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.