So Bill Callahan's album 'Dream River' is a real treat and I'm enjoying it immensely. It's a very quiet, thoughtful, intimate, and beautiful record and I love it more with each listen. Below is a video from one of my favorite tracks thus far, Small Plane. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Let's Make This Precious: A Week with 'Too-Rye-Ay'
Some songs, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, always make me happy. Dexys Midnight Runners' 1982 smash-hit, Come On Eileen is one of those songs. Never ever fails to make me smile. Every time I come across it on the radio, the dial stops and I listen and I am happy. Aside from being a jubilant pop-song, I am also 99% sure that Eileen is the most enjoyable song in the world to sing along to as well. With its playful backing vocals and harmonies as well as complex (for a pop single) song structure, it never gets old. Heck, I even named my first car (just recently deceased) Eileen in the song's honor (also so I could say, "Come on, Eileen," when she was having trouble accelerating over hills). For whatever reason I never ventured beyond this single to explore the rest of what Dexys Midnight Runners had to offer. Maybe because they are labeled as a one-hit wonder here in the States and I assumed that Come On Eileen was the best they had to offer. But as I thought about what my next album should be, it seemed only natural that I should give Dexys and 1982's 'Too-Rye-Ay' a fair shake and discover what I had, hopefully, been missing out on.
Formed in 1978, Dexys Midnight Runners is the brainchild of singer and chief-songwriter, Kevin Rowland. A quick glance at the band lineup over the years, featuring some 40-odd members, further illustrates that this is Rowland's band and his vision. From their visual look, public persona, and musical output, Rowland was at the helm of Dexys. 'Too-Rye-Ay' is the band's second album after their 1980 debut, 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels', which gave them their first U.K. hit, Geno, but their sophomore release represented a shift in style for the band. Along with changing the visual look (including those iconic denim overalls), 'Too-Rye-Ay' sees them incorporating more celtic music and instrumentation into their blue-eyed soul style, as well as dropping some of the more punk and new-wave elements present on their debut. This new 'Celtic-Soul' style served them very well and gave them another huge hit in the U.K. as well as a No.1 here in the United States.
First and foremost, 'Too-Rye-Ay' is a lot of fun and a great album experience. With high-peak fast paced tracks and low valley slow soul ballads, Rowland & Company really take the listener on a journey through the world of Dexys. I'm a sucker for celtic music so the instrumentation on many of the album's tracks was just a pleasure for me to listen to and adds to its replay-ability. The first side of the record is pretty much flawless, both in songwriting and pacing. The first-half of LP puts on full display the musicianship of the band as well as Kevin Rowland's singing ability. While perhaps not the greatest voice in a classical sense, Rowland has the ability to morph his vocals to best suit the mood of each song and convey emotion like few other singers I've heard. You really feel each and every one of these songs. (Aside: The way he sings also makes it difficult to understand what he's singing half the time, which I suppose could be frustrating, but I found it endearing. And I think it is part of what makes songs like Come On Eileen so much fun to sing along to... because we have no idea what the words are.) Side 1 almost operates as its own self-contained record with its last track, Old, fading out on a reprise of an earlier (also excellent) song, Let's Make This Precious. It only took me one listen-through of this first side to realize that Dexys had a lot to offer me beyond the joys of Eileen.
Aside from Come On Eileen which comes at the very end of the record, 'Too-Rye-Ay' has blessed me with quite a few other Dexys' tracks which I've fallen in love with and can sing at the top of my lungs along with. The album opener, The Celtic Soul Brothers starts off the record with a bang and contains a lot of the same, great qualities that make Eileen such a great tune. The band's cover of Van Morrison's song, Jackie Wilson Said, is another highlight for me with it's perfectly saccharine lyrics ("I'm in heaven when you smile") and bouncy brass instrumentation. Old illustrates that the band is also perfectly capable of slowing things down and offering up soulful ballads that are breathtakingly beautiful and full of emotion. Lyrically, Old is a heartbreaking song about becoming older and our perceptions of elderly people and the ways we quickly tend to write them off. It's sad. It's beautiful. It became one of my fast favorites to listen to on the record this week.
Until I Believe in My Soul represents the only real track that never really gelled with me. Like Come On Eileen and Plan B, it presents complex song structures with multiple melody and time signature changes, but for whatever reason these disparate parts never come together into a glorious whole. With a 7 minute runtime, the track doesn't have enough musical ideas to sustain that length before it feels like it has been carrying on for a bit too long. I don't hate it, but if it were half as long I would like it a lot more. Rowland's vocal stylings are usually spot on but at the beginning of the track his falsetto is so over the top that the only thing I can think of when I listen to it is Justin Hawkins from 'The Darkness' (of I Believe in a Thing Called Love fame), which to be fair is my own bias and not Rowland's fault. Luckily, Eileen comes quickly on its heels and finishes off the record in a grand, rollicking fashion and puts the faults of Until I Believe... out of my mind.
'Too-Rye-Ay' is a real treat. The album is stuffed with little musical goodies just waiting to be unpacked by people like me who never ventured beyond their one big hit. While not a perfect album or 'THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME', Dexys sophomore outing is jam-packed full of great tunes, interesting instrumentation, and soulful singing that kept me coming back from more throughout the week. Things don't always have to be THE GREATEST. Sometimes they can just be good and fun and full of little pleasures. Sometimes that is enough.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: Come On Eileen, The Celtic Soul Brothers, Jackie Wilson Said, Old
Let-Downs: Until I Believe in My Soul
Rating: 8/10
Formed in 1978, Dexys Midnight Runners is the brainchild of singer and chief-songwriter, Kevin Rowland. A quick glance at the band lineup over the years, featuring some 40-odd members, further illustrates that this is Rowland's band and his vision. From their visual look, public persona, and musical output, Rowland was at the helm of Dexys. 'Too-Rye-Ay' is the band's second album after their 1980 debut, 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels', which gave them their first U.K. hit, Geno, but their sophomore release represented a shift in style for the band. Along with changing the visual look (including those iconic denim overalls), 'Too-Rye-Ay' sees them incorporating more celtic music and instrumentation into their blue-eyed soul style, as well as dropping some of the more punk and new-wave elements present on their debut. This new 'Celtic-Soul' style served them very well and gave them another huge hit in the U.K. as well as a No.1 here in the United States.
First and foremost, 'Too-Rye-Ay' is a lot of fun and a great album experience. With high-peak fast paced tracks and low valley slow soul ballads, Rowland & Company really take the listener on a journey through the world of Dexys. I'm a sucker for celtic music so the instrumentation on many of the album's tracks was just a pleasure for me to listen to and adds to its replay-ability. The first side of the record is pretty much flawless, both in songwriting and pacing. The first-half of LP puts on full display the musicianship of the band as well as Kevin Rowland's singing ability. While perhaps not the greatest voice in a classical sense, Rowland has the ability to morph his vocals to best suit the mood of each song and convey emotion like few other singers I've heard. You really feel each and every one of these songs. (Aside: The way he sings also makes it difficult to understand what he's singing half the time, which I suppose could be frustrating, but I found it endearing. And I think it is part of what makes songs like Come On Eileen so much fun to sing along to... because we have no idea what the words are.) Side 1 almost operates as its own self-contained record with its last track, Old, fading out on a reprise of an earlier (also excellent) song, Let's Make This Precious. It only took me one listen-through of this first side to realize that Dexys had a lot to offer me beyond the joys of Eileen.
Aside from Come On Eileen which comes at the very end of the record, 'Too-Rye-Ay' has blessed me with quite a few other Dexys' tracks which I've fallen in love with and can sing at the top of my lungs along with. The album opener, The Celtic Soul Brothers starts off the record with a bang and contains a lot of the same, great qualities that make Eileen such a great tune. The band's cover of Van Morrison's song, Jackie Wilson Said, is another highlight for me with it's perfectly saccharine lyrics ("I'm in heaven when you smile") and bouncy brass instrumentation. Old illustrates that the band is also perfectly capable of slowing things down and offering up soulful ballads that are breathtakingly beautiful and full of emotion. Lyrically, Old is a heartbreaking song about becoming older and our perceptions of elderly people and the ways we quickly tend to write them off. It's sad. It's beautiful. It became one of my fast favorites to listen to on the record this week.
