With the momentum of a young singer songwriter or group, their best material is often in the earlier part of their careers. It's difficult to actually pinpoint how successful a follow up album can be given the fact that it is subjective opinion. Honestly you could state your claim on an entire nation with a successful chart topping act, and it could last for a couple of months, or a couple of decades.
In the modern age, we have a tendency to consider everything disposable, our jobs, our appliances, our cars. So when record companies can capitalise on a band's success while they are hot on their heels of breakin it, they can destroy their reputations and hopes for the future in the blink of an eye when there sophomore single fails to make the charts. It's disposable talent, and that is the future for our consumerist counter culture of internet celebrities, and myspace bands who are the next big thing. Having not been conditioned to the industry, are enticed into a promiseland of everlasting success and wealth.
When artists have well received debut albums,the follow up is one of the most daunting tasks they encounter in their careers. It mostly comes down to the selection criteria. Consistent material which outshines or builds on the first set of songs, may be enough to eclipse the success of the first album. But the reason why they call it "the difficult second album" is because many artists will fall short of the mark concerning their legitimacy in following up an otherwise stellar debut effort. This is a fact of life for musicians, and they would probably wish they could bypass this obstacle and go straight to the third album.
Classic debut albums have all the bells and whistles, and are never modest in their approach to reaching their audience. A good thing going is best executed right there and then. Momentum can build when you're song writing, and if the hooks keep coming. Then why not, but keep in mind your life will depend on what you do next, and you will not want to be forgotten.
Alanis Morrisette exploded onto the music scene in 1995 with Jagged Little Pill. Although it wasn't the first album she had recorded ( it was actually her third, but first record released internationally). The album met with commerical and critical acclaim upon release, and turned her into an international supserstar.
The bulk of the album contained many chart topping tracks, including "Ironic" "You Outta Know", "Head over Feet" and "Hand In My Pocket."It is the higest selling debut album by a female artist with over 14 million units sold up until september 2008 in the US alone, and over 30 million worldwide.
Morrisette enjoyed considerable success around the world with the album, including Grammy Nominations and world wide tours.
So Morrisette's follow up "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" emerged in November of 1998. Upon release it sold well, and met to generally favourable reviews. However sales declined, and the material wasn't as potent as it's predecessor had been. The reason for this was the material selected for the album. Jagged Little Pill had the urgency and pop sensiblity of a young canadian singer songwriter who had a musical visionary in the partner of Glen Ballard, who co-wrote and did the arrangements for her music.
A more mellower effort, the compositions were more subdued, and not typical of what made her a phenomenon in the first place. Singles packed Jagged Little Pill set with consistency which made it a blockbuster. None of these elements were evident in Fomer Infatuation Junkie, therefore making it a less memorable event in Morrisette's discography.
From 14 million, to 2 in the US marked a significant drop in sales. Her second effort just didn't reach as many people as she would of liked, despite constant radio rotation.
Boston, from Massachusetts exploded into the mid seventies in the same manner. Tom Sholz advertised for players to come join a band, after initially being a keyboard player he converted to guitar to play in Boston which would originally consist of Sholz, vocalist Brad Delp, drummer Jim Masdea, and bassist Barry Gondreau. Their self titled debut album appeared in 1976 when they were signed to CBS subsidiary Epic Records ( who represent the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, and formely Pearl Jam).
It became the highest selling debut album in US history selling over 17 millions albums, it still holds the record to this day. "More Than A Feeling" became a world wide hit, with top 40 hits in "Long Time" and "Piece of Mind".
A couple of years passed, and Tom Sholz planned a follow up with material written over the two year gap between the debut and "Don't Look Back" which appeared in 1978. Don't Look Back sold reasonably well in it's first months with 4 million units in the US sold, however the sales and the critical reception for the album was symbolic of the lacklustre's effort to succeed.
Moderate success followed for Boston in the coming years, but were never able to reach that pinnacle that they did on the first album.
With the evidence provided to suggest that stellar debut albums can overshadow successive efforts, we can't help but expose this when big artists are successful and all the pressure is on them to create history again and again. Many have managed to achieve this, namely U2, Madonna, Minogue,AC/DC, Metallica have managed to have huge fanbases spanning several decades. So for an artist to fall from grace so abruptly, one can suspect the artist of not having the ability to overcome media scrutiny and the high expectations set upon them by their peers and critics. This is true, and while the bands that have defined generations still enjoy mainstream success and their records are considered timeless, there will always be the former superstar who the public had an infatuation with for a split second, then discarded like a butted out cigarette, squashed into the ground, an analogy which could be used for the treatment of pop idols of the contemporary era.
The Strokes were a force to be reckoned with when "Is This It" came in 2001. It topped critics lists and saw emergence of one of the most hyped bands around the Us and Britain. It all went to waste when the sub standard "Room on Fire" was released in 2003.
Guns n Roses enjoyed the multi platinum debut of "Appetite For Destruction" in 1986, but conjured up an effort to cringe at with GNR Lies years later.
The MC5, one of the most notorious bands of the late sixties from Detroit, released the uncompromising, unleashed hell of Kick Out The Jams. An era defining album which saw the roots of what would later become the punk rock movement.
They followed it up with the sterile, glossily produced "Back In The USA", this marked the end of the long reigning Detroit outfit, who many looked up to in the sixties, as giving the middle finger to the establishment.
X-Ray Spex, one of the most infamous bands from the English punk scene, only managed to make "Germ Free Adolescents" in 1978. The all girl punk outfit made one of the most acclaimed albums in music history, and didn't release a follow-up until their reformation in 1991, in which it took another four years to deliver a follow up "Conscious Consumer" which appeared in 1995. It was received poorly and the music press took hardly any notice of it.
