Album #31 : Aqua - Aquarium

Aqua

Aquarium (1997)

In the closing years of my secondary schooling, I started occasionally attending somewhat informal social gatherings (or 'parties', if you will). These parties were usually somewhat humourous affairs rendered mentally disturbing at the array of musical filth that would be pored forth. While I was at home with the collected works of Led Zeppelin, these social gatherings would feature the latest in crudpop.

Such as Aqua. These Danish (not Norwegian, as I said in my Kanye West review yesterday) popsters were responsible for the bombardment of the airwaves with their...um..."unique" brand of infectious Eurobubbledancepop. I'm pretty sure every person in the Western world my age is uncomfortably familiar with Barbie Girl and Doctor Jones, for example.

Frankly their output made me vomit.

So it is with some trepidation that I am closing out the month of January with a review of their first album (YES THESE PEOPLE HAVE RELEASED MORE THAN ONE ALBUM), Aquarium. I am doing this because it was requested by a Facebook friend, who subsequently tried to back out. NO CHANCE.

Considering the front cover is cheap and nasty, I hold out little hope for the contents. But I've committed to reviewing objectively, so chant it with me : "stay open-minded, stay open-minded, stay open-minded...."

The Album

How do I put this nicely?

Rare is the person who watches Eurovision thinking, "Tonight I am going to witness the finest in pop songsmithery."

People are more thinking, "TROLLOLOL EUROPOP IS LAME LET US HAVE A MIGHTY FINE LAUGH."

There's Aquarium in a nutshell. This album is an exercise in cliched, cheesy, mindless Eurobubbledancepopshit. You know those songs - pumped up drum and bass with craptacular BIP BIP BIP synth melodies, and lyrics that were penned by an emaciated, starving sloth desperately trying to eat the pen that was wedged into his mouth.

Basically, every bubblegum pop song on the album can be summed up using what I have termed the "Aqua formula"-

Shit lyrics + overproduced syrupy lead vocals * POINTLESS RAPPER DICKHEAD - talent - credibility + repetition * cheese = AQUA BUBBLEGUM DANCE POP SONG!

For the review's sake, here are brief reflections on all of the songs that follow the above formula on this album:

Happy Boys and Girls - Come back Ace of Base, all is forgiven.

My Oh My - If you were my king, I'd be your queen? WELL NO FUCKING SHIT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENLIGHTENING UNDERSTANDING OF MONARCHIC STRUCTURE.

Barbie Girl - Somewhere in Denmark, a man is counting a massive pile of money because he wrote these lyrics. Suddenly climate change doesn't seem so bad.

Doctor Jones -  So you based your song on Indiana Jones then sang about being 'cured'. DUDES HE ISN’T THAT SORT OF DOCTOR. HE’S A DOCTOR OF ARCHAEOLOGY. THE ONLY THING HE CAN CURE YOU OF IS YOUR POSSESSION OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE BELLOQ.

Lollipop (Candyman) - What is a bountyland? Oh who cares hurry up and end.

Roses Are Red - I want to know where Rap Dude purchased his copy of 101 Sexual Metaphors That Suck Horribly because I doubt "come pick my roses" is referring to his well-stocked flower garden.

Calling You - Unless you're calling decent songwriters perhaps you should have your phone disconnected. Permanently.

There are however two songs on the album that eschew that formula and, as a result, are not complete and utter rhinoceros refuse. Turn Back Time and Be A Man do away with pretty much all of the elements in the Aqua formula (except shit lyrics, they're still there to a degree) and are consequently both pleasant enough, even if they are stock standard and by the numbers pop ballads. Singer Lena certainly has some singing chops and these can be heard when the producers aren't drowning her in syrupy noise. Also, when the songs aren't polluted by bowel-shaking bass, it allows the music some space to create a pleasing, subtle synth soundscape.

And that's all I have to say that's positive.

The Verdict

Better than Nickelback, at least. As humans, we should be forgetting that this album was ever made. If I never hear Aqua's "rapper" (and I use the term in its loosest possible sense) ever again in my life it will be too soon.

If you want pleasing, fun dance pop, go here. If you are looking for an experience that may see you charged by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity that you committed against yourself, listen to Aquarium.

My rating: *

Standout Track

Turn Back Time

(No, that was not a misprint. Track. Singular noun.)

Tomorrow, a brief recap of the first month of the LOAD Project, followed by the first (but probably not the last) appearance of Led Zeppelin.

Album #30 : Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

You'd be forgiven for thinking Kanye West is a bit of a twattish douchebag. From crashing Taylor Swift's party with the now-infamous IMMA LET YOU FINISH routine (which has since become a meme of some repute) to his recent proclamations that being a live performer is akin to being shot at by people who want very much to kill you (good work there Kanye, way to piss off the entire military-industrial complex) the Westmeister's life has been one humourous controversy after another. Let's not even start on his decision to procreate with a Kardashian, nor his joint responsibility in naming a child North West. (I hope the poor kid never asks for directions.)

However, for all the batshit insanity, K Dub (probably not an actual nickname) has a knack for consistently producing quality hip-hop. Much of the credit for this has to go to the man's quest for perfection, for creating fresh and original sounds on each album and for his dedication to pushing the envelope (and his own abilities.)

2010 saw the release of the ambitious My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an album built around samples of music that is 30 or 40 years old (plus Bon Iver) and featuring a glittering array of guest artists (including The RZA and Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan, Elton John and Rihanna). Its release was greeted with absolute critical acclaim.

It's the use of samples of old tracks that interests me most though. I was interested to see how West and his co-producers would incorporate these tunes into his work. So....I decided to find out.