Until I Believe in My Soul represents the only real track that never really gelled with me. Like Come On Eileen and Plan B, it presents complex song structures with multiple melody and time signature changes, but for whatever reason these disparate parts never come together into a glorious whole. With a 7 minute runtime, the track doesn't have enough musical ideas to sustain that length before it feels like it has been carrying on for a bit too long. I don't hate it, but if it were half as long I would like it a lot more. Rowland's vocal stylings are usually spot on but at the beginning of the track his falsetto is so over the top that the only thing I can think of when I listen to it is Justin Hawkins from 'The Darkness' (of I Believe in a Thing Called Love fame), which to be fair is my own bias and not Rowland's fault. Luckily, Eileen comes quickly on its heels and finishes off the record in a grand, rollicking fashion and puts the faults of Until I Believe... out of my mind.
'Too-Rye-Ay' is a real treat. The album is stuffed with little musical goodies just waiting to be unpacked by people like me who never ventured beyond their one big hit. While not a perfect album or 'THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME', Dexys sophomore outing is jam-packed full of great tunes, interesting instrumentation, and soulful singing that kept me coming back from more throughout the week. Things don't always have to be THE GREATEST. Sometimes they can just be good and fun and full of little pleasures. Sometimes that is enough.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: Come On Eileen, The Celtic Soul Brothers, Jackie Wilson Said, Old
Let-Downs: Until I Believe in My Soul
Rating: 8/10
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)...
Dexys Midnight Runners are treating me pretty well this week; definitely a punchy change of pace from two weeks with Bach. Today I thought I would share one of the my favorites tracks from the record thus far, Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile), which also happens to be a Van Morrison cover. The video is from a 1982 appearance on Top of the Pops, though obviously mimed like most TotP performances (I hear lots of horns, but I only see fiddles and guitars) it's still a lot of fun. Gotta love those outfits! Enjoy!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Das Gute Musik: Two Weeks with Bach's Brandenburg concertos
I have Looney Tunes to thank for a good many things in my life. From an young age, they instilled a deep love of slapstick, goofy voices, and animation; also Bugs Bunny taught me that dressing up as a woman and kissing people full on the mouth can get you out of a lot of scrapes. But (perhaps) most importantly Looney Tunes also introduced me to A LOT of classical music as they used it to score many cartoons ('What's Opera, Doc?' immediately comes to mind) and it got me interested in music from that young age. For as long as I can remember, I've always enjoyed listening to it to classical music. For eight years, through middle school and high school, I played French Horn in our school band (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and that furthered my appreciation of the vast musical catch-all that is "classical music." But as far as a working understanding of the withertos and whyfors of classical music, its history, progression, highs, and lows; I am lacking. I've owned numerous 'Best Classical Music of All-Time!' discs over the years which seem to always contain the same twelve pieces of music, but up to this point I've never really deepened my knowledge in any real way. So yet again, this blog has provided (thanks to another reader recommendation) a perfect opportunity to broaden my classical music horizons by spending almost two weeks the Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg concertos.
To further flesh out my couple weeks of listening to Bach, I did a bit of background reading on classical music history, as well as the history of the Brandenburg concertos themselves. Composed in 1721, if not before, these 6 concertos were essentially Bach's application of artistic employment to Christian Ludwig, who was the commander of Brandenburg, Germany at the time. Commander Ludwig was a big lover of the arts and Bach was hoping to gain a benefactor and patron through the composition and gifting of these 6 concertos. Unfortunately for Bach, his application was denied, perhaps due to Ludwig's lack of money; but fortunately for us we got these amazing compositions out of the deal. The Brandenburg concertos came pretty early on in Bach's composing career but are still considered by many who know what they are talking about to be a high-water mark in Baroque period music. They were a great leap forward in compositional complexity and they set the standard for decades to come. The Baroque period of Western classical music sits on the earlier end of the timeline from about 1600-1730, while the Classic period which featured heavy-hitters like Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn ran from about 1730-1820. Bach's body of work, Brandenburg concertos included, broke musical boundaries and built many a foundation that these later composers would come to build upon just as Bach built upon the music of the Renaissance period (1400-1600) that came before him. But that's enough of that.
To further flesh out my couple weeks of listening to Bach, I did a bit of background reading on classical music history, as well as the history of the Brandenburg concertos themselves. Composed in 1721, if not before, these 6 concertos were essentially Bach's application of artistic employment to Christian Ludwig, who was the commander of Brandenburg, Germany at the time. Commander Ludwig was a big lover of the arts and Bach was hoping to gain a benefactor and patron through the composition and gifting of these 6 concertos. Unfortunately for Bach, his application was denied, perhaps due to Ludwig's lack of money; but fortunately for us we got these amazing compositions out of the deal. The Brandenburg concertos came pretty early on in Bach's composing career but are still considered by many who know what they are talking about to be a high-water mark in Baroque period music. They were a great leap forward in compositional complexity and they set the standard for decades to come. The Baroque period of Western classical music sits on the earlier end of the timeline from about 1600-1730, while the Classic period which featured heavy-hitters like Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn ran from about 1730-1820. Bach's body of work, Brandenburg concertos included, broke musical boundaries and built many a foundation that these later composers would come to build upon just as Bach built upon the music of the Renaissance period (1400-1600) that came before him. But that's enough of that.
Now that we have that bit of history out of the way, we can get onto my thoughts about the concertos. As with my John Coltrane review a few weeks ago, I feel extremely unqualified in pronouncing judgment on these compositions that have been generally acknowledged to be great and awesome for the past 290 years. My thoughts are simply my thoughts and my opinions simply my opinions; nothing more, nothing less. Aside from being extremely historically important in the development of Western classical music, the concertos themselves are just downright beautiful pieces of music from a true musical genius that kept me engaged over the course of my two weeks of listening. Extremely stately and grand, each of these concertos sees Bach interweaving melodies and instruments with expert flair. Featuring relatively small ensemble of 9-13 musicians on strings, harpsichord, cornet, oboe, and flute, the Brandenburg concertos impressed me as the height of elegance and beauty; simultaneously complex and inviting. Layers and layers exist within each of these pieces and I feel that I could have spent another two weeks unpacking them piece by piece; a lot of stuff is jam packed in this two hours of music. Each concerto follows a similar progression, most open with a bang (more technically, an Allegro section) that sets forth the melody and grabs the listener's attention followed by a slower more somber movement (Adagio) and concludes with another quick section (usually Allegro or Presto). In this way each concerto is its own musical journey to go on, and I have throughly enjoyed my journeys with them this week.
Among the concertos, I did develop favorites; the first being Concerto 1 which is the longest of the concertos with 5 movements instead of the 3 that all the others posses. This first concerto captures the full grandeur of Bach's compositional prowess with rousing fanfares, pensive oboe lead interludes and stately marches; Bach puts it all on display in this first concerto. The soaring trumpet of Concerto 2 and its interplay with the flutes and strings throughout also make it another high-point that I looked forward to with each listen. Bach has a wonderful way of seamlessly passing the melody from one instrument to the next - sometimes with each player holding it for only measures at a time. This constant interplay of instruments really keeps each piece melodically interesting. My final stand-out would be the 4th Concerto which this time gives the flute and recorder center stage with a wonderfully playful and floating melody. Again Bach crafts an expertly paced and moving piece that never slags or loses my attention in its 16 minutes.
Concerto 5 presents the only time in my listening that my mind would tend to drift and maybe, just maybe get a tad bored. The piece starts out strongly enough with its rousing opening strings and flute melody and the harpsichord is given its moment in the sun but towards the end of the concerto, the player has an extended harpsichord solo that goes on just a tad too long for my tastes. The harpsichord player gets an opportunity to show off their musical chops and they are very impressive but, for me, it drags on without the support of the rest of the ensemble. The ensemble and their interplay is perhaps the greatest part of these concertos and during this harpsichord solo on this piece I miss that.
