My review of Frank Black Francis album can found on uncut.net
Come on Pilgrim, you know I love you
The Pixies have reunited…this is how this story ends, but I’m getting way ahead of myself. The artist formally knows as Charles Thompson, then Black Francis, following Frank Black and finally Frank Black Francis is going back to his roots. This was going to be the big news of the summer of 2004, Black Francis revisiting some of his classics; something he would never think of doing, not even during his live tours with the Catholics, but after going through what Frank calls personal therapy and to chill out with age was the first step to reconciliation with his former life as the head of the Pixies.
The first step after therapy was sifting through some demo tapes that he recorded on a walkman before going into the studio for Come on Pilgrim. These acoustic sketches made in 1987 are a glimpse inside the genius that is Black Francis. Stripped away with the buzz riffs of Joey Santiago, Bass lines and backing vocals of Kim Deal and the drumming of David Lovering would seem lacking to some—but to me this shows what an amazing and timeless songwriter Black Francis truly is. Anyone can layer songs with a band but hear these songs naked and fresh display the skeletal basis for future greatness of the band we have grown to adore, The Pixies.
What I love about the first disc is hearing the young Black Francis having fun strumming on his acoustic guitar playing such demos as “Broken Face,” “Oh My Golly,” and “Ed is Dead.” During the beginning of “Caribou” Frank says, “I want this one to sound like Husker Du.” (For those of you who don’t remember Husker Du, another one of the stellar acts of the eighties, fronted by Bob Mould, who’s uncompromising and electrically eclectic styles made them a favorites of the Alternative120 minutes nation.) You can hear the mindset of Black Francis he didn’t want to sound like top 40 hit-makers like the Escape Club or Wang Chung; he wanted to go deeper in the underground mold of Husker Du.
Pere Ubu was another one of those groups who avoided the mainstream with their uncompromising style with demented lyrics and dissonating rhythms even Frank Black could love. Former lead singer of Pere Ubu David Thomas collaborated with the Two Pale Boys, Andy Diagram and Keith Moline. The Two Pale boys are the ones who now have joined Frank Black Francis on disc two. Together with the Two Pale Boys, Frank Black reworks thirteen Pixies classics. Fear not Pixies faithful the result is pure amazement. Would you consider anything less from our beloved Francis?
Before I continue I must add that re-recording classics is not without precedent Lou Reed, Paul McCartney and David Bowie are a few of Rock legends who have gone back and reworked some of their favorite songs. If you don’t think Frank Black Francis doesn’t belong to mentioned with these greats than you need drive your car into the ocean.
Imagine what the Pixies would sound like in a 21st Century pub? Jazzy, hints of electronic flavor and 100% Frank Black. Sounds like greatness to me. Black goes back to the past and rewrites most of the arrangements on disc two. Let me tell you, these aren’t your older brother’s Pixies songs—the arrangements on such classics as “Caribou” have ambient touches, violin’s and trumpets blaring in the background along with Frank’s guitar and trademark howls. Think of being a Cowboy watching the stars in a metropolitan wasteland or a surfer looking at a fading sunset over a row of commercial buildings both in futuristic worlds—you might feel a bit out of place but you would still be in a state of wonder and amazement of scenery and the rhythms floating around you. That’s what the new versions on Disc two sound like. Most of the songs soar but a few like “cactus” might overreach with their arrangements. But the majority of the versions like “Wave of Mutilation” and “Holiday song” soar in their new incarnations.
What I love about these new versions, Frank puts his Pixies voice in the foreground for the first time highlighting the strength of his deranged and unique lyrics. Unbeknownst to some, most of the songs on both discs were written, in the early eighties, for one of Frank’s old flames Jane who would encourage Black to come up with crazy word games and to crack her up he’d write these insane and memorable songs like “Is she weird” for her.
The good news is that if it wasn’t for this two disc set, the Pixies reunion might never have come together. You can hear Frank Black Francis come to terms with his Pixies past and replay some of classic songs with a new fervor and excitement. Soon after these sessions with the Two Pale Boys, the original group Deal, Santiago and Lovering got together to rehearse and now their one their self proclaimed Sell Out Tour.
Now you can hear for yourself the seeds to their reunion on Frank Black Francis—where the past and future collide on an impression collection that is a must for all Pixies’ fans. So before you head out to the reunion shows pick up this instant classic by Francis you will be amazed.
adrian ernesto cepeda
2005
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Column: Morrissey: The Light That Never Went Out
my morrissey article can be found on treblezine.com
The Light That Never Went Out
Let me start off by saying I am not a disciple in the church of Mozzer. You could say I once was, long ago, then l lost faith in him but some how I found my way back. But not all the way—let's just say that Morrissey and I have a complicated connection; distant but very respectful.
This is a story that is oh-so familiar to most, of how a Latino teen found guidance and refuge in the music from a band and a man from Manchester. I can tell you when it happened, the moment I became a dedicated follower of Morrissey and The Smiths. It must have been sometime in the late 1980's, as I was in the back of my older hermano's car. He was driving with his then girlfriend in the passenger seat. She would always bring her music in his car, trying to get him to listen to cool new bands.
I still remember crouching down in the back seat as he drove, I could see the stars from where I was sitting. The windows were rolled down and it was another cool summer night in old San Antonio, Texas. Then it happened: I heard the words that changed my life forever.
"Take me out tonight/because I want to see people and I want to see life/driving in your car/I never ever want to go home because I haven't got one/anymore…"
As soon as I heard those words, I finally felt like someone understands my life and how I feel. How could it be? This voice, this guy with an English accent could perfectly articulate how it feels to be an outsider not only in your own city, your own country and your own ethnicity, but also in your family. Whoever this person was, he understood the infinite complexities of my life.
"Who is this?" I asked getting up feeling the wind caressing my face as I heard the music wash over me with a melancholy-like calmness.
"It's The Smiths…" my brother's girlfriend said handing me the cassette cover. (Yes it was that long ago, remember when we would all go by the latest tapes and play them over and over until they warped on our tape decks. This was a more innocent time in our lives before CDs and MP3s.) I remember staring at the green cover, opening up the sleeve and trying to figure out who sung this song? It was some band called The Smiths. The singer was Morrissey, the song was called "There's a Light that Never Goes Out," and I was mesmerized.
That night opened my eyes. I was still trying to find myself and my place in the world. I still had yet to find my voice, but somehow the singer in that song shined a light that would never go out. It may have faded but it will always be there. I still remember that moment like I remember my first Valentine kiss with Laura in third grade or my first apartment in New Orleans; it meant that much to me.
That's what you call powerful music and I feel The Smiths were my Beatles of my generation. Think about it, the sixties were all about peace and love. Okay, so the eighties were not so peaceful and not so lovely. The eighties were a decade of fear the bomb and depression of life and spirit. The Smiths reflected those times and gave us hope with the voice of my generation, Morrissey.
That's when it began for me, Morrissey and I and our complicated connection. Like any other friendship or relationship I've had in my life, we've had our ups and downs. There were times that I just couldn't listen to him. I couldn't because what he sang, with his songs in The Smiths and much later, rang with too much truth that I couldn't handle. But I always went back, to Morrissey and The Smiths; how could I not? They were there for me when I needed them most in those years of confusion and rebellion that all teens go through. But I could especially relate to his lyrics, being a Latino in America.
For the sociologists reading, I am going to explain to you why Morrissey and The Smiths make such an impact in Latino culture. As you may know, great artists in any field have a universal voice that anyone woman or man from any part of the world can understand. For example, The Beatles are popular because they sang about needing love. Love is a universal emotion that we all, as humans, strive for.
The Moz and The Smiths sing about loneliness, heartbreak and feeling alienated. Who in this world hasn't felt out of place and alone in this world? We Latinos are out of place in America because, to put it simple, we don't belong. We're too dark to be seen as white and not dark enough to be accepted in black culture. We are the true American anomaly. Not only that, but in our own family and culture there is a strict Roman Catholic tradition that can also be found in England where Morrissey was born and raised.
And it's not just the Latino population in the west coast. All across America, even in Texas, New Mexico and Chicago, where a large Latino culture is prominent, you will find a large contingent of Morrissey fans. Let me say that not all Latinos are Morrissey fans but many like me are drawn to him because he can feel our pain. Pain is an indiscriminate emotion that everyone feels and the way that Morrissey expresses his longing for happiness is universal.
I can see how some people think it's weird that a lot of Latinos can relate to a sexually ambiguous English singer, but think about the music, it always goes back to the words and his songs. Moz and The Smiths sing about alienation, loss of love and conflict of religion and authority with a romantically poetic feel that Latinos are renowned for. We are known as the Latin Lovers. We are passionate and proud people. And the lyrics of Morrissey directly tune into our passion and estrangement. We look at danger and we laugh our heads off. Songs about famous international playboys, boxers, girlfriends in comas, wonderful women and handsome devils—believe me, we understand.
I, being a poet, clung to his lyrics and more personal songs with The Smiths' like "This Night Has Opened My Eyes," and much later with "Will Never marry," `Sister I'm a Poet," "You've Had Her" and "Lost." He has the voice, the kind of voice that's a combination of Sinatra, Elvis, Bowie and T-Rex. Morrissey seemed sweet and loyal yet lethal with lyrics like, "She used to be nobody's nothing," that could cut you down worse than any weapon ever could.
But it was the lack of voice or Morrissey not showing up at all that put a strain on my admiration for the man and his art. It was during the Kill Uncle tour, his first journey to American since he left The Smiths, and I had tickets to a show in Austin. I could remember the anticipation of going to see my hero in the flesh. The day arrived, driving to Austin from San Antonio my heart was beating fast, it would be just as a magical night as the moment when I first heard his voice in my brothers car ten years earlier. But, it never happened. The night before in Dallas, the crowd rushed the stage and Morrissey ran off stopping the show earlier than expected. The venue where Morrissey was supposed to play, the City Coliseum, had an old fault stage and his tour crew said it was unstable so they canceled the show. My friend said it best, "I thought I was going to be depressed but this is worse having not seeing him at all."
I couldn't listen to Morrissey and The Smiths the same way again. It hurt, how could he just cancel? Why not move the gig somewhere else? I am still waiting for my apology, I'll probably never get it, maybe it would have been a hazard being in there with all of those disciples, but it would have been worth it just to hear one song. Even when he came back to San Antonio many years later, I couldn't go. It was like being stood up by the most popular girl at school once and giving her the opportunity to do it again. Yeah right, nice try Mozzer.
But I went back as I always do, back to the old house. To the songs that saved my life, all of them, the new and the old. It's that connection that I felt in my brother's car during my youth, it was still there. I could never adore Morrissey the same but I still respected him as an artist. So I bought them all, every album from, Beethoven is Deaf, Southpaw Grammar, World of Morrissey, My Early Burglary Years, and even Under the Influence. I own them all — after all, we had been through the good and bad, Morrissey's voice would still stand by me even in school.
I remember when I tried to be shocking when I wore a Charles Manson T-shirt to school and no one said anything. But a week later when I was late for class I threw on my Morrissey t-shirt and all hell broke lose. I remember people whispering, "…that guy's wearing a Morrissey shirt…" with lifted noses and disapproving glances that would have even made The Moz smile.
But it always came back to music, that what bring me back, even many years later. Most people could remember incidents in their life by movies but I go back to points in my life with Morrissey songs. Every heart break with every girl I have known, from Laura, Alexis to Jessica and Heather playing "Will Never Marry" and "Tomorrow." remembered to the sad strings in `Will Never Marry;" going home alone from the clubs listening to "How Soon is Now?" There was the time I finally moved to New Orleans away from my strict Latino family household to the sounds of Viva Hate's "Break Up the Family" and especially with "Late night, Maudlin Street."
Morrissey has always been there like a singing angel slipping in the soundtrack to my life and I have been grateful. So that's why on March 29th I walked into my local CD shop and added Moz's new live album At Earls Court to my collection. I had the same anticipation when I would go purchase his tapes. The feeling was the same, even though I had heard most of these songs before. But hearing "How Soon is Now?" and "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" in a live setting made me feel like I was actually there. Because twenty some odd years later, I'm still there in the back of my hermano's car hearing that song for the first time. That light still burns with a sound so memorable and a voice that always understands.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.12.2005
The Light That Never Went Out
Let me start off by saying I am not a disciple in the church of Mozzer. You could say I once was, long ago, then l lost faith in him but some how I found my way back. But not all the way—let's just say that Morrissey and I have a complicated connection; distant but very respectful.
This is a story that is oh-so familiar to most, of how a Latino teen found guidance and refuge in the music from a band and a man from Manchester. I can tell you when it happened, the moment I became a dedicated follower of Morrissey and The Smiths. It must have been sometime in the late 1980's, as I was in the back of my older hermano's car. He was driving with his then girlfriend in the passenger seat. She would always bring her music in his car, trying to get him to listen to cool new bands.
I still remember crouching down in the back seat as he drove, I could see the stars from where I was sitting. The windows were rolled down and it was another cool summer night in old San Antonio, Texas. Then it happened: I heard the words that changed my life forever.
"Take me out tonight/because I want to see people and I want to see life/driving in your car/I never ever want to go home because I haven't got one/anymore…"
As soon as I heard those words, I finally felt like someone understands my life and how I feel. How could it be? This voice, this guy with an English accent could perfectly articulate how it feels to be an outsider not only in your own city, your own country and your own ethnicity, but also in your family. Whoever this person was, he understood the infinite complexities of my life.
"Who is this?" I asked getting up feeling the wind caressing my face as I heard the music wash over me with a melancholy-like calmness.
"It's The Smiths…" my brother's girlfriend said handing me the cassette cover. (Yes it was that long ago, remember when we would all go by the latest tapes and play them over and over until they warped on our tape decks. This was a more innocent time in our lives before CDs and MP3s.) I remember staring at the green cover, opening up the sleeve and trying to figure out who sung this song? It was some band called The Smiths. The singer was Morrissey, the song was called "There's a Light that Never Goes Out," and I was mesmerized.
That night opened my eyes. I was still trying to find myself and my place in the world. I still had yet to find my voice, but somehow the singer in that song shined a light that would never go out. It may have faded but it will always be there. I still remember that moment like I remember my first Valentine kiss with Laura in third grade or my first apartment in New Orleans; it meant that much to me.
That's what you call powerful music and I feel The Smiths were my Beatles of my generation. Think about it, the sixties were all about peace and love. Okay, so the eighties were not so peaceful and not so lovely. The eighties were a decade of fear the bomb and depression of life and spirit. The Smiths reflected those times and gave us hope with the voice of my generation, Morrissey.
That's when it began for me, Morrissey and I and our complicated connection. Like any other friendship or relationship I've had in my life, we've had our ups and downs. There were times that I just couldn't listen to him. I couldn't because what he sang, with his songs in The Smiths and much later, rang with too much truth that I couldn't handle. But I always went back, to Morrissey and The Smiths; how could I not? They were there for me when I needed them most in those years of confusion and rebellion that all teens go through. But I could especially relate to his lyrics, being a Latino in America.
For the sociologists reading, I am going to explain to you why Morrissey and The Smiths make such an impact in Latino culture. As you may know, great artists in any field have a universal voice that anyone woman or man from any part of the world can understand. For example, The Beatles are popular because they sang about needing love. Love is a universal emotion that we all, as humans, strive for.
The Moz and The Smiths sing about loneliness, heartbreak and feeling alienated. Who in this world hasn't felt out of place and alone in this world? We Latinos are out of place in America because, to put it simple, we don't belong. We're too dark to be seen as white and not dark enough to be accepted in black culture. We are the true American anomaly. Not only that, but in our own family and culture there is a strict Roman Catholic tradition that can also be found in England where Morrissey was born and raised.
And it's not just the Latino population in the west coast. All across America, even in Texas, New Mexico and Chicago, where a large Latino culture is prominent, you will find a large contingent of Morrissey fans. Let me say that not all Latinos are Morrissey fans but many like me are drawn to him because he can feel our pain. Pain is an indiscriminate emotion that everyone feels and the way that Morrissey expresses his longing for happiness is universal.
I can see how some people think it's weird that a lot of Latinos can relate to a sexually ambiguous English singer, but think about the music, it always goes back to the words and his songs. Moz and The Smiths sing about alienation, loss of love and conflict of religion and authority with a romantically poetic feel that Latinos are renowned for. We are known as the Latin Lovers. We are passionate and proud people. And the lyrics of Morrissey directly tune into our passion and estrangement. We look at danger and we laugh our heads off. Songs about famous international playboys, boxers, girlfriends in comas, wonderful women and handsome devils—believe me, we understand.
I, being a poet, clung to his lyrics and more personal songs with The Smiths' like "This Night Has Opened My Eyes," and much later with "Will Never marry," `Sister I'm a Poet," "You've Had Her" and "Lost." He has the voice, the kind of voice that's a combination of Sinatra, Elvis, Bowie and T-Rex. Morrissey seemed sweet and loyal yet lethal with lyrics like, "She used to be nobody's nothing," that could cut you down worse than any weapon ever could.
But it was the lack of voice or Morrissey not showing up at all that put a strain on my admiration for the man and his art. It was during the Kill Uncle tour, his first journey to American since he left The Smiths, and I had tickets to a show in Austin. I could remember the anticipation of going to see my hero in the flesh. The day arrived, driving to Austin from San Antonio my heart was beating fast, it would be just as a magical night as the moment when I first heard his voice in my brothers car ten years earlier. But, it never happened. The night before in Dallas, the crowd rushed the stage and Morrissey ran off stopping the show earlier than expected. The venue where Morrissey was supposed to play, the City Coliseum, had an old fault stage and his tour crew said it was unstable so they canceled the show. My friend said it best, "I thought I was going to be depressed but this is worse having not seeing him at all."
I couldn't listen to Morrissey and The Smiths the same way again. It hurt, how could he just cancel? Why not move the gig somewhere else? I am still waiting for my apology, I'll probably never get it, maybe it would have been a hazard being in there with all of those disciples, but it would have been worth it just to hear one song. Even when he came back to San Antonio many years later, I couldn't go. It was like being stood up by the most popular girl at school once and giving her the opportunity to do it again. Yeah right, nice try Mozzer.
But I went back as I always do, back to the old house. To the songs that saved my life, all of them, the new and the old. It's that connection that I felt in my brother's car during my youth, it was still there. I could never adore Morrissey the same but I still respected him as an artist. So I bought them all, every album from, Beethoven is Deaf, Southpaw Grammar, World of Morrissey, My Early Burglary Years, and even Under the Influence. I own them all — after all, we had been through the good and bad, Morrissey's voice would still stand by me even in school.
I remember when I tried to be shocking when I wore a Charles Manson T-shirt to school and no one said anything. But a week later when I was late for class I threw on my Morrissey t-shirt and all hell broke lose. I remember people whispering, "…that guy's wearing a Morrissey shirt…" with lifted noses and disapproving glances that would have even made The Moz smile.
But it always came back to music, that what bring me back, even many years later. Most people could remember incidents in their life by movies but I go back to points in my life with Morrissey songs. Every heart break with every girl I have known, from Laura, Alexis to Jessica and Heather playing "Will Never Marry" and "Tomorrow." remembered to the sad strings in `Will Never Marry;" going home alone from the clubs listening to "How Soon is Now?" There was the time I finally moved to New Orleans away from my strict Latino family household to the sounds of Viva Hate's "Break Up the Family" and especially with "Late night, Maudlin Street."
