Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

DEF LEPPARD – On Through The Night

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Def Leppard’s third and fourth albums – 1983’s ‘Pyromania’ and 1987’s ‘Hysteria’ – are two of the biggest selling rock albums of the 1980s.  The latter is one of the biggest selling rock albums of all time.  With these two albums, (over)produced by the legendary Mutt Lange, Def Leppard perfected their signature brand of soft metal with big hooks and even bigger harmonies.  Although a lot of this signature sound is down to Lange’s mastery of the studio, the band had a strong focus on melody and vocal harmony right from the beginning.

With regards to the band’s 1980 debut album ‘On Through The Night’, this is never more obvious than on ‘Hello America’, a track drenched in harmony vocals and tinkling synthesizers.  Those harmonies typify the vocal stylings which Def Leppard would soon make their calling card; and even at such an early stage, this blatant pandering to a music industry across the Atlantic could be seen as Def Leppard wanting to break out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as soon as possible.  Balancing a fairly throwaway lyric with a tough-edged arrangement, this presents one of the best examples of the early Leppard’s gift for melody and as such, made it the perfect choice for a single.  Between the commercial hooks and riffs, the guitar work exchanged between Steve Clark leads and Pete Willis’s solid rhythm brings an edge with a slightly more metallic leaning, but despite their best efforts, these guitar riffs still don’t quite match the work of their then heroes UFO and Thin Lizzy.

Although not quite as polished, ‘It Don’t Matter’ is also very melodic, with an opening riff which has plenty of groove.  That riff appears sporadically throughout, but during the verses, it gives way to very basic chord pattern, which is coupled by an equally simple bassline and a cowbell which, in places, could rival Blue Oyster Cult’s ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’ for its lack of subtlety. It’s a track which – as part of a bigger picture here – certainly hits the spot; although it’s relatively basic approach probably could have been improved upon, had the more confident Def Leppard re-approached it for their second album sessions with Mutt the following year.  ‘Satellite’ is a statement of simple, no nonsense hard rock which showcases some great staccato guitar parts and a decent chorus.  What lifts above being ordinary is a rather grandiose mid-section, featuring a wah-wah drenched solo, some unexpected clean rhythm guitar and something nearing a bass solo.  It’s an interesting approach and hugely professional given Leppard’s relative youth at this time.

Even though there are lots of pointers towards some very promising talent, there’s no denying that ‘On Through The Night’ contains a couple of potential clunkers.  The worst offender is, in fact, the album’s opening statement, ‘Rock Brigade’.  Any song which contains the word rock in its title has the ability to make people cringe, but delivered from a bunch of teenagers whom fashion a chorus out of ‘Watch out it’s the rock brigade / oh no, it’s the rock brigade’, well, let’s just say it’s pretty questionable at best.  Luckily, Rick Allen’s rock solid drum part and the front line of Steve Clark and Pete Willis on guitars give those questionable lyrics a boost; the arrangement has enough cockiness that you just might manage to forgive the youthful song writing.  But only just.  Likewise, with ‘Answer To The Master’, the listener is expected to take the barrage of teenage arrogance with a bag of salt.  Again, any dodgy song writing is balanced out by a decent arrangement and tight playing: in this case, there’s a great twin-lead guitar part, a couple of energetic solos and Rick Savage’s punchy bassline, which definitely ranks as a high point here.  Rick Allen’s drum fills aren’t too shabby either.

‘Colonel’ Tom Allom’s production may not have the perfectionist qualities that Mutt would later bring to subsequent Leppard albums, but his approach is more than fine for the songs here.  As expected though, as a man best known for producing all of Judas Priest’s 80s albums, his techniques bring out the best elements on the harder numbers.  A rousing rock tune, ‘Rocks Off’ may not be the lyrical equivalent of Lennon/McCartney, but it captures the hard rock Def Leppard rather well, with a powerful riff which is reminiscent of ‘Stained Class’ era Judas Priest, while ‘It Could Be You’ and ‘Wasted’ (the latter also released as a single in a different recording) offer almost as much oomph.  Providing you can make it past ‘Wasted’s lyrics of teenage debauchery, it’s fine enough, albeit in a disposable sort of way.  Similarly, ‘It Could Be You’ breaks no new territory for the NWOBHM, but it has a naive charm.