The Brandenburg concertos have been a huge education for me over the past two weeks, both in my listening and in the research and reading that I did. It also made me realize that there is so much more untapped music I have yet to discover in the classical arena and Bach and his concertos have made me extremely excited to seek them out. If you have an interest at all in classical music, I wholeheartedly recommend spending some time with the beautiful and majestic music that Bach has crafted in his Brandenburg concertos. It turns out that there is a vast amount more to this music than merely a fitting backdrop for Looney Tunes.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: Concerto 1, Concerto 2, Concerto 4
Let-Downs: Concerto 5
Score: 9.5/10
Up Next: We are flashing forward 261 years to 1982 to spend sometime with a band that has been unfortunately written off as a one-hit wonder here in the US. I am going to be spending the week with Dexys Midnight Runners and their '82 album 'Too-Rye-Ay' to see if goodies await beyond the known splendor of Come On Eileen.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Off the Record: Paul McCartney's 'New'
...Aaaaand we're back.
After my unfortunate spill of coffee onto our computer, we have upgraded and I'm ready and equipped to get back to blogging. When I haven't been grappling with Bach and his Brandenburg concertos, Paul McCartney and his new (and somewhat shockingly quite good) album, 'New' have been distracting me quite a bit. I feel kinda bad being surprised that Paul's record is actually pretty awesome, but it really is engaging and more sonically and lyrical daring then you would expect from your average 71 year old rock and roll legend. In 'New', McCartney doesn't rest on his musical laurels and the results are often quite fun. The video below for the second single, Queenie Eye, is a good introduction to the album and also features quite a number of very famous people. See if you can spot them all!
After my unfortunate spill of coffee onto our computer, we have upgraded and I'm ready and equipped to get back to blogging. When I haven't been grappling with Bach and his Brandenburg concertos, Paul McCartney and his new (and somewhat shockingly quite good) album, 'New' have been distracting me quite a bit. I feel kinda bad being surprised that Paul's record is actually pretty awesome, but it really is engaging and more sonically and lyrical daring then you would expect from your average 71 year old rock and roll legend. In 'New', McCartney doesn't rest on his musical laurels and the results are often quite fun. The video below for the second single, Queenie Eye, is a good introduction to the album and also features quite a number of very famous people. See if you can spot them all!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
A quick word...
This week I will not be posting a review on Sunday for a couple of reasons. First, the Brandenburg concertos are an amazingly dense work (as I'm discovering) and they clock in at almost two hours; so that's quite a bit of listening that I need to get done daily. I thought it would serve my thoughts/review better if I gave it two weeks of listening to simmer. Also, this coming weekend is also a bit of a vacation weekend so I thought it would be nice to have Sunday totally and completely off. And lastly, I may or may not have spilled coffee over the entirety of our laptop frying it pretty thoroughly which is currently limiting my access to the internet and this blog. I will continue to try to do little post throughout the week, but there will be no Bach review this Sunday; look for that review next week. Thanks again for reading, friends.
Keep listening,
Caleb
Keep listening,
Caleb
Sunday, October 20, 2013
'Pick Any Number, Choose Any Colour': A Week with 'The Bones of What You Believe'
Irony and sarcasm are overrated. Both have a place in art, literature, music, and movies, and correct, effective use can be powerful; but I feel sometimes in the day-to-day these two have been beaten to death. So maybe 'overused' or 'overtired' would be a more correct word for how I feel. I'm very much guilty of some of the proliferation of these two bed-fellows and for that I do apologize to all of you reading and the universe at large. Irony is easy, especially in a cultural and social context, and sarcasm is even easier; but I'm determined to give these two sometime to rest and recoup. I've started to notice a subtle, cultural change across a lot of media lately; a slight turning away from the double-edged ease of irony and sarcasm to trying to find more effective ways of connecting. Chvrches' (pronounced simply 'churches') debut album, 'The Bones of What You Believe', is a wonderful bear-hug of a record that embraces wholeheartedly the musical legacy of synthpop and the last 40-odd years of electronic pop music and boils it all down to an effective, exciting, and most importantly, genuine album.
Chvrches are a Scottish synthpop group comprised of Ian Cook (synths, guitar & occasional vocals) Martin Doherty (synths & occasional vocals), and Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals & some synths on the side) and over the past year their hook-heavy, vocal-driven, catchy electropop has seen them skyrocket to success. Taking various touchstones from electronic pop music - the kinetic and muscular beats of early Depeche Mode, the shimmering arpeggios of The Knife, the bombastic expansiveness of M83, the vocal-driven pop wizardry of Robyn, and many more - Chvrches expertly distills all these elements and this electro-heritage into something all it's own. 'The Bones of What You Believe' is a great example of what a pop record can be (putting the electronic bit aside for the moment); full of emotion, catchy choruses, and vocals that keep you coming back for more. What I think is wonderful about Chvrches is that they have so enthusiastically embraced this pop-side of their music even though they have been dwelling more thus far in the indie-sphere. I've said it before, but 'Pop' isn't a dirty word and Chvrches has become a sort of banner-carrier for that cause within 'serious' music/music critique and it delights me to no end. That Chvrches was able to display this sort of musical confidence and know-how right out of the gate on their debut is what makes 'The Bones of What You Believe' such a treat and breath of fresh air.
Lauren Mayberry's vocals serve has the focal point of much of the record. Crystal clear and vibrant, Mayberry is able to carry each song on the record (save the two where the lads take over vocal duties) with skill and emotion. She is really the cog in Chvrches that makes it all click. Her subtle and adept delivery song after song allows some pretty awesomely subversive lyrics to creep into the mix. As befitting a pop album, most of the lyrics deal with relationships and love; but 'The Bones of What You Believe' is all about relationships gone south and is full of great, almost revenge tunes like Gun and Lies. Mayberry is able to weave these lyrics into bouncing, shimmering synthpop songs so effortlessly that on first brush with most of them you may miss the darker lyrical content amongst all the glittering electro. But it works, and works extremely well.
Of course all this gushing and praise-heaping that I've been doing for the past few paragraphs would be moot if the tunes weren't good. But fortunately for all of us, here again, Chvrches deliver in a big way. The one-two punch of the opening track, The Mother We Share, leading into We Sink, is a wonderful 6 minutes of pop heaven that I repeated more times than I can count over the past week. After that the hits really just keep coming with the slow build of Tether and propulsive beat of Lies and soaring vocals of Recover; it was hard for me to pin down a track I really didn't like. At 48 minutes, 'The Bones of What You Believe' is by no means a long record but perhaps one that could have benefitted from a bit of trimming to keeping its pop-y nature that much more zippy. Looking back over the track-list, the only song that really failed to leave a lasting impression on me was Night Sky, not a bad song by any means but a pretty forgettable one; and perhaps shaving those 4 minutes off the runtime of the record would have helped it sail even more. But Night Sky is really only a gripe because I'm trying to find fault with a record that I've had nothing but a blast with over the past week.
Chvrches are not the grand-indie-pop saviors of music they may have been touted to be, and I think they are more than happy not to be placed in that role. They are simply three people from Glasgow who set out to make an earnest, straight-forward, killer synthpop record. They have succeeded with great and admirable confidence and self-assurance that is not common in much new music today. All of this praise that I and others are heaping on them is all well and good, but at the end of the day, it's the songs that do the real talking and 'The Bones of What You Believe' speaks for itself.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: The Mother We Share, We Sink, Gun, Recover
Let-Downs: Night Sky
Rating: 9/10
Up Next: We are going to travel way, way back this week (thanks to another helpful recommendation) to the 1720s with Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Brandenburg Concertos'. It is high time to spend some quality time with classical music outside the context of Looney Tunes; should be an excellent week.