Morrissey has always been there like a singing angel slipping in the soundtrack to my life and I have been grateful. So that's why on March 29th I walked into my local CD shop and added Moz's new live album At Earls Court to my collection. I had the same anticipation when I would go purchase his tapes. The feeling was the same, even though I had heard most of these songs before. But hearing "How Soon is Now?" and "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" in a live setting made me feel like I was actually there. Because twenty some odd years later, I'm still there in the back of my hermano's car hearing that song for the first time. That light still burns with a sound so memorable and a voice that always understands.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.12.2005
Best Song Ever: Essay: The Libertines "The Good Old Days"
my libertines best song ever essay can be found on treblezine.com
"The Good Old Days"
The Libertines
Up The Bracket
05.30.2006
"But if you've lost your faith in love and music the end wont be long/ because if it's gone for you then I too may lose it and that would be wrong."
- The Libertines, "The Good Old Days"
The Libertines' "The Good Old Days" captures the running theme that one can hear throughout all of The Libertines' songs-living for the moment. Just like another popular and influential UK band, The Stone Roses, sang on their very own debut album, "The past was yours/ but the future's mine/ you're all out of time."
The Libertines gladly took over where The Roses left off, in spirit more so than in sound, and where Oasis mostly failed. Pete Doherty and Carl Barât created mainstream music that was layered with not only the post modern British rock styling's so missing from the UK scene, but they had the magic ingredient-the substance and underground flavor that lifted The Libertines to automatic iconic status. The Libertines didn't care about fame they played for the love of the music.
"The Good Old Days"' message is simple, the music of the past was prologue, and we, as The Libertines, are here to write the new, to create the music that will change the world. The Libertines were that band. As it is, Doherty and Barât were making quite an impact on the state of modern rock when they disbanded a few years ago. They were the last white hope to save rock and roll. You can hear it in this song. "And it chars my heart to always hear you calling/ calling for the good old days/because there were no good old days/ these are the good old days."
That line reminds me of the old-timers whiling away in pubs, wishing for the glory of the past. But what The Libertines are really singing about is the splendor and brilliance of today. The band practiced what they preached by living for the moment, for better or for worse, as we know have learned and it is captured so brilliantly in this one timeless song.
The Libertines' musical sentiment for tearing up the past by exploring the beauty of the present is one of the reason, to this day I hold this band close to my heart. They refused to be just another Brit Pop band. They came and they conquered. Their lyrics and music spoke to us. The Libertines serenaded us. Everyone-rich, poor, men and women everywhere in the world could relate to The Libertines, just as they could relate to our struggles, our highs and lows-The Libertines were you and me.
Just listen; The Libertines were not just another UK band that rocked for the sake of rocking. There are layers throughout "The Good Old Days." The song starts soft, with Carl's hushed vocal, before kicking in with that amazing guitar riff and the harmonies. They were the masters of capturing the sound, loud and lovely. The sweetness of the introduction merges into a ferocious finale where the band kicks it into gear along with their eloquent harmonies. The banging of the drums and the building of the guitars in dramatic unison announce the coming and arrival of The Libertines.
It's a shame that the legacy of one of my favorite bands ended before fulfilling the promise as felt in songs like "The Good Old Days." The band had the mantle in their sights and just as soon as they appeared, they quickly disbanded, but are not forgotten. The Libertines had the lyrical eloquence of The Smiths matched with the artistic intensity of The Clash. Who will pick up the torch and rewrite the rules like The Libertines? I suppose only time well tell.
Will Doherty and Barât even live up to the pride they created as The Libertines in their later projects? That my friend is the ironic thing; many fans want to go back and relive the glory and the wishful days when Albion, Doherty's dream of utopian Britain, was still alive and in the sights and sounds of their beloved Libertines.
Until then, we can always hear their brilliance and promise over and over again, falling in love with The Libertines music that still touches us and remind us that these, indeed, are the good old days.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.30.2006
"The Good Old Days"
The Libertines
Up The Bracket
05.30.2006
"But if you've lost your faith in love and music the end wont be long/ because if it's gone for you then I too may lose it and that would be wrong."
- The Libertines, "The Good Old Days"
The Libertines' "The Good Old Days" captures the running theme that one can hear throughout all of The Libertines' songs-living for the moment. Just like another popular and influential UK band, The Stone Roses, sang on their very own debut album, "The past was yours/ but the future's mine/ you're all out of time."
The Libertines gladly took over where The Roses left off, in spirit more so than in sound, and where Oasis mostly failed. Pete Doherty and Carl Barât created mainstream music that was layered with not only the post modern British rock styling's so missing from the UK scene, but they had the magic ingredient-the substance and underground flavor that lifted The Libertines to automatic iconic status. The Libertines didn't care about fame they played for the love of the music.
"The Good Old Days"' message is simple, the music of the past was prologue, and we, as The Libertines, are here to write the new, to create the music that will change the world. The Libertines were that band. As it is, Doherty and Barât were making quite an impact on the state of modern rock when they disbanded a few years ago. They were the last white hope to save rock and roll. You can hear it in this song. "And it chars my heart to always hear you calling/ calling for the good old days/because there were no good old days/ these are the good old days."
That line reminds me of the old-timers whiling away in pubs, wishing for the glory of the past. But what The Libertines are really singing about is the splendor and brilliance of today. The band practiced what they preached by living for the moment, for better or for worse, as we know have learned and it is captured so brilliantly in this one timeless song.
The Libertines' musical sentiment for tearing up the past by exploring the beauty of the present is one of the reason, to this day I hold this band close to my heart. They refused to be just another Brit Pop band. They came and they conquered. Their lyrics and music spoke to us. The Libertines serenaded us. Everyone-rich, poor, men and women everywhere in the world could relate to The Libertines, just as they could relate to our struggles, our highs and lows-The Libertines were you and me.
Just listen; The Libertines were not just another UK band that rocked for the sake of rocking. There are layers throughout "The Good Old Days." The song starts soft, with Carl's hushed vocal, before kicking in with that amazing guitar riff and the harmonies. They were the masters of capturing the sound, loud and lovely. The sweetness of the introduction merges into a ferocious finale where the band kicks it into gear along with their eloquent harmonies. The banging of the drums and the building of the guitars in dramatic unison announce the coming and arrival of The Libertines.
It's a shame that the legacy of one of my favorite bands ended before fulfilling the promise as felt in songs like "The Good Old Days." The band had the mantle in their sights and just as soon as they appeared, they quickly disbanded, but are not forgotten. The Libertines had the lyrical eloquence of The Smiths matched with the artistic intensity of The Clash. Who will pick up the torch and rewrite the rules like The Libertines? I suppose only time well tell.
Will Doherty and Barât even live up to the pride they created as The Libertines in their later projects? That my friend is the ironic thing; many fans want to go back and relive the glory and the wishful days when Albion, Doherty's dream of utopian Britain, was still alive and in the sights and sounds of their beloved Libertines.
Until then, we can always hear their brilliance and promise over and over again, falling in love with The Libertines music that still touches us and remind us that these, indeed, are the good old days.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.30.2006
Best Song Ever: Review: Daniel Lanois "The Maker"
the maker song review can be found on treblezine.com
"The Maker"
Daniel Lanois
Acadie
Everyone knows Lanois as the master producer of such artists as The Neville Brothers, U2, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan but how many can claim to own his magnificent solo albums. Written and recorded in his Kingsway studio in New Orleans, this song inspired me to want to move to New Orleans. "And from the across the great divide/from the distance I saw a light…"To me this song epitomizes my idea of "Myth City," a place where you can go live, breathe and create legends. "I have seen flaming souls/there over east of Eden/burning in the eyes of the maker." Besides it also a killer rhythm track; check out the amazing bass-line by Art Neville, one of the best basslines created by a musician, ever. It adds a layer of darkness to Lanois' enlightened lyrics, another reminder of the city I used to call home.
Just like "My Sweet Lord," this is another spiritual song without being too religious. The thing I love about "The Maker" is that it can be anything to anyone of us, God, inspiration, Love…all of the above. It's a very personal song with a very universal message of rejuvenation.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
2006
"The Maker"
Daniel Lanois
Acadie
Everyone knows Lanois as the master producer of such artists as The Neville Brothers, U2, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan but how many can claim to own his magnificent solo albums. Written and recorded in his Kingsway studio in New Orleans, this song inspired me to want to move to New Orleans. "And from the across the great divide/from the distance I saw a light…"To me this song epitomizes my idea of "Myth City," a place where you can go live, breathe and create legends. "I have seen flaming souls/there over east of Eden/burning in the eyes of the maker." Besides it also a killer rhythm track; check out the amazing bass-line by Art Neville, one of the best basslines created by a musician, ever. It adds a layer of darkness to Lanois' enlightened lyrics, another reminder of the city I used to call home.
Just like "My Sweet Lord," this is another spiritual song without being too religious. The thing I love about "The Maker" is that it can be anything to anyone of us, God, inspiration, Love…all of the above. It's a very personal song with a very universal message of rejuvenation.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
2006
Best Song Ever: Review: George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord"
my sweet lord best song ever review can be found on treblezine.com
"My Sweet Lord"
George Harrison
All Things Must Pass
The question isn't when did my life begin but when did my first memory take place? The answer is in the mid to late 1970's while I was in the womb, mis padres were living in New York City and on the radio was this now-classic song by George Harrison. I have always had a strange connection to this song. I remember rehearing this song again while in high school while in the car with my Madre and recognizing it right away. That's when she said, oh that's the song that was playing all the time on el radio right before you were born. It's kind of remarkable how hearing this song from the womb, to this day, it still resonates with me. The reason I love this song is because it's very spiritual without being overtly religious. And it also has that killer acoustic guitar riff that made me want to pick one up and learn to play the guitar. Isn't that what great music is supposed to do, stay with you through time and inspire you to want to play music? I think so.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
2006
"My Sweet Lord"
George Harrison
All Things Must Pass
The question isn't when did my life begin but when did my first memory take place? The answer is in the mid to late 1970's while I was in the womb, mis padres were living in New York City and on the radio was this now-classic song by George Harrison. I have always had a strange connection to this song. I remember rehearing this song again while in high school while in the car with my Madre and recognizing it right away. That's when she said, oh that's the song that was playing all the time on el radio right before you were born. It's kind of remarkable how hearing this song from the womb, to this day, it still resonates with me. The reason I love this song is because it's very spiritual without being overtly religious. And it also has that killer acoustic guitar riff that made me want to pick one up and learn to play the guitar. Isn't that what great music is supposed to do, stay with you through time and inspire you to want to play music? I think so.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
2006
Review: Thom Yorke: The Eraser
my thom yorke review can be found on treblezine.com
Thom Yorke
The Eraser
2006
XL
Thom Yorke was once an enigma to me. He has this mythical persona, eternally eccentric, moody and creative. Before I saw Radiohead live in New Orleans, I imagined him as the man we saw in Meeting People is Easy—a hyper-sensitive paranoid, vegan artist who stays up late writing post modern, cut-up style haiku while listening to old school techno and Charles Mingus. But after seeing how warm and animated he is alive on stage, I realized that the Thom Yorke the singer/songwriting/artist is not the same as the man behind his Stanley Donwood inspired mask. That we music fans tend to confuse our heroes with their lyrical persona is so wrong.
That being said, after experiencing Thom and Radiohead in concert I had more respect and adoration for them as artists. I think some of us take for granted what it takes to make a Radiohead record. Much of the attention is directed toward Thom Yorke, and as such, some believe he is making all of the decisions, but after seeing them live you realize how much Radiohead is a collective entity and not a totalitarian machine. This may be why Thom has gone off and made the record he always wanted to create. We've heard shades of it on Kid A, which now we know was Thom's idea of challenging his band mates to recreate the idea of a Radiohead song. The reason that Kid A is one of my favorite records is because it demands you, the listener, to throw out any preconceptions you may have had about the band and live inside the electronic intimacy of the moment that it was.
If you loved Kid A like I did, then you will adore The Eraser. You can forget any type of OK Computer sound on this album. Make no bones about it, amigos; The Eraser is Thom's baby. You can tell by the sound. It reminds me of the noisy, odd and cerebrally-induced beats of those old Warp Recordings like Aphex Twin's alias Polygon Window and Autechre. The musical theme which started on Kid A has now expanded on The Eraser, finding Thom mixing organic instrumentation and soulful lyrics with analog techno sounds. It works from the opening and title track—starting with organic piano chords being looped over electronic back beats with Thom's aching vocals as he sings, "please excuse me but I got to ask, are you only being nice because you want something?"What's so compelling is the way that the piano and Thom's voice bring this humanistic element that's missing in most of the electro rhythms we hear in clubs and bars everywhere.
Yorke's honest lyrical touches like "The more you erase me/the more I appear" are what make The Eraser more than just a solo excursion in analog and techno culture. "It gets you down…there's no time to analyze" go lyrics to my favorite track on the album, "Analyzze." This may be Thom's message to critics and fans not to decipher every little thing he sings and writes. "Analyze" is the most soulful and cinematic song on the record, and there is so much going on thanks to help from former Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. It's like an elegant symphony of noise and brilliance that we have come to enjoy from this magical, eccentric mind.
"The Black Swan" is another one of my favorite tracks, utilizing a very cool, low, bluesy guitar riff looped with a trip-hop beat. It sounds like a close cousin to Amnesiac's "I Might Be Wrong." And Thom's haunting scat-like background vocals, paired with the lyrics, "this is your blind spot, it should be obvious…this is fucked up," make this track a memorable highlight.
"Harrowdown Hill" begins with a killer bass riff along with an "Idioteque" like back beat. And with lyrics like "I'm coming home… to make it all right/so dry your eyes/ we think the same things and at the same time/ we just can't do anything about it," this could have ended up such a sad song, but in Thom Yorke's world this is an upbeat track with haunting rhythms.
Those expecting The Eraser to be made up of more of the traditional Radiohead OK Computer-like anthems have come to the wrong place. But those in search of a journey inside the eclectic and electronic inspired mind of Thom Yorke should look no further. I would venture to guess even Richard D. James is proud that his Warp Records cohorts can inspire one of our generation's greatest singer/songwriters to create a soundtrack to the modern age with soulful melodies, and memories that will resonate with the listener long after the song fades.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
07.10.2006
Thom Yorke
The Eraser
2006
XL
Thom Yorke was once an enigma to me. He has this mythical persona, eternally eccentric, moody and creative. Before I saw Radiohead live in New Orleans, I imagined him as the man we saw in Meeting People is Easy—a hyper-sensitive paranoid, vegan artist who stays up late writing post modern, cut-up style haiku while listening to old school techno and Charles Mingus. But after seeing how warm and animated he is alive on stage, I realized that the Thom Yorke the singer/songwriting/artist is not the same as the man behind his Stanley Donwood inspired mask. That we music fans tend to confuse our heroes with their lyrical persona is so wrong.
That being said, after experiencing Thom and Radiohead in concert I had more respect and adoration for them as artists. I think some of us take for granted what it takes to make a Radiohead record. Much of the attention is directed toward Thom Yorke, and as such, some believe he is making all of the decisions, but after seeing them live you realize how much Radiohead is a collective entity and not a totalitarian machine. This may be why Thom has gone off and made the record he always wanted to create. We've heard shades of it on Kid A, which now we know was Thom's idea of challenging his band mates to recreate the idea of a Radiohead song. The reason that Kid A is one of my favorite records is because it demands you, the listener, to throw out any preconceptions you may have had about the band and live inside the electronic intimacy of the moment that it was.
If you loved Kid A like I did, then you will adore The Eraser. You can forget any type of OK Computer sound on this album. Make no bones about it, amigos; The Eraser is Thom's baby. You can tell by the sound. It reminds me of the noisy, odd and cerebrally-induced beats of those old Warp Recordings like Aphex Twin's alias Polygon Window and Autechre. The musical theme which started on Kid A has now expanded on The Eraser, finding Thom mixing organic instrumentation and soulful lyrics with analog techno sounds. It works from the opening and title track—starting with organic piano chords being looped over electronic back beats with Thom's aching vocals as he sings, "please excuse me but I got to ask, are you only being nice because you want something?"What's so compelling is the way that the piano and Thom's voice bring this humanistic element that's missing in most of the electro rhythms we hear in clubs and bars everywhere.
Yorke's honest lyrical touches like "The more you erase me/the more I appear" are what make The Eraser more than just a solo excursion in analog and techno culture. "It gets you down…there's no time to analyze" go lyrics to my favorite track on the album, "Analyzze." This may be Thom's message to critics and fans not to decipher every little thing he sings and writes. "Analyze" is the most soulful and cinematic song on the record, and there is so much going on thanks to help from former Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. It's like an elegant symphony of noise and brilliance that we have come to enjoy from this magical, eccentric mind.
"The Black Swan" is another one of my favorite tracks, utilizing a very cool, low, bluesy guitar riff looped with a trip-hop beat. It sounds like a close cousin to Amnesiac's "I Might Be Wrong." And Thom's haunting scat-like background vocals, paired with the lyrics, "this is your blind spot, it should be obvious…this is fucked up," make this track a memorable highlight.
"Harrowdown Hill" begins with a killer bass riff along with an "Idioteque" like back beat. And with lyrics like "I'm coming home… to make it all right/so dry your eyes/ we think the same things and at the same time/ we just can't do anything about it," this could have ended up such a sad song, but in Thom Yorke's world this is an upbeat track with haunting rhythms.
Those expecting The Eraser to be made up of more of the traditional Radiohead OK Computer-like anthems have come to the wrong place. But those in search of a journey inside the eclectic and electronic inspired mind of Thom Yorke should look no further. I would venture to guess even Richard D. James is proud that his Warp Records cohorts can inspire one of our generation's greatest singer/songwriters to create a soundtrack to the modern age with soulful melodies, and memories that will resonate with the listener long after the song fades.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
07.10.2006
Review: The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan
my white stripes review can be found on treblezine.com
The White Stripes
Get Behind Me Satan
2005
V2
My favorite story about Jack White was that while he was an upholsterer in Detroit, many years before he was cranking out riffs on his favorite axe from Montgomery Ward, he would write poems and stick them underneath the furniture he was fixing. So somewhere out there, White Stripes fans, White's odes are hidden deep within random people's houses. I would love to read them and see the mindset of White, back in the day, at a time when he was dedicated to the art of upholstery.
I would love to know what has been in Jack White's creative head recently. Yeah we all know about his personal life but music wise, I must say that I liked their last release Elephant but didn't love it like their breakout album White Blood Cells. Although I loved "Seven Nation Army" and a few other tracks, I was disappointed with the album. It sounded only like more of the same. That guitar and drum rock sound that's been flooding the mainstream with such a formidable force, now seems redundant. I just needed to hear something new and different, not more of the same bangs and riffs. But in reality no one does it like the White Stripes. People may try to emulate them but they are the OGs.
I wasn't really looking forward to hearing Satan, but being a Detroit native, it's in my nature to get behind any artist that hails from the great state of Michigan. That being said, when I first played the new White Stripes album, I was more than surprised—blown away is the word I like to use. This is the album that I have been waiting Jack & Meg White to make since White Blood Cells.
What do I love about it, the piano; Jack White plays the keys like a man possessed. I have always been a fan of the keys, especially by artists such as Mike Garson, who's played with Bowie and NIN, and Buena Vista Social Club's Ruben Gonzalez. The piano sound on Satan dominates the album, more so than White's guitar. It's as if Jack put down his axe and was determined to make an album of piano-based blues. Check out "My Doorbell," the way that Jack plays those keys sounds as if he's in some saloon in the wild, wild west. All I can say is thank you for this Mr. White for such a dramatic and killer sound.
Jack must have been inspired with his parts in the movie Cold Mountain and producing Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose, because the sound is more eclectic, southern and purely electrifying. Just listen to my favorite track, "The Nurse." It has a calypso vibe and in between the tropical sound you hear Jack wailing away on his guitar and Meg smashing her drums like never before. The star of the show to me is still Meg White, the coolest and sexiest drummer on the planet. Her percussion soars to new heights on this album. She's not only the back beat but the back bone to the band. Even Jack would attest without Meg there would be no White Stripes.