‘Sorrow is a Woman’ is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of arrangement.  The verses are loaded with melody – the rhythm guitar work is beautifully clean, the lead guitar work occasionally hints at a jazzy infliction here and there and (as with ‘Answer To The Master’) the bass work provides the real highlight.  Throughout this number, Savage’s bass is presented very highly in the overall mix, and while he doesn’t play anything too complex, his work is more than just an anchoring role.  In fact, this track’s weak links come via it’s occasional hard rock moments; the chorus riffs sound like they’re building towards something big, but stop short.  In many ways, the rockier moments just interfere with the more intricate arrangements elsewhere.  With an atmospheric spoken word intro (courtesy of The Strawbs’ Dave Cousins), ‘When The Walls Came Tumblin’ Down’ has hints of pomp at its beginnings with Elliot vocalising over a soft guitar line.  While this hints at something bigger than straight-up hard rock, it doesn’t last.  The electric guitar riffs chug along in a manner that’s not too subtle – and as such place Def Leppard alongside many of their NWOBHM contemporaries.  What sets the band apart here, though, is their use of harmony vocals and a huge pomposity as the track progresses; those lead vocals are tempered by some well-placed harmonies and then overlaid by Clark’s vibrato lead work.  It’s one of ‘On Through The Night’s more adventurous numbers, but even so, it doesn’t live up to the epic ‘Overture’, which closes the album.

A track which appeared in a slightly different form on the Def Leppard demo tape and on their self-financed 7” EP, ‘Overture’ gets a full polish up and re-recording here.  As the opening notes drift in, there’s something here that’s a bit different – more mature, certainly far more adventurous.  The clean toned guitar work has a beautiful quality and Savage’s bass and Elliott’s vocal help take it to a higher level.  Keen listeners will recognise a similarity in the guitar part to moments featured during the UFO number ‘Cherry’ (from their 1978 album ‘Obsession’), but that’s as far as any similarity goes.  Once the drums crash in, Willis and Clark tear into a Thin Lizzy inspired twin lead, before the band powers into the rest of an already epic number.  Elliott can be heard in a strong, natural vocal role, backed by a few great harmonies in places, while Savage’s bass line gallops across everything with a far amount of abandon.  Also finding places for a couple of the album’s best guitar solos and a second twin lead which sounds like a cheeky nod to Iron Maiden (then, very much peers to the fledgling Leps), the seven and a half minutes of ‘Overture’ represent ‘On Through The Night’s finest achievement.  The band really still ought to hold this up as something of which they can be proud:  the first two minutes, in particular, may even be the best thing Def Leppard committed to record during their first three years.

Some of the song writing may be clichéd and the general rock posturing a little green in the gills, but the seeds of the Def Leppard sound can be heard scattered across various moments of ‘On Through The Night’.

In terms of live performance, the songs featured here were all but left on the shelf after the ‘Pyromania’ tour of 1983/4, with only ‘Wasted’ and – rather surprisingly – ‘Rock Brigade’ making sporadic appearances once again after 1999.  It mightn’t always have the polish of their arguably more popular works, but why Def Leppard have all but disowned ‘On Through The Night’ is a mystery.  As far as debut albums go, it’s got its share of great moments.