The Album

Make no mistake; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one extraordinarily lush sounding album. The way that West and his array of co-producers have woven together vocals, samples and instrumentation is truly a joy to behold. So many tracks are grandiose in scale and sound, which was a conscious decision by West when making the album, and it's been achieved magnificently.

Then there's the frankly superb lyrical ability on display. West turns the guns on his detractors, his competitors, celebrity culture (ironically) and the United States with devastating effect. The album is loaded with clever wordplay, sneaky metaphors and direct attacks (plus, it must be said, a significant amount of ego). Finally, there's West himself. Say what you like about him, you cannot deny his rapping skills are top notch. Even on an album littered with skilled practitioners, West is never outshone at any stage.

There are cracking songs all over the place, but a few really caught my ear. Power samples King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man, and what wonders it wreaks with this prog progenitor! The song is lavishly produced with guitars, horns and prominent backing vocals, and West's lyric and vocal is amazing. West casts himself in the role of the Schizoid Man and uses the sample as the punctuation on the choruses. So Appalled contains two of my favourite disses on the whole album - firstly, there's West smashing MTV for no longer being a promoter of music, and then there's Jay-Z with a biting and hilarious pop at MC Hammer's financial management skills. The song also features co-producer The RZA who contributes a verse with his typical brash, intense delivery (or ruckus, if you will.)

All of the Lights is another highlight. Featuring eleven guest vocalists, it opens with a hauntingly beautiful piece of music played on piano (by Elton John, no less) and strings, before West trades verses with the guests. Despite Fergie's quite rubbish contribution (seriously, you're shit) the song is saved by Alicia Keys, La Roux and Elton John's closing tradeoffs (though Elton is almost unrecognisable). Rihanna also knocks her contribution out of the park.

They're the major major highlights. The other tracks are just highlights! Dark Fantasy impresses with its gospel backing vocals and snappy lyrics; The RZA produced this track, and it shows, with its bassy drums and sparse, booming sound. Runaway is almost flawless musically (though I thought it went a bit too long); it's a throwback to triphop visionaries Massive Attack with its rumbling drum and bass and morose, plinking piano notes; West's vocal alternates between rapping and singing, and the lyrics are deeply personal and reflective. Monster is the darkest, most brooding and foreboding track on the album, and features guest appearances by the fucking amazing Jay-Z and the normally a laughing stock but actually pretty bloody good here Nicki Minaj. Finally, album closer Lost in the World samples Bon Iver's track Woods to great effect early doors, before turning into a clubby party tune that manages to be both pumpingly danceable yet deliciously lush.

The only song I honestly didn't like too much was Hell of a Life. Despite the fact it samples Sabbath's Iron Man, the overly fuzzy synths and fairly uninspiring lyrical content made it less enjoyable for me. It's honestly the only lowlight.

The Verdict

Despite the critical wankfest, I was skeptical about My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I pretty much thought that because of West's utter wankbadgerness, I would struggle to take the work seriously.

However, listening with an open mind informed me that the wankfest was well placed. This is an extraordinarily musical album for a genre that people like me (uninformed rock worshippers) normally write off as distinctly non-musical. Thus far, my two exposures to hip hop in the Project have convinced me that I should not be so closed-minded.

Kanye West created a genuine modern work of art with this album. It seems harsh to classify it as mere hip hop, so diverse is the musical landscape it covers. It comes thoroughly recommended by me, but give yourself a lot of time, because it's quite a long album....but holy shit, it's worth every second.

You're still an utter wankbadger though, Kanye.

My rating: *****

Standout Tracks

All of the Lights

Power

Runaway

So Appalled

My next album is a request from a friend that he later tried to withdraw. Well I'm sorry, Dan Tabram, you're stuck with it, mate. 

My next album is some Norwegian bubbledanceEuropop.

Eep.

Album #29 : Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

Arctic Monkeys

Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)

Arctic Monkeys crashed onto the scene in 2006 with the electric Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. 20 year old songwriter Alex Turner, an unassuming Sheffield lad with ambitions to study English at university, was lauded by both critics and music lovers alike for his clever wordplay and ability to lyrically paint a detailed picture of life and humanity. The band themselves were given great praise for their garage rock sound.

According to critics, their second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, saw the band refine their garage sound to make the music sound clearer and cleaner, while sacrificing none of the swagger, aggression and cleverness of the first album.

Only being aware of lead single Brianstorm, I wanted to sample the rest of the album. As someone who really enjoyed their first album, and as someone who knows the more experimental road the group has taken recently, I was keen to find out if it matched that critical assessment.

The Album

Opening track Brianstorm is a perfect package of everything that makes Arctic Monkeys such an exciting band, both on record and live; a maelstrom of guitar noise created by a searing riff, pacy hi-hat work driving the tempo while Turner's witty observations of a smooth industry type wearing a "t-shirt and tie combination". There's more pacy hi-hat present on Teddy Picker, another sharp track with roots in punk. (In fact, drummer Matt Helders is a star on this record, frequently providing real impetus to the song with his lightning quick drumming). Helders joins Turner in lead vocals on tracks D is for Dangerous which is yet another example of the band's roots in "post-punk" music.

Around this point the album starts to take a turn into more mature territory; while the driving riffs, aggressive sound and slick drumming remain, Turner's lyrics become comments on growing up and getting boring (Fluorescent Adolescent), relationship breakups (Do Me A Favour) and infidelity (The Bad Thing). The great thing about Turner's lyrics are that they tell a story perfectly without resorting to cliche or suffering from Lorde syndrome (i.e trying to prove how smart the writer is by saying something "deep" that is actually meaningless dreck). 