After hearing Satan, no one can accuse The White Stripes of trying to mold their style for an MOR sound. On the contrary, they go down the other road with a more experimental vibe that makes Satan one of the most underrated releases of the 2005. You could tell that White's been listening to lots o' Led Zeppelin because some of the tracks like the acoustic "Little Ghost" and the electric "Take Take Take" sound like they could have fit perfectly on Physical Graffiti. Yes, Jack is doing his best Robert Plant with his own Detroit bluesy style. It's more of an ode to Plant and Zep — I bet you even Jimmy Page will name Satan one of his fave albums of the year.
So if you're looking for an album that will not only rock you but enlighteningly challenge you to redefine the sound that is the White Stripes then Get Behind Me Satan is the album for you. Hanging with the devil never sounded this good.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.28.2005
The White Stripes
Get Behind Me Satan
2005
V2
My favorite story about Jack White was that while he was an upholsterer in Detroit, many years before he was cranking out riffs on his favorite axe from Montgomery Ward, he would write poems and stick them underneath the furniture he was fixing. So somewhere out there, White Stripes fans, White's odes are hidden deep within random people's houses. I would love to read them and see the mindset of White, back in the day, at a time when he was dedicated to the art of upholstery.
I would love to know what has been in Jack White's creative head recently. Yeah we all know about his personal life but music wise, I must say that I liked their last release Elephant but didn't love it like their breakout album White Blood Cells. Although I loved "Seven Nation Army" and a few other tracks, I was disappointed with the album. It sounded only like more of the same. That guitar and drum rock sound that's been flooding the mainstream with such a formidable force, now seems redundant. I just needed to hear something new and different, not more of the same bangs and riffs. But in reality no one does it like the White Stripes. People may try to emulate them but they are the OGs.
I wasn't really looking forward to hearing Satan, but being a Detroit native, it's in my nature to get behind any artist that hails from the great state of Michigan. That being said, when I first played the new White Stripes album, I was more than surprised—blown away is the word I like to use. This is the album that I have been waiting Jack & Meg White to make since White Blood Cells.
What do I love about it, the piano; Jack White plays the keys like a man possessed. I have always been a fan of the keys, especially by artists such as Mike Garson, who's played with Bowie and NIN, and Buena Vista Social Club's Ruben Gonzalez. The piano sound on Satan dominates the album, more so than White's guitar. It's as if Jack put down his axe and was determined to make an album of piano-based blues. Check out "My Doorbell," the way that Jack plays those keys sounds as if he's in some saloon in the wild, wild west. All I can say is thank you for this Mr. White for such a dramatic and killer sound.
Jack must have been inspired with his parts in the movie Cold Mountain and producing Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose, because the sound is more eclectic, southern and purely electrifying. Just listen to my favorite track, "The Nurse." It has a calypso vibe and in between the tropical sound you hear Jack wailing away on his guitar and Meg smashing her drums like never before. The star of the show to me is still Meg White, the coolest and sexiest drummer on the planet. Her percussion soars to new heights on this album. She's not only the back beat but the back bone to the band. Even Jack would attest without Meg there would be no White Stripes.
After hearing Satan, no one can accuse The White Stripes of trying to mold their style for an MOR sound. On the contrary, they go down the other road with a more experimental vibe that makes Satan one of the most underrated releases of the 2005. You could tell that White's been listening to lots o' Led Zeppelin because some of the tracks like the acoustic "Little Ghost" and the electric "Take Take Take" sound like they could have fit perfectly on Physical Graffiti. Yes, Jack is doing his best Robert Plant with his own Detroit bluesy style. It's more of an ode to Plant and Zep — I bet you even Jimmy Page will name Satan one of his fave albums of the year.
So if you're looking for an album that will not only rock you but enlighteningly challenge you to redefine the sound that is the White Stripes then Get Behind Me Satan is the album for you. Hanging with the devil never sounded this good.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.28.2005
Review: Paul Westerberg: Besterberg
my paul westerberg review can be found on treblezine.com
Paul Westerberg
Besterberg
2005
Rhino
Some people want to be like Mike. Others prefer to idolize Tom Cruise. I long to be the literary equivalent to Paul Westerberg — an artist with a dyslexic heart who can't hardly wait to be anywhere, better than here. Someone who's not content and loves taking risks with a creative mindset of "I have nothing to lose if let it ride on this line and sing it in my own style."
I love the way that Westerberg has become an artist who doesn't care about perfection but lives for the moment, the single take — with warts, mistakes and all. To Paul and to me, it's not about flawlessness, it's about the feeling and emotion you get while listening, reading or seeing the work of an artist. Just listen to his recent recordings on Vagrant — Stereo/Mono, Come Feel Me Tremble and Folker; they are sneak peaks into the voice of an artist who doesn't believe in getting it right but in capturing the essence of creative spontaneity in the span of his ageless songs.
Westerberg has come along way from his days hanging with his gang of hooligans (a.k.a. The Replacements) who, one could argue were, the Brian Jonestown Massacre of the eighties with a little riotous Rolling Stones misbehavior thrown in for good measure. They were the band that was loved by critics, labels and fans alike but because of self-sabotaging on-stage debauchery. It kept them from becoming like R.E.M. and U2 the biggest and unforgettable band of the decade. Whenever I think of The Replacements the phrase that comes to mind is all that could have been.
My favorite tale from the 'Mats era was the time they broke into their label to steal the masters to stop them from being released on CD. They wanted to throw the masters into the river hoping fellow Minneapolis musician Prince would see the tapes and rescue them from being destroyed. That's why I love these guys, even though their romanticized craziness kept them from crossing over into the mainstream.
But Los 'Mats did make a mark, because of Westerberg's songs. They were and still are one of the most influential bands that came from the eighties. Listen to their records Tim, Let it Be or Pleased to Meet Me and you will hear the unbridled enthusiasm of four men — drummer Chris Mars, bassist Tommy Stinson, his brother guitarist Bob Stinson and of course Paul Westerberg on guitar and vocals — who could light the spark with riffs that would rock the house and bring it down with ballads that drip a tear inside yr favorite alcoholic beverage. The 'Mats as a band were the epitome of the lover and the fighter in the movies. They were the band you loved to hate. The ones who always let you down but you always came back with lyrics like "Meet me any place or anywhere at any time now I don't care/Meet me tonight/If you will dare, I will dare."
So after signing to Warner Bros., who tried to gloss up the Mats sound with Don't Tell a Soul, even with a modest MTV hit, "I'll be you," the band disintegrated and eventually disbanded before their last record All Shook Down was released. Westerberg wanted to release Down as a solo album but the label refused. After a half-hearted tour Westerberg finally left the band to start the solo career which he began on the 'Mats last album.
Besterberg finds Rhino releasing the best of Paul's solo output since 1992. Starting with my favorite song from the soundtrack to Singles, "Dyslexic Heart" and through "What a day (for a night)" from Come Feel Me Tremble. I call this collection The Splendid Rescue. Twenty songs saved from commercial obscurity and the record buying public's overall ignorance to the genius of one of our generation's underrated singer/songwriters.
It's actually pretty simple folks: just buy this CD press play and for those of you unfamiliar with The 'Mats and/or Westerberg you will hear it from the first chords of "Knocking on Mine." You will discover why Paul Westerberg is the first things Keith Richards listens to when he's recording with Stones in the studio. Then skip to the stinging beauty of "It's a Wonderful Lie," Westerberg stripped just with his aching voice and simple yet memorable lines like "The truth is overrated…I suppose." Even when he sings Lennon's "Nowhere Man" you can feel the misunderstood outcast that Westerberg's voice perfectly relates to in this soon to be acoustic classic.
For die hard fans there are a few previously unreleased cuts from the Eventually sessions, like an alternative mix of "Once Around the Weekend," the Dylan-esque "All That I Had" and the killer "C'mon, C'mon, C'mon."
In 1991, Spin Magazine wrote that Paul Westerberg had "The Soul of Rock & Roll." Almost fifteen years later you can hear why when you pick up your copy of Besterberg. All you have to do is throw on the CD and listen to the sounds of a man all but ignored who will continue to rock from his basement-like gutter while serenading to the stars. What are you waiting for? Let the bad times roll—believe me; you'll thank me for it.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.13.2005
Paul Westerberg
Besterberg
2005
Rhino
Some people want to be like Mike. Others prefer to idolize Tom Cruise. I long to be the literary equivalent to Paul Westerberg — an artist with a dyslexic heart who can't hardly wait to be anywhere, better than here. Someone who's not content and loves taking risks with a creative mindset of "I have nothing to lose if let it ride on this line and sing it in my own style."
I love the way that Westerberg has become an artist who doesn't care about perfection but lives for the moment, the single take — with warts, mistakes and all. To Paul and to me, it's not about flawlessness, it's about the feeling and emotion you get while listening, reading or seeing the work of an artist. Just listen to his recent recordings on Vagrant — Stereo/Mono, Come Feel Me Tremble and Folker; they are sneak peaks into the voice of an artist who doesn't believe in getting it right but in capturing the essence of creative spontaneity in the span of his ageless songs.
Westerberg has come along way from his days hanging with his gang of hooligans (a.k.a. The Replacements) who, one could argue were, the Brian Jonestown Massacre of the eighties with a little riotous Rolling Stones misbehavior thrown in for good measure. They were the band that was loved by critics, labels and fans alike but because of self-sabotaging on-stage debauchery. It kept them from becoming like R.E.M. and U2 the biggest and unforgettable band of the decade. Whenever I think of The Replacements the phrase that comes to mind is all that could have been.
My favorite tale from the 'Mats era was the time they broke into their label to steal the masters to stop them from being released on CD. They wanted to throw the masters into the river hoping fellow Minneapolis musician Prince would see the tapes and rescue them from being destroyed. That's why I love these guys, even though their romanticized craziness kept them from crossing over into the mainstream.
But Los 'Mats did make a mark, because of Westerberg's songs. They were and still are one of the most influential bands that came from the eighties. Listen to their records Tim, Let it Be or Pleased to Meet Me and you will hear the unbridled enthusiasm of four men — drummer Chris Mars, bassist Tommy Stinson, his brother guitarist Bob Stinson and of course Paul Westerberg on guitar and vocals — who could light the spark with riffs that would rock the house and bring it down with ballads that drip a tear inside yr favorite alcoholic beverage. The 'Mats as a band were the epitome of the lover and the fighter in the movies. They were the band you loved to hate. The ones who always let you down but you always came back with lyrics like "Meet me any place or anywhere at any time now I don't care/Meet me tonight/If you will dare, I will dare."
So after signing to Warner Bros., who tried to gloss up the Mats sound with Don't Tell a Soul, even with a modest MTV hit, "I'll be you," the band disintegrated and eventually disbanded before their last record All Shook Down was released. Westerberg wanted to release Down as a solo album but the label refused. After a half-hearted tour Westerberg finally left the band to start the solo career which he began on the 'Mats last album.
Besterberg finds Rhino releasing the best of Paul's solo output since 1992. Starting with my favorite song from the soundtrack to Singles, "Dyslexic Heart" and through "What a day (for a night)" from Come Feel Me Tremble. I call this collection The Splendid Rescue. Twenty songs saved from commercial obscurity and the record buying public's overall ignorance to the genius of one of our generation's underrated singer/songwriters.
It's actually pretty simple folks: just buy this CD press play and for those of you unfamiliar with The 'Mats and/or Westerberg you will hear it from the first chords of "Knocking on Mine." You will discover why Paul Westerberg is the first things Keith Richards listens to when he's recording with Stones in the studio. Then skip to the stinging beauty of "It's a Wonderful Lie," Westerberg stripped just with his aching voice and simple yet memorable lines like "The truth is overrated…I suppose." Even when he sings Lennon's "Nowhere Man" you can feel the misunderstood outcast that Westerberg's voice perfectly relates to in this soon to be acoustic classic.
For die hard fans there are a few previously unreleased cuts from the Eventually sessions, like an alternative mix of "Once Around the Weekend," the Dylan-esque "All That I Had" and the killer "C'mon, C'mon, C'mon."
In 1991, Spin Magazine wrote that Paul Westerberg had "The Soul of Rock & Roll." Almost fifteen years later you can hear why when you pick up your copy of Besterberg. All you have to do is throw on the CD and listen to the sounds of a man all but ignored who will continue to rock from his basement-like gutter while serenading to the stars. What are you waiting for? Let the bad times roll—believe me; you'll thank me for it.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.13.2005
Review: Martha Wainwright: Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole
my martha wainwright review can be found on treblezine.com
Martha Wainwright
Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole
2005
Zöe - Rounder
Martha Wainwright has quite the family lineage, being the offspring of Loudon Wainwright III and folk singer Kate McGarrigle and having the very infamous hermanito Rufus; it's no surprise to anyone that she would be inclined to express herself musically. And of everyone in her family, this girl has the spark — the songwriting stylings of her father and the voice of her mother. And let me say that I am a fan of Rufus, but Martha has that edge, vocally and lyrically that's missing from his muse.
So besides having the best title for a record this year, Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole, to me is a statement of her brevity. This is Martha announcing to the music world "look out! This is me — I am singer, hear me loud and proud!" And I am one music fan who's glad that she's finally arrived.
So if you're wondering who Martha sounds like, think a young Emmylou Harris meets the lyricism of early Ani Difranco of old. Martha's writing and recording songs that would make Ani proud. I wish Ani was making music like this — cutting edge, brash and alluring.
"Poetry is no place for a heart that's whore." That's the first line of opening title track on Martha's EP. What a way to open a song, through out this record Martha croons confessions, stripped, lyrically and musically beautiful with her acoustic guitar. Co-producer does right by showcasing Martha's voice and not trying to lay too many effects and vibes by letting her songs shine alone. I loved the skronky feedback in "It's Over." The way Martha wails over the electric guitar, I can picture her outside of someone's NYC apartment with her amp playing the fuck out of this song just so he could hear how she feels. I felt her pain.
Although "When the Day is Short," is the only song with a full band, it's every bit as effective as the rest of the album. As Martha sings, "I don't care if you love me tomorrow…I'll be alright," you actually believe her. I love the slight pause before the end, wishing the song wouldn't end. That's when you know you have discovered a great artist — you need to hear more of her. The only drawback of Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole is that it's only an EP. I wanted to hear so much more of Martha Wainwright.
You may have seen Martha sing backup for her brother on one of his many Want One tours. And her music was also featured in the Laura Linney motion picture P.S., so don't be surprised to hear more of this wonderful young singer/songwriter. I can't wait until her full-length album comes out. If this EP is any indication I'm sure it's going to be Bloody Fucking Amazing.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
03.02.2005
Martha Wainwright
Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole
2005
Zöe - Rounder
Martha Wainwright has quite the family lineage, being the offspring of Loudon Wainwright III and folk singer Kate McGarrigle and having the very infamous hermanito Rufus; it's no surprise to anyone that she would be inclined to express herself musically. And of everyone in her family, this girl has the spark — the songwriting stylings of her father and the voice of her mother. And let me say that I am a fan of Rufus, but Martha has that edge, vocally and lyrically that's missing from his muse.
So besides having the best title for a record this year, Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole, to me is a statement of her brevity. This is Martha announcing to the music world "look out! This is me — I am singer, hear me loud and proud!" And I am one music fan who's glad that she's finally arrived.
So if you're wondering who Martha sounds like, think a young Emmylou Harris meets the lyricism of early Ani Difranco of old. Martha's writing and recording songs that would make Ani proud. I wish Ani was making music like this — cutting edge, brash and alluring.
"Poetry is no place for a heart that's whore." That's the first line of opening title track on Martha's EP. What a way to open a song, through out this record Martha croons confessions, stripped, lyrically and musically beautiful with her acoustic guitar. Co-producer does right by showcasing Martha's voice and not trying to lay too many effects and vibes by letting her songs shine alone. I loved the skronky feedback in "It's Over." The way Martha wails over the electric guitar, I can picture her outside of someone's NYC apartment with her amp playing the fuck out of this song just so he could hear how she feels. I felt her pain.
Although "When the Day is Short," is the only song with a full band, it's every bit as effective as the rest of the album. As Martha sings, "I don't care if you love me tomorrow…I'll be alright," you actually believe her. I love the slight pause before the end, wishing the song wouldn't end. That's when you know you have discovered a great artist — you need to hear more of her. The only drawback of Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole is that it's only an EP. I wanted to hear so much more of Martha Wainwright.
You may have seen Martha sing backup for her brother on one of his many Want One tours. And her music was also featured in the Laura Linney motion picture P.S., so don't be surprised to hear more of this wonderful young singer/songwriter. I can't wait until her full-length album comes out. If this EP is any indication I'm sure it's going to be Bloody Fucking Amazing.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
03.02.2005
Review: Various Artists: Sweetheart
my sweetheart review can be found on treblezine.com
Various Artists
Sweetheart
2005
Hear Music
"Love Anew…" Those are the first words in the liner notes of Sweetheart, this fabulous compilation brought to you by Hear Music on XM Satellite Radio. I say this because this CD reflects the amazing night I had on Valentine's with an amazing woman. It's eerie how sometimes art reflects our own lives. Sometimes we watch a movie or a TV Show and there's a scene that so similar to something that we are going through ourselves. The same can be said for novels and of course, music.
So this brings me to Sweetheart, one of the true rare finds released for those love birds on the most romantic day of the year. Take fifteen of some of the most timeless love songs ever and hear them all remade some of this generation's most gifted young artists. Sweetheart starts off with an amazing version of "My Funny Valentine" by Rufus Wainwright. I first heard Rufus sing this on Valentine's Day a few years ago on Letterman. That version remains unreleased, but Rufus re-recorded it with Rob Burger on piano. Turn down lights down low, light a candle and let Rufus put you in the mood; a most excellent way to start of a CD.
Portland, Oregon's very own M. Ward returns from his critically acclaimed lo-fi epic Transfiguration of Vincent to remake Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open the Door." Ward slows down the song and adds a remarkable pedal steel guitar riffs courtesy of Paul Brainard. The steel makes the song a post-modern classic.
Some other highlights are Calexico's version of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Michal Gira, of the Swans, and his versions recorded in the '80s is still my favorite, but, Calexico mix Gira's acoustic version with Joy Division's upbeat Manchester sound.
Speaking Madchester, wait till you hear Joesph Arthur's remake of The Smiths' "There is a Light That Never Goes Out." Recorded with Jeff Buckley's former flame Joan Wasser on violin, this version does right Morrissey and Marr's classic. Probably one of the best Smiths covers ever, and what a voice by Joesph Arthur—maybe he should remake the whole The Queen is Dead. Yes, he is that good.
Some more gems include Neko Case with her sweet voice doing justice to Bob by covering the Dylan classic "Buckets of Rain;" Madeleine Peyroux's doing her best Billie Holliday with her take on Lillian "Lil" Green's "Give your Mama a Smile;" and my favorite — Martina Topley-Bird doing a 21st Century doo-wop version of The Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes for You." I can't forget Jim White's reading of Bill Withers' hit "Use Me." White transforms Withers' soul vibe into his banjo-fueled modern-day Americana sound.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.21.2005
Various Artists
Sweetheart
2005
Hear Music
"Love Anew…" Those are the first words in the liner notes of Sweetheart, this fabulous compilation brought to you by Hear Music on XM Satellite Radio. I say this because this CD reflects the amazing night I had on Valentine's with an amazing woman. It's eerie how sometimes art reflects our own lives. Sometimes we watch a movie or a TV Show and there's a scene that so similar to something that we are going through ourselves. The same can be said for novels and of course, music.
