Led Zeppelin – Presence

Led Zeppelin is a band that is constantly praised and worshiped in the music world, and it is well deserved. Presence was Led Zeppelin’s seventh studio album, released in 1976, and was their slowest grossing album, initially released to lukewarm reviews. When I first read about the albums reception I was surprised because, for me, this stands as one of the groups most impressive and exciting works. When I talk about Led Zeppelin with fellow musicians this album rarely comes up in conversation and I really think it deserves to be. For me this album seems to stand to people who like the technicalities in Zeppelins work and not just the songs on classic rock radio.

The album opens with “Achilles Last Stand” which is one of the most intense song every recorded by the band. The track is a monstrous ten minutes long, but it never quits. John Boham’s drums push the track along, while Jimmy Page shows off some of his most impressive guitar work ever recorded. Page and Boham lock in riff and rhythms, with Boham matching his snare fills with the guitar riff. Boham also has some amazing snare rolls that fit in between his driving bass foot oriented drum playing. The highlight of this track is the harmonies that Page composed for the song, adding to the intensity of the track. The harmonies are all over the place and adds a whole new dimension to the song and Page utilizes his great skill of slide guitar playing. Page rips a minor key solo that really shows his command of the guitar and once his solo begins the band does a sort of breakdown where Zeppelin again locks in rhythms. The track is a great start to the album and showcases how Zeppelin could create songs that sound so large in scale. 

“For Your Life” is one of my favorite Zeppelin songs mostly because of Boham’s drums. The bass foot on this song is just great and Boham had a knack for fitting in extra accents here and there. Around the two minute mark there is a breakdown of sorts, where he moves to the offbeat while Page plays a great descending riff. It amazes me how they never lost track of time and this song proves how tight of a band they were. Page and Boham again lock in with Boham;s bass foot matching Pages riff. The song also features a great solo from Page, with him again utilizing the minor key. “Royal Orleans” is a track where the group brings a more funk type element. Page plays a classic funk sounding riff while Boham follows with his bass foot following in doubles. Boham also shifts into full time at parts really diversifying the song. 

“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” has a kind of irritating opening but it is totally worth it once the song kicks in. It is my favorite Plant vocal on the album and he has a killer harmonica solo three minutes into the song. The band repeats the into once again except this time John Paul Jones and Boham lock in providing some really intricate off beat and obscure rhythms. “Candy Store Rock” is a great rockabilly influenced song that I often find myself playing on guitar. Page’s riff perfectly mirrors Plants vocal and the song really grooves. “Hots On For Nowhere” is another cool song and Boham owns the chorus, keeping his high hat in full time while he delays he bass foot for the offbeats.

“Tea For No One” Starts with classic Boham halftime before turning into  a slow blues of sorts. Page has some amazing licks but it’s not really much of a song. Presence is not really an album that boasts Zeppelin’s songwriting but more of their technical virtuosity. It’s an album that I can listen to over and over again hearing more and more musical choices that blow my mind. Anyone who considers themselves a fan has to listen to this album. 

Pavement – Wowee Zowee

Pavement remains one of the most interesting bands to emerge form the 90’s alternative scene. Even years after their eventual dissolution, Pavement’s influence can be heard all over modern “Indie” rock. Wowee Zowee was the bands third full length album, released in 1995, and was unlike any of their previous work. The album is a conglomerate of a bunch of different genres along with Pavement’s loose, slacker-like heavy guitar sound. It really is an album that sounds like nothing else and is not only interesting musically put also has great lyrical work by Stephen Malkmus. The album has 18 songs on it and everyone sounds pretty different than the other and to me that shows the strength of the band.

The album opens with the track “We Dance” which serves as a slow acoustic opener. I’m not a big fan of the song but I understand why they would put this as the first song. “Rattled By The Rush” is the second song and one of my favorites off the album. There is some really cool syncopation with the drums, voice and guitar, with all of them hitting similar beats. The heavy guitar is also great, a staple in earlier Pavement releases, and gives the song some balls. Malkmus has his usual lyrical oddities with lines like “I don’t need a minister to call me a groom” and “Caught my Dad crying.” It is not clear what Malkmus is really talking about but, his lyrics and music convey this type of emotion that I think Pavement is really good at tapping into. It’s a sort of melancholy yet hopeful tone that is present in a lot of their music. I really enjoy the self aware nature of it and it reminds me of the type of humor The Velvet Underground had on some of their records.