Perhaps in light of the maturity of the lyrics, those three songs also signify a different musical approach. Fluorescent Adolescent harkens back to the good old days of Britpop, with the pleasant sound of a penny arcade keyboard (possibly played on guitar) and a careful, melodic riff structure. Do Me A Favour eschews the hi-hat heavy sound for tom rhythms, and the distorted riffs for surf guitar style noodling, only bringing in the heavy artillery for the closing moments of the track. The Bad Thing shows a debt to mod revival bands like The Jam, managing to be a punk song that isn't really punk at all; the riffs are jangly and the drums provide a steady bedrock for the rest of the song.

Closing track 505 also displays a growing musical maturity. It builds from a low-energy, largely vocally driven beginning, gradually increasing in volume and complexity until, finally, Turner's impassioned cry explodes the song into life. In something of a rarity for the album, it also features a tasteful lead break that simply follows the melody. Then, as quickly as it arrived, that full-band explosion ends, and the tasteful lead break plays us out, somewhat calmly, to the album's close.

The Verdict

Favourite Worst Nightmare is an improvement on the band's first album. The clever lyrics, wordplay and observations on youth that dotted Whatever People Say I Am....are here as well. However, Alex Turner shows, for the first time, his skill in writing songs that aren't necessarily relatable to him, but are certainly relatable to the audience. That maturity extends itself to the band's music, where there is more variety in structure, style and musicianship. 

Arguably, the band has shown a great deal of musical progression since then, adding a slew of new influences to their sound. Turner is still a great songsmith, and the band are still capable of creating interesting (and good) music. Listening to Favourite Worst Nightmare hammers home the message that their recent work lacks the energy and charisma of their earlier efforts. There's a thrilling quality to the band's work on this album that isn't present on their more recent, polished efforts. Even though this album itself was more polished than the first, it retained much of the debut album's energy, which makes it compelling. 

For that reason, I definitely recommend this album, because it represents the junction between youthful exuberance and musical maturity.

My rating: *** and a half

Standout Tracks

Brianstorm

Fluorescent Adolescent

Do Me A Favour

Tomorrow I'm taking on some Kanye. I'm scared.

Album #28 : At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command

At the Drive-In

Relationship of Command (2000)

At the Drive-In had been together for seven years by the time Relationship of Command dropped in 2000. Those seven years had seen the band progress from playing dingy, near-empty venues to a post-hardcore band with a loyal fanbase and an abrasive, yet unique, sound. Their previous releases had been modest sellers, although they'd shown a clear evolution in the group's approach to recording. From the lo-fi beginnings of Acrobatic Tenement, to the more well rounded sound of In/Casino/Out, the group had realised that the best way to represent their sound was to record live and capture the insanity of a live ATDI performance.

The result was Relationship of Command, the band's final album before their break-up. Critically regarded as one of the finest albums of the noughties, it's another album that reminds me of nights at mates' houses, having beverages while marvelling at this raucous energetic sound.

Let's dig deeper into At the Drive-In's magnum opus.

The Album

I was already familiar with some of the songs on Relationship of Command, but it's another one of those albums I own but have never listened to fully. Am I glad I remedied that!

Opener Arcarsenal signals (as all great opening tracks should) what you're in for - a high-octane, energy-laden post-hardcore punk masterpiece. It's riffy, it's manic, it's amazing. Vocal maestro Cedric Bixler-Zavala sounds positively fucking amazing and he spends most of the track screaming. This heavy, energetic hardcore influence doesn't stop there, either. Pattern Against User takes the elements of the first track and adds a new layer to them; more intricate riffs and guitar lines (the sort that Omar Rodriguez-Lopez would make his stock in trade with The Mars Volta) are present, and you just know those nonsensical-yet-evocative lyrics are the product of Bixler-Zavala's fevered imagination.

Then there's One Armed Scissor, the song best known from the band and the album, and with good reason. It never really lets go of your throat, the urgent yet quieter verses merely acting as a soothing panacea to the intense choruses, while Bixler-Zavala truly shows the full extent of his singing prowess. Tony Hajjar's drumming is equally as intense and injects energy into the song. Plus, it just sounds so....massive. 

Sleepwalk Capsules and Mannequin Republic are the other proper hardcore-heavy tracks; the former an absolute balltearer with yet more supreme vocal and drum work, and the midsection dials the intensity down enough to keep you interested; while the latter is equally compelling, with its discordant guitar making it more akin to a noise rock song, at times.

For a Mars Volta devotee like me though, the album contains so many hints at the future direction of Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez smattered in amongst the riproaring post-hardcore sounds. Invalid Litter Dept. is a prime example. A downbeat piano melody (played by Jim Ward) starts the song, before the verses kick in with spoken word vocals. Only the choruses, and the last minute of the song, are 'typical' ATDI; the rest is more progressive in nature and a departure from the overall sound of the album. Another great example is the sensational Quarantined, which, at the beginning, brings back memories of Black Sabbath with its doom-laden riff and storm sound effects. What it ends up being is a heavy progressive track that would not have been out of place on the first three Mars Volta releases.

There's also a guest appearance from punk icon Iggy Pop. Iggy guests on two tracks; Enfilade (which bears great resemblance, sonically, to the Mars Volta's Tremulant EP) and the stunning Rolodex Propaganda, which features a more prominent keyboard line. 

Finally, album closer Non-Zero Possibility is a remarkably non-hardcore track. Another song that owes a great deal to progressive rock, the song is driven largely by another sad piano melody, while layers of acoustic guitar and wailing electric guitars hum away underneath. It's the most atmospheric and experimental track on the album, and finishes (appropriately enough, I suppose) with the most Volta moment of all - an eerie manipulated soundscape until the song's end. 

It wraps the album up perfectly as a largely post-hardcore masterpiece with elements of the progressive; elements that would later serve as the basis of one of modern music's most innovative and brilliant bands.