We all have thoughts, of what could of been. But when the artists lower themselves to become forgotten relics of the past, or sink to the level of mediocrity, where they are still working but no one really cares anymore, you have to consider that as a part of the nature of music. It was in the moment in which they thrived, and even though many of these artists have been forgotten today, we can at least acknowledge that they were a part of our consciousness for a short amount of time.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
*Review* Kings of Leon-Only By The Night (SONY)
Rating: ***Truly embracing your musical heritage and beginnings is one thing. But branching out and expanding your horizons to the point of alienating fans is another.
I don't believe the Kings of Leon have managed to alienate their audience, in fact over the last two years their fanbase has grown considerably. They are a band who you will consider amongst some of the best the first decade into this century.
Believably, you could claim that they wanted to dazzle fans with unexpected changes in style between albums. This isn't really so, at the core of all this music is the distinctive Caleb Followill at the front of the music, with his distinctive southern swagger.
The initiation of synthesizers on Because of the Times, marked a turning point for their sound and direction. The songwriting on all three of their previous albums was sophisticated and consistent and i believe will continue to be for a long time. With the use of catchy melodies and introducing synths and an arena friendly demanour to the songs, they built on what they already had as reputable back catalogue.
Only By the Night builds on this again. The southern consciousness is ever prominent in all of the songs but the flourishes of synths still make this music accessible to fans fond of the early material of Youth and Young Manhood.
Hightlights include, Closer, Sex on Fire, Cold Desert.
Fans arguably wouldn't be continuing to latch on to this band as one of the most improved and exciting bands of the last 10 years. Other acts, namly The Strokes, had groundbreaking debut efforts but have failed to deliver on successive occassions, slowing down their momentum.
Kings of Leon have that momentum all have been able to continously suprise and delight fans thorughout their last three albums, and the newest is no exception. There's a lot to like here, and it all comes with ease as you would expect from the threesome from Tennesee.
*Review* The Drones-Halivah (ATP)
Rating:****
The Drones are a quartet from Victoria, who specialise in slow building- down beat swamp rock in a sense. Hard to catergorize as a sound, but encompasses a hard hitting element of story telling in their compositions.
Influenced by Neil Young, story telling reminiscent of Tom Waits, it's a hybrid of all kinds of styles with a bluesy guitar sound which meanders off into dissonance heavily similar to sonic youth or bands of that ilk.
They took out the Australian Music Prize in 2006 for their album "Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By". Which generated a lot of rotation amongst triple j with both Tracks, "Sharkfin Blues" and "Baby2".
Gala Mill which was the follow up to Wait Long by the River.. was also nominated for the AMP award.
Now with 2008's Havilah, we have come to expect a standard and mood from the band with each set that they deliver. Gala Mill intiated a clause which must be followed concerning the band's character. It you want to listen to the Drones, start from the beginning, and follow the story straight from the start.
Stories will unfold, and vocalist Gareth Liddiard will take you their with his distinctively Australian rasp, which takes you beyond the sound of the song, and straight to the emotional state of the characters involved in these songs.
Gala Mill, and it's predecessor were at risk of becoming to dissonant for their own in amongst the longer tracks of those albums.
Gala Mill was very dark, although Havilah makes a refreshing change and adds a bit more light and accessibility to their sound.
"Nail it Down", the opener sees an upbeat start, an dynamic time shifts complement the ebb and flow of the song, accompanied by terrific solo work.
"The Drifting Housewife", is a slow building tale of abandonment which self destructs as it finishes.
The First seven tracks of this album, build a lot of momentum, and don't lag behind longer than they have to. That is the biggest strength of the album.
The other three albums had momentary signs of disappearing into their own echo, passages of dissonance which didn't really compliment the compositions that much. This set you can't tire of, because the majority of the first half is so enjoyable, that by the time the slower tracks emerge, you have been escounsed in the mood of the album and you can't wait for the second time around.
That is something which has been missing from the last Drones albums. This time around it is their best effort to date. A well rounded, consistent set of songs in the manner of which they were intended, but infused with an element of lightness which makes it a definite addition to any collection, and anyone who is interested in this band..
You cant help but feel, that a band comes along and they can either build a big reputation and peak early and not follow up on their success. Or upon each release, reveal another side of themselves and accentuate their strengths in a way which makes it exciting and enjoyable for the fans and people who have not heard them before. The Drones are in the later, they keep building as an act, and deserve all the recognition they can get.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Sibling Success for Pop Artists. Should I Carry On OR Should I Put My Tongue in a Deep Fryer?
We can all rest assure that if a pop star these days received some success on the pop charts, then a sibling a few years younger won't be too far away.
Usually it's a sister, because of the history of female pop artists over the last 10 years. Jessica rose to fame with the insipidly delightful Newlyweds program, which gave a lot of viewers violent reactions to the ditzy nasaly blonde, with whom Nick Lachey had to put up with for a few seasons. So long Jessica Simpson.
The newlyweds program revived Simpson's career as it had been a bit stale with short lived hiatus from the pop charts. After the show's huge success worldwide, Simpson enjoyed gaining a lead role in the television to film adaptation of The Dukes of Hazzard. An accompanying song from the soundtrack, "these boots are made for walkin" was an ill fated attempt at covering a classic which was otherwise known as an anthem for the empowerment of women. But Simpson uses her sexuality and a lot of soap to communicate to the mass market that she is indeed a sexual object, and she had no intention whatsoever in cleaning the car. Laying all over the dukes car with soap all over her. That's what sells so who am i to argue, it is hot. However a complete insult to the nature of what the song was about.
The original moral of the song was, "im a women, and if you mess with my shit, i'll cut your dick off". Simpson's interpretation of the song was " look at me im all soapy in hot pants laying all over this car, come and get me,because im a extroverted slurry slurry whore who wants to appeal to the masses by objectifying myself to the masses, in order to get to the top of the billboard chart.