“Black Out” is a song in a more depressing vein. I really like the jazz influenced chords that are all over this thing and the lead guitar riffs over the chorus are pretty cool. “Grounded” is a standout of the album and one of my favorite Pavement songs. The opening guitar riff is awesome with just two notes shifting back and fourth. This is one of the songs that give that feeling that something is off. Malkmus has his usual strange lyrics until the chorus where he shouts out “Boys are dying on this street!” Malkmus has stated he was smoking a lot of weed during this period if time and I could definitely see that for this song. It is kind of a downer but in the the best way possible. I love the Pixies influenced octave bends and droning guitar, it just adds to the unsettling nature.

“Serpentine Pad” shows Pavement in their punk rock mode channeling something like the Sex Pistols in to a quick punk jam. Influences can be heard in Pavement but whats interesting is that they sound like no one else. “Motion Suggests Itself” is another laid back song that has a killer sad chorus. The band is singing in their highest falsetto and it sounds pretty sad with the line “I won’t need someone to let me be” during the chorus. One of the funniest aspects of Pavement is how they would also throw the listener for a loop at the beginning of a song. The song starts with a swirling circus organ up until the drums and guitar come in completely changing the vibe. “Father To A Sister Of A Thought” follows and is in the same melancholy vein, with a country western twist on it. There is some really great lap steel slide that comes in at the first chorus. Before this album Pavement never dabbled that much in the country vein but I think it sounds awesome.

“Best Friends Arm’ is a good freak out, what the fuck, Pavement song. Malkmus is shouting obscure lyrics while the drums and bass groove, with a well played funk inspired guitar is layered over. The ending sounds like something out of a Can song with weird chanting and a barrage of notes. “Grave Architecture” is another one of my favorites off the album and shows how well Malkmus would create strange statement and but his strange cadences over it. THe song opens with a riff and then Malkmus says “Come on in” cuing the rest of the band. I love the chords used on this song, especially during the verses using the off beat to make them pop. Once the chorus comes in the heavy guitars come in adding to the intensity only for the song to break and go right back to the dilly dally type sound. I would argue this song goes on for to long but that was Pavements thing, just play the song till it falls in on itself into a sort of chaotic sound.

“Flux=Rad” is a straight hardcore punk song with distortion all over everything. That is f the greatest parts of the album it will go from a poppy emotional country song to a head banging hardcore punk song. “Fight This Generation” is kind of the anthem for the album and really hits the vein of early twenties angst. The string arrangement is great and really adds to the songs seriousness. The guitar fills are also great, heavily saturated with fuzz. Right before the two minute mark the song completely changes course, picking up into full time. The drums start pushing forward and the song starts building in intensity. Malkmus starts chanting “Fight this generation” cutting off the statement and playing with the pronunciation. This goes on until there is a funky bass beak down and synth solo completely changing the tone of the song. That is what amazes me about Pavement, they had this whole self aware nature to them and wouldn’t care about completely changing pace halfway through a song. They took a lot of musical risks and it made them standout from the rest of the bands of their era. The stuff is timeless and really just on the next level. This is not he most accessible Pavement record but it is amazing none the less.

 

Brian Eno – Another Green World

Brian Eno is someone I’ve always held in the highest regard when it comes to advances in music and just music in general. His work as a producer alone blows my mind with his involvement with artists like Talking Heads, U2, David Bowie and many more. It seems every time he would get involved with a musician he would push their sound and just make them overall better using various skills of production and musicianship. So naturally I was always interested in his solo career but only in the last year or two have I truly delved into it. Released in 1975, Another Green World was a breakthrough in Eno’s sound and is the perfect conglomerate of his ambient music along with his more melodic, pop structured songs. Like most amazing albums, it didn’t click with me right away but there was something that drove me to keep listening and I can say now it stands as one of my favorite albums of all time.

