a space between sulky and annoyed and comes off as not enough of either. It’s not a bad song, but it just falls relatively flat on the record. “Pictures” flexes its muscles and shows its predecessor who the boss is in this re-recorded format that nevertheless sounds very similar to the original, although the extra slick helps marginally. “Find The Time” is also new, and threatens to go down the same path as “God Bets”, but some catchy melodies and a neat pre-chorus pull it a few notches above.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“(Had A Good Idea On) Monday” almost veers towards a ska vibe at first, but that soon passes, and we’re left with a catchy new song. Hooks galore, and a more upbeat nature much needed at this point. “Last Chance” takes the jovial road even further, and is taken directly from the single. “Take It Back” is the spiritual closer to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goosefair</i>, and is a great song. A quiet guitar soon gives way to a more standard formation. The verses are a little bland, but the rest of the song is great, especially the bit in the first chorus where it slows right down for a few lines. After fifteen seconds of feedback, what feels like an acoustic bonus track is upon us. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s “Meaning” again, and finally at its best. Percussion-free, a fuller acoustic guitar, and decent vocals make a good song great. “Better Than Me” brings back the electrics in a slow, gloomy fashion that doesn’t really befit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goosefair</i>. It’s not a bad track if not a great one, and just about gets away with it by being in a sort of half bonus part of the album. Nothing short of twenty-seven minutes of silence is part of the track, before the appearance of the hidden bonus, “<place><placename>Wuthering</placename> <placetype>Heights</placetype></place>”, from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can’t Stop These Things</i> release. There is, of course, a slew of Japan-only bonus tracks that I’ve already discussed and don’t care to mention again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, the greater amount of writing that the circumstances surrounding this album have caused me warrants another diatribe. No lyrics in the packaging? What’s that about? We’ve all come to expect it, at least in full lengths, but no, sometimes you just don’t get any. It’s not clever, and it’s not helpful. Lee’s vocals are quite clear, but that’s not the point. This album goes one step beyond the regular threshold of annoyance though, and scattered around the colourful pictures of the actual goose fair are random lyrics. Most of them aren’t even from the album! There’s one from “Can’t Stop These Things”, but most of them seem to be taken from “Great Fire”, one of the few songs I thought they’d managed to leave alone and keep out of <i>Goosefair</i>, but no, those canny fiends found a way. All I can say is, get over the annoying way in which the songs kept being put out, and enjoy some top notch pop punk that went under the radar thanks to all that Britpop nonsense that was being churned out at the time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks – Barrier, On My Way, Last Chance (electric), Meaning (acoustic), Drown It, (Had A Good Idea On) Monday, Biscuit Barrel (acoustic), Pictures (new), Great Fire, Brain</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others – Last Chance (electric), Can’t Stop These Things, Take It Back, Simple (new), Cloud 9 (new), One Way Down, Situation (new), Meaning (acoustic), Walk, Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush cover)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative Weaknesses – Sleazeball, God Bets</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Tracklist<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Simple</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Simple (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – On My Way</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Meaning (half-electric)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Great Fire</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Great Fire</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Biscuit Barrel (acoustic)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Meaning (electric)</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Down By The River [Live]</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Barrier</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Barrier</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Brain</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – <street><br />
</street><br />
<address>One Way</address>Down </div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Sleazeball [Live]</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fall Into Place</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Fall Into Place</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Simple (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – On My Way (Cloud 9 (old) on vinyl)</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Barrier [Live] (Great Fire [Live] on vinyl)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pictures</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Pictures (old)</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Last Chance (acoustic)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Can’t Stop These Things</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Can’t Stop These Things</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – <place><placename>Wuthering</placename> <placetype>Heights</placetype></place> (Kate Bush