Monthly Archives: March 2011

“Mike Starr: April 4, 1966 – March 8, 2011”

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Mike Starr, last seen on the US MTV show ‘Celebrity Rehab’ in 2010, has died. At the time of writing, no details have been released regarding his cause of death, but police do not suspect foul play.

Starr will be best remembered as former bass player with Seattle legends Alice In Chains, playing bass on their first two (and arguably best) full length releases ‘Facelift’ and ‘Dirt’ (released in 1990 and 1992 respectively). Alongside Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ and Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’, ‘Dirt’ become one of the biggest selling and best loved albums associated with the 90’s grunge phenomenon, eventually shifting three over million units in the US. The album also spawned three US Top Ten hit singles.

After leaving Alice In Chains shortly after the release of ‘Dirt’, Starr became a member of Sun Red Sun, a supergroup which also featured Ray Gillen of Badlands/Black Sabbath, ex-Rainbow/Black Sabbath drummer Bobby Rondinelli and Al B Romano (formally a member of Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna’s eponymous band).

Starr can be seen in the video-clips from the Alice in Chains VHS release ‘Live Facelift’ below:

R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now

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After R.E.M.’s golden run of albums between 1989’s ‘Green’ and 1994’s ‘Monster’, the band’s popularity hit stratospheric levels. They could seemingly do no wrong. Then came the marginal ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’ – an album which polarises fans. While some praise it for its moodiness, others find it song-less and more than a bit dull. From that point on R.E.M. continued releasing million-selling albums, but there was a general feeling they were past their best – a feeling which culminated with the release of 2004’s often maligned ‘Around The Sun’.

Nearly seven years and a couple of albums later, the early buzz surrounding ‘Collapse Into Now’ suggested that R.E.M.’s 2011 release was something a bit special. While no ‘Automatic For The People’ or ‘Monster’, it certainly comes loaded with its share of winners. In fact, it plays like a voyage through each of the styles and whims of R.E.M.’s long career, as if they’ve made a conscious effort to try please all of their fans on one all-encompassing release.

With ‘Discoverer’ the album opens with a rather crashy number. Weaving its charm by way of chiming guitars, naturally, this evokes a ‘Monster’ style REM. There’s more than a hint of ‘Bang and Blame’ surrounding this number in places, and while musically it isn’t too complex, it has a couple of nice touches – most notably a great bass courtesy of Mike Mills, shining through the small wall of guitars. Stipe’s vocal isn’t always completely audible, though I suspect his lyrics are a collection of oblique words. While musically it holds its own, it’s let down a little by a chorus which fails to stretch much beyond Stipe repeatedly shouting ‘Discoverer’. ‘All The Best’ follows in a similar mood, with a focus on electric guitars and general rock posturing. It has the quality of a comfortable pair of shoes; the kind of number which feels like you’ve always known it.

‘It Happened Today’ explores the band’s Americana pop elements; while the best elements are drawn from Peter Buck’s mandolin work, it’s an album stand out with regard to harmony vocals. The melding of Stipe, Buck and Mills’s voices provide a great sunshine vibe. During the closing moments where those harmonies make up the bulk of the entertainment, they are joined by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, though his contribution is somewhat understated.

For those looking for more of R.E.M.’s pastel shades, ‘Collapse Into Now’ features a few more stand outs. ‘Oh My Heart’ is a brilliant acoustic based waltz with Peter Buck’s distinctive guitars and mandolins accompanied by very European sounding accordion and sousaphone work. In these relaxed atmospheres, Stipe sounds superb. This ought to be enough to make the track a fan favourite, despite a slightly wobbly chorus featuring some rather ugly backing vocals. ‘Walk It Back’ is a maudlin, piano-based number which provides a great showcase for Stipe as an understated vocalist. It’s a number which works by virtue of its relative simplicity. The sparse piano, occasional echoing guitar and warm bass work captures the reflective R.E.M. in fantastic form. Those who still find themselves hopelessly attracted by ‘Automatic For The People’ will certainly find plenty of enjoyment from the quirky, acoustic ‘Überlin’, which features great performances from all concerned. Behind great lead work, R.E.M.’s unofficial fifth member Scott McCaughey adds plenty of texture with simple organ lines. Once again, post-‘Monster’ R.E.M. have rarely sounded better than they do here.