“Saw Sky” opens the track list kicking off with some very serious playing that just pops all over the place. The drums are mixed perfectly and the obscure rhythm is great. The bass and drums barely hang on to each other yet sound so tightly constructed.The synth on this song is also amazing, with thick fuzz that induces a trance like feeling up until Eno’s vocals come in with a very complex harmony adding to the layering. It seems that is Eno’s strongest suit, being able to layer instruments on top of each other perfectly creating sublime music. The fact that this was released in 1975 blows my mind because it is lightyears ahead of its time. “St. Elmo’s Fire” is one my favorite, if not my favorite, tracks on the album. The little piano lick is great and and the harmonies on the chorus are fantastic. What is also great about the chorus are the licks that run all over the place behind it, another example of amazing layering of sounds. The real hero of this song is virtuoso guitarist Robert Fripp. His solo over this song is some of the greatest guitar work I’ve ever heard, he just speed up and down the neck of his guitar creating a synth like sound. This song shows how Eno can meld his avante-garde side and his pop writing capabilities to create an ambitious yet extremely catchy song.

“The Big Ship” is three minutes of musical ecstasy. That sounds ridiculous but that is the only way I can describe it. The song starts with a drum machine loop and builds and builds until it becomes this behemoth of sound and beauty. Again Eno starts with very limited sound and keeps adding more and more layers until it becomes overwhelming, in a very good way. All I can think about when I hear that song is just images of revelation and discovery. Eno would further this sound with his series of ambient albums, but this was the ground breaker. “I’ll Come Running” follows this song and is a complete change of pace, heading back to the piano-pop territory Eno was known for on his previous albums. I really like this song a lot and the lyrics are just on point. Lines like “I’ll find some place in the corner, I’ll waste the rest of my days” just really hit home for me. Others line like “I sit playing solitaire by the window” create this image of a lonely day just looking out the window passing time. There is something really comforting hearing that in a song and makes me think even a genius like Brian Eno gets bored and has to waste time.

The only competitor against “St. Elmo’s Fire” for favorite song is later in the album. The song “Golden Hours” is another one that just blows my mind and I can really connect to the lyrics. The song has this great choppy synth loop that keeps the song moving while Eno sings about the questioning of his life. When I first heard the opening verse “The passage of time Is flicking dimly up on the screen, I can’t see the lines, I used to think I could read between, perhaps my brains have turned to sand” I was taken aback at how relevant this was to me. It is just pure art, introspection and hits on a theme that scares me, the loss of knowledge and deconstruction of the brain. Eno wasn’t afraid to bare all and just let all his fears come out. 

I could write about this album forever and barely touched on all the tracks, but it is something that needs to be heard to understand. For me this is an album that keeps on giving. Every time I listen to it I hear new sounds, ideas and musical concepts that, in short, inspire the hell out of me. I highly recommend this to any musician or person interested in sophisticated music.

 

 

Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse

I usually reserve this blog for older albums but this week I decided to ignore that because this album is just great and deserves more attention. Ty Segall is a garage rock favorite and is known for releasing copious amount of material every year. This album is Segall’s only under the name Ty Segall Band and he considers it a group effort. This album takes the elements of garage rock, punk and a little Black Sabbath, making one of the most rockin albums I’ve heard in recent years. It’s rare to hear a band that isn’t afraid to delve into sludgey territory, while keeping up catchy and poppy melodies.

The album opens with an explosion of guitar feedback, which is very appropriate for what will follow. The first song is entitled “Death” and for such a dark name it is actually really catchy. The song builds on a bass line. Segall comes in with vocals and after one verse unloads on his guitar. The production is murky and disgusting but gives the song its balls. All songs have a similar feel so if muddled production is a problem this album is not for. The lyrics are pretty much impossible to hear, but thats not the point of the song. Its the raw feeling of intensity and power put into the music. THis song seems like it was made for a high speed car chase and every time I hear this song it makes me wanna beat the shit out of something. There is something really satisfying to me when I hear someone just banging out power chords.

“I Bought My Eyes” is definitely the standout single from the album if I had to pick one. Segall made a great and catchy melody and the harmonies are on point. The song really kicks in after the verse and picks up after. Segall takes elements of 60’s pop and infuses it with his sludgy sound. One of my favorite parts of the song happens around the 2 minute mark when Segall and the other guitarist in his band harmonize the melody of the song on their guitars. It is very simple, yet highly effective. The title track “Slaughterhouse” is a hardcore punk infused song with Segall whaling over it with some great screaming. I’m not a fan of over excessive screaming but when it’s done right it sounds great. “The Tongue” is one of my favorite songs off the record and this is because the melody is so catchy to me. It is simple in chord structure, like most of the songs, but it taps into this vein of not be afraid to play whatever you want. I’m sure their was a riff very similar to this one but Segall makes it his own.

