A brief note about the reviews: Each selection is reviewed on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, and I've picked two favorite songs for each disc. This is how the ratings are classified.
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0 stars - worthless even as a Frisbee |
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* - good only for a coaster |
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** - slightly redeeming...don't go out of your way to find it |
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*** - worth having, with just a few low points |
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**** - definitely recommended, even if you have to pay full price for it |
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***** - recorded perfection, from actual musical content down to production values (a virtually unattainable rating) |
my rating: *** 1/2
favorite songs: “Jump
n’ Shout”, “Red Alert”
If you've seen that Miller
Lite commercial (or whatever beer it is) with the people having a party and
bonfire outside, then you've heard the opening strains of "Red
Alert". That's why I bought this disc, and I wasn't too disappointed.
Basement Jaxx have been making waves in the clubs for well over a year now, and
it's easy to see why.
They're not techno, or big-beat, just good jumpin' dance music. "Jump n' Shout" is a frenetic piece, and if that and "Red Alert" don't make you shake your ass, nothing will. There are a few changes of pace here, too. "U Can't Stop Me" almost sounds like something Aaliyah might record, with that drum-and-bass feel to the rhythm behind sultry vocals. "Yo-Yo" is a little annoying. "Always Be There" reminds me a LOT of something that Rabbit in the Moon or BT might do. "Same Old Show" is a sexy little number, yet maintains a good steady rhythm suitable for dancing or...other activities. "Bingo Bango" almost has a Latin feel to it, but extremely catchy...throw your hands in the air and bump around the room. Some of the music here is a little derivative, but there's enough original stuff going on to keep my interest.
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Big Bad Voodoo Daddy...(self-titled)
my rating: *** 1/2
favorite songs:
"The Boogie Bumper", "King of Swing"
BBVD are one of the newer entries into the "swing scene", but it's tough to use that moniker for any of these bands. All three of these groups (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and Squirrel Nut Zippers) have very distinct sounds. BBVD is more like a cross between swing of the Prohibition era, and '50's style rock-and-roll, with the occasional slightly distorted guitar and sax solos. Almost like a hybrid mix of Cab Calloway and Bill Haley and the Comets, if you can imagine that.
The one thing I noticed the most was the horns...these guys have the most prominent horn section I've heard yet out of any of the modern "swing-era-revival" groups. And they are tight, too...everything comes off so smooth and natural, it really feels like you're listening to Benny Goodman or something. Something else noteworthy: they cover Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher", fantastic job. The whole disc is consistently solid, and very dance-able! Swing out!
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Cherry
Poppin' Daddies..."Zoot Suit Riot"
my rating: *** 1/2
favorite songs:
"Brown Derby Jump", "Master and Slave"
This is true swing, harkening back to the '30's and '40's, the days of Prohibition and Al Capone. The disc is pretty strong throughout, with some genuinely catchy tunes here. "Zoot Suit Riot" has gotten some radio play, but these aren't all new songs. This is more like a "greatest hits" compilation, and most people thought they just started out.
The songs here range from the dance-hall classics like "Zoot Suit Riot" and "Brown Derby Jump", to the hilarious tributes to Las Vegas lounge acts, "Mister White Keys" and "Come Back to Me", which is one of my faves here. The musicians are very capable, and the music is "traditional", while still holding on to some original elements, like the lyrics. Defintely a must-have for anyone who likes this kind of music.
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my rating: **** 1/2
favorite songs:
"Sweetback", "Chinese Burn"
I love this CD! Curve shows such a wide range, from the energetic opening track "Chinese Burn", to the hypnotic "Alligators Getting Up", from the barely-restrained aggression of "Dirty High" to the solemn mood of "Recovery". By the way, the vocalist for Curve also did the vocals for "Original" by Leftfield. That song was a good choice, too...it embodies much of the spirit of Curve, albeit only one side. And "Chinese Burn" reminds me quite a bit of "Pearl's Girl" by Underworld...both songs share a frenetic, very contagious groove. My favorite track is definitely "Sweetback". There is such a dark energy to this song, it gives me chills when I hear it.
It's difficult to pigeon-hole this band. I told one of my friends, "imagine a cross between Bile, Stabbing Westward, Garbage, and Hooverphonic", but Curve definitely has their own distinct feel. They're not "just another woman-vocalist band".
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De La
Soul..."Three Feet High and Rising"
my rating: ****
favorite songs: "The Magic Number", "Tread Water"
I've had this one since shortly after it came out, and loved it ever since. This is rap in a lighter vein than Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and all the gangsta rap out there. De La Soul rap about everyday things, and they definitely have a message to convey, but it never comes across as preaching. Topics range from drug abuse ("Say No Go") to life in the ghetto ("Ghetto Thang") and, of course, pursuit of the opposite sex ("Buddy").
De La Soul has a rapping style all their own, and it sounds so easy and natural for them. Trugoy, Posdnous, and The P.A. Mase all trade off lines and verses, without resorting to the tired and lame "I rap a line and everybody shout the last word in the line" style ("Shove me off into exILE!" Can someone give the Beastie Boys a clue, please? Tired!). The DJ work is great, too, from an era when rap acts HAD a DJ who scratched on the turntables, a style that's just beginning to come back around (check out Cornelius for some great modern turntabling work). They actually make a song from scratched samples from a French language lesson record. Yes, some of the songs are a bit dated, but the material still retains the same enjoyment as the day I bought it.