Chvrches are a Scottish synthpop group comprised of Ian Cook (synths, guitar & occasional vocals) Martin Doherty (synths & occasional vocals), and Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals & some synths on the side) and over the past year their hook-heavy, vocal-driven, catchy electropop has seen them skyrocket to success. Taking various touchstones from electronic pop music - the kinetic and muscular beats of early Depeche Mode, the shimmering arpeggios of The Knife, the bombastic expansiveness of M83, the vocal-driven pop wizardry of Robyn, and many more - Chvrches expertly distills all these elements and this electro-heritage into something all it's own. 'The Bones of What You Believe' is a great example of what a pop record can be (putting the electronic bit aside for the moment); full of emotion, catchy choruses, and vocals that keep you coming back for more. What I think is wonderful about Chvrches is that they have so enthusiastically embraced this pop-side of their music even though they have been dwelling more thus far in the indie-sphere. I've said it before, but 'Pop' isn't a dirty word and Chvrches has become a sort of banner-carrier for that cause within 'serious' music/music critique and it delights me to no end. That Chvrches was able to display this sort of musical confidence and know-how right out of the gate on their debut is what makes 'The Bones of What You Believe' such a treat and breath of fresh air.
Lauren Mayberry's vocals serve has the focal point of much of the record. Crystal clear and vibrant, Mayberry is able to carry each song on the record (save the two where the lads take over vocal duties) with skill and emotion. She is really the cog in Chvrches that makes it all click. Her subtle and adept delivery song after song allows some pretty awesomely subversive lyrics to creep into the mix. As befitting a pop album, most of the lyrics deal with relationships and love; but 'The Bones of What You Believe' is all about relationships gone south and is full of great, almost revenge tunes like Gun and Lies. Mayberry is able to weave these lyrics into bouncing, shimmering synthpop songs so effortlessly that on first brush with most of them you may miss the darker lyrical content amongst all the glittering electro. But it works, and works extremely well.
Of course all this gushing and praise-heaping that I've been doing for the past few paragraphs would be moot if the tunes weren't good. But fortunately for all of us, here again, Chvrches deliver in a big way. The one-two punch of the opening track, The Mother We Share, leading into We Sink, is a wonderful 6 minutes of pop heaven that I repeated more times than I can count over the past week. After that the hits really just keep coming with the slow build of Tether and propulsive beat of Lies and soaring vocals of Recover; it was hard for me to pin down a track I really didn't like. At 48 minutes, 'The Bones of What You Believe' is by no means a long record but perhaps one that could have benefitted from a bit of trimming to keeping its pop-y nature that much more zippy. Looking back over the track-list, the only song that really failed to leave a lasting impression on me was Night Sky, not a bad song by any means but a pretty forgettable one; and perhaps shaving those 4 minutes off the runtime of the record would have helped it sail even more. But Night Sky is really only a gripe because I'm trying to find fault with a record that I've had nothing but a blast with over the past week.
Chvrches are not the grand-indie-pop saviors of music they may have been touted to be, and I think they are more than happy not to be placed in that role. They are simply three people from Glasgow who set out to make an earnest, straight-forward, killer synthpop record. They have succeeded with great and admirable confidence and self-assurance that is not common in much new music today. All of this praise that I and others are heaping on them is all well and good, but at the end of the day, it's the songs that do the real talking and 'The Bones of What You Believe' speaks for itself.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: The Mother We Share, We Sink, Gun, Recover
Let-Downs: Night Sky
Rating: 9/10
Up Next: We are going to travel way, way back this week (thanks to another helpful recommendation) to the 1720s with Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Brandenburg Concertos'. It is high time to spend some quality time with classical music outside the context of Looney Tunes; should be an excellent week.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Off the Record: Kate Bush's Studio Albums - From Worst to Best
Recently one of my favorite music blogs, Stereogum, did a feature where they ranked Kate Bush's (one of my favorite artists) studio albums from worst to best. I saw the article, excitedly clicked the link, read the feature and was immediately like:
And many of the comments on the post echo my sentiments. "This is list is completely wrong!!! 'The Dreaming' is miles better than 'The Red Shoes'!!! RAWR!! etc. etc," I thought. But then I thought some more and realized that the mass difference in opinion between myself, the article, and commenters is part of what makes Kate Bush's discography so wonderfully rich. There is something for everyone in her work and we all like different elements of her music. So then I thought even more about how I personally would rank her albums and I came up with the following list, ranked from worst (though worst is a little too strong of a term because there are parts of these albums that I enjoy very much) to best. Enjoy!
10. The Red Shoes (1993)
Commonly considered Kate's worst album and most of the blame is placed on the production. It hasn't aged very well and it gives much of the album a bloated, dated feel (Which Kate Bush tried to rectify in her later release, 'Director's Cut'). But there are still some great songs to be heard and I find that the more time I spend with it, the more I enjoy it.
Stand-Outs: Rubberband Girl, Eat the Music, Lily, Top of the City
9. Lionheart (1978)
'Lionheart' had the unfortunate honor of being the follow up to Bush's outstanding debut (released only 9 months after her first LP) and much of the record pales in comparison; with many of the songs feeling unfocused and unfinished. But the tunes she does nail are splendid.
Stand-Outs: Wow, Symphony in Blue, Fullhouse
8. Director's Cut (2011)
Kate Bush is ever the perfectionist and 'Director's Cut' is an album-long manifestation of that quality in her. Taking a handful of tracks from both 'The Red Shoes' and 'The Sensual World', Kate brings their production into a more modern, subdued sphere and tries to make them sound as she originally envisioned them. Definitely an album for fans to dig into and enjoy but not essential for newcomers.
Stand-Outs: Deeper Understanding, Lily, The Red Shoes
7. Aerial (2005)
'Aerial' is really two albums. 'A Sea of Honey' is the first disc containing unrelated songs about everything from Kate's son Bertie to the number pi to learning how to become invisible; and, unfortunately, some of the tracks tend to drag. Disc Two, titled 'A Sky of Honey' is a 42 minute suite describing the passing of a day, from sunrise to sunset to sunrise; and it's beautiful and nearly flawless. Definitely a "grower".
Stand-Outs: King of the Mountain, Sunset, Nocturne, Aerial
6. Never for Ever (1980)
The first album where Kate's very weird side started to shine through and she began to take control of some of the production. A great bridge between her early, piano-based work and the more experimental, complex stuff that would come in the following years.
Stand-Outs: Babooshka, Delius (Song of Summer), All We Ever Look For, Army Dreamers
5. 50 Words for Snow (2011)
This albums captures all the wonder and beauty of winter like nothing I've ever heard. One of my favorite musical memories involves me walking in the snow and listening to this record; truly magical and transporting. It's a long album that requires your attention to unpack it (the shortest song clocks in at nearly 7 minutes), but it is well-worth the effort.
Stand-Outs: Snowflake, Wild Man, Among Angels
4. The Sensual World (1989)
A natural progression of Kate Bush's music in the 80s, The Sensual World is an album that a few years ago would have been much lower on my list. With each listen to its intricate, overwhelming, and, yes, sensual production I find myself enjoying it more and more. Plus it contains Kate's most beautiful song, This Woman's Work. Solid songs, solid production, solid Kate.
Stand-Outs: The Sensual World, Love and Anger, This Woman's Work, Deeper Understanding
3. The Kick Inside (1978)
A confident and fully formed debut; made all the more impressive by the fact that Kate was only 19 when the album was released and wrote many of the songs as a 13-14 year old. Wuthering Heights has got to be one of the most unique number 1 singles of all time. This album also serves as a good starting point for those interested in Kate's earlier, piano-based work.
Stand-Outs: Wuthering Heights, Oh to Be in Love, Moving, Kite
2. The Dreaming (1982)
'The Dreaming' represents Kate Bush at her most out-there. For the first time, she had complete reign over the entire making of a record and none of her ideas went to waste. An embarrassment of kooky riches, 'The Dreaming' is brimming with ideas, characters, and interesting songs that sometimes get away from themselves. A record that I love for its weirdness, experimental production, and wonderful songs.
Stand-Outs: Suspended in Gaffa, Night of the Swallow, Sat in Your Lap, The Dreaming, Leave It Open
1. Hounds of Love (1985)
A truly perfect album in my book with all sides of Kate represented. I try my best to recommend this album to as many people as I can because it serves as an excellent gateway into her body of work as well as the towering achievement that is her discography. More focused than 'The Dreaming' but just as creative, it truly is one of the greatest albums of all time. It's so good, guys!
Stand-Outs: THE WHOLE THING. Really. But if I have to choose - Hounds of Love, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), Waking the Witch, Jig of Life
So that's what I think. What about you, Kate Bush fans? What is your favorite release? Your least favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
The Mother We Share...