While it could certainly be argued that their second album (1981’s ‘High & Dry’, the first of three albums with Mutt Lange in the producer’s chair) is far more structured in terms of performance and the band really make the best of their new-found tougher, leaner sound, the carefree, youthful experimentation the band enjoyed on their debut shouldn’t be overlooked as often as it has been. And while – as a whole – ‘On Through The Night’ may not be as enduring across the ages as Iron Maiden’s debut or Judas Priest’s ‘British Steel’ (also both released in the same year), it’s strongest moments are among the best to emerge from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

 

June 2011

 

NIGHT RANGER – Somewhere In California

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As one of the legendary melodic rock bands, Night Ranger’s back catalogue has more than its share of great moments. Even their ‘Feeding Off The Mojo’ disc from 1995 has more than enough to recommend it, even though the band themselves no longer seem to consider it part of their official back catalogue. 2011’s ‘Somewhere In California’ doesn’t match early classics like ‘Dawn Patrol’ or ‘Midnight Madness’, but compared to parts of 1998’s ‘Seven’ and its successor ‘Hole In The Sun’ (delivered some ten years later), it definitely has a more traditional Night Ranger feel on many of its tracks.

‘Growin’ Up In California’ opens with a staccato riff which gives way to a brief twin lead. Once the track kicks in, against a more 21st Century Night Ranger sound, there are moments which hark back to the past, more so than in a long while. Although heavily filtered (perhaps unnecessarily), the vocals recall classic Night Ranger, but it’s Eric Levy’s ugly synth sounds which are the real clincher. They have the same sound that Alan “Fitz” Fitgerald bought to the first couple of albums (most notably ‘You Can Still Rock In America’ from 1983’s ‘Midnight Madness’). Those keyboard sounds alone are enough to suggest Night Ranger are seeking to recapture some of their early spirit. The hard chug which dominates ‘Lay It On Me’ – coupled with a sneering vocal which sounds like something Jack Blades wrote for Aerosmith – mightn’t be greeted with open arms by all fans (‘Hole In The Sun’ was derided for being too “modern”), but a huge “whoah” on its chorus may redress some balance. It’s a shame that beyond such a promising “whoah”, the chorus itself falls a little short. The featured solo, however, is a corker; more notes and flash than melodic space filler, but even so the playing is superb. ‘Bye Bye Baby’ moves away from chugging rock and delivers something else in the classic melodic rock mould, it’s essence very old-school Night Ranger. The keyboards and guitars have almost equal space in the mix at times, while the vocals shared between Blades and Kelly Keagy are very pleasing throughout. The chorus is where the real greatness comes, though; it’s melodic, it’s simple and infectious – everything you’re looking for from this brand of tuneful hard rock.

Just when you think ‘Somewhere In California’ could be pandering a little too much to Night Ranger’s rock tendencies, ‘Time of Our Lives’ redresses some balance. Night Ranger were known for their big ballads early in their career, and although ‘Time of Our Lives’ doesn’t hit the heights of ‘When You Close Your Eyes’ or ‘Sister Christian’, it’s solid enough. Appearing in the slot which traditionally would have closed an 80s Night Ranger vinyl, it’s a number with a soaring quality, full of great harmony vocals. The lead vocal is a little scratchy in places, but the harmonies make up for that. A definite high point, ‘Live For Today’ melds classic rock and psychedelic elements in a way which would make Kings X proud. This isn’t new for Night Ranger, of course, since Blades has often shown a fondness for fuzzy retro cool; but with its multi-tracked guitars and keyboards fleshing out the sound on this track, he’s rarely captured the mood as well as he does here. On the flip side, a great guitar solo aside, ‘Rock N’ Roll Tonite’ is a horrible embarrassment. Lyrically full of clichéd rubbish, Jack Blades steers everyone through a stomping rocker which tries too hard to create an unnecessary party atmosphere. The least said about it the better.

‘It’s Not Over’ is a number where the spirit of old Night Ranger comes through the absolute strongest. While the production gives things a slightly tougher edge, the overall feel of the song is very 80s. The chorus is incredibly strong – harmonies all present and correct – and the guitar leads exchanged between Brad Gillis and Joel Hoekstra are spot on. ‘No Time To Lose Ya’ indulges the band’s more melodic qualities also, with a punchy rocker which has all the hallmarks of classic AOR. A strong chorus a great arrangement are boosted by a superb lead guitar break which mostly focuses on twin lead work, though naturally, Hoekstra can’t resist throwing in a neat twiddle at the end…Alongside ‘Bye Bye Baby’ it’s a number which represents the 2011 Night Ranger in their most natural way. The end of the track, in particular, with its huge vocals and soloing underpinned by solid rhythm work shows why Night Ranger have always been so highly regarded.