The Verdict

I struggle to have enough superlatives to describe Relationship of Command. Take genres and decades of release out of the equation, and it is simply one of the most compelling and complete albums I've ever heard. My Standout Tracks below will be nigh on impossible because every song is a standout (I suppose I'll pick four, but only because choosing three or four is the current established protocol.) Essential listening for all, especially if you're one of those people who loves One Armed Scissor but hasn't heard any other At the Drive-In tracks.

Do yourself a favour (thanks Molly Meldrum) and check this album out. Or, if you own it, spin it again at your earliest convenience and have your ears, brain and face thank me later.

My rating: *****

Standout Tracks

Quarantined

Arcarsenal

One Armed Scissor

Sleepwalk Capsules

Tomorrow's album is another 2000s release by an English band that started their career like a comet. I look at their second album and, along the way, wonder what happened to them.

Album #27 : Kiss - Dressed to Kill

Kiss

Dressed to Kill (1975)

Kiss are a band that have divided opinion for years. It seems that you either love them (hi, Harri!) or you hate them (hi, my dad!). Because I don't play by YOUR RULES MAN, I'm neither here nor there about them. I enjoy playing their songs as a musician, and some of them are pretty damn cool, but generally speaking I don't see the big deal.

It probably doesn't help that most of the time, you only hear Kiss songs in the form of live versions. This is probably because (with respect to many other bands) Kiss are the definitive live act. Their concerts are legendary for their sheer over the top bombast and theatrics.

I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in finding out what the band could do in a studio setting. To that end I've chosen an album from early in their career, their third studio album Dressed to Kill, which was produced by their label's president, along with the band themselves, as the label had no money for an outside producer. It's also home to one of the band's most iconic songs. So put on your makeup and your giant heels, and grab your axe-shaped bass. Let's jump into the world of Kiss.....

The Album

Okay. Let's start by saying that Kiss is like the Playboy of the music world. Nobody reads Playboy for the articles, and nobody listens to Kiss because they want a euphoric artistic experience encapsulated by the careful crafting of sound and lyrics. People listen to Kiss because they want to fucking rock.

Dressed to Kill is a perfect example of this. It's wall to wall cool riffs, flashy but never overstaying their welcome guitar solos and cliched, yet easily singalongable, lyrics. It's this complete lack of pretentiousness that makes the band so appealing to so many. Their music does make a statement - that statement is, "We are Kiss. Here is rock. Enjoy it."

The drawback is that the inherent sameness of the songs makes it difficult to single any out as being particularly good or bad. It's all pretty good fun to listen to. Nevertheless, during my listening I did identify a few songs that were particularly cool or interesting. She was probably my favourite track. Loaded with awesome sounding riffs, it sounds more complex and interesting than anything else on the album. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley share lead vocal duties and the effect is striking - Stanley's sweeter, higher tones balance out the low gruffness of Simmons perfectly. There's also a neat jungle breakdown near the end. Rock and Roll All Nite is that iconic song I mentioned earlier. Written in response to label president Neil Bogart's request for a 'fan anthem', it serves its purpose - fist pumping drums and a chorus that is just begging to be screamed until you're hoarse. It may well be the most stadium rock song ever written (apart from, maybe, Queen's We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions combo).

Rock Bottom is also of interest. The first half sees dual acoustic guitars creating a beautifully rich sound; there are no vocals. Suddenly those guitars stop and the song smashes through your speakers, aggressive riffage and some stunning vocal work from Stanley.

The other songs on the album are alright. I can honestly say I enjoyed them all in a mindless way. What I did manage to gather from this album were the following two observations:

a) Having three blokes who can all sing - and their singing voices all so different - is an asset. Stanley is the star, he was made to sing glam rock given his range. Simmons provides a rougher, dirtier edge with his vocal. Drummer Peter Criss has a voice of gravel; at times it reminds one of Rod Stewart. 

b) Ace Frehley is an excellent lead guitarist. Sure he does the flashy stuff well (his solos on Getaway and Room Service are excellent) but he seems to also know when to get out of a solo. None drags on for too long.

The Verdict

Dressed To Kill is, I think, very representative of what Kiss are all about - simple, straightforward, entertaining glam rock. You could call them wanky because of their personas, their stage presence, their self-promotion and their insane live shows....and that might be fair enough too. 

Their music, though, is anything but wanky. For mine, that should be applauded. When you spend most of your time (as I tend to do) listening to "difficult" music, sometimes it's good to know there's a band like Kiss that you can put on and just rock to, without overthinking.

My rating: ***

Standout Tracks

She

Rock and Roll All Nite

C'mon And Love Me

Tomorrow I'm going to be listening to another album by a band whose genre label starts with a 'post'. I still don't understand why. See you then!

Album #26 : Cold Chisel - East

Cold Chisel

East (1980)

Cold Chisel have a largely deserved reputation as one of Australia's hardest rocking pub rock bands. Some of their songs are the very epitome of Australian culture, regularly heard belted out at piss ups, cover band gigs and karaoke bars. Led by charismatic front man Jimmy Barnes, the group experienced success domestically, but not internationally, with their first two releases.

With East, the band scaled an immense creative peak. Every member of the group contributed a song to the album for the first time, and it was easily the band's most successful release to that point. It also gave the band an international profile for the first time.

Let's take a look at the album and find out why it's such a classic.

The Album

One of the most notable things about East is that there are more commercial pop sensitivities at play than on their previous albums. Tracks like Choirgirl and Cheap Wine have all the tricks from the pop rock playbook - such as clever use of backing vocals, midsections that manage to sound completely different yet still the same - to keep you hooked. The former is an absolutely fantastic song about abortion with a searing lead vocal from Jimmy Barnes, and it's recorded in such a way that each individual member's instrument can be heard, yet the song has room to breathe. The latter is more upbeat, with some nifty bass work from Phil Small, terrific lightfingered piano lines from Don Walker and, again, a killer Barnes vocal.