Well fair enough, but I digressed anyway. So Jessica enjoys a lot of success and all that. So then her younger sister Ashlee thinks she can do the same, well why the fuck not. Because really you idealise your older sister for being the centre of attention, and you would love to live up to the success of her, and given the fact that the family name is already well known in the industry will give you a head start.
OK, so it should all be set up for ya, if you're not fugly then you'll be fine. it turns out that your not but you couldn't sing a note to save yourself. But that doesn't matter these days, because producers have something called autotune, which means as long as you look alright and you've got a great body, you don't have to sing a note at all you just have to have a little sex appeal, great..
So Ashlee goes on a makes a few hits, so that's okay it's ok to look up to your sister. I mean she's pretty harmless i guess just a ditzy blonde with a hit tv show.
Although another set of sisters, the youngest one out of the two had a lot to contend and live up to. She really had to get out there and make a complete ass of herself...
Yes I'm talkin about Britney's sister, Jamie Lynn Spears.
One of the most talked about pop divas to hit the globe, became a pre adolescent pop mega star, promiscuous sexual media object, to a redneck white trash fried chicken eatin machine with two kids. So poor old Jamie had to do something, she couldn't just sit by and be lame and normal like everyone else in Louisiana. No she got preggas as well..
But I really commend Britney on waiting as long as she did. Because someone who is that successful at that age is bound to do one of three things;
1. Die of a drug overdose
2. End up anexoric or balemic
3. Have a drunken Las Vegas wedding, and have the marriage enulled after 55 hours.
She did the latter, which was embarassing, then after that she got up the duff.
Jamie Lynn thought it might be a good idea to get pregnant at 16. Could of fucked ya life up more, well not really guess she's a white trash mum now getting taken care by a wealthy estate i guess. She will lead a comfortable life, and in the later years she will make b-grade guest appearances on celebrity reality programs such as survivor or dancing with the stars.
But who's to blame, always showbiz parents. You are the worst, someone might as well call child services and get them to take away your kids, your pathetic..
Beauty pageant parents are a joke, parading around their kids like sexual objects at a very young age, condemning them if they don't win, and using the fear not being loved to spark them on.
The spears family aren't guilty of being like that, however after seeing one child follow a downhill spiral, you'd expect them to warn Jamie Lynn of what could possibly happen. From the early days of being in the mickey mouse club, she never had a real childhood, and was pushed and pushed until it became to surreal for her to comprehend..
Micheal Jackson, look at him. He is a grotesque monster now who befriends children, and allegedly does unspeakable things to them which is moraly wrong. From a child star, who had no childhood, performing for everyone was his life. He wanted to come away from that, and come out of himself, so he created an image of himself which was not at all recognizable to his true african american form, he became an insipid fake shell of a ghost, a mutant, which is what he felt like all the time. He wanted to be loved by his parents, not by the public.
Joseph Walter Jackson, (father) created the most hideous figure of the 20th century. That's right worse than Fran Drescher!
His abuse led to his demise in the normal world, he's all fucked up now dangling kids out of windows, completely lost the plot, he should be in some institution..
Anyway, you forge your own destiny. And young stars have to be aware of the history of stardom at a young age which leads to self destruction. If if acknowleged, can well be on their way to led a healthy successful life in showbiz.
The acknowledgment has to be made by family members, especially the parents, for if we can't rely on them to guide these guys and be responsible for guiding them down the right path. Then who can we rely on, certainly not talent agents and managers, they chew you up and spit you out like a piece of broccoli.
So be careful who you look up to. If you're in a famous family, don't be led astray by acts of stupidity by your role models. Because it's almost certain they've caught the hollywood epidemic, they think they're bigger than life at times.. But something has to kill you.
Usually it's a sister, because of the history of female pop artists over the last 10 years. Jessica rose to fame with the insipidly delightful Newlyweds program, which gave a lot of viewers violent reactions to the ditzy nasaly blonde, with whom Nick Lachey had to put up with for a few seasons. So long Jessica Simpson.
The newlyweds program revived Simpson's career as it had been a bit stale with short lived hiatus from the pop charts. After the show's huge success worldwide, Simpson enjoyed gaining a lead role in the television to film adaptation of The Dukes of Hazzard. An accompanying song from the soundtrack, "these boots are made for walkin" was an ill fated attempt at covering a classic which was otherwise known as an anthem for the empowerment of women. But Simpson uses her sexuality and a lot of soap to communicate to the mass market that she is indeed a sexual object, and she had no intention whatsoever in cleaning the car. Laying all over the dukes car with soap all over her. That's what sells so who am i to argue, it is hot. However a complete insult to the nature of what the song was about.
The original moral of the song was, "im a women, and if you mess with my shit, i'll cut your dick off". Simpson's interpretation of the song was " look at me im all soapy in hot pants laying all over this car, come and get me,because im a extroverted slurry slurry whore who wants to appeal to the masses by objectifying myself to the masses, in order to get to the top of the billboard chart.
Well fair enough, but I digressed anyway. So Jessica enjoys a lot of success and all that. So then her younger sister Ashlee thinks she can do the same, well why the fuck not. Because really you idealise your older sister for being the centre of attention, and you would love to live up to the success of her, and given the fact that the family name is already well known in the industry will give you a head start.
OK, so it should all be set up for ya, if you're not fugly then you'll be fine. it turns out that your not but you couldn't sing a note to save yourself. But that doesn't matter these days, because producers have something called autotune, which means as long as you look alright and you've got a great body, you don't have to sing a note at all you just have to have a little sex appeal, great..
So Ashlee goes on a makes a few hits, so that's okay it's ok to look up to your sister. I mean she's pretty harmless i guess just a ditzy blonde with a hit tv show.