“Tell Me Whats Inside Your Heart” is another song that again features some great guitar harmonies. The song is pure riffage and with the vocal harmonies over it makes for me a perfect song. Hearing songs like this gives me hope for the survival of just good rock/punk/surf music. The best part of the song is the breakdown that happens around 2 minutes. The band backs out with just the guitar and vocal remaining, giving the song some space only for it to kick back in at full force. In all honesty Segall’s guitar solos are nothing special but they are a necessity for this type of music.

“Wave Goodbye” is without a doubt my favorite song on the album. The riff is something I wish I came up with because it is the perfect balance between heavy and catchy. The intro is amazing, with just bass playing the main riff until a wall of guitars and drums come in. Segall does this great little hammer on thing in the middle of the riff and it reminds me of something straight out of a Black Sabbath or Jimi Hendrix song.  Segall just captures this element of rock that I really love and I recommend it to anyone who is into rock or punk at all.

 

 

The Police – Outlandos d’Amour

The Police are a band that I thought I would never get into. I’ve always known their radio songs and if I hear “Message In A Bottle” one more time I think I’m gonna explode.  It is only recently that I am realizing the genius of The Police. What I like about The Police’s first album is the stripped down nature of it. It has much more punk influence then any of their follow up records and the fact that this album came out in 1978 is pretty amazing to me. They fused a couple genres together and their influence is still heavily prevalent, just look at all the shitty ska music that has followed since.

This is no way a perfect album and in many ways it is kind of flawed but the really good songs make up for the cheesy or average songs. “Next To You” is an alright song. It has an old time rock and roll feel and the chorus is ok. I guess thats what I have to say about that song, it kind of sounds like filler to me. Andy Summers has a killer slide guitar solo which gives the track some legs. So Lonely” is just an amazing song, perfectly crafted and executed. The vocal harmonies are amazing at the begging and it is very catchy. For me the stand out element to the song has to be the drums though. Stuart Copeland throws in these insane of timing fills, specifically right before the chorus. His work on the high hat symbol is also incredible, you can here the time and effort he put into his drums. The chorus is amazing in this song again utilizing a similar harmony as they did in the pre-chorus. It is a pop song but a totally creative and daring one.

I’ve heard “Roxanne” probably a hundred times thanks to shitty classic rock radio stations. It sucks because that just made me so sick of the song, but besides that it is another amazing song. Copeland is again shining through with his drumming finesse. The guitar chords are also great, Summers had such good use of jazz chords and minor chords. I haven’t really talked about Sting that much yet but I feel he’s had enough credit towards him and the other guys deserve to be held at a high regard just as much as he does.

“Hole In My LIfe” is becoming one of my favorite songs on the album. Summers has this jazz type thing going on with the guitar while Copeland is doing this crazy slowed down half time type thing on the drums. It is off setting but clicks so well. It is a much underrated police song and deserves more attention then it gets. Copeland is just a wizard at the drums and this song is a great way to prove it. “Peanuts” is a cool, very new wave, song. It is very straight forward but effective and is very catchy. The Police were such an effective trio, they would leave so much space on the recordings so each instrument would stick out. This is great because the listener can really hear each members great musicianship.

“Can’t Stand Losing You” is another masterpiece song. Summers chords in the beginning are just great. I think the best part of the song has to be the pre chorus, when the vocal harmonies kick in. It is just so catchy to me. Again Summers and Copeland are contradicting in rhythm until the chorus kicks in and they sync up again. The way they would shift the key of the chorus and harmonies sounds amazing and it is just really catchy. Anyone who likes evolved punk music or just higher echelon musicianship should definitely check out this early effort. They were still a young band trying to find their niche but that is why the album is so great.

Queens Of The Stone Age – Queens Of The Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age are one of the only real rock bands left that are still relevant. Their most recent album Like Clockwork…,released last year, is their number one selling album of all time and that is saying a lot since their self titled first album was released in 1998. But the band has completely evolved since their first album, with only mastermind Josh Homme remaining in the group. But this is Queen’s thing, every album has a different cast of characters and some come and go but Homme is always at the front. What is great about the first album is that Homme does virtually everything, besides the drums which are handled by Alfredo Hernandez. Hernandez was in Homme’s former band Kyuss in which Homme only played guitar. I’ve been a big Queen’s fan for a while but only until the reissue of their first album did I even know it existed. It really is great and is in ways the DNA of what the band would become. 