‘Somewhere In California’ is the best Night Ranger album since 1988’s ‘Man In Motion’. Those who’ve been disappointed with the band’s harder sound over the previous couple of releases should certainly give it a listen. Although there are still a few harder rock tendencies creeping in here and there – particularly during the album’s first half – older, more dyed-in-wool AOR/Night Ranger fans should find enough consolation for the band’s supposed former misfires here.

June 2011

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT – Ghost

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In 2009, Devin Townsend embarked on a rather ambitious project. He set about recording four albums in contrasting styles, each one focusing on a different element of his music.  The project’s first release, ‘Ki’, had a more organic sound than many of Townsend’s previous outings, having stripped away the many layers.  In doing so, the songs were left to speak for themselves without the level of density they would have previously been given.  While the songs were largely excellent, the performances became slightly unsettling with their starkness in places.  2010’s ‘Addicted!’ reinstated many of the typical Townsend quirks – and most importantly, a lot of studio post production – making it a far more by-numbers affair.  A good album, but there was still a sense there was more interesting material on the horizon.

The next two instalments of the project were released simultaneously – like a musical yin and yang. ‘Deconstruction’ captures Townsend in an intensely heavy mood, while ‘Ghost’ is an ambient, progressive set of songs.  Townsend’s lightest ever work, ‘Ghost’ moves away from his progressive metal – and indeed full-on metal – tendencies. A work almost entirely constructed of atmospheric beauty, it’s not an album that’ll appeal to all of Townsend’s fans; however, for the more adventurous fan, within its duration of 70+ minutes, there’s some simply gorgeous, inventive music waiting to be absorbed.  In short, ‘Ghost’ is stunning, and potentially far more interesting than ‘Ki’ and ‘Addicted!’ combined.

‘Feather’ – spanning some eleven minutes – is one of the key tracks. Similar in style to ‘Nobody’s Here’ from Townsend’s ‘Terria’ album from 2001, it offers a great combination of ambience, depth of feeling and intricate musicianship.  However, ‘Feather’ expands on ‘Nobody’s Here’s previous dreamy style by adding soft flute sounds (courtesy of Emerald Web’s Kat Epple) and a female vocal.  At the centre is Townsend, his clean toned guitar work, picking notes and offering ringing chords.  The song sounds like it could end at five and a half minutes, but instead falls into an extended coda with the gentle vocal calling “Generally we are a lonely people / generally we are alone / generally we are in lonely worlds”.  The addition of some understated ambient keyboard work and equally understated drumming means that the track doesn’t drag, even though there is ample opportunity for it to do so, even taking into account two minutes of new-age plinky-plunkiness tacked on the end.  Epple’s flute contributions to the album are pivotal, like on the instrumental cut ‘Monsoon’ where her flute plays a dreamlike lead part over an electronic ambient drone.  Between this and the short ‘Dark Matters’ which follows – which finds the flute work complimented by an almost distant Townsend multi-layered vocal – it’s almost impossible to believe that this is the work of the man behind uber-metallers Strapping Young Lad.

The title track eschews the extended atmospheres for something akin to a middle of the road 1970s pop song. With an acoustic guitar at its centre delivering what could best be described as a rumpty-tumpty rhythm, Townsend and his band revel in the sunny vibe.  It’s not alone in its upbeat nature though, since ‘Blackberry’ is similarly feel-good, only here, the acoustic work is augmented by plucked banjos, like something from an old road movie.  The bluegrass style elements are balanced out by the rather more traditional Devin Townsend moments; his lead vocal is heavily processed and there’s a keyboard drone throughout making this feel like a natural successor to his classic ‘Ocean Machine: Biomech’ release.