Although another set of sisters, the youngest one out of the two had a lot to contend and live up to. She really had to get out there and make a complete ass of herself...
Yes I'm talkin about Britney's sister, Jamie Lynn Spears.
One of the most talked about pop divas to hit the globe, became a pre adolescent pop mega star, promiscuous sexual media object, to a redneck white trash fried chicken eatin machine with two kids. So poor old Jamie had to do something, she couldn't just sit by and be lame and normal like everyone else in Louisiana. No she got preggas as well..
But I really commend Britney on waiting as long as she did. Because someone who is that successful at that age is bound to do one of three things;
1. Die of a drug overdose
2. End up anexoric or balemic
3. Have a drunken Las Vegas wedding, and have the marriage enulled after 55 hours.
She did the latter, which was embarassing, then after that she got up the duff.
Jamie Lynn thought it might be a good idea to get pregnant at 16. Could of fucked ya life up more, well not really guess she's a white trash mum now getting taken care by a wealthy estate i guess. She will lead a comfortable life, and in the later years she will make b-grade guest appearances on celebrity reality programs such as survivor or dancing with the stars.
But who's to blame, always showbiz parents. You are the worst, someone might as well call child services and get them to take away your kids, your pathetic..
Beauty pageant parents are a joke, parading around their kids like sexual objects at a very young age, condemning them if they don't win, and using the fear not being loved to spark them on.
The spears family aren't guilty of being like that, however after seeing one child follow a downhill spiral, you'd expect them to warn Jamie Lynn of what could possibly happen. From the early days of being in the mickey mouse club, she never had a real childhood, and was pushed and pushed until it became to surreal for her to comprehend..
Micheal Jackson, look at him. He is a grotesque monster now who befriends children, and allegedly does unspeakable things to them which is moraly wrong. From a child star, who had no childhood, performing for everyone was his life. He wanted to come away from that, and come out of himself, so he created an image of himself which was not at all recognizable to his true african american form, he became an insipid fake shell of a ghost, a mutant, which is what he felt like all the time. He wanted to be loved by his parents, not by the public.
Joseph Walter Jackson, (father) created the most hideous figure of the 20th century. That's right worse than Fran Drescher!
His abuse led to his demise in the normal world, he's all fucked up now dangling kids out of windows, completely lost the plot, he should be in some institution..
Anyway, you forge your own destiny. And young stars have to be aware of the history of stardom at a young age which leads to self destruction. If if acknowleged, can well be on their way to led a healthy successful life in showbiz.
The acknowledgment has to be made by family members, especially the parents, for if we can't rely on them to guide these guys and be responsible for guiding them down the right path. Then who can we rely on, certainly not talent agents and managers, they chew you up and spit you out like a piece of broccoli.
So be careful who you look up to. If you're in a famous family, don't be led astray by acts of stupidity by your role models. Because it's almost certain they've caught the hollywood epidemic, they think they're bigger than life at times.. But something has to kill you.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
White Noise,Black Bar, Red Eyes, Sore Ears
On the night before anzac day, i went with a few friends to north perth to a club called shape. It was an experimental noise night.
Noise bands i've often been intrigued with. But as im reaching the wise old age of 22, i think im starting to lose my edge. Like im actually feelin like maybe i want to try and restore my hearing for my coming years of concert attending.
Fugazi, Godspeed You black emperor, mogwai, merzbow, that's the stuff i've got into over the past few years. To find some beauty in the dissonance of musicians violating the syntheziers and guitars as if they were pieces of utter shit, resonating what comes out of the speakers as pure irreverant bile spewing out at you. It's very attractive kind of music, you know, like you wonder why freaks like me spend three hours in a dark club listening to this stuff.
Well, this night was over before it begain. Now the first band was good. they played a half hour song, the only line in the song was "i can see the fire, imogen's fine" over and over. so that was the first set, so far so good.
The next band was pretty good, they were hell tight and there scratchy guitars were intact and sounded pretty good.
The headliner was pain, i forgot what they were called, but after 8 beers and hallocinating thinking a was seeing aladdin off in the distance riding the magic carpet on his way to offering me a lift home, i was getting restless, and even having inserted the earplugs that were provided to everyone before they came on, my ears were aching, they went for two hours, and it was PURE NOISE in the sense, now i knew it would be this kind of thing. But it was brutal, and i was hungry, and my foot was sore, i thought i saw a chic over in the corner with a bag which i thought could of had food in it. There might of been a cheese sandwich in there.but i found it wasn't after i stumbled over there and asked her what it was and she said she had her top from work in there.
i couldn't eat that.
anyway i don't know what has happened since then i've gone all soft and shit. i need my hardness back, but avant garde noise has just put me off for a while. I think i might listen to my billy joel albums for a while.
Noise bands i've often been intrigued with. But as im reaching the wise old age of 22, i think im starting to lose my edge. Like im actually feelin like maybe i want to try and restore my hearing for my coming years of concert attending.
Fugazi, Godspeed You black emperor, mogwai, merzbow, that's the stuff i've got into over the past few years. To find some beauty in the dissonance of musicians violating the syntheziers and guitars as if they were pieces of utter shit, resonating what comes out of the speakers as pure irreverant bile spewing out at you. It's very attractive kind of music, you know, like you wonder why freaks like me spend three hours in a dark club listening to this stuff.
Well, this night was over before it begain. Now the first band was good. they played a half hour song, the only line in the song was "i can see the fire, imogen's fine" over and over. so that was the first set, so far so good.
The next band was pretty good, they were hell tight and there scratchy guitars were intact and sounded pretty good.