cover)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Drown It (CD only)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last Chance</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Last Chance (electric)</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Walk</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Cut Them Out (CD only)</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Careful With That Chieftain Adam (CD only)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Goosefair</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Can’t Stop These Things</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 – Cloud 9 (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – Fall Into Place</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Situation (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Simple (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Biscuit Barrel FMR (electric)</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – God Bets</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Pictures (new)</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Find The Time</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – (Had A Good Idea On) Monday</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Last Chance (electric)</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Take It Back</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – Meaning (acoustic)</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 – Better Than Me…<place><placename>Wuthering</placename> <placetype>Heights</placetype></place> (the latter a hidden track internationally)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Japanese bonus tracks</div><div class="MsoNormal">15 – Cut Them Out</div><div class="MsoNormal">16 – Walk</div><div class="MsoNormal">17 – Careful With That Chieftain Adam</div><div class="MsoNormal">18 – Drown It</div><div class="MsoNormal">19 – Last Chance (acoustic)</div><div class="MsoNormal">20 – On My Way</div><div class="MsoNormal">21 – <place><placename>Wuthering</placename> <placetype>Heights</placetype></place></div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-12126740013934560822010-12-25T13:57:00.003+00:002011-06-23T12:39:04.954+01:00Fugazi - Steady Diet Of Nothing<div class="MsoNormal">'The swarming guitars at the beginning of "Turnover" tell you that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Repeater</i> is going to be really different to their previous work.' 'The swarming guitars that kick off "Exit Only" let you know that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steady Diet Of Nothing</i> will be nothing like the band have ever done before.' 'Those swarming guitars at the start of "Facet Squared" are a telltale sign that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/06/fugazi-in-on-kill-taker.html">In On The Kill Taker</a></i> will be a new experience to Fugazi fans.' Or words to that effect, penned to all three of these consecutive albums. The band's full length releases certainly do all have a unique flavour, but swarming guitars don't separate them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoqX0LlgFI3omCYLnoTzfMZ9asfMKOAYWq0CJALt2HSkl7YpYaiRLa9XqqkfIsoG35F1sJ9KUWV93l2YrvrNDJ9h9qhi0WD2K36M6P7qmTci-UAUSwDunLMeAeN1h9gKNzaibHmN8bEI/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoqX0LlgFI3omCYLnoTzfMZ9asfMKOAYWq0CJALt2HSkl7YpYaiRLa9XqqkfIsoG35F1sJ9KUWV93l2YrvrNDJ9h9qhi0WD2K36M6P7qmTci-UAUSwDunLMeAeN1h9gKNzaibHmN8bEI/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></div>What makes 1991's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steady Diet Of Nothing</i> different to the rest of the discography? The EPs that made up the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">13 Songs</i> compilation are the funky ones, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Repeater</i> is the quintessential rocker, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In On The Kill Taker</i> is the violent delinquent. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Red Medicine</i> is experimental, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">End Hits</i> is a mess, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Argument</i> is the almost mainstream alt-rock sounding one. On the face of it, the defining characteristic of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steady Diet </i>is... that it lacks characteristics. It's the dull one. Look at the drab picture on the cover. Listen to the dreary mix. Hear the lack of energy in some of the songs. Check out the relative absence of these songs from Fugazi's later concerts. It was largely forgettable at face value.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steady Diet...</i> is not Fugazi's worst record. I'm not going to build it up as an unappreciated masterpiece that turns out to be the magnum opus. It isn't, but it is pretty nifty. "Exit Only" swarms in (sorry!) ominously, and the rhythm section kicks in soon after. Everything ceases save for a few stray notes, almost as if the band is making a sarcastic homage to their well known "Waiting Room", the groovy opener to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fugazi</i> EP and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">13 Songs</i> compilation that pauses more cleanly during the introduction. As with several of Guy Picciotto's songs, the lyrics aren't particularly accessible or interesting (especially once you read up and realise he's chanting "sympatric", not "St Patrick"), but it's all in the delivery, which veers unpredictably between Picciotto's typically flamboyant whine and a relatively gruff, stout output. The music is also varied nicely, switching well between tense and aggressive, making the opener a great track, if you don't mind the way it takes its time getting into gear.