My Baby was the other single from the album. Written by Phil Small (not a bad effort for a bloke who only has five writing credits in the entire history of the band), it's another great pop song with a lead vocal from Ian Moss. There's also a great sax solo from Joe Camilleri of The Black Sorrows fame. 

All three songs, despite being unashamedly commercial, still manage to sound like Cold Chisel, which is testament to the band's skills.

Elsewhere, the album is peppered with other highlights. Standing on the Outside opens the album with plenty of verve. There's plenty going on musically - all five members show great chops - and there's even a key change to signify the song's takeoff moment, a wicked Moss guitar solo. Rising Sun and My Turn To Cry are Barnes' two songwriting contributions. Both are energetic, pacy rockers, the sort the band made their stock and trade, though of different styles; the former is more rockabilly, the latter straight-up rock and roll. Both songs also include neat guitar solos from Moss. Ita - a song about media mogul Ita Buttrose - is another example of a song that is very pop but still quite Chisel. A good set of lyrics that faithfully show the influence that Buttrose had at the time and an earcatching pre-chorus chord change are the highlights of an underrated Chisel tune.

Other songs of note are Star Hotel, Best Kept Lies and Four Walls. Star Hotel, written by Walker about an infamous riot in Newcastle in 1979, is a somewhat understated tune with an unusual melody in the verses (which, by the way, sound very much like The Police with their bass and drum parts). The choruses are pure pub rock riffage, while the surf music midsection is the most interesting part of the song. Best Kept Lies - written by drummer Steve Prestwich - is jazz/funk/reggae influenced, which makes it a great change of pace. Walker's staccato organ lines give itthat reggae flavour, while Moss's lead vocal is pretty good. Four Walls is one of the most interesting songs on the record. Dominated by Walker's piano, this slow ballad about prison life turns itself into a gospel track by the end - big choral backing vocals and handclaps. It sounds out of place but, again, shows the band's versatility while providing something different again for the listener.

The Verdict

East deserves its place as one of this country's most well-regarded albums. It doesn't show Cold Chisel as the hard rocking, hard drinking legends of the pub rock scene at all. It shows them as something more - a well-rounded, versatile rock band with depth and complexity, capable of writing typical pop songs as well as ballsy rockers. 

It's a thoroughly engaging listen, and after 34 years still sounds as fresh and vital as the day it was released (even if the big singles have been somewhat played to death by commercial rock radio).

My rating: ****

Standout Tracks

Rising Sun

Standing On The Outside

Choirgirl

Tomorrow's album? YOU WANTED THE BEST? YOU GOT THE BEST!

Album #25 : The Beatles - Revolver

The Beatles

Revolver (1966)

The first four years of the Fab Four's career were both essential to the making of their legend as well as entirely musically derivative. The majority of songs on their earlier albums were standard girls/love/relationships fare set to ripoffs of R&B, skiffle and American 50s rock and roll sounds and structures. These, of course, comprised the entirety of The Beatles' early influences. They were also reflective of the environment surrounding the band; due to the commercial pressures of being The Beatles, the band would often write and record their albums in a matter of a few weeks, straight after a long tour; upon the album's completion, they would be back out on the road for another tour.

It's little wonder that this laborious process (as well as Beatlemania meaning they could never perfect their sound on stage because they couldn't hear themselves; foldbacks were only invented in the mid 60s) impacted on the band's creativity.

Things changed though in 1965. For the first time, the band had dedicated time in which to properly approach an album, without worrying about tours and concerts and interviews and promotional films and photoshoots and making movies. That dedicated time produced Rubber Soul, where the songwriting and sound began to take a different shape. The Beatles were beginning to grow in confidence when it came to working in a studio and crafting the sound they wanted.

What Rubber Soul touched on, Revolver exploded. Unlike their other albums to that point, Revolver took two and a half months to make. Released just a week before the band's last ever tour, the album was unlike anything The Beatles had ever released. It set the standard for what was to follow, and is truly the album that marks the Beatles' transition from moptop pop band to musical explorers. Hence my selection for it as part of the Project; this is, in my view, their most important album, and my favourite (even if I think their 'best' album is something different.)

The Album

Album opener Taxman is the first of three George Harrison compositions, and the least interesting of the three - though still a good tune. A cheeky attack on British taxation law at the time, it features a very cool bassline and a nice, abrasive guitar solo. There's also plenty of that laidback Liverpudlian vocal from George. Eleanor Rigby follows - it's only Paul McCartney and a string quartet, and it's the perfect choice for a sad lament of 'the lonely people' - in other words, the elderly of post-war Britain, forgotten about by their families (or with no family remaining) dying alone. A brilliant song because of the wonderful lyrics and the haunting strings. John Lennon's first contribution, I'm Only Sleeping, is the first example of the Beatles' studio experimentation. A backwards guitar solo, which Harrison then played again forwards to duet with himself, features in the midsection - designed to give the song a dreamy quality. Lennon's vocal is, for someone who usually poured immense effort into his singing, very laconic.

Love You To is George again, this time bringing Eastern music to the Western world. It is pure Indian raga music - sitars at the forefront, a tambura providing that background drone, and tablas for percussion. It is a remarkably hypnotic song and notable for, again, being radically different to anything the group had done previously (even Norwegian Wood, the first Beatles song to feature a sitar, was an otherwise fairly standard Western folk song). Here, There and Everywhere provides a total change of pace - lush harmonies, soft guitar and drums, and at the front the double-tracked sweetness of Paul's vocals. It's a love song to girlfriend Jane Asher, and is generally thought of as one of his best songs...I think it's okay, can appreciate the beauty, but it's not one of the album's highlights.