The headliner was pain, i forgot what they were called, but after 8 beers and hallocinating thinking a was seeing aladdin off in the distance riding the magic carpet on his way to offering me a lift home, i was getting restless, and even having inserted the earplugs that were provided to everyone before they came on, my ears were aching, they went for two hours, and it was PURE NOISE in the sense, now i knew it would be this kind of thing. But it was brutal, and i was hungry, and my foot was sore, i thought i saw a chic over in the corner with a bag which i thought could of had food in it. There might of been a cheese sandwich in there.but i found it wasn't after i stumbled over there and asked her what it was and she said she had her top from work in there.
i couldn't eat that.
anyway i don't know what has happened since then i've gone all soft and shit. i need my hardness back, but avant garde noise has just put me off for a while. I think i might listen to my billy joel albums for a while.
The Renaissance of Old Rockers
You can never get your hey days back it seems, however many attempts older rockers may choose to make.
The tide will turn, we all cant be writing classic material forever. The Stones are winding down, bands of the likes of Duran Duran, Smashing Pumpkins and other gen x participants of the era are making ill fated attempts to capture the immediacy they had in their golden age. It will never happen, and while these guys have made somewhat of a resurgence, they will never match the quality and vibrancy that was once there.
Earlier this year at the V Festival, which went around Australia. When it came to Perth it was an interesting line up, so i was intrigued to see Duran Duran, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Smashing Pumpkins all on the same bill.
All three acts disappointed me. First off The Jesus and Mary Chain.
They were uninspiring, and though the vocal style of Jim Reid has sounded shoegazy, The reason they were an imposing figure in the 80's was because of their ferocious live act. All venom had been drained from them, and they performed as they were on the day. Middle aged has beens. That does sound a little harsh although it is true and anyone witnessing it would have to agree. They sounded like a more sedated version of Ride. Which isn't a good thing.
I was hoping the set would get better, but as the crowd continued to thin out and get pies, I followed suit. 5 songs in and still no convincing. This is from a fan of theirs who owns all of their albums mind you!
So okay that's fine, so what about Duran Duran.
Well not being a fan, coming into the set i wasn't really that excited. However the majority of the set was a cracker. They killed it, with material spanning all their albums so a healthy spread of songs, Rio, Hungry Like a Wolf it was all classic.
While i looked on, i knew the Pumpkins were up next. Now I was hanging out for this like you wouldn't believe. I was enjoying duran duran but a big fan of the pumpkins was waiting.
Duran closed with a song i most despise though. The most dirgy, brain numbing song ever written, Ordinary World, if you know this song you'll know what i'm talkin about.
I was hoping for something upbeat to finish, but no a slow 6 minute ballad to make the wait even more insufferable.
Finally, Pumpkins.
Tonight tonight starts the set, excellent, followed by a few new tracks. Mayonnaise off siamese dream a classic.Now were crankin, but all went wrong about half an hour in.
Corgin plays an unnoticable song that ends up clockin around 12 minutes, then after some 8 minutes of feedback and squealing, we are treating to even more, because then they kick in with United States off Zeitgeist. This ones is about 10 minutes long, and corgan is startin lose the crowd. As some fire works are noticed in the background, apparently a wedding had been held on the other side of the swan river that day.
As corgan shredds while lookin on at the fireworks complimenting the sky, with a vibrant perth city skyline as his backdrop. I start to yawn, and some die hard fans are starting too glare at me as if im supposed to be intrigued by guitar wankery, which ive already established in this blog i don't like.
Anyway, jimmy chamberlain less corgan, does a brief acoustic section of the set, he plays 1979 and that's the way my love is. Great, but then back to more shredding.
a good 45 minutes consisted of a while 3 songs.
We have to realise that a captive audience of a band will always come out to support their once most beloved treasure. Smashing Pumpkins were one of mine. Their music over the 10 years, ive carried with me forver in my mind, and enlightened me and made my life better.
These albums were classic, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. However energetic Zeitgeist was, it paled in comparison with their classics.
We are in an intimate era of music, a change is occuring, the new guys are taking over. What will the future hold?
The tide will turn, we all cant be writing classic material forever. The Stones are winding down, bands of the likes of Duran Duran, Smashing Pumpkins and other gen x participants of the era are making ill fated attempts to capture the immediacy they had in their golden age. It will never happen, and while these guys have made somewhat of a resurgence, they will never match the quality and vibrancy that was once there.
Earlier this year at the V Festival, which went around Australia. When it came to Perth it was an interesting line up, so i was intrigued to see Duran Duran, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Smashing Pumpkins all on the same bill.
All three acts disappointed me. First off The Jesus and Mary Chain.
They were uninspiring, and though the vocal style of Jim Reid has sounded shoegazy, The reason they were an imposing figure in the 80's was because of their ferocious live act. All venom had been drained from them, and they performed as they were on the day. Middle aged has beens. That does sound a little harsh although it is true and anyone witnessing it would have to agree. They sounded like a more sedated version of Ride. Which isn't a good thing.
I was hoping the set would get better, but as the crowd continued to thin out and get pies, I followed suit. 5 songs in and still no convincing. This is from a fan of theirs who owns all of their albums mind you!
So okay that's fine, so what about Duran Duran.
Well not being a fan, coming into the set i wasn't really that excited. However the majority of the set was a cracker. They killed it, with material spanning all their albums so a healthy spread of songs, Rio, Hungry Like a Wolf it was all classic.
While i looked on, i knew the Pumpkins were up next. Now I was hanging out for this like you wouldn't believe. I was enjoying duran duran but a big fan of the pumpkins was waiting.
Duran closed with a song i most despise though. The most dirgy, brain numbing song ever written, Ordinary World, if you know this song you'll know what i'm talkin about.
I was hoping for something upbeat to finish, but no a slow 6 minute ballad to make the wait even more insufferable.
Finally, Pumpkins.