I'm really enjoying Chvrches debut so far this week. Full of great hooks, fantastic beats and memorable lyrics; it's a very exciting record and one that I'm pretty stoked to spend more time with. Today I thought I would share with you all two videos: first, the opening track from the record, The Mother We Share, which serves as a great introduction to what Chvrches are all about (some maybe slightly NSFW language at the 2:14 mark, just a heads up):
And secondly, here's an interview that provides some nice background on the band and some clips from a BBC 1 session they did (which is pretty excellent and worth a watch).
And secondly, here's an interview that provides some nice background on the band and some clips from a BBC 1 session they did (which is pretty excellent and worth a watch).
Sunday, October 13, 2013
A Dub Odyssey: A Week with 'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown'
Reggae is so much more than Bob Marley. I don't mean anything snarky or antagonistic by this statement. Bob Marley is an one-of-kind artist who put the music of a third world country on the global stage to be enjoyed by millions, if not billions, of people. He is one of my favorite artists and has released some of my favorite albums of all time. His songs have become part of the musical tapestry of the world and he will endure in the minds of many people as a true legend and pioneer in music. He deserves it; Bob Marley completely and totally rules. But unfortunately for many people, reggae equals Bob Marley; full stop. And that is shame to me because some much more worthwhile and rich reggae music exists beyond the Marley-sphere. Bob Marley is a perfect and essential starting point in exploring reggae as a genre, but there is so much more out there as my own quest into reggae (and this week's record) has taught me. Whether its Peter Tosh or The Congos or Burning Spear or Culture or Toots & The Maytals or Black Uhuru, an embarrassment of riches exists within the genre and its always exciting when I discover another record that furthers my love of reggae.
'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown' is one of the those reggae records that really dug its claws into me this past week and made me remember why I love reggae so much (The record is also known as 'King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown' due to a misprint on the original sleeve adding that extra 's'). It also served as a nice introduction to dub music which is a sub-genre within reggae that I have spent much time with thus far. What is dub, you ask? Well, dear readers, in the late 60s dub began simply as instrumental versions of reggae singles placed on the b-side of those singles. Shortly thereafter, producers began doing more to the tracks than simply just stripping out the vocals and reducing the track to drums and bass. They started adding effects to these b-side dubs like echoes, delays, and reverb to give each track its own unique feel apart from the single, as well as to put their own producer stamp on it. These quickly caught on in dance-halls throughout Jamaica because it allowed the DJ of the night to add his own vocals ("toasting" they called it) over the dub track creating an entirely new experience from night to night. This "toasting" is seen by many as one of the many precursors that lead to the formation of rap & hip-hop in the late 70s. By 1973, thanks to pioneers on the mixing board like Errol Thompson, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Osbourne "King Tubby" Ruddock, and others, dub was a fully realized sub-genre within reggae. Producers became musicians themselves and the sound board was treated as an instrument; no longer relegated to straight forward sound mixing. Dub quickly moved from being confined to b-sides to having full length LPs of pure dub tracks.
Though credited to Augustus Pablo, 'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown' is a sort of meeting of the minds of a few big players in the reggae/dub world of the 70s; featuring all-star reggae players like Robbie Shakespeare on bass and Augustus Pablo himself who helped put the melodica on the map as a legitimate instrument in reggae music. Both Pablo and King Tubby handle producing/mixing duties on the LP and the results are simply magical; especially when you consider that this was made in 1976, completely analog and without any of the help that modern digital recording brings. It's a true testament to the record that the wonderfully foggy, nebulous, and bass-heavy production makes these songs seem effortless; as if they are simply popping into existence as I'm listening to them.
What struck me over and over again as I listened to the LP this week was just how well-crafted this record is and how well it works on multiple listening "levels". On the one hand, 'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown' is a perfect album to throw on your choice of player, kick back, and just let the music and sounds wash over you. But alternatively, it's also a record that really rewards active listening with subtle production effects and sounds that you may not catch otherwise; like when you discover the weird, scraping-echoey-something on Skanking Dub is actually an extremely muffled, delayed, and distorted guitar strum. This only adds to the depth and re-playability of the album for me. The record is a totally immersive experience from the first bass thump and drum kick of the opening track, Keep On Dubbing, to the expansive closer Satta Dub; and at 31 brief minutes the record never overstays its welcome. As vocals echo and melodica melodies fade in and out and hazy rhythms are built, Pablo and Tubby display track after track the transportive power of music to really put the listener in another mindset. Truly awesome stuff.
As with all records after multiple listens, favorites begin to form in my mind as well as tracks which don't quite gel with me. 'King Tubby Meets...' is a record with very few flaws and the flaws that I find are mainly that of my own personal preference. Tracks like 555 Street Dub and Brace's Tower Dub No. 2 are wonderful in and of themselves but when held up to the high standards that surround them, I feel like Augustus Pablo and King Tubby could have pushed the production just a bit more and given them that extra edge. They just seem a little plain or even tame when compared to the out-there dub stylings of the stand-outs on the LP and they keep 'King Tubby Meets...' from being a truly perfect record in my eyes.
In a record full of stand outs, a couple tracks stand head and shoulders above the rest for me. The first being Each One Dub, which is one of the few tracks of the record to incorporate vocals into its production. But here they are used as merely another effect, another coat of hazy paint on Pablo's and Tubby's dub tapestry. My favorite moment on the whole record comes when the vocals, in one of the few intelligible lines, sing, "Tomorrow might not be the same-say-say-say-say-say" and that last half of the word "same is drawn out and reverb-ed into the stratosphere. Oooh, its great. The title track, King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, is probably the best overall track on the record and probably the first place I would point someone interested in hearing first-hand what dub music is. It's an education all unto itself.
So if reggae is new territory to you, first, go out and purchase Bob Marley's 'Legend' and once you have worn that out, you could find few better albums to follow it up with than 'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown'. Putting this record on and just letting my mind wander and relax has been an absolute joy and pleasure and I can only hope that a few of you will go out and seek the wonders that Augustus Pablo and King Tubby have brewed up for you. A truly, truly enchanting and out-of-this-world album that deserves its place in dub and reggae history along with a place on every music lover's shelf.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, Each One Dub, Satta Dub
Let-Downs (but not really): 555 Street Dub, Brace's Tower Dub No. 2
Rating: 9.5/10
Up Next: We are heading into the present day this week with a 2013 release that I have been hearing nothing but positive buzz about: Chvrches (pronounced 'churches') debut album 'The Bones of What You Believe.' Time for some synthpop goodness!
 |
| King Tubby |
What struck me over and over again as I listened to the LP this week was just how well-crafted this record is and how well it works on multiple listening "levels". On the one hand, 'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown' is a perfect album to throw on your choice of player, kick back, and just let the music and sounds wash over you. But alternatively, it's also a record that really rewards active listening with subtle production effects and sounds that you may not catch otherwise; like when you discover the weird, scraping-echoey-something on Skanking Dub is actually an extremely muffled, delayed, and distorted guitar strum. This only adds to the depth and re-playability of the album for me. The record is a totally immersive experience from the first bass thump and drum kick of the opening track, Keep On Dubbing, to the expansive closer Satta Dub; and at 31 brief minutes the record never overstays its welcome. As vocals echo and melodica melodies fade in and out and hazy rhythms are built, Pablo and Tubby display track after track the transportive power of music to really put the listener in another mindset. Truly awesome stuff.
As with all records after multiple listens, favorites begin to form in my mind as well as tracks which don't quite gel with me. 'King Tubby Meets...' is a record with very few flaws and the flaws that I find are mainly that of my own personal preference. Tracks like 555 Street Dub and Brace's Tower Dub No. 2 are wonderful in and of themselves but when held up to the high standards that surround them, I feel like Augustus Pablo and King Tubby could have pushed the production just a bit more and given them that extra edge. They just seem a little plain or even tame when compared to the out-there dub stylings of the stand-outs on the LP and they keep 'King Tubby Meets...' from being a truly perfect record in my eyes.