So this brings me to Sweetheart, one of the true rare finds released for those love birds on the most romantic day of the year. Take fifteen of some of the most timeless love songs ever and hear them all remade some of this generation's most gifted young artists. Sweetheart starts off with an amazing version of "My Funny Valentine" by Rufus Wainwright. I first heard Rufus sing this on Valentine's Day a few years ago on Letterman. That version remains unreleased, but Rufus re-recorded it with Rob Burger on piano. Turn down lights down low, light a candle and let Rufus put you in the mood; a most excellent way to start of a CD.
Portland, Oregon's very own M. Ward returns from his critically acclaimed lo-fi epic Transfiguration of Vincent to remake Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open the Door." Ward slows down the song and adds a remarkable pedal steel guitar riffs courtesy of Paul Brainard. The steel makes the song a post-modern classic.
Some other highlights are Calexico's version of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Michal Gira, of the Swans, and his versions recorded in the '80s is still my favorite, but, Calexico mix Gira's acoustic version with Joy Division's upbeat Manchester sound.
Speaking Madchester, wait till you hear Joesph Arthur's remake of The Smiths' "There is a Light That Never Goes Out." Recorded with Jeff Buckley's former flame Joan Wasser on violin, this version does right Morrissey and Marr's classic. Probably one of the best Smiths covers ever, and what a voice by Joesph Arthur—maybe he should remake the whole The Queen is Dead. Yes, he is that good.
Some more gems include Neko Case with her sweet voice doing justice to Bob by covering the Dylan classic "Buckets of Rain;" Madeleine Peyroux's doing her best Billie Holliday with her take on Lillian "Lil" Green's "Give your Mama a Smile;" and my favorite — Martina Topley-Bird doing a 21st Century doo-wop version of The Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes for You." I can't forget Jim White's reading of Bill Withers' hit "Use Me." White transforms Withers' soul vibe into his banjo-fueled modern-day Americana sound.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.21.2005
Review: Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth
my nine inch nails review can be found on treblezine.com
Nine Inch Nails
With Teeth
2005
Interscope
When I tell friends and acquaintances that I lived in New Orleans, besides inquiring about Mardi Gras, the two names that they ask about are usually Anne Rice and Trent Reznor. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting or seeing Madame Rice, Reznor was actually a neighbor of mine. We were far from buddies and I doubt I would call us friends, but I did have the great fortune of meeting and talking to him on a number of occasions. The first time was after a The The show at the House of Blues where I spoke with Trent for a few minutes. He was very friendly, kind and respectful, far from the Dark Lord Prima Donna I had heard about. What I remember most about meeting Reznor that night and every other time was the fact that Trent would always shake my hand. How many people can say that they actually spoke to one of their idols and they shook your hand afterwards?
Enough with the chisme, as an old friend used to tell me, and on with the music. From the first single "Down on It" in 1989, I have been a supporter of Nine Inch Nails, even being one of the first in my high school class to have their tape and t-shirt. What is it about Nine Inch Nails that gives them such a deep connection with their audience? It has to be the hurt and the rejection that we all feel. I believe that Reznor completely personifies the agony in our pain with his trademark aggro style.
Many fans still think that The Downward Spiral is Nine Inch Nails' best record but I am partial to The Fragile, which I say is a brave and beautiful masterpiece. I remember when it was released. I was working a dead-end office job and I used to have this cheap-o boom-box that I would jam tapes on, much to my co-workers' chagrin — The Fragile was one that I would play over and over again. I must have played it over a million times but it got me through those bad days. And I told Reznor so when I first met him.
The thing I loved about The Fragile was that fact that it wasn't in your face like Spiral, that you really have to sit down dissect and listen to it. It's not a record with singles like "Closer" that jump out at you. You have to let the record wash over you and reflect on it as if you're observing a piece of art at the Louvre in Paris.
With Teeth, however, is a record that will satisfy most Nine Inch Nails fans. I love the way Reznor transitions the songs on the record from the hushed to the hellacious. It starts off with the low keyboard-layered "All the Love in the World" and moves into the drum and bass metal of "You Know Who You Are."
I have to admit when I first heard the first single "The Hand That Feeds," I had my doubts. I worried would this be the record by Nine Inch Nails that would finally let me down. After my first spin, my worries were laid to rest. Teeth sounds like a tighter, more focused version of The Fragile with elements of industrial metal of Broken, and controlled musical chaos of The Downward Spiral.
My favorite track has to be "All the Love in the World." I love the way he layers the vocals, a-la Brian Wilson, towards the latter half. It adds a bit of beauty to it and lifts the track from being just another angry song to another level. Other highlights include the "Billie Jean"-inspired backbeat and "Down In It"-reflective lyrics on "Only." Reznor has definitely brought out his best on With Teeth. All the elements are here, especially the hardcore drums, which stand out thanks to help from Dave Grohl and Jerome Dillon on "The Collector." The Mike Garson-inspired keyboard arise throughout and Reznor's trademark angry poetic musings screaming and sometimes whispered are all around on this stunning album.
It's time to welcome Trent Reznor back into our lives. Open wide and let With Teeth find a home inside. You will not forget the aftertaste of Teeth —captivating, dangerous and 100% Nine Inch Nails.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.16.2005
Nine Inch Nails
With Teeth
2005
Interscope
When I tell friends and acquaintances that I lived in New Orleans, besides inquiring about Mardi Gras, the two names that they ask about are usually Anne Rice and Trent Reznor. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting or seeing Madame Rice, Reznor was actually a neighbor of mine. We were far from buddies and I doubt I would call us friends, but I did have the great fortune of meeting and talking to him on a number of occasions. The first time was after a The The show at the House of Blues where I spoke with Trent for a few minutes. He was very friendly, kind and respectful, far from the Dark Lord Prima Donna I had heard about. What I remember most about meeting Reznor that night and every other time was the fact that Trent would always shake my hand. How many people can say that they actually spoke to one of their idols and they shook your hand afterwards?
Enough with the chisme, as an old friend used to tell me, and on with the music. From the first single "Down on It" in 1989, I have been a supporter of Nine Inch Nails, even being one of the first in my high school class to have their tape and t-shirt. What is it about Nine Inch Nails that gives them such a deep connection with their audience? It has to be the hurt and the rejection that we all feel. I believe that Reznor completely personifies the agony in our pain with his trademark aggro style.
Many fans still think that The Downward Spiral is Nine Inch Nails' best record but I am partial to The Fragile, which I say is a brave and beautiful masterpiece. I remember when it was released. I was working a dead-end office job and I used to have this cheap-o boom-box that I would jam tapes on, much to my co-workers' chagrin — The Fragile was one that I would play over and over again. I must have played it over a million times but it got me through those bad days. And I told Reznor so when I first met him.
The thing I loved about The Fragile was that fact that it wasn't in your face like Spiral, that you really have to sit down dissect and listen to it. It's not a record with singles like "Closer" that jump out at you. You have to let the record wash over you and reflect on it as if you're observing a piece of art at the Louvre in Paris.
With Teeth, however, is a record that will satisfy most Nine Inch Nails fans. I love the way Reznor transitions the songs on the record from the hushed to the hellacious. It starts off with the low keyboard-layered "All the Love in the World" and moves into the drum and bass metal of "You Know Who You Are."
I have to admit when I first heard the first single "The Hand That Feeds," I had my doubts. I worried would this be the record by Nine Inch Nails that would finally let me down. After my first spin, my worries were laid to rest. Teeth sounds like a tighter, more focused version of The Fragile with elements of industrial metal of Broken, and controlled musical chaos of The Downward Spiral.
My favorite track has to be "All the Love in the World." I love the way he layers the vocals, a-la Brian Wilson, towards the latter half. It adds a bit of beauty to it and lifts the track from being just another angry song to another level. Other highlights include the "Billie Jean"-inspired backbeat and "Down In It"-reflective lyrics on "Only." Reznor has definitely brought out his best on With Teeth. All the elements are here, especially the hardcore drums, which stand out thanks to help from Dave Grohl and Jerome Dillon on "The Collector." The Mike Garson-inspired keyboard arise throughout and Reznor's trademark angry poetic musings screaming and sometimes whispered are all around on this stunning album.
It's time to welcome Trent Reznor back into our lives. Open wide and let With Teeth find a home inside. You will not forget the aftertaste of Teeth —captivating, dangerous and 100% Nine Inch Nails.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.16.2005
Review: Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
my paul mccartney review can be found on treblezine.com
Paul McCartney
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
2005
Capitol
It was never cool to be a fan of Sir Paul McCartney. I always heard it from my hardcore rock geek friends; during the height of the grunge era of the mid-'90s, I would be the one playing Flowers in the Dirt and Off the Ground. But what they never understood was that Paul and The Beatles were the first rock band that I ever loved. Those mocking fools didn't understand that without McCartney and the Fabs rock music would not be as popular and interesting as it is today.
When I think of Paul and The Beatles, I think of good memories. The first record mis padres ever bought me was the The Beatles' "blue" compilation, 1967-1970. Those were the times mis hermanos and I pretended to be the Fab Four, lip-synching in front of our record player. I would always want to be Paul. I can't forget when my Mami would line us up in the bathroom to give us Beatles haircuts with newspaper spread over the bathroom tiles, I would hold my vinyl copy of A Hard Days Night and say, "Make me look like Paul." Even at that young age, I knew that the majority of those hot women were chasing after him.
My regard for Macca didn't end in my youth. I stuck with him when his Back in the U.S.S.R. import album, CHOBA B CCCP, came out in Russia. Or 1989's Tripping the Live Fantastic double live disc was released from his first in America tour since he disbanded Wings. I finally saw him in concert a few years ago in New Orleans, for his Back in the U.S. tour. Paul played my favorite Beatle song, "Let It Be." It was the same song that I recorded as a gift for my Mami for Mothers Day with some musician and engineer friends of mine, in a studio in the Big Easy. It was memorable experience and one that I will never forget. Especially because it was in New Orleans, with Paul as my inspirational guide, I first learned to play guitar to the cords of "Let It Be."
This is why I have stood by Macca after all of these years. It kind of like the same reason why Pablo Neruda is my favorite poet; If you want to argue who wrote some of the best love songs in the past forty years Paul's words will be there nine out of ten of the times. This doesn't mean that everything Paul writes and records touches gold, for every brilliant Ram and Band on the Run there's a Back to the Egg and Pipes of Peace. I think Paul said it best when he sings, on the first song on his new album, "there's a fine line between chaos and creation" Truer words have never been spoken.
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard has some of the best music that Paul has recorded in years. It's not all perfect but most the best tracks on Chaos rival anything on Flowers in the Dirt and Flaming Pie. What I love about Chaos and what I didn't like about the over produced Driving Rain is that this new CD has Paul is being Paul; something that we haven't heard from him in ages. Unlike the Rolling Stones, Paul acts his age on his new record. Listen to the track "English Tea" which Paul sings about a British sophisticate enjoying his daily ritual. For the first time in years, Macca sounds like a man being comfortable about growing old and sings with a sense of vulnerability that is missing from most major artists in music today. It takes guts to show your emotions and let all hang out with such delicate pieces of music. I think Chaos is the ying to Run Devil Run's yang which is a good thing. While Run helped Paul grieve Linda's unfortunate passing as he rocked with such luminaries as Pink Floyd's David Gilmore, Chaos has Paul in a more introspective mood and showcases his more romantic side with which we are more familiar.
I think that it's unfortunate that Paul has been battling this legacy of trying to shine in the shadow of John Lennon. Ever since Lennon's death in 1980, Paul has been trying to prove that he could still rock out with the best of them. We all know he can hold his own with an electric guitar but Paul will always the crooning lover we know and love to hear. He's the one who has always sung with his heart in the chorus and refrain. Remember this is the solo artist who has written such beautiful ballads as "Maybe I'm Amazed."
Chaos, sounds like Macca's coming to terms with his legacy as a neo-romantic artist. Just listen to "How Kind of You," when Paul sings, "during the final bout…I was counted out/I thought my time was up…I thought I'd never find, someone so kind, as you." The "you" Paul's singing about has to be producer Nigel Godrich, who wanted to make a true McCartney album. For the first time in Macca's career a producer has challenged him to make one of the most introspective and daring albums of his career. And to Nigel's credit Paul hasn't sounded this good in years. Just listen to "Too Much Rain," the acoustic guitar echoes "Hope of Deliverance" from his underrated Off the Ground LP. I love the way that Paul's voice almost cracks when he sings the high notes when he sings the title refrain.
Then there's the soft bossa nova beats of "A Little Softness" that sound like a sweet musical cousin to Flowers' "Distractions." Another favorite, "Friends to Go" sounds like the intimate acoustic classic "Every Night" from his first solo album, McCartney. Macca does it all on Chaos: not only does he sing and play his trademark Hofner Bass but also plays 99% of the instruments on the album. Chaos is a 21st Century version of McCartney with elements of Flowers and Flaming mixed in for good measure. His first single "Fine Line" with the riotous bar piano sound and courageous lyrics that make it a catchy and memorable song to add to his already impressive musical canon.
Overall Paul's latest is an uplifting album that most Macca fans will definitely relish from start of finish. Chaos has Paul singing songs of what he does best, about love and relationships. I think his work suffered during the late '80s and early '90s when his songs were a little to cosmically conscious, focusing on his socio-political beliefs. Paul soars when he sings about matters of the heart, as he does with his latest effort. Macca will always be remembered as the artist who wrote "Here, There and Everywhere," "Let it Be" and "Yesterday." Today, Paul steps into the future while coming to terms with his past. Chaos never sounded this beautiful. So sit back, relax and let Paul McCartney delight you with the soothing sounds of his elegant musical backyard.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
09.29.2005
Paul McCartney
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
2005
Capitol
It was never cool to be a fan of Sir Paul McCartney. I always heard it from my hardcore rock geek friends; during the height of the grunge era of the mid-'90s, I would be the one playing Flowers in the Dirt and Off the Ground. But what they never understood was that Paul and The Beatles were the first rock band that I ever loved. Those mocking fools didn't understand that without McCartney and the Fabs rock music would not be as popular and interesting as it is today.
When I think of Paul and The Beatles, I think of good memories. The first record mis padres ever bought me was the The Beatles' "blue" compilation, 1967-1970. Those were the times mis hermanos and I pretended to be the Fab Four, lip-synching in front of our record player. I would always want to be Paul. I can't forget when my Mami would line us up in the bathroom to give us Beatles haircuts with newspaper spread over the bathroom tiles, I would hold my vinyl copy of A Hard Days Night and say, "Make me look like Paul." Even at that young age, I knew that the majority of those hot women were chasing after him.
My regard for Macca didn't end in my youth. I stuck with him when his Back in the U.S.S.R. import album, CHOBA B CCCP, came out in Russia. Or 1989's Tripping the Live Fantastic double live disc was released from his first in America tour since he disbanded Wings. I finally saw him in concert a few years ago in New Orleans, for his Back in the U.S. tour. Paul played my favorite Beatle song, "Let It Be." It was the same song that I recorded as a gift for my Mami for Mothers Day with some musician and engineer friends of mine, in a studio in the Big Easy. It was memorable experience and one that I will never forget. Especially because it was in New Orleans, with Paul as my inspirational guide, I first learned to play guitar to the cords of "Let It Be."
This is why I have stood by Macca after all of these years. It kind of like the same reason why Pablo Neruda is my favorite poet; If you want to argue who wrote some of the best love songs in the past forty years Paul's words will be there nine out of ten of the times. This doesn't mean that everything Paul writes and records touches gold, for every brilliant Ram and Band on the Run there's a Back to the Egg and Pipes of Peace. I think Paul said it best when he sings, on the first song on his new album, "there's a fine line between chaos and creation" Truer words have never been spoken.
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard has some of the best music that Paul has recorded in years. It's not all perfect but most the best tracks on Chaos rival anything on Flowers in the Dirt and Flaming Pie. What I love about Chaos and what I didn't like about the over produced Driving Rain is that this new CD has Paul is being Paul; something that we haven't heard from him in ages. Unlike the Rolling Stones, Paul acts his age on his new record. Listen to the track "English Tea" which Paul sings about a British sophisticate enjoying his daily ritual. For the first time in years, Macca sounds like a man being comfortable about growing old and sings with a sense of vulnerability that is missing from most major artists in music today. It takes guts to show your emotions and let all hang out with such delicate pieces of music. I think Chaos is the ying to Run Devil Run's yang which is a good thing. While Run helped Paul grieve Linda's unfortunate passing as he rocked with such luminaries as Pink Floyd's David Gilmore, Chaos has Paul in a more introspective mood and showcases his more romantic side with which we are more familiar.
I think that it's unfortunate that Paul has been battling this legacy of trying to shine in the shadow of John Lennon. Ever since Lennon's death in 1980, Paul has been trying to prove that he could still rock out with the best of them. We all know he can hold his own with an electric guitar but Paul will always the crooning lover we know and love to hear. He's the one who has always sung with his heart in the chorus and refrain. Remember this is the solo artist who has written such beautiful ballads as "Maybe I'm Amazed."
Chaos, sounds like Macca's coming to terms with his legacy as a neo-romantic artist. Just listen to "How Kind of You," when Paul sings, "during the final bout…I was counted out/I thought my time was up…I thought I'd never find, someone so kind, as you." The "you" Paul's singing about has to be producer Nigel Godrich, who wanted to make a true McCartney album. For the first time in Macca's career a producer has challenged him to make one of the most introspective and daring albums of his career. And to Nigel's credit Paul hasn't sounded this good in years. Just listen to "Too Much Rain," the acoustic guitar echoes "Hope of Deliverance" from his underrated Off the Ground LP. I love the way that Paul's voice almost cracks when he sings the high notes when he sings the title refrain.
Then there's the soft bossa nova beats of "A Little Softness" that sound like a sweet musical cousin to Flowers' "Distractions." Another favorite, "Friends to Go" sounds like the intimate acoustic classic "Every Night" from his first solo album, McCartney. Macca does it all on Chaos: not only does he sing and play his trademark Hofner Bass but also plays 99% of the instruments on the album. Chaos is a 21st Century version of McCartney with elements of Flowers and Flaming mixed in for good measure. His first single "Fine Line" with the riotous bar piano sound and courageous lyrics that make it a catchy and memorable song to add to his already impressive musical canon.
Overall Paul's latest is an uplifting album that most Macca fans will definitely relish from start of finish. Chaos has Paul singing songs of what he does best, about love and relationships. I think his work suffered during the late '80s and early '90s when his songs were a little to cosmically conscious, focusing on his socio-political beliefs. Paul soars when he sings about matters of the heart, as he does with his latest effort. Macca will always be remembered as the artist who wrote "Here, There and Everywhere," "Let it Be" and "Yesterday." Today, Paul steps into the future while coming to terms with his past. Chaos never sounded this beautiful. So sit back, relax and let Paul McCartney delight you with the soothing sounds of his elegant musical backyard.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
09.29.2005
Review: Coldplay: X and Y
my coldplay review can be found on treblezine.com
Coldplay
X & Y
2005
Capitol
Ten reasons to love Coldplay's new album
1. Chris Martin's vocals — he has never sounded so brazen, confident and vulnerable in the same breath.
2.Johnny Buckland, a.k.a. the guitar hero — everything from his guitar riffs that lift the melody from Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" to the bombastic licks on the opening cut "Square One." This guy is stepping out of his shadows and into the realm where legends are born.
3.The Codas — from the acoustic strumming at the end of "Square One" and the electronic keys after "White Shadows" that make the songs soar to another level never heard before from this quartet.