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Momentum is lost early on, which always helps a record be ignored. "Reclamation" is a predictably direct Ian MacKaye fingerpointer that follows in the footsteps of "Suggestion". Despite being perhaps the best-surviving song from the album on the Fugazi setlist, it's incredibly dull. The intro builds up in a way that implies a song that's going to contain a lot of energy, but within twenty seconds you've given that up. MacKaye's delivery is not his best, the verses drag on, and the monolinear chorus falls flat as a pancake. It's so boring, that you're almost convinced at first that "Nice New Outfit" is going to be a good track that gets the album back on the rails. It has the upper hand on "Reclamation" in that it's reasonably energetic, but the guitars are still fairly bland, and Picciotto's lyrics are on the inane side. You won't be craving the end of the track like with the last one, but if not for Joe Lally and Brendan Canty, you probably would have given up by now. The drums and bass are relatively strong on this album, and this is only enhanced by weaker songs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">MacKaye's back with "Stacks", which turns things around. It even tricks you into thinking it's going to be slightly boring and threatens to break out a few times without doing so. But even at its slowest, it's a reasonably upbeat track that'll have your head bobbing and your foot tapping, and the chorus is memorable if perhaps not catchy. The track kind of peters out, a sudden stop about 40 seconds early would have worked pretty well, but it's got us back on track. "Latin Roots" sees the guitars get more interesting after what seems like a long period of relative simplicity. It's not a spectacular track, plodding at times, but you do get the satisfying feeling that all four band members are working. More confusion ensues when Picciotto and MacKaye appear to insist that it's time for us to "meet Jamaicans". I'm spared further misinterpretation blunders for a few minutes, as we're treated to the instrumental centrepiece and nearly titular "Steady Diet", which really does see the band all working. It's not the most energetic instrumental in the band's canon ("Brendan #1" pips "Number 5" to that accolade), but it's intricate and urgent, although a touch long. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The record has grown in strength by this point, and despite having the power reined in with "Long Division", it's still a great song. Mellow but dour, and with a tricky rhythm section to complement the easy guitar tune. MacKaye's plain delivery works nicely here too. It's short too, so it isn't very long before "Runaway Return" comes in with relatively brutal effect. If only the guitars had more oomph, it would be a really powerful track. It sounds great on a lot of those live recordings kicking around, but it's a little strangled here. It's still good, but you can tell that it's one of the biggest victims of the dull mix. The chorus is a little flat musically save for Lally's bassline. The disappointment is followed by a mediocre track. "Polish" isn't horrible, and not really deserving of the prize of being that song that the band would never play. It's quite bland though, and just when you think it's going to end with a modicum of strength, that peters out like "Stacks" did.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And so, the album predictably divebombs from there. No it doesn't, I lied. "Dear Justice Letter" is fantastic, with the exception of a brief, languid excuse for a guitar lick just after the song was promising a crescendo. Picciotto's vocals are on top form, he shows off a rolling R, and MacKaye's backing vocals work a treat. Canty's drums pound, and the guitars sneer. Finally, on the last song, MacKaye gives us a real anthem. It's a reworking of an older song that originally had the one guitar, as "KYEO" was conceived long before Picciotto provided the band with his box of tricks. Catchy hooks, a driving rhythm section and MacKaye doing what he does best make the album's closer what "Reclamation" should have been. Powerful, fist-pumping rock.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steady Diet Of Nothing</i> is by no means a classic, but if you can dig more than just "Waiting Room", you can probably dig this. It isn't consistent, but Lally and Canty keep things together through the weak moments, and provide a great foundation for some real gems from MacKaye and particularly Picciotto.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Dear Justice Letter, Exit Only, Long Division</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: KYEO, Long Division, Runaway Return</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Reclamation, Polish</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 - Exit Only</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 - Reclamation</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 - Nice New Outfit</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 - Stacks</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 - Latin Roots</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 - Steady Diet</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 - Long Division</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 - Runaway Return</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 - Polish</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 - Dear Justice Letter</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 - KYEO</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-5490696239632353372010-12-18T14:21:00.003+00:002011-06-22T20:03:03.983+01:00The