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
Wednesday, September 13, 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
Review: Antony & The Johnsons
my antony and the johnsons review can be found on treblezine.com
Antony and the Johnsons
I am a Bird Now
Secretly Canadian
Fuck Josh Groban. I am sick to death of hearing all the hype from these so-called yuppie music experts on what a great voice that guy has. To me, his voice is worse than nails on chalkboard — it repulses me. Hearing him butcher songs makes me want to call the People for the Ethical Treatment of Music.
Wait, wait, hold on. There is a method to my ranting—if you want to hear a voice, or someone who has it— "the voice," listen no further than the man they call Antony. He has to have one of the most incredibly and extraordinarily sounding voices that I have ever heard. My first time experiencing Antony was on Lou Reed's amazing double live disc Animal Serenade. Antony does the vocals on the live version of "Candy Says," the song that was nearly ruined by Doug Yule on the third self-titled Velvet Underground album. But Antony resurrects the song in this live setting and soars with his unique and powerful tenor flavor. I loved especially the way he improvises by adding some scat singing towards the latter half of the song. That's when you know a singer has transformed into an artist—when Antony takes someone else's words and makes them his own. To this day, Antony's version of "Candy Says," makes it my one of top five favorite Lou Reed songs.
Because of his acclaim while touring with NYC icons Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, Antony is getting his due. Now comes his brilliant new CD, I am a bird now. Talk about soaring! Wow— Antony's disc is already automatically in the running for best CD of 2005.
Listen here not only does Antony duet's with his old touring partner Lou Reed on "Fistful of Love" but Rufus Wainwright, son of Loudon III, trades lyrics with Antony on the beautiful "What can I do?" Another highlight is the Nick Cave-esque "Bird Guhl." The keyboard sounds like Antony's ode to Cave's classic song "Into my Arms." I also love the way the songs on I am a bird now are short and sweet. Don't you hate it when an album you like drags on with seven-minute-plus epic songs? Antony captures the infinite glory of his muse as the majority of tracks clock in less than three minutes. I am a bird now actually has a chilled-out classical jazz vibe with minimal instruments, mainly just piano and an organ—this is a good thing because it highlights Antony's voice perfectly. You could say that Antony's voice is an instrument—the way he uses it so distinct and effortlessly through out the record.
If you want to hear beauty incarnate check out Antony—for a man to have a voice like this, sounding like he touches heaven with every tone he sings, is an amazing musical experience. I can't even imagine seeing this guy live; he would blow my musical mind. There are women in music today who would kill for a voice like Antony's—a voice that touches you with such delicate honesty that you never want to turn it off.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.07.2005
Antony and the Johnsons
I am a Bird Now
Secretly Canadian
Fuck Josh Groban. I am sick to death of hearing all the hype from these so-called yuppie music experts on what a great voice that guy has. To me, his voice is worse than nails on chalkboard — it repulses me. Hearing him butcher songs makes me want to call the People for the Ethical Treatment of Music.
Wait, wait, hold on. There is a method to my ranting—if you want to hear a voice, or someone who has it— "the voice," listen no further than the man they call Antony. He has to have one of the most incredibly and extraordinarily sounding voices that I have ever heard. My first time experiencing Antony was on Lou Reed's amazing double live disc Animal Serenade. Antony does the vocals on the live version of "Candy Says," the song that was nearly ruined by Doug Yule on the third self-titled Velvet Underground album. But Antony resurrects the song in this live setting and soars with his unique and powerful tenor flavor. I loved especially the way he improvises by adding some scat singing towards the latter half of the song. That's when you know a singer has transformed into an artist—when Antony takes someone else's words and makes them his own. To this day, Antony's version of "Candy Says," makes it my one of top five favorite Lou Reed songs.
Because of his acclaim while touring with NYC icons Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, Antony is getting his due. Now comes his brilliant new CD, I am a bird now. Talk about soaring! Wow— Antony's disc is already automatically in the running for best CD of 2005.
Listen here not only does Antony duet's with his old touring partner Lou Reed on "Fistful of Love" but Rufus Wainwright, son of Loudon III, trades lyrics with Antony on the beautiful "What can I do?" Another highlight is the Nick Cave-esque "Bird Guhl." The keyboard sounds like Antony's ode to Cave's classic song "Into my Arms." I also love the way the songs on I am a bird now are short and sweet. Don't you hate it when an album you like drags on with seven-minute-plus epic songs? Antony captures the infinite glory of his muse as the majority of tracks clock in less than three minutes. I am a bird now actually has a chilled-out classical jazz vibe with minimal instruments, mainly just piano and an organ—this is a good thing because it highlights Antony's voice perfectly. You could say that Antony's voice is an instrument—the way he uses it so distinct and effortlessly through out the record.
If you want to hear beauty incarnate check out Antony—for a man to have a voice like this, sounding like he touches heaven with every tone he sings, is an amazing musical experience. I can't even imagine seeing this guy live; he would blow my musical mind. There are women in music today who would kill for a voice like Antony's—a voice that touches you with such delicate honesty that you never want to turn it off.
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
02.07.2005
Saturday, September 09, 2006
welcome to i write therefore i am
greetings and salutations,
I welcome you to i write therefore i am a creative outlet for all my published music reviews, essays and lyrical muses.
Music to me is more than lyrics, chord and vocals - the songs are the soundtrack of my life.
I hope you enjoy my riffs on the rhythms that reflect the sound and visions that are mi vida.
I believe Nietzsche said it best..."...without music life would be nothing."
enjoy,
a.e.c.
2006
"for the first time I feel love..." bono and u2
the first time ~ u2<(wma)
I welcome you to i write therefore i am a creative outlet for all my published music reviews, essays and lyrical muses.
Music to me is more than lyrics, chord and vocals - the songs are the soundtrack of my life.
I hope you enjoy my riffs on the rhythms that reflect the sound and visions that are mi vida.
I believe Nietzsche said it best..."...without music life would be nothing."
enjoy,
a.e.c.
2006
"for the first time I feel love..." bono and u2
the first time ~ u2<(wma)
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