4.Let's not forget the orchestral "Day in the Life"-esque, ode to The Beatles at the end of "What if" I love it. You can't miss it along with the other lifts from Kate Bush, Elbow and Kraftwerk. These guys play like the original Fab Four—living the adage that great artists steal.
5.Chris Martin's lyrics — like his vocals, Martin writes for everyman and woman; anyone can relate. Simple yet memorable lines like "…when you get what you want but not what you need" and "what if I got it wrong/and no poem or song could put it right or wrong…"
6.The Harmonies — I love the way the foursome sing together at the end of "Fix You." Also, during the bridge of "White Shadows" Chris Martin's backing vocals show how far they've come from the sparse arrangements found on their debut Parachutes.
7.The Johnny Cash homage — I love Johnny Cash and this song, "Till Kingdom Come," would have fit perfectly on his last American Recordings CD, The Man Comes Around. Sadly, Johnny will never get a chance to sing it but it is an amazing track that's a fitting tribute for the man in black.
8.The songs — tracks like "What if" and "Fix You" aren't just reworkings of "Yellow" and "The Scientist," no these are songs that connect with you because of their message of longing and love.
9.The Sequencing — I love the way Coldplay interspersed uplifting tracks like "Speed of Sound," "Talk" and "White Shadows" with the more melancholy ones. I was greatly surprised by the number of upbeat tracks. These guys aren't a bunch of mopers, thanks to Johnny and the killer rhythm section, bassist Berryman and drummer Champion. They know how to rock.
10.This is their best record — X&Y grows on you, which is the reason I have to say this is their best album. I have to admit I was skeptical after I first heard "Speed of Sound," but like on "Clocks," Coldplay has a way of winning you with their amazing combination that is Berryman, Buckland, Champion and Martin. Forget U2 — they are our generation's Fab Four.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.21.2005
Coldplay
X & Y
2005
Capitol
Ten reasons to love Coldplay's new album
1. Chris Martin's vocals — he has never sounded so brazen, confident and vulnerable in the same breath.
2.Johnny Buckland, a.k.a. the guitar hero — everything from his guitar riffs that lift the melody from Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" to the bombastic licks on the opening cut "Square One." This guy is stepping out of his shadows and into the realm where legends are born.
3.The Codas — from the acoustic strumming at the end of "Square One" and the electronic keys after "White Shadows" that make the songs soar to another level never heard before from this quartet.
4.Let's not forget the orchestral "Day in the Life"-esque, ode to The Beatles at the end of "What if" I love it. You can't miss it along with the other lifts from Kate Bush, Elbow and Kraftwerk. These guys play like the original Fab Four—living the adage that great artists steal.
5.Chris Martin's lyrics — like his vocals, Martin writes for everyman and woman; anyone can relate. Simple yet memorable lines like "…when you get what you want but not what you need" and "what if I got it wrong/and no poem or song could put it right or wrong…"
6.The Harmonies — I love the way the foursome sing together at the end of "Fix You." Also, during the bridge of "White Shadows" Chris Martin's backing vocals show how far they've come from the sparse arrangements found on their debut Parachutes.
7.The Johnny Cash homage — I love Johnny Cash and this song, "Till Kingdom Come," would have fit perfectly on his last American Recordings CD, The Man Comes Around. Sadly, Johnny will never get a chance to sing it but it is an amazing track that's a fitting tribute for the man in black.
8.The songs — tracks like "What if" and "Fix You" aren't just reworkings of "Yellow" and "The Scientist," no these are songs that connect with you because of their message of longing and love.
9.The Sequencing — I love the way Coldplay interspersed uplifting tracks like "Speed of Sound," "Talk" and "White Shadows" with the more melancholy ones. I was greatly surprised by the number of upbeat tracks. These guys aren't a bunch of mopers, thanks to Johnny and the killer rhythm section, bassist Berryman and drummer Champion. They know how to rock.
10.This is their best record — X&Y grows on you, which is the reason I have to say this is their best album. I have to admit I was skeptical after I first heard "Speed of Sound," but like on "Clocks," Coldplay has a way of winning you with their amazing combination that is Berryman, Buckland, Champion and Martin. Forget U2 — they are our generation's Fab Four.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.21.2005
Review: Marianne Faithfull: Before the Poison
my marianne faithfull review can be found on treblezine.com
Marianne Faithfull
Before the Poison
2005
Naïve - Anti
I just finished reading the book The Surrender by Toni Bentley, an erotic memoir on the author's coming-of-age journey and sensual search for the "third heaven." What I found fascinating about Bentley, besides her addicting prose was how brave she was for exposing herself in such a manner. I guess that's why the older I get, the more I find the alluring intelligence and the courageous voice in strong creative women so attractive to me. It's inspiring. I believe that these are the traits that you could best describe the music of Marianne Faithfull. She's honest, strong with a distinct and sexy voice of a chanteuse that draws you into to her world of heartbreak and eternal wonder.
Welcome to the world of Before the Poison, one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums you will hear this year. This is Faithfull's best album in ages, though I do love the 21st Century complexities of her previous effort Kissin' Time—that record was a sort of reintroducing Faithfull to a post modern audience. It was a stellar record but not her best. What makes Before the Poison a better record because it reflects the true melancholy persona that is Marianne Faithfull.
Kissin' Time suffered from artists like Billy Corgan and Beck trying to put their signature on her voice and sounded like Marianne Faithfull guest-starring on her own album. It sounds cool but that's not the woman that I love. Before the Poison has more collaborations with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Damon Albarn and Jon Brion but this time around they complement her voice, resulting in what sounds like the ultimate Marianne Faithfull album.
The highlights are Faithfull's collaboration's with Polly Jean Harvey. They were made to work together and the results prove this; I love the way you hear Harvey and Faithfull trading vocals on "My Friends Have." Hearing two generation of female artists join in unison is powerful magic to my ears. All of PJ's contributions are the albums best—especially "No Child of Mine," as previewed on Harvey' Uh Huh Her CD. But this version bests Polly Jean's, it sounds like it was meant to be sung by Faithfull. When she sings "every man that I have ever loved/has been a child and fatherless…" you feel as if Faithfull is singing about her own love life.
Nick Cave's Bad Seeds make an appearance on three tracks, the best being "Crazy Love" which highlights the violin strings of Warren Ellis. I still believe that Ellis is the star of the Bad Seeds, as he plays the bow so eerily like John Cale did for the Velvet Underground. It actually sounds like Ellis' violin is performing a duet with Faithfull's voice, as his strings augment her voice of heartbreak. Which brings me to my only complaint about Before the Poison— I would have loved to hear a Faithfull song with Nick Cave. Oh well, at least Ellis holds his own in her vocal company.
I also loved the stripped-down sound of the Damon Albarn penned "Last song;" which is basically Faithfull singing to only the strummings of Portishead's Adrian Utley's acoustic guitar. Jon Brion's song "City of Quartz" closes the album with a song of loss of innocence that is sung with such intimate longing that can only be expressed by Marianne Faithfull.
If you are looking for an album with a scope of beauty and darkness that will have you on the edge of tears and joy in the same song, then Before the Poison is for you. Marianne Faithfull is finally back with an album that is worthy of her name and musical legacy.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.02.2005
Marianne Faithfull
Before the Poison
2005
Naïve - Anti
I just finished reading the book The Surrender by Toni Bentley, an erotic memoir on the author's coming-of-age journey and sensual search for the "third heaven." What I found fascinating about Bentley, besides her addicting prose was how brave she was for exposing herself in such a manner. I guess that's why the older I get, the more I find the alluring intelligence and the courageous voice in strong creative women so attractive to me. It's inspiring. I believe that these are the traits that you could best describe the music of Marianne Faithfull. She's honest, strong with a distinct and sexy voice of a chanteuse that draws you into to her world of heartbreak and eternal wonder.
Welcome to the world of Before the Poison, one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums you will hear this year. This is Faithfull's best album in ages, though I do love the 21st Century complexities of her previous effort Kissin' Time—that record was a sort of reintroducing Faithfull to a post modern audience. It was a stellar record but not her best. What makes Before the Poison a better record because it reflects the true melancholy persona that is Marianne Faithfull.
Kissin' Time suffered from artists like Billy Corgan and Beck trying to put their signature on her voice and sounded like Marianne Faithfull guest-starring on her own album. It sounds cool but that's not the woman that I love. Before the Poison has more collaborations with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Damon Albarn and Jon Brion but this time around they complement her voice, resulting in what sounds like the ultimate Marianne Faithfull album.
The highlights are Faithfull's collaboration's with Polly Jean Harvey. They were made to work together and the results prove this; I love the way you hear Harvey and Faithfull trading vocals on "My Friends Have." Hearing two generation of female artists join in unison is powerful magic to my ears. All of PJ's contributions are the albums best—especially "No Child of Mine," as previewed on Harvey' Uh Huh Her CD. But this version bests Polly Jean's, it sounds like it was meant to be sung by Faithfull. When she sings "every man that I have ever loved/has been a child and fatherless…" you feel as if Faithfull is singing about her own love life.
Nick Cave's Bad Seeds make an appearance on three tracks, the best being "Crazy Love" which highlights the violin strings of Warren Ellis. I still believe that Ellis is the star of the Bad Seeds, as he plays the bow so eerily like John Cale did for the Velvet Underground. It actually sounds like Ellis' violin is performing a duet with Faithfull's voice, as his strings augment her voice of heartbreak. Which brings me to my only complaint about Before the Poison— I would have loved to hear a Faithfull song with Nick Cave. Oh well, at least Ellis holds his own in her vocal company.
I also loved the stripped-down sound of the Damon Albarn penned "Last song;" which is basically Faithfull singing to only the strummings of Portishead's Adrian Utley's acoustic guitar. Jon Brion's song "City of Quartz" closes the album with a song of loss of innocence that is sung with such intimate longing that can only be expressed by Marianne Faithfull.
If you are looking for an album with a scope of beauty and darkness that will have you on the edge of tears and joy in the same song, then Before the Poison is for you. Marianne Faithfull is finally back with an album that is worthy of her name and musical legacy.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.02.2005
Review: Mike Doughty: Haughty Melodic
my mike doughty review can be found on treblezine.com
Mike Doughty
Haughty Melodic
2005
ATO
I got my first tattoo, a tribal design, at Crescent City Tattoos on Magazine St, in uptown New Orleans with Mike Doughty singing in the background. The tattoo artist was playing Irresistible Bliss from Soul Coughing on his CD player. Throughout this somewhat painful and amazing experience of having art created on my arm, I felt relaxed and funkafied by this strange and addicting voice coming from the speakers. Ever since that moment I was hooked; a Doughty fan for life. I ran out and found everything he was on, from the 808 State track "Bond" to " A Plane Scraped Its Belly on a Sooty Yellow Moon," his collaboration with Roni Size on the Spawn Soundtrack. I even tracked down Poemfone: New World Order, a spoken word CD that had Doughty's verse on four tracks.
For those not in the know, Doughty first gained notoriety as the frontman for the downtown New York band Soul Coughing. Doughty believed the group played a self professed `deep slacker jazz' and they scored some critical success with their 1994 debut album Ruby Vroom. Doughty was definitely enjoying his life, having gone from doorman of the Knitting Factory to a major player in the New York underground rock scene. The band, featuring upright bassist Sebastian Steinberg, stumbled recording their follow up record Irresistible Bliss. The tensions that appeared during these sessions and the subsequent tour led to the disbanding of the group after the recording of their final album El Oso.
After Soul Coughing, Doughty added Mike back to his name, then recorded and released a record called Skittish and went solo, playing unplugged shows around America. Around this time he became infamous for his vocal on BT's hit single "Never Gonna Come Back Down." By now Soul Coughing was getting respect, like most groups do after breaking up, and Doughty was starting to reap benefits from such exposure. This is when, Dave Matthews came a-calling, inviting Doughty to release his music on ATO, home to artists such as David Gray and Patti Griffith. He and Doughty actually had a history, however, as Doughty's former band opened up for Dave Matthews, having been a huge fan of Ruby Vroom especially "Janine." When Doughty was searching for the right label to call home, Matthews' artist friendly ATO seemed like a perfect match.
After many years waiting, Doughty fans finally get his first major label solo record Haughty Melodic. Doughty has removed most of his super-freak persona from his Soul Coughing days to focus on his more stripped-down, acoustic and lyrical side. Think of it as more mature, but don't worry, he's still the same madcap Doughty, the big dawg that we know and love. Doughty writes 21st Century acoustic love songs for the Indie geek inside of us. And I'm not talking about the type of songs that are played on the Clear Channel-owned "modern rock" station near you. Doughty has a much more artistic way with words and this goes back to his slamming days as a rhyming poet in NYC.
One of my favorite cuts, "Sunkeneyed Girl," has been a staple in his live sets for the last few years. "You are the drinks that I keep and keep drinking, I fall down stumble" I mean which guy hasn't fell like that, figurative and literally, for a girl. "And I'm no prize for you… no trophy too, keep walking through" Listen to the way he personifies meeting that girl behind the counter that we have all had that crush on. This leads me to another fave — "Busting Up a Starbucks." This very funky and acoustic cut has Soul Coughing written all over it. This would have fit perfectly on Irresistible Bliss. Listen to when Doughty sings in his best deadpan slacker poet vocal— "This bitter drink has made you drunk//The thoughts you think/Become unthunk." I mean who hasn't wanted to bust up a Starbucks? Think of this song as an anthem for the Chuck Palahniuk generation.
Other highlights include the slide guitar flavored road trip song "American Girl," with Doughty doing his best Americana on-the-road again vocal. A big surprise was the Dave Matthews duet "Tremendous Brunettes." I'm not a fan of Mr. Matthews but this song is weird, funky and pure Doughty and Matthews' voice actually fits on this track. But you need to check out "I Hear the Bells," which features the beautiful backing vocals of Amy Jennings. "I Hear the Bells" is kind of a futuristic gospel flavored acoustic song with the lyrics "I hear the bells are ringing joyful and triumphantly."
Haughty Melodic has arrived and now it's time for you non-disciples to get down with the man they call Doughty. It's pure Doughty with hints of post-modern pop-a-licious beats that will make any naysayer a fan after one listen.
(note: After picking up Haughty Melodic, if you want to discover the ultimate Doughty experience make sure you add: Soul Coughing's compilation Lust in Phaze, his first ATO release Skittish/Rockity Roll and the hard to find live album called Smorfe + Smang to your CD collections. You will not regret it.)
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.22.2005
Mike Doughty
Haughty Melodic
2005
ATO
I got my first tattoo, a tribal design, at Crescent City Tattoos on Magazine St, in uptown New Orleans with Mike Doughty singing in the background. The tattoo artist was playing Irresistible Bliss from Soul Coughing on his CD player. Throughout this somewhat painful and amazing experience of having art created on my arm, I felt relaxed and funkafied by this strange and addicting voice coming from the speakers. Ever since that moment I was hooked; a Doughty fan for life. I ran out and found everything he was on, from the 808 State track "Bond" to " A Plane Scraped Its Belly on a Sooty Yellow Moon," his collaboration with Roni Size on the Spawn Soundtrack. I even tracked down Poemfone: New World Order, a spoken word CD that had Doughty's verse on four tracks.
For those not in the know, Doughty first gained notoriety as the frontman for the downtown New York band Soul Coughing. Doughty believed the group played a self professed `deep slacker jazz' and they scored some critical success with their 1994 debut album Ruby Vroom. Doughty was definitely enjoying his life, having gone from doorman of the Knitting Factory to a major player in the New York underground rock scene. The band, featuring upright bassist Sebastian Steinberg, stumbled recording their follow up record Irresistible Bliss. The tensions that appeared during these sessions and the subsequent tour led to the disbanding of the group after the recording of their final album El Oso.
After Soul Coughing, Doughty added Mike back to his name, then recorded and released a record called Skittish and went solo, playing unplugged shows around America. Around this time he became infamous for his vocal on BT's hit single "Never Gonna Come Back Down." By now Soul Coughing was getting respect, like most groups do after breaking up, and Doughty was starting to reap benefits from such exposure. This is when, Dave Matthews came a-calling, inviting Doughty to release his music on ATO, home to artists such as David Gray and Patti Griffith. He and Doughty actually had a history, however, as Doughty's former band opened up for Dave Matthews, having been a huge fan of Ruby Vroom especially "Janine." When Doughty was searching for the right label to call home, Matthews' artist friendly ATO seemed like a perfect match.
After many years waiting, Doughty fans finally get his first major label solo record Haughty Melodic. Doughty has removed most of his super-freak persona from his Soul Coughing days to focus on his more stripped-down, acoustic and lyrical side. Think of it as more mature, but don't worry, he's still the same madcap Doughty, the big dawg that we know and love. Doughty writes 21st Century acoustic love songs for the Indie geek inside of us. And I'm not talking about the type of songs that are played on the Clear Channel-owned "modern rock" station near you. Doughty has a much more artistic way with words and this goes back to his slamming days as a rhyming poet in NYC.
One of my favorite cuts, "Sunkeneyed Girl," has been a staple in his live sets for the last few years. "You are the drinks that I keep and keep drinking, I fall down stumble" I mean which guy hasn't fell like that, figurative and literally, for a girl. "And I'm no prize for you… no trophy too, keep walking through" Listen to the way he personifies meeting that girl behind the counter that we have all had that crush on. This leads me to another fave — "Busting Up a Starbucks." This very funky and acoustic cut has Soul Coughing written all over it. This would have fit perfectly on Irresistible Bliss. Listen to when Doughty sings in his best deadpan slacker poet vocal— "This bitter drink has made you drunk//The thoughts you think/Become unthunk." I mean who hasn't wanted to bust up a Starbucks? Think of this song as an anthem for the Chuck Palahniuk generation.
Other highlights include the slide guitar flavored road trip song "American Girl," with Doughty doing his best Americana on-the-road again vocal. A big surprise was the Dave Matthews duet "Tremendous Brunettes." I'm not a fan of Mr. Matthews but this song is weird, funky and pure Doughty and Matthews' voice actually fits on this track. But you need to check out "I Hear the Bells," which features the beautiful backing vocals of Amy Jennings. "I Hear the Bells" is kind of a futuristic gospel flavored acoustic song with the lyrics "I hear the bells are ringing joyful and triumphantly."
Haughty Melodic has arrived and now it's time for you non-disciples to get down with the man they call Doughty. It's pure Doughty with hints of post-modern pop-a-licious beats that will make any naysayer a fan after one listen.
(note: After picking up Haughty Melodic, if you want to discover the ultimate Doughty experience make sure you add: Soul Coughing's compilation Lust in Phaze, his first ATO release Skittish/Rockity Roll and the hard to find live album called Smorfe + Smang to your CD collections. You will not regret it.)
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
05.22.2005
Review: Depeche Mode: Playing the Angel
my depeche mode review can be found on treblezine.com
Depeche Mode
Playing the Angel
2005
Mute - Reprise
It's sad. I really wasn't looking forward to the new release of one of my favorite groups from the '80s—Depeche Mode. I actually lost faith in the group I grew up with after their last lifeless release, Exciter, was anything but. Even Ultra, which I liked still wasn't up to par with someone of my favorite Mode albums of years past. It seems, ever since Alan Wilder had left after the Devotional tour, the band that I knew and loved had lost its creative edge. That is until I laid ears on Playing the Angel. Diehard Mode fans will find musical salvation again with the opening guitar-like siren sounds of "A Pain That I Am Used To." After a few sinful spins, I knew Angel should have been called songs of infidelity and desertion.
Many ignorant critics are claiming that Angel sounds like Violator but that couldn't be further from the truth. Angel actually is an amalgamation of Songs of Faith & Devotion, Black Celebration and yes, Speak & Spell. Believe me, it feels like Mode went back to the musical chalkboard to figure out what aspects of their past albums were their favorite and then incorporated them into Angel. The amazing thing is that Angel sounds anything but derivative. There's a fresh, futuristic, bluesy, electronic vibe that's been desperately missing from their last few albums.