In a record full of stand outs, a couple tracks stand head and shoulders above the rest for me. The first being Each One Dub, which is one of the few tracks of the record to incorporate vocals into its production. But here they are used as merely another effect, another coat of hazy paint on Pablo's and Tubby's dub tapestry. My favorite moment on the whole record comes when the vocals, in one of the few intelligible lines, sing, "Tomorrow might not be the same-say-say-say-say-say" and that last half of the word "same is drawn out and reverb-ed into the stratosphere. Oooh, its great. The title track, King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, is probably the best overall track on the record and probably the first place I would point someone interested in hearing first-hand what dub music is. It's an education all unto itself.
So if reggae is new territory to you, first, go out and purchase Bob Marley's 'Legend' and once you have worn that out, you could find few better albums to follow it up with than 'King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown'. Putting this record on and just letting my mind wander and relax has been an absolute joy and pleasure and I can only hope that a few of you will go out and seek the wonders that Augustus Pablo and King Tubby have brewed up for you. A truly, truly enchanting and out-of-this-world album that deserves its place in dub and reggae history along with a place on every music lover's shelf.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, Each One Dub, Satta Dub
Let-Downs (but not really): 555 Street Dub, Brace's Tower Dub No. 2
Rating: 9.5/10
Up Next: We are heading into the present day this week with a 2013 release that I have been hearing nothing but positive buzz about: Chvrches (pronounced 'churches') debut album 'The Bones of What You Believe.' Time for some synthpop goodness!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Off the Record: AlunaGeorge
2013 has been a pretty fabulous year for really strong electronic/pop debuts with Disclosure's 'Settle', Rudimental's 'Home', and London Grammar's 'If You Wait' being some of the highlights for me (The fact that they are all British is a bonus). I can now add AlunaGeorge's debut 'Body Music' to that list. I discovered them through their feature on Disclosure's record and I have been throughly enjoying their album this past week. With inventive and fresh production from George Reid always anchored in Aluna Francis' strong and unique vocals, 'Body Music' is good times. So here is a single from AlunaGeorge that gives a sampling of the goodies I've been enjoying this week.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Each One Dub...
I've been enjoying my time with Augustus Pablo/King Tubby and their reggae-dub stylings thus far this week. Dub is a hard thing to explain so I thought I would share with you one of my current favorites, Each One Dub, from 'King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown' so you can get a little taste of the spacious, wonder I've been enjoying the past couple day. Great music to get lost in.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
'Lullabies in An Ancient Tongue': A Week with 'In the Court of the Crimson King'
I mentioned in a post earlier this week that the excellent 2006 movie 'Children of Men' first introduced me to King Crimson; their music providing a majestic backdrop to the action taking place on screen. So much so that I figured out what song it was from the credits, sought it out, and listened to the full track of The Court of the Crimson King many times over the following days. But I never got around to hearing the album that it belonged to. As life continued and I explored other musical horizons, King Crimson, and their progressive rock sound that had initially grabbed me, faded into the background of my mind. But every time I would look at a greatest-album-ever list, nine times out of ten, there would be King Crimson's 'In the Court of the Crimson King' waiting for me to give it a real listen.
Along with wanting to give this specific record a week's worth of listens, King Crimson has also given me an opportunity to start to explore the genre of progressive rock. Known for its complex song structures, long solos, diverse instrumentation, and fantastical lyrics, prog rock is a genre that I, for whatever reason, have never really listened to (probably because for a very long time I've dwelled firmly in the indie-music-culture camp where I always got the distinct impression that the vast majority of progressive rock was extremely lame). King Crimson's 1969 debut is considered to be a jumping off point when prog rock really got started and so it seemed like a perfectly good place for me to begin.
The London band as they appear on this record are Robert Fripp on guitar, Michael Giles on percussion, Greg Lake holding down bass and vocals, Ian McDonald playing everything from saxophone to flute to mellotron, and Peter Sinfield penning the lyrics. King Crimson went through multiple line-up changes following this record, and basically every other record they would release, with Robert Fripp being the only constant member throughout their recording history. As I listened and as the days passed I found myself struggling to pin down just how I felt about the record as a whole. At 41 minutes and just 5 tracks, 'In the Court...' has a lot of music to process and the parts that I like I really enjoy, but hiccups along the way make other sections hard for me to digest and get past. So in tribute to King Crimson's grand nature, we are going to break it down into multiple parts. Let the saga begin!
Being Part One: The Good
The album gets off to a roaring start with 21st Century Schizoid Man. With heavy distortion on both guitar and Greg Lake's vocals, an absolutely wailing saxophone, and effectively disjointed/schizo lyrical images, King Crimson really kick things off with a barn-burner of a song (later sampled quite heavily in Kanye West's 2010 song Power). The song continues into an instrumental section sub-titled Mirrors which puts front and center the band's technical prowess on their instruments as they play start-stop bursts and melody runs in complete unison with each other. Their playing swells into a cacophony of crashes, squawks, and strums until it all comes tumbling down at the end of the song; very effectively evoking the track's "schizoid man". The powerful musical muscle displayed on 21st Century... is followed by the beautiful, soft, and flute heavy ballad I Talk to the Wind which provides the perfect juxtaposition to the opening track. With almost 60s-hippie lyrics and a gorgeous flute solo, I Talk to the Wind is one of the few relatively straight-forward songs on the record and also the shortest, clocking in at a respectable 6 minutes.
The peace and tranquility provided by the song is short lived as the album quickly moves into its third (and my favorite) track, Epitaph. Lyrically the doom-and-gloom-iest of all the songs on the record, Epitaph is a wonderfully sad, funeral march of a song. Dystopian lyrics of despair and confusion are backed with dirge-like instrumentation that expertly captures these themes while maintaing a monumental elegance. As the song reaches its musical climax Lake sings repeatedly, "Yes, I fear tomorrow I'll be crying," and it is a strong emotional climax for the record as well; serving as a prime example of the benefits that expanded instrumentation and complex, well-plotted song structures can bring. It's a wonderful, intricate song and a perfect way to end the first side of an already impressive record.
Another high point of the album comes with the closing track, The Court of the Crimson King; my first exposure to King Crimson. A bombastic mellotron-lead melody draws the listener in to another mammoth musical soundscape of cryptic lyrics and intricate production (The use of the mellotron, invented in 1963, was a relatively new thing in rock music, kicked off by The Beatles on Strawberry Fields Forever and really put on display by King Crimson on this record. It subsequently became firmly associated with prog rock until the use of synthesizers came about in the 80s). King Crimson again expertly interweave melodies and instrumental breaks keeping the song fresh and interesting throughout it's 9 and half minutes; always bringing any musical interludes back to that soaring, colossal, and central melody. Very epic, indeed.
Being Part Two: The Bad
Moonchild. Oh, Moonchild. You begin side two innocently enough with your soft and playful melody with beautiful instrumentation. But then you descend into nearly 7 minutes of wandering and aimless free improvisation. Oh dearest, Moonchild, what are we going to do with you?
Normally instrumental breaks in songs are no problem for me but the last two-thirds of Moonchild are a struggle for me to enjoy musically. The free improvisation gets a little too "free" with seemingly random cymbal hits and keyboard plonks. It just doesn't make much musical sense to me and, perhaps worst of all, it becomes a tad boring and tedious; which is a shame because the vocal melody in the first two minutes of Moonchild is one of my favorite on the record. About halfway through the week I learned that I was listening to the 40th anniversary remaster of the record which has 3 minutes of this free improv session cut out (by band-leader Robert Fripp no less) from its original run time of 12 minutes and 13 seconds. For me, the 9 nine minute Moonchild is plenty and this second half of the song really damages what is otherwise an extremely engaging and epically enjoyable album.
