Rating: 8
Best Songs: Requiem, Wardance, The Wait, Bloodsport, Complications
What do you get when a joke I crack ends up being so hilarious that you laugh your intestines off(literally!) and thus, die?
Inspired to capture the tragedy of such an unfortunate incident through music, Killing Joke....yeah, you get a KILLING JOKE, by the way!!
No, they dont write about such stupid incidents, you should guess by the word "Joke", just as you guessed by the name "Joy" in Joy Division that the band instead chooses to focus on the sunnier moments of human life on Earth. But the word "Killing", and more importantly for mathematics haters who have trouble dividing fractions, the word "Division" messes up that theory too. So there's more to this, let us see.
Killing Joke are another one of the influential Brit post punk bands, and its not hard to see why. Their music is a neato creative melting pot of a lot of bits. Catchy dance-y rhythms, smidges of industrial keyboard soundscapes and harsh, metallic guitar riffing, and this coupled with the cold, malevolent singing and lyrics of the frontman and a general ominous and intense atmosphere.
'Requiem' is a fantastic start, with its slow grind and memorable synth lines, and an ass-tight band performance. The bludgeoning riffs and aggressive vocals on 'Wardance' and 'The Wait' make them instant classics, while 'Complications' benefits simply from being among the shortest, fastest and catchiest songs. Even the all instrumental 'Bloodsport' manages to hold your attention for its entire duration. A few songs towards the end are, rather inevitably, not as memorable, but the tight arrangements and intensity carry them through. And maybe "S.O.36" would have been better if it was "S.O. 10"(shorter) or F.O.36(faster) or F.O.10(both) or just F.O. (fuck off the album!). See, another Killing Joke, except that it is I who got killed by a jazz fan(my clientele) with a "refined" and "subtle" sense of humor.
But my point is, like most historically important albums (among the bands influenced by them include Ministy, all of Steve Albini's projects and even Nirvana and Metallica), this is a thoroughly intriguing listen. Unlike a few historically important albums, though, it is also very consistent, songwriting wise. Recommended.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Ramones: The Ramones
Rating: 10
Best Songs: Blitzkreig Bop, Judy is a Punk, Now I wanna sniff some glue, Listen to my heart, I don't wanna walk around with you, today your love, tomorrow the world
Everybody tends to get all metaphysical when discussing the merits of the Ramones, all this "sophistication masquerading as simplicity talk". Which is fine, but has been done too often, so let me just cut to the chase and tell you why I think this album, and the band, is so special. In metaphysical terms.
What the Ramones showed, first and foremost, is the truly therapeutic power of the locomotive 4/4 beat, the heart of rock n' roll, and considering their lightweight, although undoubtedly endearing and deceptively witty, lyrics, proved that rock n' roll, BY ITSELF, without ANY embellishing factors(deep, insightful lyricism, dual guitar interplay, horn and piano bits, Jethro Dull sticking flutes in your ears and above all, year long synth solos by Keith Emerson), could still stir up emotions like all great art should. And that is their main contribution. Dylan, Stones, Who, even The Clash for that matter, all of these, they were never just about the rock n' roll, and their greatness had more elements to it. The Ramones were almost as great as all of these artists(YES!), but they did it with much less, and in the process, let the greatness of the musical form itself contribute almost entirely to it.
But there's more to it. There have been other bands who had taken this route, before the Ramones, sure, but the Ramones hit upon the perfect speed, and the perfect song length. Now there is no way to convince you of this, but they just were. AC/DC went slower, the hardcore bands went quicker, but while they had their moments, it just wasnt Ramones caliber, for me. And Wire went shorter with the lengths, and I LOVE Pink Flag, but as someone quite rightly pointed out, it seemed self consciously arty to have 47 second songs. The Ramones, in the most unpretentious, and almost innocent manner, just hit upon the perfect way to play rock n' roll, and rock n' roll took care of the rest. Simple.