Bouncing Souls - Anchors Aweigh<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90AcfjdLLALaIbE-yIxD17lTlAN13qCgNuNWsyHEQKwjAWS7G0wpfZTiRdN4l5eLQiVdBl7ZBG45EReK0Dwm9o-sE3EIgm5odkVx_rCI5oZCfZgkoRCHS5Syj-_dekI4Ko9PFfLc44kk/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90AcfjdLLALaIbE-yIxD17lTlAN13qCgNuNWsyHEQKwjAWS7G0wpfZTiRdN4l5eLQiVdBl7ZBG45EReK0Dwm9o-sE3EIgm5odkVx_rCI5oZCfZgkoRCHS5Syj-_dekI4Ko9PFfLc44kk/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></div>Given the name of this page, it's about time a record from The Bouncing Souls was put under the magnifying glass, so we'll go with the first one I purchased, 2003's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i>. And conveniently enough (I say conveniently, you may have noticed that I love a good rant), it brings forth the issue of the Digipak. Who in their right mind thought that this was a good idea in the compact disc era? No protective plastic casing for your artwork, just like in the good old days, and now with double the amount of corners to be easily damaged than vinyl sleeves! That's just the outside, don't forget the flippityflopping opening up of these devices for exposure to even more artwork-corner-destruction brilliance! Who ever said progress was linear? Granted, the content that would be in a booklet is less likely to get damaged than in the classic issue of trying to get it out from those plastic tabs in the casing, and the content is of course easier to access because of the folding. Some say that a broken CD case cheapens the look. Of course it does, but the casing takes the punishment so the content doesn't have to. The corners of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i> are black, so at least you can disguise the exposed corners by colouring the cardboard with a black felt tip like I did.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Bouncing Souls are best known for their uplifting feelgood anthems. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How I Spent My Summer Vacation </i>saw these coming thick and fast in 2001. "True Believers" was among these and is probably their best known song. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i> doesn't exactly leave the Oi! tinged goodness in its wake, but certainly brings in a more bittersweet nature that the songs have often had since, right up to Ghosts <em>On The Boardwalk</em> and likely beyond. You wouldn't think so at first listen though. Bryan Kienlen's bass kicks "<street>Apartment</street> 5F" into a very upbeat and promising life, Greg Attonito's voice soars as high as ever, and it seems like the Souls have picked up where they left off on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">...Summer Vacation</i>. There are some differences, though. Michael McDermott's manic drums crash into the mix with a little more malice than before, and the lyrics have a hint of desperation that wasn't seen on the charming, happy-go-lucky predecessor. "Kids And Heroes" brings in the newer sound more acutely. The lyrics carry an accusatory disappointment, and the mellow intro makes you think you're in for a real downer. The music may not be quite as bright as before, but it pounds away fairly dependably once it gets going, and Attonito returns to his motifs of belief (not necessarily the religious way) for a more cheery middle of the song. A nice guitar solo fits well with the song, a few notches down from happy but still hopeful. The solo Pete Steinkopf recorded on Hot Water Music's "Giver" from 2004's otherwise disappointing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New What Next</i> sounds almost like a truncated version of this. "Kids And Heroes" winds down in an acoustic and reflective manner, one of several nuances that make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i> a more dynamic record than its simpler, more consistent elders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"New Day" is perhaps less intricate than the previous tracks, despite being one of the longest cuts on the album. The verses muse fairly negatively, the chorus tries to bring a fairly slow wave of hope but only half manages it. Some space for the bass prevents the song from going completely stale. "Sing Along Forever" sounds like it's trying to be on the last album, but despite being one of those archetypical little anthems shy of two minutes that crams typical Souls rhetoric with upbeat music, it falls a little flat compared to songs like "Better Life" and "No Comply". Perhaps this is due to the overall sound of Anchors Aweigh, but it doesn't sound like quite enough of an adequate wakeup call. Luckily, we get that with the rolling drums of the speedy "Born Free". About as close to being political as the band had been (a live version was given to the second Rock Against Bush compilation), Attonito points the finger at various powers that be for fifty seconds, then the song briefly slows down and speeds up again on a defiant note, ending as soon as it began at just eighty three seconds long.