The album is extremely heavy but also very melodic and groovy. That is why I like the band so much because there is a balance of being extremely heavy yet also maintaining melody. “Regular John” opens the album and is great. Homme just chugs chords out with this sinister guitar lick behind it. I’m pretty sure every song on the album has its guitars tuned down to C making every thing lower and thicker. Homme’s falsetto is great and the subtly of his singing makes the track. When hearing the opening of the song anyone would expect a blood curdling scream to follow but instead Homme does the opposite. The song is very repetative but in  a good way, it is very trance inducing in its simplicity and it just locks the listener in. Homme has some great licks throughout the song too. “Avon” follows this track and I think is my favorite one off the record. I love the way the drums and riff lock in together to open the song, it’s a great drum pattern. After the intro the heavy groove begins and Homme classic vocals kick in. His voice sounds great, he definitely doubled his vocals to add to the weird dream like nature of them. There is a drum fill around the two minute mark and it is just awesome. One of my favorite aspects of this record are the guitar tones and Homme has a brief solo in this song and the tone is on point. The only word I could use to describe it is creamy and thick. That kind of sounds disgusting but those are really the only words I can think of.

“If Only” was the gateway song for me to get into this album. It is a simple three chord riff that resemble The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” Homme has some great vocal harmonies and there is this thing that sounds like a rattle being played in the background and it is effective. I also really like the quiet keyboard in the background. It was the single released for the album and that what it sounds like, a very concise, catchy song. “Walkin On The Sidewalks” simply put, is heavy as fuck. The C tuning really comes out with Homme just slamming those open C’s. He rips a dirty solo too using his very distinctive solo scale. He hits these notes that sound a little sour and demonic but it is why he is one of my favorite guitar players. In between the riff he also throws in these high pitch bends which really come through the murkiness of the song. “How To Handle A Rope” is another good song with some great riffing. The guitar sounds like it was processed through a toaster but I mean that in a positive way. It is very catchy and is another song that could be single material. Homme has another amazing solo, again utilizing his weird minor scale. It is to the point and just great. 

“Mexicola” is probably the heaviest song and the riff is just badass. Homme again uses octave bends to separate the riff. This is something I steal all the time because it just sound so great. I really like the vocals on this song and it is easy to see how Homme expanded on the ideas of this song later on in his career. This is not the best and most complete Queens Of The Stone Age album but it should definitely be heard by anyone who even remotely likes the band or is a guitar player. 

 

Black Flag – Nervous Breakdown EP

I am not the biggest Black Flag fan ever and really only listen to them occasionally. Black Flag is mostly known for it’s frontman Henry Rollings and their involvement in the 1980’s hardcore punk scene. One of my favorite punk releases ever is their first EP that contains only four songs and around five minutes of music. That sounds like very little content but it is five minutes of punk perfection. This release was before the band had Henry Rollins as its frontman and had Keith Morris, later of the Circle Jerks, instead. THe fact that this was released in 1978 blows my mind because it sounds so before it’s time. The mix on this EP is really ruff but that adds to the whole edginess of the songs.

“Nervous Breakdown” opens and its simply a great song. There are very little chords used like most punk music but its attitude is intense. That is what makes punk music great, the attitude and passion overrides the simplicity of the music. Morris is singing about how he’s going crazy and you believe him. The syncopations after the chorus are awesome and Morris’ screams amplify the intensity of the music. “Fix Me” start off with the scream of “1,2,3,4” a common staple in punk music. The guitar tone is so heavy and it saturates the whole song. This is another song about going crazy Morris pleads for someone to fix his head because he doesn’t wanna be dead. This idea of losing sanity is all over this thing and it adds to the chaotic nature of the movie. It is honestly something I think about and clearly Black Flag did to.

“I’ve Had It” has some classic punk lyrics, talking down school and calling them fucking fools. This has a little Sex Pistols vibe in it the way the way they all sync up on very punk sounding stops that sound t\like a rally cry. “Wasted” is my favorite song on the release and it clocks in at only fifty-five seconds. The song is simply a song that was made for skateboarders and so called punks. Morris lists how he was so wasted claiming to be part of every rebellious subculture in american history from a skater, a surfer, a hippie to a fuckup. This song just screams teen anarchy and it’s awesome because Black Flag was one of the originals in the hardcore scene making all this stuff believable. This is an extremely short piece of work and was literally a rough demo to send out but I think it captures the beginning of hardcore punk perfectly with some seventies punk still left in it. Anyone who says they like punk will almost certainly like this example of early punk at its finest.  