Onto the album, all classics. Period. The slower ones are kinda cheese, but catchy n' cute. And 'Blitzkreig Bop' is only the greatest rock n' roll song of all time, but otherwise forgettable. 'I don't wanna walk around with you'(along with 'glad to see u go go go go go back!' from the next album) is already in the history books for being 'sang along with the most times by me'. And since I would love to end with a bang, how about this:
"This is the album that changed the world!!!!"
Best Songs: Blitzkreig Bop, Judy is a Punk, Now I wanna sniff some glue, Listen to my heart, I don't wanna walk around with you, today your love, tomorrow the world
Everybody tends to get all metaphysical when discussing the merits of the Ramones, all this "sophistication masquerading as simplicity talk". Which is fine, but has been done too often, so let me just cut to the chase and tell you why I think this album, and the band, is so special. In metaphysical terms.
What the Ramones showed, first and foremost, is the truly therapeutic power of the locomotive 4/4 beat, the heart of rock n' roll, and considering their lightweight, although undoubtedly endearing and deceptively witty, lyrics, proved that rock n' roll, BY ITSELF, without ANY embellishing factors(deep, insightful lyricism, dual guitar interplay, horn and piano bits, Jethro Dull sticking flutes in your ears and above all, year long synth solos by Keith Emerson), could still stir up emotions like all great art should. And that is their main contribution. Dylan, Stones, Who, even The Clash for that matter, all of these, they were never just about the rock n' roll, and their greatness had more elements to it. The Ramones were almost as great as all of these artists(YES!), but they did it with much less, and in the process, let the greatness of the musical form itself contribute almost entirely to it.
But there's more to it. There have been other bands who had taken this route, before the Ramones, sure, but the Ramones hit upon the perfect speed, and the perfect song length. Now there is no way to convince you of this, but they just were. AC/DC went slower, the hardcore bands went quicker, but while they had their moments, it just wasnt Ramones caliber, for me. And Wire went shorter with the lengths, and I LOVE Pink Flag, but as someone quite rightly pointed out, it seemed self consciously arty to have 47 second songs. The Ramones, in the most unpretentious, and almost innocent manner, just hit upon the perfect way to play rock n' roll, and rock n' roll took care of the rest. Simple.
Onto the album, all classics. Period. The slower ones are kinda cheese, but catchy n' cute. And 'Blitzkreig Bop' is only the greatest rock n' roll song of all time, but otherwise forgettable. 'I don't wanna walk around with you'(along with 'glad to see u go go go go go back!' from the next album) is already in the history books for being 'sang along with the most times by me'. And since I would love to end with a bang, how about this:
"This is the album that changed the world!!!!"
Friday, April 04, 2008
Built to Spill: Keep it like a Secret
Rating: 9
Best Songs: Center of the Universe, Carry the Zero, Time Trap, Else, Broken Chairs
Another nineties indie rock gem uncovered! Thank god that stupid article I had written on 90s rock has long been banished to the internet nether land of deleted bullshit, because it continues to look more and more stupid by the day. Built to Spill is one of the more singular "guitar pop" bands of the 90s, not the most original, because, well, its not possible to be "guitar pop" and sound unlike anyone has ever sounded, but uh..lets just say that Built to Spill and Oasis lie on absolute opposite ends of the "creative guitar based pop rock in the 90s" spectrum. Yes.
The main player here is Doug Martsch, singer, songwriter and guitarist. And he is top notch at all of the three. The obvious cliche is that his voice is an "acquired taste", but I just dont get it. I have heard way too many weird vocalists by now that someone like Martsch does not really comes across as anything overtly unconventional. Thankfully, he IS distinctive enough to avoid sounding like just another generic indie rock singer, so thats entirely a good thing. As a guitarist, his obvious influences are J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., and of course, Neil Young at his grungiest, but even that is a good thing since I use the word "influence" in an entirely positive way, and "grungy" means dense,searing, layered sonics, but rarely harsh and ugly, just positively gorgeous.