Neither is Yellow Submarine. At least the band were honest and said they were trying to write a children's song. Ringo old mate, you are the reason people say drummers should not be given microphones. Don't tell me about Octopus's Garden, it's not the point. (In the song's defense, the chorus is BEYOND CATCHY. I DARE you not to sing along when it comes on.) Closing Side 1 of the record (heh, heh) is John's She Said She Said. In my view, a woefully underrated song - love the main guitar riff, the vocals sound absolutely gorgeous and the song contains one of those 'gives me chills' moments, in the little breakdown ("When I was a boy, everything was right"). The harmonies and the vocals just....I don't know why, can't explain it, they just sound so....good.

Side 2 starts with Good Day Sunshine. I used to hate this song as a kid. It is part of the reason why I am so good at being able to place a record needle in exactly the right spot to skip a song. But listening to it as a 33 year old adult (well sort of) I can see why Kid Daniel was wrong - it's a happy, sunny song. It really is. The vocal (from Paul) is fantastic and the piano solo (played by producer George Martin) is lovely. Following that is the straight ahead pop rock song And Your Bird Can Sing. Another cool bassline; the rest of the song is okay, but not one of John's finest efforts. For No One, another Paul track, is baroque in style; a song about the dissolution of a relationship, it is beautifully crafted and very poignant; the melody is one of resigned sadness, the horn solo gives that extra touch of the farewells, and the vocal sounds melancholy.

We turn for home with the solid but mostly unremarkable Dr. Robert, about a doctor who provides people with pills. It's straight up Beatlesesque pop rock except for the "well well well you're feeling fine" part. The driving backbeat stops, a harmonium kicks in and the vocals become blissful and dreamy - depicting someone's drug experience thanks to the Doc. After that though, the album kicks it up a few notches with George's I Want To Tell You. Undoubtedly one of his finest Beatles compositions (and proof positive that the band clearly had an underutilised talent in their midst - if only they had harnessed this), the song is a very unstable and uncomfortable one - a reflection of George's mindset at the time. True to the album though, the music itself reinforces and adds to the discomfort. The dissonant chord that plays for the last four bars of each verse is masterful. It jars you as a listener and causes some discomfort because it just doesn't sound right...yet it was a conscious and deliberate decision by George. 

The second last song, Got To Get You Into My Life, is the Beatles' very own dip into the waters of Motown. Complete with prominent horn section and thumping bass line, the song borrows heavily from R&B influences. On the surface it seems to be about a girl....except it's actually Paul's ode to marijuana. It also features another powerful McCartney vocal, and he even finds time at the end to get all Little Richard on us. 

As that fades out, the final song fades in, starting with the drone of a tambura. That song is Tomorrow Never Knows, and it signals the end of the 'old' Beatles and the beginning of the 'new'. It could very well be the most significant song the band ever recorded. 

Written by John Lennon, the song was based on LSD champion Timothy Leary's interpretation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. It's entirely in the key of C. It doesn't move. For three minutes. A tambura, guitar and bass hammering away on C for three minutes. Such a thing was unheard of at the time. Melody is provided by Lennon's vocal, which itself is a tribute to recording ingenuity - double tracked for the first three verses, in the last verse his vocals were run through a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet, giving them an otherworldly sound. For a song that is largely about meditation and 'floating downstream', it is perfect.

Those aren't the only reasons that this song, more than any other on Revolver, signals the birth of the 'new' Beatles. The four members of the band also contributed samples and tape loops to the track; all those effects floating through (the 'bird' sounds, the backwards double-speed guitar solo, the occasional keyboard and horn lines) were samples of sounds that were added 'live' to the recording. They not only had the effect of filling out the sound, but adding to the feeling of the track, that this was representing an escape from the world to some other realm, whether through meditation or medication. Even Ringo's drum part is perfect - the same off-time pattern played repetitively, it not only sounds amazing but it adds to the hypnotic quality of the song.

Tomorrow Never Knows is the song that showed the band what they could accomplish in the studio. While they had flirted with backwards recording before (notably on the single Rain, which was released prior to Revolver), playing with tape loops and sound samples was unheard of. From this point on, sampling, reversing, double tracking and non-traditional instrumentation would become the norm, not the exception. It's quite apt that this song closes the album, because it closed the chapter on the 'touring' Beatles, and started a new period, one where the band would be free to experiment and compose the way they wanted to.

The Verdict

Revolver is vital listening for anyone who wants to hear the sound of a band consciously shifting their sound and approach to music. Actually, scratch that - it's vital listening full bloody stop. It is to the Beatles what Meddle was to Pink Floyd - the beginning of something entirely new. It is also my favourite album, even if (as I said at the beginning), there is another album that, objectively, I think is better overall. 

It's bloody close though.

My rating: **** and a half

Standout Tracks

Tomorrow Never Knows

I Want To Tell You

Eleanor Rigby

Tomorrow is STRAYA DAY. Due to the JJJ Hottest 100 my album review will definitely be late, however it will still be done! I'll be taking on a classic Australian album (as I'm going to do on the 26th of each month during the LOAD Project). Happy JJJ Hottest Hunge Day everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Album #24 : Frenzal Rhomb - Not So Tough Now

Frenzal Rhomb

Not So Tough Now (1996)

I was supposed to be reviewing ska flavour of 2000 Area 7's album Say It To My Face today, but it appears nobody anywhere has the album anywhere on the Internet.