‘Mine Smell Like Honey’ is another upbeat electric number, though not the kind of fuzz-driven rock which pumped ‘Monster’s blood. This number is bouncier, more naive – a deliberate attempt to capture some of the spirit which drove their earliest works. With a small amount of tweaking, it sounds like something which could slot into running order of ‘Reckoning’. Such a throwback to an older sounding R.E.M. certainly comes as a surprise. And it’s an even bigger surprise that it doesn’t sound forced or unnatural for them to play in such a style after so many years have passed. A similar musical spirit powers ‘That Someone Is You’, where Buck’s guitars jangle relentlessly. This doesn’t sound quite as natural, however, since moments of organ and a slight treatment on Stipe’s vocal are just enough to remind the listener this wasn’t recorded in 1984. The energy throughout the track cannot be faulted though and pulling in at under two minutes, it certainly clears the cobwebs!

One time Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye offers his chops to two numbers. He can be heard playing the featured solos on ‘Alligator Aviator Autopilot¬¬ Antimatter’ and ‘Blue’. ‘Alligator’ is an upbeat offering, all rock swagger and pounding drums. Hardly essential R.E.M., but it’s definitely lots of fun, sounding like it was created with live performance in mind. A guest appearance by Peaches adds very little overall, her performance not much more than an echo of Stipe’s main voice. The angular soloing offered by Kaye brings the track a welcome, but brief moment of edginess. ‘Blue’, meanwhile, is a downbeat number which also features Patti Smith herself. Having first performed on the dreary ‘E-Bow The Letter’ from ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’, the idea of Patti Smith collaborating with Stipe and co isn’t a new phenomenon, but thankfully, ‘Blue’ isn’t as flat as that aforementioned track. Throughout, Stipe offers a overly wordy spoken performance, while Smith’s distinctive voice handles the other, more traditional vocal; her off-kilter style given a very haunting quality thanks to the use of atmospherically played reverbed guitars and piano. It’s not catchy by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly ends ‘Collapse Into Now’ on a reflective note. Before the track stops, there’s a brief reprise of ‘Discoverer’ bringing things full circle, but it feels a little bolted on after the drifting atmospherics of Stipe and Smith captured in duet.

In many ways, the early “return to form” hype regarding ‘Collapse Into Now’ can be seen as true. It’s certainly a well-rounded album evoking a lot of the band’s best pre-‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’ works. It’s not as classic as that run of releases between 1989’s ‘Green’ and 1994’s ‘Monster’, but to expect that it could have been, is somewhat foolish. Thankfully, though, ‘Collapse Into Now’ is streets ahead of the drudgery of ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’ and much better than the “R.E.M. on auto-pilot” approach of everything which followed.

SHARKS TOOK THE REST – Grounds For Hearts To Swell

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PhotobucketTaking music with strings and an almost spacious approach to the piano would undoubtedly create something atmospheric and possibly cinematic, but on this EP, British septet Sharks Took The Rest take such cinematic music a step farther by adding elements of easy jazz and electronica. This results in five varied numbers which, together, create an incredibly compelling debut release.

The string-led ‘Bring Her Back’ has a sound which is immediately familiar. Gentle drums and upright bass provide a warm loop over the viola and cello. The swirling vocal arrangement on the chorus gives a sense of building up, but largely the number maintains a mellow, flowing quality. The end sound offers something which sounds like Sarah McLachlan, although the use of upright bass lends itself to the work of Elizabeth and the Catapult. The McLachlan feeling runs through parts of ‘Ancestors’, but here, Beccy Owen’s vocal (which occasionally drifts into an uncomfortable pitch) plays second fiddle to the great work from the rhythm section. David Carnegie’s jazzy drumming is spot-on throughout the number, but Ian Paterson’s upright bass work outshines all other musical aspects.