The guitar heroics married to more concise pop melodies is a combination that works brilliantly. Melodies like 'Carry the Zero' 'Else' and 'Time trap' are unspeakably gorgeous, while the latter also has a guitar driven intro of stunning grandeur. Lines like 'I dont like this air, but that doesnt mean I'l stop breathing' on the catchy 'Center of the Universe' and references to everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Dylan to Stones to Floyd on 'You were Right' also reveal an interesting lyricist. As opposed to this album's predecessor 'Perfect from now on', the song lengths are more concise, and only the guitar pyrotechnics of the epic closer 'Broken Chairs' recalls similar moments from 'Perfect..'. That album is, I must note, near unanimously regarded as their magnum opus. Its more of a grower, this one's poppier and more immediately lovable. In any case, if you know whats good for you, you should have both! :>)
Best Songs: Center of the Universe, Carry the Zero, Time Trap, Else, Broken Chairs
Another nineties indie rock gem uncovered! Thank god that stupid article I had written on 90s rock has long been banished to the internet nether land of deleted bullshit, because it continues to look more and more stupid by the day. Built to Spill is one of the more singular "guitar pop" bands of the 90s, not the most original, because, well, its not possible to be "guitar pop" and sound unlike anyone has ever sounded, but uh..lets just say that Built to Spill and Oasis lie on absolute opposite ends of the "creative guitar based pop rock in the 90s" spectrum. Yes.
The main player here is Doug Martsch, singer, songwriter and guitarist. And he is top notch at all of the three. The obvious cliche is that his voice is an "acquired taste", but I just dont get it. I have heard way too many weird vocalists by now that someone like Martsch does not really comes across as anything overtly unconventional. Thankfully, he IS distinctive enough to avoid sounding like just another generic indie rock singer, so thats entirely a good thing. As a guitarist, his obvious influences are J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., and of course, Neil Young at his grungiest, but even that is a good thing since I use the word "influence" in an entirely positive way, and "grungy" means dense,searing, layered sonics, but rarely harsh and ugly, just positively gorgeous.
The guitar heroics married to more concise pop melodies is a combination that works brilliantly. Melodies like 'Carry the Zero' 'Else' and 'Time trap' are unspeakably gorgeous, while the latter also has a guitar driven intro of stunning grandeur. Lines like 'I dont like this air, but that doesnt mean I'l stop breathing' on the catchy 'Center of the Universe' and references to everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Dylan to Stones to Floyd on 'You were Right' also reveal an interesting lyricist. As opposed to this album's predecessor 'Perfect from now on', the song lengths are more concise, and only the guitar pyrotechnics of the epic closer 'Broken Chairs' recalls similar moments from 'Perfect..'. That album is, I must note, near unanimously regarded as their magnum opus. Its more of a grower, this one's poppier and more immediately lovable. In any case, if you know whats good for you, you should have both! :>)
The Replacements: Tim
Rating: 9
Best songs: Hold my life, Kiss me on the bus, Waitress in the sky, Bastards of Young, Little Mascara, Here comes the regular
The critical standing of the Replacements can be a little confusing to understand at first. I mean, how much can you praise a typical four piece rock n' roll outfit in the 80s? And it takes time, almost surprisingly so. In that respect, they are very similar REM, another great four-piece 80s alternative band, but whose greatness isn't immediately apparent, regardless of the overall friendly nature of the music.
Paul Westerberg pens melodies which are deceptively amazing, but initially, you do not get the deal with them(indeed, even when I began to appreciate the spirit of the band, I still did not understand why Paul's Melody Maker was so highly rated), but they slowly reveal themselves to be delightfully sprightly. The choruses to 'Kiss me on the bus' and 'Waitress on the sky' are just not the type to be ever leaving your head, and I do not of course mean it in a somewhat demeaning "mindlessly catchy" way. Even the lesser songs on this album have some memorable hooks. And apart from this, Paul also had an uncanny knack of being able to capture the essence of a typical 20-odd year old's mindset. Alternately fun, bratty, emotional, sincere, Paul reveals a thoroughly earnest and boyish charm and marries it to a set of similarly adorable melodies in a manner rarely witnessed since Jonathan Richman and his Modern Lovers. His lyrics never sound too intelligent for their own sake, but are a very important part of the experience. I mean, how can lines like 'If you knew how I felt now, You wouldn't act so adult now' and 'the sign says, "Thank you very much for not smoking", My own sign says, "I'm sorry, I'm smokin'"' not work their magic?