So instead of Australian ska, I'm going to bring you Australian punk rock, in the form of one of this country's finest exponents of the genre, Frenzal Rhomb. Part of what makes Frenzal so damn appealing is that their songs are never long, they're immensely good fun to listen to (and drink to), and while the band is known for possessing a social conscience and strong opinions, their songs rarely bludgeon you over the head with those, preferring to entertain first and foremost. They've also always expressed an irreverent, cheeky sense of humour in their music.

Not So Tough Now was the last album the band released with guitarist Ben Costello, who was replaced by noted JJJ personality Lindsay "The Doctor" McDougall. It's the band's second album and the first one I heard as a wee teenager.

Let's jump into the review and ponder just what I'm going to do about the 36 secret tracks.

The Album

It's flat out, breakneck pace, ballsy riff and machine gun drumming punk rock. There's little more that can be said, really. Most of the songs are rollicking good fun, with a few songs that can serve as big singalongs (Punch In The Face, I'm looking at you especially). There are also hints of the slightly poppier sound that would inhabit future albums when the band's songs became even more singalongy (that is now an adjective.)

Some songs also showcase the band's ability to pen very clever lyrics. Some are a little witty (Jesus and Not Your Thyme), while others are thinly veiled yet quite detailed and venomous attacks on individuals (the frankly excellent Parasite, which has a go at the type of musical scenester seen hanging on the fringes of bands pretending that they're important, the equally awesome Not So Tough Now which shames the sort of lame poseurs who strut around like they're King Dick until something goes wrong for them and album highlight You Are A Knob are all examples of this). There's also some clever lyrics in Wrong Is Right, particularly this verse attacking popular culture and society's lame acceptance of what celebrities tell us:

How will you judge your contribution to this
Foul Oprah religion of sanitised views
And self congratulation
Who will feast on all you sheep

There are also a couple of songs that are a welcome departure from the super-fast punk rock style. Uncle Ken is still super-fast punk rock but less melodic, and more abrasive, than the typical Frenzal tune; the vocals are barked rather than sung and the guitar riff is like a chainsaw. Then there's Not Your Thyme, which owes more to heavy alternative rock; slow in tempo, a heavier, more laid back drum sound and none of the rapid-fire instrumentation that is a trademark of the band.

As for the 36 secret tracks at the end, well Are You Getting It Yet Secret Track delves deeply into the Nietzchean idea of the ubermensch, while The Origins of Secret Track is a sprawling progressive rock epic that has more in common with the groundbreaking work of Frank Zappa. Secret Track The Gospel Version, however, is extremely disappointing as it promises to be gospel, but is in fact a terrible fusion of Kraftwerkian sounds with grindcore.

The Verdict

Not So Tough Now is an album full of two-minute speedy punk songs, with a couple of departures from the template. It remains a fun album to listen to (and drink to), even if it doesn't have the instantly recognisable classics of later albums. It's not a grandiose artistic musical masterpiece, but punk isn't supposed to be.

Worth a listen if you've never heard it, just because it is a lot of fun and doesn't require a great deal of intellectual thought while digesting its contents.

My rating: ***

Standout Tracks

Punch In The Face

You Are A Knob

Parasite

Not So Tough Now

Tomorrow: THE BEATLES!

(It'll be the first of two albums in the Project. One that I consider their best, the other that is probably their most important.)

Album #23 : Foals - Holy Fire

Foals

Holy Fire (2013)

The phrase 'moody indie rockers' is probably one of the most commonly used phrases in the music critic's playbook, along with 'this album is taking them mainstream' and 'here's another banal piece of shit album from Nickelback'. There's a reason for that; most indie rockers are moody bastards. I think that's what makes them so good - have you ever seen a happy indie rocker whose output is consistently outstanding?

Well, moody indie rockers Foals made a big splash last year with their third album, Holy Fire. If chart success is your thing, it made number 2 in the UK charts and number 1 in Australia. Evidently, Foals are a big deal in Australia (well, big enough to top an album chart anyway). Being somewhat familiar with Foals' earlier (moody) work, I was excited to see whether Holy Fire maintained their commitment to emotionally draining bordering on the 'post-rock' sound extravaganzas.

What I discovered was neither here nor there.

The Album

On Holy Fire, Foals have continued to build those sonic landscapes with keyboards and what can only be described as aimless guitar noodling. Reverb-laden echoey vocals abound on the album, which I suppose is a good thing, as vocalist Yannis Philippakis is serviceable, but no better. While his ability to emphasise the morose and melancholy suits many songs, it also, perhaps, holds some back from achieving greater heights. A pleasant inclusion to many tracks is a marimba, which adds an extra texture to the sound and, in a couple of songs, really stands out.

There are a few moments on Holy Fire that do grab you and convince you of the band's power to make different shades of indie rock sound exciting, vibrant and powerful. Inhaler is a very catchy dance-rock song that chooses a simpler sound in the verses (one that is very reminiscent of 80s Genesis) and a grander sound in the choruses. The marimba/keyboard melody line is the song's shining hook. My Number is more dance-rock but very different in style and feel to Inhaler; it owes more to disco and Bloc Party with its rapid-fire rhythm guitar work. Opening track Prelude is also worth a listen. Basically an instrumental (it does contain lyrics, but they're mostly unintelligible), it introduces the band's preference for layers of guitar to create the music, with one such layer being the recurring motif that the song is built around. 

Two other tracks that aren't necessarily powerful moments, but interesting in terms of their structure and composition are Providence and Late Night. The former is made to sound much more complex than it is by virtue of its 7/8 time signature, and the dexterous and skillful work of drummer Jack Bevan. Unfortunately the tediously repetitive lyrics detract from what is otherwise a good song. The latter features a string section (while strings are on other songs, they are at their most important here) and a prominent bass line, dark in tone, that give the song a very sombre feel. It starts strong, features a more withdrawn midsection, before gently building back up to conclude the track.