Pixies – Come On Pilgrim

In my opinion the Pixies are one of the most important bands in rock music ever. There musical ideas sculpted what would be 90’s alternative and an abundance of alternative rock music to follow. 1987’s Come On Pilgrim was the bands first releases and is more of an Ep than a full length album. I honestly forget about this album a lot and tend to listen to their full studio releases but this is just as good. Early Pixies is really great and my favorite period because they were just a rock band that took risks and were not afraid to sound weird. The music is a strange mix of rock, surf, punk and spanish influenced music, with dark and sometimes disturbing lyrics.

“Caribou” opens the album with a great guitar riff and the whole band follows as the song builds louder and louder. The lyrics are cryptic but there is this surreal, creepy tone floating around the song. There is a feeling that something is off and this strange atmosphere is why I love the Pixies. It is technically pop music in its structure but sounds nothing like pop music at all. This song also features Black Francis’ awesome scream. I’m not really a big fan of screaming in music unless it’s done tastefully and packs a punch. I saw the Pixies a couple years ago and Black Francis still has the most intense scream ever. “Vamos” is a pretty well known pixies song and would appear a year later on their first full length release. I really don’t know how to describe this song. I guess it’s like a being transported through some feverish mexican journey. David Loverning’s drums never quit through the whole song, just pulsing along and Joe Santiago makes his guitar sound like a broken piece of squealing machinery. It’s hectic and just an insane song to listen to. This song also illustrates how well acoustic guitars can be utilized in more fast, punk like music. The song is intense and Black Francis’ acoustic guitar adds to the overall beef of the song.

“Ilsa De Enchanta” is a cool catchy song with lyrics all in spanish. Apparently Francis went on some extended vacation in Puerto Rico and this influenced his music. It makes me wanna learn to skateboard or get into a high speed car chase or something. I have no idea what the song is about because it’s in spanish but whatever Francis is singing I believe him. “Ed Is Dead” is another classic Pixies sounding song. Santiago has some great guitar work and this song shows how effective his use of single notes was over chords, providing another melody besides the singing. Black Francis has some awesome add libs too, frequently making weird noises and instead of singing word he’ll say them in some weird accent. That is something I frequently steal from the Pixies, I think it’s just a cool idea to break the fourth wall in a way. “The Holiday Song” is another very punk song song with a classic Pixies structure. On this whole album there isn’t a song over Three minutes and fifteen seconds. Francis was just writing weird, intense pop songs and that is what I love. They just get to the point and there’s no unnecessary noodling in between.

“Nimrod’s Son” is awesome and a contender for one of my favorite songs on the album. Francis is singing a strange tale of a man who is the “Son of a Motherfucker” which Francis pronounces in his weird sarcastic voice. The acoustic guitar is again utilized very well again and this an intense song. It is very surf oriented until it goes into this dark bridge where Francis screams and repeats the phrase “The joke has come upon me” in  a very menacing way. “I’ve Been Tired” is not one of my favorite songs musically but the lyrics are amazing. Francis sings in his weird voice and talks about his fear of “Losing his penis to a whore with disease” and how he’s a fan of Lou Reed. It’s just cool stuff and whores seem to be a common theme in Francis’ lyrics and it comes off really dark some time. The bassist Kim Deal is the glue of the Pixies and her back up vocals were always one of my favorite parts of the group. There is this feminine lullaby voice going on through Francis’ manic style and the contrast sounds great.

“Levitate Me” is a great ending to the album and another one of my favorite songs. The chorus is my favorite part with Francis chanting “Elevator Lady” a bunch of time mixing up the words. It is one of the nicer lighter sounding songs on the album with a more lighthearted vibe to it. The lyrics may suggest otherwise but thats another great contrast in Pixie’s music, dark lyrics but catchy music. Whats so funny about the band is the fact that there music is so intense, heavy and harcore yet they look like they normal people with normal jobs. Thats one of the reason I love the band because they are badass without faking it. I got this album after hearing most Pixies work but this is a good entry point. Doolittle is their best release but this album shows a more stripped down version of the band  that is also great. I would definitely recommend this to someone trying to get into the band or just hear early revolutionary alternative music.