‘Sleeping Conniptions’ showcases the busier side of the septets sound and the use of a frantic programmed drum loop here gives the number a real thrust. While aggressive drum loops don’t often have a place within such atmospheric surroundings, it works well against sounds of the strings – and especially what sounds like a heavily treated electric guitar, adding very eastern qualities. ‘Restaurant’ has a quirky air, as Louise Taylor and Becca Topping’s viola and cello are plucked, over which Nick Pride adds similarly hard-plucked acoustic guitar strings. This is overlaid by a multi-voiced, occasionally complex arrangement which really highlights the vocal talent within the band.

The closing number ‘Isobel’ has an unsettling quality. Adam Kent’s sparse piano work is overlaid by slowly building, cleanly plucked guitar. Owen’s vocal has presence, but her words aren’t always clear; when joined in harmony by a second vocal, it’s almost dreamlike. As the track progresses, the percussion builds to a climax, before falling into something gentler.

Each of the five numbers featured on ‘Ground For Hearts To Swell’ is meticulously crafted and full of warmth, while the chamber pop elements set the band apart from any vaguely similar musicians. Sharks Took The Rest have a rich sound which will undoubtedly capture the minds of listeners who have spent years enjoying other female-fronted acts.  Recommended.

February/March 2011

RADIOHEAD – The King Of Limbs

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Radiohead’s debut ‘Pablo Honey’ threw the band into the public consciousness thanks to hit single ‘Creep’ (a track that’s long since worn out it’s welcome thanks to many cover versions), but overall, the album was patchy. When their second album ‘The Bends’ was released in 1995, the sense of growth was obvious. Every song featured was incredibly strong and Thom Yorke’s song writing showed an increasing maturity. Its 1997 follow-up ‘OK Computer’ was a brave release, which resenbled little of the band from previously, encompassing a far more cinematic style, bringing elements of progressive rock into the mix. This was most notable during the closing moments of ‘Exit Music For a Film’, which brazenly ripped off paid homage to Pink Floyd’s ‘Saucerful of Secrets’ (particularly the version from Floyd’s ‘Live at Pompeii’ movie’). Here was a band three albums into their career, and they were musically already a world away from their debut. [At this point, while NME were still praising Radiohead for being the greatest alternative rock band in the world, it was more obvious that this was the work of a band who’d spent their teenage years soaking up influence from 70s prog bands.]

They returned a couple of years later with ‘Kid A’, an album which seemed to polarise fans. Radiohead’s experimentation pushed itself to new levels over the course of the albums that followed. Some embraced the experimental turn their work had taken, while some were turned off, yet rather surprisingly, the band retained a huge fan base – and still appeared to be winning new converts.

Their eighth studio album arrived ahead of the planned release date as a downloadable release, on the 18th February 2011, to what appeared to be unanimous praise, though at times, it’s hard to work out why. For the first five of the eight featured numbers, Radiohead present a collection of soundscapes, beats and loops – and very little in the way of real songs.

A few bars into the opening number ‘Bloom’, it becomes obvious that ‘The King of Limbs’ can be another wilfully difficult release. Busy drum loops relentlessly drive what is essentially an electronic piece, almost lacking any tune. The drum loops are punctuated by an electronic parping noise until the arrival of Tom Yorke’s vocal line. He wails sporadically, his voice almost used as extra instrumentation, as opposed to singing in the conventional sense. The bass sound which creeps in now and again sounds rather good through a pair of 1970s speakers, but there’s not much to enjoy here. Imagine a beefed up electronica version of Tim Buckley’s ‘Starsailor’ but without any of the talent and you’d have a fair idea of what to expect. Striking, it may be, but for most people looking for a tune, its abstract nature probably won’t inspire further listening.