Townsend’s acoustic finger-picking provides the heart of ‘Heart Baby’, a track with a slightly Celtic air which could have found a space on a Mark Knopfler soundtrack work. The acoustic guitar sits well atop flutes, strings and another keyboard drone.  The vocal lines are used sparingly at first, often focusing more on general harmonics than the lyrics themselves, which seem a little obscured by the studio trickery.  As the number builds to a (rather unobtrusive) climax, Townsend’s vocals are multi-tracked and looped for effect and while this puts him rather more at the forefront of things, it’s still the acoustic guitar and keyboard providing the strongest elements.  Also fairly cinematic, ‘Infinite Ocean’ – as the name suggests – has a long, rolling quality which sweeps the listener along.  A droning keyboard provides a blanket for brushed drums and a flute, while whispered vocals give the sense of something lurking beneath.  Aside from Townsend occasionally plucking acoustic guitar notes and a few chord changes, this track barely deviates from its opening statement, creating an atmosphere which is reminiscent of some of David Gilmour’s work.  Townsend pitches the mood just right, and so, like ‘Feather’, the musical minimalism sustains eight minutes easily, without becoming tiresome.

If you have only ever loved “Devin Townsend the metal guy”, ‘Ghost’ will offer you absolutely no thrills – and that’s a promise.  If you came looking for Townsend’s metal side, then ‘Ghost’s companion release ‘Deconstructed’ is the one for you.   While Townsend has included similar sounding works here and there on previous releases, ‘Ghost’ is the first time a whole work has been dedicated to such a reflective frame of mind – and for those who can get into it, there’s plenty of greatness to be discovered on this slow-burner of an album.

June 2011

ELIZA CARTHY – Neptune

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Eliza Carthy’s career has two distinct paths.  While she is well known for her interpretations of traditional English folk songs (her renditions of which have gained many accolades), Carthy is just as likely to release an album of well-crafted, self-penned songs which fuse rock, pop and folk in a way that cannot be easily categorized.  She followed 2004’s excellent ‘Rough Music’ (a collection largely comprised of traditional folk numbers, with an excellent rendition of Billy Bragg’s ‘King James Version’ thrown in for good measure) with ‘Dreams of Breathing Underwater’ in 2008, which stylistically could be seen as a successor to her very commercial ‘Angels and Cigarettes’ release from 2000.  2011’s self-penned ‘Neptune’ follows suit, once again showcasing Carthy as a gifted songwriter and arranger.

‘Neptune’ focuses on the imperfections of life, of relationships and is a journey across a number of years.  It opens with a rousing number ‘Blood on My Boots’ – a drunken stomp across nearly six and a half minutes, opening with an electric guitar twang, before Carthy’s husky vocal compliments a gentle double bass line.  For the chorus, the track takes on a old style bar-room quality, with dominant tack piano.  Carthy’s lead is augmented by a pleasing backing vocal mixing gruff male voices and female oohs.  The combination of darker story-telling and fusion of blues, jazz and folk works excellently as it leads up to a brief appearance of accordion before moving back to the main piano refrain.  While each of the featured musicians plays a great part during this number, it’s Alexander’s piano line which leaves the greatest impression.  The mood changes swiftly as we move into ‘War’, a quirky calypso influenced number.  The vocal arrangement on this number is superb and the lyrics (concerning a fight) are at odds with the sunny arrangement.  Of particular note is the excellently arranged horn section which fills an instrumental break.  While Carthy appears adept at mixing folk and calypso elements, these talents do not stretch to a second calypso/reggae number. ‘Monkey’ has a really great Hammond organ part – but that’s it.  The reggae is far, far too light, putting Carthy in a similar musical frame as Paolo Nutini and his nasty forays into reggae-pop.