The first thing you will notice is that vox Dave Gahan has three of his own songs on a Mode album. Some might see this as a curse but I feel it's about time that Dave got his chance to incorporate his lyrical darkness to Depeche Mode. I feel Gahan's got the rebellious Lennon-like edge to Gore's soulful McCartney vibe. (I am not saying that Gahan writes like Lennon, but rather he has the Lennon persona of the group. That would leave Fletcher as Ringo and the now departed Wilder was the underappreciated Harrison of the band.) It's that lyrical dichotomy that will strengthen the band and make them an even more darker and powerful force for years to come. Gahan brings a new energy to the band and I feel that this type of lyrical rivalry will lift Gore's own exceptional songwriting to a new level.
I would love to say that all of Gahan's songs are stellar but only one of his tracks "Suffer Well" is memorable. "I Want it All," is Dave's unfortunate attempt of trying to remake "I Want You Now" from Music for the Masses and "Nothing's Impossible" is a triumphant attempt at a Mode classic but falls short. But at least he's trying, and Gore is giving him the chance to incorporate his ideas into the band. Without this opportunity, "Suffer Well" wouldn't have made it on Angel. Starting with a lyrical jibe at his band when Gahan sings, "Where were you when I fell from grace," this personal statement from Gahan is one of the strongest on the album. Gahan is his own "Personal Jesus" as he sings with a memorable sincerity that echoes his feelings about being abandoned by his mates after his painful addition and near death experience with Heroin.
"I'm still recovering/still getting over all the suffering," Gahan sings on, one of my favorite cuts—"The Sinner in Me," my favorite part on Angel. Right after "Suffer Well," you feel like all the songs are connected to make Angel some kind of dark epic. I love the Black Celebration-like theme of loss and religious imagery that's layered over the album. There's a reason it reads "pain and suffering in various tempos" on the sleeve.
You will find the addicting guitar feedback on "Sinner in Me" and dynamic choruses throughout Angel are a reflection of Faith and Devotion. Yes, the siren-like intro on "A Pain That I Am Used To" does echo the same opening as heard on "I Feel You." And I don't feel like this is some kind of mistake. Mode wanted to announce their return to form in such a grand and powerful manner.
As for the Speak & Spell vibe, you can hear it on most of every track on the record. This is due to Mode using analog equipment for the first time in years. You can hear those little cracks and beeps from those classic synths that make Angel a post-modern Speak & Spell with a dark, mature sound that was missing from the original release.
Some of Depeche Mode's best songs are on Angel. I already mentioned "Suffer Well" and "A Pain That I Am Used To," but I feel that the first single, "Precious" is classic Mode. It has a catchy electro vibe, Gore's cherished lyrics and Gahan's deep resounding vocal that make it a high mark in the Depeche Mode canon. I also love Gore's electric take on the blues classic "John the Revleator." It's the type of song that Mode hasn't attempted since the days of Faith and Devotion, and it's a welcome return. Angel leaves us on a dark but high note with "The Darkest Star." The track highlights the pure lyrical mysticism of Martin Gore. It has a hypnotic piano and the aching vocal of Gahan that all Mode fans can relate to. This song puts the black cherry on top of this record that I have been playing non-stop since its release.
Here's hoping that Depeche Mode follow their own advice on "The Darkest Star" when Gahan sings, "stay as you are/the darkest star." Depeche Mode fans, rejoice in the return of the glory and darkness from your favorite band. And hopefully, they will continue serenading us past midnight, the 21st century and beyond.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.27.2005
Depeche Mode
Playing the Angel
2005
Mute - Reprise
It's sad. I really wasn't looking forward to the new release of one of my favorite groups from the '80s—Depeche Mode. I actually lost faith in the group I grew up with after their last lifeless release, Exciter, was anything but. Even Ultra, which I liked still wasn't up to par with someone of my favorite Mode albums of years past. It seems, ever since Alan Wilder had left after the Devotional tour, the band that I knew and loved had lost its creative edge. That is until I laid ears on Playing the Angel. Diehard Mode fans will find musical salvation again with the opening guitar-like siren sounds of "A Pain That I Am Used To." After a few sinful spins, I knew Angel should have been called songs of infidelity and desertion.
Many ignorant critics are claiming that Angel sounds like Violator but that couldn't be further from the truth. Angel actually is an amalgamation of Songs of Faith & Devotion, Black Celebration and yes, Speak & Spell. Believe me, it feels like Mode went back to the musical chalkboard to figure out what aspects of their past albums were their favorite and then incorporated them into Angel. The amazing thing is that Angel sounds anything but derivative. There's a fresh, futuristic, bluesy, electronic vibe that's been desperately missing from their last few albums.
The first thing you will notice is that vox Dave Gahan has three of his own songs on a Mode album. Some might see this as a curse but I feel it's about time that Dave got his chance to incorporate his lyrical darkness to Depeche Mode. I feel Gahan's got the rebellious Lennon-like edge to Gore's soulful McCartney vibe. (I am not saying that Gahan writes like Lennon, but rather he has the Lennon persona of the group. That would leave Fletcher as Ringo and the now departed Wilder was the underappreciated Harrison of the band.) It's that lyrical dichotomy that will strengthen the band and make them an even more darker and powerful force for years to come. Gahan brings a new energy to the band and I feel that this type of lyrical rivalry will lift Gore's own exceptional songwriting to a new level.
I would love to say that all of Gahan's songs are stellar but only one of his tracks "Suffer Well" is memorable. "I Want it All," is Dave's unfortunate attempt of trying to remake "I Want You Now" from Music for the Masses and "Nothing's Impossible" is a triumphant attempt at a Mode classic but falls short. But at least he's trying, and Gore is giving him the chance to incorporate his ideas into the band. Without this opportunity, "Suffer Well" wouldn't have made it on Angel. Starting with a lyrical jibe at his band when Gahan sings, "Where were you when I fell from grace," this personal statement from Gahan is one of the strongest on the album. Gahan is his own "Personal Jesus" as he sings with a memorable sincerity that echoes his feelings about being abandoned by his mates after his painful addition and near death experience with Heroin.
"I'm still recovering/still getting over all the suffering," Gahan sings on, one of my favorite cuts—"The Sinner in Me," my favorite part on Angel. Right after "Suffer Well," you feel like all the songs are connected to make Angel some kind of dark epic. I love the Black Celebration-like theme of loss and religious imagery that's layered over the album. There's a reason it reads "pain and suffering in various tempos" on the sleeve.
You will find the addicting guitar feedback on "Sinner in Me" and dynamic choruses throughout Angel are a reflection of Faith and Devotion. Yes, the siren-like intro on "A Pain That I Am Used To" does echo the same opening as heard on "I Feel You." And I don't feel like this is some kind of mistake. Mode wanted to announce their return to form in such a grand and powerful manner.
As for the Speak & Spell vibe, you can hear it on most of every track on the record. This is due to Mode using analog equipment for the first time in years. You can hear those little cracks and beeps from those classic synths that make Angel a post-modern Speak & Spell with a dark, mature sound that was missing from the original release.
Some of Depeche Mode's best songs are on Angel. I already mentioned "Suffer Well" and "A Pain That I Am Used To," but I feel that the first single, "Precious" is classic Mode. It has a catchy electro vibe, Gore's cherished lyrics and Gahan's deep resounding vocal that make it a high mark in the Depeche Mode canon. I also love Gore's electric take on the blues classic "John the Revleator." It's the type of song that Mode hasn't attempted since the days of Faith and Devotion, and it's a welcome return. Angel leaves us on a dark but high note with "The Darkest Star." The track highlights the pure lyrical mysticism of Martin Gore. It has a hypnotic piano and the aching vocal of Gahan that all Mode fans can relate to. This song puts the black cherry on top of this record that I have been playing non-stop since its release.
Here's hoping that Depeche Mode follow their own advice on "The Darkest Star" when Gahan sings, "stay as you are/the darkest star." Depeche Mode fans, rejoice in the return of the glory and darkness from your favorite band. And hopefully, they will continue serenading us past midnight, the 21st century and beyond.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
10.27.2005
Review: Daddy G: DJ Kicks
my daddy g review can be found on treblezine.com
Daddy G
DJ-Kicks
2005
Studio K!7
I'm not really fan of the Under the Influence, Back to Mine and Another Late Night series of compilations, which find popular artists like Morrissey, The Orb and New Order going through their record collections and compiling a CD of their favorite tracks. At first it's an interesting listen to hear all the bands that influenced them but after a few spins the disc gets relegated to a dark corner on the bottom of your CD shelf, never to be heard from again.
So I had doubts when I saw Massive Attack mastermind Daddy G's new release on the shelf at my local CD shop. I actually did a double take. I have been a Massive Attack fan since the inception of the Bristol sound back in the early nineties, so if there's a band that I make an exception of it has to be them. What makes this disc different from the rest is that it's actually mixed by a DJ. (The DJ-Kicks series is made by spin-masters who have spent their lives perfecting the art of the mix; they're professional DJ's— who better to make a mix CD?) Daddy G actually started off as a DJ before joining the Wild Bunch Sound System, so this DJ-Kicks disc actually sounds like the ultimate mix, and not just any mix CD, but one that Rob Gordon of High Fidelity would definitely put in his top five.
Daddy G's mix begins with a couple of classic Studio One reggae tracks, including his favorite song of all time—the Rasta flavored rhythms of Willie Williams' "Armagideon Time." After visiting some Jamaican jams, Daddy G segues into the hard to find, original white label of Tricky's "Aftermath 1." Being a Tricky-head was reason alone to buy the CD. The track is an extended trip-hop layered version of the song found on Tricky's debut Maxinqaye. Then he mixes "Aftermath" with The Meters' "Just kissed my Baby." The Meters were the funkafied favorite sons of the Big Easy and hearing the track reminded me of my Mardi Gras days back when I lived in N'awlins. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, G mixes a double shot of Massive Attack rarities—the remixes of "Mustt Mustt" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and "Façe a la Mer" by Les Negresses Vertes. The combination of their global tribal rhythms with the distinct trademark Bristol sound makes these to mixes a must for all Massive Attack fans.
This DJ-Kicks CD makes you want to roll a blunt and smoke it while letting the bass bumping sounds of Daddy G's mix flow around you. Massive Attack has always been the soundtrack to my herbal experience and Daddy G's mix is no different. It's a laid-back trip-hop ride that ends with two killer tracks, the Aretha Franklin remix of "Rock Steady" and the Perfecto mix of Massive Attack's first international hit "Unfinished Sympathy." Talk about ending your mix with an exclamation mark. This CD is so addicting that it's been in my player since I bought it. So what are you waiting for? Let Daddy G's sounds light up your next chill out after party.
Okay, even if you don't smoke you will appreciate the sweet and smooth musical transitions in Daddy G's eclectic mix. There's something for everyone—trip-hop of Tricky; classic soul of Aretha Franklin; world beat sounds of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; the hip-hop of Mos Def; New Orleans R & B of the Meters and the Bristol club aura of Massive Attack. Roll yourself over to the store and get a copy of his DJ-Kicks CD. You will thank me for it. Daddy G's mix disc is a jewel that needs to shine in your collection.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
01.30.2005
Daddy G
DJ-Kicks
2005
Studio K!7
I'm not really fan of the Under the Influence, Back to Mine and Another Late Night series of compilations, which find popular artists like Morrissey, The Orb and New Order going through their record collections and compiling a CD of their favorite tracks. At first it's an interesting listen to hear all the bands that influenced them but after a few spins the disc gets relegated to a dark corner on the bottom of your CD shelf, never to be heard from again.
So I had doubts when I saw Massive Attack mastermind Daddy G's new release on the shelf at my local CD shop. I actually did a double take. I have been a Massive Attack fan since the inception of the Bristol sound back in the early nineties, so if there's a band that I make an exception of it has to be them. What makes this disc different from the rest is that it's actually mixed by a DJ. (The DJ-Kicks series is made by spin-masters who have spent their lives perfecting the art of the mix; they're professional DJ's— who better to make a mix CD?) Daddy G actually started off as a DJ before joining the Wild Bunch Sound System, so this DJ-Kicks disc actually sounds like the ultimate mix, and not just any mix CD, but one that Rob Gordon of High Fidelity would definitely put in his top five.
Daddy G's mix begins with a couple of classic Studio One reggae tracks, including his favorite song of all time—the Rasta flavored rhythms of Willie Williams' "Armagideon Time." After visiting some Jamaican jams, Daddy G segues into the hard to find, original white label of Tricky's "Aftermath 1." Being a Tricky-head was reason alone to buy the CD. The track is an extended trip-hop layered version of the song found on Tricky's debut Maxinqaye. Then he mixes "Aftermath" with The Meters' "Just kissed my Baby." The Meters were the funkafied favorite sons of the Big Easy and hearing the track reminded me of my Mardi Gras days back when I lived in N'awlins. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, G mixes a double shot of Massive Attack rarities—the remixes of "Mustt Mustt" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and "Façe a la Mer" by Les Negresses Vertes. The combination of their global tribal rhythms with the distinct trademark Bristol sound makes these to mixes a must for all Massive Attack fans.
This DJ-Kicks CD makes you want to roll a blunt and smoke it while letting the bass bumping sounds of Daddy G's mix flow around you. Massive Attack has always been the soundtrack to my herbal experience and Daddy G's mix is no different. It's a laid-back trip-hop ride that ends with two killer tracks, the Aretha Franklin remix of "Rock Steady" and the Perfecto mix of Massive Attack's first international hit "Unfinished Sympathy." Talk about ending your mix with an exclamation mark. This CD is so addicting that it's been in my player since I bought it. So what are you waiting for? Let Daddy G's sounds light up your next chill out after party.
Okay, even if you don't smoke you will appreciate the sweet and smooth musical transitions in Daddy G's eclectic mix. There's something for everyone—trip-hop of Tricky; classic soul of Aretha Franklin; world beat sounds of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; the hip-hop of Mos Def; New Orleans R & B of the Meters and the Bristol club aura of Massive Attack. Roll yourself over to the store and get a copy of his DJ-Kicks CD. You will thank me for it. Daddy G's mix disc is a jewel that needs to shine in your collection.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
01.30.2005
Review: Chemical Brothers: Push the Button
my chemical brothers review can be found on treblezine.com
Chemical Brothers
Push the Button
2005
Astralwerks
It doesn't seem like so long ago that Los Hermanos Quimicos, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, were the innovators of the self proclaimed Big Beat scene. I remember songs on Exit Planet Dust and Dig Your Own Hole and even on Surrender, on which the Brothers were working it out, changing the landscape of music with their addictive block rockin' beats. They had their musical compadres like Beth Orton, Noel Gallagher, Tim Burgess, Hope Sandoval, Bernard Sumner and Richard Ashcroft lifting their hyper-spaced out rhythms with memorable lyrics in such classic songs as "Where Do I Begin," "Setting Sun" and "Out of Control."
What Tom and Ed don't realize is their scene is so over that we're now using our glow sticks to help find our lost car keys in a parking lot in the dark. The boys seem stuck in the past to be like a bunch of post modern dinosaurs trying to bring up the noise to a dying rave party scene for the 90's Jurassic Park generation. And you know what? I'm not buying it.
It's bad enough that the Chemical Bros, ten years later, are trying to recycle old rhythms with no effect what so ever. "Believe" is a new song that drags and drags — have these guys ever heard of an edit? It sounds like an American blockbuster with beats, lots o' noise and says nothing at all. It's quite sad, kind of like those aging hippie rock tours that some Woodstock parents would go to in the eighties. Even Tim Burgess's appearance can't save "The Boxer." It tries to recycle a hip '70s funk like vibe but it just goes round and round and round—all hype with no musical connections at all. All I know is that I won't be going to some all night party in the desert to see these guys anytime soon. If this is the music they are trying to push… give me a roll of E, some Chicago Deep House white label music and a Vicks pacifier and that would do it for me.
There is one shining spot on this long drawn out disappointment of a record and that's the Q-Tip fronted single "Galvanize." The only reason this song survives is because of the lyrical stylings of Q-Tip. Even with the cool funky rhythms that still seem to echo "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" from Surrender, the only reason this song is a highlight is the Tip. Just like his role in R.E.M.'s "The Outsiders," Tip's message is political as he raps "World/my finger is on the button…the time has come to Galvanize!" It's a calling to arms to everyone in all the musical nations to stand up and make noise to fight the powers that be.
But sadly that is it, just one redeeming song on this drawn out album that should have been dubbed Press the Pause Button. Could it be that I'm just getting old? Nah. It's just that the only people making waves in the dance music scene are artists like !!!. The Chemical Brothers have to go back to the drawing board or just disconnect their decks and maybe give it up for a while. It seems like their partner in crime, Norman Cook a.k.a. Fatboy Slim, is having the same problem as his album Palookaville was also a major league flop. I guess this means that Big Beat's legacy is heading to towards extinction. Oh well, we had fun while it lasted, but this party's over. Take two aspirins and just chill out for a while, will ya?
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.16.2005
Chemical Brothers
Push the Button
2005
Astralwerks
It doesn't seem like so long ago that Los Hermanos Quimicos, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, were the innovators of the self proclaimed Big Beat scene. I remember songs on Exit Planet Dust and Dig Your Own Hole and even on Surrender, on which the Brothers were working it out, changing the landscape of music with their addictive block rockin' beats. They had their musical compadres like Beth Orton, Noel Gallagher, Tim Burgess, Hope Sandoval, Bernard Sumner and Richard Ashcroft lifting their hyper-spaced out rhythms with memorable lyrics in such classic songs as "Where Do I Begin," "Setting Sun" and "Out of Control."
What Tom and Ed don't realize is their scene is so over that we're now using our glow sticks to help find our lost car keys in a parking lot in the dark. The boys seem stuck in the past to be like a bunch of post modern dinosaurs trying to bring up the noise to a dying rave party scene for the 90's Jurassic Park generation. And you know what? I'm not buying it.
It's bad enough that the Chemical Bros, ten years later, are trying to recycle old rhythms with no effect what so ever. "Believe" is a new song that drags and drags — have these guys ever heard of an edit? It sounds like an American blockbuster with beats, lots o' noise and says nothing at all. It's quite sad, kind of like those aging hippie rock tours that some Woodstock parents would go to in the eighties. Even Tim Burgess's appearance can't save "The Boxer." It tries to recycle a hip '70s funk like vibe but it just goes round and round and round—all hype with no musical connections at all. All I know is that I won't be going to some all night party in the desert to see these guys anytime soon. If this is the music they are trying to push… give me a roll of E, some Chicago Deep House white label music and a Vicks pacifier and that would do it for me.
There is one shining spot on this long drawn out disappointment of a record and that's the Q-Tip fronted single "Galvanize." The only reason this song survives is because of the lyrical stylings of Q-Tip. Even with the cool funky rhythms that still seem to echo "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" from Surrender, the only reason this song is a highlight is the Tip. Just like his role in R.E.M.'s "The Outsiders," Tip's message is political as he raps "World/my finger is on the button…the time has come to Galvanize!" It's a calling to arms to everyone in all the musical nations to stand up and make noise to fight the powers that be.
But sadly that is it, just one redeeming song on this drawn out album that should have been dubbed Press the Pause Button. Could it be that I'm just getting old? Nah. It's just that the only people making waves in the dance music scene are artists like !!!. The Chemical Brothers have to go back to the drawing board or just disconnect their decks and maybe give it up for a while. It seems like their partner in crime, Norman Cook a.k.a. Fatboy Slim, is having the same problem as his album Palookaville was also a major league flop. I guess this means that Big Beat's legacy is heading to towards extinction. Oh well, we had fun while it lasted, but this party's over. Take two aspirins and just chill out for a while, will ya?