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The music gets a little serious on “Inside Out”, the mood recalling an anger not seen since the eponymous third album from 1997, but with more restraint. Even Attonito's buoyant vocals sound a bit angry. The backing vocals during the chorus are morose, and the guitars are sullen. A slightly more upbeat ending seems a little bit out of joint. "Simple Man" is one of the better definitions of the bittersweet goodness that was yet to come. A wary outlook on life with a desire to escape to simplicity. The soundtrack doesn't do much special other than nearly stop a couple of times, but is solid and makes for a good overall song that's quite catchy. "Better Days" comes across as trying to be like a faster love-song "Inside Out", and doesn't fare as well, though the first half does serve well to keep a briskness to a part of the album which is relatively slow, which "Night Train" is no exception to. Attonito's vocals are shoved to the back as Kienlen steps up. The music chugs along in between the vocal spurts, which tell of a need to regretfully cut loose and branch out. It's a good track to drive to. "Todd's Song" is also slow, sung mostly by Kienlen, and a bit of a downer lyrically, although the guitar picking is a bit more tuneful and some strings are added into the mix. It doesn't have quite the energy of the previous track, unfortunately. "Blind Date" sounds like it was put afterwards out of a necessity rather than because it was a good song. With seventeen tracks, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i> certainly wasn't in need of padding out. Played at a blistering pace, it's like a blander, faster "Better Days". Having established that that track was itself a lesser song comparable to another, we're left with a pretty weak song.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Highway Kings" drives right in with a boldness that stands up far better. Upbeat lyrics are back in business, and the music has more attitude than usual. About a minute in the whole song becomes more positive, and the band finally again achieve a moment that rivals that of the last record, without pandering to that formula. "Anchors Aweigh" is a short ballad, like a slightly more relaxed "Inside Out". Despite the moody nature of the music at times, the song benefits from a simple but memorable refrain, and the relenting for a short period of the tireless McDermott's traps. "I Get Lost" sounds like it could have actually fit on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How I Spent My Summer Vacation</i> until the distinctively <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i> chorus kicks in, but unlike other similar occasions in the album, this song holds its own and doesn't sound like a cheap knockoff, and has a hell of a catchy chorus.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some nasty feedback gives way to Kienlen's country-flavoured rocker "The Day I Turned My Back On You". The drums are typical, but the vocal delivery and the guitar solos are just a little bit yee-haw. It's not an album highlight, but it's energetic and intriguing without deviating too heavily from the album's sound. "I'm From There" is the last listed track. A long way of saying goodbye, "I'm From There" is a nice if unspectacular track that rounds off a string off strong tracks that end the album before fading out. Oh great, more of that annoying crackling found on 1999's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hopeless Romantic</i>. The last song on that album had a whole minute of it for some reason at the end, and we're in for more here. Whoopee. However, if you hang on for a minute and a half, this time you actually get a nice bonus track. The half-acoustic percussion-free "The Fall Song" is a sweet little bonus number that makes the wait worthwhile. I daren't guess the number of bands that try something like it, though this one could be the more buoyant sibling to the version of "Meaning" found on China Drum's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2011/01/china-drum-simple-great-fire-barrier.html">Goosefair</a></i> album. I just wish it had its own track, I hate all the silence and near-silence you get with some of these bonus track things. Waste of time, and a waste of hard disk space once it's ripped, too.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i> is a good album, though not a great one, as are many records that demonstrate a band in transition between sounds. I'd recommend <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How I Spent My Summer Vacation</i> as the record to try out, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ghosts On The Boardwalk</i> if you think that you'd prefer better examples of the direction that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anchors Aweigh</i> started the journey to.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Highway Kings, Kids And Heroes, Inside Out, Apartment 5F</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Kids And Heroes, Simple Man, Anchors Aweigh, Night Train</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Sing Along Forever, Blind Date</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal"><street><br />
</street></div><div class="MsoNormal">01 – Apartment 5F<br />
02 – Kids And Heroes</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 – New Day</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 – Sing Along Forever</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 – Born Free</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 – Inside Out</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 – Simple Man</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 – Better Days</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 – Night Train</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 – Todd’s Song</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 – Blind Date</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 – Highway Kings</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 – Anchors Aweigh</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 – I Get Lost</div><div class="MsoNormal">15 – The Day I Turned My Back On You</div><div class="MsoNormal">16 – I’m From There…The Fall Song</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470037727679197864.post-48090118143932328802010-12-09T16:38:00.002+00:002011-06-22T19:49:59.505+01:00Dag Nasty - Wig Out At Denko'sDag Nasty are best remembered as the main band that Brian Baker worked on in between his Minor Threat days and joining Bad Religion, and for their 1986 debut album <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I Say</i>, a concise and powerful record featuring a sound distinctly derived from the eastern US coast hardcore sound, and Dave Smalley's very melodic vocals that went hand in hand with the direction that several protagonists in the Washington, DC scene were taking since the "Revolution Summer". For me, this is a shame, because while <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I Say</i> is a fine record, Dag Nasty's catalogue consists of several great records, most of which aren't entirely congruous with their first album.