After an a cappella opening where Carthy and her bandmates launch into the traditional folk song ‘The Oak and The Ash’, ‘Britain is a Car Park’ is one of the album’s most upbeat and adventurous numbers.  The music is quirky, driven by an upright bass and fantastic horn section.  The horns provide plenty of punch on a number which sounds like it could lapse into the theme from ‘Mission: Impossible’ at any given moment. Just when you think you’ve heard all it has to offer, it takes an unexpected turn with an extremely discordant accordion solo followed by police sirens. The musical quirks (and tightness of the arrangement) more than sustain an extremely busy five minutes.  The mid-paced ‘Romeo’ is far moodier, with a vocal melody which recalls Carthy’s roots in English folk music.  It’s a lyrically angry number concerning a relationship on breaking point, its edge given a little softness by a musical arrangement which features smooth strings and piano.

The closing of the album finds Carthy in a different place to where we found her at ‘Neptune’s beginning, with tales of family and motherhood.  During ‘Hansel (Breadcrumbs)’, Carthy sounds vocally very assured against a full sounding band, once again dominated in places by Alexander’s piano lines on a number which melds tango influenced rhythms with European folk and a bitter edge.  ‘Thursday’ tells of the sadness when it’s time to leave family members to go on tour.  Against Phil Alexander’s gentle piano line and Bethany Porter’s cello, Carthy’s soft vocal is full of sadness and longing (one of ‘Neptune’s best), bringing the album to a low-key, but superb end.

Destined for heavy rotation on both Mike Harding and Bob Harris’s BBC Radio 2 shows, it’s an album full of very sophisticated adult singer-songwriter material with rootsy leanings. It’s a little light of English folk influences in places, so rather predictably, it should resonate with those who really loved ‘Angels and Cigarettes’ and ‘Dreams of Breathing Underwater’.  Despite a couple of misses, ‘Neptune’ is one of Eliza Carthy’s strongest original works, with ‘Hansel’ in particular marking a career high.

May 2011

THE DEMOS – Lovely

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PhotobucketThe Demos are a New York indie pop/power pop duo whose work, in principle, should be very appealing. They often know their way around a three minute song and have some great 70s/80s power pop influences, but from early listens, it’s obvious where their work is deficient: in keeping with their name, the songs here have a slightly DIY feel as opposed to a finished, lavish work. We’re not talking the Robert Pollard/Guided By Voices “amps and a tape-deck” approach here, obviously, but for a power pop band, The Demos lack the necessary professional shine. This has a great deal to do with the presence of elements which sound pre-programmed (particularly on lots of drum parts), which, in the long run, tends to make everything feel a bit flat.

Audio issues aside, there are a few songs featured on ‘Lovely’ which really stand out. ‘Can’t Win Me Over’ has a strong Ben Kweller influence and simple chiming guitar chords, but within its power pop grooves there’s something a little more indie rock at play. Similarly, ‘Tell Me How It Feels’ is potentially great, with its melodic guitar lines, kitschy keyboards and a tune which, in places, is reminiscent of Boston band The Russians. It provides a great insight into what The Demos can do when completely focused; it’s just a shame about the biscuit tin drum sound, which naturally provides a weak element. It’s a number begging to be spruced up by the superb Justin Kline.

‘My City’ features some solid harmonies and a mid-paced arrangement, which overall provides another example of The Demos at their best. While the rhythm guitars are simple, beneath the jangle, there are occasional hints of a ringing lead and twin vocals which are given an extra boost by a female backing. The track barely breaks from its original riff, but doesn’t need any embellishment or anything complex added; at just over two-and-a-half minutes, it’s holds the attention well enough. Another mid-paced number, ‘I Need It’, has a strong 70s vibe which, with a tweak here and there, could be really great. As it stands, it already has a strong vocal line and the tinkling bell keyboard moments are a nice touch. Like other good moments on this album, though, the song is well written but let down by the small budget at The Demos’ disposal.

As mentioned, a few of the songs featured on ‘Lovely’ have the necessary hooks needed to make them stand up, but the fidelity really hampers the end sound. There’s little here that sounds like essential listening, but repeated listens show a couple of songs to be great. It’s a shame The Demos didn’t have the huge budget to give those tunes the kind of send off they deserved.

 

June 2011