The rest of the band play with an endearing spirit I referred to at the beginning, and like so many bands of the era, the 'here-we-are-like-us-or-not' vibe certainly has contributed to making the Replacements indie legends. Yes, they could have become mainstream legends, a fact that is endlessly lamented over in indie circles, because as is rightly pointed out, there is NOTHING radio-unfriendly about their music. However, the carefree attitude, bordering on careless, and later self-destructive, make their ultimate failure(in terms of mainstream acceptance) not that surprising, but it does, in a weird way, encapsulate their whole essence aptly. The saga is captured very poignantly in Michael Azerrad's excellent "Our band could be your life".
P.S: If you love this album, you should try out 'Let it be' and 'Pleased to meet me'(both 9's). The Replacements' reputation mainly rests on the strength of these three albums, and whether or not you should get the rest of the albums depend on how big a fan you are. I, of course, will get to them. Eventually.
P.P.S: I hardly discussed individual songs in that review; I should have at least noted that 'Here comes a regular is arguably Westerberg's finest moment as a songwriter!
Best songs: Hold my life, Kiss me on the bus, Waitress in the sky, Bastards of Young, Little Mascara, Here comes the regular
The critical standing of the Replacements can be a little confusing to understand at first. I mean, how much can you praise a typical four piece rock n' roll outfit in the 80s? And it takes time, almost surprisingly so. In that respect, they are very similar REM, another great four-piece 80s alternative band, but whose greatness isn't immediately apparent, regardless of the overall friendly nature of the music.
Paul Westerberg pens melodies which are deceptively amazing, but initially, you do not get the deal with them(indeed, even when I began to appreciate the spirit of the band, I still did not understand why Paul's Melody Maker was so highly rated), but they slowly reveal themselves to be delightfully sprightly. The choruses to 'Kiss me on the bus' and 'Waitress on the sky' are just not the type to be ever leaving your head, and I do not of course mean it in a somewhat demeaning "mindlessly catchy" way. Even the lesser songs on this album have some memorable hooks. And apart from this, Paul also had an uncanny knack of being able to capture the essence of a typical 20-odd year old's mindset. Alternately fun, bratty, emotional, sincere, Paul reveals a thoroughly earnest and boyish charm and marries it to a set of similarly adorable melodies in a manner rarely witnessed since Jonathan Richman and his Modern Lovers. His lyrics never sound too intelligent for their own sake, but are a very important part of the experience. I mean, how can lines like 'If you knew how I felt now, You wouldn't act so adult now' and 'the sign says, "Thank you very much for not smoking", My own sign says, "I'm sorry, I'm smokin'"' not work their magic?
The rest of the band play with an endearing spirit I referred to at the beginning, and like so many bands of the era, the 'here-we-are-like-us-or-not' vibe certainly has contributed to making the Replacements indie legends. Yes, they could have become mainstream legends, a fact that is endlessly lamented over in indie circles, because as is rightly pointed out, there is NOTHING radio-unfriendly about their music. However, the carefree attitude, bordering on careless, and later self-destructive, make their ultimate failure(in terms of mainstream acceptance) not that surprising, but it does, in a weird way, encapsulate their whole essence aptly. The saga is captured very poignantly in Michael Azerrad's excellent "Our band could be your life".
P.S: If you love this album, you should try out 'Let it be' and 'Pleased to meet me'(both 9's). The Replacements' reputation mainly rests on the strength of these three albums, and whether or not you should get the rest of the albums depend on how big a fan you are. I, of course, will get to them. Eventually.