Tonight tonight starts the set, excellent, followed by a few new tracks. Mayonnaise off siamese dream a classic.Now were crankin, but all went wrong about half an hour in.
Corgin plays an unnoticable song that ends up clockin around 12 minutes, then after some 8 minutes of feedback and squealing, we are treating to even more, because then they kick in with United States off Zeitgeist. This ones is about 10 minutes long, and corgan is startin lose the crowd. As some fire works are noticed in the background, apparently a wedding had been held on the other side of the swan river that day.
As corgan shredds while lookin on at the fireworks complimenting the sky, with a vibrant perth city skyline as his backdrop. I start to yawn, and some die hard fans are starting too glare at me as if im supposed to be intrigued by guitar wankery, which ive already established in this blog i don't like.
Anyway, jimmy chamberlain less corgan, does a brief acoustic section of the set, he plays 1979 and that's the way my love is. Great, but then back to more shredding.
a good 45 minutes consisted of a while 3 songs.
We have to realise that a captive audience of a band will always come out to support their once most beloved treasure. Smashing Pumpkins were one of mine. Their music over the 10 years, ive carried with me forver in my mind, and enlightened me and made my life better.
These albums were classic, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. However energetic Zeitgeist was, it paled in comparison with their classics.
We are in an intimate era of music, a change is occuring, the new guys are taking over. What will the future hold?
Friday, September 12, 2008
DEATH MAGNETIC?
On September 13, Universal Music release Metallica's Death Magnetic. Having preordered it and working in a music store (i'm in Australia) I acquired mine this afternoon.
FUCK.
Okay when you talk about comebacks and shit like that, in the history of contemporary music we are yet to experience what it's like for a premier band of such a calibre like Metallica's, to rise to the occassion when they are faced with such a highly anticipated reception for their lastest work.
But the day has come. And the thing is, it wasn't all to do with their ability as a band to deliver a consistent album. They had the ability to do that already, they never lost that. However many contributing factors made it so that, St Anger became their most maligned album yet amongst fans and critics.
Death Magnetic accentuates the strengths of this group, a 10 track album with focus. Songcraft, classic riffs, consistency. From start to finish a menace to get out of your head, and that's only after listening to it twice. The coffin graphic on the artwork will be irresistable to even casual fans tommorow, and im working so they'll be comin in droves to purchase their copy.
I didn't think that they could recover from the schamoozle that was St. Anger. To mind insipid and unforgiving, was what is was. But nevertheless, you always have interest in what's next for them. They are definately intriguing to say the least. They mean business this time and there are a lot of reasons why you will enjoy this album a lot more than the last. Here's the breakdown..
Producers
St. Anger- Producer (Bob Rock)
(The Black Album) (1991) Load (1996), ReLoad (1997), Garage Inc. (1998) and S&M (1999)
Bob rock has plagued the bands career from the early nineties onwards, Metallica lost some of the credibility they had before Rock started producing them. There was more of an urgency with the albums and contained more edge, instead of pop sensiblity, which was what Rock was trying to inject into the sound at the time.
Fans claim that he should of gotten dumped a few years ago when a petition circulated suggesting this happen. Metallica listened. Evidence of Rock's influence on the productions is evident in the Some Kind of Monster documentary.
Rock was telling them what they wanted hear, which i think is bullshit considering they were in crisis at this point, making an album that was trying to be written as it was made. Hetfield sitting their with his pad, "what rhymes with that, aw that's a good line, I'll write that down. Kirk put a riff over this".
He was saying that it was great, he heard the singles that would be of the album, singing the praises of Hetfield and co. Claiming that Metallica were back. Nonsense talk, and someone should of gone in there and slapped Rock upside the head. You need to tell the band you're producing that there material is shit. That's all Metallica wanted, honesty. Rock was thinking about his paycheck, and so was shrink they hired to help them.
The inner turmoil in the band couldn't of helped the proceedings for St Anger. Nevertheless they were led astray by the all conquering Rock in his attempt to make another Metallica, Metal/Pop crossover blockbuster. It wasn't promising from the start.
So what could Rick Rubin bring to the table? Let's See
Death Magnetic- Producer (Rick Rubin)
1985: Radio – LL Cool J
1986: Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
1986: Raising Hell – Run-DMC
1986: Reign in Blood – Slayer
1987: Electric – The Cult
1987: Yo! Bum Rush the Show - Public Enemy
1988: Danzig – Danzig
1988: Tougher Than Leather – Run-DMC
1988: South of Heaven – Slayer
1988: Masters of Reality – Masters of Reality
1989: Dice – Andrew Dice Clay
1989: Live Fast, Die Fast – Wolfsbane
1990: Trouble – Trouble
1990: Danzig II: Lucifuge – Danzig
1990: Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer
1991: Nobody Said It Was Easy – The Four Horsemen
1991: Manic Frustration – Trouble
1991: Decade of Aggression – Slayer
1991: Blood Sugar Sex Magik – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1992: Danzig III: How the Gods Kill – Danzig
1992: King King – The Red Devils
1993: Thrall: Demonsweatlive – Danzig
1993: Wandering Spirit – Mick Jagger
1993: 21st Century Jesus – Messiah
1994: Danzig 4 – Danzig
1994: American Recordings – Johnny Cash
1994: Divine Intervention – Slayer
1994: Wildflowers – Tom Petty
1995: One Hot Minute – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1995: Ballbreaker – AC/DC
1995: God Lives Underwater [EP] – God Lives Underwater
1995: Empty – God Lives Underwater
1996: Songs and Music from "She's the One" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
1996: Unchained – Johnny Cash
1996: Undisputed Attitude – Slayer
1996: Don't Call me Barry – Hermann and the Hermits
1996: Sutras – Donovan
1998: "Let Me Give the World to You" – The Smashing Pumpkins (an unreleased song)
1998: VH1 Storytellers – Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson