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNVnCiHNFf-SPDb6cnEshAIt58BZyg-0j2NUIkWTjm-TGHV4XKMahHKCD10exwzM-DazUsfNdcfkOIRNY0u16F5qEM7NiW5tuTXAgH0iBwSloXWqEJNJubyGVrylId-9RJNBr3RFhOrI/s1600/cover_wigout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNVnCiHNFf-SPDb6cnEshAIt58BZyg-0j2NUIkWTjm-TGHV4XKMahHKCD10exwzM-DazUsfNdcfkOIRNY0u16F5qEM7NiW5tuTXAgH0iBwSloXWqEJNJubyGVrylId-9RJNBr3RFhOrI/s1600/cover_wigout.jpg" /></a>The band's sophomore effort, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wig Out At Denko’s</i> is my personal favourite. Smalley had left the band before the tour for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I Say</i>, and the band decided to recruit Peter Cortner, who had briefly played in a band with Joe Lally, who went on to play with Baker's Minor Threat bandmate Ian MacKaye in Fugazi (and, briefly, Colin Sears, who left to return to Dag Nasty), who produced this record. Degrees of separation and all that. Cortner's voice was lower and less of a presence than Smalley's, and this appears to have contributed to a slightly slower, moodier pace on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wig Out At Denko’s</i> at times, a trend expanded upon on 1988's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Field Day</i>. Unlike <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Field Day</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wig Out</i>... maintains a significant dosage of the heavy guitars from their earlier work, giving it a recognisable energy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I remember reading in an interview of Cortner in the Big Takeover where he cited the last four tracks of the original ten, along with the opener, as being the ones that sounded most like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wig Out At Denko’s</i>. "The Godfather" kicks off the album, and as Cortner suggested, this is distinctly not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I Say</i> material. Longer than anything on that record by virtue of not being shorter than three minutes, it begins as still recognisable Dag Nasty material. The guitar's there, but a little more sparse and negative. Colin Sears' drums are still driving, but just a smidgen more sparse and the tempo seems a little slower. Cortner's entrance is a fairly softly sung verse, and while it strains at times, it's clear that he isn't going to mimic his predecessor on this track. The lyrics here are a little more narrative than the previous record's more direct, dictating content. (On a side note, this song contains one of my worst misheard lyrics in terms of "that couldn't possibly make sense" - I was convinced that "the biggest train of all, speeding closer towards the bridge" was actually "speeding closer towards the fridge"). When "The Godfather" crashes out, we're greeted with some rapid guitar thrashing, and suddenly we're in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I Say</i> territory. That can be easily explained, for "Trying" was conceived before <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I Say</i>, featuring lyrics that ended up on that album's first song "Values Here". Here we have those lyrics removed, and the remaining lyrics largely recycled. "Trying" seems out of place on the album, though you wouldn't know it at this point, and Cortner seems out of place on the song (if you heard the demos of Cortner singing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I Say</i> material, he doesn't seem to fare too well there either). Consequently, the song comes out as one of the two low points on the album.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">"Safe" appears to be in the same vein as "Trying", featuring relentless drumming, angry guitar, and some shouting vocals. Twenty seconds in, however, all bar Baker stop, and he and then the rest of the music all spread out a little. It's still a reasonably hard rocking number that leans towards older material, particularly during the chorus, but Cortner sounds like himself again rather than a Smalley substitute, and the slight but only slight reining in of the music during the verses makes "Safe" one of the album's most powerful cuts. "Fall" follows in a similar vein, and is very nearly as good. There isn't much vocal difference between the verse and chorus. Doug Carrion's bass is a little more noticeable here, though Baker's guitars continue to dominate the mix.