‘Morning Mr Magpie’ is a little softer on the ears, with the drum loop reduced to a rather pleasing hi-hat sound, while the rhythm guitar part shows a minimalistic brilliance with its staccato patterns. Colin Greenwood’s bass pattern has a danceable quality in places, helping to give the mechanical feel of the number some warmth. Even Yorke’s performance hints at Radiohead of old – breathy and passionate (while still an acquired taste). If you’re still looking for an actual song with an actual hook though, you may as well forget it. ‘Little By Little’ continues in a softer mood, but here, Yorke’s voice moves from breathy and passionate, into realms of tuneless and whiny – almost breaking completely in places. The guitar work adopts an enjoyable soft twang, but that’s about the only enjoyable element here. After a few minutes, the sounds of the drum loop and Yorke’s vocal become nothing more than an irritation.

‘Feral’ takes the drum sounds into darker territory, as Phil Selway offers a pattern which resembles another dance loop, over which there’s an odd sounding keyboard punctuating the rhythms. During the second half of the track, there’s a bass sound with a real presence which occasionally hints at 90s ambient dance. But despite a couple of good elements, this number doesn’t particularly work as a whole. Selway’s busy drum rhythms are bothered throughout by keyboard sounds and Thom Yorke, whose vocal drifts in and out, eventually becoming an irksome noise. The bass sound makes a return for ‘Lotus Flower’, which in places, has a pleasing tune – again very much driven by the rhythm section. Greenwood’s playing is laid back – almost sounding like it could have been a bass sample – and even the electronic and keyboard parts of the number present themselves in an unthreatening manner. Such a pity that Yorke has chosen to sing in falsetto throughout – without that, it could have possibly been worth listening to.

The last three numbers present a surprising turnaround of fortunes. In a nod to the past, ‘Give Up The Ghost’ is a sparse haunting number led by acoustic guitar. With minimal percussion and a few electric guitars sounding a little like theramins, Yorke takes place front and centre, delivering a ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ style lament. As a Radiohead fan of old, I very much welcome the presence of such an accessible number (one which could have easily been an ‘OK Computer b-side). As the track pulls to a close, Colin Greenwood’s bass rumbles in a lead fashion and then everything fades out (no pun intended) leaving me wanting more. Similarly, the gentleness of ‘Codex’ has more in common with Radiohead’s history than most of ‘The King of Limbs’. A simple, yet cinematic piano line provides the basis for a heartfelt vocal; Yorke in strong voice (perhaps his strongest this time around). The voice and pinao are joined in places by a dark horn sound and a few strings, to create something almost beautiful. It’s almost as if ‘Codex’ and ‘Give Up The Ghost’ are a reward for old Radiohead fans who haven’t given up on the album by this point.

Closing the album, the Massive Attack/Zero 7 inspired ‘Separator’ utilises yet another great drum part from Selway, accompanied by one of Greenwood’s more interesting bass riffs. It’s busy, again with a slight hint of dance, this time with a little funk thrown in for good measure. Midway, a very clean-toned guitar adds an almost sunny accompaniment – and from that point, the track builds to it’s climax. Yorke’s vocals are reverbed and could, once again, be best described as additional music, since it’s very hard to pick out any of the lyrics (aside from a brief refrain of ‘wake me up’ which creeps in at the end). Arguably one of the best tunes ‘The King of Limbs’ has to offer, it makes me wish the disc hadn’t stopped there (despite disliking most of what came previously). How different the album may have been, if only Radiohead could have tapped into their trip-hop qualities earlier…

While it’s necessary to appreciate bands move on and experiment (and in some cases change their sound almost completely), it’s almost remarkable how Radiohead have managed to retain such a huge following by releasing such challenging music as they have from 1997 onward. Over the years, there have been other artists performing music with equally interesting results which have barely had a look in by comparison. ‘The King of Limbs’ as a whole may be more experimental than anything Radiohead have attempted before, but it’s first half is almost devoid of songs. A couple of numbers are even devoid of tunes. Thankfully, the second half is more accessible, but still doesn’t grab the listener in the same way the band’s best was once easily capable. They won’t care, of course. Those who enjoy Radiohead’s wanton electronic experiements will praise this album to the hilt – as for the older fans…at least ‘The Bends’ can thankfully be revisited time and again without it’s brilliance ever waning.