Being Part Three: Epilogue
'In the Court of the Crimson King' deserves its place in music history as one of the greatest progressive rock records of all time. It is not without its faults and warts but the atmosphere and musical landscapes it does create more than make up for any detractions. Worthy of a listen and worthy of your opinion, King Crimson kicked off a movement in rock; leading the charge in showing that rock can be complex, intricate, and multi-instrumental while still maintaing a strong emotional connection. On this record they demonstrate that instruments that may have been considered to be firmly outside of the realm of rock, like the flute or clarinet, can be incorporated into its structure to provide fascinating results. And even if their ambition gets away from them at times on the record (lookin' at you, Moonchild), King Crimson are still very much a force to be reckoned with.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: 21st Century Schizoid Man, Epitaph, The Court of the Crimson King
Let-Downs: Moonchild
Rating: 8.5/10
Up Next: We've got another reader request for this week! A reggae classic (a genre which I never tire of exploring): Augustus Pablo's 'King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown'. I'm very, very excited for this one! Some bass-heavy, spaced-out dub music! Let's all get excited!
Along with wanting to give this specific record a week's worth of listens, King Crimson has also given me an opportunity to start to explore the genre of progressive rock. Known for its complex song structures, long solos, diverse instrumentation, and fantastical lyrics, prog rock is a genre that I, for whatever reason, have never really listened to (probably because for a very long time I've dwelled firmly in the indie-music-culture camp where I always got the distinct impression that the vast majority of progressive rock was extremely lame). King Crimson's 1969 debut is considered to be a jumping off point when prog rock really got started and so it seemed like a perfectly good place for me to begin.
The London band as they appear on this record are Robert Fripp on guitar, Michael Giles on percussion, Greg Lake holding down bass and vocals, Ian McDonald playing everything from saxophone to flute to mellotron, and Peter Sinfield penning the lyrics. King Crimson went through multiple line-up changes following this record, and basically every other record they would release, with Robert Fripp being the only constant member throughout their recording history. As I listened and as the days passed I found myself struggling to pin down just how I felt about the record as a whole. At 41 minutes and just 5 tracks, 'In the Court...' has a lot of music to process and the parts that I like I really enjoy, but hiccups along the way make other sections hard for me to digest and get past. So in tribute to King Crimson's grand nature, we are going to break it down into multiple parts. Let the saga begin!
Being Part One: The Good
The album gets off to a roaring start with 21st Century Schizoid Man. With heavy distortion on both guitar and Greg Lake's vocals, an absolutely wailing saxophone, and effectively disjointed/schizo lyrical images, King Crimson really kick things off with a barn-burner of a song (later sampled quite heavily in Kanye West's 2010 song Power). The song continues into an instrumental section sub-titled Mirrors which puts front and center the band's technical prowess on their instruments as they play start-stop bursts and melody runs in complete unison with each other. Their playing swells into a cacophony of crashes, squawks, and strums until it all comes tumbling down at the end of the song; very effectively evoking the track's "schizoid man". The powerful musical muscle displayed on 21st Century... is followed by the beautiful, soft, and flute heavy ballad I Talk to the Wind which provides the perfect juxtaposition to the opening track. With almost 60s-hippie lyrics and a gorgeous flute solo, I Talk to the Wind is one of the few relatively straight-forward songs on the record and also the shortest, clocking in at a respectable 6 minutes.
The peace and tranquility provided by the song is short lived as the album quickly moves into its third (and my favorite) track, Epitaph. Lyrically the doom-and-gloom-iest of all the songs on the record, Epitaph is a wonderfully sad, funeral march of a song. Dystopian lyrics of despair and confusion are backed with dirge-like instrumentation that expertly captures these themes while maintaing a monumental elegance. As the song reaches its musical climax Lake sings repeatedly, "Yes, I fear tomorrow I'll be crying," and it is a strong emotional climax for the record as well; serving as a prime example of the benefits that expanded instrumentation and complex, well-plotted song structures can bring. It's a wonderful, intricate song and a perfect way to end the first side of an already impressive record.
Being Part Two: The Bad
Moonchild. Oh, Moonchild. You begin side two innocently enough with your soft and playful melody with beautiful instrumentation. But then you descend into nearly 7 minutes of wandering and aimless free improvisation. Oh dearest, Moonchild, what are we going to do with you?
Normally instrumental breaks in songs are no problem for me but the last two-thirds of Moonchild are a struggle for me to enjoy musically. The free improvisation gets a little too "free" with seemingly random cymbal hits and keyboard plonks. It just doesn't make much musical sense to me and, perhaps worst of all, it becomes a tad boring and tedious; which is a shame because the vocal melody in the first two minutes of Moonchild is one of my favorite on the record. About halfway through the week I learned that I was listening to the 40th anniversary remaster of the record which has 3 minutes of this free improv session cut out (by band-leader Robert Fripp no less) from its original run time of 12 minutes and 13 seconds. For me, the 9 nine minute Moonchild is plenty and this second half of the song really damages what is otherwise an extremely engaging and epically enjoyable album.
Being Part Three: Epilogue
'In the Court of the Crimson King' deserves its place in music history as one of the greatest progressive rock records of all time. It is not without its faults and warts but the atmosphere and musical landscapes it does create more than make up for any detractions. Worthy of a listen and worthy of your opinion, King Crimson kicked off a movement in rock; leading the charge in showing that rock can be complex, intricate, and multi-instrumental while still maintaing a strong emotional connection. On this record they demonstrate that instruments that may have been considered to be firmly outside of the realm of rock, like the flute or clarinet, can be incorporated into its structure to provide fascinating results. And even if their ambition gets away from them at times on the record (lookin' at you, Moonchild), King Crimson are still very much a force to be reckoned with.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: 21st Century Schizoid Man, Epitaph, The Court of the Crimson King
Let-Downs: Moonchild
Rating: 8.5/10
Up Next: We've got another reader request for this week! A reggae classic (a genre which I never tire of exploring): Augustus Pablo's 'King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown'. I'm very, very excited for this one! Some bass-heavy, spaced-out dub music! Let's all get excited!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Off the Record: The Field
The Field is a minimalist electronic artist (real name: Axel Willner) from Sweden and since 2007's 'From Here We Go to Sublime' he's been releasing excellent electronic records pretty consistently with his latest, 'Cupid's Head', coming out this past week. With every album he's been building on his micro-loop, blanket of sound approach to electronic music with pretty spectacular results and this new release is no different. So I thought that I would share one of my favorite tracks from his newest record today, A Guided Tour. It's is a wonderful track to get lost in and has been distracting me quite a bit from King Crimson this week. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
In the Court of the Crimson King...
I thought today I would share a scene from one of my favorite movies, 'Children of Men' (a totally amazing and wonderful sci-fi/dsytopian movie that I can't recommend enough to people), which contains King Crimson's song In the Court of the Crimson King. This was the first instance that I ever heard a King Crimson song so I thought it would be neat to share it in that context:
Really, if you haven't seen this movie, you should check it out. And here is the full song without dialogue on top of it, if you care to listen:
Really, if you haven't seen this movie, you should check it out. And here is the full song without dialogue on top of it, if you care to listen:
Sunday, September 29, 2013
A Jazz Education: A Week with 'A Love Supreme'
The whole reason I started this blog was to discover new music. I've always viewed myself as pretty knowledgeable when it comes to music, but I'm learning with every week how much more musical goodness exists for me to discover. And so it was with this past week. Jazz is a genre that I've been vaguely familiar with my whole life. I was in jazz band (briefly) in high school, where I learned the importance of rhythm and improvisation in jazz (I personally contributed some of the worst trumpet solos ever heard during my band stint). I know and have been told that jazz is an important genre in its contributions to the cultural as well as musical landscape, but I feel that for most of us jazz has been unfairly relegated to musical wallpaper. Jazz is something that you hear when you go out for coffee, eat at Panera, or watch old movies. Many times for me, jazz is music that I hear but don't listen to; sort of in one ear and out the other. I thought that this week I would give a jazz record a fair shake and listen to it with as much attention and repetition as I would a new rock or pop album. What follows is very much a layman's/I-don't-know-anything look at John Coltrane's classic 'A Love Supreme' so I apologize ahead of time to all jazz-ophiles out there if it is a tad reductive; but this was my week with 'A Love Supreme'.