Sly & The Family Stone – There’s A Riot Goin’ On

Sly & The Family Stone peaked commercially during the late 1960’s. Their performance at Woodstock is hailed as one of the best at the festival. They paved the way for what would eventually be funk music and changed R&B. Sly’s sound was shaped around the idea of a collective with Sly Stone as the head. In all honesty I only like a selection of songs recorded during the sixties by Sly because of the corny nature. I don’t really like the whole fanfare or gospel style that they would use sometimes but there was some great proto-funk going on in the background. In 1971 Sly & The Family Stone released their first record of the seventies and it was not at all what people expected. This album is not a joyous occasion with shouts of joy, but instead a dark, moody and much more funky album.

“Luv N’ Hait” opens up the album and it wreaks of funk. The bass on this song is really on point, quick snaps and pops are all over the track giving it much more life then a standard bass line would. The drums are also great, the influence Sly had on the music world is very apparent on this record with beats that sound like something off a hip-hop album. Sly Stone’s random grunts are awesome, he couldn’t even handle all the funk he was recording. It is difficult to know exactly who did what on this album but it is mostly assumed it was Sly Stone doing most of the work being that he was also the producer. There are some heavy R&B names noted playing on this album, with Ike Turner, Billy Preston and Bobby Womack being some. “Just Like A Baby” is a beautiful song and one of my favorites on the album. This album is known for one of the first uses of a drum machine and this song uses it. I love the way it sounds and helps with the minimalistic like nature of this album. Instrumentation is very sparse on this song and the harmonies really stick out. There is also some great guitar work on this thing, with some nice licks and subtle moves coming out. The highlight of the track, besides the vocals, is the keyboards. The intro shows off the great riff and then there are some cool runs. There is a brief bridge type break during the song and the guitar and keys feed off each other making for some great sounds.

“Poet” is another great song. This is one of the funkiest songs on the album. Sly sings “My only weapon is my pen” with the murkiest funk playing behind him. I think what I love about this album is it’s use of multiple rhythms throughout the song. It sounds almost a little disjointed but not in a bad way at all. It is like the song could collapse at any time while also sounding extremely tight. There are minimal lyrics and there aren’t any more needed. The next track “Family Affair” was the one hit the album spawned. This song is just amazing, there is this creepiness and darkness floating around and I don’t know why. Sly’s voice is low key and it is mirrored perfectly by his sister’s vocals soaring in to bring the song out of darkness. I read that she cupped her hands around her mouth while singing to mute her vocals. The drum machine is used again greatly and the bass crackles and pops again moving the track along. The song is kind of simple in concept but the way it was layered is anything but simple. I really like the wah guitar that is all over this thing throwing in licks all over just adding to the funk.

“Africa Talks To You (The Asphalt Jungle)” features more female vocals and kind of calls back to Sly’s older day but not really that much. I know I keep talking about the bass but its just fucking awesome, it has the most headiest, most  treble like sound. The bass is all over with great riffs sneaking in out of nowhere. This song goes on for about eight minutes but it doesn’t bother me. There are also some awesome syncopations in the middle of the song.  “You Caught Me Smiling” is another one of my favorite tracks. There is this melancholy feel to the chorus but the verses don’t have that as much. Around the one minute mark there is a break down of sorts and is one of my favorite parts of the record. There are these guitar chord hits that just sound great. Sly also has some great vocal runs utilizing his full voice. This song also uses the style of multiple rhythms all over the place adding to the funk, especially during the breakdown.

“Thank You For Talkin’ Me To Africa” is an interesting song because it is recreation of one of Sly’s older song just slowed down and funked out to the max. It is a great last track on the album taking all the new elements of the new Sly style and applying it to an older song. I think I prefer the original song but this version is great none the less. This is easily my favorite Sly & The Family and I could go on about it forever. Even though I didn’t touch on every song they are all great and I would definitely give this “perfect album” status because there are no dull moments just funk. I also really like the follow up to this album, Fresh, that would be released two years later in 1973. It continues the style but is less dark and gritty. Sly may have had more success in their earlier days but I find this material much more exciting.