March 2011

BENEDICTUM – Dominion

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benBy the time Benedictum recorded their debut album in 2005, you could say their founding members were already veterans. Vocalist Veronica Freeman and guitarist Pete Wells had been members of a band named Malady for ten years previously and in addition, Veronica also performed as part of a Black Sabbath tribute band, Evilution, with Benedictum’s bassist Chris Shrum and ex-drummer Blackie Sanchez.  Given their past, it’s unsurprising that their debut album (‘Uncreation’, released on Locomotive Records) featured two Dio-era Black Sabbath songs and also featured guest appearances by ex Dio band members Craig Goldy and Jeff Pilson, as well as ex-Dio/Rainbow bassist and Thin Lizzy cohort Jimmy Bain.

Benedictum’s third album, ‘Dominion’, brings another huge slab of metal. Throughout the disc, the riffs are huge and the drummer attacks his kit as if he has a third leg. With the music being of such powerhouse qualities and the level of musicianship being of a mostly high standard, you’d think ‘Dominion’ would be an unmissable release. However, despite some great qualities, none of its songs manage to be especially memorable. Most of the tunes blend together after a while; there’s very little light and shade.  Although it could be argued that Freeman has a metal voice that commands attention, it’s mostly commanded through volume and force – there’s no real charisma in her performances.

The title cut opens with a few quirky rhythms and keyboard parts but the tune quickly descends into manic, sledgehammer riffing. By the time Freeman’s vocals hit their stride, there’s little of interest melodically. However, those keeping a close ear on Mikey Pannone will hear the work of a great metal drummer – not only is his playing fast, but many of his fills are fairly complex. ‘At The Gates’ is equally as subtle… Although there is the occasional hint that Freeman could sing in a melodic style – as demonstrated on the chorus sections – the verses in turn display a voice that’s as aggressive as it had been on the title cut. The track’s best moment comes from Pete Wells, whose featured solo is reminiscent of old-school 80s thrash.

Occasionally, when things lighten up, Freeman’s vocals show signs of potential power. During the verses of ‘Loud Silence’, she retreats from her usual metal approach, attempting to bring emotions other than anger into her performance. There are fleeting moments here where she could pass as metal’s answer to Grace Slick, but her best efforts seem at odds with music that’s still really heavy. The epic ‘Epsilon’ moves further away from full-on power metal and brings in elements of progressive metal, allowing some interesting (if slightly pneumatic) interplay between Wells and Pannone. A few eastern musical motifs add a small amount of extra interest and there are fleeting moments where Freeman adopts a more tuneful style, but if it’s prog-metal you’re after, there are a thousand better examples of the sub-genre than this.

The album’s best track is ‘Seer’, a number which features a melodic vocal, a heavy yet melodic riff (due to a slower pace) and a chorus which at least has an attempt at being memorable.  Imagine something which combines the best elements of ‘Rage For Order’ era Queensryche, Dio and a pinch of power metal and you’ll have a fair idea where this number’s musical interests lie. Against the classic sounding riff, Wells’s clean lead notes wail like it’s 1989 and, for once at least, Benedictum offer something that’s a little broader in appeal.

This release features two bonus tracks, one of which should be familiar to many.  In all honesty, though, you probably don’t want to hear Benedictum hammering their way through a version of Rush’s ‘Overture/Temple of Syrinx’. The layered guitar parts of the original version are reproduced here in a much heavier style – and without any of the finesse that was really required. Freeman’s take on Geddy Lee’s vocal is little more than a full-bore metal squeal. Oh dear.

While (from a metal perspective, at least) most of ‘Dominion’ could be described as musically sound, it’s certainly a release for power-metal die-hards only. There are a couple of moments which stand out – and individually, some of the players show a decent level of talent – but more focus on songs would have been useful.

March 2010