Elsewhere though, it's fairly standard indie-rock with emotional lyrics and vocals, staccato guitar noodling and keyboards to provide more meat to the sound. It is, as I noted in my listening notes for the song Moon, 'nice, but bland'. At times I got the feeling that, on Holy Fire, Foals are simply doing what others have already done, except they're not really improving on or changing what others have done in any real way. 

The Verdict

Holy Fire is one big ball of meh. As I have written about a couple of other albums though, it's not particularly bad music. However, for music that has been designed to be emotionally charged, there are too many moments where I simply felt nothing at all....and that's the album's biggest failing.

There's enough in the album to keep you interested but it's probably not one you're gonna rush to tell your mates about, nor is it an album you're likely to want to spin again and again and again.

My rating: ***

Standout Tracks

Inhaler

Prelude

My Number

Tomorrow's album? Australian ska that was big for about five minutes (provided I can get the album, otherwise....it'll be something else.)

Album #22 : Prince - Sign o' The Times

Prince

Sign o' the Times (1987)

Okay. Um.....look, in lieu of a written introduction to the artist and album, I'm just gonna put this here for you to watch.

I don't think anymore needs to be said.

The Album

Stylistically, the album covers so much musical ground it isn't funny. The overarching mood of the album though is a funky one. Prince spends a great deal of time proving why he was the ultimate successor to funk leaders like James Brown and Parliament. There are moments on the album that serve as respectful homage to those legends of funk, while others are just straight up mimicry. However, there's also healthy dollops of R&B, soul, pop and even garage rock (yes, you read that correctly).

I also should note that, apart from a handful of tracks, Prince plays every instrument on this album.

Well.

Dude's a straight up musical genius.

Highlights of the album are numerous. Opener Sign o' The Times is a sparsely arranged song with a funky feel and heavily reverbed drums. Its somewhat downbeat tone is underlined by the cynical lyrics, where Prince bemoans the times he lives in; where a woman's poverty can cause her child to die despite exorbitant government spending on frivolities, where a 'big disease with a little name' is running rampant, spread by needle sharing (AIDS, obviously), and where drug addiction is a real issue of concern. Play In The Sunshine is catchy as all hell. 80s synthesised dance pop with some highly impressive guitar work from Prince. Housequake is a pure party dance tune, almost entirely electronic with a sped-up vocal. 

(Incidentally, the album features a number of songs with sped-up vocals. These were all intended for a project called Camille, where Prince would credit the album to a 'female' alter-ego. The project was incorporated into a triple album called Crystal Ball. When Prince's record company trashed the triple album, it was trimmed into a double album...this one.)

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, highlights. Starfish and Coffee is intriguing from a production point of view. The vocals, piano and main drums are running forwards normally; but the bass synth line, and a supporting percussion track, are played backwards underneath. It's also another catchy pop song. Hot Thing and Forever In My Life are extremely minimalist compositions; the former an extremely funky electronic song about Prince seducing a hot chick, and it features a kickass saxophone solo that SMASHES THE FUNK IN YOUR FACE, while the latter is remarkable - the drums and bass play the same beat and note for the whole song, while Prince trades vocals with himself. The vocals provide all the melody in this song, save for the last 20 seconds when there is an acoustic guitar break. It's compelling listening because of that amazing Prince vocal battle. And Slow Love is a smooth, sexy ballad in the style of 50s balladeers The Platters, but with a modern vibe with horns and synthesisers. 

And that's just Disc 1.

On Disc 2, the standout track is The Cross. Prince channels the spirit of Neil Young (stay with me here), giving us a dirty garage rock track. Acoustic guitar and vocals at the start, distorted guitar riff and lead guitar melody as the song closes, and a rough, gravelly, pure wail - it's absolutely positively 70s guitar music. BY PRINCE.

Other great songs on Disc 2 are album closer Adore, a burning slow R&B jam that is a soulful, yet powerful ballad; It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night, where Prince is joined by The Revolution (his early to mid 80s rock/funk band) in a live recording that basically acts as a testament to all that is good about P-Funk and James Brown. Everything from the groovy rhythm section to the punchy horns to the call and response with the backing vocalists simply screams 70s funk; and I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, a surprisingly upbeat guitar pop song about Prince rejecting a one night stand because the woman would not be satisfied with that.

To be fair, there isn't a bad song on Disc 2. Not one. The only songs on Disc 1 that left me a bit cold were It and The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, and neither of those were particularly bad per se, they just pale in comparison.

It really is that good.

The Verdict

"Prince's best album", it has been called. "Arguably the best album of the 80s", somebody else claims. Don't know about the latter yet, but the former is absolutely undeniably true.

Sign o' The Times is an absolute belter. It is Prince as experimental songwriter, as daring arranger, as masterful musician. Its weaknesses are very few. You could argue that at 80 minutes, it goes on a bit too long; I personally disagree as almost all of the sixteen songs are so fantastic, its length is unimportant (it will be hard to narrow my Standout Tracks down to only three, let me put it that way). You could also argue that it doesn't have a killer single, like Purple Rain had; I would say that what it lacks in killer singles it more than makes up for in execution, experimentation and musicianship. 

Like The Soft Bulletin, I think this is an album everybody should listen to at least once. Marvel at the talents of a man whom I don't believe gets the recognition for his musical abilities that he deserves; witness Prince, more than just a songwriter, but a truly gifted musician.

GAME. BLOUSES.

My rating: *****

Standout Tracks

Forever In Your Life

The Cross

Adore

Tomorrow, the first of two slightly more modern releases; I take on an album released last year to widespread acclaim. It will either be a great listen or another chance to hang shit on Triple J for undeservedly wanking on about musicians who don't match their overblown hype.

WHICH WILL IT BE? Find out tomorrow!