P.P.S: I hardly discussed individual songs in that review; I should have at least noted that 'Here comes a regular is arguably Westerberg's finest moment as a songwriter!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane: Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Rating: 10
Best Songs: In a Sentimental Mood, Take the Coltrane, Big Nick, Angelica, That feeling of jazz
Jazz fans are just so much luckier I guess. With rock n' roll, you are only left to create your own supergroups and wonder what sonic carnage would be achieved if Jimi Hendrix joined forces with The Who, or if Tom Waits and Nick Cave did a whole album of demonic duets with the Bad Seeds as backing band. And one-off throwaway jam sessions aren't what I am talking about. Well thought out complete albums. Like this album here; this just seems like every jazz fan's wettest dream come true. Duke Ellington, touted as arguably the finest and most important composer in jazz history(haven't heard much of him yet though!), teaming up with John Coltrane, who is, in my opinion...ehh, you already have a good idea about my opinion on Coltrane. And its hardly the only such collaboration. Monk with Miles, Miles with Trane, Trane with Monk, and so on and so forth. The only twist, so to speak, is probably that it is Ellington who joins Coltrane's quartet, rather than the other way round(which, apparently, would have been even more interesting, according to AMG)
And this is a great album, absolutely, any fears about the end result being lesser than the sum of the parts are conclusively put to rest. Ellington compositions mostly(except Trane's Big Nick and one by someone else I cannot remember), with Trane on tenor sax. This combination just CANNOT go wrong, so how will it? The soulful first track itself, an Ellington original beginning with some gorgeous piano notes laid down before Trane, as lyrical as ever, blows away. If you've heard Trane play, see those parts when he is blowing that extra bit harder? To extract every little ounce of feel from his horn? That's indescribably ecstatic. 'Take the Coltrane' is more upbeat, and really catchy, as is 'Angelica'. Thats been the surprising story about the bop/post-bop/hard bop/fusion/free jazz I've heard. Agreed, I've only listened to the absolute masters of each of the forms, but jazz seems to have a whole lot of great melodies, played by superior musicians, with a great spirit. And if its Coltrane, who is even higher than t..you get the picture.
And so another 10 stars to an album with Coltrane's name on it. What can I do, everything he touches just turns to gold!
Best Songs: In a Sentimental Mood, Take the Coltrane, Big Nick, Angelica, That feeling of jazz
Jazz fans are just so much luckier I guess. With rock n' roll, you are only left to create your own supergroups and wonder what sonic carnage would be achieved if Jimi Hendrix joined forces with The Who, or if Tom Waits and Nick Cave did a whole album of demonic duets with the Bad Seeds as backing band. And one-off throwaway jam sessions aren't what I am talking about. Well thought out complete albums. Like this album here; this just seems like every jazz fan's wettest dream come true. Duke Ellington, touted as arguably the finest and most important composer in jazz history(haven't heard much of him yet though!), teaming up with John Coltrane, who is, in my opinion...ehh, you already have a good idea about my opinion on Coltrane. And its hardly the only such collaboration. Monk with Miles, Miles with Trane, Trane with Monk, and so on and so forth. The only twist, so to speak, is probably that it is Ellington who joins Coltrane's quartet, rather than the other way round(which, apparently, would have been even more interesting, according to AMG)
And this is a great album, absolutely, any fears about the end result being lesser than the sum of the parts are conclusively put to rest. Ellington compositions mostly(except Trane's Big Nick and one by someone else I cannot remember), with Trane on tenor sax. This combination just CANNOT go wrong, so how will it? The soulful first track itself, an Ellington original beginning with some gorgeous piano notes laid down before Trane, as lyrical as ever, blows away. If you've heard Trane play, see those parts when he is blowing that extra bit harder? To extract every little ounce of feel from his horn? That's indescribably ecstatic. 'Take the Coltrane' is more upbeat, and really catchy, as is 'Angelica'. Thats been the surprising story about the bop/post-bop/hard bop/fusion/free jazz I've heard. Agreed, I've only listened to the absolute masters of each of the forms, but jazz seems to have a whole lot of great melodies, played by superior musicians, with a great spirit. And if its Coltrane, who is even higher than t..you get the picture.
And so another 10 stars to an album with Coltrane's name on it. What can I do, everything he touches just turns to gold!
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