1998: Diabolus in Musica – Slayer
1998: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams (mix only)
1998: System of a Down – System of a Down
1998: Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts – Kula Shaker ("Sound of Drums")
1998: Chef Aid: The South Park Album – South Park
1999: Northern Star – Melanie C ("Suddenly Monday" and "Ga Ga")
1999: Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1999: Echo – Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
1999: Loud Rocks – V/A ("Shame" by System of a Down and Wu-Tang Clan, "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing Ta Fuck Wit" Tom Morello, Chad Smith and Wu-Tang Clan)
1999: The Globe Sessions – Sheryl Crow ("Sweet Child O'Mine")
2000: American III: Solitary Man – Johnny Cash
2000: Paloalto – Paloalto
2000: Renegades – Rage Against the Machine
2001: Amethyst Rock Star – Saul Williams
2001: The War of Art – American Head Charge
2001: Breath of the Heart – Krishna Das
2001: The Final Studio Recordings – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2001: Toxicity – System of a Down
2002: American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash
2002: By the Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers
2002: Audioslave – Audioslave
2002: Steal This Album! – System of a Down
2003: Results May Vary – Limp Bizkit (with Terry Date and Jordan Schur)
2003: Unearthed – Johnny Cash
2003: Door of Faith – Krishna Das
2003: De-Loused in the Comatorium – The Mars Volta (with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez)
2003: The Black Album – Jay-Z ("99 Problems")
2003: Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium – Rage Against the Machine
2003: Heroes and Villains – Paloalto
2004: Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) – Slipknot
2004: Armed Love – The (International) Noise Conspiracy
2004: Crunk Juice – Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz ("Stop Fuckin' With Me")
2005: Make Believe – Weezer
2005: Fijación Oral Vol. 1 – Shakira
2005: Oral Fixation Vol. 2 – Shakira
2005: Out of Exile – Audioslave
2005: Mezmerize – System of a Down
2005: Hypnotize – System of a Down
2005: 12 Songs – Neil Diamond
2006: Stadium Arcadium – Red Hot Chili Peppers
2006: Taking the Long Way – Dixie Chicks
2006: American V: A Hundred Highways – Johnny Cash
2006: FutureSex/LoveSounds – Justin Timberlake ("(Another Song) All Over Again")
2006: The Saints are Coming – U2 and Green Day (single)
2006: Window in the Skies – U2 (single)
2007: Heroes and Thieves – Vanessa Carlton (with Irv Gotti, 7 Aurelius and Stephan Jenkins)
2007: Luna Halo – Luna Halo
2007: "Better Than I've Ever Been" – Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One (single)
2007: Minutes to Midnight – Linkin Park
2007: Free Life – Dan Wilson
2008: The Cross of My Calling – The (International) Noise Conspiracy
2008: Live from Liverpool - The Gossip
2008: Weezer – Weezer
2008: Home Before Dark – Neil Diamond
2008: Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy - Ours
2008: Seeing Things – Jakob Dylan
2008: Death Magnetic – Metallica
So he didn't play in a shitty band called Payola like Bob rock did, and his cv spans over half the length of this particular blog.
Rubin has brought the business of making Metallica great back. The production is superb and despite the lengthy tracks, there is no excess and you are back in 1986 territory here, no filler whatsoever... NO filler.
A focused album of 10 tracks, just the amount. It feels complete like you coudn't ask for more from this, when it's finnished, mark my word... you'll put it straight back on.
This is an awakening from beyond the grave. The cellar dwellars will come out to play tommorow, heads will be banging, fists will be pumping like you wouldn't believe...
The album of the year.. I'm not taking the piss either
FUCK.
Okay when you talk about comebacks and shit like that, in the history of contemporary music we are yet to experience what it's like for a premier band of such a calibre like Metallica's, to rise to the occassion when they are faced with such a highly anticipated reception for their lastest work.
But the day has come. And the thing is, it wasn't all to do with their ability as a band to deliver a consistent album. They had the ability to do that already, they never lost that. However many contributing factors made it so that, St Anger became their most maligned album yet amongst fans and critics.
Death Magnetic accentuates the strengths of this group, a 10 track album with focus. Songcraft, classic riffs, consistency. From start to finish a menace to get out of your head, and that's only after listening to it twice. The coffin graphic on the artwork will be irresistable to even casual fans tommorow, and im working so they'll be comin in droves to purchase their copy.
I didn't think that they could recover from the schamoozle that was St. Anger. To mind insipid and unforgiving, was what is was. But nevertheless, you always have interest in what's next for them. They are definately intriguing to say the least. They mean business this time and there are a lot of reasons why you will enjoy this album a lot more than the last. Here's the breakdown..
Producers
St. Anger- Producer (Bob Rock)
(The Black Album) (1991) Load (1996), ReLoad (1997), Garage Inc. (1998) and S&M (1999)
Bob rock has plagued the bands career from the early nineties onwards, Metallica lost some of the credibility they had before Rock started producing them. There was more of an urgency with the albums and contained more edge, instead of pop sensiblity, which was what Rock was trying to inject into the sound at the time.
Fans claim that he should of gotten dumped a few years ago when a petition circulated suggesting this happen. Metallica listened. Evidence of Rock's influence on the productions is evident in the Some Kind of Monster documentary.
Rock was telling them what they wanted hear, which i think is bullshit considering they were in crisis at this point, making an album that was trying to be written as it was made. Hetfield sitting their with his pad, "what rhymes with that, aw that's a good line, I'll write that down. Kirk put a riff over this".
He was saying that it was great, he heard the singles that would be of the album, singing the praises of Hetfield and co. Claiming that Metallica were back. Nonsense talk, and someone should of gone in there and slapped Rock upside the head. You need to tell the band you're producing that there material is shit. That's all Metallica wanted, honesty. Rock was thinking about his paycheck, and so was shrink they hired to help them.