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my rating: ****
favorite songs:
"(Waiting for the) Night Boat", "Planet Earth"
Yes, this is the first release from the band that helped set a musical tone for the 80's, and it's a classic. Sure, it has the popular singles that we all know and love ("Girls on Film", with the video that was banned, "Planet Earth", "Is There Something I Should Know?"), but the album is strong throughout. Not a weak song in the bunch, with a few surprises, too. "(Waiting for the) Night Boat" is an uncharacteristically dark song, and definitely wouldn't have fit on any of their other albums, but it works here. And the disc even closes with an instrumental, something DD hasn't tried on any of their releases since. Yes, it's a must-have for anyone who ever was a fan of their music.
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my rating: *** 1/2
favorite songs:
"Rio" (of course), "New Religion"
This is DD's second album, and already we can note some musical changes, although not very far from the direction their early material took. Overall, this is a good album, and has some really excellent songs (in my opinion, "New Religion" is one of their best songs ever), but has some weak spots as well. There are only so many times a person can be expected to listen to "Hungry Like the Wolf", I'm sorry.
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Faith No
More..."The Real Thing"
my rating: **** 1/2
favorite songs:
"The Real Thing", "Woodpeckers From Mars"
This is Faith No More's third album, but the first to receive any mainstream attention for the single "Epic". Also their first outing with Mike Patton tackling the vocalist and lyrical abilities. It's been said that the band had been signed to Warner/Reprise before the songs were even done. They had gotten rid of Chuck Mosely, vocalist from their previous two albums, and didn't have a singer. Consequently, since he wrote the lyrics for the songs up until then, none of the new material had any lyrics. Patton joined the band three days before they went into the studio to record, and the rest is history, as they say. Anyway, on with the review.
When I first heard "Epic", the first single and video release from "The Real Thing", I hated it. I thought it was one of the worst things I had ever heard. But after hearing it a few times, it started to grow on me. And it's a good thing it did, and I ended up buying the album as a result, because it's a pretty varied collection of songs. Despite this being his first effort with the band, I think Patton's vocals on this album are better than any of their three releases since then.
The songs take on a variety of moods, from playful ("Falling to Pieces") to serious ("The Real Thing") to hard-edged noisy metal ("Zombie Eaters" and "Surprise! You're Dead!"). They've also got a quiet, lounge-jazz piece ("Edge of the World"), a spirited cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs", and an instrumental ("Woodpeckers From Mars", their only instrumental on any of their six full-length releases). Great great great, run out and find a copy. And I have lots of FNM stories, too, from having seen them live four times on one tour and meeting them in person a couple times. Write me for all the juicy, mustard-covered details!
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Hooverphonic..."A
New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular"
my rating: **** 1/2
favorite songs:
"2Wicky", "Inhaler"
The first track begins, and as Liesje starts to sing, you think "oh great, another band with those eerie female vocals". Well, shut up and listen, because in a few seconds you'll be drawn into the hypnotic appeal known as Hooverphonic.
Formerly just Hoover, they apparantly changed their musical direction quite a bit, and what they've become is an amazing animal. The opening two tracks, "Inhaler" and "2Wicky", are what I like to call "night music". This is the kind of music that's perfect when you're driving down a highway at night. It's very late, and you're completely alone in the car, as well as on the road. Not another car in sight, nor any other intrusions into the night like gas stations or strip malls. It's a warm spring night, the vents are open, but the windows are closed so you can surround yourself with the music, the texture...
Don't try to box Hooverphonic into one category, though. The CD changes styles quite effortlessly, while still keeping some hidden common denominator. The "Hooverphonic sound" pervades every song, and you will definitely find yourself humming, moving in your seat, being affected somehow, and that's the mark of good music. Thumbs up and straight A's all the way.
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my rating: ****
favorite songs:
"divine", "clown"
Korn definitely helped to start a musical trend with their debut release four years ago. They were mad as, well, you know, and they were not going to take it anymore. I think this disc is better than their follow-up release "Life is Peachy"...maybe that's because it was all still new for them all, who knows. I still remember when I first heard "blind" on the radio...the very ending gets so built-up...that was just a taste. At times, Korn gets more intense than some of the death metal bands I've heard.
The songs "ball tongue" and "clown" are perfect examples of this anger. The chorus in "ball tongue" just disintegrates into mindless, hateful screaming/babbling. This is, overall, a very agressive CD. And I think it's needless to say by this point, this definitely isn't a disc for kids.
Korn closes the CD with a track called "daddy". Even after all the rage and hatred of the previous eleven songs, this one is still surprising in its intensity. I'm not going into details here about the lyrical content, but obviously the vocalist is relating a true experience from his own childhood, and the result is chilling to say the least. By the end of the song he is screaming to the point where the listener can't understand much of what's being said, and that finally breaks down to sobbing. The very first time I heard this song, I couldn't believe it. No band has ever done anything like this, and it's an interesting track for a debut release, because it can never be topped. The musical delivery and the lyrics are so disturbing, so emotional, and so original, what more can I say? In all, an extremely powerful disc, solid and consistent all the way through, and chilling as well.
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my rating: ****
favorite songs:
"Computer World", "It's More Fun To Compute"
This disc is a classic. Kraftwerk, in my opinion, were one of the great pioneers of modern techno, and the songs here prove it. First released in 1981, and still as original as ever. Here lies a testament to the electronic revolution in one of its most minimal forms.
There are only seven tracks here, and it's a pretty short disc, but every track is memorable. From the "Speak-and-Spell" vocorder effects on the vocals in "Computer World" and "Numbers", to the ultra-electronic sounds of the percussion in "Home Computer", every song holds its own weight. Somehow, Kraftwerk manages to take you back to the days of Atari and Colecovision without making the music sound "dated".
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