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With momentum starting to build on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wig Out</i>..., we're thrown a real odd one. Supposedly a consequence of the album running a bit short, a song meant to be a mimic of Bad Brains' stop-start "Re-Ignition" appears here with an acoustic guitar and a relaxed vocal delivery. Surprisingly enough, it works rather well, and you easily forgive it for not rocking out and slowing everything right down. In fact, you'll wish it stayed that way, as the album's other real disappointment, "Simple Minds" is a fast, thrashy, largely tuneless number both musically and vocally. The only thing worth taking from the track is the line "like being in bed with a porcupine, a thousand pricks against one", an amusing simile that sounds even more ridiculous given the earnest ferocity with which Cortner tries to deliver it. What follows are the rest of the songs that were hinted at being more akin to the band's newer sound. The title track starts fairly aggressively, with rolling drums and a scream, but the guitar seems annoyed rather than particularly angry. The vocals aren't trying too hard, and the refrain is quite poppy. The solo works about as well as any Baker solo, despite not being very quick at all compared to on most other Dag Nasty records, and the first half of this one.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We're eventually treated to the album's finest (and longest) cut, "Exercise". A hollow guitar/vocal intro sets the tone, and gives way to cruising rock akin to "The Godfather" but with a more full-bodied guitar sound and better hooks. The drums just keep on driving, and a rare bass solo is given a little room, which is a welcome cameo. "Dag Nasty" (the song) is much more upbeat, though the lyrics and occasional sneering guitar keep the track sulky enough to be another good <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wig Out</i>... number. Another bass solo comes here, and while it's nothing special, there's a very curious sound of a woman crying in the mix. Who put that there? Was it you, Ian? It's very odd, but it certainly gives "Dag Nasty" some extra character. The album closes on the slow, moping "Crucial Three". Almost a shame to end on such a sombre note as the album's built up in strength again, but it's no throwaway mood piece. Sears' drums calm right down, and Baker's guitar rings out, as Carrion's similarly attenuated tune plods underneath. A choppy guitar solo steals the show and, along with the preceding few tracks, demonstrates a more mature, less predictable band, that overcame the issues of multiple personnel changes, a change in musical direction, and an apparent lack of material to punch out an album that, while being short (there are EP's longer than this, like Sugar's <i><a href="http://thepatronsaintofspittinginthewind.blogspot.com/2010/12/sugar-beaster.html">Beaster</a></i>) and perhaps having too many weak songs out of a small number to be considered a classic, still serves up some great rock.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some silence at the end of "Crucial Three" (why? I hate that!), and quite a few bonus tracks. Egads, this dilemma again. We're given most but not all of the demos recorded before the album (I think "All Ages Show" was recorded then as well) featuring Roger Marbury, the band's previous bassist. Less polished but decent performances of "Safe", "Trying" and "Fall" don't particularly outdo the album versions, but aren't disgraced either. "Roger" is an amusing punk rock "Ghostbusters" theme. "Mango" is an instrumental that eventually surfaced with Dave Smalley providing vocals on the temporarily-reformed band's 1992 album <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Four On The Floor</i>. Smalley completes the song, but this version isn't without its merits. While a minute or so shorter, it is more than just a song without vocal. More intricate drum fills are scattered through the song, and the echoing guitar fills are more interesting here. Finally, two live acoustic throwaways finish off the bonus round. "When I Move" was acoustic anyway, and "I've Heard" is just plain weird, being spoken rather than sung. All in all, not the weakest complement of bonus material, but not great, and not a selection that I would say you have to listen to along with the album proper, by any means. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wig Out At Denko’s</i> proper is a short album with some inconsistency and failings, but is well worth a listen whether you're familiar with the band's other work, or a fan of related bands like Bad Religion (with or without Baker) and the Descendents (with or without Carrion). I'd even recommend it as an introduction to the band, as it shows off a less boisterous Dag Nasty while still providing hallmarks of their well-received debut.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Personal picks: Exercise, Safe, The Godfather</div><div class="MsoNormal">Picks for others: Exercise, The Godfather, Dag Nasty</div><div class="MsoNormal">Relative weaknesses: Simple Minds, Trying</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tracklist</div><div class="MsoNormal">01 - The Godfather</div><div class="MsoNormal">02 - Trying</div><div class="MsoNormal">03 - Safe</div><div class="MsoNormal">04 - Fall</div><div class="MsoNormal">05 - When I Move</div><div class="MsoNormal">06 - Simple Minds</div><div class="MsoNormal">07 - Wig Out At Denko's</div><div class="MsoNormal">08 - Exercise</div><div class="MsoNormal">09 - Dag Nasty</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 - Crucial Three</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bonus tracks</div><div class="MsoNormal">11 - Safe [Demo]</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 - Trying [Demo]</div><div class="MsoNormal">13 - Fall [Demo]</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 - Roger [Demo]</div><div class="MsoNormal">15 - Mango [Demo]</div><div class="MsoNormal">16 - When I Move [Live]</div><div class="MsoNormal">17 - I've Heard [Live]</div>thepatronsaintofspittinginthewindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13944625853357023500noreply@blogger.com1