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.16.2005
Review: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: B-Sides and Rarities
my nick cave review can be found on treblezine.com
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
B-Sides and Rarities
2005
Mute
I wonder why I, an agnostic writer, always seem to gravitate towards songs and artists with an almost obvious spiritually inspired music style. Two of my favorites, "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison and "The Maker" by Daniel Lanois, sing about the search for salvation in a three minute journey through their inspirational songs. Another song, Nina Simone's upbeat southern flavored cover of "House of the Rising Sun" reminds of my living in New Orleans and listening as I past the Baptist church near my uptown apartment. I remember feeling the power their holy songs pulsing through my sweating skin, as I walked by.
It's not just the songs. Artists like Bob Marley and Johnny Cash use their voice to show us the glory of their faith. The thing I love about Marley and Cash is that they believed in not only their religion but the power of creative art by sharing their spiritual joy to listeners, without shoving their devotion down our ears, with their unique, inspired brand of musical beauty.
This brings me to Nick Cave, one of the most enigmatic singer/songwriters of this modern age. Cave has gone from being a hooked-on-heroin punk leading his band the Birthday Party spewing Biblical psalms over their three chords of demented and unrelenting heresy to a clean, sober and literally reborn rock and roll anti-hero. He now is an artist in the vein of his heroes Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and his heroine Nina Simone. Gone are all the drug induced days of the Birthday Party and replaced with the holy and infectious beauty of the Bad Seeds. It's as if Cave is the rebellious preacher, preaching his poetic sermons, and the Bad Seeds are his demonic house band, playing the riffs that both Lucifer and the Lord would both love.
It's this dichotomy that makes me hold Cave as a hero and inspiration in my life. He is the good, the bad and the ugly; and the thing is, he really doesn't give a fuck what Christians, Goth nor Punk rockers think about what he sings. Cave writes for the glory of song. He just happens to be really devoted in his religion but it's the music that's key for him because without it, he'd be just another madman on the corner starving for attention in this disconnected world where anyone can down load a hit of salvation in about fifteen seconds.
After releasing the brilliant double disc, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, this week Nick Cave goes one bigger and drops a triple disc of rare and unreleased gems called B-Sides & Rarities. Compiled by Bad Seed guitarist Mick Harvey, this 3 CD set showcases the best of everything Cave and his band rarely heard and unearthed recordings that some die hard fans, like yours truly have been dying to hear for years.
I have always said that you can tell a great band by the quality of their b-sides and unreleased records. Only the best artists take their time and effort on every recording they lay down and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds do not disappoint. There's so much in these discs that it's quite overwhelming. I believe there are bands out there that would sell their souls to have at least one of these gems as proper track on their commercial album.
Let's start with the highlights of disc one — three acoustic versions of "Deanna," "The Mercy Seat" and "City of Refuge." The intimate nature of these songs complexities are stripped to the core in these memorable versions; especially in "City of Refuge" which sounds like a haunted hymn sung by spirits at an abandoned pub.
Disc two starts with the much sought after Cave's duet with Pogues lush singer Shane MacGowan on Louis Armstrong's "What a wonderful world." This duo does Louis justice with this lovely rendition thanks to the string arrangement by Bill McGee. Then there's the eerie guide vocal sung by now ex-Bad Seed guitarist Blixa Bargeld on "Where the Wild Roses Grow." The same track that Kylie Minogue made infamous on the now famed Murder Ballads album. Then there's the three part trilogy of "O'Malley's Bar" that's one part cacophony and another part brilliance that only Cave and The Bad Seeds can create over seventeen plus minutes of madness.
Disc Three showcases the most recent musical activity by Cave and Los Seeds. I love the way Harvey arranged this compilation chronologically. You can hear the maturing of the band from dirty sensibilities on disc one's "Black Betty" to the delicate honesty of "Black hair." It shows that true artists grow and evolve through time and the rest of them fade out into obscurity. You can hear Cave clearly shine in such rarities as the Boatman Call outtake "Opium Tea" and the most recent b-side "Under the Moon."
There's so much in here, fifty plus tracks worth that I could write a dissertation on the brilliance of B-Sides & Rarities, but I will spare you. If you are new to the Nick Cave cannon you need to discover this amazing release. I am not writing this praise not to God above, but to the one and only—Señor Cave. A true artist, dare I say genius, whose backlog of rarities and b-sides are a musical version of a holy grail to his fans. Christmas has come early for Nick Cave fans. This is the ultimate collection for the Bad Seed in your life.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.06.2005
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
B-Sides and Rarities
2005
Mute
I wonder why I, an agnostic writer, always seem to gravitate towards songs and artists with an almost obvious spiritually inspired music style. Two of my favorites, "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison and "The Maker" by Daniel Lanois, sing about the search for salvation in a three minute journey through their inspirational songs. Another song, Nina Simone's upbeat southern flavored cover of "House of the Rising Sun" reminds of my living in New Orleans and listening as I past the Baptist church near my uptown apartment. I remember feeling the power their holy songs pulsing through my sweating skin, as I walked by.
It's not just the songs. Artists like Bob Marley and Johnny Cash use their voice to show us the glory of their faith. The thing I love about Marley and Cash is that they believed in not only their religion but the power of creative art by sharing their spiritual joy to listeners, without shoving their devotion down our ears, with their unique, inspired brand of musical beauty.
This brings me to Nick Cave, one of the most enigmatic singer/songwriters of this modern age. Cave has gone from being a hooked-on-heroin punk leading his band the Birthday Party spewing Biblical psalms over their three chords of demented and unrelenting heresy to a clean, sober and literally reborn rock and roll anti-hero. He now is an artist in the vein of his heroes Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and his heroine Nina Simone. Gone are all the drug induced days of the Birthday Party and replaced with the holy and infectious beauty of the Bad Seeds. It's as if Cave is the rebellious preacher, preaching his poetic sermons, and the Bad Seeds are his demonic house band, playing the riffs that both Lucifer and the Lord would both love.
It's this dichotomy that makes me hold Cave as a hero and inspiration in my life. He is the good, the bad and the ugly; and the thing is, he really doesn't give a fuck what Christians, Goth nor Punk rockers think about what he sings. Cave writes for the glory of song. He just happens to be really devoted in his religion but it's the music that's key for him because without it, he'd be just another madman on the corner starving for attention in this disconnected world where anyone can down load a hit of salvation in about fifteen seconds.
After releasing the brilliant double disc, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, this week Nick Cave goes one bigger and drops a triple disc of rare and unreleased gems called B-Sides & Rarities. Compiled by Bad Seed guitarist Mick Harvey, this 3 CD set showcases the best of everything Cave and his band rarely heard and unearthed recordings that some die hard fans, like yours truly have been dying to hear for years.
I have always said that you can tell a great band by the quality of their b-sides and unreleased records. Only the best artists take their time and effort on every recording they lay down and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds do not disappoint. There's so much in these discs that it's quite overwhelming. I believe there are bands out there that would sell their souls to have at least one of these gems as proper track on their commercial album.
Let's start with the highlights of disc one — three acoustic versions of "Deanna," "The Mercy Seat" and "City of Refuge." The intimate nature of these songs complexities are stripped to the core in these memorable versions; especially in "City of Refuge" which sounds like a haunted hymn sung by spirits at an abandoned pub.
Disc two starts with the much sought after Cave's duet with Pogues lush singer Shane MacGowan on Louis Armstrong's "What a wonderful world." This duo does Louis justice with this lovely rendition thanks to the string arrangement by Bill McGee. Then there's the eerie guide vocal sung by now ex-Bad Seed guitarist Blixa Bargeld on "Where the Wild Roses Grow." The same track that Kylie Minogue made infamous on the now famed Murder Ballads album. Then there's the three part trilogy of "O'Malley's Bar" that's one part cacophony and another part brilliance that only Cave and The Bad Seeds can create over seventeen plus minutes of madness.
Disc Three showcases the most recent musical activity by Cave and Los Seeds. I love the way Harvey arranged this compilation chronologically. You can hear the maturing of the band from dirty sensibilities on disc one's "Black Betty" to the delicate honesty of "Black hair." It shows that true artists grow and evolve through time and the rest of them fade out into obscurity. You can hear Cave clearly shine in such rarities as the Boatman Call outtake "Opium Tea" and the most recent b-side "Under the Moon."
There's so much in here, fifty plus tracks worth that I could write a dissertation on the brilliance of B-Sides & Rarities, but I will spare you. If you are new to the Nick Cave cannon you need to discover this amazing release. I am not writing this praise not to God above, but to the one and only—Señor Cave. A true artist, dare I say genius, whose backlog of rarities and b-sides are a musical version of a holy grail to his fans. Christmas has come early for Nick Cave fans. This is the ultimate collection for the Bad Seed in your life.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.06.2005
Review: Johnny Cash: Personal File
my johnny cash review can be found on treblezine.com
Johnny Cash
Personal File
2006
Legacy
Johnny Cash once sang, "I'm not a savior/and I'm not a saint/the man with the answers I certainly ain't/ I wouldn't tell you what's right or what's wrong/ I'm just a singer of songs." Cash always thought of himself as that singer. Even so, he was a man of constant contradictions. Cash was one part lyrical gun-slinging Man in Black and on the lighter side, he was the devoted husband, father and Man of Faith. He lived both lives to the fullest, equally. Cash lived on the edge, a true nonconformist who sung for the voiceless, and became an eternal icon after being kicked out of the Grand Ole Opry. And when found a home with Rick Rubin and American Recordings his legacy continued into a new generation.
Cash lived his life like one of his songs from the outside looking in. He was the artist whose lyrics of faith never got in the way of his voice of freedom. Cash was no preacher but he lived a life of righteousness, having stayed married to his lyrical inspiration June Carter until her passing a few months before his final breath.
A few years back Willie Nelson joined Johnny Cash for an edition of Vh-1's Storytellers that was historical and memorable, to say the least. To hear these two American singing/songwriting giants tell the stories behind the songs and hear them sing said songs in such a personal atmosphere was a joy and an unbridled gift to music fans everywhere. This year we receive something more intimate with the release of Personal File. A two-disc collection of solo gems recorded in early seventies and mid-eighties, Personal File showcases Cash and his guitar singing the songs of his youth, some of his favorites, classic and inspirational melodies that he loved and knew by heart.
"Some of those old songs that I used to sing when I was a kid, I still remember every word of `em," Johnny says, sharing a story before singing "There's Always a Mother Waiting at Home." "Songs about mother and daddy were so close to me because (they) were so important…Things about home, home was so dear. They say there's no place like home. When I was a kid I didn't know that there was any other place but home." This song is about a boy who leaves home whose mother gives him advice before leaving. It's a familiar tale but with a twist—usually in classic literature and mythology, it's the father who has words with his son before leaving on his own. As Cash sings you can hear the respect and love he has for his mother and her spirit as he forges on his own. It's such a lovely song that fits with the themes found in Personal File. Most of the tracks on this collection are about family, love and religion. As in many of his songs, much of the influence comes from Cash's wife, June Carter. You can hear her influence and inspiration sprinkled in Johnny's voice. Listen for the wonder in Cash's voice of strength as a man in love and singing the songs that are the portraits of his inner life.
Cash also adds tracks about traveling when he was on tour across America. There's "Saginaw, Michigan," Johnny Horton's "When it's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below), "Missouri Waltz," "Louisiana Man" and Horton and Cash penned a song called "Girl of Saskatoon" after played a night in Saskatchewan. Tracks like "Galaway Bay" echo the life he had before marrying June Carter, some of the songs focusing on the places he's been and the joy of leaving those days behind sung with reflective and honest memory. "Songs from those are away places are calling, calling me." Cash sings, "Far Away Places,"the first song he ever sung in public or as he puts it so eloquently—"…for a critical audience."
My favorite song on disc one is "It Takes One to Know Me." It actually marks a fitting end to the first side of Personal File. The song encapsulates all of the hardships that Cash went through in his wild and early days and turns them into a ballad of truth and dedication: "It's true that I used to be crazy/and harder to love than most men/but the blood that ran through these tired old hands/ was hotter than wilder back then." To me, this is a love song in the spirit of "Satisfied Mind." It's an obvious romantic ode from Johnny to June. It's as honest and heartfelt you will ever hear Cash sing: "I don't feel as tall as I used to/maybe it's just that you've grown/ you're the one that held my hand when I fell/when I just couldn't make it alone/ I live down all the stories/sang all the old songs/it takes one to know me/I guess you're the one."
Disc Two shines the light of Cash's faith as he sings his favorite religious songs. Even if you don't share his same ideology, music fans young and old, can relate to the beauty that soars in such lyrics as "In the sweet by and by we shall meet on that beautiful shore." "The Way Worn Traveller" is one the highlights of disc two. The short song could have been the inspiration to Bob Dylan's "The Path of Victory." You can hear the parallels in the lyrics: "Palms of victory/crows of glory/palms of victory/ I shall bear."
We lost an American icon on September 12, 2003. I have told friends on mine that there will never be another Johnny Cash again. Oh, how I would have loved to seen The Man in Black live, clutching his guitar as he told stories of growing up in the glorious Tennessee with Southern Gentleman sense of humor. Alas, I never got the chance to witness such an event, but thanks to Legacy recordings I get something close and maybe a little sweeter with Personal File.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.26.2006
Johnny Cash
Personal File
2006
Legacy
Johnny Cash once sang, "I'm not a savior/and I'm not a saint/the man with the answers I certainly ain't/ I wouldn't tell you what's right or what's wrong/ I'm just a singer of songs." Cash always thought of himself as that singer. Even so, he was a man of constant contradictions. Cash was one part lyrical gun-slinging Man in Black and on the lighter side, he was the devoted husband, father and Man of Faith. He lived both lives to the fullest, equally. Cash lived on the edge, a true nonconformist who sung for the voiceless, and became an eternal icon after being kicked out of the Grand Ole Opry. And when found a home with Rick Rubin and American Recordings his legacy continued into a new generation.
Cash lived his life like one of his songs from the outside looking in. He was the artist whose lyrics of faith never got in the way of his voice of freedom. Cash was no preacher but he lived a life of righteousness, having stayed married to his lyrical inspiration June Carter until her passing a few months before his final breath.
A few years back Willie Nelson joined Johnny Cash for an edition of Vh-1's Storytellers that was historical and memorable, to say the least. To hear these two American singing/songwriting giants tell the stories behind the songs and hear them sing said songs in such a personal atmosphere was a joy and an unbridled gift to music fans everywhere. This year we receive something more intimate with the release of Personal File. A two-disc collection of solo gems recorded in early seventies and mid-eighties, Personal File showcases Cash and his guitar singing the songs of his youth, some of his favorites, classic and inspirational melodies that he loved and knew by heart.
"Some of those old songs that I used to sing when I was a kid, I still remember every word of `em," Johnny says, sharing a story before singing "There's Always a Mother Waiting at Home." "Songs about mother and daddy were so close to me because (they) were so important…Things about home, home was so dear. They say there's no place like home. When I was a kid I didn't know that there was any other place but home." This song is about a boy who leaves home whose mother gives him advice before leaving. It's a familiar tale but with a twist—usually in classic literature and mythology, it's the father who has words with his son before leaving on his own. As Cash sings you can hear the respect and love he has for his mother and her spirit as he forges on his own. It's such a lovely song that fits with the themes found in Personal File. Most of the tracks on this collection are about family, love and religion. As in many of his songs, much of the influence comes from Cash's wife, June Carter. You can hear her influence and inspiration sprinkled in Johnny's voice. Listen for the wonder in Cash's voice of strength as a man in love and singing the songs that are the portraits of his inner life.
Cash also adds tracks about traveling when he was on tour across America. There's "Saginaw, Michigan," Johnny Horton's "When it's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below), "Missouri Waltz," "Louisiana Man" and Horton and Cash penned a song called "Girl of Saskatoon" after played a night in Saskatchewan. Tracks like "Galaway Bay" echo the life he had before marrying June Carter, some of the songs focusing on the places he's been and the joy of leaving those days behind sung with reflective and honest memory. "Songs from those are away places are calling, calling me." Cash sings, "Far Away Places,"the first song he ever sung in public or as he puts it so eloquently—"…for a critical audience."
My favorite song on disc one is "It Takes One to Know Me." It actually marks a fitting end to the first side of Personal File. The song encapsulates all of the hardships that Cash went through in his wild and early days and turns them into a ballad of truth and dedication: "It's true that I used to be crazy/and harder to love than most men/but the blood that ran through these tired old hands/ was hotter than wilder back then." To me, this is a love song in the spirit of "Satisfied Mind." It's an obvious romantic ode from Johnny to June. It's as honest and heartfelt you will ever hear Cash sing: "I don't feel as tall as I used to/maybe it's just that you've grown/ you're the one that held my hand when I fell/when I just couldn't make it alone/ I live down all the stories/sang all the old songs/it takes one to know me/I guess you're the one."
Disc Two shines the light of Cash's faith as he sings his favorite religious songs. Even if you don't share his same ideology, music fans young and old, can relate to the beauty that soars in such lyrics as "In the sweet by and by we shall meet on that beautiful shore." "The Way Worn Traveller" is one the highlights of disc two. The short song could have been the inspiration to Bob Dylan's "The Path of Victory." You can hear the parallels in the lyrics: "Palms of victory/crows of glory/palms of victory/ I shall bear."
We lost an American icon on September 12, 2003. I have told friends on mine that there will never be another Johnny Cash again. Oh, how I would have loved to seen The Man in Black live, clutching his guitar as he told stories of growing up in the glorious Tennessee with Southern Gentleman sense of humor. Alas, I never got the chance to witness such an event, but thanks to Legacy recordings I get something close and maybe a little sweeter with Personal File.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
06.26.2006
Review: Brian Jonestown Massacre: Tepid Peppermint Wonderland
my brian jonestown massacre review can be found on treblezine.com
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective
2004
Tee Pee
"…Like a rolling stone…"
We all know how that Beatles song, "Dig It," from the original version of Let It Be sounds like. That track's title inspired the docu-drama Dig! of the same name of the spiraling careers of two infamous rock bands from Portland and San Francisco, respectively, The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre. Most people have heard of the Dandys because of their catchy futuristic pop sound, soundtrack work and their songs on TV commercials but the BJM haven't had the same kind of success or notoriety. The film documents and tries to answer the question of why the Massacre had yet to hit the mainstream. I guess that's why the band's lead singer and group founder Anton Newcombe has dismissed the film as a tribute to the Dandy and a knock on his eccentricities and the legacy of his notorious group.
So what is the story behind the B.J.M and their lack of commercial success? Could it be that they have had over forty members since the bands inception? Maybe the answer is in Tepid's liner notes when Newcomb says, "I don't want to compromise…" And if you listen to the music of the Massacre you will know why To me, there are two bands, out of time, that I think would fit perfectly in the psychedelic trip fest that was the sixties. One is the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the other is the Brian Johnstown Massacre. Both bands play uncompromising music that lifts to shock and shake you to their renowned timeless sounds. Spencer's bluesy rock has had moderate mainstream success but Newcombe's road has been nothing but notorious. Newcombe's Massacre's ode to the now deceased ex-Rolling Stone member and the aesthetics of the sixties psychedelic sound a-la Stones, Beatles, Donovan and the Velvet Underground. That's not anything you are likely to hear on commercialized Clear Channel anytime soon. Some may dub the Massacre's sound "21st Century hippie rock," but what it is is a post-modern head trip that any die hard music fan must discover.