Recorded in one session on December 4, 1964 with John Coltrane on saxophone, Jimmy Garrison on double bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and McCoy Tyner on piano, 'A Love Supreme' is essentially one long piece broken up into 4 parts. In liner notes and interviews, Coltrane said that this record is a very "spiritual album" about the struggle for purity and the recognizing of a higher power that gives him his talent and ability to play music. And while that is all well and good on paper, what is most impressive to me is that this is the message Coltrane actually conveys extremely well and powerfully through his music. 'A Love Supreme' is truly transportive album that takes the listener on a journey through its four suites; from excited awakening of Pt. 1: Acknowledgement to the peaceful and hymn-like finale of Pt. 4: Psalm. It is, without a doubt, one of the strongest and most moving pieces of jazz that I have ever had the pleasure to spend some time with; but it took me awhile to arrive at that opinion.
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By Tuesday and Wednesday, I could recognize the development of motifs and themes within each movement. For example, The four note melody strummed by Garrison on bass at the very start of the record is the same one picked up at the end of the track by Coltrane; something that I'm sure is immediately obvious to well-versed jazz listeners but it took me a couple listens to make that connection. Or when Coltrane does arrive at that signature four note melody, each time he plays it there is a slight variation in his phrasing; tweaking a note here or pausing for an extra breath there. And yes, yes, yes, I know that's what the whole point of jazz is, but it was still extremely exciting for me to start to get it. To understand the skill, precision, and total command of an instrument you must possess to play at this level is truly amazing; combined with the fact that these four dudes banged this out in a day at the studio, makes these 33 minutes of music all the more impressive.
Though Coltrane's name is the only one on the cover, credit must be given to the other three musicians on the record who provide an excellent foundation from Coltrane to build upon. I particularly enjoyed McCoy Tyner's piano playing throughout and would find myself trying to filter out the sax, bass, and drums just so I could try to concentrate on the amazing things he was doing. The drum work is also wonderful; heck, I even like the drum solo on this record. You could go on and on about each musician's playing because they are all exceptional; each adding their own flair and style into the mix. 'A Love Supreme' would not be nearly as impressive as it is if it was only Coltrane playing away on his saxophone. The quartet's playing as whole is what truly makes this record special.
Come Saturday I was firmly feeling the Coltrane. The high-point and climax of the record comes, for me, with Pt. 4: Psalm. Most certainly the most beautiful piece of jazz I've ever listened to, but also so strongly able to convey mood and meaning. The spiritual side of the record that Coltrane describes really comes across in these 7 minutes. His saxophone wails with such a peaceful assurance and the drums roll and cymbals wash like waves coming in and out on the sand; I never got tired of it. And that's kind of how it went with every track on the record; with each listen, I continued to uncover new details and new slight variations in phrasing and melody. 'A Love Supreme' is truly a gift that keeps on giving. All said and done (if my iTunes play count is to be believed) I clocked 22 complete listens of the record. What is truly great about this record is that I think I could carry on for another week and another 20-odd listens and still be finding new things to enjoy.
Long story short, my week with 'A Love Supreme' was excellent. My time with this record became a real education on what can make jazz truly special, as well as the importance of a mental discipline to really, truly listen to something this intricate. I know I've done a lot of gushing in this review, but there is a reason it is considered one of, if not the best, jazz records of all time. Even if jazz is not your thing, I would recommend giving it another chance. Whether with this record or another (i.e. Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue'), jazz is a worthwhile landscape to explore. Before Panera and Starbucks were even blips on the radar, jazz was an important cultural and musical force and it has been a real pleasure this week connecting, just a bit, with part of that musical heritage.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: Pt.2: Resolution, Pt.4: Psalm (but really the whole thing is rather great and all basically one piece)
Let-Downs: None
Rating: 10/10
Any jazz lovers out there? Any album recommendations for me?
Up Next: We are going to be staying in the 60s for this week, but with a very different type of record. A progressive rock classic (I'm told) King Crimson's 1969 album 'In the Court of the Crimson King' which I've only ever heard bits and pieces of. Should be fun!
Recorded in one session on December 4, 1964 with John Coltrane on saxophone, Jimmy Garrison on double bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and McCoy Tyner on piano, 'A Love Supreme' is essentially one long piece broken up into 4 parts. In liner notes and interviews, Coltrane said that this record is a very "spiritual album" about the struggle for purity and the recognizing of a higher power that gives him his talent and ability to play music. And while that is all well and good on paper, what is most impressive to me is that this is the message Coltrane actually conveys extremely well and powerfully through his music. 'A Love Supreme' is truly transportive album that takes the listener on a journey through its four suites; from excited awakening of Pt. 1: Acknowledgement to the peaceful and hymn-like finale of Pt. 4: Psalm. It is, without a doubt, one of the strongest and most moving pieces of jazz that I have ever had the pleasure to spend some time with; but it took me awhile to arrive at that opinion.
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My first listen on Sunday was fairly disorienting (as I suppose it is for most jazz newbies). Jazz being jazz means that it doesn't follow conventional pop song structures; no verses or catchy chorus in sight. At first it's hard to pin down the trajectory of a song and I found I would automatically fall back into old habits and start to tune the record out, hearing it but not listening to it. Because I'm not a jazz listener, it was difficult for me to really appreciate everything that Coltrane and pals were doing on this record. So my first hurdle for the week was really just to do my best and actively pay attention to what I was hearing and begin to pick out moments and melodies that set this record apart. As I continued with repeated listens, 'A Love Supreme' went from being disorienting to truly engaging.
Though Coltrane's name is the only one on the cover, credit must be given to the other three musicians on the record who provide an excellent foundation from Coltrane to build upon. I particularly enjoyed McCoy Tyner's piano playing throughout and would find myself trying to filter out the sax, bass, and drums just so I could try to concentrate on the amazing things he was doing. The drum work is also wonderful; heck, I even like the drum solo on this record. You could go on and on about each musician's playing because they are all exceptional; each adding their own flair and style into the mix. 'A Love Supreme' would not be nearly as impressive as it is if it was only Coltrane playing away on his saxophone. The quartet's playing as whole is what truly makes this record special.
Come Saturday I was firmly feeling the Coltrane. The high-point and climax of the record comes, for me, with Pt. 4: Psalm. Most certainly the most beautiful piece of jazz I've ever listened to, but also so strongly able to convey mood and meaning. The spiritual side of the record that Coltrane describes really comes across in these 7 minutes. His saxophone wails with such a peaceful assurance and the drums roll and cymbals wash like waves coming in and out on the sand; I never got tired of it. And that's kind of how it went with every track on the record; with each listen, I continued to uncover new details and new slight variations in phrasing and melody. 'A Love Supreme' is truly a gift that keeps on giving. All said and done (if my iTunes play count is to be believed) I clocked 22 complete listens of the record. What is truly great about this record is that I think I could carry on for another week and another 20-odd listens and still be finding new things to enjoy.
Long story short, my week with 'A Love Supreme' was excellent. My time with this record became a real education on what can make jazz truly special, as well as the importance of a mental discipline to really, truly listen to something this intricate. I know I've done a lot of gushing in this review, but there is a reason it is considered one of, if not the best, jazz records of all time. Even if jazz is not your thing, I would recommend giving it another chance. Whether with this record or another (i.e. Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue'), jazz is a worthwhile landscape to explore. Before Panera and Starbucks were even blips on the radar, jazz was an important cultural and musical force and it has been a real pleasure this week connecting, just a bit, with part of that musical heritage.
The Breakdown:
Stand-Outs: Pt.2: Resolution, Pt.4: Psalm (but really the whole thing is rather great and all basically one piece)
Let-Downs: None
Rating: 10/10
Any jazz lovers out there? Any album recommendations for me?
Up Next: We are going to be staying in the 60s for this week, but with a very different type of record. A progressive rock classic (I'm told) King Crimson's 1969 album 'In the Court of the Crimson King' which I've only ever heard bits and pieces of. Should be fun!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Off the Record: Talk Talk
Along with John Coltrane this week, I've been listening to a lot of Talk Talk. I've had their greatest hits collection (Natural History) for a while now but never really given it a good listen. So for whatever reason I've found myself listening to it quite a bit this week and really, really enjoying it. It is very 80s art pop in its production but has a lot of little songwriting/instrumentation quirks that set it apart from your average 80s pop record. Anyhow, I'm liking it so much that I might make one of their albums a featured one soon; we shall see. Till then enjoy one of my favorites:
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