Iggy Pop – The Idiot

Iggy Pop is the embodiment of what rock and roll should be. His career started as the frontman for one of my favorite and one of the mot influential rock groups, The Stooges. They, along with The Velvet Underground, are usually associated with the creation of punk music. The Stooges never saw much success and they eventually disbanded because of heavy drug use. Iggy is known for his crazy drug habits and deep heroin addiction. It got so bad that he was forced to stay in a mental hospital for a while because he literally went insane. The last Stooges album was the amazing Raw Power released in 1973 and after that his career was in question. Acclaimed musician David Bowie was a huge fan of The Stooges and did not want to see Iggy’s talent and influence go to waste so he did all he could to revitalize his career. Bowie produced the album Raw Power but knew the band would not last much longer.

During the late to mid- seventies Bowie was working with producer Brian Eno and together they were changing music pushing the boundaries of electronic music and experimental producing. Bowie had no material at the time so he offered to produce a solo album for Iggy using his new found techniques and soundscapes. The result was something no one at the time has ever heard before. The Idiot was released in 1977 and was Iggy Pop’s first solo effort and is easily one of his best. This is one of the sleaziest, darkest and unsettling albums I’ve ever heard. The whole time listening to it I just get this feeling that something is wrong and I think that is what they were going for. As important as Iggy’s brooding croon, Bowie’s industrial sounding production makes this album work. At first listen I did not get this album at all. Honestly it sounded awful to to the point where I was mad that is was noted as one of his best works. It is only until recently, years after first hearing it, that I consider it one of my favorite albums. It creates such a strong tone that I can just picture this scene of drugged up darkness that really fascinates me.

The first track on the album “Sister Midnight” is one of my favorites and a great opener. It gets the listener ready for whats to come with its buzz saw guitar licks and synth filled background. The production makes the guitars sound more like distorted synths then actual guitars. Iggy’s voice starts with his famous low octave croon and through the song he builds and builds till his voice moves to a higher register. Once the song gets closer to the end Iggy voice is in full throttle nailing the high note. The lyrics are dark and wreaks of sexual deviancy. The beauty of this song is its gradual build, the instrumentation gets more manic and so does Iggy. The next song “Nightclubbing” sounds like a night club style from the 30’s but filtered in a futuristic nature. Bowie created something that sounds futuristic yet nostalgic at the same time. Iggy talks about learning new moves and dances while a ridiculously filtered wah guitar rips it up in the background between verses. I really like the way Iggy’s voice sounds when he overdubs over himself really adding beef to his already powerful voice. This song wreaks of booze, sex and drugs and I can feel the dark club atmosphere Iggy sings about.

When I first heard the next track “Funtime” I didn’t know what to think. The chorus is anything but catchy but it grows on you. THis song features my favorite lyric on the album “Hey I feel lucky tonight, I’m gonna get stoned and run around.” That is just brutally honest lyricism and it’s honestly just bad ass. This is the murkiest and grittiest song on the album and it just makes feel gross but it’s awesome at the same time. The guitar drone adds to the uneasiness until the track ends with Iggy letting out a blood curdling scream over-modulating the mic. The song “Baby” is another song that has modern production but sounds like a old alley cat type swing song. I really like the chorus on this one and it makes the song.

“China Girl” is probably the best song on the album. The song gained much more when Bowie did his own version on his acclaimed album Let’s Dance but I prefer Iggy’s version. The song was written by Bowie and really shows off his skill as a songwriter. This is another example of how Iggy would start out with more tamed vocals until he explodes at the end with his powerful scream. Who knows what this song is about and I honestly rather not know. It starts off in a happier nation until it delves into melancholy and Bowie layers on strings synths and other noises adding to the darkness.

I am really not a big fan of the second side of the album. The first side is perfection with not a dull moment on it but the second kind of delves into mediocracy. The songs are not bad but they really don’t do much for me. I do like “Dum Dum Boy’s” though because it continues that tone of back alley dice games and 1930’s mobster mentality. Overall this album just shows how well Iggy and Bowie worked together and the sounds Bowie crafted on this album would help him with his own work with his classic albums Low and Heroes  coming out right after this album. Pop’s next album Lust For LIfe is another contender for with best work with Bowie back in the producers chair. The Idiot is a difficult album at first but definitely worth the time if your into the roots of electronic and industrial music and a fan of Iggy Pop or David Bowie.