The inner turmoil in the band couldn't of helped the proceedings for St Anger. Nevertheless they were led astray by the all conquering Rock in his attempt to make another Metallica, Metal/Pop crossover blockbuster. It wasn't promising from the start.
So what could Rick Rubin bring to the table? Let's See
Death Magnetic- Producer (Rick Rubin)
1985: Radio – LL Cool J
1986: Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
1986: Raising Hell – Run-DMC
1986: Reign in Blood – Slayer
1987: Electric – The Cult
1987: Yo! Bum Rush the Show - Public Enemy
1988: Danzig – Danzig
1988: Tougher Than Leather – Run-DMC
1988: South of Heaven – Slayer
1988: Masters of Reality – Masters of Reality
1989: Dice – Andrew Dice Clay
1989: Live Fast, Die Fast – Wolfsbane
1990: Trouble – Trouble
1990: Danzig II: Lucifuge – Danzig
1990: Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer
1991: Nobody Said It Was Easy – The Four Horsemen
1991: Manic Frustration – Trouble
1991: Decade of Aggression – Slayer
1991: Blood Sugar Sex Magik – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1992: Danzig III: How the Gods Kill – Danzig
1992: King King – The Red Devils
1993: Thrall: Demonsweatlive – Danzig
1993: Wandering Spirit – Mick Jagger
1993: 21st Century Jesus – Messiah
1994: Danzig 4 – Danzig
1994: American Recordings – Johnny Cash
1994: Divine Intervention – Slayer
1994: Wildflowers – Tom Petty
1995: One Hot Minute – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1995: Ballbreaker – AC/DC
1995: God Lives Underwater [EP] – God Lives Underwater
1995: Empty – God Lives Underwater
1996: Songs and Music from "She's the One" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
1996: Unchained – Johnny Cash
1996: Undisputed Attitude – Slayer
1996: Don't Call me Barry – Hermann and the Hermits
1996: Sutras – Donovan
1998: "Let Me Give the World to You" – The Smashing Pumpkins (an unreleased song)
1998: VH1 Storytellers – Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson
1998: Diabolus in Musica – Slayer
1998: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams (mix only)
1998: System of a Down – System of a Down
1998: Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts – Kula Shaker ("Sound of Drums")
1998: Chef Aid: The South Park Album – South Park
1999: Northern Star – Melanie C ("Suddenly Monday" and "Ga Ga")
1999: Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1999: Echo – Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
1999: Loud Rocks – V/A ("Shame" by System of a Down and Wu-Tang Clan, "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing Ta Fuck Wit" Tom Morello, Chad Smith and Wu-Tang Clan)
1999: The Globe Sessions – Sheryl Crow ("Sweet Child O'Mine")
2000: American III: Solitary Man – Johnny Cash
2000: Paloalto – Paloalto
2000: Renegades – Rage Against the Machine
2001: Amethyst Rock Star – Saul Williams
2001: The War of Art – American Head Charge
2001: Breath of the Heart – Krishna Das
2001: The Final Studio Recordings – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2001: Toxicity – System of a Down
2002: American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash
2002: By the Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers
2002: Audioslave – Audioslave
2002: Steal This Album! – System of a Down
2003: Results May Vary – Limp Bizkit (with Terry Date and Jordan Schur)
2003: Unearthed – Johnny Cash
2003: Door of Faith – Krishna Das
2003: De-Loused in the Comatorium – The Mars Volta (with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez)
2003: The Black Album – Jay-Z ("99 Problems")
2003: Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium – Rage Against the Machine
2003: Heroes and Villains – Paloalto
2004: Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) – Slipknot
2004: Armed Love – The (International) Noise Conspiracy
2004: Crunk Juice – Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz ("Stop Fuckin' With Me")
2005: Make Believe – Weezer
2005: Fijación Oral Vol. 1 – Shakira
2005: Oral Fixation Vol. 2 – Shakira
2005: Out of Exile – Audioslave
2005: Mezmerize – System of a Down
2005: Hypnotize – System of a Down
2005: 12 Songs – Neil Diamond
2006: Stadium Arcadium – Red Hot Chili Peppers
2006: Taking the Long Way – Dixie Chicks
2006: American V: A Hundred Highways – Johnny Cash
2006: FutureSex/LoveSounds – Justin Timberlake ("(Another Song) All Over Again")
2006: The Saints are Coming – U2 and Green Day (single)
2006: Window in the Skies – U2 (single)
2007: Heroes and Thieves – Vanessa Carlton (with Irv Gotti, 7 Aurelius and Stephan Jenkins)
2007: Luna Halo – Luna Halo
2007: "Better Than I've Ever Been" – Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One (single)
2007: Minutes to Midnight – Linkin Park
2007: Free Life – Dan Wilson
2008: The Cross of My Calling – The (International) Noise Conspiracy
2008: Live from Liverpool - The Gossip
2008: Weezer – Weezer
2008: Home Before Dark – Neil Diamond
2008: Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy - Ours
2008: Seeing Things – Jakob Dylan
2008: Death Magnetic – Metallica
So he didn't play in a shitty band called Payola like Bob rock did, and his cv spans over half the length of this particular blog.
Rubin has brought the business of making Metallica great back. The production is superb and despite the lengthy tracks, there is no excess and you are back in 1986 territory here, no filler whatsoever... NO filler.
A focused album of 10 tracks, just the amount. It feels complete like you coudn't ask for more from this, when it's finnished, mark my word... you'll put it straight back on.
This is an awakening from beyond the grave. The cellar dwellars will come out to play tommorow, heads will be banging, fists will be pumping like you wouldn't believe...
The album of the year.. I'm not taking the piss either
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)