Tepid is a retrospective coinciding the release of Dig! on DVD. The goal of this double CD extravaganza is to reintroduce a new generation of slackers to the Brian Jonestown Massacre. How many people know that the Massacre have released ten albums since the early nineties? Tepid showcase the highlights behind the mad genius that is Anton Newcombe. I think if you cloned the DNA of Syd Barrett, Lou Reed, Brian Wilson, John Lennon and Phil Spector all in one soul—the result would be Newcombe.
This double CD showcases not the hits, because they haven't had any, but the musical highlights of the last ten years of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Disc one has some of the greatest songs that Newcomb has ever put to vinyl. There's the hippy-prophet vibe of "All Around You (intro)" as first heard on Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request. Some of my personal favorites are "Open Heart Surgery," which sounds like vintage Robert Smith, of The Cure, fronting the Velvet Underground. Then there's "Stars," the song that Courtney Taylor of Dandy Warhols covered, a beautiful acoustic classic featuring the obsessive/tortured musings of Newcombe as he sings, "I thought I could touch the stars… my face explodes tear drops into tears/and every second I'm not with you well it seems like years." You also need to check out the Phil Spector inspired "She's Gone" where Newcomb uses the wall of sound to reflect the echo of heartbreak in a symphony of sorrow and splendor.
Disc two mixes some more rarities like the amazing one chord, Lou Reed inspired "Sue" which is the best song the Velvet Underground never wrote or recorded; a playful jab at the Dandy Warhols called "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth," The Dylan inspired "#1 Hit Jam;" Newcombe claims in the liner notes that this song distills everything Dylan tried to say in two words—"hey you;" and a handful of live cuts recorded live on WFMU radio.
So if you're a Dandy Warhol fan or have just seen Dig! and want to check out what all the noise about the BJM is about, you need to check this out. There's a lot here for the novice Massacre fan who wants to discover the brilliance behind the man they call Anton Newcombe. What I found while listening and dissecting this incredible double CD is that there is fine line between genius and madness, if you want to hear which sides of the artistic plain Newcombe lies than you need to invest in Tepid. What you will soon realize is that the Brian Jonestown Massacre is a drugless music trip that you will not soon forget.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.24.2005
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective
2004
Tee Pee
"…Like a rolling stone…"
We all know how that Beatles song, "Dig It," from the original version of Let It Be sounds like. That track's title inspired the docu-drama Dig! of the same name of the spiraling careers of two infamous rock bands from Portland and San Francisco, respectively, The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre. Most people have heard of the Dandys because of their catchy futuristic pop sound, soundtrack work and their songs on TV commercials but the BJM haven't had the same kind of success or notoriety. The film documents and tries to answer the question of why the Massacre had yet to hit the mainstream. I guess that's why the band's lead singer and group founder Anton Newcombe has dismissed the film as a tribute to the Dandy and a knock on his eccentricities and the legacy of his notorious group.
So what is the story behind the B.J.M and their lack of commercial success? Could it be that they have had over forty members since the bands inception? Maybe the answer is in Tepid's liner notes when Newcomb says, "I don't want to compromise…" And if you listen to the music of the Massacre you will know why To me, there are two bands, out of time, that I think would fit perfectly in the psychedelic trip fest that was the sixties. One is the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the other is the Brian Johnstown Massacre. Both bands play uncompromising music that lifts to shock and shake you to their renowned timeless sounds. Spencer's bluesy rock has had moderate mainstream success but Newcombe's road has been nothing but notorious. Newcombe's Massacre's ode to the now deceased ex-Rolling Stone member and the aesthetics of the sixties psychedelic sound a-la Stones, Beatles, Donovan and the Velvet Underground. That's not anything you are likely to hear on commercialized Clear Channel anytime soon. Some may dub the Massacre's sound "21st Century hippie rock," but what it is is a post-modern head trip that any die hard music fan must discover.
Tepid is a retrospective coinciding the release of Dig! on DVD. The goal of this double CD extravaganza is to reintroduce a new generation of slackers to the Brian Jonestown Massacre. How many people know that the Massacre have released ten albums since the early nineties? Tepid showcase the highlights behind the mad genius that is Anton Newcombe. I think if you cloned the DNA of Syd Barrett, Lou Reed, Brian Wilson, John Lennon and Phil Spector all in one soul—the result would be Newcombe.
This double CD showcases not the hits, because they haven't had any, but the musical highlights of the last ten years of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Disc one has some of the greatest songs that Newcomb has ever put to vinyl. There's the hippy-prophet vibe of "All Around You (intro)" as first heard on Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request. Some of my personal favorites are "Open Heart Surgery," which sounds like vintage Robert Smith, of The Cure, fronting the Velvet Underground. Then there's "Stars," the song that Courtney Taylor of Dandy Warhols covered, a beautiful acoustic classic featuring the obsessive/tortured musings of Newcombe as he sings, "I thought I could touch the stars… my face explodes tear drops into tears/and every second I'm not with you well it seems like years." You also need to check out the Phil Spector inspired "She's Gone" where Newcomb uses the wall of sound to reflect the echo of heartbreak in a symphony of sorrow and splendor.
Disc two mixes some more rarities like the amazing one chord, Lou Reed inspired "Sue" which is the best song the Velvet Underground never wrote or recorded; a playful jab at the Dandy Warhols called "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth," The Dylan inspired "#1 Hit Jam;" Newcombe claims in the liner notes that this song distills everything Dylan tried to say in two words—"hey you;" and a handful of live cuts recorded live on WFMU radio.
So if you're a Dandy Warhol fan or have just seen Dig! and want to check out what all the noise about the BJM is about, you need to check this out. There's a lot here for the novice Massacre fan who wants to discover the brilliance behind the man they call Anton Newcombe. What I found while listening and dissecting this incredible double CD is that there is fine line between genius and madness, if you want to hear which sides of the artistic plain Newcombe lies than you need to invest in Tepid. What you will soon realize is that the Brian Jonestown Massacre is a drugless music trip that you will not soon forget.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
04.24.2005
Monday, September 11, 2006
Review: Richard Ashcroft: Keys to the World
my richard ashcroft review can be found on treblezine.com
Richard Ashcroft
Keys to the World
2006
EMI International
When I think of "Mad Richard" Ashcroft, I think of him having the stoic poetics of Ian McCulloch and unbridled arrogance of Liam Gallagher. But even saying this, I still feel he doesn't sound like Ian or Liam; he has his own voice, he's unique and arguably one of the most underrated singers and songwriters of our generation. When one mentions the name of Richard Ashcroft, the image everyone pictures is from the video of "Bittersweet Symphony." The guy in black walking down the street running into people, not giving a fuck about anything; and that's his persona, people think that he's some egotistical singer but what most don't realize is that, unlike Liam, Ashcroft is far from being a tabloid darling—Richard has always let his music do the talking.
And that's the problem. When critics and fans select the best album and/or songs from the nineties, Richard Ashcroft and The Verve are missing or buried from these lists. Even so, Richard is still respected by his peers: Noel from Oasis wrote a song, "Cast No Shadow" about him and even Beach Boy genius Brian Wilson sang with him. You think that Wilson would sing with just anyone? As you could imagine, Ashcroft has a little chip on his shoulder. The thing is, from his first two solo releases, you really couldn't tell that he was pissed for being overlooked from his contemporaries. In fact, he has made some of the loveliest music that at times surpasses his output from The Verve.
Actually, in recent years, it's that same aspect of Richard Ashcroft's loveliness that I have had a problem with. His music has been too sweet and sentimental for my musical tastes. The swooping sounds of strings floating in and out of songs from Alone with Everybody and Human Conditions. I love tracks like "Song for the Lovers" and "You Are In My Mind When I Sleep," but on the album they sound way overproduced. I have copies of those two songs stripped and unplugged, and that's what I love about Ashcroft. If you take away all the bells and whistles, you get one amazing song and one hell of a songwriter. I think Ashcroft, like another one of my favorite singers, KD Lang, should make an acoustic album. Take away all of that studio trickery and you get the real essence of the man that is Richard Ashcroft.
This brings me to Keys to the World. Keys is my favorite album that "Mad Richard" has released in his post-Verve career. I love it because it encompasses everything that is Richard Ashcroft. That elegant beauty mixed with that powerfully magnificent voice that I have loved since his days of The Verve. I love the harpsichord flavored "Break the Night with Color;" the amazing Curtis Mayfield is sampled on "Music is Power," making it sound like a seventies love song that you would hear on your Dad's car stereo, and Richard rocks out with Memphis like horns on "Why Not Nothing?"
But my favorite tracks on Keys are ones that are stripped down to the bone with barely any instrumentation at all. "The Words Get in the Way" is my favorite song on Keys. (It sounds like "Sonnet" circa 2006, one my faves from Urban Hymns). I love the soft piano emptiness and the slide guitar, and I love the way the strings and handclaps don't get in the way or overpower the song with overproduction. "Sweet Brother Malcolm" is another amazing track—once again, it's Ashcroft and the acoustic, and though there are a few strings in there, it's the voice and the guitar that leads the way in this sweet song.
Finally, there is a Richard Ashcroft record that highlights the genius of a songwriter who has been overlooked and will finally get his due. No longer known as the man who only wrote "Bittersweet Symphony," Ashcroft invites you to open the keys to his world and discover new beautiful creations. This time Keys has that Verve-esque power that has been missing from his solo releases. What is there is the trademark Ashcroft voice, that voice that will inspire and fall in love with a new sound, from a man who's always been there in the shadows ready for you to hear him again, for the first time.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.05.2006
Richard Ashcroft
Keys to the World
2006
EMI International
When I think of "Mad Richard" Ashcroft, I think of him having the stoic poetics of Ian McCulloch and unbridled arrogance of Liam Gallagher. But even saying this, I still feel he doesn't sound like Ian or Liam; he has his own voice, he's unique and arguably one of the most underrated singers and songwriters of our generation. When one mentions the name of Richard Ashcroft, the image everyone pictures is from the video of "Bittersweet Symphony." The guy in black walking down the street running into people, not giving a fuck about anything; and that's his persona, people think that he's some egotistical singer but what most don't realize is that, unlike Liam, Ashcroft is far from being a tabloid darling—Richard has always let his music do the talking.
And that's the problem. When critics and fans select the best album and/or songs from the nineties, Richard Ashcroft and The Verve are missing or buried from these lists. Even so, Richard is still respected by his peers: Noel from Oasis wrote a song, "Cast No Shadow" about him and even Beach Boy genius Brian Wilson sang with him. You think that Wilson would sing with just anyone? As you could imagine, Ashcroft has a little chip on his shoulder. The thing is, from his first two solo releases, you really couldn't tell that he was pissed for being overlooked from his contemporaries. In fact, he has made some of the loveliest music that at times surpasses his output from The Verve.
Actually, in recent years, it's that same aspect of Richard Ashcroft's loveliness that I have had a problem with. His music has been too sweet and sentimental for my musical tastes. The swooping sounds of strings floating in and out of songs from Alone with Everybody and Human Conditions. I love tracks like "Song for the Lovers" and "You Are In My Mind When I Sleep," but on the album they sound way overproduced. I have copies of those two songs stripped and unplugged, and that's what I love about Ashcroft. If you take away all the bells and whistles, you get one amazing song and one hell of a songwriter. I think Ashcroft, like another one of my favorite singers, KD Lang, should make an acoustic album. Take away all of that studio trickery and you get the real essence of the man that is Richard Ashcroft.
This brings me to Keys to the World. Keys is my favorite album that "Mad Richard" has released in his post-Verve career. I love it because it encompasses everything that is Richard Ashcroft. That elegant beauty mixed with that powerfully magnificent voice that I have loved since his days of The Verve. I love the harpsichord flavored "Break the Night with Color;" the amazing Curtis Mayfield is sampled on "Music is Power," making it sound like a seventies love song that you would hear on your Dad's car stereo, and Richard rocks out with Memphis like horns on "Why Not Nothing?"
But my favorite tracks on Keys are ones that are stripped down to the bone with barely any instrumentation at all. "The Words Get in the Way" is my favorite song on Keys. (It sounds like "Sonnet" circa 2006, one my faves from Urban Hymns). I love the soft piano emptiness and the slide guitar, and I love the way the strings and handclaps don't get in the way or overpower the song with overproduction. "Sweet Brother Malcolm" is another amazing track—once again, it's Ashcroft and the acoustic, and though there are a few strings in there, it's the voice and the guitar that leads the way in this sweet song.
Finally, there is a Richard Ashcroft record that highlights the genius of a songwriter who has been overlooked and will finally get his due. No longer known as the man who only wrote "Bittersweet Symphony," Ashcroft invites you to open the keys to his world and discover new beautiful creations. This time Keys has that Verve-esque power that has been missing from his solo releases. What is there is the trademark Ashcroft voice, that voice that will inspire and fall in love with a new sound, from a man who's always been there in the shadows ready for you to hear him again, for the first time.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.05.2006
Review: Fiona Apple: Jon Brion Sessions
my fiona apple review can be found on treblezine.com
Fiona Apple
Extraordinary Machine: Jon Brion Sessions
2005
"Let's Dance was Niles idea of how a Bowie album should sound like," David Bowie said once describing why he once again worked with producer Nile Rogers on Black Tie/White Noise. I thought of this quote while I was listening to both versions of Fiona Apple's "extraordinary" new album. We all know the history; a few years ago Apple went back into the studio with When the Pawn producer Jon Brion and cut ten tracks. Unsatisfied, Apple decided against releasing the album. She then went back after taking a musical sabbatical and re-recorded a majority of the tracks with producer Mike Elizondo. Only two songs survived from the Brion Sessions, "Waltz" and the title track. Still, this never-ending debate will live on to which mix of Extraordinary Machine is the definitive version.
From the outset of the now infamous Brion Sessions, "Not About Love" is the definitive mix. Brion layers Apple's piano/vocal with his trademark beautifully sinister string arrangement to augment the song with an intimate power missing from the Elizondo mix. I like the fact you can hear Apple pound on the piano on the breakdown. I also adore the way Brion's strings strike back after she sings "This is not about love/because this is not love."
"Better Version of Me" is my other favorite track. Brion's version begins with a little cymbal; I hear this intro as an ironic musical ode to Lennon's Double Fantasy and John's song "Starting Over." "Better Version" then turns into a musical steam train that grows vibrant as the song moves to its extraordinary conclusion.
The most dramatically different song that appears on both versions is "Used to Love Him (which is now for some reason called "Tymps (the sick in the head song)." Brion's version has so much more depth. Judge for yourself, but the new mix sounds so stripped and lifeless. Brion's production makes the original track have a funky psychotic carnival sound that's like nothing I've ever heard. The unusual aura lifts the song from being just another "I don't love you anymore" song into something more disturbingly exquisite.
The only misstep on the Brion Sessions has to be "Window." And it's not really his fault. Fiona's vocal is so flat that makes you want to press skip on this song. Even though Brion's eclectic musical backdrop still makes this quite the listen, this is one of the only songs that soar on its new incarnation. Score one for Elizondo.
I love the little noisy effects that Brion layers through out, just listen to "Get Him Back." After Fiona sings one line, Brion adds little organ splashes after Fiona's fiery lyrics. Jon's uncanny musical touches like this make the Brion Sessions the most unconventional Fiona Apple recording ever. It's a gutsy, elegant, post-modern dysfunctional symphony and an uncompromising look inside the musical voice of one of today's unsung chanteuses. I prefer Brion's version of the album, simply because of his eerie production. With his help, Fiona has surpassed her contemporaries with an album that not only speaks to her devoted fan base but also stands out with a timelessly powerful sound that's way ahead of her time.
I believe Brion's Machine is Jon's idea of how a Fiona Apple should sound. It has Brion's signature musical touches all over it. And this is possibly a reason that Apple re-recorded a majority of the tracks. It sounds like Fiona is singing on a Jon Brion album.
The difference between the Elizondo produced album and Brion Sessions is all in the soundtrack. Brion definitely took a more hands-on approach when he decided to sculpt a more dramatic musical landscape to match the intimate intensity of Fiona's lyrics. This is why the Brion Sessions is the superior album. However, the Elizondo sessions are a bit more user-friendly. He toned down Brion's rhythmic eccentricities that I thought made such an iconic musical statement. I am merely hoping that one day these astonishing mixes will see an official release. But the fan can decide for himself. You know where to find it.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.07.2005
Fiona Apple
Extraordinary Machine: Jon Brion Sessions
2005
"Let's Dance was Niles idea of how a Bowie album should sound like," David Bowie said once describing why he once again worked with producer Nile Rogers on Black Tie/White Noise. I thought of this quote while I was listening to both versions of Fiona Apple's "extraordinary" new album. We all know the history; a few years ago Apple went back into the studio with When the Pawn producer Jon Brion and cut ten tracks. Unsatisfied, Apple decided against releasing the album. She then went back after taking a musical sabbatical and re-recorded a majority of the tracks with producer Mike Elizondo. Only two songs survived from the Brion Sessions, "Waltz" and the title track. Still, this never-ending debate will live on to which mix of Extraordinary Machine is the definitive version.
From the outset of the now infamous Brion Sessions, "Not About Love" is the definitive mix. Brion layers Apple's piano/vocal with his trademark beautifully sinister string arrangement to augment the song with an intimate power missing from the Elizondo mix. I like the fact you can hear Apple pound on the piano on the breakdown. I also adore the way Brion's strings strike back after she sings "This is not about love/because this is not love."
"Better Version of Me" is my other favorite track. Brion's version begins with a little cymbal; I hear this intro as an ironic musical ode to Lennon's Double Fantasy and John's song "Starting Over." "Better Version" then turns into a musical steam train that grows vibrant as the song moves to its extraordinary conclusion.
The most dramatically different song that appears on both versions is "Used to Love Him (which is now for some reason called "Tymps (the sick in the head song)." Brion's version has so much more depth. Judge for yourself, but the new mix sounds so stripped and lifeless. Brion's production makes the original track have a funky psychotic carnival sound that's like nothing I've ever heard. The unusual aura lifts the song from being just another "I don't love you anymore" song into something more disturbingly exquisite.
The only misstep on the Brion Sessions has to be "Window." And it's not really his fault. Fiona's vocal is so flat that makes you want to press skip on this song. Even though Brion's eclectic musical backdrop still makes this quite the listen, this is one of the only songs that soar on its new incarnation. Score one for Elizondo.
I love the little noisy effects that Brion layers through out, just listen to "Get Him Back." After Fiona sings one line, Brion adds little organ splashes after Fiona's fiery lyrics. Jon's uncanny musical touches like this make the Brion Sessions the most unconventional Fiona Apple recording ever. It's a gutsy, elegant, post-modern dysfunctional symphony and an uncompromising look inside the musical voice of one of today's unsung chanteuses. I prefer Brion's version of the album, simply because of his eerie production. With his help, Fiona has surpassed her contemporaries with an album that not only speaks to her devoted fan base but also stands out with a timelessly powerful sound that's way ahead of her time.
I believe Brion's Machine is Jon's idea of how a Fiona Apple should sound. It has Brion's signature musical touches all over it. And this is possibly a reason that Apple re-recorded a majority of the tracks. It sounds like Fiona is singing on a Jon Brion album.
The difference between the Elizondo produced album and Brion Sessions is all in the soundtrack. Brion definitely took a more hands-on approach when he decided to sculpt a more dramatic musical landscape to match the intimate intensity of Fiona's lyrics. This is why the Brion Sessions is the superior album. However, the Elizondo sessions are a bit more user-friendly. He toned down Brion's rhythmic eccentricities that I thought made such an iconic musical statement. I am merely hoping that one day these astonishing mixes will see an official release. But the fan can decide for himself. You know where to find it.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
11.07.2005
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